Bedazzled!  Bejeweled!  That was the vibe inside the Diamond Yarn Showroom this past weekend as the Fall/Winter Collections took centre stage, viewed by yarn shop owners from coast to coast.  It was a flurry of activity from one stunning display to the next as a visual feast of kaleidoscopic colour in cheerful hues contrasted against a rich palette mirroring Fall’s changing foliage, while the flash of metallic and glitter in opulent textured embellishments stood out like eye candy.

Here is a look at some of the highlights-

She’s a little bit country!  Sirdar embraces the rustic charm of the great outdoors with three exciting new qualities for the coming season.  Montana, a double knitting wool blend gets down-to-earth in a stratum of bucolic colouring, while Folksong, a chunky wool mix meanders like a winding river in variegated hues, and Faroe, complements the group with a peppery mix of playful tweeds in a super chunky weight.  Keep your eyes peeled for the new Softspun Chunky in ten misted shades.

Pom Pom Pizazz!  Colour your world in jelly bean brights with Pompe, a whimsical treat infused with energy and designed for capturing children’s smiles.  A fun novelty yarn for scarves, hats and cosy blankets for tiny folk.  From the Ella Rae Fall Collection.

Chasing rainbows!  Noro presents two new selections- Kirara (shown above) a smooth-as-butter transitional yarn mixing cotton and angora together, and Haniwa, a nubby silken wool blend in a vividly alluring spectrum.  Be on the lookout for new colourways in Odori, Hitsuji, and Kogarashi.  Blossom comes out of hiding, revamped, and re-spun into a more conventional 50g ball, replacing the original 40g size.

All the trimmings!  Katia mesmerizes us once again with a stunning array of innovative tape and ribbon yarns that fringe, fluff, ruffle, and loop their way across the needles.  Grace and Greta are two metallic dazzlers that look more like decorative trim from the shelves of a Parisian fashion studio while Funny causes a sensation with an intricate contrast of woven bars and swirls that make this a must-have embellishment yarn.  Two familiar favorites, Rocio and Ronda add more multi-hues to the shade range while Triana and Ondas bid farewell to their sisterly Lux line.

Hey there rodeo girl!  Pushing the envelope once again, Katia will be enticing knitters to pull on their cowboy boots and ride into the sunset with this unique yarn called Fancy Line, a woolly boucle with built-in fringes.

Debbie Bliss displays her trademark selection of classic knits for Fall, and continues to build on the success of her kid mohair/silk line with the addition of Angel Prints, a lovely mirage of self-striping colours.

A painter’s dream palette!  Diamond Luxury Collection loosens the reins and injects jolts of vivid colour into all our current faves, Galway, Fine Merino Superwash Merino Aran, Baby Alpaca Glimmer, along with a multitude of new surefire hits to let those needles fly again for Fall.  Sneak an early peek at Merino Lux, Highland Lux, and Colour Cascade Chunky and start the ball rolling.

True Colours!  Take a different approach to Autumn tweeds, with these bold strips of self-striping colours.  Lima Tinto from Diamond Luxury Collection has the whispery soft twist of Peruvian highland wool, ideal for sporty looks and long cosy scarfs for Fall with eight shades to choose from.

More!  More!  More!  It may come as no surprise, ruffle yarns are multiplying quicker than rabbits with even more styles primped and fluffed for Fall knitting.  This ‘easy peasy’ type of knitting has taken Canada by storm with no signs of letting up, and who would want it to.  Have a look at what’s on the horizon from Diamond Luxury Collection- Magic Nights, in eight glittery choices, Reggae, a boucle-look in ombre shades, Chrysalis, Carousel, and Folie, a printed mesh with wildly exotic designs, polka dots, leopard spots, alligator and zebra stripes.

Striking a balance!  The newest darling in the Diamond line-up is Lotus Yarns, a swanky selection of natural fibres on the menu for Fall, including Sunset (shown above), a softly brushed mix of merino and soybean oil in lovely hazy tones.  Leaning towards something a little more unusual?  How about Tibetan Yak 4, in subdued natural tones or Bamyak, which blends yak fibre with bamboo for added lustor.  Autumn Wind is a sultry merge of cotton and cashmere, while Miya shyly sits in the wings waiting to be discovered, a surprising combination of mink hair, merino and silk.

Great expectations!  Knitters Pride is in the express lane to gaining rock star status.  They just keep wowing us with impressive tools to make knitting as relaxing as possible.  Coming soon, look for the Karbonz line of needles, meticulously crafted from real carbon fibre, which is used in Formula One race cars, the aircraft and the space industry.  Ultra light and extremely durable, this new angled needle will be available in straights, double points, and interchangeable tips.  The malleable feel of the new Bamboo line will appeal to anyone with hand sensitivities, featuring straights, double points and interchangeable tips to cover all knitting styles.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 12:09 pm.