Utterly sublime, Pashmina represents everything we love about Madelinetosh Yarns - indescribable and intriguing colors, divine yarns, and a undertone of sophistication.

Upon discovery of the new Pashmina palette, we rushed to place an order. The newest shades to join the line include the kind of colors we'd expect, handsome natural tones inspired by the world around us, plus some enchanting 'concept' driven colors that will make you sit back and reflect.

With names like "William Morris" and "Georgia O'Keefe", it's understandably difficult to describe these shades. Add in a "Black Velvet" that isn't black and a color called "Byzantine", and you'll understand why we stood around trying to guess the inspiration for these mysterious colors. Always beautiful (and often intriguing), we think you'll agree that Madelinetosh has done it again.

Also included in the most recent shipment from Madelinetosh was an assortment of designs of their new pattern line.

Ingenious and captivating, there is the same illusive theme of timeless glamor in these designs as in the Madelinetosh yarn lines.

Commissioned by iconic indie designers from across the blogosphere, the patterns themselves are rich in detail without being overwrought.

Perfect for knitters searching for classic designs that will always be stylish, these patterns are never going to be without fans.

Poet Society Tam Fashionknitsta's choice! "This morning I was asked to put on the Poet Society Tam for a quick photo - and it hasn't left my head since! It has the perfect amount of slouch and I love the subtle cable pattern." -Lindsay, our resident Fashionknitsta

You probably missed it in our Holiday Special, mixed in with so many other knitterly delights, but the NEW DPN Case by M.W. Woodworks is definitely worth a first - and second! - glance.

Designed to our specifications, we asked M.W. to create a traveling DPN case that would contain even the longest wooden needles (up to 8"!) and withstand the worst of abuse during transit or storage.

Hand-turned out of a single piece of hardwood, each DPN Case is both beautiful and functional. If you, like many of us here, have a collection of delicate wooden DPNs, this accessory will make broken or bent needles a thing of the past!

Sturdy and enduring, all pieces by M.W. are guaranteed to last a lifetime. Made only from sustainably harvested Pacific Northwest hardwoods, they also are a guilt-free tool you'll wonder how you ever went without!

Did you know that there is no "breed" of Cashmere goat? In fact, according to UC Davis, there is no such thing as a "purebreed" Cashmere goat!

According to U.S law, any goat can qualify as a Cashmere goat - provided it's downy undercoat measures in under 19 microns.

As crazy (and undefined) as this sounds, most goat breeds can't produce such a fine down. There are less than eleven official breeds that qualify as "cashmere" goats - most of them originating in the coldest places to be found in Eurasia.

Moreover, it turns out that our concept of cashmere has been flawed from the start. The word 'pashmina' comes from the Persian word for wool, and the term cashmere itself? Well, it actually derivates from the English pronunciation of Kashmir, an area of the Himalayas.

What does all this mean? Not much, really. Cashmere is still one of the most prized fibers in the world - and will continue to be - even though the term is a little more indeterminate than we've previously believed.

If you'd like to learn more about the different types (not breeds) of Cashmere, be sure to read the UC Davis article, Cashmere Goats, and the Wikipedia articles on Cashmere wool and Cashmere goats.