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YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #33
Adding Volume to Your Fall & Winter Wardrobe Without Adding Too Much Bulk | Yarnmarket Introduces Spinning & Needle Felting Kits, Tools, Fibers & Books | New High-Fashion Yarns Now Available from Gedifra, S. Charles, Filatura & More | Terrific New Tweeds & Adorable Baby Yarns from Debbie Bliss, Tahki, Lang & Wendy/Peter Pan | Sensational New Kits as Holiday Gifts for Your Favorite Relative or Friend or Furry Companion | Knitting for a Better World, Part 5: Help Those in Need By Getting Involved | Customer Service & Yarndex Update
With everyone firmly into the fall routine of school and work, we know that many of you are enjoying these cooler days & evenings snuggled up on the couch working on your latest knitting or crocheting project. Now if you're like us at Yarnmarket, we're still looking for those special gift ideas that will be fashionable & stylish yet functional for the long season to come. Well, as we promised last month, we're continuing our examples of adding volume to your wardrobe without adding too much bulk along with previewing one of the hottest new fashion trends this fall & winter -- handcrafted hats & caps.
One of the most important ways to use volume is to draw attention to your best features and to disguise any figure flaws. For example, if you have a nice waist & delicate wrists, knit up something like the Pasha Cropped Jacket. With its shorter length and exquisite cuff & bottom detailing, this little bolero is simply stunning. Or emphasize a beautiful face and de-emphasize your torso with the loose-fitting Murano Cowl Neck Pullover from Filatura Di Crosa, and this pattern is even designed for Advanced Beginners. Other great figure enhancers include:
Sweater coats like Lana Grossa's Fumo Fringed Coat & Scarf and the Transitions Basketweave Jacket and the Transitions Cabled Coat, both from Noro;
Roomy, loose-fitting jackets & cardigans such as the spectacular Jaywalking Jacket from Twisted Sisters, the funky & creative Candy Bomber Jacket with matching Candy Cloche Hat and the subtly shimmering Oceania Cardigan or Jersey; and
Even generously sized pullovers including the Caldo Cable Pullover, the Coco Yoked Pullover with its lovely Marilyn collar and the Poof Cowl Neck Sweater just to name a few.
Another way to approach the volume-without-bulk issue is to knit or crochet the ever-popular scarf but to select interesting & unique designs that emphasize your best features. Just a few of the over 120 scarf projects available in our Scarves & Ties department are the innovative & creative Micio I-Cord Scarf from the creative geniuses of Tahki-Stacy Charles, the unisex Cabled Hat & Scarf, the totally different Creggan Scarf with Frilly Roses, the Fizz Stardust Corkscrew Scarf that starts with a free pattern from Crystal Palace and Katia's extra long Nordic Open-Weave Scarf as several of our all-time favorites.
Also one of the hottest fashion accessories to hit the haute couture runways of Paris, Milan & New York in years is the hat/cap/beret/chapeau or whatever you want to call it. Often using the same principle of volume as we've seen with jackets, sweaters and scarves, some of the trendiest designers featured on the pages of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Elle are showing knitted & crocheted hats even as eveningwear accents!
To stay up to date, check out our two project departments featuring sensational hats & caps -- Hats & Gloves for projects sized for adults and Baby & Kid's Hats, Scarves & Gloves. Go the route of creating a coordinated set like the adorable Snuggly Hat, Scarf and Mittens set; the furry, soft Funky Fur Girl's Hat & Scarf; or the fun & trendy Labyrinth Hat, Scarf & Mittens for your favorite adult.
You can also go with just a hat or cap & add to your accessories wardrobe that way or make up quick gifts for those precious friends, relatives & little ones. Our kid-friendly favorites include the Cashmerino Tiny Topper, the Lacy Baby Hat with Pom Pom, the Girl's Malibu Crochet Cap and the Snowflake Chunky Hat with Ears. Then for those special women in your life, go for the easy Chunky Yarn Beanie, the funky Caldo Cap with Ear Flaps, the classic Poyntz Pass Beret, the stylish Crocheted Noro Hat, the marvelous Machu Picchu Hat or the jaunty & youthful Crocheted Zodiac Cap.
We've been keeping up with the latest trends in the crafts industry just as you have, and we've recently added new products for the latest crazes -- spinning and needle felting. So for those of you who want to spin fiber into your own yarn and who want to try out a different kind of felting, check out these new offerings.
First off, you can learn all the basics of spinning and start off with some fiber and a top-whorl drop spindle by choosing the Learn to Spin Kit. The easy-to-follow, 32-minute DVD explains all the basics, and you'll enjoy turning the multi-colored Colonial fiber from Ashland Bay Trading Company into your first home-spun ball of yarn! Then when you're comfortable with the basics, you can move on to larger fiber options such as the spectacular hand-dyed Potluck Roving from Cherry Tree Hill. Available in the six "luck-of-the-dyepot" color options, "Potluck Roving" is a high-quality merino (54 micron) and a terrific option for handspinners. Of course, when you need more information on spinning, you know you can check out our More Books department, especially Spin to Knit and The Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing Book.
Now the other new crafty craze to hit the U.S. is needle felting, a technique for sculpting dry fiber into various toys, garments, embellishments & freeform art projects. For these types of creations, you also need to have the right instructions, materials & tools for a successful introduction to the basics. One way to get started with needle felting is to select the Ashford Needle Felting Kit that comes complete with 14 oz. of New Zealand Corriedale fiber in 12 assorted colors, two needles & the Needle Felting Projects Book 1. From this one kit you can make various toys, pins, brooches & embellishments for your garments. Then you can continue your learning experience with another Ashford book Needle Felting Book 2, which even includes two more felting needles.
When you're ready to branch out, you'll enjoy experimenting with additional fibers and tools. You can rely on Ashford to provide you with high-quality items, and we have added to the Yarnmarket collection of fibers the full range of Ashford Felting Wool/Roving as a great follow-up to their kit. This supersoft fleece of the Corriedale sheep of New Zealand will excite & delight you and is available in sets of 12 colors (36 hues in all). We also recommend Cherry Tree Hill's luxurious Silk Gems Roving for needle felting & handspinning in six luscious shades along with the Powder Puff Roving that gives you the widest range of color options for small projects all in one collection.
In addition to quality fiber & superior instructions, you need excellent tools to keep your needle felting projects successful. For replacement needles, choose the Ashford Felting Needle Pack for ten 36-gauge, slender, barbed needles (each about 5" long) that are ideal for sculpting fine, medium & coarse fiber. Then when you want to needle felt a larger area, select the Ashford Felting Needle Punch. From 1 to 4 needles can be used in the punch at one time, and by holding the punch handle, you can also protect your fingers & hands more easily.
It's hard for us to believe, but once again we've added lots of new yarns in the past two weeks since you received your copy of the October Bulletin -- a total of 18 new lovelies to be exact -- and that's not counting the new roving fibers already discussed! We're especially thrilled to have expanded our fabulous Gedifra and S. Charles yarn collections along with new offerings from other of your favorite companies. All of these beauties are wonderful additions to the lines, & each new yarn has excellent pattern support as you've come to expect from these reliable yarn powerhouses.
Starting off with high-fashion Gedifra Yarns, we have fallen in love with the four new fiber combos we now have in stock. With so many new ones available for fall, it's hard to pick out a favorite to start with, but Chandra ranks high on our list because of its texture & fiber blend. The Gedifra yarn wizards have developed a lovely, woven chainette construction that's soft, warm & trendy by combining acrylic, wool & nylon. Secondly, for a one of the chunkiest, most velvety soft yarns we've ever experienced, check out Karenina that definitely has extreme sensory appeal. With such a quick-to-create gauge on large needles or hooks, "Karenina" is a superb choice for scarves, shawls, trims & embellishments when combined with other Gedifra fiber options.
Also from Gedifra come two other sensational choices for your knitting & crochet projects all fall & winter. Moos is a fluffy, lightweight acrylic/mohair blend yarn that's terrific for your worsted-weight sweaters, jackets, scarves, shawls & more. Then last but absolutely not least from Gedifra is the versatile new Airmix. "Air" is the key word is this yarn's name because "Airmix" is a lighter weight merino because of its blend of merino wool with cotton & nylon. You can create your marvelous crocheted & knitted outfits with "Airmix" and have them stay fashionable & comfortable well into the spring.
Next experience three new stupendous offerings from fashion powerhouse Stacy Charles. When you crave sensational texture for your haute-couture outfits, go with lusciously boucle Pasha. Its touch of cashmere really does make a difference and its superb solid hues are all the rave on the fashion runways of Paris, Milan & New York. We are also enjoying the multiple strands of wool & acrylic roving combined with rayon in fabulous Luxor and the crisp cable plying of classic Merino Cable in all its lovely solids to complement the rest of the S. Charles line.
Our other four trendy new fiber offerings come from a variety of your favorite yarn companies and are stylish additions to day & eveningwear wardrobes. First off comes quick-to-knit Durango from Tahki Yarns. With a strand of thick & thin wool roving plied with a strand of acrylic roving, you get spectacular color & luscious texture for all your chunky knitwear this season.
Then for day & evening, check out Filatura Di Crosa's hot new component blend Murano, one of our particular faves. With its three wondrous strands twisted together, "Murano" is a superb choice with sensational texture: a wooly strand, a nylon thread & a rayon/acrylic ribbon to give it all a lustrous sheen.
To add subtle glitz & definite glamour to your dressy & officewear outfits, consider two new yarn creations from Rowan and K1C2. The subtle iridescence of Romance is simply stunning and it's a chunky weight besides. Then the metallic, glimmering undertones of Merino Gold will surely make you a standout in any crowd this holiday season.
And the best news of all is that each of these yarn companies has really come through with spectacular pattern support for each of these luscious creations. Be sure to take a peek at:
Gedifra Highlights #062 and Gedifra Moments #1012 for all the unique Gedifra versions of high-fashion styles;
S. Charles: Fall/Winter 2006 for the view of haute couture from the Stacy Charles perspective;
Pattern leaflets Merino Gold Princess Jacket (#1354), Merino Gold Leaves and Cables Stole (#1358) & Merino Gold Half Mitered Top (#1360) for subtle glitz;
Rowan Knitting Magazine 40 filled with lovely, feminine, romantic projects for classic glamour all season long;
Filatura Di Crosa: Fall/Winter 2006 for a definite European spin on the popular fashion looks for fall 2006; and
Tahki: Fall/Winter 2006 & the Tahki Stacy Charles: Accessory Collection for wonderful gift ideas and traditional additions to your own wardrobe.
Now if you've been keeping count of all the new yarns so far, you know we're only a little over halfway through with our introduction of the new gems we have at Yarnmarket, so let's keep going with terrific new stock for adults, children & babies.
Since tweeds are so hot, hot, hot this season, we've added three new tweeds and one self-patterning combination stripe & tweed sock yarn in the past two weeks. First off, Debbie Bliss brings us a traditionally British, quick-to-create tweed in two sensational weights -- Donegal Tweed Aran and Donegal Tweed Chunky. With their base colors ranging from neutrals to brights, the nubs of contrasting hues stand out splendidly in these Irish fiber classics. And then knitwear guru Debbie Bliss backs up the loveliness & outstanding quality of these creations with a book dedicated exclusively to them called appropriately enough Donegal Tweed.
Then when you're looking for a tweed that's a cut above the rest, indulge yourself with the lovely wool/silk blend New Tweed from Tahki Yarns. Add a bit of rayon to this outstanding blend and you get a marvelous, lightweight concoction for modernized, tailored garments that will stay as classics in your wardrobe each year.
Another new release we've received recently from Swiss Lang Yarns is the terrific, self-patterning Jawoll Color/Jacquard fingering-weight yarn. Ideal for socks & gloves, "Jawoll Color/Jacquard" is the same terrific blend of superwashed wool & nylon as its solid-colored cousin Jawoll
that you've come to appreciate as a superior sock yarn. But this multi-hued "Jawoll" with over a dozen outstanding color combos sets up its own pattern alternating a self-striping section and a terrific fair-isle type design with no extra effort on your part! Add to this stunner, the fact that we now carry 46 solids in ever-popular "Jawoll" with its spool of matching reinforcement thread, and you have the ideal two choices for all your fingering-weight projects.
We've also been busy expanding the Yarn Types category of Adorable Baby Yarns because we know how special those little ones are to you particularly with the upcoming holidays. To start with, we've added two splendid creations from Wendy/Peter Pan to keep your precious little one in style & looking great. For those special occasions when you want a dressy look that will work in any DK-weight pattern of your choice, choose Lustre DK, a sensational fiber blend. We love the way the supersoft base strand of ultrasoft Courtelle acrylic is entwined with a shimmering thread of rayon to make any outfit stunning.
Then building on their popular, solid-colored Darling yarn, the yarn gurus at Wendy/Peter Pan have developed multi-hued Darling Fleck. Totally with its "Darling" sibling in Wendy/Peter Pan patterns, "Darling Fleck" gives you limitless options for cuddly soft all-in-ones, sweaters, jackets and more used by itself or in combination with a complementary hue of "Darling."
You know you can also count on Filatura Di Crosa for special new baby yarns each season, and this fall is no exception. To kick off the season, we're introducing multi-hued Kiss as a lovely part of their baby collection. For a heavy-worsted, woven baby yarn option, "Kiss" is a terrific wool/acrylic blend option that you can knit or crochet much more quickly than the typical baby yarn. We've also added the new Filatura Di Crosa Baby to Toddler booklet that also uses many of the already established baby yarns such as Baby Aiko, Baby Bon Bon and Baby Zarella Print.
Now we're planning all sorts of ways to decorate our homes and get our favorite relatives & friends all decked out for the upcoming holidays. For our homes, we have an extremely versatile project -- the Holiday Garland -- and it even starts with a free pattern from Crystal Palace. You can knit it as shown in traditional Christmas colors or change to lovely fall hues & decorate your home for Thanksgiving, or use blue and silver shades and be ready for a traditional Hanukkah celebration. Also for Hanukkah, enjoy knitting up the elegant Menorah Pillow designed exclusively for Cashmerino Aran from Debbie Bliss.
Then consider all of the varieties of stocking ideas we have as projects in our Holiday Decor department from the Keepsake Baby Stocking to the felted Enchanted Forest Christmas Stocking. Also check out the lovely kits based on the terrific designs of Letty McDonough we now have in stock -- the Christmas Stocking Kits available in four designs:
Choo Choo Train,
Nordic Star,
Snowmen and
Toy Soldiers.
And of course, we've remembered all of the things you want to make for your ever faithful companion & furry friend by adding three new dog-related kits from Tahki Stacy Charles. For the dog lover who likes to keep Fido in style, choose the Dog Sweater Kit. Then for those who enjoy the latest in fashionable totes, check out the Dog Carrier Kit for toting that special pooch around town. To complete this extraordinary set, select the Dog Blanket Kit that is a generous 48" by almost 60" when knitted up, and this one is terrific for that special furry companion or to indulge yourself & keep snuggly warm all winter long!
As we've been featuring in our August charity feature, in the article for September and the latest list in October, we're continuing to encourage knitters & crocheters to get involved with charitable not-for-profit organizations. As in past issues we are focusing on those groups recommended by our customers & appreciate those who have given us such heartfelt endorsements:
Becky C. of Ohio recommends that you get involved with a mentoring program sponsored by the National Needlearts Association through the efforts of the Helping Hands Foundation. The program provides instruction and materials for knitting instructors to set up programs to teach kids to knit in after-school programs, at scout troop meetings, etc. In the first-ever hospital chapter located at Children's Hospital of Columbus, Becky and her co-workers are helping young patients stay busy & active. What a great way to keep these little ones occupied during their recovery time. Way to go, Becky, and we admire your initiative & drive in getting this effort going!
Another very worthwhile initiative has come to our attention from Robbie R. of New Orleans. In an effort to help those living in women's shelters particularly with the increase of family violence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Robbie and her group are knitting bears for the children in these shelters. From just 200 yards of yarn, you can give a child a sense of comfort & caring. To join Robbie and her friends in this effort, contact the newsletter editor, and she will put you in contact with Robbie.
Then for those who want to do something for our men & women in the military, follow the lead of Carole S. from California. She and her group "Hooks and Needles" are working on a project for their local VA Hospital. Their goal is to knit enough amputee socks for all the severe injuries treated by the VA. They are also knitting and crocheting lap robes for the patients to provide some measure of comfort and protection as they recover. To join Carole and her colleagues, e-mail the newsletter editor, and she will get you connected with this worthwhile group.
Because we believe so strongly in this type of charitable giving, we'll keep highlighting other such groups and organizations especially through holiday time to remind us that those in need can benefit greatly from our beloved crafts. To suggest a non-profit, charitable group for us to feature, just e-mail the newsletter editor and share your suggestions. Please provide any details that you have including the website address, contact person's name, e-mail address, etc. Then watch future issues of this newsletter for updates at least through the upcoming holiday months.
As you’ve come to expect at www.yarnmarket.com, we pride ourselves on our customer service and low error rate. Each order is carefully packed for you by Lisa, Tina, Phyllis, Alma or brand-new staff member Leslie. We have an occasional glitch, but 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 it for you. Our customer service hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or you can leave us a message and we’ll get back to you by e-mail or by phone.
Also as an update on Yarndex.com, your yarn reference resource, in the first 18+ months we've added over 3000 yarns from a wide range of outstanding yarn companies. Most recently updated and added are fiber offerings from Prism Yarns, Rowan, Ironstone, Plymouth and Knit One Crochet Too. Also remember that you can search in a variety of ways on the site to get the information you want in the best format for your use. And for those of you who haven't gotten a chance to check out the site yet, please do so & send us your suggestions.
Thanks for reading, and please enjoy these lovely days & crisp evenings of autumn with your family & friends. Also remember to honor those who have defended our freedoms when you celebrate Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day in Canada) on Saturday, November 11th.
And as always,
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