Vintage Knits Update

I think we are becoming obsessed with sock yarns! We already carry 11 different sock yarns. I did not realize we had that many sock yarns until I counted them. Now, we have added two more to the website, and still have two additional sock yarns to unpack and photograph. By the way, we are ordering yet another sock yarn next week.

So, what’s new?

With Summer right around the corner, we thought it would be nice to bring in a sock yarn that does not have any wool in it. Many people live in warmer climates, and were asking for other sock alternatives. Crystal Palace’s Panda Cotton fits that category perfectly. It is also a good choice for people who are allergic to wool.

Panda Cotton is comprised of 55% bamboo, 24% cotton, and 21% elastic nylon. This interesting fiber mix works very well for socks and children’s clothing. The bamboo has a wonderful feel and luster, the cotton adds a soft core, and the elastic nylon helps to retain the shape of your socks.

This early spring sock pattern, is made in Panda Cotton. The pattern is free and can be found on Crystal Palaces’ website.

Here is a design using Panda Cotton in a darling child’s dress. This “chick dress” pattern is also free, and can be found on Crystal Palaces’ website.

We have a great deal of variegated sock yarns at Vintage Knits Wool Shoppe, so we decided to order the solid colors of Panda Cotton. Eleven solid colors are in stock. This yarn is on sale for $6.21 per skein. It normally retails for $6.90. Two skeins are needed for a pair of socks.

Our other new sock yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy. If you are on the internet at all, I am sure you have heard about this yarn. Everyone is talking about it. Smooshy is just that, very soft and squeezable. This 100% merino yarn is hand painted, and very unique. The dyers us a process called “veil dyeing.” The result is subtle shifts in color without any pooling.

Here is smooshy in selected colors:

Look at how nicely Smooshy knits up. Click on the photo for a larger view.

We started with their newest colors, the 400 series, and we will be adding more colors and their worsted weight yarn soon. Several patterns are also in stock. We will get them online as soon as possible. To order our new sock yarns, visit our online store.

For all you Noro Kureyon fans, I have the perfect way for you to use your stash. Or, entice you to purchase more Kureyon. I was looking on knitty.com last week, and came across a very unique pattern called the Lizard Ridge Afghan. What better way to show off your Kureyon, than to knit this beautiful afghan!

Here is another view of the afghan laying flat. We had to crop it a bit for it to fit. This afghan is breathtaking!

This version is made from short row striped blocks, with each block knit from one skein of Kureyon yarn. You will need 24 skeins of Kureyon to complete this multicolored afghan, along with yarn to sew the blocks together, and for optional edging. We suggest Ella Rae Classic for the edging and sewing.

What about people who are not fond of blocks, and sewing them together? Guess what, there is a second version of the Lizard Ridge Afghan. This version is knit with one color of Kureyon, and has long stripes. You need 20 skeins of Kureyon for this afghan, and a contrast solid color for the optional edging.

The Lizard Ridge Afghan pattern is free, and can be found at: www.knitty.com. We have a good variety of Kureyon for this project at our online store.

Just a quick update on our Poetry in Stitches Kits:

Well, the kits did make it out of customs in January, and they are all on the website now. We restocked all of the kits, and added a few new ones. These kit now include the single pattern, since the book Poetry in Stitches is out of print.

You may notice that the prices are a tab bit higher. This is due to the ever decreasing value of the U.S. dollar. When the value of the U.S. dollar goes down, it costs us more to import these kits. In addition to the outrageous currency exchange fees and customs charges that we had to pay.

Here are some of the new kits that we added this year:

As you know, we use to sell the WEBS interchangeable bamboo needle set, but that set was discontinued when WEBS lost their supplier. There really wasn’t another set on the market that was comparable to the WEBS set in terms of quality, etc.

Awhile back I received a packet of materials from the nice people at Accessories Unlimited telling me about new bamboo needles that they distribute. These needles are KA Knitting Needles, made by Kinki Amibari, which is the oldest manufacturer of bamboo knitting needles in Japan.

KA bamboo knitting needles are made from select Japanese bamboo giving them a lightweight and warm feeling. KA uses only two kinds of the finest, aged bamboo, which are superior in density, flexibility, color and gloss for their knitting needles. With the passing of time and use, the needles’ satin finish becomes even smoother.

We received a sample of the circular needles. The quality is excellent. These needles have nice points, are very smooth and have a flawless transition from cord to needle tips. The cord also rotates, so as not to become tangled. What I think you will like best about these needles is the price. They are priced much lower than similar bamboo knitting needles on the market.

Well, when can you expect to see these needles at our store? We should have most, if not all, of the KA individual bamboo needles in stock in May. We did order, site unseen, several of the KA exchangeable circular bamboo knitting needle sets, called KA Switch. The KA Switch sets sold really quickly, and last time I looked, we only had two sets in stock. Don’t worry, they will be reordered this week.

The KA Switch set has all of the great qualities that the WEBS set had, but more. More cables, more needle size/length combinations, and a better fabric case. While we loved the WEBS cases, these cases are nicer. Things stay in place better, due to the elastic strip and a fold over fabric flap that helps hold the needles in place, in addition to the velcro pocket for the cords that keep them secure.

The set includes 10 pairs of bamboo needle tips, size 5-15, and eight cords to create 39 different knitting needles sizes/lengths.

Here are photos of the KA needle set in the floral fabric pattern. Pictured from left to right is the fabric case closed and opened (click on the photo for a larger view):

The picture on the left shows the KA Switch kit with the case opened, and the fold over flap opened. The picture on the right shows the kit with the case opened, and the cords placed on top of the case.

Here is a picture of the pocket for the cords, and the optional cord set that can be purchased to expand the kit:

The Optional Cord Set (pictured above) can be used to expand your KA Bamboo Exchangeable Circular Needle Set and make single point flex needles! This optional cord set has two stopper sets and eight additional cords. The optional cord set retails for $21.00, and we sell it for $18.90. The KA Switch set retails for $99.00, and we sell it for $89.10. Both prices reflect a 10% savings off the normal retail price.

If you purchased the set from us, let us know what you think, write a review! For those looking to purchase the set, you can find it in the knitting needle section of our online store.