I'm tired. Are you tired? I am tired.

I love snow. Really, I do. But I am just a tiny bit SICK of this snow. It has definitely passed its sell by date. It is time for it to just move ON! The good news is that our parking lot is clear and we have gotten the powers that be to agree to keep it that way. *crossing fingers*

We hope that you had a wonderful and restful holiday and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!

We are here!

At least until 4:00 pm today. Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, we are here until 3:00 pm unless Mother Nature tells us otherwise.

Frosty says.....

....drive safely!

The roads around the shop are improving but they are still treacherous for those travelers who do not have four-wheel drive or chains on their tires. We finally saw the road crew this afternoon so the parking lot is usable. 

If you think you are coming to the shop, please call beforehand to make sure we are open. We'll be closing at 3:00 today (Monday) and may do the same on Tuesday if it snows more.

Enough with the snow already

Actually, I love the snow but it does sort of cramp our retail style. VC and I live within walking distance of the shop so we were able to open on Thursday and Friday; at least for a little while. Saturday was another short day and today, Sunday, we are closed all day. At least we all have time to get some knitting done! I'm working on my daughters "Christmas" present (i.e. she gets it when it's done) - a Ron Weasley-type top down sweater done in Debbie Bliss bulky tweed. It's going to be great, evcntually; I love the red color.

I hope you are all happy and safe and warm.
Deb

Another great gift idea

This week's special is a quick and easy scarf - you have plenty of time to make this one. :-)

Drop Stitch Scarf
free shop pattern
yarns to use: 1 skein Rowan Kid Classic ($9.85), 1 skein of Rowan Shimmer ($5.62) or Toreador ($8.41)

BTW, we are OPEN this Friday until 3:00. The rest of the weekend will depend on the weather so be sure to call ahead to check. Saturday should be fine but if there is heavy snow on Sunday.....

Snow, snow, snow

Well, I thought it would be pretty quiet today at the shop but, noooooooo! It was surprisingly busy but mostly with locals who were able to walk to the shop instead of drive. A few people braved the roads but found our parking lot a bit difficult to navigate. For this reason - depending on the conditions of the roads on Friday - we may close early again. 

If you do decide to come in for a visit, please call ahead to make sure we are open AND, most importantly, drive safely!

Another Great Holiday Project

Kid Seta Ruffle Scarf
free shop pattern
yarn to use: 2 skeins of Madil Kid Seta or 2 skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (70% Super Kid Mohair, 30% Silk)

Both of these great yarns are marked down by 10% this week.

This Week's Gift Project

Deb's Lacy Christmas Scarf
free shop pattern
yarn to use: 1 skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca
sale price: $8.83 total (including tax)

Holiday Open House

Join us for our annual Holiday Open House Saturday, December 6 from 10 - 5 pm. We will have several local designers and vendors showing off their talents and wares.

Karla will host the Make-n-Take stitch markers from 10 - 1 pm

Amy Allen of Good To Be Girl
10:30 - 12:30 pm

Brian Kohler from Skacel
10 - 1 pm

Valerie Day will play her harp
1 - 3 pm

Emma Kidd of Dragonfibers
1 - 3 pm

and much, much more!

We're Red and White All Over!

If you haven't been in the shop since Thanksgiving, you'll be in for a real treat the next time you stop in. Our friend Amy Allen (of Good-to-be-Girl cute stitch marker fame) has graced us with her creativity by coming up with our red and white holiday decorating theme this year! Not only does it make the shop feel festive, but the decor also features some fabulous gift items. Yes, Virginia, we are a one-stop holiday gift shopping store! We've got red and white teapots in two sizes, peppermint candy tape measures, decadent chocolate mint truffle mix, some of the cutest holiday stitch markers you've ever seen, not to mention special teas. You might want to brew a cup for yourself - just the thing to soothe the savage holiday beast. Even better, sit and knit a while and let us brew it for you.

Oh, and yarn. We have a little bit of yarn. We have some new colors of Cascade Superwash Handpaints in grown-up colors. And we have Sin (Sin City, that is - from Plymouth Yarns). You'll want to knit this one only for your most favorite person, the one you really want to impress. And Deb has already knit a pair of fingerless mitts out of the new Misti alpaca-silk blend.

Oh my - and fiber. Yes, some new fiber in luscious jewel tones that you can spin or felt into your own handmade creations. And I do believe Emma has been at it again in the fiber dyeing studio just in time for our Holiday Open House, coming up this Saturday, all day, replete with goodies, special vendors and live music.

So do stop in. Knit Nite is this Friday from 6-9pm - frantic knitting to be enjoyed by all, along with treats and cookie cutter needlefelting. Besides, we are just dying to show you our giant felted snowman, made by our friend Suzanne Beckley with make up (okay, a face) by Deb and accessories by Joni.

See you this weekend!

This week's Gift Project

Victorian Fingerless Mitts
free shop pattern
yarn to use: 1 skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and 1 skein of Astrakan
sale price: $13.40 total (including tax)

This Week's Gift Project

Hugs In a Basket Neck Warmer
free shop pattern
yarn to use: 1 skein of Mirasol Miski (100% baby llama)
sale price: $7.55 per ball plus tax

Victoria was inspired by this neat basket-weave like knitting pattern and so designed this beautiful neck warmer. The Miski (Baby Llama) is amazingly soft and is almost guaranteed not to irritate even the most sensitive necks!

About Blended Teas

Many of you have asked about our flavored or blended teas - how do they add the flavor? what makes it a blend? So, I did a little research and I found a nice article that talks about tea blending:

http://www.teatimeworldwide.com/About_Tea/tea-blending.html

The quick answer is that essential oils are usually used to add flavor to loose leaf teas. All the little pretty bits of flowers or fruit are often just there for decoration and don't add anything to the flavor of the tea. Tea is often blended using big blending drums that rotate to mix the different ingredients. This is why most blended teas (like English Breakfast, for example) have smaller looking leaf pieces - the blending can cause the dried leaves to break up a little. Or, in the case of lower quality bagged teas, the fannings or crumbs that are left after all the good stuff is culled out are used for blending. 

Some of our most popular blends include Deb's Green Pear, Scottish Breakfast, Cherries in the Snow, and our own Village Yarn & Tea blend.

Next week I'll talk about Tisanes which are blended "infusions" that do not contain any tea leaves at all.

This week's Gift Project

Cabled Hat
free pattern here: http://www.o-wool.com
yarn to use: 2 skeins of d'ive Autunno (100% fine merino wool)
sale price: $6.35 per ball plus tax

Jasmine Tea

We serve a delicious green tea called Jasmine Pearls - so named because the leaves are rolled into tight little pearl-shaped balls. This preparation allows for several steepings of the same leaves because it takes so long for the pearls to open up and release all of their flavor. One need only use a few pearls, as opposed to a heaping spoonful, to make a delicious cup of tea.

Here is some information from wiseGeek.com about the making of Jasmine tea:

Depending on the varietal, jasmine tea may be made with green tea or oolong tea. Oolong jasmine is very common, with a rich, mild flavor which also tends to settle the stomach. Many restaurants offer oolong jasmine tea for this very reason.

To make jasmine tea, jasmine flowers are harvested at the peak of their blooming and then they are cured with finished teas in conditions with carefully controlled humidity and temperature. As the jasmine flowers dry out, they infuse the tea with their flavor; sometimes multiple passes of curing are used to make an extremely strong jasmine tea. After the curing process is over, the tea is fired again to remove the moisture exuded by the jasmine, and then it can be packaged for sale.

In some cases, jasmine flowers are left in the tea. This function is purely ornamental, as the flowers are essentially odorless and flavorless after the curing process is over.

The best jasmine tea is looseleaf, since it includes whole leaves, and no offcuttings or stems. Ideally it should be brewed loose in a teapot and strained for service, although many people prefer to use tea balls for their brewing since they are more convenient. Both oolong and green teas should be only briefly steeped, as they can turn bitter with long steeping, and the water should be just below the boiling point for the best flavor and scent.

Food Drive

This year, many families in our area will be struggling to make ends meet and will have to take advantage of our local food banks. To help out, we will be collecting non-perishable food items from now until the first of the year.

One of our fabulous customers has promised to donate $1.50 for each pound of food donated to the food banks through Village Yarn and Tea, up to a total of $200 through Dec. 31, 2008! If this sounds like something you would like to do, let us know.

This past Knit Night we collected 60 lbs of food! That's not only a great food donation but $90 in cash to the food bank as well. What a great community we have!

This Week's Gift Idea

The Bainbridge Scarf

free pattern here: http://pepperknit.com/patterns/BainbridgeScarfPattern.pdf

yarn to use: 1 skein of Lana Grossa Cool Wool Merino 2000 (100% virgin wool)

sale price: $8.77 plus tax

This fun and soft cowl works up fast and looks great on. Victoria made one up in red and she loves the way it feels. (We have it displayed up at the cash register.)

The Story of Rooibos

For those of you who frequent the shop, you are no doubt familiar with some of our Rooibos offerings. But do you know how it is made or where it is grown? Here is a quick primer:

• Rooibos is made from the needle-like leaves of Aspalathus Linearis - a plant grown in South Africa. It is not tea.
  
• Rooibos  is made following a process allegedly copied from the Malayan slaves - they cut off the twigs from the shrub and then bruised the leaves with hammers, leaving them to ferment in heaps, before drying them in the sun.
• Because Rooibos is not tea, there is no caffeine or any other stimulant. AND, it is full of antioxidants.

For more information about Rooibos, here are some links:

http://www.africandawn.com/story.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooibos

Holiday Projects

Each week from now until Christmas we will be featuring a yarn and project for $25 and under. The price of the featured yarn will be reduced by 10% for that week. New projects will be posted each Friday on our home page and here on the blog.

This week's special

Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
60% Alpaca, 20% Merino, 20% Nylon
Yarn Cost: $18.85 (after discount)
Project: Cabled Socks
Pattern Cost: $1.00

Ruby #18

Ruby #18 is a black tea from Taiwan, named after the tea garden from which the leaves are picked. This very special tea is a hybrid of the Camellia Sinensis Assamica from India and the wild Taiwanese variety growing near Sun Moon Lake. A chameleon of flavor, sometimes chocolatey, spicey, or sweet and caramely. It is always complex and wonderful. (I think it has a lovely honey aftertaste, myself.) Because it is so special, the price is $10/2 oz but worth every penny.

Surrounded by green mountains, Sun Moon Lake is the pearl of Central Taiwan.　Sun Moon Lake is the largest natural lake in Taiwan.　The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the Western part is shaped like a crescent moon - hence the name "Sun Moon Lake".

In the middle of the lake (between the "sun" and the "moon") is an island which has long been a sacred place for the Shao people. This island (Lalu) is off-limits to visitors. Only the Shao people can go there to worship their ancestors. When looking up information about this area I found lots of beautiful photographs and descriptions of trails that visitors may walk. What a lovely place to visit! (some day, some day)

New Flat Feet

We just got our shipment of the November Flat Feet colorway - lovely autumn-ish colors in the same fun designs you've seen before. Remember, these bi-monthly colorways will not be produced again for at least another year, so for those of you who are collecting them, get here quick!

What?! You don't know what Flat Feet is? Well, it's a new trend in sock yarn. "Flats" are knitted on a knitting machine and then handpainted in fun patterns and colors: paisleys, happy faces and other designs may be painted or stamped on them. Then you unravel the flat to knit your socks and see how the design translates into a pattern on your feet. We think it might be fun to knit a lacy scarf out of one and see how THAT turns out, too!

In addition to the special November colorway, we have others available as well. Come get yours this week and be sure to come back to show us your finished socks!

Polish Up Your Fiber Skills

We still have lots of great classes scheduled this fall to help you brighten up your knitting, felting and spinning skills! You'll feel good about yourself as you learn more about your beloved hobby. Here are just a few classes that still have space:

Sat. Oct 25, 10am-5pm: Rebecca's Top Down Sweater Class. Learn how to design, fit and knit your personalized sweater from the top down. The nice thing about these sweaters is that when you're finished knitting, there's no finishing. Sign up before Wed of this week to make sure this class is a "go."

Sat, Oct 25, Nov 1, 8; 1-3pm: Socks on Two Circular Needles. Holly is itching to teach you all how to knit socks on two circular needles from the cuff down. We think there's nothing cozier than handknit socks - and we have plenty of sock yarn to tempt you with.

Wed, Oct 29, 6-8pm: Drop Spinning 101. If you've never spun your own yarn, come learn with Joni! While drop spinning may be slower than spinning on a wheel, the up-side is that you can take your spindle everywhere with you!

Sun, Nov 2, 2-4pm: Needlefelted Pumpkins. This is a great class for kids and adults alike. Needlefelting is fast, easy and fun. Susan's class will teach you to make a festive pumpkin for your fall decorating pleasure. And before you and the kids take this class, think about joining Susan for Knitting with Kids on Sun, Nov 2, 9 and 16, 11am-12:30pm!

Mon, Nov 3, 6-8pm: Design a Wrap. Deb will teach you lots of tricks for designing simple fall and winter wraps that will be perfect to keep the chill off your arms and shoulders. These make quick and easy gifts, from the rustic look to party elegance.

Find more information and pricing on these classes and more in the Class section of our website, www.villageyarnandtea.com. We hope to field lots of class sign-up phone calls this week!

Wu Yi Shan Lapsang

Time to talk tea for a change! Last weekend was the first ever Northwest Tea Festival (put on by the PSTea and of which I am a founding member). To cap off the event, we had a 7-course tea dinner at Wild Ginger. Not only were the dishes made with tea but they served each course with tea. It was fabulous! One of the dishes served was a delicious pork dish and it was paired with a fresh Lapsang brought back just that week from China. Personally, I think Lapsang smells (and often tastes) like cigarettes so I've never enjoyed it. Man, was I ever surprised when they served this fresh Lapsang - I loved it! It was incredible!

Because this tea was so amazing, I bought a small amount for the shop. It's pricey but well worth it if you really like high quality tea. This tea is from THE original creators of this type of tea - very special. I urge you to try a cup next time you come in!

Here is a little history about this tea:

Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the Wu Yi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. Lapsang is distinctive from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires. (*Side note: my friend the Tea Geek told me that lapsang souchong is loosely translated to mean "of the original mountain place.)

The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wu Yi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines.

An Evening with Carol Rhoades

We thought it would be fun to host a little get together in honor of Carol's visit with us. Bring your wheel or other project and come and celebrate with us!

Tuesday, October 14th
6 - 8 pm
Refreshments provided

addi CLICK

Guess what! Soon to be released: the addi interchangeable needle kit, the addi Click. We should have stock of the Click later this month.

Here is a description sent to us from Skacel:

The addi Click system provides 10 different sizes of addi Turbo™ tips (US 4 – US 15), three different lengths of our new, extremely pliable blue cord (24”, 32” and 40”), and one connector piece which helps to either store stitches or combine your cords. The Click tips require no tools to change; simply insert the cord deep into the tip, twist and release. The tips will remain secure until you change them.

The kits will retail for around $150. We are limited to 10 kits so put your order in today!

Newish Old Favorites

Joni here, blogging from yarn-land, AKA, Village Yarn and Tea Shop. Every time I think the shop can't possibly hold one more ball of yarn, more arrives and somehow we manage to find a place for it! I've worked in the fiber industry for a while now and I've been happy to see some of my (not-too-old) favorites here to tempt me on a weekly basis. Balls of yarn do have voices, you know! What do you mean you've never heard them??

One of my most recent favorites is Malabrigo Worsted. We all know that merino wool is one of the softest, but the sheep this yarn was spun from must have gotten extra love and kisses, because it is so soft and squishy, you could just sleep on a pile of it and be perfectly happy. And it's cheap! And it has great yardage and luscious colors, kettle-dyed by a women's co-op in Uruguay.

Just today, we got another one of my favorites: Trendsetter Tonalita. Again with the softness and the gorgeous, self-striping colors. I knit one of my favorite pairs of handwarmers out of this yarn. Unfortunately they're lost in a pile of yarn somewhere in my house, but they are luscious from this wool/acrylic mix with the long color repeats. Get your brights and earth tones here.

I know most people think Dale of Norway yarns are just for knitting baby things, but I actually love Baby Ull for knitting fancy gloves and even lace. This yarn comes in tons of colors, is inexpensive, machine-washable and durable. It's great for some of the fine-gauge glove patterns on the market yet, and if you need help when you get to the fingers, just come in and ask me - I've knitted quite a few pair. Whether you're looking for classic colors, brights or pastels, this yarn will fit the bill.

Don't think that because these are the yarns I blogged about that I don't have more favorites - there are just too many to name, especially this time of year when the shop is so full. Come in and pick out a favorite of your own!

Anniversary Celebration

It's our 4th Anniversary!

We have lots of fun events planned in honor of our 4th year in business.

Thursday, October 9th, 6 - 9 pm
Spinning Night - we'll feature new hand-dyed fibers from Dragonfibers

Saturday, October 11th
10 - 1 pm: Klaus Kronenberg from Crown Mountain Farms will be here with lots of beautiful roving

1 - 4 pm: Joanne Ellis from Skacel will be doing demos of Art Felt

We will be serving special treats from Svedala Bakery all day long!

Sunday, October 12th
Spinning for Knitting Workshop with Carol Rhoades

Monday, October 13th
Spinning for Socks Worskhop with Carol Rhoades

Tuesday, October 14th
Meet-and-Greet with Carol Rhoades - bring your wheel!

Rowan, etc...

More stuff, more stuff. Today we got a big box of ROWAN: Felted Tweed, Kidsilk Aura, Shimmer, Kid Classic, Tapestry, the latest Rowan Magazine and various and sundry books and patterns. Yipee skippy!

I've been so busy with all the new stuff that I haven't had a minute to blog about other newbies as well:

• Alpaca Sox from Classic Elite
• Lana Grossa sock yarns Arizona, Tweed, Colortweed, Seta/Cashmere (very yummy) and new colors of Fantasy and Meeting
• Misti Alpaca Sock
• New Fleece Artist Sea Wool sock colors
• Silky Wool is back!
  
• Calm Wool by Elsebeth Lavold
• New colors in Marisol yarns Hacho, Sulka, Miski, and Qina - a new Baby Alpaca/Bamboo blend
• New colors in Baby Alpaca Grande
• Scarlet Fleece roving

There are more things coming in every day!

If you are coming to this Friday's Knit Nite Pajama Party you can see everything that's new AND have a great time. :-)

Fall Book Sale

We have some great "classic" books on sale for 30% off from now until October 4th. This is the good stuff! Here are the titles:

• Boho Baby
• Knitting Classic Style
• Couture Crochet (Lily Chin)
• Shibori Knitted Felt
• Knit 2 Together (Tracy Ulman)
• 25 Cushions to Knit (Debbie Abrahams)
• Modern Classic (Louisa Harding)
• Handknit or Crochet Designs for Kids (Lucinda Guy)
• Andrean Knits
• Kristin Knits (Kristin Nicholas)
• Kaffe Knits Again (Kaffe Fassett)

Think early holiday shopping........ ;-)

Lots-o-Fiber

It's that time of year again - the time of year when our UPS delivery guy gives us the evil eye and starts wearing his truss to work every day. It's the time of year that our employees wish they had desk jobs or at least had the knees of a 10-year-old. It's Fall fiber delivery time!!!!

We have new Debbie Bliss, new Noro, new natural fibers from Plymouth, new cashmere, new patterns (woo hoo), new silks, new Polar Fleece yarn, etc.... You'll just have to come in and see all that's new!

Debbie Abrahams Workshop Redux

What a FABULOUS time we had with Debbie. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the day to do the workshop. I really like the method she uses to place beads. (I'm going to teach her workshop so, stay tuned for dates.) I managed to finish the project once I got home - I just need to sew on the buttons!

Debbie won't be back in the area for at least 2 years but we'll be sure to get her back when she is here again. She is such a joy to work with.

Spinning Night Fun

Last Thursday was Spinning Night and we had a record-breaking turnout! Doug Dodd was here with his nifty little Pocket Wheel to show off and everyone brought their own wheels to work on.

 

Doug demonstrates his wheel

Ellen gives the Pocket Wheel a spin

Brad gets help from Betty

September Spinning Knit

This month's spinning night is Thursday, September 11th and we will be hosting special guest Doug Dodd - creator of the Pocket Wheel. Doug will be here from 6 to 7:30 pm.

The Pocket Wheel is just over 18 inches and 6 1/2 pounds and easily disassembles, fitting flat in a shopping bag. Despite its small size, it is an attractive, full-featured wheel with a large bobbin that holds 3-4 ounces of yarn and a unique belt-less drive system, giving continuous ratios from 3.5 through 10 standard and to 15 high speed. Individually hand crafted in Bellingham.

And don't forget that this Friday night (the 5th) is Knit Nite! The demo this month is the Kitchner Stitch.

Sleeper Yarns

Like a good Indie film, sometimes a yarn doesn't get the exposure it deserves because of all the blockbusters that are around at the same time. I have some favorite "sleepers" that I'd like to highlight today.

Noro Niji (what a shocker - a Noro yarn)

Niji is 45% wool, 25% Kid Mohair, 25% silk, and 5% Nylon boucle-ish yarn. We have a

 sample in the shop that some people love to hate because it's a garment that is hard to wear but I really like this yarn. It's perfect for a warm wrap or a simple bulky sweater.

Noro Silk Mountain

Another sleeper from Noro, this boucle is gorgeous and the colors are more subtle and uniform than most Noro yarns. I started a wrap last year (mixed with some other yarns) and really liked the yarn but I got sidetracked somehow....you know how that is. Anyway, I think it's very pretty.

O-Wool - 100% Certified Organic Merino, worsted 

This is a beautiful merino; perfect for that cable cardigan you've always wanted to make. The colors are a little muted because of the organic nature of the yarn but it should not be overlooked. Several people are making the February Lady sweater with it. (Pssst - that will be our KAL for January!)

Cilantro by Nashua - 70% Cotton, 30% Polyester, worsted

This single twist yarn feels like merino - kind of springy - and we have a lovely shop model but it came in a color that isn't too flattering for most people. This is a shame because the yarn is great and its perfect for all kinds of garments. The colors are mostly bright but they would work for Fall.

Louisa Harding Cinnabar - cotton, silk and linen blend with a touch a sparkle

I'm not a sparkle yarn kinda woman but I love this yarn. Victoria made the most beautiful skirt using this yarn and I've seen a few other tops made out of it and it's beautiful! I think the color blends are very sophisticated and elegant. Her Jasmine cotton/bamboo blend is also very nice but we don't have a garment yet. That's a common problem in the shop - so many yarns, too few samples made up - so some yarns don't get the attention they should. 

I hope you take a few minutes the next time you are in the shop to look at these "neglected" yarns.  

It's getting to be that time....

....when all the new things for Fall start arriving. But let us NOT forget all the fabulous yarn that we already have in the shop! It's time to make those transitional garments or those great tanks that will be all ready to wear when you take them out next Spring on the first warm day. Ask not what your wardrobe can do for you but what you can do for your wardrobe! (Too dramatic?)

For those of you who must live on the edge, the newest arrival in the shop is the Tilli Thomas Voile del la Mer -  70% Silk, 30% Seacell, 18 sts/4" on Us #7, 250 yds of luscious wonderfulness.

Our Ladybug arrives!

We have a bunch of new spinning related items to report on today. 

First off, we received some 100% camel down and other fibers from Dana Locken and it's all ready to spin. Dana was just featured in the last Spin Off magazine! If you haven't felt camel down.......ooooohhhhhh......

Next - we now have Spinner's Contrast Lap Cloths and Katie a-Go-Gos from Nancy's Knit Knacks. These are great tools for spinners who want to take things to the next step. 

And last but not least, our Schacht Ladybug wheel has arrivcd! The Ladybug is friendly to entry-level spinners, easy to treadle, easy to take with you, and...., as cute as a bug! The Ladybug only weights 12.5 pounds but has the characteristic solid Schacht construction. 

Our price: $550 plus tax

There is also a lazy kate available (for $34.95 plus tax) that fits right into the wheel for easy strorage.

Cotton Sale Yarns

Okay - you've asked for it so here it is! The list of yarns that are marked down 25% this week:

Cascade:Pima Tencel, Sierra

Dale of Norway: Stork

Elsbeth Lavold: Cotton Frappe, Hempathy, Bamboucle

Lion Brand: Organic Cotton

Louisa Harding: Castello, Cinnabar, Jasmine

Meilenweit: All the sock yarns

Mirasol: Cotonani, T'ika

Misti Alpaca: Misti Cotton

Nashua: April, Cilantro, NF Ecologie, June

Rowan: All Seasons Cotton, Bamboo Tape, Calmer, Cotton Glace

Schulana: Aria, Sojobama

Sirdar: Baby Bamboo, Surfer

Southwest Trading Co.: Tofutsies

Sublime: Soya Cotton DK

Tahki: Cotton Classic

Such a deal!!! Come on down!!! :-)

Stitch-n-Pitch Success

Another great Stitch-n-Pitch! And the Mariners won even!!! I never get to actually see the game but still have a great time. Thanks to all of you who stopped by our table. :-)

In Memorium

Our very dear friend Patty Mottley passed away just over a week ago. She was diagnosed four months ago with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Patty was able to fulfill her dream to take a trip to Ireland with her daughter, visit the ocean, and was calling the shots to the very end. We will miss her smile, her passion for all things fibrous and the love she had for her family. 

Patty became a regular in the shop after the very first Stitch N Pitch. We had a nickname for her and her sister, we called them the Home Girls. The Home Girls played a big part in getting the Breast Cancer Wristband project going for us and organizing the pajama party. She was a wonderful, caring human being and her loss will be felt for a long time. 

Debbie Abrahams Workshop

We are delighted to have Debbie back at VYT. She is a wonderful teacher and lots of fun to be around! 

Debbie is the author of several best selling knitting books including 25 Cushions to Knit and 100 Afghan Squares to Knit (and 100 more!). Students that took her last class in beading here at VYT are still talking about what a great class it was!

25 Beaded Knits Workshop
September 16, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm
Cost: $80

This is a very popular class so signing up early is a must. Students will be getting a packet from Debbie ahead of time with some "homework" before class begins.

Health Fair and Stitch-n-Pitch Pattern

Three  things to talk about today.

First, we still have spots available for mammograms during the Health Fair on August 22 and 23. We can't stress enough the importance of having a mammogram! We have so many friends and family members who have been saved by early detection. If you have never had a mammogram - fear not! We are here to hold your hand both literally and figuratively. 

My second topic is the lovely Ruth Sorensen Noro kits we have made up for Stitch-n-Pitch! Ruth has come up with 6 new and exclusive patterns for us using the new Noro Kureyon Sock yarn - 3 different bags and wrist warmers. For those of you who are not familiar with Ruth, she designed many of the VERY popular patterns using Kauni and Evilla yarns. 

And speaking of Kauni - our very own Joni has designed something special for Stich-n-Pitch using this great yarn. Be sure to stop by and get your copy!

End of Summer Sales

We are getting ready for fall by having some great summer sales!

July 27 thru August 9

All Noro and Debbie Bliss Yarns and Pattern Books

plus

All Packaged Food Items

25% off

August 10 thru 23

Selected Cottons and Loose Teas

25% off

August 29 thru September 1 (Labor Day Weekend)

All Books 20% off

Selected Yarns 20 to 50% off

Did You Know?

One thing you may not know about VYT is that we offer private classes in knitting, crochet and spinning (both spindle and wheel). Cost is $30 an hour and you can split that cost among several people. So if you're looking for a class that might not currently be on our schedule and you have up to 3 friends who want to take it with you, give us a call and probably one of our talented instructors can arrange to teach you! We love making new stitching addicts, after all.

Also, DID YOU KNOW that DEB is almost on her way back from France? We have missed her so much in the shop and know you have too. We're looking forward to vacationing vicariously by listening to her stories about all the fun she had while she was gone! I'm sure she'll blog generously about her trip, so stay tuned for stories!

For your calendars: we will not be holding our monthly Spin-in or Knit Nite in August, because so many stitchers will be on vacation or busy getting ready for school to start, but we'll see you in September. All you Brighton Bag knitters, bring your finished bag in any time between August 1 and 15 and we'll hang them up for a fun display!

July Knit Night

Can you believe it's July already?? Summer is finally here. Celebrate summer with us by coming to knit night this Friday, July 11th from 6-9 pm.

We have been featuring mini-workshops the past few knit nights, and this month we have Amy of goodtobegirl teaching a great cast-on for toe up socks. The fee for this class is a very reasonable $3. The workshop starts at 7 pm. You just need to bring some fingering weight yarn, and 2 size 1-24" circulars. (You could also substitute worsted weight yarn and size 5 needles if you desire.)

We hope to see you here!

Get Your S&P Tickets Here

Okay, it's July - JULY! - today and can you believe it, we've actually had some warm weather here in the northwest. We're still knitting though, and we know you are too, because we've seen you do it here in the cool of our air-conditioned, iced-tea-stocked shop.

Summer means baseball, too, so let me take this opportunity to invite you all to purchase your Mariners Stitch & Pitch tickets now. This year's event is scheduled for Thursday, August 7 at 7:10pm and the Mariners will be playing the Tampa Bay Rays. If you've never attended a Stitch & Pitch baseball game, you're in for a treat - not only do you get to cheer for the home team, you get to knit (without any funny looks from other fans)! And not only do you get to cheer and knit, you can also SHOP! Many area yarn stores will be there with all kinds of loot to boost your almost-empty (?!) stash in preparation for your fall wardrobe or holiday gift giving.

Tickets are going fast, so stop in and pick yours up today for the low, low price of $13!

To Your Health

Can you believe it's been almost a year since we last saw the Swedish Hospital Mammogram Bus at Village Yarn and Tea Shop? No one can say we're not a full-service yarn shop! For the convenience of all of you women who have been putting off your mammograms this year, we'll be holding our annual Women's Health Fair on Friday and Saturday, August 22 and 23, and it'll be a lot more fun than your standard-issue mammogram! FYI: the Swedish Breast Care Express is a full-service, self contained, 64-foot mammography clinic on wheels. The Express features the latest in digital full-field mammography technology as well as a complete rooftop satellite system enabling the transmission of images to radiologists at Swedish.

While you're here, you can get some good health information from various health professionals, including Dr. Jana M. Hagen, Naturopathic Physician and many others. And, you'll get a fabulous goodie bag filled with all sorts of yummy fiber treats (the yarn kind of fiber, that is!). We're taking sign-ups now, so call early to get your preferred day and time. This is NOT a free service, but most insurance carriers are accepted for your mammogram, so be sure to bring your insurance information and/or checkbook with you that day.

So make your appointment today by calling the shop at 206.361.7256. We'll post more information as it becomes available.

Grits 'n Stitches y'all

Hey y'all, it's Ellen, now back from our family vacation to North Carolina. My husband's mom grew up there, and he hadn't been back for 30 years, so we thought it would be great to show our kids part of their "roots".

This trip was full of firsts for me - fireflies (so cool!), cardinals, NC BBQ, vultures (!), a lot of the beautiful countryside and much more. One of the best highlights besides visiting family was checking out the pottery shops in Seagrove. Most were closed on Mondays, but I saw and purchased enough to keep me happy!

My knitting project for the plane and visiting time was socks. I always have a pair of socks on the needles and the yarn of choice for me this time was our Claudia's Handpaints in the Blue Fields colorway. I chose to knit up the No-Purl Monkeys that Sarah of Plucky Knitter fame had recently done. What a quick and easy pattern to knit! The yarn is also so very soft and nice to work with. Apparently none of our North Carolina relatives knit, so everyone was so impressed that I could knit socks.

What do you have on your needles for this summer????

We've Got Leather and Deb's Got France!

Handles from Grayson, that is - just in time to sew on to those Brighton Bags you're all knitting so diligently! There are long ones and short ones in rich neutrals and fun brights - even red! Joni says she might have to knit one more just to use those red ones. They'd be great on a felted bag, too, so come check them out before supplies get low again.

Speaking of leather-like items, we have some yummy new Namaste Newport bags just like the ones Victoria saw when she went to the TNNA conference a few weeks ago. Take your choice of fuschia, a luscious teal, saddle brown or an awesome olive green. They'll hold your knitting project with room to spare for your day-to-day personal items.

In other news, shop owner Deb has flown the coop to France. We know she's over there sampling tasty French morsels, checking out the scenery, resting and relaxing and who knows what else - while we're here holding down the fort. (But we're not bitter...) We hope Deb's having a wonderful time and we know she'll look forward to sharing her adventures when she returns in a few weeks.

Summer Staff Picks and Ladybugs!

Yes, we know that it's cold and dark and drippy, but we have faith that we WILL have summer in Seattle one of these days. So, we've been knitting summer things in preparation for that soon-coming morning when we wake up and see that big yellow ball emerge from behind the clouds. Here are some of our favorite warm-weather yarns:

Victoria likes Louisa Harding Cinnabar, a cotton-linen blend in slightly sparkly colors that are perfect for the oh-so-cute skirts she's been making this spring.

Ellen loves the Cascade Pima Tencel because it's worsted weight and has a wonderful drape for that lacy summer top she just made in preparation for her upcoming vacation (to somewhere warm - perhaps we can all live vicariously!) She is also really liking the Berroco Seduce - she just made a really cute shell out of that one too.

Deb just created one of her fabulous crochet patterns from Noro Matsuri, a new cotton blend from one of our favorite yarn companies. Check out her lovely shrug, perfect for wearing now while it's chilly in the evenings.

Joni is really thinking summer - she just knows that there will be some warm days when she can wear the Lacy Steps Tank from Nashua that she just finished knitting from Elsebeth Lavold Bamboucle - a fast and easy knit that could also be worn over a tshirt (in case it stays cool for a few more... weeks? months?).

Kari made a really cute top out of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy. A really great fiber that's easy care too!

Megan is learning how to knit socks - she's already on the foot part of her first sock!

Karla is making the pretty lace shawl out of the current Knit 1 magazine.

Later this summer, the shop will become infested with Ladybugs - the spinning wheel variety, not the flying kind! We'll be carrying these Schacht spinning wheels, which are cute as the bugs they're named for starting later this summer. We're happy to add the Schacht line of products to our shop, so watch for the Ladybugs and come in and try one on for size this August. (If you'd like to have one for yourself, let us know so we can add to our current order.) We'll also carry the Matchless wheel, one of our favorites.

Summer Incentive Sale!

June 5th through June 20th

We're all about keeping you knitting through the summer. Buy a project's worth of yarn (8 or more skeins of the same yarn on the same day) and save 20%! Check out our hot new patterns for eveything from tank tops to throws to fall jackets and stock up at a great price!

Brighton Bag KAL

Ditch those disposable bags with us this summer and join our Knitty.com Brighton Bag KAL! Knitted bags are big right now and this one's a beauty - stylish enough for dressy occasions and sturdy enough to use when you're shopping. Our sample bag is knitted from AllHemp6 on a size US 6 needle, lined with cotton fabric and embellished with fancy leather handles. You can make yours the same way or try another yarn, like Hempathy, Euroflax linen or one of our yummy cottons - make it structured, or loose and stretchy to stuff full of summer goodies!

The knitting fun starts on June 9th and ends on our August 1 Knit Night. Bring your finished bag in then and we'll put up a lacy display of Brightons in the shop!

June Knit Nite

June 6 Knit Nite

6 - 9 pm

Your head will be spinning this month at Knit Night when Joni brings her fibery toys to tempt all you knitters who have thought about spinning but haven't tried it yet! You'll get a chance to see a wheel, two kinds of charkhas and several spindle types in action and you can get an impromptu spindling lesson if you're brave! If the mesmerizing whirling hypnotizes you, there will be classes this summer to turn you permanently dizzy!

Calm after the storm

Now that the LYS tour is over, we will all have a little more time to relax and reflect. At least that's the plan. I have the excuse of having had chemo this week but Victoria is at the shop, working away, picking up the slack for me. If you get a chance to stop by the shop this week, be sure to give her a pat on the back or a nice big hug for holding down the fort. She deserves it. :-)

Whilst whittling away the hours on my couch, I found this great post on a UK Ravelry group that I thought you might find inspiring - "Knit a River." What a great project!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iknitlondon/sets/72157600300385020/

I hope to visit I Knit when I'm in London this summer.

Closing early

We will be closing early on Monday, May 26 in recognition of Memorial Day. Our hours will be 10-3.

LYS Tour - Day 2: The 3 Debs

We have met so many wonderful people on the tour!! It's great to see new faces and here new stories. These nice women came in to the shop - one from Canada and one from Washington and both named Deb. Since I'm a Deb too so we started chatting. Then we noticed that we were all wearing the EXACT same color of shirts! (I'm trying very hard to ignore my double chin and I cropped the photo because I look like I'm 6 months pregnant. I have GOT to stop eating scones....)

Fun city. :-)

The LYS Tour has started!!

Our first customer of the day! Ingrid started with our shop and is going to try to visit as many shops as she can today. We are SO excited about the tour!!


Here is a shot of our Single Skein project yarn and items, just to whet your appetite. ;-)

Mother's Day Ideas

That's right - Mom's day is this Sunday, for all you procrastinators (like my own kid). We have some really nice little gift ideas in our tea and yarn departments. How about a flowering tea pot or some of the individual flowering tea boxes? A nice tray, some jam, cookies, or new teapot perhaps? We have some pretty silk bags for notions or small projects. Maybe a knitting mystery or humorous book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee would do the trick. A gift card is always a good idea. We also carry a wide variety of blank greeting cards.

We will be open on Mother's Day for regular tea and baked goods service (sorry, no high tea) and fiber shopping, of course. :-)

Done in by Plucky

It was a cold and rainy morning. I was running a little late and had my hands full of bags when I tried to push open the office door to lay down my burdens. There was resistance and I had to push a little harder to get into the room, only to find what was blocking my entry was a body! Not just any body, but the body of my business partner Victoria, flat out on the floor, covered in..... covered in....... Plucky Knitter's Merino Cash Nylon DK.  I wasn't sure if she had OD'd or just fainted from the overwhelming beauty of the colors but I had to get her up before she slipped into a fiber coma - the most dangerous of all craft related injuries. As I knelt down to assess her condition, I almost fell prey to the intoxicating deliciousness of the skeins but was able to pull back just in time. Fortunately for me, only two of the skeins managed to make their way into my bag before I was able to shake off the dizziness and get back to the work at hand. 

If you care about me or any other VYT employee, you will come down here and take some of these skeins home so we can avoid this from ever happening again. Only YOU can prevent fiberoverdoses!

New Cascade Superwash Paint

Cascade introduced the 220 Paints last year but they weren't superwash. Now they are! The colors are nice and bright and in the standard 220 yd skeins, worsted weight. I made a great pair of "house socks" out of a skein of the fall colors and I think the colors we have now would be perfect for kid's wear. There are a couple more colors on the way. (I might have to have a blue/green skein or two....)

Spinning

So, you want to know what this interesting pile of wood and fiber is? Well, this is but a small amount of new VYT staffer Joni's spindle and handspun stash! If there's a spinning gadget in the world, she'll find it and learn to use it. Beneath the Balkan, Lollipop, takhli, handmade bead, Navajo, Akha, Tibetan and Russian lace spindles is an attache charkha. It's a really fun machine invented originally by Gandhi so that the Indian people could always be productive, spinning their own yarn in their moments of downtime. Also living at Joni's house are four spinning wheels (okay, one doesn't work, let's be fair), three more charkhas, many more spindles and a partridge in a pear tree. Oops, wait - that's two fiber-producing cats (yes, she spins kitty!).

Anyway, that's the long way to say that Joni's excited about introducing you all to many new ways of spinning at VYT, using all the yummy fibers we have in the shop. Watch for some fresh, fun classes starting this summer!

It's a cupcake kind of day~

Yes, you read that right, cupcakes have arrived at Village Yarn and Tea! This is something we've been wanting to offer for quite a while now and today is the day.

I will be baking these each Monday morning, rotating between Lemon-Ginger and Chocolate-Coconut. Once, they're gone for the week they're gone until the following week (at least to start). They will be $1.75 each and are so very delicious! AND - we sell the mix so you can make them at home!

Earth Day Sale!

In honor of Mother Earth, we are marking down all of our organic fibers AND teas for the week of April 21st through 27th by 15%! We love our organic fibers and think you will too.

Our organic yarns:
Blue Sky Dyed Cotton
Blue Sky Organic Cotton
Lion Brand Organic Cotton
Nashua Natural Focus Eco Cotton
O-Wool %100 Merino

Our organic teas:
Keemun Golden Buds
Golden Yunnan
Darjeeling
Citron Oolong
Jasmine Pearls
Moroccan Mint
Plain Rooibos
Ginger Lime Rooibos