What to stash this week: Spotlight on designers

By Lisa | April 30, 2021

We’re so excited to share more of what we have planned for our upcoming virtual event, Indie Spotlight, which is just two weeks away on May 14-16! We’ve partnered with yarn shop Scratch Supply Co. to put together two panels where we can meet and get to know a group of talented and fascinating designers. Since purpose of Indie Spotlight is to highlight newer businesses and those with under 10K followers on Instagram, our Spotlight designers fit that description, and were chosen because we feel they have unique viewpoints to share.

We look forward to hearing from:

Vanessa Smith of Vanessa Smith Designs, who aims to inspire and empower other knitters feel confident in their ability to make show-stopping pieces of knitwear that they can proudly wear for years to come

Corrado Lark, an actor and singer who loves a good pop culture pun and brings that inspiration to his ornate designs

Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studio, who specializes in accessories that look complicated but are simple to execute

Chase Harpole of Chase Harpole Knits, who looks to build opportunities for individual customization into his designs so that people that knit them can feel empowerment and ownership of their own identity

Michael Green of MGZDesignsCo, who uses the beauty of Afrocentric motifs to create works that challenge the mind but are accessible to all types of knitters

Sarah Krentz of Swanky Emu Knits, who designs size-inclusive knitting patterns that automatically adapt to your unique set of body measurements with an accompanying spreadsheet

Crystal Hiatt of Milly’s Knit Designs, who designs patterns with size inclusivity at the forefront

Kacey Herlihy of Kacey Knits, who design patterns that are easier than they look, with low-pressure instructions and wearable results

Your $7 ticket provides you with access to shopping more than 20 vendors as well as these panels and all the other free activities in the Spotlight Lounge. Register now!

A Wing and A Prayer Farm’s Garden Party 100% Vermont Grown Natural Hand Dyed 3-ply Cormo yarn comes from Tammy’s sheep Peter Pan, Martha, Bonnie, Bluma, Mary and Birch. Their fleece is spun at local mills and Tammy grows natural dye stuffs, or has it sourced from sustainable foragers to make these special and unique series of colorways.

If you’re craving some springtime sushi (I think that’s a thing?) then Alisha of KnitSpinQuilt will deliver with these bags featuring adorable sushi cats, corgis, otters and pandas. Bags are available in sock-, shawl- and sweater-sized drawstring bags and shawl-sized box bags.

To celebrate new color combinations in 100% Shetland wool for her popular Lemoyne Cowl kits, and Mother’s Day, Erika of Liverpool Yarns is offering 15% off the kits with the code LC15 from midnight Saturday, May 1, through end of day Tuesday, May 4.

Speaking of natural yarns, Sharon of Flora Adora Fibers is having a huge shop update tomorrow, May 1. She’ll be debuting four new non-Superwash bases will make their debut: Wisp mohair silk laceweight, Edgeland 100% Merino worsted weight, Mountain Sport gradient sets made with sportweight Rambouillet, and Meander, an organic single-ply Merino fingering weight. Lots of new colors will be also be added for existing bases: Highland DK, Zebra Crossing fingering, Merino Sock Sets and Meadow Rustic Sport. As a bonus, get 10% off May 1 and 2 with the code BOTANICA.

Jillian of WeeOnes has ginger tabby cat stitch markers in her shop this week. These hand-sculpted felines come complete with hand-painted paw pads.

Michelle is celebrating her birthday weekend with dazzling debuts, a weekend-long sale, and a free gift! Through Monday, you can preorder the Laurel Leaves MDSW 2021 Exclusive Shawl Pin in your choice of Shining Gold or Vintage Bronze. Along with free shipping within the U.S. on all orders over $15, you’ll save 10% sitewide with code MDSW2021. Each shopper who uses the code will find a free goodie bag of mystery notions in their order as a special birthday treat!

Aimee of Pancake and Lulu is celebrating the Summer Solstice with A Mini Summer Night’s Dream, a set of 12 Shakespeare-inspired mini skeins to open each day leading up to the solstice from June 9-20. The listing will be open for a short time and available in limited quantities, so act fast!

Attention weavers: Gothfarm’s Kaolin yarn is perfect for the Gothfarm Yarn Summer Clutch. The yarn is made with natural white Lincoln Longwool sheep locks blended with Tunis sheep wool. The clutch pattern is free with at least one skein of Kaolin and the code Clutch.

What to stash this week: Spotlight on special guests

By Lisa | April 23, 2021

Aside from the list of more than 20 indie dyers and makers we’ve lined up for Indie Spotlight — our next virtual show taking place from May 14-16 — we’re making the Spotlight virtual lounge a destination where you can meet and hang out with your fellow crafters and special guests. We’re excited to announce that Gigi and Jasmin from the Knitmore Girls podcast will be joining us for a meetup during the show!

Your $7 ticket includes access to our Spotlight lounge, where the Knitmores will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday. In case you miss it, the session will be recorded and available only to registered attendees through the end of June.

Dana of Un Besito Fiber is dreaming of the days that she can throw some clothes in a backpack and taking off. Her Dreaming of Paris Snack Pack helps scratch that travel itch. The bakery box of a dozen 10-gram minis in 75/25 Superwash Merino/nylon fingering are inspired by the soft, dreamlike colors of a springtime in Paris image. And they’re all wound up into balls and ready to knit or crochet on your next adventure.

Liz of Yarns by the Bay is a dyer based in Melbourne, Australia, who creates fun, often bright colorways on Superwash Merino/nylon fingering and DK. If you happen to live Down Under, Liz offers free shipping within Australia.

The new Bridgerton-inspired knitting, crochet and cross stitch mystery box from Leann of Forbidden Fiber Co. is causing quite the stir. Lady Whistledown recommends that you make haste and purchase your mystery box today before they sell out.

Orders close this Monday, April 26, for the Summer Sock of the Season Club, a collaboration between Jilly & Kiddles Yarn and BritStitchery Design. Club installments include one full skein of an exclusive colorway, a club exclusive sock pattern and two surprise extras.

Megan of Megs & Co has finally found the luxury yarn of her dreams. Her Bluefaced Leicester Lux Fingering, or BFL Lux for short, is a blend of 70% Certified English Bluefaced Leicester Superwash wool, 20% silk, and 10% Cashmere. It’s ideal for sweaters and special garments.

7th Floor Yarn is ready for spring and summer with their new 50% Cotton 50% Superwash Merino base, which they’ve dyed up on bright colors.

Emily of Kitty With a Cupcake has published her first garment pattern! The Sucker Punch Shrug uses two colors of yarn to create a bold garment. Save $1 through April 28 to celebrate the release.

The April installment of the Teton Yarn Company’s full moon colorway series celebrates the Pink Moon, named after one of the first wildflowers to bloom after the snow melts. Featured on 100% Superwash Merino Mountain Sock, it goes live today at 6 p.m. MDT.

The MAB Elements Alice in Wonderland-themed, limited-edition stitch markers come with 11 handcrafted stitch markers made with real stones, plus 11 bulb removable stitch markers that fit up to size US 10.5 knitting needles.

Ashleigh’s new design, La Bandanita, is a lightweight mosaic cowl that reflects her and her 4-year-old daughter’s love of horses and rodeos.

Knitting After Midnight is inspired by heavy metal music and a goth aesthetic. She’s having a 15% off sale on her Superwash Merino Direful DK base.

What to stash this week for your spring travels

By Lisa | April 2, 2021

For the latest installment of Knitting Our National Parks, Kristin of KraeO, who has a background in painting, is bringing us along to Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland, which is about a 40-minute drive from both Baltimore and Washington, DC. I can so appreciate this space that allows both wildlife and people to recharge, and photographer Ian Shive captured the kind of stunning sunset that would make any spot look magical.

Kristin’s Setting Sun colorway is available to preorder on Indie Untangled through Friday, April 16. She’s dyed it on two bases — Little Sister Fingering, a Superwash Merino single-ply fingering and Mama Bear DK, a luxurious blend of 45% baby alpaca, 45% Merino and 10% silk. The yarn will ship at the end of May. As always, 10% of sales will be donated to the National Park Foundation to help support these beautiful public lands.

Speaking of wildlife and springtime adventures, Jillian of WeeOnes is highlighting a few wild animal-inspired stitch markers. Her shop has a ton of creatures, including these cutie beavers, as well as robins and sea turtles. And this month’s surprise stitch marker theme is “babies,” so maybe… baby animals?!

If your inner wanderlust is taking you a little further afield, bring these adorable stitch markers from Katy and the Katrinkles team along on your journey. There are only a dozen sets left in the shop!

If you don’t pack light (um, what yarn enthusiast does?) then you might need this bag that I’ve called The Woolpack. It was handcrafted by Rhinebeck-based maker Julia Hilrbrandt and features ample room for your projects and essentials, an inner and outer pocket and a screen-printed yarn ball surrounded by colorful felted dots. There are only a couple left in the world, so if you’re eyeing them, act fast.

What to stash this week, across the pond and everywhere

By Lisa | March 19, 2021

Our Indie Across the Pond virtual event kicks off tomorrow and the collection of show specials from our vendors based in Europe and the UK is especially tempting — and the best part is you don’t have to worry about fitting your haul in luggage that you severely underestimated the size of!

Here’s a closeup of Botanical Yarn’s exclusive Across the Pond fade set! Dyer Sophie, a self-professed crazy plant lady based in York, UK, has created this aqua to lilac set that comes with 10 mini skeins, perfect for a variety of projects, including shawls, hats, garments, or a blanket.

If you’re registered for Indie Across the Pond, you can join Sophie at 10 a.m. EDT/3 p.m. CET Friday through Sunday for her Zoom livestreams or book a private appointment with her to talk project plans. Plus, you’ll also get a coupon code for 10% off purchases over £75.

Ashleigh has stitch markers, progress keepers and more jewelry live in her shop.

Fill your Easter basket with these new stitch markers from Jillian of WeeOnes that look good enough to eat.

Sarah of Teton Yarn Company, who dyes yarn that celebrates the Grand Tetons, has created a new spring collection of colors.

Crista Jaeckel is having a spring shop update on March 27 at 8 p.m. EDT with mostly large drawstring bags in spring colors.

Bonnie of Yank Your Yarn’s “The Cat’s in the Cradle Again” Chain Row Counter is back in stock in her Etsy shop.

What to stash this week: So long and farewell with a sale

By Lisa | January 22, 2021

Stephanie of Rock Solid Designs has made the difficult decision to close her business. As a thank you to her loyal customers and friends, she will be having a closeout sale. Everything in stock is 40% off, which makes this a great time to grab your favorite project bags or pattern storage solutions.

Here are more Katrinkles goodies for Indie Untangled! These mirrored acrylic yarn ball stitch markers, in Indie teal, come in sets of six. There are a limited number up in the shop so grab yours now!

Stephanie and her SpaceCadet crew have created winter-inspired colorways that are available as limited edition preorders. You can order Stillness, Late Sun and Quietude through February 4 and they’ll be shipped shorty afterward.

Erika of Liverpool Yarns created a sample of her Linglestown Shawl, which combines garter stitch, stripes, ribbing and a traditional Shetland lace pattern, in her Fawn and Buttercup colorways — which just so happen to be Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2021. She also now has her 100% Shetland yarns in mini skeins.

WeeOnes’ line of Professional Cat Stitch Markers has a patriotic (and timely) new team: Supreme Cat Justices! Now through Sunday, you get a free bald eagle stitch marker with each set of Supreme Cat Justices.

Teresa of Sunny Day Fiber has launched a new Valentine’s collection. Candy Heart Pink and Purple and Valentine Red and Pink are available in fingering, DK and worsted weight, as well as sock bundles with mini skein coordinates.

Eve of Holly Dyeworks has a new yarn kit inspired by Frank Sinatra’s iconic song, Fly Me to the Moon. Each kit comes with one skein of hand-dyed fingering-weight yarn, a moon mug from Jam and Bread Co. Pottery and a handmade progress keeper.

Robynn’s new cowl pattern is named Tannholz, which means “pine woods” and is inspired by two views of a forest. It can be made with any weight yarn (she’s partial to the quick chunky version) and is 20% off until the end of Sunday.

Sharon of Garage Dyeworks has a new colorway called Oil Pastels.

What to stash this week: Peak yarn

By Lisa | December 11, 2020

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.

Dragon Thistle Fibers has Merino/Angora in sets of four 50-gram skeins.

What to stash this week: knitting the light

By Lisa | December 4, 2020

Hanukkah starts next Friday! You should have enough time to knit your Cashmenorah hat and then “light the candles” by using duplicate stitch. ⁣You can order your Cashmenorah kit with luxurious Cashmere from Clinton Hill Cashmere and The Wandering Flock through Indie Untangled. Or, if you happen to be a neighbor of mine in Brooklyn, you can get your Indie Untangled merch and tons of other Brooklyn-made goodies delivered to your door same day through ShopIN.NYC. I’m excited to be partnering with this company to support small, local businesses when they need it most, with the convenience of online shopping.⁣

Speaking of the festival of light: Do you have enough stitch markers to get you through your next project? Just to be sure, snag a set or two of these limited-edition Hanukkah markers that Jillian of WeeOnes Creations made especially 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. ⁣

Caroline of The Noble Thread didn’t hesitate when Andrew and Jennifer of Australia-based Great Southern Yarn asked her to design a shawl for them. This husband and wife team, who you’ll read more about below, create sustainable, ethically produced, 100% Australian yarn that is hand dyed in vibrant colors. Caroline, who’s based in North Carolina, took inspiration from ancient sea creatures from the vast ocean between here and there to create Amonite, an elegant crescent-shaped shawl knit in cosy DK-weight yarn.

Jennifer and Andrew, who you “met” above, founded Great Southern Yarn four years ago. They single-origin source their fleece from ethical producers and run their own mob, in Aussie terms, of Merino sheep at Mount Bodangora, near Dubbo, New South Wales. They have two ultra-soft yarn bases: 100% Merino and their GSY Blend, which is 50% Merino and 50% alpaca, a mix of Huacaya alpaca from southern Tasmania and Suri alpaca from Banjo Ridge at Dungog, New South Wales.

Warm the Line is a grassroots group of crafters that has directed hundreds of warm handmade items and hand-sewn PPE to voters waiting in lines at the polls during the general election last month. The effort is now directed towards the U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia on January 5. Aside from donating items, you can also support this effort by purchasing clothing and accessories with the Georgia Peach logo from DKGraham.

Sharon’s popular Garage Dyeworks colorway, Victorian Christmas, is available in sparkly Chrome Sock, luxurious Cadillac Sock and Superwash Auto DK.

Today is the last day you can preorder Heather of Earl Grey Fiber Company’s beautiful blue Under the Stars colorway, dyed on her Matcha Sport 80/20 Merino/nylon. Use it to knit Vanessa Smith’s Emberly hat, designed for the 2020 Where We Knit Yarn Club, or create another perfect winter accessory.

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Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarn has debuted a new base! Keswick Aran is soft Superwash Merino with donegal neps in cream, brown and black throughout. It’s similar to the same ECY bases in fingering and DK weight, but in Aran form.

Marny’s new Birdwatch Beanie is inspired by her newfound love of birdwatching while working from home during quarantine. Knit it to keep your head warm while you are out in nature or curled up on the couch.

Fiberdog Fibers has a surprise colorway called Winter Gift.

The Pearl Project: A tribute to Knitty City owner Pearl Chin

By Lisa | October 30, 2020

There are few New York knitters and crocheters who don’t know about the Manhattan yarn shop Knitty City. But beyond connecting the local yarn community, Knitty City‘s founder, Pearl Chin, has been instrumental in helping so many indie dyers and fiber business owners get their start and providing valuable advice as they move forward. Pearl has also been a role model for how to be a craftivist, using her platform as a leader to raise money and attention for important causes.

When I heard the devastating news about Pearl’s cancer diagnosis, I got in touch with a group of indie dyers that Pearl has been instrumental in guiding and championing. We thought it was fitting to turn our sadness into action. As we now grieve the loss of our friend and colleague, we can think of no better way to honor Pearl’s legacy.

We have created special colorways and designs, and are hosting giveaways to raise money for organizations she has supported:

• Julie Asselin has created a colorway called Dear Pearl, with proceeds donated to help budding knitwear entrepreneurs attend the CAN Retreat hosted by Marceline Smith and Anne Choi

• Christina of Chelsea Yarns has created a colorway called String of Pearls, with proceeds donated to Moms Demand Action

• Amanda of Hu Made has created a colorway called Pearl Power, with proceeds donated to the Asian Americans Arts Alliance

• I will be designing a hat pattern called Pearl’s Oyster, with proceeds donated to the NFC Momentum Fund (I’m still knitting up the sample and hope to publish it next week)

• Marian of Marianated Yarns has created a colorway called Thank You, Pearl, with proceeds donated to City Harvest

• Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks has created a colorway called Pearl of The West (Side), with proceeds donated to Womankind, an organization serving the Asian community in New York, helping survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual violence

• Mariana and Nick of Nooch Fiber will be hosting a series of mini-skein giveaways, with proceeds donated to Heifer International

What to stash this week in addition to Indie Untangled Everywhere

By Lisa | October 16, 2020

Scarlet of Huckleberry Knits is dyeing a second colorway for Knitting Our National Parks called Nostalgia, inspired by a fall photo of Acadia National Park.
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“I grew up in Massachusetts, and the first national park I ever went to was the only one in New England, Acadia,” Scarlet says. “When I was a kid, our family vacations usually involved the seashore, but our trip to Acadia added in dramatic rocky outcrops and thick forests that seemed to spring forth from the ocean, unlike anything I’d seen before. Every autumn I miss New England, and Nostalgia reflects those rich colors that say ‘home’ to me.”⁣
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Nostalgia will be dyed on Scarlet’s Gradient Fingering base, a blend of 75% Superwash Merino and 25% nylon with a generous 463 yards per skein. It’s available as a sock blank or wound into a center-pull cake. Preorder it on Indie Untangled through next week only.

Warm the Line is a grassroots effort of crafters encouraging those in our community to send hats, scarves and other warm items to voters waiting on long lines to vote in cold swing states. Along with contributing to this campaign with your craft, you can also buy an item — a T-shirt, sweatshirt, tote bag or hat — to commemorate the project with a hand-drawn logo by an emerging artist.

Shelby of Hardware City Yarn is a new indie dyer paying homage to the rich industrial history of her home city of New Britain, Connecticut.

Heather of Pumpkins and Wool has gone plaid for fall! This means Colors like reds and browns, black and grays with shades of whites throughout.

Over the last few weeks, Eden Cottage Yarns has had updates of: Rosedale 4ply, Pendle Chunky and Keld Fingering, and there’s more to come!

Crista is having a shop update this Sunday, October 18th at 8 p.m. EDT with many sizes and shapes of handmade project bags available.

Amanda of Doodle Dew Designs makes these colorful stitch markers with a colorful, lightweight resin.

What to stash this week: Going to the Sun

By Lisa | October 2, 2020

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.

Kristen of KS Fiber Arts has a limited number of skeins of these colorways inspired by Jack Skellington and Ragdoll Sally of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Annie Dot Creative’s Fantastic Socks yarn club is inspired by Newt Scamander and his magical creatures. There’s still time to join in the fun.

Who says un-dyed yarn has to be boring? Monica of Gothfarm Yarn has four color palette ideas to make striking knits.