On The Needles: Ripples scarf in Alegria

Manos del Uruguay's sock yarn is brand new this spring, and we're very excited to be among the first shops to carry it. The yarn is called Alegria (which means "joy" in Spanish), and it truly is a joy to see, touch, and knit. The first three colors have arrived and more are on the way.

Top to bottom: Glicinas, Botanico, Ceibo.

Alegria is a wonderfully soft, fingering weight blend of 75% superwash merino / 25% polyamide in bright handpainted colorways. The generous yardage (445/hank) gives you plenty of yarn to make a large pair of socks...

...or maybe a scarf! Stacy's working on this one, called Ripples, in Alegria colorway #9741 Glicinas. This is a new pattern by Annelie Wallbom and it's very fun to knit. It's simple, but has just enough details like short rows and an eyelet border to keep you interested. Even better, if you download the pattern by June 19 and use the coupon code serialknitterslys2013, Ripples is available for FREE. (After June 19, you can buy it through Ravelry for $3.50.)

Knittable zippers

Carrie's quest for a black zippered hoodie continues. Sadly, this project did not pan out [imagine the sound of "Taps" being played here]. But let's not talk about that right now! Instead, let's talk about the act of actually inserting a zipper into a handknit garment.

How many of you have done it? Believe it or not, no one here at Sheepish has ever tried it (and we've tried all sorts of crazy stuff). Quite frankly, it sounds fraught with danger. The thought of taking a garment we've spent endless hours creating, and then running it through a sewing machine, kind of makes us hyperventilate. But what are the other options? Hand-sewing? That seems like it would be inexact, not very secure, or just plain sloppy. Possibly all three.

Curious about the best way to tackle this task, Carrie did some internet research and found this video. AND IT BLEW OUR MINDS. Take a look:

Video by Interweave Craft

Isn't that cool? If this works, it could be a game-changer. We might become all-zippers-all-the-time knitters (well, probably not, because we can't resist pretty buttons).

What do you think? Would you try this? (And by the way, yes, we've already tracked down a source for that tiny latch hook thingy.)

Follow us on Pinterest!

Are you on Pinterest? It's such a great place to get inspiration and bookmark things you want to find again later. Now you can follow our boards there, where we share all kinds of goodies we find on the internet. It might be a free pattern that goes with one of our yarns, or a preview of new lines we'll be getting for fall, or...a picture of Clint Eastwood wearing a granny square vest. You just never know! Follow us to join the fun.

Save The Date: 3rd Annual Stash Sale

It's that time of year again! Time to empty your closets, dig under your bed, and search everywhere you may have some yarn hidden away in case of emergency. Time to get rid of some things you're never going to use, and get some new goodies instead.

This year's Stash Sale will be held on June 22 & 23. You can begin dropping off your items at the shop on Sunday, June 16, and we'll be having a Preview Party Friday night, June 21, for those of you who are selling stash to get first dibs on everyone's treasures.

To learn how to participate, read our Google doc for all the details. Be sure to print out and sign the document and bring it with you when you drop off your stuff.

We hope you'll join us for the Stash Sale--it's always a lot of fun. If you like, you can RSVP on the event's Facebook page (RSVP not required, we just like to see who's coming!)

On The Needles: Folded Triangle Cowl in Liberty Wool

Sometimes, simplicity can be the best option. When a yarn has a lot going on, colorwise, some easy garter stitch and a bit of clever construction are all you need to create a project that looks fantastic. Rocio is working on the Folded Triangle Cowl in Liberty Wool colorway 7806, Reflecting Pond.

It's so much fun to watch the colors of Liberty Wool change as you knit.

The cowl is worked in good old garter stitch, increasing at each edge to form triangles. The sides of the triangles will then be folded in and joined in the center, and the cowl will be finished in a loop by sewing the CO and BO edges together.

Ta-da! A simple project that makes a great impact.

This is Rocio's first time knitting with Liberty Wool, and she says, "I love it. It's so pretty!"

We currently have 14 colorways of Liberty Wool prints ($9.50/ball) in stock. The Folded Triangle Cowl pattern ($3.00) takes two balls of Liberty Wool and is available from the shop as a PDF that will be sent straight to your email or Ravelry pattern library!

Patterns, patterns, patterns!

Feeling creatively blocked? Need some inspiration? All of these patterns arrived today--maybe one of them is your next project! Click the collages to enlarge.

These are the eight patterns featured in Westknits Book One. Top, L-R: Flagstone, Meadowbrook, Pogona, Chadwick. Bottom, L-R: Urbana, Skinny Skid, Piece Out, Westward.

We also have Westknits Book 4: Made for Movement, featuring these ten designs. Top, L-R: Barndom, Diamondback Mitts, Stringband, Dustland Legwarmers, Featheron. Bottom, L-R: Ithaca, Mudmilk, Shrowl, Vetritwist, Bolting.

For you Stephen West fans who aren't inclined to buy a whole pattern book, these four designs are available individually. Clockwise from top left: Botanic Hat, Rockefeller, Herbivore, Daybreak.

These three fun patterns from leethalknits are also available individually. L-R: Maurice, Barry, and Robin.

More individual patterns! Clockwise from top left: Ecuador (J O J I), Knotted Slippers (cocoknits), Weekend Wrap (cocoknits), and Aranami Shawl (olgajazzy).

See anything you just can't live without?

Welcome, Rocio!

Please join us in welcoming Rocio to our staff. She's a high school senior who'll be helping us on Saturdays until she heads off to college in the fall.

We're very glad to have you here, Rocio!

Felted soap scrubbers

Too bad the internet isn't scratch and sniff for this post. These little goodies smell fabulous!

Felted wool body soap/scrubbers

Locally made by artisan Regina DeMita, these soaps are made from pure glycerine and goat's milk, scented with essential oils, and encased in felted wool. Here's what Regina tells us about her scrubbers:

The soap is wrapped in a felted wool cover that is meant to remain on the soap as you shower or bathe. Soak the bar in water, and lather up--it's that simple! You get the benefits of a body scrubber AND the natural anti-microbial properties of the wool allow you to safely leave the bar in the shower to dry between uses. Eventually the interior soap will completely dissolve, leaving you with the wool felting that can be scented with essential oils and placed in a drawer to scent your clothing.

No two felted scrubbers look exactly alike, as you can see above. We have four wonderful fragrances in stock: lavender, apple, blackberry jam, and pinot grigio. 4 oz. bar/$8.00.

These would make a great gift for Mother's Day, which is this Sunday, May 12, by the way. :)

On The Needles: Madison in Seedling Handpaint

It's no secret that we're big fans of c2knits designs around here. But did you know that in addition to their easy-to-knit garments and accessories for women, they also offer a design for an adorable baby dress?

Madison is a cute jumper, sized for girls from 6-24 months old. Its A-line shape extends its wearing life--as your little one grows, she can wear Madison as a tunic or tank! There are three hem design options--ruffle, lace, or colorwork--so you could knit several Madisons and never make the same one twice.

This design calls for a worsted weight yarn and a size US 7 needle, so we thought it would be the perfect way to showcase one of our lovely new organic cottons. This is Seedling Handpaint in colorway 4526, Lava.

Stacy says, "This is my first time knitting with Seedling, and it's really nice. Soft and comfortable, and not at all limp or stringy like some cottons. Madison is a very simple, fast knit. It would be a great option for a quick baby shower gift, or a first garment project for a beginning knitter who's ready to move beyond scarves."

By the way, could we just take a moment to marvel at how perfectly the stripes on those little straps match?

The kicker is, this wasn't even intentional. That just happened to be how the handpainted colors landed.

Hard copies of Madison are in stock now, as are many wonderful colors (both handpaints and solids) of Seedling.

Creating a self fringe

Love the look of a fringed scarf but hate the tedious business of cutting a million little lengths of fringe to attach? Consider a self fringe!

It's easy to create a self fringe. This is a fringe that hangs from the side of your piece rather than the ends. Consider this shawlette (Amalthea, knit in Pima Silk Hand Paint):

At the end of this project, there are 18 stitches left. To finish it, we knit the first five stitches and then bind off the rest of the row.

Now here's the fun part. We take those five remaining stitches and...drum roll...unravel them!

Ta-da! A little blocking would relax the fringe and straighten it out a bit, but we kind of like it with this "ramen noodley" look.

Pretty cool, huh?