News from Thistledown Shoppe

Socks using the Magic Loop - August 21 and 28, 6 pm - 8:30 pm

Socks are one of the most easy and portable projects ever. Betsy is a master at this craft and she will introduce you to the wonderful world of the Magic Loop.

You must be able to cast on, knit, and purl.

You will learn how to create a golf sock using a long circular needle. You will decrease, turn the heel, and pick up stitches. These techniques can be applied to any sock pattern.

Materials needed: 32" or 40" circular needle needed for gauge. Opal 6 ply or Fixation yarn.

Cost: $40.

Baby Surprise Jacket - Sundays, September 7, 14, and 21, 1 pm - 3 pm.

Skill level: You should be a basic knitter, i.e.: casting on, stockinette stitch, garter stitch.

Techniques you will learn:
· long-tail cast-on
· paired increases
· paired decreases
· picking up stitches
· one-row buttonhole
· attached I-cord
· how to plan stripes

Before class, read the instructions for the sweater, and decide what size Baby Surprise Jacket you want to make. There are suggestions in the pattern.

Buy your yarn and needles--the weight of the yarn and the size of the needles will determine the finished size of your Baby Surprise Jacket. Bring some safety pin type markers.

Before class make a swatch in garter stitch about 5" by 5". As explained in the pattern, the number of stitches per inch in your yarn on your needles will determine the size of your BSJ.

Cost: $50.00. Pattern is included in cost of class.

Sign up deadline is August 31, 2008.

Pi are Square Shawl - Saturdays, September 13 and 20, 4 pm -6 pm.

Garter stitch shawl based on the proportions of the circle, made with an opening down the front.

Will learn how to make the body of the shawl and the lace edging.

Make a sample, then plan and start to knit the project.

Techniques taught: Increasing at regular intervals
                             Using markers
                             Planning based on gauge
                             Knitting on an edge

Materials: Yarn, needle (circular preferred), book, markers, and other usual knitting notions. Graph paper, pencil, and ruler would be helpful.

Cost is $40. The book, Knitting Around, is extra.

Sign up deadline is September 6, 2008.

Felted Clogs - Wednesday, September 10, 17, and 24, 6 pm - 8 pm.

Learn to make soft, cozy slippers with the popular Fiber Trends pattern.

Skill Level: Ability to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off.

Skills you will learn: Following a written pattern, make one, SSK (slip, slip, knit), wrap & turn, picking up stitches, and three-needle bind-off.

Materials needed: Worsted weight wool that felts, US 13 24" and 16" needles, markers.

Cost: $50. Pattern is extra.

Sign up deadline is September 4, 2008.

Dyeing Workshop - Sunday, September 14, 2008 10 am - 4 pm.

Learn to dye yarn using the plant world. A little chemistry, a little magic, and a lot of fun! Our focus will be on local plants and ancient dye materials. The weather and season determines the plants that we use. We will select from the ancient dyes of weld, osage orange, logwood, cochineal, madder and others.

The ancient art of natural dyeing is being rediscovered. It is a joy to work with natural materials. Flowers, leaves, barks, roots, berries, lichens, minerals, and even insects are sources for dyes. Each dye pot is unique and individual. You will discover that nature provides us with a rainbow of colors that show up in our everyday lives.

We will use a variety of dye stuffs to color yarns in this one-day session. We will also talk about local plants that can be responsibly collected and used in season.

We will learn to prepare the yarn (or fibers) for dyeing, make the dye liquors, and dye mini skeins of yarn. * If you want to dye fleece or a larger amount of yarn for a project, please let us know whne you sign up for the workshop. We will also experiment with various mordants and after bathes to enhance/vary colors.   In addition, we will discuss safe dyeing techniques and how to dispose of spent dye baths in a responsible and respectful manner.

Pre requisites: None
Materials needed:
                   Rubber gloves (thick kitchen gloves to protect your hands from heat and dye)
                   Wear old clothes (we are working with permanent dyes)
                   Notebook and pen or pencil
                   Thin permanent marker (black or blue) for labeling
                   Masking tape (small roll) for labeling

Optional:    Apron (plastic or cloth) and a dust mask

If you have any buckets or plastic dish washing pans we can use for the day, please bring them along.

Things you may collect and bring include: carrot tops, onion skins and /or avocado peels (wash the avocado peels and let them dry), sumac tops and leaves.

Bring a propane camp stove or propane turkey fryer (if you have one). The more stoves we have, the more dyeing we can do! Please let us know ahead of time if you can bring a working stove. Enameled (no chips) or stainless dye pots. These cannot be used for foods after dyeing in them, so go to a thrift shop if you want to begin your dye studio.

Presented by:

Kathryn Rowe Drescher. Kathy is a dyer, weaver, knitter, and spinner from Traverse City/Rockford, with 30 years of dyeing and teaching experience. She is looking forward to sharing her love of color and the magic of dye with us.

Kathy Kolenda is a dyer, knitter and spinner from the Rockford area.

Workshop fee: $80 Registration closes September 5, 2008.

Materials fee:   $14., payable to instructor on day of class, covers the cost of fuels, pre-wound sample yarn skeins, dyes, mordants, and handouts.

Please bring a sack lunch. Water and teas will be provided.

The class is limited to 15 participants.