Yesterday I gave you some of the background on the cover of this year’s Holiday Catalog.  What I didn’t include was a shot from the photoshoot:

I think it’s just magical how shots like this come to life.

Okay – enough about the cover.  Time to talk about some of the great things happening INSIDE the catalog.  Remember, the printed catalogs are working their way across the country.  My graphic designer based here has yet to receive hers, but her Mom in Wisconsin received her last week. I’ll never understand the postal service.  If you can’t wait or aren’t currently on our mailing list, you can check the catalog out ONLINE.

There are 46 projects in the holiday catalog – 9 of which are FREE!  Consider them our gift to you.   I think they are a nice mix of quick knits and more involved projects.  I love being able to offer our own Valley Yarns designs to you for free, but I love the relationships we have with our vendors which gives us the ability to showcase their yarns and offer a free pattern as well.  Let me highlight a few for you:

First up is the Lavendar Ribbed Hat knit in Valley Yarns Northfield.

The allure of this hat is the attention to the details and the fact that it’s knit on smaller needles than usual for Northfield.  This means the fabric is dense and cozy and will keep you warm no matter how cold it gets this winter.

Our Spotted Christmas Stocking knit in Berkshire Bulky will not only be fun to knit, but fast!

Berkshire Bulky is available in 40 colors so don’t feel compelled to stick to the traditionall red/green combo.

The Herringbone Scarf is a showstopper.  Designed and knit by Dori – the absolute best, smartest, most amazing-est knitter around and long-time WEBS Store Associate, this scarf is spectacular:

The picture really doesn’t do it justice.  Dori used our 2/10 Merino Tencel blend which means the finished fabric is warm, drapes beautiful, has a lovely sheen and can easily be dressed up or down.

From Knitty.com we are featuring Thermal:

We reknit this dynamite top in our Huntington.  The waffle stitch is designed to be stretchy and close fitting.  Thermal makes a great layering piece.  Remember ALL KNITTY.COM PATTERNS MUST BE DOWNLOADED FROM KNITTY.COM!

From our friends at Tahki/Stacy Charles comes this gorgeous shawl pattern knit in Gioiello:

We’ve had this shawl in the shop for several seasons and it continues to be a favorite.  Gioiello is a yummy blend of merino and kid mohair (plus some cotton, acrylic and nylon) and features a multi-color palette with just a slight hint of glitz.  This shawl only takes 2 balls!  Again, the Gioiello Shawl Pattern can be downloaded at www.tahkistacycharles.com.

Last, but not least is Drift from Berroco and knit in their new fall yarn Vintage:

Love Drift.  Love, love, love.  The style is beautiful and Vintage is an easy care yarn so you can machine wash this sweater!  Pattern can be found at here.

Remember, these are only a few of the 40+ projects we are featuring so be sure to check them all out!

What are you adding to your project queue?

Kathy

This week’s free pattern is a super new scarf!  Perfect for women or men, the Shale Pleated Scarf has an interesting stitch pattern that looks great when finished. 

Knit in our Valley Yarns Berkshire, it will keep you warm no matter how cold it gets this winter!  As designed, the pattern takes 4 skeins of Berkshire and your finished scarf will be 12″x72″ for less than $20!

Click here to download your FREE copy of the Shale Pleated Scarf  Pattern!

Enjoy!

Kathy

I am so excited to debut this new pattern today!  Louise’s Nature Hat is a design of my own (remember those granny squares from a couple of months ago?)

Here’s what they became:

I’ve had this design in my head for awhile but not the right yarn.  With the addition of our Valley Yarn Superwash in a DK weight, I finally had the yarn I needed!  The hat features 7 traditional granny squares joined together to form the base of the hat.  I then added a row of single crochet to even out the grannies and add some stability before picking up the necessary number of stitches and knitting the remainder of the hat!

What tickles are endless possibilities for this particular design.  You can easily select colors that you love and even change up the pattern for the squares to truly make this hat your own.

Click here to download Valley Yarns #297 Louise’s Nature Hat for FREE!

If you make the hat I’d love to see your results!

Kathy

This week on Ready, Set, Knit, Steve & I talk about several new yarns , a few gift ideas and some of the newest Valley Yarns Patterns!

Schafpate Sock Yarn from Opal
Los Angeles from Wisdom
Cashmere Scarf Kits for Her from Jade Sapphire
Bamboo Interchangeable Needle Set from WEBS
Knitting Bags from Namaste
Christmas Stocking Kits from Judy’s Colors

Thetis Pullover knit in Valley Yarns Colrain

Selene Striped Cardigan knit in Valley Yarns Superwash DK

Hampshire Tweed Cardigan knit in Valley Yarns Williamstown

Soft Cables Afghan knit in Valley Yarns Amherst

Pixie & I continue the 3-button Jacket KAL from Classic Elite  featuring one of their great new fall yarns, Chesapeake.

You can listen to Ready, Set, Knit! via our website or you can download the podcast on iTunes.

Enjoy!

Kathy

Our Fall Catalog started mailing last week.  The launch of a new catalog is always an exciting time for us. 

If yours hasn’t arrived yet, don’t worry, it’s working it’s way through the mail stream to you. In the meantime, let’s look at a few of the highlights, shall we?

The stunning cover image is courtesy of our dear friends at Berroco.  The Nuss Cardigan from booklet #288 Blackstone Tweed is a garment we’ve talked about previously.  Knit in Berroco’s new Blackstone Tweed, Nuss has an interesting construction and nice fit.

One of my favorites that I insisted be in the catalog is Potter from Norah Gaughan Vol. 5: 

Knit in Berroco Pure Merino, I fell in love with this jacket the moment I saw pictures of it last spring.  I’m not a huge yellow fan, although I’ve been told I can pull off the color, but there is something about this jacket, yellow or otherwise that really speaks to me. 

Another design that I’ve reference previously here on the blog and on our podcast is the Riding Jacket from The Big Easy booklet knit in Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky from Debbie Bliss. 

The simplicity of the silhouette immediately grabbed my attention – you know I love classic styles that look like you put a ton of work into them but in the end weren’t so difficult. 

The Lace & Bobble Cardigan from Classic Elite Booklet #9102 – Weekend - didn’t really impress me until Betsy came to the shop to give the store staff an overview of new fall yarns & designs. 

It looked great on everyone that tried it on and it’s knit in Classic Elite’s new yarn Chesapeake.

When Diane & Stacy from Tahki/Stacy Charles came to visit, they both knew I’d be head over heels for this next garment.

Score a point for them.  I love Eileen from the S. Charles Collezione Modern Living booklet – simple, clean lines, feminine.   Knit in Tivoli, a new yarn from the sophisticated S. Charles Collezione, the design and the yarn are both homeruns in my knitting book.

One quick yarn shout-out to  Centolavaggi (prononounced Chento-la-va-ggi) which could also be known as Zara laceweight.  Diane & Stacy had a random skein of this with them many, many months ago and asked what we thought of it.  At 1531 yards of gorgeous Italian Extra Fine Merino that is superwash no less and priced at only $19.95 I asked them how soon we could have it.  Had to wait a little longer than we would have liked, but it’s here now!

There is a never ending parade of new sock yarns coming into WEBS that it’s almost hard to keep track of them all.  One fun addition for fall is Flusi 4-Ply Color from Regia.  Flusi has a fun little story that is actually supported by a story book. 

The balls are 50 grams so two are needed for a pair of socks.  The colors are bright and whimsical, just like Flusi himself.  I love a good story and good marketing always catches my attention.

On the Valley Yarns front, I posted several weeks ago about our fall shoot which was held at Pioneer Valley Vineyards.  The pictures in the catalog are just stunning.  Here are a few of our own highlights.

First up, is our NEW Northampton Bulky, knit up in Zephyr Style pattern Juliet.  This was the perfect choice for this yarn. 

Again, this is one of those great designs that just looks great on everyone and that’s saying something for a garment that has a gauge of 3 stitches/inch.

We’re also excited to debut our new Valley Superwash DK.  Twenty hardworking colors are presented in this 5.5 stitches/inch sister to our worsted weight Valley Superwash.  We have lots of design ideas for this yarn, as I’m sure do as well!  For a quick project (or early holiday gift) Mary in Marketing whipped up these adorable amigurumi critters from teh book Super-Cute Crochet by Nicki Trench.

The Hawthorne Textured Cardi has been a favorite of mine since I saw the finished design. 

Knit using our gorgeous tweed Valley Yarns Williamstown, this cardi has a bit more attitude and although tweeds can often be seen in more casual looks, Williamstown simply shines.

Our wildly popular Gallery Jacket was reknit in our rich brown and now has a completely new look! 

Valley Yarns Sheffield was used in both the original design and this remake, but the change of color is really stunning.  It’s shiney and new all over again!

My last favorite is the Point & Line Cardigan. 

Knit in our 100% merino Amherst, this cardigan is the perfect fall wardrobe addition.  It’s functional in that it will keep you toasty, but has a nice feminine look.

We have one other new product for the fall.  It is so big and we’re so excited that it deserves it’s own blog post.  So, until tomorrow!

Kathy

Just a quick post as we’re on vacation with the kids – one last summer blast! 

I had the distinct pleasure to be a guest blogger last week on the Knitting Daily TV blog.  The third season of Knitting Daily TV kicked off at the end of July and I was lucky enough to be a part of yet another season.  In my post, I had the chance to talk about one of my favorite segments.  Our Valley Yarns Illusion Cube Blanket is one of my most beloved projects. 

Designed by Kirsten Hipsky, the blanket is stunning both in it’s beauty and ultimate simplicity.  Knit using our Valley Yarns Northampton, you can follow the pattern as is, reduce it for a super special shawl or scarf or super-size it for a coverlet.

So – how did I do?  I think it’s been well documented that tv is not my favorite platform.  What do you think of the blanket?

Kathy

Back in May at Twist 2.0, I posted a picture of a WIP – an original design at that – by one of our store associate’s Elisabeth. 

She was creating the dress for Ivy Day which is part of the graduation celebration at Smith College.  On the day before commencement, alumnae escort the seniors in a parade around campus. Then the seniors plant ivy to symbolize the connection between the college and its graduates.  Although I’m sure all of her classmates looked lovely, I have no doubt that Elisabeth had the most beautiful dress.

That first picture created a lot of interest so I asked Elisabeth if she would be willing to knit the dress again, document the pattern and allow us to offer it as one of our Valley Yarns patterns.  She agreed and amidst a gazillion other projects, our Ivy Day Dress is now finished:

I apologize for the picture – not the best I know.  I promise it will be photographed professionally at our next shoot.  I just didn’t want to wait until then to share this with all of you.

What is amazing about this dress is that it looks flattering on many different body types.  It’s knit using our 10/2 Bamboo, which we sell on 1 lb cones.  We normally market the yarn to weavers, but any of our weaving yarns can be used by knitters, just as most knitting yarns can be incorporated into weaving projects.   Although she ultimately wore her dress for a “dressy” event, it also looks pretty cool over her jeans in the first picture, so this is a versatile piece.

Elisabeth knit the dress on size #4 needles and used about 1/4 lb of yarn off of the cone.  She knit the small size which has a finished chest measurement of 34″-40″.  The larger size will take approximately a 1/2 lb of yarn (or 1/2 the cone) and has a finished chest measurement of 42″-48″.  Each cone is only $29.99 (natural is $19.99) and it is discountable.

If you end up tackling this project, please post a link in the comments!

Kathy

P.S.  Twist Fair returns to Northampton November 13 & 14.  More details to follow, but be sure to mark your calendars and plan to be there!

That has been quite the question out in the blogosphere and on Ravelry over the past week.  Even Stephanie agonized over her choice.

The reality for me is there won’t be much time for anything once things get rolling.  Set-up starts in just a few short hours and I have a feeling the only yarn and needles I’ll be touching are the ones folks are purchasing!

Fortunately for me, there is the long flight to and from Portland.  Airplane time has always been a preferred knitting time for me – even better than the car.  Like everyone else, I thought about what to bring.  I felt compelled to bring a sock project, but I didn’t have one going and my sock knitting skills are such that I need to pay attention to what I’m doing.  Socks are not somthing I can pick up and put down on a whim.  I thought about some of the existing UFO’s I have but nothing really spoke to me.

Then, this arrived:

I had been hoping the advance shipment from Italy would arrive before I left, but I wasn’t holding out hope.  Then, on Monday afternoon literally an hour before I left the office to go home and pack, it came.  I grabbed one ball of every color and brought it home with me to decide on colors.  Here’s what I took:

I’ve had a design swirling in my head for awhile now and I new this yarn would be perfect.  I packed the above three colors (I actually took four, but only needed three) and this:

Yup – I’m at Sock Summit 2009 and I’m (a) not knitting a sock and (b) not knitting at all!  Yay for crochet!  I actually brought several hooks for swatching purposes.  Good thing I did, I ended up happy with an E hook and I went into things firmly believing G was going to work.  Swatch, Swatch, Swatch folks!

I can’t reveal the project in full, but these little beauties are part of it:

Don’t go shaking your head at my little grannies.  I heard those collective yawns.  You have no idea what these are going to be when all is said and done.  I hope in the end my idea works.  I think it will.

Oh – you’re wondering about the yarn?  This very special shipment from Italy?  Folks – it’s really awesome – super soft, it’s been great to work with.  Each ball has 137 yards and it will knit at 5.5 stitches per inch on a #6.  We won’t have it available for another few weeks, but we are super excited to introduce:

Our gorgeous 100% Extrafine Merino Superwash (more…)

I always go into vacations with the best of intentions.  Not only will I relax and rejuvenate and spend quality family time together, but I always plan on “catching up”.  I had blog posts planned, porjects to work on and even (dare I say it) knitting!  The week prior to heading to the Cape was a blur of interviews, missing Jackson while he was at his first sleepaway camp and tournament baseball with Jonathan. 

(Notice what Jonathan is holding?  That’s an MVP award.  Yes, I am bragging – can’t help myself.)  Plus the usual “things to get done before I leave so I can go on vacation, relax, rejuvenate, spend time w/family and catch up”.  That week feels like months ago now.

We had a great vacation – they keep getting better as the boys get bigger.  We enjoyed the beach, we golfed, hung out, ate lots of fried clams and ice cream.  For me, there is nothing better than having my toes in the sand, sun on my face, salt air sticking to my skin and the sound of the ocean.

I didn’t gain any ground and in all honesty lost some ground.  I know – it’s vacation, that’s how it’s suppose to be.  I always like to get a few nagging things that aren’t necessarily at the top of the to do list done and crossed off.  I’m a big list maker and crossing things off a list once completed is a BIG deal for me.  It’s like a mini celebration for me – my own little victory party.  Despite the lack of productivity, it was a great time and now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging, etc.

A few loose ends to tie up today.  First, even though we were away, we pre-recorded two podcasts. On our July 28th episode of Ready, Set, Knit I had the chance to catch up with Berroco Designer Cirilia Rose.  Many of you know Cirilia previously worked with us at WEBS and has been on the podcast at least a couple of times.  Talking with her was catching up with an old friend – all we were missing was nice glass of wine.  Cirilia talked about Sock Summit which is coming at us in a screaming fast sort of way.  She’ll be in Portland representing Berroco so be sure to stop by her booth and say “hi”.  We also talked about Berroco’s latest contest and this one is a keeper!  Berroco’s Sock Star Competition not only has a cash prize, but if your design is chosen it will be published in a Spring 2010 pattern book!  How cool would that be?  Check out all of the information on the Berroco website for complete details and be sure to listen to my interview with Cirilia!

This past Saturday’s Ready, Set, Knit episode feature a great conversation I had with the lovely Susan B. Anderson.  Susan is an author, blogger, designer AND is working with the fine folks at Blue Sky Alpacas on their new Spud & Chloe line.  I had a blast talking with Susan and getting the behind the scenes scoop on this line which is taking the knitting world by storm.  Be sure to check it out!

Before I left on vacation, I Twittered about the newest addition to our Valley Yarns collection – Northampton Bulky!  Isn’t it loverly?

Same gorgeous yarn as our wildly popular Northampton but this time we’ve bumped it up to knit at 3 stitches = 1″ on a #10 1/2 needle.  It has 109 yards, which isn’t bad for a bulky weight yarn.  At $4.99 – it’s (as we say in Boston) a true bah-gan.  It comes in 25 yummy colors.  This one of the yarns that came with me on vacation.  I am going to recreate the Heirloom Baby Hat I did for the One-Skein-Wonders Luxury book.  In addition to reknitting it in a different yarn, I want to size it up and introduce a second color.  I picked light grey and burgundy.  Light grey will be the main color and the burgundy will serve as the accent once I figure out how I want to incorporate the second color.  I’m going to work out the pattern for baby to adult – what size would you like me to see my sample knit in?  Should I do it for one of the boys or for Steve?  You vote – I’ll start knitting!

You know, going on vacation is simply the best, but coming home is also the best.  Missed you all – glad to be home.

Kathy

For The Labor Day Weekend Show.  Okay – sorry – carried away.  We’re not quite going to San Fran and it’s nowhere near Labor Day but as we work our way through the final punishing weeks of winter here, I can’t help but channel some Jimmy Buffet.  Thanks for indulging me

Truthfully, we are heading close to San Francisco and we do have a weekend show – Stitches WEST in Santa Clara! I have to admit as I prep to leave tomorrow, I am still a bit in denial that it’s actually here.  I think I’m a bit out of sorts because I should already be there, but “Mommy Duties” trump everything else and as our kids wind down to their version of spring vacation, it’s a jam packed week of performances and such.  I’ll share today’s event at the end – I know you all just want the yarn!

Let’s start from the beginning, which is planning:

Then it’s pick, pack and ship – one gigantic order:

Hmm – what is in those boxes?  I am not being entirely untruthful when I ask the question.  I’m involved in most of the planning, but honestly, Steve & I debate so many of the closeouts back and forth I’m never quite clear what has made the list vs. what hasn’t until we get set-up!  What I do know is this:

Berroco Spring ‘09 - the best of the best – the yarns, the garments, NGV4. . . .there’s nothing else to say.  The amazing Miss Andra will be manning her section of the booth.

Noro – how could we leave the lovelies of Noro at home??  Just not possible.  Silk Garden, Kureyon, Silk Garden Chunky (breathe Noro-lovers, breathe)

Valley Yarns - there in full force, including all of the faboo designs from the Spring ‘09 catalog AND some early completions for the next catalog!  That’s right – the incredible Kirsten knocked out a couple of new things just for WEST including a crocheted scarf out of Rainbow that you will just love!  C’mon non-crocheters, give it a chance! 

The cream, sprinkles and cherry on the top of the best dessert ever:

Lorna’s Laces - Shephard Worsted & Sock, Helen’s Lace (we don’t even carry it in the shop!) and brand new to market the spectacular Pearl.  Oh.Yeah.

Madeline Tosh - Oh so yummy – worsted weight (just added in the store and on-line) and sock.  (The worsted just came in and has not made it’s way to the site.  Click on the link and refresh tomorrow – it should show up )

Dream.In.Color.Smooshy.Classy. 

Malabrigo including the elusive Sock.  We spent so much time picking colors with Tobias at TNNA based on his availability (not what we normally carry) and what showed up was – well – a ton of yarn in some colorways we carry, some we picked and some who obviously just wanted to come along for the ride.  Show them some love, okay?

Kauni - Many, many colors.

Plus, plus, plus. . . . . .I’m sure there will be some surprises.  That’s what is so great about these shows. 

We are so excited to see all of you – that’s the most fun!  What was interesting as we prepped for this show was the worry/wonder if people would come due to the economy – would you pick classes over marketplace, shopping over classes?  If you are coming or not, I’d love to hear why.  Not trying to pry, just trying to get a gauge (no pun intended) on things.

I will do my best to post from the show.  For the best updates, you all need to be following me on Twitter.  I know, I know, one more thing to check, but I *heart* Twitter and I can zip off an update in 5 seconds.  For those of you on Facebook, my Twitter feeds post there so you can avoid Twitter and find me on Facebook with the same info. 

For those of you not attending the show – have a great next few days and join in the fun via the above options,  here on the blog & our Ready, Set, Knit! Podcast!

Last, but far from least, here is Jonathan’s “Family Story” he presented today – the dedication says it all:

 Daniel is my nephew/Jonathan’s cousin who is all grown-up and pursuing a PhD.  He’s away at school and Jonathan doesn’t get to see him much – this tells us how much those times together mean.  The three page story about Daniel and what Jonathan thinks of him is awesome.

Kathy