Books!

I ordered books this week. I love books - all books. I ordered from XRX, Interweave Press, and others including Martingale Press. I have pre-ordered a few, too, such as Magnificent Mittens, and Think Outside the Socks. There are books on lace, books on kids clothing (the one on hoodies fascinates me), books on techniques, such as color knitting and cables, and books on regional patterns, such as Northern Knits. There are even a few books on fixing mistakes.

I also ordered Malbrigo this week. I got lots of the worsted weight Malabrigo, which is softer and less expensive than Manos del Uruguay. Malabrigo is introducing a super-bulky yarn called Rasta - 2 stitches to the inch on size 13 to 15 needles - which I will be getting in late June. It is gorgeous, just like the Malabrigo worsted. And Malabrigo has Silky Merino, a 50% wool 50% silk yarn that is heavenly. I did not realize that Malabrigo also makes lace-weight yarn, painted like the others it makes. Lovely stuff - I didn't order any (I am running out of initial capital) but will probably get it later this year. Keep in mind that I can special order ANY YARN that anyone wants, even if I do not have it on my shelves.

I also ordered some Berroco and K1C2. If you haven't seen or touched the Berroco yarn Seduce, you will be amazed. I have been reading about it in the Berroco newsletter for months, but the photos do not do this yarn justice. Especially in combination with Bonsai, a bamboo yarn, Seduce makes incredibly drapey, lightweight garments that can be worn even in the hottest weather. I ordered some pattern books for these yarns that I think you will love.

I ordered some Berroco Jasper. The rep, Joan Looi, had several sweaters with her that she has knit for herself, and the Jasper stripes up beautifully. The colors and color changes are subtler than in many self-striping yarns, making the result look much more organic.

I ordered some Berroco Peruvia Quick, a nice bulky yarn that comes in amazing colors. I can't wait to make myself a coat out of this yarn.

Weekend, a cotton/acrylic blend that is machine washable, has an incredible hand. It makes cool knitted garments you can throw into the washer - perfect for kids' stuff or an everyday garment for yourself.

Sundae is another bulky yarn by Berroco that I will be ordering a bit later this summer - fabulous colors. It, too, will make lovely outerwear garments.

Linus is a Lang yarn (Berroco owns Lang - did you know that?) that is a solid yarn with random, short stripes of contrasting color that pop up erratically in the knitted fabric. It is a lovely effect, similar to the way slubs pop up in raw silk.

From K1C2 I ordered TyDy, a cotton yarn that is absolutely gorgeous. Unlike other brands, I could not find a single color in any of the K1C2 lines that I didn't like, so choosing was difficult. This yarn is so pretty and so soft it could be worn bra-less (if I was 15 years younger). Fear not - in the interest of public decency and not being laughed out of town, I won't be doing that any time soon. At least not obviously - thank heaven for baggy sweatershirts.

Off to the yarn shop with me! Today I am expecting my Notions Marketing order, and possibly my Crystal Palace order. Feel free to stop by if you're in the neighborhood - I can't sell anything yet, but at least now there is stuff to look at. Remember - please knit responsibly.