Sunburst Shawl

Every season there is one pattern that breaks out from the pack. The thing that everyone wants to knit. And this season, the piece to knit is the Sunburst Shawl by Rachel Henry in Soft Linen (available in the booklet Meadow Melody or on Ravelry.)

The shawl is a two color lace sampler triangle worked from the bottom edge to the center point (so your rows get shorter and shorter as you go – which also means faster and faster!)  It has a soft delicate vintage vibe that is so popular right now.

Soft Linen is a linen, wool and alpaca blend. The wool in the Soft Linen gives it a nice drape, while the alpaca gives it a touch of warmth and a halo that makes the shawl a great three season piece. Throw it on over your outfit on chilly spring mornings or to keep warm in the chilly A/C world that we live in during the summer months. And it's still appropriate for those fall days when you don’t quite want to admit that winter is coming.

Rachel knit the sample in Winter Pear and Titian Blue. But what if you want to try something a little different? We put our creative minds together to come up with a few other color combos that you might want to try. Using the magic of Photoshop, and a talented Graphic Designer, we are able to preview them for you.

The first color combo is Linen and Celadon. It still has a similar antique feeling, but is a little less scary for those who aren't as comfortable mixing colors.

We also paired the Linen with Titian Blue, which is a beautiful colorway.

The Botticelli Pink with the Linen is a soft color combo with a hint of girlishness. 

The blue/green color combo of the Deep Cornflower Blue and New Fern is reminiscent of the original shawl, but with a little kick.

Looking for some other combos? Maybe something a little bolder, or darker? Here are a few suggestions:

 From Left to right: Blue Grotto and Inca Gold, Blue Grotto and Titian Blue, Blue Grotto and Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Blue and Tangerine, New Fern and Deep Twilight, Kentucky Blue and Turk Red, Turk Red and Deep Twilight, Loden Green and Smokey Rose, and Kentucky Blue and Loden Green.

The shawl would also be a classic wardrobe stable knit in one color, shown here in Titian Blue:

I know you can’t wait to cast on! You can buy the pattern on Ravelry here or at your LYS. View all the colors of Soft Linen here.

New Patterns in CEY Yarns!

Like most knitters, I can’t wait to see the newest issues of knitting magazines. I have been known to stalk my local bookstore and LYS to glimpse the newest issues. I may have even visited multiple locations to see who gets the new issues first.

When the newest issue of Knitscence came across my desk, I put everything aside to page through it. I noticed there were a few items knit from Classic Elite Yarns and I wanted to share them with you.

First up is the Morning Glory Mitts & Tam set from Catherine Shields. Catherine used MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino. The set features a cable and lace pattern that reminds me of the first buds of spring, pretty and delicate.

The twist of the Naturally Soft Merino is a perfect fit for this pattern. The twist and spring of the yarn allows the pattern to pop, while the warmth of the merino will keep you toasty from these last days of winter to the first chilly days of spring.

I always have a special place in my knitting queue for cardigans. And no exception to this is the Smokey Rose Cardigan by Maria Leigh. Knit in Soft Linen, this cardigan is a great layering piece that can be worn from early spring into late fall. And Soft Linen comes in so many great colorways, there is something that is sure to catch you eye.

Knit in one piece from the bottom-up, the simple cardigan features a flower stitch on the yoke that is accented by small buttons - clever!

All of these patterns are making me think about spring knitting - I foresee my WIP list growing.

Check with your local LYS to check out the newest issue of Knitscene.

Photos courtesy of Interweave Press, Nathan Rega, photographer.

How to...Knit Pleats

Andi Clark's Comet sweater is the perfect transitional piece. Knit in Soft Linen, it features lace panels on the bodice, a cute seed stitch and lace collar, and kicky pleats flowing from an empire waist. The yarn is transitional too, combining wool, linen and baby alpaca in almost equal proportions in what Clara Parkes called "a perfect example of a smart fiber blend.".

The pleats are cleverly constructed, and when my coworker Cheryl suggested we do a blog post about it after puzzling through the instructions on her own, I thought it was a great idea!

Supplies: 2 DPN's, US 6, and your knitting (obviously).

1. Knit to within four stitches of your reverse stockinette section. Slip these four knit stitches to one DPN and hold in the front. Slip the next four purl stitches to the other DPN and rotate the needle clockwise.

2. Hold all the needles together and knit 3 together, one stitch from each needle, 4 times.

3. To make your left pleat, slip the next four stitches to a DPN and hold in the back. Slip the next 4 purl stitches to a second DPN.

Rotate it counterclockwise so that the RS is facing the stitches on the first DPN. Knit 3 together, one stitch from each needle, 4 times.

Voila! It's almost like you're folding it in on itself and "sewing" it together. Happy knitting!

What's on your Spring Queue?

Memorial Day is almost upon us, which means summer has almost (unofficially) begun! I hope that doesn't mean your needles and hooks are collecting dust...On my queue? Tremont by Talitha Kuomi in a to-be-determined palette of Provence, Fairfax (scroll down for the link) from Twist Collective in Brass Button, my hands-down favorite Solstice color, and the Emily Shawl in Firefly in the Mermaid colorway. Let me know what you're knitting in the comments or share it with our Ravelry group! 

In the meantime, Classic Elite yarns are popping up in all my favorite magazines. See anything that catches your eye?

Vogue Crochet 2012 (Special Edition)

Circle Jacket, designed by Cristina Mershon, knit in Classic Elite Yarns Fresco and Pirouette; 8 (10, 13) hanks of Fresco in #5353 Strawberry and 4 (5, 7) balls of Pirouette in #4058 Alizarin. Photo by Rose Callahan.


Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2012

Slit Shoulder Top, designed by Margaux Hufnagel in Classic Elite Yarns Seedling; 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5) hanks in #4575 summer rain(gray), 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3) hanks each in #4501 Summer Cloud (white), #4581 Mint (green), and #4546 Glacier (blue). Photo by Rose Callahan.

Cap Sleeve Top, designed by Twinkle in Twinkle Handknits/Classic Elite Yarns Cruise; 9 (10, 11, 12) skeins in #35 Mint. Photo by Paul Amato for LVARepresents.com.


Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2012

Striped Boat-neck Sweater, designed by Mari Lynn Patrick in Classic Elite Yarns Provence; 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 5) hanks in #2601 bleached white, 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3) hanks in #2650 New Moon. Photo by Rose Callahan.

I-cord Necklace, designed by Michele Muska in Classic Elite Yarns Chesapeake; 2 balls in #5919 carnation and small amounts each in #5955 Shanghai Red and #5925 Tokyo Rose. Photo by Rose Callahan.

Picot Trim Dress, designed by Jil Eaton in Jil Eaton/Classic Elite Yarns CottonTail; 4 (5, 6, 7, 9) hanks in #7554 Lavender, 1 hank in #7520 Aqua. Photo by Paul Amato for LVARepresents.com.

Interweave Knits, Summer 2012

Hana Shell by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud in Classic Elite Yarns Soft Linen:, 5 (6, 7, 8, 8) balls in #2256 Lavender. Photo by Carmel Zucker.


Knitscene Summer 2012

Robin Tank by Amy Christoffers, designed in Classic Elite Yarns Firefly; 4 (4, 5, 5, 5, 6) skeins of #7789 Pink Petunia. Photo by Nathan Rega, Harper Point Photography.

Merida Pullover by Talitha Kuomi, designed in Classic Elite Yarns Solstice; 6 (7, 7, 8, 10, 11, 11) skeins and #2338 Pine Cone, 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6) skeins of #2358 Geranium. Photo by Nathan Rega, Harper Point Photography.


Twist Collective, Spring 2012

Fairfax, designed by Tanis Gray in Classic Elite Yarns Solstice; 9 (10, 12, 13, 14, 15) skeins in #2332 Magenta. Photo by Jane Heller.

Knitty, Spring 2012

Petal designed by Heather Hoefle in Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo; 7, 8, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 skeins in #136 Mulberry.

Interweave Knitting Lab!

Did you go? Did you have fun? We had an amazing time!

If you have any pictures of your own, head over to our Facebook page and post them on our wall, we would love to see them. (Most of these pictures were taken with an iPhone, please excuse the quality!)

Setup at shows is ALOT of work!

The tasting area

We brought along Liberty Wool Print, Avenue, and Soft Linen.

People were excited to try Signature needles! We also had free patterns and ruler bookmarks.

We made 108" long (!!) scarves in Liberty Wool to be auctioned off.

Another auction prize: a bag of Avenue, booklet 9145, and a set of US6 Signature needles

A happy knitter and her haul of Alpaca Sox

The winner of our giveaway yarn grab bag, and her gorgeous Silky Alpaca Lace shawlette

Slow down, knitters! A speed bump a la Interweave

Nine Rubies in San Mateo brought along some Liberty Print. If you're looking for it, they've got it!

Tasting some yarn with Signature needles at the Classic Elite Yarns table

We can't wait for next October. See you in Manchester, Interweave!

CEY and Signature Needles, Together!

 

This has been a great year for knitting events. One particularly exciting one that's approaching is Interweave's Knitting Lab! As knitting creeps deeper into the public consciousness, knitters are becoming more and more advanced and their hunger for intermediate to experienced-level knowledge grows. Interweave responded with Knitting Lab, an event with shopping, classes, lectures, and special events, all catering to the inquisitive, post-beginner fiber enthusiast...and Classic Elite will be there!

Heather, our sales manager, will be walking the floor and checking out all the CEY knits out there (if you didn't catch the blog post on Friday, we are giving away a $75 gift basket to a lucky knitter wearing CEY). You can probably catch her by the yarn tasting area, where you'll have a chance to knit some luscious fibers with some fabulous needles!

This year, we are thrilled to be bringing along Soft Linen, Avenue and Liberty Print to the show floor.

Soft Linen is a blend of fibers that can only be described as perfect: 35% Linen, 35% Wool, and 30% Baby Alpaca. I love the crispness of bast fibers (linen, hemp, nettles, etc.) but find them to be hard on my hands. Soft Linen combines that crispness with the softness and drape of baby alpaca, and the insulating qualities of wool.

Avenue is a new yarn for Fall 2011, and, as the name suggests, it imparts a city feel. Not particularly "woolly", Avenue is a marled fiber in eight sophisticated colors made up of 42% extrafine merino, 29% silk, and 29% viscose. It is soft and knits up into a unique fabric that is perfect for simple silhouettes that benefit from a fabric with plenty of drape. Try it out, you might like it!

What can we say about Liberty Print besides that it's fabulous! The color shifts, the springy ply, the machine-washability without the weird squeakiness of "superwash"! Contributing to Liberty's buttery feel is a secret process that renders it machine-washable but helps it retain its soft woolliness. It can be difficult to see the spectacular colors without knitting a swatch, so we thought this would be a great yarn to bring along.

At this event, Classic Elite Yarns has a partner! Signature Needle Arts, cult producers of precision-crafted, lightweight aluminum needles, have generously provided us with needles for the tasting area! The opportunities to use these stunning needles are so rare, and their following so devoted that this is a must-visit if in San Mateo area. 

For updates from Knitting Lab, whether you're there or following along from home, follow us on Twitter at @ceyarns. See you there!