Kathy and Steve are taking a break from the show this week but you can listen to past episodes from the archives. We’ll be back with a brand-new episode on March 30.
Our 39th Anniversary Sale Starts April 1! And don’t forget about the Tent Sale in May!
Join us at Stitches South! in the Renaissance Waverly Hotel & Cobb Galleria Centre April 11-14th in Atlanta, GA.
It’s National Crochet Month and we’re excited to share some of our favorite crochet techniques and trends happening in 2013. This week we’re focusing on crocheting with luxury fibers.
Being able to work with luxury fibers is something every crocheter looks forward to. Thankfully you don’t have to win the lottery to indulge in a little high-end crochet. One skein and a simple project can keep the cost down but allow you to add a little something to your wardrobe to makes you feel extra special. And when everyone ask you about it you get to say it’s silk or cashmere or even mink!
Start with a nice small project like this simple Crochet Necklace by Creativeyarn but go luxury by using Artyarns Beaded Pearl and Sequins yarn.
Try something a little larger like the Julie Cuff from Robyn Chachula‘s wonderful book Blueprint Crochet but work it in a skein of Mimi by Lotus Yarns which is 100% Mink!
If you’re ready for a slightly bigger project why not go for Julia Vaconsin‘s gorgeous Phoenix Mitts and work them up in the luminous Ensemble Light from Artyarns, an amazing blend of silk and cashmere!
When you’re ready for a bigger project with lots of impact visually, but not on your wallet, try a scarf or wrap like our Crocus Lace Stole. A single skein of the Silk Cashmere from Jade Sapphire would feel amazing around your shoulders and neck, and since this is an easy 1 row pattern you can just keep working till you run out of yarn.
Have you worked with any luxury fibers? What’s been your favorite?
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Guest: Kathy talks with Valley Yarns Design Manager, Kirsten Hipsky about the new Valley Yarns patterns featured in our Spring 2013 Catalog.
Best sellers at Stitches West were:
Blue Mist Cardigan in Southwick
looks more complicated than it
is and it’s a great standard wardrobe
piece.
Burning Branch Shawl in BFL Fingering
Has an easy repeat, looks much more
complicated than it is and works with a
range of yardages.
Hidden Hills Pullover in Northampton Sport has a great neckline with classic, simple colorwork and the Pelagic Shawl, using 6 color of Northampton Sport, is a wonderful update to our Jambalaya Shawl.
There’s also lots of crochet love in this catalog with the Molly Socks, The Michel Vest in Longmeadow and the Meyer T-shirt in Goshen.
If you haven’t gotten a catalog yet, you can request one on the website, here.
Steve’s Yarn Picks
June Hemmons Hiatt, author of The Principles of Knitting, will join our Tuesday morning Drop-in THIS WEEK on March 19th for a book signing and chat. Don’t miss out, register now!
Our 39th Anniversary Sale Starts April 1! and don’t forget about the Tent Sale in May!
Join us at Stitches South! in the Renaissance Waverly Hotel & Cobb Galleria Centre April 11-14th in Atlanta, GA.
It’s National Crochet Month and we’re excited to share some of our favorite crochet techniques and trends happening in 2013. This week we’re focusing on Amigurumi, or small crocheted animals.
With Spring only a week away and Easter at the end of the month you have just enough time to create some great little gifts for the children in your life.
Amigurumi Cosy by Lan-Ahn Bui and Josephine Wan has some wonderful seasonal animals from bunnies to sheep and even an adorable snail.
Amigurumi World by Ana Paula Rimoli is one of my favorites! I’ve made tons of the Happy Eggs and the tiny duckling is adorable.
We have our own versions of these little stuffed animals, try the free Valley Yarns patterns for a bunny, lamb, robin and chickens!
Valley Yarns Valley Superwash and Valley Superwash DK are the perfect yarn for projects like these, they’ll be soft and washable and you have a great range of colors to choose from.
Have you crocheted any stuffed animals? What’s your favorite?
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Guest: Kathy talks with Rhonda Fargnoli of Coastal Colors Yarns about launching a new yarn company.
Rhonda and her partner Charlie have been teaching art for over 35 years and have applied their love of color to their new line of yarns. They use botanical extracts and many of the plants from their own yard to dye the yarn.
BFL, Superwash Merino, Flax for the Spring, are all yarn bases that they use but they keep their selection small and they buy their yarn locally. Coastal Colors yarns are currently available in 8 stores and online soon at Colorful Stitches in Lenox, MA.
Rhonda also works at RISD – The Rhode Island School of Design in their Continuing Education department as an adviser the Hand Knitting Design program.
Thanks to the Berroco Team for a wonderful Event this past Thursday night. Norah and the gang, as well as our customers, braved some typical New England late-Winter weather to be here with us.
Steve’s Yarn Picks
We’re happy to announce that WEBS is going to to Stitches South! We’ll be there with 6 booths at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel & Cobb Galleria Centre April 11-14th in Atlanta, GA.
Thanks to everyone who commented, Over 1,200 responses! You had some great ideas for this beautiful yarn.
The following people have won a copy of the Trinity Scarf pattern and one skein of the Perfectly Posh Sport yarn pictured above:
1 - Suzanne, who said, Very Lovely Yarn and Pattern. I would love to make that for my daughters teacher, it would suite her to a T.
2 - Gayle H., who said, Beautiful yarn, would make a lovely cowl or lacy shawlette
3 – Maryellen C., who said, I would make as many ornaments and crafts as I could get out of the skein to sell at our Christmas fundraiser to raise money for Rays of Hope and Cancer Connection
4 – Stephanie O., who said, The scarf is beautiful.
5 - Christine L., who said, Interesting, but simple enough to work on while watching TV or at knitting group…Amanda Keep’s Voyage Scarf. I made one last Christmas and the recipient loved it. Definitely looks harder than it is!
6 - Barb L., who said, Spring colors, misty mountains, Perfectly Posh is perfectly beautiful! I can think of many things to try!
7 - Melissa H., who said, I’d like to make a headband!
8 - Sabrina who said, This yarn is SO pretty! Not sure what I would chose to do with it, but a simple garter stitch cowl sometimes the perfect project for a variegated yarn.
9 - Kitty C., who said, I’d like to make a cover for my e-reader with a snazzy yarn like this! I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
10 - Sue K., who said, Love the colors! Great yarn.
Congratulations to our winners!
It’s National Crochet Month and we’re excited to share some of our favorite crochet techniques and trends happening in 2013.
This week we’re focusing on Tunisian Crochet which is experiencing a resurgence as more and more crocheters begin to explore the potential of their craft.
Interweave Crochet’s Fall 2011 issue had a focus on specialty crochet techniques and features some really modern and wearable designs in Tunisian including Betty’s Tunisian Tee by Tram Nguyen.
Dora Orenstein’s latest book, The New Tunisian Crochet, is an fantastic combination of history, stitch dictionary and pattern book. You can pick up the book with no knowledge of Tunisian and work your way through smaller, skill building projects, including a gorgeous sampler afghan, and end up making a cozy and stylish cardigan.
If you’re local, we also run a series of Tunisian Classes each winter here at our Store in Northampton. Our Tunisian Basics class has already wrapped up for the season but if you have a bit of knowledge under your belt and would like to see what else Tunisian can offer try our Exploring Tunisian Class which begins this Friday, there are still a few open seats!
Whether you’re new to Tunisan Crochet or a seasoned pro our Knitters Pride Dreamz Tunisian crochet hooks are the perfect tool. You can jump right in with the full set of hooks or start slower, one hook at a time and choose the cable length you want to start with.
Have you tried Tunisian? What’s been your favorite project?
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Guest: Kathy talk with Kara Gott Warner, Executive Editor of Creative Knitting magazine.
Creative Knitting started as Knitters World and transitioned to Creative Knitting in 2010
focusing on newer knitters and helping them take their basic skills to the next level.
This issue has a wonderful article demystifying lace and some great knit jewelry pieces. The Jada Necklace by Andi Javori is a great piece to start using beads and jewelry is also a wonderful time to indulge in a single skein of luxury yarn.
The next issue is a special Summer issue, Easy Everyday Openwork and Lace, hitting news stands in April, there are skill building articles, and a pile of seasonal patterns.
Our thanks to everyone that came to see us at Stitches West – thanks also to our great team!
We’re happy to announce that WEBS is going to to Stitches South! We’ll be there with 6 booths at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel & Cobb Galleria Centre April 11-14th in Atlanta, GA.
And don’t forget to follow us on your favorite Social Media outlet where you’ll have first looks at closeouts, events and more! Facebook, Twitter, All Things WEBS Group on Ravelry, Google+ and Pinterest.
Steve’s Yarn Picks
Norah Gaughan and the Berroco Design Team will be at WEBS this Thursday, March 7th from 6-8pm
It is time once again to have another giveaway with one of Dream in Color’s lovely hand dyed yarns along with a stylish scarf pattern. This month’s yarn is called Perfectly Posh Sport, and the colors are reminiscent of early spring flowers; think crocus, pansy and violet!
The fiber is 70% wool/10% cashmere/10% silk/10% mohair, and has shades of deep, earthy greens, rich purples and pale pinks, with hints of the blue-grey of Spring skies peeking through. With 320 yds per skein you have plenty of yardage for Kay Dahlquist’s Trinity Scarf.
I love finding the perfect little project to use up one skein of gorgeous yarn. This scarf has the most clever little feature, a built in French loop to keep your scarf perfectly in place. As an added bonus your gauge swatch IS the the first section of your edging!
Do you have a perfect one-skein project or a favorite scarf pattern? Do you already have ideas for what you’d do with a skein of Perfectly Posh Sport if you won?
Leave a comment below by 3/07/13, 11:59 pm EST to be entered into the March drawing for one skein of Dream in Color Perfectly Posh Sport along with the Trinity Scarf pattern. There will be 10 lucky winners! Be sure to check the blog on Friday March 8th to see if your name was picked.
Best of Luck!
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Guest: Kathy and Steve talk about what it takes to set up at Stitches West, in the Santa Clara Convention Center, and all the great products we’ve brought this year.
Steve and Jeff arrived earlier in the week to pick up everything for our booths, which was packed up and shipped to California 2 weeks ago, and to set up the layout and fixtures. On Thursday the rest of our crew was on hand to fill the booths with product before the Student Preview on Thursday night. The sales floor is open 10-6 Sat, 10-4 Sunday.
WEBS is at the front of Aisles 600 and 700 in booths 603-611 and 704-712 and those booths are PACKED with Madeline Tosh DK, Tosh Merino Light, Malabrigo, Kureyon and Silk Garden, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and Baby Cashmerino in discontinued colors, Knitters Pride Needles – including Karbonz, all the new Berroco spring yarns and Andra! as well as Valley Yarns favorites and two of our newest yarns Northampton Sport and Enfield. We also have all the new patterns from the Spring Catalog and the catalogs!
Congratulations to our 300th Episode Giveaway Winners!
Leslie J. from Ohio
Melinda K. from Kentucky
Judy S. from California
Kristin K. from Lake Oswego Oregon
Emily P. from Massachusetts
Jennilee M. from Manitoba, Canada
Barbara P. from Indiana
Patricia B. from Washington, DC
Steve’s Yarn Picks
Norah Gaughan and the Berroco Design Team will be at WEBS on Thursday, March 7th from 6-8pm
