Today is the official launch day for the new Autumn/Winter Rowan yarns and as usual with Rowan, there are gorgeous new yarns plus the old favorites in new colors along with beautiful pattern support.   As a Rowan Ambassador I'll be reviewing the new yarns and pattern books over the next few months, and I'll start by reviewing my favorite, Angora Haze.  Angora's fame is due to it's softness and yes it's soft as a kitty's paw, but it's more than that.  Think leading ladies of the 40s and the elegance, the glamor and the romance of wearing angora.  I cannot wait to have a sweater or two knit with this!  This winter will be my angora winter.  Sigh.  Really, I don't think I've been more happy about a yarn since I discovered Kidsilk Haze.

Angora is lightweight but very warm, one of the warmest knitting fibers, so light pieces or layering pieces are best.  Angora Haze knits into a fine fuzzy fabric with no bulk.  Angora comes from the Angora rabbit (the Angora goat produces mohair).   During their shedding season, the hair is combed off then spun.  Angora often gets a bad reputation for being too flyaway fuzzy while knitting, but sourcing high quality angora and a good twist will keep those fuzzies under control.  I can attest to that, I knit my entire swatch by touch in a dark movie house and had no fluff stick into my contacts or fly up my nose.


Giveaway:  I would love you to try Rowan Angora Haze, I think you'll be nuts over it too.  I have one skein in the pale green "Hug" to give away.  To enter the giveaway, please become a follower of Knitionary, either by email, Facebook, Bloglovin or any way you prefer, then leave a comment and you're in.

July 26, edited to add, winner is chosen and comments are closed.  Thank you to all who entered.

Angora Haze in Hug.

The Angora Haze pattern book, a collection of 14 designs by Martin Storey is the companion book to this yarn.  The patterns are named after famous movie vixens of the 40s and are as exquisite as their namesakes.  This is the time to dust off those tiny needles, brush up on your chart reading and create an heirloom.  Enjoy my favorites below!

Brigitte in Tender.

Eva in Kiss.

Audrey in Hug is calling my name!  Must make!

Lucille in Cuddle.

Rita in Embrace.  I plan to make this simple stockinette cardi in the bright pink Caress.

Thelma in Nest.

My new cardigan, Opaline designed by Robin Melanson is a great cardigan, feminine and well designed.  I'm in love with the sweet and easy leafy lace (no cable needle required!) placket border and rolled stockinette hems. It is such a pretty pattern but has had little attention on Ravelry, only 3 projects, I can't imagine why!  It's knit flat and seamed, I made no modifications.  The hand painted milk glass buttons are vintage Czechoslovakian I found on Etsy.  I added this pattern to my Ravelry queue the moment it was published and was waiting for the right yarn in the right color, I was thinking summer cotton.

Softknit Cotton is a new spring/summer offering for Rowan.  When I first touched it, I knew I would have to make a summer sweater, it feels so soft.  The bottom line is, I love Softknit, and it does live up to it's name.  The yarn construction looks like a tiny hollow knitted tube.  The air space between the stitches in the knitted tube allow for a lighter feeling fabric, much lighter weight than if it were a traditional spun cotton.

I love summer cotton yarns and can't help but compare Softknit to other cottons I love.  Rowan Handknit Cotton (one of my favorite yarns ever, included in my list of top 10 yarns of all time), Softknit has the same soft hand yet has more bounce.  The fabric feels much more lightweight and has a tad more sheen than Handknit.  If you are familiar with the discontinued Calmer (and love it as so many did), Softknit Cotton has plenty of bounce but is not as elastic as Calmer, has a dryer feel, and knits up into a slightly more matte fabric, but is equally soft and more lightweight.  I often wonder why a lovely yarn like Calmer is discontinued, only to find that another superior yarn is launched to replace it.  I feel Softknit is superior to both Handknit and Calmer.  Softknit is well-behaved and stitches line up beautifully, looks gorgeous in lace and cables and comes in 14 clear colors.  Machine washable 100% cotton.  This is my new light-worsted weight summer cotton.

Please excuse my Cheshire grin, my photographer is quite the comedian.

I cannot stop taking garden pictures!  The garden will be at it's peak in about two weeks, but the waiting for that is pretty spectacular in itself.  Our perennial border is mostly hydrangeas, shasta daisies, roses, dahlias and daylilies holding up the rear.  The front is kept in annuals that I change out every year.  This year I did a mix of mostly pink, purple and white using zinnias and cosmos to bring in the big color.   Since my husband's retirement, he has been helping out so much in the garden, but I am still the one in charge of the flowers.  He does however, have a big say in the color scheme, and this year he said it's his favorite border, he loves pink.  The pink and purple is spectacular this year.

Our weather has finally broken and we are back in the 70s and 80s.  Big smile.  Last week we had temperatures soaring into the high 90s every day.  Blech.  Horrible, I hate hot weather.  On Friday we took the top off and caravaned with 8 friends to the coast where it was cold and foggy.  Lovely, I hadn't been cold in ages and LOVED it!  Knitters love to be cold so they can pull out their wooly sweaters. We had dinner at Sam's Chowder House, so fun there, there's an ocean view from every table and the food is great.  They also have a Chowdermobile that travels around the bay area for a convenient chowder fix, you can even rent it for a party! 

Back to last week, I fretted over the 90 plus heat, my poor garden, but the flowers and vegetables look as fresh as anything now that the heat wave is over.  I will be able to spend some more time out there, and while I don't mind the weeding too much, I'd rather be arranging flowers.  One of my favorite summer hobbies is to make beautiful bouquets from my garden. 

Zinnias in the foreground with hydrangeas in back.

Seashell Cosmos in the foreground with hydrangeas behind.

Cosmos Sensation in the foreground, Shasta Daisies in the back.

A mix of dahlias, daisies, roses, zinnias, cosmos and glads in my granddad's mustard pot. I like to make big arrangements when I have the flower power, this one is 2 1/2 feet tall!

A month ago we received the prettiest invitation that I think I've ever received. 


A few days before the party I received this email:  It looks like Himself and I ARE going to make it 50 years; if we break up this week, we'll keep it secret.  Dress is festive casual; bring layers for the later evening chill.  PLEASE no gifts--unless your name is Karl Lagerfeld, he may send me 5O Chanel bags. The rest of you: NOTHING.  If it rains, wear something chic to my funeral as I shall slit my wrists.

They are obviously FUN people, plus have a spectacular entertaining style and beautiful home, and I am happy to note that after a week of chilly weather, that one night, that ONE night, was spectacular and no one had to wear a second layer.  When Casey and Jack were married, the wedding colors were watermelon and white.  Now, fifty years later the same colors were used for the flowers and the table setting, and are still fresh and summery.  I was able to sneak a few pictures between eating, drinking and dancing the night away.  Goodness,  I do LOVE a good party.  Let me share a beautiful evening and setting with you...

Pink, Orchid and Yellow Doll Watermelon Salad with Watercress and Fresh Burrata with aged Sherry Vinaigrette

One day this summer I'll do a blog post on Casey and Jack's garden.  They keep bees, have a chicken palace, a beautiful rose garden and large vegetable garden and I think you would love to see it.

Belle

All the gorgeous new yarns and patterns for fall/winter will soon be released, and I realized that I'm not done with the things I wanted to knit with last years goodies!  Just need to show you some of the prettiest sweaters I haven't made...yet!  I love Rowan Kidsilk Haze Stripe.  My favorite way to use it would be in this cardigan above.  When I first saw this pattern I thought I'd make it in the round so the stripes would match, but then I thought, no, what I love so much is that it's not matching, that's now my favorite part!  It looks kinda crazy and circus-like, it's fun and pretty, right?  The color is "Cool".  I used that same color in my Kidsilk Stripe Wrap but may just have to use it again for this.  I love her bracelets too.  And her face.

KSH Stripe is a perfect example of a yarn that does most of the work for you.  The pattern should be kept pretty simple to show off the color stripes.   Look at Leya below, perfectly elegant and simple yet so effective.

Today I'm showcasing two pattern booklets that support this beautiful yarn.  These first three designs plus 5 more are from the booklet, Kidsilk Haze Stripe Collection.

Leya

Lily

The three patterns above are from this booklet.

Simone

Eva

Marja

Sylvie

Ruby

Stella

Today, July 4th, we celebrate Independence Day in the USA.  Americans feel very patriotic and social all week, lots of barbeques and parades.  When we first moved into our home, our neighborhood would host a big potluck complete with a square dance caller, a decorated bicycle parade put on by the younger children and end the evening with a fireworks display at the end of our culdesac.  We had a neighbor who would set up an enormous miniature train over his 1/4 acre front yard.  Quite spectacular with an old west town, a circus, an English village and a Tyrolean village just to name a few.  He kept it up all summer and miniature train enthusiasts from all over the world would come to visit.  He was a pretty smart fella and would deputize my son and all the other little boys in the neighborhood to "patrol" the train set-up and make sure everyone was just looking and not touching.  Of course, the little boys were the worst offenders but giving them an important job kept them from causing trouble.

This morning we will go to our church's 47th annual Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast and then in the afternoon we are going to a backyard barbeque.  Last night we were invited to Carole and Bill's house for a casual dinner.  I loved her table decorated with simple straw mats, red napkins and flags in the flower vase!  Hooray for the red, white and blue!