New Projects for Your Spring Wardrobe

contributed by Shawn

The new Tahki Yarns Intermix pattern booklet is all about texture and spring/summer layering pieces! The designs in this book caught our attention as soon as it arrived and many of our customers have already snapped up their copies recognizing that these projects are fashion-forward but practical and wearable knits that can be dressed up or down for a variety of occasions.

Barb has already finished the Destinations Top-Down Pullover knit in Tahki Rosa yarn. This incredibly soft 100% cotton yarn creates a wonderfully slubby fabric with its thick and thin profile. 

Barb's sweater is shown here:

With this bulky yarn the Streamlined Vest would be a quick project to finish!

The bright and easy knit Radiant Pullover on the cover of the pattern booklet invited us to explore the other designs in the book. Radiant shows off the iridescent qualities of Tahki Pixie yarn. 

For more relaxed style stop by the shop to try on our sample of the Spellbound Top.

The Tahki Ripple yarn was an immediate hit last year for spring/summer knitting. This season’s book features several new designs for this textured 100% cotton yarn. Michele couldn't wait to start this one and should have her very own Ruffle Tank to show off soon!

There are 20 different designs in this book and it is well worth a look – which one of these tops will become a part of your new spring wardrobe?

Spring Cowl - FREE pattern!

Here's a link to a great free pattern for this pretty cowl made in Tahki Yarns Pixie. 

It takes just 2 balls and works up quickly on size 13 US needles. Thanks to Tahki Yarns for sharing this pattern!

This is a beautiful yarn, with a unique construction. It's a thick, loopy chain that knits at a bulky gauge and delivers maximum color and textural effect. It really makes a statement!

We also love the Spellbound top in Pixie:

This can be found in the Tahki Intermix book and we have a shop sample so if you are local, be sure to stop in and see this one in person!

Thinking Spring... Already!

contributed by Barb

Last Wednesday, I spent most of the morning on Skype with Jill and one of our sales reps looking at new spring yarns. It hasn't even turned into winter here, but we're already looking at spring yarns.

When I came out of the meeting I was sent to the basement. I thought I was being punished for being in the meeting for so long (these sales meetings can be up to 3 hours long) but as I went down the stairs into the basement I realized it was no punishment. It was a gift.

There were three huge boxes from Berroco waiting for me. These boxes contained some new spring yarns and then new colors of existing yarns. It's always so fun unloading new things, and to think Jill and I had just ordered these a little over a week ago. All of the new yarns and new colors of existing yarns will be online this week.

When the Berroco Trunk Show was at the shop, I tried on some garments in the summer yarns from last year. I decided to make a couple of them, but Andra said I may want to wait for new colors for Spring 2013 to be available. That seemed like it would be months, but now just one short month later I can start choosing colors from the new ones and get some projects on my needles.

One of the first items I will be making is the Seabrook Vest – a free pattern from Berroco knit in Captiva. 

I love the new colors we got, but I am having a hard time choosing just one. Help!

Then maybe I'll start a multi-colored scarf/shawl in Weekend.  I love to wear a scarf or shawl during the day, but I get a little over-heated in wool. 

I like the weight of a worsted shawl, and the acrylic and cotton blend of Weekend will keep me from overheating.

One spring sweater completed!

I just finished my Monhegan Tee last night and I love it! I have not had a hand knit sweater fit me this well in ages.

The pattern was fun and easy, and the K1C2 Pediwick yarn is amazing! There is so much "spring" and "stretch" in this yarn. I had a hard time figuring out what size to make... I am a 36" bust and the closest options were a 35" or a 40". I knew the 40" would be huge but I was concerned about the 35" being too snug.

The pattern called for size 7 US needles, but I had to go down to a size 5 US to get gauge. I swatched with my Addi Turbo in sizes 7, 6, and 5 and still couldn't get the right gauge, so I went with my Denise size 5 and was right on. 

Sorry, this is the only way I could get a full length shot. My self-timer is on the fritz!

Remember, different needle types - metal, plastic, wood -  in the same size often produce different results. So when you buy a whole new interchangeable needle set, don't get rid of your other needles!

The yoke/neck detailing is really pretty. Needs to be blocked just a smidge!

This sweater was a dream to finish. The set-in sleeves fit in like a dream, and the yarn seamed up the side beautifully - it looks like it was worked in the round. The chest measures exactly 35" and with that 1" of negative ease for me, it fits beautifully. Thanks, in part, to that awesome stretchiness of the yarn!

Now we just need some spring weather in Finland!

Accept it

Today is the first day of spring, but in Vermont it feels like mid-summer. As wrong as this weather is at this time of the year, it might just be time to accept it!

I'm working on a beautiful sweater for warm weather and thought I'd share it with you. A lot of people only knit for cool and cold weather, but there are so many great patterns and fibers available for warm weather. All you have to do is look!

We recently started selling the Knit One Crochet Too Pediwick Yarn at the shop. It's really a sock yarn that was designed for folks who can't (or don't want to) wear wool. It's got 66% bamboo and 34% nylon. Our non-wool-lovin' customers have been thrilled with Pediwick. The bamboo is so smooth and soft, and did you know it's got natural anti-bacterial and wicking properties? A great feature in a sock yarn...

Another bonus - this yarn is machine washable, making it a perfect choice for garments (for adults, kids and babies). I recently started the Monhegan Tee pattern and I've got about 15 more minutes to go on the front and then I'm on the home stretch with the sleeves.

This pattern is a simple one and goes really quickly. 

It's such a flattering top - it will look great with jeans, skirts and shorts!

Hip Hip Hurray for REAL sized models (and for Norah Gaughan Volume 10)

The newest Norah Gaughan booklet (Volume 10) has been in stock for several weeks in both paper and e-Book format. If you haven't taken a look at it yet, now's a good time to check it out in detail!

Before I go through the great sweaters in this booklet, I'd like to point out that Berroco has used a REAL sized model in this booklet. Kudos to them for finally using a size 14 model in the photo shoot! I think she's every bit as beautiful as the smaller model she's shot with, and I'm sure you'll agree.

We all come in different shapes and sizes, and isn't it frustrating to see a sweater pictured on tiny model, and have no idea what it will look like on your own body? This booklet is great because it shows two models: one wearing a size 44" and the other wearing a size 34". They're shown wearing different sweaters in the book, but you get the idea. Thanks Berroco! I hope to see more of this in the future.

Okay, now for the patterns. These sweaters are all shown in gorgeous neutral shades of both warm and cool weather yarns. I don't recall one Berroco book ever showcasing so many different yarns!

The Etesian Shrug (knit in Berroco Lago) is a flowy, long-sleeved shrug with elegant columns of lace that drape gracefully around its neck.

The Santa Ana Sweater (knit in Berroco Seduce) is a stockinette cardigan with alternating bands of lacy mesh and garter stitch, which form slinky scarf-like ties at either side of the neck.

Similar to these two sweaters is the Austru Sweater, a warmer version (knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca) with gracefully ruched panels of lace that extend beyond the neckline to create a cozy scarf.

One of my favorites! The sophisticated Foehn Sweater (knit in Berroco Linsey) has a gently curved stockinette body and is fastened with a single button.

The Kaver Sweater is an enchanting cropped pullover. It uses a crisp and cool summer yarn (Berroco Captiva) and is worked into textural wedges edged in wide bands of ribbing.

Sculptural leaf motifs encircle the body of Knik, a mesmerizing cropped shrug with close-fitting long sleeves (knit in Berroco Voyage).

My other favorite! The Levanto Tunic is a breezy stockinette tunic with fluttering panels of lace along the sides. It has comfortable three-quarter length sleeves and is knit in Berroco Seduce.

The Taku Sweater (knit in Berroco Blackstone Tweed) looks fun to knit! Richly textured triangles join together to create an intriguing pullover with a deep v-neck and three-quarter length sleeves.

The Vardar Sweater is a short-sleeved cardigan featuring long sweeping curves. It's knit in lace-weight yarn (Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine) and edged with ribbing in a thicker weight (Berroco Ultra Alpaca).

Whew! It's a great book. And I didn't even show you the other three sweaters!

Happy New Year!

It's been a busy week here in the shop. We've had so much fun seeing customers from out of town! And it's been great to see our local customers who are coming in to the shop with friends and family who are in Vermont for the holiday.

This week Barb and I have been meeting with sales reps every day, checking out new spring yarns. They are also showing us a few new wintery yarns that are available for immediate shipment. We did order some, so in the coming weeks you will see new sock yarns, new kids' machine washable yarns and new novelties, including a couple more ruffle yarns and even a yarn with feathers! (Trust me, the feather yarn is cool... it's not for everybody, but we felt it was unique and definitely worth bringing in for select customers!)

We've had fun sharing projects, too! I brought some projects back from Finland, including my Shadow Shawl:

and a cute little baby sweater I made using the new Berroco Versa yarn. The pattern for this sweater will be available soon.

Emily brought in the coolest mittens today - striped with 2 colors of Berroco Flicker. 

And even though these would have been nice and cozy with just the Flicker, she took it a step further and added a super cozy lining of Chic Fleece. This novelty yarn is mostly used for furry scarves, but Emily chose it as a liner because it's 65% superwash merino wool. So not only is it super soft and fuzzy (perfect inside a mitten) but it's also really warm. 

What a delight to slip your hand into this mitten, and be surprised by the lining that you didn't know was there!

A sales rep the other day showed us a great felted accessory bag that was knit with Noro Kureyon. It's a really great beginner knitting project and after felting, you attach it to a clear (or colored) vinyl accessory bag, like the ones we sell in the shop.

Shawn is our resident felter here, so I am going to save this for her to felt. Beginners, look for a class on this in the next couple of months!

The other day in the shop we were looking at the Trendsetter Dune yarn. I wanted to make a hat in it but I knew I'd need to combine it with another yarn that had some body to it. Barb and I grabbed several colors of Dune and went over to the Berroco Vintage shelf. There are so many excellent color combinations that you can make with these two yarns. Because the Dune is so gorgeous, we knew that a hat in stockinette would be the best.

The easy rolled brim hat I made reminds me of the old Chinchilla rolled brim hat we had years ago, only this one is kicked up a few notches!

Emily also made up a new scarf up for the shop. It's with the new Knitting Fever Broadway yarn, which has a neat metallic edge on it. It's been very popular so far, especially during this holiday week! 


I hope you are all working on some fun projects this holiday week too!

Barb is working on the Hitchhiker shawl in the Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn. She says it's so fun and addicting! 

And she just finished the Popcorn Baby Blanket out of Berroco Circus and Peter Pan Tinkerbell. This was such a quick knit, and remember there are excellent color combinations for this project. We just had some folks in today who found out their friend just got pregnant. They were picking out projects for newborns. This blanket is just the ticket.

Remember we are closing at 2pm on Saturday, closed all day Sunday, and we WILL BE CLOSED on Monday, January 2nd, so my staff can start of the New Year with a well deserved day of rest. Happy New Year!

New Goodies from Berroco... First Up - Versa

Since we're not able to get out and do much skiing or sledding right now, maybe we should take a mental vacation and start thinking about spring. Perhaps a preview of some new spring garments will create some excitement? I really would rather be dealing with snow - I love snow! - but since there's none of that to be had, I'd rather focus on something that will get my creative juices flowing.

We've gotten in 3 new Spring yarns from Berroco (Versa, Circus & Captiva), and earlier this week we received all 6 new pattern booklets for Spring 2012.  We've still got one more new yarn (Lago) slated to arrive after the holidays, but now's a great time to show you these yarns and some of my favorite patterns!

I'll break it down into smaller, more manageable posts because these new yarns are great, and as usual, there are many good patterns.

First up, Berroco Versa, a cotton blend.

When I first saw this yarn I though it was a variegated ribbon-like sportweight or light worsted yarn. I was meeting with our sales rep and she told me to pick it up and actually LOOK at the yarn closely. I was surprised when I did!

What I thought was a single strand of a variegated ribbon is actually 2 ribbons that are dyed separately and then joined.

I love it! This also means that it's a bulky weight, and knits up quickly.

I've got some of the yarn here in Finland and I've made up a pattern for a cute little kids' sweater that will be available in a few sizes. I really am enjoying working with this yarn. Just 1.25 sleeves left and a few more seams and it will be finished.

It's very soft and lightweight, despite its being a bulky. The colors are really beautiful, and even though Berroco has lots of adult patterns for this yarn, I didn't want people to think it wasn't a great choice for kids. Because it is! It's quick knitting, super colorful and machine wash. That's a perfect combination for kids' items.

Berroco Book #316 - Versa has 9 beautiful items. A few of my favorites are:

Pinara Tank - same as the Pinaretta but in a longer silhouette, with stripes!

Pinaretta Tank - in one color

Dalyan Sweater - this easy sweater uses a drop stitch which looks elegant!

Ferah Scarf - this looks easy and I'd wear it everywhere!

Alanya Sweater - the body of this is worked in one piece in moss stitch and then the sleeves are worked and pieced in afterwards

Iztuzu Sweater - worked side to side, I like how this is figure flattering with the ribbing!

This booklet is available as a hard copy or as an e-Book (PDF download.)

Tomorrow's post is either Captiva... or Circus. Stay tuned!

New Shades for Spring!

As usual, we've jumped the gun and taken early delivery of some new Berroco colors. (We've also got some new Berroco yarns, but more on those later!)

This time of year they always introduce new yarns for spring and new colors in existing yarns. We figure, if they have the new colors in stock (which they usually do), why wait to take delivery in January? These yarns are all year round best sellers, and we're so excited with the new shades that we just couldn't contain ourselves. They're shipping to us this week, and this is what we've ordered...

We've got 6 new variegated shades of Comfort DK, bringing the total number of colors we stock up to a whopping 48! This is a best seller yarn for kids' items like sweaters, hats and blankets, of course. We love these new shades - they're super fun and happy. They'd be great used alone, but they also coordinate well with a lot of the solids, so let that get your creative juices flowing.

Then we've got new shades of Vintage DK, bringing our total number of colors up to 23. This is another best seller, as it's machine wash and great for people who like the easy care but prefer a bit of wool. The colors we previously had were pretty dark (we know!) but these colors certainly brighten up the palette. We've got some great adult colors, and baby colors, too. Even though babies these days are breaking out of the pastel mold, pastels simply cannot be ignored! There is a huge demand for them, and Berroco has responded accordingly. Now people looking for baby shades in a dk weight can choose between the Comfort DK and the Vintage DK. Options aren't a bad thing...

And Vintage Worsted is also now available in variegated shades. Just 4 to start, but it means we now have 45 colors of Vintage in stock.

Shared Projects

I started the Shallot Sweater with the Rowan Purelife Revive a couple of months ago. It's in the Purelife Recycled Collection pattern booklet. The Revive is a gorgeous yarn and even though it just arrived in the shop last week, I had ordered a bag of it earlier in the winter so I could get started on this top for a shop sample. I'd hoped to finish it, but you know how that goes...

It's normal for me to go down one needle size with pretty much every project I do, and my gauge swatch on this yarn proved no different. So I ended up on US size 2 and 5 needles. I worked the ribbing on the 2's and about 4-5 inches of the pattern on the 5's. The pattern calls for you to yarn over and then purl 4 together. On the next row, you work a K1,P1,K1 into the YO to maintain your stitch count. The P4 tog was tough, despite the sharp tips on the Addi Lace Needles I was using. It did me in and so the sweater sat.

When the yarn came in last week and I was photographing it for the website, Barb and I were talking about how beautiful it is. I mean check out these colors:Barb asked me how my sweater was coming along. I had to confess that it wasn't.

So Barb offered to work on it for me. Fortunately she was without a project at the time, so I brought it in the next day for her to take home. She didn't like that P4 tog either, but she figured out a way to make it easier (slip 2 purlwise, p2 tog, pass 2 slipped stitches over) and she's cruising on the sweater.
Remember, sometimes it takes some higher level thinking to find a workaround. At least now I know that even if she gives me this sweater back to finish, I will have an easier time of it.