The Recycled Lamb

In this issue:

‡ New Books and Yarns and other stuff

‡ Classes

‡ Community Knitting

‡ International Year of the Natural Fiber

Howdy all you fiber fans!

There's been a global activity that you should all be aware of, not necessarily related to fiber but certainly worth appreciating and taking part in 'cuz it's absolutely awe-inspiring! There's no special name for it, but we keep reading and hearing about the advances of kindness, and perhaps the global economic situation has engendered this kindness movement, a shift to an awareness of others and the importance of each individual in the infinite scheme of things? Who knows, but what a wonderful idea, and certainly worth supporting. First, one of our kind customers Lynn brought in and shared the kindness bracelet with her whole knitting class — you know, like the "Livestrong" and other flexible bracelets worn to show support of an activity — but this one is to show support for kindness. You can find the bracelet and more information at www.worldbracelet.org. Secondly, we discovered the most wonderful little restaurant in Evergreen, called Da Kind Soups. When the owners, Dustin and Arianne, were asked about the name, they explained that a famous chef called the soup course of a meal "the kindest course", so they decided that the purpose of their business is "to spread kindness through soup". And kind and good it is — you can check them out at www.dakindsoups.com or just stop in at 27883 Meadow Drive in Evergreen for a dose of kindness and a bowl of the tastiest soup you've ever had. Then, recently, it was noted in a newspaper article (see http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/05/01/germany-citywide-charm-offensive/) that the city of Berlin, well known for its surly inhabitants, has started a campaign to become more kind, called Freundlichkeitsoffensive. Yes, yes, of course, the ultimate goal is to make the city more attractive to tourists, but what a wonderful way to go about it! Our customers here at The Recycled Lamb are the kindest folks we know, too, 'cuz they're always working to create beauty for others to enjoy — whether it be handknit, handwoven, handspun, or crocheted, the beauty created and the generosity of you wonderful people enhance the lives of all whom you come in contact with, and isn't that just the definition of kindness?

New Yarns Books and other stuff

We've acquired a whole shelf-full of new books this month! To start with, Alterknit, by Leigh Radford and John Rizzo, and Alterknit Felt by Leigh Radford and John Mulligan, are two great books that we've not had on our shelf before. Alternative applications of knitting and felting, using perhaps not-before-thought of materials (like knitting with crepe paper?), designs that are fanciful yet absolutely practical are the focus here.

Next, back in print and in softcover, is Weekend Knitting, by Melanie Falick. Excellent patterns, stunning designs, and no project too big, you'll keep this book handy for those times when a smaller project (think Fair Isle market bags, stylish cushions, reversible scarves, socks, and even finger puppets!) just fits the bill.

Interweave Press just released Feminine Knits, by Lene Holme Samsoe, a collection of, well, feminine knits! Flattering silhouettes, lovely lace, some inspired by vintage styles, this book has patterns for knitters of all skill levels, and includes jackets, pullovers, tanktops and accessories.

Knitting to Share:25 Projects to Show You Care by Gerard Allt, is for those times when the focus is on someone else, from charity knitting to cherished gifts for loved ones.

For the crocheter, we've got in a great new book called Tasty Crochet by Rose Langlitz — a book of 33 delicious crocheted items that look good enough to eat! Fun and fanciful, these patterns range from main course (turkey drumsticks) to side dishes (asparagas spears???) to salads and desserts (pumpkin pie, fruits, and cakes, of course). Great for gifts, it's the edible side of amigurumi, quick to create and just fun to look at!

Weavers and potential weavers, we've got two new books in for you — first, Interweave Press's Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson. In this book 17 projects for the rigid heddle loom but easily adaptable to multiple-harness looms include placemats, scarves, bags, cushions and more. Easy-to-follow loom guide and patterns make this a great first-project book. Secondly, we've got Mastering Weave Structures:Transforming Ideas into Great Cloth by Sharon Alderman. You'll be inspired by Sharon's clear study course, learning with each page more about designing fabulous fabrics using sett, tie-up, and threading options, and especially by the photos of her stunning fabrics.

Spinners, we even have another new book for you! Spin Control, by Amy King is yet another Interweave Press (they're a busy bunch up there in Loveland!) book we'll have in the shop shortly! Released the 1st of this month, this book will show you how to adjust your wheel to spin the yarn you want, from bulky to novelty to lace, using the usual as well as less traditional spinning techniques.

You'll have noticed the increase in dyeing classes here (what fun we're having playing with all those colors — Check out the classes and join us!) and to accompany that we have the books The Yarn Lover's Guide to Hand Dyeing by Linda LaBelle and Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook. AND we're now carrying natural dyes by The Dyeworks, currently we have the extract kits (these save you all the work of extracting the dye from the twigs, berries and bugs!) with the "season" colors but we will continue to add to our inventory. We still carry Cushing Dyes, the acid dyes favored by many, and will soon have the Knit-One Crochet-Two Culinary colors, kitchen-safe dyes and kits which include whole projects.

In the yarn and fiber department, we've gotten in Sirdar's new Baby Bamboo, a washable, glossy easy-to-knit-with baby yarn and a great pattern book full of stylish patterns dedicated to bamboo! Also in finally is the pattern book to accompany Crofter, Sirdar's DK-weight self-striping yarn that is simply flying off the shelf. On order is more Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn, a bamboo/merino blend of handpainted sock-knitter's dreams, and we've got Mountain Feat handpainted superwash Merino sock yarn from Lonesome Stone. Ella Rae Bamboo Silk is in with some great new vibrant jewel-toned colors, and the near-lace-weight Auracania Itata (70% wool, 15% silk, 15% bamboo) which came in last month is proving quite popular, for sweaters AND socks, lovely and soft to knit and the Auracania signature handpaint colors are a joy to look at both before and after knitting!

Just in is Northern Lights, a hand-painted roving that spins up into the loveliest yarn you've ever seen. New from Louet, this almost pencil-roving thickness is easy for even the most novice spinners to spin, and the colors are magnificent. And we just got notice that Schacht Spindle Company has designed a new Niddy-Noddy, light weight and balanced, adjustable for two lengths of skeins, in either cherry or maple. We'll have these beauties in the shop just as soon as we can get them here! And speaking of Schacht, don't forget about the "I Made It On My Schacht Contest, with entries due by Sept 1! Check out their website, www.schachtspindle.com or ours, http://www.recycledlamb.com/events/index.html, for more information.

Classes

We've got some fun classes scheduled for the summer — be sure to call the shop right away at 303-234-9337 to reserve your spot for these great opportunities to learn new skills. Keep on eye on the classes page for all the details!

Well, to start with, we've had several requests for drop-spindle spinning classes, so we've scheduled 3! This is a one-session class to get you started spinning the yarn you want on a portable, fun-to-use spindle. $40 includes spindle and fiber

A: Saturday June 27th, 1-3pm

B: Wednesday July 15th, 6-8pm (this one using the wonderful Turkish spindle!)

C: Saturday August 8th, 10-12pm

Next we've got Combination Knitting, also known as Speed knitting — a one-evening class Combination knitting combines Eastern and Western knitting methods for knitting and purling evenly (and up to 3x faster), ribbing any K/P configuration without counting stitches, etc. Especially for knitters currently carrying the yarn in the right hand, and for Continental knitters eager to streamline their knitting speed. Knit a simple dishcloth with “Jeannee” yarn while gaining flexibility (and health) in your overall approach to knitting.

$25 plus materials

A: Thursday June 25th, 6-8pm

B: Tuesday July 14th 2-4pm

Then a couple of Moebius classes, the ever-popular one-edged, one-sided unique knitting technique that creates simply beautiful designs for wearables and home items!

Mobius Mania I: The Moebius Scarf Tuesdays, July 14 & 21, 6-8 pm

The Moebius scarf is fascinating to knit, fun to wear, and will lead you to new twists (literally!) in hats, shawls, bags and more (see next class). Unleash your inner outrageous knitter while crafting a fun wardrobe accessory for casual to dressy attire (it’s great when skiing this winter, too!). $35 plus materials.

Moebius Mania III: The Trifold Moebius Bowl Tuesdays, August 4 & 11, 6-8pm

This felted bowl is topped with a one-sided loop of three half twists, forming graceful petals around its rim. The ultimate Moebius experience!

$35 plus materials. Prerequisite: The Moebius Scarf class (above), or solid skill with Cat Bordhi’s Moebius cast-on + one project from her Treasury books.

The Natural Dye class was so popular we've scheduled another one with guest instructor Donna Brown!

Dyeing Silk and Wool with Natural Dye Extracts

Sunday, July 19, 2009, 9am - 5pm

$95 includes all materials

Experience the different vibrant intense colors of natural dyes on protein fibers using a variety of silk and wool yarns. Learn the easy steps for successful immersion dyeing from preparing the fiber, mordanting, weighing the dyes, preparing the dye pot, and experiencing the beautiful natural dye palette. This is a beginner’s hands-on class that will be your foundation for all of your dyeing projects. Experienced dyers are also welcome. The techniques learned can be applied to cellulose yarns and natural fiber fabrics. Take home complete instructions and a swatch set of yarns representing a full spectrum of basic colors.

Additionally, we've got the following classes already scheduled and with space remaining — check the classes page on our website for all the info, and if you'd like to register please call the shop at 303-234-9337:

June Classes

Beginning Tapestry Weaving — starts Monday, 6/8

Sock Knitting for the Newbie — starts Wednesday, 6/10

Needlefelted accessories — one session, Wednesday 6/10
Fleece washing and preparation — one session, starts Thursday, 6/11

Rigid Heddle Weaving — Starts Thursday 6/11
Beginning Knitting — Starts Wednesday, 6/24 10-12am

Color Kicks, a Dye class for cottons and vegetable fibers — starts Saturday, June 20

Edie's famous Entrelac Scarf class — starts Tuesday, 6/16

Beyond Beginning Knitting, two NEW classes, — starts Tuesday 6/16 at 3pm AND another class at 6pm, 4 sessions, $60

Intermediate Spinning (remember those aforementioned fleeces?) — Starts Thursday, June 18

Intermediate Knitting, two NEW classes — starts Thursday June 25th 6-8pm AND Friday June 26th, 12:30-2:30pm, 4 sessions, $60

July Classes

Color Kicks, a Dye class for wool and animal fibers — Starts Saturday July 11

Turkish Drop Spindle Spinning, one session, July 15 6-8p

August Classes

Drop Spindle Spinning, one session, Satuday 8/8, 10-12am

Pulp Non-Fiction, Papermaking! — starts Saturday 8/15, 3 sessions, 9-11am

The Fall class schedule will be out in later in the summer, so watch your emails!

Community Knitting and K4ourveryown*Troops

We're still meeting on Thursdays, 12-1pm to knit for Family Tree/Gemini House (www.thefamilytree.org) here in Lakewood, handknit/crocheted afghans for the girls that are temporarily homed at this facility. We delivered the first batch to a wonderfully grateful bunch of young ladies early last month, and look forward to delivering another bunch mid-summer. Again, please feel free to join us any Thursday at noon, no reservations necessary, bring your lunch if you like! If you can't join the group in person, feel free to knit or crochet 7" x9" rectangles (any colors, any weight, preferably washable) and drop off at the shop for us to assemble.

K*4*O*T — We're getting hats in daily to add to our count — Thanks to everyone who have knit these head-warmers to send to our personally adopted soldiers — the Army 3rd Squadron, 61st Regiment, aka "the Destroyers", out of Colorado Springs. These troops are being shipped out to Afghanistan, and all 500 of them could use hats. As you may know, we delivered 136 hats to Fort Carson last month, we have about 25 here in the shop and we've got yarn for about 125 or so more hats out there in your knitting baskets and on your needles, so bring them on in as soon as you're finished with each one. You can mail them to us, too, see our address below. Thank you very much to Niel Robertson for donating the yarn for this first bunch, you are the best and we all love you for what you do! We're continuing this project until we meet the 500-hat goal, and thanks to another very generous contribution we're able to sell the yarn to you for the hats at a 20% discount (making the price $7.95/skein, which makes 2 hats). Please stop in and pick up a pattern and some yarn and when you've finished your hats just drop them by the shop. We'll take care of delivering them directly to the troops!

International Year of Natural Fibers

This time we're featuring Hempathy, a hemp, cotton, and viscose blend that is lightweight, washable and wears beautifully. Our pattern is for a lovely summer open-knit shrug — stop in and check it out!

If you are interested in a day trip to visit Lonesome Stone, a fiber mill in Granby that grows and processes alpaca, and domestic wools right here in Colorado, please let us know as soon as possible! You can email us or give us a call with your name and number, and we'll get the day planned. It's a great place with great people, and what a fun way to see all that natural fiber processed into yarn!

Summer Hours

As you know, we've closed the shop on Sundays for the remainder of June and July, but it's 'cuz we've been working hard to brighten up the shop! You should stop in to check out the new paint, still in progress but we're getting there. We'll also be closed Saturday July 4th, and Monday September 7th for Labor Day. But please don't hesitate to come in any other day — we love to see you and you know you are welcome to just stop in and knit a while or chat or plan a new project!

Also remember on Saturdays we have our Dr. Stitch, Monica and Karen alternate weeks to be available to you for help on whatever knitting project you need assistance with! And Mondays Pat is available to help with your spinning issues as well. Feel free to stop in anytime, though — the staff at The Recycled Lamb can assist you with your current project or planning a new project any time!

And don't forget Knit Knite, this month it's Friday evening, June 19th, from 4:30-8pm and as always we'll have buck-a-slice pizza and lots of fun for all!

Watch for the June Coupon special which will be posted soon on the webpage, www.recycledlamb.com, so you won't miss out on the special deal of the month!

Well, that's it for now, we look forward to seeing you soon. In the meantime, keep those needles clicking, shuttles flying, hooks a-crooking and wheels a-spinning and visit us often at The Recycled Lamb!

Hours: M-F 10-6pm — Saturday 10-4:30pm — Closed on Sundays through July