Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: December 2022.

Dream in Color’s Pop Up Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. December’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

December’s special colorway is vibrant and variegated, a mix of turquoise, cobalt, purple and ice blue.

Variegated skeins like these are beautiful on their own – one skein makes a “Sockhead Slouch” hat or “Reyna” shawl – but they always inspire me to create color combinations. Here are a few I put together with the “Temperance Shawl” in mind, a three color garter stitch and eyelet pattern that works well in low, medium, and high contrast color combinations.

Isager Sock Yarn: fingering weight, 40% Easy Wash alpaca, 40% Easy Wash merino wool, 20% recycled nylon, 423 yards/100g; $20 each

  • Malabrigo Ultimate Sock: fingering weight, hand dyed, variegated and semi-solid colorways, 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon, 420 yards/100g; $20 each
  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each

Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We’ll be closed December 24-26, then reopening at our regular business hours, 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesday – Saturday. You can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

Pom Pom Quarterly: Winter 2022.

The latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

Rich with color, texture, and technique, the patterns in this issue are inspired by the work of women artists Etel Adnan and Hilma af Klint.

 

I spotted a few familiar yarns in this issue – Kjerstin Rovetta’s cool colorblock “Periphery” hat is shown in Kelbourne Woolens Germantown, and Amy Blackwell’s “Hilma,” the striking cover sweater, is shown in Malabrigo Rios. Look for both of these in our worsted weight section here at the shop!

Pom Pom always has interesting non-knitting content, as well – this issue features interviews with yarn dyers, an essay exploring the history of the color pink, and a tempting recipe for carrot cake.

Pom Pom Quarterly is $25.50 – come by to snag a copy between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. We’re also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. Along with this issue, we have the Summer 2019, Autumn 2019Summer 2020Autumn 2020Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Winter 2021Spring 2022, 10th Anniversary, and Autumn 2022 issues in stock – preview them on our blog and get in touch if you’d like to add them to your Pom Pom collection!

Hello, Malabrigo Noventa!

Meet Noventa, a brand new yarn from Malabrigo!

Malabrigo Noventa:

  • super bulky weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 90 yards/125 g
  • $23 each

Noventa is plush and squishy, perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories, and one skein makes a hat or cowl in a hurry.

Here are a few one-skein pattern ideas for Noventa:

Look for Malabrigo Noventa in the super bulky weight section here at HYS, near Malabrigo Rasta! We also carry Mecha, a slightly thinner bulky weight yarn – visit us between 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Back in stock: Malabrigo Caprino!

It feels like we unpack at least one Malabrigo order each week – everyone loves their memorable colorways and soft fibers. This week’s Malabrigo box held a sizable restock of Caprino, a super soft merino/cashmere blend.

Malabrigo Caprino:

  • DK weight
  • hand-dyed, variegated, speckled, and semi-solid colorways
  • 80% merino, 20% cashmere
  • 159 yards/50 g
  • $18 each

I knit Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift” shawl with Malabrigo Caprino a couple of years ago, and it now hangs at the shop, inspiring knitters to make their own. It was fun to combine semisolid, variegated, and speckled colorways in this slip stitch pattern and see how they worked together.

What else to make with Caprino? Here are some ideas!

Look for Malabrigo Caprino in the DK weight section here at our shop, and pick up a free copy of Breean Elyse Miller’s “Ikigai Cowl” pattern with your purchase!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Hay.

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Hay, a creamy neutral colorway with streaks of pumpkin and bronze, and the occasional charcoal speckle. It happens to look a lot like the yarn used in Joji Locatelli’s “The Lone Skein Shawl,” though you’d need 3 skeins of KPPPM for that lovely project.

Hay is a natural match with Caramel, in Malabrigo Ultimate Sock – together, they’d make a lovely autumnal “Moonflowers Shawl,” by Ambah O’Brien.

Here are a few more color combinations for this new mosaic shawl pattern, using other Koigu Collector’s Club colorways – Space Exploration, Red Brick House, The Pond, and Tapestry.

Want to make your own “Moonflowers Shawl” combination, or pick up a special lone skein for “The Lone Skein Shawl?” Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

WestKnits MKAL 2022!

We know many of you are fans of designer Stephen West and often participate in his annual Mystery Knit-Alongs – it’s that time of year again, and “Twists & Turns” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for 3 colors of fingering weight yarn: 780 yards of a Main Color, 780 yards of a Contrast Color, and 390 yards of an Accent color. We have tons of fingering weight yarns to choose from here at the shop, from saturated hand-dyes to muted heathers, fuzzy alpaca to smooth superwash merino, and so much more. Here are some color ideas!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each, or $130 for “Twists & Turns”

  • Shibui Koan: fingering weight, 70% linen, 30% silk, 248 yards/50 grams; $22 each, or $220 for “Twists & Turns”

Join WestKnits MKAL 2022 by purchasing the pattern on Ravelry – you’ll get an introductory PDF with all the details, so you’ll be ready to cast on when the first clue arrives on October 6.

We’d love to help you find the perfect yarn for your “Twists & Turns” shawl! There are so many possibilities here at our shop – come by between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, and we’ll be happy to show you around. We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, too; just fill out our online form. Hope to see you at the shop!

Hello, Malabrigo Ultimate Sock!

We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of a brand new yarn from Malabrigo – meet Ultimate Sock!

Malabrigo Ultimate Sock:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated and semi-solid colorways
  • 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon
  • 420 yards/100g
  • $20 each

Ultimate Sock looks and feels just like the classic Malabrigo Sock yarn, beloved for its vibrant colors and soft, smooth texture. The new addition of 25% nylon brings durability, so that socks and garments made with Ultimate Sock can last longer.

 

Malabrigo Ultimate Sock is a great choice for shawls and cowls, mitts and hats, sweaters for all ages, and more, but let’s focus on its namesake for today: here are some sock patterns!

Look for Malabrigo Ultimate Sock in the fingering weight section here at our shop!

Yarn ideas for “Inclinations Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry.

Andrea Mowry’s latest design and knit-along has us playing the color game… “Inclinations Cowl” is designed to look like an asymmetrical triangular shawl when worn, but slips over the head easily. Like her “Inclinations Shawl” before, it’s all in half fisherman’s rib, which makes a bouncy, easy to knit fabric.

“Inclinations Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry, photo © Andrea Mowry

Mowry calls for two shades of yarn, 360 yards each, though the pattern lends itself to using up smaller quantities of yarn in multiple colors – check out the projects on Ravelry to get a sense of the possibilities!

Here are a few ideas from our own sport weight section here at the shop.

  • Kelbourne Woolens Andorra: sport weight, 60% merino, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair, 185 yards/50 g; $12 each
  • Malabrigo Arroyo: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% superwash merino wool, 335 yards/100g; $20 each

  • Ewe Ewe Sporty: sport weight, 100% superwash merino wool, 145 yards/50 grams; $11 each
  • Alchemy Sanctuary: sport weight, hand-dyed, 70% wool, 30% silk, 125 yards/50g; $34 each

  • Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light: sport weight, 50% wool, 50% alpaca, 144 yards/50 g; $8 each
  • Schoppel-Wolle Zauberwolle: sport weight, marled, self-striping, 100% merino wool, 273 yards/100 g; $23 each

Swing by the shop or reach out if any of these combinations catches your eye – we’re happy to help calculate yardage or answer any questions that come up as you plan an “Inclinations Cowl” of your own!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Arroyo!

We’re so pleased to have a new bundle of Malabrigo Arroyo in stock!

Malabrigo Arroyo:

  • sport weight
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 335 yards/100g
  • $20 each

This sport weight superwash merino is a favorite around here, and its cubby was looking empty before this week’s shipment arrived.

What to knit with Arroyo? Here are some pattern ideas!

Look for Malabrigo Arroyo in our sport weight section here at the shop, and pick up a free “Wonky Rib” pattern with your Arroyo purchase, while supplies last!

Rios + Versa Cowl.

A few recent orders have left us rich in Malabrigo Rios, a superwash worsted weight merino that gets a lot of love around here.

Malabrigo Rios:

  • worsted weight
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 210 yards/100g
  • $16 each

We have both solid and hand-dyed shades in stock, and Aimee Pelletier’s “Versa Cowl” is a great way to combine them.

“Versa Cowl,” by Aimee Pelletier, photo © Aimee Pelletier

“Versa Cowl” is a sampler of different slip stitch patterns and stripes, and can be worn folded in half for a double layer, as shown above.

Browsing projects on Ravelry, I saw many knitters had paired a solid or semi-solid shade of Rios with a more highly variegated shade for their “Versa Cowls,” a nice effect.

For sharper stitch definition and cleaner stripes, try solid or semi-solid color combinations.

Look for Rios in the worsted weight section here at our shop; we’re open from 11 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. You can also order online for local pickup or shipping – thanks for your support of our shop!