It’s certainly been an… interesting year. Surreal. Heartbreaking. Challenging. But one of the things that has helped us retain a feeling of normalcy and comfort is, of course, our knitting. It makes me feel especially warm and fuzzy to see the special colorways that I worked with dyers to create, from the Knitting Our National Parks yarns to event exclusives, turn into beloved FOs.
Here are some projects using special Indie Untangled colorways that were finished in 2020.
Samantha’s Love Note by Tin Can Knits with Plies & Hellhounds Yarn Marie Cutie in Quiescence
Kathy’s Snowflake Party by Martina Behm with Earl Grey Fiber Co. Darjeeling Sock in The Highest Peak
svm’s Ande Donut Hat by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd) with Onyx Fiber DK in Cider Donut Dipped In Coffee (Also pictured is the Zeen Top by Alisa Hartzel in Lavender Lune Yarn Co. Merino DK and the Hocus Pocus Cowl by Thea Eschliman Plies and Hellhounds)
Diane’s Spring Thing by Espace Tricot with La Bien Aimée Merino Singles in Hudson and Kingston
For the latest installment of Knitting Our National Parks, Rachel of Six and Seven Fiber takes us to Grand Teton National Park, which I was lucky to visit in May of 2019 (which seems like ages ago). Her Jenny Lake colorway was inspired by the above photo taken by photographer Brian Johns.
This lightly speckled neutral is available to preorder on Indie Untangled through December 27 on three bases: Alfalfa, a luxurious 80/10/10 Superwash Merino/Cashmere/nylon heavy fingering-weight yarn, Amaranth, a toothy but soft non-Superwash Merino fingering (this one is my personal favorite) and Soybean, a non-Superwash Merino DK. Alfalfa would make amazing winter accessories, while the latter two are the perfect sweater yarns.
Speaking of non-Superwash yarns, designer Mary Annarella used Julie Asselin’s Nurtured yarn in the special Indie Untangled Leaf Pile colorway to design not just one but two new hats! The one above, with the zig zag purl pattern, is called Swipe Right (which means, in the world of Tinder dating, that you’re interested).
Mary’s other hat, called Take a Bough, has an elegant cable pattern reminiscent of pine trees and is a perfect match for the colorway, which is indeed like jumping into a leaf pile. The links above will take you to kits for the hat featuring this exclusive colorway, and they are discounted through Monday, December 14, no coupon code needed.
I also invite you to explore this incredible yarn further…
When I first learned about Julie Asselin’s Nurtured yarn — a rustic but soft blend of Rambouillet, Targhee and Merino that is hand dyed “in the wool” prior to being mill spun at Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont — it was love at first sight… through my computer monitor. Fortunately, when I finally got a chance to see it in person at a yarn festival, I was even more smitten — enough to ask Julie and her partner Jean-François to create a special colorway for Indie Untangled.
Since we don’t have the ability to feel yarn in person at festivals, and I want everyone to discover the joy of knitting with Nurtured, I’m excited to collaborate with Julie and Jean-François on Nurtured Mini Boxes. These sets will allow you to try out this woolly Aran-weight yarn and see the incredible heathered colors in real life.
The boxes are available to preorder on Indie Untangled through January 8 and will ship in mid-March, allowing time for Julie and Jean-François to create mini skeins to order and for cross-border shipping.
I was so excited to see that Abbye and Selena of the design duo Wool & Pine, who I enjoyed learning more about during Indie Untangled Everywhere in October, had published their first pattern collection. I’m even more thrilled to be a stockist of this special new book! Featuring Wool & Pine’s first six garments, this softcover book is filled with beautiful images and size-inclusive patterns with written and charted directions. It also includes a digital download code and access to detailed video tutorials to help you knit your perfect sweater.
The cold whether inspired Lanivendole’s Winter Mood palette, which will be available in Giulia and Stefania’s online shop today starting at 6 p.m. CET. There will also be limited edition handmade stitch markers from their friend Carla of @laboratorioindie.
Rebecca of WildWestDye, a natural dyer based in Canada, has lots of new kits uniquely dyed using indigo, including CabooseWay, a three-color, three-texture indigo kit launched with a new collection of worsted weight yarn.
The Crafty Flutterby Creations seasonal Victorian Christmas Collection features shawl pins or vegan leather shawl cuffs with sophisticated lace designs. Michelle also has limited edition sparkly holiday end minders, which help keep your ends neat and tidy while you work. All orders placed by Monday will ship in time for Christmas within the U.S.
Megan of Megs & Co has curated a collection of hand-dyed hat kits to get you ready for the cold weather. Kits include a skein of Folk Song Aran paired with one skein of Head in the Clouds mohair and silk laceweight, plus a hand-stuffed faux fur pom-pom.
Speaking of hats, all Softyarn Designs hat patterns are 25% off through Wednesday, December 16, with the code Hatknitting on Ravelry and Etsy. Lena’s Pebble Street Hat, pictured above, is a quick knit using Aran-weight yarn and a slip-stitch pattern.
Stephanie from Rock Solid Designs has a new product that speaks to the need for neatness. She recently started playing with her serger and sewed up Yarn Sleeves, tubes of stretchy fabric that hug your center-pull yarn cakes so they don’t end up a tangled, barf-y mess. They are designed to work in conjunction with her project bags to keep multiple cakes separate and tidy. She is launching these with six different fabric designs, including these adorable knitting dogs. There’s also a bee print to match the bags she has in stock, new prints geared towards fellow sci-fi nerds and some fun holiday ones.
Sara of La Cave à Laine has some new bag collections, including these limited-edition linocut bags created with white cotton and a piece of linoleum, carved based on a drawing inspired by her love for geometry and nature.
Jillian of WeeOnes finds her calm in meditation and knitting… and so do her latest stitch marker creatures, which are — get this — Yoga Kitties. The cats and new armadillos are 10% off through this Sunday.
Jillian also designed these limited-edition Hanukkah sets for Indie Untangled! Each set comes with three sufganiyot and one little dreidel. You can use them to mark the sections of your Cashmenorah hat, or to add some holiday light to other WIPs. They’re available to preorder on Indie Untangled through November 20 and will ship at the beginning of December.
Crystal’s latest design is the Grange Hat, a two-color stranded colorwork hat that complements The Grange, a cowl she released in late summer. If you’re a colorwork newbie, the pattern includes plenty of helpful tips.
Bonnie of Yank Your Yarn has stitch marker sets for your favorite crafting friends and loved ones, including knitting sets in different sizes and sets for cat lovers, as well as crochet hook tags to help you remember which hook you were using.
Scarlet of Huckleberry Knits is helping us with the transition to fall through her stunning Knitting Our National Parks colorway. It’s called Going to the Sun after its inspiration photo of Lake McDonald, along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, taken by Colorado-based photographer Mallory Wilson. This colorway will be dyed on Scarlet’s Willow sock base, 80% Superwash Blue-Faced Leicester and 20% nylon, with 420 yards per skein, and available to preorder on Indie Untangled through Sunday, October 18.
Sara of La Cave à Laine is introducing Happy Knitting Boxes: four different boxes with a selection of handcrafted fiber accessories made in France or Europe, including hand-dyed or hand-printed project bags, stitch markers, wool soap and knitting patterns.
Sarah of Superfine Yarn has been playing around with one-of-a-kind dye batches. If you fall in love with any of her experiments, be sure to use code FALL10 to get 10% off and free shipping.
Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns had a shop update yesterday with Keld Fingering, a new-to-ECY blend of Superwash extrafine Merino with linen.
Marny’s Reversible Trellis Cowl is just what it sounds like, a fun accessory that can be made in any two colorways.
Selena of Sweater Sisters has released kits for Ardelia, a new shawl design by K.M. Bedigan, named for the 17th-century composer Lady Mary Dering. The fingering weight shawl combines brioche and lace into an elegant botanical design. Kits are available in six color options of Wayfaring Yarns Europa, a blend of Extrafine Merino and Superkid Mohair, and Sophia Kidsilk Lace, a blend of Ultrafine Kid Mohair and Mulberry Silk.
Heather of Pumpkins and Wool has a bunch of new sock kits in bright colorways. Get 10% off, no coupon needed, when you purchase two or more items, plus get free domestic shipping with a purchase of $35 or more.
Maybe it’s not chunky knit weather, but it’s hard to resist a super quick project. Jennifer of Maelstrom Fiber Arts has released her new Poseidon Super-Bulky single-ply yarn. Use it for her Anemone Cowl, which is available free for a limited time.
Join the Mermaids in the Waves shawl semi-mystery knitalong with Softyarn Designs and Jilly & Kiddles for 50% off through July 20.
Back in March, I decided back to launch the Indie Untangled Super Special KAL so we’d have some fun knitting incentives. Not that we really need prizes, let alone a pandemic, to inspire our crafting mojo, but it is nice to have deadlines.
Over three months, there were 70 total entries, including 16 in the sock category and 15 in the sweater category (but only one in the new bralette category, which surprised me!). Last week, I selected 15 winners in eight categories via random number generator. Here are the winning FOs (please note that the links go to Ravelry).
Stephanie Earp, a knitwear designer who introduced her incredibly popular Knitter’s Book Case earlier this spring, has come out with an expansion pack. Called the Knitter’s Brief Case, it can work as a standalone or as an add-on for the Knitter’s Book Case, holding up to nine pairs of needle tips, including slots for jumbo needles up to 15mm. It also has two slots for cables and a large pouch for notions.
Today is the last day to order Aleutian Fade, the colorway from Jenn of Cedar House Yarns based on a blue gradient forming the Kachemak Bay Mountains at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Heather of Sew Happy Jane has updated her shop with new Perfect Pairings for two-skein projects, and a batch of new base Delightful Tweed DK. 10% of profits from sales this weekend will go to The Loveland Foundation, which helps Black women and girls access therapy services.
Add a wee bit of magic to your next project with Jillian of WeeOnes’ whimsical dragon stitch markers. They are being offered at an introductory 10% off discount through this Sunday, June 28.
Sara of La Cave à Laine’s summer collection is here and features practical project bags in both bright and delicate colored 100% cotton fabrics.
Robynn’s latest design, Viandar, is a simple way to use those irresistible mini skeins and it’s 20% off until Sunday, June 28.
Heather of Earl Grey Fiber Arts’ Mount Rainier-inspired colorway is back in the Indie Untangled shop as a rare preorder to coincide with this week’s Virtual Knitting LIVE! event. Heather will be joining me in my virtual shop tomorrow at 6 p.m. EDT to discuss her colorway! To join in, you can get marketplace tickets here. The colorway is available to preorder only until Monday, May 18 and then it will go back into the Knitting Our National Parks vault.
Stephanie of SpaceCadet Yarns had been a little uncertain about the renewal for her InterStellar Yarn Alliance, which was scheduled to happen in mid-March. But, she began receiving emails from members asking if it was time to renew, and realized it was time to reopen sign-ups.
Sign-ups for the club — which includes yarn in an exclusive colorway every other month, a special gift, a coupon and access to an otherworldly community of members cheering you on — are open only through this Monday, May 18.
Selena of Sweater Sisters has collaborated with Tiam Safari of KNITSAFARI Designs on Viola, a modern V-neck sweater pattern. Tiam designed this sweater using Wayfaring Yarns Arcadia DK, a 100% Superwash extra fine Merino and there are kits available in four colors.
Session 2 of the Nutmeg Fiber Arts DyeSigner Alliance, which ships out in August, brings together Brooke Sinnes of Sincere Sheep and Julie Robinson, AKA Julia At Work.
Kate of McMullin Fiber Co. has opened up preorders for her May/June Sweater Quantity Discount colorway. She also has a few spots open for her very first literary Advent Calendar, “Dreaming of a Classic Christmas” inspired by the Penguin Clothbound Classics collection.
Emily’s Foul Temptress cowl is made for those tempting skeins you just have to buy, and uses just 200 yards of sport or fingering weight yarn.
After years of declaring that I couldn’t tolerate mohair, I decided to take the plunge earlier this year and knit an As If Tee and Love Note sweater. I convinced myself that they were quick knits — the As If took me only one week, and the Love Note took me two — so if they were too itchy to wear, I wouldn’t have lost so much time. And do you know what? Those sweaters are some of the softest, and least itchy, sweaters I’ve knit!
So, when Kate of McMullin Fiber Co. showed me the inspiration photo for her installment of Knitting Our National Parks, I decided the yarn needed to have a complementary colorway in mohair/silk. Then when I saw the resulting colorways — the speckled Rialto Beach and a complementary mohair called Green Anemone — I knew just the pattern for it.
Sorrel from Wool & Pine — a design collaboration between Selena of Dank Fiber and Abbye of Abbye Knits, who are coincidentally from the Pacific Northwest — was already in my favorites on Ravelry, and I think it would be perfect for this color combination (the sample shown above includes a fade of colors, but it would look perfect in one speckled colorway). If you’re not a sweater knitter, Wool & Pine’s Calliope Nest Cowl would also be a great match.
As a bonus, Rialto Beach is available in both sock and DK, which increases the pattern possibilities!
Here are some more pattern suggestions for using the two colorways together.
Debbie of Murky Depths, who has a background in retail fashion, is ahead of the curve with her new Maelstrom base, an alpaca and polyamide bouclé laceweight that you can swap for any pattern that calls for mohair (so, like, almost every new pattern).
Today’s the last day you can order Quiescence, a yarn-y interpretation of Sequoia National Park after a snowstorm from Gabby of Once Upon a Corgi. 10% of sales are donated to the National Park Foundation.
Today is Meg of Nutmeg Fibers’ 40th birthday, and to celebrate, everything on her website is 40% off today only, no code needed.
Norwegian Dreams is Selena’s newest Sweater Sisters pattern, and she has kits with the eight colors to knit up this Fair Isle cowl.
Laura of Slipped Stitch Studios is doing a salute to Supernatural today at 9 a.m. Pacific.
The latest Eden Cottage Yarns update takes place today and includes Oakworth 4ply in support of The Blossoming Sweater by Rachel Illsley of Unwind Knitwear.
