You only have a few hours left to save 25% on Cally Monster’s patterns in her Ravelry store! Our GYI-exclusive coupon code “boo” expires at midnight October 31. We can’t thank Cally enough for supporting our Monsterknits KAL. Save on the purchase any (or all) of Cally’s designs:

Plaid is the New Fad

If One Can, Toucan!

Freeze Frame, knit in two solids

Freeze Frame, knit with one solid and one variegated

Her latest pattern Amazing Lakes, knit in 3 colors

Amazing Lakes, knit in 5 colors

Cally’s shawl designs are a wonderful introduction to mosaic knitting, possibly the easiest colorwork technique out there. Mosaic involves simply slipping stitches – no carrying or twisting strands of different colors. The photos above illustrate how much difference color choice and placement can make. Be sure to look at the Ravelry projects posted for Cally’s designs for color ideas and inspiration.

Keep an eye on Cally Monster, folks. From following Cally on Instagram, I know she has beautiful new designs waiting in the wings. You’ll always be able to purchase her patterns at GYI, where you’ll also find her beloved Baah La Jolla merino fingering yarn. For a limited time, save 15% on 2 or more skeins of La Jolla.

There’s still time to jump in the KAL, which ends November 18. If you finish by the deadline, you’ll be eligible to win a KAL prize. But if you don’t, you’re still a winner: you will have saved on your pattern (thanks again, Cally!), your La Jolla yarn, and you will have an AMAZING shawl whenever you cast off.

Isn’t seeing the same pattern in different yarns an eye-opener? Just this week Brigid brought in her completed Old Shale Waves from designer Carrolldj.

If you’re catching a whiff of peppermint candy canes, it’s by design; this sweet baby blanket is going to a December arrival. Now compare Brigid’s to our shop sample of the same pattern:

Quite a difference! Same pattern, even the same yarn, our dear (machine washable) Berroco Vintage Chunky. With our autumn temperatures finally starting to notice the calendar, who wouldn’t love a quick and easy throw? What colors would you choose?

 

 

There’s a new member of the GYI family, but if you’re lucky you may already have met her (and knit beside her) at our work table: Brigid has officially joined the GYI family! Now Team GYI is four: Jill, Catherine, Brigid, and myself – Ann. When next you visit the shop, any one of us might call out a hello. Here is Brigid herself modeling her completed 60 Stitch Cowl, a new shop sample in Baah Yarn’s Sequoia. Please join us in welcoming Brigid, one of knitting’s best and brightest ambassadors!

About that yarn: Sequoia is just one of several new yarns we’ve unpacked in the last few weeks – not just new to us, but entirely new to the yarn world. How exciting is that? If you’re a fan of Malabrigo Rasta, you’ll love Sequoia, a 100% merino super bulky from Baah Yarns’ dyer Mira Cole in smooth semi-solids and quirky speckled skeins. Our free pattern 60 Stitch Cowl is easy enough for a first time knitter-in-the-round and takes just one skein. (Yes, we used half a skein of 2 colors for our sample because we couldn’t pick just one!)

Next, Symmetry – a 100% American grown, spun, and dyed 50% Baby Alpaca/50% Columbia fine wool 2-ply sport weight from the Alpaca Yarn Company. Start your holiday stitching now, choosing this buttery soft yarn for only your very special friends who know a good thing when they see it (or put it on their heads or hands). We have 12 jewel tone colors.

Catherine just completed our newest shop sample with Symmetry and Andrea Mowry’s design for a reversible hat, Go!* If you aren’t a lover of hats with stretchy ribbed brims, check out the clever arrowhead stitch motif here that makes Go! so comfy to wear, either knit- or purl-side out.

 

These big 200g wheels of Gomitolo 200 and Gomitolo 200 Dégradé from Lana Grossa are rolling out of the shop. They have over 700 yards of washable 50% wool/50% acrylic worsted weight to play with in a whirl of self-striping colors. Choose the pretty mixed shades of the 200 or the ombré shading of the 200 Dégradé. Look for the 200 knit up as a shop sample of the Stitch Sampler Shawl from On This Day Designs.

 

Here is another easy-peasy shop sample, fresh from Catherine’s needles: Chevron Baby Blanket from the wonder women of Espace Tricot. We chose 5 shades of Berroco Modern Cotton. This is our favorite baby gift right now, but why not make one to stay home with you? Choose a palette of neutral shades like our version or go bright and bold. Stripe it up in Modern Cotton, Ultra Wool, Vintage, Malabrigo Rios, or just one cake of our new Gomitolo 200.

The final debut yarn this month is Serpentina, unlike any yarn we’ve carried before. Created by the artisans of the Manos del Uruguay co-ops, it is hand-dyed before it is spun by hand into a thick-and-thin single. The colors are truly random, so they will never pool or stack. It is 100% merino wool at its very softest. Right now it’s on my needles for a simple stockinette Very Gifted Cowl. Fun fact: serpentina is Spanish for the bright paper streamers tossed at parties. Such a unique yarn needs no fancy stitch patterns to be the life of the party.

Did I say party? Just in: Party of Five gradient mini-skein sets of Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock. Each pack contains a total of 525 yards. Choose any pattern for fingering weight yarn, and make it a gradient! You may have seen my Herald* in the shop. It was made with the Jellybean set. (Pattern design by Janina Kallio.)

 

Sock lovers, we have a restock of an old favorite for you, too! Paca Peds HT from Alpaca Yarn Company is actually two skeins in one: you’ll get 100g of alpaca/wool/nylon blend in a main color plus 25g of a coordinating color for heels and toes. Every skein is different, so come in soon for the best selection. (Your feet will thank you.)

Only one FO to share this time around, but it’s a beauty. We special-ordered a bag of Berroco Vintage DK for Betsy, and she just brought it back to show us what it looks like now: this handsome MacGowan Pullover by Quenna Lee from Interweave Knits, Winter 2016. We love seeing our yarns all grown up!

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

We’re pretty sure once you try Arranmore Light, you’ll love it as much as we do. That’s why we have prepared some to-go for you!

The Good Fortune Wrist Warmers pattern is my first original pattern. Through October, the only place you can find it is tucked into our Take Home Yarn Tasting of Arranmore Light. We’ve sold the last of the kits made up with the color Shamrock (shown above).  What color of Arranmore should we pack into the kits next? Maybe a blue like River Esque or natural like St. Clair or the driftwood, called Cronan? There are lots of colors to choose from. Comment to make a request!

Here are the wrist warmers knit in the black tweed, Malin Head. If any of the techniques used in the pattern are new to you (provisional crochet cast on, Shadow Wrap short rows, 3-needle bind off, or Kitchener Stitch), I’ll be giving demos on demand on Saturday, October 14, during regular shop hours, 11-4.

 

Did you get our recent email or have you checked in lately with our Ravelry Group? If so, here is a familiar face. We’re having a Monsterknits Knit-Along in October for Cally Monster’s shawl designs. We met Cally this summer at TNNA in the Baah Yarn booth. Purchase patterns directly from Cally’s Ravelry store in October and save 25% with the code “boo,” a special Monsterknits treat just for GYI. (Thank you, Cally!) KAL details are here. We carry La Jolla, the fingering weight from Baah that Cally loves for her shawls, and you’ll save 15% on your 2+ skein purchase for the KAL. Cally is wearing her Plaid is the New Fad.

No, we don’t have all those colors (the picture was taken at TNNA), but the ones we do have (including the 3 used in Cally’s Plaid) were chosen for us by dyer Mira Cole herself.

 

Here is Cally’s Freeze Frame, looking like two very different shawls, thanks to different yarn choices, two solids vs. a solid and one of Mira’s Dipped & Dappled skeins.

 

Here’s the one I’ve just started, If One Can, Toucan! (That’s Mira on the left in the background.)

Sign up for the KAL, which ends November 18, at the shop or in our Ravelry group. And yes, of course, there will be a jaw-dropping PRIZE for one lucky finisher whose name is drawn at random.

Speaking of prizes, Sharon snapped these pictures at the Luzerne County Fair last month of some of her winners and also be-ribboned pieces from Tina and Portia. Congratulations, ladies!

Joanne deserves a tip of the hat, not only for her Checkered Chapeau, her own pattern, done in Ultra Wool from Berroco…

…but also for her Waverly Weekend Cowl from Donna Brooks. Inasmuch as this free pattern is written for worsted weight yarn, used by virtually all 221 Ravelers who have posted their projects thus far, using a silk/mohair like our Drizzle from Sugar Bush Yarns was genius!

(Thank you to Catherine for the pictures of Joanne’s work.)

 

 

 

 

 

In the last post, we were pretty excited about the arrival of Arranmore Light – and now it’s here! It’s the newest yarn from The Fibre Co., and we will carry all 18 colors. Fibre Co. does it again – this time, at an Irish mill dating back to 19th century County Donegal, they’ve created a thoroughly up-to-date tweed yarn, a next-to-skin soft, magical blend of merino wool, cashmere, and silk.

See for yourself during our Pop Collection Trunk Show, six ultra contemporary patterns from designers Courtney Kelley, Kate Gagnon Osborn, and Meghan Kelly of Kelbourne Woolens. Bibbe (above) is the breakout star of the show. Come try it on! (It looks great on everyone.) The collection shatters fussy old stereotypes to have some modern fun with tweed yarn. The show will be in store through the end of the month.

We want you to sample Arranmore Light for yourself. We’re creating a Take Home Yarn Tasting, a little kit that will include my own original pattern for a pair of wrist warmers (below) and just the right amount of yarn to make them. The instructions are almost out of the test knitting/tech editing stage. Details soon!

Autumn arrived Friday, but our fall yarns have been coming in for over a month. If you haven’t visited the shop lately, plan to stay awhile to see all that’s new. Don’t miss:

La Jolla from Baah Yarn

Baah La Jolla is 100% merino superwash, hand dyed by color wizard Mira Cole. We have her semi-solids and Dipped & Dappled colorways (above, Tequila Sunset) that knit up alternately solid and speckled. Remember, sock yarn doesn’t count as part of your stash!

Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarn

 

Soft, bouncy, elastic – just some of the words that describe Ewe So Sporty yarn. “Delightful” is another one! This 100% merino yarn comes in a rainbow of 20 colors that can be switched and swapped around the palette to get just the look you want. Ideal for stranded color work. Use it as a baby yarn, a yarn for mitts and hats, try it as a sweater yarn, or just make it your go-to sport weight.

Regia Tweed Color

Sock knitters, here is Regia’s brand new line of wool/polyamide/viscose self-striping yarn in tweed flecked colors. Like all Regia yarns, it won’t felt and offers long-lasting wear and great shape retention. Machine washable up to 100° F and can be machine dried.

Your Finished Projects

And here is a pair of socks made with Regia yarn right now! These handsome fellows are Bonnie’s, made with one of the Arne & Carlos line from Regia.

And these jazzy boot socks of Bonnie’s were done in a worsted weight Berroco yarn – unfortunately, now discontinued.

Wanda whipped up this bright Charnley Scarf with her Manos del Uruguay Fino mini-skein set. Charnley is a free pattern from Lisa Myers. The color play between the white background and the bright hand-dyed shades helps make this scarf so striking, but…

 

…that can come with some “special needs.” I’m going to put my 2¢ in here about yarn’s color fastness.

Whenever you wash a finished piece that includes high-contrast colors (whether hand-dyed or mill-dyed), you are going to want to give it some extra attention. Some folks say just wash your yarn BEFORE you work with it. Yeah, right. I’ve always heard a good dose of white vinegar in icy cold water will set dye in a first BRIEF bath you give your FO, to be followed by a normal SOAK or Eucalan wash in cool water, and enough plain water rinses to flush out any lingering vinegar odor. But then I read online that vinegar needs heat to set a dye. I don’t know if I’ll try steeping my own FOs any time soon – ice has always worked for me – but just be aware that the only safe color is a set color, as Wanda recently discovered, sadly. Her Super Simple Sock Shawl from designer Amanda Steck was not supposed to be this pink.

Gina’s yarn seems to be behaving (her bunnies are still white). She chose a bright grass green Oink yarn for this little cutie, Sweet William* by Ann Kingstone. She crunched the numbers of the original chart created for a fingering weight yarn to use her heavier yarn with a different gauge. Very impressive!

And I’ll end where I started, back with the Fibre Co. This is Stephanie’s self-described “Sears Catalog Mom Model Pose” in her lovely Gull Island* from Kate Gagnon Osborn in Luma. May I order three, please?

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

 

 

 

With emails filling our inbox announcing, “Your order is ready to ship,” we need space on our shelves pronto for new fall yarns.

Save 30% on select yarns Wednesday, August 30 through Saturday, September 2.  Included in the sale are ALL Shibui yarns, Manos del Uruguay Maxima, SimpliCria from HiKoo, Tosh DK from madelinetosh, and more.

Ten new colors of Malabrigo Rios are in. It’s become one of our favorite worsted weight yarns; it should be one of yours. It was a no-brainer to re-stock Rios with its beautiful hand-dyed colors, so soft yet so durable. Now available, a pink that can probably be seen from space:

Riding along in the same box with the Rios were ten shades of Malabrigo Silkpaca. It’s the latest addition to our growing Lace Department. Silkpaca is the classic, silky laceweight of a lace knitter’s dreams, 70% alpaca/30% silk, 420 yards/50g, $10.80. Wonder how you say “yummy” in Spanish.

What’s with all the lace yarn, you might ask? Michelle Hunter’s newest book in her ‘Building’ Series, Building with Lace, has a lot to do with it! Watch for our fall class schedule to include a series based on the book as well as other lace-inspired classes.

Ready for a teaser for one of our new fall yarns?

We can hardly wait for Arranmore Light from The Fibre Co. to come through our door. This is an authentic Irish tweed DK with a luxurious difference; it’s a smooth, buttery blend of fine merino wool, cashmere, and silk. All 18 shades are coming. Arranmore Light makes its debut with two amazing pattern collections: Fell Garth II from The Fibre Co.’s home base in England and the Pop Collection from the design team at U.S. distributors Kelbourne Woolens. The designs were created to fit and flatter all body shapes, with a size range from (30-32) to (50-52).

Mark your calendar: the Pop Collection Trunk Show will be at GYI September 21-30! We are looking forward to getting the Fell Garth II Trunk Show later in the fall.

Garments from Fell Garth II were on display at TNNA, and I couldn’t resist snapping some detail shots. Below, St. Bega Cowl atop Beckside; Dash Falls:

North Row, St. Bega Mitts:

Skiddaw, Rathbone:

Arranmore Light knits up into comfortable fabric that’s light enough to drape but cozy enough for good stitch definition and easy 3-season wear. More Arranmore news in an upcoming post.

Also spotted at TNNA: Blue Sky Fibers’ new Woolstock 21-Color Mitts Kit. These will be available at GYI next week.

The 21-Color Slouch Hat Kit was the runaway bestseller last winter. Don’t miss these mitts – call to reserve your kit. (Look at what else we spotted in the Blue Sky booth!)

Your Finished Projects

Renee whipped up these divine Godiva Mitts* from Carolyn Kern in Shalimar Paulie held with Drizzle silk/mohair from Sugar Bush Yarns. (Paulie will be 10% off through August 31.)

Brigid made her Kline* with Tosh Merino Light and a spectacular speckle yarn from her stash. The pattern was designed by Jennifer Dassau. A great pattern choice for that one special skein of fingering you don’t really know what to do with. Just pair with a complementary solid and off you go!

Alice chose a raspberry pink Alegría for her Melodia* from designer Janina Kallio. So elegant in its simplicity.

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

Now that we’re back from a week’s vacation, I realize how busy we were right before the shop was shuttered. Lots of new things came in all at once. I’d like to revisit some of those recent arrivals, before summer winds down into Labor Day and the fall knitting season kicks off officially. So much more yarn and other good things are still on the way!

Unicorn Tails

I adore Tosh Merino Light from madelinetosh. When I have it on my needles, I swear I could knit it forever. In my world, if a full skein (420 yards) is good, a 52 yard mini skein – a Unicorn Tail – is even better. So many colors! Did I spend too many hours of my childhood bent over the biggest box of Crayolas, wishing for even more colors? Maybe. While Madelinetosh is dyeing our fall order of Merino Light, all the shades of Tails are here now, ready for you to play mix & match for shawls, scarves, hats, and mitts.

I dug out three full-size skeins from my stash, added seven Tails (below) and am currently cruising through a Match & Move from designer Martina Behm – and I do mean cruising because the first half of the shawl is the same easy row repeated over and over.

Vintage Chunky
Berroco’s Vintage in worsted weight is our best-selling yarn. Now we have it in Chunky, too! Grab your US 10s and 11s, your crochet hooks in size J or larger. Our newest shop sample is Old Shale Waves from designer Carrolldj, an easy knit and easy-care baby blanket/throw in Vintage Chunky.

Modern Cotton Worsted
Could this be the perfect non-wool yarn? After using it for my Guernsey Baby Blanket, it gets my vote. Sure, there are other contenders (I’m looking at you, Berroco Remix), but this cotton/rayon blend is just delightful – smooth, shiny, soft, and cool. New colors are now in stock.

We love it for wraps and blankets; in the last post I suggested the Chevron Baby Blanket from Espace Tricot, and our shop sample is on the needles now in a palette of cool neutrals. I gravitate to bold, contemporary patterns for little ones, so Colorful Wedges Baby Blanket (below) from Purl Soho is another favorite of mine. Want something more traditional? Leafy Baby Blanket from Leyla Alieva would become a family heirloom in Modern Cotton. Remember, it can go anywhere a worsted weight yarn can go, so use it for 3-season sweaters and shawls, too.

  

Interweave Knits Fall 2017
This issue has been heavily criticized on Ravelry for the way garments were photographed – dark sweaters against even darker backgrounds. I agree; what were they thinking? But let’s focus on the designs themselves because there are some real winners. The Angelina Pullover by May Anne Benedetto is full of clever, attractive details, albeit hard to see in the photo. We just re-stocked Malabrigo Rios – you heard it here first! – and also Berroco Ultra Wool, both great choices for Angelina.

Cable lovers will fall for these two, Tangled Up in Gray Pullover by Sloane Rosenthal and Highway 61 Pullover by Jennifer Owens. Both call for US 5 and 7, so I’m eyeing the Rios and Ultra Wool again.

 

Why is it so hard to find “manly” sweaters? This issue introduces some great ones. I can totally see a certain man in my life reaching again and again for his Whiskey Creek Pullover from Amy Christoffers if I were to make it in Berroco Remix. Hank’s Pullover from Jessie McKitrick would also be a hit in Fibre Company Arranmore Light, which is due in any day now – you heard it here first!

 

Shalimar Yarn Paulie
Let’s not forget our August Summer of Luxury yarn! Save 10% on Paulie through next week. All 20 colors of this merino/camel/silk/cashmere beauty are still available – just. Two more patterns from the Interweave Knits fall issue are very Paulie-friendly: The Gold Rush Shawl by Meghan Jones and the Whitman Hat by Carrie McGowan.

 

Manos del Uruguay Alegria
If you’ve already fallen under the spell of this yarn, ‘nough said. If not, what are you waiting for? This hand-dyed fingering comes semi-solid, variegated, or speckled. It’s strong enough for socks (thank you, 25% nylon) yet super soft (thank you, 75% merino). Check out Alice’s Melodia, below, to see why this yarn was named “joy.”

Your FOs
Gina has Diane Soucy’s Knitting Pure and Simple #214 Baby Pullover* memorized. It’s her go-to baby gift and easy to see why. This little cutie was made with Cascade 220 SW Sport.

Mary posed wearing Shireen Nadir’s The Man-Slouch about two minutes after weaving in the last tail of yarn. Congratulations! (I think we need a bell in the shop to ring whenever someone finishes a project.) Her yarn is Cascade Heritage 150 Paints.

 

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

The fall stitching season is starting earlier than usual this year. (Perhaps it’s our un-summery weather?) But no complaints! With more and more customers coming in ready to start on new projects, it’s a good thing we have lots of new yarns, old favorites, and more on the way to get you all going.

Our August Summer of Luxury featured yarn is just what a lot of folks seem to be looking for, Paulie from Shalimar Yarns.

We have 20 hand-dyed colors of this very special fingering weight blend of 60% merino wool, 20% camel, 10% cashmere, and 10% silk. Save 10% throughout August. 420 yards/$34.

 

Above, Jill’s Paulie Cowl* and below, the Pauline’s Colour Play shawl*. Both were designed by Lisa Hannes for Paulie, and three skeins will make both cowl and shawl. Mosaic knitting creates the colorwork patterns with simple slipped stitches.

Carolyn Kern has a new design that we think would be ideal for Paulie, her chic Godiva Mitts*. The pretty Aran-style stitch pattern effortlessly creates a perfect fit. One skein would make two pairs. If you haven’t indulged yet this summer, make Paulie that little luxurious treat you know you deserve!

What else is new in the shop since the last post? Just the most dreamy blend of 55% Bluefaced Leicester wool and 45% silk, Gleem Lace from Fyberspates. 874 yards/100g/$29. Some colors can be combined to “fade”…

 

…and some would be happy all on their own. Either way, this yarn positively glows.

 

And Alegria lovers, we heard you! This popular hand-dyed sock yarn is back in both semi-solids, wild variegated, and speckled colorways.

Yours truly with an armload of Alegria as it is shipped to us, ready to be twisted up into hanks that we can hang on our fingering yarn wall.

But wait, there’s more! Unicorn Tails in all 26 colors are here. There are 14 new shades for Fall 2017, including Death by Elocution (far left) and Brass (far right). These sweet little twists of 52 yards of madelinetosh merino light are just $6 each and the yarn equivalent of candy at the check-out counter. Grab a few and have some fun.

Add some Tails to a fingering weight project for pops of color. Although Alice’s beautiful crimson Herald* was worked in a solid color, this Janina Kallio pattern is a good one for knitting in gradient shades or random stripes or sections of colors.

Giant boxes arrived last week from Berroco, filled with re-stocks of both Modern Cotton and Ultra Wool. We now have plenty of Modern Cotton color choices for sweet baby blankets like the Chevron Baby Blanket from Espace Tricot. We’ll be happy to kit the project for you.

And look at all these colors of Ultra Wool, too!

Berroco sent a sample of Shannon Cook’s Cavilleri Cowl* from their latest pattern collection exclusively for Ultra Wool, Portfolio, Vol. 4. There are 15 designs from 12 designers, including Thea Colman, Julia Farwell-Clay, and ÅsaTricosa. All can be purchased individually at the shop.

 

Here’s how Berroco styles the Cavilleri Cowl, along with a matching Cavilleri Hat.

 

There are several sweaters, a poncho, mitts, even socks. You can see the whole collection here.

These just-for-fun totes come from Gleener – the Cool Cat, Owl, and Chihuahua Bags. They are 100% cotton canvas, 16 x 14″, and roomy enough even for larger stitching projects, books, groceries, you name it. Hand silk-screened with embroidered details.

 

There are new customer FOs to share, too. Marsha’s classic shawl is in Shibui Staccato.

 

Bonnie’s socks combine Opal and Regia yarns for a jazzy, fun pair.

Below, To Eyre* from designer Carol Sunday. The knitter (who wishes to remain anonymous) said she loved how her shawl turned out in madelinetosh Vintage.

 

I’m another fan of madelinetosh and used her tosh dk for a Flax sweater in a child’s size 4-6. I changed the garter stitch panel on the sleeve to a cable. For the doll-size version, I used Cascade 220 Superwash Sport and US 4s and 6s with the 6-12 month size of the pattern.

 

 

The shop sample for Fino, our July featured yarn from Manos del Uruguay, is Helen Stewart’s Pebble Beach Shawl*. The pattern is written for three sizes, and ours turned out to be a very small Small, using only three of the mini skeins and perhaps 25 yards of a fourth. At any size, Pebble Beach would be lovely in either Paulie, Alegria, or Gleem.

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

 

 

Do you love silk/mohair yarn as much as we do? Then you’ll love our new Sugarbush Drizzle in over a dozen useful shades. Use alone or hold with other yarns to give your stitching that unique soft mohair halo. Even the price is nice, 219 yards for under $10.

Sometimes the primary colors of a yarn sell out quickly, sometimes the neutrals. With the Alpaca Yarn Co. Classic Alpaca, it was the natural “Alpaca-colored” shades that disappeared from our shelves first. Now they’re back beside all the fun, crayon brights of our favorite 100% baby alpaca DK weight. Another yarn under $10.

New shades of Malabrigo Lace have also arrived. We had to have more! Price-wise, we’re 3 for 3; Lace is just $8.80 for 470 yards of oh-so-squishy merino lace weight yarn.

Our shop sample of Gina Bonomo’s Alla Moda scarf demonstrates that lace weight doesn’t have to mean lace knitting. Grab a US 6 needle and knit stockinette, alternating colors every row. How easy is that?

 

We used Glazed Carrot and Fucsia (sic), which made an entirely new shade of wow.

Yes, our new Trendsetter Transitions yarn has been featured in one of our emails, on our Facebook and Instagram feeds, and on our Ravelry group discussion threads. What can we say? We just can’t get enough of it.

 

It comes in 660 yard ombré wheels (Transitions) or 880 yard color blending wheels (Transitions Smoothies) in nifty pull-out packaging. There are several free patterns you can choose from with purchase, such as the Striped Rib Triangle Shawl* below.

Here are some Transitions Smoothies samples we saw in the Trendsetter booth at the recent trade show, and the pattern will be available soon. Those colors!

 

The Fibre Company also knows its way around the color wheel. Beautiful Luma, their new DK weight wool/cotton/linen/silk blend, can be subtle and subdued…

…or not. Annie chose the shade Zinnia for her Luma Stone Point* poncho, and it is gorgeous. A true year-round yarn, this will be as wearable and comfortable on chilly autumn days as cool summer evenings.

 

Alice picked silvery grey and pure white Solo Lino for her Calva Dorsa from Diane Malinowski. The pattern uses slipped stitches to blend the colors. We’d already re-stocked some of the colors of Lana Grossa Solo Lino before seeing this charmer, and are we glad we did! We know Alice’s will inspire other knitters to make their own Calva Dorsa in Solo Lino. Like Luma, Solo Lino (100% linen, but you’d never know it) is comfortable and chic all year long.

 

 

Tina finished this über-adorable Mabel from Fiona Alice in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok. Pattern is free on Ravelry.

Speaking of Ravelry, you are planning to attend Stephanie Hogan’s Ravelry Roundtable on Saturday, July 22, 2:30-3:30 p.m., right? Stephanie is our very own Ravelry Guru, and she returns for another of her popular Ravelry FAQ sessions. She’ll introduce you to some of the site’s newer features and answer your questions about getting the most out of Ravelry.com. If you knit or crochet, you should know Ravelry! Bring your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, ready to login. The event is free, but seating is limited. Please call to let us know you’re coming, 570-287-9999.

We just couldn’t say no to the Gleener when we spotted it at the trade show. It’s the ultimate fuzz remover. It can be used to renew and refresh everything from your favorite sweater (hand knit or not) to the cushion on a child’s car seat – anywhere that those icky pills pop up. Blankets, socks, slacks, upholstery, you name it. Stop by the shop for a demo of the original Gleener. There’s even a Gleener On the Go travel size, perfect to stash in your car or desk, and a FURniture brush attachment for – you guessed it – pet hair. Your days of buying sticky rollers are over!

 

The last word goes to Cardiff Cashmere Classic, our June Summer of Luxury yarn. It may be July, but we still have several shades of this enticing yarn left in store. Come in and grab some before it’s all gone. One ball makes these Lace Back Fingerless Gloves* from Churchmouse.

 

 

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

 

Four things we want you to know:

First, Fino is our featured July Summer of Luxury yarn, on sale 10% off throughout July. Imagine the softest merino fingering weight yarn that’s ever passed through your fingers, imagine it 10x softer and with the shimmer of silk and you’ll have Fino. We opened the box, and this is what was waiting inside. Couldn’t you just dive in?

Manos del Uruguay, the distributors of Fino, have just introduced mini-skein bundles of Fino, 490 yards in all, and we have all seven Victorian-themed colorways. As if this one, Augusta, wasn’t gorgeous enough…

…there are six more, Clarissa, Beatrix, Dorothea…

   

…Eleanor, Flora, and Georgiana.

  

Manos also has debuted three new free patterns that call for the mini-skeins plus one full-size skein, which we also have in stock.

 

Above, Charnley Scarf, Rings of Rings Cowl, and Incremento Shawl. Copies of the patterns are free with purchase.

Join us for a free FINO MEET & GREET on Saturday, July 8, 2-4 p.m. To sample the yarn, bring US 4-7 needles or G-H hooks.

Fino is not only beautiful, it’s yarn that does good in the world. Manos del Uruguay is a non-profit organization that supports cooperatives of artisans (mostly women) throughout Uruguay that hand spin and dye yarn. So every skein you buy helps support a family!

 

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Second, back by popular demand, Stephanie Hogan, our Ravelry Guru, will lead a RAVELRY ROUNDTABLE on Saturday, July 22, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

This is a free event. Come with questions and your tablet, laptop, or smartphone, ready to log into Ravelry.com.

You’ll learn how to get the most out of this amazing site, definitely the best resource for knitters and crocheters on the web. Ravelry is always adding clever, new things to the site – one of the things we love about it! – and Stephanie will be able to take us on a tour of the basic and enhanced features.

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Third, new needles! We now carry Chiao Goo Bamboo SPIN interchangeables. They’re made of the strongest bamboo on the planet with sharp, fast tips. The join is secure and smooth. And the flexible nylon cables spin around in their ends, eliminating the dreaded cord kink. What’s not to love?

 

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And, finally, fourth, have we mentioned lately how what amazing knitters and crocheters you all are lately? Yes, it’s time for your FOs!

Here are Joanne’s socks made with Holiday Yarn. Love the contrast heels and toes and the stripes that match.

And here are Catherine’s socks made with Regia Arne & Carlos. More matching pairs. My hat’s off to anyone who can make their socks match!

 

Joan’s chose Berroco Modern Cotton for her Herald* from Woolenberry – a great example of a pattern written for a fingering weight being upsized to a larger yarn and needle, taking on an entirely new look. What a perfect summer shawl.

 

Joan gave Lynn di Cristina’s Edison* shawl a completely original twist, too, with our June featured yarn, Cardiff Cashmere Classic.

 

Bonnie’s Cashmere Classic project was the Snowlynn* Hat by Heidi May. Like Joan’s Edison, it is beyond luxurious.

Joanne is not just a sock knitter. Her adorable Baa-ble Hat* is in Berroco Ultra Wool. The designer is Donna Smith. The sweet little heart hat is Sirdar Snuggly. (I’ll need to find out the pattern name.)

 

More pink cuteness, Paulette’s dress comes from Crochet Fantasy magazine. It’s called the Pink Frills Dress. The ruffly diaper cover is her own creation; her yarn is Modern Cotton.

Gina is our Woolstok Whisperer. It was her choice for this spectacular Timber cardigan from Within: Knitting Patterns to Warm the Soul by Shannon Cook and Jane Richmond.

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

We’re so excited to present our June selection for Camp GYI’s Summer of Luxury…

Cardiff Cashmere Classic is a 100% cashmere DK weight yarn from Biella, Italy. We have ten – 10! – colors in stock. It is AMAZING.

Sample it yourself at our Summer of Luxury Yarn Tasting this Saturday, June 3rd, 2:00-4:00 p.m. (Sample one of our tasty watermelon coolers, too.)

This year at Camp GYI, there are no camp projects to sign up for, no required purchases, no deadlines. Just beautiful, beautiful yarn. Treat yourself to some of the world’s finest fibers and save 10% on each yarn all month long.

I have Cashmere Classic on my needles right now for a pair of Lace-Back Fingerless Gloves* from Churchmouse, and it is absolute heaven to work with.

*Take a class for beginning lace knitting using the Lace-Back Fingerless Gloves pattern. Saturday, June 24th, 2:00-4:00 p.m., $30. Call to register soon!