July: Dual Make-alongs Incoming!
Sharing a little life hack that improved my knitting experience last week: I bought a small five-hook coat rack, and installed it next to our sofa, just about at the height of the sofa arm. And that's where my project bags live now! Easy to see, and out of the way, and a bonus is that they are close enough to where I sit that if I'm working from a center pull ball (which I'm not always, due to my deep love for the Lemonwood Mini Minders) that I can work on a project without taking it out of its bag! 🤯
…mark your calendars
Social Stitching
Every Saturday, 2-4pm
Bring your current project, and spend some time with others who really vibe on yarn!
WIP Bingo
June 1-30
Join Cerulean Orchid, Yarn Folk, and other participating shops for a round of WIP Bingo! Low stakes, lots of prizes, and a little extra oomph to finish some projects! We have BINGO sheets here at Yarn Folk, or you can download one here.
Olive Knits 4 Day KAL
July 3 - 31
Choose your own level of challenge--knit it in four days, or at a pace that works with YOUR July. Either way, join us for the fun! You can find more info at Olive Knits here. And take a look at our kit options here (there's fun surprise swag with your kit purchase, too).
Also Coming in July: Christmas Stocking KAL 🧑🏻🎄❄️🎄🧦🧧🎁
See below!
…new in the shop
UPS just dropped off a box from Berroco, and when I dove inside, I discovered that it was a two-piece shipment! No worries, just a couple of bags are in the second box, and they'll be here tomorrow. (Today, for your purposes.)
What was inside? A Berroco Vintage restock, plus two new yarns, one from Lang, and one from West Yorkshire Spinners.
We've been without lace weight (other than mohair) for a little bit, and we've brought in a palette of choices we thought would be lovely in shawls. Exquisite Lace from West Yorkshire Spinners is just that--an exquisite blend of 80% Falkland Wool and 20% silk, in a generous 100g, 875 yard skein. Beyond lace knitting, lace weight yarn can also be carried along with other gauges to modify the color a bit, without making a big change to the gauge.
Fortuna is a new yarn from Lang, and it's a super soft blend of 90% wool, and 10% cashmere. The spray dye effect is really interesting as a fabric--see below for the small project I've started as a sample!
…to inspire
As promised, we're back this week with a Ravelry bundle of Christmas stocking patterns--traditionally more are knit, but we found some nice crochet options, too.
Stranded knitting is frequently used for Christmas stockings, and many of these patterns have mix-and-match motifs. But you'll also see other techniques--textured knitting, cables, intarsia, stripes, and color blocking. Reds and greens and white or cream are the dominant color choices, but don't be afraid to branch out if it suits you! I mean, how charming are these and these?
Full bundle can be found here. If you're making-along, you can use the hashtag #YarnFolkChristmasInJuly on social media, or send finished or progress pics to me (ann@yarnfolk.com) and we'll do a photo round up at the end of July!
...currently stitching
Spill the Tea: ta-da! I can wholeheartedly recommend this as a very fun knit. This is the Pine/Mustard/Azalea colorway from the Como kits. Other options we have as kits are Wooldreamers Saona + Urth Yarns Spiral Grain, and Berroco Lanas Light + Schoppel Edition 3.
A note about the livestreams with Marie Greene this year: the lives will be hosted on Zoom, but the links to them will be posted in the Knitalong with Olive Knits Facebook group, and in Olive Knits Knit Camp if you are a member. You can find the schedule of livestreams on PAGE 6 of your pattern preorder! She does such a nice job hosting; you'll want to check them out.
This is Olga Putano's Distance Scarf DK, about halfway through the smallest size in the new Fortuna from Lang. The length is easily adjustable, but to confirm that one ball would be enough for the smallest size, I divided the ball into equal weights, and confirmed that I had completed half the repeats before using all of the first "ball" of yarn. (Quotation marks in use because the two half-portions were connected.) This design is in the category of small scarves that are so fun to make, and to wear.
