In this issue:
- Super Summer Yarns On Sale!
- Free pattern! The perfect grab-and-go summer knitting project in Cotton-Merino
- Jumpstart your summer projects with Jo Sharp cottons!
- New Book! Framework by Norah Gaughan
- Vogue Knitting Summer 2017
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Favorite Summer Yarns – on sale now!
These yarns prove that summer knitting and weaving is just as exciting as any cold weather project… Block Island Blend Yarn, Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn, Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn, and Katia Cotton-Merino Yarn. This week’s newsletter features lots of projects in these yarns, read on for details… Plus, they’re are on sale now, for a limited time!
Block Island BlendAn intriguing yarn for weavers and knitters, we can’t say enough about this lightweight beauty. Spun and dyed here in Maine, Block Island Blend is a 3-ply of cotton, linen and rayon. Skein dyed in a sunwashed palette, each fiber takes the color a little differently, giving you a heathery, tonal color that emphasizes the slight slub of the yarn. Strong and soft, this yarn is wonderful in everything from sleek knitted tops, to woven table linens. Mini-Cones of this yarn are on sale now, so you can easily mix and match colors and knit or weave from easy to manage cones. Knit it doubled too, and mix colors for a great tweedy effect. Below are a few of our favorite projects, plus you’ll see it recommended in this week’s news as a great yarn for projects from Nora Gaughn’s book Framework, and the most recent Vogue Knitting.
The newly released Sweet Jane Tank, by our own creative director, Sierra Roberts. Simply delightful. Knit in Block Island Blend Yarn, with graceful shaping and sweet details, the Sweet Jane is a flattering instant favorite.
The Very Versatile Neck Down Hoodie, by Knitting Pure & Simple. Knit doubled in two colors.
The pretty Seguin Sunset Table Set is a perennial favorite for woven table linens, and mini cones make it an especially affordable project.
The Woven Cowl Wrap is an elegantly structured ruana, and it’s simple to weave on a 4-shaft loom. [item= 0990002U,pattern,compact] Katia Cotton Merino$8.85 (regularly $9.95)
See more details here, as well as the free pattern! Katia Cotton-Merino Yarn is incredibly soft aran weight yarn that is luxury at its loveliest. This unique yarn consists of an un-dyed chainette cotton tube that is filled with super soft Merino. While you may not think of merino for summer, this yarn has such soft, breezy colors, and it’s unique construction makes it so lightweight, that we can’t put it down! Try it in our newly released Eight Days (free), which only takes a single ball of this fluffy favorite! Jo Sharp: Soho Summer DK Cotton & Desert Garden Aran CottonOnly $7.00, for a limited time!
Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn, and Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn are two of our top selling cottons, they perform beautifully, are a pleasure to use, and are at a price that makes stitching up a quick summer pullover a very affordable proposition.
See more details and projects here!
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Introducing Katia Cotton-Merino
On sale now, for a limited time! Plus, free one ball pattern below… It’s finally summer! Here in Maine, that usually means lots of outdoors fun – and it doesn’t stop once the sun starts to set. Whether you’re in need of a quick fix project or something to keep your paws warm around the campfire, you should take a look at our new Eight Days a Week fingerless mitts pattern. It only requires one skein of soft, uniquely fuzzy Katia Cotton-Merino Yarn, and the pattern is that wonderful word we all wish we heard more often: FREE! Despite being a wool blend, Katia Cotton-Merino is incredibly versatile for summer and features really cool construction. Basically, it begins with a chainette cotton tube. Imagine a super tiny pair of fishnet stockings, with the feet cut off. Then that tube gets filled with fluffy, soft Merino wool fiber, which pokes out through the netting of the tube. The wool is the part that gets dyed, so the cotton tube remains white across all colors. That is part of what’s so awesome about this yarn – when that wool pokes out, it creates a shadowy halo of color over the white cotton tube that really sets this yarn apart from others. So even though it’s a wool blend, the cotton is not lost; these mitts are lightweight and very breathable so they’re perfectly suited for every season – from crisp spring and fall days to cool summer evenings (especially here on the coast, where there is often a chilly breeze). I wanted to get my hands on this yarn so badly, I came up with a quick and easy one-size-fits-all fingerless mitts pattern that just about anyone can make. For this project, I used one of the two gradient colors that we carry in this line: our color number 0301 (the other gradient is color number 0300, which is gray to white). Here’s the pattern:
Eight Days a Week Fingerless MittsMaterials Gauge Pattern Establish rib pattern: Thumb: Continue in k2, p1 rib for 16 rounds. Bind off all stitches in pattern. Weave in ends, and you’re done! •••
Those mitts are great for a lot of reasons, but once I finished them I had all kinds of ideas for the Katia Cotton-Merino Yarn. We carry the Concept books from Katia which have some larger projects in Cotton-Merino, and I can’t help but imagine how nice a sweater would feel made out of this soft, cool yarn – start now and be ready for fall. Especially these jackets from Concept: Book 1, shown above.
Whatever the project, we’re excited to offer this beautiful, unique, and versatile yarn to all of you fellow yarn lovers – I hope you enjoy working with it as much as I do! Grab some Katia Cotton Merino while it’s on sale. Check out these other great summer sale yarns too:
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Jo Sharp Cottons – on sale now, only $7.00!
If you’ve got summer knitting on the brain, then you’ll want to hear about Jo Sharp’s two wonderful cotton yarns – Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn and Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn. Cotton fans and skeptics alike will love the softness and versatility of these yarns.
A lot of you might hear “cotton yarn” and cringe, your mind conjuring up images of stiff, shapeless garments that only get more shapeless as time goes on. Not to mention how hard some cottons can be on your hands after some quality knitting time! I can honestly say, though, that those problems do not occur with these yarns. Allow me to illustrate…
The Jo Sharp Fitted Cotton Cardigan Pattern is a perfect example of the lightweight, wear-with-everything summer cardigan I’m always in search of. This go-to cardigan is knit out of Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn, which is way softer and more buttery than you’d expect from a 100% cotton yarn. The Soho Summer has a subtle sheen to it, but it’s loftier and squishier than most mercerized cotton yarns. This yarn manages to hold its shape well, and it’s soft as can be.
Another popular pattern here at the shop is the Jo Sharp Sideways Ribbed Top Pattern. Also knit from Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn, this simple pattern gives you options for different sleeve and body lengths, from cropped to tunic and tee length to bracelet length. The Jo Sharp A-Line Cotton Tunic Pattern is another shop favorite, as is the Jo Sharp Cotton Bolero Pattern.
And we can’t forget the crocheters! I love the Jo Sharp Retro Chevron Skirt Pattern for warmer weather. With options for two different lengths, a drawstring for a fully adjustable fit, and a color scheme that makes for great stash busting, this skirt has just about everything. Use Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn or a combination of any DK weight yarns you like.
That’s a whole lot about Jo Sharp’s DK Cotton. What about Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn? This stuff makes me shake my head in admiration every time I work with it. Desert Garden is a blend of 65% cotton and 35% microfibre, which makes it far less dense and heavy than any other aran weight cotton I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. The Jo Sharp Cotton T-Shirt Pattern showcases these traits beautifully. Breathable, soft, lightweight and sturdy, this yarn offers excellent stitch definition and a heavenly loft. Desert Garden will work equally well for the Knitbot Sweet Pleat- the hardest part would be picking a color!
Some other great patterns for Desert Garden are the Jo Sharp Cotton Sweater and Beret Pattern and Jo Sharp Somerville Cotton Sweater Pattern. Each of these pullovers is a timeless classic. Folks on Ravelry also love the Jo Sharp Origami Bolero Pattern, which can be worn right side-up or upside-down, creating two different looks. Very fun! Or if you’re looking for a smaller project you could check out the Jo Sharp Moss Stitch Beanie Pattern. All of these patterns use Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn, so you know they’ll be super wearable.
This isn’t the first time I’ve extolled the virtues of Jo Sharp’s two wonderful cotton yarns, and it probably won’t be my last. In the meantime, I’m going to be busy making my own Jo Sharp A-Line Cotton Tunic Pattern out of Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn in our color 0255, Siren red. Just in time for summer!
Both Jo Sharp cottons are on sale now, for a limited time! (Jo Sharp’s patterns are available as downloads too!)
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framework
(pssst – the yarns featured below are on sale…) Norah Gaughan has long been a household name where knitters are involved, and with good reason. Gaughan is known for designing beautiful, unique knitwear patterns, from intricate cable work to unconventional garment construction. Her newest book, Framework - Architectural Knits is no exception. Framework features ten fresh, clever patterns that will entice you to give them a try. I have to say, it took me a while to get through this book. In a good way, though! Usually when I browse a new pattern book, I’m focused on the photos (and maybe peeking at what yarn the designer used). But some of these designs stopped me in my tracks; I had to look closer to see how these pieces were constructed. For example, the Cella cardigan/shrug has armholes that are created by simply folding down the top of a rectangle. I won’t give any more about it away, but check out the photos below: 
Then I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the back view of the cover project, the Walkway shell. I love the delicate eyelets, and how it makes this piece seem so detailed, although it’s a small enough element. This linen shell would look awesome knit up in our Block Island Blend Yarn!
So there I was, happily flipping through this fascinating collection of designs, when I came to this:
That, my friends, is the stunning Arris pullover. It can be worn with the V-neck in the front, or reverse it for a lovely mesh panel instead. I can’t help but picture this knit up in Block Island Blend Yarn, too; the slubbiness of that yarn would add a whole new layer of texture to this beautiful sweater. The last pattern I’ll talk about is the elegant Annex tank:
This tank is actually worked flat, but still features minimal seaming. What a lovely garment. I want it for myself!! Although this is knit with an aran weight linen, I think I’d make it out of Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn. The beauty of these pieces comes from the thoughtful placement of geometric shapes, with intuitive knitting maneuvers that make creating them just as beautiful an experience as wearing them. Designed for minimal seaming and ease of knitting, any one of these pieces is something that you yourself can make. Newer knitters can enjoy pushing themselves just a little, and experienced knitters will certainly love the breath of fresh air and spark of inspiration that Norah Gaughan’s patterns always provide.
Remember, the gorgeous summer yarns featured above are both on sale right now, so dive in to some amazing summer stitching!
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VOGUE: The Lace Escape
Vogue Knitting Spring / Summer 2017 is all about the light and lacy side of knitting, so don’t let the warm weather stop your stitching! From gorgeous installations of urban lace, to luxe accessories, plus a focus on conserving UK heritage breeds, and a showcase of summer’s prettiest yarns – there’s something for every knitter in this issue of Vogue Knitting.
Designer Yoko Hatta’s leaf patterned ruana (above) is just right for summer knitting, and will look great all season long. We’d try it in Block Island Blend Yarn. You can make the piece from a single pound cone of the Block Island. The slight slub and heatheriness of the colors would be stunning in this perfect summer accessory. Plus, it’s easy to throw a cone in your project bag and knit from anywhere – a hammock perhaps?
Yoko Hatta’s Swing Back Tank Also from Yoko Hatta, this swingy chevron cover up is fun coming or going! Simple stitches and easy finishing make this a sweet project to knit or wear poolside! You’ll need between 750 and 1,200 yards. Try it in Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn – on sale now!
Chevron Lace Tee, by Mari Lynn Patrick For another summery celebration of chevron, we love the boxy shape of Mari Lynn Patrick’s Chevron Lace Tee. This design is actually just a very simple diagonal lace eyelet, so it is really easy to knit. In a springy soft yarn like Jo Sharp Mulberry Silk Georgette Yarn it will keep a nice bouncy shape even in a loose, oversize style. Plus, there are so many fresh, juicy colors to choose from! Also in this issue…
Lace isn’t just for accessories! Imagine gazing up at this stunning lace canopy, floating above a canal in Amsterdam… Dora Ohrenstein’s article explores The Lace, an installation created by Choi+Shine for Amsterdam’s winter lights festival.
As some of you may have noticed, I get really excited about sheep breeds, especially their conservation… Leslie Petrovski’s engaging article Made in the U.K., takes us on a tour of British breeds and the gorgeous yarns that they produce. Learn more about the characteristics of each breed, as well as the fascinating stories of the people, places, and sheep, that create these unique yarns. (above are sheep in the Falklands, carding machines in Cornwall, and a lovely Shetland Islands pair.) Editor’s Favorites:This issue declares the LYKKE birch needle sets, with their stunning driftwood finish, and the knitter’s rule! wooden swatch gauges to be among summer must-have’s. Plus, both the Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton Yarn and the Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton Yarn are featured in the summer yarn showcase – and they’re both on sale now!
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