Spring lambs! Hope to see you there!
Woolapalooza
Saturday, March 31
Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Adults: $9/member, $12/non-member
Children: $7/member, $10 non-member, kids under 3 free
* Join Drumlin Farm for a day to celebrate sheep with fiber crafters, food, and fun! There's something for everyone at this one-of-a-kind event.
* Kids will love visiting our resident sheep and our cute-as-can-be new spring lambs, the stars of the show.
* Visit the Sheep to Sweater interpretive trail for hands-on experiences with wool. Try your hands at all stages of wool production including carding, spinning, felting, and dyeing. You'll literally follow the wool from sheep to product!
* Purchase beautiful hand made natural fiber products from local crafters-cashmere scarves, wool sweaters, and much more. And you won't want to leave without a visit to the country store for natural Drumlin Farm-made products like goat's milk soap and yarn from our sheep.
* See live sheep shearing, and watch border collies herd sheep.
* Sample delicious all natural, locally-grown and harvested Drumlin Farm food.
* Bask in the beauty of Drumlin Farm, the perfect setting to celebrate the coming of spring.
Visit www.massaudubon.org/drumlin for more information. Call 781.259.2206 for tickets.
Events run rain or shine, tickets are non-refundable. Your ticket price provides critical support for our education and conservation programs.
13 March 2007
12 March 2007
Isobel scarf
No, not a scarf for my beloved Miss Isobel, but a lacey scarf named Isobel. I just found it here as I was wondering what to do with one skein of Misti Alpaca laceweight yarn or some of the other lacey fibers I have in the stash. I have to organize the stash so I know what I have. Anyway, this is very pretty and may be a good next lace project. Some day I will knit one of those amazing from the center out circle shawls where every row is different just to have done it. I am crazy.
IMOnday: Yarns in the Farms, Beverly Farms, Massachusetts
Shop: Yarns in the Farms
Location: 641 Hale Street, Beverly Farms, Massachusetts
Telephone: 978 927 2108
Website: yarnsinthefarms
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12-5, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-4; Knit Nights Tuesday & Wednesday 7-9 ($5)
Payment: Cash, Check, Credit Card (starting 3/13/07!)
Other: Great classes; private instruction available; buttons, bags, belts, and books
OK, close your eyes and think of a cosy place filled with yummy fibers (many of which are hand-dyed), handmade buttons, tea and treats, comfy couches, and two super-friendly owners. Put it in a former antique/flower/sweet shop with a mural of angels behind the counter. Add friendly shoppers, great music, and a new art show every few months. And you've got yourself the best little yarn shop around. Oh, don't forget to put a little kids table in the corner with markers, paper, and toys.
No, they don't have every colorway of every yarn you've ever heard of, but that's not really the point here.
Now, open your eyes.
They do have GGH, Blue Sky Alpacas, Jo Sharp, Noro, Blue Heron, Green Mountain Spinnery, Cherry Tree Hill, Sheep Shop (#3 is coming any day!), Frog Tree, Reynolds, Louet, Schaeffer, Reynolds, and more; needles and notions from Bryspun, Susan Bates, and Addi (Turbo and Natura, not sure about the lace needles). They also have a thoughtful selection of books and patterns to get you started on anything. They even have some lovely rugs and toys from Crispina, which are made from recycled sweaters.
Some yarn is displayed in old wine cases, some in baskets, and quite a bit on boxy white shelves that show the yarn to advantage while keeping it from spilling out everywhere. There are lots of samples so you can see just what can be done with all that fibery goodness. The lighting is natural from all the windows, as well as some incandescents and little halogen spots on the ceiling, which makes for an uplifting shopping experience. (I find fluorescent lighting in yarn shops awful.)
But the truly wonderful thing about Yarns in the Farms is the people. Carolyn and Jill are just about the nicest people you could find and they have made a truly inviting shop. It seems Carolyn may be allergic to wool, so she's starting to work with a lot of "alternative" fibers. Of course, they have a new shipment of No Sheep for You, Tofutsies, and Euroflax. Jill is an artist, and you can see some of her amazing needle felting projects around the shop.
I've included pictures from a Knit Night a couple of months back, but you really need to come see for yourself. You could even take the Commuter Rail up to the Pride's Crossing station and walk over. However you get yourself there, do stop by.
Location: 641 Hale Street, Beverly Farms, Massachusetts
Telephone: 978 927 2108
Website: yarnsinthefarms
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12-5, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-4; Knit Nights Tuesday & Wednesday 7-9 ($5)
Payment: Cash, Check, Credit Card (starting 3/13/07!)
Other: Great classes; private instruction available; buttons, bags, belts, and books
OK, close your eyes and think of a cosy place filled with yummy fibers (many of which are hand-dyed), handmade buttons, tea and treats, comfy couches, and two super-friendly owners. Put it in a former antique/flower/sweet shop with a mural of angels behind the counter. Add friendly shoppers, great music, and a new art show every few months. And you've got yourself the best little yarn shop around. Oh, don't forget to put a little kids table in the corner with markers, paper, and toys.
No, they don't have every colorway of every yarn you've ever heard of, but that's not really the point here.
Now, open your eyes.
They do have GGH, Blue Sky Alpacas, Jo Sharp, Noro, Blue Heron, Green Mountain Spinnery, Cherry Tree Hill, Sheep Shop (#3 is coming any day!), Frog Tree, Reynolds, Louet, Schaeffer, Reynolds, and more; needles and notions from Bryspun, Susan Bates, and Addi (Turbo and Natura, not sure about the lace needles). They also have a thoughtful selection of books and patterns to get you started on anything. They even have some lovely rugs and toys from Crispina, which are made from recycled sweaters.
Some yarn is displayed in old wine cases, some in baskets, and quite a bit on boxy white shelves that show the yarn to advantage while keeping it from spilling out everywhere. There are lots of samples so you can see just what can be done with all that fibery goodness. The lighting is natural from all the windows, as well as some incandescents and little halogen spots on the ceiling, which makes for an uplifting shopping experience. (I find fluorescent lighting in yarn shops awful.)
But the truly wonderful thing about Yarns in the Farms is the people. Carolyn and Jill are just about the nicest people you could find and they have made a truly inviting shop. It seems Carolyn may be allergic to wool, so she's starting to work with a lot of "alternative" fibers. Of course, they have a new shipment of No Sheep for You, Tofutsies, and Euroflax. Jill is an artist, and you can see some of her amazing needle felting projects around the shop.
I've included pictures from a Knit Night a couple of months back, but you really need to come see for yourself. You could even take the Commuter Rail up to the Pride's Crossing station and walk over. However you get yourself there, do stop by.
$100 for a hat
Have you seen this hat? It's retailing for $100. Amazing.
[Somehow this item didn't get published in January...]
[Somehow this item didn't get published in January...]
Softness
You can't imagine how soft the Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri is until it's knit up. Oh. My. Goodness. Like a cloud, my friends. But that bit of bamboo gives it strength. I've just started my seventh repeat of the traveling leaf lace pattern on Pam Allen's Reading-In-Bed Shrug (opens the PDF), and it is so soft and sweet, though the color has an underlying dustiness that keeps it from being saccharine.
BTW, have you heard the news about Interweave Knits? Eunny Jang is the new editor! How fantastic is that. If you haven't come across Eunny's blog, please check it out. She is an indefatigable knitter and amazing instructress. Congratulations, Eunny, and I look forward to great things in future issues.
BTW, have you heard the news about Interweave Knits? Eunny Jang is the new editor! How fantastic is that. If you haven't come across Eunny's blog, please check it out. She is an indefatigable knitter and amazing instructress. Congratulations, Eunny, and I look forward to great things in future issues.
Cowls
They're going to be huge for fall, people. Check out Andrea's post on knitted cowls for fall. Of course, the color for fall is grey, but then the cowl can probably be another color.
I have my eye on some Malabrigo Super Bulky, perhaps. Damask or Tuscan Sky for color? Paris Night or Plata for grey? I heart Malabrigo - it's so soft. But there is a downside to the softness: It pills.
But maybe I should find a non-thick-and-thin yarn for this. What about Blizzard? Yarns in the Farms carries it (always a quality indicator), and it comes in a nice heathery grey. My first hats were from this, and I still wear mine, though it gets a little stretchy. Alpaca may not have the sproinginess I'm looking for. What? I say it's a word.
YITF also carries Misti Alpaca Chunky, which also comes in a dark, heathery grey, and is a heavy-worsted, plied yarn.
Blue Sky Alpacas has their bulky yarns, which come in lovely shades, including a grey fox in the naturals that I rather like. But, again, the alpaca may not be the right fiber for this project. And a multi-ply yarn might be helpful, too. I think the cowl should be somewhat crisp.
But I should probably hold off on any decisions until the Lobster Pot Yarns come in. Oops! Was I allowed to tell?
I have my eye on some Malabrigo Super Bulky, perhaps. Damask or Tuscan Sky for color? Paris Night or Plata for grey? I heart Malabrigo - it's so soft. But there is a downside to the softness: It pills.
But maybe I should find a non-thick-and-thin yarn for this. What about Blizzard? Yarns in the Farms carries it (always a quality indicator), and it comes in a nice heathery grey. My first hats were from this, and I still wear mine, though it gets a little stretchy. Alpaca may not have the sproinginess I'm looking for. What? I say it's a word.
YITF also carries Misti Alpaca Chunky, which also comes in a dark, heathery grey, and is a heavy-worsted, plied yarn.
Blue Sky Alpacas has their bulky yarns, which come in lovely shades, including a grey fox in the naturals that I rather like. But, again, the alpaca may not be the right fiber for this project. And a multi-ply yarn might be helpful, too. I think the cowl should be somewhat crisp.
But I should probably hold off on any decisions until the Lobster Pot Yarns come in. Oops! Was I allowed to tell?
09 March 2007
Shawl Decision (?)
Seeing The Daily Purl's Icarus is pushing me towards selecting this pattern for my first lace shawl. Now the debate becomes buy the back issue of Interweave Knits or the pattern from Miriam Felton directly. There's not a whole lot else in that issue of the magazine that's calling to me. The Fairy Net Blouse is pretty, but I may be Blue Sky Alpaca Silk'ed out by the time I finish the Mermaid Sweater. If I buy it directly from Miriam, I would be supporting her directly (she was already paid by the magazine directly, so she wouldn't get anything else out of my mag purchase), and it looks like she offers full pattern support in return. Guess I'm leaning towards direct purchase. But that will happen later.
Yes, btw, I do have a job and should get back to it!
Yes, btw, I do have a job and should get back to it!
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