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YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #49
In This Issue:
Spring Fashion Overview: "Hot" Style Trends & Best Colors for Spring 2008 | Yarnmarket Introduces Own Yarn Brand -- Caledon Hills -- Available Only at Yarnmarket | A Warm Yarnmarket Welcome Goes to the Fibra Natura Yarn Company | Rowan Develops New Organic Yarn Line with Terrific Design Support | Tahki Also Goes Green with Terra Collection & Special Pattern Booklet | Even More Exciting New Yarns & New Colors Now in Stock from RYC, Tahki & Rowan | Keep Up to Date with BargainYARNS & Remember Customer Service -- the Yarnmarket Way
Spring Fashion Overview: "Hot" Style Trends & Best Colors for Spring 2008
OK, you're starting to see encouraging signs of the warmer weather to come: crocuses & daffodils are sprouting up, the trees are budding, and your fine feathered friends are building nests for their soon-to-be-hatched broods. That means we think it's safe to plan ahead for spring & summer fashions and give our wardrobes a kick start of rejuvenation. We also want to consider what we should create as that perfect gift on Administrative Professionals Day (April 23rd) & on Mother's Day (May 11th). It's never too early to plan for these important gift-giving occasions.
First off, continue with the versatile vests that can double as tops in warmer weather because designers are featuring that type of layering in their spring ads in Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Marie Claire in particular. As a great example of this type of pizzazz, take a look at the Taiyo Marina Top. With its feminine detailing at the neckline and its figure-hugging fit, this little vest is stunning as shown over a ruched cami. But just think how equally fabulous it would look worn over a long-sleeved blouse or turtleneck. Designed exclusively for new cotton-blend Taiyo by Noro, this Jane Ellison project in her latest pattern collection Noro Joy is a multi-seasonal wonder.
Then in Noro Volume 23 we find another great top/vest option in the Matsuri Eyelet Top. It too can be worn over your favorite sleeveless shell or dress or as a vest over a sleeved blouse or top. Of course, what makes this design so out of the ordinary is auto-striping Matsuri in those spectacular Noro color combos you know & love!
One other layering idea but this time in solid-hued, perennial fave Suede from Berroco is the Suede Ellis Vest. Figure-flattering, open-weave detailing at the neck & the peplum sides makes this garment feminine and great for sizes Small to 2X. And Berroco designer Norah Gaughan's genius of crafting it from ever-popular "Suede" gives the vest all-season versatility. It's equally lovely worn over a short-sleeved T-shirt as shown for spring & summer or with a long-sleeved blouse or turtleneck all fall & winter.
Besides layering options, you should "think floaty and feminine with ruffles, lace and pleat draping cuts" according to Gil Hart, a reporter for Style.com. The flirty, feminine edging on the Lust Ruffled Fichu is a fantastic design featured in Knitter's magazine. This lovely wrap combines the airiness of Twisted Sisters' cobwebby Lust with the delicacy of the silk-merino blend Petite Voodoo Hand Paints. The result is a spectacular addition to your accessories wardrobe that is sure to win you lots of compliments.
We also recommend the Kid Mohair Cabled Shrug from Twinkle. For high-fashion pizzazz plus the airy, lacy look that's all the rage, no one does it better than Wenlan Chia better known as "Twinkle." In this fabulous, lacy little shrug, larger needles make your stitches open up and give the sweater a luxurious feel. You combine dropped, unraveled stitches with cuffs created from picked up stitches for superb styling & panache. You'll be amazed by how even a few rows of simple ribbing blossom into the shawl collar with Wenlan's special techniques.
According to Nordstrom sales predictions, dresses & skirts are remaining strong for spring especially those with feminine touches, with waist detailing or with cropped jackets included as accents. Check out our Dresses & Skirts department for a variety of knitting & crochet projects, but our staff picks include:
The Fixation Tweed Jumper with its belted, empire styling & blend of four solids to create what the editors of Lucky magazine recently designated as "color-flecked knits," especially those with "cupcake-sprinkle hues that give stark neutrals a quiet touch of fun";
The Amaizing Knit Skirt from designer extraordinaire Annie Modesitt featured in her latest collection Romantic Hand Knits;
The Rubens Ruffled Dress, a mini-length concoction with a flirty bottom ruffle & a touch of glitz & glamour;
The crocheted Silky Wool Herringbone Skirt with its ruffly bottom and simple repeat for a straightforward option; and
The Puccini Dress with the complementary Puccini Jacket for plus sizes.
Of course, the little ones in your life deserve the best of the best also, and we suggest you take a serious look at two new projects. First off, for the feminine, dainty style, the Girl's Ty-Dy Cardi is the ideal choice from Helene Rush, owner of Knit One Crochet Too. With self-striping Ty-Dy & a lovely eyelet design, you can't go wrong with this gem.
Also our staff pick for an eco-friendly baby project is the Pakucho Baby Blanket. Finely crafted of 100% organic Pakucho from Trendsetter, this striped creation makes excellent use of the subtle shades available in a naturally dyed fiber. And the added benefit is that you just need to know how to knit & purl, and you can create this wonderful blankie!
And last but certainly not least, what colors should you be selecting to stay current & up to date with the latest fashion trends? The Pantone Color Institute is the expert source for what's hot & what's not, so their forecasters are emphasizing "refreshing splashes of invigorating brights to punctuate classic, versatile neutrals" as they foresee designers offering a playful spring palette. They also predict specific uses of "energizing reds, cool, waterborne blue and eco-friendly greens" will be especially popular to suit what they call the "cheerfulness of the season." And the editors of Vogue heartily agree by showcasing what they refer to as "ladylike brights" in their latest issue.
Yarnmarket Introduces Own Yarn Brand -- Caledon Hills -- Available Only at Yarnmarket
This month we at Yarnmarket are very excited to introduce our own brand to our family of over 600 yarns -- Caledon Hills Yarn. Yarnmarket presents superior quality, classic Caledon Hills yarns at a great price. From the calming blues of burbling brooks to the fiery reds and oranges of the autumn landscape, this collection boasts a magnificent array of the colors of nature. Caledon Hills yarns are chosen for softness, durability and style, making them perfect for clothing, accessories & home fashions.
As the first fiber gem in this new collection, Worsted Wool is a fabulous felting yarn that comes in a full spectrum of colors. From the fiery reds of autumn to the blues of crystal waters to the greens of verdant pastures, the colors of nature are captured in this quality 100% wool yarn. Caledon Hills Worsted Wool felts like a dream but is also perfect for any worsted-weight project: sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, purses and more. Add that each hank contains a generous 220 yards, and you have a versatile choice for all your worsted-weight knitting & crochet projects.
We are also starting off this new YM-exclusive yarn collection with several free patterns for your knitting pleasure. We know how much many of you enjoy felting, especially bag projects, so we're working with a talented local designer -- Barbara Rottman -- to create special handbag designs for you. We bet you're going to love the Caledon Felted City Bag with its wonderful geometric lines & classic tailoring. Finish the purse with buttonhole & button as shown or use South West's easy-to-attach Magnetic Purse Snap. You can even cover the snap with a button if you prefer, so enjoy many finishing options with this marvelous addition to your accessories wardrobe.
We also highly recommend the Caledon Felted Textured Clutch that takes just 1 hank of "Caledon Hills Worsted Wool" to knit up. We love the way you can practice your basic cabling technique, and then the finished effect is a slightly textured, quilted look after the bag is felted. This fun project also works well as a cosmetic or travel bag, or use it for your knitting & crochet supplies, & tuck it conveniently into your favorite knitting bag or tote.
And wouldn't either of these lovely bags knit up quickly as gifts for Mom or for your favorite administrative professional?
A Warm Yarnmarket Welcome Goes to the Fibra Natura Yarn Company
You know you can count on us at Yarnmarket to be on the lookout for any new trends in fiber combinations and yarns along with the latest designs & fashionable styles. So when we first saw the Fibra Natura Yarn collection, we knew that here were some excellent additions to our Exotic & Unusual Fibers section. Crafted of all natural fibers, the Fibra Natura yarn collection is a terrific choice for handknitters worldwide. Known for seeking out innovative & exotic fiber options such as seacell (kelp), the yarn gurus of Fibra Natura are excited to offer you high quality fiber blends for your year-round wardrobe.
The first seacell (kelp) blend comes in the terrific combination of cotton & seacell called Sea Song. When you're looking for eco-friendly cotton mixed with something totally out of the ordinary, "Sea Song" is a great worsted-weight option for spring/summer garments. Research indicates that the Seacell process facilitates an exchange of the vitamins & minerals contained in seaweed when worn next to the skin. So no wonder the yarn developers at Fibra Natura call "Sea Song" the "Look Good, Feel Good" yarn.
Then for those looking for a transitional, in-between seasons, fiber mix, take a peek at fabulous Mermaid. With a terrific blend of cotton & superwash merino wool plus a touch of silk & seacell (kelp), "Mermaid" is a great choice for all your worsted-weight knitting & crochet projects. Ideal for multi-seasonal garments, it works up beautifully in cardis, shawls, hats, scarves, tops, pullovers, vests & more. Beautifully crafted of 42% cotton, 35% superwash merino wool, 12% silk & 11% seacell.
We suggest you sub "Sea Song" & "Mermaid" in your favorite, worsted-weight sweater, shawl, top, or jacket patterns, or consider these Fibra Natura lovelies available at Yarnmarket:
Sea Song Ocean Lace Cardigan, a feminine, open-weave design for spring & summer;
Mermaid & Sea Song Luxury Collars, containing both a dressy & a more classic design;
Mermaid Lacy Cabled Scoop with its all-over cabled lace design; and
Mermaid Serena Top that's great worn by itself or under your favorite jacket or cardi for a set.
Rowan Develops New Organic Yarn Line with Terrific Design Support
For the environmentally conscious consumer, Rowan is developing an organic yarn collection under the name "Purelife." So why this move to organic fibers & processes you may ask? These eco-responsible yarns will use fully certified organic fibers to "keep nature pure and life good for the farmers who make their living from the earth" as Rowan puts it. Then by partnering with well-respected European expert Biore (also known as bioRe) of Switzerland, Rowan ensures that each ball in this line is completely traceable via the batch number on the ball band.
Rowan's first creation under this brand is Purelife Organic Cotton, a 100% organic, environmentally responsible yarn. Spun from cotton organically grown in India, the fiber is then naturally dyed in Italy without the use of chemicals. Natural dyeing allows the inherent softness & beauty of the cotton to shine through, giving the yarn a superb texture & marvelous stitch definition. This organic fiber & the use of natural dyes also gives you wonderfully subtle shade variations and tone-on-tone results for you to discover when you knit & crochet with this lovely cotton.
Of course, you can count on Rowan to have excellent pattern support for any new yarn, and "Purelife Organic Cotton" is no exception. We know that from your first glimpse of the 18 lovely projects thought up by Marie Wallin to fill Purelife - The Organic Cotton Collection, your fingers will start itching to create one of the outfits for women, men & young girls. Choose from cardigans, pullovers, tunics, jackets & more, or use your favorite DK-weight spring/summer pattern, and design your own organic gem for your warm-weather wardrobe.
Tahki Also Goes Green with Terra Collection & Special Pattern Booklet
With Earth Day being celebrated worldwide in just a few weeks (on April 22nd), it seems particularly appropriate for us to be expanding our Eco-Friendly Fibers department with two new spring/summer yarns from Tahki. Each of them adds something distinct to the Tahki Yarn family, but we especially appreciate that they've also been developed as earth-friendly fibers.
As Tahki-Stacy Charles so aptly puts it, "We are proud to do our share in developing manufacturing processes, products and packaging that respect our natural resources."
First off, named perhaps to remind us of its earth-friendly properties, comes Sky. Made of 100% biofil cotton with no generic alteration, no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers or defoliants, "Sky" is also dyed using an ecologically responsible process for low impact on the environment. And you still have that wonderful Italian craftsmanship to give you lovely softness & stitch definition in all your cardis, tops, pullovers, vests, scarves, really any worsted-weight project.
Then we now have in stock and ready to ship to you Jeans, the second new earth-friendly offering from Tahki. As a special part of Tahki's "Go Green" collection, "Jeans" is a fabulous woven tape yarn. Designed for light & airy sweaters, shawls, scarves, & tops, "Jeans" is spun & dyed with fine Italian craftsmanship from 100% organic cotton using low-impact dyes that are environmentally friendly. The fiber is soft with subtle color shadings that give stunning results in classic jeans hues with a linen feel.
And you know you can rely on those innovative Tahki designers to develop great pattern support and this time they've grouped all of the projects into one booklet specifically for the eco-friendly fibers. We recommend you look over the Tahki: Terra Collection for 13 jacket, top, cardi & vest projects for these two new yarns plus several stunning patterns specifically for Cotton Classic.
Even More Exciting New Yarns & New Colors Now in Stock from RYC, Tahki & Rowan
It's hard to believe we have even more new goodies to share in this issue, but spring is definitely bursting on the scene with new yarns & new colors now in stock & ready to ship to you.
First off from RYC (now becoming known as Rowan Classics), we have luxuriously lovely Silk Cotton, a surefire, spring/summer addition to the collection. Sensationally crafted in Italy of 53% silk & 47% cotton, this fiber blend gives you a silky finish with cool breathability. Wonderful stitch definition comes from a tight twist of three cabled strands for lovely drape & added durability. Try out this fiber gem in all your worsted-weight, spring/summer creations whether they're knitted or crocheted.
And for additional inspiration, check out the new Classic Summer Delights: Book Twenty-Four that features 16 terrific projects from the creative imagination of well-respected British designer Martin Storey. We bet you'll love the shrugs, tops, cardis, pullovers, jackets & more showcasing "Silk Cotton" along with Natural Silk Aran and Cotton Jeans.
Then beautifully crafted in Argentina exclusively for Tahki, Sierra is a superb addition to their spring/summer collection of fine yarns. With an interesting blend of raw silk with linen & a touch of nylon, "Sierra" gives you a fantastic, slightly nubby texture for beautiful, heathery results. With a generous 135 yds. per hank, "Sierra" works up sensationally in all your worsted-weight knitting & crochet projects for spring & summer. Just think of all the lovely tops, tunics, cardigans, shawls & accessories you can create from this fabulous fiber blend.
Also from Tahki come lots of new colors in some of your favorite spring/summer fiber gems including Cotton Classic with 4 new solids, New Tweed (6 new lovely tweeds) and Tweedy Cotton Classic (3 new multis especially good for conservative guys). And if you need a few ideas of what to create with this new yarn & all these new colors, take a peek at the latest Tahki pattern collection -- Tahki: Spring/Summer 2008. Look over the dozen warm-weather tops, sweaters & cardis featured here, and you're sure to find great additions for your classic wardrobe.
Then last but certainly not least, we recommend the new hues available in some of Rowan's most popular fiber combos ever -- All Seasons Cotton with a whopping 11 new solids and Calmer with 3 new hues right in line with the spring color forecasts. And with so many new shades of "All Seasons Cotton" now available, it only makes sense that Rowan would commission one of their best designers -- Sarah Hatton -- to develop the new collection All Seasons at the Mill. This new booklet features a baker's dozen of fine garments for women & men.
Keep Up to Date with BargainYARNS & Remember Customer Service -- the Yarnmarket Way
As a reminder, be sure to stay informed and up to date on all the new hot bargains on Yarnmarket's sale site -- BargainYARNS.com -- by signing up today for the monthly newsletter, the BargainYARNS Alert. Our Yarnmarket sales website has been growing so quickly that we decided it was time to devote a special monthly newsletter dedicated to those exciting news items & sales. Through the BY Alert you can learn about special purchases, discontinued yarns and bargain books like the sensational recent addition from Karabella -- Baraka -- along with all the great additions to the Baskets & Bags department, just in time for the upcoming gift-giving holidays. All we need is your first name, last name & email address, and you can start receiving your copy of this quick-to-skim publication with the next issue.
We also appreciate your continuing praise for our customer service, and we the staff of www.yarnmarket.com especially take pride in this aspect of our business. Each order is packed with pride by Tina, Suzi, Julie, Debbie, Alma, Amy 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 a Happy Earth Day later this month.
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.
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