Remember the “Up to my ears in knitting” post I made on this blog last month? That was where I was talking about my design project for Lorna’s Laces and Mountain Colors. Sorry to not be able to say too much about it at the time. Well, that design project launched and was exhibited at the recent TNNA trade show in Long Beach, CA. So now I can share with you’all! I named the design I did for them “Palette of Colors Shrug“.

As two of the pioneers of hand-dyed yarn, Lorna’s Laces and Mountain Colors have come together to provide “Mixed Media” kits that combine their yarns with a custom-designed pattern. Palette of Colors is the first offering by these companies in a limited edition kit featuring both companies’ yarns along with this gorgeous shrug pattern that will show off the yarns beautifully.

I knitted two shrug models in two different colorways — one to be displayed in each of the Mountain Colors and Lorna’s Laces booths at the TNNA show. That was just one of the reasons that I was up to my ears in knitting in December, lol. But working with those yarns was pure joy, and seeing the colorways and texture interact is really intriguing. You should try it.

Lorna’s Laces and Mountain Colors are putting together limited edition kits for Palette of Colors that will include one skein of Helen’s Lace from Lorna’s Laces, one skein of Half Crepe from Mountain Colors, and the Palette of Colors pattern from HeartStrings FiberArts. The kit is offered in five colorways and will be available starting in February to any shop that carries yarn from either company. Colorway combinations that will be offered in these limited edition kits are: (color name of Lorna’s Laces followed by that of Mountain Colors)

• Sandridge/Chinook (shown above in the thumbnail – click that to see more)
• Red Rover/Ruby River (shown in pictures on Meg’s Yarn Expressions blog below)
• Black Watch/Evergreen
• Gold Hill/Yellowstone
• Larkspur/Blackberry

Be sure see the nice pictures that Meg Manning of Yarn Expressions took of the Red Rover/Ruby River Palette of Colors Shrug model before the TNNA show opened. I was delighted that Meg commented “I think my favorite find of the show was this.”

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When I and other members of Association of Knitwear Designers (AKD) are asked to knit swatches for TNNA’s Great Wall of Yarn (GWOY), we can make anything from plain to fancy — whatever our design creativity leads us to in showing off the yarn well.

Over the past few days, I posted about the swatches/mini-projects I made in the 4 yarns I was sent to work with. All you saw in those posts were the final ‘swatches’ I completed for display on the Wall. However, what I did not initially mention is that before I dove into the creative swatches, I did the zen-type of thing by knitting some plain stockinette stitch swatches just to get a feel for how the yarn handles while I let the yarn ‘speak to me’.

Just for fun, yesterday I turned those plain swatches into bunnies! Since I will not be able to go to TNNA this time, I’ve mailed the bunnies to my designer friend Jennifer Hagan (Figheadh Knits), who will be attending TNNA for the first time and offered to deliver these additional ‘swatches’ to the yarn company booths.

So if you will be at TNNA, be sure to stop in at the booths of these 4 yarn companies to pet the bunnies:  ShibuiKnits – booths 363/462 Colinton Australian Angoras – booth 2243 Kaalund Yarns (Jumbok) – booth 360 Jarbo Garn – booths 1026/1028

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