Final Countdown to the Holidays: More Metallics, Glamour, Accessories & Gift Ideas
Now are you starting to feel the pressure of having just a few weeks until the big holiday gift-giving season arrives? And have you started debating what you're going to wear for those special occasions & family get-togethers the end of the month? Well, don't worry because, of course, we've been checking out all the latest must-haves for the season and we'll help you with your final countdown to the holidays.
First off, let's continue our eveningwear showcase that we began in the November newsletter. We're still in agreement with the editors of Vogue Knitting International that metallics are back: "As long as a look doesn't overwhelm, some glitz and glamour can brighten anyone's mood." In keeping with the subtle use of metallics, we've added a variety of new projects to inspire you:
First off, we have a versatile yet elegant piece of outerwear to see you well past New Year's Eve this year. The Merino Cable & Venus Cape has the type of sophisticated, European flair you're looking for. With its figure-hugging ribs crafted of classic Merino Cable and subtle, shimmering stripes of Venus, this lovely garment is a stunning example of the exquisite use of fibers from the S. Charles Yarn Collezione.
For other examples of shimmering, glimmering uses of metallic highlights, consider two new projects featuring Teva Durham's Shale yarn from her Loop-d-Loop collection. Another jacket option is the Shale Rib Leaf Cardigan, and this one works well for a day in the office or a night out on the town. A relatively simple cardigan is transformed into a great silhouette with saddle shoulders & a deep, cutaway waistband for a vintage, equestrian look.
Also take a peek at the Shale Baguette Scarf reminiscent of Teva Durham's earlier chain-link scarves. This wondrous creation is much easier than it looks because the "slices" are created with bind-offs & cast-ons from a continuous tube. You can even insert your arms into the tube & wear it as an innovative shrug!
You know you can count on the designers at Berroco to keep you in style & up with the current fashions too for the holidays, and our favorite new accessory from them is the Metallic Sabine Looped Scarf. Also using subtle bind-offs & cast-ons, this design from Norah Gaughan demonstrates her continuing love of geometric shapes. Beautifully crafted of soft Metallic FX, this scarf is a fun, funky accessory for the office or a dressy special occasion.
And you know, those long gloves featured in the photo of the "Merino Cable & Venus Cape" got us to thinking about elegant long gloves, and we just had to add a project for those too. Check out the Fixation Long Gloves for Annie Modesitt's version. Taking full advantage of the stretchiness of Fixation from Cascade, these lacy gloves are a romantic, feminine accent to your eveningwear wardrobe.
Then turning our attention to gift ideas that you still have time to create, hats & scarves make sensational gifts especially as sets. Our first highlighted new duo is the Camel Cabled Hat & Scarf set featured in the current issue of Knit 'N Style and designed by our very own Yarnmarket newsletter editor & staff knitter. When you're looking for a cable project that's out of the ordinary, this design is ideal for you. With its twisting side cables & shifting center cable, the scarf can be knitted as long or as short as you like. The set also works for women & men because the velvety soft Handspun Camel from the Snow Leopard Trust easily allows for smaller needles to tighten the gauge or larger needles for a bigger hat circumference.
Another sensational design from Teva Durham is the Moss Honeycomb Scarf & Hat. Using just one ball of two different colors of Moss gives you this marvelously coordinated pair. Almost as a mirror image of each other, the scarf & the hat reflect the natural shape of honeycomb cells and allow for the scarf's undulating borders.
And, of course, we've added new lovelies for those precious little ones in your life and expanded our ever-growing Baby & Kid's Stuff department, now with over 200 projects! First, we recommend the Comfort Party Girl Cardigan showcasing versatile, hypoallergenic Comfort from Berroco. Your favorite little princess will love the simple tie front and all the ultra-feminine touches such as the ruffles & scalloped edges. The added benefit? This little jacket is sized from 4 to 12, so we know that little girls & preteens will love it equally.
Then from the sensational Filatura Di Crosa baby collection called Adorable Baby comes the Party Cardigan. Finely crafted of fluffy, terry-cloth-like Party yarn, this cardi jacket is fun & comfy with its trendy stripes & V-neckline. Just choose your little one's favorite two colors, and get started on this lovely gem right away!
A Warm Yarnmarket Welcome to a New Yarn Company -- The Vickie Howell Collection
This month we at Yarnmarket are excited to announce a major expansion of our Eco-Friendly Fibers department with the addition of the complete Vickie Howell Collection of fine yarns. We all know Vickie as the fun, fab host of DIY's Knitty Gritty cable TV show and for her ability to make knitting accessible to all ages. But now she's joined forces with the premier yarn company for earth friendly fibers -- South West Trading Company -- to develop her own brand. Yarnmarket is thrilled to have in stock and ready to ship to you all four yarns in her collection.
First off is the yarn that started it all & perhaps its name sums up Vickie's feelings about her collection the best: Love. Combining readily renewable, supersoft bamboo with the luxurious sheen of silk gives "Love" a terrific hand & sensational drape. Designed for lovely tops, shawls, scarves & accessories, this worsted-weight gem just begs to be worn right next to your skin! This luscious fiber blend is available in elegant solids named after well-known couples like "Harold & Maude" and "Mulder & Scully."
Next we have Vickie's most unusual fiber creation in the foursome because would you have ever thought you'd be knitting & crocheting one day with yarn made of milk fiber??? Well, with the introduction of Craft to the yarn industry, you now can create a variety of DK-weight projects using this spectacular yarn made of 65% organic cotton & 35% milk fiber. With the addition of multi-seasonal cotton to the mix too you get a versatile option even for those with sensitive skin. With none of the stiffness but all of the durability of 100% cotton yarns, "Craft" is soft on the hands as well as the body and is ideal for babies & children.
Then since Vickie's motto is "Knitting Rocks!", what could be more natural than for her to create a yarn called Rock to enchant & inspire you. A wonderful yarn classic, "Rock" brings its own modern twist to the mix. Combine traditional wool with extra-durable hemp & then add South West's exclusive soysilk, and you have a marvelous fiber blend for your multi-seasonal wardrobe. With beautiful solid & variegated hues named after rock stars, this fiber gem definitely fits with Vickie's funky style!
Last of the fantastic four & Vickie's latest development is a subtly glitzy creation called Vegas. More muted than you might expect from the name, "Vegas" is a thick & thin, feltable wool blend with a tasteful touch of glam. With its soft blend of soysilk & wool, the metallic lurex thread running throughout the yarn strand gives "Vegas" sophisticated glitz without getting gaudy.
Enjoy Fashionable New Yarns & Colors from GGH/Rebecca and Muench
We keep enjoying all of the new fall & winter yarns arriving each week at Yarnmarket, and the past two weeks have been no exception. We were particularly excited when we saw the boxes from GGH/Rebecca and Muench come in because we've been looking forward to these lovelies for women, men, babies & children for some time now. You know you can always count on these two yarn companies for stylish yet comfortable creations well supported by books and patterns, and the four new yarns we now have available fulfill this promise.
As a a fabulous addition to the Muench baby yarn collection, Big Baby Dots gives you a terrific, quick-to-create option for baby & kids' clothes & accessories. With a pastel background of blue, pink or white, each color combo has lovely variegated "dots" that look almost spray-painted on each strand. Crafted of 100% brushed acrylic just like Big Baby Multi and Big Baby Solid, imagine all the baby blankets, sweaters & more you can knit & crochet in this lovely gem made with fine Italian craftsmanship.
Then to start off the additions from GGH/Rebecca, as a wonderful, classic plied yarn, Cumba from GGH/Rebecca has the fabulous softness of alpaca with the terrific volume of wool. Spun to have extra volume, airiness & durability, "Cumba" is a sensational choice for comfortable, lightweight sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves, shawls & more. And in just one 50-gram ball, you get 164 yards of this quality fiber, which goes to show you how lightweight it's been spun to be!
Also for those of you who crave auto-striping tweedy effects in your heavy-worsted knitting & crochet projects, take a peek at one of our new faves Magica. The fabulous stripes appear as if by "magic," so it's easy to convince your friends & relatives that you've spent much more time on your creation than you really have. In addition, "Magica" is available in marvelous color combos suitable for women & men, boys & girls, so that you can outfit the whole family.
Next from GGH/Rebecca comes Vision, a mini-looped fuzzy boucle with oodles of pizzazz & volume. "Vision" even self-stripes for you in a wonderful array of color combos just right for fall & winter fashions. Add its supersoft, fluffy texture, and we know you'll enjoy creating quick knitted & crocheted outfits almost as much as you'll love wearing them.
In addition to these four new yarns, we have new colors in established yarns & new books for you to check out too. Be sure to indulge yourself with the six new luxurious colors in GGH's Cashmere. From blush pink to delightful raspberry to masculine hunter green, even more colors of the rainbow are now available to indulge yourself & your loved ones. Also take a look at the latest stylish, fashionable garments from the GGH/Rebecca books & patterns collection. Rebecca #34 features all the exciting trends for fall & winter including wide coats, fitted dresses, long jackets & more. And since it's jam-packed with 43 designs, there's sure to be something for everyone's taste & personal style.
Check Out Even More Special Gift Ideas for Holiday Decor, Sock Lovers & Other Crafty Folks
Now we've been reading your emails & paying attention to your phone calls requesting more holiday decor ideas plus more gift ideas for your loved ones, so, of course, we have even more to share. Now that we're getting even closer to the holidays, we've expanded our Holiday Items area and are featuring several decor items for December that will make your home festive & add holiday cheer. First off, take a look at the clever Crocheted Holiday Stocking with its fun pom-poms connected by interlocking chains at the top. Then when you're ready to decorate the tree, consider the adorable Ski Sweater Ornaments that will make it a one-of-a-kind creation plus they're a great way to use up scrap yarn! Finally when it's time to put your own special stamp on those decorated presents, take a look at the special Gift Wrapping Idea from Crystal Palace. Then for extraordinary gift wrapping, knit up the Kidsilk Haze Coiled Scarf so that your special someone will have a superb accessory to wear after unwrapping the gift.
Then we have lots of ideas for the sock lovers on your gift list including a way for them to make their own hand-dyed sock yarn. We now have in stock and ready to ship to you the Culinary Colors Dye Kit from Knit One Crochet Too. You can bring a whole new dimension to your knitting, crocheting & other fiber arts by dyeing your own fiber. Each kit features kitchen-safe, eco-friendly dyes so that you can give free rein to your creativity. And there's plenty of dye for you to experiment since each kit contains a fluid ounce of each of 10 vibrant colors. Also don't forget the undyed fiber you'll need to complete the creation, and we recommend earth friendly Tofutsies from South West Trading Company in color #796 "White (Dye It!)."
Also for sock aficionados, we now have available for pre-order Kureyon Sock Yarn. And here we were wondering how Eisaku Noro could possibly improve upon his ever-popular Kureyon, and he goes and develops a fingering-weight version & hand-dyes it in his top 12 most popular color combos. Also combining wool with nylon for the sock version gives you the same self-striping fun but with added durability & softness. Also we've just learned that early next week we'll be getting the December release of the Tofutsies Sock Club, and we'll have a special bonus with this release. In addition to the free pattern you'll get from South West for your participation in the sock club, we'll also be shipping you a Yarnmarket-exclusive pattern free with the December yarn purchase. Just a little holiday gift from us to all of you who have been enjoying the sock clubs!
Now we have so many other terrific gifts for you to consider that we're ending this article with a reminder that we've re-activated two popular departments from last year -- Stocking Stuffers in our Tools & Accessories department and Stocking Stuffers in our Books & Patterns area. We also recommend that you consider some of the spectacular yet functional choices in our Bags & Cases department and the versatile yet lovely needle & crochet hook collections in our Knitting Needles & Crochet Hooks section of the store. In these areas you're sure to find marvelous gift ideas for those crafty folks in your life.
Keep Up to Date on the Impressionist Collection with a New Partner & Additional Yarns
First off, please join us in welcoming a new partner to the Impressionist Collection initiative -- Cherry Tree Hill. Launching their Impressionist Collection of colorways in three of their most-popular fibers, Cherry Tree Hill has interpreted the Parisian artists beautifully. Just take a peek at Supersock Merino, Supersock DK and Sockittome in the 8 color combos of the Impressionist series and you'll see what we mean. From the brilliance of "Monet's Garden" to the evocative subtleties of "Snowscapes," these Cherry Tree Hill colorways will enliven your sock wardrobe dramatically. And the different textures, fiber blends & spinning techniques all absorb the dye differently for different looks also.
In addition, take a peek at the Cherry Tree Hill Pattern Collection for a wide range of socks & more you can knit with these three fun yarns. Just look for patterns with these yarn names at the beginning (they're in alphabetical order, so keep scrolling down!), and you'll find over 35 patterns in all. From the Supersock DK Simple Sock to the Supersock Baby Blanket and from the Sockittome Hat and Wristlets to the Supersock Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, you'll enjoy exploring all of the Impressionist possibilities at your fingertips.
Then we promised you additional fibers from Twisted Sisters for this Yarnmarket-exclusive color collection, and we are living up to our promise. This month we've added their wonderful color impressions to our Mirage Hand Paints options. When you see how beautifully this cotton-rayon blend shimmers in the 8 Impressionist colorways, we bet your fingers will be itching to create your next project. Also just think of all the ways you can combine one of the lovely multis with the monochromatic variegates of tone-on-tone Mirage for even more depth & elegance.
We also have news about another Impressionist Collection partner -- Rio de la Plata. Thank you for your terrific response last month to their two new yarns Merino Pampa and Merino Sock. We just wanted to let you know that we now have available "Snowscapes" from the Impressionist colorways, so be sure to take a peek at how beautifully the yarn artisans of Rio de la Plata have interpreted this lovely painting. Also to support the sensational softness of "Merino Sock," we now have another free pattern -- the Merino Parisian Rooftop Socks. With their lacy ribs & scalloped edges, these socks make a marvelous gift or fun addition to your own footwear wardrobe!
Take the Yarnmarket Newsletter Survey & You Could Win a $100 Gift Certificate
At Yarnmarket we're committed to giving you the best online shopping experience possible. That's why we send you our monthly Yarnmarket newsletters and bulletins. To ensure that these publications are of value to you, we're conducting a quick survey amongst our readers. Once we've collected all the responses, we'll award one lucky shopper a $100 gift certificate for Yarnmarket.
Please be sure to answer our survey so we can create a helpful, informative publication that keeps you aware of all the wonderful new yarns and patterns available at Yarnmarket.com. It should take you no more than five minutes. One survey per customer, please. All responses must be received by midnight January 31, 2008. The drawing will be held on February 1, 2008. (And, yes...everyone on the planet is eligible...except the YarnMartians who work at Yarnmarket!)
YES! I WANT TO TAKE THE YARNMARKET SURVEY
Easy Gift Giving, Less Stress During the Holidays the Yarnmarket Way
Not enough time in your busy schedule to get the perfect book, knitting kit, yarn or tool delivered to you and then sent to all those special friends or relatives? 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 presents in paper suitable for any occasion you designate with your personal message, and send it right along. What could be easier than that?
Already tired of fighting the crowds in the stores & need a quick and easy gift idea? Or do you have friends and loved ones who like to pick out their own gifts? Yarnmarket also offers Instant Gift Certificates that you can choose to print out or have emailed to the recipient. Our definition of stress-free, no-fuss shopping and gift giving!
These are just additional ways at www.yarnmarket.com that we pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Alma, Tina, Lisa, Amy, Suzi, Julie or Debbie –- 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, good luck with all your shopping, & be sure to let us know how we can make your gift giving easy, convenient & stress-free.
And as always,
Happy Knitting & Crocheting!
Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff
Yarnmarket, BargainYARNS and Yarndex are subsidiaries of Yarnmarket, LLC. Yarnmarket is an online yarn retailer with over 500 quality brands from 50 leading manufacturers, plus patterns, books and accessories. BargainYARNS provides discounts on fashionable yarns and accessories. Yarndex is a free online yarn directory offering detailed information about specific yarns from leading manufacturers.
