YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #74
In This Issue:
Spring Fashion Faves: Add Pizzazz to Your Wardrobe with Prints and Go Nautical with Stripes & Beachwear | Tahki Enhances Cotton Classic Family with New Lighter Weight Version Plus New Colors in Your Favorite Cotton Beauty | Filatura Di Crosa Maintains High Fashion Styling with Gorgeous New Cotton Blend | Check Out the Latest New Fibers Featured in Tahki's New Terra Booklet | Dig in to Lovely Spring Colors with Latest Flower of the Month from Fiesta | Discover Out-of-the-Ordinary Spring Baby Fashions for Your Precious Wee One from Filatura | Announcing Exciting New Contest Series for Chance to Win Yarnmarket Gift Certificate | Customer Service Reminders
Spring Fashion Faves: Add Pizzazz to Your Wardrobe with Prints and Go Nautical with Stripes & Beachwear
As we've explored the previous month's fashion feature, the need for transitional dressing is continuing throughout the season so that we can cope with the dramatic changes in temperature and weather conditions that have been even extreme in the past few weeks. Then in our Spring 2010 Preview, we shared with you details about the return of the romantic look for spring along with the Top 10 colors for the season. Now in this issue of the Yarnmarket News, we are exploring two more major fashion trends so aptly demonstrated on haute-couture runways around the world and then translated by our favorite retailers and knitwear gurus for our own wardrobes.
Now first off, you need to set your course for the beach with the oh-so popular nautical look. After a severe winter in North America, perhaps it’s understandable that so many designers have featured beach and vacation inspired themes in their Spring 2010 collections. But we are a bit surprised at just how prevalent the “Ahoy, Matey” look is this season.
Tommy Hilfiger leads the pack with oodles of tops, jackets and accessories incorporating lots of stripes, and Ralph Lauren runs a very close second with his more militaristic version. Lauren also features silver metallic overalls and denim dungarees for a wide variety of casual wear and beach attire.
Then the Rebecca Taylor collection showcases nautical stripes along with the bag offerings of Eric Javits and Nautica adorned by various seaworthy motifs. Last but certainly not least, take a peek at the unusual and simply stunning nautical jewelry from Chanel.
Of course, our favorite knitwear designers are giving us terrific knitted and crocheted options for our spring/summer wardrobes to keep up with this latest trend. Karola Gottwald of Gedifra Yarns gives us many striped options in her latest pattern collections, and Karola particularly likes vertical striping for a modern twist and more figure-flattering line. In her Barina Striped Vest, Karola shows how a basic 7-row pattern can work wonders for added texture and color. Then in her Fiorista Fino Hairpin Lace Jacket and the matching Hairpin Lace Top can be crocheted beautifully to add a unique twinset to your collection.
Other well-respected design teams demonstrate how self-striping yarns can give you this look with ease. The Seduce Colors Beach Tunic from Norah Gaughan and her creative team at Berroco is artfully built around tone-on-tone, auto-striping of Seduce Colors yarn, a stunning blend of rayon, linen, silk & nylon for wondrous results.
Or if you are a Noro aficionado, we highly recommend the comfortable and trendy Furin Trapeze Top. With its loose fit, swingy styling and buttoned tabs at the shoulders, this item is perfect for warmer weather. And the best part is that self-striping Furin yarn does most of the work for you!
Then as the editors of Marie Claire magazine featured recently, one of the other hot trends for spring and summer is adding panache to your wardrobe with various types of prints. Turning away from the animal prints so popular in past springs, haute-couture mavens find their inspiration from random patternings, geometrical shapes, tie-dye and batik fabrics, and multi-cultural designs from Africa, India and more. Especially watch for jacquards of all types, and notice the strong influence of the Missonis and others.
So enhance your spring collection with the graphic contrasts of a Givenchy tribal-look tote, the groovy retro tie-dye look from Proenza Schouler, Thakoon’s multi-print dresses and even Converse tennis shoes adorned with vintage Missoni chevrons. But no matter which type of print you choose, go with the designs most flattering to your body shape and size, and let the print be the star of your outfit.
For example, one of our favorite new print projects is the Cotton Glace Bournemouth Tank from Rowan and featured in Rowan Knitting Magazine 47. Bold geometric shapes in bright, cheery colors make this a standout tank to wear alone as a top or layered as shown over your favorite cami. Then you can team it up with anything from jeans to a floaty skirt for casual or dressy outings.
Also the editors of Vogue Knitting International magazine are also heartily endorsing this fashion trend, and we love the Kidsilk Haze Checkered Cardigan they have featured in the current issue. The geometrical checkerboard pattern makes a classic print, and airy, supersoft Kidsilk Haze yarn gives the whole garment a romantic haloing effect.
And, of course, we must include something new for the little ones in your life, especially those little girls who so enjoy playing dress up. One of our favorite new designs for little girls is the Sublime Candy Stripe Shrug with its striped nautical flair. Another beauty comes from Jane Ellison and is featured in her Noro Kids pattern collection. The Taiyo Peggy Bolero is that shorter length so popular this season along with another auto-striper that does much of the work for you.
Tahki Enhances Cotton Classic Family with New Lighter Weight Version Plus New Colors in Your Favorite Cotton Beauty
We know how much you enjoy Cotton Classic Yarn from Tahki no matter what the season or weather conditions. So when we had the opportunity to order a new lighter gauge version, we jumped at the chance to expand this terrific yarn family and at the same time expand both our New Yarns for Spring/Summer department and our Classic Cotton Yarns collection.
Well, the yarn gurus at Tahki have done what we doubted was possible -- they've created a terrific lighter weight version of their oh-so-popular Cotton Classic. Cotton Classic Lite has the same amazing twist and sheen of its much-beloved mercerized big sister, but it creates lighter-weight fabrics with softer drape since it's a sport-weight/DK-weight fiber gem. Add that it's also a crocheter's dream, and you have a sensational choice for all your lightweight tops, airy shawls, lacy scarves, spring/summer cardis, warm-weather hats, open-weave shrugs and even baby & children's outfits all season long.
And to ably demonstrate just how superbly "Cotton Classic Lite" works up in crochet projects, Tahki's designers have created a crochet pattern booklet focusing on Cotton Classic. Take a peek at Tahki: City Crochet - Spring/Summer 2010, and you'll see exactly what we mean. We highly recommend the Crocheted Copenhagen Tank Top with its geometric lace designs that are crocheted separately and are then joined along with creating the straps and finished neckline. Other terrific crochet projects from this booklet include the innovative Crocheted Tokyo Vest Top, the feminine Crocheted Barcelona Shawl and the flattering Crocheted Buenos Aires Tunic.
In addition to "Cotton Classic Lite ," we now have in stock and ready to ship to you six new colors of Cotton Classic yarn (now available in a whopping 131 colors!). Of course, the designers at Tahki have also developed a wonderful new Cotton Classic pattern book featuring both weights of this marvelous yarn in knitted garments and accessories. Just a few of our faves from the new Tahki: Cotton Classic 4th Ed. - Garden Variety are:
The figure-flattering Cotton Classic Prima Donna Vest with its versatile empire styling & drape;
The oh-so summery Dairy Maid Halter;
The sporty, versatile Escapade Hoodie; and
The lightweight French Lace Cami.
Filatura Di Crosa Maintains High Fashion Styling with Gorgeous New Cotton Blend
We the staff at Yarnmarket.com always get excited when we hear of a shipment of new yarns and books coming in from one of our all-time favorite yarn companies -- Filatura Di Crosa -- so a few weeks ago we were thrilled to learn that a new spring yarn and dedicated pattern booklet had arrived. As another marvelous addition to our New Yarns for Spring/Summer department, we are introducing a great new cotton blend plus the book that supports it in our Filatura spring/summer review.
When you're looking for a beautifully hued self-striper with great pattern support, we highly recommend Filatura's new Tempo yarn. Sensationally crafted in Italy of 51% cotton, 37% acrylic & 12% nylon, "Tempo" will keep you up to date with the latest fashion trends plus it's easy to knit and crochet. Just check out its lovely 3-strand construction -- a variegated print, a solid-hued thick & thin for contrast & a classic tweed with nubby flecks of color -- and you're sure to agree. "Tempo" yarn delivers fabulous multi-texture, multi colors & multi patterning all in the same yarn and all right to the beat of spring & summer fashion trends!
Then as a superb complement to "Tempo," the designers at Filatura Di Crosa have created a convenient little pattern pamphlet with four superb projects rated from easy to intermediate -- Filatura Di Crosa: Tempo Spring/Summer 2010 (also notice how the clever project names reflect the musical inspiration for the yarn!). The wonderful projects that show so beautifully just how lovely auto-striping "Tempo" works up include:
The trendy Tempo Presto Cropped Cardigan with its shorter length and flattering horizontal ribbing;
The classic, simple Tempo Vivo Tee, a versatile wardrobe addition you can enjoy year round;
The feminine Tempo Allegro Tank with its wavy chevron stitch pattern and two color combos of "Tempo"; and
The innovatively shaped Tempo Adagio Surplice Tunic for great layering options.
Check Out the Latest New Fibers Featured in Tahki's New Terra Booklet
Because we are committed to carrying the yarns you crave and know you often choose to knit and crochet with eco-friendly fibers, we were excited to hear that Tahki Yarns was adding to their Terra yarn collection for spring & summer. We now have in stock and ready to ship two terrific yarn additions that are featured in their new Terra pattern booklet too.
First off, when the yarn aficionados at Tahki decided to create a 100% organic cotton yarn spun from naturally colored fiber, they decided to develop something a little different than the other earth-friendly cottons on the market. They wanted their new yarn to be supersoft and found that constructing it as a woven tape ribbon made all the difference in the texture. The end result is their fantastic Good Earth Cotton yarn, a fluid, silky soft fiber gem with excellent drape.
Designed as a heavy worsted yarn, the suppleness of the strand really accommodates a variety of needle & hook sizes, so experiment for yourself in your spring/summer tops, cardis, scarves, jackets, tunics, bags & shawls. And remember that "Good Earth Cotton" is crafted in Italy of the naturally pigmented fibers of organically grown cotton -- no chemical dyes are used at all.
Then can you just imagine what a lovely yarn you would get by combining shimmering, silky rayon with rustic linen? This blend of contrasts gives you Tahki's multi-textured Rain yarn for all your worsted-weight projects. With excellent drape & terrific stitch definition, "Rain" yarn is constructed as a woven strand that glistens and glows in a lovely array of colors.
Now to support these lovely yarns, we are featuring the new Tahki: Terra Collection 5th Ed. - Urban Organics. Each of the following projects feature either "Rain" or "Good Earth Cotton":
The geometrically inspired Good Earth Fairmount Pullover,
The simple, classic Rain Tuileries Tie Cardigan,
The fashionable Good Earth Gramercy Tank Top with its ever-popular stripes and
The Rain Golden Gate Top that uses structural patterning to create the illusion of diagonal stripes.
Dig in to Lovely Spring Colors with Latest Flower of the Month from Fiesta
We know how much the past two months you've been enjoying brand-new, limited-edition Flower of the Month Collection colorways from Fiesta Yarn. We at Yarnmarket are excited to be one of the few stores in the U.S. to be chosen to offer this series, and we've appreciated your feedback on the terrific March Tulip color combos, the colorful April Gerber Daisy multis and the gorgeous Fiesta fibers. Now we have some onesies of the March Tulip colorway still available and enough to make several projects of the April Gerber Daisy feature. But our stock is limited to what we currently have on hand, so if you've been planning to pick up any of them, please be sure to order them soon to avoid disappointment.
Now for the 3rd release in the series, the Fiesta fiber mavens have chosen the "Tiger Lily " hand-dyed in two fiber gems that are new to Yarnmarket and one that is Fiesta's best-selling yarn. Different species of tiger lilies are found native in areas as widespread as North America and Asia especially in Japan. As a native plant in the western U.S., you find tiger lilies all along the West Coast from northern California to British Columbia.
The tiger lily has a sweet, distinctive smell with beautiful spotted petals. It is an edible plant and has a wide range of medical uses ranging from holistic healing to relieving congestion. However, all parts of the plant are toxic to cats so care should be taken to keep any kitties from digging in the flowerbeds. Because there are nine species of tiger lily and it often comes in red, orange & pink shades, the yarn gurus at Fiesta Yarns have created a lovely "Tiger Lily" color combination for your knitting & crocheting pleasure that combines the reds, pinks, oranges & green of the petals and stalks.
As you discovered with earlier releases, sometimes the yarns in the series are Fiesta yarns we already carry, but usually they are new Fiesta yarns for us. In all cases, the flower colorway will be featured in a pattern collection free with your yarn purchase for any of the three featured projects (required quantity varies by which project you choose). Then the color combo will be retired after its designated month, and that means you'll need to order your faves right away so that we can fill your order and re-order the yarn as needed within the designated month too.
Since we carry some but not all of the yarns in this collection, here is an overview of the remaining March & April yarns plus the new May/Tiger Lily collection (given in alphabetical order for your convenience):
Ballerina is a beautiful fingering-weight superfine alpaca/Tencel fiber blend that comes in 100-gram hanks, each with a generous 925 yds. The knitting gauge for "Ballerina" is 28 sts & 32 rows = 4" on size 5 U.S. (3.75mm) needles.
Boomerang is a terrific worsted-weight superwash merino that comes in a generous 320-yard hank. The gauge for "Boomerang" is 18 sts & 25 rows = 4” on size 8 U.S. (5mm) knitting needles.
Cottonista is a lovely 50/50 cotton/Tencel blend so that it's wonderfully soft and supple. Each hank contains 110 yds. of this DK-weight beauty, and your knitting gauge is 21 sts & 26 rows = 4” on a size 6 U.S.(4.25mm) knitting needles.
La Boheme is one of our hand-dyed, ever-versatile worsted-weight yarns from Fiesta, and its wondrous 2-strand construction is simply scrumptious to knit and crochet for year-round enjoyment. (Please take a look our YM product page to see all the technical yarn details such as exact gauge, fiber composition and care instructions).
La Luz Multi is a DK-weight yarn crafted of 100% mulberry silk, the finest grade of cultivated silk in the world. It comes in 2 oz. hanks, each with 210 yds., and has a gauge of 23 sts & 29 rows = 4" on size 6 U.S. (4.25mm) knitting needles.
And last but certainly not least comes Rayon Boucle, beautifully spun from 100% rayon and then hand-dyed to Fiesta's exacting specifications for consistency. Available in 4 oz. hanks with 240 yds. per hank, this light worsted beauty has a stitch gauge of 20 sts & 24 rows = 4" on on size 7 U.S. (4.5mm) knitting needles.
Also this month we have three terrific projects to overview for you featuring the spectacular "Tiger Lily " colorway for May, one each in the three gorgeous Fiesta yarns, but please keep in mind that the yarns have different gauges & yardage so cannot be substituted in the featured projects. And remember that with the purchase of the yarn for any of these Flower of the Month projects, you'll receive the pattern booklet absolutely free. So start off with your favorite and then check out the other two from the booklet so that you'll have time to order more right away before the "Tiger Lily " colorway is retired later in the month. So here is a quick overview of the three May projects:
The quick & easy La Boheme Rib Wrap,
The versatile, multi-seasonal Boomerang Frosted Flowers Jacket and
The open-weave Cottonista Flower Wrap for spring & summer.
Discover Out-of-the-Ordinary Spring Baby Fashions for Your Precious Wee One from Filatura
The Filatura Baby yarn collection has a well-deserved reputation for out-of-the-ordinary yarns and pattern collections so that your precious little one will always be right up to date with the trends. And what else would you expect from an Italian yarn company specializing in high-fashion styles? So no wonder we're so excited to introduce to you two new baby yarns from Filatura Di Crosa plus an adorable pattern collection.
Our first new addition is super fun Lallo yarn. With a solid-colored base strand constructed as a mini-boucle, "Lallo" has additional texture and color added when you see the 3/4-inch eyelash ribbons suspended from the base every inch or two. The end result is a wonderfully soft, airy worsted-weight yarn that is definitely out of the ordinary. Also it's beautifully crafted in Italy of 55% cotton, 30% nylon & 15% rayon so that you get the exceptional quality you deserve.
Then the innovative yarn gurus at Filatura have really outdone themselves with lovely Splendido yarn. This innovative ribbon-style yarn has a solid-colored base with a multi-hued, zig zag edging on each side. "Splendido" yarn is definitely aptly named because it gives you marvelous coloration with splendid texture plus a touch of shimmer, and it's also gorgeously crafted in Italy of 58% cotton, 30% rayon & 12% nylon.
Now to support these terrific new yarns, we have in stock the adorable Filatura Di Crosa: Cute Kids - Spring/Summer 2010. This great collection has the following five projects for these superbly soft new yarns:
The feminine, easy-wear Splendido Button-Up Dress,
Our personal favorite -- the adorable Lallo & Lovely Tee,
The convenient Splendido Tab-Shoulder Pullover,
The sporty Lallo Pullover Hoodie and
The precious Splendido Ballet Cardigan & Slippers set.
Announcing Exciting New Contest Series for Chance to Win Yarnmarket Gift Certificate
We appreciate your feedback on the special contest we've been running in the 1st two issues of our brand-new Spotlight newsletter, and we appreciate that our yarn companies have been willing to donate some of their fine yarns and books. Now just how much you LOVE entering contests has come through loud and clear to us, so we've come up with a great idea -- we're going to have more contests!
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| WIN a $100 YM Gift Certificate!!! |
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During the month of May, we're running a special contest series where we'll be asking a question in the Yarnmarket News, in the Yarnmarket Bulletin and in the Just My Type Newsletter. Then to the one lucky customer who answers the specific question correctly and who we've chosen at random, we'll be giving away a $100 Yarnmarket gift certificate. You heard us correctly -- this month you have three different chances to win a $100 Yarnmarket gift certificate!
And all you have to do is:
Check each publication we send you this month for the question of the week.
Research the question in the emailed publication and/or on our website and figure out the correct answer.
Send your response to the question to maynewsletter@yarnmarket.com by the stated deadline (please include only your answer in the email because due to the volume we've received in the past, you'll be getting an auto response just acknowledging your entry).
On the day we've said we'll announce the winner, check out the YM blog Shear Bagatelle and/or the next newsletter or bulletin you receive for the announcement of the winner.
It only seems fair to make it easy to find the question in this 1st newsletter, so here it is: Who is the designer for two of the Tiger Lily/May Flower of the Month garments from Fiesta? Please submit your contest entry by Monday, May 10, 2010. The winner will be announced on Shear Bagatelle on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, and in the May 18th Yarnmarket Bulletin.
Customer Service Reminders
You know that we the staff of Yarnmarket.com pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Tina, Lisa, Amy or Julie –- 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.
Now these next few weeks are the time of year when we're finishing up school, getting ready to vacation, maybe planning a big graduation party for a child or grandchild. But no matter what occupies our time and our minds this month, we can use our favorite crafts of knitting and crocheting to relieve our stress and get away from the hectic pace for a while. Also we have upcoming holidays to plan and enjoy such as Mother's Day on on May 9th and Memorial Day the end of the month in the U.S. as the often-cited start of the summer season. So no matter matter what you're doing or where you're going, remember that we're here to help you plan your next project, find a yarn sub for your favorite pattern and be sure to get Mom just the right gift on her special day.
Thanks for reading
and as always,
Happy Knitting & Crocheting!
Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff
Be sure to keep up with the latest Yarnmarket & Yarndex news as it's happening! Contests, promotions, new yarns and behind-the-scenes fun can be found on:
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