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https://goshyarnitshop.com/2023/01/23302/

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Year-end greetings from your far-flung correspondent. I may be a couple of hundred miles away from the shop, but that hasn’t kept me from keeping an eye on all the lovely things you’ve been making with GYI yarn. This last post of the year is a gallery of some of 2022’s greatest hits — the ones Jill, Kathy, and Tina have been able to admire in person. (Warning: picture-heavy post!)

Kayla’s Dotty* designed by Elena Fedotova in Malabrigo Rios and Malabrigo Sock.

Kayla’s Boho Beaded Pocket Scarf* by tl.crochet in Malabrigo Rios.

Shop sample of Sailors Watch Cowl by Mallory Krall by Rebecca in Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Display sample of GYI shop pattern for a double crochet beanie made by Kelly in Malabrigo Rios.

Kathy’s herringbone neckwarmer by Breean Elyse Miller in Malabrigo Rasta in color Porrinho.

Mary’s crocheted S3 Socks by Cara Louise Reitbauer in the exclusive GYI colorway from The Sheepyshire, below.

Mary’s Zurie* by the Berroco Design Team in Berroco Dash.

Mary’s Dreaming of the Slopes Hat* by Angela Plunkett in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Tweed in color Tiger Lily.

Kathy’s Portland Cap by Mary Pranica in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Tweed, also in Tiger Lily.

Another Portland Cap by Kathy in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Tweed in color Midsummer Night

Why not kick off your New Year’s knitting with Woolstok Tweed and a fun KAL? GYI is participating in the Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok KAL for a cozy layering piece, the Ely Capelet*, below. Official start date is January 9, ending March 31. The capelet pattern is size inclusive, up to 62″, and takes 5+ skeins of Woolstok Tweed. Pattern is free with your yarn purchase at GYI. I’m sure there will be plenty of updates coming from GYI on Instagram and Facebook.

Kathy’s Chardon by Sarah Kenyon in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok.

Stephanie’s Gry* by Arne & Carlos in Rowan Felted Tweed.

Stephanie’s Phishing Mitt(en)s* from Jesie Ostermiller in Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Kathy’s Timber* fingerless mitts from tincanknits in Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Jill’s Ikigai Cowl* by Breean Elyse Miller in Malabrigo Caprino, below.

Gina’s Skyward by Yigitcan Vatansever in Malabrigo Rios in color Whales Road.

Gina’s Avena* by Jennifer Steingass in Kelbourne Woolens Scout for her main color and stash yarn for the yoke.

Steven’s The Snuggle Is Real* by Maxim Cyr in yarns purchased at The Sheepyshire trunk show this summer.

Steven’s Elisabeth by Georgia Farrell, knit with modifications from Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, in Berroco Mercado, below.

Tina W.’s Jinkies* by Kate Davies in stash yarn.

Tina W.’s Ariel socks* by Sari Nordlund, also in stash yarn.

Bonnie’s Cierra* from Ella Rae in Rowan Felted Tweed.

Bonnie’s Ariadne* child’s dress by Lisa Chemery in stash yarn.

Two beanies from Bonnie using the Worsted Knit Basic Beanie by Diane Serviss in stash yarns with GYI’s fur pompoms.

Sarah’s Burrow Hat from Purl Soho in Malabrigo Rios.

Tina R.’s Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure in The Sheepyshire Staple Sock.

Jaime used a personal pattern for this child’s hat and earwarmer set with one hank of The Sheepyshire Maizy Super Bulky.

Mary crocheted the Bristol Beanie by Lee Sartori twice, using each of the colorways of The Sheepyshire Staple Sock Holiday Sets Santa Claus Lane and Light One Candle, below.

Kathy’s I’m So Basic socks from Summer Lee, also in The Sheepyshire Staple Sock Holiday Set Santa Claus Lane. Summer Lee’s pattern must be one of Kathy’s favorites — below, two more pairs in stash yarn.

Three views of Charlotte’s Jigsaw Puzzle* by Stephen West in stash yarns.

Charlotte’s Painting Bricks Shawl*, another Stephen West design, in stash yarns. She finished the piece without the sawtooth border. If you’re intrigued by the “brick” pattern — an ideal use for mini skeins — West has versions for a blanket, cowl, hat, sweater, scarf, socks, and mittens as well.

Joni’s Color Strike* shawl by Josh Ryks-Robinsky in madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light.

Joni’s Chilton Cowl* by Bobbi Intveld using a Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Bundle in the Holiday Frost colorway.

Joni’s 21 Color Slouch* by Virginia Sattler-Reimer made with a Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Bundle in the Holiday Cheer colorway. Below, the Holiday Cheer and Holiday Frost sets.

The mini-ornaments below, free patterns by Nancy Ekvall from the Blue Sky Fibers website, were designed for Woolstok Bundles but would be great for your stash leftovers, too: Holiday Cheer Mini Hat and Holiday Cheer Mini Mitt.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to finish a stocking in plenty of time for the 2023 holidays, remember that Candide Christmas Classics Stocking Kits can be ordered from GYI all year long for only $36.

One of my resolutions is to get back to GYI as soon as I can to get my hands on the beautiful yarns that have come in since I left in April. Looks like I missed a glorious restock of Knittinbro Sock. These pictures were taken in November. My guess is many have sold out by now!

I don’t want to miss this yummy Berroco Lanas Light.

Kathy’s Sketchbook Hat* by the Berroco Design Team in Berroco Lanas Light.

Gwenn’s personal pattern for Fair Isle mittens in Lanas Light.

Machine washable Lang Cashmerino for Babies & More would be perfect for a wee one I’ve been knitting for recently.

Jill’s Spelt* by Lisa Chemery in Cashmerino for Babies and More.

I’ll close with a confession about the wildly popular Sophie Scarf* by PetiteKnit, below.

When it first debuted in July on the designer’s Instagram account and on Ravelry, all I could think of was (and I know I’m dating myself!) this:

But the more photos that showed up on social media showing it as just a fun accessory for a pop of color, it began to win me over.

And then Kathy used some of GYI’s Malabrigo Caprino for this beauty:

I mean, c’mon — the chance to use an 80/20 merino/cashmere? And a quick knit that takes less that 150 yards?

There could be quite a few Sophie scarves wrapped up with bows by December 2023 because, of course, I’ll be keeping that other resolution to do a little gift knitting every month, right? And who knows, maybe even a Sophie Shawl* for myself?

Happy and Healthy New Year, everyone.

May your 2023 be filled with smiles — and many contented hours of stitching!

Note: patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at GYI and Ravelry.

Image by kjpargeter on Freepik

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!

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