It's always nice to know that your voice is being heard, especially when it comes to knitting. Lucky for us, Skacel listened to knitters after the release of their incomparable Addi Click interchangeable needle set, and just recently announced the upcoming arrival of what we've all been clamoring for - an Addi Lace Click interchangeable needle set.

Just like the Addi Click, this new set features Addi's innovative locking mechanism. The needles are the same Addi Lace needles we have come to know, love, and adore. The set includes eight needle sizes and five cord lengths (one of which is 16", another request fulfilled), making it capable of taking on any project, anywhere. Basically, it's exactly what we've been asking for, delivered in its own carrying case. How often does that happen?

For the next week we'll be taking pre-orders for the first round of needles to arrive. If you, like us, have enjoyed your Addi Click or pined for a Lace set, here's your chance to reserve your set early!

We're always on the look-out for local dyers and designers to showcase, because Portland is nothing if not full of creative individuals. This spring we're excited to announce the arrival of a new dyer's yarns to our shelves. For a change, though, it turns out that Kathee Nelson, our latest gem, is not only a talented dyer, but a painter as well.

During our initial meeting with Kathee, she stressed that her colorways are taken from life and art. Inspired by nature, many of her colors feature delicate tone-on-tone tinting or rich color combinations. Mostly taken from scenes of the Northwest, we're sure these yarns will inspire you like they did us!

Little Lambie Sock Yarn 100% superwash Merino, this soft and lofty sock yarn soaks up dye like a sponge, giving every skein an amazing depth of color. Hand-painted in a variety of colors taken from life in the Pacific Northwest, this "art" yarn will inspire and delight you - no matter where you live. Knit at a tight gauge, Little Lambie will make beautiful socks that you'll treasure for years.

Paca Silk Lace Yarn An exercise in extravagance, this luscious alpaca/ silk yarn might just make you drool. Soft and silky, this shimmery lace yarn comes in a collection of tone-on-tone hues that will make you rethink variegates. If you recently added The Haapsalu Shawl to your library, the subtle play of tone-on-tone in this yarn will make for beautiful lace projects that showcase both the pattern and the yarn.

Greet the summer in style this year with a hand-knit Skif sweater. Fashionable yet comfortable, Skif International takes a whole new approach to garment (and pattern) design. Intended to be an experience you'll enjoy while making a garment you'll wear for years, Skif sweaters are exactly what most knitters crave.

Join us on April 7th for a Skif Cast On Party that will kick-start your spring knitting in high spirits while sipping champagne in good company. Knitters interested in experimenting with the many Skif-friendly yarns we carry are encouraged to participate in our first Skif It Yarn Sampling. Discover how limiting yourself to one yarn can be, well... limiting. Try ten different yarns in any combination you want and find your own perfect Skif-y blend.

If you've been interested in starting a Skif sweater in the past but have hesitated to go it alone, we'll be here (and online) to keep you going and celebrate with you. Whether this is your first Skif sweater or your fifth, we hope you'll join us and KAL!

Featured in last week's eCard, Estonian Mittens All Around The World is a rare gem for American knitters. Comprised of over 175 mitten patterns, this collection took almost 20 years to complete.

Taken from the Estonian National Museum, the patterns included range from simple to complex, from homespun to miniature works of art. Full of tips and techniques that range from traditional to modern, these beautiful pieces are an education in and of themselves.

Hard-bound and printed in full color, we expect Estonian Mittens All Around The World to become a go-to reference for colorwork in the coming years. If you're a technique-phile or simply love to be inspired by beautiful designs, this book will make a magnificent addition to your library - or coffee table!

After a brief interlude full of "green" fibers and fluffy cotton yarns (which we love, don't get us wrong), silk has come back to take it's rightful place among spring and summer yarns.

Called the "Queen of Fibers" for centuries, silk has everything we need and want: beauty, strength, and durability. Depending on the milling techniques, silk can also range from soft and down to blindingly gloss to nubby and tough, giving it a flexibility few fibers can boast.

Just released by Louisa Harding Yarns, we have two silken beauties that will tempt you to break even the most iron-clad yarn diet.

Mulberry This is silk the way we've been trained to expect. That subtle glow and pronounced shimmer that can only come from cultivated silk. New Mulberry is a little different from traditional pure silk yarns. Cable-plied to produce a firm yarn that will feel great and wear like iron, this satiny new arrival can be substituted in many patterns that call for DK weight yarns - without fear of pilling - giving the simplest design magnificence.

Grace Hand-dyed Now here's a collaboration to take notice of. Louisa Harding Yarns commissioned the Chilean artisans of Araucania Yarns to hand-dyed their new yarn, Grace. A single-ply 50/50 blend of Merino and silk, this supple yarn offers up glowing color and a slightly toothy texture. Both fibers soak up dye in different ways, giving the hanks an interesting heathered look. Perfect for transitional weather garments, this stunning yarn will add a touch of the bohemian to any project.

After years on the market, bamboo yarns are almost commonplace. But we shouldn't forget that bamboo was, if fact, one of the first "Next Gen" fibers that was created as an alternative to wasteful and expensive cash crops.

Now available in a variety of forms - from knit tape to lace weight yarn - bamboo has infiltrated knitter's stashes everywhere. But this newest version of bamboo yarn is a doozy that made even us sit up and pay attention.

A sumptuous blend of bamboo and silk, Bamboo Silk, by Ella Rae, is a definite change. Reminiscent of silk charmeuse, it has an almost buttery texture that whispers 'luxury' to you with every stitch.

Yet, brace yourself, Bamboo Silk weighs in at the economic range of the scale - at $7.25 a skein - making it just right for almost anybody. Which is why we have a feeling that, after trying this yarn, you're going to love bamboo - just like a panda.

If asked to think about Peru, what would your first thought be? Alpacas? Machu Picchu? It probably wouldn't be of the hundreds and hundreds of Highland shepherds who have tended to their flocks for centuries. The Mirasol Project aims to change this fact with a new line of yarn, Nuna, which is spun in Peru with locally bred wool.

Merino wool has been blended with silk and bamboo to create a unique yarn that will catch your attention and hold it. Available in six saturated colors, this spectacular sport weight yarn is ideal for fine-gauge projects and vivid colorwork. Deliciously soft, Nuna promises a garment with august drape and feather-like weight.

Tempting enough on its own, the purpose of the yarn - to provide work for Peruvian shepherds and schools for their children - makes it even more enticing. With Nuna, knitters can indulge while making the world a better place.