Cowgirl Yarn Blog

We have a trunk show in! Socks of every variety – socks in stripes, socks knit in pattern stitches, socks in all sizes – all sock patterns found in the book, are here for viewing.

 Ann Budd’s new book, Getting Started Knitting Socks, is the focus of the show.

And to add to the fun of all these socks, we have some brand-new sock yarns in the store!

Cervinia has some wonderful bold self-striping patterns.

Rockin’ Sox by Plymouth looks like a treat to knit with.

Here is another new yarn by Plymouth – Happy Feet. We just got in some wonderful new colorways for this. Don’t forget to ask about the free pattern for a baby hat.

An old favorite – Bearfoot by Mountain Colors – always has wonderful hand-dyed color selections in a nice soft yarn.

 Great new color ways, wonderful new yarns, a book full of new patterns – come down to the shop and take a look!

Well, the Flat Feet sock yarn by Conjoined Creations has come in, and I’m trying some out right now! This stuff is seriously fun. Instead of coming in a ball, it comes in a scarf-like knit sheet. You can see the color variations as they look already knitted up, and pick the one that appeals to you. Then, to use it, you start at one end and unravel it as you go to knit your sock. It even has a place in the middle where you can cut the piece in two and use both parts to knit two socks at once. What a neat idea!

I cast on last night – I am making a stockinette sock with a simple cable running down both sides of the leg. The yarn is knitting up nicely, with my usual needles (I won’t give needle sizes; I knit very loosely and usually have to go down several sizes from the suggested size to make gauge. Check you gauge.) It is interesting knitting with the yarn still crimpy from being in the knit sheet, but the instructions say to wash your socks (by hand for that very first washing) and block them when you are done, and the remaining crimp will go away. After that first washing, they are machine washable.

Another of the new yarns we have in is Dusk, by Filatura di Crosa. It is a cotton, acrylic and nylon blend and the colors are just fantastic. This yarn shades from color to color and looks wonderful knitted up. I have seen a hat – knit for our Laramie spring weather when you don’t necessarily need wool but still want a knit hat on – and it looks great.

We also have a new yarn in from Dark Horse – a 100% merino wool yarn in an Aran weight. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like another winner. We have it in a variety of variegated colors. Stop by and take a look!

Now that the weather’s nice and you’re wandering around downtown enjoying the fresh air, don’t forget to stop by Cowgirl Yarn and take a look at all the colors and textures and wonderful ideas we have in the form of yarn, just waiting to inspire you. Bring your knitting and sit down and knit with us for a while!

Lace makes a wonderful summer project. The yarns are lightweight and the project won’t heat up your lap on a warm summer day. And when you’re done, you have a nice shawl or scarf to enjoy when the cool of autumn comes around again.

I’ve been trying my hand at lace. Since (sock addict that I am) I am accustomed to knitting with fingering weight yarn and tiny needles, going down to a laceweight yarn hasn’t been too much of a step. I can even knit it on slightly larger needles then the 0’s I usually use for socks! And Cowgirl Yarn has everything I need to knit lace.

In addition to the lovely laceweight merino - Merino Lace by Skacel - that I am using right now, there is also a very pretty space-dyed lace yarn, JoJoLand Harmony. It shades beautifully and delicately from color to color.

Don’t forget that we carry Addi needles, which are perfect for lace knitting – they are smooth and nicely pointy, just right for working with fine yarns.

There are plenty of books with wonderful patterns to choose from, including Meg Swanson’s A Gathering of Lace, Lace Style, and a book on Prayer Shawls.

Of course, if you want to try out lace without purchasing an entire bookful of patterns, you can browse through the binders of individual patterns. There are quite a few lace patterns available to buy, at all ability levels. I just got the Spinner’s Shawl pattern by Fiber Trends. I am currently spinning the wool for it – Alpine Meadows fibers, which we can order for you – on my new spinning wheel; then I will knit the shawl. Pretty exciting stuff!

As one of your resident sock addicts, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out another of the wonderful sock yarns we carry. Right now I am knitting a pair of socks out of Opal sock yarn, some very pretty self-striping wool. Opal is a nice light fingering weight, and it is knitting up beautifully. I love knitting the self-striping yarns. The stripes pull me right in and the next thing I know I’m almost finished with the leg of the sock because I just have to see what it looks like after the next stripe! Opal really has some winners in the self-striping department.

We will be getting in the new Flatfeet sock yarn soon – so don’t forget to check in the shop for it!

Finally, we got in a huge assortment of new yarns by both Aurucania and Noro – handpaints in alpaca, wool, and silk blends – all just gorgeous! Stop by and take a look.