close knit: the neighborhood yarn shop


Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Crochet Inspiration

How about a little crochet inspiration for you? I am not a great crocheter, so let me know if there are more beautiful designs that are inspiring you!
Amma Granny Square Top
Fortune's Shawlette
The Mare

Daydreamer Tank
Taroko
Waistcoat Basket
Minton
Wonder Woman Wrap
Yip Yips
Lost in Time
Patterns are all linked in the captions, and photos are all borrowed from the Ravelry pattern pages.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Eye Candy

The newest shades of Cascade Heritage Paints are so pretty! These are 437 yards of superwash wool and nylon, perfect for socks and just about anything else. I'm loving the handpainted look of these new colorways.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Knitted Wit Targhee Worsted

While we all know and love Knitted Wit for their fun variegated yarns and bright, vibrant colors, I am a bit smitten with this lovely range of good ol' Targhee Worsted.
This yarn will knit up into a lofty but durable fabric with a classic squishy feel. I'm imagining a traditional gansey sweater knit up in the that deep red. Or maybe a pretty afghan with the green, grey, and pink. Or how about a sweet cabled hat in the gorgeous navy?
I am finding these less flashy colors just as inspiring as the bright sock yarns! If you only know Knitted Wit for their brights, come by and have a look at the Targhee. Let us know what you think!

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Moon Sisters


Sparkle is always hard to photograph, but the super subtle sparkle on this luscious Moon Sisters from Farmer's Daughter Fibers is proving quite elusive. The bronze stellina spun with the merino and nylon seems to be integrated in a way that distributes the sparkle in a more even way than I usually see on these kinds of yarns. It's very classy. You'll have to come in to see for yourself!

Monday, August 19, 2019

Eye Candy

Love these pretty wool felt accessories!

Friday, August 16, 2019

Hearthstone


Well this pretty yarn ended up flying right under my radar, but I'm so glad we found it when I was in last week. 
The Plymouth Hearthstone is a merino and alpaca blend (80/20), so it will have just the right amount of that alpaca drape with some nice durability from the merino wool. Each skein is 436 yards of fingering weight yarn, so one or two will make an ample shawl, and you'll need to 3-5 for a sweater depending on the design and size.
I am pretty much in love with these marls and naturals, so I need to figure out what to make with these four.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Zooey

Hello pretty Zooey! This cotton and linen blend is just the thing for the summer projects. This DK weight yarn would be fabulous for some of those produce bags we talked about recently. This would also make a lovely summer sweatshirt or drapey cardigan.
The shades are just lovely, and the subtle thick-and-thin texture knits up so nicely. We have a few patterns in the shop designed with Zooey, including this cozy pullover and some fun lace accessories.




I also found several fabulous Ranunculus sweaters done up with just two or three balls of Zooey. Also loving this cute Ursa, knit up in the most gorgeous shade. This stunning crocheted Davallia is so dramatic in black. There is still plenty of time to make and wear a summer garment, and I think you all will love this yarn!

Monday, August 12, 2019

Eye Candy

We have several new batches of Noro in the shop, but the new packaging on the Ito is particularly striking. I have no idea what these cloth bands say, but I'm guessing it's something like, "You will love this yarn." Right?

Friday, August 9, 2019

Isager Books


I was going to photograph my favorite projects from these books to show you, but I really just love them all. If you are a fan of Isager designs, then please just pop by the shop to choose your favorites: Amimono Room 606, Twelve Knitted Sweaters, K (Knit), and ALJ.


Also, a little birdie told me that we will likely be stocking Isager yarns again soon, which is a lovely development for those of us who are already planning projects from these books.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Produce and Market Bags

I've been using some cool cloth produce bags when I head to the grocery store but they are starting to wear out! I was considering sewing myself some new ones, but I think I might like to knit or crochet a few instead and see how they turn out. Here are a few that I found that I thought you all might like, in the event that this sort of thing is on your mind, too.

Here are some nice crocheted options. All photos are borrowed from the links in the captions, which will also take you to the Ravelry page for the pattern. Most of these are freebies, too!
Hemp Produce Drawstring Bag
Edda Bag
French Market Bag
And you knitters can get in the game, too.
Weightless Produce Bag (Also a 2.0 version)
Reusable Produce Bag (with multiple sizes)

Shetland Shopper
We have so many lovely linen and cotton options at the shop for this sort of project. And it's nice when gauge doesn't really matter too much. Larger or smaller yarn? Larger or smaller bags. Either way, you are helping reduce the number of cheap single-use plastic bags that end up in the trash.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Eye Candy

Remember that cool Printed Organic Cotton from Blue Sky Fibers? Here's the sweet baby hat that Sally made with it! Love this cool effect.