Knit, Blog & Be Happy!

Spotlight on Techniques: The Other Reason You Should Swatch

Spotlight on Techniques: The Other Reason You Should Swatch

Swatching is my not favorite part of knitting a sweater or a shawl. As we talk to all of you in the shop, we can confirm that knitting a swatch is low on many knitter's lists. As you all know, if you want a sweater to fit properly, knitting and blocking a swatch to check your gauge is necessary. Many people skip that step and hope for the best. If fit is not a good enough reason to swatch, let me give you another: yarn to pattern marriage. Read on for this week's swatch journey! I am in love with the Beaufort 5 cardigan...

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Spotlight on Yarn: Woolfolk Luft

Spotlight on Yarn: Woolfolk Luft

With some new colors coming out today, I decided to celebrate Woolfolk Luft in this week's Spotlight.  I am not a huge fan of knitting of bulkier yarn but Luft is the exception to the rule. This is not a weighty, bulky yarn but one that is light and airy due to the fact that is it an organic cotton chainette tube filled with Woolfolk's Ultimate Merino. (You can read a bit more about their merino here.) Woolfolk describes this season spanning yarn as "a bulky, lightweight miracle"   If you want to give Luft a try, I would suggest knitting...

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Spotlight on a Project: The Granny Square Lite Blanket

Spotlight on a Project: The Granny Square Lite Blanket

As many of you know, I am not a big crocheter.  Yes, I am crocheting a temperature blanket, but that is just one stitch repeated again and again in a straight line.  When I happened upon the Ikigai Fibers booth at a trade show, I fell in love with this granny square blanket.  This is not my grandmother's acrylic yarn crochet of the early 70’s. Pam Power’s Granny Square Lite Blanket, worked in a beautiful color palette, looks modern.  Six large squares are crocheted in her Paka Chunky yarn, put together and finished off with a 3-row border. The result is...

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Spotlight on Yarn: Loopy Mango Merino No. 5

Spotlight on Yarn: Loopy Mango Merino No. 5

Friends, Koryn and I have been wanting to bring in the lovely Loopy Mango line of yarns for some time now, so when I had the opportunity to meet them at H+H in Chicago this summer and feel their gorgeous, Merino No. 5 yarn, I knew it needed to come home with me. Comprised of 100% merino in a chunky ply, this unbelievably soft and cozy yarn is perfect for quick projects. Create oversized sweaters in tender neutral shades or make a statement with with accessories in paintbox brights.    One ball is enough for a beanie or a cowl,...

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Spotlight on Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Tones

Spotlight on Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Tones

I thought I would highlight a fairly new yarn to our shelves this week, Brooklyn Tweed Tones. A sibling to BT's Loft and Shelter, Tones is quite the interesting yarn for many reasons. First, you might notice Tones is very similar to Shelter.  Like Shelter, it is a worsted-weight American grown and spun Columbia Wool. It is also a woolen spun yarn meaning that it is a bit lighter and airier than a worsted spun yarn.  I encourage you read Brooklyn Tweed's excellent article on the difference between woolen and worsted spun yarns. Tones also comes in a 50 gram 140...

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