The days til Christmas are slowly ticking away, but that somehow doesn’t stop pattern designers from putting new patterns out there to distract us from our well laid gift planning…The newest edition of Twist is full of amazing new patterns that will make great gifts for someone…Or maybe to keep!

Before we get lost in photos, I want to draw attention to their article about increases and decreases. I hear this question so often, and it’s all laid out here so clearly!

Perianth Mittens, photo by Jane Heller

There is always one project in Twist that I have to fight not to cast on right away. Sometimes I lose the battle (cough, Trousseau, cough), and I may just have to bite the bullet and cast on the Perianth mittens. I love the cute fair isle motifs, and that they can be made in different sizes by just adjusting the needle size. I know I will make them in Brooklyn Tweed Loft. In Plume and Postcard. Or maybe Plume and Blanket Fort….oh, wait, we were supposed to be talking about gifts….

Hats always make great presents in my book. They are generally knit in the round, they go pretty quickly, and there is only one

Yukimi Hat, Photo by James Brittain

piece! Yukimi is a great twist, as it is worked from the top down, instead of bottom up. If you have never started a hat this way, it’s a great way to learn something new while making a sweet gift for someone special. Perhaps my office secret santa partner is in need of a new winter hat… The new Rowan tweed DK would knit up quickly, and comes in some spectacular colors.

Stonybrook Mitts, Photo by Jane Heller

Every weekend, someone comes into the shop looking for a pattern for convertible mitts, and Stonybrook is my new favorite. These will knit up fast in a smooshy worsted weight yarn like Dragonfly Bluefaced Worsted or Shepherd’s wool, but the cable pattern makes them look great! Also, there is some overlapping in the fabric to make sure hands stay very warm. You could not find something this awesome in a store.

If shawl knitting is more your speed, you can’t beat a shawl knit up quickly in worsted weight yarn. Geadathe newest installment from shawl expert Susanna IC, and is just gorgeous. I love the crescent shape and the short row construction keeps me interested to the very last stitch. For me, an interesting pattern is absolutely essential to project completion. This accessory would be stunning in SweetGeorgia superwash worsted, and their bright colors would stand out against a neutral colored winter coat.

Caprio Wrap, Photo by James Brittain

I have to admit, I fell in love with Caprio at first sight. The texture of the lace is so alluring, and while it would make a great gift, I am not certain that I would be able to part with the finished product. This pattern is knit from end to end with no grafting, and provides excellent practice in reading charts, as the pattern isn’t written out at all. You could knit this up in a  great solid colors from St-Denis, or find the perfect monochrome in Babs Yummy 3-ply. Either way, I would love to find this under my tree on Christmas morning.

Jaina, Photo by Jane Heller

If you are all done with your winter gifting, the latest Twist has some amazing sweater options to get you into the new year. My favorite is Jania, knit up with clever details in a supersoft DK weight yarn. I think I could easily live in this cardigan. Knit it up in Miss Babs Northumbria DK or Neighborhood Fiber Company Maisonette DK for excellent stitch definition and durable fabric in amazing colors.

The holidays are rapidly approaching, we’re making our lists and checking them twice – but what do you give the knitter (or crocheter!) that’s got everything?

We’ve got lots of great ideas for you to give – or receive. (Remember to fill out your wish list at the shop!)

Moving Mud closure

From Vermont glass studio Moving Mud we have gorgeous glass closures for shawls or cardigans, stickpins, darning needles, and even glass knitting needles – each piece is one of a kind so you can be sure your gift is unique!

Moving Mud knitting needles

Moving Mud uses a traditional glassblowing technique called lampworking to create their pieces. Each item is made with borosilicate glass (the same glass used in Pyrex) to make it strong and durable as well as beautiful.

Chic-a Triad set

We just got in a whole range of fun & functional bags from California’s Chic-a, a company started by a knitter who needed a better bag! There are yarn keepers, project bags, and their great Triad set, which includes a mini-tote for small projects, a key ring pouch for notions, and a folding pattern keeper that lets you store your pattern safely and still see it (I definitely want one of these for Christmas – my current “shove all the patterns into a big jumbly mess in my bag” method leaves something to be desired.)

Chic-a yarn keeper

Knitting jewelry from New York company Debra’s Garden is pretty and practical – use one as a pendant, on a key chain, or as a zipper pull for a knitting bag.

Debra's Garden needle gauge

Knitters always need a needle gauge close to hand for those unmarked mystery needles. This one is available in a variety of colors in aluminum – or get one in sterling silver for a really special gift! The numbers are etched into the metal so they can’t wear off.

Debra's Garden row counter

The row counters are really clever – the inner dial counts single rows, the outer dial counts 10s, and there’s a yarn cutter hidden at the 50-row mark too! A Swarovski crystal adds a little bit of holiday sparkle.

But wait, what about the guy crafters on your list? We’ve got them covered!

Family-owned company Namaste from California makes a versatile range of eco-friendly bags – their new Mini Messenger bag has an adjustable shoulder strap and tons of pockets to organize all your gear (and it comes in black!)

Namaste Mini Messenger bag

We also just got in a shipment of KnowKnits GoKnit project bags – these come in a variety of sizes and colors to keep projects from socks to sweaters organized. These are always a favorite – next time you’re in the shop, check to see which staff members have one of these hanging from their belt loop! We even got some in fun fur and fake crocodile this time around!

For a stocking stuffer, how about a Herdy keychain?

Herdy Peep Keyring

This is just a sampling of the great gifts you can find in the shop – stop by to see even more! (After all, who doesn’t need a sheep bank to keep their yarn money in?)

Herdybank

Happy Holidays!

I don’t usually recommend that a bride knit items for her wedding. I was talked out of this very activity a couple of years ago when I had the grand idea of knitting my flower centerpieces. (well, mostly by my stepmother who insisted that a wedding wasn’t a wedding without real flowers). I imagine though that the knitting world would probably have tried to convince me that it was a bad idea as well. The last thing we need when planning a wedding is a high pressure knitting job too. So when Sarah told me that she was going to make shrugs for her brides, I probably gave her a big speech about it being a terrible idea. But she just sent me the photos from the wedding…and I must admit that I was wrong.

No matter how much stress or work or whatever this may have (or may not have) caused her, it was absolutely worth it. These photos are stunning. She created an amazing one of a kind gift for these ladies and added a unique and stunning element to her wedding. And the COLORS! I love the colors, I love the vintage vibe of her dress which matches the bolero so nicely. I love everything about it…makes me wish I had actually had a wedding with bridesmaids.

Sarah used the ruffled bolero pattern available from Ravelry. The flowers were the peony from 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet. The yarn is Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK by Sirdar which is a wonderful blend of merino and bamboo that is machine washable and has a nice shine to it, like a silk blend.

Swans Island Yarns has developed a stunning palette of colors.

We’ve just received Swans Island Certified Organic Chunky in the shop, and it’s just what a yarn with the word “swan” in its name should be: light and soft, yet strong. What’s more, the yarn comes in colors that will make any stitcher drool.

Swans Island began as a company selling woven wool blankets made using traditional techniques (their blankets won the Smithsonian Blue Ribbon for Craft in 1996!). The company started making yarns about a year ago, after blanket customers started clamoring for a yarn line. They asked Michele Orne for help developing a yarn line, and soon Michele had joined the company as Design Director.

Michele Orne's goals for Swans Island's design line is to create classic, wearable garments and readable patterns.

Best known before as the author of Inspired to Knit: Creating Exquisite Handknits, Michele got involved with the company more than a year ago, when Swans Island was beginning to explore the possibility of selling the yarns they made for their woven blankets to hand knitters. “It was a serendipitous coincidence that I happen to live just 15 minutes down the road from the ‘factory,’” says Michele, who has more than 25 years of experience designing handknits. “I’d been thinking about developing my own line of yarns and patterns for many many years, and here the opportunity came knocking on my door. When opportunity knocks, one should listen!”

Knitters near and far are fortunate that Michele did listen, because since she joined the company Swans Island has developed three new yarns – Bulky, Worsted, and Fingering – and a gorgeous array of colors. The yarn line is growing so fast that Maine’s sheep can’t keep up – so the fleece for the yarns comes from South America. It’s spun in a mill in Maine that is one of four in the United States that are certified organic yarn producers. “What that means is that the mill is inspected by a Global Organic Textiles Standard and must meet certain criteria,” Michele explains. “Only certain kinds of oils may be used in spinning and our yarns don’t receive the same harsh chemical processing as most commercially produced yarns.” What does this mean for knitters? The yarns that come out of organic mills are softer than most, and Swans Island is one of the softest we’ve felt.

Swans Island achieves depth of color through multiple dips in natural dyes.

For their gorgeous colors, Swans Island uses only natural dyes – plant-based dyes that have been used traditionally for centuries – yet their shades have a depth of color difficult to achieve using natural dyes. Michele sees using natural dyes as a challenge rather than a limitation. “I quickly realized that in natural dying, you don’t choose the colors – the colors choose you! In trying to achieve certain colors, we were spending a lot of time in development and coming out still not matching the goal…but in the process, lots of other beautiful colors were being produced. So we’ve switched the thinking here, putting colors that we can successfully make on the line rather than matching to a specific target color.” She compares the process to painting: “Many of our colors are created through a process of multiple dips into different dye baths, creating a richness and depth of color much like a painter would build up layers of color on a painting.”

The Twenty Ten Cardigan will layer wonderfully this fall.

Of course, another aspect of Michele’s job is creating patterns for Swans Island’s fibres, and she’s done a wonderful job. The Clara Cowl, the Sasha Cowl, and the Snow Bowl Hat will be in Space next week, and we can’t wait to show them to you. In the meantime, or if you’re in the mood for a sweater, consider Veera Välimäki’s Twenty Ten Cardigan – a fantastic transitional garment that will look stunning this fall.

Knitwear made a big splash on the fashion scene last week with the release of the Missoni for Target collection – and if you weren’t lined up outside a Target store at 6 AM on Tuesday last, you had little chance of getting any of it for yourself. Fights broke out, police were called, and items started appearing on eBay at 3 times their retail price within hours.

Missoni for Target

Why all the fuss?

Missoni started out in the 1950′s as a little family-owned company in Italy, making wool track suits. They released their first fashion collection in 1958 and quickly became known for their knitwear designs featuring colorful stripes, geometric motifs, and abstract florals. By the 1970′s they had become celebrated fashion icons for their imaginative use of color and their unconventional ways of reworking traditional knitwear construction.

“It was about ten years ago that the Missonis raised the simple householder’s work of knitting to something similar to art. Their dresses are collected by ladies all over the world who live for fashion and by those who could not care less for fashion but love beautiful things.” – Bernardine Morris, New York Times, 1977.

Over 50 years later, Missoni is still a family-run company and their iconic chevron pattern is recognized around the world. Missoni clothing and housewares go for top dollar – so people leapt at the chance to get a piece from these fashion giants at an affordable price.

Didn’t get any for yourself? (Yeah, me neither.) Well, we knitters have an advantage. We can make it ourselves!

Classic Missoni. That's a lot of look.

Now,  a 1960′s chevron romper may not fit into your fall fashion plans (c’mon, who doesn’t need a chevron romper?) but you can get some Missoni style into your fall knitting plans! A quick browse through Ravelry provides plenty of inspiration.

Missoni Inspired Chevron Blanket - Tangled Yarns

First up, Kelly Kingston’s Missoni Inspired Chevron Blanket. This stunning piece uses 12 colors of DK weight yarn – I can see knitting this up in Berroco Vintage DK for yourself or a lucky (and stylish) baby. Check out the Ravelry projects for this – there are some gorgeous variations done in worsted and fingering weight too.

Wibbly Wobbly Cowl - Rachel Henry

Want something on a smaller scale? Rachel Henry’s Wibbly Wobbly Cowl uses self-striping sock yarn (or use up your sock leftovers and make your own stripes!) and will appeal to fashion and Doctor Who fans alike.

Chevron Love Mittens - Knitterly Things

I love the Chevron Love Mittens by Julia Vesper! I’m already thinking of color combinations to knit up in the St. Denis Nordique that we just got in. There’s even a matching Chevron Love Hat! Love it!

Ida's Kitchen - Kirsten Kapur

Kirsten Kapur’s Ida’s Kitchen is another great project to inspire your color creativity – this one uses 7 colors of sport or DK weight. Not sure what colors to put together? You can always check the Pantone Fashion Color Report for ideas! (Or, y’know, I could write a post about color selection, if you want.)

La Parisenne Beret - Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer

For something a bit simpler, try the La Parisenne Beret by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer – you’ll need just 2 colors of fingering weight yarn for this one. Go subtle and tonal or bold and contrasty – tres chic!

Favorite Scarf Ever - Lisa Bruce

Will Lisa Bruce’s Favorite Scarf Ever be your most favorite scarf ever? Take a look at the Ravelry projects on this and you’ll be inspired to knit lots of these!

 

Creekbed Scarf - Stephen West

Stephen West’s Creekbed Scarf takes chevrons in a different direction – this is another great project to play with color in as it really changes the feel of the finished piece.

Mathematix - Susan Luni

Last but not least, the new Deep Fall issue of Knitty brings us the Mathematix Shawl by Susan Luni – a clever combination of lace and chevron patterning. Pretty!

Debra's Garden Row Counter: Enough Bling for Your Little Black Dress

So it’s the holidays.  You’ve got parties to attend and knitted gifts to complete.  What if you could do both at the same time?  With the new jewelry at the shop, you’re one step closer to that dream.

First up, the row counter/yarn cutter from Debras Garden.  With a Swarovski crystal accent, this will do for the fanciest parties this season.  For extra sparkle, knit a pair of hand mitts out of, say, Dream in Color Starry (rav link) (available at the shop!), keeping your place with this little gadget.  The front row counts from 0 to 9, and the outer one counts by 10s, so you can count all the way up to 100 on your knitting while making small talk at your spouse’s holiday cocktail party. When the outer gear is at the “50″ position, a small yarn cutter is exposed; you can bind off while riding the metro home.

The Annie Adams Stitch Marker Necklace with 6 Hematite Stitch Markers and 1 Silver Stitch Marker. Gorgeous!

If you’re hoping to bring a lace shawl or top-down sweater to that holiday brunch, you’re going to need some stitch markers.  Consider the Annie Adams Stitch Marker necklace, which has 7 stitch markers dangling from a silver pendant (it opens so you can take the markers off for use), or the beautiful new semi-precious stitch markers we have in stock. Bonus: the stitch markers on the necklace are made of hematite, which is known for its grounding and balancing properties.

Not interested in knitting in public, but still want to show your knitting pride?  Buy Adams’ subtle smaller necklace which has a yarn ball with the word “knit” on a silver chain, or the Debra’s Garden needle gauge pendant, which is both subtly useful and absolutely gorgeous.

The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted: Delicious!

At fibre space, we’ve been fans of The Fibre Company (rav link) since before we opened our doors. From Canopy‘s (rav link) luscious drape to Terra‘s (rav link) delicious color palette, we can imagine knitting an entire wardrobe using nothing but FC yarns.  So how did they get as good as they are, and how do they stay that way? We caught up with Kate Gagnon Osborn and Courtney Kelley of The Fibre Company to find out what makes their yarn so gloriously stashable.

Founded in 2003 as a processing mill by Daphne Marinopoulos and Iain Stanley, The Fibre Company quickly gained a following when they added a dye studio and began wholesaling their yarns. “Since Daphne and Iain spun and dyed all the yarns in Maine in the beginning, as the company grew they couldn’t keep up with the demand and customers were waiting a very long time for their orders to be fulfilled,” Kelley told us.

Savannah, The Fibre Company's new yarn, is produced entirely in Pennsylvania.

When Kelley and Osborn learned that Marinopoulos and Stanley were looking to change their business model, they founded Kelbourne Woolens to serve as The Fibre Company’s exclusive distributorship. Now, most of the yarns are spun and dyed in Peru, leaving Marinopoulos and Stanley free to focus on the creative side of the business.

“The Fibre Company yarns were practically unavailable for an entire year as [Daphne and Iain] traveled to Peru to work with the artisans there to perfect the yarns and teach their dyers the techniques they had developed,” said Kelley. Now, the yarn is sold all over the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with fiberphiles buying it in local yarn shops or online. The company hasn’t stopped innovating, either, adding new colors and patterns — and a new yarn this fall.

Savannah (rav link) a blend of cotton, linen, wool, and soya fiber, is produced entirely in Pennsylvania, by a mill that has been family-owned and -operated since 1907. This makes The Fibre Company one of a handful of American yarn companies who support the textile industrial tradition of the eastern United States.

Terra's bright colors with unique highlights make it one of the company's most popular yarns.

One of the reasons fiberphiles love The Fibre Company’s yarns is the care the company puts into every part of the process. When developing a new yarn, Kelley said, “We first start with an end result we desire, whether it be the hand, spin, weight or fabric characteristic, and work backwards from there.”  One of the most important considerations for their product development is that the end result be unique and classic, resulting in “a quality and lasting product inspired less by fads and more by longevity.”

When it comes to color, that focus on innovation and practicality comes through in colors that are dazzling yet still wearable.  “Daphne’s eye for color is really wonderful.  She has a great way of tweaking colors just so, so that they are slightly different from what is expected,” said Kelley.  The principals of the company choose new colors every few years, and the process is rigorous.  Marinopoulos prepares hundreds of different color samples for consideration, and those that pass muster are “colors that will be relevant for many seasons to come, so ultimately we try to balance what is (and will be) popular, and what will still be relevant years from now.”

Pop on down to the shop and see what the fuss is all about — fibre space carries Canopy in both fingering and worsted weights, and Terra.

It’s really no secret that Twist Collective is one of my most anticipated knitting publications, proven in the past by emails at 5 am to let my fiber friends know that the new issue was released. This issue was no different, though I was not able to stay up past midnight Eastern to be one of the first to look.

One of the things I love about Twist is that they have amazingly well written articles on topics that are important to knitters. Everyone should take a moment to read the article about ease! There is even a handy worksheet to help you out.

But what we are all really here for are the patterns, right? Since this is the Winter issue, all of my thoughts were on what I would make for the awesome people in my life. Here’s my list!

Trefoil by Becky Herrick photo copyright Jane Heller

First of all, making the trefoil hat and mittens for my best friend is a must! She and I met in Girl Scouts over 15 years ago, and while the symbol is not the same, it’s close enough for me. Yarn choice is a toss-up between Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in Laurel (Dark Green) or the Fyberspates Scrumptious Aran in Moss (Light Green).

Roheline by Suvi Simola Photo copyright Jane Heller

For my fellow fibre space staffers, knitting gifts is trickier! While Danielle knits many of her own sweaters, I think Roheline would be great for her. It has a nice rounded yoke and interesting lace detail. My top choice here would definitely be the  new Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK we have in the store, for a more classic cardigan, or maybe Miss Babs Yowza for a great hand dyed look.

Speaking of Yowza, Wingspan calls for it specifically! Those cables are pretty amazing.

Sylvana by Ann Kingstone Photo Copyright Jane Heller

For Kel, I think a jaunty hat is in order! Sylvana is just the ticket, as it is two toned, just like Kel’s hair. I love the texture of this pattern, and think the Pear Tree Merino on the inside with madelinetosh prairie (boxwood anyone?) on the outside would make for the perfect combination of soft, warm and absolutely gorgeous.

It’s no surprise that madelinetosh is already represented in this issue, particularly since we all know what happens when the order arrives at the shop. Blair is a great cardigan knit up in madtosh DK, and I think it would be absolutely perfect for Daphne, the newest member of our team.

Sin Miedo by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud Photo Copyright Jane Heller

I think it was easiest to choose a project for Becky from this issue. Becky happens to love Thai iced tea, so the Sin Miedo socks, in the color Thai Iced Tea made me think of her right away. I think either the Sanguine Gryphon Bugga or the Fiberphile  super squish sock would be perfect!

Since Sam walks to the shop, I suspect that the Forest Mushroom mittens would be just the ticket to make sure her hands stay warm along the way. Not to mention, I’ve been itching to knit some fair isle in the Shepherd’s Wool Fingering.

Lalou by Rosemary Hill Photo Copyright Marten Ivert

Finally, gone-but-not-forgotten Veronica really must have the Lalou sweater, which would be positively stunning in either Neighborhood Fiber Company Loft or Kid Seta.

Thankfully we have a bead shop down the street, and tiny crochet hooks at the shop.

So that’s my list. What’s yours?

Check out this CNN article featuring the guerrilla knitting movement, a reaction to street art machismo. The article features photos of “knitted graffiti” on buildings, trees, vehicles and more.

Miss Babs Yowza

Eve came in last night and picked up two more hanks of Miss Babs yowza to make a baby blanket and the color combination was just stunning! It is unexpected but incredibly complimentary. The colors are Coventry Blue, French Marigold, Sand and Bruin. A very lucky mom is going to be getting this awesome blanket…

Fall is here! This morning was one of the first mornings that I really noticed the trees turning and the smell of Fall in the air. I love Fall colors. They are rich and deep. So many of our yarn colors are inspired by the natural tones of the Fall season. A few Fall photos to inspire you this morning:

Spinning straw to gold - the new fibre space window display

Blue Sky Alpacas Sport

Malabrigo Chunky

We whipped up a new project this week for quick yet impressive holiday knitting. This scarf is worked in Malabrigo Chunky (just two hanks) and 2 yards of Silk ribbon. It can be done in around an hour or two and costs just $30 in materials. The pattern is “Beth” and you can get it for free in the shop with purchase of yarn. The ribbon can be woven straight through or in a zig zag as shown here.

Beth has been knitting another Malabrigo Chunky wrap / scarf over the weekend, that would also make an excellent gift and is a very fast project. It is High Line Shawl from Kirsten Kapur and can be done in a heavy worsted or chunky weight yarn.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Kapur

Lesley sent me this amazing new makeup kit from Cargo, The Runway Palatte. It is available exclusively from Sephora and features eyeshadow in the shape of buttons and blush in the shape of cable knitting. It is adorable!

I finally finished my Damson and Veronica also has a completed one (that she blocked “properly” so it must be prettier than mine). After much debate, I decided to just finish the darn thing in the mismatched color and see what would happen. It actually looks really cool. It has a slight fading as if the ends are burning out into orange. Worked out well.

Kel is plotting her scarflette…eyeing up the Malabrigo Sock yarn. If you haven’t knitted a “scarflette” yet, its all the rage this season! These little things use basic lace in an easily memorizeable pattern that makes finishing one quite easy. These are great projects for holiday gifts and some of them are “man” friendly!

Worked in sock yarn, most of these projects are also a great way to use some amazing sock yarn without the stress of starting yet another pair of socks.

Some hot options right now: (Ravelry links below)

Damson – Ysolda Teague (shown above)

Springtime Bandit – Kate Gagnon Osborn

Photo courtesy of Kate Gagnon Osborn

Milkweed – Laura Chau (this is also a class!)

Milkweed photo courtesy of Cosmicpluto

Boneyard Shawl – Stephen West

Boneyard Photo courtesy of TNP

Daybreak – Stephen West

Photo courtesy of Westknits

Herbivore – Stephen West (ok, this one is awesome. I am doing this next!)

Lesley was in tonight picking out a color of Miss Babs Yet (heavy lace weight silk and merino yarn) for the newest Ysolda Teague pattern, Veyla, which was released today. This pattern is a paid download from her website or part of the Whimsical Little Knits book (that you can subscribe to!).  It features a lace leaf pattern that is worked flat and then stitches are picked up around the edge for the rest of the mitt. Best part – no fingers!

The pattern calls for 160-180 yards of any fingering weight yarn. We recommend the Miss Babs Yet, Malabrigo Sock, Louet Gems or Spud and Chloe Fine (yum yum).

Oh, and it takes 8 buttons! We have such awesome buttons in right now…maybe I need to finish the Damson and get this new project started. I haven’t made anything in the fine yet, so this might have to be my first project.