Meanwhile, on a yak farm (a GIVEAWAY!)

I have started several blog posts and ran out of steam before I could finish them and hit "publish." Just when I was about to try again, I remembered that I am scheduled to be a stop on a blog tour for a new pattern collection from Kristen Ohhdahl and Bijou Basin. Better yet, there's a giveaway involved!

Bijou Basin Ranch is a Colorado farm raising Tibetan yaks and turning the fiber into lovely yarns and fibers, including a line of knitting yarns. This April, BBR released its first pattern collection:  The Complements Collection by Kristin Ohmdahl.  (You may recognize Kristin from her knit and crochet patterns,books, and appearances on Knitting Daily TV.) The Complements Collections is available as a booklet (order from the BBR website for $12.95) or e-book (you can download it on Ravelry for $9.95). It contains thirteen patterns for accessories--some knit, some crochet.

The cover pattern is called the Apple Blossom Shawl, knit in 2 natural colors of fingering-weight yarn, with a bright handdyed color in a heavier weight as accent.  The booklet contains a second knit shawl pattern, as well as a sweet knit capelet:

Crocheters need not despair, for there is the Camellia Shawl for you:

There are two patterns for "ascots," one knit and one crocheted (photo is of the latter):

For cold weather, knitters will find a unisex hat and wristers set (the only pattern for men; sorry, guys):

while crocheters can make a hat and matching scarf

or a set of wristers.

The ever-popular cowls also make an appearance, again one knit and one crocheted version (knit cowl shown).

With the exception of the cover pattern, all the patterns call for sportweight (Craft Yarn Council Category 2 -- fine) yarn and all are one size.  You'll find charts for the lace patterns and crochet stitches; no schematics since these are accessories. Best of all, each of the patterns uses no more than three skeins of yarn, so they're perfect stashbusters and excellent ways to use luxury fibers like BBF's yak blends.

Now that warmer weather is upon most of the U.S., cute accessory patterns like these are nice portable travel projects, too.  Bijou Basin Ranch was at Maryland Sheep and Wool; will be at Estes in Colorado; and you can find their full schedule of show and festival appearances here -- or visit their website for online ordering. Kristin's website is here; next stop on the blog tour, the talented Carol Feller here, on May 8th.

And now the best part:  THE GIVEAWAY!  Leave a comment to this blog post and Bijou Basin will give away a PDF version of The Complements Collection to one lucky commenter.  Leave your comment no later than midnight, Wednesday, May 9th, and make sure you include an email address in the comment or use a profile with an email attached -- no email, no valid entry -- and I will use a random generator to select a lucky winner. Woo-hoo!



Note: I received a free PDF version of this pattern booklet in order to write this review.