YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #89
In This Issue:
Multi-Seasonal Styles & Fibers: Transition Your Wardrobe from Summer Heat to Cooler Autumn Temps | Classic Elite Brings You Two Fantastic Cottons to Enjoy Year Round | Explore Beautiful Marls & Tweeds with Two New Rowan Yarns | Berroco Continues to Wow Us with More New Fall Yarns | Get Ready for the December Gift Giving and Decorating Season By Planning Now | Update on Bargain Yarns Changes Plus a Few Customer Service Reminders
Multi-Seasonal Styles & Fibers: Transition Your Wardrobe from Summer Heat to Cooler Autumn Temps
As we discussed most recently in the July newsletter last month, surviving the hot days of summer is keeping us busy trying to stay cool yet refurbish our wardrobes for the upcoming days of fall (officially a little over seven weeks away). It's a tricky enterprise because it means trying to stay cool and comfortable plus preparing outfits that will move effortlessly from warm days to the cooler evenings to come without needing all new garments. So here's a rundown on the best styles and yarn fibers that will keep you and yours comfy and up to date over these remaining days of summer and early days of fall.
First off, what Frances Renner, senior sales & marketing VP of Barneys New York, refers to as "seasonless dressing" or "transition dressing" are the official terms for our dilemma. (Now doesn't it make you feel better to have some fashion jargon to drop into your conversations???) And as we've seen recently, layering is the best way to stay fashionable & comfortable now & also keep up with the cooler weather to come. It's also a terrific way not to break the bank as you work on enhancing your wardrobe without starting over for the upcoming season.
And this advice is right in line with the fashion mavens featured in Vogue, Marie Claire and Elle in the latest summer/early fall issues. You can definitely jazz up your wardrobe and add a touch of sizzle plus some of the recent trends with just one or two new creations. We'll show you how to layer with vests, tank tops that can later be worn as vests, lovely silky shawls and little cardis and tunics that will be stylish all year round.
One of our favorite new vest projects is the Denim Beacon Vest from Rowan designer Grace Melville. This casual vest is great for layering over your favorite top, blouse or turtleneck and is designed specifically to feature the lovely attributes of Denim yarn. It's a classic button down, V-neck style with a beautiful diamond seed stitch pattern on the back panel and chest.
Another great transitional vest project comes to you from the talented design team at Tahki. Featured in their new Cotton Classic 5th Ed. - Kaleidoscope pattern collection, the Cotton Classic Olive You Vest immediately caught our eye because it's perfect to wear over a simple cami for right now and layered over a blouse or turtleneck with the temperatures drop. Textured ribs give a nice line to the vest with faux pocket flaps and a figure-hugging fit. This item works equally well for the office teamed with a skirt or dress slacks as it does in a more casual outfit worn with jeans. We also love that it's knitted up in DK/sportweight Cotton Classic Lite yarn so that it's a lightweight addition to our wardrobes year round.
Or if you prefer adapting your wardrobe by switching to transitional fibers, silk is one of your best options for this time of year since it will keep you cooler in the hot months yet warmer when the temps fall. Take a peek at the simply stunning Maharaja Silk Lace Tunic from Himalaya. A candlelight lace pattern is used for the body of the pullover with a wide garter stitch bottom edge. The sleeves are worked in a faggoting pattern that creates long ribs of eyelets. This is a gorgeous, lightweight piece that has some fun layering options. Then for another great 100% silk tunic option from Himalaya, be sure to discover the wonders of the Duke Silk Lace Tunic. Terrific worn over your favorite camisole, this feminine, open-weave pullover will look tres chic teamed up with your best skirt or dress slacks.
And when you're looking for that stand-out-in-a-crowd accessory, we highly recommend the Kidsilk Haze Alder Wrap. Crafted of a dozen different hues of multi-seasonal Kidsilk Haze yarn, this lovely shawl shows you how straightforward classic colorwork can be. The master of colorwork, Kaffe Fassett, works the edges moss stitch while designing the rest of the piece in stockinette. The striping effect is so beautiful that we bet you'll want to wear this with everything well into the fall!
Classic Elite Brings You Two Fantastic Cottons to Enjoy Year Round
Just in time for more multi-seasonal alternatives, we the staff at Yarnmarket are excited to announce that we have two new multi-seasonal Classic Elite Yarns now in stock and have added them to our New Yarns for Spring/Summer 2011 department.
First off, we rely on Classic Elite to bring us high-quality, eco-friendly fibers at affordable prices as part of their Verde Collection and their Seedling yarn surely fulfills our expectations. Little sister to the chunky-weight, runaway-hit Sprout, "Seedling" is also beautifully crafted in Peru of 100% organic cotton. As a worsted-weight lovely, "Seedling" is perfect for your favorite sweater, jacket, scarf & shawl patterns and for those with sensitive skin year round. You'll also enjoy its nubby texture that's almost a boucle since it's constructed with one terrific single strand plus a thin thread tightly twisted around it.
Then as another earth friendly option, we highly recommend Cotton Bam Boo Print yarn. The yarn mavens at Classic Elite have blended soft, breathable cotton with readily renewable, lustrous bamboo for excellent drape & stitch definition. And since self-patterning "Cotton Bam Boo Print" is a DK/sportweight yarn, it works up sensationally in many of your favorite patterns for adults and those precious little ones.
And, as always, the designers at Classic Elite have sensational projects for these two new yarns especially in the pattern booklets Seedling (#9133) and Wee Ones (#9144). Here are some of our favorites for you to consider:
The versatile yet easy Seedling Warbler Cardigan;
A modern take on the classic tee in the Dunlin Top with its squared off neckline and ribbing detail that make it the perfect choice for casual, dress-up or office wear;
The adorable Cotton Bam Boo Anna Shrug, a must-have little cardigan for your favorite wee girl sizes 6 to 24 months;
The multi-seasonal, shoulder-hugging Blue Heron Hooded Poncho with its straightforward design and detailing;
The beautiful, eye-catching Sparrow Scarf that shows just how lovely feminine cables can be;
The easy, unisex Seedling Arlo Pullover that combines easy rolled edges with stripes on the sleeves and a retro peace sign decorating the chest; and
And last but certainly not least, the unisex Cotton Bam Boo Alex Hoodie for little ones sized 6 months to 24 months.
Explore Beautiful Marls & Tweeds with Two New Rowan Yarns
We've recently started getting some of our fall 2011 new yarns delivered, and just last week we were very eager to unpack several new fiber gems from ever-popular Rowan Yarns. Tweeds and color blends are starting off our fall Rowan collection, and here are details about two of the early deliveries.
When you crave a supersoft marled wool blend for your DK-weight projects, we highly recommend Colourspun yarn. Spun with a base strand of single ply, tone-on-tone roving, "Colourspun gets its marled, tweedy effect from the nylon variegated thread wound around the base. The end result is superb, subtle color changes that knit up and crochet fabulously into scarves, cardis, jackets, shawls, tops & more.
Then with almost the exact same gauge as "Colourspun" comes DK-weight Rowan Tweed yarn. Classic British tweeds are highly prized throughout the world, and "Rowan Tweed" yarn is no exception. Spun from 100% wool certified with the Woolmark symbol, "Rowan Tweed" is spun as a single ply fiber gem that's softer than many traditional British tweeds. You'll also enjoy the flecks or "slubs" of contrasting color throughout each strand, which give you the tweedy effect you crave.
And, of course, you can count on the creative designers at Rowan to give you lovely projects for each of these yarns that showcase special characteristics. Both yarns are featured in the brand-new pattern book Nordic Tweed. We know that you like to browse for yourself but here are a few staff picks from the new collection:
Fun, colorful Colourspun Jodi's Mittens, a great way to keep your hands warm this fall and winter, or you can knit them up as a fantastic gift for your favorite someone;
The stunning Svana Hooded Jacket with its Fair Isle hearts on the patch pockets and the center back (this coat is also shown teamed up with "Jodi's Mittens" in the main photo!);
The unusual Rowan Tweed Ingrid Sweater with its six separate panels that feature an interesting cowl effect to frame your face;
The classically Scandinavian Maeva Fair Isle Turtleneck with its folded neck and cropped length for more layering opportunities; and
The traditional Finna Pullover featuring two complementary yet contrasting hues of "Rowan Tweed."
Berroco Continues to Wow Us with More New Fall Yarns
Several times last month we featured new yarns and colors from the yarn aficionados at Berroco, and we're thrilled to share with you two more goodies they've cooked up for the next season and beyond. Well-known for taking fashion trends and making them wearable & affordable for the fashion-conscious woman, Berroco gives you these new yarns plus a free pattern for one and lovely pattern options for the other.
To start us off, when you're looking for the perfect wool/acrylic blend to create a super fast accessory that will accent your favorite jacket, look no further than Link yarn. Sensationally crafted in Italy of 50/50 wool/acrylic, "Link" is aptly named after its chainette construction and comes in beautiful, fun variegated color combinations. Super chunky "Link" already looks like a knitted I-cord that's ideal for making quick accessories and gifts on very large needles & hooks.
Plus each hank of "Link" has a free one-hour, one-hank scarf pattern on the label. The fun, fast Easy Link Wink Scarf project shows you that this fabulous scarf knits up superbly and quick as a wink!
Now the second new Berroco yarn for fall is featured in the Norah Gaughan Volume 9 pattern book. When you're looking for a touch of shimmer in a lovely classic tweed, discover the wonders of Blackstone Tweed Metallic yarn. Building on the popularity of the original worsted-weight Blackstone Tweed, the yarn mavens at Berroco have taken the same wool/mohair/angora blend and added a flexible metallic thread for subtle glitz. And "Blackstone Tweed Metallic" has the exact same gauge as its traditional cousin, so you can substitute it in any of the Blackstone Tweed projects when you crave a little glamour. Accessories such as the lovely yet practical Nyx Cowl and the innovative, multi-textural Jalija Mixed Fiber Scarf are just two possibilities for adding this spectacular yarn to your fall/winter wardrobe.
Get Ready for the December Gift Giving and Decorating Season By Planning Now
It's hard to believe that it's already August, and many of us are still enjoying our summer vacations. It seems like just yesterday we were setting our New Year's resolutions and planning our winter projects to keep us snug and warm during the upcoming chilly days & evenings. Now before we know it, the December holiday season with all its gift-giving opportunities will be upon us (in just 4 1/2 months actually), and we'll probably be wondering then where all our knitting & crocheting time has gone! So to help make our and your holiday season less stressful and more enjoyable, here are some staff recommendations to help us all avoid some of that stressful, last-minute holiday crunch time.
Creating toys for our favorite wee ones and decorating the house are two of the things that occupy our time leading up to the December holidays, so we really appreciate it when a yarn company comes up with kit options that can accomplish both goals with one project. Universal's Christmas Holiday Kits give you three choices of stuffed items you can create as toys or as decorations including a knitted elf, a crocheted Santa and a knitted snowman. Each kit comes with the needed yarn & pattern, and all you have to provide are the needles or hook, a yarn needle to sew them up and some of the items to embellishment the finished piece. Also for each Christmas character, some of the yarn has a bit of sparkle to it so that Santa's beard & red suit glisten, all of the Elf's garb & hat shimmer, and all but the red for the snowman truly does sparkle!
Other great decorating ideas for the December holidays as featured in our Holiday Items department include:
The symbolic Comfort Star of David Pillow and the religiously inspiring Menorah Pillow:
The cute Puppy in Sock Ornament for dog lovers and the North Pole Angel Ornament for those honoring the season when decorating their Christmas trees;
The colorful Kid Classic Christmas Stocking for all ages to enjoy; and
The versatile Kidsilk Haze Coiled Scarf to decorate a package or give as a gift and the clever Holiday Garland to adorn your mantel and doorways.
Now for more terrific gift ideas, we highly recommend that you consider some of the sensational choices in our Kits department. Whether you complete them yourself as finished gifts or choose them to encourage your favorite someone to enjoy your craft passion, projects such as the fun Mad Trapper Hat Kit by Knit One Crochet Too, the feminine Kaleidoscope Cashmere Crochet Scarf Kit from Artyarns, the innovative Trellis Tweed Scarf Kit by Maggi Knits and the Absolutely Fabulous Throw Kit from Colinette are sure to be hits.
Of course, marvelous projects are another great way to start planning for the December holidays, and with over 4100 items now currently available in our Project Ideas department, we know that you appreciate our highlighting a few of our favorites:
We love the accessory projects from Jojoland and plan on making several of them as gifts such as the colorful Rhythm Fun Fan Gauntlets, the timely Melody Christmas Wreath Scarf and the Rhythm Superwash Water Lily Hat.
Using traditional colors and themes of the season, the luxurious Holiday Neck Scarf, the classic Evergreen Holiday Hat and the funky Glisten Hollyberry Hat all make gorgeous December gifts.
And, of course, we must remember those precious wee ones in your life too and suggest you make the holiday-inspired Little Miss Scarlet Set, huggable Sprout Parker the Frog, the marvelous & practical Dreambaby Outdoor Set and the adorable Rialto Teddy in Bunny Suit for them.
Update on Bargain Yarns Changes Plus a Few Customer Service Reminders
As we announced in July, we're excited to have a new area on our Yarnmarket website -- the brand-new Yarnmarket's Bargain Yarns department conveniently located as a tabbed feature at the top of every web page (it's right next to the regular "Yarn" tab). We've created this area to focus on money-savings offers you've been checking out on our sister website BargainYARNS.com and we are continuing to move more yarns and discontinued books to Yarnamrket.com for your shopping convenience. Just as a reminder, we're including three types of yarns you'll enjoy being able to add to your YM shopping basket and rack up the savings:
Discontinued items from the brands we already carry on Yarnmarket such as Filatura Di Crosa Bargain Yarns,
Value-priced yarn brands that will be featured regularly on rotating sales specials just as you saw on BargainYARNs.com as with Kertzer Value Yarns and
Special money-saving opportunities on some of our most popular yarns in promotional events we are planning to start later this month as a totally new approach to current fashion brands for us.
Also be sure to check out our new Imperfect Books department regularly because these are available at half off regular prices but are in limited supply. These books contain all the original content and are fully usable. They're just a little flawed, and the imperfections range from barely perceptible to hard to ignore. Damage on any individual book are usually just tears, crushed corners, scuffs, scrapes or other relatively minor flaws.
Besides the obvious opportunities for lots of savings, please remember there are two other advantages for you in our reorganizing the bargain yarns offerings: (1) You can quickly and easily add any and all sales items to your shopping basket and have one complete order and (2) You'll be able to order complete projects for bargain and value yarns and patterns like with Filatura's elegant warm-weather Cami & Detachable Shawl Collar. We still have more to move but now have 18 of the brands available in Yarnmarket's Bargain Yarns department, so keep checking back. And, of course, until we have everything moved, you can still order from the BargainYARNs.com website too!
Also we the staff of Yarnmarket.com pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Janice, Tina, Lisa or Amy –- 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 still prime vacation times and you're probably still planning ways to keep your favorite children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews busy and active up until back to school later this month. 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 can be working ahead on gift items for December and maybe even cute Halloween costumes for the wee ones. 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 choose just the right gift for your favorite someone.
Thanks for reading and as always,
Happy Knitting & Crocheting!
Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff
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