What's New at STRAW.COM
& Crystal Palace Yarns
Free Knitting Patterns, Yarn
News and More
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. [ last addition made to page: 28 February, 2011 ]
Want to go back in time
and read earlier "What's New" Entries?
- they are all still here, back to 1995.
Click HERE to start going back in time.
Susan
What's New Entries from 2008 on this page.
January 6, 2009 - An easy to repeat lace pattern
makes a beautiful large stole.
Choose one of the 8 self-striping colors of
Mini Mochi to make an elegant stole.
The free pattern
for the Weekender Stole
in Mini Mochi is
here.
See the colors of Mini Mochi here.
January 3, 2009 - Knit a beautiful "stained glass" look
in a cabled hat with only 3 balls of Kaya, 100% striated dyed wool.
These hats are a perfect gift and suitable for a man or a woman
(they were originally knit for the husband of the designer)
The Free KAYA
Bi-Color Cabled Hat pattern is here
See all the colors of Kaya here, there are
many to choose.
January 1, 2009 - Knit these beautiful Mini Mochi EYE socks
(with a row of eyelets marching up the center front and up behind the heel).
The color changes are built in to the soft Mini Mochi yarn.
The free Mini Mochi EYE
Sock pattern is here
See all the colors of Mini Mochi here.
December 28, 2008 - Knit your very own rainbow in
Panda Silk!
This shawl uses 1 ball each of 7 different colors of Panda Silk.
Choose these very "rainbow-like" colors or substitute your own
color palette choices.
Free Rainbow
Wings Shawl pattern here in Panda Silk
See all the colors of Panda Silk here.
December 21, 2008 - Knit one of these oversize ruffle
Munchkin hats for the cute little girl in your life!
Puffin is so soft and warm (thin strips of polar fleece) that
it makes a wonderful hat.
The free Puffin
Munchkin Hat pattern is here
See all the colors of Puffin here.
Dec 10, 2008 - One of our new yarns for 2009 -
Mini Mochi goes a long way.
With 195 yds/50 gr ball you can make a
Rainbow scarf
with one ball
- or a pair of lacy fingerless
gloves or a pair of
Toddler size socks.
Two balls will make a pair of adult socks.
Free Rainbow Mini
Mochi Scarf Pattern is here.
Color photos of Mini Mochi are here.
December 6, 2008 - Bunny Hop is a favorite for
baby & toddler
cardigans. Here's a diamond patterned (with K and P sts),
big collar cardigan sized from 12 to 24 months.
Make it in 2 colors or all in one girl.
Suitable for either girl or boy to wear.
The Free
Toddler Cardi Pattern is Here.
The Bunny Hop color card is here.
December 4, 2008 - Knit that little girl in your
life
a Bamboozle Bolero and matching Hat.
Bamboozle's bamboo-cotton blend is soft and
the elastic nylon content means it will keep its shape.
There are lots of Bamboozle colors to choose from.
The free
pattern for the Bolero & Hat is here.
The color range of Bamboozle is here.
November 29, 2008 - We just love sharing
patterns that are quick
and fun to knit and make great gifts (even for yourself).
This Kid Merino Ruffled Scarflette Neck Wrap is one that we know knitters
will love.
It's knit lengthwise which means you won't have to do a lot of turn-turn-turning
while knitting. With Crystal Palace Kid Merino you will have both a
wide range of colors to choose from (see
Kid Merino color card here)
- and - a very affordable price! This scarf uses
only 2-25 gr balls and will cost an estimated $12 to knit!
The free pattern for
the Kid Merino Neck Wrap is here.
The complete color card for Kid Merino
is here.
November 27, 2008 - a classic look with beads worked into
the eyelets makes this Panda Silk sock one you will want
to show off by crossing your legs and letting them peek out
from under your trouser cuffs.
Of course, you may leave the beads off, if you choose.
The free Panda Silk
sock pattern is here.
See all the colors of Panda Silk here.
November 18, 2008 - Babies love the feel of our
Puffin
(and so do grandmothers who knit with it!)
- ultra soft polyfleece fabric cut into 'knitable' thin strips
makes it feel great and knit quickly.
This Ridged
Garter Stitch Baby Blanket is on size 11 needles
and will give much cuddly joy to a baby.
The Free Baby
Blanket Pattern is here
Puffin comes in lots
of great colors you can combine.
November 15, 2009 - What fun to knit socks with
Mini Mochi (a blend of 80%
superwash Merino wool + 20% nylon) and see the colors develop as you knit! These
tall toddler socks use just one ball for a pair (or knit shorter socks and have
yarn left over). These socks have different patterning in the tops. The
new Mini Mochi yarn is due in early Feb. and we will have these patterns up in
time for the yarn's arrival.
Larger Tall Toddler
Sock photos are here
November 8, 2008 - Learn how to do twined
knitting and make fun gifts at the same time with these
Cotton Chenille washcloths.
These face cloths are fun to knit (be careful, you won't be able to stop with
just 2!) and are perfect to pack with fancy soaps for a hostess gift or in with
baby items for a baby shower. With the myriad colors available in
Cotton Chenille you can create
so many different color pairings! Laura Andersson shares with us her method of
using her Magic Garter Stitch twining technique and you don't have to knit them
in the round. Shops would find these a perfect teaching project, too.
Free Pattern is Here for
the Magic Garter Face Cloths.
October 30, 2008 - Bambini Bamboozle Toddler
Socks
Do you love to knit socks for children,
but wish you could knit a pair quickly for a gift?
Try Bamboozle - the gauge on
size 5 needles means
you can knit quickly and these darling Toddler sized socks
only use one ball of Bamboozle (bamboo-cotton-elastic nylon)
The
free Bambini Bamboozle Sock pattern is here.
October 25, 2008 - 6 new colors coming for
Cotton Chenille
- 4 solids and 2 printed colors
The new colors will be here in early December.
October 20, 2008 - New Yarn Coming:
Mini-Mochi, a fine single ply yarn.
A stunning new yarn, color changing, soft and machine washable.
80% machinewash Merino wool + 20% nylon, 195 yds/50 gr. Due in Early '09
Fingering weight for socks and other fine yarn projects
- see all
EIGHT color combos of Mini-Mochi HERE.
October 13, 2008 - An easy Star Stitch
makes this striking vest
with Merino 5 superwash Merino Wool yarn.
The model shown combines a solid and print color
for dramatic color contrast. Many other color combos are possible.
See all the Merino 5 print colors Here
& Solid colors Here
Here is the Free Star Stitch
Vest Pattern
October 10, 2008 - Panda Silk DK
(bamboo-superwash merino-silk)
knits up into a wonderful, soft, lustrous knit -
this tank top with eyelet body is a fabulous looking and
sized from XSm to XXX (54").
Choose from a wide range of Panda Silk
DK colors - see them here
The free Aria Tank Top
pattern is here.
October 8, 2008 - a lovely eyelet + heart lace border
"I Love You"
Shawl knit in Panda Silk DK.
It uses 7 - 50 gr balls of Panda Silk DK
(a blend of bamboo, superwash merino wool and silk).
The eyelet pattern is easy to follow and
the heart border lace is not too difficult.
Knit for yourself, or someone you love!
The designer knit it for her daughter who was having
serious heart surgery and the surgery went well, and so
did the shawl!
August 25, 2008 - Easy Lace Cardigan in
Bamboozle
- an easy lace stitch makes a great, classic cardigan.
This cardigan is sized up through a 60" chest size.
There are many print and solid colors of Bamboozle to choose.
Or... make this cardigan in Bunny Hop as an alternative yarn choice.
Bamboozle colors shown here.
Bunny Hop colors shown here.
The Free Easy Lace Cardigan
pattern is here.
August 19, 2008 - a lovely sock design in
CPY's new Panda Silk DK. In this DK weight yarn
it's a little quicker to knit than a fingering sock yarn.
The sheen of Panda Silk DK shows off the
cabled heel pattern beautifully.
The Free Cabled Heel
Sock Pattern is here.
All colors of Panda Silk DK are here.
August 18, 2008 - a lovely vest combining an
eyelet block
with a cabled pattern block.
Knit in our new Panda Silk DK, it's lovely in sheen and color
- and it's machine washable on gentle cycle.
The free Vest Pattern
is here - sized up to 1X size.
The color range for Panda Silk DK is
here.
August 17, 2008 - Lisa Ellis is doing some great Taos "one ball"
twined hat designs. Many LYS and several online shops are
carrying the patterns.
See information HERE
and more photos of these lovely hats.
They are quick to knit, a great way to learn twining and make wonderful gifts.
Taos is the perfect yarn for them, too!
August 5, 2008 - Bubbly Bobbles make this an elegant smock for a baby
- the knitting is challenging, but in this small size
you can show off your knitting and not spend too long
in the knitting! Panda Silk makes this little smock have a beautiful
sheen
to show off the texture of the stitches.
It uses only 3 balls of Panda Silk for approx. retail yarn cost under $27.
The Free Pattern
for the Baby Bubble Smock is here.
The color card for Panda Silk is here.
July 22, 2008 - Kaya is chunky and variegated -
it makes a great looking simple Cropped Raglan Shrug.
This shrug can be knit with only 5 - 7 balls in sizes Sm to XLg.
Knit on size 11 needles it works up quickly.
The Free Shrug Pattern is Here.
The Kaya Color Card is here.
July 21, 2005 - A stunning Cropped Ikat Look Jacket in Merino Stripes
that looks much more complicated than it really is!
Combine 2 self-striped colors of this light-airy yarn
in a simple slip stitch for great color effect.
Knit on large needles, the knitting goes quickly.
The free Cropped
Ikat Look Jacket pattern is here.
The colors of Merino Stripes can be seen
here.
July 14, 2008 - Cozy Puffin Slippers with an interesting
sideways cable cuff - sized for adults.
Puffin is warm and machine washable!
Great gifts for winter to come.
Free Perky
Puffin Slippers pattern is here.
Color card for Puffin is here.
July 13, 2008 - knit a darling
Panda Cotton (or use Panda Soy) cardigan
for the baby in your life.
Moms and babies will love this soft cardi.
The eyelet pattern is an easy 4-row repeat rib pattern.
The free Eyelet
Rib Baby Cardigan is here.
See the colors of Panda
Cotton here.
July 4, 2008 - A cute, quick-to-knit baby
cardigan.
The batwing shaped sleeves make it easier to get on and off a
baby.
The cardigan is knit in CPY's new Panda Silk DK
(blend of
bamboo, superwash wool and silk).
It's machine washable on gentle (but dry
flat).
See the colors for Panda Silk DK here
the Free Baby
Batwing Cardigan is here.
June 19, 2008 - A bamboo-cotton blend jacket
trimmed with a contrasting ruffle in our Bamboozle yarn -
the yarn has a little elastic in it to keep it from stretching when worn.
See many Bamboozle colors here.
The free pattern for
this Woman's Ruffled Jacket in Bamboozle is here.
June 18, 2008 - a perfect gift for a new baby -
a soft pair of baby socks with no wool content.
Here is a new Laura Andersson design
shown in both the new Panda Soy (bamboo-soy-elastic)
or in Maizy (corn fiber - elastic). One 50 gr ball will make 3 socks!
So make some extras for baby shower gifts!
Panda Soy colors are here
Maizy colors are here
The free pattern
for these baby socks is here.
June 15, 2008 - Our ever popular Bunny Hop
Ruffled Baby Girl
Dress has "grown up" and is now sized larger
for ages 4-10. Any little girl would love this one!
The Free Pattern for this
little girl's
Ruffled Tunic-Dress is here.
June 15, 2008 - Easy sleeveless pullover knit with Fjord + Kid
Merino.
The Fjord shown is a solid color, the Kid Merino is a print which makes
an interesting variegated look to the finished knit.
Many, many combinations of Fjord & Kid Merino are possible.
Kid Merino colors are Here -
Fjord colors are Here
Free Easy Sleeveless
Pullover Pattern is Here
May 28, 2008 - a soft cozy vest in
Iceland wool -
choose a print with coordinating solid color,
or knit all in one color.
Sized from Small through 3X (61").
The free Pattern for this Striped
Iceland Vest is HERE.
It's knit all in one piece for minimal finishing/sewing, too.
May 25, 2008 - Bunny Hop is a soft, washable angora blend
that is perfect for baby items - in this moon & stars motif blanket
it is held double for quicker knitting.
The free
pattern for this interesting baby blanket is HERE.
May 22, 2008
7 New Colors
for
Panda Silk (fingering weight)
3 Prints (see below)
and 4 solids (see
here)
New Patterns for Panda Silk coming too, both socks and Baby wear.
Four new Colors coming for TAOS - new
colors due in August for Fall '08
April 8, 2008 - CPY New
Yarns and New Colors
starting to preview for Fall 2008 -
New Yarn:
Panda Silk DK weight in 25
colors
New Yarn: See 22 colors of
PANDA
SOY (bamboo, soy and elastic nylon at the same price as Panda Cotton)
and see the 4 new printed colors of
PANDA COTTON (especially for Men's Socks)
Check out the New Colors
for
Panda Silk (7),
Cotton Chenille (6), Kaya
(8), Iceland (6),
Fjord (5),
Taos (4),
Merino 5, Party Ribbon and more!
March 24, 2008 - You can make this interesting
Cable Band Hat with just one 100 gr ball of Iceland.
Shown here in natural white, there are
many solid and printed colors to choose
from.
The free hat pattern is
here.
March 19, 2008 - We know crocheters sometimes
feel left out...
so here are three charming baby-toddler sets crocheted in
Bunny Hop angora blend.
Each has a hat and cardigan and the looks are fun and different.
Each Crochet Set is linked below the photos.
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 Kilauea Socks knit in Panda Silk or Panda Wool |
March 9, 2008 - Kilauea, a new sock design shown
knit in both Panda Silk
& Panda Wool.
Adrienne Fong designed this sock and wrote the pattern in 4 sizes:
from small to X-Lg. You can knit socks for women or men.
2 balls = a pair of socks.
The free
pattern for Kilauea Socks is here.
February 4, 2008 - A lovely triangle shawl with a deep bell shaped ruffle
in Superwash Merino 5. Merino 5 comes in so many colors,
you will want to make more than one of these shawls!
The free ruffled
shawl pattern is here.
See all the printed colors of Merino 5
here
& the solid colors of Merino 5 are here.
January 31, 2008 - This elegant long, Kimono Vest
is knit in an easy Reverse Herringbone Faggot stitch
in Merino 5, superwash. It'll look smashing in any size
- from a Small up to a 3X size. And, there
are so many colors of Merino 5
to choose from -
if you knit one, send us a photo to share.
The free pattern for the Long
Kimono Vest is here.
January 29, 2008 - Knit your own walking socks
with
Maizy, corn fiber sock yarn
- the ribbed instep helps
support your foot and keep the socks in place.
The free sock pattern is here
and uses 2 balls of yarn.
For the Complete 2007 What's New Collection of Patterns
December 16, 2007 - Panda Silk Ribbons Socks have
a lovely turn-down lace cuff with unusual vertical "ribbons" running up the
ankle.
Panda Silk comes in colors paired: tonal colors + coordinating solid color
- this Ribbon design makes use of the pair of colors.
Plus, you'll have yarn left over to make a shorty pair as well.
The free Panda Silk
Ribbon Sock pattern is here.
See all the colors of Panda Silk here.
December 15, 2007 - a sweet, airy lace shawl knit with
only two balls of Kid Merino lace weight yarn
- a blend of kid merino, kid mohair and micro nylon.
This Sweet Alyssum shawl makes a gossamer layer
to dress up even the plainest outfit.
The retail cost of the yarn is an amazing $12-14!
The free Sweet Alyssum
Shawl pattern is here.
The very wide range of Kid Merino
colors can be seen here.
Here is one of 4 strips
of colors for Panda Silk
Panda Silk Sample Card is HERE -
See all 24 colors
Crystal Palace Yarns is pleased to announce that we are
now a wholesale distributor
for Ann Norling Patterns, a popular collection of more than 65 patterns for
knitting and crocheting.
Click here for information and a link to a
4-page color PDF file showing thumbnails
of the entire collection of Ann Norling Patterns.
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NEW NEW - SOCK INDEX
We are building an Index linked to many free
sock patterns
Visit it here