Swatch Watch
A monthly
look at some of VW’s new yarns.
Want to get
your hands on some too?
Join Pam for
Swatch Club every 2nd Wednesday of the month from
for our
favorite thing…..playing with yarn!!
NEW FALL YARNS!!!!
I just can't contain myself any longer. Yes, Swatch Lady has taken way too long a break in writing about new yarns(not from knitting with them, mind you), but the new crop at the shop is just too good not to spread the word and I wouldn't want you to miss a single one…now that I have my hold bag full to bursting. So…..
Mirasol Tupa
50/50 wool/silk , 50gm = 137 yds, 22 sts = 4" on size 6
Mirasol does it again! The sheen of the silk and softness of the wool make this one an instant favorite. It is gorgeous to work with (and there is great pattern support…in case you have knitters block) or just knit your honey a scarf. The colors are so rich. Silk just does amazing things with color. It also has fantastic drape and stitch definition. If you don't know about Mirasol yarns, read about the Mirasol Project on their website. The purchase of this yarn is guilt free because you are directly benefiting the fiber producers in Peru. We love good knitting karma!
Manos Silk Blend
30% silk, 70% extrafine wool, 50gm = 150 yds, 22 sts = 4" on size 4-6
A finer weight Manos makes this yarn a great way to jazz up those DK weight patterns. (CAUTION: some math may be required, but you are going to swatch …right?). Trust me, it will be totally worth it. It is not only a dream to work with, but the colors will make you cry. Well, it is Manos…what else would we expect?
OK, let's talk about alpaca. I love alpaca, both the animals and the fiber (I recently tried to convince my husband that we could get one and the neighbors would think it's just another dog…he didn't buy that one, but he did love the scarf I knit him from a Misty Alpaca yarn, so this stuff is Mr Itchy approved). Someone at the shop loves it too, because we have alpaca yarns exploding from the shelves…lucky us!
Araucania Apaza
30% alpaca, 45% merino, 15% silk, 10% Donegal ,100 gms = 198 yds, 14 sts = 4" on size 10
I can't pronounce the name but I am totally in love with the yarn, as is everybody who was in the shop that day. Believe me, you haven't lived until you've seen a bunch of grown women petting a swatch of yarn like it was an orphan kitten. The colors are soft and pretty, this yarn wants to snuggle, so make something that will be waiting for you at the end of a long day…and you don't even have to get it a litter box. Ahhhh.
Queensland Collection Rustic Tweed Kettle Dye
27% alpaca, 63% wool, 10% Donegal 100gms = 278 yds
4.5 sts = 4" on 5
This one looks pretty unimpressive on the skein, but it's a real sleeper. The kettle dye effect with the tweed gives this a rustic quality(ooh, hence the name) that will make a perfect vest or sweater for wearing with your jeans and boots or whatever , because you will want to just wear it and wear it.
Tweeds are HOT this fall and we have plenty to choose from, which makes this Irish girl very happy. The added alpaca in these yarns means they are not your Grandma's itchy tweeds, so don't be afraid …just pet one…go ahead.
We also have Misty Alpaca variegated yarns in several weights. I will not go into detail on each one, suffice it to say they are some of what is bursting the seams of my hold bag.
A Midsummer’s
Yarn Binge
Where did that summer go? Now that inventory is over at VW,
all the new fall yarns will be coming in! But wait…there are lots of
wonderful yarns on the shelf still to play with! There’s plenty of warm
weather left for summer knits, and let’s face it, we’ll be able to
wear them most of the year anyway. So…..
Laines du Nord
Mulberry Silk
100% silk
, 23sts = 4 ins on US 6-7 ,50gm = 136 yds
Beautiful true colors and a great hand! With good stitch definition this soft,
elegant yarn would
dress up that little summer tee or wrap. Grab Amy Singer’s book and go for it!
RY Classic Cotton Jeans
100% cotton, 19 sts = 4ins on US 7, 50gm = 82 yds
My jeans never looked this good! The colors are to
die for (check out the blue/green) which just makes it hard to decide which one
to use. Check out the cabeled cardi
on the front of the pattern book and you’ll see that the swatch does not
do this yarn justice! It feels as good as your favorite Saturday jeans.
100% naturally died pima cotton, 20 sts = 4 ins on US6, 50gm = 110 yds
Love,love,love the weight and feel of this cotton.
A sweater from this will be an instant favorite! The subtle color gradient adds
intrest to the fabric…not quite solid, not
quite variegated.
100% cotton, 18 sts = 4 ins on US
7, 50gm = 85 yds
OK, there may be some bias here as I have a couple sweaters
knit from this and two more on the way.
The color range is cosmic in scope, but quiet in tone, with an equally
impressive pattern selection. Those Canadians are sooo
clever, the cotton is the same guage as the 1824
wool, so every pattern can do double duty.
There are a couple of new books coming out this fall (
hey, Meg! Put my name on one of
those, please!)
Elsbeth Lavold Cable Cotton
100% cotton, 17sts = 4 ins on US 7,
50gm = 93 yds
Here again, my instant gratification gene got the best of me
and after swatching this I bought some for an
asymmetrical pullover (a Berrocco pattern) in this
luscious plum color. Can a yarn be crisp and soft at the same time ( sort of like chardonnay )?
The cable construction on this yarn keeps it from untwisting
, a frustration with some non-wool yarns. I can’t wait to wear
this one! If only me instant gratification gene could knit faster.
100% cotton, 14 – 16 sts = 4 ins(
no needle size advised), 50gm = 98 yds
This is the cuddly bunny of cotton yarns! I am also told
that there is minimal (almost no) worming with this. The colors are deep and
rich and make you think of snuggling up
with a cup of tea and a good book or looking quite elegant in that velvet- like
accessory!
May Yarn News
From the slacker Swatch Lady
I know, I
know, I have been soooo tardy with the reviews (but
not as tardy as Meg getting them over to Jamie!!), but I am trying like mad to
finish existing projects so I can dig into all the new stuff and my willpower
is fading fast… so let’s take a look at some of those tempting
summer yarns… it’s not too late!
Good old Berroco Softwist:
41”%
wool 59% rayon. 50gm=100 yards. 5 st=1 inch on
#8’sExcellent pattern support for this feel good yarn. I know wool
doesn’t sound very summery, but this yarn is great year round. The shiny
rayon strand against the matte wool gives the fabric a soft sheen. There are
some minor issues with strand separation, so pay attention… but
you’ll like the results!
60% wool, 40% silk
4.25 st=1 inch on 8’s. Again,
with the wool?? But the silk in this is just too irresistible!!
It’s a nice switch from all wool at this gauge. The silk really gives
great depth of color. We had to pry this one from the Swatch helper’s
hands!! (Thanks Anne)
Now lets’s talk about panda food for a second here…
yeah, bamboo- if you haven’t tried this yet, here are two more choices.
Filati Bamboo:
100%
bamboo. 6 st=1 inch on 4-5’s 50gm=137
yd. Soft tonal variegateds
or rich summer brights. Give
this a try for those light weight summer projects!
Tahki
100%
bamboo tape. 50gm=81 yds, 4 st=1 inch on 10.5-11’s. Oooo.. mommie,
this is soo soft! A gotta
have for a quick knit summer short sleeve cardi to
wear in those over air-conditioned buildings and everywhere else! I can’t
decide between the black or the periwinkle….
Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy:
34%
hemp, 41% cotton, 25% modal, 50gm=154 yds. 5.5
st=1 inch on #4’s. Pretty, drapey,
soft with summer ready colors. Much softer on the hand than
pure hemp. Also has great stitch definition. I have a bag of this in the
periwinkle calling me from my stash closet. Hmmm, guess that also answers the
dilemma with the
That’s it for now!! Gotta
go… Gotta knit!!
March and April Yarn
News
Since the snow
in February cancelled Swatch Day, we’ll pick this up with March and April
together. Get some tea and settle in, we have lots to talk about.
Ya know,
I’m really starting to like this Louisa Harding chick, interesting yarns
and good pattern support. The VW staff mush have been intrigued too, they
pulled quite a few of her yarns for me to play with…
Cinnabar:
30% viscose, 25%
cotton, 15%acrylic, 10%silk, 10% linen, 5% polyamide and 5% acetate (phew).
50gm=87yds, 5 st to the inch on #7 This tweedy cotton blend
has just a hint of metallic sheen. Great drape and colors.
Splits just a bit when knitting, but the result is gorgeous.
Mariposa:
52% viscose, 48% cotton. 50gm=82yds 4.5 st=1
inch on #8
Solid cotton with a subtly
variegated viscose binder….oooooo. Make yourself something pretty with
this! BUT…. Even thought this comes in a center
pull skein, pull from the outside or it will untwist (ask me how I know). After
I figured that one out, I loved working with this yarn.
Thalia:
52% polyamide, 24% acrylic, 12% mohair,
6% wool, 6% metallic. 50gm=93 yds. 3.25 st=1inch
on #11. I know, I know, the same though entered my elitist knitter’s
brain- How can that much synthetic be a good thing? Well, it ain’t your momma’s polyester! This gauzy matte
ribbon is soooo soft and drapey!
There is the barest hint of metallic running through colors made even richer by
the mohair in the mix. I had a lot of trouble putting this one down, as you can
tell by the size of the swatch.
Kimono Ribbon:
100% nylon, 50gm=102 yds, 4.5 st=1 inch on #8 The softly
variegated colors on this are just luscious! I thought maybe a little summer
top, but LH does not stop there and has patterns to make not only yummy
garments, but also has used this in accessories and as embellishments. The
ribbon is not solid up the center (sort of looks shredded), so take some care
not to poke your needle through. The result will be worth it!
Kimono
70% angora, 25% wool, 5% nylon. 25gm=125 yds,
5.5 st=1 inch on #5. What’s not to like? Color
for days and soft as a well, you know, bunny. I want this… bad.
While we’re on the
subject…..
also with great pattern support is the KFI Ella Rae
Angora Extra… This one is 70% angora, 25% wool, and 5% nylon. 25gm=124 yds. 4 st= 1 inch on # 7.
Fabulous colors…. Bunny heaven…
January Yarn Reviews
From the Swatch Lady (aka: Pam). Come join me on the 2nd Wednesday of
the month from
The staff at VW must have been feeling a bit gray after all
the wintery weather, because this month it was all
about COLOR!!
The yarns they chose nearly made me
swoon when I walked in and saw them waiting for me!
It’s like binging for knitters….but no guilt!
All the yarns swatched
this month had a wonderful feel and each was a pleasure to work with, so
let’s just talk about
the eye candy aspect….
(Crystal Palace), 100% wool, 4.25 to
4.75 sts to the inch on 8-9 needles, 128 yds in 50 gm
Gorgeous striated colors that make
sort of tweedy stripes. The colors are rich and mesmerizing as you work along.
I could hardly put this down. This yarn will felt well, so there are all kinds
of options for projects.
I have seen some pretty cool socks
out of this on the
Not to mention, many of the
colorways are named for places in
The “
Loft
(Zitron) , 100% merino wool, 3.25
sts on size 10, 110 yds in 50 gms
A single ply yarn with a long repeat that just kind of slowly oozes to
the next color.
My
companion swatcher found it difficult to stop
knitting.
Beautiful color saturation. This one will also felt.
Cadenza
(Colinette), 100% merino superwash, 5.25 on size 6, ~130 yds in 50 gm
It’s
Colinette for Pete’s sake…you KNOW how good
their colors are!!
I swatched a colorway called “Marble” and it was
a cream background with short bursts of mauve and a gray- olive. Ooooo.
Some of the colorways are more variegated, all are fabulous.
There is
good pattern support for this, but with this yardage in a dk
wt….what can’t you do?
( Noro), 65% wool,25 % silk, 10 % mohair, 3 sts on size 10,
55 yds in 50 gm
Ok,
it’s Noro, so you know the color is fun, but
this one also has a great boucle texture! Luv, luv luv!
The color
play is more tweedy in this than the usual Noro stripes and I am coveting a bulky vest from this yarn.
If you need ideas, there are patterns available at the shop. Get in here!
Fjord
(
This yarn has
a really short (2-3 stitches) color repeat which makes it really fun. I liked
it in garter stitch even more than stockinette, the colors seemed to play more. This one also felts and
there are lots of project ideas on the
( EA Yarns) , 100% wool, 4 sts on size 8, 165 yds in 100 gms
This
beautiful light worsted wt yarn may have only two colors per skein, but
variations in the intensity of the colors give it a more interesting variegated
look. Do not judge this book by its cover! I was pleasantly surprised and would
not hesitate to use this in a project.
Autunno
( Dive`) 100% merino wool, 4 sts on size 10 ¾( I know ..
it’s that metric thing..7 mm.
I’m sure once you feel this yarn,
you’ll find a needle that works!), 98 yds in 50
gm
Loosely plied, two colors merrily tripping along when a third slowly
winds in and one winds out. I feel like I should be writing haiku about this
yarn. The skein I used
had a royal purple, deep turquoise, and an autumny
orange-gold. This is the dark chocolate version of eye candy. To top it off, it
just feels really good. I knit a hat from one skein and had just enough
leftover to sit on my desk and pet once in a while. BONUS: this yarn is Mr Itchy approved
Adagio
(Skacel)
70% baby
llama,30% silk
110 yds to 50gm, 5 st to the inch on
US 6-7
Do I need to
say anything here!?
It’s
baby llama and silk, a combination that brings out the best of both.
The colors
are rich and classic in rust, lt taupe and old gold.
This stuff
begs for a pair of fingerless gloves!!
Rondo
(Zitron)
80% wool , 20% polyamide
132yds to
50gm, 4st to the inch on US 6-7
This one is
so fun! A sort of micro boucle ,squishy soft to work
with.
The short repeat
variegated colors would be great in just about anything
From hats and
socks to one fabulous sweater for you or a special baby.
Merino Stripes
(
90% merino,
10% acrylic
115yds = 50
gm, 2.5-3.5 st to the inch on US 10-11
Oooooo, like
knitting with polar fleece!!
A brushed
merino with contrasting acrylic binder ,
this long
repeat, self striping yarn is light weight and so cozy!!
Check out the
sample scarf at the shop. Even Swatch Lady’s husband, Mr
Itchy,
pronounced
this one “OK”…high praise from this guy!
PRINCESS
Classic Elite
40%merino,28%viscose,10%cashmere,15% nylon, 7% angora
109 yds per ball, handwash cold
gauge: 5
stitches to the inch on #7
VERY soft with a slight fuzz. Yummy to work with! Nice stitch definition and drape.
This yarn
would be perfect for a cozy hat, scarf, shrug or vest!
A great way
to give the gift of cashmere without breaking your holiday budget
or a nice
treat for you.
BAZIC WOOL
Classic Elite
100%
superwash wool
65 yds per ball, machine wash cold
gauge:
4 stitches to the inch on #9
This is a
superwash!? I couldn’t believe
it! Squishy soft and
easy on the hands.
With good
stitch definition and gorgeous colors this is a good yarn for almost any type
of project.
A perfect
choice for kid’s garments or any of your other loved ones who can’t
grasp the concept
of
“handwash” ( are you listening, son?).
WOOL BAM BOO
Classic Elite
50% wool, 50%
bamboo
118 yds per ball, handwash cold
gauge:
5.5 stitches to the inch on #6
OH MY GOSH!!
This yarn is so smooth and silky with incredible drape!
Just get in
here and feel it! Who ever thought of this should get the Nobel Prize for
fiber.
. The
excellent stitch definition and vibrant colors make it perfect for either
textured knitting or color work. I really need some of this.
