Featured Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton

Callie Bib Knitalong

Join our next knitalong – the Callie bib tee! This is a supercute tee with an adorable bib & button detail – make it in Skinny Cotton for warmer weather or try it in wool over a blouse for the winter.

O-wool Balance is a blend of 50% merino wool and 50% cotton with a tweedy and earthy look. The cotton keeps it cool while the wool content softens it up and makes it wonderful and flexible to work with. The yarn is certified organic, which means that it is made from organic fiber and spun in a sustainable way – the mill uses vegetable oil in its machines and meet strict standards for waste water management.

I think it would be wonderful for a light Spring or Summer cardigan and have been looking for something special to throw over a tank top for those cooler Summer evenings. I found this pattern and would like to host a knitalong for it!

Pattern: Lilas Cardigan

Source: download for $5 from the author or on Ravelry.

Sizing and Yarn requirements: 690 (800, 885, 995, 1080, 1190, 1275) yards for finished sweater bust size when closed: 28.5 (33, 36.5, 41, 44.5, 49, 52.5)”which requires 5 (6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10) hanks of O-Wool Balance.

Experience required: this is a great first sweater project. It is worked in one piece and has a raglan sleeve style top. Ability to knit and purl and some experience working increases or working in the round would be helpful.

Photo courtesy of Hilary Smith Callis

The sweater closed in the front:

Photo courtesy of Hilary Smith Callis

Lilas Knitalong!

Join us this Thursday, May 6 to select your yarn. Any worsted weight fiber will do, should you decide not to use O-Wool. We will start the neckline during Stitch in Space Thursday night! Our goal is to finish the sweaters before Stitch n Pitch, which is May 21st. That gives us three “Stitch in Space” weeks to meet up, solve problems and get the pattern moving along. If you aren’t sure that you can work the project, come in and ask! We are happy to help outside of Stitch in Space too.

We got our newest shipment of Madeline Tosh Sock today and it was filled with four brand new colors of Madelinetosh: Composition book grey, glazed pecan, stovepipe and moorland.

During our Mad Hatter Tea Party tonight, Beth and Michelle had their hilariously hatted heads in the box.

Malabrigo’s amazing new yarn, Twist, has arrived at the shop and we were scouring the internet finding lots of great patterns to work with it. Twist is 8 plies of their laceweight yarn, very soft and lofty. It knits up to an aran or chunky gauge, although I suspect that you could get worsted gauge with it.

Some pattern ideas:

Rosamund’s Cardigan by Andrea Pomerantz

Materials: 696 – 1392 yards of bulky weight yarn

Available: Interweave Knits Fall 2009

Photos by Interweave Knits

Mrs Darcy by Mary Weaver

Materials: 900 yards aran weight yarn

Available: free download from the designer

I think this might be my “March” sweater…in my attempt to knit 12 sweaters in 12 months.

Photo by Mary Weaver

Hemlock Ring Blanket by Jared Flood

Materials: 600-900 yards of chunky weight yarn – Cascade 128 would also be amazing for this!

Available: free download

I actually have this on needles right now as a gift for a friend.

Photo by Brooklyn Tweed

Stonehedge Fiber Mill is located in East Jordan Michigan. It is a 150 year old farm that opened its mill operations in 1999. They produce a wonderfully soft and fluffy merino yarn in a worsted weight. It has become a staple here in fibre space and is loved by everyone who tries it out. With a price tag of only $10 for 250 yards, an average sweater in Shepherd’s Wool costs only $40. It also felts amazingly, leaving very little fuzz behind and felting down to a tight and soft fabric.  Stop in and try it out. We carry 42 different colors of Shepherd’s Wool!

Try this yarn for these hot patterns:

French Press Slippers – online pattern for purchase

Knotty but Nice -free online pattern

Photo by Natalie Larson

Icelandic Star from Interweave Knits latest issue

Photo courtesy of Interweave Knits

Super Cupcake by Chic Knits available for purchase and download

Photo courtesy of Chic Knits

Neighborhood Fiber Company sock yarn just arrived, and we are really impressed with the new batch of colors. They appear to be more saturated and brilliant than previous batches. Karida has really fine tuned her art. We are super proud of her and excited for the next delivery in November.

Yarn Profile – NFC Studio Sock

435 yards fingering weight yarn

Machine wash and dry merino

Two ply, medium twist

13 colors

Each named after a DC neighborhood or landmark

Just in this week is gorgeous, cashmere-soft 100% yak down yarn from Shokay. Shokay yak down derives its unique origins from the mountainous Himalayan regions of Western China. The fibres are hand-combed from the yaks that dwell there, whose ancient existences continue to serve as a life source for the Tibetan herders. We are excited to bring you this special luxury fibre not only because it is beautiful and toasty warm, but because Shokay is committed to helping Tibetan herders earn a traditional living.

You might remember Shokay Shambala being used in Jared Flood’s very popular Koolhaas hat a few years back, but the company also has great free pattern support on their website. In many cases, just one skein can make a uniquely beautiful gift.

Berroco Pure Merino

Berroco’s Pure Merino is 100% machine-washable merino wool and we have it in 26 lovely colors. It has a similar finish to other yarns you might know, such as Karabella Aurora 8 and Debbie Bliss Rialto due to its cabled construction. The worsted weight would be perfect for so many great fall sweaters, including this month’s featured sweater, Eastlake.

Today our special limited edition colorways of Lang Jawoll AKTION sock yarn arrived. Each month they release only a handful of patterning colorways for the month. Once they are sold out, they are gone forever! We have these five colorways right now and when they are gone, they are gone. Each skein comes with coordinating reinforcement thread for the heels and toes and 1 skein makes a pair of socks. Most exciting – they have “guy” colors!

frabjous fibers was kind enough to send us this amazing ribbon yarn created from recycled saris. It is made from hand cut strip of solk fabrics that are then hand sewn end to end. We have several patterns for or you can use it for a simply but stunning scarf.