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Two weekends ago, Susan and I had a booth at the GT Woman Expo. We met lots of wonderful new folks and picked up some great ideas to use this winter.
It is amazing to experience the interest in fiber arts that is occuring in our community. We are honored to be part of it and we appreciate your patronage.
And if you want, join us on Wednesday nights to pick up a new interest, or just watch. Spinning Away......
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We will be open on Labor Day from 10 am on. Then we will have our Yarn Lover's Night until 8:30 pm.
If you have some free time, stop by and help us celebrate a day that is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of
American workers.
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Classes and Workshops
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.
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What's New
Yarn
Cascade Eco Wool
A while ago Clara Parkes from Knitter's Review wrote this about the Eco Wool. Since then Cascade has added dyed colors. We have ordered sixteen different colors. Each skein has 478 yards and uses a size US 10 needles. Cascade will be sending us a sample so you are able to see how it knits up.
You may download the pattern for this sample and make one for yourself.
Cascade Sierra Quatro
We have been looking for some quality cotton/wool blend with varigated colors and found it with this yarn. It is cool and comfortable with a nice sheen of pima
cotton, with just enough elasticity added by highland Peruvian wool. This is a worsted weight that knits up at 5 stitches to an inch on a size US 7.
We have received five different colorways, so come in and check them out.
Patterns
Trellis Lace Window Topper
Add a delicate touch to any
window with this quick knit. You can stop after one repeat of the lace
pattern or keep going to make a full-length curtain of any size. Just
the topper requires approximately 200 yards of worsted weight yarn and
will fit up to a 33" window opening.
Traveling Vines Wine Cozy
If you really LOVE your wine,
keep it protected as you travel with this artful holder. You could also
make a wine gift even more special encased in this gorgeous felted bag.
The pattern requires 525 yds each of two colors wool yarn. Beginner crochet skills
needed.
Lachlann
Knit this classic set for
newborn up to 12 mos size babies. Instructions include knitting the
cardigan flat and the pants either flat or in the round on 2 circular
needles. This is sure to become a family heirloom and the set may be fashioned for
a girl or a boy.
Mairead
Wrap your newborn in this cozy
cabled set. The blanket, bunting, and cap included in the pattern are
classic enough to become family heirlooms. The bunting is knit in the
round, with a bodice of the same cable rib used in the blanket. The
cable rib watch cap with pom-pom is knit in the round. It calls for a
total of approximately 1220 yds of worsted weight yarn: 440 yds for
bunting, 750 yds for blanket, 30 yds for cap; and size 7 needles.
The shoppe is continually adding new yarn, patterns, books, and notions. If you do not see what you want, please let us know and we will work with you to find what fits your needs.
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What I am Knitting
Send out the banners. I have finally finished some knitted items. A hat, Robin's Ebb blue hat, with the pattern here and Donna's Darling Poncho from Farmhouse yarns. I used Cascade 128 for the hat - one skein and Farmhouse Silk blend for the poncho - another one skeiner. In the meantime I am working away on my thigh length rib warmer. If I had listened to Jill and Susan, I would have attached my i-cord as I knitted the vest, but instead I am attaching it now. So check back with me in a couple of week and I should be crowing about the Bea Arthur!
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Thistledown Shoppe Fine Yarns and Notions Suttons Bay, MI 49682 231-271-YARN (9276)
The Wee Shoppe with a Big Heart
Monday through Saturday 10-6 Sunday 12 -4
Yarn Lover's Night: every Monday 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Spinning Night: every Wednesday 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Kathy Dawkins, Melody Jakubiak, Betsy Eike, Jillian MacLellan, and Susan Curtis
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