Life LackaDaisiCal

Indie dyers are known for their special edition shades or bases. Fans will queue up for hours for that one skein of Rhinebeck colourway....or subscribe to yarn clubs to get their hands on luxurious bases.....all limited editions! Rowan is bringing the limited edition concept to their retailers and knitters with the Rowan "Selects" program. "Selects" will be yarns available in limited quantities....once the production is gone......it's gone! These yarns will be supported by a collection of patterns designed specifically for each Select yarn. These collections will be available free with purchase at your yarn retailer! I believe that there might also be additional free patterns available on the Rowan web site. Right now, I only see one retailer offering their Select yarns on a pre-order basis! This is in the UK. Here in Canada (and North America) I haven't seen any Selects offered yet. So if any of these yarns interest you....do your sleuthi

Rowan has decided to focus on a select "Core" group of yarns. 20 of them! This core group includes all the classic Rowan yarns, like Kidsilk Haze, Felted Tweed, Cotton Glacé, Denim, Handknit Cotton, Kid Classic and Big Wool... and the best of the newer yarns.....Baby Merino Silk DK (not just for babies), Fine Lace, Hemp Tweed and the Summerlite cottons (4 ply and DK). Colour ranges have been streamlined also.....creating a classic, sophisticated palette of shades. The cull wasn't easy to do (per David MacLeod, Rowan's Design Manager) but this bold move will allow the design team to focus their support on the yarns that we all love! There have been so many new yarns introduced in the last few years, that even a hard core Rowan officionado like me couldn't keep up. Yarns were introduced, then just as quickly discontinued. This was rather annoying for us knitters....and I can't imaging how the retailers coped! Of course, there are fa

Rowan Yarns has been producing their seasonal magazines for 30 years! Imagine that! All of the magazine covers were displayed in the Rowan offices in the Green Lane Mill... wonder where they are now? (In case you didn't know, Rowan moved out of the Green Lane Mill building this year, to new digs at Brookes Mill in Huddersfield.) I started buying Rowan Magazines with number 11 - see it in the above photo - second row, second one from the left! Confession...I NEVER knit anything from a Rowan magazine....like for years! I was too intimidated by the fabulous designs and my startitis condition. You know what I'm talking about...start a project, start a project, see something new, start a project...never finish a project. It was YEARS of collecting (the magazines and yarn too) before I actually finished anything. A Rowan Club at my LYS really got me focussed on the actual knitting of the Rowan Designs that I loved so much. Magazine 1 was published in 198