A Jade Sapphire Trunk Show!

Hey there everyone! We got some cool, exciting news :) Next week starting on the 26th (wednesday) Monarch will be featuring a Jade Sapphire trunk show! A variety of garments and accessories will be on display, made from some of the most beautiful cashmere and cashmere blends you can put your hands on.  Of course, we already carry a couple of Jade Sapphire's fabulous yarns - Moonlight, and Mongolian Cashmere 4 ply. The Moonlight is a combed mink fiber and cashmere hand spun together into an amazingly luxurious yarn! Wowza! Joan made a beautiful scarf out of 1 skein...

I know she already shared this a few blogs ago, but I feel it's worth sharing again ;) It's just so pretty!  I made a cowl out of 1 skein of the Cashmere 4 ply. I enjoyed every stitch of this fine cashmere! So soft and luxurious running through your fingers. The fibers seem to bloom as you knit! After a hand wash and light blocking it came out amazing...

Love it!
The trunk show will be great! It will give us all a chance to admire and pet, pet, pet other fabulous fibers offered from Jade Sapphire. That beautiful cashmere I used is the 4 ply, which is like a sport/dk weight but it is also available in 4 other weights. 2 ply lace/fingering weight up to 12 ply chunky weight! I hear there is a silk and cashmere blend they offer that is just to die for! Also, if there is anything you see here at our trunk that we don't have in store, we can special order it for you! Nice! Here is a little sneaky peeky on what we have to look forward to in our trunk show...

Oh my! Isn't that gorgeous!! These yarns and designs will be a feast for they eyes, and just beg to be touched! Can't wait!  The trunk show will be here Oct. 26th thru Nov. 1st. in our new luxury department. This will be a great opportunity to get some great gift ideas from someone really special no your Christmas list...someone who has been very, very good this year ;) Or just spoil yourself. Come on. You deserve it!

We all have that to look forward to next week. Meanwhile, this week we did get in some new stuff. There is a new beaded necklace kit by Nelkin Designs. It's called Rippled. It comes with a lovely little bit of cashmere & silk yarn, pretty beads, and the clasp. A nice bit of luxury around your neck...

This one is only 10 rows of knitting! It took me only one evening. These are not difficult to make. It's a perfect introduction to knitting with beads, and a great gift idea as well.
A new issue of KnitScene came in too. There are some really cute projects in here along with and article on making a bobble 5 different ways! Geeez... I didn't know there were that many! haha!

Here are a few new books too :)

Alright Needlepointer's out there...the Silk and Ivory has arrived! 100 colors to choose from!

Silk and Ivory is 50% Silk 50% Wool Needlepoint thread that is just stunning! I had a chance to work with it when I took a lesson from June Mcknight last Monday. Just lovely. My lesson went really well, June said I was a natural :) I can see yet another hobby in my future! Just need to find more time.

Now our little Needlepoint Nook is almost complete. We are just waiting on the ThreadworX overdye thread. I'll keep you posted.
That is all for now everyone. Be sure to come check out our trunk show. It is a must see!

Monarch Has Needlepoint!!

Hey all you Needlepointer's out there good news! You will no longer hafto shop online or drive long distances to find your supplies. Since we lost out local Needlepoint shop Stitches by the bay :( Joan has decided, with the great advice of the lovely June McKnight, to carry some of your favorite threads!! Yaaay! So exciting! We have turned our sale area by the back door into a Needlepoint Nook just for you :) Don't worry the sale are just moved to the back of the shop in our Sock Department. Here is what we got so far...

100 colors of Vineyard Silk thread 100% Silk. Oh these colors are sooo amazing the picture doesn't do it justice. I had a blast hangin those babies up!

Then there is Splendor a 100% Strandable 12-Ply Silk in 50 colors...

We also carry Kreinik Metallics in two sizes #12 and #16 in 16 colors...

We are still waiting on a shipment of Silk and Ivory and ThreadworX over-dye floss. The shipment should be coming in next week. When it comes we will have 100 colors of Silk and Ivory, and 25 colors of ThreadworX. I will keep you posted! 

Here at Monarch we will also have 2 resources that Stitches by June McKnight used for your expert finishing needs. This will be available after the new year.

June McKnight is giving private Needlepoint lessons here in our shop every Monday if you are needing some personal, expert help. I am taking a lesson with June this Monday I am so excited! I have never Needlepointed before I am thrilled I get to learn from Thee June McKnight! I'll let you all know how I did. If you want to make an appointment you can e-mail June at june@junemcknight.com and she will be happy to make plans with you. You can click here for June's website. We are so happy to be able meet some of your Needlepoint needs :) 

This week we got in some new books. The first I have been really looking forward to. It's Coastal Knits by Alana Dakos (Never Not Knitting) and Hannah Fettig (Knitbot). Just as I suspected I would...I love everything in this book and gotta have it! Here are a few of my favorites...

Coastal Knits...how appropriate for us Knitters living here in the Monterey Bay!

Here are a few more new books...

There is Scarves from Around the World

and a new book finishing by Deborah Newton

oooh and a stitch library by Alice Starmore

and even a book on Crafting with Cat Hair! hahaha! With all the cat hair in my house I could craft a whole army of those little finger puppets! I think I'll pass on that one...but I know there is someone out there that wants to figure out a use for all the hair on the couch ;)

I also have some show n tell :) I finished these cute little gloves out of our new Louisa Harding yarns Grace Hand-Dyed and Grace Hand-Beaded...

The pattern comes from Louisa Harding's new book Three Graces. It's got really cute designs! Nice gloves, Hats, Scarves, and Sweaters! We have another new book from Louisa called Fade to Grey thats got some cute stuff too. 

That's about it for now. More to come!!

Dreamz 'n Madtosh!

Hey everybody! I’m back from my fun birthday weekend. I had a blast turning the big 30 this year! Woohoo! :) After my nice relaxing 3 day weekend (thank you Joan!!!) I’m back, refeshed, and ready for exciting new stuff to come in! Sure enough it has!!

      This week is the week we have been waiting for...our HUGE Madelinetosh shipment arrived!!! Yaaaaay! All you Madtosh junkies out there...come and get it! The Tosh Merino Light I’m sorry to say is still backordered but meawhile there is a large selection. We have lots of Tosh DK, Vintage, Merino DK, and new colors of sock. It goes out the door pretty quickly so come in soon or give us a call! Here's a little teaser pic of some of the new colors....

and look how full the shelves are!!

Its a thing of beauty ain't it!? It makes us all swoon. 

Along with all that Tosh we finally got in the new Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles. So, so exciting!! I have already treated myself to a Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Set...after all it WAS my birthday ;)

I am in LOVE with this set! The Deluxe set comes with needle sizes 4 - 11 along with 1 24", 2 32", and 1 40" cords. You also get a set of size markers, 8 end caps, 4 cord keys, and a case to put it all in. The cords are very nice and flexible and the joins are smooth. The needles are very fun, colorful and have a nice finish. Funny....I almost enjoy these colorful birch needles more than the yarn I'm working with! Right now I'm knitting a glove out of our new Louisa Harding Grace. Nice!

If you already own a set or want to give them a try there are a couple of starter interchangeable sets available. The smaller set comes with size 6, 9, and 10 needles. You also get 1 24", and 1 32" cords, 4 end caps, and 2 cord keys.

The larger starter set comes with needles 13, 15, 17, and the same cords and accessories as the smaller set.

You may also purchase additional cords and needle tips individually. 

There are 6" double point sets for all you sock knitters...

These come with sizes 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3's! A case comes with. 

A really nice 9" straight set too! 

Great case too that comes with! Cool!

The Dreamz are also available for individual purchase in Straight, Double Pointed, and regular (non-interchangeable) circulars as well

The Rose Cubics are here too. They are made from birch, and laminated with a rosewood finish. These needles are cube-shaped for comfort on the hands, and help make more uniform stitches. These are available in interchangeable circular, regular circular, straights, and double pointed. 

There are pretty cases you can purchase separately to keep your interchangeables and notions in too...

Whew! So many cool new things! I just had to show lots of pics! 

The last thing I will share today (since I'm almost out of time) is a new magazine called KnitWear. It full of great designs, and there is a great article on grafting! Here is a few designs I thought were really cute...

I love the cabled cape on the cover! 

That is all for now folks :) Stay tuned for more...