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Dream of Spring with this Allover Colorwork Sweater Knitting Pattern

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A little bit of colorwork, whether it’s stripes, slip stitches, working with a multicolored yarn, stranded knitting, intarsia or any other method, adds a lot more interest and fun to a knitting project.

When it’s allover colorwork, that’s even better. And these bold stranded colorwork flowers just look like so much fun and have me thinking of spring (which really is just around the corner for us in the Northern Hemisphere, right?).

The Alyssum Sweater by Tomomi Yoshimoto uses DK weight yarn (or you can try worsted weight if you can get gauge with it) and features a field of white flowers, though of course you can stitch them in any color you want. White is easy because just about any color looks great with white, from pastels to bright colors, even gray and black.

This sweater is actually a heavier weight version of her Drawing sweater (also available on Ravelry), which uses sport weight yarn and the colorwork isn’t quite over the whole pattern. It also has raglan shaping, while the Alyssum has a circular yoke design. It sounds like Drawing is a little more difficult to get started, because some of the colorwork is worked flat and it starts with short rows, but once you get past the beginning part it sounds like it gets easier.

The Alyssum has all the colorwork done in the round, so that makes it a little easier. But either way this sweater is a beauty and looks like it would be a fun challenge to knit.

Back to Alyssum, it’s available in five sizes, ranging from a chest measurement of 52.5 inches to 68.25 inches. The smallest size is listed as M-L, but it doesn’t indicate how much positive ease is meant to be included, so you can pick the size that you’re most comfortable with.

You can find both patterns on Ravelry.

[Photo: Tomomi Yoshimoto.]

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Michaels Acquires Joann Intellectual Property; Joann Website Now Forwards to Michaels

Craft retailer Michaels has acquired the intellectual property and private label brands of now-defunct retailer Joann, according to a media release, and the Joann website now forwards to Michaels. 

The releases states that Michaels will be developing the “beloved Big Twist® brands as part of the Michaels portfolio.” It also notes plans to expand its offerings in the fabric, sewing and yarn categories, with more than 600 new products being added. 

“We’re honored to have the opportunity to welcome JOANN customers into our creative community and are committed to delivering the selection, value, and inspiration they are looking for at Michaels,” David Boone, CEO of Michaels, said in the release. 

Specific to yarn, the company notes it has plans to expand its yarn selection by 25 percent this year, including releasing more than 60 new private-label Loops & Threads products beginning this month, expanding offerings of Lion Brand and the Yarnspirations family of brands, and welcoming Big Twist yarns. 

The release specifically mentions Big Twist Value Plus, Big Twist Twinkle, Big Twist Posh and Big Twist Baby Bear, and notes that the offerings are “now being developed as part of Michaels portfolio of brands and will be available in-stores and online later this year.”

No word on what this means for Herrschners, which previously announced it would carry Big Twist. Its page announcing the news still says “at this time we are not able to release details on specific Big Twist varieties or colors, or the exact date the yarn will be available to order” and encourages signing up for email updates.

This news comes just days after the final closing of the last Joann locations and the appearance of a message on their website talking about “stitching up something new.” The Joann website now forwards to a landing page for craft retailer Michaels. 

“Welcome Joann customers,” it says at the top. “We’ve got your go-to essentials and so much more.” The page also notes “everyone is welcome at our craft table” and says the website is a source for “fabrics, yarn, notions & more.”

Further down the page it says “With JOANN stores closing, Michaels is excited to welcome new makers, crafters, and sewing enthusiasts into our community” and has a string of links to product categories these shoppers might be looking for. It says Michaels carries “many of the favorites that Joann customers love” including patterned fabric, yarn, ribbons and notions. 

The release calls this a “dedicated landing page” with a “curated assortment of products” they think are relevant to the Joann shopper. 

If you go directly to Micheaels.com, you see their regular website but there is a link at the top of the page for Joann customers that leads to the same page linked above. 

The release doesn’t mention opening any new stores in towns left without a craft store thanks to the Joann closure. It does note they have 1,300 stores in 49 states and in Canada, and they have both US and Canada-facing websites. 

What do you think of this news? It’s not the exciting future I’d hoped for with Joanns cryptic announcement, but I know legions of knitters and crocheters will be happy to know Big Twist will live on, and other crafters will probably be happy about expanded selection at Michaels.