New spring things popping up.

We've all been crazy-busy getting ready for Hot Loops (especially Loretta - who has taken to cussing at me in emails and I'm sure would like to strangle me with a nice bulky yarn. BUT she is doing an amazing job getting a full TWO DOZEN new projects added to the Loops website - starting next week). Meanwhile, new stuff has been pouring in the door, and I wanted to take a quick moment to show you some of it.

First, two great new books arrived from Knitting Fever. One is the long-awaited Wandering Spirits - finally a great book devoted exclusively to Araucania cottons, including the new Pomaire. The other is a new spring Noro book, with great designs for Matsuri, the new Noro cotton blend that I'm in love with. Both of these books are great resources to get you inspired for knitting cool garments you will wear throughout our Oklahoma spring & summer.

I was talking with my friend Kristy yesterday, and we were agreeing that we both actually prefer knitting in the spring/summer over the fall/winter. My reason? No long sleeves to knit! Her reason? In the winter, everyone's wearing knits...but when you wear a hand-knit silk or cotton piece in the summer, you really stand out in a crowd. Case in point: She was wearing a gorgeous piece in Tilli Tomas silk at the time. I love that logic!

We also got two new yarns in from DROPS/Garnstudio. First is Big Fabel - another brand new yarn for the company. It's a worsted weight version of the runaway hit, Fabel fingering weight. (I talked to a fellow yarn shop owner who said she sold 100 skeins of Fabel in 2 days!)

Big Fabel so new, the free patterns here on the Big Fabel page of the DROPS site just use other comparable-gauge yarns. But Lena from DROPS sent me a free Big Fabel sock pattern - we're happy to give you a copy with any DROPS purchase.

Next is Lin, a sport weight 100% linen at (as usual) an incredible price point.

For some great free patterns for Lin, click here. I'll go ahead and show you my favorite:

And last but not least, we received a big lovely shipment of Adriafil KnitCol. Rumors have been swirling that this beloved self-patterning worsted merino was being discontinued. I got it straight from the Plymouth Yarn mouth: They didn't think they were going to be able to continue importing it, but then they found a way. Hooray! And we're celebrating with restocks of all the best colors, plus a beautiful new blue blend:

I'm sure Loretta will have all of these new yarns in the Loops online store before you know it. Wait...what's that faint cussing I hear in the background...oh hi, Loretta. Now Loretta, calm down...put down the Big Wool...no...no...aaarrrghspppp....

- Shelley