We are delighted to announce we now carry yarn from local indie dyer Jason Klus’ Dizzywig Fibers. And when I say local, I mean really local – Jason hails from right here in Kingston!

We’d like to thank our customer Gina for bringing Jason to our attention. Gina wrote a great business profile for the Times Leader newspaper on his Dizzywig Fibers. Skeins from our first order of his amazing Sock Base (75% superwash merino/25% nylon, 463 yards/100g) are going fast. Come in soon to see them (and score some) for yourself.

On the subject of new yarn in the shop, we’ve received restocks of Berroco Coco, Malabrigo Rios, and the latest monthly club color from Dream in Color Sock-It! Club. Below, all shades of super bulky Coco now in stock.

Here’s a skein of Camaleon, one of several new kettle dyed Rios colors, just waiting to check a few items off your gift knitting list:

The new “Cardinals in the Snow” colorway from Dream in Color arrived just in time for our recent blast of arctic weather. Dyer Veronica Van even shared the photo that inspired it. Each skin of Smooshy, in all its 85% merino superwash/15% nylon fingering weight glory, comes with matching mini-skein for heels and toes.

What’s been on our and our customers’ needles? Here are the finished projects that have visited the store recently.

Above, Paula’s favorite go-to cap pattern, knit with worsted weight 100% alpaca Espiral from The Alpaca Yarn Company. Below, Wanda’s graceful Alp Natural Tamara Round Top in Gomitolo Merino from Lana Grossa. The designer is Simona Merchant-Dest.

Meg came in this afternoon for yarn to make a second Butterfly/Papillon*. Around her shoulders was the gorgeous first one she’d made with Urth Yarns Uneek and Harvest. I couldn’t let her leave without my taking a photo of her modeling it, could I?

Staff needles have also been busy. Today Catherine wore her Afmæli – 20-Year Anniversary Sweater from Védís Jónsdódottir. She finished it in the spring, using Berroco Ultra Wool, but it took until now for it to get cold enough to enjoy wearing it!

Kathy knit her very own beautiful Ballard* hat in Navy Heather Scout after making our shop sample in the colorway Orchid Heather. Kate Gagnon Osborn’s design is truly a classic.

And aren’t these mittens of Kathy’s spectacular? The pattern is Evja* from Skeindeer Knits. The yarn is Trendsetter New York.

I used Uneek Worsted from Urth Yarns for these socks for my granddaughter. I followed my favorite 4-stitch ribbing pattern from Charlene Schurch’s book Sensational Knitted Socks.

And finally, another view of last week’s featured hat, the first of our five Free Hat Friday hats for November. We wrote our own version of the Churchmouse Minimalist Hat for Lang Lyonel, a yarn slightly bigger than any called for in the original pattern. For your own copy of our upsized adaptation, just flip back to the last post.

Tomorrow is another Free Hat Friday. No spoilers here! Hat #2 will be revealed in our next email. If you aren’t already on our mailing list, we hope you’ll join here.

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

‘Tis the season for hat knitting, whether for yourself (it snowed last night!) or for gifts. And who doesn’t love finding patterns that are fun to make, fun to wear, and free? We’ve enjoyed pairing our yarns with some great hat designs that we hope you’ll love. We’ll be sharing a new one with you each Friday, and all five are free!

As originally written, this one-size pattern can be used with multiple weights of yarn. Minimalist is based on an old, traditional formula for shaping a hat crown with four lines of decreases that form a “+” at the top, starting with a multiple of 8 stitches. The key to getting a hat that fits is knowing your yarn’s gauge. Yes, I said it: g-a-u-g-e.

If you have neither time nor inclination to knit and wash a gauge swatch for your hat, your yarn’s ball band can at least point you in the right direction (although it can’t guarantee the same success a swatch would). Here’s an example:

This is a yarn that knits to a gauge of 17 stitches and 23 rows over a 4×4″ square of stockinette on US 8/5mm needles, or 4.25 stitches per inch. The finished size of Minimalist is 19″ to fit a 20-23″ head. Multiply 4.25 sts/inch x 19, and you’d need to cast on 80 stitches, the closest multiple of 8. However, Lyonel has a gauge of 10 sts/inch on US 13/9mm, or 2.5 sts/inch. Multiply that by 19, and the number to cast on drops to 48. Easy peasy!

Below, you can download a printable PDF for our Lyonel Minimalist Hat. Copies will also be available at the shop.

For more information on the original Minimalist Hat pattern, visit the pattern page on Ravelry. If you’d like to start designing your own hats, Interweave has some good advice, here.

Note: In the last post, I had promised this post would list our Early Winter Class Schedule. At this time it is still under construction. Look for it here very soon!

Scout, our newest yarn, arrived with a trunk show of six lovely knit pieces you can see and try on yourself through Saturday, October 26th. Kelbourne Woolens, the makers of DK weight Scout, describe it as a “classic, strong, versatile, heathered wool yarn… designed with classic knitting and crochet in mind… it is unfussy, beautiful, high-quality, and comes in a gorgeous color palette.” Couldn’t have said it better myself!

With the arrival of Scout, the shop is now delightfully full of yarn at all weights, just in time for sweater weather and gift knitting season. (Tip: don’t leave that to the last minute!) I’ve mentioned before that we’ve restocked our Berroco Ultra Wool and Vintage, including this season’s newest colors, yummy candy-color brights (above).

All this wonderful yarn has inspired us to offer a new round of fall classes and events. The complete schedule will appear in the next post and will include:

• Simple Garter Stitch Slippers, a great stash busting gift,
• a customizable easy on/off dog sweater,
• the Apple Cheeks Hat for keeping little ones warm,
• the Raven Fall Cardigan, also for wee ones (knit seamlessly from the bottom up),
• a newbie’s guide to Ravelry.com,
• plus a month-long celebration of knitted hats during November – the hats we’re knitting, wearing, and gifting this season, with…
• pop-up classes on Saturdays for any hat-knitting skills that may be new to you,
• and something completely new: a “Make & Take Night”…

Aren’t these just the cutest? They’re perfect for Thanksgiving centerpieces and wreaths or place card holders on your holiday table… however you use them, they knit up quickly using the Magic Loop technique. If you aren’t already a Magic Looper, Kathy will get you started, and you’ll have an entire pumpkin patch in no time! Along with your kit, you’ll need a 32″ or longer circular needle, size US 6-8. Seasonal potables & cider doughnuts will be served.

What’s on our needles? Laurie wore her On Off Shawl* into the shop recently. She made it a year ago, using Berroco Remix worsted weight, and she even customized Larissa Brown’s design with a contrasting eyelet lace panel. On Off checks all my boxes for a fall shawl: it sits squarely and securely on your shoulders with little or no “styling” needed. It keeps your entire top half warm with no long triangle point hanging down in back or elongated “wings” that need to be tied, tucked, or twisted,

Seeing Laurie’s On Off again, I realized what was wrong with the shop sample I’d made using lightweight linen Solo Lino. Even though my version showed how well On Off could be a summer weight cover-up, the single row stripes I’d knitted (because I only had one ball of each color) completely obscured the simple but elegant pattern of contrasting sections of stockinette and garter stitch:

See what I mean? That you can’t really see what’s going on, pattern-wise?

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Can you see the difference between Laurie’s and mine? I knew I needed to cast on for another right away, this time using a solid color of a woolier yarn. I’ve chosen a not-quite-green shade of Berroco Ultra Alpaca (below), and I think I’m finally doing the pattern justice.

This On Off will be my second “shawl for fall.” I’m switching back and forth between it and my blue Berroco Vintage Oaken*, which has reached the charted lace section. I ripped it back and restarted it with a new cast-on that I hoped would better match the K1, P1 edging. (To see how the original garter tab cast-on looked, check the last post.) Meanwhile, Jill continues to happily cable away on her bright yellow Drift* in Malabrigo Rios.

Only one customer project this time around, but what a beautiful FO it is! Charlotte used her favorite red, white, and black (charcoal grey, actually) in Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarns for her The Shift* by Andrea Mowry. Wow! She says she gets compliments everywhere she wears it, and I’m not the least bit surprised.

So be sure to keep an eye out for our next post in a couple of days for the new class schedule AND pictures of new yarn arriving soon from Dizzy Wig Fibers, a.k.a. our first “truly local” dyer, Jason Klus of Kingston, PA!

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

Did you know our upcoming classes cover all 6 of our customers’ all-time, most-requested knitting techniques? We check all the boxes: socks, sweaters, stranded and brioche knitting, seaming, and fixing mistakes. There’s even a class in mosaic knitting, just for the fun of it.

• Make your first sweater an Iba* cardigan, Monday, October 14 & 28, 6-8 pm.

• Learn stranded knitting with the Ballard* hat in Kelbourne Woolens Scout, Saturday, October 19, 11 am-1 pm.

Our shipment of Scout arrives next week, and it’s coming with a trunk show!

• Master reversible 2-color brioche stitch in the Brioche Cowl class, Monday, October 21, 6-8 pm.

• Knit Oxford Socks* from the toe up with easy German short rows, Saturday, October 26, 9 am-12 pm.

• Grab a spot in Oops!, our #1 most requested class, October 26, 1:30-3:30 pm.

• Play with mosaic knitting making the Incise Hat*, Saturday, November 9, 9-11:30 am.

• Seam like a pro, thanks to our Seams So Easy class, Saturday, November 16, 1:30-3:30 pm.

Find more details on these classes over on our Classes page. Please call the shop soon to register, 570-287-9999.

Now, about those shawls for fall… Jill and I have cast on for our Drift* and Oaken* shawls, respectively. Care to join us in making a cozy, warm shawl now that frost is in the forecast?

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Above, Jill’s Malabrigo Rios Drift and, below, my Berroco Vintage Oaken on their needles. Yep, Jill got a slight headstart on me, but I’m catching up quickly with all that easy garter stitch.

In my own defense, I did just finish making the sample and writing up a free shop pattern for our new Berroco Coco, a super bulky superwash merino. It’s called the Coco Twist Cowl. It’s a one skein, one night project. Gift knitting, anyone?

Time for your FOs: Here is Joan’s sumptuous Comfort Fade Cardi* from designer Andrea Mowry. Her beautifully blended colors are 3 shades of Dream in Color BFL Silk DK.

A close-up of a perfect fade…

This is Joan’s jaunty Paper Bag Cap, a free pattern on Ravelry from Lisa Myers. She had fun knitting it in Maxima from Manos del Uruguay.

Knit sideways with a crown shaped with short rows, it’s a great choice for variegated and kettle-dyed worsted weight yarns, too, such as Malabrigo Rios or Lana Grossa Gomitolo Merino.

I’ll close with a second hat in Manos Maxima, Steven’s classic ribbed beanie, Two by Two by Anne Gagnon, another free Ravelry pattern. Keep both these hats in mind as we move into gift knitting season!

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

We’re celebrating our yarn-iversary this Saturday, September 28: nine years as the Wyoming Valley’s local yarn store!

There will be cupcakes, door prize drawings every half hour, a surprise discount at checkout for savings on your entire purchase that day, and our shelves have just been loaded with recent restocks of our beloved Berroco Vintage and Ultra Wool. A dozen full cubbies of each!

Plus over two dozen gorgeous new colors of Dream in Color Smooshy fingering/sock weight…

…and new shades of Lang Super Soxx from 3 new collections, City Runner, Mountain Soxx, and Street Soxx. What’s the difference?

Each ball will make a pair of identical socks, but you can choose from 3 different patterns, either striped, Fair Isle, or gradient. How cool is that?

Fall has officially arrived, and we’re knitting up quick, warm shawls with some of our worsted weight yarns: all those new colors of Vintage, Ultra Wool, and Rios, 365 Cashmere, Woolstok, and Simplinatural. Jill is casting on for Drift, and I’m just deciding on a color for Oaken, both from Tin Can Knits.

Both Oaken and Drift begin with a garter tab cast on. Their cable and lace stitches are fully charted. If you’d like some tips on working with charts and/or making that special cast on, I’ll be giving some free pop-up demonstrations in October. Times will be announced here.

If you’d like more ideas for shawl designs, check out a bundle we’ve made here on Ravelry, or make your own pattern search: try selecting “shawl” then Category>accessories>neck/torso>shawl/wrap; and Attributes>shapes>triangle and Weight>DK and worsted. Finally, try sorting for either “Most favorites” or “Most projects.” That narrows down choices to just under 4000!

We’re here to help you take on any project you want to make. Who hasn’t passed over a pattern because it involved an unfamiliar technique? If you’re ready to learn something new, our fall classes have been posted. There’s a first top-down sweater, an ingenious new sock technique, stranded colorwork, a seamless toy, mosaic knitting and brioche stitch (shown below), and a workshop for seaming and grafting. Our most popular course returns, too: Oops! Fixing Mistakes in Knitting. (And you can always design your own class.)

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Have you seen the first two colorways from the Dream in Color Sock-It! Club yet? This is a limited-time-only club, with monthly shipments in limited quantities. You get 420 yards of Smooshy, a blend of 85% superwash wool/15% nylon, each with its own coordinating 100yd mini-skein for heels and toes. Stop in soon — they’re going fast.

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Lyonel from Lang Yarns was one of the first fall yarns we received, and Steven has had time to make this outstanding Jonathan hat with it. The pattern comes from Taiga Hilliard Designs, and it’s free on Ravelry. Great yarn + simple pattern to show it off = win/win!

Steven also brought in a Columnar Jointing hat by Nick Davis that he’d made in Malabrigo Rios. He loves the yarn, but not the hat. In his Ravelry project notes, Steven says it’s an “interesting pattern with an odd construction, odd shape, and an even odder fit.” In fact, he told me it’s probably on the way to the frog pond, even though he altered the crown decreases significantly to try to get a more pleasing shape.

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Shown with Jonathan, for shape comparison. Here’s a last look at a hat that may, as of this writing, be no more.

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We, however, are feeling totally groovy about our new shop model of Berroco Providence, Feeling Groovy* from JumperCables. Jill used a simple backstitch seam to finish it in about 5 minutes. Bring on the chilly breezes, we’re ready.

Berroco’s Linen Stonewash was Stephanie’s choice for Rebecca McKenzie’s The Mermaid Top*, and it’s absolutely fabulous! It was also very nice to read in her project notes: “The yarn is slinky and elegant and machine washed and dried like a dream.”

Kudos to Paula, who completed all three (!) of her Camp GYI projects this summer. Her August project was knit in Berroco Modern Cotton and elegantly beaded. The pattern comes from Jeannie Chin, published in a Knit Simple magazine, Tangerine Dream Lace-Yoke Top. And dreamy it is.

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Joanne’s been busy making some great hats. She used Berroco Ultra Wool for her Thoreau Hat from Terri Kruse. This pattern appeared in Interweave Knits, Accessories 2011.

Here is Joanne’s Hurricane Hat, a free pattern on Ravelry from designer Andrea Guldin. Again, her yarn is Ultra Wool.

Once Lara mastered the collar’s wrap-and-turn short rows, finishing her Zasio Sweater Coat* was a breeze. Zasio is a Staci Perry design. Although Lara didn’t get her yarn from us (and maybe one of the hand-dyed skeins wasn’t the best possible match), this is such an inspiring piece of knitting, I wanted to share it.

Catherine finished her adorbs children’s socks using Schachenmayr Regia Pairfect Kids Color Design Line by Arne & Carlos (say that three times fast). She cast on with 44 stitches on 2.5mm needles and worked a heel flap and gusset.

Compare Catherine’s 44 stitch socks to Kathy’s 52 stitch sock done on 2.0mm needles with a short row heel — cute comes in all sizes.

Above, two pairs of Kathy’s finished Pairfect Kids Color socks, both worked over 52 stitches. Yup, Pairfect can be pretty addictive! Below, and rounding out the FO gallery this post, is Alyson’s sweet little Baby + Toddler Tiered Coat and Jacket* knit in Berroco Vintage. Pattern was created by Lisa Chemery.

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

Jill, Catherine, Brigid, and I are delighted to announce that Team GYI has a new 5th member: Kathy has joined us behind the register! You may recognize Kathy’s smiling face from the other side of the counter. She’s been a GYI customer almost as long as our doors have been open, and you may already know what an awesome knitter she is. If you haven’t met Kathy yet, stop in soon to say hello. One day last week, 4 of us were actually in the same place at the same time (and thanks to Joan for this awesome shot)…

But where’s Catherine? Here she is!

But about our other new arrivals… Jill chose the Fear of Commitment Cowl from Julie Weisenberger to be our shop model of colorful, wearable bulky weight Lyonel from Lang Yarns. Fear not, it’s a super easy pattern, and changing your mind about how to wear it is encouraged.

Wear it as a shawlette with a shawl pin or Jūl post button…

As a cowl with Jūl leather snaps…

Closed in front with a shawl stick…

Tied…

Or left au naturel…

It knits up quickly on US 13s, and it can also be a longer classic unisex scarf when knit with 3 or more balls of Lyonel instead of 2. Can’t wait to see how you style yours.

I already know your Turning Triangles Scarf* will not look the same as mine. The undyed, natural colorways of Alpaca Yarn Company’s Espiral, a heavenly 100% alpaca worsted weight, have “Random Marl” written right on their labels. Some skeins are much more random than others. But however your colors land in this fun modular knit, you’ll love Espiral’s over-the-top buttery softness. Pattern free with yarn purchase.

Providence is Berroco’s new DK weight tweed, a blend of merino wool, alpaca, and silk. With that combo you get a soft hand plus great stitch definition plus everything else there is to love about tweed. You’ll be seeing our model of Providence shortly, a very groovy pattern* from JumperCables.

Just in: we’re so happy to be debuting Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, a washable merino wool/acrylic/cashmere sport weight blend that’s baby-ready and mom-friendly. I’m leaning toward making the Norwegian Fir Top Down Cardigan* from OGE Knitwear Designs as a snuggly sample. It’s not just for children’s things, of course, so you may see it knit up as a hat or a pair of stranded mitts. Stay tuned…

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

Recently, a customer made my day: “I love reading your website the same way I loved Show & Tell at school” – wow, that’s exactly why I get such a kick out of doing these posts! And this time around, there’s a whole summer’s worth of finished projects to share, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Did you grab a copy of Casapinka’s Magical Thinking* pattern when the designer offered it free on Local Yarn Store Day back in April? Joan was in the right place at the right time with the right yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy) to produce this beauty.

Look closely… every color change comes with a pattern change, too! Joan says she really enjoyed making this “pullover shawl” because there was no getting bored when you switch stitches so often.

Hint: If you love the idea of Magical Thinking but might never wear a “poncho,” Casapinka’s Perfect Blend*, an asymmetric triangular shawl, has the same sort of fun stitch sampler striping. You do not need the 12 colors called for in the pattern to make it, though. Clearly, as few as 3 or 4 colors will be beautiful.

Joanne’s stunning Land & Sea cardigan from Andrea Yetman was also knit with Smooshy. Her main color was the DIC Pop-up Club March colorway of Smooshy with Cashmere.

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Sharon used the same March Smooshy with Cashmere color for her Mimosa* shawl from Boo Knits and chose the DIC Pop-up Club’s May color for her rosy Close to You from Justyna Lorkowska. Both were Camp GYI projects; she has had one very productive summer! (And thank you, Sharon, for sharing these photos.)

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Ann, another camper, chose the palette for her Windom Silk Wrap* from our 20+ colors of Berroco Pima 100. The pattern comes from designer Virginia Sattler-Reimer.

Earning her compliments whenever she wears it, Ann’s Derecho*, from Alison Green, was made with our non-wool Berroco Remix Light. So pleased with her first, she’s already working on a second.

Berroco Remix Light was Paula’s choice for her pretty Cinca* capelet. The design is Amy Christoffers’.

Stephanie’s beautiful Margarita* from Thea Colman was knit for camp using Lana Grossa 365 Cashmere. Don’t let the name fool you; this yarn may get a lot of its softness from its 15% cashmere content, but it’s as light, cool, and summery as can be.

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A detail that captured Stephanie’s heart: the shaping that created the back neck. (It’s the little things…)

Steven is another happy summer camper. Wouldn’t you be if you had made this gorgeous design from Jana Huck, Kite Runner*? His yarn is Urth Yarns Harvest Fingering. I absolutely love these colors. (Photos brazenly slurped from Steven’s project page.)

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How about some socks? Joanne used Manos del Uruguay Alegria for these toe-up, “strong heel” gems. (Guess you know you’re a sock knitter if you know what that means!)

Janet’s first-ever socks were knit in Berroco Vintage using a generic worsted weight pattern from an old magazine. She loves her new “bed socks” so much, she’s already at work on her next pair.

And how about some crochet? Rebecca stash-dove and came up with some sock yarn that was perfect for these jolly ornaments,

Brigid finished her Meghan Kelly Bibbe* in Fibre Company Arranmore Light and looks, understandably, pretty delighted with it.

Another fabulous photo I helped myself to: Tina’s Rhya* from Natasja Hornby. I did not want you to miss seeing her lovely work. Her yarn is Trendsetter New York.

Don’t ask for these adorable preemie hat patterns; Laurie just makes them up. And please don’t ask which yarns she used; they’re her sock leftovers. Laurie, you are an inspiration!

Not all of us can knit on the fly. I used Hunter Hammersen’s precise instructions in her Incise* hat collection, using Manos del Uruguay Maxima, to make this mosaic knit hat. The pattern contains 3 different designs. This is Hat B, and it was the most fun I had knitting all summer.

Jill whipped up this sweet Passing Showers Tee* from Kristi Morrow in Berroco Pima 100 for one lucky granddaughter…

…and this Hylan Sweater* from Heidi May in Malabrigo Rios for another!

Well, you’ve reached the last FO, and it’s our newest shop sample. Here is Jill’s Color Block Bias Wrap* in buttery soft GGH Topas. The pattern was designed by Suzanne Shaw and couldn’t be more adaptable to different sizes and different yarns. It’s an ideal way to start your fall knitting – dare I say, gift knitting? (And we’d love to have your FO featured here in a future update!)

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Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at GYI.

June Camp has yielded wonderful finished projects. I have some early FO pictures to share. But first, a brief shout out to the newest yarn to make our “Can’t Knit Without It” list…

…Perennnial from Kelbourne Woolens! Brigid made her spectacular Roxborough Dolman*, designed by Courtney Kelly, in Perennial. The soft hand! The crisp stitch definition! Those colors! With 497 yards per skein, she barely needed 3 skeins. Perennial is a light fingering weight yarn, able to easily transition from lace to sport to DK weight gauges.

The color range…

For another fun Perennial project, flip back to the last post for Rebecca’s crocheted hat. (Be prepared to be wowed.) And now, some completed, Frequent Buyer Point-winning, amazing camp projects:

Paula N. made her Butterfly/Papillon* in one month! This boggles my mind. She, quite literally, made quick work of Marin Melchior’s labyrinthine pattern. Her yarn is Urth Uneek Fingering. Congatulations, Paula!

Tina used Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue for her Little Aiden* from Dawn Catanzaro. Tina commented in her Ravelry project notes, Ewe So Sporty yarn has great stitch definition for the Gansey style knitting and is superwash for ease [of] the parents. Don’t you love the little underarm gussets?

Above, Gina’s vibrant Napi shawl in Fibre Company Arranmore Light. Gina used Grace Akhrem’s pattern more as a helpful guide as she knit, adding sections of seed stitch, 1×1 rib, and garter to the original pattern’s mesh lace stitch.

Several projects that crossed the finish line have yet to visit the shop. I hope the next post will include Sharon’s Mimosa* and Stephanie’s Margarita*. Ann’s Windom Wrap* can be seen on our camp discussion thread on Ravelry. I’m looking forward to seeing Kelly’s post to our GYI Facebook page of her 3 Color Cashmere Cowl*.

Here’s a non-Camp FO of Gina’s, a beautiful Iba* cardigan from Bonne Marie Burns. The yarn is Crestone, now discontinued. Sometimes a yarn needs to hibernate in your stash awhile until the perfect pattern comes along, which is exactly what happened here!

I’ll close with a splash of color, Bonnie’s children’s socks, made using her own pattern and Regia yarn.

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

Camp gates are now open for a seventh season! So far – no surprise – most of our Camp GYI campers have chosen “relax” projects, but we have happy campers in the “renew” and “reward” bunks, too. Everyone has chosen amazing projects! All you need to know about Camp GYI is here. Please join us at summer camp to stitch and save for one, two, or all three months. Stay tuned for news of our “virtual campfire” get-togethers.

While we await the arrival of June’s Dream in Color pop-up yarn, enjoy this Smooshy with Cashmere May shade, inspired by the hot pinks of the desert beardtongue (Penstemon pseudospectabilis, in case you were wondering) that grows in Arizona, home of Dream in Color yarn…

Pinks are definitely having a moment at GYI; our latest shop samples all came up rosy. First, The Shift* cowl by Andrea Mowry. Catherine created our version in Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarns. As with her “faded” family of patterns, Mowry is building on the phenomenal success of The Shift with a hat*, a sweater*, and a shawl* with the same color-shifting mosaic knitting.

Then there’s Grace Akhrem’s Napi shawl in Lana Grossa 365 Cashmere. Do not let the cashmere in the name fool you – this isn’t a winter-only yarn. There is a luxurious dollop of 15% cashmere in the fiber blend, but it’s basically the softest, smoothest, lightest cotton you can imagine, making it a superb year-round worsted weight. It’s also machine washable, a plus for baby knits.

I had a request to show a picture of Jill’s 3 Color Cashmere Cowl* laid flat, since our version in Dream in Color BFL Silk DK is an adaptation of Joji Locatelli’s design in fingering weight. Our pattern notes explain how to do it and are free with pattern purchase.

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Our BFL Silk DK color combos were chosen for us by Dream in Color’s designer Veronica Van. We also have lovely 3-skein kits made up of fingering if you’d like to make the original 3 Color Cashmere Cowl. Either version would make a great camp project. Just sayin’.

And although not finished yet, you can picture what my Incise Hat* will look like. This pattern from Hunter Hammersen is so, so, so much fun to work! I’m using Maxima from Manos del Uruguay in Prince and Speeding Ticket.

Customer FO time: Rebecca’s clever original hat pattern was made using the overlay crochet technique. Her yarn, Perennial from Kelbourne Woolens; her colors, pretty electric!

And here is Steven’s Begonia Swirl, a free pattern on Ravelry from designer Carfield Ma. This incredibly beautiful piece was worked in Gleem Lace from Fyberspates.

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