Gearing up for the annual Olive Knits 4-Day KAL!
If you follow Yarn Folk on Instagram or Facebook, or, like us, are an Olive Knits superfan, you may have seen last week's announcement of this year's 4 Day KAL theme: Lemon Spritz!
Once again, Yarn Folk is a participating vendor, and this year, we're offering you the chance to join Marie in a special Zoom event on June 9th from 1-2pm PDT. There's no cost to attend, and you can register here.
As for the sweater itself, this year's design is a sweet tee knit from the top down with raglan shaping, short sleeves (yaaaayyyy) with fun leaf-shaped ties, and a simple lace pattern for the lower torso.
I'm working on the shop sample now, and you can find our yarn suggestions on a page dedicated to all things Lemon Spritz. You can also find additional preview images there. And remember--while it all started as a 4 Day KAL, these days the fun continues through the entire month of July, and there's no pressure to finish--choose your *own* timeline!
…mark your calendars
Social Stitching
Every Saturday, 2-4pm
Join us around the big table for a couple of hours of convivial stitching.
Knit or Crochet Every Day in May
May 1-31
We're winding down the challenge! If you're a finisher, remember to email a photo of your completed tracker by 11:59pm on June 4th--in person or email to ann@yarnfolk.com, and on June 5, I will draw a winner from all completed entries. The prize? A gift basket + a $50 gift certificate to Yarn Folk. Everyone who completes the challenge will receive a $5 off coupon.
Our month-long challenge to commit to a few stitches a day to enter for prizes at the end is in progress! If you share what you're working on online, please use the hashtags #KnitOrCrochetEveryDayInMay, #KnitOrCrochetEveryDayInMay2023, #KOCEDM, or #KOCEDM2023
Olive Knits 4-Day KAL Pattern Pre-Order
May 26
You will be able to pre-order your Lemon Spritz pattern--with swatching and sizing information--on Ravelry or Olive Knits.
Olive Knits 4-Day KAL Zoom Event with Marie Greene
June 9, 1-2pm
We'll be sharing more details on May 18th! Mark your calendars, and stay tuned.
Worldwide Knit in Public Day
June 10, 2-4pm
Weather permitting, we'll be moving Social Stitching out onto the sidewalk. Crocheting in public is also entirely welcome.
Temporary Schedule Changes
Memorial Day
May 29, Open 9a-1p
Week of June 19th
Mon-Tue 7a-3:30p (normal), Wed-Thu 9a-3:30p, Friday 9a-5p, Saturday 9a-4p
4th of July
TBD
...new in the shop
Saona is the yarn I'm using for my (first?) Lemon Spritz tee sample. The newest yarn from WoolDreamers (who brought us Manchelopis), Saona is a blend of 50% Spanish wool (merina extrafina and manchega) and 50% Andalusian cotton. All of the fiber is traceable back to the ranch or farm, and it is Oeko-Tex 100 certified. The yardage is amazing--240 yards in a 50g ball--I'm just a few rows from the end of the raglan increases, and I just started the second ball.
Saona is named with the family heritage so important to WoolDreamers in mind:
Saona is the name of the river to which grandfather Julián and his sons Teodoro and Ramón used to go with their cart drawn by mules and full of woolen fleeces. There they spent the days while they washed the wool and left it ready to later dry it, card it, spin it and weave the blankets.
The yarn itself is a fingering weight, but it is so springy and spongy that it can be knit on larger than usual needles, and yield a very respectable fabric. It's available in seven shades, and the palette was developed with Hailey Smedley (Ozetta Knitwear). I can see from project notes on Ravelry that she's got a new design in the works for this special yarn.
…to inspire
The Mad May event last Saturday was a fun day, and if you weren't able to make it in, the two garment trunk shows (one Tosh Merino Light, one Tosh DK) are here through June 10th. There are three sweaters, four cowls, a shawl, a hat, and a baby blanket. The Brick Road Cowl and the Bubble Wrap Cowl got lots of admiring looks, and both achieve their distinctive textures using only slipped stitches.
And congrats to door prize winners Nicole H, LeighAnn H, and Katherine S! All have been notified by email.
...currently stitching
Here are the finished Basic Doodle Socks I test knit for I am using Dream in Color Lamb & Goat, a super cozy wool and cashmere blend. My project notes are here--I used less than one skein of each color. I mentioned a last minute color decision last week, and that was the gold toes. In high school, I worked evenings and weekends at a mall department store, almost always in the men's department. I still remember the frenzy of the annual Gold Toe Sock sale, which perplexed me at the time, but it was sure nice to meet the sales quota easily. The socks themselves were sedate--black, brown, navy--but they always had the gold toe. I couldn't resist using the color on a pair that has a lot more going for it in terms of color!
PS--The Baby Cat Grunge and Gentle palettes would be all kinds of fantastic for this pattern.
