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: 06 May, 2008 ]
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
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, 2007 - 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, 2007 - 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.
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.
December 10, 2007 - A beautiful new sock pattern
shown knit in either
MAIZY, corn fiber sock yarn
or Panda Wool
(bamboo-wool-nylon).
This Sydney sock pattern has a lovely over all
pattern of arches reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House
- it's for experienced sock knitters.
See the free pattern
Here for the Sydney Socks.
December 3, 2007 -
Panda Wool or
Panda Silk
can be knit into this lovely Weekender Lace Wrap stole
- it uses 4 balls [approx. retail cost $32-36].
The free Lace
Stole pattern is here,
including a chart for the lace pattern.
December 1, 2007 - A very easy scarf to knit
with just one ball of our new Panda Silk
(blend of bamboo, superwash merino and silk).
The sheen of the yarn gives a dressy look to this
simple scarf and the retail cost will be under $9.00.
The free Panda
Silk scarf pattern is here
See all the
colors of Panda Silk here.
Panda Silk has arrived and is being shipped to shops now.
November 19, 2007 - Here's a cute pair of
Mom-Baby socks.
A wonderful gift set for a new baby gift.
These socks are knit with Panda
Cotton trimmed with
Little Flowers.
The free
pattern for both socks is here.
November 12, 2007 - A fun, easy colorful project
in our
Bamboo blend, Bamboozle yarn.
Choose 4 colors from the wide range
of fashion colors and knit this up quickly. No armhole shaping makes it a quick
knit.
The elastic content of the Bamboozle means your knits will hold their shape
without drooping.
The free Bamboozle Stripes
pattern is Here.
You'll have some of the stripe colors leftover, so check out
the Bamboozle patterns and make a baby hat, booties or jacket with your
leftovers.
Links to all the Bamboozle patterns are here.
Here is one of 4 strips
of colors for Panda Silk
October 30, 2007
Panda Silk Sample Card is HERE -
See all 24 colors
The first shipment of Panda Silk is due in late Nov. 2007
October 25, 2007 - Merino
5 (100% superwash merino wool)
shows off stitches beautifully and this ripple stitch pattern
has a wonderfully sculpted look to the surface.
There are 48 colors of Merino 5 to choose from, too!
The Free pattern
for this Merino 5 Ripple Pullover is Here.
October 24, 2007 - This Cropped Eyelet Pullover with
little shoulder straps at neckline has simple shaping
and matching front and back pieces so you can concentrate
on the Branching Eyelet pattern (20 row repeat).
Knit in Merino 5 superwash, it has a
lovely feel and luster.
The free Cropped Eyelet Pullover
pattern is HERE.
October 23, 2007 - Here's a project
that only uses one ball
of Merino 5 -
superwash. A great stocking stuffer or gift for
your favorite child. Knit it in "boy" colors or "girl" colors
and please any child on your gift list.
The free
Earflap Hat Pattern is here.
October 20, 2007 - All babies love teddy bears,
here is a bear silhouette block baby blanket knit
with doubled Merino 5 superwash wool.
The images
are made with simple St st and Rev St st arrangement.
A perfect gift for a baby shower and it knits quickly
since the yarn is doubled. We show it in pink,
but there are many colors of Merino 5 available.
The free
Teddy Bear Blanket pattern is here.
October 15, 2007 - Doubled
Bamboozle in Ridge Pattern
Stitch
makes a quick-to-knit baby blanket in
a cheerful combination of 3 colors.
The free Bamboozle
Baby Blanket Pattern is Here.
4 New Colors of Panda Wool
See names & larger image version
here.
Four new colors of Panda Wool added for Winter '07-Spring '08
Rich tones with gleams of highlights from the bamboo. Already in stock in
October!
October 14, 2007
October 6, 2007 - A cute Bunny Hop Baby Hat
made with just one ball of yarn.
Perfect for the baby in your life or as a gift for a baby shower.
The free baby hat
pattern is here.
See all the colors of Bunny Hop here.
October 3, 2007 - Here's a cute sleeveless vest
to knit
for your favorite child. It's a fast knit so you can
make 2-3 in different colors. Merino 5 is machine washable and soft.
The free Vest pattern is
here.
See all the printed colors of Merino 5
here
and the solid colors are here.
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September 24, 2007 - This pattern isn't on our
site,
it's a "for sale" pattern on one of our CPY Shop sites,
and it's so cute, we thought you'd want a chance to buy it.
It uses 3 balls of the main color of Bamboozle
and 1 ball of a
coordinating solid.
Knit on a size US 6 needle.
The
link to the Pattern to purchase is HERE.
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September 15, 2007 - Laura Andersson does it
again! A great looking sock design and sized to fit a range of sizes from women
through men's feet! (and for those of us women with large feet, this is a boon).
This Diagonal Stitch Sock is knit with CPY's new Merino 5 superwash wool
(worsted weight knitting) so the socks knit quickly and the colors are
spectacular (the yarn also comes in a wide range of solid colors if you prefer
no patterning of the colors).
Free Diagonal
Stitch Merino 5 Sock pattern is here
Color card for Merino 5 printed colors is
here
Color card for Merino 5 solid
colors is here.
September 10, 2007 - Entrelac sounds complicated as
you read how to do it, but once you start - it's a matter
of following the triangles and squares and a lot of fun.
This vest is designed to show off the subtle, striated
color changes in Taos. The entrelac section is limited
to the bottom front of the vest, the rest is all plain
stockinette stitch. An excellent project to learn entrelac!
The free Taos Entrelac Vest
pattern is here.
See the 20 color
combinations of Taos here.
September 4, 2007 - Ripple Scarf in Merino 5
A simple 4 row pattern can make a lovely ripple scarf
in our new Merino 5
machine washable wool.
4 balls at an approx. retail cost of $25 makes a
reasonably priced gift scarf - or treat yourself to one.
A perfect Netflix-movie-watching knitting project as
only one of the 4 rows has a pattern in it.
The free Ripple Scarf
Pattern is here.
August 29, 2007 - Classic cables & Bobbles in
Aran style knit with our
new KAYA wool is a shrug that
looks more like a jacket than a shrug.
The band of cables and bobbles is worked straight,
all shaping is done in the Stockinette stitch area.
The free Aran Cabled Shrug
Pattern is here.
August 21, 2007 - We are excited about the
wonderful
Merino 5 Kimono Jacket
pattern just finished for us by Sandi Rosner.
It's stunning and fun to knit in 4 pieces that go together
to make this softly draped kimono style jacket in our new
Merino 5 Superwash wool
yarn.
With the 49 colors available in Merino 5 you'll have a many
wonderful possible combinations.
The Kimono Jacket uses 1 print and 2 solid colors.
The Free Pattern for this
Merino 5 Kimono Jacket is here.
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.
August 8, 2007 - If you are new to lace knitting
or want a lovely, quick project this is the perfect project.
It is also ideal for teaching a lace knitting class.
The model shown uses one ball of Kid Merino (under $6 retail cost),
or use two balls to make a longer scarf or a wider stole.
The free Kid Merino
MIST Lace Scarf pattern is HERE.
Choose from many colors of Kid
Merino - see the colors HERE.
August 7, 2007 -
A soft V-neck in Merino Stripes
- in the new color #68 "flame", see another colorway
knit in #69 "dreamy" HERE.
Here is the free pattern
for this V-Neck pattern.
August 4, 2007 - Easy to knit,
these little textured Cotton Chenille wash cloths
make great gifts, wrap with a fancy bar of soap
and make a friend or hostess happy!
They also make great learning projects.
Choose Solid Colors as shown or
use Cotton Chenille in Printed Colors.
The 3 free patterns are
Here.
July 22, 2007 - A mosaic stitch
pullover hoodie knit in our new PUFFIN yarn.
The feel of Puffin is so soft and cozy,
like a favorite sweatshirt!
Any baby would love this one.
See all the Puffin colors HERE.
The free pullover
Hoodie Pattern is HERE.
July 6, 2007 - This large scale Lace Stole is knit lengthwise
and the color changes happen automatically by using Merino Stripes.
It knits up quickly on size 13 needles for a fast lace project.
With 18 different color combinations in Merino Stripes you can
knit several in different colors. See
all the colors here, including
four new Merino Stripes
color combinations for Fall 2007.
The free pattern is here for this stole.
June 28, 2007 -
Merino
Stripes makes color changes easy!
Just knit and they appear. The softness of the brushed Merino wool
means a great feel and using less yarn.
This Cowl Pullover can be knit with only 6-9 balls from small to X-Lg sizes.
The free pattern for
this Merino Stripes Cowl Pullover is here.
June 13, 2007 -
Panda Cotton isn't just for socks! It's a perfect yarn for baby
projects.
Here's an entrelac project that makes a lovely baby hat.
Combine a print color and a solid, or two solids.
Here is the Free
Baby Hat Pattern
(and a tip on using the pattern for an adult hat, too.)
May 24, 2007 - A Baby-Toddler Hoodie in
CPY's new PUFFIN yarn
- made from polar fleece to form a soft knit quickly on size 10.75 needles.
The hoodie is sized from 3 mos baby size up to 2 yr toddler size.
The free pattern for the
hoodie is here.
May 7, 2007 - CPY has added a new Japanese made bamboo needle range to our
offerings.
We call them Star Bamboo and each is marked with size and a little star
logo. We have 7" double points in sets of 5 which include the sock knitter's
needed sizes of US 1.5 and 2.5. Single points come in two lengths: 10" and 13".
We are working with the Japanese manufacturer to add circulars, too.
We, of course, continue to offer our Original CPY
Bamboo Needles in the dark brown color which have pleased knitters for more
than 20 years. The new STAR Bamboo are lighter in color, and also made from top
quality hard bamboo and treated with a natural vegetable wax to finish and
harden them.
See the sizes and more photos of Star Bamboo
Needles HERE.
May 5, 2007 - Our first pattern in the new Kaya yarn
(due late July-early Aug.).
This chunky yarn is fun and fast to knit and watch the
random striated colors move across the surface of the knit fabric.
Approx. garment cost to knit would be $69-83.
The free pattern for this knit top is
HERE.
See all the other colors of Kaya HERE
April 5, 2007 - We are adding 4 new yarns for Fall 2007 (which means
they arrive in late summer).
We know the sock knitters
will enjoy our new sock yarn :
MAIZY- 82% Corn Fiber + 18% Elastic
Nylon
(same elastic as used in our popular Panda Cotton).
An entire new range of colors, too, including some for men's socks.
Samples of the printed
colors are here!
A page showing the
17 solid colors is here.
March 21, 2007 - Pretend you're in Lucy Ricardo's kitchen
or maybe June Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver with this
great looking retro apron knit with soft
Cotton Chenille.
Cotton Chenille's huge color range has colors to complement
every kitchen decor!
The free Apron Pattern is
here (and includes an optional pocket.)
March 11, 2007 - A lace
panel set into a raglan style short sleeve sweater.
Bamboozle makes it a lovely
weight sweater
and with its elastic content, it won't stretch out of shape.
The free pattern for
this lace raglan is here.
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NEW NEW - SOCK INDEX
We are building an Index linked to many free
sock patterns
Visit it here
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Taos Four
Square Mitered Pullover |
March 1, 2007 - Here's a fun mitered sweater with only 4 squares
each forming the front and back. If you haven't knit a mitered project before,
this is a good one for beginning. Using
Taos makes miters fun as the colors
form a great design as they meet and
change.
We show two colors on the pattern page,
but any of the Taos colors will
look super! The sleeves are a simple wide rib.
The free
mitered Taos pullover pattern is here.
February 25, 2007 - A cropped lace cardigan with
matching hat
in our new Bamboozle
bamboo blend yarn.
The free sweater pattern includes instructions
for making a longer version, too. The hat takes 2 balls and
has the same lace pattern as the sweater.
The free pattern for the
lace cardigan and hat is here
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Sweet Dreams Felted Handbag |
February 20, 2007 - a new felted handbag from Terry Ross!
Sweet Dreams is knit with Fjord
and Taos with a CPY handle
and trefoil embellishment made of I-cord.
The free felted bag
pattern for the Sweet Dreams bag is here.
February 19, 2007 - NINE new colors coming
for Panda Cotton.
Our new bamboo-cotton-elastic sock yarn has been such a hit that
we decided to add some mid-season new colors.
See them HERE.
Florals, fruit, Reggae and official Mardigras colors!
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Two
different colorways of Taos Asymmetrical Jacket 8-10 balls |
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February 3, 2007
- Our newest Taos pattern is this updated cropped jacket with asymmetrical
front. The striated pattern of color all happens naturally with Taos yarn. Shown
are two of the 4 new colors of Taos.
The free Asymmetrical Jacket
pattern is HERE. It uses 8-10 balls and is sized from Small to X-Large.