Glad You Asked

Every monitor (and every system) shows colors differently, so we cannot guarantee that your monitor is showing what we see here at the shop. That said, here’s how we do our best to depict true colors of yarn: when we take photos, we compare the actual yarn to the digital image and adjust the color, if necessary, before publishing it online. Furthermore, dye lots may vary from the initial ones photographed. If you would like a second opinion before hitting ‘purchase’, you are always welcome to give us a call and we are happy to help you choose a color over the phone.

We’re glad you’ve been lucky so far. But it’s unlikely you’ll match every designer’s gauge in every yarn. And if you’re even a quarter stitch off over 4 inches, you may wind up with a poorly fitting sweater you don’t like to wear. If you’re substituting yarns, another important question is “do I like the fabric?” You may have hit the suggested gauge, but is your fabric loose, limp and likely to loose its shape? Is it tight and stiff? Consider both aspects before you decide how to proceed. But definitely, swatch, swatch and re-swatch until you’re happy. We know you want to dive in, but a little time now may save days of work.

For the ‘Annabella’s Cowl,’ a Churchmouse Classics pattern, we used two tricks to corral the gorgeous but headstrong ‘Alchemy Silk Purse.’ First, to prevent the ball from tangling or collapsing, it’s best to pull from theoutsideof the ball. Also, we like to tuck our silky yarns into a little Ziploc® bag. If you leave the top just a little ‘unzipped’ and pull from the opening, it should behave itself quite nicely!

Linen and other ‘bast’ fibers take well to water and get softer and softer with each washing. We wash and dry ours in the machine—take out when still a little damp, pull or pin into shape and lay flat to dry. Linen knits have a tendency to bias, but we find an aggressive blocking can take care of this. Linen will shrink a little in the dryer, so it can be helpful to swatch twice: wash and dry one swatch for ‘finished gauge’ and compare the two to see how much extra length you should knit to compensate. To block lace in linen, use blocking wires and pin out with as much tension as you can muster—it’ll be infinitely prettier.

We’ve always been of the ‘brew-it-hot-and-let-it-cool’ school, but sometimes you just can’t wait! Try this much faster method: Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a pan; remove from heat and add 4-6 teabags or 4-6 tsps loose tea. Steep 5 minutes; remove bags or strain. While still hot, add sugar to taste (4-6 tsps) and stir to dissolve. Fill a sturdy pitcher with ice; pour hot tea over ice. It will dilute less than you might expect. And it’ll be ready when you are!

For those of you who have never seen a tea cozy, think of it as a sleeping bag for your teapot. It serves two important functions. First, to get the most flavor from your tea leaves, you should cover your teapot with a cozy to keep the water at the optimum brewing temperature. Secondly, if you’ve brewed more than enough tea for one cup each, your cozy will keep the rest hot while you sip. Cozies that leave the pot handle and spout exposed are handy, but for full heat-keeping effect, choose one that covers it all. Practicality aside, whether your cozy is knitted, felted, stitched or quilted, it’s also another great canvas for self expression.