WARM Sifa Silver Cotton
For those of you that can’t wear wool, we’ve found a cotton that will keep you warm as the temperature drops. Sifa Silver Cotton is a chain-plied Turkish cotton yarn spun with 10% PURE SILVER. When looking at this yarn don’t expect to see “bling”. You won’t see any silvery sparkles. The silver filaments are shot through one strand of the cabled yarn. No bling, but the silver makes the cotton warmer (and cooler in the summer) than regular cotton.
For centuries silver has been known to possess healing and anti-bacterial components. Sifa means “healing” in Turkish and that is what this yarn really is – a healing or therapeutic yarn. In fact, the story goes that this yarn was created for the spinner’s mother who suffered from Rheumatoid arthritis. She swore that every time she wore socks that she knit with Sifa, her feet felt better. Read more here about the healing properties of metal.
The yarn comes in Natural, Moss and Bronze. So what should you make?
Mittens: Because silver is a conductive element, you can use your touch screen device while wearing mittens knit with Sifa Silver Cotton.
Anything that has a pretty stitch pattern: I made this headband (free pattern with purchase of Sifa yarn) with just one skein. The cabled construction gives the yarn an elasticity that is missing from most cottons and a fabulous stitch definition.
Chemo Caps: Here is a pattern for a turban that would keep you warm on the chilliest day.
Slippers: Try these Pocket Book Slippers that Karen and Lisa did several months ago for a Sunday project.
Sifa Silver Cotton was recently spotlighted on Knitting Daily. Eunny Jang, editor of Interweave Knits, and Clara Parkes of Knitter’s Review, talked about the Sifa Silver Cotton’s beautiful stitch definition, as well as its other fabulous qualities.
Sifa Silver Cotton is another one 
of those yarns that is both good for you and good for the world. It is produced in the area of Turkey that was devastated in the 1999 earthquake and the income produced is used to support local artisans, craftswomen and small local spinners who are still suffering from the catastrophe.
So stop in and see. We know you are going to like it.
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Handmaiden Casbah
“Handpainted variegated yarns look beautiful in the skein, but not so much when you knit with them.” I hear this all the time and sometimes I agree, but I was getting bored with all our semi solid sock yarn and decided to bring in some richly variegated colors anyway.
Like this skein of Handmaiden Casbah – an intense combination of navy, purple, orange, gold, and green. Casbah is a blend of merino, cashmere and nylon which makes it soft and sturdy.
The wound ball gives you a glimpse of just how spectacular this is going to be.
I love the way these turned out – navy stripes with glimmers of gold and green and orange. No pooling whatsoever, not even when you switch directions at the heel. The stockinette section on the bottom of the foot is my favorite, but you’ll have to come into the shop to see it, since it doesn’t show up in the photo!
Pattern: Churchmouse Basic Socks
Needle size: US1.5
I’ve already cast on for the next one. No “second sock syndrome” here. But now I’m thinking of the blue/red/green color that would make fun fingerless mitts….
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What is the plural of Clapo-ktus?
The Clapo-ktus is a combination of two very popular patterns: the Baktus and the Clapotis. The result is stunning and addictive – Lisa made two!
Lisa’s first version was made with one skein of Misti Pimasilk. I love how this pattern shows off variegated yarns.
Lisa’s second Clapo-ktus was made with 4 skeins of Filatura di Crosa Tempo. This version is larger – more wrap size. I also love what this pattern does with texture.
The Clapo-ktus was the Sunday Sit and Knit project a couple of weeks ago. If you’ve finished yours, send us a picture.
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Summer Scarves | Lorna’s Laces Solemate | Purelife Revive
We’ve switched from warm and cozy to lighter and brighter, but the scarf trend continues.
A great example: the Sunday Scarf that Carolyn recently finished.
This scarf is made in two pieces and grafted in the middle, so that each tip is identical and drapes beautifully.
Carolyn made it out of Lorna’s Laces Solemate, a sock yarn that contains a fiber that regulates temperature, cooling you off in the warm weather and warming you up when it is cold. Sounds like the ideal fabric to have wrapped around your neck these days.
We’ve got lots of people working on this scarf that we made from two skeins of Purelife Revive.
It is a simple YO K2tog pattern, that ends up hanging on the bias. Good meditative knitting.
I love the combination of the tweedy yarn (it’s recycled cotton, silk and rayon) with the hand dyed silk ribbon. Each comes in several colors, so there are lots of possibilities.
It would also look great done in some of our new colors of Tempo or Tiffany, if you like a bit of sparkle.
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Embrace the mistakes
I love the skinny stripes in this top down baby sweater. But since the sweater is knit in the round, the stripes spiral, rather than line up. We’ve all been there. You start a project, finally get some momentum and then look down and go “oops!”. You could stop, rip back and look up the jogless stripe technique or you could knit on with reckless abandon. Some days you just want to knit.
Anything that you do consistently is considered a design element, even the “mistakes”. So here is the tip: instead of hiding the jog, we’ve embraced it with a little chain embroidery. Susan Anderson demonstrates this simple technique here. She shows you how to chain in a circle; it is even easier going in a straight line. I originally considered sewing a row of tiny buttons between the two chains, but decided to use my favorite monster button instead.
I love the result. Anyone would think that we had planned it this way….
Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Top Down Pullover
Yarn: Spud & Chloe Sweater in Firefly and Beluga
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Happy Easter!
String Theory will be closed on Easter Sunday, April 8.
Hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of yarn and a little chocolate!
We are open regular hours through Saturday, so be sure to stock up for your holiday knitting.
Note: The bunny above is made from Cascade Sierra and fits perfectly over a Cadbury Chocolate Egg. Free pattern here. He is nestled in a basket of Mountain Colors Jeannette, a luscious blend of cashmere and silk.
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Off the Needles
Remember this from the last newsletter?
Yarn: Rowan Savannah – a heavy worsted blend of cotton with a silk thread wrap.
Pattern: Amy’s Scarf ($3.50 on Ravelry)
Modifications: The pattern is written for laceweight yarn, so I used a size 10 needle and cast on only 44 stitches. I just followed the charts without the repeat – couldn’t be easier.
I finished it! I am so happy with the way this turned out. Four skeins made the scarf about 6 feet long. I could have blocked it with points and waves, but I decided the more casual style went better with the uneven texture of the yarn.
The lace pattern is called Frost Flowers. If you type that in for a pattern search on Ravelry, you will come up with shawls and sweaters and socks and scarves that incorporate this lace. Thanks Susan for the inspiration.
Now that I’ve finished my scarf I get to start this out of Fibre Co Acadia. ( I try to have only one “must pay attention” project and one “mindless” project going at a time.)
What are you working on?
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Sunday Knits Fever
We were so lucky to have Carol Sunday join us on March 11 to help launch her trunk show. She sat and knit, consulted with customers on how to adapt her patterns (and when not to) and taught a few people a clever way to make bobbles. Looks like she’s wearing her new design Old Town.
Jody finished her Sunday Knits Tapestry just for the occasion. Stunning!
The Cambridge Shawl was the hit of the show. It takes a fingering or sportweight yarn like Fresco, Road to China Light, or Pediboo. If you’re interested in making this shawl, sign up for Karen’s Jumpstart Class which covers all the tricky bits to get you going.
We had to pack up the trunk show, but we still have Sunday Knits patterns and some Nightbird Kits and lots of inspired project ideas.
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Pur Pleasure
I wanted to let you know that we just got new colors of Schoppel Wolle Pur, but it seems that I never told you about the old colors. Pur is a special yarn created with a patented technology. This single-ply, lightly felted yarn knits up easily and smoothly on large needles. It is made with the finest Merino Wool, thus creating a soft natural garment that can be worn directly on the skin. The eco-friendly dyes leave practically no trace of any chemicals, making this yarn a great natural choice for children and an approved yarn of the Waldorf Schools in Germany. And the colors are gorgeous!
As you can see the yarn stripes.
Mochi Chunky Hat By Aina Tonjes
Take a look here for the headband and cowl that Lisa designed with one skein.
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Baby Poonam: the Back
The back view of Baby Poonam pullover:
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