New goodies for summer – on sale!

How did we not know about Try-It-On Tubing for needle sizes 2 to 8 sooner? Recommended by THE Ann Budd, who always knows the best tricks for making your knitting life easier. Need to see if that carefully shaped sweater is really going to fit right? How about testing the length on your soon-to-be favorite *Traveling Pleats Skirt? Just slide this flexible tubing onto the tip of your needles, slide your stitches on, and voilà – you can safely try on your work-in-progress without fear!

*Ann Budd’s terrific Traveling Pleats Skirt only requires 3 or 4 skeins of Victorian 2-Ply Wool Yarn a durable sport weight wool that is available in dozens of colors. Buy the pattern now on Ravelry!

Also courtesy of our ever-so-clever friend, comes The Ann Budd Stitch Gauge Ruler! Although not actually new, this handy gauge ruler deserves a perpetual spot on our list of tools that no knitter’s project bag should be without! Simply lay the clear ruler over your knitting, and line up the printed stitches on the ruler with your stitches to see exactly what your gauge is. Printed in both black and white, with measurements, this little ruler takes the guesswork out of achieving a perfect gauge!

It won’t be warm forever, so start stitching now in a lightweight wool that lends itself to pretty colorwork and transitions well between seasons. Great for weaving, as well as knitting, Victorian 2-Ply Wool Yarn is available in over 65 colors, with a generous 325 yards per skein. This 100% wool is spun and dyed in Maine from a durable domestic wool blend. Lofty and strong, although not a soft-next-to-the-skin wool, this yarn is perfect for lightweight woven blankets, a knitted skirt to wear over leggings, or a colorful cardigan that isn’t too bulky. Besides Ann Budd’s Traveling Pleats Skirt (above), here are some of our favorite projects:

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Woven Fall Picnic Blanket

We’re always on the hunt for good tools… These lovely little scissors and tape measure, from British sewing company Merchant & Mills, belong in every project bag or craft drawer! There are certain tools we reach for every day. Sharp little scissors and a good flexible tape measure are necessities for anyone who works with yarn or fabric. Given how often we all use them, shouldn’t they be as cute as they are functional? These scissors are nice and pointy, so you can maneuver and snip even the tiniest thread without cutting what you shouldn’t. The wide bow grip is very comfortable so, unlike some itty-bitty scissors, you can actually hold them comfortably and with much more control. The classic black and white of the tape measure is attractive and easy to read, in both imperial and metric. The Merchant and Mills Wide Bow Scissors and Merchant and Mills Bespoke Tape Measure deliver equal measures of durable and adorable!

The Otter Project Tote by Mum n Sun Ink is made of 600 denier waterproof polyester, with inside and outside pockets, dimensions 12″ x 14″ x 6.5″. This bag will hold and organize everything and for a trip to the beach, a full craft project, complete with tools, or a sweep of the farmers’ market!

For those smaller projects that you don’t want to snag when you toss them into the big bag, or set them on the floor beside you, there’s the lightweight Hedgehog Project Bag by Mum n Sun Ink.

What about all your favorite pointy objects? Scissors, needles, rulers, all those little bits and pieces that get lost too easily  – or stab back at you when you reach into the big bag? Pop them into the [Sorry, item discontinued or temporarily out of stock] and give them plenty of protection in this sturdy polyester felt sleeve, with snap closure. Plus, measuring 8.75″ x 10.625″, it makes a great case for many tablets!