close knit: the neighborhood yarn shop


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Woolstok

We chatted a bit about the Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok last week. Apparently, it is already on its way to us! Good thing Sally finished her Spicer Hat.
We also have the lookbook for the fall line-up, which includes all of the designs for Woolstok. Let's have a peek.

The Endless Wrap, Trimont Snood, and Silver Bay Scarf look warm and cozy. Love that contrast fringe. What a great idea, especially in those colors.



The Tonka Bay Touque is pretty cute with its funky tassels.
I'm not usually a dog sweater kind of knitter, but this dog and the Bird Island Dog Sweater seem like the perfect match.
Last, but not least, the Cromwell Pullover. This is pretty much my favorite kind of knit. Relaxed, classic, basic, and beautiful.
We are eagerly awaiting the kits for the 21 Color Slouch, which are still being pulled together. Each kit will contain just the right amount of each beautiful shade of Woolstok to make this cute striped slouchy hat. I'll let you know when it's in.
I can't wait to see what you all make with this lovely new yarn!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Support Love Today and All Days


Image borrowed from Pintrest. Thanks for sharing it.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Bio Bimbo

Bio Bimbo! It's the variegated cousin to Bio 5, a lovely fingering weight cotton that is as soft as bunnies sleeping on clouds. I used it for my little stripey baby sweater last summer. 
This pattern would be adorable with a Bio 5 and a Bimbo worked together. A Bimbo main color with a coordinating solid stripe? Or a subtle main color with fun stripes of Bimbo? So many options. I might need to make another one of these little samples.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Blue Sky News


Blue Sky Alpacas is making a change. They are joining forces with Spud & Chloe and changing their name to Blue Sky Fibers! They have a little blurb on their blog about the change. They are still offering all of their lovely stuff, though, with a new yarn on the way.
Woolstok Worsted is their newest offering, a pure wool with plenty of options. The label tells me it knits up at about 5 to 6 stitches per inch, and Ravelry is calling it a DK at this point. The yarn has a nice halo, though, so it seems like it would look nice worked up more loosely as well. It remains to be seen what all can be done with this pretty new yarn. 

To my eye, it is a little more rustic than Cascade 220 or Ultra Alpaca. The plies are a bit looser, and the finished knit looks a bit more crunchy and handmade. In a good way. It reminds me a bit of Quince and Co. Owl, actually, a worsted wool/alpaca blend. Woolstok is pure wool, but it has a similar look.

Sally is making a sweet and simple hat (surprised?) with our unofficial shop yellow. So far, so good. I'll let you know when the yarn and the hat sample hit the shelves!

Monday, June 6, 2016

Eye Candy

Bulky cotton edition. 
Come and see the pretties.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Heat

Oh, excessive heat warning. I am not interested in you.

I don't know about you all, but my winterized Oregon self is not prepared for this yet. I will pretend that it is still cozy and wintery and very much not melting weather. It's too hot to garden today, too hot to be out for very long. But the yarn shop is air conditioned and they have very nice yarn and patterns and books and magazines. If you can escape, grab a cool drink some knitting, and come sit at the shop. Or just pop in and jump start your creative brain with some lovely new things. Here are a few sneak peaks of some nice cottons...
Go home excessive heat warning. Save it for August.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Knitscene Handmade

Knitscene Handmade focuses on the handmade life, including articles on yarn shops, knitwear designers, and yarn dyers. Apparently this is a special issue of Knitscene, but it still includes lots of great patterns. Let's take a look at few!
What do you think of this special issue? See anything you like?