August 2016 Featured Color of the Month

Featured Color of the Month - August 2016

Our Featured Color for August 2016 is Silica.

Silica is a sublime neutral that plays well with other colors for colorwork but can also stand out on its own. It's light, silvery fawn color is subtle, yet rich.

This color will be on sale for 10% off through August 2016. It is available to pre-order now and we will begin shipping on (or before!) August 11th, 2016. All items ordered together will ship together, so if you need other items shipped sooner, please be sure to put them on a separate order.

This color is a bit lighter on the Filigree Silk base and a bit darker on the Cadence (worsted) base - beautiful regardless of which base you choose.

It works well with just about all of our colors - especially neutrals and warm reds.

Here it is with White Winged Dove and Song Sparrow.

For my skein, I have my eye on Let's Get Lost by Veronika Jobe. Maybe with Cabbage Rose!

Get yours today!

2016 Summer Rogue (One-of-a-Kind Skeins), Split-Skeins and Odds and Ends SALE

Our annual summer sale will start on July 8th, 2016 at 8am Pacific Daylight time.

We will be listing loads of "Split-Skeins", "Rogue" (one-of-a-kind colorways) and odds and ends.

The Hazel Knits “Rogue” sale is a fast-paced sale in which these single or few-of-a-kind skeins tend to move quickly. Here are some tips to help the shopping go smoothly for you.

It is important to note that “Rogue” skeins are limited and available on a first-come, first serve basis. As a result “cart-hijacking will inevitably occur. Cart hijacking happens when you have an item in your cart and another customer is quicker on the draw and purchases it first.

If an item in your cart is no longer available, you won’t be able to check out or get to the next screen until that item is removed. The only way to tell if the item in question is sold out is to click on the item picture to see if there is still stock. If the item is out of stock, go back to your shopping cart, remove the item and continue with your purchase.

Now, here is a super important bit of info: currently you can add Rogues to your wishlists. This is great to help you track what things you like, however I DO NOT recommend shopping, while using the links from your wishlist. Due to the “cart hijacking” issue mentioned above, I find it is much better to get out a pencil/paper and write down the item numbers of everything you want from you list and then shopping directly from the Rogue page. The listings are in numerical order and grouped together by yarn base (1000-1299 Artisan Sock, 1400-1499 Cadence, 1500-1599 Entice, 1600-1699 Lively DK, 1700-1799 Piquant Lite, 1800-1899 Divine, 800-899 odds and ends.)

We will be removing listings as soon as they are sold so that you don’t waste time looking at things that are not available, so if you are on the actual page you can refresh (F5 on your computer keyboard) to see what is still up for purchase.

If there are Rogue colors you covet, we recommend purchasing them individually (and quickly - do your browsing before sale day!) We will combine shipping for all orders placed on Friday, July 8th and Saturday July 9th. We will issue refunds for all postal over-charges whenever it is applicable, so there is no risk in making separate purchase other than the initial charge for shipping, which will be refunded if the package costs less to ship than what you paid (margin of +-$1). We offer free USA shipping on orders of $150 in MERCHANDISE. Free shipping to other parts of the world is $250 in MERCHANDISE - this will include sale items and combined items.

We also recommend creating a web-store account if you don’t already have one. Be sure you are signed-in before you shop on sale day. This will speed up the checkout process. If you want to use a gift certificate, be sure to type it out in a notebook type program (word, outlook, etc.) and then copy the code using your computer mouse so you can paste it in the website at the payment screen. Be sure to write out the code exactly like it is in your gift certificate, using upper case letters and all of the dashes and symbols.

A few hours prior to the start of the sale the Rogue skeins will go dark as we move the sale items from preview only mode to purchase mode. Don’t worry, the site hasn’t crashed right before or as a result of the sale (at least we hope that will be the reason).

Anklet Skein Pattern Suggestions

There are quite a few patterns out there that use less than a full skein of fingering weight yarn. That's when our anklet skeins come in handy - 275 yards of Artisan Sock. And we've just added more of these skeins to our online store.

Naturally, anklet skeins are perfect for anklets, but not just anklets.

Let's have a look at some of the patterns that caught my eye on Ravelry when I searched for fingering weight patterns that require less than 275 yards.

Small cowls are a great idea for anklet skeins. Jo Strong's Irish Mesh cowl is a beautiful pattern featuring the Irish mesh stitch.

photo by Jo Strong

I also love the look of Allyson Dykhuizen's Francisco Cowl, a lovely combination of garter stitch and eyelets.

photo by Holla Knits

Fingerless mitts are another great choice for anklet skeins. Melanie Berg's Qwist Mitts use slip stitches to create a fun fabric.

photo by Melanie Berg

Tiina Kuu's Kujeillen mitts combine nupps and twisted stitches to create an interesting pair of fraternal mitts. 

photo by TiiQ

And the Straightforward mitts by Mone Drager use twisted rib for a awesome pair of unisex mitts.

 photo by GuapaM

And, of course, anklet skeins can used for anklets - a great summer sock. Andrea Rangel has designed two beautiful pairs of anklets with Artisan sock. 

The Wendee sock seen here in Spanish Wine (hard copy pattern available here),

 photo by Andrea Rangel 2011

and the Hex Socks, seen here in Laguna (hard copy pattern available here). 

 photo by Andrea Rangel 2012

And the final pattern I've chosen is one that I've seen pop up everywhere lately - KALs, Instagram, podcasts... 

The Rose City Rollers by Mara Catherine Bryner is a free pattern that has had almost 3000 projects posted on Ravelry since it was published last May. People seem to really like it. 

 photo by Mara Catherine Bryner

DK Pattern Suggestions

Our upcoming Summer sale (date to be announced) is going to include a whole lot of Split Skeins (previously known as "Knotty Naughty") in Lively DK, so I thought it would be fun to have a look around on Ravelry and find some awesome DK weight patterns to share with you. Keep reading until the end for more information about our Split Skeins.*

For each of the patterns mentioned I have suggested colours. The links will take you to the regular DK listing for each colour as the sale listings are not available online yet. These are just suggestions to get your creative process started. Make sure to check out the Split Skein listings on the day of the sale to see what is available.

Everyone needs a little inspiration, right? Let's check out the patterns I found!

I'm a lover of mittens and DK is a great weight for mittens. Not too bulky but thick enough to be warm.

Pemba by knittedblissJC looks like a nice cozy pair of mittens with lots of cable-y interest.  And it has a matching headband! I think I would make them in Zest or Totally Pink for an awesome pop of colour.

 photo by knittedblissJC

Andrea Rangel's Dinar slipper pattern was designed with DK Lively in mind. Andrea's choice of Rick's Cognac is perfect. If you'd like to pick up a hard copy pattern for Dinar, we have those in stock.

photo by Andrea Rangel 2012

I've been seeing the Blueberry Waffle sock pattern by Sandy Turner pop up lately all over the knitting podcasts I watch. The pattern is free and written for DK. Wouldn't it look smashing in Jam Session or Viviane?

photo by Avalanche

I've have an ongoing love for baby knits and the Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker pulls at this knitter's heartstrings. Whether you went with a sweet version in Bloom or an eye-catching version in Carnelian, any baby would look adorable.

 photo by Leah Williams

And while we are talking about baby knits, what about a gorgeous baby blanket like the Garter Rib Baby Blanket by Orange Flower Yarn? White Winged Dove or Song Sparrow are great neutrals that would match pretty much any baby room.

 photo by sketchbook

Shawls are always a popular choice with any yarn weight. And Joji Locatelli's The Way from Brighton is an exceptional example of the beauty of a DK weight shawl. You could recreate the look with Spooky Hue or change it up with Atmosphere. (hard copy pattern available here.)

photo by Joji Locatelli

Dee O'Keefe came up with a stunner when she designed Thurmont with DK Lively in Lichen. It would also look lovely in Acorn for a more subtle approach.

 photo by Dee O'Keefe

And who can resist a beautiful DK weight sweater? It has the benefits of being faster to knit than a fingering weight sweater and less bulky than a worsted weight sweater. The best of both worlds!

The Snowflake sweater by Tin Can Knits has just a touch of lace to keep it fun. I'd combine Reflection and Silhouette to copy the original pattern's look. (hard copy pattern available here.)

 photo by Tin Can Knits

And finally, the Campside Cardi by Alicia Plummer looks so cozy. I want to cuddle up in one right now. The question is would you go neutral with Quill or eye-catching with Iris? The difficult decisions knitters have to make!

photo by aliciaplum

I hope you've enjoyed this tour of DK weight patterns. A couple of them have definitely found their way onto my queue. 

* So what are Split Skeins?  These skeins previously had a single knot or a flub in the strand.
After the skein was dyed, we split it into two hanks where the knot/flub occurred in the skein. You will essentially be getting two smaller skeins that TOGETHER will range from 265-275 yards.

If we have multiple skeins listed, they have likely been dyed in various different dye batches and, NOT in the same batch as other skeins of the same colorway in either the sale or the regular colorways sections of the website.  If you are ordering multiple skeins, you may need to knit in alternating rows. Please plan your projects accordingly.

Split Skeins are a great opportunity for some good savings if you don't mind an extra join or two! In many cases, the smaller skein is 10 grams or less. A little naughty, yet oh so nice! :)

What the HK is on Your Needles? Vol. 41

Time for another look at what is on some of your needles. Today, I've pulled together another inspiring group of projects to share in a variety of colours and bases. Something for everyone!

Dawn (ravname: dawn76) knit this adorable pair of baby leg warmers in Artisan Sock in Impulse, Pink Purl and Shannypants. The pattern is Squishy Warmers by Kate Oates and I totally would have made these for my daughter when she was a baby. Too cute!

Lia (ravname: syldar) used Lipstick, 1984 in Divine to knit a test knit of the Wildheart shawl by Janina Kallio. Stunning!

Deborah's (ravname: pitknitter) Drachenfels shawl by Melanie Berg just flew off her needles. She worked up this beauty in Artisan Sock in Queen of the Night, Twilight and Reflection in just over a week.

Nancy (ravname: NorthernFlicker) knit up this awesome pair of Lindgren mittens by Karie Westermann in Lively DK in Nekkid, Hoppy Blonde and Splish Splash. And if that weren't enough she knit up a gorgeous Astrid hat to match. Someone is going to be coordinated and cozy next Winter!

Arlene (ravname: arlenemarie) knit her breathtaking Wild Flowers shawl by Kitman Figueroa in Entice in Poppy. Despite the name, I think the pattern looks like little owl or fox faces. Love it!

Lori (ravname: Lor1492) test knit the intricate looking After All this Time socks by Heidi Nick in Piquant Lite in Shady Verdant. Still one of my favourite colours!

And finally ravname: scj26 knit this awe-inspiring pair of socks in Artisan Sock in Plum Glace and Lichen. scj26 charted and created the pattern on their own and the result, Tessellation, is fantastic. That must have been one heck of a chart.

Amazing knitting everyone and thanks to all of our knitters for letting me share their work. As always I'm inspired to knit and create more.  I hope everyone else is too.