Knit, Blog & Be Happy!

Let's take a deep dive into the shelves at Monarch and feature some of our favorite plant-based and wool-free alternatives.  Isager Trio 2 - 50% linen/flax; 30% cotton, 20% tencel With the softness of your favorite t-shirt, Isager Trio 2 is a great all-season yarn—perfect for garments and accessories alike. Linen and cotton are blended with a touch of Lycocell (tencel) into a yarn that holds a nice heft, drapes softly, and provides beautiful stitch definitions. Great on its own, it works well held together as well as paired with other Isager yarns for endless combinations. Saltkrakan Tee by Sari Nordlund - Fabulous sweater;...

Do you have a sweater in your closet that fits you to perfection? If you were to reach for a sweater, this is the one you automatically put your hands on....You are comfortable in it; you feel good in it and like how you look.  Maybe there are two.  One can be the sweater you pull to run errands or hang around home and love how you feel.  The other can be one you reach for when you are a little more dressed up, going to grab dinner with a friend or perhaps a party. I encourage you to measure...

Have you ever blocked a multi-colored project and had the colors run? I have, and let me tell you, it is so disappointing. Before I owned the store, I knit a beautiful shawl with a mix of charcoal grey, deep plum, and natural color yarn. It took me ages to knit, and I loved it. I popped it into the Eucalan and lukewarm water bath and left it to soak for 30 minutes.  I was met with a big, muddy-looking mess when I returned to the sink.  I tried to rinse it out, but the damage was done, and I,...

We're on a roll with sharing staff project bags. So much fun!  This week we have Jenn, our behind the scenes Monarch online web wrangler, here to share her current project and what she has lined up next. What's in your bag, on your needles and in your queue, Jenn? I have the wonderful advantage of getting sneak peeks of projects for future newsletters and when Ann shared that she was knitting a Sophie Shawl in mYak Baby Yak Lace, I knew I needed one, too!  It's my first time knitting with this yarn and wow–it is exquisite! So light and airy. I'm knitting...

Who is next in our "What's in the Project Bag" series? Koryn! Let's peek at the two projects she is working on and some of her favorite notions. So Koryn, what are you working on right now?? I am working on a sample for the shop in a new yarn, North Baby Fibers Elemental Fingering, which is hitting our shelves today and will be online next week. Tif Neilan's Sunkissed Stripes has been a great summer project with its bright colors and light gauge. (We will have kits coming in next week's newsletter!) Of course, my other project is for our #MKSummerTeeAlong! I am...