All our craft projects are the work of many hands. And a local yarn store (LYS) is so much more than simply a place to buy yarn —though none of us Yarniacs would say walking home with an armful of gorgeous squooshy stuff is the least of it. A yarn store like Avenue Yarns is a hub of connection in so many ways, connections that stitch together beautifully.
Avenue has always been such a bright and happy place to find the best selection of knitting and crochet yarns in the East Bay. With a gorgeous selection, Avenue proudly features a range of yarns from vendors like Brooklyn Tweed, Di Gilpin, Malabrigo, and Rowan, as well as from Indy dyers like Anzula, Hedgehog, and Sincere Sheep.
Over the years I got to know other knitters, and some of our local knitwear designers and yarn dyers. One of these treasured humans is Kira Dulaney (click here for an interview with Kira). I fell in love with her Spoke Cardigan when she first released it in 2007. But I had never really learned how to keep track of M1L or M1R lifts so many times in one garment. YouTube videos were years away at that point, so I put the project aside.
Fast forward, and I have taken classes and gone on retreats with Kira, and I have well learned to make a round-yoked sweater. So earlier this year when Kira was looking for test knitters for the re-release of Spoke, I signed up!
Here's one of Kira's versions using Sincere Sheep Cormo Sport, and Yarn Hero ColorMix DK, both available at Avenue.
First stop for my project was Avenue Yarns. I knit the cardi for Chloe, a young friend who is a sophomore at UCLA. For an LA climate, I thought a plant fiber or blend would be best. What a joy to find one of Brooklyn Tweeds’ newest yarns, Dapple, a 50/50 blend of wool and cotton, in a color Chloe loved: Cerise. The results have been beautiful!
Kira Designed Spoke to close with a hook-and-eye tape, but I had a hard time finding one that was not too heavy for the breezy Dapple. Instead, I took inspiration from the closure and used small buttons with a loop bind-off, and used some light weight ribbon on the inside of the button bands. I love the finished project, a truly Be-Spoke Cardigan. Chloe loves it too!
Dapple from Brooklyn Tweed comes in a range of colors that are terrific for spring and summer crafting.
If you’ve knit a project with yarn from Avenue and a pattern from a local designer, send me a picture and details! I’ll try to feature your project on the blog or on Instagram.
Loopy love,
Carri-Lu
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