New Yarns & New Patterns = Happy Day

A shipment of gorgeous yarns from Millamia has arrived and the colors are fantastic. It is a sport weight yarn that is 100% merino from Sweden and is machine washable.

The pattern books are written for children but this yarn is great for everyone. One of the pillow cover patterns is a beautiful cabled pattern that would look great in almost every home.

Another shipment that arrived is from Never Not Knitting Patterns from Alana Dakos. Playful Stripes is a yoke construction cardigan which would just happen to work perfectly in Millama:

One for the ladies, Cedar Leaf shawlette that is done in one piece and has a great border - perfect for spring.

And finally a wonderful option for a little girl in Spud & Chloe Sweater, aptly named Chloe by Alana is a great little ruffled bolero.

Stop in and see all the beauty for yourself.

Robbie the Love-bot

Happy February. I wanted to do something happy for the shop window and this is what I came up with.

He is Robbie the Love-bot for Valentines Day. I love his big eyes and warm heart... he can blow kisses...

And he ponders the idea of what Valentines Day is about... or is he signaling for you to call him?

Not too sure but either way he certainly has made many people smile as they walk past today. Come in for the pattern & yarn and make your own Robbie, what kind of 'bot' will he (or she) be for you?

The pattern is Robbie the Radiant Robot designed by Rebecca Danger & I used Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn. We also have safety eyes available at the shop behind the counter. Just ask.

Welcome 2012

Happy New Year! So far 2012 has been very promising with new yarns, patterns and exciting knit inspiration!

To kick it off we received new colors in Spud & Chloe Sweater which are gorgeous:

Chocolate Milk

Lilac

Manatee

They are great heathered yarns which are perfect for adults and children alike. As always, Spud & Chloe is machine washable & dry in a lovely cotton/wool blend.

We also received a bunch of new patterns from Churchmouse like Annabelles Cowl,

which is a gorgeous cowl that can be made using Manos del Uruguays Silk Blend & Kidsilk Haze. The simplistic beauty of this cowl has inspired a few color combinations like

The options of silky Manos multi's with soft cloudy kidsilk haze are almost endless. I look forward to casting on soon and seeing what combination inspires you! Happy 2012!

Holiday Knits: A Last Minute Guide

The holidays are just around the corner and suddenly I feel the need to knit for people and have so little time left. If you get that feeling too, here are some great last-minute knitting ideas that can be done in a few hours to a few days.

When you think Christmas, you think "toys"! Patricia's Yarns has many great toy patterns for that special little one (or husband) in your life. We have animals, monsters, dinosaurs, and puppets. And yes, we even have the classic teddy bear. These knit up quickly and will put a smile on any kid' s face - no matter the age.

Our own scarf, knit up in Rowan Alpaca Chunky, is a super-quick knit that can be done in just a few hours. Two skeins on size 17 needles makes a beautiful holiday gift in no time - & the button makes it look really cute!

Another quick knit are mittens in Toboggan yarn from Classic Elite. Our customer, Karen, was in the shop on Sunday & finished a mitten in less than 4 hours!

From the runways to the red carpets, infinity scarves and chunky cowls are everywhere! And the best reason to love them? They can be knit up really quickly! Pick a chunky yarn, use some big needles and you're almost there...

Margaux (a.k.a. tentenknits) designed the Luxe Cowl using 2 skeins of big wool on size 13 needles and it knits up in no time. This is a great option for a friend, co-worker, or sister.

Margaux is great for knit inspiration and she does have a few other cowl patterns that are very worth mentioning:

The Felicity Cowl is a gorgeous design that uses Road to China Light from the Fibre Co. (a shop fave) and is a relatively quick knit using just 2 hanks.

And if that isn't enough, the Fifth Avenue Infinity Scarf is a true classic! Knit out of Canopy Worsted yarn (also from the Fibre Co.), this is a wonderful knit. When complete, you might want to keep this for yourself or give to someone very special.



Finally, our book, "Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater", makes a great gift! Read more about it at www.curseoftheboyfriendsweater.com

And, we are, once again, selling sheep in the shop - paper sheep, that is, for Heifer International. Each sheep is $1 and will make a world of difference for a family in need this holiday season.

If you are still unsure, we have plenty of pattern suggestions in the shop. So drop by because all you need is a few hours over a few days to start - & finish - all of your gift knitting! Looking forward to seeing you! Happy Holidays!

Holiday Update

In addition to Twelve (weekend) Days of Christmas (see below) Patricia's Yarns has many other exciting things happening this holiday season.

For starters, we are once again selling sheep. No, not the kind that makes all of our delightfully warm wool, instead the kind made of paper. That's right, paper. Buy a sheep for a dollar, write your name on it, and we will hang it in the shop for all to see. And the best part? All proceeds benefit Heifer International. They will use the money to help families purchase real live sheep to help keep them clothed and warm.

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by to see the Classic Elite Toboggan Trunk Show. It is currently on display at the shop and full of vibrant colors, perfect to keep you smiling on dark, cold winter days. Toboggan is a chunky yarn that is great for quick holiday knits of scarves, hats, and sweaters. Come to Patricia's, get inspired this holiday season.

Finally, if you are looking for gifts, look no further than our new book, Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater! Makes a great holiday gift. Click here to purchase.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!

Join Us

...for the Twelve (weekend) Days of Christmas! From now until the day Saint Nick dons his red scarf, Patricia's Yarns will be celebrating! Every Saturday and Sunday will be like receiving a new gift in your hand-knit stocking. One Saturday might bring a sale on your favorite yarn and the next might be that perfect class you've been hoping to take. Some days we might offer sweet treats and others offer a glass of bubbly. So join us for some holiday cheer!

To kick off the fun, we are having our favorite girls, Kate and Courtney, owners of Kelbourne Woolens, distributors of the gorgeous Fibre Co. Yarns, visit us tomorrow. We are always excited to have them visit!

To sign up for our Twelve (weekend) Days of Christmas, simply "like" us on Facebook and/or follow us on twitter. We will make announcements each weekend day. We can't promise you a Partridge in a pear tree, but we can promise you purls.

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Patricia

Alpaca Chunky Softness

Since the fall shipment from Rowan has arrived their new yarn Alpaca Chunky has called out to me to be knit. The book Winter Warmers has a lot of inspiration but I wanted to make something super easy and quick. I thought of the Feroche Brioche that Margaux of tentenknits designed in 2008 and thought what if we did garter stitch, longer & added buttonholes but only 1 button. Viola, the Alpaca Chunky scarf/infinity was born.

Above it is worn tight to the neck with the button holding it together. You can double it over & pull the ends through, or make it a longer infinity scarf thanks to the button & buttonholes. You can make it with a bunch of different chunky yarns like Rowan Big Wool or Toboggan from Classic Elite.

Come by and try it on!

Patricia's Yarns goes to Rhinebeck!

There's so much I want to say about this trip but I will sum it up in one way: Knitters, our community, what we do, who we are, how we create - is flat out AMAZING. I am so lucky to be amongst so many wonderful people. - Margaux (a.k.a. Tentenknits)

Fall Update

This poor blog has been neglected, but only because so much yarn has come in there has been too little time to post.

New from Rowan this fall, Alpaca Chunky

Think Lima meet Big Wool: chunky & soft as can be

New colors for Big Wool:

Rowan Cocoon - a shop favorite in naturals & saturated colors.

From the Fibre Co, Acadia... it is just gorgeous.

Road to China Light, also from the Fibre Co.

And finally, an explosion of Chunky Baby Alpaca from Misty Alpaca,

Stop by the shop to see and feel for yourself!

Just in from Classic Elite

Fall is an exciting time at the shop as deliveries come frequently bringing wonderful new yarns. This week we received a 46 lb box from Classic Elite - my heart did flutter a little as the yarns are so soft and the colors so beautiful.

This is Toboggan, a chunky alpaca & merino blend that is super soft - above are half of the colors we received. It has a pattern book which has adorable sweaters & a beautiful cowl pattern in it.

The cowl takes just two skeins and is a great fast knit for yourself or to give away... early holiday knitting anyone?

We also received a sampling of Silky Alpaca Lace in neutral colors which are so soft and beautiful.

The soft colors work really well to make the Lowell Cowl, a free pattern from Classic Elite which is currently on display in our front window on the mannequin. Come by & see it for yourself.

Finally we brought back Kumara from last fall as it is a gorgeous camel & mohair yarn. It is soft and has great stitch definition, perfect for cables.

Come by and feel the softness!

Summer Vacation 2011

This summer we took a trip to a rather remote part of France, Le Vernet.

It was a very relaxing and peaceful place to visit. The village we stayed in was over 300 years old and gorgeous. Our daily drives would give us views like this...

and this...

as we drove on roads like this...

It was nothing less than amazing. Below is the village of Le Vernet at night.

Here is the view from our bedroom...

I didn't get in as much knitting as I had hoped- but that is what happens when you take a 13 month old on vacation.

We went wine tasting and Grace took to helping with the bottle carrier.

Below are just a few more of our favorite photos from the trip.

We are very grateful to our friends Ash, Brittany, and Andy for a wonderful vacation. We are also excited to be home, well rested, and ready for a great 2011 fall season!

A Celebration of 7 Years!

Patricia's Yarns celebrated 7 years in business on Thursday August 4th, 2011. Thank you to all of our wonderful customers who came by to help us celebrate - as well as all of you who have been with us since 2004!

In honor of our seventh anniversary, we had a sale as well as a few raffle prizes. The prizes were donated by Patricia, Spud and Chloe, Blue Sky Alpacas, and the Fibre Company.


Our daughter, Grace, was very excited to choose the winners...

Once again, thank you to all of our loyal and wonderful customers. We look forward to many more great years in Hoboken, NJ!

A special thank you to Jason and Jeff for bringing the champagne on Sunday- as well as Margaux for her long distance celebration.

Also, please note that Fall shipments will be arriving soon and we will have a new class schedule for September. We will be resuming our Yarn of the Month for September as well. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer, and, of course, happy knitting!