Summer is for Linen: Jaime's new Kestrel Tank

I was pretty excited when Quince and Co. announced Kestrel, their newest yarn line. Kestrel is a 100% fine Italian linen made up in a ribbon construction. The best part? It is an aran weight linen with a gauge of 14 - 16 stitches to 4 inches. In plain speak, that means it knits up real fast. This little tank took me a mere 4 days to whip up! Welcome to summer knitting, friends.

Pattern: Togue Pond by Pam Allen
Yarn: Kestrel, 6 skeins in Urchin
Size Made: 33"
Alterations: I picked up a fewer number of stitches on both the neck and arms due to my large 1x1 ribbing gauge.

I love this tank. It was a simple knit, worked bottom up in the round. Short row shaping on the bottom adds a subtle hi-lo hem. The arm shaping adds a bit of interest to the otherwise plain body. The arms and neck are picked up and ribbing added to finish them. In short, this pattern had just enough going on to keep my interest, but it was still simple enough to be the perfect beach knitting project.

The ribbon construction of the Kestrel yarn makes for a cushy fabric on size 10 needles. The weight of the linen drapes beautifully for a simple tank like this. The nice people over at Quince have several other patterns for this unique summer yarn. We can't wait to see what you make.

Hemlock Tee-a-thon 2014!

It's a Hemlock Tee-a-thon over here. All day, every day just one Hemlock Tee after the other. What's the big deal, you ask? Oh, let me tell you.

1. Its a free pattern from Grainline Studio. We have been crushing hard on Jen, the mastermind behind Grainline Studio, for a while now. She makes classic and thoughtful patterns that fit great so we want to make them again and again. When she released this free pattern last fall, we were thrilled.

2. Knits. It is so fun and forgiving to sew with knits! This pattern is a "one size fits most" and is meant to be worn with a lot of positive ease for a drapey look. Forget about all your worries about fitting a garment. Knits stretch and are forgiving so you can sew this up with confidence.

3. Simple. With only 3 pattern pieces, this top comes together in the blink of an eye. Amber and I both sew them with sergers and just use a double-needle on our regular machines to finish the sleeve and bottom hem. We've got this pattern down and can make one in just an hour. Summer wardrobe = done.

4. Easy to alter. This pattern is simple and that means you can add your own touch to it without having to change it much. Amber made a cute color-blocked tee (one of Jen's suggestions) and we both made a few without sleeves.

5. Cute. Oh yeah. The best thing about this pattern is it is just so dang cute. We can't resist making it again and again and it's a win every time. We have tons of amazing print and solid knits in right now so you too, can make a million of these things.

If you're scared of sewing with knits or just want some time set aside to make one of these babies, you might consider our class that's going on this summer.

Sara will walk you through making a sleeveless version using a regular sewing machine so you won't feel like you have to go home and buy a serger as soon as you're done.

Thanks Jen!!

Dandelion: Another Killer Yarn by Madelinetosh!

We are delighted to pick up Madelinetosh's new yarn line, Dandelion. We can always count on Madelinetosh for their beautifully hand dyed yarns.

 Dandelion is a single ply blend of 90% superwash merino wool and 10% fine linen offering 325 yards per skein. With similar characteristics to Tosh light, this yarn brings you a uniquely soft linen addition!

Look at the lovely linen finish!

We couldn't be more excited to bring to you this charming fingering weight yarn.  It has arrived just in time as Dandelion is the perfect yarn for light-weight summer time sweaters. Time to get crackin'!

Be on the look out for more Tosh coming soon!

TNNA Report 2014

--amber

Jaime and I just returned from the whirlwind of magical yarn-y goodness that is TNNA! We saw some of our favorite folks--pattern designers, yarn producers and wool aficionados--and met many new friends to inspire our upcoming year of wool love!

One booth that had us swooning featured baa ram ewe's Titus yarn. There we met Verity Britton, one of the forces behind baa ram ewe, and quite an adorable Yorkshire gal. Her Titus yarn is a scrumptious blend of Wensleydale, Blue Face Leicester and Alpaca, all raised in the UK. If the breed-specific blend wasn't enticing enough, they got us with their tagline, "The drape and softness of a sleeping cat." Yes, please! We can't wait to get our hands on this pretty yarn which should be here in late summer.

We visited Olga Buraya-Kefelian--otherwise known as Olgajazzy--and were taken by her new patterns. We were so excited about her graphic Fractals hat, that we picked up the yarn it was sampled in. Anzula Cricket will be showing up later this summer in some striking hues!

The Pom-Pom magazine ladies were there all the way from England! We were thrilled to hang out with Lydia and Meghan, the founders of Pom Pom Magazine, who are both the sweetest and most stylish ladies around. We got a sneak peek at the next issue and we are already planning our projects.

Laura Nelkin, beaded jewelry knitter extraordinaire, mesmerized us with her sparkling jewels. We ordered a bunch of kits for knitting with beads.

The ladies of Kelbourne Woolens debuted Knightsbridge, the newest Fibre Company yarn which is a beautiful blend of baby llama, merino wool and silk. They had a slew of classic new patterns in a handsome palette of colors. We loved seeing their inspiration board! Knightsbridge will be here this August.

We finally took the plunge and ordered Kenzie, a tweedy worsted weight from Skacel's HiKoo line. This soft, woolly yarn has a touch of angora and alpaca mixed in--just enough to give it a soft halo while still letting the texture of your knitting stitches take center stage.

We picked up the insanely soft and delicate CashSilk Lace from Sweet Georgia yarn. Our palette will inspire you to make eye-catching shawls out of this soft, silky yarn, which will be here in July.

We met Waejong and Anna, the duo behind Loopy Mango's Big Loop yarns, the most stunning super-duper bulky yarn in the universe.

I wanted to come home with this amazing blanket so bad! We ordered loads of big wool for the shop in new bright colors which will be here this fall--I can't wait to make my own blanket in the blink of an eye on giant size 50 needles.

All these and more will be coming into the shop from June - October so we hope you're ready to take your knitting to the next level with so many amazing new yarns and patterns! Sewists, don't worry, we're on our way to Quilt Market next weekend and will report all our findings...

Parallel Perkins Cove Sweaters

It feels like summer already with 80 degree days in Denver. Amber and I are ready for it, though, with our brand new Perkins Cove sweaters. This pattern was recently released in the Sparrow Sans collection from Quince to promote their 100% linen yarn, Sparrow. Every pattern in this collection is so dreamy and we want to knit them all and frolic on the beach in our sophisticated linen wardrobe. Each pattern is shown in the undyed color of Sparrow - Sans. Amber and I both fell in love with everything about these patterns and had to make our sweaters in the same natural linen color. In order to change it up so we didn't have the exact same sweater, we knit the garment in two different yarns.

Jaime's Sparrow Perkins Cove 

Pattern: Perkins Cove by Pam Allen
Yarn: Sparrow in Sans, 5 skeins
Size made: 31 1/4"
Alterations: I had gauge issues with this so I made the smallest size and also cut out 12 stitches from the lower body by only casting on 4 armhole stitches on each side

 

I chose to use Sparrow for my Perkins Cove. This Italian-made, super-fine linen yarn is softer than you might expect for 100% linen. I don't often knit with linen and I had a hard time getting the proper gauge for this pattern. The sweater is knit top-down and I almost finished the body of the sweater before I realized my size 34" was going to be way too big. I ripped the whole thing out and started over. Even on much smaller needles, I could only get 19 stitches to 4" instead of the recommended 22. I did the math and decided to knit the smallest size. This worked great and when I came to the armholes I wanted to shave another couple inches off so I only cast on 4 stitches instead of 12 on each side for the armhole. The linen yarn does grow as you work with it so aggressively blocking your gauge swatch is a good way to test what your gauge will be in a finished garment.

I love knitting and wearing summer sweaters. The linen is naturally wicking and anti-bacterial and the open stitch pattern means I'll never get too hot wearing this even on the hottest summer day. The yarn drapes beautifully for this loose top. I can't wait to start the Saco Stripes next - a cute, striped tank from the Sparrow Sans collection!

Amber's Breeze Perkin's Cove 

 -amber

Pattern: Perkin's Cove by Pam Allen
Yarn: Anzula Breeze in color Clay- just 1 skein!
Size made: 34"
Alterations: short sleeves instead of long

I was smitten with this summery tee as soon as I saw the pattern. I love the natural color of the linen yarn and the elongated stitch stripe pattern. I didn't want to make the same exact tee as Jaime. When she cast on in Sans, I decided to see what other of our pretty yarns would work up similarly. I thought, what a great way to see the different fabric you would get from different yarns. I settled on Anzula Breeze, a beautiful silk linen lace weight in the hand-dyed color Clay, a bone color with subtle lavender undertones.

Anzula Breeze has a crazy amount of yardage - 755 yards in a single, adorable yarn cake. It took less than one ball for me to finish my short sleeved Perkin's Tee! What?! Check out how much I had left over in the photo below. There was certainly enough left for me to make the sleeves longer, but I liked the look of more of a T-shirt, so I cast off with about 20 grams left from my single skein of Breeze. Awesome sauce!

The silk/linen blend gives my Breeze tee a more drapey hand than the 100% linen of the Sparrow, which has a crisp look and feel. Either would be perfect to create a dreamy summer garment!

Meet the Designer: Amy Singer!

Amy Singer is coming to Denver! Not only is Amy the editor of Knitty.com, but she is also the publisher and founder of the magazine. In 2002, she was daydreaming about an online magazine that would highlight all the knitting talent that had been popping up. Knitty.com is the perfect place! We are thrilled to host a class on May 10th where she will discuss the following: what makes a pattern stand out among the hundreds submitted to Knitty every year, what makes a good pattern, pattern-writing techniques that make a difference, what makes a pattern go viral, the five things you can do to ensure you have the best possible chance of being published, and the five things you can do that will blow it for you. This is one you won't want to miss! Call to reserve your spot today!
Let's meet Amy!

1) How did you get started in the knitting industry? What is your background?

I was a proofreader in advertising, losing my mind with the boredom of proofing financial documents. So I decided that I would get some experience on my resume as an editor by starting my own magazine in 2002. I didn't realize the person that would eventually hire me was ME -- in 2006, when I finally got to hang up my red pen!

2)What are you most excited about knitting or spinning right now?

We're all really excited about craft crossover...when crochet bleeds into knitting which melds with quilting and embroidery and all gets wrapped up in photography. It's not just about one thing any more...every craft enhances and inspires the others.

3) You run one of the most successful online knitting publications that has been around for over 10 years. What are some current trends in knitting? Both in terms of patterns but also yarn?

Watching people like Clara Parkes and Jill Draper create beautiful, functional yarn from the sheep up is really exciting. Their passion for the finished product and knowledge of every aspect of yarn production shows in the skein.

4) What is your favorite mythological animal?

I wish I had a Panserbjorn. Everyone needs an Armoured Bear.

5) If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I wish I had a Tardis (but without the responsibilities of being the Doctor). My friends live all over the world. I would love to just pop in for tea when I missed them. Or pick them all up and take them to tea with Jane Austen. Denny and Jillian would love that!

Thanks Amy! We're excited for your visit!

Caitlin's Gnome-tastic Trail Jacket!

--Caitlin

I love when we get trunk shows here at the shop because it gives me a chance to try on samples before I fully commit to knitting them. When I tried on the Trail Jacket, designed by Hannah Fettig and published in her book "Knitbot Essentials", I knew it would be a wardrobe staple and I couldn't wait to knit it up! And, of course, the lovely hand of Quince & Co's Osprey yarn sealed the deal. Another win for Quince!

 Pattern: Trail Jacket by Hannah Fettig

Materials: 5 skeins Quince & Co. Osprey in Honey

5 large wooden buttons

Size 10.5 needles

Size Made: Medium

Alterations: none!

I ended up making a Size Medium because I wanted a bit of negative ease instead of the positive ease the pattern suggests. It worked out, but next time (yes, I think I NEED a navy blue sweater) I will add a few extra inches to the body.  

The Trail Jacket knit up quickly on size 10.5 needles. The pattern is so straight forward and I loved that the button band was knit along with the sweater instead of picking up stitches later on. It's even knit top-down so you can try it on as you go. My only hiccup came when it was time to pick up for the neck band, but I'm pretty sure it was my perfectionism taking over and in no way a reflection on the pattern itself.

I love my cozy new sweater! Osprey is definitely one of the softest wools I've ever knit with and worn! The 3/4 length sleeves make it easy to wear without over-heating and I know it will be in full rotation for Fall, Winter, and Spring.  

Big thanks to The Gnome's Nook Confectioners for our photo location and my new gnome pals! I think those gnomes could probably teach me a thing or two about knitting. Did you know they're really into handcrafts?!