
One of the most exciting new yarns of the season comes to fibre space™ this week – The Fibre Company’s Acadia (rav link). Acadia is a two-ply blend of merino, baby alpaca, and silk. This Friday, we will be one of the first shops in the nation to have this yarn in stock. Come down and admire it in person (and maybe get yourself a skein or two)!
The Fibre Company puts months of development and careful thought into each new yarn it creates, and Acadia is another masterpiece. With its DK weight and range of glorious colors, this yarn is a must for warmer weather knitting. The different fibers in Acadia take dye in slightly different ways, giving the yarn a tweedy appearance, and the silk has occasional slubs reminiscent of The Fibre Company’s Terra.

The Fibre Company has already released a free pattern for Acadia, the beautiful Avery Cowl (rav link) designed by Kate Gagnon Osborn. Although you won’t be wearing a cowl in the DC heat this summer, this is a great project to take with you when you’re traveling – compact enough to rest on your lap and yet interesting enough to keep you busy. The lace in the cowl is beautiful – you’ll get lots of compliments on your handiwork.
Another cowl option is the Wicker Cowl (rav link), also a free download and also designed by Kate. The Wicker Cowl was designed for The Fibre Company’s Savannah, but the two yarns may be substituted for each other. The very simple Honey Cowl (rav link), another free pattern, would show off Acadia’s tweediness nicely.

Not feeling cowl-ish? Consider making the Linden Shawl (rav link), a wrap designed by Courtney Kelley that proves modern shawls can be chic. Simple yet beautiful, lacy yet not too frilly, Linden would be lovely over a little black dress on a summer evening or paired with jeans and a tank top on the beach.Or try it with a short summer dress, the way the model is wearing it! The options are endless.
Consider knitting Linden in one of the more complex colors, like Summersweet or Dusk, to give your stitches some depth – or choose a deep color like Blackberry to give the shawl some oomph.

If you really want to pamper yourself with Acadia – and especially if you work in one of those offices where the air conditioning is always cranked – you’ll make yourself a cardigan.
Heidi Kirrmaier‘s Peasy Cardigan (rav link) has a lace panel at the yoke and 3/4 sleeves to make this a transition garment. Knit from the top down, this is a great pattern for an intermediate beginner who wants to move beyond hats and scarves. The pattern is available as a Ravelry download in a range of sizes from XS (32) to XXL (50).
If you prefer your cardigans a bit simpler, check out Hannah Fettig’s new Spring Ribbed Cardigan (rav link). It has lovely half-sleeves and a ribbed pattern that clings in the right places. Another top-down pattern, it’s available as a Ravelry download and is available in bust sizes 32 through 56.