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This week Kathy talks with WEBS Education Manager, Amy Greeman about the top patterns of 2015 at WEBS.

#1 pattern of 2015 was from Blue Sky Alpacas – The Lanesboro Vest

#2 is from Debbi Stone, at Stitches of My life Designs – the Wanda Estelle

#3 comes from The Fibre Company – the Keswick cardigan

#4 is another from Debbi Stone – the Sproutlet Baby Blanket

#5 Jo Sharp is back with the Garter Stitch Jacket

They were So close to the top 5 we couldn’t help but mention #6 and #7, both from Shibui, the Facade scarf and the Emboss jacket

And don’t forget to check out the Valley Yarns eBook – Last Minute Knits with some great chunky, cold weather knits.

Amy’s Yarn Picks of the week: The Downton Abbey Collection!

When your remaining days of gift knitting can be counted on your fingers you know it’s crunch time. Our Essential Accessories eBook has five quick and simple wardrobe staples that everyone needs and loves!

The Knit and Purl Cowl, knit in Amherst, offers four different stitch patterns to choose from, stick with one for the whole projects or change it up with textured stripes. The Simple Shawl is just that! An easy triangle shawl knit from the top down in Valley Yarns Huntington. The Essential Fingerless Gloves, knit in Stockbridge are just the thing to stave off the chills at the office, in the car or shopping around town. The Basic Hat from measurements, shown in Northampton, is THE hat pattern to have in your stash. Knit whatever hat size you need in whatever yarn you have on hand with this handy pattern! And the Basic Heel-Flap Sock may be the perfect basic sock pattern, and it shows of the colors in Franklin so beautifully.

Which will you knit first?

With Thanksgiving being celebrated this week in the States the bell has been rung for the final round of gift making. While there may be a few of you out there who still have time for larger projects like a sweater, most of us need patterns for small or quick gifts, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be special! Our Great Gifts eBook has patterns perfect for the special people in your life and you still have time to make all of them.

The Basic Scarf from Measurements, knit in Northampton Bulky, is a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure scarf that even a beginning knitter can play along. With 5 stitch patterns to choose from and easy calculations to change the width and length of your scarf this may become your go-to pattern. The Welcome Home Blanket may be the perfect  gift for the new baby in the family. The classic feather and fan pattern gets a modern update with bold blocks of color and the incredible squishiness of the Valley Superwash Bulky make this one a joy to knit. One of our newest yarns, Leyden, is show off to great effect in the Cobblestone Socks. The subtle pebbled surface of these socks works wonderfully with the variegated hues in the yarn and with some of the richer jeweltone colorways of Leyden these could be just the right pair of socks for the special guy in your life. The Rail Trail Mitts knit with two colors of Valley Yarns BFL Fingering would certainly be appreciated by the outdoorsy types in your life, the die-hard cyclist that’s still out on their bike in the snow or the early morning dog-walker. And the Forget-Me-Not Cowl is a beautiful, airy cowl perfect for a little extra layering. Knit in our 2/10 Merino Tencel which is available on cones with over 1,000 yards you could easily knit cowls for several friends or co-workers from the same cone.

Each pattern is available as an individual PDF for $3.99 or you can download the whole collection in the Great Gifts eBook for just $11.99. Who will you make these great gifts for?

Our friends at Rowan have pulled together three great patterns knit in Rowan Fine Art to help us celebrate this year. The Verdant Lace Shawl is a wonderful wrap knit in a simple eyelet pattern, perfect for keeping you cozy without being too warm. The Lace Panel Cowl is knit flat with a provisional cast on to make it easier to join into a cowl, and with a simple 8-row lace repeat this one will fly off your needles. Finally, the Cable and Lace Scarf has an intriguing stitch pattern that alternates between cables and lace, and can easily be made wider to be worn as a stole.

Any of these pattern would make a wonderful and quick Holiday gift or just a little something special for yourself! Which color of Fine Art will you use?

This weekend we’re featuring one of our favorite coned yarns! Steve’s Deal of the Day July 11-13 is Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino Tencel (Colrain Lace) $17.99/cone (reg $24.99). You’ll end up with fewer ends to weave in on your projects because of the large amount on yardage on these cones.

The Mixed Tide Stole is from one of our 40th Anniversary designers, Janice Kang and Ravelry user bogiebogie made a beautiful version in the Grey Olive colorway.

The Deep Breath Sweater is an older Valley Yarns pattern but sill one of our favorites for it’s comfort and simplicity. Ravelry user whitecatstudio chose to make hers in the rich chocolate colorway.

And if you’re a crocheter the Colrain Lace is perfect for the Crocus Lace Stole, shown in the hummingbird color of our 5/2 Bamboo and in the natural 2/10 Merino Tencel by Ravelry user Appliejuice.

Don’t forget! Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino Tencel (Colrain Lace) is Steve’s Deal of the Day through 11:59pm EDT Sunday, July 13, 2014.  Use Promo Code FB210MERT8 at checkout to get the special price, $17.99/cone (reg $24.99).