Monthly Archives: November 2013

A time for giving

Every year we get questions about what we do with the knitted items after we photograph them for the catalog & website.  Well, once a year we go through them and donate most them to charity – we prefer to donate to local charities, to give back to the communities where we all live & work and where there is so much need.  I put together the items this year and it seemed like a perfect time – while the Portland/Vancouver area weather tends to be mild, it has been very cold the last few nights and there is a great need for warm items.

My first stop was the Portland Rescue Mission.
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My Diadem DK Crocheted Infinity Cowl

I am usually a very strict one-project-at-a-time kind of a gal, but every once in a while a yarn is just so tempting and beautiful that it just happens to come home with me and goes directly onto my needles or hook. And that is precisely what happened with our latest special reserve yarn, Diadem DK. I was still in the middle of my last crochet cowl (in Diadem Fingering) but I just could not help myself!

This yarn is so lovely with a wonderful drape, I knew it would be perfectly suited for something gift-worthy. And with the holidays sneaking up on me, I had just the excuse to break my one-project rule.

diademcowl1a

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The Big Sale 2013: My Top 10 Picks!

By now, most of you have noticed the spectacular sale we have going on (our early-to-the-party answer to Cyber Monday). But the downfall of having over 700 yarns on sale? It always feels like you’ve missed something, no?

With that in mind, I’ve highlighted my Top 10 favorites from this year’s big sale—in dramatic ascending order! Please keep in mind that I’m a lady who loves her neutrals (with little pops of jewel-tones here and there).

10) Capra in “Wine”
$7.99 $3.99/50g  –  85% Merino Wool, 15% Cashmere

capra
My favorite reds always look like they belong in a long-stemmed glass; the combination of this with cashmere feels like some pinnacle of luxury.

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Huge & Huggable Winners!

Thanks for all the great entries in our Mochimochi Huge & Huggable giveaway!
First winner is Lisap, who said:
ohmygoodness ! I want to knit them all. I loved the squid and the teddy bears are just too cute. I also absolutely adore the rolly polly!
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The second winner is Debbie, who said:
Definitely squee. I’m a Pittsburgh Pirates fan so I would change up the colors a bit. 🙂
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Finally, the third winner is  Lynn, who said:
Scrolling through the images, my heart just about exploded from the adorableness of the Capybara Caravan. Oh my goodness, so cute.
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Congratulations …

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Podcast 228 – Interview with Stephannie Tallent

This week, Kelley got a chance to chat with designer and author Stephannie Tallent. First, Kelley and Stephannie talk about the newest book, Hitch, which is a pattern collection inspired by the classic films of Alfred Hitchcock. Next, Kelley and Stephannie talk about her designs in the Wool of the Andes collection (a Knit Picks exclusive) as well as her book California Revival Knits. Hear more about Stephannie’s design process and her fascinating approach to interpreting architectural inspirations into knitwear.

Hitch_STallent

You can find Stephannie’s books and patterns here:
Hitch printed book
Hitch eBook
California Revival Knits printed book
California Revival Knits eBook
IDP patterns

3 easy ways to listen…

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Roland and the Huge & Huggable Mochimochi Giveaway

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I’m pretty sure that you could hear my exclamations from SPACE when we got our first copy of Anna Hrachovec’s new book “Huge & Huggable Mochimochi“. A giant stuffed tooth brush and tooth paste tube? YES PLEASE. An enormous pink squid driving a car?? You had me at Squidpocalypse. Page after page of incredibly cute knits had me clapping my hands and giggling with delight until we reached the page with Roland the rolly bug lounging in his folding chair. At this point, my brain exploded and I had to restrain myself from ripping the book out of Stacey’s hands and making a copy of the pattern to take home over the weekend so that I could have my very own Roland ASAP.

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For the love of Single-Ply yarns

I have a great love for single ply. Obviously there are some cons – mostly that it pills more easily and can be splitty to work with. But we have such yummy single-ply yarns that I can’t help but love them!

Since I’ve finally put the finishing touches on my favorite Icelandic coat, I’ve been itching to start another Icelandic style sweater. The natural choice is a single-ply, as that’s what Lopi-style yarns are. Before it’s all gone, I had to get my hands on some Full Circle Worsted in the most cheerful green – Tomatillo – and get to work!

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Finding a perfect Diadem project

When Diadem arrived at the office, I was in love.  I immediately grabbed my 3 favorite colors (Emerald, Moonstone and Azurite) to play with…but then I had a problem.  What to make?  I love these three colors together and knew I wanted something stripey but deciding on what would be perfect for this yarn was making me crazy.  I thought about another Color Affection but I was worried I’d run out of my precious yarn. I started Lee Meredith’s Waving Chevron Scarf but didn’t like how it was coming out (not the pattern’s fault by the way, it’s a great pattern).  Finally, I grabbed my hooks and decided to go with a simple crochet chevron cowl.

DiademCowl4_web

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