October 2010 Newsletter

For knitters October is traditionally an exciting month, Fall is here with knitting season in full swing & its time for the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Fest in upstate NY. For a second year in a row I'm sponsoring the Ravelry Party, this year its on Oct. 16th. Once again I'm participating in the Gift Bag promotion and I'm also donating a Door Prize - a Jordana Paige Bella Bag filled with 4 different skeins of Sandrasingh.com Yarn, a skein of Serendipitous Ewe's Fate Fingering yarn hand dyed in an exclusive color and 10 of my Exclusive patterns. I hope you get a chance to attend, I'd enjoy meeting you. But if you plan on being there in spirit only I have another Door Prize Contest for you, visit my blog, knittingwithsandrasingh.blogspot.com for details.

Also, Oct. 18 is the launch of Yarns on Stage keep reading to learn more about this exclusive yarn event. And of course Oct. brings you loads of gorgeous new designer patterns.

In This Issue: Yarns On Stage / Sweater Weather / Warm & Cozy Accessories /

Yarns On Stage
Sandrasingh.com is anticipating the arrival of Yarns on Stage, a celebration of beautiful fingering weight yarn and of the artists who make its colors sing. On October 18 ten of today’s hottest hand-dyers will debut unique, limited-edition colorways designed for knitters who know their obsession is not just a craft, but an art.

Great Adirondack

Prism

Dream In Color

Participating hand dyers include Alpaca with a Twist, Cherry Tree Hill, Claudia Handpaints, Conjoined Creations, Dream In Color, Great Adirondack, Pico Accuardi Dyeworks, Prism Yarns, Shibui Knits and Twisted Sisters. Sandrasingh.com will have a limited supply of all these special-edition colors for this unique event, if you see one you like you may Pre Order it today, but when they’re gone, they're gone.

Sweater Weather
To what do we owe Fall's tribute to cardigans & pullovers? Perhaps the return of the cardigan to the European runways has made them popular again or maybe the hit TV series Mad Men with its 1960s charm brought them back into the limelight. Either way with so many stylish designs to flatter your figure and suit your mood you'll be happy their back and inspired to pick up your needles!

Idylewylde

Melissa Wehrle of Neoknits took cues from the little cardis that were 1950 & 60s fashion staples when she designed her vintage inspired cardi Idylewylde. Its simply a classic, with a small dab of lace running along the hem of the body for a bit of texture and small slits on the 3/4 length sleeves. The body is knit in one piece up to the armholes and then divided to work back and forth. Idylewylde is written in 8 sizes and knit with 3, 4 or 5 skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Sock which is on sale and Pre Order until Oct. 15th.

The Noni Classic

Every woman needs a classic sweater in her wardrobe The Noni Classic pullover, or cardigan, is basic enough to wear with jeans to the farmer's market or dressed up with a pair of trousers for the office. The cardigan - shown embellished with cherry blossoms, is beautiful, and timeless and you can knit either style with straight or bell sleeves at 3/4 length or longer, and a placket that is simply ribbed or ribbed that terminates in a Stockinette roll.

Top Down Ribbed Pullover

And Noni's Top Down Ribbed Pullover sweater is figure flattering and includes options for neckline, sleeve length, shaping and flipping the keyhole from the back to the front, allowing you to create several looks from this one pattern.

One Cute Hoodie for Little Girls and Women

One Cute Hoodie for Boys Men

There are few sweaters as cozy and wonderful on a brisk fall day as a hoodie, knit Noni's One Cute Hoodie for Little Girls and Women or One Cute Hoodie for Boys & Men in your favorite yarn and it will be everyone's favorite sweater. Both patterns include enough sizes for everyone you know and can be knit it in a solid or with color-coordinated stripes for a sporty look. With its easy care & worsted weight Karabella Aurora 8 would be a great choice for these Noni sweaters.

And celebrate fashion's return to sweaters by knitting the most prized, a traditional aran. Knit the one that's perfect for your lifestyle and you won't just have a trendy sweater, but a life time classic you can pass on to the next generation. Gardiner Yarn Works' Winter Branches is a traditional style roomy aran pullover that skims your hips and has all over cables. Or if you love the look of traditional arans, complete with deep skirts or welts but want something longer to wear over leggings or a skirt, plus a zip up front to give you even more options, knit Dawn Brocco's Zipped Up Aran Tunic. Dawn's Working Cables Cardigan has a more fitted silhouette, with just enough ease to fit over a blouse. And if you're after a pullover with a turtleneck for extra warmth knit Dawn's Cropped Cable Pullover with Detachable Turtleneck. Or take a more modern approach and strategically place your cables along the sleeves and side seams with Karabella's Raglan With Cables.

Warm & Cozy Accessories
The preliminary results of my blog Fall Knitting Poll are in (you still have time to respond, Poll ends Oct. 31st) and they indicate many knitters have begun their Gift Knitting and plan on creating Accessories such as Cowls, Mitts, Hats & Scarves followed by sweaters, shawls and socks in popularity. And Gift Knitting for family members is most common. Many of my designers are ready for you with beautiful new project ideas.

Jogless

4 new projects from Lisa Ellis Designs...true to Lisa's design philosophy her new patterns for Winter 2010-11 highlight specific techniques and she walks you through them step by step to completion. Knit the 2 or 3 striped hat Jogless using her simple technique that eliminates the visible ladders striped knitting usually creates. Its easy enough for even a beginner and cute enough & sized for the entire family. Jogless is knit in a DK weight and Karabella's Aurora 4 is machine washable with lots of color options. And get 3 designs in 1 pattern with her Fair Isle Winter Trio. Pattern features matching hat, gauntlets and socks and is a perfect first time Fair Isle project. The sock is written in both traditional double points and Magic Loop method. All three are knit in a fingering weight yarn and a mix of the semi solids of Anzula Luxury Fibers, or Crazy4Dying, would give beautiful results.

Shawl Collared Cowl

As we discussed in September the Cowl remains a strong statement piece and Never Not Knitting's Shawl Collared Cowl is a simple idea with a twist. Alana Dakos thinks that shawl collars are flattering while keeping your neck warm thus the perfect pairing of practical and attractive. The twist is the addition of buttons and you have a cowl that can be worn in different styles and looks wonderful under a jacket. And Karabella's Soft Tweed would add a splendid rustic effect to this piece.

Asymmetrical Triangle Shawl

The Fickleknitter has another take on keeping your neck warm, her new Asymmetrical Triangle Shawl. Michelle Miller's background in physics, mathematics and computer science led her to write this unique pattern as she worked her way through shawl geometry. Its knit by casting on 300 stitches for the long edge and gradually decreasing to the center point, mix & match bright colors or use a semi solid and make yours special.

Confluence Shawlette

And Sivia Harding offers this work of art to wrap around your neck or shoulders. Like bodies of water emerging from a single spring the panels of her Confluence Shawlette flow effortlessly from a few cast on stitches at center back. The simple garter stitch sides and borders combine elegantly with beaded lace, and additional increasing at the center panel provides for a wonderful fit. Its knit with one skein of Jojoland's Consonance lace.

Tallulah

The Tallulah socks are also by Sivia and are short & very sweet beaded toe-up socks. They begin with Sivia's favorite round toe and feature a beaded openwork rib, a sculpturally fitted back, and just a hint of beaded ruffle at the top. Instructions are given for the crochet hook bead method, plus how to work heel stitch over the heel turn stitches, and how to make toe-up length adjustments based on individual row gauge.

Hood River Mitts

And love fingerless mitts but not having leftover yarn? Knit Gardiner Yarn Works' top down Hood River Mitts and keep going until every last bit is used up! The long mitt is knit in 2 skeins of Malabrigo's Silky Merino and the shorter mitt is knit in 1 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash.

I imagine you'll be wanting to cast on one of these lovely new projects so I'll draw this newsletter to a close. Thank you for visiting with me and sharing my news. Remember I'm always happy to help with any of your fiber arts needs, special ordering a yarn or pattern that I carry or helping you locate an out of stock yarn to finish a WIP. I can be reached at sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com, or toll free 877/519-1693 or on Ravelry, I look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in Rhinebeck!