Elann has posted a preview of three new yarns for spring:

Limited Edition Cotone Lin, a 60% Cotton/ 40% Linen blend, 115 yards per 50g ball. $2.98 marked down from $7.50.

Classic Elite Sundance 50% Cotton/ 50% Microfibre, 83 yards per 50g ball. $2.98 marked down from $5.95.

Elle Cotton Fields 4 Ply Full Bag Sale 50% Cotton/ 50% Dralon Acrylic, 160 yards per 50g ball. $14.85 per 10-ball bag.

I was interested to read Veronik Avery’s blog post meditation “Knitting Green,” about the carbon footprint of yarn, and why Classic Elite Yarns’ St-Denis Nordique is different.

Nordique stands out from the crowd as a US-sourced and made yarn. Most other yarns are shipped back and forth across the world before they get to the store shelves.

What makes Nordique ‘green’ is where it comes from – it is indeed all north American, right down to the wool used. Because the majority of wool used today originates from Australia, China and New Zealand, much of what can be purchased on local store shelves has an elevated ‘ecological footprint’.

Nordique is a 100% wool yarn, 150 yards per 50g skein.

Also, everyone is apparently eating breakfast in bed. Am I the only one who cringes at the thought of crumbs? Or getting watermelon juice on that beautiful white quilt?

Berroco has announced its line of new yarns for fall. I’m most excited about Berroco Remix (pictured above) which is made of 100% recycled fibers!

Berroco Remix 30% Nylon, 27% Cotton, 24% Acrylic, 10% Silk, 9% Linen. 216 yards per 100g ball. Described by Berroco as “a non-wool tweed,” this 100% recycled yarn is also machine washable.

Berroco Borealis a 60% acrylic/40% wool loosely spun single that apparently sparkles? 108 yards per 100g hank.

Berroco Campus 50% Wool, 40% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca, 130 yards per 100g hank. Love the multicolored action!

Berroco Vintage Chunky a fat version of the popular Berroco Vintage. 50% Acrylic,
40% Wool, 10% Nylon, 130 yards per 100g hank.

Blackstone Tweed Chunky same story as above, a chunky version of a popular favorite. 65% Wool, 25% Superkid Mohair, 10% Angora, 60 yards per 50g ball. (P.S. what is “superkid”? Do the goats wear red and blue capes?)

I am absolutely over the moon about the new shades of Lily Sugar ‘N Cream dishcloth yarn!

This new line of colors is inspired by the 1960s, with names like “Mod Stripes” and “Lava Lamp Twist.” I can’t wait to find these in stores!

Some of the I Knit Brisbane public art installations in the CBD will include a fingerless glove covering the two metre tall Sebastian de Mauro ‘hand’ sculpture at 175 Eagle St, a giant silk spider web and feature spider on St Francis House in Elizabeth St, giant balls of wool in Reddacliffe Place along with a crocheted garden in King George Square.

Go, Brisbane! I really wish I could pop over and check it out!

Check it out!

I’ve knit with dog fur spun from Newfoundlands. It behaves a lot like angora or mohair. It hasn’t any bounce or memory, so I recommend either blending it 50/50 with wool when spinning, or knitting it held together with a strand of wool yarn.

In response to a display of guerrilla knitting attached to a public sculpture, the city of Berkeley CA is laying down the law.

Berkeley City’s Civic Arts Coordinator Mary Ann Merker visited a nearby knitting and crafts studio yesterday to let them know that altering or defacing a piece of public art constitutes a violation of Federal law.

Federal? Really? Personally, I’d challenge that in court. (If I had infinite funds and time, of course.) I can see it being a violation of a city ordinance, but unless the Federal government bought the sculpture, I don’t see how it could be a “violation of Federal law.”

In England, a group of knitters has been commissioned by the National Health Service (NHS) to knit model breasts.

The knitted breast replicas are much useful when teaching new mothers about breastfeeding. Particularly compared to the balloons which the NHS nurses and breastfeeding consultants formerly used.

Berroco is offering a free pair of Handeze gloves! Click here to be entered in their drawing. 20 winners will be selected randomly.