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Welcome to the May issue of Spotlight. We have been gratified to hear your positive comments and will continue to bring you more news about yarns and the companies behind them. In this issue, we're putting the spotlight on Tahki Stacy Charles. It's a typical story of American entrepreneurialism, market adaptation, and knitting trends in America. Tahki Yarns was founded in 1969 by Diane Friedman and her partner, Margo Demetral. The Tahki Yarns brand has always stood for pure fibers and value prices. In 1999, when Diane's partner decided to retire, the company merged with Stacy Charles, Inc., becoming Tahki Stacy Charles, where Diane remains an active partner. In case you're wondering, there really is a Stacy Charles behind the name, and he's been a force in American knitting since 1979. Five years after going to work for his aunt and uncle and learning the business "from the ground up," Stacy Charles founded his own import and distribution company, Stacy Charles, Inc. This was a time when knitting was heavily influenced by designers, and Stacy led the field by importing the finest Italian yarns with licenses from designers Valentino, Versace, Enrico Coveri and Missoni. Emphasis on quality products, luxury fibers and sophisticated fashion is the foundation of all TSC lines.
Tahki Stacy Charles offers four separate brands with a broad spectrum of fibers and designs, for knitters of every age and style: Tahki Yarns, Filatura di Crosa, S. Charles Collezione and Loop-d-Loop. Tahki Yarns offers value and weekend wear. Filatura Di Crosa features European elegance and flair. S Charles Collezione presents luxury fibers and fashion mix-and-match colors. Loop-d-Loop brings unique yarns and the fashion sensibility of designer Teva Durham.
Yarnmarket is pleased to bring you the entire Tahki Yarns collection, along with the S. Charles Collezione collection. We think you will find these yarns as exciting as we do.
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Win a Tahki Yarns Summer Gift Package Worth $130+
See details below »
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An enduring favorite, this classic 100% mercerized cotton in DK weight comes in an amazing range of 125 colors! Stoke your creativity with the nearly endless potential of this finely crafted lustrous yarn.
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NEW! Cotton Classic is now available in a lighter, finer version that's perfect for lace, tanks, summer cardigans and crochet. Lite has the same luster, quality and rich color of its big sister. Fine gauge fans will love this yarn.
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This iconic 100% Irish wool tweed is synonymous with the Tahki label. The traditional homespun worsted weight yarn is available in lots of fashionable colors that look fabulous alone or mixed with other solids.
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NEW! Organically grown Good Earth cotton is undyed. The soft ribbon yarn glows with fresh natural pigments. This lightweight yarn is not just eco-friendly. It knits into a lightweight, cool and supple fabric.
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This 100% wool roving yarn is all about natural beauty. It's available in 5 natural sheep heathers and 6 mixed blends created with low-impact dyes. This rugged beauty knits up quickly at a gauge of 2.5 stitches to the inch.
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A luxurious blend of 44% extrafine merino, 44% alpaca and 12% nylon for extra body, Dove is a medium weight yarn with excellent stitch definition and a velvety finish. Find 5 designs for Dove in Tahki's Modern Romance book.
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52% silk plus 48% wool equals 100% luxury. Ten classic colors in a medium weight yarn make Savoy a perfect choice for year-round wardrobe basics. It delivers the sheen of silk and the light weight of wool for comfort and style.
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Like a gentle summer shower, Rain is soft, supple and refreshing. 70% soft viscose crispened with 30% linen gives Rain a flowing drape. Contrasting matte and shiny finishes of the fibers add to the beauty of this NEW yarn.
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Tahki reinterprets a classic by mixing 60% merino, 26% rayon and 14% silk in creating New Tweed, an elegant and light weight choice for all season jackets, cardigans and pullovers. We have 10 luscious colors in stock.
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The fibers artists at Tahki added a thin, shiny thread of nylon to the roving-like look of wool, acrylic & mohair to create a rustic look. The thick and thin texture makes magical scarves, sweaters, jackets and hats.
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Excitement and challenge. Simplicity and elegance. Nature and purity. These words capture the essence of Stacy Charles. Considered one of the industry’s foremost fashion visionaries, Stacy Charles still appreciates the value of traditional quality and endurance. He prefers timeless fashions -- classic designs in high-quality, natural fibers. That’s likely why his favorite fashion designers are the Italian Missoni family whose vision, love of color and blending of textures have made them one of the most appreciated Milanese fashion houses.
Stacy, who prefers clean lines on simple styles says, "I work with an incredible team, led by Adina Klein, that includes Rosemary Drysdale and so many other talented designers. We start with concepts based on a variety of ideas or themes. Often we build backwards from the final looks we hope to achieve and roll into it from photography and styling."
Not only does Stacy look to Europe for the runway styles that set the trends, it’s where he goes to stay on top of the knitting fashion scene. He never misses the massive Pitti Filati yarn show in Florence, and whenever possible he attends the prestigious Premiere Vision show just outside of Paris. At these events, that attract fashion designers and buyers from throughout the world, Stacy examines new products the mills have developed, and determines which are destined for the Tahki Stacy Charles line of yarns. Asked where he finds inspiration for his products, Stacy tells us, “Mostly from the color and texture of component yarns.” His first company started with novelty yarns, so his answer isn’t surprising.
After 33 years he says he still gets excited about creating a new collection every six months, "I think it’s an evolving process. Since there are very few new ideas and concepts whether it be fashion or yarn, it’s about creating new proportion or tweaking and refining continuously.
For the Spring 2010 season, Stacy presented fibers from the eco and natural story lines. Tahki's Good Earth Cotton yarn is featured in city chic styles enhanced by the soft, organically-grown cotton. Filatura Di Crosa Tempo yarn is a rustic, nubby cotton blend perfect for casual comfort.
Stacy tells us that Autumn 2010 will bring simple silhouettes, multi directional stitches, and unique textural yarns. Best of all, after a few seasons of somber grays and blacks, he says we’ll be seeing the return of gorgeous, glorious color. When asked what we should expect in new yarns, Stacy suggested we’ll continue to see a focus on natural fibers, but there will always be room for fun, too.
"I love developing new products," he says, "creating the yarns. For me, it’s all about the product and fashion. I also love the interaction with shops and the relationships I’ve established." Though he says he doesn’t much think about his celebrity status, shop owners value their relationship with him, and a personal visit by Stacy is considered a major coup – not only for the store personnel, but also for the customers who might benefit from an impromptu demonstration of technique. Stay alert, you never know who you’ll run into in the aisles of your local yarn shop.
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This sweet little cami is one of our most popular projects. The scalloped bottom edge and little bobbles on the skinny straps add texture and interest to this wonderful summer top in Classic Cotton. Wear it alone on warm summer days or layer it when the nights turn chilly.
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Summer weddings, evening affairs and cool days by the shore. There are lots of times you'll want to wear this beautiful shawl in Cotton Classic. A number of different motifs are used to create this beautiful piece that will add fashion and flair to any outfit. Finished size is 120 x 26".
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Cats, cats, and more cats adorn this whimsical afghan. Tahki's Donegal Tweed is warm and comfy, and the the natural colors will appeal to all cat lovers. Designed with kitties in all their cutest poses, it has a border of tiger stripes and paw prints. This portable project is knit block by block.
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Straight from Greetings From the Knit Café, this charming skirt by Kat Coyle is knit from the top down to the flare edge and features an attached wide lace border. In Cotton Classic and sized for ages 1 to 3, this frilly and feminine skirt will be every little girl's favorite.
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Everyone knows that hats are the big fashion accessory. This stylish beret created with Presto will be a perfect addition to any autumn wardrobe. The band is knit separately and buttons off to the side for an added style element. You'll want to make several of these pretty hats.
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Picture this top with a flowing summer skit. The simple v-neck sweater is created with Rain yarn. The sleeves are a bit longer than your average short sleeves for a chic look while a plunging neckline provides a sexy silhouette. The neckline is finished with a lacy stitch pattern that is very simple and looks fabulous.
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Dove's luxurious blend of alpaca and soft merino plus unique styling in this feminine cardigan create an unforgettable garment that you will love to knit and wear. Cinched at the waist by a twisted cable panel that gives way to a softly gathered peplum, it looks great with jeans or a skirt.
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The subtle shimmer from a fine metallic strand sets off the cables and ribbing in this cropped cable vest knit in Tahki's Nova yarn. The open shape curves around your rib cage, where it ties and is prettily finished with a crocheted picot edge. Transition from spring to summer with this piece.
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Look closely and you'll see the intricate color work in this sweater is just simple stripes knit in Palma. Tahki's 100% organic cotton self-striping yarn is dyed using an eco-friendly, low-impact process that yields dramatic tone-on-tone effects. This pretty jacket fits sizes 2-6 and makes every day a party.
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Pretty yet casual, this cute cropped hoodie is created with Cotton Classic yarn. Two different stitch patterns are used to create textural interest and appeal. The cropped top has a feminine gathering tie at the waistline while the hood gives a super casual look.
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Romantically feminine, this lacy cardigan can go from day to night with style. It's knit in Savoy, an elegant blend of silk and wool. Fine detailing sets it apart with features like flared 3/4 sleeves, a lacy bodice, garter stitch waist and flared peplum set off by wedge shaped and textured godets.
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This drapey swing vest is created with "Good Earth Cotton" yarn from Tahki Yarns. Short rows are used to create the draping ruffles on the front of this vest that is really an attention-grabber. So cute over just about any top with jeans!
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Baby Print »
Flower »
Siena »
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Win a Tahki Yarns Summer Gift Package worth $130. This fantastic prize includes a copy of Tahki Yarns Garden Variety plus 10 skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic and 10 skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic Lite.
To enter, you must answer this question: "Tahki Stacy Charles distributes four brands of yarns, all of which are available at Yarnmarket. What are the names of those brands?"
Send an email with your answer to
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.
Entries must be received by 5/17/2010 at midnight ET. A winner will be selected at random on 5/18/2010 and announced in our blog, Shear Bagatelle.
Congratulations!
The winner of our Noro Spotlight gift package worth over $150 was Dee F. of Wilmington, DE.
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