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April 2011 Ewesletter


In this issue

A Celebrity in our Midst

Fun Stuff

Fleece Market Day May 7th!

Great New Yarns

Great New Books

Events and Activities

Summer Hours

 

 

Howdy all you fiber fans!

We must brag just a bit this week because we have an instructor here at the shop--a much-loved instructor by all her students!--who has made the leap from designing sweaters for herself to being on the cover--yes, the COVER--of Knitscene! Tabetha Hedrick, whom you may know if you've taken our class "Socks for Newbies" or "Lace" or "Tabetha's Elderberry Sweater", has a beautiful sweater design highlighted on the front of this month's Knitscene. Now, Tabetha is a quiet, unobtrusive but joyful and enthusiastic soul, and we've talked her into a special appearance at this month's Knit Knite on April 15th. So, here's your official invitation: Please join us at the shop to meet and greet Tabetha, to revel in her newfound celebrity, get your autographed copy of Knitscene (surely to increase in value as soon as she ends up on the cover of Vogue) and of course sign up for her classes before they fill up.

 

Less important than this but nonetheless a news item, many of you know about the Royal Wedding that will take place later this month. Of course, getting an invite to this particular party may be difficult for us Yanks, but you can instead create your own version out of yarn! Check out knitting your own Royal Wedding and you can play-act the entire ceremony with incredibly life-like wool imitations. (Isn't the Queen just perfect?)

 

March was a very eventful month--visit and "like" our Facebook page for photos from the March Mad Hatter's contest and the Museum of Contemporary Art's Sheep to Shawl Extravaganza! The hat contest was a hit as always, with almost two dozen entries both fanciful and serious. We have such talented fiber artists in our community, and many of the hats were original designs. The winner of the Best in Show award was Julia K., who crocheted a hat of Katia Paper yarn and adorned it with flowers for the perfect hat on a spring day. The First Place knitted hat, by popular vote, was also won by Julia, a Fair-Isle style tam knitted of very fine yarns. Winners also included Patty C., Patty B., Jack J., Genevieve H., Sandy, and Dee.

 

Despite previous misinformation, this year's Fleece Market Day will be held at the shop on Saturday, May 7th, from 10:30-3:30! There will be spinning demonstrations and discounts on equipment and generally a bunch of fiber fun throughout the day. Planning to put together a team for the Estes Park Sheep to Shawl contest or enter a sample in the spinning competition? This is the place to buy your fleece--jacketed, skirted, long-stapled, and generally lovely, you'll find the perfect fleece, for your spinning, for your woven shawl, or knitted project! Watch your email and our Facebook page for more details on this, the 4th Annual Fleece Market Day!

New Stuff

 

There's an opportunity this summer for you fiber artists who would like to display and sell items-- One of our instructors, Julia Keilman, is gearing up to open her Renaissance Festival booth for the fourth year and is in need of creative folks who would like a venue to sell hand-made creations. Raven End is the "fiber booth" at the Ren Fair and Julia is looking for everything fiber-related, from raw fleece to finished wearables and art pieces. Please contact Julia directly at RavenEnd113@gmail.com for all the details.

 

Spring & Summer Yarns

 

Just in this week is a brand new Noro cotton/rayon/silk blend called Tanabata. Nubbly and textured, this chunky but lightweight yarn comes in Noro's always-unique but incredibly beautiful colorways and is perfect for spring, summer and fall knits.

 

A small shipment of Punta MeriSock Handpaint and Punta Cotton has also arrived--many of you have heard that the Punta Yarns mill burned and they have been rebuilding since. The plan is to be in full production again by June, but we were able to get some of the cotton that was milled prior to the accident and stored domestically. This is a space-dyed silky-soft yarn that knits up almost to worsted gauge and you'll love the feel and look! And of course the MeriSock Handpaint has been a favorite since we introduced it--we were able to get 2 spring colors for you.

 

For more sock yarn, a new colorway of Opal, called Antonia, is on our shelves awaiting your sock needles! Additionally, Pagewood Farms is currently dyeing our order and we expect to receive shipment in the next week of Yukon, Denali, and Alyeska (that's the cashmere one, the most popular!) sock yarns.

 

And speaking of socks on needles, you may have noticed that we're now carrying Options, those beautiful multi-colored wood needles that feel so wonderful. We've got sock needle kits as well as individual sizes (and in-betweens) of DPNs, regular straight needles, and the ever-popular interchangeable sets.

 

We've stocked up on cotton yarns this year -- having checked the Farmer's Almanac and seeing it's supposed to be hot and dry -- so there's quite a variety of fibers for your summer knitting projects. From Linsey, Berroco's lovely linen blend, to Ella Rae's Phoenix, a mercerized Egyption cotton, there's sure to be a summer yarn perfect for your summer project. These cottons and blends are great for crochet too, and we have several weavers who have them on their looms as well. (Oh, and Kumihimo--the mercerized cottons make great braids!) Those who love organics will enjoy the jewel colors of Classic Elite's Sprout and Seedling, and for a little sparkle you can try Filatura di Crosa's Tiffany. For variegated color, try FDC's Tempo and Cascade's Pima Quattro, both sure to brighten your knitting basket and someone's wardrobe! Debbie Bliss' Bella is a cotton/cashmere/silk blend in her wonderful colors, and Brown Sheep's dk-weight Cotton Fleece has the added softness of a little wool.

 

Summer Project Ideas

 

Well, actually, let's start with Spring! We have several of Marie Mayhew's fun, small felted patterns, perfect for your springtime decor or gifts. Her absolutely adorable Woolly Chicks and Woolly Birds are fun and quick to knit! Add a Woolly Nest and Eggs and you have a unique centerpiece for your holiday table. Her Woolly Eggs and Woolly Bunnies round out this seasonal array of felted objects, and since they are small you have plenty of time to work them up before Easter.

 

Don't forget that lace is a great summer project, because there's so much air in a lace project! We have a wonderful selection of laceweight yarns, including Punta Lace; Jojoland Crown Cashmere; Fino; Luna; Kid Seta; and Rittrato to name a few. But cottons and linens make great lace, too! We've got a bunch of lace patterns and books for you to choose a scarf or shawl or lacy socks to take on your trips this year, just ask any of the staff and we'll get you set up with a beautiful project.

 

Take-Along Knitting from the publisher North Light Books is a compilation of easily-transported projects for your summer vacation knitting--small but lovely projects from hats to socks, even including wire knitting! As a matter of fact, small projects are great for spring and summer, portable projects you can carry to field day and graduation, in the car and on the plane, camping or just hanging out at home. (Watch future emails to hear about one customer who's taking her knitting as she hikes the entire Appalachian Trail!) We've got books and patterns to keep you inspired with portable projects--many one-skein books including the One Skein Wonders series; Ann Budd's Knitted Gifts and Knitting Green; Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas by Melanie Falick and Erika McConnell; Amigurumi Knits and for crochet Amigurumi World for the really small projects! Come and peruse our book shelves and patterns for the perfect project.

 

Did you know that weaving and spinning can be portable too? Take along your inkle or rigid heddle loom, your spindle or travelling wheel, and be ready for fiber fun! Schacht's Flip, Ashford's Knitter's loom, and Glimakra's Emilia are all folding rigid heddle looms that are set up and ready to weave in no time, no matter where you are. Inkle weaving bands can be done in the car (ok, larger cars), on the beach or in your tent. Soon-to-be-seen Schacht's Sidekick, and Ashford's Joy folding spinning wheels are perfect for any kind of travel, and spindle spinning? Anywhere! Take your favorite fiber and spindle and spin your yarn as you hike, while you sit by the campfire, watch the ball game, or even while you wait for the kids at Disneyland. We have a selection of spindles and fibers that you can peruse, and they really take up no space at all in your travel luggage.

 

Summer Reading

 

Despite keeping their hands busy, those who play with fiber have a fun selection of fiber-focused books to keep them inspired, distracted, or laughing! A Knitter's Home Companion by Michelle Edwards is a knitter's book filled with stories and recipes (yarn and FOOD??) and patterns that just warm the cockles of the heart. We have the complete selection of Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries (which jump genre from time to time to spinning and dyeing as well), set in a well-known yarn shop in Fort Collins. Then we've got Casting off by Nicole Dickson a drama set in Ireland and focused on the history of Irish fisherman knits. How to Knit a Love Song by Rachel Herron is a contemporary romantic novel featuring both a sheep rancher as well as a fiber enthusiast.

 

A fabulous new book for weavers is Peggy Ostercamp's Weaving for Beginners, with detailed instruction on looms, multiple types of warping, weaving techniques, reading drafts, software, and everything a weaver needs to know! Easily read and with a user-friendly binding, new and experienced weavers will find this book a necessary addition to their weaving reference library. Jean Scorgie's Weaver's Craft magazine rack has happily been refilled with all back issues, and we've got Jane Patrick's Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom, and Betty Linn Davenport's Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom.

 

Summer is a good time to start The Knitter's Year by Debbie Bliss, or her Design It, Knit It for Babies, both filled with classic patterns and ideas and perfect for warm-weather projects.

 

We have a new DVD shelf with lots of how-to videos, from knitting to spinning to weaving, to inspire you to greater heights as you advance in your fiber quest. If there's something you'd like that we don't have, be sure to let us know and we'd be happy to order it for you!

 

Classes

 

For the in-between summer activities, or if you're planning a stay-cation this year, consider signing up for a class! How about trying wet felting? This is working with fleece and creating objects by felting with soap and water. A great way to stay cool on a hot summer day! Or naalbinding--an ancient craft from which knitting and crochet may have evolved, it's a fun way to find out how our Viking ancestors created cloth. Are you on Ravelry? If not, or just need to find out how to navigate this fun knitting network (and crochet and spinning and weaving) join us for our class "unraveling Ravelry" to get the whole scoop from an experienced veteran. We've listed below upcoming classes (but be sure to check the schedule for more!) that still have room, but check our website classes page HERE for all the details. Then give us a call at the shop at 303-234-9337 to reserve your place in one or more of these classes!

 

Knit & Crochet

 

Weaving, Spinning, Dyeing, and Felting

 

Summer Hours, Events, and Activities

 

Well it's hard to believe it's that time again! Our summer hours are easy to remember--they are all the same as our winter hours except we are CLOSED SUNDAYS from MAY THROUGH JULY. This year, since the Easter holiday is the last Sunday in April, we're going to start with our Sunday closures on Sunday, April 24th. So, from April 24th through July, we are open Monday through Friday, from 10am to 6pm sharp, and on Saturdays from 10am to 4:30pm.

 

Knit Knite, Friday April 15th from 4:30-8pm where we regularly have great pizza for $1/slice, great conversation, and meet new friends. Don't forget, we're not just knitters--crocheter, naalbinders, and other fiber-related activities are always welcome at Knit Knite!

 

NO Spin-In Friday May 6th, because our 4th Annual Fleece Market Day, will be Saturday May 7th, from 10:30-3:30 on our front porch. This is a NEW DATE to avoid conflict with the Great West Alpaca Show which occurs on April 30th. More details to follow but if you were here last year you won't want to miss it. If you weren't here last year you won't want to miss it. You just won't want to miss it! Even if you're not a spinner or felter, it's so much fun to meet the wool producers, talk to them, see what fleece looks like right off the animal. We'll have beautiful sheep and mohair fleeces from Sister Sheep, and more! You really don't want to miss it.

 

Further ahead, mark your calendars for our first Summer Fashion Show-- Sunday August 7th! We're still in the planning stages, but this will be a whole afternoon of showing off your knitted, woven, crocheted, and felted wearables. There's no theme, and no seasonal limitations. You can model your own, or bring a model! We'll have a "runway", refreshments, and provide more details as the day draws closer. But we wanted you to know so you can get started on your projects! It will be a requirement to have purchased the yarn or fiber from The Recycled Lamb. Entry forms will be available early this summer.

 

Community Projects

 

Our current project is for Family Tree, headquartered in Wheat Ridge, (www.thefamilytree.org) and we are making additional afghans to give to each girl at their Lakewood transitional housing facility, Gemini House. If you'd like to join us, we meet each Thursday at the shop from 12-1pm (bring a lunch if you'd like!) to knit or crochet 7" x 9" rectangles and assemble them. It's a great group and there's no need to call ahead--just drop in and knit a spell. If you'd like to help out but can't make the scheduled meeting time, feel free to knit or crochet rectangles and drop them off at the shop any time.

 

Well, fiber friends and family, that's enough for now! So, Happy Spring, and keep those needles clicking, shuttles flying, dyepots simmering, hooks a-crooking and wheels a-spinning and visit us often at The Recycled Lamb!