New Shades of Heirloom Yarns for 2010

Heirloom have made a number of changes to their range for 2010. Whilst we've lost a few old favourites, these are far out-numbered by some fantastic additions, many of which have been long awaited.

Here's a rundown on what's new:

Merino Magic 8ply: has always offered a broad range of shades, but we were most excited to see a purple (shade 222) and light grey (shade 206) added to the mix. Both shades are going to be big in 2010, yet are versatile enough that they will never fall out of fashion. Also new this year are Navy, Beige, Pond (a dusty pale blue) and Wombat (a versatile deep brown). We say goodbye to shade 233 orange, which has been with us since we first began here at Knitting Yarns by Mail. Click here to go to our current Merino Magic shade card.

Easy Care 5 & 8ply: now also offers a light grey option (Shade 762), and a Grey/Navy flecked yarn (Shade 770) for those looking for a different effect. Shades 760 (Red), 761 (Camel) and 763 (Dark Green) are also new. Terracotta (Shade 733) and Bottle Green (745) are no longer available, although the new Dark Green is a good substitute.

Click here for 5ply. Click here for 8ply.

Alpaca 8ply: two new shades for you to try here: Shade 961 Deep Blue, a practical shade great for both mens' and womens' garments and accessories, and Shade 958 Berry, a vibrant and uplifting shade. Unfortunately we've lost Shades 934 Sage and 933 Dusty Pink, which were two of my favourites: hopefully they'll be back next year?!!

Click here for our current Alpaca 8ply shade card.

Cross Stitch Kits now at KYBM

Knitting Yarns by Mail is not just for knitting anymore!

We know that you're interested in a range of craft activities, and with our new range of gorgeous cross stitch kits, we're now making it easier for you to find them all in the one place.

We've got cross stitch kits for gifts; some for Mum that are perfect gifts for Mothers Day; lots for kids and teens, from adorable teddies, kittens and puppies to trendy bags and shoes; and a wide range for the home, to brighten up your mail stand, craft room or lounge.

To see what's in our range, click here.

We hope our new cross stitch kits will bring you hours of joy.

Zucchini, Bacon and Tomatoes on Toast

Here's a great recipe for all those of you growing your own produce. If your veggie patch looks anything like ours, you'll have a glut of zucchinis and tomatoes at the moment, and are wondering what on earth you're going to do with them all!

















Ingredients (Serves 2):

2 rashers of lean bacon, finely chopped
3 medium sized ripe tomatoes - home grown if possible
2 small or 1 medium zucchini - fresh from the garden, sliced
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Method:

Heat oil in saucepan and fry bacon pieces until cooked to taste. Remove from pan then add zucchini slices. Cook until transparent and starting to brown. Return bacon to pan and add chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes until tomato softens. Do not overcook.

Serve on hot buttered toast. Delicious!

The picture of our completed dish was taken on top of our "Planet 3" wood stove, a great workhorse in our kitchen and wonderfully warm during the winter.