Malabrigo Silky Merino, Part 2

Guess what? Malabrigo double shipped our order and added in the 12 back orders so we now have a full 25 colors in this incredible yarn. Good thing too because we were out of several colors anyway. Here are two photos I took today of the bounty. Come check it out.

SILKY MERINO-A DREAM YARN

The long wait is finally over, well at least half over. We received only half of the order we placed in November. This is the Malabrigo Silky Merino that is 50% silk and 50% merino and 100% heavenly. The colors are very vibrant because of the silk and the feel is very soft because of the merino. It says dk but you can knit this yarn easily to worsted weight. I knit a swatch on 6 needles and got almost 5 to an inch. The hank is 150 yards and it takes about 2 to make a scarf. Price is $12.00 each.
This lovely piece is knit in Arlene's Purples on a size 8 needle. I am doing the fishtail lace pattern from "365 Knit Stitch Calendar". I have finished one half and knitting the second half separately, then will kitchener the two pieces together. This is so the pattern is facing the same direction on both ends. Very interesting.

The yarn is a delight to knit with, no splitting or other problems. Haven't found any knots in it so far. The brilliance of the colors is due to the silk content. It is just as wonderful as the original worsted weight Malabrigo. Our afghan knit along is progressing and the members are having fun selecting new patterns and stitches to try out. The photos I have seen on our yahoo group are wonderfully inventive. Combinations not seen before. We are having a good time posting to each other and admiring others squares.

Please come by to see this elegant and sensual addition to our yarn mix.

Teddy Bears Need Clothes!

The Needle Nook has always been committed to charity projects. Some of our past projects include chemo hats for Egleston and ovarian cancer scarves, the Red Scarf Project and currently we are knitting chemo hats for the Chemoflage Program. But we see a need in Atlanta for additional help for the Atlanta Knitting Guild's trauma bear project. The guild has been dressing bears for years and donating them to various organizations. They currently support the Georgia Center for Children which services children who have been abused in any number of ways. The counselors give a bear to the child while they are questioning them about unpleasant events that have occurred. The children find it soothing and relax more and will open up to the counselor. We have decided to support this project and are asking you to help us by knitting a sweater, hat, pants, dress or other items for a 12" - 18" bear. You do not need to provide the bear, only the clothing. You can find many free patterns on the web (http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/) or http://www.atlantaknittingguild.org/. A search will bring you many, many sites to check out. You can drop off your finished items at Needle Nook or mail them to us. This is a great way to use up scraps of yarn, half balls, etc. and reduce your stash. You will receive a warm glow from knowing the person you helped is an innocent child. If you are on Ravelry there is a brand new group you can join called "Charity Bear Knitters" and don't forget "Needle Nook Knitters". Thanks for your help.

New Arrival - Berroco Linen Jeans

Our first spring yarn has made an appearance. It's a 70% linen, 30% rayon tape called Linen Jeans. The 7 colors are very muted with the appearance of stone washed jeans. Berroco has designed 12 patterns for this yarn. It knits to a gauge of 4.75 stitches per inch on a 9 needle and is hand wash, lay flat to dry. I usually purchase yarns that have clear colors but this was so appealing to me because of the muted palette. I think it is destined to become one of your favorite sweaters, the one you turn to most often. Come by and check out the 7 new pattern books from Berroco. This is one of the most "wearable" collections they have put out in a long time. I think you will like it too.

Check Out These Leather Purse Handles

New to the shop - all leather purse handles you just sew on to your finished project. They are very stylish and come in about 10 colors and 3 styles. They attach easily to your purse and add a dimension to your knitted or crocheted bags. Add on such as flowers, pins, needle felting and more will enhance even more. See if we have the color you need for your fabulous bag.

Mrs. Wright's 4th Grade Class Visits.

The 4th grade class from the Children's School paid a visit to the Needle Nook in mid-December. Their teacher, Mrs. Wright, is teaching them to knit. Some of them already know how to knit. Last year's class knit squares which were then turned into an afghan. The afghan was auctioned off as a school fundraiser and brought in over $1,000.00. All 18 students (9 girls, 9 boys) will contribute a square to this year's afghan which will once again be used as a school fundraiser. You rock Mrs. Wright for teaching an important skill to both the girls and boys. I am looking forward to seeing the finished project so I can show it to all on this blog.