That title is a bit of a mouthful isn’t it?  But that’s what I’ve got… some new shades of Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk 4 Ply.  I think this yarn is exquisite.  It is just so soft and feels so luxurious and delicate.  I love it!

The new shades are:

Sublime’s book 635, “The second irresistibly Sublime baby 4 ply book” contains patterns for this yarn and uses some of these new shades.

Pictures of the patterns in Sublime book 635 are available on the website

Sublime Bamboo and Pearls DK is a brand new yarn from Sublime which uses the most unusual fibre I’ve ever come across in a yarn.  Bamboo and Pearls DK is made from a blend of bamboo and luxuriously rare pearl viscose. This creates hand knits with elegant drape and incredible stitch definition as well as being so soft and silky.

Sublime Bamboo and Pearls DK yarn

It’s a blend of 70% bamboo and 30% pearl fibre. The pearl fibre in this yarn is manufactured using a viscose yarn blended with pearl powder during the spinning process. The pearl powder is from natural pearls, raised in rivers or lakes.

The benefits of the yarn are its smoothness and shine, it is anti-aging, anti-ultraviolet and has excellent breathability and is extremely comfortable to wear. Amazingly it’s machine washable too!

Sublime Bamboo and Pearls DK comes in a palette of summery colours, gorgeously feminine shades and that take you from dressed up day wear to party perfect.

Pattern support is provided in The Most Chic Sublime Bamboo & Pearls DK Book 633 which contains 16 patterns by Sarah Hatton, a popular knitwear designer formerly with Rowan.

As well as the new Extra Fine Merino 4 Ply, Sublime have launched a new luxury yarn called Sublime Luxurious Woolly Merino.

Sublime Luxurious Woolly Merino Yarn

It’s a gorgeously soft, subtly textured yarn which creates the most exquisitely luxurious knits to wrap yourself in natural, gentle warmth.  Made from extra ordinarily soft Australian merino wool, it has been created a palette of velvety winter shades and is machine washable too.

To go with it, is The Sublime Luxurious Woolly Merino Hand Knit Book (627) containing 18 incredibly stylish winter knits. Stunning knits with the simplest of stitches. From chic little ‘left bank’ cardies, A-line coats and cosy cropped jackets to the simplest boxy sweaters and tanks. There are some stylish accessories too – Russian style hats and oversized berets for a dash of head turning winter style!

Sublime Yarns are launching two new yarns this Autumn, the first of which is Sublime Extra Fine Merino 4 Ply and is available now from our shop.

Like all Sublime’s yarns, Sublime Extra Fine Merino 4 Ply is made in Italy from the finest quality merino wool fibre. This luxurious smooth, fine yarn has been created to give wonderfully clear stitch definition, the most exquisite detailing, the neatest stitches and the most flawless finish to hand knits.

It is available in 10 shades, including many best selling shades from the Sublime Extra Fine Merino DK range and new colours – a pretty pink called “Glamour” (130) and a stunning fuchsia shade “Passion” (173).

The new pattern book to accompany this new Sublime yarn, is called The Sublime Extra Fine Merino 4 Ply Book (629) and is a stylish and feminine collection for women and girls.

With a touch of inspiration from the glamorous knits of the 1940s (think Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall) combined with the most exquisite Sublime colours, these designs epitomise stylish and effortless hand knit chic.  Pictures of the patterns contained in this book can be found here.

A good friend of mine and his wife are expecting their first baby this week and of course, I want to knit something for the new arrival.  I’m sure that they will be showered with gifts of newborn baby clothes over the next few weeks, so I think I’ll knit something for a slightly older baby – maybe 6 months old.  Then the baby will have something to grow into.

But there are so many gorgeous baby knitting patterns available at the moment, it’s hard trying to decide what to knit! 

One of the trends for 2009 is the use of eco-friendly, organic yarns and both Rowan and Sublime use new and special fibres in their baby knitting patterns.

Rowan Milk Cotton Baby Collection

Rowan Fine Milk Cotton and Rowan Milk Cotton DK are beautifully soft cotton based yarn additions to the Rowan family so called because the yarn contains 30% milk protein.  Its softness makes it ideal for this collection of classic and charming baby knits.  Featuring 14 garment designs by Marie Wallin and Martin Storey and 7 accessories by Lisa Richardson this collection has everything from coats, baby shrugs and kids hoodies to romper suits and enchantingly details dresses and cardigans, complimented by soft toys, slippers, shoes hats and a classic blanket.

Sublime Baby and Children knitting pattern books

Sublime have produced several patterns books containing knitting patterns for babies and children.  New for 2009 is their baby cotton kapok dk yarn and accompanying baby knitting pattern book.  Cotton kapok is a good baby yarn because of its unique properties.  It keeps baby warm in winter yet cool in summer, has a nice drape to it and perhaps most importantly for parents – it’s machine washable!  These are just some of the patterns from the cotton kapok book.

But for me, the best baby knitting yarn has to be the Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK. It’s so incredibly soft and in the most gorgeous colours.  In fact it is so popular that Sublime launched a Cashmere Merino Silk DK for adults.  It’s exactly the same yarn, but in more “grown-up” colours and doesn’t have “baby” in the name!  Here are some patterns from the Third Little Sublime Handknit Book.

My Mum recently knitted this striped baby blanket in Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK from the First Little Sublime Hand Knit book.  She wasn’t knitting for anyone in particular and she doesn’t have any grandchildren yet – she just loved the yarn so much that she wanted to knit something with it!

I’ll let you know what I decide to knit for my friends and will of course, post a picture!