On the Needles

June 9th, 2009 by Gwynn | Posted in On The Needles |

Welcome to my first installment of ‘On the Needles at Halcyon’!!

Here at Halcyon Yarn we have quite a group of talented knitters and crafters. We also have an amazing local community of walk-in customers who get to see our store samples and our latest crazes anytime they stop by Halcyon to shop. But I’ve been thinking about  our vast internet community of wonderful customers who never get to see our many works in progress (which are always in great supply!). So I have decided to add a section to our website called ‘On the Needles at Halcyon’ for all the knitters in cyberspace who are missing out on our instore energy and ideas. I hope it will be a steady stream of inspiration as well as a taste of what we do at our wonderful store  for those of you who haven’t been able to visit. (Yet!) The plan is to update this section every Friday and keep you all apprised of the current pattern, technique, and fiber we are crazy for.

By the way, my name is Gwynn and I have worked here at Halcyon Yarn for a little over three years. I have been an avid knitter since I was pregnant with my now 5 year-old daughter. She is a very active child and I work to support us. So to make time to knit, I simply neglect housework.  Here is what I am currently neglecting housework for:

In our newsletter of May 12 we highlighted 2 new Pure and Simple patterns, the Girl’s One Button Cardigan and the Summer Open Cardigan. I Love Pure and Simple top down patterns for their simplicity and LACK of finish work. Perfect summer projects. Anyway, Deb knit up the Girl’s One Button Cardigan super quick for a shop sample out of the King Tut Egyptian cotton. I wanted the store to get this ready for summer viewing for a number of reasons: easy and quick, lightweight for summer to early fall wearing, machine washable fiber – but most of all, King Tut is going away. You heard me right – GOING AWAY! And no, it wasn’t our decision. The supplier is no longer manufacturing the yarn (for inexplicable reasons unknown to mankind) and it will no longer be available. Presently we still have a good stock in most of the colors but the thing is, once it is gone, IT IS GONE. See a perfect hue in your favorite color? Buy it up and get your thinking cap on.  We knit up the King Tut Waist Coat last summer and it just happens to be a free pattern. Need a baby blanket? I can’t count the number of perfect colors King Tut comes in for babies. Need a quick shower gift (bridal or baby)? Get a skein, knit up a couple of face cloths, wrap them with a bar of handmade soap and it’s done!! The possibilities are endless but the supply of King Tut is not. (I forgot to mention that my daughter’s King Tut Girl’s One Button Cardigan is going to be purple.)

Back to  Pure and Simple patterns with the Summer Open Cardigan – Barbara and I snapped up Malabrigo Merino Worsted in our last big shipment to make this sweater. (The dyelots in this batch were extraordinary! and we still have lots on the shelves.) The pattern calls for  worsted weight yarn knit in a bulky gauge and I knew Malabrigo would be perfect because the single ply is so loosely spun that it blooms to fill in, even on Barbara’s size 11 needles. (Malabrigo on size 11! Quick and luxurious!) I am also considering the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk for another one. It is a very heavy worsted that also blooms nicely. You might be thinking Wool? For a summer sweater? Remember – we live up here in the Northern climes with many a chilly evening accompanied by a sea breeze. A loosely knit, buttersoft merino is just the ticket. And not like we really need one, but we are always looking for an excuse to knit with Malabrigo. Hope you enjoy looking at these colors as much as I do. Knitter’s Note: Barbara is getting the 3.5 stitches per inch gauge on size 11 and I am getting 3.75 on size 10.5. Barbara’s is the baby blue and mine is blue/green.

The last (but not least) WIP (work in progress) I want to throw at you today is my wonderful and amazing Block Island Blend version of Linda’s Wrap Vest from the cover of the 2009 summer issue of Interweave Knits. Block Island Blend is an exclusive Halcyon Signature Yarn with a unique fiber blend: 35% hemp, 35%cotton and 30% rayon. I have been looking for the perfect project for it for a long time and have finally found it with this vest. This is a very special fiber Halcyon designed and I couldn’t love it more. I asked Halcyon for a few words on why she designed this yarn in the first place:

“I created Block Island Blend to fill a niche for a slubby, washable yarn that would be great for knitting or weaving . The fine cotton slub ply provides texture variation while two additional plies (rayon and hemp) give crisp body and a color loving glow. All cotton would have the texture but not the body I was looking for so I added the hemp ply for body and durability; plus I like the renewability of the fiber source and the hemp appeals to my aging hippy tendencies. The addition of rayon in the blend provides the lush depth of color that gives the blend a multi-tonal look. Using silk would have been too expensive. I love the strength and hand in weaving (weft or warp of course) and for knitters it is a fun alternative to all cotton because it has some bounce as well as crunch.
Overall it is one of my favorite of my Halcyon Signature Yarns because it is so versatile.”

Many kudos to Halcyon. In my opinion, Block Island Blend is a beautiful and understated yarn which is too often overlooked among the myriad of choices in our store. Block Island Blend has not garnered the attention it deserves  and I am SO happy to have finally found a project I am in love with to knit it up in. Look at all these wonderful hues and get this – for sizes 34.5″ to 43″ you only need ONE large cone of yarn. In case you couldn’t already tell, I am big on listing pros and cons. So here are my Block Island Blend version of Linda’s Wrap Vest Pros: Beautifully draping lightweight fiber, summer vest elegance, Halcyon Exclusive Luxury Yarn, side to side construction, one large cone=one sweater=$49.95. Not too bad for a little piece of heaven. My only con is the column full of short rows in the directions. I am not a big fan of short rows and can get intimidated. But I am willing to put trepidation aside and embark because the yarn coupled with the vest pattern is a perfect union for me.  Here is an informal invitation for you to jump on board with me. Fall in love with the fiber and talk me down from short row anxiety. Knitting Note: The pattern calls for needles size 5 and 6 and I found that size 4 and 5 are working better with the Block Island Blend for me. I am knitting with color 206.

Thanks for tuning in and check back for more…..Happy Knitting!