Pirouette, New for Fall 2011

Pirouette is one of six new yarns for Fall 2011. Mohair has long been a staple here at Classic Elite, starting with our first yarn made right here in Lowell, La Gran. Last fall, we introduced Giselle, a blend of kid mohair, wool and nylon. This fall, we're debuting something a little different...Pirouette is a surprising blend of kid mohair, bamboo and nylon. Two of the things that attract me to bamboo are its drape and that little hint of shine (see Vail, Wool Bam Boo and Cotton Bam Boo for more bamboo blends from CEY) and this yarn has both.

Cellulose fibers, synthetic or natural, are often used in conjunction with mohair to give it strength, and using bamboo is an inspired choice, making the perfect substitute for mohair-silk blends at a much more attractive price. The resulting yarn is strong, decadently soft, lustrous, and versatile, and the color spectrum ranges from soft neutrals to vibrant jewel tones.

You will find Pirouette in two pattern booklets this season; the first is the dedicated booklet by the same name. These six designs are knit in single, double and triple strands, sometimes combining effects in the same garment. There are two cardigans, a cowl neck pullover, a top that can be worn with the opening in the front or in the back, a striped scarf, and a cowl with a multicolored look achieved by knitting three strands of different colors together. Clockwise from top left, the garments are Arabesque, Glissade, Attitude, Waltz, Plie, and Fondu.

The second booklet featuring Pirouette is Panache, a collection of scarves, shawls and wraps in five yarns. The idea behind Panache is to illustrate how the same design can look completely different when worked at a different gauge or in a different fiber. Pirouette is used in three of the four designs, from left to right, Glamour, Grace, and Flair.

Hopefully one of these projects will inspire you to pick up a ball of Pirouette and cast on!

Meet Snuzy! (aka Cheryl)

Cheryl is a member of our Classic Elite team and works at the Hub Mills Store, our little outlet store here in Lowell. A big joke around the office is that Cheryl completes a sweater weekly in time for Thursday Knit Night. It seems like there's always something new to block, photograph or ogle! Since I'm fascinated by how prolific she is, I thought you would be too, and asked her to write about it.

Chelsea has asked me to do a guest blog about my sweaters. She and several other people seem to think I have an excessive amount. So I checked my Ravelry page—(I’m Snuzy on Ravelry). Out of my 140 projects, 62 are adult size sweaters, coats, and tanks. (Please don’t tell my mom—she thinks I have 40 and says I don’t need anymore. Obviously she is not a knitter)

33 out of the 62 use Classic Elite Yarns. 13 use CEY patterns too. Disclaimer—I work in yarn retail and am surrounded by beautiful yarns every day. And yes, I am very lucky to have this job, but there are bad things about it too. I get to see and often try on the sweaters that will be in the next season’s pattern books. And I barely have those patterns in the store when the following season’s models are floating around the office. So right now I’m working on Western in CEY Avenue in carnation from the new fall line (update: Cheryl was wearing her Western yesterday at work. Man, she can knit fast!). I have picked a color of Pirouette to make Arabesque. Others on my Must Make list from the fall line include Afternoon Light in Kumara, Oblique in a pretty rose colored Princess, Nikko in Portland Tweed, Pinnacle in Vista, and Peinture in Inca Alpaca (which I haven’t used yet and I’m really looking forward to). So will I have time to finish all of these before the spring line is out?—and from what I’ve seen so far, spring is going to be a beauty too!

So, how do I pick a favorite sweater to talk about? That’s kind of like picking a favorite child—except picking a favorite child is easier. This past spring I’d have to say Honeysuckle in Firefly was my favorite. It was my first time using Firefly and won’t be my last. (There is a dress pattern on Ravelry that will be out soon using Firefly, and I think I’m going to have to make it.) Honeysuckle is the perfect sweater for knitters who hate seaming. The only sewing was the buttons. I actually like seaming, but this sweater was love at first sight when it appeared at the Classic Elite office. Honeysuckle is top down, raglan, and the shaping is built right into the charts so you don’t have to worry about eliminating yarnovers as you decrease. My biggest problem with this pattern was picking a color. They are all beautiful!

Of the remaining sweaters in my projects, about 20 more use Classic Elite Yarns for independent designs—quite a few from Twist Collective. I’m supposed to start Twinings from the new Twist Collective in Magnolia next week. But I’m trying to finish at least one of the three on my needles right now before then. And I think Vista would be perfect for Crane Creek. I’m definitely going to have to increase my usual 2 sweaters/month output to get to all of the sweaters I have to make.

So you can see that although I have an enviable job, it isn’t easy keeping up with the prolific designers and yarn selectors at CEY. If I could only grow a few extra pairs of hands or at least knit in my sleep, life would be easier. And of course, I have to thank my loving, patient, best husband ever who never complains about my knitting even though dishes are in the sink and we had leftovers again for dinner.

Happy Knitting
Cheryl

Ysolda Review and Giveaway!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for something completely amazing*.

Look what I saw just sitting on one of our tables at TNNA in June.

Dropped off by a mystery person who disappeared as quickly as she appeared. Luckily, there was an inscription.

What a most lovely surprise from the even lovelier Ysolda Teague! I would go so far as to say this book is indispensable for knitters.You will find the patterns you're accustomed to seeing from Ysolda--fashion forward, technically sound, and well written with a touch of whimsy. However, the meat and potatoes of this book is the educational first chapter entitled "Tools for Successful Sweaters".

Every word and picture in this chapter lends credence to the title. The chapter is broken into sections: selecting a yarn, swatching, taking measurements, choosing a size, creating a perfect fit, and blocking. Each section offers a wealth of information, accessible for beginners and relevant even for intermediate to advanced knitters. Tips are peppered throughout, from choosing the best yarn for intarsia work to measuring your body accurately to using dressmaking techniques to accommodate fuller bust sizes.

You'll find Classic Elite yarn modeled by the gorgeous Amanda Jarvis in the Angostura Vest. The introduction to the pattern has comprehensive construction and fitting notes, and the pattern is sized from a 30 inch bust up to a 60 inch one. The vest is knit in Chesapeake from the Verde Collection in the colorway Mephisto, a beautiful blue that almost reminds me of one of my favorite crayons, Cornflower Blue, only darker.

*Ysolda Teague and her fabulous team are collaborating with us on a giveaway! One lucky knitter will receive an autographed copy of Little Red in the City, a limited edition Little Red project bag, and enough Chesapeake to complete their very own Angostura vest! Simply head over to her blog, leave a comment on Ysolda's blog post saying how you would wear/style your own Angostura before August 15th, and then cross your fingers.

Scratch to reveal the eBook link. So clever!

Thank you, Ysolda!

Designer Interview: Cathy Payson

Sparrow in Seedling

Blue Heron in Seedling

Cathy Payson is a prolific knit designer who has been designing for Classic Elite for years. Search her name on Ravelry and you'll find almost 60 patterns, ranging from online publications to books and even to TV with her contribution to Knitting Daily TV. She is the designer behind Sparrow and Blue Heron, two patterns from our Seedling booklet, and was kind enough to chat with us about her career and design process.

How long have you been designing?
I designed my first sweater over 20 years ago.


How did you get started?
I learned to knit while in college and after one lesson was completely addicted. I took every knitting book I could find out of the library and tried to teach myself whatever I could. Luckily the student who taught me to knit was kind enough to never say no when I asked for help, so I could easily move along in my projects. A few years after college I went to work for Aarlan Yarns and started to learn about the handknitting industry. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to work at a couple of yarn companies (Classic Elite and Reynolds Yarns) and in knitwear design for a women’s apparel company.

Bateau Mittens in Inca Alpaca from Booklet 9121, Wharf

What's the first piece you ever designed?
Actually I designed my first sweater while working for CEY! I dug the leaflet out of my archives and it’s pattern #282 – called “The Perfect First Knitting Project”. It is a pretty easy v-neck pullover vest with a chunky cable up the center front. I think it was during my first season at CEY and was in a great yarn called Applause.

The Perfect First Knitting Project, available on Patternfish!

What pieces did you design in the Spring Collection?
I did two pieces in Seedling – I love that yarn and all the yarns in the Verde Collection. One is the hooded capelet Blue Heron and the other is a cabled necklace called Sparrow.


What is the timeline for one of your designs, from swatch to pattern to sample?
It varies and every project is different. I think ideally it’s great to have 3-4 weeks to work from beginning to end but that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes a yarn is late coming in from a mill and/or photo shoot dates are imminent so you’re given just a very short time to complete a project. You just have to be flexible and work with what you get but basically it’s sketch, swatch, write and size the pattern, knit.

Princess Mixed Rib Turtleneck from #9084 Uptown Knitting

Do you use test knitters?
Not usually. I’m sort of the chief cook and bottle washer, doing much of my knitting myself. I like to write and size a pattern first before knitting the sample. That way I sort of test the pattern myself and can edit as I go along.

Unisex Seed Stitch Pullover from #9074 Essentials

What is your "design process"?
I’m not sure if I really have a process but I think in a nutshell I always keep my ears and eyes wide open. You never know when an idea will come to you or where it will come from. I am equally inspired by home magazines as I am fashion magazines and always am looking online for trends and what’s going on in the world. I don’t think that we need to necessarily be on the cutting edge of fashion in the handknitting industry but it’s always good to see what’s out there and what may be applicable. I try to design more timeless pieces that will be challenging enough for a veteran knitter but also accessible for a novice knitter too – the main goal being to end up with very wearable pieces.

Two, Two Cabled Pullover from #9061 Beginnings

Where do you do your design work? What does your "creative space" look like?
This photo is of my workspace. But nothing beats my favorite place to knit, which is in a cozy corner of our couch. It’s a sectional with one corner which is the exact right spot to sit and knit.

What is your favorite piece you designed for the Spring Collection? What was your inspiration?
I’d have to say Blue Heron, the hooded capelet. It’s sometimes hard to think of accessories to do for the spring season but I had seen a photo of a suede hooded capelet. It looked like it was something you’d want to throw on over everything but it was a woven piece. I thought it would be a good idea to make it into a spring accessory in a cozy yarn – for a chilly night or even over a bathing suit at the beach.

Free Pattern! Knitterly Cowl

This week's Web Letter features a free pattern for a long ribbed cowl knit in Firefly and Soft Linen. However, the version you see photographed is not the original, this pattern had many other incarnations! This cowl knits up beautifully in almost any combination of yarns--the key is to mix different textures and colors to come up with something unique and eye catching. If you, like me, have trouble pairing colors or feel overwhelmed by all the choices, we've put together some sample color combinations for you to choose from. Which one is your favorite?

Ariosa and Montera

Montera 3820 Ariosa 4857 Montera 3829 Ariosa 4803	Montera 3830 Ariosa 4855 Montera 3849 Ariosa 4827	Montera 3843 Ariosa 4847 Montera 3849 Ariosa 4809	Montera 3817 Ariosa 4848 Montera 3859 Ariosa 4836

Firefly and Soft Linen

Soft Linen 2254 Firefly 7754 Soft Linen 2203 Firefly 7777	Soft Linen 2281 Firefly 7757 Soft Linen 2248 Firefly 7746	Soft Linen 2885 Firefly 7789 Soft Linen 2275 Firefly 7766	Soft Linen 2205 Firefly 7755 Soft Linen 2238 Firefly 7795

Lush, Kumara, Princess and Magnolia

Lush 4457 Kumara 5795 Princess 3432 Magnolia 5457	Lush 4467 Kumara 5792 Princess 3428 Magnolia 5475	Lush 4432 Kumara 5719 Princess 3432 Magnolia 5420	Lush 4490 Kumara 5721 Princess 3409 Magnolia 5435

Swatching Magnolia

Magnolia, a new Fall yarn in 70% merino wool and 30% silk, has been calling my name since I first felt its soft, shiny goodness at our Webs trunk show. Its versatile DK gauge and palette of delicate feminine hues suggest dressier garments and accessories, and its excellent stitch definition begs for lacework.

Since seeing a friend's Rambling Rose cardigan, an unusual fitted cardi with a large-scale lace motif from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 by Laura Zukaite, I've been fiddling with the idea of making one. I had a ball of Magnolia at home and thought, "Why not?"

Tell me what you think...

For the first time in the HISTORY of Classic Elite!!!

Classic Elite Yarns is, for the first time EVER, making current season patterns available for digital download online! With the explosion of digital resources available to crafters (blogs, websites, YouTube, and the now-indispensable Ravelry...), we are used to information at our fingertips. Traditionally, our current season patterns have only been available to those who have booklets in hand, but you have asked for instant access and we are delivering!

Have you heard of Patternfish? It's a third party website that sells patterns to knitters and crocheters around the world to buy and download! Patternfish takes no advertising, has no editorial voice, and is fully invested in their mission to digitize and make available all the patterns they possibly can, even including print patterns from predigital days...

These are not the first Classic Elite patterns on Patternfish... Many of our older patterns, most of which are now out of print, have been digitized and are available for purchase. A search for Classic Elite as the publisher yields almost 500 patterns, sortable by gauge, size, knit style, category or difficulty level. You can even specify "No Seaming"! You'll find designs from Kristin Nicholas, Norah Gaughan, Annie Modesitt, Margery Winter, and our very own Susan Mills, now creative director of Classic Elite! You'll even see a few shots of a young, stunning Uma Thurman, 17 year old knit model...

Six of our Fall 2010 patterns are now available on Patternfish for download, which means you can keep them forever and ever and ever (spoken like a true product of the digital age...)

Corona in Giselle

Spinnaker in Inca Alpaca

Birch Leaf in Montera

Haven in Wool Bam Boo

Boxcar in La Gran

Encore in Fresco

The format of the downloadable patterns is our new and improved layout, featured in the blog just a few days ago. You'll see bigger text, bigger charts and schematics, wider columns and more pictures. Visit the e-Patterns page on our website to download one today, and don't forget to browse our classic patterns at Patternfish!

Webs! Part 2

Ok. Where were we? Oh yeah, The Magic Sweater... Here she is--Elizabeth, the side-to-side cardigan!

And the best part is? She looked good on everybody...

The women above are all different heights, weights, and body shapes, and the sweater looked dynamite on all of them. I even tried it on myself (and I wish I had a picture, but alas, thus is the onus of the photographer.) Here's the thing, I'm almost 6 feet tall and a size 12, this sample is the smallest size published in the pattern!

We couldn't quite figure it out, but I think its the 1x1 rib that comprises much of the sweater, it looks like stockinette, but has incredible stretch, thus making its wearer look thinner. The stripes also contribute to the lengthening effect. The back is constructed side to side, and there is a gathering right at the lower back, taking in the fabric and giving it a tailored look. I love this sweater! It was designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald (you rock!) and knit in the star of the show, Liberty Wool Print. I'm casting this on in a solid as soon as I get the yarn, and will be sure to post some pics!

This scarf is also Liberty Print, done in mitered squares in just one color of the Liberty Print! This one got ALOT of oohs and aahs...It was designed by our very own Andi Clark, you might remember her beautiful napkin edging for the staff Allegoro project?

The crowd was very engaged, asking questions and fondling all the garments, getting a sense of the feel of our yarns.

That last young lady is feeling Jared Flood's Cinder in Ariosa. The green hooded sweater is Connie Chang Chinchio's Alley Cat also in Ariosa, and the red sweater is Cecily's Dayspring. The lovely and gracious model is Cara of WEBS. Some people just wanted to try it all on--why not all at once? Who is this mystery woman? It's Melissa LaBarre!

Check out the crowd. Who is that blonde? Why, it's the woman who taught me how to knit! Thanks, Amy!

We also had giveaways! WEBS is so generous and always gives something away at their events. This time there were gift certificates! And Betsy brought along a kit to make our beautiful vest, Forest, in Woodland, including the pattern book and all the necessary yarn. You can see the vest on the left below. Congratulations, Miss Martha!

Altogether, an amazing time was had by all! There were refreshments, modeling, giggling, picture-taking, girl talk, and inspiration for all. I wish you could have all been there. The garments are traveling out to trunk shows all over the US, perhaps to a LYS near you?

I have tons of pictures! Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see a slideshow...Thanks for reading!