What's New at STRAW.COM
& Crystal Palace Yarns
This started as a "scratch pad" for me to keep track of what I was working on, but I realized that return visitors to STRAW.COM would find a list of changes and additions helpful in finding what was new. The earliest entry in 'What's New?' is from Dec. 1995 when this web site first opened. This web site is maintained by Susan Druding.
THIS PAGE shows entries in What's New for all of 2003
For the most Recent What's New,
click the link at the top of this page for "What's New"Susan
December 31, 2003 - I played some more with colors of Fizz and Squiggle combined and here is another knit color strip with 4 variations of Fizz knit with one color of Squiggle.
December 30, 2003 - A Cotton Chenille wash cloth is easy to knit and makes a wonderful gift item. Make two from one 50 gram skein of Cotton Chenille.
December 28, 2003 - a Whisper + Choo-Choo combination scarf with ruffled ends. Quick to knit on size 15s. This is scarf #52 on our free scarf pattern list!
December 27, 2003 - Another great lengthwise knit scarf combination: Whisper and Mikado Ribbon. The luster of the Mikado Ribbon shines through the softness of the Whisper in a lovely way. I photographed this one on our back deck in the sun. One ball of each with fringes makes an over 5 ft long scarf. Or, double the amount for extra-long or wider scarf.
December 25, 2003 - Merry Christmas and here is one of the most fun and fast and long scarves we've published to date. This Splash + Squiggle scarf is over 8 feet long and you can knit it in 2 Hours on size 17 needles (well, maybe 3 for beginning knitters and as little as 1.5 hours for fast knitters.) Three colorways are shown and more are coming! See the photo at the right. F
December 23, 2003 - I'm having fun experimenting with color combinations of Fizz + Squiggle to make more scarves as I did for the Fern color combination here. This scarf is quick to knit on size 15s and has an unusual look. See my color experiments HERE.
December 21, 2003 - Have added to the photo gallery of work we have done on our new warehouse, we hope to move it early in 2004. Most recent photos here show new colors and big sign going up.
December 21, 2003 - a Splash Throw (afghan) crocheted quickly on big Q hook. A fine yarn (here Baby Georgia) is run along, but any baby yarn in acrylic, nylon or cotton could be used. A colorful splashy throw for a couch!
December 20, 2003 - new scan of Merino Frappe sample card is up here.
December 18, 2003 - Quick Crochet scarf pattern in Labrador + Fizz - wool with texture.
December 15, 2003 - A long, striking textured scarf knit with the new Whisper and Squiggle, colors in this scarf are Flame 'n Mango. The feel is Very Soft!
December 14, 2003 - A new scarf with bands of Tingle and Deco-Ribbon (see photo at right)
December 8, 2003 - Here's a pattern for Musique cabled pullover in 4 sizes. See sweater photo at right under the Tingle-Deco-Ribbon scarf. F
December 7, 2003 - sample card for new Summer Net yarn and view of ball of Summer Net and swatches.
December 7, 2003 - New Spring Yarns: Tingle and Squiggle combine to make a long, plush scarf. See it here.
December 4, 2003 - Fancy Footies in Iceland and Tingle trimmed (or you can use Splash for the trim). Cathy Campbell designed these cute fun socks.
December 4, 2003 - a new dressy scarf for spring-summer (that is, it's decorative instead of warm) knit with Choo-Choo and Mikado Ribbon in two of the orange-toned new shades for spring.
December 4, 2003 - Be sure to see the 2 Crystal Palace Yarns projects in the newest Knit 'N Style (see photos here): a coat-dress by Nicky Epstein in Deco-Ribbon with Chanel styling and our Big Net Cowl pullover by Cathy Campbell. Do you Crochet? See the Muff and Hat project in CPY Raggedy in the new issue of Crochet Fantasy, too.
December 3, 2003 - two new scarf patterns added: one combining new Tingle + Deco-Ribbon and one of Splash + Merino Frappe. Both long and both easy.
November 28, 2003 - an easy lengthwise knit long scarf in the new Tingle eyelash yarn combined with two of the new fruity colors of Deco-Ribbon. The scarf is 9 feet long.
November 16, 2003 - a cute tri-cornered baby hat knit with printed Iceland, designed by Cathy Campbell.
November 11, 2003 - two new colorways of the Flower Power Shawl Kit are now available: Berry Parfait and Fern Green.
November 11, 2003 - Added a new Choo-Choo card showing the 6 new colors added for Spring '04.
November 9, 2003 - Pattern up for a quick knit triangle shawl in garter stitch with a Splash collar. The shawl uses 8 different Crystal Palace Yarns and will be available as a Kit in 5 different colorways in late December after the Squiggle yarn arrives.
November 7, 2003 - lots of new scarf patterns going up - check the Free Scarf Pattern List for the newest - many in our new Spring '04 yarns and colors coming.
November 6, 2003 - A new scarf not completed yet, but the look is here. A Shimmer Chevron scarf uses all 6 new colors of Shimmer. The free chevron Shimmer pattern is here.
November 4, 2003 - photos of Leis and Scrunchy hair ornaments in the Gallery using Splash, Tingle and Whisper.
November 3, 2003 - scans of the 6 new colors of Shimmer.
October 29, 2003 - a new, free pattern for a fast, oversize scarf - stole knit in Big Net on size 19 needles. Make a dramatic entrance in this 9 ft long stole! Easy and fast to knit, includes Raggedy and Glam in the fringe.
October 27, 2003 - 6 new colors being added to Shimmer are now on view here.
October 27, 2003 - A stole is a new pattern knit with several yarns: Squiggle (new for Spring '04), Mikado Ribbon and Fizz. The pattern will be posted here soon.
October 26, 2003 - a scanned sample card of our new eyelash yarn, Tingle, is up here (for the earlier version see also this page with photos of balls of Tingle.)
October 26, 2003 - We have added a sample card for Whisper, our new microfiber eyelash yarn in 20 solid and printed colors.
October 25, 2003 - Sample card scans posted for Mikado Ribbon (includes new solid and printed colors for Spring '04) and new Squiggle (20 colors).
October 23, 2003 - A new hat by Betsy - Deco-Ribbon with Tingle on the top. See other of her work at Shizknits.
October 22, 2003 - The 4 new "fruit" colors for Spring '04 for Fizz and Splash have arrived and the same 4 for Deco-Ribbon will be here soon. With these yarns being so popular, we thought knitters would like to have these new cheery colors as soon as possible. Click each link to see that set of colors. The same prints plus some accompanying solids are also being added to Mikado Ribbon.
October 13, 2003 - Added a new way to find Free Knitting and Crochet Patterns. This is a list with links to patterns grouped by yarn type to make it easier to locate patterns to match a specific yarn. The new list is HERE.
October 5, 2003 - a Mikado Ribbon dressy camisole top with a lace center panel. Pattern originally written by my late super-knitter friend, Sheila Shanley.
October 4, 2003 - an early look at another of the 5 new yarns for Spring '04: SQUIGGLE, a novelty eyelash. It'll come in solids and prints and will be a fun yarn to add along with other yarns to turn your knitting into something a bit wild and unusual. First deliveries of Squiggle will be in early January '04. SUMMER NET is another new yarn for Spring, a lighter weight version of our Big Net for winter made of a special breathable fiber blend of poly and cotton called "Cool Tech".
October 4, 2003 - Another children's pattern in Musique wool blend, multicolor - this one is a long sleeved, button front Coat. The color shown is for a girl's coat, but there are several colors that would work well for a boy's coat, too.
October 3, 2003 - The first samples to show you one of the 5 new yarns coming for Spring '04. This one is called TINGLE. It's an eyelash yarn, with a tweedy effect and long lashes. TINGLE: 11 color combinations will be available. The retail price will be under $7.
October 2, 2003 - A child's turtleneck pullover to knit up quickly in Musique. Sized for children 6, 8, and 10 years.
October 2, 2003 - Cathy Campbell has designed some really cool long, fingerless gloves in Mikado Ribbon. I had a lot of fun taking photos of them today - see the photos and pattern here.
October 1, 2003 - I've added a lot more photos to the Building photos showing the preparation we are making for the upcoming move. 5 pages of photos so far.
September 30, 2003 - the new yarns for Spring '04 are beginning to arrive - I'll be posting photos soon! We'll be adding 5 new yarns and they will include some exciting textures and, of course, a lot of color and printed colors. Plus, we are adding new colors to Choo-Choo, Shimmer, Deco-Ribbon, Fizz, Splash, and Mikado Ribbon.
September
7, 2003 - Don't forget to watch for the printer symbol (shown at the left) if
you are on a free pattern page - it will lead you to a more compact version of
that pattern for easier "printer friendly printing" of that pattern. It is at
the bottom of the pattern page.
September 7, 2003 - a lacy short-sleeved pullover knit in Mikado Ribbon using 8-9 balls. Knit here in one of the printed color.
September 2, 2003 - A wonderful soft kimono knit with Merino Frappe. Free pattern here.
August 26, 2003 - A free pattern for a Cropped Jacket in SHAG, designed by Cathy Campbell, in our wool blend eyelash yarn. As seen in Spring 2003 Knit 'N Style magazine (photo at right)
August 24, 2003 - A Choo-Choo + Shimmer combination scarf. This one is knit in lengthwise stripes on size 13 circulars and uses 3 different colors (1 Choo-Choo and 2 Shimmer) for a classic looking stripe pattern. Easy and fast to knit, I made it in one evening (a long movie + the evening news). It makes a good all-season scarf since it's light and airy. Also would be a good scarf for a man since it's classic looking and not eyelash-y.
August 23, 2003 - Added a lacy Lightpipe scarf pattern knit on size 13 needles and using only one 50 gram skein. (Lightpipe has a generous 330 yds in one skein!)
August 21, 2003 - A Raggedy Jacket pattern added - this is knit side-to-side on 11s and makes a lovely soft, draped oversize jacket.
August 12, 2003 - Added a cute photo of a crocheted bag knit with doubled yarn: one end Fizz and one end Splash with a wood handle (no pattern, this is a "shared project" in our Gallery One. If you have a photo of something you've made with CPYarns and want to show it off - we'd like to post it.
August 5, 2003 - Big Net pullover with bell sleeves and a big cowl neck - interesting details using brioche rib stitch on Big needles. Free pattern posted here in 3 sizes.
August 4, 2003 - pattern posted for Merino Frappe "Fluff" - cowl neck pullover knit in rev st st.
July 19, 2003 - CPY Bamboo needles sizes 17 and 19 have been available as circulars in 26" and 35" for a year, but now they are also coming in Single Points - 9" and 12" lengths. See photos here.
July 17, 2003 - added a link to a lovely, ruffle-trimmed cardigan knit in Choo-Choo available as a kit from KnittingBag.com - see it in our Gallery 2.
July 13, 2003 - I'm continuing to update the Shop List page with the newest CPY shops carrying our yarns and needles. Check it out if you want to spot the new ones in your area or are traveling or shopping and cannot find our yarns close to your home.
July 13, 2003 - just got a new ad ready for Vogue Knitting and Interweave KNITS magazine for Musique yarn. I've put a small version of the ad up on the site - click here to see it. I love using my Nikon Coolpix digital camera to take close-up yarn and needle photos.
July 8, 2003 - a Raggedy (our fringe-edged tape ribbon yarn) bag/pouch purse with Deco-Ribbon handles and decorated with a crocheted Deco-Ribbon flower. The crocheted flower pattern is HERE.
July 7, 2003 - a great new Deco-Ribbon bag pattern. This one is a pouch style with a drawstring top and a square bottom. If you liked the original Deco-Bag bag pattern, you'll enjoy this one, too.
July 2, 2003 - posted pattern for Waikiki bias knit scarf. Easy to knit and the bias technique makes for an interesting look.
June 25, 2003 - a new soft, cozy scarf from a combo of Shag eyelash and Raggedy fringed tape yarn. I finished this last night on the plane on the way home from the TNNA wholesale yarn show in Ohio. Easy to knit in garter stitch.
June 15, 2003 - a fabulous new sweater just finished in Big Net! We're taking it to the wholesale TNNA show next week to show it off, we'll have the free pattern up soon for it. Designed by Cathy Campbell to show off a brioche rib stitch that gives a lovely flare to the sleeves and bottom.
June 12, 2003 - Added photos of a new pattern coming soon - a cowl necked soft pullover in Merino Frappe. Pattern coming in late July or sooner.
June 9, 2003 - Added a new pattern for a Raggedy soft textured scarf in Seed St. Knit with 3 balls in the "faded black jeans" color.
June 8, 2003 - Scanned a new, updated sample card for Deco-Ribbon (removed 5 colors that were dropped and adjusted colors). See the new scans HERE.
June 6, 2003 - Check out the Aug 2003 issue of Crochet Fantasy - our Choo-Choo yarn is featured in the cover project and the "featured company" article by Lily Chin is about Crystal Palace with photos.
June 5, 2003 - A new, easy scarf knit in garter stitch using Shimmer.
June 3, 2003 - Two new scarf patterns: BIG NET on size 17s hat & scarf in a Brioche Rib and Merino Frappe + Mikado Ribbon in a soft, frothy light scarf knit with vertical stripes.
June 1, 2003 - Added two new scarves using the new Musique (acrylic, wool, cotton) - one long scarf uses Musique combined with Fizz on big 19 needles and one is all Musique on 11s with seed stitch. Each uses just one skein of Musique.
May 29, 2003 - Added a new Mikado Ribbon + Fizz eyelash scarf with a wide 5 st rib pattern, knit fast on size 15s. Converted several more patterns to "printer friendly pages" (check for the printer icon at bottom of each pattern page).
May 27, 2003 - Added photos of a new Musique cabled pullover - knit in the round. I'm getting the pattern writing finished and it will be up in a few days in 3 sizes.
May 21, 2003 - I've begun to change our Ashford-USA links to take visitors to the new Foxglove Fiberart Supply website for information about Ashford wheels, looms, fibers, books and more. Visit www.foxglovefiber.com It's been a wonderful run of more than 30 years of supplying Ashford wheels to spinners, first as Straw Into Gold (retail) and then as Crystal Palace Yarns (wholesale). If you are a knitter who hasn't tried spinning - give it a whirl! And Ashford products are the best!
May 20, 2003 - Let me know if you find this
helpful? I am adding "printer friendly pages" to the pattern section. Instead of
having several photos of a project and extra information on the page, these
pages will be "slimmed down" to make them easier to print out. We hope this will
especially help knitting shops share our free patterns with customers buying our
yarns. Here is an example of the
Raggedy scarf page mentioned just below in
Printer Friendly Form
Here. Each pattern will have a link on it to click to reach the Printer
Friendly Version. Watch for this icon:
May 17, 2003 - added a free scarf pattern in our new RAGGEDY wool blend fringe-edged ribbon yarn. Knit with two balls on size 13s. Very soft and cozy feeling.
May 16, 2003 - added a free pattern for a bias knit large scarf, almost a shawl, knit in a combination of the new Cocoon yarn and GLAM ribbon. Free pattern is under the photo.
May 15, 2003 - Snail mail letters went out a few days ago to the shops who are Ashford Dealers telling them the news, now I begin to change our Web site to reflect the news. After 25 years, Crystal Palace Yarns/Straw Into Gold will no longer be the Ashford USA Distributors. The time has come to simplify our lives and our friends at Foxglove Fiberarts in Washington state will be taking over our distributorship. They can be contacted at sales -at- foxglovefiber.com (replace the " -at- " with @ for email.) or tollfree at 1-877-FOXGLOV. We will continue to supply Crystal Palace Yarns and our Bamboo Knitting Needles.
May 14, 2003 - added a
free knit scarf pattern for a new
yarn, Big Net.
Added a photo of the advertisement for
Big Net which we will be running in Vogue Knitting, Fall issue.
Changed the order of list of Scarves on our
Lots of Free Scarf Patterns page - the newest are now at the top of the page
instead of the bottom. I hope this makes checking for new patterns easier?
May 13, 2003 - added two new bag pattern links on the Gallery 2 page (this Gallery 2 has links to shops and designers offering patterns using Crystal Palace Yarns). More links are welcome - email us.
May 10, 2003 - added scanned sample cards for new colors of Merino Frappe, Splash, Shag, Deco-Ribbon, Fizz and the 16 printed colors for Labrador and Iceland wools. Lots of great new colors for Fall '03.
May 9, 2003 - added free scarf pattern: Choo-Choo Mock Rib scarf in 2 colors, easy knit on size 13s
May 3-4, 2003 - Added many pages of Previews of Fall '03 new yarns (6 new). See the Yarn Cards Page for links to new yarn previews.
May 2003 - Added Quick Bulky Vest pattern for Iceland in 5 sizes for men and women
April 2003 - Added a scan of the newest Breeze card (mercerized cotton).
March 17, 2003 - A Deco-Ribbon + Splash set of: 9 ft Stole, hat and bag to knit from only 7 balls of Deco-Ribbon and one ball of SPLASH. Complete pattern is here. Stole is knit on size 17 needles, finish it in a weekend!
March 16, 2003 - an easy-to-knit hat pattern for either Splash yarn or Deco-Ribbon + Fizz
March 11, 2003 - added 2 patterns for Choo-Choo: a knit shell top and a crocheted version.
March 6, 2003 - reorganized the Free Patterns page to group the patterns in a more logical sequence since the list has grown so long.
March 1, 2003 - added free pattern for cute little Looped Top bags made with Deco-Ribbon that can be trimmed with Fizz or Splash. Great for PDAs, cell phones, going out with just a little in a bag.
Feb 21, 2003 - Added pattern for a "Barely There" scarf to sew from Deco-Ribbon, Fizz and Choo-Choo (or your choice of yarns)
Feb 4, 2003 - Added a page of photos of the 4 yarns we have in hanks for dyeing: 3 wools and one cotton/rayon mix.
Feb 3, 2003 - Started a new GALLERY 2 - as a place for shops and designers to show what they are doing with Crystal Palace Yarns - and we'll provide a link to their web site or email.
Jan. 27, 2003 - Added a list of Shops carrying CPY yarns, bamboo needles, swallow needles.
Jan 5, 2003 - Added a free pattern for a Mikado Wave Stitch pullover and Mikado Ribbon Easy Tank Top.
Jan 4, 2003 - added two new free patterns: Waikiki T-strap top and a Mikado Ribbon + Waikiki cowl neck pullover. Added scanned card with 5 new colors of Merino Frappe wool yarn.
For the Newest from 2004-2005 - Click HERE
FOR EARLIEST "What's New" dating 1995 - 2002 : Click HERE