What's our mannequin wearing?

Well she's getting so excited for the Berroco Trunk Show that's coming up (October 6th from 1pm-5pm) that she broke out her new Berroco Hillside Cardigan. This smart looking v-neck is worked in reverse stockinette and fastens with a single over-sized button. To spice it up, she's thrown on the Elsa Lace Scarf, and has creatively fashioned it into a tiny cowl, or necklace.

Sweater: Hillside Sweater in Berroco Book #324 Boboli, Borealis, & Boboli Quick made with Berroco Boboli Quick Yarn

Button: Find a fun one here! We would chose the Coco Square (1 & 3/8") 

Scarf: Elsa Lace Scarf in the Stacy Charles Knitscape Pattern Booklet knit with Stacy Charles Crystal Yarn

The Crown Jewels

contributed by Shawn

It might be a bit colder than it was a couple of weeks ago but the sun is still shining and that brief taste of 80 degree weather sure got everyone thinking of spring. New spring yarns are in the shop and we've been looking for ways to take a skein or two and turn them into a special little accessory that makes any outfit. We always love to sample our new yarns and fibers so we know how they work and can make the best, most well-informed recommendations to our customers.   

Barb was intrigued by a cowl project one of our customers wore into the shop recently. Originally intended as a cold weather accent, the Sev[en]Circle cowl by Kirsten Johnstone (Free pattern available through this Ravelry link), looks great as a spring fashion piece too! Barb took a look at the pattern and adapted it to create this necklace/scarf. Our version takes just 2 skeins of Berroco Captiva and produces 3 rings of knitted fabric. 

Necklace in Berroco Captiva yarn

Barb wore it in the shop several times and this necklace was like a magnet! So many customers wanted to make it immediately. It was such an easy knit and a neat project, that Barb grabbed some leftover Blue Heron Rayon Metallic yarn  and created another version with a few more rings that are shorter in length.

A customer of ours made a few of these with the Captiva and attached pendants to each ring so that the pendants hang in a progression when the piece is worn. Great idea!

While I'm not a huge jewelry wearer, the idea that knitted fabric can be adapted to different types of accessories got me thinking about one of the favorites in my Ravelry queue. I wanted to try it because the pattern offers an interesting construction to complete the piece.  The Braided Cable Necklace by Olga Buraya-Kefelian is a free pattern on Ravelry. It is two separate strips of knitted fabric with button holes worked into the center of the strips along the entire length.  When you've completed the two strips you weave them together to create this lovely single cable. I used a skein of Berroco Captiva and added a crochet loop to the end so that I could close the band with a button.  It makes a great choker style necklace.

Another yarn that I really wanted to try for accessory knitting is the Stacy Charles Crystal.  I have a friend that loves sparkly accents and the Estee Necklace and Earrings in Crystal were a perfect match for her.  

I was surprised at how soft the necklace was when finished, and how nicely this yarn knits up even though it is metallic and looks like it should be 'crunchy'.  It is NOT at all crunchy and is fun to knit with! (Note: I had to use a pair of Addi Lace needles with this yarn - they had better grip on it since it's a bit slippery!)  Estee is a free pattern available from Tahki Stacy Charles.

For our jewelry fans, there are some other knitted jewelry and accessory patterns that look like they would be fun to try in the Stacy CharlesMoonstruck Pattern Booklet.

The Leighton Y-Necklace in Stella:

The Lieber Rosette Necklace & Bracelet in Crystal and Stella:

And the Winston Infinity Necklace in http://www.kyarns.com/product/stacy-charles-stella:

Manic-In Monday

The countdown is on! We're under the 5 day mark now, and it's been crazy here in the shop. People are rushing in, frantically buying little gifties for stockings and even picking up some quick projects that can actually be finished in the next few days. Our online customers are also frantic - as we can tell from all the expedited shipping that people are paying for. (Remember - at this point it's only Overnight and Second Day Air that are guaranteed to arrive!)

And this week, kids are finishing up at school, and adults are finishing up at work before the break. There are still a few holiday parties crammed here and there - and our gal still has a few good sweaters in her closet from which to choose. This week she broke out a gorgeous short sleeved number, in a soft and slightly sparkly yarn. It's just perfect for the holiday cocktail party she's attending tomorrow night. She grabbed a small bag - really a notions case, but it's black (elegant) and whimsical (sheep-y) and it will hold her cell phone, lip balm and car key just perfectly. For an extra bit of glitz, she's got some sparkle around her neck.
Pattern: Dionne Sweater from Tahki Stacy Charles Round Midnight Fall - Winter 2010. Knit with Stacy Charles Luna Yarn

Bag: Frabjous Fibers Mama Black Sheep Bag

Necklace: Berroco Lumina yarn

Don't be afraid to experiment!

Combining different fibers can be a scary thought for many knitters. We know! We see these deer-in-a-headlight looks every day when we suggest it. But if you aren't willing to experiment, you could be missing out on some really amazing looks!

We've gotten a lot of new yarns recently - and they are all beautiful on their own. But we LOVE to mix things up. So I took a new thick & thin bulky yarn (Araucania Liwen) and mixed it with a lace weight super kid mohair, silk and lurex blend (Stacy Charles Luna). I used size 13 needles and a k1p1 simple rib pattern over 18 stitches. It's got an uneven overall texture, which makes it pretty funky - and we all like that!

The Liwen is gorgeous by itself, and I certainly didn't NEED to add anything to it. And by adding a such a thin yarn, that you can hardly SEE... what's the point?

• Extra softness from the super kid mohair & silk blend
• A gorgeous halo from the super kid mohair
• A subtle color change by blending the two yarns
• A hit of sparkle from the lurex (metallic)

It's a simple scarf made better by blending. Here are the other options I was choosing from:
The Luna (above, left) is a great add, but if you shy away from sparkle, try the Lang Alpaca Superlight (above, center & right).

Have you blended anything fun lately? Let us know!