What If Everyone Knit the Same Sweater??

Well, I suppose it has been awhile since our last post. I know that we've posted about the all the new yarns coming in, but we haven't yet talked about our big adventure as a group. We are doing a shop knit along, using Peace Fleece Worsted weight yarn to make the Everyday Cardigan.

What's the plan you ask? Well, you have until this Wednesday, November 21st at noon to place your yarn order. You can either pick your color off the Peace Fleece website (see above) or come into the shop and check our our color card. We will order your yarn and pattern Wednesday afternoon. We are asking each participant to pre-pay their yarn, and we are giving you 10% off your purchase at that time.

Peter at Peace Fleece has assured me that the yarn will arrive by the middle of December, just in time to get a swatch done. We will all meet at 1 pm at VYT on New Year's Day to do a group cast on. If you are out of town, then just do your cast on vacation but try and start it at 1 pm PST.

This is not a race though - work at your own pace! I also thought it would be fun for the more adventurous or experienced knitters out there to add in their own touches. Check out the Nicky Epstein books for interesting edges, Barbara Walker for cool stitch patterns or maybe a motif book for a colorful band. Make it your own - that's alot of the fun!

I will also be setting up help times on Thursday nights in case you get stuck, and there will be a yahoo group to chat amongst yourselves and give each other encouragement.

Stay tuned - I'll be planning a fashion show and display at the end!

Ellen

Mirasol Project

I want to take a moment to let you all know about one of the new yarn lines we are carrying in the shop. Not only are the yarns beautiful but the story behind the yarn is also pretty wonderful.

Vision of the Mirasol Project:

• Improving the well being of rural children in the highlands of Peru
  

Executive Summary:

• Quality of education in Peru is poor. The country was rated last of 41 in the IEPS (International Evaluation Program for Students) back in 2002. As a result of this poor showing, education was prioritized within a National Agenda. Special emphasis was given to the rural areas of the highlands, where educational programs and levels of literacy are the worst.
• Recent studies have found that the people of Puno have one of the lowest levels of education and health in Peru. The lack of economic resources and poor nutrition have resulted in high and increasing levels of anemia.
  

Objectives:

• To provide accommodation, meals and health care for the support of the infants and children of the community
• To develop personal and occupational skills, study techniques and language communication through specialized workshops.

By purchasing a Mirasol yarn it means that a percentage of the price goes towards providing an education to the children of the farmers. Jane Ellison - a world renowned knitwear designer - has taken this project to heart and has designed many beautiful patterns for this great yarn. (We sold out of her book the first week but more are on their way!) The yarns are:

• Miski - 100% Baby Llama
• Hacho - 100% Merino
• Cotanani - Pima Cotton and Merino blend
• Sulka - Merino, Alpaca and Silk blend

We hope you will get a chance to see and purchase these lovely yarns very soon!

Fall Sale

From now until this Friday, a number of our favorite yarns are marked down by 35%. After this Friday, they will still be marked down but only by 25%. The yarns include Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, Noro Transitions, Kochoran, Daria, and Iro, Donegal Tweed, Rowan Big Wool, and even Koigu! These yarns are going fast. How fast you ask? Ya know, when you watch the Road Runner cartoons and he zips off and that little puff of dust is left behind? THAT fast!

O~Wool

No, it is not the title of an ode by the Bard, it is the name of the new organic wool from the Vermont Organic Fiber Company. This wonderful company promotes and supports sustainable agricultural and business practices that minimize the negative ecological impact to the earth.

"By using O~Wool hand knitting yarns, knitters and crocheters are directly increasing the acreage under organic management and offsetting the negative effects of conventional cotton production, effectively contributing to a truly sustainable environment. On average, for every pound of organic wool produced, two acres of land are sustained under organic management. Each pattern developed using O~Wool has the skein equivalent to acreage so the knitter or crocheter can see how much land is being supported by each garment."

Is that cool or what?! We currently have 8 colors with 9 more on the way. The Classic is 100% certified organic merino and is sold in 198 yard skeins, 16-18 sts = 4" on a size 8-9 US, for $14.25/skein.

If you are anything like me, and I sincerely hope you aren't, you might be asking yourself "what the heck is organic wool?" Well, here is how they qualify certified organic wool production:

• Livestock must be fed 100% organically grown feed and forage
• Synthetic hormones and vaccinations are prohibited
• Synthetic pesticides on livestock and pastures are prohibited
• Genetic engineering is prohibited
• Healthy livestock is promoted through good management

And organic fiber processing is as follows:

• Organic fiber must be handled separately from non-organic
• Detergents for wool scouring shall be readily biodegradable
• Must practice appropriate treatment of waste water
• Oils used in spinning shall be of vegetable or animal origin
• All dyes must be free of heavy metals and aromatic amines
• Recyclable or readily biodegradable finishing materials are used
• Carbonizing fibers using acid baths is prohibited
• Organic facilities must practice structural pest management
  

Too much sharing?

New books

We just received two new lace books along with several other cool publications:

• Knit with Beads: Stunning Shawls & Wraps by Scarlet Taylor
• Wrapped in Comfort: Knit Lace Shawls by Alison Jeppson Hyde
• Knitting Little Luxuries by Louisa Harding
• Complete Feltmaking by Gillian Harris
• Bag Style by Pam Allen & Ann Budd
• Felt Forward by Maggie Pace
• Crochet Jewelry by Waejong Kim and Anna Pulvermakher
• Crochet Me by Kim Werker (love it!)
• Knits Three Ways by Melissa Matthay
• Knitting for Him (A Rowan Book) by Martin Storey & Wendy Baker
• Inspired Fair Isle Knits by Fiona Ellis

I'm sure there are more that I haven't mentioned. We've been doing more moving and removing of things so you'll just have to come in to see all the new stuff. (My back hurts from all the moving!)

Kauni Fever

It has arrived! The much anticipated, fabulously colorful, all-the-way-from-Estonia Kauni yarn has made it's journey to our shop. (Kauni translates to "beautiful" and is pronounced "cow-nee".) Ellen is busy putting up the yarn into packages to make Ruth's Kauni Cardigan pattern (which we will include with your purchase). We have enough for 26 sweaters! There are 12 kits in the rainbow colorway as well as some in the magenta/purples, brown/gold/blue, and black/grey combos. These kits are going to go fast so get yourself in here to pick out your favorite!

What HAVEN'T we gotten in....

I know I've said this before but - hokey smokes! We have SO much new stuff that we had to go out and buy more shelves! That's right ladies and germs - MORE SHELVES. I honestly think it would take less time to list what we don't have in the shop at the moment. I wanted to upload photos but there seems to be a problem with the blog site at the moment. I'll try to upload photos tomorrow! We have new Debbie Bliss, ShiBui, Marisol yarns, Lana Grossa merinos, Louisa Harding and Berroco yarns, and on, and on... You'll just have to come by to see it all.

Thanks to everyone who attended our fantastic Fleece Artist Knit Nite! We had a wonderful time and there were some fantastic new yarn and kits to be seen. We kept as much as we could and can order whatever you need.

We hope to see many of you at the Louet show this Friday. Who could pass up beautiful yarn patterns, door prizes, and MORE free wine and cheese! Be sure to let us know if you plan to attend. (You must be present to be eligible for the door prizes.)