What a couple of weeks we’ve had! This time of year is so exciting at the shop, with beautiful yarn piling in too fast to get it on the shelves, new classes starting up, and the temperature getting close to being “sweater weather.” So many project ideas are in my head that it’s distressing, because I know that it’s a physical impossibility to make them all!
So, first, let me show you some of the lovely stuff that has come in. We’ll start off with a reassurance for our Encore fans. This practical, well-priced, washable yarn is a real favorite for people who love to make blankets or who knit or crochet for kids. We got in just a little bit…
…with overflow in the back room:
So many possibilities!
Then, my favorite day of the season arrived – in my head, it’s called “Manos Day” and it looks like this
all over the shop! The colors are amazing, the yarn is fabulous-ness all the way through. Wonderful to knit, to wear, to own, to fondle, to cuddle, to…all right, I’ll stop.
Here’s our lovely stock of Fino, fingering-weight wool/silk blend, perfect for refined shawls and cowls, seasonless sweaters:
Alegria, colorful, soft, fingering-weight wool/nylon blend that combines well with other fibers, makes amazing socks, but also sweaters and accessories:
And Maxima, our favorite worsted-weight in extra fine merino, a true delight to knit and so soft against your skin, there’s just no itch to it! Look at this gorgeous array of colors:
I keep making combinations in my head, have 2 or 3 sweaters I’d love in Maxima. But!
I’ve been very disciplined these last few weeks, getting classes sorted out and catching up with making models for my own class, so basically I’ve been knitting like crazy! And have also finished a few things:
This cute baby blanket in Dreambaby Paintpot (which, let’s face it, the yarn does a lot of the work here) was fairly simple, but quite time-consuming to make. It was my shop project for much of the summer; I strove to do at least one block every day when I wasn’t busy:
I loved Snowflake the minute I touched it (lovely blend of cotton and baby alpaca)
and wanted a sweater in it, even though it’s totally luscious in winter accessories (Deb’s class hat uses it – wonderful!)
Well, I wanted it, and this sweater from an old book (Simple Chic by Jil Eaton, 2003) ran in my mind. I always liked the simple lines:
It’s knitted flat, which let the pattern of the yarn play out nicely. So I got my sweater, finally:
A fun, cozy sweater for a snowy day, or apres-ski. (As if.)
I’m also keeping up with our Casapinka mystery knit-along. Last clue and get-together next weekend, so I’ll have a blocked finished project to show you in a couple weeks. It has been fun; not sure about my finished project, but everything feels wonderful in Dream in Color’s Smooshy Cashmere so pretty sure I’ll love it, no matter how it looks! And I’m starting on a vest – which to my surprise seem to be getting more popular this year, after a long absence from the fashionable scene. They’ve always been favorites with knitters, of course – who doesn’t love the idea of no sleeves to knit???
So many wonderful things to look forward to!! Such a fun obsession!
