Fall preview: Rowan

My favorite time of year is here: time to take a look at the new patterns and yarns from Rowan. In the past few years, we've seen some changes at Westminster Fibers: Jaeger is long gone and RYC, a relatively new label, has been folded into regular Rowan. But one thing remains the same: just as the days start to get shorter and the back-to-school shopping frenzy hits, we are treated to a new Rowan Magazine. This year, we've got Rowan No. 48, along with some new yarns and pattern booklets to entice us.


Let's start with the new yarns. For fans of super-duper chunky yarns that knit up fast, Rowan has created Drift. Drift is a single-ply yarn that mixes multiple related colors together, for a subtle multicolored effect. It knits around 2 stitches per inch, give or take, which is pretty darn bulky. Drift is 100% wool, and comes in big balls of 87 yds/100g, at $14.95 MSRP.

Cushy (from Winter Drift)

If you are looking for merely bulky yarn, knitting at around 3.5 sts per inch, there's Purelife Renew. Renew is made from 93% recycled wool with 7% polyamide, and also features a melding of related shades for a muted multicolored effect. Renew comes in balls of 50g/82 yds, and retails for $9.95 per ball. Colors include neutrals and rich jewel tones.

Quince (Purelife Autumn)

Also part of the Purelife eco-friendly line is the British Sheep Breeds Boucle. This boucle yarn is an interesting addition to the line; it comes only in ecru, made from the Blue-faced Leicester breed. MSRP is $9.95 per 100g/66 yd ball, and it looks to knit at around 2 or 2.5 sts per inch.

[don't you love the way this ball of yarn seems to hover in the air?]

Silk Twist is an interesting blend of 53% silk, 30% wool, 12% superkid mohair and 5% polyamide. Silk Twist knits at around aran gauge (Rowan says 4.25 sts per inch) and comes in 50g/93 yd balls, MSRP $13.95. More varied colors, both deeper ones and some brighter/lighter ones.



One thing that I love about Rowan is their incredible pattern support. Between the Rowan Magazine and smaller booklets, they always provide terrific patterns, elegantly photographed, to make you drool. Rowan 48 is no exception. The cover story is "Russian Doll," a folklore theme inspired by Russian nesting dolls. One thing that I found particularly interesting is the way that the Rowan website reproduces some of the creative tools used to inspire the garments: "mood boards" (a collage of photos and other items designed to capture the mood of the theme), designer's sketches, and preliminary swatches.

There are three themes or "stories" in the magazine. The Russian Dolls story is a classic example of Rowan design: lots of intricate patterning,

Alisa

with emphasis on color and stranded knitting. Personally, I find this fascinating to see and extremely inspirational, whether or not I plan to knit specific garments. I will say, however, that I am dying to knit up the Nonna sweater:

Nonna

and all I want for Christmas is the yarn pack with which to make it. The Valentina coat is stunning, even if most of us never have the time to tackle it.

Valentina

"Nomad" is a story devoted to chunkier knits,

Drifter

Pilgrim

but as Rowan describes it, these are knits "in the key trend for chunky exaggerated cable and stitch structures that create warmth and comfort as well as fitting the body silhouette."

Wayfarer

Gypsy Hat

The third story is "Timeless," and as the name implies, is devoted to garments with classic style, emphasizing shoulder and neck details and draping.

Tara

We see more traditional styling here, with lots of tailored details and some vintage-inspired design features. Interestingly, the yarns used for this story include DK and fingering-weight, as well as worsted, while avoiding the chunkier yarns. (And I love the use of untraditional models -- ones who look much more like real women!)

In addition to Rowan Magazine, there are also several smaller booklets designed to support the new yarns or showcase existing favorites. "Winter Drift" contains about 15 designs for the new Drift yarn as well as old favorite Big Wool,

Dandle

Nurture

"Homestead Classics" is described as an homage to " the crafts and textiles of the American pioneer."

Noah, Annie

Look for folkloric themes, ethnic-inspired knits and cables, as well as simpler designs, in an autumnal palette.

Pilgrim

Georgia

"Purelife Autumn" showcases the new Boucle and Renew yarns, with 16 designs for women, with lots of chunky layering pieces.

Amaryllis

Winter Cherry

Finally, "Silk Twist Classics" is a book of women's designs, sweaters and accessories, featuring the new Silk Twist yarn. These designs tend toward the easier and simpler to knit, letting the texture and color of the yarn take center stage.

Haven

Rose Hip

So there you have it: fall 2010 from one of my all-time favorites, Rowan. Go forth and knit!

Fall preview: Berroco

This is the time of the summer when -- if you live in the same climactic zone that I do -- the irony is inescapable. It is, literally, going to be 90 or more degrees F here today, and yet I am writing a blog post telling you about yarns made of wool and other cozy, heat-inducing fibers. But it's fall preview time here at GKIYH and if you are an early bird, you may be interested in casting on a new project now in order to finish it by the fall. (Or perhaps you are just a complete whore for yarn, like me, and like hearing about what's coming this fall...)

Fremont by Cirilia Rose (Vintage)

You've heard me kvell over and over again about the terrific yarns and patterns Berroco has produced in the last couple years under Norah Gaughan's direction. So I won't blather on and on about it any more. Let's head straight for the good stuff: the yarn and patterns.

Ana, by Cirilia Rose (Remix)

This fall, we're going to see five new yarns from Berroco. Two are new weights of some familiar favorites, while three are brand-new yarns. While in the past couple of years, Berroco was producing a lot of all-natural fiber yarns, this year, almost all but one of the new yarns include some synthetic content. I wonder why this is: price sensitivity, given the economy? desire on the part of knitters for more machine-washability?

Daron (Remix)

Maybe one reason is the desire to source reused fibers. Berroco Remix uses 100-percent recycled fibers -- 27% cotton, 30% nylon, 24% acrylic, 10% silk and 9% linen, a pretty eclectic combination. The end result is a non-wool, machine-washable tweed yarn. It's heavy worsted weight, and you get 216 yds/100g for ten bucks a ball -- an alternative for the wool-allergic at a versatile gauge, and around the same general price point as the uber-popular Cascade 220. (Even those who are not allergic to wool may appreciate the cooler blend of fibers for wearing on less-frigid days.) Remix comes in twelve colors, about half of which are neutrals; the others tend to deep, rich shades like a rich ruby red and a deep orange, along with favorites like denim blue and buttercup yellow.

Abi (Remix)

If you are looking for a yarn to wear on freezing-cold days, you can try Campus or Borealis. Campus is a blend of wool, acrylic and a little alpaca (the exact proportions are 50% wool, 40% acrylic, 10% alpaca), in a bulky weight (handwash).

Lutt-Witt (Campus)

Campus is priced at ten bucks a ball, and you get 130 yds/100g, knitting at 3 sts per inch. The texture is slightly thick-and-thin, and it's got some multicolored plies, although the nine color combinations tend toward the subtler rather than the crayon box.

Bourtanger (Campus)

Borealis also knits at around 3 sts per inch,

Outre, by Cirilia Rose (Borealis)

and features a 60% acrylic/40% wool mix. Borealis is also a multicolor but with brighter combinations than Campus. It retails for $14 a ball, and you get 108 yds/100g, with 10 colorways.

Boyd (Borealis)

I mentioned in one of my TNNA posts that in light of the economic situation, I got the impression that some of the yarn companies were trying to reduce the risk of introducing brand-new yarns by bringing out newer weights of old favorites. It makes sense: if you know customers like a yarn, it's less risky to get them to buy a different weight of that yarn than one they've never tried before.

This fall, you'll find Blackstone Tweed Chunky, a bulkier version of Berroco's popular Blackstone Tweed. Like the original, BT Chunky is a blend of 65% wool/25% superfine kid mohair/10% angora rabbit fluff but instead of knitting at 4.5 sts to the inch, the chunky version knits at 3.5 sts to the inch. There are ten colors, again with lots of versatile neutrals as well as favorite shades like blues and rich red.

Emerson Pullover, by Norah Gaughan (BT Tweed Chunky)

Similarly, the popular Vintage gets a thicker sibling; Vintage Chunky retains the 50% acrylic/40% wool/10% nylon blend of the original, but knits at 3.5 instead of 4.5 sts per inch. Vintage Chunky debuts with a nice selection of 24 colors, with a brighter palette than some of the other new yarns. Vintage is labeled for gentle machine washing, always a plus.

One of the great things about Berroco under Norah Gaughan is the strength of the pattern support that is offered. This fall, Berroco is releasing seven pattern booklets.

Aquamarina by Norah Gaughan (Lustra)

Gaughan fans will be interested in Norah Gaughan Vol. 7, the latest installment of her designs.

Zolfo, by Norah Gaughan (Ultra Alpaca + Lustra)

The booklet contains 17 designs inspired by "crystals, geodes and gemstones," and uses mainly the popular Ultra Alpaca yarn, along with Lustra.

Stibnite, by Norah Gaughan (Ultra Alpaca)

A book dedicated to the new Remix features knits for the family -- children's as well as a few adult garments; the book dedicated to Campus contains basic pieces for women; the Borealis book is also women's garments, mainly sweaters, but with more dramatic style. A booklet containing Blackstone Tweed in original and chunky weights is devoted to classic garments for women,

Reid, by Cirilia Rose (BT Tweed)

while a Vintage original and chunky weights booklet looks like it was designed to appeal to a slightly younger demographic (with that adorable Cirilia Rose modeling).

Vashon by Cirilia Rose (Vintage Chunky)

The final new booklet is a combination of sweaters and accessories in super-thick Sundae and Peruvia Quick.

Berroco's fall yarns and pattern booklets are already being shipped to fine yarn emporia like Loop and WEBS.


More yarn previews and book reviews coming soon....

Fall preview: Quince and Co.

If you were sad like me to hear that Pam Allen was stepping down from Classic Elite as creative director, you will be as happy like me to hear her latest news: Yesterday, Pam's new enterprise, Quince & Co., opened for business.

Marian Cowl

What is Quince & Co.?

Effie Beret

Why a fabulous new yarn & pattern company, of course.

Featuring beautiful and extremely well-priced yarns primarily from North America, Quince & Co. is selling direct to the knitter on their website. Pam has joined forces with Carrie Bostick Hoge (a photographer and knitting designer) and Bob Rice (a mill owner), seeking to create beautiful yarns while remaining socially conscious "without making too much a fuss about it."

Castle Pullover

What will you find at Quince & Co.?

For its debut, Quince has created four yarns, all of them wool, with the majority of it sourced from America and all of the weights coming in the same palette of approximately 37 colors:

• Chickadee is a sportweight wool (gauge is listed as 6 or 6.5 sts per inch, depending on needle size), three plies of American wool, and is described as firm yet soft. At $5.75 for 181 yds/50g, it's exceedingly well-priced and looks divine for colorwork.

• Lark is another firm yet soft yarn, this time with four plies of American wool, knitting as a worsted weight, with gauge given as 4.5 to 5 sts per inch. Price point: $5.50 for a skein of 131 yds/50g.

• Osprey is described as a three-ply aran-weight yarn, knitting at 3.5 to 4 sts per inch. Osprey has a more relaxed twist, aiming for a loftier feel. $10.75 for a whopping 175 yds/100g.

• Last but not least, Puffin is the thickest of the Quince family, a single-ply yarn knitting at 2.5 to 3 sts per inch, for when you need speed. At $8.50 for a skein of 112 yds/100g, it's also very nicely-priced.

Pattern support looks divine. Right now, about 15 or so patterns are listed on the site, available by download. They are roughly evenly divided among the four yarns, and include sweaters as well as accessories. All have that clean yet elegant simplicity that hits just the right spot: interesting but not overdesigned. All are photographed beautifully. Price for the download varies by the size of the pattern, ranging around $5 to 6.75 -- but there are also a few free downloads, too.



Right now, Quince & Co. is selling direct to knitters, and through a single yarn shop, KnitWit in Portland, ME.

Cullin Cowl

According to their website, the higher costs of doing business in the US, as opposed to, say, importing the yarn from other countries makes it harder for Quince to offer their yarns through knitting shops. It will be interesting to see how this innovative business model plays out...

Photos copyright 2010 Quince & Co.