Newsletter 877
The Tama Blanket
After a long pause, Ikigai Chibi Paka Chunky cones are back in stock! Man, those things are scarce! Chibi's magical combo of baby alpaca and superwash merino wool results in a heavenly soft yarn with great body that offers outstanding stitch definition. Added bonus: there's also the tiniest bit of halo.
With the long-awaited return of the cones comes the return of the Tama Blanket! It's easy to knit - with a combination of simple stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch - and worked on the diagonal, which lends a stylish slant to this fun take on a baby blanket. It's a super-simple idea with a lot of sophistication in the end.
You need one cone of Chibi Paka Chunky and one ball of Ikigai Tama - a groovy lil' yarn with tiny poms spread out over its length. Ours is made from neutral, earthy tones: a cone of "Cloudy Twist" Chibi and a ball of Tama in "Harvest," but you can jazz it up colorwise by switching the Tama to one of the more colorful options. FYI: "Harvest" has been discontinued; we've got a couple dozen skeins but that's it.
We'll include a Ravelry pattern download code when you buy a Chibi + Tama combo. If you're just looking for the pattern to purchase...here, we googled it for you!
Grab Chibi Paka Chunky cones HERE and Tama HERE. Again; you only need one of each!
Printers Alley: The Comeback!
It almost never fails that as soon as we get a sample made, the color (or sometimes the whole line of yarn) we verrrrry carefully chose for it gets discontinued (see the note about Tama in "Harvest" above!). Such was the case with the Woolfolk Sno we used on the extremely popular Printers Alley Shawl designed by our own Mama Jo. That sample was retired and we were Printers-Alley-less for a bit while our great friend Loree re-yarned it (it's a word!) in Sandnes Garn's Sunday, a yarn we absolutely love to pieces.
And ta-da, here it is! We love a comeback! The original used a marled yarn for the main color; our new re-yarned version opts for Sunday's rich black as the MC, which pops those stripes like nobody's business. The Printers Alley shawl is an easy-to-knit asymmetrical garter stitch (interspersed with lacy yarnover rows) shawl that makes a great graphic statement.
Sunday is a fingering weight non-superwash Merino yarn that's perfect for a lightweight, elegant fabric -- just right for any three-season project. While we've worked our shawl in classic black and white, we'd love to see someone tackle a brightly colored version as well. Will it be you?
You can see our full range of Sunday RIGHT HERE. You'll need three balls for the main color and one for your stripes. You can find the pattern RIGHT HERE.
Tilly Time...Times Two
We never met a Tilly we didn't love. When sample-knitter/goddess Loree brought us our new Printers Alley sample, she also delivered a fresh-off-the-needles Tilly made with Eco Twist, a yarn near and dear to us. We're fascinated by the vibe shift that happens when you work a Tilly up in different yarns; the variegated Eco Twist version is so fun and colorful, like a bowl full of Skittles!
Queensland's Eco Twist has 273 yards per ball; Loree made the small and used right at two balls; if you're a nervous sort when it comes to playing "yarn chicken," you might grab a third just to calm your nerves. You can check out the measurement/yardage info Tilly's pattern page at Ravelry right HERE to determine your size and yarn needs.
If you prefer the classic, solid Tilly in the photo above (which really highlights that lacy bit at the yoke) take a look at Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool. At 191 yds per skein, you'd need between three and five skeins depending on your desired size. Again, you can find size info/yardage requirements on Tilly's Ravelry page.
Link roundup for this one:
Eco Twist (for a variegated Tilly)
Silky Wool (for a solid Tilly)
The Tilly Pattern
Tariff Talk...and a Way to Lessen the Blow!
Meg had a whirlwind week at H&H - the big all-things-fiber convention in Chicago - and the chitter chatter on every aisle was tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. To be honest, we've already seen the effects of tariff talk trickle down (say it five times fast) to us...even before they've officially kicked in. Random price increases, sudden unavailability of this or that...it's just a volatile time! Until we know exactly how it's all going to shake out and affect us (and you), it seems like a good time to remind you that hey - aside from sales tax - local goods are tariff-free!
We've always been thrilled to bring you a handful of local purveyors - everything from BlackCat Bags to Old Rusted Chair to Modus Operandi to Camellia Fiber Co. - and we've currently got a dedicated spot for most of it in the South Wing (YOU HUSH! THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE ROOM ON THE LEFT NOW!).
In a separate spot is our stock of Camellia Fiber Co. yarn. CFCo is the result of the Herculean efforts of our dear friend Silbia and we keep it riiiight inside the door so it's literally almost the first thing you see when you enter Haus. If you've never picked up a skein and oo-la-la-ed, have we got a great single-skein "tasting" project for you!
Camellia's Yak is a luscious blend of 65% super-soft merino, 20% silk and 15% yak. It's a perfect skein for the Cable Hat, which is, well, a cabled hat. We love how the cables grow from the 2x2 ribbed band...such a classic beauty. Add a pom for maximum drama!
CFCo's Yak is HERE; you only need one for this project! The pattern is HERE...it's free! Poms are HERE.
Thanks for shopping local!