YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #87
In This Issue:
More Warm Weather Trends: Romantic Nostalgia Returns to the Runway Plus the Revival of the Skirt | Noro Inspires Our Spring/Summer Knitwear with Two New Cotton Blends | Filatura Di Crosa Adds Subtle Glamour to New Lightweight Seasonal Creation | Stacy Charles Creates Glitzy New Cotton Option with Generous Yardage | How to Share Your Favorite Craft and Keep Young Ones Busy This Summer | Spring/Summer Issue of Knitch Magazine Now Available Online | New Sale Books Department at Yarnmarket Plus a Few Customer Service Reminders
More Warm Weather Trends: Romantic Nostalgia Returns to the Runway Plus the Revival of the Skirt
In April we started our spring preview with the return to the minimalist, unstructured lines of days gone by plus overviewing the very hottest hues of the season including Honeysuckle and Coral Rose. Then last month, we highlighted all-American classics that are hot, hot, hot for the warm-weather months. Now we're featuring two more trends from the runways of Paris, New York, London and Milan so that you can update your spring/summer wardrobe yet choose the right styles to suit your body type and personal preference.
One trend that dominated the spring/summer high-fashion shows was the return to romantic nostalgia with a variety of options. Feminine ruffles have been a part of the dressy, haute-couture scene for years, but this season we’re seeing the romantic, nostalgic use of the frills in even casual collections. Of course, we love this spring’s lovely warm-weather evening dresses from Nina Ricci, Valentino and Oscar de la Renta, but for your casual outings and for officewear options, we also recommend ruffled, feminine styles.
Take a look too at the latest from Ralph Lauren as he features Victorian-era ruffles, lace and crochet sometimes even paired with a classic yet lightweight, more structured blazer. Also channel your inner “Little House on the Prairie” femme with lovely pioneer-inspired designs, maxi and mid-length skirts and bonnet-styled hats for everywhere from the beach to the office.
So how have your favorite knitwear designers interpreted these more feminine, romantic styles? In some cases, they have embraced ruffles and bows to the max as they create warm-weather tops, pullovers and cardigans. In other cases, the knitwear gurus have relied on lacy, open-weave designs plus crochet to achieve this frilly look. So let's take a peek at some specific examples of how you can add these trendy styles to your wardrobe.
First off, we have a terrific example of how the designers at Rowan have combined the unstructured trend with the feminine details to create a marvelous addition to your spring/summer wardrobe. The Cotton Allure Tank is a simple tunic-length tank top made special with lace godets at the front and sides. The inserts create a beautiful draping effect, and the resulting flared A-line gives a flattering fit. Whether worn alone or used layered over your favorite cami, this top will look soft and feminine. Add that it's crafted of eco-friendly, organic Purelife Organic Cotton 4-Ply, and you have a feel-good and look-good project.
Or if you prefer the lacy look for your accessories collection, you can turn to Norah Gaughan, Creative Director for Berroco Yarns, and one of the exciting items from her latest collection Berroco: Norah Gaughan Volume 8. The Linsey Berea Scarf is an open-weave scarf that is wide enough to wear as a shoulder wrap as well as a scarf. It's shown knitted up in solid-colored Linsey yarn, but it would also look sensational crafted of one of the multi-hued options of Linsey Colors.
Then for the must-have item of the season, consider your options for bringing the ever-versatile skirt back into your wardrobe. The best news is that almost any length and any style of skirt works superbly, so it's entirely up to you what will work best for you. Minis, maxis and midis have all been featured by haute-couture designers along with ruffles, fringe, A-lines and interesting colorblocking.
For a terrific new knitwear example, check out the innovative look of the Ty-Dy Swirl Skirt as featured in the current issue of Interweave Knits. Knitted in one shade of cotton Ty-Dy Dots combined with one color combo of Ty-Dy Wool, this sassy little skirt is a multi-seasonal wonder for your wardrobe. It is also knit on the bias and uses short row wedges to create a gentle, flirty flare at the hemline.
And, of course, we must include some trendy examples for our wee ones too. Sirdar's all-seasons Tiny Tots yarn certainly has an abundance of available projects, and we love such romantic looks as the adorable Tiny Tots Ruffled Bolero that your little girl can wear layered over a long-sleeved blouse as shown or paired with a cute sleeveless top or camisole for the warmer weather. Also the precious Ruffled Cardigan is a wonderful long-sleeved option, and the superbly feminine Side Tie Cardigan is just as a superb for little girls up to seven years old.
Noro Inspires Our Spring/Summer Knitwear with Two New Cotton Blends
Every time we the staff at Yarnmarket get a chance to see the latest offerings from our favorite yarn gurus, we can hardly wait until we start getting all of the lovely new things in stock. Now we're excited to announce that we have two more new spring/summer Noro Yarns in stock and ready to ship and have added them to our New Yarns for Spring/Summer 2011 department.
First off, when you crave fabulous texture with those oh-so beautiful Noro color combos, discover the wonders of Tanabata yarn. Constructed as a mini-boucle crafted in Japan of 33% cotton, 27% nylon, 17% rayon, 16% wool & 7% silk, "Tanabata" is spun as a heavy worsted to chunky-weight yarn depending on the needle or hook size you select. Perfect for knitted & crocheted tops, jackets, cardis, scarves, shawls, bags and other accessories, we bet you'll love experimenting with this gorgeous Noro creation.
Then we know how much you love Noro's superb spring/summer Taiyo yarn, and now fiber artist Eisaku Noro has created a fantastic little sister to "Taiyo" using the same fiber blend. Taiyo Sock is a fingering-weight version ideal for lightweight knitted and crocheted garments & accessories like socks, tops, scarves & shawls. Sensationally crafted in Japan of 50% cotton, 17% nylon, 17% wool & 16% silk, "Taiyo Sock" comes in those spectacular Noro color combos you love and gives you effortless auto striping too!
And, as always, there are lovely "Tanabata" and "Taiyo Sock" projects ready to inspire you. For example, we love the way "Tanabata" drapes so beautifully in the Tanabata Vest and yet knits up equally well in the trendy, unstructured, loose-fitting Tanabata Pullover. We also highly recommend the feminine, lightweight Taiyo Sock Slippers and the stunningly beautiful Taiyo Sock Crocheted Shawl.
Filatura Di Crosa Adds Subtle Glamour to New Lightweight Seasonal Creation
Another much anticipated spring/summer shipment has arrived from one of your favorite Italian yarn companies, and we know you're sure to enjoy their new creation. Filatura Di Crosa Yarns is known worldwide for high-quality fiber creations with innovative structure, and this season is no exception.
For just a touch of subtle glitz & glamour for your warm-weather outfits, take a peek at Tiffany yarn by Filatura Di Crosa. Spun as a multi-stranded fiber gem, "Tiffany" has marvelous texture from an innovative slub placed every 5" or so plus a lovely tweedy effect with tone-on-tone color variations. Add a slight metallic thread to the mix, and you get a fantastic DK-weight option for your knitted & crocheted tops, scarves, shawls, jackets, bags and other accessories all spring & summer. Superbly crafted in Italy of 44% cotton, 39% rayon, 13% nylon, 3% cupro (plant-based fiber) & 1% polyester for your knitting & crocheting pleasure for sure!
Also you know you can rely on the creative designers of Filatura Di Crosa to give you terrific pattern support, and they have actually dedicated an entire booklet to "Tiffany" projects for your convenience. Filatura Di Crosa - Tiffany Spring/Summer 2011 has the following lovely projects to enhance your warm-weather wardrobe:
The loose-fitting Tiffany Heart Swing Tank Top that looks as great from the back as it does from the front;
The trendy Tiffany Princess Striped Shell, a great addition to your tops collection and crafted of your four favorite shades of "Tiffany";
The lovely Marquise Tunic with subtle striping and a great option for those who prefer short sleeves over sleeveless tops; and
The multi-seasonal Diamond Jacket with its 3/4-length sleeves, just right for a cool summer or autumn evening.
Stacy Charles Creates Glitzy New Cotton Option with Generous Yardage
Every season when the yarn company representatives start visiting us, we're always eager to see what Stacy Charles has cooked up for the new season. Well-known for runway fashions made wearable for the fashion-forward woman, Stacy Charles gives is a dynamic addition to his collection that is definitely living up to our expectations. We've also added it to our New Yarns for Spring/Summer 2011 department for your convenience.
Generous yardage per ball, touches of glitz and great texture are fabulous ways to describe Eclipse yarn from the S. Charles Collezione. Spectacularly crafted in Italy of 92% cotton, 4% polyester & 4% nylon, "Eclipse" is well named because it shimmers and glimmers like the moon and will also "eclipse" any other metallic cotton blend you've ever seen. Spun as an airy, DK-weight cotton blend chainette with a sparkling metallic thread running through each chain, "Eclipse" knits up and crochets into tops, jackets, shawls, scarves, tunics and more. Also it has 162 yards on each ball so that each outfit takes fewer balls and requires less finishing work with fewer ends to weave in.
And of course, Stacy Charles has terrific pattern support for his gorgeous new cotton blend and features several new projects from his design team in the new seasonal collection S. Charles: Spring/Summer 2011 - Knitscape. This stunning design book includes several "Eclipse" patterns such as:
The innovative and versatile Norma Ruched Top that can be adjusted for a gathered look as shown in the photograph or an ungathered version for a more classic top/vest;
The elegant Maureen Pullover that we agree is so stunning that definitely deserves to be featured on the cover; and
The figure-enhancing, warm-weather wonder Kelly Criss-Cross Tie Tank with its terrific shaping to accent your assets.
How to Share Your Favorite Craft and Keep Young Ones Busy This Summer
Well, it's that time of year again when children and teens are finishing up their school terms and in most cases will be off for the next three months or so. And parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and childcare providers are once again faced with that annual dilemma of how to keep the young ones busy during summer vacation. If you've ever had children or teens asking you for ideas of things to do because they're bored, you know exactly what we mean.
So when you're looking at day camp options, library reading programs and trips to the museum, science center or the zoo, be sure to consider how you can pass on your love of your favorite crafts by teaching your young ones to knit, crochet, even spin yarn. And we have many resources available to help you with this adventure in teaching and learning.
Starting with our Books for Beginners and collection of DVDs, here are a variety of options geared to children and/or teenagers:
The Art of Knitting 4 Kids DVD is a terrific way to enhance your teaching skills with very visual, informative support. Using a combination of adults and kids teaching kids, this youth-oriented part of the "Art of" series is ideal for children to get a sense of what the world of yarn and knitting are all about along with learning how to make some fun projects.
Or if you prefer using a book to support your explanations, take a peek at Show Me How: Knitting, a knitting storybook and how-to-knit instructions in two separate books.
Then for an easy-to-read booklet geared to ages 9 to 14, consider Cool Stuff - Teach Me to Knit from Leisure Arts. Your beginner can complete 12 lessons and projects and create items for themselves and gifts for their friends, family and pets.
Next for all of us who love to crochet, there's now available a great resource to pass on this art form also. Kids Learn to Crochet is written for ages 4 to 9 with easy-to-follow and lively illustrations to keep your young ones interested.
And there are even several books aimed at interesting teenagers in your favorite crafts, and we all know what a challenge that might be. Both the Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit and also Not Another Teen Knitting Book are fantastic options to involve your favorite teen and keep her or him interested.
Other types of resources include tools and kits to help you with your teaching efforts this summer. The Children's Knitting Needles by Pony are designed to fit the smaller hands of your young ones and even have little animal faces on the ends of this straight needles. Or if you're interested in teaching your child or teen to spin yarn, explore this option with the Learn to Spin Kit, which includes a drop spindle, fiber and an instructional DVD.
Spring/Summer Issue of Knitch Magazine Now Available Online
Thank you for all of your feedback on the past issues of our quarterly magazine -- Knitch, and we're excited to announce that the new Spring/Summer 2011 issue is now available for your reading pleasure. We've expanded on many of our regular features so that you'll be right in style with warm-weather trends and also have included all of those interviews and reviews you so enjoy.
First off, the interviews are outstanding this quarter, and we highly recommend the profile of Karabella Yarns founder Berta Karapetyan who actually started out her professional life with a career in finance but quickly learned how to turn her love of fashion and yarn into a well-respected brand. Also explore the designs and styles of Canadian designer Sandi Prosser whose knitting "career" began when she was just seven years old.
In addition to these great interviews, you can learn more about two important ways to help others in the Embraceable Wraps Puts A Hug In Every Stitch and in the article about those helping the Tornado Victims in South Florida.
This issue of Knitch also includes wonderful versions of our regular features such as the:
Spring/Summer Trends Outlook article, which includes the hottest looks in clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry;
Color of Love profile of Pantone's #1 color for spring and summer;
Follow up to the seasonal "Outlook" article in the Fashion Portfolio where you see knitwear examples of the latest trends as interpreted by some of your favorite knitwear designers;
Latest news on the must-have garment for the season in the Fashion Trendsetter piece;
Ideas about how you can update your wee one's wardrobe for spring & summer too in the Oh Baby overview of projects from your favorite knitwear gurus; and
The latest yarn reviews and book reviews.
New Sale Books Department at Yarnmarket Plus a Few Customer Service Reminders
We are excited to announce a new department for our value-conscious customers -- our brand-new Sale Books & Patterns area. When yarns get discontinued by the manufacturer, there are often still available sensational books and patterns that will give you outstanding additions to your wardrobe year round. So we've created this special department to offer these great collections at deep discounts. We've even included links to our informational yarn library -- Yarndex.com to help you figure out yarn substitutions if the original yarn is out of stock. And many of your favorite brands are included such as Berroco, Gedifra, Filatura Di Crosa, Debbie Bliss, Sirdar and Mission Falls among others. But remember that these are discontinued books and patterns and are limited to current stock on hand.
Also 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 getting ready to vacation and maybe planning ways to keep our favorite children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews busy and active when we're responsible for their care. What better way to relax on vacation and relieve stress than to bring along a fun knitting or crochet project. And no matter what your favorite young one's interests are, she or he will appreciate your taking the time to share your passion for crafts. Also we have upcoming holidays to plan and enjoy such as Father's Day on on June 19th and the official start of the summer season two days later on June 21st -- well, we consider it to be a holiday and plan to enjoy it. So no matter what you're doing, where you're going or who you're with, remember that we're here to help you plan your next project, find a yarn sub for your favorite pattern and be sure to make Dad just the right knitted or crocheted gift on his special day.
Thanks for reading and as always,
Happy Knitting & Crocheting!
Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff
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Yarnmarket.com, BargainYARNS.com, Yarndex.com, Shear Bagatelle and KnitchMagazine.com are subsidiaries of Yarnmarket, LLC. Yarnmarket is an online yarn retailer with over 800 quality brands from over 80 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 more than 5000 yarns from leading manufacturers. Shear Bagatelle is the Yarnmarket blog, an inside view of all the happenings behind the scenes at Yarnmarket. Knitch Magazine is an online publication showcasing knitting and crochet fashions for yarn lovers.
