On The Needles: Crabapple Petals in Serena

This week's work in progress is a lacy little confection Carrie is test knitting for Ravelry designer Lesbian Housewyfe.

The pattern is called Crabapple Petals. It's a luxurious, drapey cowl that features a simple lace pattern and some beads to add a touch of shimmer. The yarn is Manos del Uruguay's Serena, a dreamy blend of baby alpaca and pima cotton, in color 2318 Glacier. We're expecting our spring shipment from Manos--including many gorgeous colors of Serena--any day now!

Carrie says, "I thought this pattern would be a great way to show off how soft and squishy Serena is. Stay tuned: Crabapple Petals will be available for purchase soon!"

By the way, these beautiful silver-lined beads came from our friends at The Bead Shoppe in Avondale Estates (in the same complex with Our Way Cafe). The Bead Shoppe is a magical wonderland of color and sparkle, so if you're a jewelry maker or just a bead lover, be sure to visit them for your bead needs.

New addi needle options

It's no secret that we LOVE addi needles. So we're very pleased that we can now offer you more addi choices than ever!

We've always been huge fans of the addi Lace circulars because of their super-pointy tips, which make them so great for detailed work like knitting multiple stitches together, knitting through the back loop of a stitch, and so on. These needles are big sellers for us, and many of our customers are as devoted to them as we are.

Lately, though, some of you have told us that you actually prefer the blunter tips and nickel-plated finish of the classic addi Turbo needles. We're listening, so guess what--we're now carrying the Turbo needles as well!

In addition, addi has just come out with a brand-new style of circular needle called Sock Rockets. These give you the best of both worlds--they have the pointy tips of the Lace needles, with the shiny nickel plating that makes the Turbos so speedy.  Sock Rockets are available in sizes US 0-3, in two lengths: 40” (ideal for you Magic Loop-ers out there) and 24” (perfect for knitting in parallel pairs).

Let's take a look and compare the tips of these three needles styles:

For those of you who prefer bamboo circulars, of course we also still carry the addi Natura needles. They're by far the smoothest bamboo needles we've ever tried, and we know that many knitters with arthritis find them much more comfortable on the hands than metal needles.

With all these great options, you're sure to find an addi circular needle that is perfect for you and your particular knitting style.

On The Needles: Cowl Shell in Ultra Pima Paints

This week's On The Needles is a study in handpainted yarns.

As we posted recently, one of our all-time favorite cotton yarns, Ultra Pima, now comes in handpainted colorways as well as the solids. Stacy's working on a sample garment for our shop mannequin, Epiphany, to wear for spring.

The pattern is the Cowl Shell by Myrna Batten. What a great addition this would be to any warm weather wardrobe! Wear it alone on a hot summer day, layer it under a blazer for work, or pair it with a light cardigan for those chilly movie theaters.

You can buy this pattern from us through Ravelry's in-store pattern sales program. It only costs $5.00, and it's a great way to support an indie designer and your favorite local yarn shop!

Stacy says, "I wanted to experiment with this handpainted yarn a couple of different ways to see where the colors would land. I started at the bottom, knitting every round from the same ball of yarn. As you can see, large pools of colors began to appear. After a few inches, I started alternating two skeins of yarn, knitting two rounds with each. While the colors are still pooling a bit, they're much more mixed now and create much less of a dramatic swirling effect. Next, I'll try switching skeins every round. I expect that will break up the colors even more. Depending on what you like, you can get a lot of different looks with handpainted yarn.

"The Ultra Pima Paints are every bit as wonderful to work with as the solids. The yarn is soft and has a subtle sheen, and the colors are beautiful. This is my go-to yarn for spring and summer garments. And I can imagine any of the Paints, especially this Pastel Mix I'm working with, making a really cute Baby Surprise Jacket." (We have the BSJ pattern in stock, by the way....)

Sheepish in Antarctica

Recently, one of our customers, Betheda Gramling, had the fantastic opportunity to travel to Antarctica. Before she left for her trip, of course she had to stop by Sheepish and get some yarn to take on her journey.

This picture arrived in our inbox this morning:

Our pink logo bag in Antarctica!

Betheda wrote, "Here is a picture taken at the Palmer Station (USA Research center) in Antarctica. The black dot in the water is a rubber boat with 10 persons aboard."

Thanks for sharing this with us, Betheda! Very cool indeed.

On The Needles: Party Dress in Cotton Fleece

This installment of On The Needles should really be called OFF The Needles, as Carole actually finished knitting this project moments this photo was taken. But she hasn't woven the ends in yet, so technically it still counts as a work in progress. :)

This is Phoebe's Party Dress, from Joanna Johnson's adorable book Phoebe's Birthday (in stock now). Carole made it for her granddaughter, who is turning three this week!

The yarn is Cotton Fleece in color 220, Provincial Rose, which turns out to be very hard to photograph accurately. In person, it's a warmer pink, as seen here.

Carole says, "I love this yarn. In fact, I'm looking at the Cotton Fleece color card right now, thinking about making a sweater for me! I need a summer sweater...."

What's on your needles? Tell us in the comments, or post a picture on our Facebook page.

Ultra Pima--now in Paints!

Cascade's Ultra Pima has been one of our favorite cottons for years, and now we're excited to be one of the first shops anywhere to carry Ultra Pima Paints!

This yarn is so new, it's not even listed on Ravelry yet. But it's here at Sheepish and waiting for you to be one of the first to try it.

Like Ultra Pima's solid colors, Ultra Pima Paints is a DK weight, 100% cotton that knits at 5.5-6 sts/in on a US 5-6 needle. The silky sheen and drape of the pima cotton make this yarn perfect for spring and summer tops, but it would also be a great choice for shawls, baby blankets, fancy washcloths...any project that benefits from a soft, colorful yarn. Oh, and did we mention it's machine washable?

 

Just look at these colors! Clockwise from top left: Autumn Leaves, Carnival Mix, Pastel Mix, and Iris Mix. We have a shop model in the works so you'll be able to see how the color changes knit up.

Ultra Pima Paints retails at $12.50 and, like Ultra Pima solids, comes in a generous 220-yard hank.