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Brioche, stripes and colour blocking are so hot right now.  There seems to be an endless, drool-worthy supply of new designs coming out every other day using these techniques.  So, this week we have been playing matchmaker with our variegated and speckled colourways, combining them with semi-solids and coming up with never fail colour combinations for these very designs.  Here are our matchmaker colour combinations

Depending on what you're planning to make, you can choose to mix two, three or all four colours together. Whatever you decide to do, we guarantee that these colours will match perfectly! 

Best of all, every one of these colourways are available pre-order this week on Wednesday 2nd March at 9am AEST.  If you're looking to do some matchmaking, select the colours above that are pulling on your heart strings. Then, head on over to the shop on Wednesday and place your order.  We have three bases to choose from this week:

• MCN DK
• BFL Sock
• MCN Sock

So, select your colours and whatever base you heart desires and that's it!  Of course if you're not wanting to play matchmaker, and you're just after one colourway, that's fine too.

All orders will ship in the week commencing 21st March.

All the best!

Kristen


Main picture - Pattern: Great Divide Shawl by Michele Brown ; Yarn: MCN DK Graphite and Peace

This week’s ‘Fresh from The Dye Pot’ features lots of speckled sock yarns, as well as some scrumptious sport and DK in semi-solid and tonal colourways. Bases include:

• MCN Sock
• Merino Cashmere Fingering
• Meadow
• Voyage

Of course, all yarns are in-stock and ready to ship! Update time will be tomorrow (Friday 26th) at 9am AEST.

Have a wonderful week!

Kristen

• Merino Silk Lace
• Silk Cashmere Lace
• Merino Silk Sport
• Top Draw Sock
• Daintree
• Merino Cashmere Fingering

Since this is a pre-order update, you decide which colour you would like dyed onto your choice of yarn.  We have scoured the 'Wish List' thread on Ravelry and have so far come up with these summer-inspired colourways;

Do you have a colourway you would like to see in this week's Summer Lovin' Update? Please head on over to the Wish List thread to post your colourways suggestions.  Be quick, because the final colourway list will be posted in the Ravelry 'News' thread Tuesday afternoon.

The Summer Lovin' update will be held on Wednesday 17th Feb at 9am AEDST (which is Tuesday 5pm EST in the USA).  We hope to see you there!

This week’s ‘fresh from the dye pot’ update has a Valentines Day theme. We have dyed up lots of Valentines Day colourways, ranging from soft pinks all the way to deep rose reds, as well as including many of the popular colourways that everyone loves.

Yarns this week include Winter, MCN Sock and a new BFL Sock that will be replacing our old base. The new BFL Sock is much softer, has a delightful twist (which gives wonderful definition to stitches) and has a hint of nylon for added strength. We hope you love it as much as we do!

All yarns will be in stock and ready to ship on Friday at 9am AEDST (which is Thursday 5pm EST in the USA). Hope to see you there!

• Merino Silk Lace
• Silk Cashmere Lace
• Merino Cashmere Fingering
• MCN Sock
• Top Draw Sock

Because this is a pre-order update, you get to decide which colour you would like dyed onto your choice of yarn.  We have scoured the 'Wish List' thread on Ravelry and have so far come up with these colourways:

Do you have a colourway you would like to see in this week's Shawl Update? Please head on over to the Wish List thread to post your colourways suggestions.  Be quick, because the final colourway list will be posted in the Ravelry 'News' thread on Tuesday afternoon.

This week's Shawl Update will be held on Wednesday 3rd Feb at 9am AEDST (which is Tuesday 5pm EST in the USA).  We hope to see you there!  All orders placed will begin shipping from the 22nd February.

Shawl KAL

Want to knit-along with us? We will be hosting a Skein Shawl KAL which will run from 14th March - 9th May. This gives you plenty of time to organise yarns and patterns, plus finish any left over projects you might be currently working on. It’s also a great opportunity to use your Shawl Update yarns and have fun knitting along with others. There are SO many beautiful patterns available on Ravelry. Here are a few of our faves:

Great Divide Shawl, Rheinlust, Tilted Triangle, Herbivore, Samen, Buccaneer, Dotted Rays (shown at the very top of the email and knit with the colourway Neon and Grey), and Tailspin.

So, come on over to the Shawl KAL thread and let's talk patterns, yarn and colours!  There will of course be prizes; check out the KAL thread for more details.

Have a fabulous week!

Kristen

This week, we are beginning our 'Fresh from The Dye Pot' updates.  Every second week we will be offering you a range of yarns in an array of colours, all of which have just been dyed and are ready to ship.  We know many of you prefer to buy already in-stock yarn, which is why we decided it would be fun to offer something new every second week. 

Fresh form the dye pot this week is Top Draw Sock!  We have a ton of colours in-stock and ready to ship, including a couple of old colourways that we have decided, by popular demand, to bring back...

All yarns will be in store Friday 29th January at 9am AEDST; hope you enjoy!

And before I go, if you have any yarns or colourways that you would like to see in an up-coming update, please let us know over on the 'Wish List' thread on our Ravelry group. 

• Meadow
• Voyage
• MCN Sock
• Winter
• Skein sport

(check out our website for details of each yarn base). 

The Sweater Club update will go live on Wednesday 20th Jan at 9am AEDST (which is Tuesday 5pm EST in the USA) and will remain open for one week or until sold out.  During the update you will get to choose your preferred yarn base/s, the amount of skeins you are after plus the colourway.  The only difficult part will be deciding which pattern you want to knit!  Please note: this is a pre-order update; we will begin shipping orders from the 8th February.  

Now lets talk colourways!  Here's what we have selected so far:

We want to know if you have any colourway suggestions? If so, please head on over to our 'wish list' thread on Ravelry and let us know which colourway/s you would like added to the above list.  You don't have a lot of time, so let us know by Wednesday morning!

KAL

Want to knit-along with us?  We will be running a Skein Sweater KAL which will run from 1st March -  1st May.  This may seem like a long way away BUT it will give you plenty of time to organise yarns and patterns plus finish any left over projects you might be currently working on.  It's also a great opportunity to use your Sweater Club yarns and have fun knitting along with others.  There are SO many beautiful patterns available on Ravelry, and here are a few of our faves:

(Worsted Boxy, Ariel, In Stillness, ravello, Avana, Welcome, September)

 The KAL thread is now open!  We would love to hear your pattern suggestion, so come on over to the Sweater KAL thread and join in the fun.  There will of course be prizes, and more information will be posted soon in the group thread!

Have a wonderful week!

Kristen

What better way to kick start the new year than with a super New Year update! This week marks our first week back at the studio where we have been dyeing up heaps of Top Draw Sock in beautiful, bright and vibrant colours. We have also included a few lighter tones and neutrals which can be used to pair with those louder, rebel rousers. Here’s a sneak peak at what will be in store.

So grab your sparklers and join us to celebrate our New Year update Thursday 14th at noon EST (USA) / Friday 15th at 4am AEDT

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years, and all the very best for 2016!

Knitting projects that incorporate stripes is SO much fun!  Adding in that second colour and watching how the colours play together is very satisfying.  I suppose that is why most of the top shawl patterns on Ravelry are stripped - people love to knit them!  What can be more fun than stripes?  How about knitting the stripes using variegated yarn?  I can tell you now, if you've never done it, it's even more addictive than using semi-solid colourways and the results are fantastic!  The golden rule for knitting stripes using variegated yarn is to make sure there is plenty of contrast between both colours. If there is not enough, the colours will merge together and your stripes will disappear.  Below are a few simple tips to help you choose a variegated colour scheme that will ensure lots of contrast and wonderful stripes.

1. Use a complementary colour scheme 

Complementary colours are found on opposite sides of the colour wheel. When used together, these colours create vivid and bright colour combinations, more so than any other colour combinations, which means they are PERFECT for stripes.  Select your favorite variegated yarn and find another that incorporates complementary colours.

2. Make sure that there is enough variation of colour in each yarn

This tip is rather obvious, but I thought I would add it in because, as we all know, variegated yarns are full of colour, so much so that you may not realise that both colourways share similar hues.  For example, one skein might consist of mainly green hues and the second skein is red with a moderate amount of a similar shade of green.  This will mean that, once knitted, the green hues from both skeins will meld together and the stripes will be less apparent.  For ultimate contrast look for variegated colourways that contain completely different hues. 

3. Make sure your colours differ in tone

Tone, quite simply, is the lightness or darkness of a colour.  When it comes to any type of colourwork, including stripes, you want the colours to vary in tone as much as possible.  So, make sure that one skein has lighter or paler tones and the other skein has darker or saturated tones.

4. Take the twist test

A very simple and easy way to test out your colour combination is to twist both yarns together like so:

This way you can see if there is enough contrast between the colourways, and whether you like the colour combination!

In keeping with this week's blog theme, we have Variegated Shawl Kits available.  These shawl kits each contain two skeins of Uptown Sock dyed in two variegated colourways that will contrast beautifully together in a stripy or two-colour project.  All you need to do is find a stripy shawl pattern and cast on!  All kits are in-stock and ready to ship!

Hope you find these tips helpful and, until next week, happy knitting!

It's already mid way through October, meaning that Christmas is just around the corner.  This year, I'm knitting one, maybe two Christmas gifts plus a gift for the fur baby (can't forget her!), all of which will be easy one-skein projects. Over the past week, I have been searching through Ravelry for quick-and-easy, one-skein projects and this week I thought I would share my discoveries with you!  Some of these patterns include stripes, so they're not technically one-skein projects, BUT they are so small that you could easily use up some scrap yarn (plus they are so darn cute I just have to include them).  All the patterns mentioned are free - hope you enjoy!

For Her

1.Ilene Bag by Hannah Ingalls, 2. Calorimetry by Kathryn Shoendorf, 3. Zilver by Lisa Mutch, 4, Simple House Slippers by Simone A, 5. Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalia Larson, 6. Fingerless Gloves 'Leaves' by Valentina Georgieva

For Him

1. Sockhead Hat by Kelly Mclure, 2. Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku, 3. Leydon by Alicia Plummer, 4. Swampfield Cowl by SaraAmoroso, 5. Boogie Earbuds by Bonnie pruitt, 6. Lambing Mitts by Veronika Jobe

For the Co-Worker

For The Fur Babies

1. Easy Peasy Catnip Mouse Toy by Meelai, 2. Catnip Bunny by Selina Kyle, 3. Door Hanger Bouncy Cat Toy by Lion Brand Yarn, 4. Fetch! by Kris Knits, 5. Doggie Bow Tie by Jen Williams, 6. Jennifer's 20 Minute Pet Rug by Jennifer Cox

We are having a Skein 'One-Skein' KAL/CAL over on the Ravelry group!  This would be a good time to break out a skein of Skein yarn and knit a gift for yourself or someone else!  There will of course be prizes: thanks to Stitch Pixie we have three project bags to give away (pictured below); PLUS there will be a skein of Skein winners' choice of yarn and colourway!

For more information, head on over to the KAL/CAL thread on Ravelry!

PLUS the wonderful Peta of Stitch Pixie Bags has offered Skein podcast viewers and KAL/CAL participants 10% off all of her bags!! Just use the code SOCKKAL during checkout - discount code is available from 14th Oct-14th Nov.

Happy knitting!

Last week, the wonderful and talented Claudia Donnelly released Volume 2 of Sexy Spines: a fabulous collection of three shawls, each of which display an intricate lace panel down the centre spine (hence the name Sexy Spines!). We were lucky enough to be able to collaborate with Claudia on one of these designs called Nocturna, which uses two skeins of Merino Cashmere Fingering (shown above in the Moon Shadow colourway).  Be sure to check out this beautiful collection of shawls over on Ravelry!

When I first started knitting, I decided to knit my other half a jumper. It was a simple pattern, requiring a worsted weight yarn in a brand that was not available at my LYS. So I decided to substitute the yarn and went looking for anything that had 'worsted' written on the label - mistake number 1.  Then, having returned home, I cast on and started knitting. I had heard about gauge swatches but didn't think I needed one - mistake number 2. As you've probably already guessed, the jumper was a fail because, as I worked out later, the yarn required for the pattern was more of a chunky weight, which meant that the fabric I was getting (using super large needles!) was very loose. Strangely enough, apart from the extremely loose gauge, the jumper did fit and it was worn (I begged him to only wear it around the house) but had I known how to substitute yarn it could have been so, so, SO much better.  For new knitters, learning how to substitute yarn is one of the handiest skills you can have, so this week I thought I would write a mini guide on how to substitute yarn by looking at three of the most important factors: fibre content, yardage and gauge.

Fibre Content

One of the first things you need to try and match is fibre content. Basically, you'll want the same or similar fibre that is in the suggested yarn to be in the yarn that you choose. For knitters with more experience, it can be fun to experiment with different fibre blends but, if you're new to knitting, the best thing to do is stick to what the designer has suggested. So, if the yarn suggested is 100% merino, try and find a yarn that has the same fibre content.

Yardage

One of the most confusing things about yarn substitution is understanding yarn weights. It's confusing because there are no strict standards when it comes to yarn weight: for example, a yarn can be classified by a company as worsted when in fact it is more of a chunky weight.  There is, of course, a standard yarn weight system which is a useful guide but, like I said this is not always used by yarn companies to classify their yarns. So, how do you work out which yarn would be similar in weight or thickness to the suggested yarn?  All you need to do is look at yardage.  Here's an example of what is usually written in a pattern:

Suggested Yarn
Skein Australis DK
218 yards/199 metres in 100g
100% Superwash Merino
7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10) skeins
Colourway - Majestic

All patterns have a suggested yarn section that lists the following information: yarn company, yardage, fibre content, how many skeins you will need for each size, and usually the colourway that the sample was knit in. The text highlighted above tells us the yardage of the suggested yarn. This information is really important when you're substituting yarn, because you want to look for a yarn that has a similar yardage to the one that is listed. Our example says that we need 218 yards/199 metres in 100g, so we need to find a yarn that has similar yardage (give or take around 20 yards/20 metres).  Keep in mind that yarns can be sold in 50g, 150g or 200g skeins or balls, so make sure the weight matches!  If it doesn't, you'll need to do a few simple calculations to check the yardage. For example, the yarn I am wanting to use as a substitute is 110 yards in 50g, which means that it is 220 yards in 100g. There is only 2 yards difference compared to that of the suggested yarn listed above, which is fine, so this yarn would be a good substitute.

Gauge

So you have matched the fibre content and yardage, now you need to swatch!  It's tempting to skip this part, but you may regret it if you do. Even if you bought exactly the same yarn that's used in the pattern, it's still highly advisable that you swatch because we all knit with different tension. Swatching is a big subject and worthy of a blog post in itself, but without going into too much detail, the only way you're going to know if the yarn is the perfect fit (and hence having a project that will be the correct size) is if you swatch and match the gauge that is written in the pattern.

Still Unsure?

If you're still unsure, don't worry! Yarn sellers, whether it be dyers or LYS staff, know their yarns and will be able to help you make a decision about which one to choose.  

So, next time you're looking to substitute a yarn make sure you:

1. Match the fibre content of the yarn listed in the pattern.
2. Match, as closely as you can, the yardage that is listed for the suggested yarn (give or take 20 yards/20 metres)
3. Knit a gauge swatch and make sure you get gauge!

Until next week, happy knitting!