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TNNA Conference Yarn Report

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Knitter’s Review visited the TNNA early June in Columbus Ohio. ” TNNA stands for The National NeedleArts Association, and twice a year they host a conference where store owners, manufacturers, designers, publishers, and industry folk come together to learn, schmooze, and sell. Besides the marketplace, [tag]TNNA[/tag] also offers a fantastic array of classes, as well as various other programs and a fashion show.”

Knitters Review reports on several new yarns soon to be available.

Pam Allen now works at [tag]Classic Elite Yarns[/tag]. Pam helped to develop the Alpaca Sox yarn which is composed of 60% alpaca, 20% merino, and 20% nylon.

[tag]Knit One, Crochet Too[/tag] previewed its new sock yarn, Soxx Appeal. A truly springy and subtly textured sock yarn, Soxx Appeal is made of 96% Merino, 3% nylon, and 1% elastic, and comes in a host of variegated colors.

Among the numerous new hand-dyers at the show, the level of quality and innovation varied dramatically. The new yarn darling had to be [tag]ShibuiKnits[/tag], based in Portland, Oregon. They had seven yarns on display, each developed with specific intention and taking into consideration how its weight, fiber content and quality, twist, and ply would work in conjunction with the other yarns.

Vermont-based organic yarn vendor [tag]Vermont Organic Fiber Company[/tag] had two new yarns on display. Although this company is relatively new to the handknitting yarn market, they’ve been selling organic wool to the textile trade since 2000 and are making impressive inroads.

Visit [tag]Knitter’s Review[/tag] for the whole story!

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Comments

  1. Did you go to the TNNA event? If you saw the fashion show one of my shawls was featured. You can see it on my blog (turquoise fleece shawl) which is my own technique using a felted fleece and freeform crochet and knitting embellishments. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Have you read?

A Knit Vest to Get You Ready for Summer

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather