*New* Fall Yarn (and free patterns!)

The Fall season is in full swing, and I just wanted to take a moment to share some of my favorite yarns of the season. Of course we have many more, but these three are *NEW* to the yarn market this season and are absolutely gorgeous. The free pattern support is also a great plus!

First up is Classic Shades Lite Sequins. This lighter-weight version of the very popular Classic Shades (we carry Classic Shades, Classic Shades Solids, and Classic Shades Big Time)is flecked with sequins of coordinating colors. With 264 yards/skein, just a couple skeins will go a long way. The free pattern below calls for only two skeins!

ZigZag Lace Shawlette (photo courtesy of Universal Yarn)

Next is Casablanca by Cascade Yarns. This has got to be my favorite yarn of the season. It is a wool/silk/mohair blend with a long striping pattern. If you like Noro's Silk Garden, I highly recommend this yarn! It is soft, beautiful, and has a great price point of $17.00 for 220 yards (Noro Silk Garden commonly retails for $11/110 yards). Cascade Yarns also has wonderful pattern support! Heidi at Warm Hearts Yarn just finished a sample, along with a free pattern, of a one-skein scarf out of Casablanca. Come on in and check it out!

Market Mitts Free Pattern by Cascade Yarn Blog (photo courtesy of Cascade Yarn Blog)

Finally is a beautiful tweed yarn by Elsebeth Lavold, Tweedy Wool. Perhaps it is my Scottish heritage, but I naturally gravitate towards tweeds. There is just something earthy, yet sophisticated about it. Below if a free pattern, courtesy of Knitting Fever and Elsebeth Lavold.

There is plenty more to see at the shop this beautiful fall season, so please stop by!

Warmly,
Katie

Layering Season

I cannot imagine anywhere I would rather be than in Northern New Mexico during Autumn (of course, I am a bit biased). The weather is beautiful, the leaves are turning, thoughts are towards colder weather and winter holidays without much stress involved (yet), and green chile is roasting. In addition, we have the Taos Wool Festival and Balloon Fiesta.

It's also the perfect time of year for layering on scarves, shawls, hats, vests, and sweaters. The mornings and evenings are cool, but the afternoons are still quite warm.

While perusing ravelry to find a vest/short-sleeve cardigan to use for some beautiful hand-dyed yarn in my stash, I re-aquainted myself with the Shalom Cardigan (for those not on ravelry, the free pattern may be found in the right sidebar at Involving the Senses). This pattern has been around for several years and has well over 5000 documented ravelry projects. I decided to go for it even though I would have to made several modifications: the pattern calls for a bulky weight and I had worsted, I wanted to add buttons, and I also had to account for a larger size.

In the end, I love how this short-sleeved cardigan turned out. It is the perfect layering piece! The yarn, a wool/silk blend locally hand-dyed by Wooly Wonka Fibers (and carried at Warm Hearts Yarn, along with two other hand-dyed lines by local fiber artists Hairball Yarn and Serenity Stitches), also fits the season perfectly in color-way "Barn Door." I am also enjoying the buttons--vintage mother-of-pearl from Moondance Designs (carrying a great variety of vintage and Czech glass buttons at Warm Hearts Yarn). I am thinking of hosting a knit-along based on this pattern in January. Any takers?

Sweater-knitter extraordinaire, Doris P., has been teaching a class based on the Central Park Hoodie pattern. This pattern contains many techniques that are important for any knitter to learn--cabling, blocking, seaming, as well as ensuring a perfect fit. Our sample is knit up in Cascade's Pacific, and we have plenty of worsted-weight yarn to choose from that would be just perfect for this project.

We are excited about the fall season, the cooler weather, and the extra stitching that usually takes place this time of year. As always, please let us know how we can best serve you and the community.

Warmly,

Katie and Staff