**Alpaca Party!**

It's that super special time of year again....

It's time for a SALE!

All 8 of our Alpaca or Alpaca blend yarns are now 25% off until the end of 2013!

We have some ideas of our own for great Alpaca Party Projects, and we can't wait to see what you all come up with using these great Drops yarns!

There is a whole page of awesome knit and crochet hat patterns perfect for the cooling weather, and all made with Alpaca yarns! Find all the hats here >> 

You can also join the Facebook group for the Alpaca Party Knit Along to get tons of ideas and share your projects with other Alpaca yarn lovers.

Let's look at the yarns:


Drops Alpaca
Content: 100% Alpaca
Yarn Group: A (23 - 26 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 183 yds (167 m)
Recommended needle size: US 1,5 - US 4 / 2,5 - 3,5 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 23 sts x 30 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable


Browse all free patterns using Alpaca









Drops Alpaca Boucle
Content: 80% Alpaca, 15% Wool, 5% Polyamide
Yarn Group: C (16 - 19 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 153 yds (140 m)
Recommended needle size: US 8 / 5 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 17 sts x 22 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable


Browse all free patterns using Alpaca Boucle








 Drops Alpaca Silk
Content: 77% Alpaca, 23% Silk                                                   
Yarn Group: C (16 - 19 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 0.9 oz (25 g) = approx 153 yds (140 m)
Recommended needle size: US 8 / 5 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 17 sts x 24 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat 

Browse free patterns where Alpaca Silk can be used

DROPS Andes

Content: 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca
Yarn Group: E (9 - 11 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 3.5 oz (100 g) = approx 105 yds (96 m)
Recommended needle size: US 13 / 9 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 10 sts x 14 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable


Browse all free patterns using Andes









Drops BabyAlpaca Silk                                                         
Content: 70% Alpaca, 30% Silk
Yarn Group: A (23 - 26 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 183 yds (167 m)
Recommended needle size: US 4 / 3,5 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 23 sts x 30 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable


Browse all free patterns using BabyAlpaca Silk



   

 Drops Lace
Content: 70% Alpaca, 30% Silk
Yarn Group: A (23 - 26 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 3.5 oz (100 g) = approx 875 yds (800 m)
Recommended needle size: US 2,5 / 3 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 28 sts x 34 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Stretch to right measurements and Dry Flat / Feltable


Browse all free patterns using Lace








 Drops Lima
Content: 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca
Yarn Group: B (20 - 22 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 101 yds (92 m)
Recommended needle size: US 6 / 4 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 21 sts x 28 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable

Browse all free patterns using Lima





 



 Drops Nepal

Content: 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca
Yarn Group: C (16 - 19 stitches)
Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 82 yds (75 m)
Recommended needle size: US 8 / 5 mm
Gauge: 4" x 4" / 10 x 10 cm = 17 sts x 22 rows
Hand Wash, cold max 30°C / 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable


 Browse all free patterns using Nepal




So many great choices! It's so hard to pick just one color or type of yarn, good thing this sale can allow you to try lots of yarns with super low prices.

Happy Yarn Hunting and Happy Crafting!
XO,

Awesome Andes!

When Garnstudio released the new colors in our favorite bulky weight yarn, Andes, we couldn't wait to get our hands on them.
It took us a little while, but we finally have new Andes colors in stock, and they are GORGEOUS!

We couldn't resist making some awesome quick items with our favorite colors, and we're sharing them with you.

Purchase all of these New Andes colors in our Webstore

 

Nordic Mart staffer Theresa loved Autumn Orange and crafted a gorgeous headband from a free Ravelry Pattern!

The pattern is called Blue Leaf Headband designed by Adrienne Krey.

Its a quick knit, so its a perfect gift. 

Check out Theresa's version in Drops Andes, it only takes about half a skein!

There are so many great Andes patterns, and with its Bulky weight, its great for beginners and for warm winter wear. 

Pick your favorite new color and create this wonderful throw with this free pattern.

You can keep your feet toasty warm with these adorable slippers in Andes

And this super cozy jacket with lace pattern detail will look great for the holidays in our newest green shades of Andes. Here's the free pattern. 

Check out all the patterns for Bulky weight yarns where Andes can be used. They're all FREE!

 

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of these new colors! There are a few more colors we haven't received yet, so be on the lookout for those coming soon, as well as new yarns like our Cotton Merino. We'll keep you updated on those arrivals via our Facebook page, so make sure you "Like" us! :)

Happy Crafting, 

A Yarn Crawl Recap

This past weekend we had our first ever San Luis Obispo Yarn Crawl with four other stores in our area, and it was a great success!

We first want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the crawl and to all of our amazing sponsors who provided prizes for the participants.  We learned so much and can't wait to have future Yarn Crawls. If you missed it this year, be on the lookout for next year's event! It was a blast!

We also wanted to recap some of the fun that happened in our store during the crawl!

Joanna from Chic-a bags stopped by and we had all of her adorable print needle cases and project bags out on display for a Trunk show!

We carry a lot of  Chic-a bags and will be expanding our selection after seeing a lot of new patterns we hadn't seen before!

Shop all our Chic-a bags in our Webstore.

Lena from Garnstudio also stopped in to give some expert pattern help for the DROPS patterns.

Find all our pattern books in our Webstore. And we now have the NEW Fall pattern books in stock! That is books 149, 150 and 151, plus a new Childrens book, number 24.

One of our favorite happy customers is also one of our speediest knitters. Eldra stopped by during the crawl to show off a BEAUTIFUL poncho she made in DROPS Nepal in Fall colors.

This is perfect for the season, and you can make your own with this free pattern.

The original pattern is made with supersoft and fluffy Alpaca Boucle, but we love the look that Nepal produced for this garment!

Shop all our Nepal in our Webstore, or choose another worsted weight yarn to make your own poncho.

 

Our first group of knitters that completed the Crawl!! They had a great time and we had a great time hearing about their fun day at each shop! Congrats ladies, and best of luck in the raffle!

   

 Another great visitor to the shop this weekend was Tammy! We donated some yarn to Tammy a few weeks ago for The Red Scarf Project and she stopped by to show us the creations she made. These scarves are donated to children in or leaving foster care, which is a great cause. Thanks Tammy! If you're interested in finding out more info about donating to this cause check out the Foster Care webpage here.

After the Crawl we are just swimming with ideas about new projects and variations on projects, so you'll see a new post about the fun stuff we have in the works SOON!

Until then....

Happy Crafting!

XO

 

We Love Lace

Knitting lace patterns can seem intimidating if you've never worked with them before. They often involve yarn overs and dropped stitches, which can seem a bit mysterious until you've mastered them.

We have the perfect pattern for those of you who have never tried a lace pattern and want to learn, or even those of you who just want a simple, interesting scarf pattern.
Instead of using very fine lace yarn for this, its easier to learn on thicker yarn or by holding yarn double.

DROPS Design 127-26 is made in its original version with Fabel, so it has some fun color variegation, but there are many different ways to make up this scarf. If you love the color changes and wash-ability of Fabel, shop all our colors in our Webstore.

If this pattern seems a little scary, watch these tutorial video to get some practice with these techniques:
Dropped Stitches Tutorial Video
Yarn Over Tutorial Video

Print this pattern for free

In the store, we have a version made with two strands of Alpaca held together, which gives this scarf a cozier and bulkier feel. Holding two colors together also gives more of a tweed color effect to the scarf. Browse all our Alpaca colors if you like this looks of this scarf best.

And stuck on our needles currently is this same scarf made with Cotton Light and Glitter.  Glitter is a great addition to hold along with thicker yarns to add to patterns you want some to have some pizzazz! It's a metallic and shiny thread in a variety of colors which adds sparkle without adding bulk. And usually just one bobbin of Glitter is enough for a whole sweater.

Order some Glitter from our Webstore.

The Cotton applied to this pattern makes for a super soft and washable scarf. Doubled up on a cool fall day, this scarf is warm without being itchy or too hot. This is also the cheapest version of the scarf, since Cotton Light only runs $2.90 per skein. Take a look at our Cotton Light!

 

Make your own version of this scarf and post the finished results on our Facebook or Ravelry page! 

Once you've mastered this lace pattern, you can make this adorable sweater with it!

Find the pattern here. 

Happy Crafting!

           XO

Floral Fancy

Flower bring a lot of joy.

They smell good, they're bright and colorful.

They're also easy to crochet! 

A flower made with Drops Delight. Crochet this flower using this pattern.

There are endless possibilities for designing your own flowers with different color combinations, yarn combinations, and petal combinations.

All of the flowers in our blog banner were crocheted with DROPS patterns and various yarns, and we're giving you a little insight to make your own field of crochet flowers.
Some of our favorite flower patterns are included in this post, but you can find the whole selection here.

These make great gifts, great additions to projects such as headbands, bags, or hair clips, and are just fun and simple to make.  Once you make one you won't be able to put your hook down.

This Safran flower can be made with this pattern.

We recommend Safran as your flower yarn of choice, but Delight is also a great choice for its color changes.  Both can be found in our Webstore.

Even better, our cotton yarns are on sale for 35% off for the month of July, so you can grab some various weights and colors for just a few dollars!

The leaves you see can be made using this pattern, and we love the flowers included in the pattern as well.

These are made with bulky yarn Drops Eskimo. The pattern is shown in this tutorial video, so it is great for beginners!

Find all the flower patterns by Drops Design here.
and if you need any new crochet hooks for your flowers, find our whole selection here.

Please share what you come up with! We love these little beauties and would love to post a collage of all the flowers our fans make :)

Find our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nordicmart.

Happy Crocheting :)

XO,

Sweater Weather

Drop Stitch Sweater, Drops Design Number 146-18

Well, it's not quite sweater weather in our neck of the woods yet, but we know that cold weather will roll around again, and we have the perfect sweater for it. 

We made this sweater at Nordic Mart from a Garnstudio pattern.  You can find the original pattern here. We made it a little differently than the original, and want to share our project with you! It's a drop stitch sweater made with some BIG needles and three super awesome yarns held together. The big needles make this project go fast, and it is a great project for beginners! This was the first sweater ever knit by the knitter.

Let me just lay out this yarn yumminess for you....

1 strand of super soft Merino Symphony

1 strand of comfy and warm Alpaca Boucle

1 strand of shiny Cotton Viscose

 Combine these three and you have a soft, elegant, luxurious, wonderful sweater!

We changed the colors of yarn used for this project.  As you can see, the pattern was made in a creamy off white color. We also changed the length a little bit. Instead of knitting the back piece to be a little bit longer than the front, we kept them both the same length, just out of personal preference. Never be afraid to alter a pattern a to fit your tastes!

While the creamy white colors look more summery and beach-ready, the dark steel grays in our version look more wintery and city-ready.
Check out the color card on our Webstore for
Symphony
Alpaca Boucle
and Cotton Viscose
and don't be afraid to show us what you come up with! We would love to see a cuddly cozy army of drop stitch sweater wearers in all different colors :)

BEWARE, you may never want to take this sweater off...
It is seriously the SOFTEST sweater you've probably ever felt.

Happy Knitting!
XO,

Welcome and Hello! 

Some of you may be familiar with DROPS Design or Garnstudio and their database of free knitting and crochet patterns on www.garnstudio.com. At Nordic Mart, we carry all of DROPS yarn, needles and hooks, buttons and pattern books.  If you are unfamiliar with these resources, you will learn about them here!

We love having the database at Garnstudio to fuel our creativity, and we love seeing how other people interpret DROPS ideas and use DROPS yarns.

This blog is our adventure into sharing our yarn culture with you.  We will post tutorials, info about our yarns, DROPS patterns we have made ourselves, and anything that inspires us to be crafty with our yarn.

So again, welcome to our community, we hope you stay and share with us your own craft culture.

XO,