On the Needles :: Rock Island Shawl

This beautiful lace border seems like it will never end. Back and forth it goes, growing longer and longer by the day. Eventually it will become the frame for an even more stunning shawl. Eventually.

There seems to be a tipping point in every project where you feel like you’re making zero progress daily, and then all of a sudden you’ve knit way more than you realized. The challenge is keeping that in mind as you slog along. To enjoy the process, the feel of the yarn as it slides through your fingers, the joy of making something from nothing.

Do you have projects that seem to drag on for ever and ever? Let us know how you cope in the comments below.

Remember to make today amazing!

xo

The Stash Enhancers

Summer Stitching

Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Lace :: 50% merino 50% silk

Be Sweet Cotton Candy :: 100% cotton

Blue Ridge Yarns Shimmer Lace :: 100% silk

“I don’t knit during the summer.”

“It’s too hot.”

“I just don’t have the time.”

“Who wants to work with wool when it’s warm outside?”

We’ve all either heard or said something like this, haven’t we?  Stitching in the summer is one of those subjects that seems to be a dividing moment between knitters and crocheters.  Some of us are happy to pick up and put down our yarn throughout the year, happily working on a project when the mood strikes.  Some of us need knitting like we need food, and are literally incapable of letting more than a few days pass without yarn in our hands.

Cozette :: 62% silk, 30% cotton, 8% poly

Regardless of your approach, we’re here to tell you that it’s okay.  It’s okay not to play with yarn in the summer.  It’s okay to knit a heavy wool sweater in anticipation of cooler weather.  It’s okay to play with wool, silk, bamboo, cotton, and linen any time and anywhere (well, maybe not on an exam table or while riding a horse, but that’s up to you).

Shibui Linen :: 100% linen

Twisted Sisters Essential :: 60% hemp, 40% silk

Riveting :: 100% recycled cotton

If you’re looking for some new temptations for summer stitching, something that won’t be too hot or heavy, we’ve got options.  Crisp linen, cool cotton, textured hemp, and luxurious silk yarns are on the shelves, shimmering with promise.

The promise of what they could become in your pretty little hands.

As the weather warms up in Oregon, we Stash Enhancers are dreaming of cotton blend tees, silk shawls, cashmere socks, and (gasp!)getting a head start on holiday knitting. There’s even been talk of planning new sweaters for fall!

What does summer mean for your project basket?  Does it lie dormant, waiting for cooler weather? Or are your hooks & needles just as busy as ever?

 Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Featured Yarn :: Kenzie

We have a fun new yarn at the shop! Introducing Kenzie by HiKoo, a versatile yet luxurious blend of New Zealand merino, nylon, angora, alpaca, and silk noils.

The yarn is part workhorse wool, part luxurious icing on the cake. It knits up easily into a versatile fabric, which will be easy to wear in hats, scarves, and sweaters alike. We are smitten with the playful flecks of silk that pop out of the semisolid colors. Fun and classic at the same time.

A lovely trio of Free patterns accompanies this new yarn.  Sonia couldn’t resist the allure of combining two fun colors into a Tayberry Hat by Cirilia Rose.

With 10 great colors to choose from, it was hard to pick just 2.  Teal and orange rose to the top this time.  There may be more than one hat in our future…

Which pattern will you knit first?

FO Friday: Robin

Our newest shop sample is a perfect pairing of yarn and pattern: Knitted Wit’s Welterweight Rambouillet &  Lee Meredith’s Robin. It’s no surprise that we’re huge fans of Lee’s innovative patterns and Lorajean’s unique and beautiful yarns, and the marriage of these two makes for one amazing shawl!

One of my favorite things about Robin (besides the incredibly fun and addicting short rows!), is that it’s designed so you can finish the shawl at virtually any point to maximize your available yardage. I was able to make the most of my 350 yard skeins and knit until I was almost out of the Raspberry Milkshake color. There is also a 3-color option available and Robin can be knit with any gauge yarn.

The Knitted Wit Welterweight Rambouillet is sport-weight yarn that comes in skeins with 350 yards and dyed in Lorajean’s vibrant colors, which are perfect for spring. So what exactly is Rambouillet, anyways? Rambouillet is a breed of sheep whose wool has a wonderfully springy crimp that creates a soft, squishy fabric perfect for wrapping around your neck. It’s excellent for garments and accessories worn next to the skin and the Knitted Wit Rambouillet has a great texture that is just perfect for squishy garter stitch knits.

Stop by the shop to squish the new sample and play with the gorgeous colors to come up with your own unique color combo!

Featured Dyer:: Anzula

Today we are pleased to feature one of our shop favorites, indie dyer Anzula.  Inspired by their upcoming visit to Stash (read on for details), we wanted to take a moment to bask in Anzula’s broad array of colors and get inspired by the story behind the yarn.

Anzula specializes in bringing you luxury fibers. You will find beautifully hand dyed and yarns and spinning fibers carefully selected from the best sources in the world. They are passionate about the crafts of knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning their yarns into heirloom works of art to be cherished for a lifetime.

Stash: Can you tell us a little bit more about how Anzula was founded? Sabrina, what inspired you to take the leap into dying yarn as a business?

Anzula: Anzula grew from a hobby, from owner Sabrina Famellos’ love of crocheting and spinning.  She started selling crocheted accessories and handspun yarn at farmers market, and in a yarn shop and a record shop. She then started dyeing the fiber she spun. She spent a couple of years focusing on her career teaching massage, and when the economic downturn came in 2008 and she was laid off, she jumped into dyeing and got a booth at Stitches West selling hand-dyed yarn. It was well received, so she did Stitches South and Sock Summit that year. Encouraged by the interest, she signed up for a booth at TNNA and the yarn was picked up by 14 new shops.

Stash: How do you come up with color stories and choose such interesting base yarns?

Anzula: The colorways that Sabrina creates come from her experience. From snapshots, mood boards, or recollections, she recreates ideas in the fiber. When creating the yarns and fiber, the focus is always on creating an heirloom quality product. She chooses only bases that she would knit with herself, and she also keeps an eye out for special blends.

Stash:  At Stash we believe happiness is living in the potential–what a yarn could become, what a color can make someone feel.  How do you find happiness in the potential?

Anzula:  Potential is Anzula’s playground. Our warehouse is located in downtown Fresno, so our neighborhood itself is full of potential. The team always knows what our goals are, both as individuals and as a company, and we are very aware of what we are capable of achieving. This focus on productivity and goals actually allows us plenty of room for a positive, fun environment, and allows us to bring a lot of joy to our jobs.

Help us celebrate and support Anzula this Friday for their special trunk show event at Stash.

Trunk Show Event Friday 4/26, 11am -2pm

We’re also kicking off our next Crochet & Knit-Along with their yarns on May 1st, so this is the perfect time to see, feel, and experience new colors, bases, and samples in person.  Anyone is welcome to join in the Anzula-Along; simply pop into our Ravelry group to get in on the conversation!

Now it’s your turn to share!  

What is your favorite yarn or color from Anzula? Let us know in the comments below.

If you liked this post, be sure to share it with your friends by clicking the social media icons below this post so we can spread the Stash love.

See you Friday!

 

Places to Knit…in Corvallis

We made our first You Tube video!

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xo

The Stash Enhancers

Going Vogue :: Our Trip to Seattle

Both our moms came to help us for the weekend

Anna Hrachovec’s Teeny-Tiny Gnomies

Susan B. Anderson’s Topsy Turvy inside-out toys

Jane Richmond stopped by to say hi!

and tried on Liz’s Arbutus knit in Anzula Oasis

Rebecca Danger came to pick up some special books

My mind is still abuzz with memories of all the sights, sounds, textures, faces, and handknits we encountered over the weekend. Vogue Knitting LIVE  Seattle was a truly special event, both for Stash as a shop and for Liz and I as knitters.

Can you imagine anything better than being in a room full of yarn, knitters, and handknits? It was beyond inspiring; we felt like we were with our People, that sacred tribe of wonderful wool-lovers who understand this life we live beyond hobby that we call Knitting.

Our booth was a blast to set up, and we had fun watching people react to it all weekend long. Knitters of all kinds made their way to our booth, and we were lucky enough to have a few of our favorite designers, podcasters, and yarn dyers visit too.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to come say hello and check out our wares. We love you!

And an extra-special thank you to our vendors who were game enough to pose for these photos during a busy weekend.

Wendee Shulsen of Hazel Knits

Saremy Duffy of Chicken Boots

Kate + Rachel of Spincyle Yarns

The beautiful team at Churchmouse Yarns + Teas with Jared Flood

Were you at VKLive? What was your favorite part of the experience?  Please let us know what you loved about the event in the comments below!