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.

Solstice in the new Twist Collective!

As someone who works in the yarn business, I eagerly await knitting magazines so I can see how designers are using Classic Elite yarns. But as a knitter, I really look forward to them so I can fill up my queue! I LOVE the piece from Tanis Gray in Solstice, Fairfax. (All pictures courtesy of Twist Collective, photos by Jane Heller)

She must be a fan of Solstice...remember the Lodi Cardigan and our office knitalong? (I would love to do another one, if any CEYarnies are reading this...ahem, ahem)

If you haven't tried Solstice, you have to get your hands on some. I admit that I was unconvinced of how devoted I could be to a wool and cotton blend, but I was thoroughly seduced. Bright, rich colors, a perfect and bouncy ply, and a hand that feels very woolly indeed. And for a gal who despises weaving in ends, it will even spit-felt for you.

Did I mention it's organic? With Earth Day coming this Sunday, what better time is there to try it out in one of these glorious colors?

I'm not the only one who loves Tanis Gray...learn a little more about her on Kristin Nicholas's fabulous blog, Getting Stitched on the Farm. She did a great interview there to promote her new book Capitol Knits.

Happy knitting!

Lodi Office Knit-a-Long!

It's not often that one pattern lands on more than a few queues in the office. With our own gorgeous patterns to choose from, and so many fabulous indie designs in the knitosphere, it just seems that we never meet in the same spot. Then there was the Lodi cardigan.

You might remember this little cardigan designed by Tanis Gray and knit in Solstice, from the Summer issue of Knitscene. As soon as I saw it, I knew it had to be mine. I do so love a tiny cardigan, often to my detriment, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, one thing led to another and before we knew it, it was on the needles of eight women in our office! Experiences were mixed, from love for the stylish simplicity of the design, to difficulty with the grading, to a newfound appreciation for the wool-organic cotton blend we were all suddenly knitting in.

Solstice is from our Verde Collection, and comes in twenty vibrant colors. The cotton component keeps the stitches crisp and clear, provides structure, and allows the finished garment to breathe. Super soft merino wool adds warmth, drape, and helps pieces hold their shape. I truly dislike weaving in ends, so I was especially pleased to learn that it can be spit-spliced (or "magic-spliced" if the thought of spitting in your yarn is especially unpleasant for you).

What, people don't dress alike at your office?

For those with a larger bust, take heed of your shaping! The eyelet raglan shoulders MUST be increased with each right side row, so while increasing bust size you also increase the arm size! Many who were knitting above a 38" bust had trouble with arms being too large, and remedied it in a variety of ways.

Heather (in the Azalea colorway) merely picked up stitches instead of casting on in the armpit, and knit the sleeves flat, taking in stitches in the armpit. Meg, in the Brass Button colorway, swatched carefully and recalculated the distribution of the fronts and arms. I made mine as is, but wondered in retrospect if you could pair each eyelet increase with a decrease in the armpit area--an unproven theory, but I wonder if it would work? What are your tried-and-true fitting techniques?