Olive Knits 4Day KAL Kits are LIVE⚡
It's so much fun when you find your people, and even more fun when you get to do fun stuff like hang out and gab about a knitalong on a Zoom call! Lisa from One City Market, Lucinda from Mont Tricot, and Nancy from Knitapestry and I did just that last week, and if you missed it, you can catch a replay here.
(That's Lisa, above, with her nearly finished (but unblocked) sample. Bonus content: Lucinda's shop is in Québec, so there are portions of the Zoom where she recaps in French 🗼)
And see below for our suggested yarns and kits!
…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.
Brioche Knitting with Anita Osterhaug (waitlist)
June 15
Book signing and brioche class with Anita Osterhaug, author of Nordic Hands, and editor emerita of Handwoven magazine. Class is full; please email if you would like to be added to the waitlist.
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.
Also Coming in July: Christmas Stocking KAL 🧑🏻🎄❄️🎄🧦🧧🎁
…new in the shop
We restocked Malabrigo Rios last week, just as the wall was getting much sparser than it should be! I ordered a few colors we haven't had around for awhile--oh hi, Lettuce, you are so cute! We also added the new colors of Bamboo Pop Sock (the color numbers in the 800s), which is perfect for non-wool socks, but also makes a *great* fabric for summer tees. (The Grasslands Tank is a really nice free design, and Flax Sock (formerly known as Flax Light*) is easy-care and comfy for kids in Bamboo Pop Sock.)
And speaking of kid knits, we also brought in RicoBaby Dream DK. While Yarn Folk focuses on natural fibers, and natural fiber blends, we do occasionally stock a high quality synthetic, and this one passed the test--it's made in Italy, and adheres to the Oeko-Tex 100 standards. When I saw samples made with it at trade show, I was impressed by the hand of the fabric. There are loads of baby and kid patterns written for DK weight yarn, but for our purposes here, let's return to the orphaned asterisk from the preceding paragraph. Why is Flax Light now called Flax Sock? Well, that's because there is now Flax DK! Your favorite first sweater pattern in three different yarn weights, and all of them are still free.
We also have a number of new notions from Twice Sheared Sheep. The adjustable Work Until...Measuring Tape is especially clever. But so are the Knit Increase/Decrease Counter Sets, the Shortie Cable Needles are the perfect size to stick in your work in between cable rounds, the stitch markers are elegantly designed, and the stitch marker tins really couldn't be any more charming.
…to inspire
We're devoting a little more space to the Olive Knits 4Day KAL (happening this year from July 3-31). We wanted to share links to the kits, but also give you a peek at how we put them together.
Our first featured yarn is Como, from a new-to-us German yarn company, LAMANA. (This isn't shouting--they use all caps 🙃) Como is a yarn from their Super Light collection--the 25g balls contain 132yds of 3 ply Merino wool--all things being equal, you would expect a yarn with those specs to be a light fingering. But due to its beautiful bloom, Como is comfortably worked as a sport or DK yarn. For Spill the Tea, we swatched on the recommended needles (US 4 / 3.5mm) and the gauge was spot on. We have a Sophie Scarf made with two sample balls we picked up in Chicago, and the 18.5 micron Merino is soft and cozy in equal measures.
You can find our kits using Como here. And above is a peek at how we chose the colors! I spent some time one afternoon looking at all of the red carpet photos from this year's Met Gala, and on a whim, started jotting down notes about color trends. The theme of the event was "Garden of Time," and there were lots of soft pastels and warm neutrals, along with some moody darker colors--black, navy, deep teal, and forest green. I used those as my inspiration when pairing colors for Spill the Tea. As always with our kits, we try to simplify your life by combining sizes when a set number of balls is enough to make more than one size.
In addition to the Como kits, we have two additional options, both of which use self-striping yarns for both CC1 and CC2. Berroco Lanas Light pairs with Schoppel Edition 3 in these kits, and we matched Wooldreamers Saona with Urth Yarns Spiral Grain in these.
Also we have a fun swag bag for KAL participants--these are treats we collaborated with Lisa, Lucinda, and Nancy on, and all of us love being a little "extra" with the theme shenanigans 😜
...currently stitching
I tell you, once you get in a groove, you'll find that Spill the Tea glides along your needles. I'm making the standard length, and I'm almost finished with the penultimate lace repeat. Then it's on to the upper back and upper fronts! My shop sample is using Como, in the Pine/Mustard/Azalea color option. (Again, pattern releases 7/3--I'm working from an advance copy for local yarn shops!)
