We have just updated the store to introduce our new yarns, Ailsa (100% silk laceweight), Kiama (50% wool 50% silk fingering weight), and Awaba (100% silk fingering weight). Watch our mailing list tomorrow for a special coupon code for all retail orders placed before 19 June 2009.

We are so excited about these yarns, and are delighted to say that they have already been well received by the customers that have seen them.  I have been knitting Awaba into Ene’s Scarf, and have been thoroughly enjoying the process.  The yarn was dyed by me using Ashford acid dyes, and I am just about to start Chart 3.  There will certainly be more photos to come!

We have discounts available on Roma, KnitPro knitting needle sets, and Ashford Acid dyes until June 19. Enjoy all thse wonderful products at specially reduced prices.

Yarn Workshop will be taking vacations this summer, and we have updated the blog sidebar, with the dates that we will be away. Yarn Workshop will be on vacation from 20 June 2009 until 4 July 2009; and then from 13 July 2009 until 24 July 2009. We will be a vendor at Sock Summit 2009, and will have all our yarns there for you to  touch and feel. All sales at the Sock Summit will be at retail prices, but we will be taking wholesale orders.  While we are at the Sock Summit we will be unable to post any orders.

If you would like to find out about Yarn Workshop promotions sooner, please consider joining our mailing list. You will receive notice of our promotions, coupons, and new yarns.

We are delighted to introduce our new cobweb weight yarn from Zegna Baruffa, Roma. It is milled for us in Italy, and might be familiar to you as Baruffa Cashwool. It is 100% extra-fine merino, and is wonderfully soft.

Each skein of Roma is massive, with over 3,750 metres, or over 4100 yards.  Many of our customers are already dividing each skein into 3 for resale. The softness of this yarn is amazing, and its even twist really enhances stitch definition.  I am currently knitting an Icarus Shawl from it, and I am sure that my enjoyment of the yarn is making me knit faster!

As always, Roma can be purchased both retail and wholesale.  At this stage, it is only available in hanks.

In shop news, we have updated our summer vacation schedule with our dates in the top right sidebar.  We will be exhibiting at the Sock Summit in Portland, Oregon in August, and I am really looking forward to meeting many of you there.

We have also been fortunate enough to have engaged a new assistant about the business - Rebecca.  She just recently finished these “no purl” Monkey socks out of hand-dyed Footscray.

These socks are a gift for a friend who loves pink, orange and yellow. They look absolutely amazing!

At Yarn Workshop, we love to knit with all our yarns, and I have recently finished two projects using Yarn Workshop yarns. Above is a completed Juno Regina scarf (free pattern) knitted with kettle dyed Geelong. The yarn was dyed with Jacquard Fire Engine red dye, and then overdyed with Ashford Brown dye.  I made the scarf 6″ longer than specified in the pattern, and knitted it on 3.25 mm KnitPro fixed metal circular needles; and was able to squeeze the whole scarf out of slightly less than one skein of Geelong.  The KnitPro needles are wonderful for doing any kind of lace manouveurs.

The Anais top was worked out of kettle dyed Ultimo, and used just under 3 skeins.  When I kettle dyed the yarn, I added 50 grams salt to the dyepot to maximise eveness in the colour, and I stirred the yarn thoroughly prior to heating.  I used a combination of Ashford acid dyes from the 11 colour dye pack with citric acid, and left the yarn overnight to fully exhaust the colour.

This top knitted up very quickly, partly because the Ultimo is such a pleasant yarn to knit.  I was able to get exactly the gauge specified in the pattern with the needle sizes specified in the pattern.  This top was knitted on KnitPro metal interchangeable needles.

Here at Yarn Workshop, we love receiving pictures of your creations. We are constantly astounded by the beautiful things that are created by our talented customers. Knitabulous has created these socks out of Yarn Workshop Footscray.  She dyed the yarn, and knitted them using Cookie A’s fabulous (and free!)  Hedera pattern.

Not only is Knitabulous obviously a great knitter, her photography is also lovely. She will be receiving her “your creations” gift voucher very soon.

In the knitting community recently there has been some confusion about the emergence of the new KnitPro brand of knitting needles.  Here at Yarn Workshop we have received queries about whether KnitPro is a generic Knit Picks brand, or a competitor? As a seller of both Knit Picks branded and KnitPro stock, I would like to clarify the situation.

Knit Picks needles have always been manufactured by InDeutsch International and KnitPro needles are also manufactured by InDeutsch International on the same production line, to the same standards, and they are covered by the same warranty. The use of the Knit Picks brand has been restricted to retailers selling in the US and Canada, and the KnitPro branding has been developed for the rest of the world.  As we receive new stock at Yarn Workshop, we will gradually change the listings. The KnitPro stock is completely compatible with all Knit Picks hardware, and will continue to be so.  There are several new products being released in the KnitPro line, including the very popular 40cm cable, and special shorter tips desgined to fit the 40cm cable perfectly.

Mintheweaver has been a long time customer of Yarn Workshop, and receives $10 off her next order for having her yarns featured as a part of our blog! These yarns were dyed with Mother Mackenzie’s Miracle Dyes over a Footscray base, and knit up beautifully.   Min appears at fiber festivals, and also sells her yarns through her Etsy store.

We think that her yarns look amazing!

We’ve been uploading stock to the site, and have taken 25% off all retail cones of yarn. In addition, you can have a further 10% off everything on the site if you use your 10% off coupon.

The hat above was knitted out of Footscray using the magic loop method, and only required about 30 grams of yarn.  The pattern is being written up, and will be the first free pattern to be offered through Yarn Workshop. 

You will have noticed our new e-commerce site.  We are still uploading stock, and are offering an email coupon to all previous customers of Yarn Workshop.  The coupon will offer 10% off all retail shop stock, including the cone yarns that will be reduced in the January sale.  The coupon is valid until 31 January 2009, and to receive a copy of the coupon, please send an email to coupon@yarnworkshop.com, and remember to check your spam filter for any reply.

Prior to the January Sale of all cone yarns, we will be having a quick vacation from 17 December 2008 - 28 December 2009.  During the vacation we will be uploading stock to the store, and answering emails, but will not be able to send any orders. Happy holidays to all our customers!

Bellingen knits to a classic worsted heavy weight gauge, making it a perfect choice for hats like Koolhaas (pattern available here).  Koolhaas requires only one skein of Bellingen to make the largest size, and the yarn for this hat was kettle dyed with chocolate brown food colouring and citric acid. The yarn has a a bouncy texture, making the cables really ‘pop”.