See what I’ve been doing all morning…
…looking at beautiful yarn and trying to decide what to bring in for fall. That’s right, I’m shopping for fall already, and spring has barely sprung! Of course, winter yarns are my thing – all the wools, alpacas, mohairs, and endless variations and blends of these, throw in a little yak or camel or cashmere, and I’m one happy girl! All the wonderful possibilities…it never fails to thrill me to my core, even after all these years.
What shall we do with all these lovely yarns, as well as those that are already here? The easy answer this coming season will be a big, long, cuddly scarf or wrap. We already have several in-store to inspire you, and these are great travel projects. They usually involve a repetitive stitch and a lightweight fabric so they’re small to pack, easy to work on enroute, and easy to pick up when you have a few minutes of downtime at your destination. You’ll want one this fall, so you can get started any time. Many of you have seen, and even started on, our models, but I’ll refresh them for you:
This is the Multigrain scarf, simple to do and simply elegant in seed stitch the whole way. The fun comes in choosing colors and combining several of Shibui’s lightweight yarns to make different combinations the whole way – when you’re bored, start a new section! Classic and luxurious:
“Churros” is made in two-color brioche stitch, a technique that yields a deeply cushy fabric with two differently-colored sides. It’s a simple technique but it’s a bit confusing to correct mistakes, so I suggest a small practice piece to see if you want to do the whole wrap. It’s totally worth it, especially in wool-silk Fino. You’ll never want to leave it at home:
The next piece is not as simple to knit and an altogether different look. Karen Walter knitted it in a crunchy wool from Briggs and Little, a Canadian mill that has been making sturdy wool for a century or more. Two tweedy colors (the lower photo is more true to color) blend nicely and allow the cable detail to show, while the shawl collar ups the coziness factor:
The next wrap/scarf is done in a single ball of Taiyo Sock or any other 100 gram ball of fingering-weight sock yarn. I love these colors! The open pattern, made up of very simple lace stitches, make the yarn go a long way. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry called One Skein – A Stole! A terrific project for that one fantastic skein of sock yarn that just doesn’t seem to want to be socks. Taiyo Sock is nice for this season, of course, because of the cotton content – not at all heavy to wear, just right for a cool morning or evening.
Pretty & summery!
Lovely and last on our list is Boiseau, a wonderful piece made in Acadia from Fiber Company, one of our favorite yarns in the world because of its lovely fibers, soft hand, wonderful drape, beautiful colors and unique texture. The Boiseau wrap is perfect for the yarn. You have to touch this and let it swoop around you and glide across your skin to appreciate that it feels just as lovely as it looks.
Thanks to everyone who has brought in cat hugs – we so appreciate it and we need more, more, more!! Dig out those old skeins of who-knows-what that Great-Aunt Myrtle’s family gave you because you were the only knitter/crocheter they knew! Keep ’em coming!
