We’ve been in love with Valley Yarns Charlemont since the first sample skeins came in! With a blend of superwash merino, mulberry silk, and polyamide, this yarn has an incredible depth of color, a silky sheen and drape that you won’t believe! A wonderful choice for both knit and crochet projects,  as well as weaving, with 439yds per skein, you’ll keep coming back to Charlemont.

I’m fairly partial to our Amethyst Brook Afghan, having designed it!, but Dena’s version in Charlemont is one of my most favorite finished projects from this pattern. Combining some of our solids with hand dyed colors of Charlemont, and using all cool tones, makes these interlocked hexagons look like the ripples from raindrops on a pond. What a fantastic combination of pattern and yarn!

Whether you prefer knit or crochet, accessories or sweaters, we have a full ines of patterns just for Charlemont!

left – right: the Colorfall Cardigan, the Katya Pullover, the Veranda Tam, the Sequoyah Shawl, and the Chapel Falls Shawl

Dena tells us why she loves Charlemont! Have you knit or crocheted with it? Tell us all about your favorite project.

Valley Yarns Charlemont is a fantastic yarn for transitional garments, like the Sequoyah Shawl by Mary Joy Gumayagay.

This generous half circle shawl is worked from the neck down and features bands of stockinette and modified Roman Stripe textured stitches divided by raised garter ridges. Easy increases help to keep the circular shape resulting in a shawl that rests beautifully on the shoulders.

We asked Mary Joy to tell us a bit about herself and her work.

When did you learn to knit?
I learned to knit in 2003, when an injury forced me to stop climbing for a few months. To pass the time I decided to try something crafty.

What prompted you to start designing?
I fell into designing accidentally, when I had a ball of worsted yarn and an urge to make something unique. Pre-Ravelry, it was a challenge to find patterns for a specific weight, or yardage, or project. So I looked through one of Barbara Walker’s Treasury of Knitting Patterns books, found something I liked, and made a leaf lace worsted weight scarf. A fellow knitblogger named Liesel asked me for the directions, and I ended up self-publishing my very first pattern, Liesel.

Give us a glimpse into your design process, where/how do you find inspiration?
I am inspired by experiences, which translate into color and texture, then by necessity, which translate into structure. If a stitch pattern and color are lovely together, I think of what sort of object the combination would be most appropriate as. Lately my inspiration has been the specific physical features––color, texture, shape—of the rock climbing areas I’ve visited, and I am translating that into a series of hat patterns. The Destination Series currently has three: Antalya, St. Leger, and Siurana.

Tell us one of your favorite knit/fiber stories.
I don’t have specific stories… But I’ve met a few climbers who are also knitters; that’s a specific sub-group.

Tell us about the Valley Yarn you worked with?
I worked with Valley Yarns Charlemont, a lovely yarn with enough silk to create a subtle sheen and drape. I particularly adore the jewel tones, but there are enough neutrals to satisfy every knitter.

Charlemont has fantastic drape and shine from the silk, strength and durability from the Polyamide, and the merino keeps it soft and warm. Wrap up this Fall in a beautiful shawl, after spending a bit of your Summer knitting with a yarn that you’ll truly enjoy! Have you worked with Charlemont in the past?

We’re so excited about Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2016. Not only is it packed with over 20 stunning knit patterns from some of our favorite designers, but our own Valley Yarns Charlemont made the cover in a design from Unjung Yun, the Leaf Motif Wrap!

The open spaces that dot this sculptural wrap recall the look of windblown leaves. Knit in Charlemont, a pearlescent wool/ silk blend from Valley Yarns, garter-stitch leaf motifs are worked continuously with cast-on stitches to form a tiered panel. Each subsequent panel reverses the direction of the work, producing the subtly undulating texture. Dropped stitches worked throughout delineate the lacy look. They’ve even put together a quick tutorial on their Youtube channel to guide you through this fantastic technique!

Whether you choose to use Charlemont in natural for a light, ethereal summer wrap or one of the vibrant jeweltones for a richly elegant look, this will be one of those accessories you’ll be happy you spent the time knitting for years to come! The Spring/Summer 2016 issue hits newsstands today so get out there and get your copy!

Our 42nd Anniversary Sale is in full swing and with over 80 yarns and accessories at incredible discounted prices and it can seem daunting to wade through that much information! In the coming weeks we’ll break down the yarns in our sale, highlight some of our favorites and give you some great project ideas. This week we’re all about socks!

The fine folks at Regia are constantly rolling out fantastical new combinations of colors and stripes and we have four of their yarns in this sale! Mood Color 4-ply and Relax Color 4-ply are both classic sock weight yarns at 8 sts per inch on US 1-3, with a blend of 75% superwash wool and 25% polyamide for durable, longlasting socks with plenty of yardage in each skein for a pair. Regia Colorito Color 4-ply blends wool and polyamide 75/25 into a slightly heavier yarn, 7.5 sts per inch on US 1-3 with a fantastic colorplay of stripes over a variegated background color. And for a pair of super cozy, winter weight socks try Regia Blue Zone Color 6-ply. This almost DK weight yarn knits up at 5.5 sts per inch on US3-6 sock socks that will fly off your needles!

A long time favorite of sock knitters and the WEBS staff, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock is a fantastic blend of superwash wool and nylon available in 3 dozen scrumptious hand-dyed colorways! Want to sneak a little luxury into your life? Try Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere! 25 subtly tonal hand dyed colorways that you will enjoy knitting as much as you do wearing. Classic Elite Yarns Alpaca Sox combine alpaca, merino and nylon into one of the softest sock yarns we’ve ever felt and the delicate variations of color create a beautiful dappled effect in the finished socks.

And don’t forget your solids! Whether you need a bit extra for heels and toes or you need a good range of colors for some fantastical fair isle these two yarns fit the bill perfectly. Valley Yarns Charlemont combines superwash merino, silk and polyamide in a silky smooth yarn that feels great against the skin. Louet Gems Fingering is a 100% wool yarn with just the right amount of bounce and squish for colorwork that really pops! And now is the perfect time to upgrade your tools! Our Knitters Pride Karbonz 6″ DPN Sets are on sale as well.

Stock up on yarns and needles now and set yourself up for a summer full of sock knitting fun! What’s your favorite sock yarn from this year’s sale? Or do you have plans for other projects with these yarns? Tell us all about it!

There are some great yarns on sale for weavers in our End of Summer Sale, too!

The 30s Yorkshire wool comes in almost 50 colors, with a wonderful array of neutrals and  jewel tones, that would weave up into gorgeous scarves and yardage for sewn garments. It’s also a wonderful yarn for knitting lace! Your favorite Shetland pattern would look amazing knit up in this yarn.

Another coned yarn in gorgeous neutrals is our 2/24 Alpaca Wool from Loro Piana. A high alpaca content makes this yarn super soft and will lend your woven pieces amazing drape. We also have a 2/16 Cashmere in a soft, natural fawn color. Not only can weave, knit or crochet with this one but It takes dye beautifully. Grab a cone and dye your own cashmere yarn!

And don’t forget Valley Yarns Charlemont! Not just for knitting and crochet, we love weaving with this yarn and even have 2 drafts for you! The Meta Weave Scarf (pictured in detail above) and the Charlemont Lace Scarf.

Be sure to check out all the yarns in this years’ sale! Are you planning to weave with any knitting yarns? Or to knit with any weaving yarns?

April has arrived already and the next design from Doris Chan is here! The Motif Bolero is crocheted in two colors of our Valley Yarns Charlemont,  a lovely sock/fingering weight blend of superwash Merino wool and silk, the color sequence tends to emphasize the geometry of the motifs. For a less patchwork look go with a single shade, or choose your own color combination!

The Motif Bolero is a unique, open-front jacket constructed from granny-style motifs that have been updated with open stitch rounds for a lacy look and pretty drape. Pentagons form the V-neck and shaped shoulders. Squares fill in the underarms and complete the boxy body, which falls just below the waist.

This is a great piece to layer for Spring. Pair this little jacket with a flirty spring dress or your favorite t-shirt and jeans. What colors of Charlemont will you choose?

It’s the Fourth Quarter of our 40th Anniversary year and we’re excited to share a whole new batch of products and designs with you.

The wonderful team at Dream in Color has worked magic on our Charlemont yarn and we have 12 amazing colors, including an exclusive Ruby colorway!

The Tirrick Shawl from Gudrun Johnston is one of her favorite garter-based, shetland patterns worked in an ever decreasing series of wedges that form a soft crescent that hugs your shoulders.

Edie Eckman has designed the College Park Shawl to be one of the most versatile accessories you could have, it works as a shawl, a scarf, a kerchief and more!

The Clivia Hat and Mitten Set has fun, decorative buttoned details and the pattern includes a fingerless mitts version.

Of course we’ve got another exclusive project bag from Della-Q, there will be three more weaving drafts as well as a few additional patterns and surprises before the end of the year! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Instagram, or on Ravelry for all the latest.

As you flip through the pages of the Spring 2013 issue of Interweave Knits, you’ll find many gorgeous garments and accessories to add to your knitting queue. Included in this is a stunning shawl knit in our own Valley Yarns Charlemont.

This triangular shawl is worked from the top down, so your stitches increase as you go. It is a gorgeous blend of cables and lace that really stand out in the superwash merino/mulberry silk/polyamide blend of Charlemont.

Have you checked out Interweave Knits Spring 2013 yet?

I’m wrapping up the Valley Yarns Charlemont series with a collection of great projects, many of them available for free on Ravlery. There are cozy socks, cute fingerless mitts, a lacy shawlette, and two self-designed weaving projects. Really nice work everyone.

Bouton d’or socks by Nicole Masson, knit by klynnknits
(pattern available for free on Ravelry)

Elm by Cookie A, knit by chapala
(pattern from The Knitter’s Book of Socks)

Stepping-Stones by Clara Parkes, knit by tinkrbell
(pattern from The Knitter’s Book of Socks)

Straightforward Mitts by Simone Draeger, knit by MissusVonkysmeed
(pattern available for free on Ravelry)

Gallifrey by Velma Aho, knit by Nileinthesky
(pattern available for free on Ravelry)

Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes, knit by whylion
(pattern available for free on Ravelry)

Waffle Scarves, woven by carpeyarnum
(Leslie Ann combined random skeins of fingering weight yarn for the warp and used a single color of  Charlemont in the weft.)

Defense Against the AC Shawl woven by knit4fun972
(Joanne gives details of her shawl on her Ravelry page.)

All of this love for Valley Yarns Charlemont has got me itching to start another project using this yarn. I’ve knit and crocheted with it. I think it’s time to finally trying weaving with it too. Leslie Ann has created some spectacular woven pillows using Valley Yarns Charlemont Hand Dyed. She’s working on writing up a draft for them now. Maybe that should be my next project.

What would you like to make with Charlemont?