Handpainted Yarn Mania!

My name is Bridget and I am a handpainted yarn addict. When I see the colors that these dyers create, I get chills down my spine and I must have them now. I have probably used this same logic to enable you: if you see a color you love, you need to get it now because the next dye lot will probably be wildly different. Here are just a few of my favorite color magicians:

Malabrigo:

Take a squishy soft merino wool base, then apply vibrant colors that knit up into a wild mish-mash of delightful color and just try to keep it off my needles. Just try. Rios is their superwash and it's perfectly lovely and my pick for baby knits but my heart belongs to Worsted--it's a single-ply, lofty and squishable.

Wild Hare Fiber Studio:

My love for Wild Hare is not just because Melissa, the owner/dyer, is so much fun to work with and understands us so well. It's because she creates these fantastic color combinations (animal prints, even!) on yarn that feels nice on the hands and works up into a wonderfully soft and drapey fabric. But also, she gets us--Melissa created yarn for me inspired by Firefly, one of my favorite sci-fi shows, based on some images and my obsessive colored pencil shadings.

Gotta love someone who gets you!

 Dragonfly Fibers:

Dragonfly does these marvelously deep colors and then dusts over many of them with this smokey  haze of black. I find that the haze doesn't hide their intensity but draws it out in those little portions where it peeks through. We have two of their fingering weight bases, Djinni Sock and Pixie Skein--Djinni is fabulous for socks and single ply Pixie is awesome for shawls.

Freia:

Smooth, beautiful handpainted gradients on lovely wool base yarns. Freia is my absolute go-to yarn for Stephen West's Spectra--I made mine using the lovely single ply Sport with Lorna's Laces Sportmate and I adore it.

Three Irish Girls:

 I'm an Irish girl so it only makes sense that I'd be partial to other Irish girls, especially the yarny ones. I love their color combinations and the distribution of those colors. Ordering from them and staying within budget is one of the hardest parts of my job (and yet still one of the most pleasurable). Plus, they do a lot of really fantastic exclusive colors for us.

There are so many really amazing hand-dyers out there and I love discovering them (or having them brought to my attention). To ring in my first guest blog here in true StevenBe-meets-DrawFour fashion, I'm doing a giveaway! Hurrah!

Enter to win the two squishy skeins of Malabrigo Worsted in exclusive Steven by commenting here and answering this question: if you were a handpainted yarn, what colors would you be? (Imaginary bonus points if you tell me your fiber content, too.) The winner will be chosen by random number generator on Sunday the 15th!

Bridget (DrawFour Designs) signing out!

Show and Tell: Candy Apple Socks

Eliza (ariaknits on Ravelry) made a pair of awesome Candy Apple Socks from 1 skein of chocolate candy apple-colored Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock. She used the Harvest Dew pattern by Rose Hiver.

She had this to say about them:

My favorite part of knitting this was the slip stitch pattern. It’s simple enough to memorize but still kept my interest.

Advice: I think this is a great pattern to use for variegated yarns it broke up pooling nicely and gave me a finished pair of socks I am really happy with.

Thanks, Eliza! They look so comfy and warm. Photos are from Eliza's Ravelry page, and are used with her permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell: Charlize Shawl

Lisa Schwarz (TripKnit on Ravelry) used 1 skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock to make a Charlize Shawl.

She had this to say about it.

My favorite part of knitting Charlize was producing a finished object that is all at once light and lacy, geometric and curv. And I’m in love with the Three Irish Girls Roisin colorway -- Sharon is a color genius and this one never got old - wish I had more!

If you’re planning to knit this pattern, make a vow to “stay found.” If you lose your place in the deceptively simple lace pattern, you probably won’t know it until several hundred stitches later when you have the wrong number of stitches at the end of a row. The Ravelry notes from several knitters had very good tips for reading this particular lace pattern to avoid that problem. But check for the notes before you run into trouble -- ask me how I know. :)

Thanks, Lisa! If you want to read about her travels, check out her blog here.

The photo is from Lisa's Ravelry page, and is used with her permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Happy New Year, everyone! What will 2013 bring to your knitting bag?

Show and Tell: Purl Ridge Scarf

Nicole (nicnicnab on Ravelry) used a skein of Three Irish Girls Wexford Merino Silk to make a Purl Ridge Scarf cowl last summer.

She had this to say about it:

My favourite part of knitting the cowl was working with the yarn! It was so soft and the colours ended up pooling nicely. The pattern was really easy to follow - a quick mindless knit - great for a first time knitting in the round project.

Advice for a friend? I found the cowl a little snug when doubled over so next time I’d likely cast on a few more stitches or block it.

Thanks, Nicole! The ridges really show off the beautiful colors in this yarn.

The photo is from Nicole's Ravelry page, and is used with her permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell: Prismatic Scarf

Tammany (LadyBugMama on Ravelry) used 2 skeins of Three Irish Girls Wexford Merino Silk to make a beautiful Prismatic Scarf by Huan-Hua Chye.

She had this to say about it:
Besides the yarn, which was wonderful to work with, I think my favorite part of this project was learning to knitted on i-cord. It was easy to do and made a really nice finished edge to the piece.

Overall, this was a very simple knit. If I had to give advice though, I’d say to make sure one was able to concentrate. It’s very easy to put the knits and purls in the wrong places. I did have to rip back a couple of times because I was too busy talking and not paying close enough attention to the pattern.

On a different note, she also wrote: I don’t use my personal blog much, but I’d appreciate it if you would link to the Schuyler Blanket Project. It’s a project I helped to start in honor of my daughter, Schuyler, who passed away at birth. We make blankets for parents who have lost children. The blog is here and we have a group on Ravelry as well.

What a lovely project and memory, Tammany. Thanks for sharing.

The photos are from Tammany's Ravelry page, and are used with her permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell, Guinevere Socks

ladybugaloo on Ravelry knit a beautiful pair of Guinevere socks (from the Anastasia Socks pattern by MintyFresh) out of one skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock.

Here’s what she had to say about them:

Favourite part : learning how to do toe-up socks, it was my first time and I really liked it.

Advice : I don’t think I really have any advice, it was a really straight forward pattern and the chart was easy to memorize. I’d say, make sure you read through the pattern first so you know how the chart works…once you hit the leg, you don’t need the entire chart.

Thanks, ladybugaloo! Your socks look so pretty and warm. The photo is used from her Ravelry page, with permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell, Trillian Shawl

ingabean on Ravelry made a fantastic Trillian Shawl using two skiens of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock.

This is what she had to say about it:

I had two favorite parts about knitting this project. The first was watching the beautiful variegation playing out in the pattern. The second was how quickly the pattern seemed to go.

If a friend was thinking about knitting it too, I would say DO IT! The pattern is clear, easily memorizable, unique, and quick.

Lovely knitting, ingabean! Thanks for sharing. (The photo is from her Ravelry page, used with her permission.)

If you are on Ravelry, you can see more about ingabean here.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell, Marin Shawl

Monica Polomsky, known as Monikita on Ravelry, made a gorgeous Marin shawl from one skein of Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Sock.

Here’s what she had to say about it:

My favorite part of knitting this project was the garter stitch as it made for perfect TV knitting. I also loved knitting with this yarn because it is so soft and squishy.

Advice for this pattern: Trust the pattern and follow the instructions line-by-line! Post-it notes really help in keeping track of where you are at in the beginning.

You can read more about Monica on her blog, monikita.livejournal.com.

Thanks for sharing, Monica! It’s a lovely shawl. (The photos are from her Ravelry page, used with her permission.)

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Three Irish Girls!

We have put out the brand new Three Irish Girls! Stop by either shop to see the new colors and fibers! Glenhaven Cashmerino Fingering, Adorn Sock, and Wexford Merino Silk are a few of the fibers we received.

New Arrivals!

We just received our Madelinetosh Pashmina order!

This is Jessie, reporting on the new yarn shipments!  I opened a box of Madelinetosh Pashmina today.  As you may know, Pashmina is 75% superwash wool, 15% silk, and 10% cashmere.  It is a sport weight that is beyond delicious!  A few of the colors we received are duchess, iris, envy, Heuchera, lowland, and volga. 

We also received the Creature Comforts Cardigan pattern. 
This is the cardigan that Joanna made for me when I was pregnant.

 This is a great pattern that really shows the beauty of Madelinetosh hand-dyed yarn.  Here is the baby Cameron version that Joanna made.

The pattern can be customized by changing the panel of leaves.  Dora from StevenBe found a beautiful cable pattern that she used instead of the leaf motif. 
You can see that Joanna used a "X" and "O" motif in Cameron's sweater.  I wear my cardigan all the time.  To the point that Steven told me I had to wear something else because he was sick of seeing it everyday.

Three Irish Girls arrived with new colors! 
We received replenishment of the Peacock colorway!

 This all just came in today so I think I need to find a new display because the shelves are already stuffed full!  Tove is working on the new display right now!  Come on in to see it!

Malabrigo Sock came in FINALLY!

Calling all Malabrigo lovers!  We have the sock weight and it is going fast!

Stop in to either shop to see all of these beautiful new yarn!

Blue Sky Alpaca and Three Irish Girls rule the shop!

Blue Sky Alpaca, what?!  Here it is!  Luxurious Suri Merino from Blue Sky Alpaca is ready for your next project.  You have to stop in to the shops to feel this yarn. 

Has anyone seen the new Three Irish Girls Bamboo Cotton blends?  We have worsted and fingering weights.  Steven is using the worsted weight for the cabled drape shrug pattern that he is writing.  Check it out on Ravelry.  Love this new line from Three Irish Girls!

Irish Lace Crochet w/ Maire Treanor & Knit & Crochet Show 2011!!

The first week of August, historian, author and Irish crochet expert Maire Treanor will host two events that bring to life the intricacies of Irish crochet. Treanor, who lives in Clones, Ireland, will travel to Minnesota to share her 22 years of Clone Lace experience and research.  This is the same kind of lacework that you saw on Kate Middleton's wedding dress.  She has been hanging out at the shops and she has been using some of the new exclusive Three Irish Girls yarn to make necklaces that are too sweet!

Local knit celebrity Annie Modesitt rounds out the week for those knitters who dabble in lace or want to get started. Annie was a big hit here in the spring. Her salon class will be one not to miss.

Click HERE for the complete schedule and interactive registration form. Call, Jeremy, at StevenBe (612-259-7524) if you need help with registration or additional info on any of these exclusive classes!

We are super excited about the Knit and Crochet Show 2011 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis!  We have the market preview tonight and then tomorrow we are open to the public for three days!  Only here can you find the before and after pictures of our booth!

I am not sure Jer knows I took this picture of his backside......nobody tell him!

Look at that mess!  Check back to see the finished product!  Better yet, come visit the booth at the Hyatt!

Steven is being interviewed tomorrow morning on KARE 11 news.  They are doing the interview at 5AM.  No, that is NOT a typo.  FIVE AM!  Hopefully, we can get a link to the interview, but watch for him on the news sometime tomorrow morning!

One more thing.......we received a trunk show from Three Irish Girls that includes their new summer yarns and one of a kind colorways.  ONE OF A KIND, people.  Stop by the booth or StevenBe to see the fabulousness!

New Exclusives from the Three Irish Girls land on the StevenBe doorstep!

Hello friends, it's Jeremy... I had to add a bit to the blog today. Usually Jessie gets the joy of being the first to see new arrivals, but today a treat was waiting for me on the StevenBe doorstep. As I walked up to the patio this morning, a HUGE box from the Three Irish Girls was there to greet me. Inside the box was an assortment of new exclusives that knocked Steven and I out! Enjoy this sneak peak below... 

Yes... those are sparkles you see! And check out the fabulous Peacock colorway in the last picture! What you can't see is that these are a super soft combo of Merino and Silk!
Get into the shops to reserve your exclusive Three Irish Girls yarns today! These will not last!

Shop Hop, MadTosh and other things....

Hello all!  BIG NEWS!  The shop hop has begun!  StevenBe is participating and there are big things happening there this weekend!  If you haven't already, you better get to Minneapolis to get your charm, your pattern, and a skein of the limited edition (only 50 skeins produced) Madelinetosh yarn called StevenBe Blue.  This is Steven with his namesake yarn. 

Yes, his shirt does coordinate with the yarn.  No, it wasn't planned.  At least, I don't think it was planned.  You never know with Steven. 

This morning, the UPS man brought me MORE Madelinetosh!  How lucky am I?

Did you see that?  If not.....here's a closer look.

To clarify, the limited edition colorway is at StevenBe in Minneapolis only.  The yarn pictured above is currently at Yarn Garage in Rosemount.  Feel free to stop by and visit me and see the latest MadTosh before Steven even gets to see it. 

In addition to the special Madelinetosh yarn, we also have a limited edition color from Three Irish Girls! Yes, you read that right!  THREE IRISH GIRLS!  We now carry Three Irish Girls!  I am so excited I can't stand it!  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the Three Irish Girls shipment.  It is all at StevenBe for the shop hop, so I guess you will have to go there to see what it looks like.  It is pretty fantastic, I'm not going to lie.  Steven did report to me this morning that it is flying out the door.  I don't mean to pressure you, but if you want to see it you better get there soon. 

And speaking of beautiful hand dyed yarn......we also received a box of Alisha Goes Around.  Steven also swiped this for the shop hop.

You want more hand-dyed yarn, you say?  How about some beautiful Malabrigo Sock yarn!

Keep in mind, we are still have Malabrigo Rasta and Twist.  However, I think most people's minds have turned from wooly and chunky to light and airy.  Which brings me to my latest cowl creation. 

It uses one skein of Gedifra Rosas and one skein of Gedifra Pertinio.  I cast on 100 stitches on a 10.5 needle.  Now, if you ever hear Steven say I don't finish anything.......

Defend me, because there is the finished cowl (without the ends woven in, but that's how we roll!) on display with our Lucatape cowl (on the left).  Ask Steven if he has finished his version of the Rosas/Pertinio cowl.  Go ahead, ask him.  See what he says.

Another reason to stop by the Yarn Garage, (besides saying hello to me and the other girls) is to see our renovations.  We got new rugs and we are moving all the spring/summer yarn to the front of the store.  It looks fantastic!  See you all soon!