The Holiday 2016 issue of Vogue Knitting has some truly stunning pieces, but we are totally enamoured by the Mosaic Poncho Pullover designed by Norah Gaughan.

Raglan sleeves and a bicolor ribbed neck give this pullover the feel of a sweater, but the swingy open sides are all poncho. It’s knit in Valley Yarns Haydenville, a soft blend of superwash merino and microfiber. The vivid front and back mosaic panels are knit first; the sides are picked up along the panel and worked outward in two pieces, with the sleeves worked separately after the raglan shaping is complete.

Use Haydenville in Soft Grape and Grey, as shown in the sample, or choose your two favorite colors!

I know of two babies on the horizon, one arriving in September and one arriving in December. Both of the new mothers are good friends, good enough that a tiny baby sweater isn’t enough. I decided to go full-on baby blanket with these special wee ones. I have just enough time (I think) to make crib-sized blankets for each, and I’ve settled on two patterns that are calling to me.

Miss September Baby is a much-anticipated girl who has two older brothers. I want her to have her very own special gift so I’m making a Valley Yarns pattern, the Snowdrop Blanket. However, you know how I feel about plant fibers, so no go on the Longmeadow. Instead, I’m going to use some lovely Valley Yarns Haydenville, probably in Silver, because White, or even Natural, seems like a set-up for disaster, since you all know what babies do on blankets. It’s neutral enough to match her nursery and distinctive enough to be an eye-catcher in a Mommy and Me group.

Baby #2 is a mystery, so I’m going to go with a bold pattern I love, the Valley Yarns Pattern Grayson Set. The stitch is simple enough to be knit while watching “Game of Thrones,” and the color changes are just challenging enough so the project won’t be tedious to finish. I’m going to use Haydenville for this one, as well. I’m going to completely switch up the colors, however, and go with Slate Blue as the main color, banded with Natural and to make it pop, a stripe of Yellow. Could read as masculine or feminine, and I am so hoping it becomes the blanket that baby can’t sleep without.

What is your favorite baby pattern? Let me know in the comments, below!

Valley Yarns Haydenville is one of our newest yarns and we’re still marveling over it! An extraordinarily soft blend of superwash merino and acrylic microfiber, it’s just about the perfect yarn for everything! It knits at a worsted weight and has a wonderful sheen that adds to the fantastic stitch definition. And just look at the projects we’ve already created up for you with a yarn that is fast becoming one of our favorites.

A diminutive chevron stripe accents all 3 pieces in the Grayson Baby Set. The pullover is worked in the round from the top down and is easily adjusted to different lengths.

The Leaves and Lines Afghan is cleverly constructed from bias-knit counterpane squares, adorned with embossed leaves, eyelets and textured ridges. Try laying them out in different arrangements for totally different looks!

Our newest pattern, the Honza Baby Blanket is a minimalist garter stitch blanket with intarsia blocks in pops of contrasting colors. Perfect for a crib or as a cushy play mat for the floor this lovely blanket has us dreaming of garter stitch goodness!

How will you use Valley Yarns Haydenville?

Our first new Valley Yarns pattern for Spring 2016 is the incredibly versatile Honza Baby Blanket, designed by Ann Klimpert, the perfect, easy-care blanket, knit in Valley Yarns Haydenville, for any baby in your life!

This cozy, squishy blanket is knit all in garter stitch with bold, modern intarsia blocks of color, and a crisp pinstripe of color added along the edges with surface crochet. And don’t let that crochet technique give you pause, we’ve got a quick tutorial to help you out.

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

When did you learn to knit?

I began knitting when my kids were in elementary school. It filled a void in that it let me work with my hands but was still portable. It was both creative and practical.

What prompted you to start designing?

After knitting for a few years, I found I was making small changes in patterns, the length, sleeve style, stitch patterns, etc. After a while, it was a small jump to actually designing an entire project.

Give us a glimpse into your design process, where/how do you find inspiration.

Just about anything can spark an idea, from the lines of a bridge to the colors in a painting. Once I have a rough idea, I swatch for days!

Tell us about your design aesthetic. 

My background is in industrial design so I tend to favor pure, clean designs. I love garter stitch for its squishy playfulness and simplicity. It’s rugged and elegant at the same time.

What did you love about the Valley Yarn you worked with?

I used Valley Yarns Haydenville for my baby blanket and it has the perfect blend of wooliness and practicality for baby items. Machine washable and soft but substantial. And the color selection is fantastic!

The Honza Baby Blanket is knit in Valley Yarns Haydenville, a washable and dryable blend of superwash merino and acrylic microfiber, for a truly easy care knit. You can try one of our colorways or choose your own from over 30 different shades. The original blanket was knit with Light Grey, Pompeii, Navy, and Natural, but we think it would also look adorable in Chocolate, Natural, Pink, and Burgundy, or Yellow, Teal, Lake, and Sage, or Sage, Purple, Red Purple, and Grey.

The combination possibilities are almost endless! What colors of Haydenville will you choose?

We’re always working behind the scenes to design, write,  knit/crochet samples, and photograph beautiful new patterns in our Valley Yarns. We’ve partnered with some big name designers in the past few years to bring you some stunning patterns for our 40th Anniversary in 2014 and as part of our Designer in Residence Series for 2015. This year we thought we’d change things up a bit and share our Valley Yarns with some independant designers and see how they were inspired. And boy, were they!

Throughout 2016 we’ll be featuring 2 Valley Yarns each month along with some great new designs, and designers! Starting in April we’ll be sharing our love of Longmeadow and Haydenville. You can look forward to yarn reviews, pattern features for some of our most beloved patterns and the newest designs for these yarns!

What is your favorite Valley Yarn?

If you haven’t tried out our newest Valley Yarn, Haydenville yet then we have the perfect projects for you.

The Leaves and Lines Afghan is deceptively simple! Squares are knit on the bias, from corner to corner, and then pieced together to form a whole new pattern. it’s a perfect travel project since you’re only making one square at a time and you can make 3 different sizes depending on how many squares you knit.

If you’re expecting, or know someone who is then you’ll want to gran a few skeins and get started on the Grayson Baby Set. Shown here in a classic color scheme, you could easily change up those colors for the modern baby. The chevron band adds visual interest as you knit each piece and helps to tie the whole set together.

Haydenville is a machine washable and dryable wool/acrylic blend for all your easy-care knits, and it’s availabli in 25 of our most popular solid colors.