Cricket is Here and We ♥ It!

Cricket is here from Anzula!

The blend of Merino/Cashmere/Nylon gives this hand-dyed DK beauty the softest, plushest feel and the enchanting color palette makes colorwork a great choice.

We fell in love with this sproingy soft DK weight yarn from Anzula after seeing Olgajazzy's Fractals hat pattern.

We have always loved the insane brights from Anzula. Olga uses them to their magical max by mixing these neon shades with delicate neutrals in this new hat pattern!

We ♥ this soft yarn so hard.

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...

Come One, Come All, Check Out Our Aranami-Along!

We are all snuggled up over here at Fancy Tiger Crafts with our new Aranami shawls! Thanks to our amazing customers who picked this pattern for our most recent KAL. Bonus: we finished just in the nick of time for snowy Denver city! 

The Aranami Shawl pattern by Olgajazzy calls for 5 colors which aid to the beautiful ombré effect many of these shawls have. We couldn't wait to get our hands on some Brooklyn Tweed Loft for this project. Some of the ladies opted to use a variety of different yarns, just look at those colors!  It is such a perfect pattern for a project on the go and for using up small amounts of fingering weight yarn. Each motif is worked one at a time and is quite easy to remember.

Here are the folks who made this KAL such a success! 

Alsn

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I liked how easy it was to memorize the pattern so I could knit with friends and have complex & deep conversations. 

Yarn: Elemental Affects Shetland Fingering

Colors: Mediterranean Night, Ciel, Light Denim, Mioget + White

Amber

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I loved the spectrum of colors that everyone chose for their shawls & I liked the addicting motif knitting.
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Loft

Colors: Wool Socks, Homemade Jam, Thistle, Plume, Pumpernickel

Betsy

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I really enjoyed the construction of this shawl; it was like watching a puzzle take shape. When I realized the Cinnamon didn't marry well with the other colors I decided to bracket it with fawn. I absolutely love the final product!
Yarn: Elemental Affects Shetland Fingering

Colors: Cinnamon, Forest Moss, Fawn, Lichen, Ochre

Caitlin

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I enjoyed the repetition & therapeutic nature of the pattern. "Just one more repeat!"
Yarn: Elemental Affects Shetland Fingering

Colors: Pumpkin Spice, Red Bark, Deep Garnet, Old Gold, Burnt Cinnamon

Emily

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: The camaraderie of working on the project together really inspired me to knit fast and steady.
Yarn: All my own hand spun from Spinzilla 

Colors: Dire Wolf, Earth Wolf, Grey Wolf, Rabbit Wolf, Sun Wolf

Jaime

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I loved knitting this! It was so addicting and I love everyone's color combos... #neutralsforever
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Loft

Colors: Pumpernickel, Truffle Hunt, Storm Cloud, Wood Smoke, Fossil

Katy

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: How quick it was + MODULARNESS. Also my matching project bag!
Yarn: Cascade Sport 

Colors: Shrimp, Anis, Blue Hawaii, Como Blue, White

Kiyomi

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: It was so easy to knit & I finished it!! =)

Yarn: Cascade Sport 

Colors: Charcoal Grey, Ginseng, Sage, Light Grey, White

Pink

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: This shawl made the Zauberball color changes look awesome!
Yarn: Lace Zauberball

Colors: 1874 Rusty

Rachel

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: I liked making the individual waves because it made me seem like a faster knitter than I actually am.
Yarn: Jamieson & Smith Shetland Jumper Weight

Colors: Fuschia, Berry Heather, Raspberry, Lavender Heather, Rose Heather

Sara

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL: Knitting this was addictive and satisfying. The finished project is so soft!
Yarns: Lotus Mimi & Jade Sapphire

Colors: (Lotus) Purple, Light Grey, Beige (Jade Sapphire) Cream & Dark Gray 

Sophia

Favorite thing about the Aranami KAL:  Hooray! Perfect for stash busting!

Yarn: Cascade Baby Alpaca Lace

Colors: Mocha, Turtle, Ecru, Indigo, Chianti Heather

So much happy fun time! Knit-a-longs are the best! 

Thanks to all of you, we have another successful Knit-a-long completed!

If you missed this one don't fret--check back on Monday for the reveal of our Second Annual Sweater KAL, starting in January!

New Fancy Knit Along! Join us!

It is that time of year when our hands ache to feel wool yarn running through them and our necks beg to be warm...a Fancy Tiger Crafts Knit-a-long is in order!! Our customers chose the next Fancy KAL for us and we are happy to join in the fun. This is a pattern that Amber and I have been wanting to knit for quite a while: Aranami Shawl by Olga Buraya-Kefelian (Olgajazzy!) This beautiful scalloped shawl uses 5 colors for a fantastic ombré effect. The recommended yarn for this shawl is Brooklyn Tweed Loft which will be a joy to knit with. We stock all 32 colors of Loft so any and all of your ombré dreams can come true.

Here is how the KAL works:

• Pick our your colors and purchase your yarn, pattern, and needles from us by November 5th and receive 15% off.
• Cast on! We will be casting on for our shawls on November 5th at Craft Night for any local folks who can join.
• Knit! We'll be knitting our shawls together every Tuesday night in November.
• Finish! We hope to finish our shawls by December 3rd. Bring your shawl that night (even if its not done) for a photoshoot and raise a glass with us in congratulatory address! 
• If you don't live in Denver you can still join in the fun. Use the hashtag #fancykal on all your photos so we can follow along with your progress virtually. You can order your yarn from us and receive your discount with a quick email of your order + mailing address to info@fancytigercrafts.com.

Amber and I have already picked out our colors and can't wait to start! Of course, I chose to use 5 of the 12 natural colors in the Brooklyn Tweed palette.

Fossil, Woodsmoke, Stormcloud, Truffle Hunt, and Pumpernickel

Amber went for shades of green for her shawl and it's going to be beautiful!

Pumpernickel, Artifact, Tent, Sap, and Foothills

We can't wait to see what you pick! We hope you can join us for the Knit-A-Long adventure!

TNNA Columbus Fun 2013!

--amber

Jaime and I had a pile o' fun and saw a million exciting new yarny things at the TNNA trade show in Columbus last weekend!

We debuted six new patterns for our Heirloom yarn, and re-released our classic My Favorite Sweater pattern--now featuring Heirloom as well.

Here is quick look at the trade show behind the scenes fun:

From left to right and from the top:
(1)Nebula--the newest yarn from Anzula--is a sparkle yarn that we ordered in dark, moody shades. Look for it to hit the shop in August. (2-3) Funtimes were had with Stephen West, designer extraordinaire and very fun person. (4) New colors were ordered in Madelinetosh + there is a new yarn coming that you will love! A.S.A.P. is Madtosh's new chunky yarn set to arrive in November, just in time for last minute gift knitting.  (5) Jaime and I had the joy of trying on samples from Annie Modesitt's book, History on Two Needles. Knit replica of the Sutton Hoo ceremonial mask? Amazing.

(6) The folks at Schacht are geniuses, they distributed the Zoom Loom (which we currently have in the shop)  for all the yarn companies to swatch up their yarns! We loved seeing how yarns from different companies worked in this little loom-ette. Our favorite was Knitted Wit's mini rainbow skeins--those will be coming soon for Zoom Loom-ing, knitting, crochet or embroidery fun.  (7-10) Lucky Cat we love you! We ordered some special fiber braids from this adorable spinning fiber company--crazy soft blends that include Possum, Angora, Yak, Camel down, Wild Silks and more! Look for these buttery soft blends in a few weeks.

(11-12) The Crafty Diversions booth was full of exciting things, like teatime with Ysolda! She has a book in the works that is going to be amazing! Miriam Felton was there with her upcoming collection, Modern Colorwork. We can't wait for all the exciting things these ladies have in the works!  (13) Carol Feller was signing copies of her soon-to-be-here book, Among Stones. (14-15) Funtimes were had with Cirilia Rose, including a pedicab race (which, btw, Jaime and I won) and exploring the streets of Columbus with our Stephen West knitting bags.

(16) The Meow Collection. Do I need to say more? Well okay, this hand-dyed BFL sock yarn comes in a range of colors based on our feline friends' coat colors. PLUS, $4 from every skein is donated to the Meow Foundation, a no-kill shelter helping abandoned cats find happy, permanent homes!  (17-18) Nerd alert! Jaime and I are so excited for the upcoming special issue Interweave magazines: unofficial Harry Potter Knits and Downton Abbey Knits! Also, Jaime found a hobbit. (19) One of The Fiber Factor challenge sweaters. Of course, Meghan Navoy's cat sweater is my favorite pick! We can't wait to see the judging of Challenge 2 this Friday, with Stephen West as one of the guest judges! (20) Freia Ombré and Freia Flux yarns will be here in September with all their soft stripey goodness!

(21) Jaime and I were happy to meet one of our favorite designers, Olga Buraya-Kefelian. She has new patterns arriving soon and we want to make them all! (22) A wall made of wool in the Blue Sky booth. (23) Look for the speckly goodness of The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze in the shop in September. (24-25) What! We even got to go visit with Anita of Sew to Speak and April Rhodes at their sewing shop in Columbus while we were there!

Keep an eye on our blog, instagram or facebook to be the first to know when all the newest goods arrive!

Amber's Electric Blue Mizutama Shawl

Mizutama (水玉) is the Japanese word for polka-dots! Olgajazzy's Mizatuma pattern, with its "polka-dot" lace, is a modern take on a classic lace triangle shawl.

I used an electric blue yarn which I picked up on my recent trip to China. This little ball of lace weight yarn caught my eye from a mile away, glowing among the other yarns. I love the so-blue-it-almost-hurts color!

The simple 4 row lace motif was so easy to memorize and a great project for social knitting. This shawl would be the perfect introduction to lace!

Here is my new friend Alfie the sheepdog sporting some hand knit lace. I love my electric blue polka-dot shawl!

New Tabi Mitten from Olgajazzy + Conductive Yarn!

We are geeking out about Olga Buraya-Kefelian's newest pattern, Tabi Mittens!

These mittens are inspired by traditional Japanese tabi socks, with a separate pointer finger, and have a modern twist--they incorporate conductive yarn in the fingertips so you can use them for touch screens!

Choose any yarn for these mittens and with just a bit of conductive yarn carried along in the fingertip will have you computing on the go while keeping your hands warm and cozy!

We have Olgajazzy's pattern here and all kitted up with the just the right amount of conductive yarn for you to make these mitts included and ready to go.

This super sweet yarn can be used for anything crafty: embroidery, handsewing, crochet, weaving...the geekcraft possibilities are endless! We have it available on it's own for those who have their own special project in mind.

Happy future-crafting!

Betsy Made A Million Things This Year!

Betsy is super crafty and we love having her working here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. She inspires us with her amazing and prolific crafty style and thought you might like to see what she's been up to this year!

Betsy

One of the best parts of working at Fancy Tiger Crafts is being surrounded by inspiration everyday. Between the incredible customer projects and all the new fun yarn and fabric, we all have a mental list of a million projects that we would like to do. If only there was the time! I have to say this year turned out to be quite productive and fun. Here are a few of my favorite projects.

In January, I started my very first sweater in the My Favorite Sweater class here at the store. I used the Cascade Eco Wool, so soft and lovely to work with, and turned it into a custom sweater that fits like a glove.

This little shawl was a stash buster that I started on a plane trip. The Mizutama Shawl pattern by Olga Jazzy had caught my eye with it's simple geometric lace work. It was a perfect intro to lace and the pattern can be done top down or bottom up. By making it bottom up I was able to bind off when I was done with my skein and call it good. The little felt flower hair pin is something I whipped up for our holiday party.

My favorite project this year is the whisper cardigan that I knitted in the Habu Silk Tweed.  This light weight cardigan is perfect for the Denver weather and I absolutely love how the yarn knitted up!

Making the Whisper Cardigan got me hooked on Habu yarn and especially the patterns that are designed for it. I had been want to try the metal yarns they have and ended up pairing the Copper/Bamboo with some Alpaca lace that I had in my stash to make Kirsten Johnstone's Hakusa Scarf!

Since I started working at Fancy Tiger I had been watching fabric lines come in with the hope of finding the perfect inspiration for my first quilt. When French General's La Petite Ecole line came in I knew exactly what I had to do. Three charm packs, the adorable alphabet panel for the back and red stripes for the border and binding and I was set to go.

For my first quilt, I couldn't be happier about how this turned out. The charm packs made piecing so easy that the hardest part of the quilt top was deciding on the layout. Once I had it basted, Jessica Bridge, our quilting instructor at Fancy Tiger (and my personal Quilt Guru), talked me into getting creative with the quilting and I'm so glad that she did. The center of the quilt is a cross-hatch stitch, the white squares are a square spiral stitch, then there is a double echo stitch on the blue and grey, followed by 3 simple stripes through the reds. Doing all the extra quilting left me with a ton of knot to bury but it was completely worth it. I absolutely love this quilt and all that I put into it. But here is the secret, this baby is full of mistakes; squares that don't line up perfectly, quilted lines that look like drunk driving and even the binding has a few glitches if you look for them. But guess what? No one ever does.

I do love my quilt but I must say that my favorite sewn project of the year is my Button Flap Purse. It's been months now and I am still in love with it. The fabric is retro transistor radios from Melody Miller's Ruby Star Rising collection. I bought the fabric right away waiting for the right project and when we started carrying Jen Giddens' bag patterns, I knew had the winning combination with her Button Flap Purse.

This bag was a cinch to put together. I love how well the Echino dots work for the straps and an orange vintage Casein Button double as a radio dial for the snap. It is the perfect size to carry a book and the essentials.

 Thanks Betsy!