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YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #7
In This Issue:
What’s Hot for the Holidays | Holiday Fashion Projects! Projects! Projects | More Free Yarnmarket Patterns | Oodles of New Yarns in Stock | More New Books Just for You | Still More New Things to Come!!! | Knitting “Purls” of Wisdom | Showcase Your Talents
It just doesn’t seem possible that it’s already the end of September and autumn has arrived! Before you know it, the holidays will be here and you’ll be enjoying get-togethers with family and friends and proudly wearing your latest fashion creations. Now we have some tips to make sure you’re keeping up with holiday fashion trends and making outfits that will be treasured for years to come. If we had to sum up the theme for Holiday Fashion 2004, we’d say “sparkle,” “glitter” and “glam” should be your bywords. According to Women Today Magazine, “Glitter is very popular for holiday wear, and rich deep colors like plum, red, navy and basic black are hot.” From a touch of shimmering glow to all-over radiant shine, old-fashioned glamour will be the look you’ll want this holiday season. But the fashion gurus are even more specific in their advice and have identified the top wardrobe must-haves for the holidays.
The slinky camisole on the “Party Musts” list is often called a shell or sleeveless top in knitwear lingo. Baring your shoulders will be the norm this season, but these tops also look great paired with suit jackets, shawls, wraps and shrugs for that special holiday look. Add a little glitter and sheen by selecting the right yarn, and you’ll combine several fashion trends in one just simple garment. And let’s not forget that little princess in your life because young girls and teens have definite ideas about what works well for their holiday garb too. According to Finetica, the online children’s fine clothing boutique, vibrant colors are hot including all shades of pink, red, orange and purple. Also “holiday is dress up time” and this season’s trends seem “more dressy than usual” with definite connections to the women’s glittery, shimmering styles. Now you’ll want to select just the right outfits to create over the next few months so that you’ll be the star of those upcoming holiday parties and galas and so that the children and teens in your world will also shine. Holiday Fashion Projects! Projects! Projects!
We’ve recently added numerous new projects to our Project Ideas area, many of which are shawls and wraps you’ll definitely need for your holiday festivities. One of our favorites is the Surbelle Evening Shawl combining super-soft Pleasure and shimmering Opulent FX. You’ll definitely get some “ooh-la-las” when you arrive wearing this stunner. Then try a super easy yet spectacular evening jacket -- the Medley & Plume Evening Jacket -- to add just the right touch of pizzazz to your wardrobe. This loose fitting wrap cardigan goes equally well with dress pants or a skirt and will get you ready for a night on the town. For camisoles and shells, we recommend three truly sensational choices. First, the Fringe Offset Shell created in Glitter Fringe, the new, trendy ribbon yarn from Cherry Tree Hill. The asymmetrical hemline gives you a traditional shell with a modern, updated twist. Also the Gatsby Sleeveless Evening Top is a flattering, European-inspired design that’s a real winner. Or start with a free pattern from Crystal Palace and quickly knit up the Glam Sleeveless Evening Top in one of the new jewel tones just added to this lovely, shiny ribbon yarn. Even better yet? Select a camisole and a shrug available in a coordinated set. The Marilyn Dressy Tank Top and the Marilyn Dressy Shrug make a beautiful ensemble created from Mosaic FXand Crystal FX.
And don’t forget those special girls in your life. We have a precious dressy sweater any little girl will treasure in the Diana Dressy Cardigan. Also check out the Funky Fur Bolero Jacket in either long or short sleeves and make your little one feel like a princess. Thank you for your continuing interest in our Free Patterns department and especially the free ones from our Yarnmarket designers. We now have the belt patterns available from last month’s talented customer, Libby Bernick, so look at the Daria Multi Belt and Crocheted Daria Multi Belts patterns and the related projects. We’ve also added scarf patterns featuring two extraordinary Gedifra yarns. For a fast, easy project using a funky novelty yarn, choose the One-Hour Barocco Scarf. If you’re looking for a sophisticated wool blend accessory for your favorite outfit, then check out the Sheela Fashion Scarf, our newest free Yarnmarket pattern.
From Rowan we now carry five new wool and wool blend yarns just in time for all your fall and winter wardrobe needs. For those of you who love Big Wool, select furry Big Wool Tuft, for a different look and a yarn that works well in combination with Big Wool or by itself. Also check out Yorkshire Tweed Aran and Yorkshire Tweed Chunky for all your sweater projects, especially those with cables and special designs. Last but definitely not least from Rowan are two special effects yarns. Plaid is a multi-hued blend with three strands of deep color loosely twisted together for a sophisticated combination of shades. And one of our favorites, Ribbon Twist, has an unusual design and sumptuous color palette for spectacular sweaters, jackets, ponchos and so much more.
We now also carry two classic offerings and a brand new yarn from Berroco – the tried and true Glace in a wide range of rainbow colors; Optik, the cotton blend novelty yarn with a touch of glitter; and Pleasure, the angora-merino blend with the feel of cashmere but at a fraction of the cost. And we can’t leave out the new yarns from Gedifra, Cherry Tree Hill, Crystal Palace and K1C2. You now have available Fashion Trend Astrakan for casual fall and winter fashions; Pellicia for high-fashion looks; Glitter Fringe to add automatic fringing and shine to any project; Super Glitz to give a touch of glitter to DK-weight wool projects; Mikado Ribbon in both Solid and Print for colorful, ribbon outfits; and Moulin Rouge with its slinky, funky glamour. We’re thinking here of books you’ll both enjoy and learn from in our picks this month. Many of these will also make fantastic gifts for the upcoming holiday season, so put them on your wish list or pick up a copy for your favorite “crafty” person.
Don’t let the title of Easy Plus-Size Knits mislead you because it’s one of our top picks of the month since it’s jam-packed with knit and crochet patterns for sizes Small to XX-Large. For some ideas for gifts or to make a lovely accessory for yourself, select Exquisite Little Knits. It’s perfect for the busy knitter looking for colorful, exotic yet quick projects. Baby Knits for Beginners is another sensational yet simple baby fashion collection from Debbie Bliss we highly recommend. It’s described as a beginner’s guide to baby knitwear but even experienced knitters can pick up tips from this foremost baby knitwear designer. Last but not least is one of the best instructional books we’ve seen in a long, long time. Knitting The Easy Way is an exceptional beginner’s book but also a fact-filled reference book for intermediate knitters with 38 projects included. Of course, we feel compelled to preview briefly some of the new stuff coming in. Watch for new Knit One Crochet Too yarns -- Temptation, Jam, Fleece and Sprinkles – and from Stacy Charles check for Rialto, Cabaret, Sabrina and Ritratto. Also coming in are Soiree from Crystal Palace, Silk & Merino DK from Cherry Tree Hill, and Filatura Di Crosa’s Hopla. We also have great books and patterns coming in too, so watch our Books & Patterns section for more from Debbie Bliss and Rowan, another plus-size collection, more excellent reference books and two we’re especially looking forward to – Last Minute Gift Ideas and 24-Hour Knitting Projects. Knitting “Purls” of Wisdom by Jan Have you ever found the perfect pattern for the sweater you want to make, but you can’t find the recommended yarn? You’ve spent hours searching the Internet and calling your favorite stores only to find out the yarn has been discontinued. So what do you do? Give up on that wonderful project and start shopping for another pattern? No way! All you need is a good substitute for the yarn you can’t find, and you can do it with just a little information. Start by researching the recommended yarn and finding out five things: (1) the texture/type of yarn (plied, eyelash, ribbon, boucle, etc.), (2) the fiber content (wool, cotton, polyester, rayon, etc.), (3) the recommended gauge (number of stitches per 4” swatch on what size needles), (4) the yardage per ball/skein/hank, and (5) whether it’s a solid- or multi-colored yarn. Now you’re ready to start searching for the best substitutes. Texture and Color—If you want the look of the sweater to match the pattern closely, then the texture and the color choices are the first things to consider. If the pattern calls for a fuzzy, multi-colored eyelash yarn, then a smooth, plied, solid-colored wool blend won’t give you the same result. You’ll have to decide for yourself how much you want to experiment with texture and color if at all. Gauge—Look for yarns with a similar gauge, the most important aspect of your yarn matching adventure, so no experimenting here! You can adapt for a one- or two-stitch difference in the gauge (per 4” swatch) by adjusting the needle size up or down but no more than that! If the gauge doesn’t match, then you’ll end up having to adjust the pattern directions themselves – way too much trouble for all but the most experienced knitter. Fiber Content—Consider fiber content if you want to match the original or you know the sweater wearer’s preference (perhaps wool sensitive skin or hates acrylics). However, the fiber content is the least important unless you’re using several different yarns. In that case, go for similar fiber content so that your care instructions will match. Yardage—Figuring how many balls/skeins/hanks of the new yarn you’ll need is a straightforward math task. From the pattern and your research, multiple the number of balls times the original yarn’s yardage, then divide by the new yarn’s yardage and you’ll have the number of balls to buy. To help you with your search, you can use the “Yarn Finder” on the Yarnmarket Home Page (select at least gauge here and add in fiber & texture if you want to match the original). Now get started and as always, Happy Knitting!
Well, we’ve always known we have creative, talented customers and our recent “Showcase Your Talent” adventure has proven how talented you all are! Special congrats to Beth Abriles, our September pick as the Talented Customer of the Month. Beth adapted a child’s poncho pattern from Sally Melville’s book The Knitting Experience: Book 1 (Jen’s Poncho on p. 31) and used Crystal Palace’s Labrador (3 skeins in Cool Jazz). Then instead of fringe, she used 1 skein of Berroco’s Zap in color #3452 crocheted along the edge (double strand, 2 rows).
You too can be selected as a talented customer of the month and receive a $30 gift certificate, but first you have to enter! Just send an e-mail to photos@yarnmarket.com with the details of what yarn, pattern, etc. from Yarnmarket you used along with a digital photo of the finished project.
At www.yarnmarket.com we pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Alma, Susan, Christine, or Phyllis – and we’re happy to say that although we have the occasional glitch, we have an almost 99% accuracy rate. And if something does go wrong, we’ll do everything we can to make it right for you…right away! Just send us an e-mail at orders@yarnmarket.com, or call us at 888-996-9276 and we’ll take care of the problem. Our Customer Service hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET Monday to Friday.
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