 |
        |
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #38
In This Issue:
The Must-Haves for Spring & Summer 2007: Easy-Fitting Tunics, Wrap Cardigans & Big Totes | Enjoy New Yarns from Rowan & Sirdar Crafted of Readily Renewable, Eco-Friendly Bamboo | Other New Yarns & Colors from Rowan & RYC Just in Time for Spring & Summer | A Special Yarnmarket Welcome to Designer Della Q & Her Lovely Handcrafted Bags | There's Still Time to Get the Perfect Gift to Your Mom on Her Special Day | Knitting in the News | Customer Service and a Yarndex Update
According to the editors of Vogue Knitting International, the longer, figure-flattering tunic absolutely has to be a part of every woman's wardrobe for 2007. Whether you wear your tunic with leggings, jeans or even as a mini-dress as featured in the Spring/Summer 2007 issue, they demonstrate that the rounded "bubble" shape of the haute-couture runways has been interpreted for the mass market as the knitwear tunic.
Other sensational tunic projects include the Megan Cotton Twist Tunic with its side slits & short sleeves; the Deco Stardust Tunic with Mosaic Trim that starts with a free pattern from Crystal Palace; the Fringed Tiago Tunic, full of the high-fashion appeal you expect from innovative Gedifra; and the Siena Tunic, beautifully crafted of self-striping Siena from Tahki Yarn.
Another terrific new design trend in women's knitwear is the wrap or tie style cardigan jacket displayed so prominently on the pages of Harper's Bazaar,
According to fashion-era.com, the trendy tote bag is the new "It" accessory for the season, and the bigger the better! We've recently added our new felted tote and it is definitely a generous size. Check out the Thalia Felted Alpaca Bag for a wonderful combination of Ultra Alpaca and Suede. With so many color combos possible using these 2 Berroco winners, we know you'll enjoy making more than just 1 of these gems. Also be sure to let us know the color mixes you think work best & we'll add your suggestions to the project page!
And, of course, we can't leave out all of those little girls you enjoy dressing up in the latest styles too! We've added two new adorable projects in the past week and recommend them both highly to you. The Snuggly Furry Bolero is just what you've come to expect from the children's knitwear designers at Sirdar -- precious designs with straightforward instructions to help you succeed. Start with the best shade of Snuggly DK to compliment your little one's complexion, and then select a coordinating or contrasting hue in Funky Fur for the terrific trim.
Other fashion-forward designs for children include:
First off, the yarn gurus of Rowan Yarn have created a luscious woven ribbon aptly named Bamboo Tape. With the same breathability of cotton & the thermal regulating features of silk, "Bamboo Tape" is a superb, all-seasons fiber. Just check out the lovely drape of the Kosue Halter Wrap Tunic, and you'll quickly see why "Bamboo Tape" is wonderful to knit & crochet into the hottest fashion trends for this spring & summer.
Other 100% bamboo lovelies we know you'll enjoy come from the fiber collections of such innovative companies as South West Trading Company, our first yarn supplier with bamboo fiber available to Yarnmarket. The collection has grown from the original Bamboo yarn to include fun Bamboo Feather and variegated Twize also. Then with that French flair so associated with Bouton d'Or, you can enjoy wonderfully soft, DK-weight New Bamboo and such superb projects as the Embroidered Bamboo Bolero and the Bamboo Pullover & Scarf. Our final recommendation is a recent spring 2007 creation from Berroco that deserves a second & even third look with its sensational design support for the new Bonsai yarn.
For all you cotton & cotton blend lovers, we now have in stock and ready to ship 3 new creations for lovely spring & summer fashions. First off is Cotton Jeans for when you crave a classic cotton yarn with a modern twist. Add the look of denim & a great tweedy effect, and you have a terrific, machine washable option. Spectacularly supported by Martin Storey's designs in Classic Coast: Book Seventeen, we bet that "Cotton Jeans' will quickly become one of your warm-weather faves.
A cotton blend lovely also from RYC is super-soft, fingering-weight Cashcotton 4 Ply. Designed for a variety of lacy & classic garments, baby goodies & home decor items, this luxury blend of cotton, cashmere & angora is superb no matter what you decide to create. Plus terrific pattern support is available in the new Classic Mother & Baby: Book Nineteen and in the ever-popular Classic Summer: Book Eleven, Classic Holiday: Book Three and Classic Home: Book Five.
For an elegant, spring/summer new fiber option, we recommend Damask, the superb blend of rayon, linen & acrylic. With the richness & subtle patterning of luxurious damask fabric, you'll enjoy how sensationally it works up in tops, jackets & more as found in Rowan Magazine 41.
Along with these beautiful yarn additions recently available at Yarnmarket, we've added new colors in some of your long-time favorite Rowan & RYC yarns. Be sure to look for the "New" banner on the color image displayed in such spring & summer "hot picks" as Natural Silk Aran, Luxury Cotton DK and Cashcotton DK, all from RYC. Other new colors are now available from Rowan in such perennial faves as Handknit Cotton, Cotton Glace, Cotton Rope, Summer Tweed and Kidsilk Haze. Besides marvelous pattern support in Rowan Magazine 41, these new yarn colors are featured in designs found in the Kasbah Collection (Summer Tweed), Classic Nature: Book Eighteen (Luxury Cotton DK), Classic Coast: Book Seventeen (Natural Silk Aran) and Classic Mother & Baby: Book Nineteen (Natural Silk Aran & Cashcotton DK).
Please join us in giving a sensational Yarnmarket welcome to a new bag company -- Della Q. Ever since we ordered these truly extraordinary silk creations at the January National Needlearts show, we've been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Della Q has designed so many superb bag & tote options that we're launching her collection with an unprecedented 7 styles at once! Each bag is handcrafted marvelously and is definitely designed for the "hip knitter" as Della Q's company motto proclaims. So let's give you a quick rundown of all 7 gems now available in our Yarnmarket collection.
One of our favorite designs for spring & summer is the fabulously elegant Venus Shoulder Bag. With its terrific hand-embroidered flowers & vines on an ecru silk background, this accessory is marvelous as a handbag or as a tote that no one will suspect contains your latest project. Add those little extra Della Q touches like magnetic clasp, inside pockets, silk lining & metal feet, and you'll quickly see why the Venus is one of her hottest selling designs.
Then since we knew that totes were one of the big fashion trends for Spring & Summer 2007, of course, we ordered several of Della Q's fantastic totes for you to enjoy yourself or to give as great gifts for Mother's Day. Probably our favorite new tote from Della is the Lily Tote because the 4 splendid, silk fabrics she has selected just say "spring & summer" to us. Checks & plaids in 4 color combos give you lots of choice in this fun yet functional bag.
Then the Agnes Extra Large Tote comes in matching fabric to the "Lily Tote" and is large enough to use even as a weekender.
For those craving high fashion, Della Q also has two bag designs just for you. The fabulous bead & thread embroidery of the Madeline Tote is oh so elegant that you could add it to your eveningwear collection. And last but certainly not least is the hot-seller for the upcoming warm weather -- the Annabelle Bag. Handcrafted of water hyacinth and wrapped in 100% silk accents, the "Annabelle Bag" is a wonderful, upscale version of the traditional straw bag for summer.
Besides these lovely new bags & totes from Della Q, we have many, many more ideas for your crafty mother, grandmother and great-grandmother this Mother's Day. For a stunning kit your special mom will enjoy, indulge her with the Double Happiness Jacket Kit from the design team of Twisted Sisters. Known for their hip, trendy projects, the Twisted Sisters really come through with this loose-fitting, Asian-inspired jacket combining two of their exquisite fibers. In a one-size-fits-most kit, you can choose from seven different color combos, four of which are Yarnmarket exclusives. Also we recommend the Twisted Colors Mobius Kit from Knit One, Crochet Too. Using just the basic garter stitch to knit up this lovely accessory, this shawl/poncho is terrific even for Advanced Beginners to create. Just pick out her best color combos & get this one ordered & on its way to your favorite someone. Or check out the other great ideas in our Kits area including Instructional Kits for those Moms who have always wanted to learn to knit or crochet & need to learn the basics. From the Reader Digest's Complete Crochet Set and the The Knitter's Bible: Book & Craft Kit to the Ashford Needle Felting Kit and the Learn to Spin Kit, there's something for every Mom's craft interest.
Next our spectacular Fashion Accessories, Tools and Bags & Cases departments have some terrific options for Mom's special gift, and here are just a few of our recommendations:
And are you one of those folks with not enough time in your busy schedule to get the perfect book, knitting kit, yarn or tool delivered to you and then sent to your mom for Mother's Day on May 13th? Well, let us take care of all that for you with our gift-wrapping service. For just $5.50 per order, we’ll gift wrap your present including your personal message to Mom, and send it right along. What could be easier than that? Well, the only thing simpler would be sending an Instant Gift Certificate you can print out yourself or have us email to her. Gift certificates are great for those of you who hate shopping & going from store to store in search of the ideal gift. Or maybe you have friends and loved ones who like to pick out their own gifts. Take it from us, gift wrapping & gift certificates are our definition of stress-free, no-fuss shopping and gift giving!
First off, we found one story from Great Britain's Daily Mail that is a very timely item to fit with last weekend's Earth Day observances. Learn from Knit your own shopping bag how a 21-year-old art student and teacher trainee from Birmingham, England, has been knitting her own reusable totes for years. By following this step-by-step account, you too can learn this clever way to recycle the plastic bags we all carry home from the grocery store. Also we're glad of the reminder from Abigail Percy that the work of Cal Lane {Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting} is still on exhibit at New York's Museum of Arts & Design until the 17th of June. We agree that if you're in the New York City area over the next 6 weeks, you should stop by for a fascinating look at what artists can do with the basic foundations of knitting. Then for a very clever yet unusual crocheted necklace design for computer devotees, take a peek at the article Totally Geek or Geek Chic? Crocheted Keyboard Choker Necklace posted on the Internet yesterday. And we're happy to report that parents & grandparents are still passing along their passion for knitting & crocheting to the younger members of their families. Read the quick note in Around the State: Brighton--Daughter, mom win knitting titles for one such dynamic duo in Michigan. According to the Detroit Free Press, a 10 year old and her mother have won a national design contest and will have featured patterns in an upcoming issue of Knit 'N Style.
You know that we the staff of www.yarnmarket.com pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Tina, Alma, Amy, Rima or Lisa –- 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 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
Thanks for reading, and we wish you all a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13th. Also take time to enjoy those get-togethers with family and friends during the other May holidays including Memorial Day in the U.S. and Victoria Day in Canada!
And as always,
Happy Knitting & Crocheting!
Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
