October 2014 Newsletter

Project of the Month... Guernsey Shawl and Triangle




Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed is known for simply elegant knitting patterns.  His Guernsey Shawl and Triangle are no exception to this rule.  Both of these pieces feature the knit-purl patterning of Guernsey fisherman sweaters.  The shawl is knit with worsted weight yarn and is enjoyable to knit.  It is a classic piece that you can wear all winter long.  The triangle was designed to be a counterpart to the shawl.  Knit in fingering weight yarn, you will have the same lovely textured pattern in a smaller, more delicate piece to stave off a fall chill.  The patterns are very clear and provide charted and written instructions as well as detailed blocking instructions, an important, final step in creating these light and soft projects.



October Knit Along... Forest Foliage

As the mornings and evenings begin to chill, wrapping up in a lace shawl is the perfect accessory for any autumn wardrobe. Join us as we knit Alana Dako’s ForestFoliage, from her beautifully inspired book, Botanical Knits 2. With its solid knit autumn leaves floating in a sea of lace stitches, Forest  Foliage is an intermediate knitted lace project that requires just 550 yards of fingering weight yarn. Some of us here in the shop can’t wait to cast-on and we thought it would more fun to knit collectively! This KAL will begin the first week of October. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page and our ravelry group for details and updates. 

October Lesson... Lace Knitting Tricks and Tips

Are you afraid to try lace knitting?  Are you confused by charts?  On Saturday, October 11th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm let us take the mystery out of lace knitting.  In this class we will show you how to work with lace charts, give you tips on how to keep track of your knitting and teach you how to "read your knitting.  We will also discuss the importance of life lines and what to do if you make a mistake.  Finally, we will review the most important part of lace knitting... blocking.  Your beautiful stitches will sing after this class.  You need to know how to knit, purl, increase and decrease to truly get the most from this class.  Join us and expand your knitting skills!

October Lesson... Fixing Boo Boos

Back by popular demand, our class that will help you to understand how to repair mistakes in your knitting.  Whether it is tinking back, picking up a stitch, an extra stitch at the edge, twisted, running or incomplete stitches that pop up on your way to finishing knit projects, we all can use a little help along the way.  This class is perfect for those who are ready to learn how to fix these little bumps in the road.  To fully benefit from this class, you should know how to knit and purl.  So join us on Saturday, October 25th from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm and you will be on your way to solving those problems that happen to all knitters.


Quick Tips for October

Don't miss any of our quick tips to improve your knitting knowledge. Come in any time between 3:00pm and 4:00pm on Wednesdays or 11:00am to 12:00pm on Saturdays to get a free 10 to 15-minute demonstration on a knitting technique.  This month's tips are:
Week 1 - Provisional cast-on
Week 2 - Tab cast-on
Week 3 - Lifeline for lace
Week 4 - Make one left and make one right
Week 5 - Jenny's surprisingly stretchy bind-off




Follow Monarch Knitting on Instagram

We are pleased to announce a new addition to the team. Sarah Higgins is a local graphic designer, photographer and runs the blog sarahinpursuit.com. She has been a long time customer and will be assisting with our Instagram feed. We encourage you to follow us on Instagram @monarchknitting. We will be posting not only inspiration, and beautiful photographs, but special contests and giveaways.  Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest as well! We love to interact with you!


New Yarns coming to Monarch

Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted - this lovely yarn is in stock now!  Wow!... a luxurious 4-ply yarn made from 75% merino wool, 15% silk, 10% cashmere.  This is an incredibly soft yarn with great drape.  The colors are stunning and you will not be able to resist our newest yummy base from Tosh.

Also from Tosh and just in time for cozy holiday knitting, we will be receiving A.S.A.P. Working up in a super-bulky weight, this fabulously thick yarn is 100% superwash merino wool. Each squishy soft skein is hand-dyed in small batches and available in their opulent glazed colorways.

Remember our announcement of Woolfolk? Well, we are excited to share that the first shipment will arrive the first week of this month! Each one of us cannot wait to stock the shelves of their sport-weight Tydn, and their aran-weight, Far. Both bases come in simplistically stunning shades, making them an easy choice for any project.

We consistently fall head over heels with Shibui, and their latest yarn, Maai has us knocked over as well. Constructed as a springy-chainette ply, Maai is made up of luxurious 70% superbaby alpaca and of 30% merino wool. Stop in the shop to see the gorgeousness of this yarn. We have many colors in stock!

Looking for something lightweight this season? Shibui's Kavo is just the ticket. Comprised of decadent silk wrapped around strong 2-ply cotton, Kavo holds an incredible soft drape. Each colorway has a dazzling sheen. Be on the lookout as we will receive it within the next two weeks. 





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