New from Berroco - it feels like Christmas

Christmas is close now and this is why I am late to post the arrival of these wonderful new Berroco yarns:

Ultra Alpaca - We love alpaca, and we are pleased to add this wonderful worsted weight yarn to our ever growing family. It's 50% wool and 50% alpaca blend makes it light but warm, and it works up nicely into sweaters, hats, scarves and accessories. It felts nicely, too! The 100g skein has 215 yds, making it a great buy at $10.25; free patterns for Ultra Alpaca are accessible through the shade card or Berroco's web site. See the detail photo of the Ursa sweater from pattern book #279 to the right.

Comfort - This acrylic/nylon blend has been popular with our customers in the sock and double knitting weights, and we predict it will be equally welcomed in this worsted weight. We have it in nine beautiful variegated shades. Perfect for Afghans, sweaters, kidswear and more! The 100g ball has over 200 yds and retails for $6.95.

Cuzco - Similar to Ultra Alpaca, Cuzco is a slightly heavier chunky weight version. We immediately fell in love with the sample jacket (Cosima, the cover sweater from pattern book #281, see picture), and have had more than one customer do the same. It's a perfect blend of 50% superfine alpaca and 50% Peruvian wool, and retails for $10.75 for the 100g skein (130 yds). See shade card. Great for sewaters, blankets and accessories. Yummy!

Berroco Sox Metallic - A great new sock yarn with a bit of "bling". This is the same weight and fiber content as regular Berroco Sox, but has an added metallic strand that gives a glint of glitter. Fun for socks with a bit of glam to them, also for other accessories such as wristers, hats or scarves. Make a cute shell for under your favourite jacket for an upcoming special occasion! The 100g skein has 380 yds and retails for $18.95. See shade card.

Knit a pair of Wristers now!

We just got this new yarn from Lana Grossa in, and the first thing Inge did with it is to knit a pair of Wristers (aka fingerless gloves) as a gift for one of our daughters in law. email us for a free pattern!

Chiara is an incredibly soft mohair blend that knits up to a sport weight. The rayon gives this yarn a sheen and adds to the slight halo effect of the mohair, and you've got a blend that is perfect for hats, scarves and other delicious accessories.

The wristers Inge is working on right now is a "must have" accessory for this season and a fast little gift.
The 50g ball of Chiara has 190 meters and retails for $14.25. See the shade card.

"This is it!!" will it ever end??

This is what Alison said when she gave me the list of the latest yarns which we got in. Let's see if these were the last for this year. Enough for all these fall and winter projects and again, beautiful and timeless colours! Click on photo to enlarge!

From Classic Elite: Fresco - A lovely, sport weight blend of wool, baby alpaca and angora. A yummy yarn for baby knits, accessories and sweaters. The 50g skein has 164 yds and retails for $10.95. Here is the shade card.

From Classic Elite: Silky Alpaca Lace - Lace knitters rejoice, as we have many new and exciting yarns for you, including this fingering weight alpaca & silk blend. Lovely for shawls, scarves, baby knits, even socks! The 50g ball has 460 yards and retails for $10.50. Check the shade card.

From Schachenmayr: Manifesto - A terrific new self-striping yarn that knits up to a chunky weight. It's an easy care blend of superwash wool; acrylic and viscose make it perfect for children's wear, sweaters and accessories. The 50g ball has 72 metres & retails for $6.95. Beautiful shades.

Gift Ideas for Christmas

Inge is producing a series of attractive knitted hats. A hat every night, that makes ?? till Christmas - as samples for the store and eventually they'll become gifts for "the kids" - maybe I get one, too.

The hat with decorative earflaps is knit in Vero Tweed, also the diagonally knit scarf. Ask her for the pattern.

The other two with cables and more are knit after free patterns from Estelle. The grey/brown one in Granite and the grey/pink one in Nimbus, both wonderfully soft.

Top Yarn Designs by Kaffe Fassett

NEW from Regia:

These beautiful new colour worlds "out of this world" are perfect for socks, but also for sweaters and more. See the new Regia pattern books which come with them.

Galaxy "Saturn" - for a true "out of this world sock knitting experience we recommend this new yarn. A unique yarn with a self-striping pattern that evokes the shape of ovals, arrows and spirals. Each of the twelve colorways is named after rings of the Saturn system and make it a "stellar" yarn sock. The 100g ball retails for $17.25 and at 420 metres is enough for the average pair of adult socks.

Kaffe Fassett Design Line - Designer Kaffe Fassett created the "Mirage", "Landscape" and Exotic color inspirations exclusively for Regia."It was quite a challenge for me to create a new self-striping yarn for Regia. It was a wonderful experience in my career. I hope all knitting enthusiasts will have fun knitting and experiencing my color inspirations" says Kaffe Fassett.

Check the shade cards for all our new Regia sock yarns: the Design Line, Design Line Color and Exotic Color. Some of the yarns are 4-ply and some 6-ply. All come on 50g balls and retail for $8.50.

Last not least: We already had Regia Softy sock yarn in our store since February, now Regia added lush variegated colours as Softy Color for the same price of $9.95. Here is the updated shade card.

Check some of the new Regia design books here!

NEW Brand in Store: Classic Elite

One of our main suppliers has now taken over distribution of the Classic Elite yarns which you find featured in all knitting magazines. This means that we could virtually supply you with all their yarn lines. We started with this one:

Lush - Oooooh so soft! A divine combination of wool and Angora made in Peru, that knits up to a chunky weight. Sweaters, hats, scarves, even kid's knits ... Lush would be lovely for any and all of them. Surprisingly affordable for an angora blend too, Lush retails for $12.95 for the 124 yds, 50 g skein. See the shades here.

There are two quality Fall knitting books from Classic Elite available which offer patterns for Lush and other yarns, and which you can find in our store or in the web site.

NEW Yarns from Alpaca With A Twist!

In case you haven't heard, we love Alpaca, and if you give it a try, you'll love it, too (and the very special and affectionate Alpaca creatures as well)!

Socrates - is a new sock yarn made from a blend of baby alpaca, merino wool, bamboo and a touch of nylon for added strength. This lovely yarn isn't just for socks, though; try it for your lace work, baby knits or any other design that vcalls for fingering weight yarn. The 100g skein has great yardage with 400 yds and retails for $18.95. Check out the shades.

Mojito - A great new variegated 100% baby alpaca yarn that knits up to an aran weight. Perfect for hats, scarves, sweaters and accessories. The 100g skein has 145 yds and retails for $24.95. We love the colours!

Temptation - The name says it all with this one! A dreamy blend of alpaca and silk makes this worsted weight yarn a great choice for warm winter sweaters, shawls and accessories. The 50g, 109 yard skein retails for $10.95. Check out the shade card.

A Bunch of NEW Yarns from Estelle

Estelle is one of our suppliers, with yarns under their own brand name and they also distribute other brands with good names. This is what we got in October:

Meilenweit Sunset from Lana Grossa - A new member of the popular Meilenweit sock yarn family. Sunset comes in gorgeous variegated colour combinations with longer lengths of colour, giving your sock a lovely striped effect, as you see in the shade card. The 100g ball retails for $16.95.

Cloud Cotton from Estelle - We already enjoyed the Cloud Cotton Eco yarn in natural colours and now brought in more shades of the dyed version. We also got several free patterns for this yarn in store (see picture)!

Big Value Baby 4 Ply from King Cole - In response to customer requests for a fingering weight 100% acrylic yarn for baby knits, we have brought in this yarn in several baby-friendly colours. This yarn knits up to a gauge of 28 sts over 10cm, so use it for your older Patons or Pinquoin patterns, or with newer patterns that call for this weight. Each 100g ball retails for $7.25 and offers 400m. See the shades.

Pastaza from Cascade Yarns - A luscious blend of 50% Llama/50% Wool made in Peru that knits up to a chunky weight. This yarn's next-to-skin softness makes it perfect for sweaters, hats, scarves and accessories. Nice for felting, too! Each 100g skein has 132 yards and retails for $9.25 - here is the shade card.

Introducing Coulourscape Chunky by Kaffe Fassett

He made it again: Renowned British designer Kaffe Fassett lends his remarkable ability to combine colours to this beautiful line of handdyed 100% lambswool yarn.

Colourscape Chunky by Rowan - It has a longer colour repeat, so it changes more gradually as you knit. Colourscape Chunky is put up on 100g skeins, offering 160 meters for $27.95. This is the shade card. As the name suggests, it knits up to a chunky weight, so it works up quickly. This yarn truly has to be seen to be appreciated.

While you are in store, be sure to check the stunning designs offered in "The Colourscape Chunky Collection". You find this book also in our web site. Inge has knit up the "Valour" pattern from this book (photo) and you can see it here.

NEW from Misti Alpaca

I'm not at the finish line yet with all our new fall yarns and just love the colours! I have in hand a soft and colourful skein of

Hand Paint Sock Yarn Fingering - "dyed to the stitch" they say: A lovely alpaca blend, also done in a handpainted style. If you haven't tried knitting socks with alpaca yarn, we would recommend you try it. Many of our customers who have, say they are warmer and more comfortable than those made from traditional wool sock yarn. This one also features added silk and nylon for strength and durability. The 100g skein has 400 (!) meters, enough for a pair of average adult sized socks, and retails for $19.95. See the swatch shade card and also the swatch to the right!

NEW from Marks & Kattens

ECO Ull and ECO Multi Ull - A new 100% wool, with minimum 20% Merino, that is "eco friendly". It knits to a chunky weight and comes in 7 natural plus several variegated colours. It has a put up of 80 meters per 50g skein. A great "organic" look with a soft touch!

The plain version (shade card) sells for $6.50, and the variegated "multi" version (shade card) retails for $6.75. We have in stock several patterns for this yarn as well.

NEW from Zitron

Nimbus Multi - A beautiful, hand dyed 100% organic Merino that knits to an aran weight. Nimbus is the successor of our Loft yarn, except that it's certified organic now. Lovely for sweaters, scarves and accessories. A 50g ball offers 100 meters for $15.50. Check the shade card. Inge is just knitting a touque and loves the yarn.

NEW from Kertzer and Stylecraft

Northern Chunky - A new heavier version of Kertzer's popular Northern Worsted. This 100% acrylic yarn comes in great variegated shades and will work with any chunky pattern. Perfect for sweaters, afghans, kidswear and accessories. The big 200g ball (!) boasts 300 meters and retails for only $9.95! Check the shade card.

Accent Worsted - An acrylic and wool blend in a worsted weight with an impressive price! We're not naming names, but this 75% acrylic/25%wool blend yarn is a great choice for any "decor". Perfect for sweaters, afghans and accessories. The 110g ball comes in several solid and heathered shades and has 200 meters. It retails for $4.95. Here is the shade card.

Pure Luxury Merino - The luxury of merino wool at an affordable price. The next-to-the-skin softness of this DK weight yarn makes it perfect for baby and children's wear. The 50 g ball has 119yds and retails for $8.25. Beautiful shades and the Stylecraft book #602 presents a stylish baby collection of contemporary designs for babies from birth to 24 months ($11.95).

NEW from Misti Alpaca

Hand Paint Worsted - A new hand painted version of Misti's popular alpaca yarn, this time in worsted weight. It's perfect for sweaters, baby items and accessories. Each 100g skein has 200 meters and sells for $22.50; the shade card doesn't give you the exact colours.

Alison tried this yarn with an easy lace pattern that works nicely into a scarf. Ask us for the pattern!

NEW Baby yarns from Shepherd Yarns

We extended our large selection of baby yarns by these two fine products from New Zealand:

Baby Wool 4 Ply - A new fingering weight pure wool baby yarn that is mashine washable. This is a great yarn substitute for some of the older Penguin and Paton's children's designs that call for a fingering weight yarn. Each 50g ball offers 165 meters and retails for $6.95 - check the shade card.

Baby Velvet DK - A fun, double knitting yarn that looks like a cross between a chenille and bouclee. This is a wool.nylon blend that is machine washable, making it perfect for baby and kid's wear. Each 50g skein has 117 meters and retails for $6.95. Here is the shade card.

We have in stock several lovely patterns for this yarn as well, as for example this Moss Stitch Sweater with Crew Neck. Ask for the pattern ($6.25).

NEW Alpaca Yarn from SandnesGarn

Mini Alpakka - This is a lighter weight version of our popular Alpakka yarn which knits up to a light sports weight (about 27 sts to 10cm on 3mm needles). 100% alpaca yarns such as this are a great choice for almost any person, even those who have trouble with other natural fibers like wool and mohair. As a result it's a wonderful yarn for sweaters, accessories and children's knits. Each 50g skein has 150 m and retails for $7.50. Here you see the shade card.

Look in our store for SandnesGarn book #0806, which offers 15 patterns for this yarn!

NEW from Nashua Handknits

Geologie - A yummy blend of mohair, wool and acrylic that knits up quickly in a chunky weight. It's colour changes subtly as you work with it, giving you a beautiful handdyed look that is perfect for scarves, shawls and other accessories. It would work beautifully as a bolero or cardigan, too. Each 50g skein offers an impressive 130 meters and retails for $11.45. Here are the shades.

Granite - A tweedy wool and acrylic blend that knits to chunky weight. The subtle colour variances in this yarn reminds us of the colour of the rockface as we drive the Sea to Sky Highway (in BC). A lovely yarn for sweaters, vests and other cool weather knits. The 50 g skein has 75 meters and reteils for $9.95. Check the shade card! See the Granite sweater to the right, which you can see in our store. It's a Raglan Cardigan with Tie and the book is available in the store or in our web site.

Creative Focus Brushed Alpaca - Love the look and feel of mohair, but have trouble with the "itch" factor? This may be the yarn for you. This gorgeous 100% Alpaca yarn has been brushed to give it the look of mohair while still retaining the "next to skin" softness of Alpaca. It knits to a chunky weight and is a great buy, with 173 meters per 50g ball. It retails for $9.95 and has these wonderful shades.

We also have several new patern books with design support for these new yarns.

Bestseller!

We sold Sally Melville's knitting books for quite a while but only after Pam knit the Einstein Coat for herself and the Baby Albert Coat for her grand child, and displayed them in our store, we had to reorder the books a couple of times!

These patterns are both in Book 1: The Knitting Stitch. You find all three books (newly adjusted prices!) in our web site/book page. As Pam says: even a very experienced knitter finds interesting knitting tips in these excellent books.

The Einstein Coat was knit in Alafoss Lopi and the Baby Albert Coat (which actually can be more colourful as well) in Smart Superwash. There is also a pattern for the very colourful Baby Albert Bunting in this book, which Inge knit for our new born baby girl.

Fall is here - NEW from Trendsetter

Though we hate to admit it, we are inmidst of fall. One of the beauties of this season is the world being painted in a new set of colours. Many of the new yarns we get in are contributing to this colour variety which will help us get through the darker part of the year. This one is new to our store, although successfully around for a while.

Dune - A mohair blend from Trendsetter. This chunky weight yarn is a beautiful variegated blend of mohair, wool and viscose, which gives it some added sheen. We can't wait to try it in a scarf! Perfect for accessories such as shawls, hats and gloves as well. The 50g skein retails for $18.50. Here is the large selection of shades.

NEW from Schulana

Merino Superlight - A soft merino blend yarn with a unique cable construction, a featherlight icord wool. This beautiful yarn will knit up with the speed of a chunky weight without the bulk. Perfect for sweaters, hats, scarves and accessories. It retails for $12.95 for a 50g ball (90m). Here is the shade card.

Schulana's latest magazine, Créalana No.23 features several designs for this and other Schulana yarns we carry.