Special Rods from Bullseye

Look what’s new at Bullseye! I know I just wrote about their “Saturday Glass” but I have to tell you about their special rods!! Are you a flameworker looking for new colors to play with? Read this description of one of their colors…

10310B-T White, tinted to pale blue, with a core of Aventurine Blue (001140) and a dash of Light Aventurine Green (001412). Upon flameworking, the colors combine and the aventurine glasses surface in this mostly opalescent white and blue style. Resulting beads are streaky, often with a bit of sparkle and mottling. Lovely encased. Results will vary depending on the ratio of white to aventurine glasses. Expect variation. 90 (approx lbs in stock) $34.95 per lb.

I know I want some. Probably going to order some…and then there are the reactives. Reactive Cloud and Reactive Ice. They react with silver or copper or lead…can’t wait to use that too. And here’s one more description to entice you…

Landscape 01018A-T Streaky opalescent colors of earth and sea. Marbled yellow-green and light blue with the occasional streak of earthy brown. Depending on the rod, flameworked hues range from mostly blue to mostly green, with many combinations in between. View rods on end to get a hint about their flameworked color. Expect variation. 37 (approx lbs in stock) $34.95

Read These Next

Scandinavia is known for its sweaters, which usually include colorwork and are worked in muted colors of wool yarn. They’re nothing if not traditional, so giving that garment a modern twist is a fun approach.

Marita Clementz said in her book Knit Modern Scandi Sweaters that she wanted bolder, more colorful designs inspired by nature.

The book opens with a brief overview of needed supplies (plus the yarn she used to make her sweaters, which may be difficult to find in other countries), a discussion of yarn weigh, increasing or decreasing evenly across a project, color dominance, sizing and ease and general sweater construction. All of the garments are worked in the round from the top down, and several include short rows at the neck. She also talks about reading and adjusting charts.

The patterns follow, with lots of pictures and a large copy of the chart. Some of my favorites include Anemone, covered all over with large flowers that remind me of the 1960s; Lofoten, which features colorwork diamonds and is shown in three different colorways with three neckline options; and the cheerful zig-zagged Svalbard, inspired by the mountains and midnight sun of the island of Spitsbergen. I’m not finding the book on Ravelry as I write this but you can see some of the patterns in the preview on Amazon, linked above or the publisher’s website, linked below.

There are lots of floral motifs and geometric designs, and the patterns don’t do a ton of hand holding, so it would be good if you’ve knit a few sweaters before you try these. The skill ratings are on a scale of one to five: six are rated three, four are four and two are level five. (None are rated one or two.)

All the designs have seven sizes, which range in chest circumference from 34 to 53 inches, or 85 to 133 cm. Garments are shown on young adults and men and women (all the author’s family I think).

This book is a lot of fun if you like bold, colorful designs and cozy sweaters with a Scandinavian flair.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

Read These Next

Have you read?