New Yarn: Regia Stripemania

Regia 6ply Stipemania

Regia 6ply Stripemania yarn makes gorgeous, brilliant, even stripes, all by itself! It's a top quality, long-wearing sock yarn that's machine washable AND dryable! Plus, it's a bit thicker than regular sock yarn, so it works up faster for cozy boot socks and fun kids sweaters. One skein is enough to make a pair of adult socks.

• 75% Virgin Wool, 25% Polyamide
• 150g/375 m 
• DK Weight
• 22 sts & 30 rows = 4" (10cm)
• 3mm to 4mm needles (US 3 to 6)
• Machine wash & dry cool
• Made in Italy
• Shop Online

a. Mad Creek Mitts

b. Ojos Del Salado free

c. Mount Mocco free

d. Chevron Lace Inifinity Scarf free

e. Chembra Peak free

f.  Nanga Parbat free

New Fleece Artist

We just got a shipment of some very pretty new colours of Fleece Artist Trail Socks!

New Yarn Noro Taiyo Sock

NEW Noro Taiyo Sock

Noro Taiyo Sock isn't a brand new yarn, but over the last year or so they've come out with some STUNNING new colourways which have made us give this yarn a second look. It's a wonderful, colourful, self-striping fingering weight yarn. It is soft and cool (there's very little wool in it), and is great for wear all year round. You can use it for socks, shawls, and wraps. We think it looks especially beautiful knit up in the Bermuda Scarf (it's really a wrap), Inspira Cowl (Free!), Joshephine Shawl (Free!), Mon Petit Gilet Raye (cute cardigan, also Free), the Petal Cowl, Lanesplitter Skirt (Free), Entrelac Scarf (Free), or a Babette Blanket.

• 50% Cotton, 17% Wool, 16% Silk, 17% Polyamide
• Fingering weight/Sock yarn
• 2.5mm to 3mm (US 2 to 3) needles
• 24 to 26 sts & 36 to 38 rows = 4" (10cm)
• Hand wash, lay flat to dry
• Made in Japan
• Pattern ideas
• SHOP ONLINE

Josephine Shawl

• FREE pattern available online
• 2 skeins Noro Taiyo Sock
• 3.5mm/US4-29" (or longer) circular needles)
• Photo: tnhausfrau

Petal Cowl

• Pattern download available for $5
• 1 skeins  Noro Taiyo Sock
• 3.75mm/US5-32" circular needles (or 29")
• Photo: Xandy Peters

Effetto Giocoso

• Pattern available as online download
• 2 to 3 skeins Noro Taiyo Sock
• 3.5mm/US4 needles (see pattern for details)
• Photo: Emma Fassio

Lanesplitter Skirt

• FREE pattern available online (see modifications for Noro Taiyo Sock HERE)
• 2 skeins Noro Taiyo Sock
• 3mm/US3 needles
• Photo: knickknackknits

More Inventory & New Shades of Schoppel Crazy Zauberball

Schoppel Crazy Zauberball 
We just got a shipment of Schoppel Crazy Zauberball sock yarn with lots of beautiful colours, including some new ones for Fall 2014! 

Schoppel Crazy Zauberball is a wonderful, self striping sock yarn with a long colourway. The yarn is made from 2 plies, each a different colour, which creates a marled effect as well. It's a hard wearing yarn with 25% nylon, so your socks should wear well and last a long time (depending on wear and washing). We really like the Magic Zauberball Stripe Socks free pattern (picture to the left) and the Sock Head Hat free pattern for this yarn.

• 75% Superwash Virgin Wool, 25% Nylon
• 100g/420m (460yds)
• Fingering Weight Sock yarn
• 2mm to 3mm/US 0 to 3 needles
• Made in Germany
• Pattern ideas for this yarn

NEW: Sweet Georgia Yarn Tough Love Sock

Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock
A new shipment of Sweet Georgia Yarns just rolled in, this time we've brought in their Tough Love Sock. It is a very soft and bouncy blend of machine washable wool & resilient nylon. Plus it comes in the same great saturated Sweet Georgia colours. I'm really happy with this yarn, it feels great, looks great, it's hand-made at home, and it doesn't break the bank.

• Soft, lots of squish and body
• 80% superwash merino wool, 20% nylon
• 115g/388m (1 skein makes a pair of socks)
• 7.5 to 8 sts/inch on 2 to 2.25mm needles
• Machine wash gentle, lay flat to dry
• Hand painted in British Columbia.
• $23.97 ea.

upper: oceanside, lower: tourmaline

upper: snapdragon, lower: hummingbird

upper: tumbled stone, lower: boheme

upper: berry tart, lower: Honey Fig

upper: cherry, lower: berry tart

upper: autumn flame, lower: pomegranate

Upper: tumbled stone, Lower: stillwater

upper: boysenberry, lower: berry tart

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

NEW YARN ALERT: Manos del Uruguay Alergria Sock

Alergria means 'Joy' in spanish, and we don't disagree - Manos Del Uruguay Alergria is a great new sock yarn!  It is super soft, which is really nice is a sock yarn that is 75% superwash merino wool and 25% polyamide. Each skein is hand dyed, no two are exactly alike. The yardage is good at 425m/100g, and it knits on 2.25 to 3mm needles. machine or hand wash cool, lay flat to dry. The price aint bad either at a very reasonable $21.97 per skein. 

Manos Del Uruguay is a non-profit organization which assembles women in cooperatives scattered throughout Uruguay to bring economic and social opportunities to rural women.

Get it while it lasts! Uruguay isn't a busy international shipping destination, so it takes a while to get inventory onto a boat and out of the country. 

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Sweet Georgia Yarns!

Sweet Georgia Yarns has just arrived from Vangroovy!  We're starting out with their Superwash Chunky and Superwash Sock - sometimes you want to knit fast, and sometimes you want to knit slow. Both are soft and possess the luminous colour Sweet Georgia is known for.

Sweet Georgia Yarns Superwash Sock  $23.97
Sweet Georgia Superwash Sock is a soft yarn with luminous colour and a delicate sheen. It is perfect for making shawls & wraps, as is especially delectable for patterns that use a few colours, like Stephen West (ie. Daybreak, Chadwick, or Barndom).

• 100% superwash merino wool
• 115g/400yds
• 2.25mm needles
• 7 to 8 sts = 1"
• Hand dyed in Canada
• Machine wash gentle, dry flat

Sweet Georgia Yarns Superwash Chunky  $19.97
Sweet Georgia Superwash Chunky is soft, lofty, and macine washable!  One skein is enough to make a hat or pair of mitts, 2 to 3 skeins makes a Gaptastic Cowl, 4 are enough for  a quick baby blanket.

• 100% superwash merino wool
• 110g/120yds
• 5.5 to 8mm needles
• 3 to 3.5 sts = 1"
• Hand dyed in Canada
• Machine wash gentle, dry flat

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New: Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk Single

Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk Single  $34.97

Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk Single is a hanka-hanka burnin' love! Seriously, it's GORGEOUS. It is a luxe blend or merino, cashmere, and silk, twisted into a lush single ply. It's completely worth the indulgence, and it's made in Canada too! You can use it for socks, shawls, wraps, caps,  sweaters, wristlets, and anything else you can dream of - it'll make anything stunning. 

• 75% Superwash Merino, 15% Cashmere, 10% Silk
• 100g/392m
• 2mm to 3mm needles
• Hand or machine wash, lay flat to dry
• Made in Canada

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

NEW: Dye-Version Bamboo Sock!

Dye-Version Bamboo Sock $24.97

Finally, a sock yarn for vegans and those allergi to wool! Dye-Version Bamboo sock looks great, feels great, and doesn't contain any animal fiber:  93% bamboo, 7% lycra. It's easy to knit and to wear, plus the yarn has a pretty surface shimmer (it's a natural property of the bamboo)

• 370m/115g
• 2.5mm to 3.5mm needles
• 7 to 8 sts = 4"/10cm
• Hand wash cold water
•  93% bamboo, 7% lycra
• Made in Canada

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

NEW Schoppel Wolle Zauberball

Schoppel Wolle Zauberball

• Sock yarn with a very long colourway (it makes stripes all by itself)
• Very popular for scarfy little shawls, makes a GREAT Bermuda
• 100g/420m, 2 to 3mm needles
• 75% virgin wool, 25% nylon
• Pattern Ideas
• $20.97 per cute ball

I love this version of the Noro Striped Scarf (freebie pattern) using Zauberball in colours 1993 & 1963. 

I also adore how this Baktus worked out, using 1 skein of Zauberball 1993 and 1 skein on a solid coloured yarn. 

As always you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Madeline Tosh!

We just got a shipment of Madeline Tosh Meirno Light and Sock, and I can't tell you how happy it made me!  It was just a lovely feeling cracking open those boxes and tucking the yarn away on the shelf. 

Madeline Tosh: Tosh Merino Light 

• 100% Superwash Merino Wool
• Single Ply, Fingering weight: 2.25mm to 2.75mm 
• Soft, lofty with a slight sheen and glazed colours
• 382m: 1 skein for a pair of socks, 2 for a lace project
• Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry
• Pattern Ideas
• $19.97

Madeline Tosh: Tosh Sock

• 100% Superwash Merino Wool
• Two ply, Fingering weight: 2.25mm to 2.75mm 
• Soft, unique colourways
• 361m: 1 skein for a pair of ladies socks, 2 for a lace project
• Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry
• Pattern Ideas
• $27.97

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

Summer Knit-Spiration: Creekbed Scarf

Creekbed Scarf

I think this little free pattern is a hidden gem and a great opportunity to play around with self striping yarns. It's knit with light, sock weight yarn, which make for easygoing summer projects. It's also light on the cerebral side, with just enough interest to keep you from nodding off in the heat. Add a colourful, self striping yarn like a Noro and it'll be easy entertainment. It's also a grab and go project, easy to travel with (even if you aren't going any further than your porch). 

I love kristenlynnea's version (above) made with Noro Silk Garden Sock and other scraps. It also looks great in CompulsiveKnitter's version made with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball.

Suggested Yarns

• Noro Silk Garden Sock  $19.97 x 2 
• Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball $20.97 x 1 

I think I would make a few stylistic modifications to the pattern:

1. If using a striping yarn I'd drop the big centre band, I don't think it would do anything for the design.
2. If I was making the 2 border bands in a contrast colour I would make it a neutral (grey or brown) with a low to medium contrast to the main colours. A high contrast is too much for my delicate sensibilities (ie. no likey black). 
3. If using Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball I'd skip the border colour all together and let the yarn do all the work. 
4. If using  Noro Silk Garden Sock I'd choose 2 colourways and alternate every other row. Alternately, you can use 2 skeins of the same colourway and start the first from the inside and the second from the outside, and alternate every other row. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

Summer Knit-spiration: Color Affection

What to knit in the Heat?

Color Affection

I love this shawl. I've been eyeing it since it started making the rounds on Pinterest, and now that it's taken off in the blogosphere I've been hearing a lot of good things about it ("Addictive" is my favourite). You can make it with sock or lace weight yarn, nothing heavy in the heat. It doesn't involve too much thought, but it isn't too boring either.  Me likey!

Suggested Yarns

• Fleece Artist Trail Socks  $17.97 ea x 3
• Dream in Color Smooshy  $25.97 x 3
• Zephyr Lace Weight  $17.97ea x 3
• Malabrigo Merino Lace  $11.97ea x 3
• Madeline Tosh Merino Light x 3

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

A Slew of New Studioloo!

We just got a SLEW of new Handspun Art Yarns from Studioloo!  The following are a selection of some of my favourites .... (by the way, the colours aren't entirely accurate, the light was a little strong during photography).

Camel of the Desert & Brunettes Have Fun Too

Bacon 'n Eggs (we have 3 skeins!), Candy Twist, & Many Hands (yup, those are little barbie hands all over the skein)

Jackie O, Honey Blooms, & Candy Harvest (it's sparkly!)

Spices and Treasure, Sunsweets (sparkly), & Sunlit Studio (those are plastic grapes and felted & embroidered balls)

Tea Party Charm, Pod Garden, Happy Fruits (skein has smiley fruits, some have googly eyes), David Attenborough's Hideout (wins prize for best yarn name EVER, plus it is extra gorgeous)

Villains (covered in bits of GI Joes & etc), Little People Land (Fisher Price people), & Bloo (apparently Grover was shorn like a sheep and Cindy spun his fur)

Triumphant Bouquet, Mystic Rock Garden, & Berry Basket

Wonka-Vision & Crayon Box

We also have a pile of Hand Dyed Artisan Sock Yarns from Studioloo! 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!