July 2022

Newly-published books

If you've not done modular knitting before, you may be interested in learning its secrets from Vivian Høxbro's Knitting Handbook: 8 Schools of Modular Knitting. The technique involves knitting different shapes which are joined as you knit.

The word "schools" in the title is doing double-duty, firstly to indicate that there are eight tutorials in the book (each with its own chapter to guide you in making a different shape) and secondly to show that the author has knitting teachers in mind: "[you'll] find teaching materials here, ready to use".

I think that the way the book is organized would work well in a class with a teacher. But I have to admit I felt frustrated at times when getting started with the book on my own. The instructions for the first practice swatch are near the start of the book, while the techniques you use to make it are covered in a "basic techniques" chapter, at the back. This would be fine in a class, where the basics will be covered by the teacher. But it meant that I, with yarn and needles in hand, was having to flip from the front to the back of the book every time there was an instruction that I didn't understand. I would have preferred to be able to find everything I needed in one place for that very first swatch.

I was keen to learn how to do modular knitting though, so I persevered, and I was glad I did. Once I had cracked the basics, I found it fun to do and a little addictive—I can see how people can just keep adding "one more shape" and not know when to stop! There are some great patterns in the book, many of them made with unusual constructions. One of my favorites is a top which is formed from a strip that is later joined to itself as you knit to form a spiral!

The book also contains techniques that I think will be useful even when I'm not doing modular knitting. For example, Vivian Høxbro uses a particular cast-on technique for modular knitting that doesn't require a slip knot as the first stitch. I'm not keen on slip knots myself, so it was great to find this method and I'll be using it more widely. She also includes instructions for attaching different knitted edgings, which could be useful in many places in knitting, but I'm particularly thinking of using them for blankets.

If, like me, you're keen to learn modular knitting—and OK with doing a bit of flipping back and forth—then I don't think you'd regret buying this book.

New and discontinued yarns

New

Alize
Superwash Artisan – Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors, Self-striping (fair-isle effect)

Biches & Bûches
Le Coton & Alpaca – Aran – 66% Organic Cotton, 34% Superfine Alpaca – Fuzzy chain – Semi-solid colors

Big Twist Yarns
Gentle – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – S on S plied – Solid colors
Shine – Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Borgo de'Pazzi
Astro – Bulky – 50% Superwash Wool, 40% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca – Single ply – Self-striping (gradient marl

De Rerum Natura
Candide – Sport – 70% Merino Wool, 28% Cotton, 2% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – Tweedy – Semi-solid colors
Robinson – Worsted – 70% Merino Wool, 30% Cotton – Plied (woolen-spun) – Semi-solid colors

Diamond
Luxury Cashlana – Aran – 70% Merino Wool, 30% Cashmere – Plied – Heathered colors

Emu
Treasure DK – DK – 55% Nylon, 45% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Fraya Yarn
Curly – Bulky – 88% Merino Wool, 12% Nylon – Bouclé – Solid colors
Soothing – Fingering – 100% Tencel / Lyocell – Plied – Solid colors, Multicolored
Wavy – Worsted – 100% Cotton – Thick and thin – Multicolored

Hobbii
Peacock – Bulky – 100% Polyester – Faux fur – Solid colors

Hoooked
Atlantica SeaCell – DK – 80% Cotton, 20% Sea Cell – S on S plied – Solid colors

Juniper Moon Farm
Nimbus – Bulky – 96% Cotton, 4% Nylon – Fleecy chain – Solid colors, Self-striping (gradient transition), Multicolored

K+C
Cozy – Super Bulky – 50% Acrylic, 50% Superwash Wool – Single ply – Solid colors

King Cole
KC Collection Mulberry Soft DK – DK – 70% Baby Alpaca, 30% Mulberry Silk – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Knitcrate
Uru.Yarn Happy Feet – Fingering – 60% Merino Superwash Wool, 20% Kid Mohair, 10% Nylon, 10% Silk – Plied – Tonal colors

Kremke Soul Wool
Twinkle – Fingering – 51% Viscose, 49% Metallic – Metallic chainette – Metallic colors

Laines du Nord
Crazy – DK – 100% Superwash Wool – Single ply – Self-striping (gradient marl)
Poema Cashmere – Light Fingering – 80% Merino Superwash Wool, 20% Cashmere – Single ply – Gradient
Watercolor Sock – Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Gradient

Lanivendole
Aestiva – Light Fingering – 70% Wool, 30% Linen – 2 ply – Solid colors

Lion Brand
Bundle of Love – Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Multicolored
Chenille Appeal – Aran – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors
Mac-Re-Me – Super Bulky – 100% Cotton – Loosely plied – Solid colors

Madelinetosh
Home – Bulky – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – 2 ply – Tonal colors, Multicolored

Novita
7 Veljestä / 7 Brothers Nature – Aran – 70% Wool, 30% Tencel / Lyocell – Plied – Solid colors

Papatya
Sundae – DK – 100% Microfiber – Plied – Self-striping

Premier Yarns
Cotton Fair Bulky – Super Bulky – 52% Cotton, 48% Acrylic – S on S plied – Solid colors, Multicolored
Premier Basix Chenille Max – Jumbo – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors
Puzzle Cotton – Aran – 57% Acrylic, 43% Cotton – 2 ply – Self-striping (gradient marl)

Sandnes Garn
3-Tråds Tykk Ull – Heavy Worsted – 100% Wool – S on S plied – Solid colors

Universal Yarn
Cassatt – Heavy Worsted – 35% Baby Alpaca, 35% Wool, 20% Nylon, 10% Viscose – Fiber-filled net – Multicolored, Tweed colors
Offbeat – Sport – 90% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca – Plied – Self-striping
Uni Merino – Fingering – 75% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors

Walnut Tree Yarn
Bamboo Cotton – DK – 50% Bamboo Viscose, 50% Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors
Cotton Colour Cakes – DK – 100% Cotton – Plied – Self-striping

We Are Knitters
The Easy Breezy Yarn – Aran – 51% Bamboo Viscose, 49% Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors

Discontinued

Araucania
Alpaka Reina – Aran – 100% Alpaca – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Bernat
Baby Marly – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Loosely plied – Marled colors
Plentiful – Bulky – 60% Acrylic, 26% Wool, 14% Polyester – Brushed bouclé – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Premium Sparkle – Aran – 97% Acrylic, 3% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic
Satin Sparkle – Aran – 97% Acrylic, 3% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic

Big Twist Yarns
Freelance – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping
Velour Sparkle – Super Bulky – 92% Polyester, 8% Metallic – Chenille – Solid colors with metallic

Blue Ridge Yarns
Footprints – Sport – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Plied – Multicolored, Solid colors
Kaleidoscope – Sport – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Plied

Borgo de'Pazzi
Silk Shine – Sport – 100% Tussah Silk – Plied – Tonal colors

Caron
X Pantone – Bulky – 60% Acrylic, 20% Merino Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon – S on S plied – Gradient set, Complementary color set, Solid colors

Dale of Norway / Dalegarn
Alpakka – Sport – 100% Alpaca – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Hjertegarn
Organic Cotton – Sport – 100% Organic Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Järbo Garn
Colin – Sport – 65% Cotton, 35% Linen – Plied – Solid colors

Knit Picks / We Crochet
Kindred – DK – 68% Baby Alpaca, 32% Cotton – Plied – Semi-solid colors
Shadow Lace – Lace – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Heathered colors

Laines du Nord
Poema Big – Bulky – 100% Wool – Single ply – Gradient

Lion Brand
Heartland Thick & Quick – Super Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Heathered colors, Tonal colors

Loops & Threads
Braid Big! – Jumbo – 86% Acrylic, 14% Polyester – Chained – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Chunky Grande Big! – Jumbo – 100% Acrylic – 2 ply – Solid colors, Multicolored
Chunky Twist – Jumbo – 70% Polyester, 29% Wool, 1% Spandex – Plied – Solid colors, Marls

Miss Babs
Dulcinea – Lace – 70% Merino Wool, 15% Cashmere, 15% Silk – 2 ply – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored, Speckled colors

Patons (North America)
Hempster – DK – 55% Hemp, 45% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors
Lincoln Fog – Bulky – 75% Acrylic, 25% Lincoln Longwool Wool – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Phildar
Phil Socks Lurex – Fingering – 72% Superwash Wool, 26% Nylon, 2% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic

Premier Yarns
Chamonix – Sport – 80% Acrylic, 10% Mohair, 10% Nylon – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Just Worsted – Aran – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Queensland Collection
Llama Lace – Fingering – 100% Llama – 2 ply – Heathered colors, Undyed

Red Heart
Fur – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Faux fur – Solid colors
Hygge Fur – Bulky – 100% Nylon – Faux fur – Solid colors
Super Saver Chunky – Super Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors
Super Saver Metallic – Aran – 98% Acrylic, 2% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic thread

Schachenmayr Original
Fashion Pieces – DK – 58% Viscose, 34% Wool, 8% Nylon – Chained – Heathered colors, Dotted colors

South West Trading Company
Saphira – Bulky – 100% Superwash Wool – Single ply
Xie – Lace – 100% Bamboo Viscose – Plied

Tahki Yarns
Whistler – DK – 80% Wool, 20% Kid Mohair – 2 ply – Solid colors

Woolyknit
Extreme Chunky – Jumbo – 100% Wool – Unspun roving – Solid colors

If you'd like to get in touch, please send a mail to hello@yarnsub.com (you can simply reply to this mail) or find me on Instagram.

See you in August!

Wendy

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