Look closely. See the attitude. What is this sheep saying? This print of a painting by Americana artist Charles Wysocki hangs in the yarn shop, allowing a clear view of the comings and goings. Post or e-mail your thought bubble, which I’ll put around the print, and at the March Yarn Tasting, we’ll take a vote on the favorite one. Winner gets a skein of natural wool, of course!
During the Massachusetts and New Hampshire vacation weeks, Love.Yarn.Shop. will be offering a Kids’ Knit on Thursday, February 18th and February 25th from 1-3. Children receive a set of knitting needles, yarn, button, crochet hook, and instructions for making a headband. Katie will get everyone knitting! $15 for one session. Call the shop to reserve a place: 869-2600.
Seven of us gathered this past Thursday for our first lunch-time book club discussion of Circling the Sun. Whilst the overall response to the book was lukewarm, the discussion was lively and our interest in the life of Beryl Markham was piqued. In addition, our lunch from Cold Mountain Cafe was a welcome treat. We decided to meet next month on St. Patrick’s day at noon to discuss My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante and translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein. The New Yorker review, “Women on the Verge,” by James Wood, typically wordy and sending me to the dictionary several times, will whet your appetite for not just this recent work, but her earlier novels as well. Join us on the 17th!
Woolzie is a handspun yarn from Enfield, New Hampshire. Patty Williams and her husband run Aker Fiber Farm where they raise Corriedale sheep and English Angora rabbits. Love.Yarn.Shop. is pleased to be able to carry a handspun yarn at a reasonable price. Visit their website Akerllc.com to find out more about their products and events at their studio in downtown Enfield.
While awaiting my order from Round Mountain Fibers, I’ll be featuring them at the Yarn Tasting on February 12th. Hand dyed in Brattleboro, Vermont, these superwash merino yarns are scrumptious. You’ll particularly enjoy the fingering weight colorway, Kestrel. Join us from 5-7 for nibbles and sips and a great feeling yarn.
Knit or crochet a little red hat, or two, or twenty! Next month is February and the American Heart Association is calling for knitters and crocheters to make enough red hats for every newborn in participating hospitals to raise awareness about heart disease and congenital heart defects. Guess what? Both Littleton Regional Hospital and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth are participating, so here’s your opportunity to do a small thing with great love. How lucky are you to have such skill!
More information can be found at Heart.org
So much knitting! So little time! With inventory and end-of-year tasks, it has been difficult to get knitting done. I promised to have my pattern ready for Sunday to give away at the North Country Fiber Forum gathering and it is done! We are knitting red hats for Heart Awareness Month–February–and I have two recent patterns, matching mother/baby sets in honor of the birth of Casey’s baby girl, Haley. You can find them at my KISSpatterns Etsy shop. I made the adult version with Peace Fleece’s Amaranth. Love their yarn. Love their story. The baby version is knit with Kraemer’s Perfection. Love their yarn. Love their story.
These little pouches are great for walking around knitting. I use this one in the store. I remember seeing Jill Brewer walking around the after-school program with her ball of yarn tucked under her arm, assisting kids, knitting away steadily. She could have used one of these. Are we multi-taskers or what? In fact, Amanda Lilley made similar pouches for awhile and I still use hers. These Go Knit pouches have a snapped loop to hook to your belt loop, purse, backpack or chair. The water resistant, lightweight nylon, keeps your project protected from the elements (i.e. cats, dogs, and sticky fingers).
Another project bag in the shop is from Della Q–Edict. Each of these little bags has a knitter’s or crocheter’s saying going up the side and a small pocket inside. They are drawstring and really reasonably priced–only $10!
Both project bags are great gift ideas for you! Time to drop a few hints around to your friends and family…
This Winter 2016 Interweave Crochet has patterns that make me wish I were a hooker–well a better crocheter than I am anyway. There’s a fantastic pattern for “Winter’s Eye Afghan” by Lisa Naskrent, that joins octagons and squares to create this “eye of the storm” motif. Gorgeous. Then there are two sweater patterns that I would love to wear…seriously…I would love to wear these crocheted sweaters. The detail of the button tab makes the piece, “Seaside Sweater” by Daniela Nii. Of course, the other one, “Prairiefire Vest” by Suesan Roth, and the hat I want you to make me, “Flame Hat” by P.K. Olson, are both Tunisian crochet. Now, I have attempted Tunisian crochet, and I can honestly say, it is not in my immediate future. I am just a beginning crocheter, so the rather slow progress of Tunisian has kept me from dedicating time to that technique. Maybe I can tackle it during mud season… All in all, this is a great issue with patterns that are inspiring and hip…and crocheted!
Love.Yarn.Shop. 