Where Have You Been, Graywood Designs

It's been a long, long time since the last blog post and, yes, there is a reason for that pause.

Here at Graywood Designs we are making the shift from one website interface to another. The new site has some "backroom" features that we have been yearning for, so those of you who are regular customers will notice some new things.

Coupons. Yes, we plan to offer coupons via our Graywood Knits emails and our Facebook page. That will be kind of cool. Right now we don't have that capability and we know that many of our customers would appreciate some fun offers. Coupons will bring us that possibility.

Downloads. You will be able to download PDF patterns and knitting helps right on our new website. Our free patterns will be available there as well as our for sale patterns. 

Events. We offer four regular KALs (Knit Alongs) and those will be right up on our home page. Front and center, that's where we want our events to be, not buried three clicks deep on the blog or in a hard-to-retrieve email.

More yarn, more colors. The best thing about our website, though small, is the multiplicity of yarns and colors that we offer. We've expanded colors and yarns, and plan to add even more.

I say this somewhat guardedly, since having a lot of yarn is not the focus of the website. Instead, we strive to offer yarns for discriminating knitting -- natural fibers, blends of fibers, colors that go beyond the ordinary. And we strive to do that by bringing you hand picked yarns. We'd like a yarn purchase to be a reasonable purchase, yet we know that good results start with the best fibers that you can afford.

Excellence in Tools. Most knitters have lots of needles but only use certain brands and sizes from their stash. We are aware of the cost of the more expensive needles like the Addi Turbo line that we carry, but we also know that those myriad of hours that you spent knitting using really good needles will be hours of pleasure, not frustration. So, we stock premium tools that work. Period. End of sentence. No apologies here.

Finally, the new website will be coming on line sometime this summer, Lord willing and the creek don't rise! So I hope you will bear with us and be looking forward to the next best thing as we move from one "house" on the web to another one with a newer look. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, happy knitting,

Wanda

Hat Knit Along Starts July 3

Be ready for the next KAL from Michelle Hunter of KnitPurlHunter. The next project will be a two-color hat design. Michelle says this project (remember, it is always a surprise) is "brimming" with new techniques and that it is the perfect portable project for summer travels. 

Hmm, that sounds great! We are featuring 20 colors. You will find neutrals, some saturated colors, and HOT colors for summer on our website's choices of the yarn for this project, HiKoo Simplicity, a butter soft machine washable yarn. The photo shows 6 of the 20 colors that we carry. Just look at that purple! Red Hat Purple! Cool!

Here are the specifics:

Yarn: HiKoo Simplicity
Content: 55% Merino Superwash, 28% Acrylic, 17% Nylon
Skein size: 50 grams, 107 meters 
Label needle size: US #4-6, 5 stitches per inch

Hat size: The pattern is sized for baby (child, and adult). It uses two colors of HiKoo Simplicity.

Materials for KAL project:
+ HiKoo Simplicity - 1 (2, 2) hanks Main Color, 1 (1, 1) hank Contrasting Color
+ US #4 (3.5mm) needle – straight or circular
+ US #8 (5mm) 16" circular
+ US #8 (5mm) dpns or 32" circulars for Magic Loop method (for crown decreases)
+ Cable needle
+ One 3/4" button

If you want to guess at what Michelle's hat project might look at, HERE are some of her other designs.

And, if you just want to knit a hat this summer, try the Softie Hat, knit using one skein of sock yarn, that I designed. It is a free download on Ravelry and HERE is the link to my pattern. 

And, (whew, one more link!) HERE is the link to sock yarns on the Graywood Designs website.

Happy knitting,

Wanda

PS I couldn't wait to knit with this yarn so I started a scarf using Color 10 Deep Turquoise. The yarn is super soft, holds to the needles well, and flows through my fingers evenly. It is a delight to knit.

Serendipity Tweed Vest

I'm knitting a vest for cool golf days using Brown Sheep Serendipity Tweed. The pattern is the same lace that I'm knitting as a cardigan for my daughter. 

The yarn is smooth and so pleasant to knit. Here's the link to the website where you can read more about this made in the USA yarn from the good folks at Brown Sheep in Nebraska. 

http://www.graywooddesigns.com/product.php?id=92

Walk In Wednesday -- April 30th

FREE Diagonal Squares Class -- Wed., April 30 -- 1-3 pm -- Graywood Studio

Join us this coming Wednesday for our first "Walk In Wednesday." There will be a FREE class in the afternoon. You can see and buy our website yarn in person.

There will be some discounts, just like on our website. We have a bin of charity yarn ready. Some of this yarn is leftover skeins, some has knots or nubs, and it is all great for one of a kind knitting.

We've discontinued some yarns and those are marked way down. Plus, there will be a free copy of our NRS Socks pattern for each person who stops by.

Wednesdays are the days that we ship orders from our website and we are guessing that a lot of you who live or visit the Thumb area of Michigan might like to see our shipping facilities and have a gander at all of the luscious yarns.

The FREE class will be a Diagonal Squares class from 1 pm to 3 pm. You'll learn how to knit a square with a center decrease that is connected by knitting to the next square. For the class, bring a pair of US #7 or 8 or 9 needles and one or two colors of worsted weight yarn. You'll need about 30 yards of each color.

So stop by and shop a bit. We'll be open 10 am to 4 pm. That's Wednesday, April 30, in Pigeon, at the Graywood Studio at 40B South Main Street.

Come around through the garden and in at the double door. Bring some knitting! We'd love to see you!

April KAL Shawl -- Week One

The April Knit Along (KAL), a shawl knit in HiKoo's Rylie yarn, started with a garter stitch tab that quickly expands through several yarn over increase rows into a semi circle shape.

I'm using the pale pink, Color #093 "Abalone," and am loving the way that the pattern work (star stitch) shows up. The first week's directions take you through Row 60 of the pattern. After I got that far, I slipped the stitches on to a holding thread and soaked the knitting. Then I folded it in a damp towel and stretched it out on a tile top table. The photo shows the results.

Week Two of this KAL will be posted on this Thursday morning at 9 am EDT. Michelle Hunter is the designer and moderator of the KAL.

Our studio knitting group has at least four of us knitting this project, plus we have shipped packages of this yarn to customers. What fun!

Abalone & Sea Grass, Rylie Colors

Anybody remember "The Thorn Birds" and Meggie's Ashes of Roses gown? Meggie, played by Rachel Ward, wears a lovely pink dress as she descends a staircase in their Australian bush farm house and falls in love with a handsome priest, played by Richard Chamberlain.

That's what Color #093 in Rylie reminds me of, a soft, slightly dusty pink, sort of like the Victorian Ashes of Roses in Meggie's costume in The Thorn Birds.

Color #093 in Rylie is called "Abalone" and you would need two skeins to knit the April KAL (Knit Along) shawl. Find out more on our BLOG or on our WEBSITE.

Here's another intriguing color, #089 "Sea Grass." It has a hint of teal, a blue green haze that is a subtle grayish green.

Rylie comes in ten colors. We have all of them in stock, ready to ship. This yarn is priced at $25.95, but with our 15% discount, you pay $22.06 per skein.

We charge $4.95 for Shipping & Handling, up to $75. After $75, S&H is free. I know, it's kind of nuts to price S&H that low, but we do, so order today!

Rylie, Featured April KAL Yarn

Michelle Hunter's April KAL will be a shawl knit with Rylie, a new yarn by HiKoo.

Rylie is a luxurious blend of baby alpaca, mulbery silk, and linen. Michelle tells us that the yarn is soft and strong and has lovely hand.

We have ordered all ten colors -- lovely pastels, beachy brights, and soft neutrals -- and all ten colors are in stock and ready to ship.

Michelle is using Color #085 "Sea" for her knitting. Other colors include: Kelp, Periwinkle, Freesia, Guava, Sea Grass, Driftwood, Sandbar, Pearl, and Abalone. There is a 15% discount on this yarn. For the KAL, you will need 2 skeins of Rylie.

HERE is the link to Rylie on our website.

You will also need a US #7 circular needle, 32" recommended.  Treat yourself to a new Addi Turbo circular needle for this project. The tips are smooth and the knitting is insanely delightful.

HERE is the link to Addi Turbo needles on our website.

Order your skeins and needle right away and be ready on Thursday, April 3rd at 9 am EDT for Michelle's very excellent April Shawl Knit Along!

HERE is the link to the Knit Along.

A few more clues from Michelle about this KAL project:

The shawl is a lace based pattern.
Michelle says it is suitable for the advanced beginner knitter.
The shawl is approximately 52" wide.
The gauge, after blocking, is approximately 20 stitches equals 4 inches in stockinette.