"Give yourself over to absolute pleasure." ~ Dr. Frank N. Furter
home
what's new
about us
yarns
colors
designs
retailers
community
search
contact us
     
 


erspective


"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything."

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Over the course of the last several months, I have been called to cultivate patience in all aspects of my life: personally, professionally, and spiritually - as a parent, partner, friend, and artist. Patience is like gravity, and I know it is puling me toward some kind of truth or center.

With fingers crossed and mojos working, I am (deep breath) finishing a book. Actually, it is finished; the manuscript was delivered in the spring of this year, but the editing process lingers. Though I know all parties involved have the book's best interest at heart, it is hard to be patient with the process, and to simply " live" the experience. Hopefully, the manuscript will soon be making its happy journey to the printer by the end of summer.

Writing was an unmitigated joy. Designing was bliss, as it is always. The topic provided great soil for growing original ideas; good time was spent in the "lab" (so to speak), embarking on new color and shape adventures with each piece. The creative challenge was centering, satisfying, and, simultaneously, remarkably difficult. The photo shoot, at the time we did it, felt like the hardest thing I had ever done. I wore many hats during the shoot - art director, stylist, prop mistress, caterer, and, of course, author. The images are exquisite, the models are gorgeous, and there is a beautiful synergy between the topic, the imagery and the writing.

The post-partum process has proved to be for me, personally, the most demanding part. Surrendering the manuscript felt huge; dealing with getting it ready for publishing has been bigger, and requires a daily practice of patience. Editing, revising, tightening, letting go - all of these qualities and more have been a part of the process since delivering the manuscript. I have grown immensely and hope I have become a better writer (and person) as a result of this all-encompassing experience.

The virtue of patience will be realized in 2008, when Potter Craft/Random House releases the book. I trust the final version will convey the love I have for the topic, and that the designs offered will provide a unique and exciting experience to the knitting world. Watch this page for more information. When it is cool to really let the cat out of the bag about the book, I will.

I have always heard that having children tests one's patience. Having now done both, raised kids and written a book, I am here to say - writing a book, or rather, publishing a book, takes the cake. My good friends and trusted colleagues keep reassuring me that, once I am holding that sleek, resolved, high-resolution final copy of my labor in my hands, it will be like childbirth. Despite screaming, "Cut this baby out of me!" at the top of my lungs to my very patient midwife who helped birth my daughters at home, a few moments after each painful delivery (what a word), I said angelically, "That wasn't so bad." The parallels are simply unavoidable -so may writing, or birthing, a book find me saying again, "That wasn't so bad."

I hope so, as I am now beginning the second book, due in the spring of 2009. That's some gestation period - and another opportunity to cultivate patience.

- Gina Wilde, Artistic & Creative Director, Alchemy

 
Now Available from Amazon.com!
• See All 20 Patterns •

• Find the Yarns Here •

This is a knit trip — a textile travel adventure for the discriminating fiber artist. Your journey will take you to the land of exquisite hand paint luxury yarn, where extraordinary natural fiber meets authentically artistic color. In this dynamic collection we offer 20 unique adventures through lands of sensational color and texture, focusing on three of Alchemy's internationally-renowned fibers — Haiku, Silken Straw, and Silk Purse. Guided by pattern maps that ensure individual success, this collection of Alchemy original designs will take you to exotic knitting destinations, with the thrill only knit travel can provide. Relax, sit back and remember: it's not just a destination. It's a journey to ports of creativity, luxury, and the world of Alchemy.


Drop everything and grab the new Vogue Knitting!! This is the long-awaited 25th Silver anniversary issue, with Adina Klein as the new Editor-in-Chief. Featured on the cover is Alchemy Yarns Silk Purse, our inimitable 100% silk light worsted single ply, in a wonderfully original Nicky Epstein design. To call it a scarf hardly does the work justice - it is 25 silk flowers, knit in subtle combinations of three Alchemy colors - Silver, Pewter, and Diamonda - in such an honorable way for this momentous occasion. Click HERE to find retailers that have these colors. Scroll down to "Silk Purse for Vogue" and hit GO! Heartfelt thanks to everyone at Vogue for their continued support.

We have extraordinary new designs for fall! Please visit our Design page and delight in Alchemy's decadent feast of color, texture, and sensational shapes!
The Rockstar sensation continues! Good people all over the world continue to request the pattern daily. We've corrected some errata for the perennial Alchemy fave so please click here for corrected charts and other info, and thanks for your patience as we eliminated the last bugs out of this amazing design. We are honored this design has been so well received and we will continue to provide more innovative designs to keep our knitters rocking!



NEW FIBERS FOR 2007!

Alchemy proudly introduces Migrations! This fabulous fiber is custom-milled and spun-dyed to create a unique experience in color journeying for the most discriminating fiber artist. An elegant light worsted weight, the hand is lovely, the colors are subtle and evocative, and the quality is everything you expect from Alchemy. All this, and it's priced in a wonderfully affordable way! We have several innovative designs that feature the new fiber. We are currently creating a new page for our fabulous new offering; in the meantime, please visit Purl in Manhattan or online to see some of the color options (www.purlsoho.com) available in Migrations.

New Colors for 2007 - 18 enticing new colors, our Delectable palette, to be posted soon.



LOOKING FOR ALCHEMY? VISIT OUR NEW SEARCH FEATURE!!

We've added new technology to our site to assist in finding you exactly the fiber and design you need! Looking for Synchronicity (our silk/merino blend)? Just type it in and hit "search." Trying to find the design "The Origamist" at a store near you or online? This feature should make it much easier, but if you need help finding anything, just write us: alchemyyarns@pacbell.net



RETAILERS

We are pleased to welcome to our Alchemy retail family:

Alamitos Bay Yarn Co., Long Beach, CA
Lori's Frames, Fibers & Frills, Alpine, CA
Sheep To Shore, Nantucket, MA
Wookworks, Balitimore, MD
The Knitting Room, Birmingham, MI
Knit A Round Yarn Shop, Ann Arbor, MI
Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio, Lansing, MI
Knit Knack, Maplewood, NJ
Modern Yarn, Montclair, NJ
Now & Zen, Greenport, NY
Katonah Yarn Company, Katonah, NY
Brooklyn General Store, Brooklyn, NY
Cire Knitting Salon, Rockville Center, NY
Knitty City, New York, NY
Knitting & Stitching, New York , NY
Knitting 321, New York, NY
Temptations, Dublin, OH
Knit One, Pittsburgh, PA
Needlepoint Joint, Ogden, UT
At of Yarn, Kelowna, BC, CANADA

Click here for the full list of Alchemy retailers.


COMMUNITY

Coming soon! Win Beautiful Alchemy Yarn!

Uppity Knitters Unite!

Send us your most clever, cliche or just plain strange photo of yourself, your child/animal/significant other with your knitting. Make it drip with sarcasm, or simply stun us with grace and beauty. Give Alchemy your best Uppity Attitude! We'll post a gallery of entries, and will award at least 3 winners good loot. This is the first time we've tried this, so let's see how technically savvy we can be on our end.

Watch this space for more exciting details on submission.



Check out
The Mother Bear Project

 

   

 

Update on the Alchemy Farm

They Come in Three Sizes: The Canine Compendium.
Part Three: Lou, The Little Man of the House

 

     

ALCHEMY IN PRINT

KNIT PERIODICALS



Drop everything and grab the new Vogue Knitting!! This is the long-awaited 25th Silver anniversary issue, with Adina Klein as the new Editor-in-Chief. Featured on the cover is Alchemy Yarns Silk Purse, our inimitable 100% silk light worsted single ply, in a wonderfully original Nicky Epstein design. To call it a scarf hardly does the work justice - it is 25 silk flowers, knit in subtle combinations of three Alchemy colors - Silver, Pewter, and Diamonda - in such an honorable way for this momentous occasion. Click HERE to find retailers that have these colors. Scroll down to "Silk Purse for Vogue" and hit GO! Heartfelt thanks to everyone at Vogue for their continued support.

Pick up the spring/summer 2007 copy of Interweave Knits and be blown away by Shirley Paden's positively stunning lace blouse, knit in Alchemy's unique Silken Straw. The esteemed Ms. Paden bestows a true gift to the fiber world with her detailed and impeccable design knit in Alchemy.

Knit 1 has a super-sizzling Alchemy feature in their popular Green Issue, with a sensation and sexy bolero in the famed Silken Straw fiber. Knit in our lush colorway Rainforest (a subtle masterpiece of rich chartreuse green, teal, and earthy greens). The palette is perfectly suited to the cleverly designed piece, and our phone is ringing off the hook with folks wanting to knit this in droves!

Knitty knocks it out of the ball park with Olga Buraya-Kefelian's extraordinarily subtle and sophisticated silk sheath, ZinZin. Knit (yet again!) in our fabulous Silken Straw, the shapely, sultry silhouette is an elegant match for our sensuous fiber, which fits the body like the best fiber should.

Visit Knitty to see this absolute winner, in the Summer 2007 issue! www.knitty.com

KNIT BOOKS

Gina Wilde, Alchemy's Creative Director, has recently finished a book with Potter Craft. Her offering will be published in spring, 2008. Watch for more exciting news on this publication!

Folk Knits is coming! Mags Kandis and the good people at Interweave Press are bringing out the newest in their distinguished series, and feature a cutting-edge felted tote designed by our own Gina Wilde. The Fair Aisle piece is a wonderful study in color & texture; knit from the lush silk/merino DK fiber, Alchemy Sanctuary. The tote is inspired by Wilde's love of basket weaving, and synthesizes the cultures of the Appalachian Mountains with the Pima Indians. Marilyn Webster also contributes a sensational patchwork pillow, a reflection of the colors of India, her childhood home - knit from Alchemy's Silk Purse fiber.

Clara Parkes highly anticipated book, The Knitter's Guide to Yarn (Potter Craft) is being released in the fall of 2007. The book is lovely and original, full of the wit and wisdom we have grown to trust in the lively Ms. Parkes. There are two pieces designed by Gina Wilde in this refreshing collection, a colorful bolero in Alchemy Synchronicity, and a fun-loving hat made from Alchemy Wabi-Sabi.

Son of Stitch and Bitch uses Alchemy in a fabulous new design - to be released this fall! (Workman Press). Thanks to Debbie Stoller for including Alchemy in one of her amazing and genre-defining books.

Susan Cropper has a delightful book, Pretty Knits: 30 Designs from Loop in London. From Potter Craft Books, there is an exquisite dress knit in our Synchronicity, in the delicious hue of Citrine. Check it out!

No Sheep for You! Amy Singer's made a fine book with this wonderful collection of designs. Be sure to find the Alchemy Bamboo design in this dynamic and innovative offering, from Interweave Press.

Knit 2 Together, from the incredible Tracey Ullman (with Mel Clark) (and STC Books) showcase Alchemy's Bamboo.

With Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them, Annie Modesitt and Drew Emborsky (Lark Books) feature a lush Men's Pullover in Alchemy Synchronicity, and coordinating canine kerchief.

Vogue on the Go! Crocheted Scarves Two (6th and Spring) has an enticing Alchemy piece, created by none other than the multi-talented Chi Ling Moy. Knit from our Promise fiber (or our wildly successful silk/mohair lace-weight fiber Haiku), the piece is a fascinating study in texture and subtle tone-on-tone color.

Check out the always-exciting Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers. The creative guru works her magic with Alchemy's Silk Purse (100% silk) and offers to-die for flowers in this fabulous collection of embellishment.



TNNA
We had a great show in Columbus, Ohio, 2007. Great to see all of our old friends and make loads of new friends, too. We debuted over 25 new designs, as well as new fibers, and introduced our exquisite palette of "delectable" for 2007. Be sure to check with your favorite retailer for all of the fresh and exciting creations from Alchemy!


REMEMBER: If there is not a great retailer in your neck of the woods, and you want to investigate anything you read about on our site, visit our new SEARCH feature. Simply type in what you're looking for (a design, a yarn), and the search engine will locate a store that carries your desire. Our retailers are happy to ship!


One Free and Beautiful Design – The Glam Kerchief design by Gina Wilde



(download pattern)

Decadent fiber knit in a simple miter creates this most versatile piece - We've made it in our Bamboo, Pagoda, and Ritual. Worn as a cravat, a sensational kerchief over the head, or as a smashing scarf, this is old school glamour.

Other Free and Beautiful Designs

Mesh Scully
Stupa Bella
Unique Scarf
Mare's Mouse


Oops - To Err Is Human, To Knit Divine
Check here for corrections to our patterns – the occasional typo, miscalculation, cut & paste error, or just plain bonehead mistake should stand corrected.

 


 


 
Copyright ? 2003 Alchemy Yarns. All Rights Reserved