Show and tell: colorful shawls.

We love seeing what folks are making with yarn from our shop. When we choose the yarns we want to carry, test driving them in swatches and discussing their qualities, we’re thinking always of how our clientele might use them. Our knitters and crocheters come up with projects even lovelier than we can foresee, however – let’s look at some show and tell!

Elsebeth knit this mosaic and lace shawl with Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply, a fingering weight yarn that’s hand-dyed in painterly, low-contrast colorways. The pattern is “Laurelie,” by Lisa Hannes.

Here’s another Lisa Hannes design, “Right Around the Corner,” knit by Cindy. Though the pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, Cindy chose Fibre Co. Arranmore Light, a DK weight, preferring the cohesive fabric it makes at this gauge.

Tom knit this textured shawl with Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 01, a naturally-dyed Rambouillet wool with sharp stitch definition. The pattern is “Bradway,” by Shannon Cook.

Below is Robin’s “Entrelac Shawl,” knit with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6, a self-striping yarn.

She taught a class here at our shop on this project, an unusually delicate example of entrelac, knit loosely for maximum drape.

Linda knit this “Efflorescent” shawl during a class here at our shop, following Felicity Ford’s pattern but adding a clever lining and closure at the neck.

She knit it with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, a fingering weight wool that’s perfectly suited to steeked colorwork projects like this one.

Thanks to Elsebeth, Cindy, Tom, Robin, and Linda for sharing their shawls with us! Keep an eye out for even more show and tell soon.

Back in stock: Crazy Zauberball.

Last week brought a colorful box of yarn our way – hello again, Crazy Zauberball!

Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball is a fingering weight yarn that slowly changes from one color to the next several yards at a time, so that whatever you’re knitting or crocheting with it comes out striped. The 2-ply construction of this yarn gives the finished fabric a marled look.

Over the years, we’ve seen Crazy Zauberball put to good use in all kinds of projects, from socks to shawls to cowls. Christy Kamm’s “ZickZack Scarf” (Winnie’s version is pictured above) has been an especially popular pattern around here, a simple chevron stripe made beautiful by the yarn and color selection. Our Fingering weight section here at the shop is full of possibilities for this pattern; here are a few ideas to start with.

We’ve had several knitters pair the self-striping Crazy Zauberball with a solid color for a dramatic effect. Consider the clear solid shades of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie or the gentle heathers of CoopKnits Socks Yeah! 

A semi-solid hand-dyed yarn works well here, too; here’s one possible combination in Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply.

I haven’t seen a speckled “ZickZack” yet, but I’d love to see how it looks! Try Malabrigo Mechita if you’re similarly intrigued.

Come by the shop to pick up some Crazy Zauberball for your next project!