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Win a Free Copy of Time on My Hands E-Book + Yarn and Needles!
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Enter our drawing to win a copy of Becky Herrick's new e-book, Time on My Hands, plus yarn and needles to make the Grandfather Clock Gloves in Mini Mochi.
Grand Prize: A virtual copy of Time on My Hands e-book, 2 balls of Mini Mochi in one of your two color choices and one set of Crystal Palace Bamboo 6" double-pointed needles in US size 1.5.
1st Prize: 2 balls of Mini Mochi in one of your two color choices and one set of Crystal Palace Bamboo 6" double-pointed needles in US size 1.5.
2nd Prize: 2 balls of Mini Mochi in one of your two color choices.
Here's how to enter:
1. Go to the Mini Mochi page on our Web site and choose your 1st and 2nd choice of color.
2. Go to the entry form and enter your choices, along with your name and email address.
We will give each entry a number and do a random number-generated drawing to pick the prize winners. The drawing will take place on November 10, 2011. We will post the winners on Facebook and in the November issue of Purls. We will notify the winners by email. Winners will be asked to provide mailing addresses at this time.
This is a gorgeous book! Good luck!
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Greetings!
 Happy October! This month marks the 40th Anniversary of Straw into Gold, Crystal Palace Yarn's original retail store. We have lots of fun stuff this issue, including the debut of our new Mendocino yarn, a spotlight on Cotton Chenille, and the winner of our shop display contest. We have several new free patterns online and are happy to have our yarn featured in the new book, Extreme Double-Knitting.
Be sure to enter our Time on My Hands drawing featured in the left margin for your chance to win a beautiful e-book, yarn and needle prizes!
Sincerely, Cathy Campbell
Crystal Palace Yarns |
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And the Winner Is...Soft 'n Sassy!
 Congratulations to the folks at Soft 'n Sassy of Broadview Heights, OH for winning our first Crystal Palace Shop Display Contest! Their Kid Merino ice cream display won them $250 in CPY credit, plus they will enjoy free shipping through the end of 2011.
Thank you to all the people who voted. We had 12 participating shops, 15 entries and 672 votes! The display page will stay up on our Web site through the end of the year, so check it out when you have a chance if you have not already. To show our appreciation for all the time and effort that went into the displays, each participating shop received a thank you gift from us for entering.
We had so much fun with this contest that we are planning another for early next year, so we hope you can help to rally your LYS' to participate.
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Straw into Gold Turns 40!
Straw into Gold opened its humble doors in 1971 as a retail supplier of hand-spinning and weaving materials for local artists and craftspeople. The shop was a 500-square-foot storefront located on College Avenue in Oakland, CA. In the mid 1970's, the company acquired a wholesale distributorship for Ashford spinning and weaving supplies. The wholesale department grew to include yarn and spinning fiber and other textile artist supplies. The shop relocated twice before landing in the 25,000-square-foot building on the corner of Ashby and San Pablo Avenues in Berkeley, CA in 1981, where it remained for 20 years.
Straw into Gold/Crystal Palace Yarns has seen many shifts in textile trends and has shifted accordingly, much to the credit of the original and still current President of the company, Susan Druding. Crystal Palace Yarns was named after the Crystal Palace in England, a late 19th century exposition center where Rayon was first introduced. This is an appropriate metaphor for Susan's continued focus on fiber exploration.
Originally meant to downsize, the company closed the retail shop in 2001 and moved into a warehouse facility in Richmond, CA. With the boom in the hand-knitting industry and the closure of the retail store, more time was allowed for product development and promotion. Crystal Palace Yarns continues to add a wide variety of yarns and colors to satisfy the trends of the yarn market.
After 40 years, Susan Druding, Andy MacEwan and all of us at Crystal Palace Yarns strive to do our best to bring you fun, attractive and innovative yarns at reasonable prices.
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Mendocino has Arrived!
 The new Mendocino has arrived and is making its way to your local and online yarn shops. The yarn is beautiful! It is a two-ply, 80% merino wool/20% nylon slow-striping worsted weight yarn that I just love. It is perfect for a variety of projects, including such cool-weather accessories as the Broken Rib Scarf, Heel Stitch Hat and Heel Stitch Fingerless Gloves.
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Cotton Chenille: A Well-Seasoned Yarn
 Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille has stood the test of time. We first introduced the yarn almost 20 years ago, and it is still a fashionable choice among knitters and crocheters. The high-quality fabric it creates and our continually updated color range have contributed much to its success. We just added five fashion shades to the Cotton Chenille line: 3501 Mars Red, 3502 Mauvewood, 3503 Blue Pool, 3504 Raffia and 3505 Corn Silk. Although these officially were meant for Spring 2012, we received our inventory early. These colors will be available soon from your local and online shops.
Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille is made from 100% velvety cotton and comes in 34 rich solid shades. Plush and luxurious, Cotton Chenille has been especially popular for knitting children's items and washcloths, and is an excellent choice for crochet.
 In addition to the free Cotton Chenille patterns we regularly offer, like the Garter-Stitch Washcloth designed by Ann Norling, we also have recently added many Cotton Chenille Indie patterns to the Web site, including the Seafoam Towels by Ann Budd, the Weezie Wear Swing Coat by Cathy Pipinich, the Flower Washcloth by Cindy Taylor and the washcloth series by Susan B. Anderson. Washcloths and towels are especially lovely in Cotton Chenille and good for the gift-giving season. A washcloth tied around a bar or two of handmade soap makes a very special gift.
Cotton Chenille works up a bit differently than standard yarns. Although it typically yields a 3.5-4 sts- per-inch gauge, suggested needle and hook sizes are smaller than one might expect; needle size is US 6 and hook size is G. The result is a unique, lush fabric that only Cotton Chenille can produce. While slippery chenille yarns made of other fibers may tend to "worm" (pull out into loops during washing and wear), our Cotton Chenille resists worming because of its cotton content and thick, matte pile.
Visit the Indie Patterns page of our Web site for more independent patterns done in Crystal Palace Yarns. |
New FREE Patterns:
Mendocino Accessories, Panda Silk Scarf, Fish Toy and Doll Set
 Mendocino is in, and we have new accessory patterns for the occasion. First, we have the Broken Rib Scarf by Susan Druding (pictured to the left). This is a great pattern, plain and simple. Mendocino holds the stitch pattern nicely while subtly softening the edges. This is a fairly basic pattern where one row is worked in rib and the alternating row is worked in garter, and it only takes two balls to make. The result is a gorgeous, warm and cozy scarf, great for both men and women.
We have also added the Heel Stitch Hat, knitted in Mendocino as well. Made to match the Heel Stitch Fingerless Gloves, this quick knit uses only one ball (two if you want a longer hat with cuff). The heel stitch is a fast and fun stitch that produces a wonderful, waffle-like fabric that is super comfy. Working up these projects made me immediately fall in love with Mendocino. Once you try it, you are bound to love it as well
 We also have a stunning scarf made out of Panda Silk recently added to the Web site. The Chevron Lace Scarf (bottom left) is delicate and delightful. The soft "Lemon Cream" color shown in the pattern photograph adds an extra sweetness to the project, although any of the 36 colors would look lovely. It only takes two balls to make this 9" x 60" wisp of a scarf, and it is an excellent example of what Panda Silk can do for lace. Oh, and be on the lookout for new Panda Silk colors for Spring 2012.
The Fishy Fish is a Mochi Plus version of the original done in Cotton Twirl. It uses a fraction of a ball and makes a fun toy or home accent. See also the Trout Fishy pattern for the third in the fish series.
Latest up on the Web is another 18" Doll Set, a crocheted hat and cardigan ensemble made to fit 18" dolls like Madame Alexander or American Girl. The set is made from Mini Mochi and Mini Solid. It takes one ball of each to make and works up quickly.
Visit the Free Patterns by Yarn Type page on our Web site for a complete listing of our current patterns.
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Indie News:
Extreme Double-Knitting by Alasdair Post-Quinn
I am constantly amazed at the talent and unique designs that continue to emerge from the yarn world. Extreme Double-Knitting: New Adventures in Reversible Colorwork by Alasdair Post-Quinn is a strong example of how far the boundaries of knitting can be pushed. Published by Cooperative Press, this book is full of mind-bending color work using the double-knitting technique. It is an inspiring work that should be a part of any knitter's library. We are happy to have Crystal Palace featured in two of the book's designs. Both are two-colored neckties knitted in Panda Silk. Silk City is an urban, almost animal print tie that is sophisticated and snazzy at the same time. Silk Road features an overall diamond spiral pattern using contrasting colors for a vibrant look. The feather-light weight of Panda Silk is perfect to produce a tie thin enough to be made in double-knitting and still lay and tie properly.  Check out Alasdair Post-Quinn's Web site, Fallingblox Designs, to see reviews of the book, designs in the works and comments from the author/designer. Extreme Double-Knitting is now available for sale. Along with a hard copy, you can receive an e-book-style PDF version of the book as well for immediate gratification and tablet access. You can order directly from Cooperative Press or purchase the book through your local book or yarn shop.
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