Haus of Yarn Newsletter 917
Nora in Rambouillet
Juniper Moon's Rambouillet has been walking out of this store left and right ever since we added it back in September. A great sample worked up in it recently arrived in the shop, so we thought we'd talk about this very special yarn again to perhaps give you some inspiration.
Nora is a good old-fashioned cabled sweater with a modern twist; the otherwise traditional cables run across rather than up and down. Knit flat in pieces and then seamed, this beauty's drop-sleeves and cuffed sleeves had us at "hello"!
Spun completely from its US-sourced Rambouillet namesake wool, Rambouillet provides terrific warmth, softness and elasticity. As light as a feather on its own, it can be worked to varying degrees of density; it also garners different effects when held with other yarns (think lace weight Mohair or Alpaca!). It's non-superwash and comes in 273-yard skeins. The Nora in the photo above is worked up in Candlewick; the sample in the shop is in Fandango - and this is a great example of how color choice can really change the vibe of a project. The two could not be more different!
Come take a look and fall in love with Rambouillet the same way we have. All 20 colors are RIGHT HERE; colors in the top photo are (from left to right) Aegean, Candlewick, Fandango, and Sedona. You'll find the Nora pattern RIGHT HERE; refer to the chart above for size info and yarn quantities!
Vaya ... and Ideas for Vaya!
We're always excited when a yarn lives up to our expectations, so we're absolutely thrilled to introduce you to Vaya, from the folks at Lang! Designed for summery, resort style knits, Vaya is a DK blend of cotton/wool/yak (74/26/10) with an almost otherworldly softness; you really might just have to feel it to see we're not overselling it! Its cotton majority keeps it breathable and light, the wool makes it perfect for a touch of layering warmth when necessary and the yak....well, hello softness!
That bit of naturally dark yak fiber also gives each colorway - even the lighter ones - a rich undertone that lends your knits a beautiful depth. Vaya's chain construction results in a polished, sophisticated vibe and also helps finished garments maintain shape. Stitch definition is oo-la-la gorgeous on everything from lace to stockinette.
You can find Vaya in 27 shades RIGHT HERE! Colors in the top photo are (clockwise from top left) Blue, Light Yellow, Lilac, Ochre, Pink and Pumpkin. Vaya is one of those yarns where everycolor looks good with every other color in the line. We credit that yak undertone...or maybe it's just magic. Yarn is a mystery!
Lang has a handful of very appealing patterns written specifically for Vaya. As we start looking for projects to jump off the needles right as spring hits (timing is everything in knitting!), we're definitely eyeballing Karla (the vest above) and the Taylor tank (also above). Both are short-yardage heroes, requiring just a few balls of yarn each. Depending on size, Karla takes 5-6 balls; Taylor only needs 3-4.
You can find the pattern for Karla RIGHT HERE. Taylor is RIGHT HERE.
And here's a hot tip: Vaya is fantastic for the shop (and, oh, worldwide) favorite Sophie Scarf(and Hood and Shawl and...)
It's Always Stitch Marker Season
It's a skosh too early for true spring cleaning, so obviously all of your lost stitch markers remain un-reclaimed in the couch cushions...so here we are telling you we've restocked the ever-popular Cocoknits' Colored RIng Stitch Markers - one set fits up to a US7 needle, and one fits up to a US13. There are 60 in each little cylindical box, and that lil' box is perfect for storing them (we've also got some jumbos that come in a box of 30 and fit up to a US19.). The box will also hold all the lost ones you recover from the couch cushions in a month or two.
Grab your box RIGHT HERE.