I just can’t express how much I love this time of year at the shop. It still thrills me to have a bunch of huge boxes come in the door
and open them one by one to see what’s inside. It’s definitely my Christmas (even though, yes, darn it, I have to pay for all my “presents.”)
Before I show you what was in those lovely boxes, check out this beauty:
This is Eno Pullover, which Karen just finished and which she’s teaching this fall, starting this weekend! It’s simple-looking and gorgeous and very wearable, with just a bit of texture on the yoke, a great first sweater. We chose a simple pattern because we wanted to showcase this wonderful new yarn from Frabjous Fibers called (rather obviously) Tweed. It’s a mixture of merino, silk and baby alpaca that is next-to-the-skin soft. It’s a bit price-y and there are many other options for the sweater, but you’ll want to check out the beautifully subtle hand-dyeing that makes all these colors so special:
The hard part is narrowing it down to one color. I want something in every color and feel like there is a wonderful fade to be built out of 3 or 4.
Accompanying the Tweed were some new color ways of Blossom, also from Frabjous, where the fade has already been built in to the beautiful fingering-weight merino yarn:
In contrast, my knitting seems a bit prosaic. Finished another pair of socks, in Painted Sock. Not my favorite yarn to knit with, but I like how the socks came out:
and started on a pair for ME in Zauberball Crazy. I forgot to take a picture of all the new colors, but – next time!
And I’m just about done with Casapinka’s Sharon Air MKAL – spoiler coming:
Needs bound off and blocked, then finis! It was fun and she (Casapinka) puts a lot into the stories and silliness behind the mystery. She’s starting another knit-along (no mystery this time) called 22 Cowl that would be perfect for 2 skeins of this gorgeous stuff:
It’s Smooshy with Cashmere from Dream in Color, absolutely too wonderful for words – but you know that won’t stop me. Unlike many yarns that have “cashmere” in their names, Smooshy has a generous 20% cashmere, so the softness and luxury are evident, and the merino in the mix makes it lovely to knit as well. Anyway, I probably won’t start the cowl any time soon – there’s already a lot of knitting on my agenda (no complaints!) – but here are some of the combos you could use for a really smashing look that will comfort you and perk you up in the dead of winter!
That midnight purple mixed with the dark jewel tones make me want to cry, it’s so rich and beautiful.
One more thing – whew! Deb brought in her sample for the “Friends will be Friends” cowl that she’ll be teaching starting in late October. It’s cute as pie, fun to make, and soft as a kitten in Manos Maxima.
It takes 2 skeins of Maxima and if you’re interested in the cowl, we still have pretty colors at the old price of $22 per skein. Sadly, it’s going to $26 (!! but still worth it for the most beloved knitting yarn in the universe) with the new shipment, after holding the price for several years. Sign of the times, I guess!
