Sometimes it's impossible to describe the visual joy and tactile pleasure a yarn brings you. It's beyond words and only another knitter will understand. Which is good for us, because we simply cannot wax eloquently enough about the newest yarn to be released by ShibuiKnits, Staccato.

A fingering-weight superwash Merino/ silk/ nylon blend, Staccato is a euphoria inducing, completely addicting, 'OMG' experience. Reminiscent of silk charmeuse, the high silk content (30%) gives the yarn a subtle glow and satiny-smooth texture. The superwash Merino gives the yarn (and finished garments) memory, and the nylon, just a touch of durability.

Available in eight solid colors and three hand-dyed colorways with short repeats (hence the name), Staccato is ideal for breathtaking colorwork, decadent socks, or elegant fine-gauge garments. The same weight and yardage as ShibuiKnits popular Sock, it can be used in many of their most popular patterns, such as the Vintage Baby Cardigan or Transition Gloves.

Released just in time for casting on those spring and summer knits, we predict that Staccato will have you sighing like a lovesick poet.

Our friends across the pond, Rowan Yarns, put a lot of stock in their homegrown British designers and sheep. And who can blame them? With so much talent and quality to choose from, they're quite literally spoiled for choice. Lucky for us, they've decided to share their riches with the rest of the world.

Just arrived from across the Atlantic is a collection of pure wool yarns that will have you humming "God Save the Queen" before you know it!

The younger sibling of Purelife Chunky, Purelife British Sheep Breeds DK is spun from 100% wool, from native sheep raised and shorn in Great Britian. Undyed and available in an amazing variety of natural colors, it's perfect for richly textured knits or even overdyeing. Moreover, the unbelievably economic price of under $7 for over 130 yards will have you stashing this ecofriendy gem left and right.

You can just barely taste it in the air - spring is slowly approaching and, with it, the chance to wear new spring knits! If you, like us, have been craving some warm weather clothing in bright and cheery colors, we've got quite the selection for you. New from local Gardiner Yarn Works are a collection of spring patterns that will have you waiting impatiently for the prima vera.

	Path of Flowers Stole Like an English country garden, this beautiful stole is full of flora. Featuring a variety of flower and vine motifs, it will keep you interested both on the needles and off! The ideal spring/ summer wrap, it can add a little 'oomph' to any outfit and keep away chills on cool spring nights.
Sunset Beach Socks Get ready for some fun in the sun with these flirty, ruffled socks! Designed especially for the 2009 Sock Summit, this cute pattern features a knotted stitch pattern that is perfect for hand-dyed yarns. Channel your inner-child and add a little sass to your style.
	Birch Enlarge your knitting repertoire with this beautiful entrelac lace pattern. Complete with instructions for three different sizes (scarf, stole, and shawl!), you can choose the size of your challenge and still enjoy the result. Plus, you can make it with just two skeins of Mighty Sock.
Oak St. Fingerless Gloves ' Named after the main street in the designer's hometown of Hood River, Oregon, these gloves keep your hands warm and fingertips free, allowing you to knit or work outside on chilly days.
	Butterfly Garden Socks Originally designed for the 2009 Sock Summit, this pattern is the knitting version of a sampler. Show off your knitting abilities to the world with intricate cables, traveling stitches, bobbles and more!
Forest Park Socks Inspired by Portland's famous urban wildlife sanctuary, Forest Park, these richly cabled socks crave hike along shadowed paths. Bring a taste of the outdoors to your closet without putting down your knitting!

It's a shame that there's no such thing as a drool guard, because this yarn should come with one! Divinely soft, Lima, will give cashmere a run for its money without emptying your wallet.

A blend of baby alpaca, Merino, and nylon, this buttery new yarn will have you petting it like a newborn kitten. Different from traditional baby alpaca blends, Lima is spun in an entirely different way. Rowan took a laceweight yarn and crochet chained it, creating an almost i-cord-like yarn that is extremely airy, soft, and that offers amazing stitch definition. A lofty worsted weight, it's perfect for quick-knit accessories or cozy sweaters you'll never want to take off.

Available in eight heathery colors, Lima is an indulgence knitters won't want to miss.

As part of our ongoing Cable Mania KAL, we've been featuring Staff Picks every other week with a cable theme. This week, we presented our staff with a simple question, "Cables and _____?", then let them fill in the blank. The results, while a bit more Mad Lib than expected, offer a wide variety of techniques, genres, and patterns to pick from.

	History (chosen by Darcy) Full of antique patterns from actual Victorian sources, this book gives knitters a chance to get in touch with their craft's history. With both stitch patterns and garment instructions to choose from, knitters might get more history than they realized!
Comfort (chosen by Sandy Kay) From the latest issue of Vogue Knitting comes a man's sweater that both sexes are going to covet. Vintage-inspired, this cowl-neck, gracefully cabled cardigan is the very definition of sophisticated comfort. When made with the recommended yarn, Rowan Lima, it's likely to be your favorite sweater before it's even off the needles.
	Style (chosen by Lindsay) It's not surprising that our resident Fashionknitsta leaned towards a sleek vest, rather than a thick and comfty Aran sweater. The Amber Vest, from the Spring/ Summer 2009 issue of Amimono, is everything a chic knitter would want. Slimming seed stitch and elegant cable trim give the finished garment bohemian style without being 'costumey'.
Feet (chosen by Sara M) Where it stated that cables should just be on sweaters? One of the hardest-working parts of the human body, feet deserve a little cabling, too. Cookie A's inspiring pattern, the German Stocking is a chance for knitters to reward their toes and put their cabling skills to the test. Although the design was inspired by historic stockings, there's no reason not to pair these beauties with a short skirt and pair of Mary Janes.
	Rowan (chosen by Kristin) If you've met Kristin, you'll know that she has a teeny, tiny, Rowan addiction. When asked this week's 'simple' question, she was hard-pressed to choose a single pattern. Eventually, though, she selected the intricate and stately Gayle sweater jacket from Rowan's British Sheep Breeds. Thick and warm, this handsome cardigan will look great wherever it's worn.

We set forth the challenge and were both amazed and entertained by your enthusiastic response. So many clever and creative limericks flooded our inbox that we couldn't decide on a winner. After polling our Newsletter subscribers, we finally have a winner, who will receive a Cabled Rib Wrap kit in the color of their choice:

You're a knitter and that's undeniable.
Your devotion to the art is reliable.
When your dreams through the night
Are of handspun delights,
To some it may seem certifiable.
- Carol Y.

At ninety McGee took up knitting.
He knit day and night without quitting.
"I am cabling fast
To make up for the past.
And if I had teeth, they'd be gritting!"
- Carol L.

She thought that merino's divine:
He couldn't tell cashmere from twine.
Their romance expired,
When she finally tired
Of casting her purls before swine.
- Kim F.