Meg's Rocky Pond

On one of my first days in the office at Classic Elite Yarns, I was given a sneak peek into the spring line. We weren't ready to introduce it to the world yet, but it was almost ready to show to yarns stores. There were so many things that I couldn't wait to put into my queue. One of which was Rocky Pond.

One of the women in our office was going to California in February and wanted to wear something hand knit.  She wanted something that was simple, not too boring to knit, and only about two weeks work from start to finish. Rocky Pond was a perfect choice! The lace pattern in the top is intuitive, and can be easily memorized, eliminating the need to look at a chart every few stitches.

Meg used Provence, a 100% Mercerized Cotton in a DK weight, in the color of the year – Emerald (the official Provence color name is Laurel).

I love the boat neck on this top, a flattering look for most women.

Knit in two pieces with minimal finishing, it was a quick knit for Meg. She managed to finish it in just under her deadline (I understand that she may have been weaving in ends on the plane and blocking in the hotel room, but she finished it before her event – which is all that really matters).

Now that spring is here – and hopefully to stay (fingers crossed) – I suspect that I'll be seeing this pretty top around the office quite a bit.

I have plans for my own Rocky Pond, but I'm planning on using Soft Linen. There is a lovely shade of green called New Fern that I can’t wait to cast on. I have a few things in my queue that I need to work on first (including my Sugar and Cream Lace Wrap for the Shawls,Wraps and Scarves Knit-Along that we will be starting shortly.), but I'm not sure if I can wait.

Are you planning on making a Rocky Pond top – or have you finished one already? We would love to see it!

Color Testing Provence

Swatching alternate colorways for an upcoming blog post...

Spring Outtake, Gatehouse

It's not all business at the photoshoot for Gatehouse, our Spring 2012 Provence booklet...

Friendship Bracelets from Purl Soho

Purl Soho recently posted a tutorial on how to make friendship bracelets on their blog at PurlBee. I used to love making friendship bracelets! Their post triggered an onslaught of summery memories for me: lazy afternoons in the crafts cabin at summer camp, DIY bubblegum-colored pedicures to show off in my flip-flops, and gooey s'mores and late night ghost stories under the stars.


Though these once epitomized the fierceness of my adolescent relationships, I love how they look on my adult self too--kind of bohemian and casual, perfect for wearing to the lake. How come I never thought of these fun stash-busters before?

What kinds of yarn work best for these fun macrame projects? Cotton is the perfect choice, though other cellulose fibers would work fine too. Cellulose fibers are those that are derived from plants (as opposed to protein fibers which come from animals). Do you have any scraps of these yarns laying around? All you need is 72 inches!

• Premiere 50% pima cotton, 50% tencel
• Cotton Bam Boo 52% cotton, 48% bamboo viscose
• Provence 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton
• Solstice 70% organic cotton, 30% merino wool

Head over to our Facebook page and show us what you came up with!