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New Pompom Magazine Revisits Art Deco

Biba–a popular clothing store established in the 60’s in London–was the theme for this issue of Pompom.  The style is Art Deco with a little glitz thrown in.  The sweater on the cover is by far my least favorite pattern in the book.  There is a suffragette cloche–just in time to wear to the movie–a hip, slinky “cold shoulder” sweater by Cirilia Rose, a fabulous pair of socks, aptly named for the founder of Biba, Hulanicki, and six other beautiful patterns.

There has been a lot of press about the health benefits of knitting and this issue of Pompom is no exception.  The article, “Knitting the Blues,” will make you feel right about curling up with your knitting and participating in swaps on Ravelry.   If you are a dyer, you will probably understand the article, “A Chemical Romance,” more than I did.   The article tracks Lora Angelova’s career in chemistry, settles into a discussion of organic colorants, and ends with a description of her own, more or less haphazard, dyeing adventures, which seem to have given her a new respect for hand-dyers.

All in all, the new Issue 15 of Pompom is well worth the $10.95 and can be found at the shop!

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Roquefort–It’s Bl-ewe!

Maybe everyone else already knew that Roquefort was made from ewe’s milk, but it took a tea towel to inform me.  I was in Mark’s and Spencer’s in  Southampton, England, when my eye was caught by a blue sheep on a tea towel (I have a weakness for tea towels and sheep, so I made a bee-line for the linens).  The title was Roquefort, which further intriqued me, as I love blue cheeses.  I knew about goat cheese and, of course, cheeses made from cow’s milk.  Why didn’t I know Roquefort, and other cheeses, were made from sheep’s milk?  Apparently references to Roquefort date back to 79 AD, though the tea towel says “depuis 1875.”  It goes on to tell us that the sheep’s cheese is naturally aged in caves.  Needless to say, I bought all the towels they had, and have them for sale in the shop!

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Front Page of The Courier!

I came home from my travels to find this great article, Love Yarn Shop focuses on fiber and fun,  on the shop on the front page of The Courier!  Woo Hoo!  Thank you Darin Wipperman for the nice write-up.

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Unisex Fingerless Mitts with Swans Island

It took longer than expected, but finally I finished the fingerless mitts pattern with Swans Island Washable Wool in sport weight.  Writing patterns is like all writing, you start out with one idea and end up with another.  The work just evolves as you are working.  So I started with the idea of having spades run up the mitt, but the spades were too indistinct and not worth the bother (keep it simple, stupid), so I did a seed stitch panel.  Then I thought I’d have a seed-stitch thumb, but it kept wanting to move to moss stitch, so another rip-out, and reminder to keep it simple.  In the end, the mitts are perfect for men or women, and show off the beautiful tonal qualities of Swans Island Washable Wool.  Best of all, they’re done and available at the Love Yarn Shop or at  KISSpatterns on Etsy.

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Feliz Fleece!

I am so excited to have been gifted raw fleece from two Shetlands and two Romney Mix from a  local couple.  It is as close as I’ll get to having my own sheep, at least for the foreseeable future.  I hope to bring it to Michael Hampton in Richmond, Vermont, for spinning.  Although I know this will take time, it has been a goal of mine for a number of years.  I can’t wait to see the skeins hanging in the shop!

Black Shetland

Romney Mix

Shetland

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Jane Austen Knits–A Glimpse into Her World

The 2015 issue of Jane Austen knits is a must-buy for us knitters who also love Jane Austen.  The articles discuss gardens, marriage, romance, fashion, and the city of York, as they were during the Regency Period and as they featured in Jane Austen’s writing.  The 30 projects vary from the quirky tea cozy to the traditional man’s aran sweater with many sweet projects in between:  mittens, gloves, shawls, sweaters…even a handkerchief.  You’ll not only find inspiration in the projects, but a desire to go back and re-read Miss Austen.

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Sweet Pea–Sweet Book from Vermont!

Sweet Pea & Friends, The SheepOver, is a charming story, beautifully illustrated, about an injured sheep, Sweet Pea, who gets to have a “sheepover” after she heals.  John and Jennifer Chapman, from Essex, Vermont, based the story and photo illustrations on a true story. I met John at his booth at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge with his border collie, Laddie, who features in the book and is even sweeter in real life.  Copies of the book and cards are available in the shop.

Sweet Pea cards

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Pumpkins Galore! It’s Orange all Over!

Join Casey to make this felted pumpkin basket.  Can’t you see your candy in it?  Friday, the 9th and 23rd, from 4:30-6:00.  She’ll also be teaching a pumpkin kid’s hat on Thursday, the 15th, from 4:30-6:00.

pumpkin hat

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Adora Pygora—it’s glorious!

Pygora is a fiber goat bred by crossing the Pygmy goat with the Angora goat.  The Pygora Breeders Association was formed in 1987, so it is a relatively new breed as far as goats go.  As you may suspect, the fiber has a cashmere softness.  While at Tunbridge, I picked up 32 skeins of this glorious yarn (thus the name Adora Pygora) in 6 colors:   Natural, Silver, Pumpkin, Fern, African Violet, and Denim.  It has been blended with 20% bamboo and 20% merino.  Each fingering weight, 2 ounce skein has 180 yards.  At $24, this is a steal.  You can pop in the shop to handle it, or order on-line at Love.Yarn.Shop.  You’ll find it listed under LYS.

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