tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63885272351211541982024-03-14T00:44:21.656-05:00The Vermilion Bay Yarn CompanyA Blog by and for the friends of The Vermilion Bay Yarn Company in Lafayette, LouisianaJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.comBlogger430125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-5503425463717300862012-07-19T10:11:00.003-05:002012-07-19T10:11:42.414-05:0020% Off Thursday-Saturday!It's a 3-day SALE event at VBYC! Save 20% on all purachases today through Saturday. Just in time for back-to-school knits and Christmas gifts. Have you been thinking about that new bag, a special shawl stick or accent? Hurry in!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-8760559362979634542012-05-25T12:16:00.001-05:002012-05-25T12:16:51.434-05:00Class: Fixing Mistakes. May 26th, 10:30am<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Fixing Mistakes". Here it is folks! You saw it here on the blog as well as in the newsletter. The class is scheduled for TOMORROW, May 26 at 10:30am. You'll learn how to identify and correct the most common errors all knitters make. The hour or so you spend in this class will build your confidence and expertise for a lifetime of knitting. Do take advantage of this class! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-29096006493044752102012-05-24T10:53:00.001-05:002012-05-24T10:59:57.806-05:00Memorial Day, and Thank You!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">YOUR local yarn shop, The Vermilion Bay Yarn Company, will be open on Monday, May 28 12noon until 6pm! Take some time to relax on your day off and stop in at VBYC to find your next fabulous project! I would like to thank you all for your support and continued patronage. It is YOU, our friends and customers that make this fiber work oasis possible. Without your passion for creating new and wonderful things, VBYC can not exist. As with any small business, our customers are our shareholders, which means that your purchase stays right here to bring you more of what you love and helps maintain what we all enjoy every day. Ours is a vibrant diverse community! Thank you very much for making VBYC what it is. A safe and peaceful Memorial Day to you all! </span></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-13500713235713153022012-05-22T12:42:00.000-05:002012-05-22T12:45:26.305-05:00Mini Course: Knitting Argyle<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">
You can't go too far without realizing that color work is the trend. Of course single-color garments are always in, but now more than ever, more and more design collections and pattern anthologies are offering a wide selection of multi-color options. Argyles, stripes, paisleys, as well as traditional Scandinavian style fair isle designs. Even though using a single yarn/color will create a beautiful and appealing garment, a project that requires two or more colors will stretch your creativity and open up new vistas in your knitting. There are various ways to achieve colored fabric. The most basic method is simply to use a varigated yarn, in which lengths are dyed in sequence to create a marbled, random spread of colors throughout. Jacquard patterns are typically created using a stranding technique called Fair Isle, for which yarns are carried or "floated" along the back of the fabric until they are needed. Fabric that features large areas of contrasting color requires a specific technique called Intarsia. Spaces more than 3-5 stitches wide increase the likelihood that floated strands will either cause the fabric to pucker or produce loose garlands of strands that will snag and add extra thickness to the piece. </div>
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Instead of carrying yarns along, Intarsia requires each area of color to have its own supply of yarn. These mini yarn packages are what we call "butterflies". Some knitters prefer to wind yarn onto intarsia bobbins -- containers that look like little spools or clips that hold yarn. My caveat on bobbins: they're heavy and since they're heavy, they cause the yarn strands to swing around each other like pendulums and create a big tangled mess. Also, the yarn doesn't always unspool smoothly. As a result, you're spending less time knitting and more time untangling and unspooling. Butterflies are light and the yarn travels from them as from a miniature central pull skeins. You'll need one for each color area. Here's how to make them: hold the end that will become the working yarn in your palm and anchor it in place with your thumb. Start winding around your fingers. If the color area is quite large, wind a good supply to avoid the frequency of yarn joins. Snip the winding end of the butterfly, slip the wraps off your fingers and bind them with the snipped end. <br />
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To attach the butterfly to your piece, simply hold the working end of the bundle up to your work, and start knitting, leaving a 6-8" tail that you will use to weave the hole that will normally form at the attachment spot (more about that in a bit). The butterflies hang from the needles along the row in the exact order you'll need them. The secret to keeping everything orderly is in not allowing the butterflies to hang down much more than 8" or so from the needles. Too much yarn between the butterflies and the needle will encourage the strands to twist around other strands and cause a tangle. Shorter lengths are harder to tangle. As you work the row, pick up the strand you need according to your color pattern. When you move from one color area to the next, it is vital that you establish a connection between stitches of different colors. In knitting, each stitch is connected by the working yarn as you move from stitch to stitch. With different colors/yarns, you are working with multiple working yarns and therefore you much establish a connection between them yourself. Otherwise, there will be a hole in the fabric (like the area where you joined a new butterfly) that you'll have to weave closed later. When you knit the last stitch of a color area, pick up the new color and twist the strand of new and old color so that they interlock. Continue in the new color. The twist will connect the two color areas and give the illusion of one continuous working yarn. As you continue your color pattern, you will see the yarn wraps on the back of the fabric along the edges of the color areas. </div>
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When hiding the tails in the place where a new butterfly/color was attached, you must NOT just tie a knot between two yarns. Knotting the yarns here will pull the fabric and distort the stitches. With the tail in a yarn needle, you must actually weave in the ends to establish a connection between the color areas and close of up the hole. Follow the progress of the yarn in the fabric and mimic how it would travel. The sign of a good weaving/finishing job in Intarsia is a clean wrong side that shows a mirror image of the front with color areas neatly edged with yarn twists. There should be no knots and no tails. </div>
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<em><strong>An important note on undoing intarsia: Not one of us, not even one, has escaped the curse of Eden unscathed. Among a host of other reasons, sometimes we may misread the pattern or count wrong, resulting in a flaw in the pattern, which goes unnoticed (typically) until the stitch count is off several rows later. DO NOT pull your work off the needles and just start ripping. Since intarsia is a series of multiple working yarns twisted around each other, drastic frogging will do nothing more than tangle your work. In order to undo this color work, you must unknit ("tink") each stitch back to the mistake. Besides tangling the yarn, drastic ripping off the needles will cause the fabric to unravel in all directions, not just stitch by stitch.</strong></em> </div>
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Intarsia knitting creates vibrant and extremely beautiful garments. It does take a bit of practice to master the yarn twists and to maintain your tension at the joins. As with most things, the only way to master it is to do it. And to be patient while you're at it. The more practice you allow yourself, the more proficient you'll get. Try adding some intarsia onto a hat or a small patch on a sweater, scarf or wrap. Intarsia also allows you to create marvelous color blocking effects on garments. Be creative! </div>
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</div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-61385219643141760112012-05-18T11:17:00.000-05:002012-05-18T11:17:57.469-05:00Sign up for Classes!<div style="text-align: justify;">
These next three scheduled classes are guaranteed to introduce you to new things and help build your tool box of useful techniques and knitting skills. Tomorrow, May 19th, there's <strong>Knitting Socks to Size</strong>, in which you'll learn to make socks that fit perfectly. Kristy will discuss with you the mysteries of gauge and the importance of the stitches-to-inches ratio. She has an easy formula to determine the exact amount of stitches you'll need for a sock that fits like no other. On May 26, a class that's useful for everyone, and especially for those who are still mastering the basics: <strong>Fixing Mistakes</strong>. We all experience problems with our work from time to time, regardlesss whether we've just learned to knit, or whether we've been knitting for decades. Bottom line: sometimes stitches slip away, sometimes we knit instead purl, sometimes a pattern just doesn't make sense, sometimes we turn a cable the wrong direction because we just couldn't believe what we were seeing on the last episode of Ghost Hunters, or sometimes the joke was so funny we forgot the yarnover. All normal. The key is understanding what happened to the knitting and how it can be fixed, and it always can be fixed. Yes, it's always much easier to stop in at the shop to get help, but sometimes things happen where you're not easily in driving distance of the shop, or during times that your schedule doesn't permit a quick visit. That's when it's important to be able to make minor fixes yourself, and this is class to learn how. We'll experiment with a swatch of stockinette, making mistakes on purpose then address how to make repairs. It's the class where you learn how to "make it work". Fixing Mistakes is the class that moves you on to more knitting independence and builds your confidence to tackle any project. On the following weekend there's <strong>Introduction to Lace</strong>. We've all admired the beauty of fabulous open work, and many of us simply dismiss ever making such things: "I'm only a beginner. That's too hard for me." I'm here to tell you: nothing is too hard for anyone. Intro to Lace involves making a small lace project, a cotton washcloth in DK weight yarn on size 7 needles. A small lace project on larger yarn that's finshable rather quickly. We'll work with the basic lace operations: various decreases and increases to make a washcloth that's stunningly fabulous and really quite easy for knitters of all experience levels. The perfect first-time lace project that will prove to you that you can make anything, and it doesn't matter how long you've been knitting! </div>
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<br /></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-31134911488489631422012-05-16T10:16:00.001-05:002012-05-16T10:16:23.469-05:00Knitting Socks to size: This Saturday, May 19, 10:30am!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sock knitters: have you had trouble with socks that don't quite fit the foot you've made them for? Here's your solution: the class coming up this Saturday, May 19th will solve all your problems. Join Kristy Gondron at 10:30 Saturday morning as she shares with us a surefire method of making socks that fit well. Kristy is an excellent knitter and a very patient and knowledgable teacher. Everyone who enjoys knitting socks will benefit from this informative and practical class. The class does not focus on any particular sock knitting technique, so you will be starting the pair of socks that fit using whatever technique you prefer. Sign up this week for Knitting Socks to Size! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-70059760483701849102012-05-12T10:50:00.002-05:002012-05-12T10:50:19.928-05:00A fabulous summertime project<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OiqZMsoprGg/T66GoTK5RLI/AAAAAAAABLY/MjHpyofB4LY/s1600/willie's+thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OiqZMsoprGg/T66GoTK5RLI/AAAAAAAABLY/MjHpyofB4LY/s320/willie's+thing.jpg" width="240" /></a><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">As summertime begins we’re all in search of projects that fit the season, not only from a fashion standpoint, but also in terms of cooler fibers we can wear comfortably when the thermometer tips 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s high time for summer knitting now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of the cozy warm wools, llamas, and alpacas, it’s time to grab for the cottons, silks, linens, and sugarcane, lighter weight, cooler fabrics ideal for us here in South Louisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pair those with a carefree design — something both easy to make and easy to wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One project that has enjoyed great success by everyone who’s made it is what we call “Willie’s Linen Thing”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a smart summer shell that’s quick to make and does well in almost any kind of yarn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally, I conceived this top for 100% linen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that you wet block to achieve an open fabric shell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the pattern was first completed, many folks have made it using other fibers that don’t necessarily produce this open look, but which nonetheless are suitable for warm weather wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A relaxed fit with a comfortable Dolman sleeve and a simple rolled neckline are what add to this top’s timeless appeal: a simple, basic design that allows the yarn’s color and texture to speak for itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One afternoon, our friend Willie stopped by with a fashion dilemma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was attending an out-of-town wedding and had her ensemble in mind, along with accessories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem: no top that really made the outfit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we went to work,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pulling yarns of various fibers, and we settled on a fabulous shade of light grey linen with brown overtones to complete the look and highlight the awesome copper jewelry she had selected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put pen to paper and “Willie’s Linen Thing” was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “Thing” is the sort of project that you can take with you on trips, work in the car, on the bus, or in the plane without having to be chained to the pattern for every row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set it down, and you can pick it up again without having to figure out where you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the perfect summertime project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy to make, easy to finish, and easy to wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly the sort of project we like the best come summertime, when the livin’ is easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop in today and select your favorite summer yarns and get started on your new look!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt; language: en-US;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-44200375949472361112012-04-24T11:06:00.005-05:002012-04-24T11:06:55.519-05:00Wash Cloth Mania!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Need a simple project to "cleanse the palate" between larger ones? Need a quick, yet excellent gift for a baby shower, wedding shower, birthday party, or just a little sussy for someone special? Wash cloths have taken off as the number 1 quick springtime project! We have several clever patterns. They're so quick and easy. Each one takes 45-60 minutes to complete. Make a set of 3 in one evening! Rowan Handknit Cotton makes wash cloths of peerless softness and durability. Plus, this outstanding 100% cotton yarn has such a comfortable hand and great stitch definition, you'll not want to use anything else to make them. Each ball produces 2 wash cloths. Colors? VBYC has a super wide selection! Make a friendly spring bouquet! Knit more than you need and keep a stash handy for easy go-to gifts! Stop in today get started! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-75024747116061554632012-04-24T10:47:00.003-05:002012-04-24T10:47:27.155-05:00New from Cascade!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fMF4JGjjIVU/T5bK7XVn4TI/AAAAAAAABLI/l8IU-juXqu0/s1600/SierraBasket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fMF4JGjjIVU/T5bK7XVn4TI/AAAAAAAABLI/l8IU-juXqu0/s200/SierraBasket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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More spring yarns in all this season's colors are scheduled to arrive today! Among more fabulous colors of Heritage sock, varigated Fixation, we are happy to announce the return of Sierra, an awesome all purpose cotton blend yarn in worsted weight. Sierra is ideal for anything from baby blankets to adult garments, and is also suited for more utilitarian projects like wash cloths and dish towels. We welcome a new yarn to VBYC this season: Cherub Baby Aran, a tremendously soft aran weight baby yarn in cheery varigated colorways. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-11383620284940798622012-04-24T10:35:00.001-05:002012-04-24T10:35:43.431-05:00Road Construction on Verot School RoadIt's not news by now that Verot School Road is being resurfaced. This is actually not a problem, and it's work that is long overdue. Luckily this construction does not have to impact your access to the shopping center where we are located. Here're the alternative routes to the shop via Digby:<br />
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From Kaliste Saloom, turn onto the Camillia extension toward Verot. Turn right onto Blue Bird (the last street before the Verot intersection). Keep straight on Blue Bird, then turn left onto Digby directly in front of Comeaux High School. There is an entrance to the Bridge Plaza property from Digby. <br />
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You may also turn onto Marshall from Kaliste Saloom and circle around Comeaux High School to Digby.<br />
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From Ambassador Caffery, turn at the light as if going to Lourdes Hospital. This road will bring you to Comeaux High School as well (you'll drive through the parking lot of the baseball diamond by the Comeaux Rec Center). <br />
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We'll see you soon! Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-31662765044177630012012-04-04T10:16:00.002-05:002012-04-04T10:28:58.136-05:00Driveway is Free and Clear!<div align="justify">If you've been having doubts about access into the Bridge Plaza shopping center where we're located, this important news: <strong>THE TEMPORARY SEWER LINE SPEED BUMP IS GONE</strong>! Last Friday, with joint efforts of me and the management staff at the office , we were able to have the contraption removed, and the pipes re-routed through the culvert (which had been installed a few years ago) beneath the drive. The parking lot is now fully accessible from Verot School Road! Also, Bette at the office has informed me today that the work that's been going on near the Digby entrance to the property has been completed and that entrance will be opened in the next few days. Stop in today! It's spring and there's a lot new to see! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-159135193904172762012-03-28T11:18:00.002-05:002012-03-28T11:26:29.891-05:00Holy Week and Easter ScheduleThe Vermilion Bay Yarn Company's schedule fo<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rFJxtx_aCLE/T3M6b99UcNI/AAAAAAAABLA/De-Ls0qYLno/s1600/Tableau_HeIsRisen.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 195px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 271px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724983803480666322" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rFJxtx_aCLE/T3M6b99UcNI/AAAAAAAABLA/De-Ls0qYLno/s320/Tableau_HeIsRisen.gif" /></a>r Holy Week and Easter appeared in this month's newsletter on page 3, but in case you missed it and were wondering what our schedule is next week, it's printed at the top of the blog page as well as here, in this quick article.
<strong>Maundy Thursday, April 5: 10am-4pm</strong>
<strong>Good Friday, April 6: CLOSED!</strong>
<strong>Saturday, April 7: 10am-4pm</strong>
<strong>Easter Monday, April 9: CLOSED!</strong>
VBYC will reopen as usual (10am) on Tuesday, April 10 with Knit Cafe starting at 6pm.
<div align="center"><strong>The Vermilion Bay Yarn Company </strong></div>
<div align="center"><strong>wishes you all a Happy Easter!
</strong></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-24715214652906786742012-03-21T10:20:00.004-05:002012-03-21T10:28:21.311-05:00The exquisite yarns with the funky names<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Famq00hBqAk/T2nzB1Aw0bI/AAAAAAAABK0/Jv5fo2FBcfA/s1600/thomas%2Bmore.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 257px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722372014286623154" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Famq00hBqAk/T2nzB1Aw0bI/AAAAAAAABK0/Jv5fo2FBcfA/s320/thomas%2Bmore.jpg" /></a>
<div align="justify">Nuna, Lontue, Hacho.....they're not secret passwords, but using them them will get you some amazingly beautiful garments this season. Transform a simple pattern into a masterpiece with these yarns. Silk and linen blends, and varigated merino. Splendid. The yarn is just so exquisite, no photograph will do them justice. You'll have to come in and experience them yourself with your own eyes! And, you might be wondering what Thomas More has to do with this? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-38191775007716165542012-03-21T10:15:00.002-05:002012-03-21T10:19:55.246-05:00Ultra Pima!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KGPj1Vm9swU/T2nxj27LHJI/AAAAAAAABKo/2-_nEZld0h0/s1600/UltraPimaSkein.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 291px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722370399892348050" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KGPj1Vm9swU/T2nxj27LHJI/AAAAAAAABKo/2-_nEZld0h0/s320/UltraPimaSkein.jpg" /></a>
<div align="justify">We've been fans of this amazing pima cotton yarn for a couple seasons now....and for good reason. It's a perfect weight and fiber for our climate, not to mention that it's a pleasure to work -- both to knit and to crochet -- and the fabric it produces always looks fabulous. And the colors! The bins are filled with 15+ colors of spring/summer deliciousness. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-30328004961847159242012-03-09T10:20:00.002-06:002012-03-09T10:23:51.369-06:00It's a Fiesta!<div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RrsdZNZQroM/T1ot_uZd0OI/AAAAAAAABKc/UBkiT27zNXU/s1600/gelato.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717933249710117090" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RrsdZNZQroM/T1ot_uZd0OI/AAAAAAAABKc/UBkiT27zNXU/s320/gelato.jpg" /></a> Ever since our introduction of Fiesta yarns a couple months ago, the new yarn line has been quite popular. Just in time for spring, here's Fiesta Gelato, the rayon ribbon yarn in Fiesta's stunning colorways. In the next few weeks, watch for Fiesta sock! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-23255485468351782142012-03-09T10:19:00.000-06:002012-03-09T10:20:24.975-06:00<strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Love your Planet! </span></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hn9PY0uLX7s/T1otjj7oudI/AAAAAAAABKQ/cVAZBXjs5yU/s1600/IS-spmosaic_f_ol_1_large.jpg"><span style="font-size:180%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717932765864311250" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hn9PY0uLX7s/T1otjj7oudI/AAAAAAAABKQ/cVAZBXjs5yU/s320/IS-spmosaic_f_ol_1_large.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:180%;">
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<div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-73837122504755148032012-02-24T12:01:00.003-06:002012-02-24T12:18:03.798-06:00Beauty in Simplicity<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ncg1EYwMMs/T0fSxMe8hUI/AAAAAAAABKE/fal5YIvpcCg/s1600/willie%2527s%2Bkimonos.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 191px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712766394949207362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ncg1EYwMMs/T0fSxMe8hUI/AAAAAAAABKE/fal5YIvpcCg/s320/willie%2527s%2Bkimonos.jpg" /></a>This kimono jacket is an equisite example of that maxim. Stockinette trimmed in garter, five rectangular pieces, blocked and seamed, the 7" shawl collar picked up around the fronts and neck create a garment that makes a statement. I've seen this design made up in various yarns, wools, acrylics alike, but as they say, the yarn does make the difference. For this project, the knitter chose a full-bodied llama/wool blend with just the right heft and drape to create a masterful, stylish look, and the llama provides just enough halo for a spectacular finish. The shawl collar is so generous, that it screams for an accent. The owner's choice of the unique Jul bronze swirls with a rosewood stick add polish to complete an elegant, high end look. Stop by VBYC soon and take a look at the llama/wool kimono jacket. Plan one for yourself or someone special. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-85807884936873686322012-02-23T10:58:00.002-06:002012-03-09T10:18:44.907-06:00<span style="font-size:130%;"> Have you ever seen project bags so cute??</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_zpA9z1JLk/T0ZwSVxPP5I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yEY04qDtbNk/s1600/quick%2Bdraw.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712376637749673874" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_zpA9z1JLk/T0ZwSVxPP5I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yEY04qDtbNk/s320/quick%2Bdraw.jpg" /></a>
<div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-7332335578431929102012-02-22T12:12:00.012-06:002012-02-22T14:21:08.225-06:00The Stockings were Hung By the Chimney With Care<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YzFNKwTNrD4/T0VHQ0cwCDI/AAAAAAAABJU/sIGxCICR6o0/s1600/stocking%2B1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 93px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712050056672053298" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YzFNKwTNrD4/T0VHQ0cwCDI/AAAAAAAABJU/sIGxCICR6o0/s200/stocking%2B1.jpg" /></a>Clement Clarke Moore immortalized the tradition of hanging stockings near the hearth on Christmas Eve in his famous 1822 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Each year, families across the country and the world re-live the ritual of Christmas Eve that Moore describes. Doubtless, this tradition is linked to an alternate December tradition associated with the morning of December 6th, the feast day of St. Nicholas: to set out shoes near the door in hopes that the traveling saint would reward a child for a year's good behavior by leaving treats of fruit and chocolate or in recompense for a year of misbehaving, a brutal punishment of switches and coals. Over time these gifting traditions required not just any shoe or any stocking, but special items designated for use on these speci<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gb4ReYUF4Q/T0VHZrh5r3I/AAAAAAAABJg/n-CYq7bgS9k/s1600/stocking%2B2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 73px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712050208896561010" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gb4ReYUF4Q/T0VHZrh5r3I/AAAAAAAABJg/n-CYq7bgS9k/s200/stocking%2B2.jpg" /></a>fic nights. Specially decorated for the season and usually of exaggerated size to accommodate a maximum amount of chocolates and "stuffers", the stockings especially had become an art form all their own. We see them or at least remember them in various media: cloth or felt, needlepoint, crochet, as well as countless examples of fine knitted ones, almost always personalized somehow, either labeled with a name or an initial designating the owner of a particular Christmas Day haul. When I was a child, I must confess, given the dominant German seasonal traditions while growing up, I did not own a Christmas stocking, nor did anyone in my family. We did, however, set out shoes on the night of December 5th. However, neither do I recall any of my friends speaking of the tradition of hanging stockings. The Christmas stocking was something rather old fashioned for practical use. It had for a time, I suppose, become more a symbol of Christmas past, a bit of nostalgia you read about in novels and poems.
As many of you know, my mother had managed the fiber arts department back in the mid 1960's in Little Rock's Pfeiffer's department store. She handled supplies for knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery, as well as a host of craft kits that held quite an appeal at the time. Among these, one yarn manufacturer made Christmas Stocking kits that were wildly popular. They came with yarn, the pattern, and all the little sew-on accessories needed to complete a stocking. People would buy multiples of these and knit them up for their kids. Meanwhile, at our house, we had the shoe. </div>
<div align="justify">Back when I opened VBYC, a client stopped in with a tattered Christmas stocking depicting a Santa Clause filling a row of similar stockings hanging from a brick mantle. The stocking had been created by her mother some time in the 1950's, and each of her children had one. My client ordered several of these in order to carry on the family tradition, that every child should have a hand-knit Santa stocking hanging from the mantle on Christmas Eve. So, I created a new stocking with an ancient inspiration to jump start one family's rediscovery of a Christmas tradition. I was intrigued by this, recalling the kits my mom mentioned had once existed. After a bit of digging, sure enough: the things were all the rage from the late 1940's to the early 1970's, when the patterns (and perhaps also interest in perpetuating the tradition) became extinct. This explains why none of my peers ever talked about having knitted stockings like these, because, more than likely, they didn't. These were Americana associated mainly with the post war Baby Boom and seem to have fallen off the radar by the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. </div>
<div align="justify">Since then, countless clients both local and across the country have contacted me regarding this Santa stocking. They were recognizing it from their childhood, either having had one themselves or knowing someone who did. Like the one that inspired it, I have sent many kits for the stocking to knitters at home and abroad and completed many more that are chimney ready. A few weeks ago, another client visited the shop with another single stocking with a different design. "I need more of these. I hear you can make them." New inspiration for the re-invention of another American Christmas classic. You see, it's not a matter of <em>any</em> Christmas Stocking, but of <em>this</em> Christmas Stocking. The new stockings must contain a mix of old and new: new styling, and fresh yarns, but they must still contain a recognizable link to the original that inspired them. The new stockings are not carbon copies, but new children in the family. </div>
<div align="justify">Lowly project kits purchased by Mom at a department store back in the '50's to bring Christmas joy to her kids (and add a bit of holiday cheer to her living room at the same time) had become for those kids, now adults, fond memories of Christmas. Although the original patterns are gone (or exist somewhere crumbling in knitting baskets), new, updated stockings can be created to hang next to the ones of a previous generation, linking into and carrying on family traditions to inspire new happy memories. </div>
<div align="justify">The pictures accompanying this article show an original knitted stocking my client brought to me. The photo shows the new stocking in progress. The next step here will be to secure the tails and to add the sparkly accessories. The American Christmas Stocking: rediscovering family traditions. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712050699374226946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DztXS4pR5tk/T0VH2Os47gI/AAAAAAAABJs/h4aaqpgMQIc/s320/sleigh.jpg" /></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-1801815799020324102012-02-22T10:27:00.003-06:002012-02-22T10:36:51.159-06:00Peerless Color<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7QMhmhho-1U/T0UZXIHnvaI/AAAAAAAABJI/m0CO9gjR01A/s1600/kidsilk%2Bstripe%2Bponcho.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711999587496476066" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7QMhmhho-1U/T0UZXIHnvaI/AAAAAAAABJI/m0CO9gjR01A/s320/kidsilk%2Bstripe%2Bponcho.jpg" /></a>To add to the buzz about the new Kidsilk Haze Stripe, <a href="http://www.knitrowan.com/">knitrowan.com</a> has added a mini collection of free downloadable patterns that show off the striking beauty of these amazing shades. The model shown has been created in the "Cool" colorway. The garment is worked with a single strand of Kidsilk Haze Stripe on size 9 needles to produce a garment that's practically weightless and takes no time to complete. Basic shaping and simple stitching ensure you a weekend of pleasureful Zen-like knitting, during which the only surprises will be the fascinating ways your colors will appear in your truly one-of-a-kind fabric. The project requires 4 balls of Kidsilk Haze Stripe, and the light-weight nature of this silk/mohair blend will add a stunning garment to your wardrobe that's wearable year round. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-69636011322327108432012-02-21T10:05:00.002-06:002012-02-21T10:08:13.639-06:00It's Mardi Gras Day!<div align="justify">...And The Vermilion Bay Yarn Company is <strong><em>OPEN</em></strong>! Feel free to bring your favorite Mardi Gras treats! Pack your knitting bag and make a day of it at VBYC! Note: if you bring a King Cake, plan on eating it. Unless it's gluten free, I'll just have to admire it from afar! A King Cake is a terrible thing to waste. See you in a few! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-84185987394641826082012-02-20T12:42:00.004-06:002012-02-20T12:51:55.481-06:00Debbie Bliss for Spring/Summer!<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8l1petjMdI/T0KVS_tlRpI/AAAAAAAABI8/VRybPDQyM9E/s1600/db%2Bsummer%2B2012.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711291431032014482" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8l1petjMdI/T0KVS_tlRpI/AAAAAAAABI8/VRybPDQyM9E/s320/db%2Bsummer%2B2012.jpg" /></a>This time of year, we await the spring/summer edition of the Debbie Bliss Magazine. Speaking of design, two things come to mind at the mention of Bliss: children's knitwear and cute tops. The spring/summer 2012 magazine is no exception. A good collection of warm weather women's wear as well as several darling children's ensembles. Sorry, men, as usual, unless you're 8 or younger, Debbie Bliss is typically not the designer where you'll find much at all to expand your knitwear wardrobes. But I'll say this: whatever's lacking in terms of men's wear, is made up in the terrific garments for women: tanks, tops, shrugs, wraps. Pick up your copy today! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-90934286358809772972012-02-18T12:54:00.008-06:002012-02-20T12:40:19.466-06:00What's that, Jason?<div align="justify">A few days ago a large group of folks and I were sitting in the knitting circle doing what we do. I had just finished up a Christmas stocking leg for a client project in Brown Sheep Nature Spun -- an enjoyable and festive project for sure -- as several knitters were busy with their glamorous projects in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze, La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boheme</span>, an<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_sxFJvKXdfw/T0AfGkq7LaI/AAAAAAAABIw/0msmdticAno/s1600/nipponaise.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 185px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710598525289180578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_sxFJvKXdfw/T0AfGkq7LaI/AAAAAAAABIw/0msmdticAno/s320/nipponaise.jpg" /></a>d Rayon <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boucle</span>. Surrounded by this elegance, I was taken by a sudden, irresistible <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">envie</span> to knit something fabulous. Step one: make a quick trip down the way to Subway for a fresh new cup of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fuze</span> Southern Sweet Tea for inspiration. Between <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">VBYC</span> and Chloe's shuttered store-front (smirk), I envisioned the project. Since I had been in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">intarsia</span> groove most of the day already, I figured why not stay in it, but using a different medium: one of the spiffy <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze solids combined with one of the new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kaffe</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fasset</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">varigated</span> colorways, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze Stripe. If you're not familiar with Rowan <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze (and how could you have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">eluded</span> its allure, if you're not?), the yarn is a sublime, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">laceweight</span> blend of silk and mohair. It's a dream, like knitting with a silk cloud. If you're a fan of color and color combinations like I am, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze allows you plenty of liberty, and the halo of mohair enables a sort of unique color shading and blending impossible with just any yarn. When I returned from my tea run, I went to the bins and selected <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze in "brick" and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Stripe in "circus" for a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">salmony</span>/coral background with the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">varigated</span> that moves from a neon <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">irridescent</span> green to a similar <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">corally</span> pink as the background with some pops of fuchsia and brown thrown in. I wanted a background color very similar to a bit of the coloring in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kaffe</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fasset</span> so that my pattern would vanish, split apart, and reappear throughout the length of my piece. The pattern isn't a brain teaser, really. It's very symmetrical: a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">zig</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">zag</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">intarsia</span> motif against a solid background. As the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">zig</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">zag</span> travels across the field, the colors change, creating a spectacular game of hide-and-seek, like the moon dipping behind the clouds and peeking out again as the sky clears. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">swimmy</span> edges of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">intarsia</span> on a single rectangular piece reminded me of a brightly colored obi, the long sash/belt traditionally worn with a Japanese kimono. So, I have decided to name this project "La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nipponaise</span>" (<em>Nippon</em> is the Japanese name for....Japan). When I've completed the entire piece, I'll write out the math for the project and make it available in the shop and online. <em>Is it hard?</em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Intarsia</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">colorwork</span> is, I believe, actually much easier in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze because the texture and look of the silk/mohair is extremely forgiving. Any tension issues in the color changes vanish into the fabric, so if you're still a bit unsteady with the twists at the color zone edges, don't worry a bit. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze covers a host of sins and iniquities for which one otherwise would be heartily sorry. Also this plus: because the yarn is so light (practically weightless), the yarn butterflies that hang off the wrong side very seldom interact with each other. Instead, they behave and wait for their turn to work their magic. Folks who have learned the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">intarsia</span> technique from me will remember that I don't prefer to use bobbins or clips that are manufactured to hold yarn supplies. I prefer to wind the yarn into butterflies to minimize the annoying pendulum swing and tangle effect. I stick to that opinion here as well: use of a bobbin will likely add just enough weight to create a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">swingy</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">tangly</span> mess, so wind butterflies and be happy. "La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nipponaise</span>" is a fairly easy -- and fairly quick too, made on size 9's -- rectangular scarf perfect for newbie <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">intarsia</span> artists as well as folks more familiar with the technique. Experience the magic of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Haze and the enchanting instant color surprises of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kidsilk</span> Stripe! </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-37657236115572592092012-02-16T10:57:00.007-06:002012-02-18T12:49:42.928-06:00Popular VBYC Patterns Online!<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bukn1xk2h8o/Tz_xnL7bvaI/AAAAAAAABIY/NrxywWguzbc/s1600/shadows%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbayou.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 196px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710548508048342434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bukn1xk2h8o/Tz_xnL7bvaI/AAAAAAAABIY/NrxywWguzbc/s320/shadows%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbayou.jpg" /></a>We've all done it: taken our knitting with us and lost the pattern on the way or set down a project just long enough for an unruly band of garden gnomes to plunder the fiber bag and make off with the pattern. Regardless whether you fell victim to the clever fellows with the red pointy hats or whether you'd like to browse for a pattern from home, you can find your VBYC favorites online on Ravelry.com. Go to my profile at Ravelry and click on "original patterns" and you'll find what you need for instant download. The newest design is the Shadows on the Bayou p<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LdjAYzoe5Bw/Tz_x1vq3LmI/AAAAAAAABIk/ZOEOqP0DAKM/s1600/ravelry-logo-81r-300x.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 87px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 33px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710548758160682594" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LdjAYzoe5Bw/Tz_x1vq3LmI/AAAAAAAABIk/ZOEOqP0DAKM/s320/ravelry-logo-81r-300x.png" /></a>oncho that incorporates both knitted and crochet elements in one spectacular garment. That pattern is shown in the left sidebar of the blog. Click on the picture and it will take you directly to my Ravelry page. Of course, all these patterns are also available here in the shop. </div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388527235121154198.post-49199736923033021722012-02-10T10:02:00.003-06:002012-02-10T10:07:01.696-06:00Regia Sock<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRJtpCw1Hw4/TzVAV6VgZXI/AAAAAAAABIA/HhNpxgoYNWk/s1600/regia_ball_9801281.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707538847942862194" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRJtpCw1Hw4/TzVAV6VgZXI/AAAAAAAABIA/HhNpxgoYNWk/s320/regia_ball_9801281.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Regia sock yarn is here in the vibrantly bold shades, soft earthtones, and dazzling gem tones we all expect from the expert German line. Sock yarn isn't just for socks, of course. Lace knitters have known this for quite a while, as have folks who love the color of sock yarn and make fabulous drapey scarves and such on medium-sized needles. Light and airy for spring, such things. Stop by and browse the selection of Regia! </span></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11072797233616951524noreply@blogger.com0