Beach Walks, Sleeve Island and Fall Knitting
Dear Friends,
First of all, I want to thank Molly for taking over the newsletter duties while Mr. Monarch and I traveled through Southern Germany and Austria. We have had a fantastic trip and saw some stunning scenery, even though Mr. M’s suitcase was delayed by 14 days! He bought some new togs in Munich and looks quite stylish. He was a trooper through and through.
Now we are in St. Andrews, where my days are filled with beach walks, relaxation, knitting, and catching up on work while Mr. M plays golf. I’m making good progress on my Olga Sweater. Since I have a problem with "sleeve island," I've decided to place my body stitches on hold and focus on knitting the sleeves and neckline. Let's see if that sweater strategy works for me.
When I return home, I’ll be hitting the ground running with friends visiting toward the end of the week, and a small group arriving for our first Monarch retreat with Kate Atherly next Sunday. I feel so lucky to go from one fun event to another—it will definitely help keep the jet lag at bay.
What are you up to Tuesday, the 29th, from 2:00 to 6:00 pm? I invite you to come by the shop, say hello to Sandy Barnes and Britt-Marie Brehmer, and see what they have been creating with Ito Yarns. This is a perfect opportunity to pick up your next fall project! Once my Olga is complete, I plan to cast on either the Calm Down Cardigan or the Lakes Crew Cardigan in a beautiful Ito Yarns combo.
This week’s newsletter is full of fun goodies. I absolutely love Thea Colman’s Cerulean Sour Vest—the stitch pattern and the V-neck are fantastic! To celebrate the arrival of the marled yumminess of Wool & the Gang’s Alpachino Merino, check out the Chunky Monkey Beanie. Gift-giving season is not far away, and this one is a quick knit.
Knit and be happy,
Ann
P.S. Please note a couple of changes in shop hours from September 28th to 30th:
--Monday: we will close at 4:30 pm
--Tuesday: we will be open until 6:00 pm
--Wednesday: we will open at 11:00 am
Highlights
This week, we’re featuring two Julie Asselin favorites: Journey Worsted and Leizu DK. Journey is wonderfully woolly and cozy, while Leizu brings a beautiful softness and subtle sheen to your stitches – both just right for fall knitting. Scaling down this week as follows:
- Thursday — 20% off
- Friday — 30% off
- Saturday — 40% off
- Sunday — 50% off
We will change the amount at about 8:00 a.m. (PST) each day, but please be patient if we're not right on it!
✨ Check out our other sale goods here. ✨
Texture lovers, this one is for you! The Lavender Shawl gives you plenty to keep those needles interesting – foliage, berries, lavender-inspired stitches, and a peaceful stretch of garter to finish it all off. We’re pairing this beauty with three skeins of Woolstok Light for a soft, woolly fall knit that lets all those gorgeous details do the talking.
We do love ourselves a petite scarf around here! This pretty scarf is one of those wonderfully satisfying little projects – interesting enough to keep you knitting, quick enough to be wearing before you know it. And in our very own Lighthouse Worsted? Even better.
Meet your next quick-knit beanie! The simple Chunky Monkey Beanie by Suzee Knits is a perfect match for our new Wool & the Gang Alpachino Merino Twist. This chunky blend of merino and alpaca is wonderfully soft and squishy, with two colors twisted together for a little extra dimension. Easy, cozy, and quick off the needles...Just the kind of fall knitting we love.
Knit up a little cozy for your feet this season! Summer Lee's Comfort Core Socks take their inspiration from a favorite pair of athletic socks, complete with squishy texture and a supportive arch band. We love pairing Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering with Lang Jawoll for a fun mix-and-match sock project. Pick a favorite combination and make your sock drawer a little happier.
You know I cannot resist a vest pattern, and paired with Bread & Butter Pretzel? Dream! This vest by Thea Colman has everything I love – a beautiful V-neck, an elegant cable that flows right out of the ribbing, and that polished-but-easy shape that makes a vest such a useful wardrobe piece. And Pretzel is exactly what those cables want: soft, round, bouncy merino with gorgeous stitch definition. Now the only question is…which color should I choose?
Kits to keep you stitching…
In case you missed out on these featured favorites,
here is a recap of last week's projects!
Bramble Snood • Brioche Boomerang • Cobblestone
Featured in the Shop
New to our shelves—and just in time for fall!
Meet Wool and the Gang’s Alpachino Merino Twist. Soft, squishy merino and alpaca are twisted together in playful color combinations, creating a chunky yarn with loads of personality. Cozy season, here we come!
Eat. Sleep. Knit. Repeat. Sounds about right to us!
Donovan Designs notepads are back in stock in both Chubbie and Skinny sizes - perfect for project notes, knitting lists, or jotting down the yarn you definitely need to add to your stash.
in case you missed it...
New goodies and old favorites from Emma Ball
have landed at Monarch! From notions bags and zippered pouches to stitch markers, tape measures, tins, and cards, there are lots of cheerful little finds to discover. Perfect for your project bag, your knitting table, or that ever-growing “just a little something” gift stash.
Back in stock! TKB Cords and Scales are two little tools that earn their keep in your project bag—handy, practical, and always nice to have within reach.
Classes & Events
We offer a variety of classes and knitting help, both virtual and in-store. Visit our site to learn more about each class, see the list of requirements, and sign up! When signing up for a class, please note the list of supplies and, if required, the homework.
September
The Basic Granny Square Workshop with Kare
Thursday, September 17th, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Fixing Knitting Mistakes 101
Saturday, September 26th, from noon to 1:30 pm
Build Your Knitting Confidence: Increases and Decreases
Saturday, September 26th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
October
Knitting 101
Saturdays, October 3rd and 10th, from 10:30 am to noon
I'm So Basic Sock Knitting Workshop
Saturdays, October 3rd and 10th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm +
October 17th, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Knitting 102 - The Sophie Scarf
Saturdays, October 17th and 24th, from noon to 1:30 pm
Fixing Knitting Mistakes 101
Saturday, October 24th, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
November
Knitting 101
Saturdays, November 7th and 14th, from noon to 1:30 pm
The New Colorwork: Geometric Knitting Basics with Margaret Holzmann
Saturday, November 21st, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Safe at Home Block Workshop with Margaret Holzmann
Saturday, November 21st, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Shop Small Weekend
Friday and Saturday, November 27th and 28th, all day
Follow along for more boop content! @basherandbenny
Photo Credits: Monarch Knitting, Patterson Puptography,
Some Kit Favorites and projects of the week found via links and/or Ravelry.
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