Ever have one of those weeks where you thought things were going to be super relaxing and low key, and then they totally weren’t? that’s this week for me. I brought the kids up north to visit my family (Lila and my mom are total BFFs), and Guy is back home working hard (and no doubt eating teak out every night for dinner). But while it’s been great that the kids are getting to spend time with their grandparents, I’m totally off my routine and everything feels just a little bit out of whack for me. I’m happy to be around my family, but back home I have habits built in so that little bits of work and knitting just seem to magically get done, but here I have no routine. But what’s that old saying, a change is as good as rest? It’s all good. Let’s check out the new goodies!
Name: Madbird
Where You Can Follow Them: Facebook, Instagram
What They are all about: Alecia and Rob Miller make wonderful project bags, project clutches, totes, spindle bags, hook rolls and needle rolls (including ones for dpns and interchangeables), and zip pouches- with a wide variety of fabrics, you’re sure to find the right size you need in a print you love. They are all sturdily built, with fleece interfacing and solid bottoms that ensure the bags stand up well on their own, once a project is inside. If you haven’t tried one of their bags, you are missing out- every detail is perfection and you will have this bag forever. I recommend following them on Facebook to get the updates on new items as well as the flash sales they sometimes have! Also, they are offering 10% off everything with the code KNITTEDBLISS.
A Few of My Favourite Things, from Left to Right: This large project bag is almost a foot wide and about 9 inches tall, so it’s a nice size for corralling your yarn and WIP that need a bit more than a typical fingering weight project bag- and I love this lilac toned Hide and Seek Print. This bucket-style medium sized project bag is totally reversible (inside is a great pear print fabric), and includes a snap yarn guide. Plus the fruit fabric feels great for summer! And you know what goes great with a project bag? A mini organizer. this is perfect for stashing different sizes of needles for your project, a crochet hook for finishing or casting on techniques, even interchangeable cables or circulars. Perfect for when you are going away and you need to make sure you have everything for your project.
Name: Artesano
Where You Can Follow Them: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Ravelry, Pinterest
What They Are All About: Jennifer and Tom run Artesano, which specializes in alpaca, merino, and silk blends of varying weights, as well as a variety of needles, and links to free patterns. UK and European readers, I think you’ll be excited about this- Artesano is based in the UK! My fellow North Americans, don’t rule it out because it’s the UK- shipping is about $8.50 US for orders under $65. For my fellow Canadians, that’s often way better than shipping from the US! If you sign up for the emails, you get a coupon for 20% off, too.
A Few of My Favourite Things, from Left to Right: This beautiful DK Nebula tweed is a blend of alpaca, wool, and donegal tweed and comes in a great range of colours- this one is Rhinestone. Who says tweeds have to only be in browns and greys? Artesano also has a lot (really, a lot) of free patterns for a variety of weights- I think this Mimas sweater is very chic and a fun summer knit. Artesano also has a very affordable yarn club (ships internationally), which you can purchase month by month- definitely full of surprises!
Name: Spirit Trail Fiber Works
Where You Can Follow Them: Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, blog
What She is All About: Jennifer has a variety of her hand dyed yarns in a variety of weights and fibers, as well as beautiful (and some very rare breed!) roving and spinning fibers. She produces her colours in small batches with artisanal dye techniques, and really shines at tonals which have incredible depth.
A Few of My Favourite Things, from Left to Right: This is 100% Bluefaced Leicester fingering weight yarn in ‘Chalcedony‘, a beautiful mix of greys and blues. In the middle we have quite possibly the most perfect rendering of the colour ‘Daffodil’ I have ever seen- this is a laceweight blend of superwash merino, cashmere and silk. I’m pretty sure that yarn would be a perfect summer shawl! Then we have the semi-solid DK weight ‘Aquarius’. which is also a superwash merino, cashmere, and silk blend. I can personally say that her semi-solids are beautifully done.
Name: The Blue Brick
Where You Can Follow Them: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Ravelry, Flickr, and Crawftgawker
What She is All About: Shireen is a professional photographer; and she takes her yarn inspiration straight from the images she captures. These yarns are all hand-dyed in small batches by Shireen and her husband Tito on a variety of bases and weights, based on her photographic inspiration (you can read more about the yarn here). Each skein is sent out with a copy of the photo that inspired it- a really beautiful detail that makes me marvel even more at how she can dye the yarn to so closely resemble the photos! Shireen also designs beautiful patterns, as well. The shop is closed online for July, but if you click over you can get an email when they reopen after vacation!
A Few of My Favourite Things, from Left to Right: Winter Wheat, currently available in Worsted weight and DK, with warm greys and biscuit tones that seem like the embodiment of coziness. Night Heron, right blue green teals that are more lagoon than yarn, currently available in worsted, DK, and a single ply merino. And a brand new, stunning gradient colourway- Rose, which is an ombre dream of gold and pink tones; currently available in worsted, DK, sock yarn, and a single ply merino.
Name: Biscotte Yarns
Where You Can Follow Them: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google +
What They Are All About: Biscotte Yarns specializes in self-striping yarns with lots of fun inspiration, but they have all sorts of goodies on offer- fabrics, project bags and kits, patterns, and tonal single ply yarns, as well as a mystery club! They also recently came out with an app that allows you create custom hat and sock patterns based on yarn weight, gauge, stitch preferences and size choices- web based, Android, or iphone. I’m excited to try it!
A Few of My Favourite Things, from Left to Right: You really truly have to click over to get a closer look at this beautiful owl sock kit. The kit comes with everything you need- including the pattern and the beads for the owl eyes; truly a very special set of socks. Then we have alovely hand dyed sock yarn in ‘Vanile’, which is so much more interesting that you usually think of when you think of vanilla. This one has shifting shades of warm sandy tones and pales creams, to add real depth that is anythin gbut vanilla (oh, I’m so fuAnd if you love Finding Nemo, then this clownfish self striping yarn is going to make the most perfect socks ever. If you are more of a Dory fan, there’s also one for her!
So what do you think? Anything you absolutely love? And how is your summer productivity?
