Web-Letter, Issue 66 – Holiday Napkin Rings One thing about a yarn company, it seems to draw creative people who love to knit—whether their job is answering the phones, checking patterns, or marketing the wares. This week’s project is the brainchild of Andi Clark—primo knitter and head of customer service. Andi’s little napkin rings worked in CEY Fresco lend themselves to all manner of embellishment—Nicky Epstein’s book mentioned below is a great source for inspiration. The rings also lend themselves to other uses. Yesterday, I heard that Cecily was wearing one around as a bracelet. Also, thanks to those of you who write in with comments, compliments, and suggestions—we love to hear from you!
The Story: Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day of family visiting and good eating. But if you’re like me, you’re too busy cleaning and cooking to think about more than basic table settings for the feast. That’s why these napkin rings are the perfect addition to your holiday table. Quick and easy to make, they knit up in a matter of hours and your guests will think that you took days to create them!  The rings are worked flat and the ends are sewn together, but the leaves are what make them interesting. Nicky Epstein’s wonderful book Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Embellishments (Interweave Press, 1999) gives instructions for a wide variety of knitted leaves, flowers, and much more. With permission from Nicky, I’ve used several leaves, and with a few modifications, knitted them in fall colors. Instead of using yarn over increases as Nicky does in her instructions, I knitted into the fronts and backs of stitches to give the leaves a more solid look.  Make sure you pin out the leaves when you block them so the points really stand out.   For an added bonus, I’ve also included a pattern for Christmas napkin rings! We knitters know that it’s never too early to start knitting for the holidays. The Yarns: Fresco — 60% wool, 30% baby alpaca, 10% angora Andi’s napkin rings are worked in CEY Fresco, a sport weight yarn composed of 60% wool (for warmth and strength), 40% alpaca (for loft and sheen), and 10% angora (to provide a soft halo).  Fresco is available in a palette of 35 colors, which makes it great for colorwork projects. Another thing that makes it great for colorwork is the yarn's crisp 3-ply twist. The yarn’s twist structure gives it a bit of spring which helps it to knit up in Fair Isle patterns with less pulling along the wrong side. The neat gauge of 6–7 stitches to the inch--allows for lightweight colorwork garments, but the yarn is also beautiful worked up in solid-color lacy patterns on a larger needle.  The Stitches: Embroidery adds texture and color to knitted pieces. Andi used French Knots in her Christmas-inspired napkin ring to mimic holly berries. The size of the finished French Knot is based on the weight of the yarn and whether it is wrapped once or twice around the needle. Learn how to make a French knot.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Napkin Rings pattern. If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pattern above, try these: page 1; page 2
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If you like Fresco, you'll like this one too:
	Fresco Mitts pattern available in Alpaca Stories Ravel it.
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