Rowan Roundup

Where to begin?
It has been pretty hectic here since the new Rowan came in. As Courtney mentioned before, we have all been working to get it organized and ready for you! Now that it is all inventoried, photographed and on the shelves, we're ready to share!

New this season is Pure Organic Wool - Naturally Dyed. Similar to the Pure Life Cotton, this yarn is certified organic and dyed with all natural plant dyes and non-toxic mordants. The yarn has a beautiful hand and softness and the colors are subtle and rich. We currently carry six from the line (How pretty would a pair of fair isle mitts in Tannin and Horsetail be?):

If you're looking for more inspiration, true to their nature, Rowan has excellent pattern support: The Purelife Organic Wool Collection. Inside you will find rustic yet fashionable sweaters that effortlessly meld the organic qualities of the yarn with modern styling. Lovage is shown below:

This next yarn needs a disclaimer: I am not normally a yarn sniffer. To be honest, I think its a little weird. But this yarn smells so good. We talk a lot about Yarn with a Capitol "Y" here, and the British Sheep Breeds collection definitely fits the bill. Minimally processed and directly in support of local British farmers and breed quality and maintenance, the 5 natural colors are a treat for the eyes.

The British Sheep Collection Book is, like the Organic Wool Collection, excellent pattern support for the yarn. Not only are there some beautiful sweaters for women, there are a few men's patterns, like Gunnerside shown below, destined to become classics:

Cocoon was a new and popular yarn for us last year so we were excited to see ten new colors introduced this fall to compliment the 7 original "naturals" in the line:

The Cocoon Collection, the new pattern book for the line is beautiful. The cover sweater, Cheri, deals with bulky yarn in a clean, sophisticated and feminine manner. Too tempting.


Not wanting to ignore the "little" guys, we expanded our collection of Scottish Tweed 4 Ply to include the whole line. It is hard to find words to describe this yarn. It is just too beautiful. Perfect for colorwork, accessories, cabling, steeking. Perfect for everything. I can't get enough.

In addition to the 4 ply, we decided to carry a few colors of the Scottish Tweed DK. I knit a sweater out of this yarn last year and it continues to be one of my favorite handknit garments. I have my eyes on another bag of Apple for a cabled sweater for fall. (We also have some exciting news about this yarn and our dear friend Laura...but thats for a later date!)

And, last but not least, we added new colors to the Kaffe Fassett Regia line and stocked up on some of the most popular from the Landscape line last year:

Two new magazines we are uber excited about are Heartfelt: The Dark House Collection by Kim Hargreaves featuring modern and funky patterns in all gauges and styles:

and Rowan Magazine 44: The 30th anniversary edition.

We've all gone a little batty for Dietrich (I am thinking steel grey with cream crochet accent and pearl buttons)

And I can't wait to see Abby in Lombard:
We also received other great patten books such as Rowan Studio 11, Winter Gifts, Vintage and Alpine and new colors of Pure Wool DK (coming soon to a website near you), and Felted Tweed:

Now all that is left to do is decide what to knit first!