Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Sheep(ish) Makes the Move to Bernat

by

sheepish bernatI don’t know how much you know — or care to know! — about the business side of the yarn world, but last year the yarn company Caron was acquired by Spinrite, the company behind Patons, Bernat and Lily (which also bought the Elmore-Pisgah Company, producer of Peaches and Creme yarn, not too long before that).

One thing that has happened as a result of that is that Vickie Howell’s Stitch.Rock.Love. line of yarn is moving under the Bernat umbrella rather than continuing to be a Caron yarn. (So far the only yarn in the line is Sheep(ish), but at least one more is in development.)

Howell says on her blog that nothing is changing about the way the yarn is produced, the colors that will be available or the way she interacts with users of the yarn through online knitalongs and crochetalongs.

To celebrate the change, Bernat is offering a sale on Sheep(ish), which means you can snag it for 25 percent off the regular price. The yarn regularly retails for $3.99 for a 167 yard skein. Enter the code GIFT4YOU upon checkout to receive the discount. The offer is valid through the end of the month.

Are you a fan of Sheep(ish)? Spill it!

[Photo by Bernat.]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I actually find it really interesting. I collect old knitting pattern books and you can see over time companies that were separate and had their own line of books merging. Based on the dates of the books I could probably make a timeline that shows when the different companies merged with each other. One of these days I want to do that.

  2. I crocheted all of the items ordered from my friends for Christmas gifts last year using Sheep(ish). The fingerless gloves, scarves and wraps turned out so nice and my friends told me the recipients loved them. I appreciate the yarn is soft and durable. The single-ply makes it a no-fuss yarn to work with.

Have you read?

Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.