Don't Fall Over

OK, so I've been AWOL again. But not for bad reasons (in my opinion, but you may feel free to disagree). We've been UBER-busy of late--Terri Shea was here at the start of the month conducting sessions on her Selbuvotter book and the hand-knitted items from that region of the world. Chris Bylsma was here last weekend for workshops on the Crayon Box Jacket (a fun stash-buster project with great technique involved) and Stashology (seriously--this one will change the way you look at your stash!). Matt and I are out of town for a few days this coming week for a conference in Chicago, and the following weekend is our semi-annual Yarn Tasting event on Saturday and Sunday. Plus there's all the usual preparations for that, new yarns and other merchandise FLYING in the doors of the shop, as well as classes to teach and events to plan (we're doing a Stitch-N-Pitch in conjunction with our local Lansing Lugnuts, and today it's snowing outside like MAD (ah, the joys of heavy, wet spring snow). WHEW!

So, lots of goodies have been flowing in (and out) the doors of late. Spring has sprung around here and the warmer-weather yarns and patterns started arriving a couple weeks ago will continue in earnest deep into the next month. But that doesn't mean we give up on wooly goodness, as there's always restock and new stuff showing up, as we knit with all types of yarn all year long around here. Sock yarns have been on the agenda of late....check out some of the new goodies from Lorna's Laces


That's some of the new shades of Shepherd Sock that showed up this week. YUM-O! I really like both, and I've taken to calling the Pilsen "chocolate-covered roses". And there were more


Apple Hill showed up this week as well, along with more Winona (we've had it in Shepherd Sock for a couple weeks now). And there's one new nearly-solid shade for 2008 as well


It's PERFECTLY named! It looks just like the little disks that used to inhabit my maternal grandmother's purse. Shepherd Sock retails for $11 for 215 yards of superwash merino goodness.

Same boxes, different fibers. Some Lion & Lamb arrived, too!


That colourway is beautiful knitted up, and I bet it would be FAB in a Clapotis. Yeah, the pattern has been around forever, but let's make it official and call it a classic design, alright? Lion & Lamb is $33 a skein for 205 yards of silk and merino, aran weight. YUM.

Shepherd Worsted is some beautiful stuff--perfect for kids' garments, great for accessories, or just the right touch of softness and color for a cozy sweater for yourself (yes, you deserve it!)


I can see this being knitted up (or crocheted) into one amazing baby blanket, adult cardigan, or children's pullover. Or, it's just the right thing for those hat/mitten/scarf combos you need, even this time of year. Shepherd Worsted is yours for $18 for 225 yards of machine-washable merino.

I've been knitting like mad, most of it to support the upcoming Yarn Tasting. That means that most of it is kinda on the DL and shouldn't be shown here. I did start something completely new yesterday, out of Bergere de France Magic, a chunky-weight wool blend that's nice to work with and really meaty in fabric


That's "Roxie" by Black Purl (picture later, when it's finished), but I'm doing the version that's cropped length and bracelet-length sleeves. Should be too cute, and it's a FAST knit. Progress here in a couple days. But so far, I'm a big fan of the pattern (I've wanted to make it for awhile now).

Charlottes, we have Charlottes!

Yup, we have kits put together again. The yarn is $13 a skein, there's five skeins in a kit, and if you need the pattern, it's $4.50 or $5 (I forget which). If you're interested, there's one and ONLY one of each of these available. Shall we commence?


I used to live in Columbia, South Carolina, and my front yard had a HUGE stand of azaleas in it, and they come to life about this time of the year. This reminded me of my yard, as I had a wide range of colors in that planting.


Looking at the colors in this combination reminded me of the odd bits of glass you find walking on the beach in Florida. Lights, darks, blues, greens, yellows....a little bit of everything.


Seasonal in name, but true as well. Look at the fun pastels, the brights, the subtle shading in some of the skeins. It just screams SPRING.


Dark and brooding, with pops of color for little flowers and mossy bits, too, this one definitely reminded me of a walk in the deep forest near where I grew up, in rual Southern Missouri. There's one hank that's deep navy, DEEP teal , and steel blue that is just exquisite!


OK, name after name after name is something Spring or flower-inspired. I must be ready for a change of seasons. But look at the various colors in the bundle--peaches, neutrals, pinks, blues...all the colors you'd find in new growth, small flowers, and bulb plants.


Again with the spring flowers, but look at this combination of purples, lavenders, and rich blues. It looks like you're laying down under a lilac bush in full bloom and looking up into the night sky. Great smoky shades in this bundle!


So I jump ahead a season, reminiscent of my maternal grandmother's stand of roses in her backyard. She had the traditional reds and pinks, but she also had some golden and peach ones, too.

Wow, that's a nice set of options for someone looking to make a beautiful shawl, add to their Koigu KPPPM stash, or just covet something lovely. Hurry up if you're interested in them, as I'm sure they'll go quickly. And remember, if you need the pattern, be sure to mention that on the phone or in your e-mail. Many of you have it already, so we don't automatically include one with your purchase.

Need anything you see above? Just give us a call (toll free) at 866-939-BEAR or slip us an e-mail and we can definitely hook you up. In the mean time, I'm off to go make a second front to that cardigan and then whip up some sleeves (which have a very unique construction--not your typical sleeve cap design!). Be well!