It’s always a thrill for us at Knit Purl when the postman arrives with a large box full of abundant yarny goodness, especially when it’s a yarn we haven’t seen in a while (or ever!). That’s why we were so excited to discover that our most recent shipment from Habu Textiles, all the way from Japan, contained a plethora of gorgeous yarns, some of which we’ve missed for quite some time and a few that are brand new to our shelves.

We were particularly glad to see that Habu’s Copper Bamboo yarn had made the long journey back to our shop once again. An intriguing addition to Habu’s line of metal/ fiber blends, its incredibly thin copper core is wrapped with luxurious bamboo, harnessing all the strength and shine of metal in a smooth and gentle fiber cocoon. We’re in awe of the way light bounces off the glinting copper and seems to saturate the shining bamboo fibers, causing the yarn to radiate a warm russet glow. Try Copper Bamboo on its own for a soft yet crisp and sculptable fabric, or blend it with another yarn for tons of durability and a subtle shimmer.

As we (hopefully) draw closer to the longer days and warmth of springtime, the promise of lightweight, drapey fabrics may have begun to eclipse our thoughts of the chunky, cozy knits of winter. But one glimpse of Habu’s new Soft Wool Slub was enough to make us wish it were autumn all over again. This thick and thin handspun-esque wool is as soft as clouds and is available in a beautiful range of rich colors.

Brand new from the innovators at Habu comes Silk 6p, a fascinating sport-weight yarn composed of six rustic silken plies wrapped in a delicate silk thread. Each individual strand of silk within the yarn is a different color, creating a tweedy blend of hues that provide layers of depth in hand-knit fabrics. The raw silk composition lends a sturdy structural feel, while maintaining a touchable softness that won’t rub sensitive skin the wrong way. Silk 6p is the perfect springtime yarn for lightweight, elegant projects with a unique complexity of color.

For a whole new take on lace, Habu’s Merino 4p is your inspiration for lovely lightweight fabrics sure to please any knitter. Similar in structure to the Silk 6p, Merino 4p is composed of four fine strands of scrumptiously soft Merino wool, each of a different complementary color. This construction provides an amazing depth of color to any garment. Textural but still very wearable, Merino 4p is ideal for tweedy lace pieces or light spring sweaters.

We at Knit Purl have a great admiration for the voracious learners that we know are among you dear readers. That's why we’ve taken care to make sure that our new Spring 2011 Class Schedule is full of fun and engaging topcs that we hope will quench your thirst for knowledge.

We are pleased to present you with a slew of amazing workshops spanning the skill level spectrum from beginner to expert. With visiting instructors, new local teachers, and the return of classic Knit Purl class series, there’s something for every level of knitter (or aspiring knitter) this spring. Some highlights include:

Roositud Inlay
with Courtney Kelley & Kate Gagnon Osborn (shown above)

Learn the traditional Estonian colorwork technique of the wrapped Roositud Inlay with the experts from the best-selling book Vintage Modern Knits using the adorable Yvette beret pattern from the book. The technique gives a beautiful textural finish similar to embroidery.

Fair Isle Stocking with Courtney Kelley & Kate Gagnon Osborn A perfect introduction to Fair Isle, this stocking workshop will provide all the tools you need for this classic Nordic technique, from chart reading to working stranded colorwork. In addition, don’t miss the Setesdal Knitting and Bohus-Inspired Knitting classes - also brought to you by the lovely ladies of Vintage Modern Knits!
	Estonian Kolmnurk Ratik, the Estonian Triangular Shawl 5/13/11 with Nancy Bush Knitting legend Nancy Bush is back for another fabulous round of workshops! Make an elegant miniature triangular shawl while learning all the necessary techniques to create your own beautiful Estonian lace pieces. Plus, there are still openings in Nancy’s Overture to Estonian Lace and Vintage Socks classes, just in case you missed them the last time The Guru was in town!
Beginning Socks with Lise Brackbill Find out what all those sock knitters are raving about with Lise’s courses, starting at the very beginning and taking you through all those special sock tricks, like turning a heel and grafting a toe. Choose Top Down or Toe Up, or try both to truly master any sock pattern life throws at you!

Having fallen in love long ago with Noro’s whimsically variable, wildly vibrant colorways, we were so excited to welcome a new addition to our Noro family: Taiyo Sock, a summery blend of cotton, wool, silk and nylon.

Every skein of Taiyo is like a kaleidoscope of color, drawing the eye though subtle gradations and drastic jumps in hue.

Slightly finer and less wooly than its counterpart Silk Garden Sock, Taiyo is ideal for springtime socks that will urge you to show off their fabulous range of bright colors. But why stop at just socks? Try Taiyo for lacy shawlettes or scarves, perfect to ward off any lingering chill in the air during those coming spring and summer nights.

We recently went into cute overload over new patterns that have caught our collective eye: those of prolific designer/ blogger Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting.

But, did you know that in addition to the adorable children’s patterns we showed you in our last newsletter, Never Not Knitting also has a whole array of adult patterns? These designs showcase Dakos’ signature whimsy - with a touch of elegance - that we adore. Pair one of these beautiful patterns with a sumptuous yarn and savor away.

Cosette Shawl (shown above)
Knit in stockinette stitch with a cozy worsted weight yarn, this simple yet gorgeous wrap can double as a casual scarf. Show off the subtleties of variegated yarns or go basic with pure solids--the choice is yours!

Seedling Hat Portland locals, we hope the cute sprouts on this slouchy hat will cheer you through the long rainy season. With its appealing texture and unique reverse stockinette stitch background, Seedling will surely be a welcome addition to your project list this season.

Cream & Sugar Cowl Show off your cabling skills with this cozy cowl! Knit in fingering weight yarn, it’s a flattering addition to early spring garb, when you might need just a little something extra to keep warm.

As many of you are aware, Knit Purl’s Thursday night Sip & Stitch has been on hiatus for the past few weeks. For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting a schedule update, we truly appreciate your love for Knit Night and we want to make sure you’re kept in the loop: as of right now, Sip & Stitch is no more. The store will continue to close at 7:00 pm on Thursday evenings as it has for the last several weeks.

Even though we no longer have a set Knit Night, we still want to welcome all of you to stop by and knit with us any day! We will be sure to keep you up to date on all the exciting events we have planned in the future.

In other news, if you careful readers notice any stylistic changes in your beloved newsletter in coming weeks, it’s because we have welcomed a new writer to the job, starting this week. She hopes she can live up to Sara’s legacy and continue to maintain this publication as something that brightens up your Fridays and shares Knit Purl’s enthusiasm for our glorious fibers and patterns!

Bamboo textiles have been on our radar for a number of years now. The idea of transforming this fast-growing fibrous grass into a sustainable plant-based fiber for knitting and weaving is fascinating--and bamboo yarn is gorgeous to boot, with its silk-like sheen and drape, plus incredible softness.

But though proud to profess our love for this newfangled fiber, we realized we didn’t know much about how on earth it goes from its tough, reedy incarnation to the supple, shiny yarn we adore--and set forth to find out.

Did you know that bamboo has been found to grow as much as 39 inches in a single day? It also has a much faster rate of maturity than hardwood trees, with bamboo shoots reaching their full height in a matter of months and their maximum girth and strength by their third year. The stalks contain a substance called bamboo kun, which has antimicrobial properties known to help the plant fight pests and disease. These unique qualities make bamboo an ideal ecological source of wood, paper, and yes, textile products.

There are two ways of transforming the plant into spinnable fiber: mechanical, which involves using natural enzymes and machinized crushing to break down the tough parts of the stalk into a pulp from which the fibers can be extracted and spun into a linen-like material; and chemical, in which bamboo is broken down into its cellulose building blocks and regenerated as a more eco-friendly rayon (which is usually made of wood or cotton, plants which are much less sustainably grown and harvested).