TNNA! (Part 2) - A few favorite things

There were tons of new and exciting yarns, colorways and other products to drool over at the show. I can't possibly mention them all in a single post, but here are my top 5 picks:

Hendreary Hat

1. Mountain Colors Cross-Country Mitten Kits - be on the lookout for these kits, which feature several different types of Mountain Colors yarns to make adorable fair-isle mittens!

2. Lavishea Lotion Bars - one of my favorite finds from the Columbus show, they've got four new scents that are soon to be in stores! Check back, I'll be posting a review and sneak peek on one of these scents soon!

3. Two new Ysolda books?! How does she do it? Whimsical Little Knits 3 has lots of adorable projects I'm dying to make - the Hendreary Hat and Narwhal Mittens, in particular. Saturday Treat is a lovely collection - though I'm not 100% sold on the photo styling (Ysolda is pretty without lots of makeup!), the patterns are gorgeous and I've already cast on for a Pear Drop Shawl (after swearing off lace forevermore...but that's an entirely different blog post).

Olivewood Roving by Manos

4. Baah! Hand-Dyed yarns - I was first introduced to this indie dyer through Gayla at Doodlebug Yarns. Getting to touch the yarns and see the gorgeous, vibrant colorways in person completely hooked me, though. There are many new colorways to look forward too, and before I left the show, Mira Gifted me a skein I'd been admiring all weekend - you can bet there is a new pattern in the works! (P.S. Don't forget to use the coupon code in the sidebar for $5 off your Doodlebug Yarns order)

5. Manos Roving - I am dying to get my hands on the new roving from Manos! To start, they have 6 colors which coordinate with their existing colorways. They're even prettier in person, I can assure you. I've got my eye on Bramble and Olivewood...and perhaps it's the shove I need to finish the spinning project currently languishing on my wheel.

Comments

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

handmade by stefanie

Search This Blog