Euroflax

Our collaborative linen sale starts today!  From now through May 27, Close Knit and Bolt Neighborhood Fabric are offering 15% off all linen and linen blend fibers.*

I gave you a little glimpse of our linens last week, and I'd love to give you a few ideas.  Let's talk about the pure stuff first, Louet Euroflax.

Louet produces high quality yarns, and Euroflax is one of the best summer yarns out there.  The colors are vibrant, the yardage is generous, and the yarn softens up unbelievably after a good wash.

I have used the Euroflax for face cloths and luxurious hand towels in the past, and we have a sample of one at the shop.  Little cloths like these make great gifts and are a fun way to play with a new stitch pattern or just make up your own.  The sample at the shop shows how far one skein will go, but you can easily produce two good size face cloths from one skein.  I love the Eight Linen Washcloths set from Knitter's Stash, but the sky is the limit here.

For something slightly more involved, you could try the Lacey Stole.  Feather and fan in pure linen?  So nice.  

This is a great beginning lace pattern, and the weight and texture of the finished product are so satisfying.  The results look pretty impressive, but the lace repeat is easy to memorize, all of the wrong side rows are purled, and the chart is only a few rows long.  I thought this was available as a free pattern on Knitting Daily TV, but it looks like that might not be the case any longer.  Either way, it is available as a download from Patterrnfish, and it requires three skeins of your favorite color.

We have the pattern for Patricia, a classic cabled tank that would fit into any summer wardrobe, whether you are going to the park or the office.

Image source.

Cocoknits' Liesl was very popular last summer, and I think it will be again.  The interesting hemline and unusual pockets appealed to many of our uber-cool Close Knitters.

Image source.

I think Kat Coyle's Linen Top is a great option for some mindless summer knitting, and mindless dressing for that matter.

Image source.

Okay, so this is a knitted skirt, I know.  I'm not usually drawn to things like this, but the Linen Kilt from Knit 2 Together is pretty stunning.

Image source.

I also lovelovelove Pipit from Pipibird.  Pretty much everything this woman puts out is amazing.  

I could go on and on: bags, cardigans, dresses(!), tanks, tees, pullovers.  For more ideas, take a look at what so many Ravelers have made with this beloved yarn.  The yarn changed names at one point, so be sure to look at the Euroflax Sport Weight, Originals, and Barcelona projects for maximum linen inspiration.

*On in store-items only, and please don't combine this generous offer with other offers.  Thanks!

Playing With Others

We had such a nice time sharing with our friends at Bolt Neighborhood Fabric during their last big sale, we decided to play again.

Firefly Fringed Scarf and Patricia in Euroflax

We are going to collaborate with Bolt next week to showcase linen, perhaps my favorite summer fiber.  Starting on Monday, May 21st, all linen and linen blend yarns will be 15% off at Close Knit.  Bolt is offering the same 15% discount on their linen fabrics.  The discount will be in effect through Sunday, May 27th at both shops, so next week is the time to get your hands on some linen fiber.

Classic Elite Firefly

Linen is really ideal for summer clothing, and we have some pretty choices at Close Knit: Classic Elite Firefly, Classic Elite Soft Linen, Louet Euroflax Sport, Louet KidLin Lace, and Fibre Company Savannah DK.

Louet Euroflax Sport

Linen creates such a nice drapey fabric with a satisfying weight and texture.  Some people find pure linen a little scratchy in the skein, but it softens up so much after the first wash.  One clever knitter I know has even washed the skein before she knit with it.  She tied the skein in several places, soaked it, and let it drip dry before winding it into a ball.

We have samples of all of our linen yarns at the shop, and I'll be sharing many more suggestions with you in the next week or so.

Dream Stripe Shawl in Classic Elite Soft Linen

Firefly Bias Scarf

You really need to handle these pieces to fully appreciate the loveliness of our linen yarns, and the same is true of the linen fabrics at Bolt.  Make a date with some linen and spend some time in our little corner of the world next week.  Stay tuned for more ideas and inspiration!

Also, both shops will be closed on Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day.  See you soon!

Plymouth Glow

Plymouth has sent more sparkles!  You all seem to love this stuff, so we are happy to announce the arrival of more Glow.

 

The original Baby Llama Glow is a worsted weight, working up at 5 stitches per inch on a US7.  It's 95% baby llama and 5% sparkly stellina, with 273 yards in each pretty skein.

I used it for a slouchy sparkly hat a few winters back.  My hat was based on the Simple Pleasures Hat from the Purl Bee.  I just skipped the mohair since the llama gives a nice halo all on its own.

Adrienne used it for a sweater, and I know she inspired several of you to do the same.  This is Teal from Kim Hargreaves' Winter Blooms.  She made this whole beautiful sweater with only four skeins.

Photo by Adrienne

Not only do we have the Baby Llama Glow, we are also happy to see a new laceweight version, Suri Alpaca Merino Glow.  

As the name implies, this one is suri alpaca, merino, and stellina.  The suri alpaca makes it even softer than the original, and this one is much finer, with 1094 yards per skein.  It is brand new this season, and I'm very interested to see what you all choose to do with it.  I'm thinking shawls and scarves, but you all might come up with something even more fabulous.

These yarns are part of Plymouth's Dye For Me series, and they are made specifically for hand-dyers.  If you are so inclined, you could create some amazing and colorful yarn.  Personally, I love it as is.  What do you think?

For the Love of Liberty

We have discussed the Liberty Wool.  It is a fun yarn which does some interesting color shifting and fading over the course of the ball.  

Several months back, Sally signed up for a Liberty Wool subscription service.  That means that we receive two bags of their newest colorways every month or so.

There have been colorways with a definite pastel feel, several bold pinks and purples, greens and blues, and quite a few of the sunset tones I used in my cowl.

I opened a box last week with my new favorite.  May I introduce you to #7869, Leaf and Bumblebee?

Hidden in those little balls is golden yellow, natural, gray, and a weird pea green.  Fabulous!  And the names of these new colorways are great, too.  Art Deco Wavelength?  Sonic Lavender?  Ultra Violet Autumn?  Whoever is doing the naming over at Classic Elite sounds like a lot of fun.

Classic Elite is working hard to support the local yarn shop (LYS), so they have made several Liberty Wool patterns available free through participating shops with the purchase of Liberty Wool.  The newest free-with-purchase pattern we have is for these super cool Liberty Wool Pillows.

These pillows are fabulous for so many reasons.  They really give you the opportunity to play with colors and combinations that you would probably not put on your body, and the small scale of these make them ideal for summer projects.  Pillows also give you the chance to try out new techniques and hone some new skills, like creating cables and interesting textures, while adding a pop of (easy-to-change) color to your home.

These garter stitch squares are fun, too.  Big or small, lots of squares or just a few.  Think of the possibilities!

Pillows also free you from major fit worries.  If your gauge is a little off, the pillow is not concerned.  And mistakes can become design features without too much fuss.

There are several other beautiful designs available through the subscription service, as well.

Mitered Cowl and Easy Moebius Cowl

Easy Striped Tam

Technicolor Scarf

Fingerless Mitts

Hooded Scarf

Double-Breasted Baby Cardigan

We have a shelf full of Liberty Wool, pattern books, samples, and access to these great patterns for free!  Stop by and take a look.  I think you will really like playing with the Liberty Wool, too.

(ETA...The photos of the free pattern projects are all from the Classic Elite Yarns website and Ravelry pages.)

September Circle in May

I finished my lace cowl, and now I want to knit everything out of Kauni.  It's a sickness, but I'm okay with it.

The pattern is September Circle by Melissa LeBarre, and it's available on Ravelry.  If you have an inkling to try lace, this is a great first lace pattern.  

The lace pattern repeat is only twelve stitches wide and only five rows involve actual lace knitting, so hopefully you won't get overwhelmed on the first go.  Seriously, more than half of the rounds are just plain ol' knitting and purling.

You can, of course, knit this with any fingering or sport weight yarn, but the slow color change of the Kauni adds so much impact to such a simple pattern.  The Kauni is put up in balls of different weights, so the yardage varies from ball to ball.  I weighed mine, and I used about 80 grams (or about 350 yards).  My skein was about 130 grams when I started, so there would have been plenty of yarn had a chosen to make my cowl larger.  If you can find a 160 gram ball of Kauni, you could get two cowls!

The colors of the Kauni are really stunning, and we have these great swatches to help you appreciate how the color will change over the course of the whole ball.  The company is also kind enough to allow us to order just one or two balls of a given color, so we can easily special order whichever colorway you little heart desires.

My heart now desires a sweater made with Kauni, I'm thinking the Silver Spring Pullover.  There are over 7,000 projects on Ravelry using this lovely yarn, including hundreds of sweaters, hundreds of hats, and more than 2,000 shawls.  I am clearly not alone in my new affliction.  Won't you join us?

Heritage and Fixation

We have a fresh batch of Cascade Heritage on the shelves.  The solid colors of Heritage are so nice and crisp and bright.  At $12.50 per skein, they are a great value, too.  I am not an avid sock knitter, but these colors are giving me ideas.  My friend Laura is making gray socks with red toes and heels for her husband, and I love the color combination.

I've also been thinking about tall socks, like Laura Chau's Delicious Knee Socks.  The sizing is highly customizable based on foot size AND calf size, so those socks will be perfect.

Photo from Cosmicpluto Knits.

Just two skeins of the Heritage, and you have some amazing tall socks.  Considering how slowly I knit socks, I might be able to finish a pair by October to wear in my rain boots.

Photo from Cosmicpluto Knits.

We have a few new shades of the Heritage Paints, too, so you could play with solids and variegated stripes for a little added interest.  So many possibilities!

Also, back on the shelves, Cascade Fixation!  This is some interesting yarn, folks.

Fixation is a cotton yarn with about 2% elastic, giving it a very unusual bounce.  Sally made the tiniest little baby hat using a new pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple, Baby Hats, Mitts, and Booties.  It is itty bitty and very stretchy, perfect for a brand new baby.  The little ear flaps are a nice touch, too.

This yarn would be great for chemo caps, too; it won't irritate sensitive skin, and the stretch will ensure a nice fit.  Sally tells me that you'll need to be a little mindful of your tension when you get started, but your fingers should get used to the stretchiness of the yarn pretty quickly.

We have solids and multis in bright and more muted shades.  This yarn is often used for socks, and it is great for people who aren't into wool.  Just one ball of Fixation will get you a pair of little footie socks, and two balls will make a pair of regular socks.

Summer is a great time to think about smaller projects like socks, and a great time to learn something new.  We have a sock class on the calendar in July, so come pick out your yarn and sign up!