Yarn--Real, Live Yarn!

I've taken a good bit of heat lately, from locals and distance folks, about the lack of posts AND about the lack of fiber-based inspiration around these parts over the past few weeks. Then I go and post spinning stuff yesterday, and BOY HOWDY did I catch some flack from my yarnies. HOORAY! You really DO still love me.....(blush)

First off, I start by showing you a brand-new (to us) bag that's currently available at the shop


That's the beautiful "Plane Bag" by DellaQ. It's a lovely shape, made of silk fabric, and is just crammed with pockets all around the inside. See


They're well priced, too, at just $49.50 each for a beautiful silk bag. And if you're feeling like Nana from Peter Pan, it makes excellent head gear


I'm not quite as hairy as a Newfie, but the hat works. Thanks to Sabrina, our store manager, for snapping the pic. You never know what you're gonna see around the shop, as I wore one of these for a few minutes today, while helping folks with a couple knitting questions and yarn selection, and I think I may have scared one lady. Yes, the insane really do work at ThreadBear (or at least own the place).

Yarn---it's all about the yarn

We received a partial shipment from J Knits today--partial because it's only about 40% of our total order (which I must have misunderstood Julie, as she told me she shipped about 60% last week....darn).


That's her Superwash Me Light Sock, her sock-weight yarn that comes in 4-ounce, 55-yard hanks for a reasonable price of $23.90. What is currently in stock, you might ask? I'm glad you did


and even more!
Wow, that's some pretty stuff. If only the remaining 60% of the order would arrive soon, I'd be a happy man. I think I may nab a skein of New Mexico for a pair for myself, as it's GORGEOUS (and out of my traditional color palette, too!).

Other deliveries today included a trio of summer magazines for your inspiration and needles.


That's the latest Piecework, which is all about lace, including designs for a Russian Lace Scarf, Knitted Fans (yes, fans), and a really sharp pair of socks by Ann Budd.

Also in the stack, you'll see the BRAND-SPANKIN' NEW Interweave Knits, hot off the presses (and 45 copies in my shop). We have two models for the shop already on the needles (yes, they're that compelling). Just wait and see (or call us and get your own copy--866-939-BEAR, toll free).

Last on the stack would be Verena, a European knitting magazine that's now available in the US. This is the premiere issue for North American distribution and it's JAMMED with over 50 different projects. WOW--50 projects for $6.99, so even if you like just one, it's basically the cost of a sheet pattern (and you'll like more than one, between the fashionable garments, nautical-inspired knits, and kid's things). Want one? We've got'em!

With that, I'm out of here for now.....and yes, eventually I'll post some knitting (actual knitting) content, as I'm close to having something finished. Need anything you see above? E-mail us or be in touch at 866-939-BEAR and anyone here can help. BE WELL!

 

Quick, But Hopefully Meaty

Oh, the possibilities in that headline...but I digress

Well, I did promise a certain someone in Virginia I'd post pix of some new spinning fiber on Friday (of last week). So here goes, for Jody

These are three-ounce bundles of hand-dyed Blueface Leicester love, created by a local artist.


But wait, there's more


and still more


Carol and a partner market fiber and travel around doing shows/festivals as River's Edge Studios, but they're located in the next town to the west of Lansing. Their stuff is beautiful and priced fairly. The BFL is $15 a hank and is soft as you can imagine (no wait--it's even SOFTER!). But wait....there's even more to tempt you with


These are novelty batts, which are 4.5 ounces of 65% hand-dyed Blueface Leicester and 35% silk, angora, bamboo, Tencel, and "other fun fibers" (their words). That's "The Berries 1" on the left and "Calypso 1" on the right, and they're $30 each.

It's all lovingly blended into a ready-to-spin batt that's even layered with paper and rolled/trapped in cling wrap for protection. Matt spun up a little bit on Saturday, when Carol came by, and the result is rather cool


He's taken to spinning again, so watch out over at his blog for updates and the like. He also completed a total revamp of our shop website recently that has been getting big praise from folks. He has quite the talent for that sort of thing.

In a related note, there's also a new page for the TOFU Tee project. a short-sleeved top for warmer weather (it's here! it was 82F on Friday, but we might have flurries overnight tonight....go figure!) that is made by knitting with Southwest Trading Company's TOFUtsies, held doubled, and blending five shades across the project (much like a Charlotte's Web shawl). We have kits available (from the page) and since it's a featured item, it's 10% off right now, and the pattern is free with purchase of the TOFUtsies yarn to make it. How cool is that! Of course, I've got one on the needles that I'll share with you in the next post.

In the mean time, it's definitely Spring in these parts, so check out these great tulips


that were a gift from Matt's mother when she was here early this month (that's part of the reason for the lack of blogging--it was GREAT to have her here for a week at the start of the month, as a part of Matt's birthday celebration).

With that, I'm outta here...have a great start of the week and I'll be back shortly with more goodies, progress checks on projects (so much to share), and lots of other shenanigans. And if you need anything you see above, give us a call (toll free) at 866-939-BEAR or slip us an e-mail and we'll be sure to help you out!

 

Oh, Holy Sh#t!

So, we're here in Chicago to attend the "Smart Business Conference" put on by Soho Publishing (the folks that bring us Vogue Knitting, Knit.1, Knit Simple, and tons of great books). We're sitting in the lobby with Gina from Notions Marketing, Meg from Yarn Expressions in Alabama, and a couple other folks passing in and out of the lobby.....

A woman stops by our group, chats us up, and talks a little about knitting, but doesn't have any of her own with her. She said she worked for Soho, our hosts for the week. When asked "who are you?" by me, she said "Trisha Malcolm" ..... HOLY SH#T...it's the editor-in-charge of Vogue Knitting. Talking with us!

Yet another amazing moment, courtesy of our fantastic industry!

 

I'm Dreaming, of a White.........EASTER?!?!?!?!?

Yup, folks--we have a white Easter here in mid-Michigan. It's a combination of Michigan Spring weather and early Easter, but it's beautiful!


and it had to be plowed late Friday night


which means we received a decent amount. Turns out that the official report is five inches at the airport, which is just five minutes north of the shop. It made for a fun drive home Friday night, but by Saturday morning the roads were clear. The parking lot, however, was a sheet of ice until after noon.

Today is Easter Sunday and it's 37F (well, it was on my way in just now) and we're open, as always. We ONLY close for Christmas and Thanksgiving--you never know when you'll need a skein or a needle or ????? and you definitely need somewhere to escape to after Uncle Herb has had his sixth hard-boiled egg (they work their way through a digestive system quickly....get OUT OF THE HOUSE).

Plus, there's goodies here...folks have brought in crock pots, I made brownies, and I saw crusty French bread. YUM YUM! Family of choice is the best family....I'm going to spend some time with my family of choice!

 

Don't Fall Over

OK, so I've been AWOL again. But not for bad reasons (in my opinion, but you may feel free to disagree). We've been UBER-busy of late--Terri Shea was here at the start of the month conducting sessions on her Selbuvotter book and the hand-knitted items from that region of the world. Chris Bylsma was here last weekend for workshops on the Crayon Box Jacket (a fun stash-buster project with great technique involved) and Stashology (seriously--this one will change the way you look at your stash!). Matt and I are out of town for a few days this coming week for a conference in Chicago, and the following weekend is our semi-annual Yarn Tasting event on Saturday and Sunday. Plus there's all the usual preparations for that, new yarns and other merchandise FLYING in the doors of the shop, as well as classes to teach and events to plan (we're doing a Stitch-N-Pitch in conjunction with our local Lansing Lugnuts, and today it's snowing outside like MAD (ah, the joys of heavy, wet spring snow). WHEW!

So, lots of goodies have been flowing in (and out) the doors of late. Spring has sprung around here and the warmer-weather yarns and patterns started arriving a couple weeks ago will continue in earnest deep into the next month. But that doesn't mean we give up on wooly goodness, as there's always restock and new stuff showing up, as we knit with all types of yarn all year long around here. Sock yarns have been on the agenda of late....check out some of the new goodies from Lorna's Laces


That's some of the new shades of Shepherd Sock that showed up this week. YUM-O! I really like both, and I've taken to calling the Pilsen "chocolate-covered roses". And there were more


Apple Hill showed up this week as well, along with more Winona (we've had it in Shepherd Sock for a couple weeks now). And there's one new nearly-solid shade for 2008 as well


It's PERFECTLY named! It looks just like the little disks that used to inhabit my maternal grandmother's purse. Shepherd Sock retails for $11 for 215 yards of superwash merino goodness.

Same boxes, different fibers. Some Lion & Lamb arrived, too!


That colourway is beautiful knitted up, and I bet it would be FAB in a Clapotis. Yeah, the pattern has been around forever, but let's make it official and call it a classic design, alright? Lion & Lamb is $33 a skein for 205 yards of silk and merino, aran weight. YUM.

Shepherd Worsted is some beautiful stuff--perfect for kids' garments, great for accessories, or just the right touch of softness and color for a cozy sweater for yourself (yes, you deserve it!)


I can see this being knitted up (or crocheted) into one amazing baby blanket, adult cardigan, or children's pullover. Or, it's just the right thing for those hat/mitten/scarf combos you need, even this time of year. Shepherd Worsted is yours for $18 for 225 yards of machine-washable merino.

I've been knitting like mad, most of it to support the upcoming Yarn Tasting. That means that most of it is kinda on the DL and shouldn't be shown here. I did start something completely new yesterday, out of Bergere de France Magic, a chunky-weight wool blend that's nice to work with and really meaty in fabric


That's "Roxie" by Black Purl (picture later, when it's finished), but I'm doing the version that's cropped length and bracelet-length sleeves. Should be too cute, and it's a FAST knit. Progress here in a couple days. But so far, I'm a big fan of the pattern (I've wanted to make it for awhile now).

Charlottes, we have Charlottes!

Yup, we have kits put together again. The yarn is $13 a skein, there's five skeins in a kit, and if you need the pattern, it's $4.50 or $5 (I forget which). If you're interested, there's one and ONLY one of each of these available. Shall we commence?


I used to live in Columbia, South Carolina, and my front yard had a HUGE stand of azaleas in it, and they come to life about this time of the year. This reminded me of my yard, as I had a wide range of colors in that planting.


Looking at the colors in this combination reminded me of the odd bits of glass you find walking on the beach in Florida. Lights, darks, blues, greens, yellows....a little bit of everything.


Seasonal in name, but true as well. Look at the fun pastels, the brights, the subtle shading in some of the skeins. It just screams SPRING.


Dark and brooding, with pops of color for little flowers and mossy bits, too, this one definitely reminded me of a walk in the deep forest near where I grew up, in rual Southern Missouri. There's one hank that's deep navy, DEEP teal , and steel blue that is just exquisite!


OK, name after name after name is something Spring or flower-inspired. I must be ready for a change of seasons. But look at the various colors in the bundle--peaches, neutrals, pinks, blues...all the colors you'd find in new growth, small flowers, and bulb plants.


Again with the spring flowers, but look at this combination of purples, lavenders, and rich blues. It looks like you're laying down under a lilac bush in full bloom and looking up into the night sky. Great smoky shades in this bundle!


So I jump ahead a season, reminiscent of my maternal grandmother's stand of roses in her backyard. She had the traditional reds and pinks, but she also had some golden and peach ones, too.

Wow, that's a nice set of options for someone looking to make a beautiful shawl, add to their Koigu KPPPM stash, or just covet something lovely. Hurry up if you're interested in them, as I'm sure they'll go quickly. And remember, if you need the pattern, be sure to mention that on the phone or in your e-mail. Many of you have it already, so we don't automatically include one with your purchase.

Need anything you see above? Just give us a call (toll free) at 866-939-BEAR or slip us an e-mail and we can definitely hook you up. In the mean time, I'm off to go make a second front to that cardigan and then whip up some sleeves (which have a very unique construction--not your typical sleeve cap design!). Be well!

 

Crazy Beautiful!

That's the St. Elias (a.k.a. blueface leicester) from Pagewood Farm. It's here, I have pictures snapped, and you'll see them below. But first, a tiny progress report.

It's definitely warming up in these parts, as it's been closer to normal temps (40F right now) and the river has completely thawed in our section (it never freezes over completely by our house, but the edges get frosty) and the migratory fowl are at it again. We even spotted a couple wood ducks (or so we think) near the back deck


and Matt snapped a picture for me while they were swimming around. Cute!

I've made great progress on the Dusk cardigan (materials shown in my last post). In fact, all pieces/parts are knitted up, Matt has most of the seaming done, and I've got the belt finished (did a good bit on Sunday, when we saw "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" with Blogless Emily--cute movie, go see it!). Here's what the back looked like on Wednesday of last week


with Mr. Hambone (a.k.a. Tate) sneaking in. It's some seriously pretty fabric


It's nice, and you'll see the finished garment here shortly, as there's one side seam to go, then I have to add the up-and-around ribbing for the collar (from waist up around neck and back to waist) and the cuffs on the sleeves. Not too much knitting...WHEW!

Like I mentioned, the Pagewood Farm St. Elias arrived today, and it's INCREDIBLE! It's a blend of 80% bluefaced leicester and 20% nylon and NOT a superwash fiber (hand wash, folks, you can do it...if you can wash a baby, you can hand-launder socks or a sweater). If you think the Chugiak is pretty.....oh my is this stuff soft! It's a 4-ounce (113g) hank with 450 yards per hank, and they're $25 each. Not shabby, especially for BFL!

Let's look at colors, shall we? We received three of each, just in case you're curious


That's River Rock (yummy purples, golden tones, and some browns), Spring Brights (fun pops of color on a really nice blue/green base), Mocha (everything tan--perfect for stitch work!), and Sky Blue Pink (really REALLY pretty, rich blues with pinks and purples). More you say? OK


Misty (LOVE that teal and smoky grey/brown together), Bird of Paradise (VIBRANT greens, and so different from the Chugiak), Crayons (fun primary colors on a blue base), Butterfly (awesome pink base with pops of blues, melon shades), and Vineyard Blues (such a great combo of blues and purples). Still want more? OK OK OK


I present to you Greens(really sharp, spring greens!), Harvest (a beautiful autumnal palette, kinda like maple leaves...not my colors, but I GOTTA HAVE ONE OF THESE), Really Red (and it is truth in advertising!), and Meadow (a really pretty combo of greens, blues, and purples, with the right spring-y greens). And still more? You're greedy!


Mardi Gras (not as solid as it looks, with shots of purples and oranges), Forest Camo (really nice blue-greens with bits of browns), Camo (rusty-brown goodness!), and Grape Juice (nice lilac shades--perfect for Spring! and textured knitting).

One last group....


Turquoise (really nice teal/turquoise blues!), Prism (a purple lover's dream, trust me), Ireland (lovely medium greens--not too bright, not too soft), Rainbow (great pinks with awesome reds and blues), and Mississippi Mud (too pretty to be mud...beautiful toffee shades).

That's all 22 shades! They're ready for adoption to a good home.....for just $25 each. If you're interested, slip us an e-mail or call at 866-939-BEAR and anyone here can help. Just be sure to ask for the blueface, or the St. Elias (unless you WANT Chugiak, which we still have some on hand, with more being dyed for us for delivery in a few weeks...YUM).

With that, I'm off to go knit a little bit before closing up the shop for the day. Matt's teaching a class, as is our manager, Sabrina. The pups are sleeping on the couches, so it's a good night in Michigan. I hope you are experiencing similar "good" where you are, too!

 

Not a whole lot new around these parts as of this morning, as I posted yesterday, it was a fairly busy day at the shop, and I taught the final session of my "Intro to Socks" class last night. Basically, I came home late, fell asleep on the couch (again), and eventually turned in for the night. Not a single stitch of knitting was accomplished last evening. Bad Rob.

The Pagewood fairies delivered again late last week (Friday, I believe). With this batch, we've exhausted our TNNA orders for her 2-ply Chugiak yarn (from now on we'll do reorders with specific colors). There may be another shipment already in transit (typically they leave on Friday and are here the following Friday), this time in her sock-weight yarn that's a blend of Blueface Leicester and a little nylon for strength (but not a superwash fiber...just so ya know). But for now, I present the beauty of Chugiak, in 450-yard skeins of superwash merino


Three new-to-us colourways in this batch, including Seabreeze (not as electric blue in real life), Misty (a stunning blend of dusky greens, interesting neutrals, and a little bit of teal), and Pretty Pastels (this one just screams SPRING and EASTER), as well as a rerun of Mississippi Mud (that alwyas sells out fast).


Three more new shades, including Navajo (there's some khaki greens in there that balance the turquoise quite well), Really Red (which is just that!), and Cotton Candy (perfect for textured patterns).


Grape Juice and Fabulous Fall (really, really pretty knitted up) have been seen here before, but Forest Camo is a new one for us. All three are nearly monochromatic and would be great in designs with texture or patterning (think CookieA designs), yet have a little bit of color going on that make the fabric really interesting. (We have a customer sock trunk show on display right now and someone took a Fabulous Fall and combined it with a Gardiner Yarn Works "Autumn in Oregon" sock pattern for great results!).

If you need any of this beautiful and affordable yarn, they're $17 each and we have as many as four per colourway available. Contact us by phone (866-939-BEAR) or e-mail to get the ball rolling!

A few other things arrived yesterday, including a fun new yarn for the Spring/Summer season that comes to us from Filatura di Crosa, purveyor of beautiful yarns from Italy. It's called Dusk


and is a color-rambling cotton blend that knits up around worsted weight, 115 yards for $9.95. Pretty stuff! I've already cast on for a garment from one of their new pattern collections


and Lisa took home yarn to start on a cute shell


both of which will serve as shop models as soon as they are completed. The hand of the yarn is quite nice, and I'll show my progress later (hopefully tomorrow!), as all I have done right now is a cast on and two rows of ribbing--not that exciting.

That's about it for today, as almost no knitting happened yesterday. I made a little bit of progress on the Habu Shippo Tail Jacket, but most of what I accomplished got ripped out due to a small issue with the pattern/directions. Well, that and the fact I did the "crash and burn" on the sofa last night. I hope to get some knitting done today, as it's the day for my monthly hoof trimming, which gives me an hour of uninterrupted ME time. That's a rarity!

See you here again very soon...........

 

Getting Caught Up

Wow, so much has happened since we were together last. The week was filled with all sorts of interesting events, from big deliveries of new yarn at the shop (including every single shade of Opal Rendez-Vous) to the arrival of Terri Shea for a weekend of traditional knitting events (she of "Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition" fame), to wild weather and more. Speaking of wild weather, it was 49F when I turned in last night (around 1 a.m.) and we expect a weather trifecta over the course of today--rain in the form of thundershowers, ice, and snow (weather radar shows a three-layer cake over Lake Michigan and Wisconsin, coming our way--green, pink, and blue). Yup, it must be Spring in Michigan.....or at least soon. And Terri's visit was awesome--her presentation on Friday was sparsely attended due to some pretty hefty snowflakes that fell all day, but her Saturday class was filled to capacity and they definitely learned AND enjoyed themselves.

Being busy doesn't always leave much time for knitting, but since we've not been together here for a week, I do have a little bit of progress to share. First off, the uber-quick Inca Cotton t-shirt/pullover I knitted up in three days


The pattern is a "Designs by Judith" leaflet that is great for various gauges (2.5 sts/inch through 5.5 sts/inch). I can't recall the name of it right now, but I'll share as soon as the sweater is completely finished. Right now, it's off to Matt for the rudimentary finishing needed, so you'll see it on a human form shortly. The yarn is Inca Cotton, which just arrived and comes in 8-ounce, 325-yard hanks of organic cotton that is GROWN in very subtle shades (no dyeing!), available in natural (as you see above), a sand shade, a light sage shade, and then sand/natural and sage/natural twist. It's a thick-and-thin, and knits up around 3.5 to 4 sts/inch, so the knitted fabric is awesome


and that's just stockinette! It's also machine washable and VERY soft. Digging around in Ravelry, I see several folks have used it for baby items as well as adult pieces. Each 8-ounce hank is just $14, so it's a great bargain, too!

I've made slight progress on two projects that keep appearing here


That's the Shippo Tail Jacket--front #1. I'm past the armhole shaping now and headed towards the finish line on it. Hopefully I'll wrap it up today. And there's been minimal progress on Kaz


my toe-up socks made with Opal Rainforest 3 in Kasimir the Daredevil. Bad me...I've fallen for another sock pattern and yarn


The pattern is Primavera, a freebie I found courtesy of Franklin. I mean, how can you NOT be pulled in when the knitted fabric is this beautiful


I'm using Elegant Yarns Charming, a fingering-weight yarn with a very subtle color ramble (and much the same as Jojoland yarns, only these come from a Michigan supplier--gotta support the local economy!). Better yet, the pattern is a six-row repeat, five of which are VERY simple (and the same) and the sixth, which causes the texturing, is not the least bit difficult to execute. WOO-HOO for simple elegance. Better yet, BIG woo-hoo for 100% wool yarn that's this pretty and just $6 a skein for 220yds/50g skein.

One of our awesome custo-friends came by the shop on Sunday and caused a little flutter. I call her awesome cuz she's whipped cancer, gives amazing hugs, fawns over the dogs (and us), spins, knits, socializes, is a great person......I could go on for awhile about her. Well, she was wearing an amazing alpaca sweater (she invited me to pet her/it) that made my mind start to click and fire


I have no idea where that will lead, but I was drawn to the colors as a group as well as the individual bands of color combinations as well as the patterning as well as the soft fabric. I don't fancy myself a big-time designer, but I seem to be smacked by The Muse a good bit of late. If I could just get my knitting done for Yarn Tasting (coming up in four weeks!!!) then we could all see where this kind of inspiration is headed.

And now, for the shameless commerce part of our presentation. Yes, we had another big influx of amazing yarns from Pagewood Farm. At just $17 for 450 yards of fingering-weight, hand-dyed superwash merino, this stuff is a steal (and a sock knitter's dream....or anyone else who likes finer-gauge yarns in spectacular color combinations). Check them out


Those are (top to bottom) Custom, Camo, Prism, and Ireland. I'm intrigued by the Custom, which is a fun blend of taupes, aqua blues, and a touch of green. Camo is very guy friendly (HOORAY), while the colorful and fun Prism intrigues me, and Ireland would be simply beautiful in a textured design or a simple stockinette sock.


If it's brights/nearly solids you crave, how about Greens, Orange Spice, Denim, and Golden. I've already seen Golden in a sock in progress and it's BEAUTIFUL. These are the kind of colors you need when Michigan winters start to linger.


Bird of Paradise, Mocha, and Crayon are all beautiful, and the richness of the green in BoP is stunning in person. Mocha is a lovely, yet subtle, combo, and the Crayon never disappoints.


River Rock, Meadow, and Harvest are all lovely. The River Rock we received runs from purple with tones of gold and brown through more neutral/less purple base with tans; Meadow is a fun, almost beach-glass combination; and Harvest is gonna be just smashing knitting up.

Up for any of of the goodies mentioned above? Just be in touch with us via e-mail or by phone (toll free at 866-939-BEAR) and we'll do our best to get you happy! A little bird tells me there's even more Pagewood to share soon, so don't be a stranger in these parts.

In the mean time, layer #1 must have arrived, as the wind picked up about 30 minutes ago and I hear rain (probably COLD rain) crashing against the southern-exposure windows. Hooray! Weather buffet! perfect weather for knitting! I'm off to go do some. Be well