It's pretty simple. Click or tap the pink "Notify me when available" button on a sold-out product page and a form will pop up.
Add your email or phone number (no need to fill it out twice) and the quantity you're looking for, then submit.
We receive a daily report of your requests, and this helps us plan our dyeing schedule.
If we're almost sold out of something but you need more, there won't be a button and that's a good time to email us at info@missbabs.com with your request.
]]>
Hot Ziggity by Jennifer Weissman
Hot Ziggity combines pattern, texture and color in one engaging project. Designed to show off a beautiful gradient set, this scarf features simple slip stitch textures and zigzag mosaic bands that use only one color per row. All the stitch patterns are beginner-friendly, and the variety keeps each step interesting. Just knit and slip and drink in the gorgeous colors, and before you know it, Hot Ziggity will be keeping you warm and cozy!
Knit in the Healing Stones Gradient Set with Wolfsbane Yummy 2-Ply, and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.
Vaila by Kirsten-Michele
We love the variety of geometric patterns in this pullover, changing in density as you work down the sweater. Vaila is a top down seamless raglan sweater with a Fair Isle motif that starts just after the sleeve/body divide and gradually inverts from MC to CC towards the hem and the cuffs.
It’s knit in Yowza in Sagrada and Valiant Grapes, and the pattern is available on Ravelry.
Moon Rising by Emily Wood
A succession of circles cascade across the yoke of this sweater reminiscent of the moon rising over the horizon. The wrists of the sleeves echo the yoke pattern with little dots of color. The mood of this sweater could be bright and cheery or subtly sophisticated based on one’s color choices. This pullover is worked from the top down seamlessly and uses stranded colorwork for the yoke and sleeve decorations.
Moon Rising is knit in Moonscape Yowza with Yowza Minis in Albali, Kobold, McHale’s, and Wild Tulip. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Beach Stripes by Jill Thompson Beach
Ready for an approachable, yet satisfying, knit? This scarf with a simple ribbed pattern might just be your next project!
Beach Stripes Scarf is heartily influenced by striped beach baskets and umbrellas that Jill fell in love with on the Northern Coast of Germany when she lived there. She developed this striking stripe pattern as a reminder of the fond times she visited the beaches near Kiel, Hamburg, Sylt, and Sankt Peter-Ording.
It’s knit in Moonscape Yowza with Blue Ocean, Dried Lavender, and Stippleback Yowza Minis. The pattern is available on Ravelry and beachhouseknits.com.
Arcade by Veronica Ory
This small bandana cowl uses two different stitches to play with the colors in a variegated skein of fingering weight yarn. The linen stitch at the top is worked back and forth and blends colors together, while the rows of shell stitches at the bottom cluster sections of color. Arcade is quick and fun to work and is a nice little accessory for the neckline of your jacket.
Arcade is a perfect one-skein project, and is crocheted in Patchwork Yummy 2-Ply. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Trusty Friend by Elizabeth Beach
A Trusty Friend loves to come along whatever the occasion; has your back (side) covered, doesn’t try to steal the show, lets you be the star, adores cool weather, likes walks in the woods as well as a city street scene, gives you warmth and comfort, and makes you happy. Take a Trusty Friend with you wherever you go.
This is an easy, drop-shoulder, high/ low-hem sweater with the perfect amount of positive ease. A simple twisted stitch panel embellishes the center of the front and back. The hem and cuffs feature twisted rib patterning to offer a polished look with just the right amount of stretch.
It’s knit in Daguerreotype Katahdin, and the pattern is available on Ravelry.
]]>I've knit many, many pairs of socks over the years - at this point, my sock drawer is full to overflowing and now I make them for others! Helen is also a nonstop sock knitter who literally cannot be found without her sock in progress (including emergency backup knitting in the car).
First - what makes a good sock yarn? I want my socks to be durable, comfortable, and look good, too. There are a few factors to consider: fiber content, construction, and yardage.
I like my socks to be durable, of course - I've spent all this time knitting, and I wouldn't want them to wear out in the first few wears! So while soft superwash Merino wool is great for a lot of applications, I prefer my sock yarns blended with nylon for durability. The construction of the yarn itself also affects its durability. A fingering weight yarn might have one ply (singles), two, three, four, or even more plies (this can get a little confusing if you're in a Commonwealth country, where a fingering weight yarn is often called a "4-Ply" yarn, regardless of its actual construction). The more plies, the more strength the yarn has, generally speaking.
Comfort in a sock comes from a few places - here, the softness of the wool, which is also breathable and warm, contributes the most. Of course, how you actually knit the sock itself makes a difference, too, but that one's up to you.
Finally, of course, we choose hand-dyed yarns to please the eye. Superwash wool takes colors brilliantly, which is why we use so much of it. Bonus, it's machine-washable, which saves time. (Yes, I machine wash ALL my hand-knit socks, with my regular laundry! They go in a garment bag and, critically, I hang them to dry.)
So what sets Tarte and Putnam apart?
Tarte is a blend of superwash Merino wool, Tencel, and nylon. It has 4 plies and there are 500 yards in a 120 g skein. It has a sheen from the Tencel (which you may or may not like) and is a bit softer and drapier in the hand than Putnam. The extra yardage can help you be confident that you won't run out of yarn while knitting socks for someone with bigger feet. Overall, my Tarte socks have worn well and I think they stay looking new after many wears. The pattern shown in the photo above is Pedestrian.
Putnam is a blend of superwash Merino wool and nylon. It has 4 plies and there are 400 yards in a 110 g skein. It is matte and bouncy, and more substantial than Tarte. When I knit socks in Putnam they just feel like they're going to last forever--and so far that has been the case! The tight-knit gauge and dense yarn make for great socks to wear when you need a little extra cushioning on your feet, like when you go on a long walk or a hike. The pattern shown in the photo above is Ribbon Dance Socks.
We offer several other fingering weight yarns, which we don't necessarily recommend for socks because they might fail on durability (Yummy 2-Ply has only 2 plies and no nylon; the short, fine cashmere fibers in Caroline and Sojourn won't hold up to friction), elasticity (the silk content in Holston and Damask wouldn't make shapely socks) or ease of care (many of our other fingering weight yarns like Avon and Holston are not superwash treated). Of course, as in everything, your results may vary.
Do you have a favorite sock yarn? If you'd like to try one or both of these yarns, you can request a 10-yard sample to swatch in your next order.
]]>You can find all the patterns on Ravelry and see more color ideas on our Project Gallery.
City Nights by Michael Harrigan
This rectangular wrap is knit from the bottom edge up in three colors and features two mosaic stitch patterns – Flare and City Lights – bordered by sections of garter stitch eyelets. It's knit in Yummy 2-Ply in Giant Cockle, Pitch, and Salamander.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/city-nights
Nalinne by Kirsten-Michele
Nalinne is a top-down seamless yoke sweater with all over colorwork in a bold, contemporary motif. There are lots of opportunities to play with color here!
Nalinne is knit in Bouganvillea Yowza and Yowza Minis in Turmeric, Dragon Claw, French Marigold, Obsidian, and Echo.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nalinne
Hellebora by Susanna IC
Hellebora draws inspiration from the winter-blooming Helleborus plant, also known as Lenten Rose, which symbolizes peace, serenity, and tranquility. The shawl's body, resembling falling snow, combines geometric lines with a simple eyelet pattern for texture on both sides. Its deep border features an intricate lace pattern resembling flower petals. It's knit in super-soft Caroline in Hellebora and Sagrada.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hellebora
Rivermore by Lana Jois
A combination of cables and lace is used to capture the flow of a river with all its speed, might and bubbly froth. The use of gradient yarns adds to the effect by creating an illusion of flow.
The simply delightful lace in this triangular wrap may be worked from charts or written instructions and is perfect for some relaxed knitting. The pattern is available on Ravelry and it’s knit in one Gradient Set, shown here in Bougainvillea.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rivermore
Saguaro Spirit by Jill Thompson Beach
Saguaro Spirit is a modern raglan with a garter stitch and cable motif, inspired by a seventies festival-goer in the American Southwest posing among cacti. The round flowers and ridges of the cactus became the lace and cable motif down the raglans and the garter stitch in between. It's knit in Coastal Fog Laurel Falls.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/saguaro-spirit
Ivy Cottage Ruana by Elizabeth Beach
The textures of the Ivy Cottage Ruana evoke braids of ivy twining their way up either side of diamond lattice windows in a cozy cottage.
The Ivy Cottage Ruana is easy to knit. No cable needles or seaming involved. It’s as easy to wear as it is to knit; just throw it over your shoulders. Embellish with a shawl pin to close the front, belt it, or just let it drape naturally. It's knit in Killington, shown here in Dried Lavender.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ivy-cottage-2
Arrowsmith by Veronica Ory
Arrowsmith is an exploration of simple geometric forms within a defined space.
This large rectangular wrap is knit in one piece from one end to the other. The lacy arrowhead motifs grow taller and shorter as you knit, and shift in and out over the length of the wrap for more interest. It's knit in Sparkling Sand Katahdin.
]]>Alex and I were able to connect with many folks we hadn't seen since we were at SAFF in 2022. It was really pleasant to be able to take time and chat with folks and catch up with them and even meet some new people.
I expect we will be coming again to the show next year since we will not be able to make it to SAFF again this year. Unfortunately the show was reserved at the Ag Center for the third weekend of October which has historically been the weekend New York Sheep and Wool (aka Rhinebeck) has been held. We look forward to returning to SAFF in October 2025 which will be 20 years since I attended SAFF as a vendor for the first time.
Alex and I were glad to help people choose some yarn for new sweater projects, put colors together for big shawls, and I picked up some self-striping yarn from Hinkston Handmade.
]]>We know this is a long post, but hopefully it should answer most of your questions about how the Gratitude Sale works.
Schedule
We will begin shipping orders on Tuesday, December 26. Orders are processed in the order in which they are placed on the website. It typically takes us approximately two weeks to ship the majority of sale orders (and at least one week to ship all the December 25 orders) - but we have all hands on deck and we will be doing our very best to get your yarn to you as quickly as possible!
Quick Info
Cancellations
Should you wish to cancel your order, and it has not yet been shipped, please send an email to info@missbabs.com with the subject CANCEL Order # (and include your order number). While we will not be able to respond to emails we will check daily for any cancellation requests.
Yarn Matching
We’ll do our best to match multiple skeins. If we don't have matching skeins we will contact you with the choice to ship the mis-matched skeins or refund those skeins. In the event that our inventory is wrong and we do not have part of your order, we will refund that skein and ship the rest of your order.
While we do our very best to capture colors accurately, everyone's monitor is different and we cannot be responsible for your display settings. Babettes vary from skein to skein and batch to batch, and the yarn you receive will differ somewhat from the photograph on the website. Searching for the color name in the search bar on the website or using our Browse by Babette Colorway feature can help give you an idea of the range of possibilities for a color. You can also search in projects and stash on Ravelry to see other photos of our most popular colors.
Shipping
We are unable to hold orders for a specific ship date. If you are concerned about the security of any packages, please choose the ‘signature confirmation’ shipping option at checkout.
Customer Service
We are unable to help with color selection via phone or email, and we will not be able to answer the phone at all or respond to emails, due to the volume of orders and our desire to get them out in a timely manner. We will have a dedicated thread in our Ravelry group for general questions.
We know this is a reduction in our normal level of service, but these steps are necessary to get the most yarn out to the most people as quickly as possible.
Thank you again!
]]>]]>
We'll be in our usual spot in the back of Building C, booths 31-32.
On to the yarns!
Worsted & DK Weights
We're bringing colorful tweedy speckled Cupcake, rugged USA Targhee wool Intrepid (both worsted) as well as Polwarth wool-silk blend Killington and your favorite superwash Merino DK, Yowza, in both our big 560-yard skeins and 200-yard Yowza Minis.
Plus... we're excited about a special collaboration with Feederbrook Farm, who have a booth at the front of Building C! Our Killington joins Feederbrook's DK-weight color-changing BFL Entropy DK in two new designs. We'll have sets available in both booths.
Fingering Weights
These are some of our favorite yarns to knit and crochet with, including Putnam (matte Merino-nylon) and Tarte (shimmery Merino-Tencel-nylon) for socks, shawls, and more; BIG skeins of Katahdin (superwash BFL); luxurious Sojourn (cashmere and silk, this is a must touch); refined Avon (Merino and silk), plus of course a huge selection of colorways in our versatile superwash Merino Yummy 2-Ply.
Sets and Bundles
We'll have an assortment of Gradient Sets, shawl sets, and Mini Bundles, all in Yummy 2-Ply. We'll also bring some Yowza Mini Trios.
Laceweight
We're happy to offer you fluffy fuzzy Moonglow (kid Mohair and silk) alongside one of our old favorites, Yet (Merino and silk), a rustic heavy laceweight that gets better with age.
New for 2023
We're bringing our brand new sport weight yarn, Laurel Falls, to Rhinebeck - this is a wonderfully soft all-American Shaniko Merino superwash yarn that we think you're going to love. Of course, we'll also have not one but two show colorways for you to fall in love with this year!
Online Specials
Newsletter subscribers will get first notice of our online specials! You can look forward to seeing the colorways and enjoying some discounts on a few yarns that we couldn't squeeze into our booth. PLUS! a bonus colorway for SAFF, as we can't be in two places at once this coming weekend.
We can't wait to see you in Rhinebeck!
]]>We had lots of fun picking Halloween themed sets of colors and names for the upcoming MKAL--many include the suggested orange and green colors, but a few are missing one or both. All were selected with this cowl design in mind!
Rhinebeck is coming up in just three weeks, so we're deep into dyeing and packing for the show. Our booth plan is ready; now we just need to make it a reality!
]]>Andrea Mowry's The Traveler hoodie is a great use of the bouncy softness of Laurel Falls. We knit ours in Dark Andromeda, one of our very favorite reds.
We also had to play with stranded colorwork in our sample of Jupiter Crop, designed by Caitlin Hunter. The feather motifs are fun! We knit ours in Blue Slate, White Peppercorn, Muslin, Quicksilver, and Espresso.
The Shift cowl by Andrea Mowry is a great way to play with nearly any combination of colors. The textured slipped-stitch colorwork is simple and quick to do. We knit ours up in Carmen, Sagrada, and Fleur de Sel.
Of course we know sometimes it's best to keep it simple. Lisa Hannes' Silverleaf shawl is a great two-skein project with straightforward garter stitch and eyelets, plus a beautiful leafy lace at the end. Ours is in Stonewashed.
Amy Christoffers' Pressed Flowers Cardigan has been hugely popular. We have re-created our Spice Market Gradient Set with speckles, now called Spice It Up - Gradient Sets in Laurel Falls are coming soon!
In the Stacks, designed by Jennifer Weissman, was one of our most popular patterns in Yummy 3-Ply and we had to remake it for Laurel Falls. It's knit in Suspense.
Aliso Creek Top, a simple tee with a textured yoke design, is part of the great Vernal collection by Irina Anikeeva. Our Laurel Falls sample is knit in Carnelian.
Veronica designed the Shell Steps Cowl, a one skein pattern, in Boysenberry. There's a little to do on every round, and it's a nice soft accessory to try out the yarn.
Ivy loves knitting hats, and knit up Alicia Plummer's Kindreth hat in Rigel. The cables really pop!
We'll have our new Laurel Falls samples at DFW Fiber Fest, fibre space, and Rhinebeck for you to see in person this fall!
]]>These sheep are specifically selected and bred for not only a consistently fine, long staple wool, but for their ability to thrive on the open pasture in range conditions while giving back to the land as they eat their way through harmful flora – helping the land to thrive.
Shaniko Wool Company and their partner ranches have been managing and enhancing natural resources for decades, and the seven family ranches have each been tending sheep continuously for more than 100 years.
They continue the legacy of wool and its timeless importance to humankind by working with designers, brands and exclusively U.S. supply chain partners in the use of American wool in a variety of products and markets. Their efforts support American family businesses and communities, and the U.S. textile industry.
Shaniko Wool Company (SWC) is the first farm group in the United States certified under the global Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), developed by Textile Exchange. The Responsible Wool Standard aims to improve the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on.
In addition to stringent guidelines covering the humane treatment of sheep, the RWS provides full traceability of wool and sets strict standards for worker welfare and careful land management practices that ensure the continued sustainability of the ranges where sheep are raised.
We are proud to add sport-weight Laurel Falls, made with Shaniko Merino Wool, to our range of yarn bases. It is a yarn you can enjoy using and feel good about, too!
To learn more, please visit https://shanikowoolcompany.com/ and https://textileexchange.org/responsible-wool-standard/
]]>We’re delighted to introduce our latest collection of independent designs. This season’s designers played with color in stripes, stranded colorwork, gradients, brioche, mosaic, and more. And they also let texture play a role, mixing different yarns, playing with cables and lace and more subtle textures.
You can view all the patterns on Ravelry as well as in our Project Gallery.
Sedate ribbing in the center of this snuggly rectangular shawl explodes on either end into zigzagging stripes of colorful lace.
Our sample was knit in the Comic Opera Gradient Set with two skeins of Zuniga Yummy 2-Ply. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Daredevil Sweater by Lana Jois
Draw in with cables, spread out with lace stitches, make a beautiful fabric as you only can with handknits.
Daredevil was knit in Fleur de Sel Killington and the pattern is available on Ravelry.
Floating Ribbons by Jennifer Weissman
Floating Ribbons features ribbons of fingering weight yarn drifting across a glowing field of mohair.
Floating Ribbons is knit in Contortionist Tarte and Aerialist Moonglow. We have selected several Tarte-Moonglow Duos for this project! The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Frostblossom Cowl by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
The shapes water naturally freezes in as it meets a windowpane or pushes up through clay are both beautiful and fascinating: spiky edges combine into gorgeous swirling patterns. Frostblossom is the perfect cowl for keeping you warm while admiring the beauty winter has to offer!
Our sample was knit in Cordovan Yummy 2-Ply with Toes in Alcor, Fogbound, and White Peppercorn. The Frostblossom Cowl pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Gossamer by Susanna IC
Gossamer is a generously-sized triangular wrap worked with two contrasting weight yarns that alternate between sheer and solid stripes. The thicker yarn gives the wrap beautiful drape while the lace weight yarn gives it overall structure and gossamer transparency.
Gossamer is knit in a Yowza Mini Trio in Sparkling Stream, Tranquil Waters, and Wide River with two skeins of Forever Moonglow - we have Gossamer Shawl Sets available for this project. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Heat Grate by Elizabeth Beach
This cozy cowl is knit in three colors from the top down using several slip stitch mosaic patterns.
Heat Grate is knit in a Toe Trio, shown here in Calendula, Celtic, and Slipstream. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Jaipur Cowl by Michael Harrigan
On a recent trip to India, Michael found a red-on-white embroidered textile in Rajasthan that inspired him to render it into an interesting three-color stranded colorwork design.
Our sample was knit in a Yowza Mini Trio in Correa, Dark Pegasus, and Slipstream. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Kirra by Kirsten-Michele Kukulski
Kirra is a top-down seamless yoke sweater featuring a bold pattern, influenced by traditional Estonian designs, that is highlighted by a transitioning background fade.The cuffs and hem are accented by Latvian braids.
Kirra is knit in Yowza, shown here in Suspense with Oasis, Opulent, and White Peppercorn. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Let it Rain by Jennifer Weissman
This relaxing project features bands of brioche that alternate with garter stitch ridges to keep the knitting interesting. The cowl is completely reversible, so you get two looks in one entertaining knit.
Let it Rain is knit in Killington, shown here in Deep Sea Jellyfish and Cordovan. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Minimalist Rainbow by Ewelina Murach
Minimalist Rainbow is a comfortable pullover featuring multicolor stripes and optional pockets and turtleneck.
It’s knit in Yummy 2-Ply; the main color is White Peppercorn, accented with Gentian and the Vivid Mini Bundle. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Murmuration by Elizabeth Beach
Elizabeth's goal in this triangular shawl design is to translate the fascinating flight pattern and flow of a murmuration of birds from the dense core to the sparser fringes of a flock in motion.
Murmuration is knit in 3 skeins of Avon, shown here in Blackbird, Flight Path, and Violaceous. We have also put together some Avon Trios for Murmuration! The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Sea Fan Scarf by Veronica Ory
This two-color brioche scarf uses a careful arrangement of increases and decreases on just one pattern row to make a bold organic design. A picot cast-on and bind-off give the scalloped ends a little extra flair.
Sea Fan Scarf is knit in Yet, shown here in Mix Tape 2.0 and Eternity. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Stained Glass Cowl by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
With this cowl, Helen wanted to celebrate the joy of a vibrant variegated skein by contrasting it against a deep black. The fine lines of black remind me of the intricate tracings in many stained-glass windows.
Stained Glass Cowl is knit in Yummy 2-Ply, shown here in Blackbird and Sunrise Swim. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Teranika by Kirsten-Michele Kukulski
Teranika is a top-down seamless yoke sweater with a deep colorwork chart that uses a series of complementary and contiguous colors worked in a lively contemporary Fair Isle motif.
Teranika is knit in Yummy 2-Ply, shown here in Moss as the main color with Eternity and Dunes, and Fiddlehead, Old Gold, Cumin, and Dark Cygnus Toes. We have created some Color Packs for Teranika that have all of the contrast colors - just add the right quantity of the main color! The pattern is available on Ravelry.
DFW Fiber Fest is held September 14-17, 2023, at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, TX.
As always, we can't squeeze it all in... so we'll be bringing an assortment of our favorite yarns, including:
We will also be bringing along a new show colorway just for DFW Fiber Fest! (Always a surprise until the day of the show).
And last but not least, our newest yarn will make its debut at the show. We can't wait to introduce you to Laurel Falls, our new sport weight superwash Shaniko Merino wool. It's an all-American yarn; the wool comes from Merino and Merino/Rambouillet sheep raised in the Great Basin Region of the American west.
These sheep are specifically selected and bred for not only a consistently fine, long staple wool, but for their ability to thrive on the open pasture in range conditions while giving back to the land as they eat their way through harmful flora – helping the land to thrive. And of course the yarn is gorgeously soft and squishy! We think you're going to love it.
Can't wait to see you in Texas!
]]>
It's getting to the busiest time of year--we are currently making sets for the Secret Forest MKAL, working on dyeing the September shipment of our Inspired Adventures club, and finalizing this year's Festive sets, all while dyeing up our new sport weight yarn that will debut in mid-September and getting ready for upcoming shows and trunk shows.
This month's technique corner was a discussion of bind offs: when you might chose something other than the standard, and which you might pick. For a stretchy bind off, such as the cuff of a hat or sock, or the edge of a shawl, we suggest Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, a suspended bind off, or the Italian/tubular bind off. Someone chimed in to suggest the Icelandic bind off, which Babs and Helen promptly decided they needed to try on their next projects! There's also the k2together through-back-loop bind off that is perfect for the edges of shawls when you need extra stretch. You might consider a decorative bind off, like a picot, i-cord, or two color bind off if you want to add an extra element to your project, or you can use a crochet chain bind off to add stability.
]]>
After talking about color options for the upcoming MKAL and KAL Helen demonstrates how the Sock Sizing Bracelet Ruler works: push it into the foot of your sock so that the starting end fits nicely into the heel (or toe), and then continue knitting until you reach the line for the shoe size you want (men's, women's, and children's sizes are noted on the ruler). That's the point at which you need to start the toe (or heel) of your sock!
]]>If you couldn't make it to the live zoom, we recorded the call and it's available on our YouTube channel.
We hope you'll join us in knitting along! Get your yarn sets and join us in our Ravelry or Facebook groups.
]]>
When thinking about what yarn to substitute Helen recommends starting by looking at the gauge of the suggested yarn (since that will be more representative than the gauge on the pattern,) then considering fiber content and construction characteristics. Lynn adds that if you want to start at the other end you can swatch to figure out your ideal gauge for the yarn before looking for a pattern. Then look for a pattern that will work at that gauge, keeping in mind the characteristics of your yarn.
]]>Golden Anniversary
We're celebrating the golden 50th anniversary of the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival with this soft rose gold with red and gold speckles. It's a perfect contrast for rich, warm jewel tones. Shop Golden Anniversary here.
We like Golden Anniversary with (shown left to right at the bottom of this image): Dark Canis Major, Aubergine, Glow, Bullfinch, Roasted Pumpkin, Parchment, Dark Adobe, Cordovan, and Bloodstone.
Babs has knit up Casapinka's Kitation in Golden Anniversary with Dark Canis Major Yummy 2-Ply.
Mary Annarella has designed a new hat in Yowza Minis called Frosted Windowpanes. It's shown here in Golden Anniversary and Zinfandel.
May Morning
May Morning evokes the freshness of soaring spring skies. Rich celestial blues shade to soft clouds, and each skein is speckled with deeper cobalt and ultramarine.
We like May Morning with (shown left to right at the bottom of this image): Wolfsbane, Eternity, Isfahan, White Peppercorn, Quicksilver, (and then Wolfsbane again and Dark Perseus).
We have a new sample of Veronica's new design, Washingtonia, in May Morning Yowza.
Ivy's knit up May Morning together with White Peppercorn Moonglow in Babs' new design, the Plush Stripes Cowl.
Helen knit up one of Mary Annarella's Frosted Windowpane hats in May Morning and Dark Perseus Yowza Minis.
Need project inspiration for that skein you just can't resist? Check out your favorite yarn in our Project Gallery, or our new collection of one-skein projects!
]]>Take a closer look at our technique: pairing different colors of Moonglow with a fingering weight yarn. These are just some examples. Adding a lighter color of mohair gives a soft halo; using a similar color blends in and gives depth; while using a darker color of mohair gives a more marled appearance.
]]>First, it's the 50th anniversary of the festival... and second... we got our longstanding wish granted and we have a double booth with more space to bring more of the yarns we love!
Please join us in an expanded version of our usual space (B34-35) in the back of the Main Exhibition Hall, May 6-7, 2023, on the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, MD. For more information about the festival, please visit sheepandwool.org.
We will be bringing our favorite yarns in stunning hand-dyed shades, including:
Please also subscribe to our email newsletter for timely updates and online-only festival specials.
]]>
In no particular order, here we go!
Ivy Lane by Emily Wood
Cables climb and twist like ivy across an airy trellis on the front of this raglan pullover. This sweater is worked seamlessly from the top down with raglan increases at the shoulders. It finishes with a cozy, ribbed cowl neck and is meant to be worn with some positive ease. Instructions are included for optional waist shaping. Knitters may also choose to shorten the length of the pullover for a more cropped look, if desired. Perfect for chilly days and casual comfort, Ivy Lane’s classic design will help it become a wardrobe staple. Shown in Killington in Enchanting. The Ivy Lane pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Night Sky by Lana Jois
As light as air, fluffy as a cloud, and colorful as a nebula, wrap the Night Sky around your shoulders! Spice up stripes by throwing in some eyelets and lace and make yourself a large, colorful yet light, triangular wrap. The easily-memorized patterns may be worked from charts or written instructions and are perfect for some relaxed knitting. Shown in Avon in Night Sky and Moonglow in Optical Illusion. The Night Sky pattern is available on Ravelry.
Puzzle Night by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
Everyone in Helen’s family loves puzzles and games. When they gather together to play the newest board game or assemble a puzzle, she always brings her knitting along, too.
The mosaic pattern on this shawl is reminiscent of interlocking puzzle pieces or the pawn pieces sometimes used in board games. The intermingling of the gradient and main colors throughout the shawl is like the relationships between members of a family–each unique, but blended into a beautiful whole. It's knit in the Scenic Overlook Gradient Set with Plover Yummy 2-Ply. The Puzzle Night pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Sea Pearls by Jennifer Weissman
Sea Pearls is a simple, yet elegant shawl to warm your shoulders or wrap around your neck as a scarf. Shaped like a wide crescent, the body of the shawl is relaxing garter stitch. The border features graceful waves of stockinette stitch and slip-stitch pearls, culminating in a curvy garter edging. Worked from the top down in one piece, this shawl is an entertaining knit and a lovely way to play with colors. It's knit in Yummy 2-Ply, shown here in White Peppercorn and Blue Parakeet. The Sea Pearls pattern is available on Ravelry.
Pickwick by Crystal Hiatt
This design has been inspired by a love for cables but also a desire for a simple, yet classic, sweater to add to your wardrobe. The name Pickwick is for a small, quiet village in Minnesota that is best known for its mill. The churning of the water wheels and the waves produced are reflected in the cable and ribbing detail. The water from the creek is quiet and stable like the stockinette stitch, then as it flows through the mill and water wheels it creates power, resulting in the ripples or cables. Shown here in Fleur de Sel Intrepid. The Pickwick pattern is available on Ravelry and millysknits.com.
Wings of a Fancy by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
Helen writes, “As I was knitting this shawl, a friend mentioned it looked like a feather. My mind immediately came up with a line from a song in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella: “On the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere, and the world will open its arms to me.” The song stayed in my head the rest of the time I was knitting, and I couldn’t resist borrowing a line for the shawl’s name!”
Knit with one skein of Yearning, this lightweight shawl is the perfect accessory for an evening spent knitting at home in your own little corner or for an evening out at a ball! Shown here in Sanderiana. The Wings of a Fancy pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Proclivity by Kirsten-Michele
Proclivity is a top-down seamless yoke sweater that is inspired by Icelandic lopapeysa designs, and features bold geometrical patterns in strongly contrasting colors. The cuffs feature small elements and colors that echo the yoke design. The body of Proclivity is slightly cropped, and the sleeves are loose fitting and then brought in at the wrist, to add a contemporary flair to the more traditional lopapeysa fit. Shown here in Wolf Yowza with Yowza Minis in Dark Chocolate, Obsidian, Plover, and Roasted Pumpkin. The Proclivity pattern is available on Ravelry.
Conewago by Elizabeth Beach
The Iroquois word Conewago translates to “where the rapids meet.” Designer Elizabeth Beach crosses the local Conewago Creek multiple times daily, and it is always a pleasure to hear its burbling music, enjoy its changing habitat, and watch the wildlife drawn to it.
This boxy tunic has dropped shoulders with a textured yoke, split hem, and cuffs. It also sports a lace panel on the back for added interest, and lots of positive ease gives it a super comfortable fit. It's knit in Tarte, shown here in Wolfsbane and Meander. The Conewago pattern is available on Ravelry.
Slippt by Kirsten-Michele
Slip stitch knitting is an unexpected delight, a form of colorwork that looks complicated, but is very easy to achieve as there is no stranded colorwork knitting. The combinations of slipping stitches, variations of color, and knit and purl stitches create unexpected and surprising results and is the perfect project to unleash your color creativity.
The Slippt collection is available in four different yarn weights and is ideal for using leftover scraps of yarn for the colorwork. Whether it’s knitting up the perfect homemade gift, or special items for yourself— the hat, cowl and mitt combinations will keep you and your friends toasty warm through the cold months. The Slippt pattern is available on Ravelry.
Think it Through by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
Helen writes, “When I have a decision to make and need to think something through, I reach for my knitting. I need something relatively simple, like this lace pattern, so that my hands can work the stitches but my brain can wander, pondering pros and cons of different options. After thousands of stitches I come to a decision–and end up with a lovely scarf to boot!”
Think it Through is designed to show off a six-color gradient set, with simple garter ridges separating colors. Every other row of the 10-stitch, 8-row lace repeat is a rest row, and after several repeats the lace pattern becomes intuitive, making this a great project to pick up when your mind is a bit distracted. It's knit in the Dance with Me Gradient Set with Coastal Fog Yummy 2-Ply. The Think it Through pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
]]>We’ve loaded up our BIG shipment of yarn and it’s on its way to California for Stitches West. The show is March 2-5, 2023. We’ll be in booths 509-610. The Market Map is available now so you can see where everyone is!
Save $5 on your Market Ticket with the code W23StitchesMarket - and the market is also FREE to enter on Sunday.
We’re bringing so many beautiful colors to inspire you - come see which ones make your heart sing! There will be Yowza, Yummy 2-Ply, Avon, Katahdin, Tarte, Killington, Sojourn, Moonglow, Yearning, lots of colorful sets, and more. And guess what - we're bringing you a special show colorway this year!
Yowza and Yowza Minis
Our flagship yarn, Yowza, is a DK weight superwash Merino wool in big 560-yard skeins. We also have 200-yard 'minis', great for colorwork and smaller projects. We will have some sets of six skeins and some trios as well as individual skeins in a nice array of colors.
Yummy 2-Ply
Our most versatile fingering weight yarn! Yummy 2-Ply is 100% superwash Merino wool in a huge rainbow of colorways. It's great for all your accessory and sweater projects. We are happy to help you put together color combinations!
Avon
Avon is a light fingering weight blend of fine Merino wool and silk that will flow smoothly through your hands for beautiful accessory and garment projects. Avon is a slightly finer yarn than our Yummy 2-Ply, and is soft with a gentle sheen from the silk. Avon is not a superwash yarn.
Katahdin
We like big skeins and we cannot lie! Katahdin is (approximately) a mile and a pound of yarn in one big hefty skein. Katahdin is 100% superwash BFL wool in a light fingering weight. One skein can make a sweater or a large accessory project.
Tarte
At 500 yards per skein, Tarte is a staff favorite for shawlettes, socks, tops, and more. Tarte is a sleek and glossy blend of superwash Merino wool, Tencel, and nylon that knits up smoothly and blocks beautifully.
Killington
Killington is one of our very favorite sweater yarns. This DK-weight blend of Polwarth wool and silk is a lofty, non-superwash yarn, giving your stitches great definition and a nice bounce to your finished project.
Sojourn
Once you touch it, you'll know. Sojourn is a luxuriously soft blend of cashmere and silk, perfect for treasured little accessories. Make a gift for someone special - like yourself!
Moonglow
Looking for soft, fluffy, and fuzzy? Look no further. Moonglow is our laceweight mohair-silk blend, perfect for featherweight items on its own, or a great complement to any yarn you choose to hold it together with.
Yearning
Lace knitters! Here's one for you! Yearning is one of the oldest yarns in our lineup and we've kept it for a good reason: we love it! Yearning is a heavy laceweight blend of merino wool and tussah silk that is easy to work with. It wears very well and looks good year after year. We're bringing Yearning in 1200 yard skeins for bigger projects.
12-Toe Sets
We have sets of 12 Yummy 2-Ply Toes for the Sequence Fade wrap, The Crown Wools, and more.
Shawl Sets
Knit a big, colorful wrap like Lisa K. Ross's Mountain Musings with our sets.
Mini Bundles
Our Mini Bundles include 10 different colorways in 80-yard mini skeins, put together by someone here in the studio for a fun and colorful project!
Samples from our Winter 2023 Pattern Collection
Our booth features samples from the Winter 2023 Pattern Collection with yarn to match, plus lots of other new samples to inspire you.
We can't wait to see you in Sacramento!
]]>We know this is a long post, but hopefully it should answer most of your questions about how the Gratitude Sale works.
The Miss Babs Team is out of the studio on Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2, 2023.
We will begin shipping orders on Tuesday, December 27. Orders are processed in the order in which they are placed on the website.
We are estimating that it will take approximately two weeks to ship the majority of sale orders - but we have all hands on deck and we will be doing our very best to get your yarn to you as quickly as possible! (Typically, it takes us a full week to pull, check, pack, and ship just the December 25th orders.)
Should you wish to cancel your order, and it has not yet been shipped, please send an email to info@missbabs.com with the subject CANCEL Order # (and include your order number). We will check daily for any cancellation requests.
We do our best to match multiple skeins. If we don't have matching skeins we will email you with the choice to ship the mis-matched skeins or refund those skeins.
If you happen to order the last few skeins of a colorway, there's a good chance they won't be a great match. If this is OK with you, you can let us know in the note on your order! This lets us ship the order without pausing to email you.
In the event that our inventory is wrong and we do not have part of your order, we will email you to check what you would like to do.
While we do our very best to capture colors accurately, everyone's monitor is different and we cannot be responsible for your display settings. Babettes vary from skein to skein and batch to batch, and the yarn you receive will differ somewhat from the photograph on the website. Searching for the color name in the search bar on the website or using our Browse by Babette Colorway feature can help give you an idea of the range of possibilities for a color. You can also search in projects and stash on Ravelry to see other photos of our most popular colors.
We are unable to hold orders for a specific ship date. If you are concerned about the security of any packages, please choose the ‘signature confirmation’ shipping option at checkout.
We are unable to help with color selection via phone or email, and we will not be able to answer the phone, due to the volume of orders and our desire to get them out in a timely manner. Our response time to email may take longer than usual. We will have a dedicated thread in our Ravelry group for general questions.
We know this is a reduction in our normal level of service, but these steps are necessary to get the most yarn out to the most people as quickly as possible.
Add a little sprinkle of fun with this yarn! Cupcake is a classic round and bouncy 3-ply worsted weight yarn with a tweedy twist - multicolored pops of acrylic slub are blended in with the superwash Merino wool for a little extra color.
We think you can successfully use Cupcake in nearly any woolly worsted-weight pattern (including our suggestions for Intrepid), but here are a few ideas for you.
For one skein:
Lynn has knit up a Spruced Up hat by Jennifer Weissman from our Fall 2022 Hats collection in Frog Belly.
Antler Toque by TinCanKnits: This is a classic hat with a great cable motif. And the pattern is free!
Haley has crocheted an Alabaster Slouch Beanie (modifying the brim to make it a bit shorter) in Zinfandel.
Free for All Cowl by Jen Peck: Knitting on the bias keeps things interesting and engaging, but it's not too hard. And, yes, the pattern is free.
Sea Spray by Jennifer Shields Toland: Lots of textured stitches here!
Ribs 'n Cables Beanie by Anne Gagnon is another great (and free!) unisex hat pattern. Helen has knit one up in Serapi.
For 2-3 skeins:
After knitting her tiny Sophie Scarf in Sojourn, Babs has cast on a Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit in Cupcake in Moondrop Grapes.
Hipster Shawl by Joji Locatelli: Easy and breezy with all those cute little tassels!
Walk in the Woods by Lisa Hannes: Choose two contrasting colors for this bold mosaic shawl.
Sweaters:
The Weekender by Andrea Mowry: This simple pullover is a great casual addition to your wardrobe.
Widow's Kiss by Thea Colman: Cupcake is a great choice for textures and cables!
Ivy has knit up the First Raglan Sweater by Jared Flood in Quicksilver.
Felix Cardigan by Amy Christoffers: this is a lovely simple top-down raglan cardigan that will work up fast!
We can't wait to see what you make with Cupcake.
]]>The one... the only... New York State Sheep & Wool Festival is next weekend, October 15 & 16, on the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY.
We'll be there in our usual spot at the back of Building C, booths 31-32, with lots and lots of our favorite yarns for you to shop in person!
It's a big booth but we can't ever bring it all - a few bases have to stay home.
Here are the yarns we're bringing in lots and lots of colors:
We can't wait to see you at the festival and help you find new favorite yarns and colors for your next project.
If you can't make it to the festival, we invite you to sign up for our newsletter mailing list to receive first notice of our online specials.
]]>There's a new cowl craze sweeping the studio... Cindy finished her first one last week, and immediately cast on another. Meanwhile Vicki also chose a skein of Yowza and cast on.
If you'd like to join in, it's a pretty simple project.
Using Yowza and a size 7 needle, provisionally cast on* 82 stitches.
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Knit until you have the length you want.
Graft* the two ends together.
For an even simpler project/beginner knitter, have a more experienced coworker do the steps with *s for you, making this a perfect, easy project!
Note: This depends somewhat on the availability of more experienced coworkers, which we cannot guarantee.
Cindy's original cowl, modeled here by Calli Rae, is knit in a dark skein of Zombie Prom, Vicki has started her cowl with Spooktacular, and Cindy's second cowl is in a club exclusive color that will become generally available in December!
]]>We have been hearing this question more and more lately: "do you have a non-superwash?" While superwash wool takes color with incredible brilliance and depth, we love the texture, versatility, and durability of non-superwash wools.
We are so excited to share this yarn with you for the fall!
Intrepid is the non-superwash worsted weight yarn we’ve been searching for. It is an all-American yarn, from the Targhee sheep, to the processing, to the dyeing. Targhee wool has a great bouncy liveliness while still being soft.
Intrepid is a classic 3-ply worsted weight with a lot of body, perfect for warm and cozy textures in sweaters, hats, and more. We have been knitting it up in cables and can't wait to see what you come up with. It has a matte appearance and takes color a little more softly than our superwash yarns.
So what's a Targhee sheep?
The Targhee breed was developed beginning in the 1920s. The goal was a hardy multipurpose sheep well-suited to living on rangeland in the American west, thriving with relatively little human intervention. They are a cross between the Rambouillet, Corriedale, and Columbia breeds. The wool is typically between 22-25 micron, which is not quite as fine as Merino, but still next-to-skin soft with a lot of bounce and resilience.
Project Ideas
Because Intrepid is such a traditional style of yarn, it will be easily substituted in many worsted weight wool patterns that are knit at 4-5 stitches per inch knit on US 7-9.
For some of our first samples, we've knit up an Ursina pullover in Fogbound. This worsted weight version of the ever-popular Ursa sweater is a great addition to your wardrobe, perfect for pulling on over a long top or high-wasted pants for extra warmth. Its flattering shape is sure to please, and it is snuggly-soft. Kind of like a sweatshirt disguised as a chic sweater.
We think you're going to love this yarn and we can't wait to see what you create! We'll have more designs and project ideas coming through this fall.
]]>Fiber Fest will be held September 22–25, 2022 at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, TX. The vendor hall is open Friday through Sunday and we'll be in Booth 509.
We're squeezing lots of our favorite yarns into our booth, including Yowza and Yowza Minis, Yummy 2-Ply and Toes, Killington, Katahdin, Tarte, and Sojourn, plus our newest yarns that are great for warmer weather: Avon, Holston, and Damask.
Yowza and Yowza Minis
Our flagship yarn, Yowza, is a DK weight superwash Merino wool in big 560-yard skeins. We also have 200-yard 'minis', great for colorwork and smaller projects.
Yummy 2-Ply
Our most versatile fingering weight yarn! Yummy 2-Ply is 100% superwash Merino wool in a huge rainbow of colorways. It's great for all your accessory and sweater projects, and we'll also have 133-yard mini Toes for stripes and colorwork. We are happy to help you put together color combinations!
Sojourn
Once you touch it, you'll know. Sojourn is a luxuriously soft blend of cashmere and silk, perfect for treasured little accessories. Make a gift for someone special - like yourself!
Katahdin
We like big skeins and we cannot lie! Katahdin is (approximately) a mile and a pound of yarn in one big hefty skein. Katahdin is 100% superwash BFL wool in a light fingering weight. One skein can make a sweater or a large accessory project.
Killington
Killington is one of our very favorite sweater yarns. This DK-weight blend of Polwarth wool and silk is a lofty, non-superwash yarn, giving your stitches great definition and a nice bounce to your finished project.
Tarte
At 500 yards per skein, Tarte is a staff favorite for shawlettes, socks, tops, and more. Tarte is a sleek and glossy blend of superwash Merino wool, Tencel, and nylon that knits up smoothly and blocks beautifully.
Damask
One of the most frequent questions we get at shows is "do you have a non-wool yarn" and we finally have an option for you. Damask is a flowing, lightweight blend of silk and linen, perfect for summer tops and accessories. The silk is sleek and smooth, punctuated by the less uniform linen fibers. The yarn has a 4-ply construction to create a balanced fabric. Like all yarns with this fiber content, Damask has very little memory or bounce, but excellent drape.
Our colorways will appear different on Damask than on our wool yarns - the dyes we use are only taken up by the silk, not the linen, giving the yarn a softly heathered or tweedy appearance.
Avon
Avon is a light fingering weight blend of fine Merino wool and silk that will flow smoothly through your hands for beautiful accessory and garment projects. Avon is a slightly finer yarn than our Yummy 2-Ply, and is soft with a gentle sheen from the silk. Avon is not a superwash yarn.
Holston
Sleek and glossy, Holston brings together the best of silk and Bluefaced Leicester wool. This fingering weight yarn takes color beautifully and will shine in lacy projects as well as accessories and garments that require excellent drape.
We'll also have Gradients and Crown Wools Sets in an assortment of colorways, a special show colorway for DFW Fiber Fest (always a surprise until the day of the show), and some project bags and stitch markers.
Get inspired with the latest designs from our Fall 2022 Pattern Collection - and we're always happy to help you choose colorways for all kinds of projects.
The Miss Babs team is looking forward to friendly Texas faces (and lots of great food). Can't wait to see you at Fiber Fest!
]]>Nearly all our Fall 2022 designs make the most of color, using two or more colorways in each pattern to make bold graphic statements, offset varying textures, or flow effortlessly from one to the next. We're always happy to help you put color combinations together - it's one of our favorite things to do at the studio, so don't hesitate to call or write for advice!
You can also see all of our Fall 2022 patterns on Ravelry or our Project Gallery.
We have two great pullover sweaters for this fall: one featuring a colorwork yoke, and one with cable details. Both are knit in Yowza.
Stjerne by Kirsten-Michele
After the success of Kirsten-Michele's Mija sweater from our Winter 2022 collection, we are delighted to offer another colorwork pullover from this talented designer. We love her color choices and the way she's cleverly incorporated the increases into her yoke design. We can't wait to see your color selections and all the ways you can make Stjerne your own.
Stjerne (meaning star in Norwegian) is a top-down seamless yoke sweater. The traditional star shapes based on Norwegian star patterns from the Selbu region reflect the changing of seasons from summer to fall, as the stars begin to glimmer earlier and earlier in the day.
The yoke features stranded colorwork with foreground and background colors that transition to highlight the center of the stars. The cuffs complement and echo some of the yoke colorwork and colors.
Stjerne is knit in Yowza: the main color is Kobold, accented with Yowza Minis in Obsidian, Cordovan, Coastal Fog, and Tender. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Caraíva by Beatriz Rubio
Caraíva is a great, cuddly autumn sweater with a cozy turtleneck and enough cable detail to keep the knitting interesting. Dropped shoulders and generous ease contribute to a relaxed fit. We think this pullover will become a piece you reach for again and again on chilly days.
Caraíva is a Brazilian seaside village, part of Porto Seguro city in the state of Bahia. Founded in 1530, Caraíva is Brazil’s oldest village and the perfect remote location if you want to disconnect from the outside world and get connected to your inner self through abundant contact with nature.
The Caraíva sweater is worked in the round from the bottom up, with a cable panel that runs along each side of the chest both in the front and back of the sweater. It's knit in Yowza, shown here in Matar. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Cowls are always great little pieces to add to your wardrobe - they stay put and don't fall off - but also a great way to stretch your knitting skills, trying something new in a smaller project. Our 3 new cowl patterns play with color and texture in different ways.
Texture Trio by Elizabeth Beach
Texture Trio is a great little project for exploring colors and textures in your knitting. Try a set of analogous colors or a gradient from light to dark as shown here for a coordinated effect, or go wild with your choices for a bold and high-contrast result!
A mini adventure in stitches and color, this cowl is a wonderfully quick knit perfect for a holiday gift. Three colors and a combination of textured stitches make for an engaging project. Fun to knit and fun to wear, someone’s neck will thank you on a blustery day.
Texture Trio is knit in Yummy 2-Ply Toes, shown here in Old Gold, Espresso, and Alder. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Morris Mindset by Helen Cosgrove-Davies
Helen is always impressing us with her colorwork knitting and expertise, and Morris Mindset showcases those skills. We love the way the large organic motifs move in and out of the geometric center of the cowl, and clever use of purling helps keep the edges from rolling.
As Helen was designing this cowl, she was thinking about why we knit, which brought to mind her favorite William Morris quote, “Have nothing in your house which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” To Helen, this quote, along with Morris’ mindset of elevating everyday items to art through lovely, nature-inspired designs, is an excellent explanation. We don’t knit because we need another sweater, shawl, cowl, or pair of socks. We knit because we want to make something both useful and decorative, something that will last longer than a less expensive store-bought version, something that will delight us each time we see it. Looking at life through a Morris mindset makes us appreciate the small details that go into each knitting project, helping us to turn yarn into a cowl that will usefully keep us warm while beautifully ornamenting our outfit.
Morris Mindset uses stranded colorwork to blend two shades of soft merino-silk Avon, shown here in Oak Moss and Pegasus. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Compass Rose Cowl by Tanis Gray
Tanis Gray is a colorwork pro! We love the way this graphic pattern lets you work in the round, use up equal amounts of both colorways, and come away with a double-thick, cozy cowl that's both eye-catching and warm.
The Compass Rose was a key element in hand drawn maps used to orient the viewer in the proper direction. While the only required elements of the compass were the four basic directional “arms,” style and aesthetics were up to the cartographer and were often used to show off their talents and creativity.
The Compass Rose Cowl begins with a provisional cast on. The first half of the stranded colorwork chart has a lighter background and darker motif, switching halfway through to reverse the colors to use equal amounts of both colors. The ends are then grafted using Kitchener stitch, leaving no exposed wrong side, making a cozy cowl perfect for exploring.
The Compass Rose Cowl is shown here in two colorways of Killington, Old Gold and Lilacs. The pattern is available on Ravelry and on tanisknits.com.
There's so many ways to make a triangular shawl! We have two great two-color examples here.
Woven Shawl by Makenzie Alvarez
Makenzie Alvarez' Woven Shawl is a big meditative hug of a project. Rhythmic textured knitting in the body gives way to stripes and bobbles at the border, with a bright and bold edging to finish it off.
As a knitter you could say that there is just something extra special about the cooler weather; some of us plan for it all year. Do we love it just because we can pull out all our cozy knits? Or is it more than that? Is it just woven in us simply because we are knitters?
The Woven Shawl is a top-down triangle shawl designed with a simple texture and an added accent color with mini bobbles and classic ribbing. This is one project that will keep you knitting just one more row. It is the perfect cozy knit that you will reach for time after time all season long.
Knit in two colorways of Tarte, Watercolor Memories and Frangula, the Woven Shawl pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip.
Ittige Shawl by Lana Jois
In the Ittige Shawl, Lana Jois plays color and texture off each other in her yarn choices - sparkly Estrellita and matte Yummy 2-Ply - and also contrasts the geometric forms of the bricklike body pattern against the lively leafy lace border. It's a great combination that is more than the sum of its parts.
Spice up your knits and purls with some slipped stitches and lace and make yourself a large, colorful yet light, triangular wrap. The easily- memorized patterns may be worked from charts or written instructions and are perfect for some relaxed knitting.
The Ittige Shawl pattern is shown here in Coming Home Estrellita and Cordovan Yummy 2-Ply. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Wraps and scarves are so versatile and can be worn by anyone! We're thrilled to have three new patterns by Jennifer Weissman in our collection, plus designs that we know you'll love from Michael Harrigan and Elizabeth Beach.
Sequence Fade by Elizabeth Beach
There's so much to keep you engaged while you knit this beautiful wrap: colors, textures, lace, and more!
Sequence Fade is an exploration of sequence knitting principles combined with reversible lace and stitch patterns. Knit it in a 12-color palette to create a beautiful fade effect in this reversible, textured bias wrap.
The Sequence Fade wrap is shown here in the Serene 12-Toe set, a beautiful blend of gradient blues, greens, purples, and grays. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Mosaics and Medallions by Michael Harrigan
Soft cashmere-blend yarn, a bold mosaic pattern, and easy stripes come together in another of Michael Harrigan's scarves that you're sure to love - or give as a special gift.
This rectangular wrap is knit from the top down in three colors and features three mosaic stitch patterns followed by wide stripes of color separated by garter stitch eyelets. It is a design that’s suitable for a man’s wide scarf or a unisex wrap, and is a relatively easy knit that’s accessible to confident beginners.
Mosaics and Medallions is knit in super-soft Caroline in three colors: Frozen, Denim, and Aquarius. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Dream in Texture by Jennifer Weissman
If you're looking for a simple wrap that is still engaging to knit, look no further than Dream in Texture. The combination of a DK-weight yarn with easy texture patterns will make this project zip along!
Dream in Texture is a beginner-friendly fantasy of knit/purl stitch patterns. It begins and ends with just a few stitches (no lengthy cast on or bind off, thank you), and the mash-up of four easy stitch patterns makes for an entertaining knit. On wrong side rows, stitches are knitted as they appear, so most of the knitting is intuitive. When you are done, this cozy reversible scarf will look handsome from every angle.
Dream in Texture is knit in Killington, shown here in Blustery Day. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Drifting Diamonds by Jennifer Weissman
Slipped-stitch colorwork produces bold results in this beautiful wrap. We love the cozy autumnal color palette here and can't wait to see what other color combinations you choose for this project.
Looking for an intuitive knit with stylish results? Drifting Diamonds is a combination of stockinette stitch and garter stitch, with simple slipped stitches creating all of the glamour. Both the length and width of this fingering weight wrap can be customized to make the most of beloved yarn.
Drifting Diamonds is knit in Yummy 2-Ply, with 2 skeins of Plover as the main color, and a Gradient Set in Fall Leaves for the contrasts. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
Sparkler by Jennifer Weissman
Interesting construction and high-contrast stripes make Sparkler a fun wrap to knit and wear.
Slip-stitch sparks fly outward in this two-color fingering weight wrap. Sparkler begins in its center with a striped diamond featuring columns of sparks in each of its corners. When the diamond is complete, two columns of sparks continue out toward the wrap’s tapered garter stitch tips.
Between the stripes and the sparks, you will be captivated by this eye-catching knit. Light your sparkler, and let the fun begin!
Sparkler is knit in Avon, shown here in Plover and Wolfsbane. The pattern is available on Ravelry.
]]>Sleek and glossy, Holston brings together the best of silk and Bluefaced Leicester wool. These two fibers are soft but also strong. They both take dye brilliantly, and have an intrinsic shine that catches and reflects light. Holston has a 3-ply construction with a soft twist that lets the fibers glow. Finished projects will have a gentle halo that only enhances the silkiness of the yarn.
We envision Holston in lacy, silky shawls and garments that rely on excellent drape.
Size: 430 yd / 3.5 oz (390m / 100g) skeins
Content: 51% Cultivated Silk, 49% Bluefaced Leicester Wool
Gauge: Fingering weight. 7-8 stitches per inch knit on US 1-3, 6-8 stitches per inch crocheted on US B-E.
Care Instructions: Hand wash, dry flat.
What's in a name? Holston is the name of a local river system in Northeast Tennessee that flows from (almost!) our backyard into Knoxville. The flowing nature of the yarn and its reflective nature made us think of smooth waters.
]]>