Knitspired: Monsters, Sweaters, and Wool, oh my!

Well, the Aye's have it with a margin of 94%.  Which makes me feel better, at least I'm not boring all y'all to tears.  This week's post is a mish-mash of subjects.  First off, I want to tell you how truly excited I am by the upcoming visit of Rebecca Danger, creator and instigator of Danger Crafts.  After some virtual chatting, she's agreed to come down and teach two workshops, her popular Toy Workshop and a special request, the new Design Your Own Monster class...

Which will be so much fun!  Participants will get to create their own unique monster using instructions written up in advance by Rebecca.  Basically, you get to make up your own design without having to do the hard part of figuring out increases and decreases (well, mostly, there will be some math involved).  What I'm really looking forward to is seeing all the different creatures people create.  It should be very interesting and a lot of fun!

Something else that has me knitspired (and suffering major Startitis) is this:

Heidi Kirrmaier's Vesper - which, in spite of the styling in the photo, is actually seasonless.  Wear it layered over a long-sleeved shirt or turtleneck in Fall & Winter, and as is over a peasant skirt in Spring & Summer.  Let it be know that Dolce & Gabbana is totally on board the '70s peasant look for the 2011 Spring/ Summer season, making this a very pragmatic knit-it-in-advance top.  I'm already considering the options.  Mostly in terms of Fall/ Winter, if I'm totally honest.  It really would be super-cute in a wool/silk blend, worn over a dress shirt or turtleneck, like this:

Raindance, also by Heidi Kirrmaier

For something a little more traditional this Fall/ Winter season (I know you're out there, my peeps), how about Harvest Moon, the latest pattern by Heidi Kirrmaier*?

Of course, anything by Heidi Kirrmaier, a.k.a. PiPiBird on ravelry, would be great. Her sense of style and ability to drape knitwear is fantastic. And all her looks have a classic, almost timeless, quality that will help them stand the change of seasons well.  I'd strongly recommend checking out her design page on ravelry.  If only I could figure out which sweater I want to make first!

Light. Bulb. (Did anyone else love that movie?) Ahem...

Would you be interested in a PiPiBird KAL?
	Yes, definitely!
	Are you crazy? We're already doing a Christmas KAL!
	I don't knit sweaters. Ever.
	Maybe, if you pick a group project.
pollcode.com free polls

We'll just wait and see.  You know, I'm having so fun making these polls, we might have to have one every week...

In other news, we have some new yarn that's definitely worth a look-see.  Knitters really should come up with an appropriate alternative to that - touch-feel, maybe?  Does that sound wrong?  Anyway.  I was a little 'eh' when we heard the new Ella Rae yarns were coming.  But then I got to interact with them firsthand.  My goodness.

I have a moderate obsession with the Classic Heathers right now.  It's so wooly.  To which you're probably thinking, "Duh, Sara, it's 100% wool."  Well, yes.  But you can really feel the wooliness and almost imagine the sheep it came from.  It also has a slight lanolin smell, something that seduces me every time.  As for the Classic Superwash Chunky?

... less enraptured. Don't get me wrong.  It is a GREAT yarn.  But I think Jared and Clara might just be getting to me with their love of untreated woolens.  For some reason, I've been a little indifferent to superwash yarns lately.  To each their own, right?  But this lovely (great colors!) superwash chunky yarn would be ideal for quick winter knits (Christmas Countdown, y'all) that would be very, very popular in colder climes. 

Also, did I mention this?, great colors.  I'm a sucker for heathered yarn every time.  They have a wide selection of 'manly' colors that real men might actually wear.  Which is another major plus in any practical knitter's evaluation.

Then, of course, we have:

Baby feet!!  I.e. the new Churchmouse Wee Ones pattern series.  Super-sweet, super-cute, and super-easy (heck, one's named Easy Peasy), little knits that will win you the Most Awesomest Gift prize at any baby shower.  They're classic, they're simple, and they'll look beautiful in any nursery. 

Also in from Churchmouse, are four more patterns in their Classics series.  The design that really won the hearts and minds of our staff is the new Lace Bace Fingerless Gloves:

Knit with a single skein of sport-weight or fingering weight cashmere, they're sumptuous and relatively economical for a cashmere project.  The design even comes with two lengths - elbow and wrist - as well as three lace patterns to choose from.  This is another great pattern to lean on for the holiday season.  This one pattern can lead to six different designs.  How easy is that?  Everyone gets something different without the work of finding six completely unrelated patterns!

The only teeny-tiny thing I would improve about the Churchmouse patterns (and this is not a criticism, just a... helpful suggestion) would be to shorten the names of the patterns. They're rather a mouthful in some cases. I'm a big believer in the two-word limit. But that's just me.   

(Please note that this is not the opinion of Knit Purl, it's affiliates, or [other] employees.)

In every other regard, the Churchmouse patterns are completely and utterly amazing.  The designs themselves, the layout, the photography, the helpful hints.  Really, everything.   They're simply stunning.  And people love them - for good reason.

You can probably guess why I (and many of my coworkers) are suffering Startitis of the worst kind.  First, it's Fall and the knitting season.  Second, we have some fantastic new Fall yarns in.  And, third, the clincher are all the amazing patterns out there to knit!  It's kind of unfair.  There's never enough time to knit everything you'd like.  Which is probably why most ravelry users have a queue that ranges in three or more digits.

Oh, well.  Next week we'll have a review of a brand new yarn that's debuting right here (Knit Purl) this Friday.  We've been waiting a long time for it and couldn't be more excited to share it with the world.  I'm going to tell you all the whole story behind the yarn - I even got to interview the creator in July - as well as some other fun facts and trivia.  But you'll just have to wait (I promise it'll be worth it!).  Maybe we'll even have some staff projects to share.

Until then, happy knitting!
Sara M.

*Are you sensing a trend?  When you're on a roll...

Fashionknitsta Thursday: 9/23/10

Hello and happy Thursday, everyone! If you read Sara's last post you'll know why we've had such a lag, but it's not an excuse and we are truly sorry! Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to keep up with Fashionknitsta as a regular column anymore; but, thankfully, Knit Purl is going to let me post if there is ever a time I'm so overly-inspired I can't NOT share.

You might be aware that we are currently deep in the heart of the Spring/Summer 2011 fashion weeks, New York and London having both just finished and Milan opening yesterday. While I'm a year-round knitter, I tend to knit fall and winter pieces giving little thought knit garments that can be warn in the warmer months. So far we've seen an unusual amount of knitwear designs for a Spring/Summer season which I find refreshing and wonderfully inspiring. The A/W 2010 season was full of super chunky knits (seen everywhere from Prada, to Chloe, to Louis Vuitton) and Fair Isle (as seen at Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci), but the designs for S/S 2011 are (appropriately) much lighter and airier while still keeping the tone of elegance and femininity we saw last season.

The first collection I saw that really stood out this season was Jason Wu's capsule collection for luxury knitwear house TSE. Here are my favorite looks:

I love the juxtaposition of the knit-on top/ woven-on bottom in this dress. It's not exactly the same, but you could achieve a similar look layering this free pattern, the Drop Stitch Tunic from Lanaknits designs, under a high-waisted slim skirt. It would look great in Louet Euroflax Sport!

Lately, I feel like I've seen huge chunky infinity scarves everywhere. Which is great because I'm a big fan of chunky infinity scarves, like the Challah Infinity Scarf by Pam Powers of Art Fiber Design. I would so love to see a detail shot of this top, the gauge is so fine it would near impossible to reproduce a look like this by hand. It reminds me of the printed chiffon Fair Isle motifs from D&G last February.

While visually the last look was my favorite, technique-wise this dress is by far my favorite of the collection. Wu took sewn strips of chiffon and hand-knitted them into this dress, creating a garment that looks super chunky, while weighing almost nothing. What a fabulous way to do a chunky knit for warmer weather!  I did some Ravelry hunting and haven't come up with a great pattern option for this look. If anyone sees something, please let me know.

The next collection I felt really showcased some great knits was Proenza Schouler:

This reminds me a bit of the Spring interpretation of those great looks I was so crazy about from Louis Vuitton's A/W 2010. The sweater is a little lighter, the skirt a little more flowy, but I feel the spirit is similar.  Calm, by Kim Hargreaves, paired with a chiffon skirt would be a great way to get this look.

This is the final look I have to share with you today. I love the idea of a knit suit, and I love the vintage feel of this one. The drop waist and tweedy look of it really bring a vintage Chanel vibe to this look. This too, has proven to be kind of a tricky thing to hunt ravelry for. So far I've found quite a few vintage patterns (a lot available for free!) like this one, but nothing that's really perfect yet. I'll continue to hunt, and will definitely post if I find something.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave it at that for today. I really miss writing this blog and I appreciate all the emails from those of you who missed it, too! Once the Milan and Paris shows are over, I'm hoping I'll be able to come back and post again.  Until then, as always, stay chic blogfans!

~ Lindsay

Back again and knitspired.

This post is long overdue.  I'm embarrassed by the silence of the blog over the past two months and do regret it.  I'm afraid an apology wouldn't quite fit as it isn't though we've been ignoring the blog, we've just been so darned busy around here.  So many new yarns, new employees (two!), and a series of staff vacations have left us scrambling.

But, finally, everyone has settled in/ returned to their rightful places, and things are slowly returning to normal.  With that, we should very much like to resume our blog schedule.  In fact, though Linday (our resident Fashionknitsta) has been stolen from the web promoted, she WILL be posting a Fashionknitsta Fall Update this Thursday.  Look for it!

Me, myself?  So much has happened in the last two months.  My ankle healed and I took a (much-needed) vacation.  A book was published under my name.  That's right, your Knit Purl webmistress/ truent blogger has put together a small collection of sock patterns under the title, you guessed it, Shibui Socks.

Crazy, huh?

Anyway.  Because Lindsay has been kidnapped stolen brainwashe promoted and I'm just not as connected upstairs as I used to be, we're working on keeping the blog up-to-date and fresh, but still in the Knit Purl spirit.  Keep an eye on the feed for more changes (and some new names!) as we work towards a larger blogger pool and increased updates.

I will probably be moving away from store/ customer updates and on to other topics like my old favorite True Plies, which has seen a recent resurgence in the Newsletter(!), and cool knitspiration.  You may or may not know this, but I write the Newsletter as well as keep the website from exploding.  My two favorite parts of the Newsletter are the True Plies articles and the Treat Yourself suggestions (this last week's Sericulture: A (Short) History of Silk was a personal favorite!). 

Interestingly enough, they're two of the most comment-upon (and complimented) segments.  So, I'm thinking it'd be fun to do a weekly column on project ideas, industry news, and possibly the occasional educational article.  Whatever seems the most relevant and interesting at the time, really.  How's that sound?

Interest level:
	Love it!
	Indifferent.
	Hate it.
	Bring back the old content!
pollcode.com free polls

Now, I like pretty things.  I like knitting them and I like wearing them.  Which is what makes knitting (and working in a knitting store) so very, very dangerous for me.  The yarn itself is temptation, the pattern whispers a sly 'come hither', and the finished project is a reason to preen for months, because I made that.  I don't know about you, but it seems to me that all knitters (however deep down it's buried) have an addiction to the pretty.  So, I say, why not collect the pretty and share?  Maybe, if I inspire enough people (and thus get vicarious pleasure from your knitting exploits), I might just keep my addiction manageable.

Unlikely, I know.  But sharing the pretty is also fun and a good use of blogspace.

Along that theme, I was searching on flickr and came across the most interesting photo group: Knitspiration.  What a great concept!  If you, like me, have an addition or affection for the pretty or glamorous, this is definitely a group to visit.

On our own shelves I've lately been fascinated by this new yarn, Rasta:

The fact that it knits up at 2 stitches per inch just fascinates me, quite frankly.  Anything made with it would be thick and chunky and very warm.  But also beautiful.  There, quite simply, is no such thing as ugly Malabrigo.  And the thought of a single-ply bulky yarn brings up some curiousities.  If any of you have tried it, I'm sure we'd love to hear what you think about it.  In fact, we're working on a customer reviews function on the website, so we can know what you think about all the yarns we carry.

But that's neither here nor there in regards to this post.  I thought I'd also mention that I'm working with the brand-new Malabrigo Rios right now, in the color Azul Profundo:

Because it is absolutely and completely delicious.  I love the feel of it and the squooshy texture of the four plies.  My one teeny-tiny complaint is that the skein I'm working with did not take the dye evenly and I actually have some weird white specks.  It's so nice to work with, though, that I can't bring myself to bring it back or complain to Malabrigo.  Which must be a testament in and of itself as to the sheer addictiveness of Rios. 

Quite simply, it is beautiful yarn and a real treat to work with.  I highly recommend it.  And what is the intended project, you ask?  Well, it will be something slightly similar to this:

Glee, by Rachel Bishop

Which was, interestingly enough, featured on Fashionknitsta Thursday back in June.  Rachel is an amazing designer and I definitely recommend trying any of her patterns (the Knitting Fates know I have a quite a few by her in my pattern collection).  I love this design and would love to knit it eventually.  Just have to find the right yarn.  Maybe Joseph Galler Prime Alpaca or The Fibre Co.'s Canopy.  Both would be amazing to knit and wear.

Anyway.  Back to what is and not what may be.  I am so super excited (really, like a 15-year-old girl) about this next announcement.  You might just want to sit down, in fact (if you're not already).  Alice Starmore's ground-breaking book, Aran Knitting, has been reprinted!!!*

Even better, it's been expanded to include 42 more pages of content that range from an all-new design by the legendary Starmore to an unbelievable stitch library.  The new version is, admittedly, quite hefty and rather oversized.  It's not something you'll be able to slide into your project bag easily.  But it is a thing of absolute beauty and an unparalleled resource in terms of history, design, local perspective, and sheer inspiration.  The photography makes it a great knitter's coffee table book, too.

If you an Alice Starmore fan or a cable fiend, this is an absolute must for your library.  You can be sure that we Knit Purlers grabbed our own copies the day it came in.  Luckily, we ordered extra copies and there are still a few books left.  But don't expect that to last.  Aran Knitting is going in the Newsletter this Friday (you've been warned) and I expect it to absolutely run out the door.

Next on our list of pretty new arrivals, the Vogue Knitting Mittens & Gloves collection:

Which includes over forty of Vogue's most famous and popular designs, such as Jared Flood's infamous Druid Mittens...

The cover patten from the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue Knitting that actually caused the magazine to sell out in record time.  Since I, myself, did not manage to snag a copy of this magazine (yes, it was gone that quickly!), I am very seriously considering buying a copy of the book.  The mittens are just that gorgeous.  Also, the book includes several breath-taking designs by artists such as Tanis Grey and Deborah Newton, so it's truly an undeniable source of inspiration and great design.

Backing up to the subject of Jared Flood, have you seen his stunning new Shetland lace design?

Celes, a delicate lace shawl, has been designed using Isager's luscious Alpaca 2 yarn.  A sumptuous sport weight blend of baby alpaca and Merino lambswool, it's super-soft and light as a feather.  What a perfect pairing.  And the fact that the shawl only takes 3 skeins?  My virtual WIP basket just got bigger, lemme tell you.

We don't have the pattern yet, but should by the end of the week (if you'd prefer a paper copy, printed on acid free linen paper).  If you're like me and can't wait that long, feel free to hop over to Jared's ravelry shop and purchase an e-copy.  I'm thinking we might just need a Celes KAL, don't you agree?

Incidentally, the adorable girl in the picture?  That's right, she's our expert stocker, Tessa!  We were so excited to see her on Jared's blog.  She was visiting friends in New York and was snatched up by Jared to model.  How funny is that?

Now I must away.  Check back on Thursday for a new Fashionknitsta and be sure to look for future updates from more Knit Purl bloggers!

Happy knitting,
Sara M.

*Yes, I used three exclamation points.  The book is totally worth the additional two.