Monday, January 25, 2010

Hey, Jen! Wanna play Twister?


The yarn floor (Like a dance floor, only squishier).

We've been keeping UPS busy and perfecting our magic stocking skills with all the boxes of yarn that have been coming through our door recently (Rosie's might be small, but we always seem to find room for new yarn!). The latest delivery brought in a shipment from Karabella that we're all excited to get our needles into.

Aurora 4 Ply is a fingering weight yarn with the same wears-like-iron multi-ply construction that made Rowan's 4 Ply soft one of our perennial favorites (RIP, 4 Ply Soft). The extra-fine merino is soft and springy and would be perfect for gloves, baby sweaters, or anything frequently used that you still want to look brand new for years to come.

Aurora Bulky is the super-sized version of 4 ply with the same great construction at 3-3.5 stitches per inch. Make a hat in an afternoon, or a thick and crisp scarf with excellent stitch definition. No pilling involved!

And Boise, oh Boise, is like butter in a ball (if, you know, butter was made from clouds and didn't require refrigeration... It's not a great simile, is it?). At 50% cashmere and 50% merino wool, it's heavenly. In 4 rich shades with more to come, it's the perfect little indulgence to brighten up those grey days (I'm looking at you, rainy Monday).

Come into Rosie's to see what other new yarns we've stocked on our shelves, and check back here for news of events and unveilings. We've got a lot up our knitted sweater sleeves for the upcoming weeks!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Knitscene Winter/Spring 2010!

The latest issue of Knitscene has hit the newsstands (and yarn store counters) and does not disappoint! In this issue, you'll find an article by Miriam Felton about four ways you can knit a triangular shawl. She's done her fair share of lace and triangular shawl patterns so if you've been apprehensive about shawls and wanted to know the ins and outs before you begin, this is the article for you. Miriam's advice also preps you for the following pages in the magazine, which feature three shawls using three of the methods she describes. The one that catches our eye the most would have to be the Conifer Shawl by Kate Gagnon Osborn.

It happens to be the shawl pictured above the article, so we know we're not alone in our assessment! It calls for five skeins of Fibre Company Canopy Worsted in Chiclet Tree and measures 48" wide and 23" deep, making this a nice-sized, warm wrap for the sometimes overenthusiastic winter here in Philadelphia.

Canopy Worsted isn't alone in yarns that are found in this issue as well as Rosie's shelves. Classic Elite Inca Marl is knit up into the Heather Raglan, a simple top-down raglan pullover by Cecily Glowik MacDonald.
 

Manos del Uruguay's Rittenhouse Merino 5 Ply can be seen in a cute pair of fingerless mitts/armwarmers, the Bungled Mitts. They only take one skein each of 512 Cinnamon & 531 Nickel and I dare say you would able to squeeze two pairs out of them.


And last but certainly not least is the Picot Cloche. It is knit using one of Rowan's newer yarns, Lima, an 84% alpaca, 8% merino, 8% nylon blend. Its chainette construction & heavy alpaca content make a yarn that will keep the warmth in while not being too heavy to wear.
 

Be sure to pick up a copy and ask us where all of these yarns are and we'll help you get started on whatever new project* you choose!

*Some other projects that we couldn't squeeze into this blog post that feature yarn found at Rosie's are the Equinox Raglan using Noro Silk Garden, the Panbe Dress using Classic Elite Sprout (be sure to ask for it by name!), and the Tourmaline Shawl using Schaefer Anne, a Rosie's favorite.