New Colour Friday!
As I sit down to write this I realize that we’ve had a whole bunch of newness this week. We were able to print the sock club labels without a system reset for addresses USPS didn’t like. If you ship anything in bulk you know how great this is.
We got through our first shipment of the year with no snow. Not a flurry.
We shot our first-ever Blue Moon video. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but that whole not enough hours in the day thing keeps cramping my style. So look on the sock club blog next week for the video link.
I got this goodness in the mail this week.:
It’s JC Briar’s new book Charts Made Simple.JC has been working on it for the past year or so, and I, for one, have been waiting for it completion. It’s gridding brilliant and, no, I’m not biased. As a knitter, I am pretty excited about this book. How can you not be? She tells you absolutely everything you need to know about reading, writing and using charts for all of your knitting. She thinks of things none of the rest us us mere mortal knitters have. There is a whole chapter dedicated to cable charts and one for knitters like me called counting stitches. I love that she refers to chart as the big picture and refers to no-stitch symbols and phantoms ghost stitches (because they are not there get it?).
As someone who writes, proofs and publishes patterns for sale I am over the moon thrilled about Charts Made Simple. I’ve worked with a whole lot of tech editors and they are wonderful but in my humble opinion, JC Briar is in a league of her own. Her attention to detail and ability to translate the most incomprehensible knot notes into a pattern is magical. She is at heart a techie, which is clearly evident in her book. If you can only buy one knitting book this year, make it this one.
JC left Blue Moon as tech editor to write this book. I have to tell you, I was not real graceful about this change in our relationship. I’m not proud. There were tears and maybe some whining and a few more tears.
There might have even been a fit or two. I don’t let go easy. Obviously.
Anyway, I’m telling you all of this because every time I open Charts Made Simple, there is JC with all of her wit, wisdom, knit common sense and tech savvy. It’s the perfect size to fit in my knitting bag so I can take it everywhere and one at home, maybe one in the car too, just in case. Hey, you never know. We are selling JC’s book on our website here.
Another new:
Today we are going to start a new tradition. What’s new in and around Blue Moon land Friday? The idea behind this is to share, talk about or with link with all the great designers that use our yarn. Yet another something that’s been brewing in by brain. (yes, that is what that smell is.)
See this lovely knit. This beautiful vest is Sam Roshaks newest design, “Grrlzz in the Hood”.
She knit Grrlzz (love the name) with Gaea in one of our new Raven fledgling colourways (which we will be putting up today). I’m a bit possessed by this vest of Sam’s. I have a thing for hoods, so right off the bat this vest had me. I love the flow and fit of Grllzz. It looks so good and natural that it leaves me thinking I can not only wear it everyday with jeans but maybe also dress it up with a skirt for dinner out.
You can visit Sam Knitquest for all of the specs and details and how to get a pattern.
Last newness for the week is colour. We are putting new colours up today. Actually, I do believe they are going up as I type the blog entry.
We have so many. I had a bit of a tonal meltdown last week and this is the outcome. There are quite a few here that make my heart sing but the ones I am really excited about are the new Ravens. When I was creating the Ravens, there was a whole lot of experimenting to get exactly what was my vision for the them. One of the experiments I loved quite bit. It was dark gray instead of black. Stunning. I decided to hold on to that recipe until just the right moment presented itself.
Today we are introducing the Fledglings. We are welcoming our first 6 Fledglings to take wing and join their older more worldly winged compatriots. You can find them on the site in the Raven Colour section. As always, if you do not see them in the yarn you want please ask. It takes us awhile to get them all up.
Meet Fledgeling Grawk
You can see the other Fledgelings on the site along with the following new colourways:
FLEDGING RAVENS
Corvid Fledge
Grawk Fledge
Haida Fledge
Lenore Fledge
Rauen Fledge
Thraven Fledge
SHADED SOLIDS
Stumptown Brown
TumbleScum
MULTICOLOURS
Babymama
Cozy,firece,scummy girl
Sigur Rós
Clare de Lune
Daffodilly
Amélie
STORM large
Lavender Truffle
Vintage
ScumbleBEE
On Blueberry Hill
Chawton Cottage
Femmebot
Mmm, Mmm, Good
L. L. Cool Sock
With All My Heart
There are 10 returning colourways. The 1st 5 of you lovely knitters to list all ten them correctly here in the comments get a prize skein of Socks that Rock, your choice of colourway.
Have a lovely weekend!
