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....)

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.