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YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #9
In This Issue:
Knitting as a "Community" Experience | Spectacular New Yarns and Accessories | New Company Offers Free Patterns | Still More Holiday Projects! Projects! Projects! | Books for Your Gift-Giving and Reading Pleasure | Always New Things to Come!!! | Knitting “Purls” of Wisdom | Congratulations to Our Talented Customer for November | Gift Wrapping & Customer Service
Whether it's called a knitting club, a stitch 'n bitch café, an extracurricular school activity, or an online knitting circle, one thing most knitters - both newbies and experienced aficionados - mention right away is "community" when discussing their craft. But just what is this "community" thing all about? Consider the bond that has grown among a group of seniors in the Philadelphia area. By responding to a newsletter announcement, they have now formed the Circle of Knitting and Crocheting at the New Seasons assisted-living facility in Voorhees. As reported on philly.com, many of the members see the knitting circle as a true blessing in their lives. Jean Oberholtzer, 67, says, "This came at a time when I really needed it. Moving out of my home into an apartment, I was kind of isolated." Her neighbor Lee Bennett agrees: "I just lost my husband. It's keeping me sane." Or think about shy Christine Balholm from the Phoenix, Arizona area who showed wisdom beyond her 11 years when she chose knitting as a way to make new friends at a new school. "I planned that I would just sit down at recess and knit," Christine commented to a reporter from the East Valley Tribune. Before long, Christine was the leader of a large group of sixth-graders knitting during recess. With classic preteen understatement, she summed up, "Knitting helped me make a lot of friends."
"It's way more than that," says Michael Del Vecchio, 26, of Washington, D.C., as noted in the Lexington Herald-Leader. "People are searching for people to be with. It's kind of funny - you think of old ladies knitting by the fire with their cats, but now it's really about a thriving community with other people." As you can tell from Michael's involvement, men are being drawn more and more by this sense of community as well. At a recent knitting club meeting at the University of Maryland, twenty percent of those attending were young men. As sophomore Matt Lewis, a club regular, comments in a student newspaper The Gamecock, "A lot of punk rock guys I know knit because it's a fun thing to do, and they like to switch up gender roles." And community doesn't always mean the traditional, face-to-face meetings made so popular as a result of Debbie Stoller's bestseller Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. More and more knitting and crocheting chat groups are springing up on the Internet for those who prefer and find more convenient an online community. As Molly, 16, puts it in the new release, Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit, "When you become a knitter, you're in the knitting community. You are always asking people, 'Is that sweater handmade?' and feeling a special kinship with strangers who are wearing a beautiful knitted hat or scarf. I love it." We at Yarnmarket heartily agree with Molly. We love that special kinship too. For more information on knitting groups in your area, check out knitting.meetup.com and www.stitchnbitch.org, or for connections to online groups, go to knitting.about.com/library.
Last month we previewed several new yarns, and since we always aim to please, we've added 10 new yarns this month including a yarn company new to Yarnmarket. We are extremely pleased to have South West Trading Company as a supplier, and for your knitting and crocheting enjoyment have selected two of the cutting edge, unique yarns for which South West is so well known. Outstanding, high quality Bamboo is 100% bamboo with nothing else added. You'll love how cool and silky soft this DK-weight yarn feels and how beautifully it drapes in tops, sweaters, skirts and dresses. The second yarn, Phoenix, is made entirely of the environmentally friendly fiber Soy Silk. You'll marvel at this lightweight ribbon yarn with the subtle sheen and texture of exquisite silk that works magnificently in any project calling for a worsted weight yarn. We've also significantly expanded our offerings from two of your favorite yarn companies: From GGH, we've added one of the cuddliest, most gorgeous yarns we've seen in some time - Amelie. Its squiggly base and fuzzy eyelashes will give you luscious sweaters, dresses, scarves, hats and so much more.
Lana Grossa has also developed some new yarns we just couldn't resist adding to the store. Colore is patterned after the color combinations of the premier Italian knitwear designer the House of Missoni. Then in response to customer demand, there's now Caldo, the lovely solid-colored version of the ever popular Caldo Print, and soft, fuzzy, sensational Fumo, which combines wool and kid mohair with acrylic and nylon for cuddly warmth plus outstanding durability. Last but not least are a new novelty yarn from Noro and an additional "potluck" development from Cherry Tree Hill. The woven, novelty yarn Lotus has a unique construction with an open weave ladder base and a tightly woven, shiny thread running through it. For those who love Supersock Merino but would like it with the "luck of the dyepot" method, we now carry the new fingering weight yarn Supersock Potluck. Besides all these lovely new yarns, we've also expanded the Tools & Accessories area extensively just in time for stocking stuffers. One of our favorite new items is the Yarn Cutter Pendant so that you'll have an easy, safe, convenient way to cut yarn and thread at home or when you travel. Then the set of Sock Shaped Point Protectors is an adorable way to protect your needle tips and keep your stitches from slipping off. To encourage a potential knitter in your family or make I-cords and do beadwork quickly, check out the Wonder Knitter. And the list goes on & on, so check out the whole section for yourself, and you'll find even more excellent gift ideas and stocking stuffers. And we can't forget the new line of Daisy Straight Needles we're now carrying from Crystal Palace. Color coordinated by size and very lightweight, they're ideal for those who prefer plastic knitting needles.
We've added South West to the store because we love the yarns, but an added benefit for you is that they have agreed to join our Free Patterns department! Check out the two patterns currently available - the Bamboo Heatwave Top and the Phoenix Shawl. Both of these would make great additions to your wardrobe or be excellent gifts this holiday season.
We've also added three new free patterns from Crystal Palace just in time for the holidays. The Holiday Garland is fun & quick, and although shown in Christmas colors, works equally well for Hanukkah, Thanksgiving or any special occasion including a wedding. The Splash & Deco Ribbon Hat and its matching Splash & Deco Ribbon Scarf will accent any coat, or use the scarf to brighten a tailored suit or blouse.
Speaking of gifts, you let us know last month quite enthusiastically how much you liked our gift suggestions and holiday ideas, so we've added several sections to the Projects Ideas department to help you plan those special gifts you want to make. Be sure to check out all these great ideas especially when you're planning what to take along to keep you occupied during your upcoming holiday travels. First off, Holiday Glitz & Glamour has beautiful eveningwear for women and girls all available at the click of your mouse. Gorgeous new dressy projects include the ultra-feminine Liya FX Evening Top, the elegant Gossamer Shawl With Ruffle, the Gigi Sizzling Evening Wrap, and for that special young lady, the Sizzle Preteen Disco Top. The department for Toys is also a new addition to the store, and we're just getting started with all the ideas here. Check out the wonderful stuffed animals like the adorable Mom & Baby Koala Bears, the easy Striped Snake, and the cuddly soft pair of Funky Fur Teddy Bears.
But the largest new department is Gifts To Create with the sub-sections Quick & Easy Gifts and Gifts To Treasure. You'll have a blast looking through all the choices and matching up those on your gift-giving list with the great projects featured here. Just to highlight a few (we can't list over 70, can we???), be sure to consider the Men's Rustic Scarf for that special guy; the snuggly warm Charlene Chinchilla & Glace Throw; the fun, funky Candy Cloche Hat, the Children's Caldo Print Bag, the Ovaltine Biggy Print Cardigan, the Hana Silk Lace Sweater, the Snuggly Embroidered Blanket, and the Lara Wrap Jacket from Debbie Bliss.
Well, have we got the book selection for you to give to all those knitters and crocheters in your life or to put on your own wish list! Some are what we call "coffee table books" because of their size and scope, others are great as stocking stuffers, and still others will be wonderful to inspire your love of the craft in others.
Experienced knitters and beginners alike enjoy books that fit easily in their bags, so several great ideas as stocking stuffers are The Knitter's Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements, the Knitting Directory, the Rainbow Color Selector (Pocket Size), any of the 13 books available from the Vogue On the Go series, the Knitter's Companion, and the Crocheter's Companion. Any of these great reference tools will delight your friends and family who are already sold on crafts. But what about those you want to interest in your love of knitting or crocheting? What would be the best inspiration for getting them hooked? For adults, we recommend the Art of Knitting DVD, Basic Knitting, Crocheting School: A Complete Course, and Knitting the Easy Way. To inspire children and teens to start creating away, try the new release Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit or Kids Knitting or Funky Knitting. And then for all ages, you can follow up with the Knit Knack Kit with a variety of needles, supplies and patterns and a specific project kit like the Knit Knap Sack for making a great scarf. Of course, you've come to rely on us to watch out for whatever's new in the industry, and we've got a number of new yarns due in soon. Watch for SoHo from Debbie Bliss, Noro's Transitions, Sabrina from Stacy Charles, Lana Grossa's Pep Blocco, Hopla from Filatura Di Crosa, and Katia's Tango. We also had a visit last week from our Berroco sales representative, and he showed us all the beautiful new yarns Berroco has recently developed. We got a preview of the new colors available soon for the yarns we already carry too, so keep on the lookout! We're also excited about the books we have on order and will have in soon. We're intrigued by the seamless top down approach promised in both "Sweaters for Everyone: Kids to Adults" and "Top Down for Toddlers". The cover photo for "Candy Babies" is absolutely adorable, and we can hardly wait to see the cute crochet patterns "for wee ones." The 20 "great knitted and felted bags" previewed in "Pursenalities" look spectacular, and "Knitting in the Round" is sure to get us inspired to use double-pointed needles and circulars.
Last month we described different types of needles and their uses along with advantages and disadvantages for each type. We now realize from your recent phone calls that the vocabulary about different types of yarn can be equally challenging, so we're overviewing for you some information on yarn weights this month and will discuss yarn textures in December. These details can help you when you're deciding on yarn substitutions, identifying unlabeled yarn you've found or purchased, or choosing the right yarn for a project you're designing yourself. First off, the term "weight" is a little misleading when referring to yarn because we're really talking about the thickness of the typical strand not the weight per se. Also the weight has nothing to do with the number of strands woven together in the yarn or the ply of the yarn. There are a number of standard yarn weights, but the six most common and the ones we use at Yarnmarket are Laceweight, Fingering, DK, Worsted, Bulky, and Super Bulky. Laceweight yarn is the thinnest and usually the most loosely spun. It's sometimes referred to as Baby weight because it's used for very delicate baby items crafted using the smallest needles and hooks. Laceweight also works well for lacy shawls, delicate scarves and open weave cover-ups. Examples - Cherry Tree Hill's Possum Laceweight and Artisan Lace from Margaret Stove. Fingering weight yarn is a bit thicker than Laceweight but also loosely spun, used for baby items, and sometimes referred to as Baby weight yarn. However, it's also referred to as Sport weight or Sock yarn because it's ideal for socks and lightweight sweaters, afghans and throws. Examples - Katia's Mississippi 3 Print, Cherry Tree Hill's Supersock Merino and two from Lana Grossa - Meilenweit Cotton and Meilenweit Cotton Fun. DK or Double Knitting weight is what was traditionally called Sport yarn for years but has changed to DK primarily because knitters and crocheters sometimes substitute two strands of DK ("knitting double") for the more commonly used Worsted weight. DK is the perfect choice for baby and children's clothes and for medium-weight sweaters, throws and accessories. Examples - Sirdar's Snuggly DK, Rowan's Handknit DK Cotton, K1C2's Souffle, South West's Bamboo and Cashmerino Baby from Debbie Bliss. Worsted yarn is the most popular weight for knitting and crochet projects like sweaters, afghans, pillows and craft projects. For some, when you mention "yarn," only worsted weight comes to mind! Also referred to as Aran or Afghan weight depending on the origin and/or primary use of the specific yarn. Just a few examples to show the diversity - Noro's Daria Multi, South West's Phoenix, Yorkshire Tweed Aran from Rowan, Karabella's Labirinth, Berroco's Pleasure, Filaro's Sparkle Mohair and Soiree from Crystal Palace. Bulky weight yarn is heavier than Worsted and is sometimes called Chunky weight yarn. Bulky's becoming more and more popular because it's usually worked on large needles or hooks for quick-to-knit hats, scarves and throws. Examples - Prism's Impressions, GGH's Amelie, Ananas from Filatura Di Crosa, Karabella's Cosmos, Medley from Berroco , Gedifra's Tagliato and Cabaret from Stacy Charles. Super Bulky yarn has the thickest strands, usually about twice as thick as Worsted weight, and is also becoming popular because it's so quick to knit or crochet on large needles and hooks. Besides hats and scarves, you'll see jackets and coats crafted from Super Bulky yarns. Examples - Gedira's Sheela, Poof from Crystal Palace, Lana Grossa's India, Candy from Rainbow Mills and Rowan's Ribbon Twist. A Special Note - Some yarns have listed for their weight "various" because they are "carry-along" yarns (ones designed to be used with another yarn) and the final weight or thickness depends on the other yarn. Such carry-alongs at Yarnmarket include Tahki's Pansy, Muench's New Marabu and some of the novelty yarns from Crystal Palace like Squiggle Print and Squiggle Solid and Fizz Variegated and Squiggle Variegated.
Thanks to all of you who've sent in photos and explanations of your projects, and of course, we have another skilled knitter to profile in our "Showcase Your Talent" column. Congratulations to Victoria Kaempf of California, our November Talented Customer of the Month. Victoria made this adorable kimono and matching booties for a friend's new daughter, and we agree that it turned out great. Here's how Victoria explains her success: "The pattern is from Debbie Bliss' Baby Style book. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Baby yarn in stripes of Peach Pink (color #600) and Pink (color #602). The yarn is so soft and cuddly!" You may be wondering how you too can be the talented customer of the month and receive a $30 gift certificate. Well, it's super easy 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. Gift Wrapping & Customer Service One option that's particularly popular this time of year is our gift-wrapping for $5.50 per package. Just let us know in the special instructions for your order the occasion and the message you want to include on the card, and we'll take care of the rest! What could be easier than that? This is just another way at www.yarnmarket.com that 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. 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 1-888-996-9276, and we'll take care of the problem. Our customer service hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving to our U.S. customers and Happy Hanukkah worldwide! And as always, Happy Knitting! Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff |
