Favorite Colors Sans Zipper

This is Will modeling a sweater I recently knit using his favorite colors ( purple, red and green). The pattern is "Will" out of Rowan Junior. I modified it somewhat and originally had a zipper all the way down the front. Will didn't like the zipper, however, so I removed it, picked up along one edge ,knit 2 rows of garter in green, 2 rows of red in stockinette and 2 rows of green in garter. The result is a faux zipper, which he approves of.

Stripes

This striped top is our original pattern that we will be giving away for the Chicago Area Yarn Crawl starting this Friday. I was inspired by all the cute striped tops I have been seeing this past year as well as the many tops I have seen in this shape over the summer. It is done in lace weight mohair so it is light, airy and super-soft to wear. It has a keyhole on one side that can be worn either in the front or back. And look, even Dylan, our part-time helper, approves!

Trendspotting: Capes

I have noticed that capes and ponchos are making a comeback for Fall. But unlike the sloppy, hippie-ish ponchos of the last go-round with this style, the ones making an appearance this season are more modern. The cape above is from Rowan 50. With a sleeker, more fitted take on the trend,it is almost like a cardigan. And the armholes make it much more wearable. Below is an example of one from Vogue Knitting. The belt gives it some shape, making a much nicer silhouette.

Very Easy Baby Booties

These are the perfect baby booties for a beginner knitter. They are simply a square sewn together. Incredibly easy to make and very cute when you add a bow! I knit these out of the Baby Milk by Laines du Nord, a super soft blend of merino wool, milk fiber and cashmere.

Summer Dress

One of my favorite things about summer is the dresses. And yes, you can even knit summer dresses! This one from Knit Simple, Spring/Summer '09 is a perfect example. Mary knit it out of Amy Butler's Belle Organic Aran. Because it is a wool/cotton blend, the yarn is light enough for most summer days yet the gauge is big enough that it doesn't take too long to knit.

Pretty in Pink

Here is another wonderful customer's project. It is knit out of the Rowan Pure Wool Aran. So cute for a little girl for in Spring! Can you believe she knit this in two days?

A Small Change Makes a Big Difference

Here is another wonderful customer project. It is Olive from Ella Rae Book 13, knit out of Ella Rae Classic (one of our favorites- both the yarn AND the book!). But what makes it so special is that she changed the pattern from the plain stockinette stitch to this pretty stitch pattern. The yarn really brings out the stitch pattern. Beautiful.