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Events
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Free
Knitting Toys for Charity Workshop:
Saturday, October 22: 10-12
Brown Sheep Trunk Show:
OCTOBER--all month
OPEN KNITTING:
Every Wed: 1-3PM
1st and 3rd Thurs:
5-8 PM
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| HOT OFF THE PRESS | | The Knitter's Book of Socks is here
We pre-ordered a quantity so we could get it as soon as it came out: the latest offering from the popular author of the online knitting magazine, Knitter's Review, Clara Parkes.
Word has it, a few copies were snapped up by staff who couldn't wait to get their hands on it....
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| REWARDS Reminder | | REWARDS customers:
Since initiating our Customer Rewards program over a year ago, we have been sending out courtesy email reminders about pending expiration dates for earned Rewards.
Due to the time-consuming nature of sending out ever- growing number of reminders, we have decided to discontinue this practice.
Please mark your Rewards expiration on your calendar so you remember to use it.
And remember, every time you redeem your $15 Reward, you have a chance to enter our end-of-year drawing. Ask us if we forget to have you fill out a yellow Rewards drawing slip.
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Greetings!
Novelty yarns were it back when knitting started its most recent revival. Then they sort of, um...lost their novelty. Knitters either put down their needles when they had achieved a glut of furry scarves, or took on new challenges like socks, lace, or sweaters, falling in love with stitch texture, natural fibers, and classic yarns along the way.
But modern knitters still love quick one-skein projects with a WOW factor, so yarn designers keep delivering interesting new yarn structures and effects.
Newly arrived on our shelves: Hand Spun Bouquet and Flora Fina from Pagewood Farm. These handcrafted yarns are made of wool, with hand-felted flowers sprinkled along the length of each hand spun skein. Mary and Kathleen each knitted a scarf using one of the patterns provided by the vendor. "Fast and fun," is the verdict.
 | | Hand Spun Bouquet scarf (red) and Flora Fina Scarf (white) |
There are 6 patterns to go with the yarns--including scarves, hats, and a cowl. Get one free with purchase of one skein of this unique yarn!
NOTE: The flowers on Hand Spun Bouquet slide, so you can re-position them for special effects in your knitting. Think of the possibilities... Speaking of felted flowers, we've recently replenished our needle felting supplies: needle sets, starter kits from Fiber Trends in 2 sizes, and mini-packs of colored fleeces are now in. |
| From Sheep to Skein | | | Yarnmaking 101
Earlier this month, five students gathered for a spinning workshop with guest instructor Luci Williams. Over the course of six hours split between two Saturdays, the students learned the entire process of turning raw sheep's wool into yarn, from carding to drop-spindling to wheel-spinning. Luci also talked about fleece preparation, characteristics of different fibers, and dyeing.
 | | Tools of the spinning trade |
One student got so enthused, she calculated how many more gigs as a substitute teacher she needs in order to save up enough to buy her own wheel. "I've always wanted to learn this," she said. "Thanks so much for offering this class!"  | | New spinners at work |
Everyone went home with a skein of her very own hand spun yarn, created start to finish during the course of the workshop. Now the question is: what are they going to knit with that skein?
Please let us know if you are interested in a similar workshop. We may be able to bring Luci back in November. |
Sweater Success Story
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"I" is for Intrepid
Irene Lipo brought her grand-daughter into the shop earlier this year to pick out a pattern and yarn for a sweater. The grand-daughter fell in love with a yarn we only had a few skeins of, and as luck would have it, the color, "Squash", was discontinued and no longer available from the vendor, Cascade.
We put out a call on the yarn shop network, "Skeins", to see whether we could find enough of one dyelot to do the sweater. Three or four shops had the color, but like us, only a few skeins each--all different dyelots. Irene said, "I don't care--get it," and vowed to make it work, somehow. So we collected yarns from around the country, and soon there was enough to begin.
But there was one more thing...The sweater design (by Araucania) combines knitting and crocheting in almost equal measure. And Irene didn't know how to crochet. So she took a one-hour private lesson at the shop in late spring, and left before 60 minutes was up, declaring she "got the idea."
She worked all summer long on the project. Productive progress eventually overtook "numerous rip-outs" and she brought the finished sweater in this past week for us to admire.
What grandmothers do for their grandchildren!
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Putting the "Wed" in Wednesday
| | The Wednesday afternoon open knitting group started out as mostly strangers to one another, but as happens over time and talk and stitches, they developed an interest in each other's lives.
The group decided that one of their members needed a hand-knitted shawl for her upcoming wedding. Dr. Pat (at left in photo) became the designated knitter for the project. Everyone enjoyed Katherine's surprise at the lovely gift.
(Notice the heart motif in the lace pattern.)
 | | Wed. Wedding Shawl |
The Wednesday knitters meet each week in the shop from 1:00-3:00. Pull up a chair--there's always room for one more!
 | | Shawl back view |
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