I’ll start with some lovely finished projects from customers. Here are Lara’s Christmas stockings, which will certainly become treasured family heirlooms. Where does it say stockings must be red and green?

Next, Rebecca’s jolly crocheted Christmas wreath ornament — in traditional holiday colors — and 2 pairs of the most delicate earrings. I don’t know the size hook used, but it must have been quite, quite small to create such fine lacy stitches.

Rusty had her ZickZack Scarf with her when she visited the shop, knit in 3 different skeins of fingering weight. The pattern is free on Ravelry from designer Christy Kamm.

And Mary Beth brought in two pairs of comfy socks, one knit in Opal 4-Ply and one in Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock.

Tina’s also been sock knitting this summer. She chose Dream in Color Smooshy 100% Merino from her stash for her Elizabeth Carter socks from Kate Davies Designs, a “vanilla” pattern that lets the yarn steal the show.

More stash yarn (Retrosaria Mondim) went into these pretty Hermione’s Everyday Socks designed by Erica Leuder. “A perfect pattern for variegated or speckled sock yarn,” Tina says.

I finally finished my Creek, begun on the eve of the pandemic. I used Kelbourne Woolens Scout, and as I hope the second photo shows, Scout’s stitch definition is extraordinary. This sweater was worth the wait.

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So why is this post titled “Time to improvise”?

Summer, the season voted most likely not to be knit or crocheted in, is on the way out. Autumn is on the way in, and with it come all the alluring, irresistible new yarns for sweater (and scarf and hat and mitten and cowl) weather.

But let’s be honest — we all have yarn on our shelves we’d like to make “disappear” before too many of those new fall/winter yarns win our hearts and jump into our project bags. That’s right — I’m talking stash here.

I’d like to suggest that with a little improvisation, you can give your “extra” yarn the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

To lean on the Casablanca metaphor a bit harder, find 2–4 skeins that just plain look good together — a Rick and a Louis. Maybe add an Ilsa and a Victor. They don’t have to be the same weight, but they shouldn’t be too dissimilar. They shouldn’t be the same kinds of yarn, so don’t round up the usual suspects. The more variety, the better — try for mix of loopy, tweedy, thick, thin, smooth, chained, fuzzy, variegated, or solid. Now take a look back at your stash. Four skeins are gone! And you’re holding a future something that will be beautiful.

All you need now is a pattern — one that will look great with that mélange of different yarns. Even if the sample is shown in a solid color, if the stitch pattern changes, change your yarn. If stripes are called for, change yarns rather than colors. It’s that simple!

There’s a list of over 20 patterns (below) that I hope will inspire you to clear a few skeins from your stash, limber up those stitching muscles if they’ve been on summer vacation, and have fun improvising your knitting. (Apologies crocheters, my pattern suggestions are all for knits. Really — you do not want this crochet know-nothing to be picking out patterns for you!)

This idea of “improvisational knitting” is one I’ve been thinking about since April when I had the great good fortune to have visited the atelier of one of GYI’s most prolific knitters, commercial artist Yael Kahanov. She graciously gave me a tour of her home studio where she has assembled everything she requires to create her amazing sculptures, paintings, prints, and textiles.

In her fiber work, she will often make up her own patterns as she goes along, responding to the colors and textures of her yarns. She loves working with beads and “novelty” yarns. We featured several of her shawls at the end of this post last year.

From a shelves piled high with gorgeous completed shawls, wraps, and stoles, she tossed these casually across a couch for me to photograph saying, “this is just some of what I like to do!”

Sometimes Yael finds a pattern she loves and will work repeat after repeat, changing only her yarns.

Here the pattern is unexpectedly split apart by a section of plain stockinette in a wild, loopy art yarn.

I find Yael’s approach to knitting incredibly inspiring and freeing — as you can see, the sky is the limit for those “fortunate ones” who will be escaping your stash!

Take a look at the following suggestions for patterns that can be used for combinations of different yarns. Even if you don’t love a specific design, perhaps you’ll enjoy exploring the work of a designer new to you.

PATTERNS FREE ON RAVELRY

LaLa’s SImple Shawl by Laura Linneman – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lalas-simple-shawl

The Age of Brass and Steam by Orange Flower Yarn – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief

Stitch Sampler Shawl by On This Day Designs – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stitch-sampler-shawl

Reyna by Noora Backlund – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reyna

Stormy Sky by Ksenia Naidyon – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stormy-sky-shawl

Take It All by Lisa Hannes – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/take-it-all

Cozy Eve by Sanne Kalmbacher – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cosy-eve

Upstate of Mind Shawl by The Lamb & Kid Designs – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/upstate-of-mind-shawl

Bark by Sue Lazenby – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bark-5

PATTERNS FOR SALE AT GYI / RAVELRY

Light and Up bu Caroline Wiens – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/light-and-up

Trillian by Martina Behm – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/trillian-2

Silta by Tif Neilan – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/silta-2

Therapy by Laura Aylor https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/therapy

Goldana by Brian Smith – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/goldana-2

Coming Together by Lisa K. Ross – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coming-together-2

Heart Warmer Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heart-warmer-shawl

Perfect Blend by Casapinka – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/perfect-blend

Olive Pink by Casapinka – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/olive-pink

Casapinka has many patterns ideal for blending yarns. Check out her Ravelry Shawl Bundle: https://www.ravelry.com/bundles/shawls-458545

Smorgasbord by Stephen West – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shawl-smorgasbord Stephen West’s designs are also perfect for emptying your stash; view his entire Westknits design portfolio on Ravelry.

Another Cake by Barb Padwicki – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/another-cake-shawl

Paris Toujours by Isabell Kraemer – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/paris-toujours

Geology by verybusymonkey – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/geology-shawl

Birds of a Feather by Andrea Mowry – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/birds-of-a-feather-14

Antarktis by Janina Kallio – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/antarktis

Finally, for anyone lucky enough to have almost no stash at all: the Lone Skein Shawl by Joji Locatelli – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-lone-skein-shawl

Have fun introducing your stash yarns to each other and creating some beautiful friendships!

Join us on August 6th — one day only! — when we will welcome Tara of The Sheepyshire to GYI for a trunk show of her “hand dyed happiness,” direct from her dye studio in Mayfield, PA. She will be bringing a huge selection of her gorgeous Sheepyshire yarns, from elegant lace to huggable bulky  — including a surprise custom color created just for GYI!

Starting Wednesday, July 6, save 20% on EVERYTHING* in store, plus save another 10% on select yarns.

Our summer clearance is the best time to stock up for fall/winter projects — and don’t forget the gift knits that love to sneak up on you at the last minute!

*No further reductions on $2 printed patterns or magazines. Special orders not included in sale.

EMMA’S YARN THEME PACKS

There’s still time to order your Emma’s Yarn Theme Packs for summer delivery. Emma will be dyeing these 10 mini-skein sets for us later this month, so please give us your order this week.

Emma has created each set’s colors to coordinate perfectly for a color “melting” effect. They’re available in your choice of 3 different scrumptious yarn bases. Once you pick your colors, pick your yarn base:

• Practically Perfect Sock – a beautiful 2-ply 80% superwash merino/20% nylon fingering weight with the perfect balance of stretch and softness against the skin. Perfect for socks, shawls, sweaters and garments. 10 Smalls = 810 yards total, $65.

• Super Silky – 2-ply 80% Superwash Merino/20% Silk luxury fingering weight with gorgeous drape and an elegant sheen. Emma’s most popular choice for wraps and shawls. 10 Smalls = 810 yards total, $85.

• Simply Spectacular DK – a gorgeous 4-ply 75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon DK yarn that is so soft to the touch and has just the right bit of give, making it perfect for garments, blankets, and accessories. 10 Smalls = 500 yards total, $65.

If you’d like us to ship your order to you as soon as we receive it, please add $7 for domestic postage.

HOT OFF YOUR NEEDLES

Let’s kick off summer’s first collection of finished projects with a bumper crop from Kathy. Above is her Farmstand Sack* from Laura Nelkin, knit in Berroco Pima 100. Below, her Beyond the Dunes. She knit this sleek Hinterm Stein design in Berroco Modern Cotton DK.

Moving from cool cotton to soft wool, here is Kathy’s Norderney*, from designer Isabell Kraemer, in Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Next, Kathy’s The Twist of Fate Beanie* by Cathryn Johnson, topped with one of GYI’s fur pom poms. Her yarn is Malabrigo Rios.

Petiteknit’s Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition* was all the rage this past winter, and Kathy shows us why…

With both the blue version, above, and the pecan version, below, Kathy used Berroco Aerial as the mohair yarn held with a fingering weight.

One secret to this hat’s popularity could be its cleverly turned brim —

Kathy knits it all — from head to toe — and here are her DRK Everyday Socks* by Andrea Mowry in Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock.

For these next socks Kathy chose the lumberjack* pattern from Tin Can Knits and used Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Kathy did a little stash-diving and found Oink Pigments Oink Sport for Antonia Shankland’s classic Honey Cowl.

Rounding out this gallery of Kathy’s projects is a wee little City Limits* pullover that again combines Berroco Aerial with a fingering weight. There’s a lot to love about this Tanis Lavallee pattern — first, it’s size inclusive, fitting chest sizes 18.25″ (infant) to 68.5″ (adult). Next, it’s completely reversible. Finally, Lavallee encourages knitters to create their own “worsted” weight yarn by holding multiple finer yarns together. You can knit a marl, a fade, or make your own custom fabric, as Kathy did here. Next time you’re in the shop, check out Kathy’s fascinating swatch of multiple lace and fingering weight yarns blended to achieve a worsted gauge — a real inspiration to knit the ultimate stash busting sweater.

Staying with baby knits, Jill finished a tiny little Puerperium Cardigan* in Berroco Isola, an ideal gift for a summer arrival. Pattern is from Kelly van Niekirk. In such a small newborn size, you get just a hint of the lovely gradient shading in cool cotton/linen/viscose Isola.

Remember Jill’s Gresham Wrap* in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok from our June 3 post? It’s got a friend now! Gina made hers with color #1300/Cast Iron as her main color. Jill’s MC is #1303/Highland Fleece. Which colors would you choose for yours?

There’s a reason Gina is known at GYI as the “Woolstok Whisperer” — check out her amazing Strange Brew* from Tin Can Knits. Most folks have used this completely customizable, size-inclusive, top-down or bottom-up pattern to make sweaters with colorwork motifs only on the round yoke. Gina used her beloved Woolstok for fun stranded patterning all over.

But Gina’s not a monogamous knitter. Malabrigo Rios is another of her favorite yarns. This is her Sunday Drive* by Tanis Lavallee.

Bonnie sent pictures recently of what she worked on this spring. While not all the photos have pattern/yarn information to match, you will still enjoy her always-charming FOs.

The appeal of baby sweaters isn’t only their diminutive size; it’s often in the details — like novelty buttons, above, and the gathered hem, below, with a bow tie.

The next two were knit in Madelinetosh Vintage from Bonnie’s stash.

The solid grey pullover was customized with the recipient’s name — how cute is that?

This darling sweater/cap set was made in Malabrigo Rios in pale blue.

What do babies need besides sweaters and caps? Nice cozy blankets, of course! This looks like it could be the Westport Blanket* from Fifty Four Ten Studio.

Thank you for sharing your spring FOs, Bonnie!

Ari made Stephen West’s Purl Ridge Scarf in Malabrigo Rios. An easy cowl like this, knit in the round, makes an ideal gift knit.

Next, from Jourdaine, her adorable Whoops a Daisy socks* by Stone Knits. The yarn is Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock in Aloha, Buttonwood, and Himalayan Salt.

Rebecca may have used a “plain vanilla” sock pattern, but her jazzy stash yarn that pooled into tiger stripes makes these socks anything but “plain.”

Speaking of jazz, Rebecca’s sweater in Cascade Ultra Pima Quattro is pure improvisation. This is her own original pattern with front yoke detail in a chevron pattern, which I hope you can make out in the photo.

Sarah’s Soho Shoulder Crop by Jackie A Parker was knit in just 10 days. Now that’s my kind of summer knitting — actually finished in time to wear in the same summer!

Stephanie needed more than 10 days to make her stunning As You Wish* shawl, since it was a mystery KAL with clues released by designer Mary Annarella over several weeks. Stephanie calls it her “Wrap of Unusual Size (W.O.U.S.)” — if you know, you know — and used Malabrigo Sock and Manos del Uruguay Alegria.

We love seeing what you’re making with our yarn. Can’t make it into the shop with your FO? Photos saved as JPG or PNG files are always welcome. Please send as email attachments to the shop’s info@ address.

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

It’s time to play “Pick Your Emma’s Yarn Theme Pack“! As mentioned in the last post, we’ll be taking special orders for these gorgeous sets of 10 coordinated Emma’s Yarn mini skeins for midsummer delivery.

There are 6 different Theme Packs and all can be ordered in your choice of Emma’s top 3 yarn bases—Practically Perfect Sock ($65), Super Silky (also a fingering, $85), and Simply Spectacular DK ($65).

Call or visit the shop to order starting Wednesday, June 22. Deadline is Friday, July 8. If you’d like us to ship your order to you as soon as we receive it, please add $7 for domestic postage.

What can you make with 10 amazing colors, chosen by dyer Emma herself to practically melt into one another? The Tropical Dilemma shawl was designed by Laura Dobratz specifically for Theme Packs, but there’s enough yardage in each pack to make all sorts of things. The two fingering weights have 810 yards each; the DK is 610 yards total. Let your imagination soar!

Here’s another look at these glorious hand-dyed Emma’s Yarn colors (pictured in the Practically Perfect base). Good luck deciding on your pick!

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Are you on Instagram? So are we! And as of today, we have a new address: @followgoshyarnit. Please follow us there and continue to enjoy seeing great customer projects, our newest merchandise, and (of course!) lots and lots of beautiful yarn. You’ll be able to continue to view our original account, @followtheyarn, as an archive.

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Did you know you can look back through all our older posts any time? Click on the link at the bottom of any post that says “Filed Under: Uncategorized.” Enjoy!

Or is it “Donut”? Well, either way, that’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that the shop’s computers crashed earlier this week. Consequently, we are unable to accept credit cards at the moment—cash and checks only for all purchases.

The problem shouldn’t take long to fix, certainly in plenty of time for pre-orders to be placed for the just-released Emma’s Yarn Theme Packs—sets of 10 “Smalls” (mini-skeins) of the most wonderful hand-dyed Emma’s Yarn colors!

The assortments have been chosen to coordinate perfectly and are meant to be used together for a color “melting” effect, rather than to fade or contrast. There are 6 packs in all, each available in your choice of 3 different scrumptious yarn bases.

Choose your colors, then pick your yarn base:

• Practically Perfect Sock – a beautiful 2-ply 80% superwash merino/20% nylon fingering weight with the perfect balance of stretch and softness against the skin. Perfect for socks, shawls, sweaters and garments. 10 Smalls = 810 yards total.

• Super Silky – 2-ply 80% Superwash Merino/20% Silk luxury fingering weight with gorgeous drape and an elegant sheen. Emma’s most popular choice for wraps and shawls. 10 Smalls = 810 yards total.

• Simply Spectacular DK – a gorgeous 4-ply 75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon DK yarn that is so soft to the touch and has just the right bit of give, making it perfect for garments, blankets, and accessories. 10 Smalls = 500 yards total.

We will be accepting pre-orders for delivery later in the summer. Prices and complete ordering details coming soon.

And here is the ever-so-fun Tropical Dilemma shawl, designed by Laura Dobratz expressly for the EY Theme Packs. Pattern will launch shortly.

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Do you follow the shop on Instagram? (You really should!) On June 15th, our current account, @followtheyarn, will be retired and we will start posting in a new account, @followgoshyarnit. Please follow us (again) at the new address. The old account will remain viewable as an archive.

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The email we sent in May that featured ideas for Remix Light by Berroco contained a broken link to Ravelry. Here is the corrected link to the all-time favorite accessory patterns for Remix Light. In that email there were pictures of my Summer Soundtrack* top by designer Elisabeth Smith, modeled by Maude the Mannequin. Here, contrasting with the Maude shot, is a classic “selfie in the bathroom mirror” of yours truly. Yes, I’m getting a lot of wear out of this vest and loving it!

My next vest will be PetiteKnit’s Ingrid Slipover*. I’m a pushover for designs with multiple stitch patterns. I’m thinking about using just Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, rather than holding a DK + laceweight silk/mohair together, as the pattern suggests. I love the look and feel of that combo, but I know I’ll get a lot more use out of a pure wool sweater. (Now if only I could look as cute as the designer when I’m wearing mine!)

Which look do you prefer? Light or dark?

Or maybe I’ll make my first one in a summer yarn, either all-cotton Berroco Pima 100 or in a yummy shade of slinky cotton/rayon Modern Cotton DK, shown below, that worked so well in my Guernsey Baby Blanket.

Here’s GYI’s top-selling pattern for Pima 100, Cosette* by Amy Christoffers. The crisp stitch definition of the pure cotton might be perfect for the Ingrid Slipover—I’ll report back after a few swatches to let you know which yarn I go with.

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Jill finished three big projects recently, and I need to catch up with her here. First, her knockout Gresham Wrap* in Woolstok by Blue Sky Fibers. The pattern is from Michael Vloedman. Here’s another design that uses multiple easy stitch patterns to hold the knitter’s attention—a project like this will never get boring.

Malabrigo Rios in Ravelry Red was the winning choice for her Simple Swoncho, designed by Karida Collins. One word: WOW.

Jill adjusted where she divided for the sleeves to get less of a batwing silhouette. She followed Kay Gardiner’s suggestions that she used with her cable-less version. Here’s the original Simple Swoncho from its Ravelry pattern page:

And behind Door No. 3 is Jill’s sleek, elegant MEHAMA from Shellie Anderson in Shibui Billow.

I adore Billow (knitting the Two Point Cowl* in Billow was a joy), yet I’d love to see this pattern knit again in other yarns—it’s such a classic design. It’s also a great introduction to the intarsia technique and would be spectacular in other colors, too.

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I have three customer projects to showcase this time around. Let’s start with Krista’s sweet Cirrus by designer Katie Hanrott, worked in Berroco Ultra Wool DK. I see on Ravelry that some knitters have knit the whole sweater in stockinette, but I think the contrasting front panel is what makes it so adorable.

Janet knit Stephen West’s free pattern Boneyard Shawl in Berroco Vintage for her granddaughter because everyone needs a snuggly shawl now and then. This was West’s first published pattern, and it’s a simple, “vanilla” design that will work with any weight yarn.

The last lesson I gave was with a delightful knitter named Carole, who came in just for a refresher on knitting with double point needles to make some mittens. “I already know how to knit,” she said, “I knit a dress once.” Boy, did she ever!

I asked her to send me a picture of her knit dress—and isn’t this a masterpiece? Knitters are amazing!

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On a personal note, as some of you may know, April 30 was my last day working in the shop. As you can see, however, it’s not so easy to be rid of me—I’m still here, albeit working remotely. I’ll be clicking and clacking away on this news column and sending out occasional emails for a while longer.

Jill generously invited me to join her on her adventure of getting Gosh Yarn It! up and running in 2010, which feels like forever ago and yesterday. It has been a wild ride at times, but always a treat because, yes, working in a yarn shop is about the best job any knitter could wish for. It’s been a privilege to stitch alongside you all, even though at times I know it seemed I was just an extension of the computer at the register!

I have learned so much from everyone and have tried to pass on as many knitting tricks, shortcuts, techniques and hacks as I could—the good ones that make our craft so rewarding and worth making in the first place. Thank you for accompanying me on my own Gosh Yarn It! adventure. — Ann Ross

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Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

The star of the second week of our LYS Month celebration is beautiful Shibui Billow.

Save 10% on this DK-weight yarn that offers comfortable, lightweight warmth with the softest touch of fluff, thanks to gentle wisps of merino and alpaca spun around a fine cotton core.

Our newest shop sample of Billow is Shellie Anderson’s graphic MEHAMA* wrap. The $8 pattern will be free this week with your purchase of project yarn (4 hanks).

And this is our model in Billow of the cozy Churchmouse Two-Point Cowl*, a same-but-different mini version of their Easy Folded Poncho*.

Antonia Shankland just published a new scarf/wrap design for Billow called Chroma*. The $10 pattern will be free this week with your purchase of project yarn (5-7 hanks).

We shared Betsy’s fabulous Cumulus Blouse* from PetiteKnit in the 02/25/22 post, but it deserves another shout-out for showing how great Billow is for sweaters — if you’re considering a pattern that calls for holding a fingering with a silk/mohair to get a DK weight yarn, just use Billow!

Billow would be ideal for many of the same designer’s patterns, including her No Frills Sweater* and Sequence Sweater*.

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YOU COULD WIN a Hiya Hiya Steel Sharp 5″ Interchangeable Needle Set (US 2-8) — a $99.50 value! You’ll get a chance for every $20 you spend this month. The drawing will be held on Local Yarn Store Day, Saturday, April 30, at 4:00 p.m., but you need not be present to win.

Many wonderful designers and yarn companies are supporting local yarn stores with exclusive products and patterns for LYS Day. While we aren’t supposed to say too much about these LYS Day surprises, we can say we will have a treat from Madelinetosh, plus free pattern download coupons from Berroco and Kelbourne Woolens. (We may let a few more hints slip in future posts.)

Be sure to keep an eye out for our LYS Month Week #3 savings announcement next week — it’s one of our top-selling yarns!

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NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Stitchy Notes from HiKoo join the fabulous Knitting Barber Cords as the best, most useful notion we never knew we needed because they hadn’t been invented — but now they’re here! We love these knitter-friendly sticky notes and hope you will, too.

Once again, congratulations to all our Spring Sprint-ers. Here are three more lovely finished projects that were knit in those 31 days, starting with Tina’s impeccably elegant Cragside shawl from designer Stella Ackroyd.

Cragside was one of three projects Tina was able to start and finish in March. She also completed this charming wee Liesl* cardigan and matching wee Liesl Beret* from Ysolda Teague. All are currently on display in the shop. (Thank you to Tina for allowing me to “slurp” her gorgeous photos.)

Linda knit her cuddly Summer Soundtrack Cowl* in two colors of Berroco Ultra Wool DK. The pattern comes from designer Elizabeth Smith. It’s almost like getting two cowls in one, depending on how you you flip it. April weather in NEPA being what it is, I bet Linda has already enjoyed wearing it!

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: The Fine Arts Fiesta is looking for fiber and textile artists to demonstrate crafts to the public on Friday, May 20, for at least one hour, any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Fiesta is held on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square, rain or shine. Volunteers will be given space inside one of the tents. For more information, please call Volunteer Coordinator Helen Grebski, 570-288-1111, and leave a message by April 15.

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Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Why wait until LYS Day, Saturday, April 30, to celebrate having a local yarn store? At GYI, we will be partying all month long, starting next week, with lots of specials and surprises.

It may be April Fool’s Day, but this is no joke — a major restock of Rowan Felted Tweed arrived today!

Congratulations to all our Spring Sprinters who set and met their goals. I’ve seen several of your projects, heard about others, and look forward to sharing as many as possible here in the coming weeks.

March really did go out like a lion where I live. We had a furious rainstorm that knocked out our power for over an hour. My last hour of official Spring Sprint knitting was done by candlelight.

Did I finish my Summer Soundtrack* pullover? Nope — I’ve gotten only as far as separating the body from the sleeves, and I’m okay with that. I never expected to finish in 31 days. For me, the Spring Sprint was the reminder I needed to work on one project EVERY day — no matter how many others I had going at the same time. I plan on keeping that same pace, and, believe it or not, the blob pictured below will be a sweater in another month.

My actual completed Spring Sprint projects are these two pairs of booties and the pattern they were knit from — my seamless adaptation of Stay-on baby booties, as mentioned in the last post. I would still welcome more test knitters.

Here are two more completed Spring Sprint projects. Liz used two hanks of Malabrigo Sock for this elegant single-warped scarf, woven with a 10-dent heddle. It looks so comfortable, doesn’t it?

Kathy knit her sweet little mermaid with Berroco Pima 100 and Amy Gaines’ Mermaid pattern. I may have to make a few of these for my 🧜‍♀️-loving granddaughters this summer.

And now for some FOs that weren’t knit as Sprint projects. Let’s start with Gina’s vibrant Embers* from Tin Can Knits. She used Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock for the body of the sweater. The textured colorwork was knit with Edition 3 from Schoppel Wolle. This sweater is on fire🔥!

For a “bespoke” pair of socks for her husband, Laurie customized a favorite pattern with asymmetric cables, placing them to the outside of each sock. This was accomplished with no small amount of research into cable pattern options! Here’s the amazing left foot:

Bonnie did some customization of her own, changing the stand-up garter collar of Melissa LaBarre’s Habanero* cardigan to traditional 2×2 ribbing — with this adorable result.

While baby may not be quite big enough yet for the cardigan, the matching hat is already getting regular use. I love the one-row stripes she got using helical knitting technique.

Francie used the pinkest pink Lana Grossa 365 Cashmere for this light, summer weight Guernsey Wrap* from designer Jared Flood. The pattern clearly works as well with non-wool as wool yarns — it’s all about beautiful stitch definition and drape.

I finished my Broken Garter Blanket in Malabrigo Rios. While I didn’t use a pattern, Meadow Lane, a free pattern from Fifty Four Ten Studio, is quite similar.

Please allow a proud Nana to include this blanket “action shot.”

I’ll close with Tina’s showstopper Jade Scarf* from Lisa Richardson.

The scarf was designed specifically for Rowan Felted Tweed Colour, and Tina used the two suggested colors (#024 Chestnut and #027 Succulent), making only one slight change — she worked 23 of 25 pattern repeats to allow her to use 4 balls of each.

Isn’t this just stupendous? When Tina brought it in, there was much exclaiming over not only her lovely colorwork but also the incredible softness of the fabric. That’s Felted Tweed for you — I think I remember someone saying, “It feels just like a pile of bunnies!”

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Spring Sprint Update: Halfway through the month, I am working faithfully on my “official” Sprint project, Elizabeth Smith’s Summer Soundtrack*, every day now. Will I finish it in two weeks? Probably not, but I’m trying! I have the dreaded condition “Knitter’s Startitis,” and I’ve put my Soundtrack* aside once already, just long enough to start and finish an irresistible project, these Seamless Garter Baby Booties*:

The pattern is my adaptation of the 0-3 mos. size of Stay-on baby booties from Ravelry member “KnitgirlinNorway.” The original is knit flat and seamed. My version is worked (mostly) in the round and closed with a 3-needle bind off across the heel. I used a sport weight yarn, Alpaca Yarn Co. Symmetry, on US 2/2.75mm DPNs. If you’d like to be a beta tester for my rebooted bootie, I’ll happily send you my instructions.

Could we be in the middle of a new baby boom? Perhaps because we have a new bébé in our family, I’m hearing about new arrivals everywhere. (Congratulations, Ann! Congratulations, Bonnie!) There definitely has been an uptick in the number of customer requests for baby sweater and blanket patterns — so a shout out to my favorite blanket source, Fifty Four Ten Studio.

My current favorite quick and easy baby sweater is this Norwegian Fir Top Down Cardigan* from OGE Designs. I knit it in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in a week in February, so it doesn’t qualify for the Sprint, but yours could — even with just two weeks to go! It is that simple, with the raglan increases built right into the lacey panels and no underarm stitches to cast on or pick up. As a bonus for all the chart-phobic knitters out there, the directions are clearly written out, row by row.

One last baby knit, my Ellen’s Coming Home Set* from PetiteKnit. The bonnet has Berroco Aerial silk/mohair added to give it extra coziness. This was knit in ancient stashed yarn, but Berroco Ultra Wool DK would be my choice for a washable soft wool, Modern Cotton DK for a summer weight.

Despite last Saturday’s snow storm, warmer weather is on the way, of course. You can be ready with our lighter, seasonal yarns that have just arrived, Isola and Remix Light. And don’t forget our favorite 100% cotton worsted weight Pima 100.

ISOLA — Made in Italy; 284 yds/100g; Suggested Knitting Gauge: 5.25-5.5 sts = 1″, 21-22 sts & 29-30 rows = 4″ (10cm); Needle Size: 5-6 (US) / 3.75-4 mm; Crochet Gauge: 4.75 sc = 1″, 19 sc & 24 rows = 4″ (10cm); Hook Size: F (US) / 3.75 mm; Fiber Content: 38% Cotton, 36% Linen, 26% Viscose; Care: Machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.

Elizabeth Smith (there’s that name again) wrote a blog post recently about swatching the newest Berroco yarns, including Isola, to find a replacement yarn for her Castaway* sweater, designed originally for Quinoa, a yarn that’s been discontinued. Isola tied for first place! Read the full article here — a fascinating look behind the scenes at how designers pick their yarns. Here’s Castaway*, her boxy tee.

Another simple summer top that would be perfect for Isola is A Slice of Linen* from Susan Barstein. Knit sideways, you could use two or just one color of Isola. The yarn’s long ombré gradient shading would create subtle vertical stripes.

You, too, can be a yarn detective, whether, like Smith, you have a pattern and are looking for a yarn for it or you have a yarn and are pattern hunting. Here’s how:

With a brand new yarn such as Isola, a search on Ravelry for “Pattern Ideas” can yield no results, since the yarn is just too new for folks to have posted projects using it. Likewise, a new pattern might have very few “Yarn Ideas.” Stephen West’s latest Corrugation Shawl*, for example, released only 5 days ago, has only 3 projects listed on Ravelry and just one yarn option other than the suggested yarn, which is a hand-dyed yarn, priced at over $38/skein, with 5 skeins required — yikes!

My simple solution for yarn substitution? Go to YarnSub.com. In the Search Box, enter the yarn you want to match or replace in a pattern. Like magic, this amazing resource site will give you a list of comparable yarns. For Isola, I picked Zooey, the 5th suggested yarn and an 89% match, because I knew it’s been available long enough to have been widely used. Sure enough, there are 35 pages of Pattern Ideas for Zooey on Ravelry — plenty to choose from for Isola! Working in reverse to find a substitute for the suggested yarn for Corrugation Shawl*, I discovered the 3rd suggested yarn, a 91% match, was our very own Kelbourne Woolens Scout!

(Please note that not all of YarnSub’s suggestions will be available in the U.S.)

Come to think of it, Remix Light would make a fantastic summer weight version of Corrugation Shawl*. There are plenty of other Pattern Ideas on Ravelry for Remix Light, though, in addition to Berroco’s own designs. We’re welcoming it back for spring with the newest colors, including Irish Moss and Blue Moon, below. Recycled non-wool fibers make it a comfortable year-round yarn. I love having it in my hands every day now — thank you, Spring Sprint!

REMIX LIGHT — Made in France; 432 yds/100g; Suggested Knitting Gauge 5.5 sts = 1″, 22 sts x 32 rows = 4″ (10cm); Needle Size: 5 (US) / 3.75 mm; Crochet Gauge: 5 sc = 1″, 20 sc x 22 rows = 4″ (10cm); Hook Size: F (US) / 3.75 mm; Fiber Content: 30% Nylon, 27% Cotton, 24% Acrylic, 10% Silk, 9% Linen; Care: Machine Wash in cold water, delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE MAKING…

Sharon chose Malabrigo Rios in the kettle-dyed color Candombe for her Low-key Cowl* from Elizabeth Smith (3rd mention!). It’s a one skein project that uses a technique possibly new to many knitters, the split hem. Fear not! Smith has a video that explains exactly how to work it. If you’d like to jump into the Spring Sprint, this pretty cowl could easily be started and finished by the end of the month.

Stephanie brought in two completed sweaters recently, both designed by Thea Colman, a.k.a. Baby Cocktails. (Like finding a clothing brand that fits you really well, when you knit your own clothing and find a designer whose patterns seem tailored just for you, you become a fan!) This is Stephanie’s magnificent Dolin* cardigan. She used Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Blue Heather. Just look at that stitch definition.

And don’t you love those cables?, how they match at the shoulder seam? She did some beautiful seaming here. Her second sweater is Lillet* in Lana Grossa 365 Cashmere, a cotton blend. Short rows worked right into the lacey neckline invisibly extend the back for better shaping and fit. Stephanie even added lace detail to the original ribbing at the hem. This one will be getting a lot of wear very soon!

And finally, here is Francie in her Weekender* from Andrea Mowry — that is one happy knitter! Her yarn may not have come from GYI, but we celebrate every finished sweater here!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Our Spring Sprint begins today, and to recap: Spring Sprint is a challenge to GYI customers to knit/crochet/weave at least one entire project, start to finish, in 30 days. You can do it!

Have fun, amaze yourself, and inspire the rest of us! No purchase necessary. No yardage minimums. Work down your stash and/or have fun picking out new yarn from GYI.

Choose your own patterns or use one of our suggested designs — Elizabeth Smith’s Soundtrack sweaters and cowls. Not only are they well-written, beginner-friendly patterns, offering lots of yarn and wear options (either worsted or DK weight, wool or non-wool), but Smith also has helpful videos explaining each technique and term. If you choose to make one of the Soundtrack pieces and purchase your yarn from us, we’ll give you your pattern FREE!

Here’s my swatch for a Summer Soundtrack* sweater using Berroco Remix Light, a DK weight non-wool yarn:

Soundtrack is designed to be worn with 6-10″ of positive ease. My swatch tells me my gauge — the target number of stitches per inch to yield the desired dimensions. Summer Soundtrack has the same gauge for both flat and in-the-round knitting, 24 sts = 4″ or 6 sts/inch. After washing/drying my (flat) swatch, then measuring in several different spots (think of the 5 pips on a playing card) and averaging those measurements, I got a gauge of 6.5 sts/inch on a US 5 needle.

If I wanted 6 sts/inch, I would need to go up a needle size to a US 6 to get larger stitches. However, I’m staying with US 5 because I actually want my finished sweater to fit somewhere between two of the pattern’s sizes — a little bigger than Size 2’s 43.25″ body circumference and smaller than Size 3’s 48.5″. I will still cast on Size 3’s 292 stitches, though. With my higher gauge (6.5, rather than 6 sts/inch), I hope to end up with a 45″ body circumference (44.92″ or 292 ÷ 6.5) instead of Size 3’s 48.5″ (actually, 48.66″ or 292 ÷ 6).

If all this sounds too technical and like too much trouble, let me say that the swatching, washing, and measuring took only about an hour + overnight dry time — an investment of my time I’m happy to make before embarking on a month of knitting that could otherwise produce a sweater I’d NEVER want to wear! I also now know that I love the fabric made with this yarn on a US 5, and I’m already thinking how nice Modern Cotton DK or Pima 100 could be, too.

(You may notice I kept my swatch stitches “live” on a Knitting Barber Cord; I’ll use up my other balls of yarn first, but eventually I may have to unravel my swatch to finish the sweater. By not cutting my swatch yarn, I’ll be able to re-use it after a light steam to unkink it once it’s unknit.)

If you’ll be Spring Sprinting, please email us at info<at>goshyarnitshop<dot>com and share with us what project(s) you’ll be making. In April we hope to feature as many customer FOs here online and in-store as possible to celebrate everyone’s accomplishments!

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FYI at GYI: The wonderful Berroco 123 DropShip Program is still going strong — allowing us to order any of their yarns for you, in any amount and color, to be shipped directly to you. It’s as if GYI stocks every Berroco, Lang, Amano, Lopi, and WOOLADDICTS yarn available!