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KnitBits® #54
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The free e-mail newsletter from Berroco
http://www.berroco.com
#54, January 9, 2004
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Dear KnitBits Subscribers,
Today we are launching our new collection of yarns and patterns for Spring/Summer 2004 on our website. The design team here at Berroco has been working on this collection for six months and finally, today, we will debut what I think is the best Spring collection ever. In addition, our home page has had a face-lift with a cleaner, more up-to-date look. We've re-designed the navigational buttons to make it easier than ever to find what you are looking for.

Having had the pleasure of knitting and crocheting with all of our new spring yarns, I have to say Berroco has done it again! This week I will talk about my favorite new yarn, Suede, the miracle polyamide ribbon that looks and feels exactly like its namesake. But, it's washable, a lot less
expensive and animal friendly.

When knit in garter stitch and fringed, it drapes and moves exactly like leather. Check it out in our great scarf, Oakley. Suede is the answer to a knitting cowgirl's dreams. The palette has a "Western" theme ranging from natural leather shades like "Wild Bill Hickock" and "Hopalong Cassidy" to sexy black "Zorro" and the well worn suede look of the cowboy's favorite "Wrangler" jeans. Take a look at this tantalizing shade card.

And we had such fun designing with Suede. In our four new pattern books we have used it in 16 of our 71 designs. Have a look at our entire collection of warm weather patterns.

Echo is another great new yarn in our collection for Spring. Imagine the feel of your best loved Grateful Dead tee shirt. You can knit a summer top that patterns on its own because of an engineered ombre dyed striation that is superimposed over a neutral tweed effect. In our new pattern books there are 6 stylish tops to choose from. This week we have posted a Web Exclusive Free Pattern for this hip, faux "button up" pullover we call Marissa. Marissa looks as if it has a button placket along the front at the sideseam to the underarm. This is a faux placket with buttons sewn on to a garter band. If you would like to knit this sweater click below and download this free pattern.

Look for Echo in your local yarn shop. Marissa was knit in shade #4522
Ranch Hand. Have a look at our shade card for other color options.

BEGINNER'S Q & A
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Q: Lizzie from San Francisco asked; "When I finish my sweater and I weave in the ends with a yarn needle, I still have ends that pop out every now and then. Is there some way that I can keep this from happening?"
A: Lizzie, remember to always join a new ball of yarn at the beginning (or end) of a row. If I discover that I am running out of yarn in the middle of the row, I un-knit the stitches to get back to the beginning of the row. Then I join the new ball of yarn. If possible, I weave ends into the
seam, where they should be quite secure. If a yarn is terribly slippery, or too bulky to weave into the already bulky seam, then I prefer to use a needle and matching sewing thread to fasten the end of the yarn after I have woven it into the wrong side of the fabric with a yarn needle. I will tack it in place with an overcast stitch and then fasten the thread with a knot. This works for me. Try it.

THIS WEEK'S WINNER
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Congratulations to Andrea from Cleveland, OH, the winner of our free
sweater kit for KnitBits #53. Andrea chose to knit Taylor from our Book 221
"Simple Pleasures."

In this new year we plan to post a free pattern on our website every 2 weeks. So there is yet another reason to visit to our site often.

All the best,
Margery Winter