Latest News

Leave the dishes in the sink, there’s a sale this Friday and Saturday!

It’s our way of saying thank you to our supportive, talented, inspiring customers. Nowadays, with so many places to buy yarn, find patterns, get advice, and learn how-to, we’re proud to offer all that and more as your local yarn shop.

We hope to see you on “Black Friday” or “Small Business Saturday.” Whether you’re making for others, making for yourself, or giving to your fellow makers, this is the best time to stock up and save on yarn and other good things. If you can’t make it to the shop in person, call with a telephone order. And have the happiest of Thanksgivings!

 

We love the updated look and features of our new website and hope you do, too! We have the talented Carrie of Identity Design Services to thank for the makeover (as well as all the behind-the-scenes bells and whistles that websites need these days to be read on all devices). We found Carrie, who is a knitter herself, through friends in the yarn business. If you are looking for a website designer/developer, she is a joy to work with.

Our original WordPress-based blog has been retired. Older posts have been moved over here. To celebrate the convenience of having all our GYI news finally in one place, this post features only finished projects – if it weren’t for our wonderful customers using our yarn and coming back for more, we wouldn’t be going into our 8th year and re-launching our website!

Renee made her stunning Void shawl with Woolstok from Blue Sky Fibers. This is going to be a cozy and comforting shawl for the winter ahead.

Grey is clearly a favorite of Renee’s. Her Ghostwood Mittens* from Kiyomi Burgin were worked with a strand of cinder-y Berroco Ultra Wool held with a strand of Sugarbush Drizzle silk/mohair. Renee said she enjoyed working the pattern’s afterthought thumb, especially after reading the designer’s helpful tutorial on picking up stitches.

No neutrals for Bonnie – her choice for Stephanie Lotven’s Mrs. Clause Pointy Hat was a bright and jolly shade of Silk Blend from Manos del Uruguay.

Brigid followed the classic 1898 Hat pattern and used Malabrigo Rios for her latest hat. The double layer of garter stitch in the earflap brim means no cold ears for Brigid on her daily walks! The designer is Kristine Byrnes.

For my early morning walks, holding on to a dog on a leash, I’m wearing these fingerless gloves in Malabrigo Rios. The pattern is Spiced Cocoa* from Laura Aylor.

At 6:30 a.m. in the cold and dark, I’m also sporting my Lanvad Hat* with its new upper story. The first time I cast off this hat in Berroco Ultra Alpaca, it was being made as a shop sample. Once it was retired, I reclaimed it, pulled out the top decrease rows and added more repeats of the cabling to better fit my melon-size head. And it worked! Lanvad Hat* (and it’s matching cowl) designed by Justyna Lorkowska.

 

Speaking of shop samples, Catherine completed this gorgeous Stitch Sampler Shawl recently to showcase our big, beautiful 765 yard cakes of Gomitolo 200 from Lana Grossa. You could use a gradient yarn like Gomitolo or multiple yarns for this pattern from On This Day Designs – could be a great stash buster!

 

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

If you’re looking for our December class listings, you’ll find them below – just skip the next part about my Good Fortune Wrist Warmers, which can now be yours free!

With the help of my wonderful test knitters, Brigid and Jane, the pattern is ready to share. There’s even been a pair seen “in the wild” – Wanda’s cheery ones in Shamrock Arranmore Light came to visit Saturday. The curry-colored ones are Brigid’s, made with Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarns, our lovely new Italian merino superwash. As you can see, they give you just the right bit of extra cozy coverage against the cold, leaving your fingers completely free. They are a super fast knit, using less than 100 yards of DK weight yarn, and would make great gifts.

Click here for a downloadable PDF:

Good Fortune Wrist Warmers, v. 2018

(If you’re stumped by some of the techniques involved in making them, check out my class on Saturday, December 16!)

---

DECEMBER CLASSES

Call to register, 570-287-9999

KNITTING 101
Saturday, Dec 2 / 9:00-10:00 AM
Learn how to cast on, knit and purl, and bind off. All materials provided in class. Participants receive 10% New Knitter Discount for all purchases made that day.
Fee: $15

THRUMMED MITTENS
Saturday, Dec 2 / 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
Add a fluffy lining of unspun wool fleece to your mittens to keep hands unbelievably warm. Either double point needles or Magic Loop method may be used for these adult size mittens.
Materials: (1) skein Malabrigo Rios (210 yards/100g) or approx. 200 yards similar worsted weight yarn; US 6/4mm 32” circular needle or (1) set US 6/4mm double point needles; pattern and white wool roving will be provided.
Fee: $30

FIRST HAT / FAST GIFT: Croft House Beanie
Saturday, Dec 2 / 2:00-4:00 PM
Croft House Beanie is a simple but stylish hat that’s a quick knit, even if you’re new to circular needles. We’ll discuss brim options and how to re-size patterns that like this one that are written for a single adult size.
Materials: (1) skein Berroco Ultra Wool (219 yards/100g) or (2) skeins Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok (123 yards/50g) or approx. 200 yards similar worsted weight yarn; US 7/4.5mm 16” circular and (1) set US 7/4.5mm double point needles; copy of pattern Croft House Beanie by Courtney Kelley (free on Ravelry).
Fee: $30

STRANDED KNITTING STUDY GROUP
Wednesday, Dec 6 / 2:00-3:00 PM
This is a once-monthly gathering for stranded knitters. It’s not a class, and there is no cost to attend. If you have already learned this colorwork technique, also known as Fair Isle knitting, you know the only way to become proficient is practice, practice, practice – so that’s what we will do together! Participants are invited to bring their own projects and share any tutorials, patterns, videos, etc. that they have found helpful.
Fee: Free

CABLES FROM CHARTS: Bonner Hat
Saturday, Dec 9 / 9:00-11:00 AM
Once your cables begin to travel as well as cross, charted patterns make them much easier to knit. The Bonner Hat is covered in sinuous ropey cables but using a yarn like mYak Baby Yak Medium ensures a lightweight, warm hat that will still have a soft drape. Cable chart reading will be explained and participants will practice making their own simple graphs.
Materials: (2) skeins mYak Baby Yak Medium (125 yards/50g) or approx. 180 yards similar worsted weight yarn; US 4/3.5mm 16” circular needle, US 7/4.5mm 16” circular needle, and (1) set US 7/4.5mm double point needles; copy of pattern Bonner Hat by Sarah Solomon (available at GYI).
Fee: $30

INTRODUCTION TO BRIOCHE: Bundled in Brioche
Saturday, Dec 9 / 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Stephen West’s scarf is the perfect first 2-color brioche project and can be made with as few as two colors or as many as nine. Make it as long as you like; once you start brioche-ing, you may not want to stop.
Materials: 2-color version – (2) skeins each of (2) colors of Malabrigo Rios (210 yards/100g) or madelinetosh TOSH DK (225 yards/125g) or approx. 800 yards of similar worsted weight yarn; US 8/5mm needles; copy of pattern Bundled in Brioche by Stephen West (free on Ravelry).
Fee: $30

OOPS: FIXING MISTAKES IN KNITTING
Saturday, Dec 9 / 2:30-4:00 PM
Learn to recognize the structure of good knit and purl stitches so you’ll know what to do when one goes wrong, including how to pick up dropped stitches, un-knit, rip back, and remake incorrect stitches. Some pre-class homework required.
Materials: small amount of white or natural worsted weight 100% wool yarn; US 8/5mm needles.
Fee: $25

COOL CAST-ONS
Wednesday, Dec 13 / 2:00-4:00 PM
Sure you can use the same cast-on over and over, but why not match each project to its perfect cast-on every time? You’ll practice provisional, tubular, and stretchy cast-ons in this class.
Materials: small amount of white or natural worsted weight 100% wool yarn; US 8/5mm needles.
Fee: $30

LEARN MAGIC LOOP: FINGERLESS MITTS
Saturday, Dec 16 / 9:00-11:00 AM
New to knitting in the round? If double point needles seem scary, master the Magic Loop method to make these fashionable fingerless mitts, either with or without thumb.
Materials: (1) skein Berroco Ultra Wool (219 yards/100g) or approx. 220 yards similar worsted weight yarn; US 7/4.5mm 32” circular needle; pattern will be provided.
Fee: $30

GOOD FORTUNE WRIST WARMERS
Saturday, Dec 16 / 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Make a pair of these wristlets in a day. They’re knit flat and shaped with Shadow Wrap short rows. Choose to finish them off with either a 3-Needle Bind Off or the Kitchener Stitch; all techniques will be demonstrated.
Materials: (1) skein Fibre Company Arranmore Light (328 yards/100g) or Ewe Ewe Yarns Ewe So Sporty (145 yards/50g) or approx. 100 yards similar DK weight yarn; US 5/3.75mm needles, locking stitch markers; pattern will be provided.
Fee: $30

INTRODUCTION TO CABLES: 2×2 Button Scarf
Saturday, Dec 16 / 2:30-4:00 PM
Begin your cable knitting career with this big and bold scarf that can button up into a cowl – a great last-minute gift.
Materials: (1) skein Baah Sequoia (85 yards/130g) or Malabrigo Chunky (100 yards/100g) or approx. 100 yards similar bulky weight yarn; US 11/8mm needles; cable needle; (2) 1.5” buttons; copy of pattern 2×2 by Tin Can Knits (free on Ravelry).
Fee: $25

DESIGN YOUR OWN CLASS: Private Instruction
What would you like to learn? Design your own private lessons in knitting or crochet. You pick the project and/or the techniques. Register for a single hour-long lesson or save when you purchase two or more classes, which can be scheduled at mutually convenient times. Want to work on the same project with friends? Groups of up to 3 can be accommodated at the same time.
Fees: 1 class – $15; 2 classes – $27.50; 3 classes – $40

GYI CLASS POLICIES

• With the exception of Knitting 101, basic knitting skills are required to attend our classes. You must know how to knit, purl, cast on, and bind off. If you’d like help mastering the fundamentals before taking a class, please take our Knitting 101 instruction.
• Payment is due at registration. Fees are non-refundable unless class is cancelled by Gosh Yarn It!  Class withdrawals will be accepted with 2 weeks advance notice and store credit will be issued for class fee. If less than 2 weeks notice is given, store credit will be given only if we can fill your space in the class with another student.
• Gosh Yarn It! reserves the right to cancel or reschedule classes that do not meet the required minimum enrollment of 3 students; class fees can be be refunded or held as store credit to be used for enrollment in future classes or private instruction. Any class cancelled due to inclement weather will be re-scheduled.
• Supplies for Knitting 101 are included in the class fee. Unless otherwise noted, however, materials are not included in fees.
• We really do appreciate your business and give participants a 10% discount on all in-stock supplies required for classes. To avoid disappointment with your finished product, we ask that you purchase all your class materials at GYI.
• Bring basic notions with you to class, including scissors, round and locking stitch markers, a small crochet hook (“fixer”), and a darning needle.
• Please purchase supplies and wind yarn prior to class. If this is not possible, please arrive in plenty of time before session begins to do so. A yarn winder and swift are available for student use.

Smooshy and Tosh – it sounds like a Smurf law firm. Fun to say but even more fun to stitch with! We are excited to welcome Dream in Color Smooshy back to GYI with 20 gorgeous colorways for you to choose from. Its bouncy twist makes it a great choice for cushy socks as well as lacy shawls. The stats on Smooshy:

• fingering weight
• 100% superwash merino
• hand-dyed “veiled colors”
• 450 yards/113g
• $24

(Smooshy colors also come with fantastic names. The skein above is “Kiss Me Kate.”)

Our walls are filling up just in time for gift stitching season. Below, all new colors of madelinetosh Tosh DK are hanging around the corner from our new Smooshy.

And there’s more new madelinetosh – full skeins of Tosh Merino Light are now here to play with the Unicorn Tails.

j

Have you held a skein of Arranmore Light in your hands yet? That’s all it takes to fall in love with this Fibre Company yarn. Each DK weight skein is a generous 328 yards of merino/cashmere/silk blended Irish tweed. Arranmore makes it possible to use “tweed” and “next to skin soft” in the same sentence!

Our Arranmore shop sample will debut soon, a Churchmouse Easy Folded Poncho. The next post will include the pattern for my Good Fortune Wrist Warmers, and we still have a few kits available in cheery Shamrock green.

Our newest shop sample is Serpentina from Manos del Uruguay. First, it was knit into a 1×1 rib scarf, then we wrapped it up into a cowl with 2 Jūl leather snap closures.

We’re happy to share the “recipe.” Take one skein of Serpentina, like this one:

With US 10.5 needles, cast on 33 stitches (or any odd number).

Row 1 (RS): [knit 1, purl 1] across row to last stitch, knit 1.

Row 2 (WS): Slip first stitch purlwise, [knit 1, purl 1] across row to last stitch, slip last stitch purlwise with yarn in front.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 to desired length. Bind off in pattern. Enjoy as a scarf or turn into a cowl with a “statement button” or Jūl closure. (Fringe is always an option.) That’s it!

 

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!