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by Jenny K on August 14, 2012
August has really been off to quite the start. With everything from new fall yarns to Sunstruck needles and limited-edition crochet hooks making their appearance, it's hard to know what to gush about first. And since I always seem to bit a bit cold, I have to say that it has been quite difficult to contain my excitement for one of our newest yarn lines - Reverie! This light and fluffy blend of 80% baby alpaca and 20% acrylic is just the thing for that perfect weekend sweater. I already have a picture in my mind of a cozy Reverie sweater that I can wear instead of a light jacket as the weather transitions to the chilly autumn air. The soft halo and lofty quality of Reverie totally embodies comfort to me and is just the thing for a relaxed, weekend sweater or dramatic, billowing cowls and scarves. Just add a cup of hot cider to that scene, and I'm a happy camper! And our in-house designer Kerin was actually one of the first lucky people to try out Reverie - watch her video review to hear more about Reverie! |
Category Archives: Yarn
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by Knit Picks Staff on August 10, 2012
I always love choosing new colors for our yarns, but it's no secret that Palette is my 'baby'. So, when we decided that it was time to make the big move to 150 colors, I set out to not just 'fill in', but add a whole set that not only complements the existing colors but is evocative in itself. And so I am super excited to present our new Palette colors for 2012! The set was inpired by so many things: new growth, delicacy, and the hints of colors that lie at the edges of grey. |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on June 28, 2012
Kelley recently arrived back to our Vancouver, WA office only to find a nice, big pile of yarns on her desk – just waiting to be oohhh-ed and aahhh-ed over. And just which yarns were piled high on Kelley’s desk? Why our new summer yarns of course, which is why this week on the podcast is all about our new summer yarns! Kelley chats with Jenny about two new additions to our line of special reserve yarns – Preciosa and Bare Hare. In addition to gushing over the softness of each and the amazing, saturated colors of Preciosa, Kelley and Jenny chat about tips for working with these new yarns and fun project possibilities. And if lace is your go-to summer project, Kelley and Jenny review new color additions to our selection of lace yarns including Alpaca Cloud, Shadow, Shimmer, and Gloss Lace. Last but not least, Kelley chats with ... |
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by Jenny K on June 20, 2012
Have you met the newest addition to our special reserve line up – Preciosa? This has got to be one of my favorite special reserve yarns to date, not only was I instantly drawn to the bright, saturated colors (I’m looking at you Ginger and Gecko!) but I have a special place in my world of fiber for single-ply yarns like Preciosa. My needles simply cannot resist the siren song of a single-ply Merino. And because Preciosa is a single-ply, the loose twist really brings out the cushiony softness of the fibers. Although single-ply yarns do require a bit of special attention, I’m always up for the extra care because the end result is just so lovely. |
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by Jenny K on May 10, 2012
Have you seen our new selection of tonal yarns yet? There are so many reasons to love adding the subtle shifts of color found in tonal yarns into your projects. Tonal yarns are a wonderful way to add the subtle variations of a color to your project without fearing that it will distract from textured stitches, cables, or even lace patterns. Each of our tonal yarns are made up of seven different shades of your favorite colors, which combine together to create complex, monochromatic colorways. Not only do tonal yarns add lots of visual interest when worked up with simple stitches, but they also beautifully highlight intricate stitch patterns. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on May 2, 2012
Okay, perhaps the term “shout out” has significantly diminished since Carson Daly’s tenure at TRL? Regardless, the Full Circle sale ended on Monday and I wanted to heartily thank everyone for its success! As you’ll recall, for the entire month of April we offered our Full Circle line at a 10% discount, with an additional 10% going to charity in celebration of Earth Day. With your generous help, Knit Picks will be donating over $1,600 directly to the Arbor Day Foundation. Each and every dollar goes a long way toward planting trees, purifying water and generally beautifying and enhancing the planet. It was a true honor to partner with such a great organization and our Full Circle yarn was the perfect, soft, 100% recycled wool accomplice. Thank you all, you’re lovely! |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on April 26, 2012
As the days get both longer and warmer, cotton yarns come to mind as we get ready for breezy summer projects. This week, Kelley catches up with Alison to review the variety of cotton yarns that are available through Knit Picks! Get inspired for your next summer project as Kelley and Alison discuss the different properties, characteristics and uses for the different Knit Picks cotton and cotton blend yarns. Kelley also shares behind-the-scenes details on what inspired her to expand the cotton selection to include customer favorites like Shine and CotLin. Not only will this mini crash-course in cotton yarns help you pick out the right yarn for your next project, you just might be tempted by Kelley and Alison’s project ideas that make the most of the unique properties of the variety of cotton and cotton blends that are available. 3 easy ways to listen… |
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by Jenny K on April 17, 2012
At the beginning of the new year, instead of setting resolutions for myself that I knew would be lost after a month or two - I instead tried to come up with a list of crafting goals for myself in 2012. And wouldn't you know it, I have been slowly been tackling new projects and checking off my goals! One of the things I knew I really wanted to try this year was spinning. And aside from the fact that you get to make your own yarn, I just loved the zen-like calm that spinners have about them as they sit at their spinning wheel. Combined with the fact that I had a wealth of information all around me since so many others here at the KP office know how to spin, I finally faced with the fact that it might be time to learn. I had a good chunk of Wool of the Andes Roving in Tidepool Heather that I started on with a drop spindle, and that is where my spinning adventure started! L: Full Circle Roving, R: Full Circle and Wool of the Andes Roving |
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by Jenny K on March 29, 2012
With warmer weather just around the corner (at least hopefully for us here in the Pacific Northwest), more of my project planning starts to focus on working with cotton yarns and blends. For me, shifting from planning and working up projects with animal fibers to plant based fibers can be a bit tricky since cotton fibers play by their own rules. This means that we as knitters and crocheters must sort through additional guidelines and characteristics to achieve the desired results that we are looking for in our projects. To help explain why protein and plant fibers differ, we have to look closer at the structure of the fibers. Unlike wool and other protein fibers, cotton yarns are made up of cellulose fibers. These are fibers that typically are inelastic, yet very strong and durable. The structure of these plant fibers also have the ability to pull away heat instead of retaining warmth. You can work with these qualities to your advantage, however – if chosen without these considerations, your project may not turn out as expected. |
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by Hannah on March 28, 2012
I'm so excited to share the catalog cover for April 2012! I knew I wanted to do something with our lovely range of cotton yarns and I definitely wanted to create flowers but it took a few tries to get the cover just how we wanted it. I can't help thinking about the huge field of poppies in the Wizard of OZ when I look at this picture. |
