There has been a certain chill in the air in the evenings this past week in New England that is starting to make us think of the Autumn days to come. It’s the perfect time to start picking up little projects that will keep you warm in the coming seasons.

The Swirl Hat combines a surprisingly simple, naturally spiraling stitch pattern with the rich colors of BFL Fingering Hand Dyed by the Kangaroo Dyer to create a warm, earth-toned hat that’s great for a man or woman. Hold two strands of yarn together throughout. Note – to hold 2 strands together from one skein, we recommend winding the skein into a center-pull ball and pulling from both the inside and the outside of the ball.

The Hazel Shawl is a stunning, crescent shaped shawl in a delicate, knotted lace pattern that is just perfect for summer.

About the design Kirsten says, “The shaping is built right into the stitch pattern, eliminating any unsightly jogs between the increases and the lace motifs. The built-in rate of increase creates a more eccentric crescent-shape than traditional triangle shawls that fits better over the shoulders. The patterning is done on both sides with a garter stitch base, which means no purling and no long, boring plain rows! There’s plenty of yarn left over in the skein to make it larger if you like. A simple, knitted-on lace edging rounds out the piece.”

The 2/14 Alpaca Silk is available in 10 hand dyed colors and 25 solid colors. Which will you choose?

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This week Kathy talks with our Design Manager, Kirsten Hipsky, about the new Valley Yarns designs in our 2014 Valley Catalog.

Kathy and Kirsten talk about our cover design, a reknit of one of our most popular patterns the Falling Leaves Shawl designed by Katy Wight, originally knit in Valley Yarns Stockbrige and now in Valley Yarns Charlemont hand dyed by the Kangaroo Dyer.

Our divider pages are full of a collection of blooms that are available in our Valley Flowers e-Book.

They also discuss The Cordoba Shawl, the Colorfall Cardigan, the Intemporelle Pullover from Marcy Vandale, Mango Smoothie from Thea Coleman(Baby Cocktails), as well as the WEBS 40th Anniversary knit and crochet blankets e-Books created by our staff. And introducing our new yarn – Valley Yarns Superwash Bulky!

Steve’s Yarn Picks :

• Mrs. Crosby Yarns from Lorna’s Laces
• Manos del Uruguay Franca
• Classic Elite Yarns Villa
• Jaggerspun Heather
• Grignasco Merinogold – Closeout
• Grignasco Merinogold 8 – Closeout

Upcoming Events:

Stop by and check out current the Classic Elite Yarns Trunk Show.

The 4th Annual I-91 Shop Hop is happening June 26th-29th, get your Passport Today!

  

Each weekday Steve chooses a yarn to feature as his Deal of the Day and knocks it down to a special low price. And each Friday he chooses a yarn to keep at that special price for the whole weekend.

This weekend Steve’s Deal of the Day is Valley Yarns Stockbridge, a 50/50 blend of Superfine Alpaca and Wool that results in a yarn with bounce and drape, and a soft, subtle halo. We thought we’d give you some pattern ideas to mull over for the weekend that feature this versatile yarn.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous sweater there is the Tarian Pullover from Thayer Preece Parker. It looks great in the original Natural color or in the Light Grey that Ravelry user MollyMcCorry chose.

For a smaller project try the Fabric Stitch Mittens by Kirsten Hipsky, almost any combination of colors works! Try the blues and brown that Raverly user tomatoesoup used or the green and greys combo from sebaenen.

There’s the Stoker sweater from Amy Herzog’s book Knit to Flatter. A wardrobe staple that is equally appealing in rich Chocolate brown or the vibrant Deep Teal colorway chosen by Ravelry user splityarn.

For even more ideas, click over to the yarn page on our website and then choose the “Related Patterns” tab.

And don’t forget! Valley Yarns Stockbridge is Steve’s Deal of the Day through 11:59pm EDT Sunday, May 18, 2014.