Colorwork

What exactly is color work? Multi-colored knitting that’s done by carrying two or more colors at a time across a row. I love colorwork, it is one of my favorite things to knit. I feel it goes faster than other projects, maybe because you are watching a picture and pattern come to life! I love coming up with color combos and putting them into order. It truly is a work of art! It is also much easier than it looks, too! The first time I ever practiced colorwork, I did it in the car on a small road trip. The FO was a just a small fair isle mug cozy, it only took me a few hours or so to do. It was a free beginners pattern, and you can really see your tension on. After that, I was hooked and moved on to other projects, hats, cowls, etc. 

Don't let the look intimidate you! Download that mug cozy today, and give it a try! When you're done with that, here are some of my favorite colorwork patterns to do next! Enjoy! 

The Kodikas Shawl by Boyland Knitworks knit out of Madelinetosh DK

Prism Hat by Tin Can Knits in Malabrigo Rios

TPHPE- The Prettiest Hot Pad Ever

Varia Hat knit out of Malabrigo Worsted

#YarnsByDesign

When you walk out of our boutique with your bag of yarn, what will become of it? Lets face it, some of it may end up in an endless stash, we all have them! BUT some of it ends up in a beautiful finished project or FO (finished object)! We want to see that FO, so please be sure to share it with us any way you can! We love to see your FO's, your WIP's, and even your endless stash! There are so many ways to share your projects with us, and we are here today to tell you how!

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, tag us in your image or #YarnsByDesign. Are you on Ravelry? Join our Yarns By Design group and leave it on our FO forum! And lastly, bring it in for us to photograph on one of our forms! We love seeing you and your FO's in person! 

We want to see your FO's and your YBD images, so keep them coming! Here are some customer pictures that we love! Enjoy! 

@Cuppa.Nigh

@bookscatsyarn

@rutheh

@themidnightweaver

@busyhookhappyheart

@Flower_hill_fleeces

Meet my new favorite yarn, Brooklyn Tweed Quarry!

Hello,

It has been quite a while since we have written a blog post! Life has gotten in our way a bit, and we have been pretty busy in general at the boutique (not complaining)! In the last few months, we have taken on some amazing new yarns, brands and lines. There was one that I was particularly excited for... one that stood out, that I knew would be my favorite yarn to work with and wear! That yarn did not disappoint, and it is Brooklyn Tweed Quarry! I am huge into instant gratification knits, but I also love to knit sweaters. This yarn is perfect for both! My first project with this amazing yarn, was the Carbeth Sweater by Kate Davies. For the size small, it took 4 skeins, which isn't a lot for a sweater. This bulky weight yarn has 200 yards per skein, that is way more than your average skein of bulky weight, and the price point is the same! I knit the sweater in just 2 weeks flat. I opted for a longer body than the pattern called for, and decided to go with a crew neck instead of a turtleneck. I still have plenty of yarn left over, so if a turtleneck is calling my name in the future, I can tear back and add on. There is a lot of other great projects out there for this yarn, and I cannot wait to cast on another project with it! Meet, Quarry...

Quarry is a chunky brother to Shelter and Loft inspired by roving-style “unspun” yarns, offered in pillowy 100-gram skeins. We begin with three strands of the same lofty, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia fleece, but rather than twisting the individual plies we nestle them together and gently spin the whole trio. The result is a plump yarn that looks like a single ply and has greater tensile strength and stitch definition than a true unspun yarn. Quarry has a soft and rustic hand; since we never subject our wool to harsh chemical scouring, you’ll find the occasional fleck of vegetable matter that remains as evidence of the sheep’s life on the Wyoming rangeland. The yarn’s one-directional twist may cause it to twirl between the needles and the ball while you’re knitting, but the fabric will be well balanced with no biasing. Quarry knits will bloom to become cohesive and supple after a wet blocking. You shouldn’t notice any change in gauge. This yarn loves to cable and beautifully renders all kinds of textural stitch work. Despite its soft structure, it can be worked at looser gauges without loss of integrity to the fabric. We think it’s ideal for sweaters, coats, blankets, and cozy accessories.

Quarry is offered in a new palette of fifteen heathered colors. The structure of this yarn blends the hues in a slightly striated way, reminding us of geological formations, so we gave each color the name of a mineral or gemstone.