She's done it again!

Angela our favorite sock sister www.aswellyarnshop.com was in yesterday with her latest delivery. Check out the St. Patrick's Day Duet Sock color combo's! Do you have a favorite Irish man/woman you'd like to present with a special gift for the holiday? This should do the trick!

Irish Blessing:

"May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart,and warmed by the smiles of the people you love."

Alternatives to Wool

The fibers available today are to say the least extraordinary and what appeals to me is a lot of new fibers are renewable resources. Bamboo, hemp, flax, cotton, corn, linen just to name a few. Some of these fibers have antibacterial properties which are great for sock making. For those of you that are allergic to wool there is no shortage of fibers you can work with to make beautiful garments. You can find many of these fibers in the shop, Bamboo, SoySilk and A-maizing from Southwest Trading Company www.soysilk.com, Hempathy from Elsebeth Lavold, Hemp for Knitting www.lanaknits.com.

A new book recently arrived in the shop "No Sheep For You" by Amy R. Singer, founder of www.knitty.com and details information regarding the above mentioned fibers as well as many others. The book has some wonderful patterns for sweaters as well as accessories and socks.

Why not try a new fiber for Spring, plant based perhaps to welcome the season of renewal.

Happy Knitting!

I love my socks!

I finished my Duet socks in Valentine colors on Valentine's Day!

What can I say that hasn't already been said about the Duet Sock Yarn created by our new friend Angela from A Swell Yarn Shop? Not only does the girl have a knack for color, but this is such a wonderful yarn to work with, it feels so good.

The excitement and enthusiasm for this yarn is overwhelming and has created quite a following in the shop. Please be sure to check with us often as we continue to offer Angela's yarn with new arrivals every few weeks and special surprises along the way.

If you've considered learning to make Toe Up Socks, this is the yarn to do it with, the coordinating solid heel and toe really set these socks apart. My guess is they will inspire you to be creative and come up with your own designs and color combinations.

I'd also like to add that this yarn is not exclusive to making socks, stay tuned while we whip up some ideas for you in the shop.

Knit and be happy!

Spring Fever

It's another beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest, I noticed the crocus coming up in my rose garden this morning, which means I will be tending to the rose pruning soon. I love this time of year, when nature begins awakening. It also means the Pacific Northwest Flower & Garden show http://www.gardenshow.com/seattle/index/index.asp is almost here! If you're a gardener on any scale you will find the most wonderful inspiration at this beautiful show now in it's 20th year.

I have had a wonderful time incorporating the colors of nature, inspired by my garden with my knitting and this time of year creates a heightened interest in the many shades of green and now the first inklings of violets, pinks and yellows. The Spring palette is well represented in the shop and you won't have any trouble finding yarn inspired by the colors of nature.

One of the best examples of nature inspired yarn is Noro "the world of nature" made in Japan. If you've never had the good fortune of knitting with Noro yarns this weekend is the perfect opportunity. We are having a yarn tasting with Noro yarns in the shop beginning Friday February 2nd through Sunday February 4th. Try each of the Noro yarns we carry and enjoy a 10% discount on all Noro yarns throughout the weekend.