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Sheep(ish) Makes the Move to Bernat

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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.]

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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?

Pet Beds to Knit

I have two cats, and I have always wanted to make them some kind of cat bed. But I also feel like they would completely ignore it, so I would be better off spending my knitting time on someone who I know will appreciate it (me). If you want to give it a try, though, here are some cute pet beds to knit for cats, small dogs, and maybe even some bigger dogs. 

My favorite of the ones I came across in writing this post is the Capiti knit cave that looks like a cat. This one is from Ursule Knits, and from the pattern description it sounds like it is lightly felted by hand to make it stand up, so you need to use wool to make it. It calls for DK weight but I’m sure worsted would work, too. 

The Maya Cat Cave is another cute cave-like project. Designed by Lavi V and using super bulky yarn, it’s like a purpose-made sack for your kitty to hang out in. It uses a metal ring (like you might use to make a dreamcatcher) to make the opening sturdy. You can find this one on Ravelry.

If you don’t want to be quite as literal as a cave, this pet bed nest from Monique Rae is another good choice. This one is flat on the bottom with short sides. It uses two strands of worsted weight yarn held together and comes in six sizes for a range of cats and dogs to be cozy in.

This circular cat bed knitting pattern from Ginger Purl is cute and easy to knit if you’re familiar with knitting flat circle. This one is striped, which is a great reminder that cats don’t care what color their bed is, so you might as well use leftover yarn on it. 

I am a little skeptical that this pet bed that’s made with roving and arm knitting will look as good once an animal has seen it, but it is a cute and quick project (and you could just use it as a basket that kitty is allowed to get in rather than a dedicated space). The pattern is from Wools by Nicky and includes a video tutorial if you’re new to arm knitting.

If you’d rather knit a blanket for the dog or cat in your life, check out the Ziggy Zag Pet Blanket by Paws and Purls Knits. This pretty reversible blanket comes in five sizes for various pets, and if you make it in washable yarn it’s the perfect thing for your furry friend to cuddle with. 

Or if you have a pet who will submit to a hood, I love this hooded pet blanket from Yarnspirations. Using Bernat Blanket yarn, it’s super cozy (and bright!) and pretty easy to knit as it’s all worked in one piece. The pattern only has one size but it’s just a rectangle with a hood so you could probably adjust it pretty easily for the size of your pet. 

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