New Manos!!

This just in: New yarns from Manos del Uruguay!

Everyone knows and loves Manos Wool Clasica, because, well, it's a classic! They came out with Clasica Naturals a while ago, but now they have Space-dyed Naturals! Check them out:

They are so pretty! Such rich and beautiful colorways!

Next up we have a couple new colors of Manos Lace:

Have a look at the Theadora Shawl, a free pattern Manos designed for this lovely laceweight.

And last, but CERTAINLY not least, is their brand new yarn for Spring, Serena:

Serena is 60% baby alpaca and 40% pima cotton. Here's what Manos has to say about this gorgeous yarn:

"Serena is a lightweight, whisper-soft yarn for trans-seasonal knitting. It combines two luxury fibers: baby alpaca and pima cotton. The alpaca gives beautiful drape, and the cotton year-round wearability. Together, both fibers produce softly heathered color effects. The supple fabric is perfect for simple shapes as well as the tucks and gathers of so many contemporary designs."

I can tell you it is so soft and snuggly, here's what I want to make with it! Stop in and say hi next time you're in our neighborhood, and check out these wonderful yarns.

New from Noro!

We recently received a big shipment of yarns from Noro, the company known for beautiful self-striping yarns! These new spring yarns don't disappoint, it's everything you love about Noro in springtime fiber blends!

From Anacapa Knits

First up, we have Kirameki, Noro's new Lace Weight! Can you imagine a big beautiful shawl in one of these lovely colors? Maybe something like Annis? It's 60% Rayon, 25% Nylon, 10% Wool, and 5% Cashmere, so it'll knit up warm, soft, and drapey!

From Anacapa Knits

We have new colors of Aya, Noro's cotton, silk, and wool blend. I love this yarn! You can knit up another one of Terry's Over the Helix Cowls with 2 colors!

From Anacapa Knits

We also got new colors of Taiyo, another cotton, silk, and wool blend. This would knit up great as a springtime scarf, like the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf.

From Anacapa Knits

We've got new colors of Shirakaba, their more subtle semi-solid cotton silk and wool yarn.

From Anacapa Knits

This one is brand new, Taiyo Sock! It's a fingering weight version of Taiyo that would make great summertime socks.

And last but not least, we have Silk Garden Lite, a smaller version of everyone's favorite yarn from Noro, Silk Garden!

Yarn Highlight: Madelinetosh Merino Light

From Anacapa Knits

Last Saturday we opened up a box of Madelinetosh Merino Light and our customers dove right in! People were snatching them up so fast, we haden't even taken them out of the box to put them on display or put price tags on them yet! Well now they're all stickered and shelved, and there are so many absolutely AMAZING colors of this stuff! It's a wonderfully soft single ply fingering weight merino, I just love this yarn!

I just finished a shawl I had been knitting in this yarn, have a look:

From Anacapa Knits

I used one skein, in the color "Chamomile". This is such a happy color, and it's keeping me warm and sunny on this dreary rainy day!

From Anacapa Knits

This pattern is by Evelyn Clark, and it's the Swallowtail Shawl, which is available for free here.

From Anacapa Knits

Come pick up a skein today before they're all gone!

New Raffle Prize!

New raffle prizes are coming in all the time! We just received a donation of 2 tickets to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza to see Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday, March 26th at 2 pm, fantastic seats too! You may want to pick up a couple of raffle tickets and bid on this one!

Raffle Tickets are $1 a piece or $20 for 25 tickets. You can order tickets over the phone if you can't make it into the shop, and you don't have to be present at the raffle to win. Give us a call at (805)654-9500 to buy some tickets!

Free Pattern: Springtime Baby Cardi

This month's free pattern is the Springtime Baby Cardi that is quick to knit out of 1 skein of Berroco Weekend, an easy care Cotton and Acrylic blend, perfect for baby items!

It seems that so many people I know are having babies, and most of them are due for springtime! Pick out a cute pastel color and some matching springtime buttons and you'll have the perfect quick knit for upcoming baby showers!

download now

Size: 3 months (6 months, 12 months)

Materials:
Berroco Weekend; color: “Clothesline” #5926; 1 (2, 2) skeins
US Size 7 24” circular needles (OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE)
Stitch Markers
4 buttons

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch

Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: PurlSt St: Stockinette Stitch
WS: Wrong Side
RS: Right Side
M1: Make One
St(s): Stitch(es)
SSK: Slip Slip Knit
K2TOG: Knit 2 Together
YO: Yarn Over

Seed Stitch (with odd number of stitches):
Row 1: *K1, P1, repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
Repeat Row 1 to desired length.

BACK:
Cast on 47 (49, 51) stitches
Work in seed stitch for 1 inch
Change to stockinette stitch and work until piece measures 6 (6.25, 6.5) inches. Mark last stitch on each side of work. Resume working in St st until piece measures 9.5 (10, 10.5) inches from cast on edge, ending with a WS row.

Next row: K12, bind off next 23 (25, 27) stitches, K12. Place first 12 stitches on a holder and work each side separately.

LEFT FRONT:
Row 1 (WS): P all sts
Row 2 (RS): K1, M1, K to end of row.
Repeat these 2 rows until you reach 23 (25, 27) sts total.

AND AT THE SAME TIME: When work measures 13 (13.5, 13.75)” from cast on edge, mark last stitch on each side of work.

After increasing is complete for the neck line, continue working in st st until front measures 8.5 (9, 9.5) inches. Work 1 inch of seed stitch, bind off in pattern.

RIGHT FRONT: Re-join yarn at other front, ready to work a WS row
Row 1 (WS): P all stsRow 2 (RS): K to last st, M1, K1.
Repeat these 2 rows until you reach 23 (25, 27) sts total.

AND AT THE SAME TIME: When work measures 13 (13.5, 13.75)” from cast on edge, mark last stitch on each side of work.

After increasing is complete for the neck line, continue working in st st until front measures 8.5 (9, 9.5) inches. Work 1 inch of seed stitch, bind off in pattern.

SLEEVES: Pick up and knit 35 (37, 39) stitches between two markers on one side edge.
*Work 5 rows of st st.
Next row (Row 6, RS): K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2TOG, K1.

Repeat from * (work 5 rows st st, work decrease row) until sleeve measures approx. 5(5.5, 6.5) inches from picked up stitches.

Work 1 inch in seed stitch, bind off in pattern.

Work second sleeve the same way, picking up the sts between the markers on the other side of the garment.

NECK AND BUTTON BAND:
With RS facing you and starting at the bottom edge of the right front, pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows up along the side of the front, pick up and knit 1 st for every bound-off st at the back of the neck, and pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows down along the edge of the other front.

The exact number of sts you have is not too critical, as long as you picked them up at this ratio, and you should end with an odd number of sts.

Work in seed stitch across all sts for 3 rows (2 rows if making sweater for BOY). On 4^th (3^rd for boy) row:
Buttonhole Row: *K4, K2TOG, YO, repeat from * 3 more times. Complete row as normal, continuing in seed stitch as set.
If making sweater for GIRL: Bind off on next row all sts in pattern.
If making sweater for BOY: Work 1 more row seed stitch, bind of on next row all sts in pattern.

FINISHING:
Sew side and sleeve seams. Weave in all ends on WS. Sew buttons on opposite of button holes. Block if desired.

Relay for Life Raffle

If you haven't heard already, we are holding a raffle to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Ventura! We had a relay team last year, and we raised over $9,000! This year our goal is 12,000, and with your help, we can reach it!

We are holding our fun Show and Tell in MARCH 18th, from 7-9 pm, which is also when we will be drawing the winners of the raffle. You can buy raffle tickets here at the shop up until the day of the raffle. Raffle tickets cost $1 a piece, or 25 tickets for $20. You don't need to be present to win, but I don't think you'll want to miss out on all the fun that the Show and Tell has to offer!

We have so many amazing raffle prizes this year! We have movie tickets, gift certificates for manicures and facials, whale watching tours, goodie bags from Starbucks and Peets Coffee, handknit and crocheted items, a beautiful handmade quilt, a summer weekend in Mammoth Mountain, and sooooooo many more! Check out pictures of all the fun raffle items below, and be sure to stop by the shop to get your raffle tickets today!!