Boomed Again

Diana finished another Magmatic Boom for the store.

Pattern: Magmatic Boom (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze Stripe - yarn held double

It has a totally different look in the mohair/silk blend. And I like it :)

I received an email this morning with an invoice for my Rowan Fall 2015 order. The yarn is being packed and we should have it next Friday afternoon. Rowan is known for their awesome colours and this fall is not going to disappoint.

There are two new colours in Alpaca Colour.

Made with 100% baby alpaca, Rowan Alpaca Colour is a soft and durable DK knitting yarn. The soft, subtle blend of colours in each shade allows the beauty of the yarn to show through and is ideal for textured knitting stitches.

Brushed Fleece was popular last winter and there are very pretty colours coming this fall.

Brushed Fleece is a super soft blend of extra fine merino wool and baby alpaca. The yarn has a soft marl colour effect and is quick to knit making it very wearable, warm and lightweight.

 

Felted Tweed had beautiful colours but the new Granite and Amethyst are amazing.

Felted Tweed is a blend of merino wool, alpaca and viscose and knits to a DK weight.  The yarn has a beautiful tweed effect perfect for fairisles, striping and other colour work and the rustic colour palette makes this yarn a firm favourite with our designers.

Who doesn't love Kidsilk Haze? We will have five new colours.

Our ever popular Kidsilk Haze is a beautiful and versatile fine yarn made from a blend of super kid mohair and silk.

Hurry Mr. UPS. We need more yarn!

Cowls

Beth spent a few minutes on Ravelry last night and couldn't decide what to knit in the Freia Bulky. I suggested the Fernanda Circular Scarf.

From the designer Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton

This scarf is a simple yet dramatic way to add interest to your outfit whether worn around your shoulders over a turtleneck or as outerwear.
The Super Bulky from Freia Yarns is perfect for showcasing my DropStitch Openwork™ technique!

It's a cool technique to make the squares. There were a few 'issues' at the start. One was that Beth and I were reading the pattern wrong. If one line had been added to the instructions, it would have saved taking back stitches. I have emailed the designer about this as well as what I think is a typo. The **** to show a repeat should have been moved up one line in the pattern. Beth is still new so she follows the pattern exactly as it says. I'm trying to get her to work a bit more intuitively - if you think it should be done one way then you could be right - go with your gut.

I opened my knitting bag this morning and Lynn spotted my Stuff cowl. She pulled it out and tried it on. She didn't pull any further for fear of taking the stitches off my needles. I wasn't sure if it would fit nicely over the shoulders should you choose to wear it this way, but it will.

I finished my accounting this morning so now I can get back to knitting. You don't want to keep the tax man waiting.

I just talked with the Rowan supplier and I was wrong on the date for the new magazine. I thought it was going to be here on August 1 to sell. It is being shipped from the US on Tuesday and we should have it late Friday afternoon. I will update as the boxes get closer to Canada.

Dirty Hippie, Ember, Lucas, Nautilus

New colours of Sirdar Baby Crofter DK arrived yesterday.

Sirdar Snuggly Baby Crofter Dk is a gorgeously soft yarn with an incredible Fair Isle colour effect that appears as you knit. Inspired by the gentlest colours of the Scotland Highlands, Snuggly Baby Crofter Dk is the same wonderfully soft blend of 55% nylon and 45% acrylic as Snuggly Dk, and is machine washable and easy care. This yarn will also knit to all Sirdar double knitting baby patterns.

There is a new book for the Baby Crofter which includes this pattern. Oh my goodness. It is too cute. We ordered in the Snowflake DK in white because I have a feeling a few people are going to want to make this.

I'm at home today - it's accounting day. Really, the worst day of the month.

I'm sitting at the kitchen island and keep getting up to do chores. The dishwasher. The garbage and recycling. I'm tempted to wash the kitchen floor but that might be pushing things :)

We needed to get some parcels out so I'm now in the store. A huge box arrived from Friea Handpaint Yarns. We have new colours in Bulky and Fingering.

Dirty Hippie
is a fun color in saturated jewel tones. The color is slightly deeper and more muted than other "rainbow" colorways becoming a somewhat unexpected and much more sophisticated blend. This Ombré yarn transitions from cerulean to garnet, red into an overly saturated dark orange and finally to a quiet and deep mustard.

2 balls of Bulky Dirty Hippie came home with me and Beth took them right away. She found a pattern on Ravelry and is casting on. Pictures tomorrow.

Ember
is an elegant combination of ultra-bright colors with more muted hues. The passionate red and deep coral balance out the darkening shades of masculine taupe and pewter creating a very wearable palette. This colorway would look just as good for a simple accessory as it would used in a larger more complex sweater or coat.

Lucas
is both the creation and namesake of one of our guest designers, Sara Lucas. Inspired by the verdant nature of her hometown of Corvallis in Oregon, Sara selected shades of greens and deep brown-blacks with some lighter accents to create this gorgeous unisex colorway. Our aim is to create colorways that withstand the whims of fashion and folly and this color is no different, these classic colors are truly timeless.

Nautilus
is a beautiful delicate palette in shades of porcelain pink and tans grounded by a dark and engulfing navy . This colorway is universally flattering and both sophisticated and sweet - we see it being used in so many different patterns.

I'm thinking that we might use Nautilus Fingering for another Magmatic Boom.

Now I need to get back to my accounting. Send good thoughts my way :)

More New Yarn

Mr. Canpar brought in four huge boxes of yarn this afternoon. Lots of new from Sirdar.

Baby Bamboo has four new colours.

Specially developed to be incredibly soft, gentle and smooth for Baby, this yarn is a new blend with natural bamboo and wool fibres. It will keep its quality through gentle machine washing.

There are new pattern books for babies/kids.

Sirdar Harrap Tweed is a yarn with a genuine heritage, the Sirdar company being originally founded by the Harrap brothers in 1880. It comes in a range of rich tweedy colours that have been inspired by the Yorkshire surroundings of the Sirdar head office in Wakefield. It has a beautifully soft blend of 40% Nylon, 30% Wool, 24% Acrylic and 6% Viscose. It is machine washable and incredibly versatile, making beautiful knits for women, men, children and the home – it is the perfect family yarn. Harrap Tweed is a classic double knitting yarn and will knit to all Sirdar double knitting patterns.

There is a pattern book for Harrap Tweed with designs for men, women and children. And the yarn is only $6.95 a ball.

Sylvan Chunky is a beautifully soft thick and thin yarn, with a 90% Acrylic, 10% Wool blend. It has a soft and silky slubby texture and comes in a range of fashionable, smokey, ombre colours. Sylvan Chunky is machine washable and is a standard chunky yarn, knitting to all Sirdar chunky patterns. It is the perfect yarn for creating fashionable winter knits for men and women.

The book for this yarn hasn't arrived yet but I can tell you that the designs look great. At $6.95 a ball it will work great for scarves and cowls for Christmas gifts.

Mom and dad are almost due for a new vehicle so Beth and I went car shopping last night.

It was hard to walk by the Corvette - my parents would look great in it. Actually, who cares. I'd look great in it. :)

We picked out a nice vehicle and the dealership let us take it to show them. I liked driving the crossover that we chose - so much that I will be getting one next year when my lease is up. The sports car has been fun until it snows.

Lazy Sunday

I had every intention of writing yesterday and then it didn't happen. I was glued to the TV. The Canadian Open was very compelling. Was a Canadian going to win? David Hearn was so close. Then there was the Nascar race and the Jays game. After dinner we had Big Brother and Beach Flip.

I'm really excited about Rowan's Hemp Tweed - coming in August

A blend of 75% wool and 25% hemp, resulting in a modern tweed effect, soft to the touch yarn which is a joy to knit. Wool and hemp create 'breathable' knitted fabrics which are cool to wear in warm weather and warm in colder temperatures. Hemp fibre is resistant to stretching so does not distort with use and naturally softens with wear - hemp does not wear out it wears in! 

A collection of 14 designs by Lisa Richardson for men and women using Rowan’s New Yarn ‘Hemp Tweed’.

Here are a few pictures that were supposed to be in yesterday's post.

The wind wasn't cooperating but we have 2 flags in front of the store again. One bracket was broken so Beth and I went to the flea market in Myrtle Beach to get another.

Our neighbours planted sunflowers at the beginning of summer and they are huge. I want some in our yard.

The boys were comfortable last night. They love the tile floor. It isn't soft but it is really cold to lie on.

I'm writing early because Beth and I might golf later today. We need to meet with our builder over something pretty major and then we hope to hit the course. Beth is golfing in her Club Championship this weekend and needs a bit of practice. She golfed yesterday and didn't have her A game. I think she might tell you that she didn't have her B or C game either.

Alpaca Merino DK

Rowan has gone all out this fall with their new yarns.

Alpaca Merino DK

Baby Alpaca, Super Fine Alpaca, Extra Fine Merino Wool and Nylon, blended together creating a super soft extra lightweight yarn with the meterage of a 4ply weight. The chainette construction gives the finished fabric a beautiful soft weightless feel, to knit and wear.

 

A collection of wearable designs in our new super soft and super lightweight Alpaca Merino DK. The yarn is a standard DK weight but the handle is anything but standard. The collection features simple colourwork and textures as well as cable  designs,  from  quick  knit  scarves  and  hats  through  to  longer  length sweaters to cosy up in.

It's just over a week until the yarn and book will be arriving in the store.