Category: Project Inspiration

A new cowl collection, a KAL and a giveaway!

In her new e-book, Cowls: A Colourwork Sourcebook & Patterns, Inspired by Persia, our friend, knitting designer and podcaster Mina Philipp explores her Iranian heritage, and the motifs found in traditional Persian woven rugs.  This exciting collection of 12 new designs will be published on Thursday November 5th, 2020.

This 78-page full-color e-book contains information on techniques and links to further resources, as well as 12 full patterns to make the beautiful,
colorful cowls featured in this collection. With Cowls, Mina has created a fun, inclusive, inspiring, step-by-step guide to creating your own unique knitted pieces, always with the beginner knitter in mind. We hope you will enjoy knitting from this e-book, and that it will inspire you to try something new with your knitting.

One of Mina’s overarching goals with her design work is customizability and accessibility. In the past year she has worked on developing her “Any Gauge” method of designing, which allows knitters the flexibility and freedom to use any yarn and needle combination that they would like to knit up her projects. These “Any Gauge” designs provide knitters with the tools and confidence to truly create something unique and customized to them!

For those of you who have followed Mina’s work, you may already be familiar with two of her previous patterns that feature this method: the Any Gauge Tube Cowl and The Hug Shrug (which is modeled on Mina above).

Mina uses this “Any Gauge” approach when creating her new colorwork cowl sourcebook using yarns from fingering-weight to bulky. Knitters can find their perfect combination of yarn, gauge and shape from the many options presented, and can even design their own, using the calculations and the knitting graph paper provided.

We are particularly smitten with her Evil Eye pattern that has been designed with our fingering weight 100% wool Lana; and is modelled here on Mina’s mother.  The Noche and Playa colors that she selected provide a sharp contrast that makes the geometric pattern really pop!

The e-book will be published on Nov 5th, 2020 and will be listed for £19.50 (approx. USD $25) on Ravelry, (Knitting Expat Designs) and Etsy (MinaMakes), it is also going to be available for £16 (approx. USD $20) with a coupon code that will be on the pattern page. This is part of Mina’s philosophy of having a “Pay What
Works” pricing structure for her designs, allowing people to choose how much they can afford to pay for a pattern/e-book based on their personal financial situation.

Mina has graciously gifted us with THREE copies to give away, so send us an email or tag us on Instagram @greenmtnspinnery and we’ll draw three lucky winners at random on Thursday the 5th.

To help launch this new collection, Mina is hosting a Knit A-Long with the Spinnery and several of the other yarn companies that supported this project.  The KAL starts on November 5th, 2020 and will run to January 31st,  2021. Details for the KAL can be found on the dedicated Ravelry thread on Mina’s Group page.  Mina will also be publishing a video over on her YouTube channel –  going over the details of the e-book, and the KAL. The details for the KAL will also be included under that video for those who are unable to access Ravelry.

Entry for the KAL will be on Ravelry and Instagram (you do not need to do both).  For posting on Instagram use the hashtag #PersianCowlKAL and #KnittingExpatDesigns; you can also tag Mina @knittingexpat!

We hope that you’ll take a closer look at Mina’s newest patterns and join the fun of our KnitAlong.  Fingers crossed, you may be one of our lucky winners!

Show us what you’ve been working on

While the hot cider donuts at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival tend to get the lion’s share of the credit for the greatness of this event, we’d like to argue that it’s the “Rhinebeck Sweaters” that steal the show.  This gathering inspires most of us to wear our newest creations.  It is not uncommon to see folks stopped in their tracks by other knitters and crocheters with the question, “Can you tell me about what you’re wearing?”

This phenomenon even inspired a great pattern book published in 2013 by our friend Ysolda Teague.  (It’s currently 20% off on her website!)

We love to know about the pattern, the yarn that was used, sometimes even the specific colorway.  Seeing a project in person can make all the difference in assessing whether it could work for us.

These quick conversations can be even more informative than a knitter’s Ravelry project page because we can ask follow up questions that can help us figure out if this project that caught our eye is one that we want to make ourselves.  It has even been known to steer us to seek out new vendors that might not have been on our “must see” list to get exactly what we need to get started without delay.

We’d like to invite you to send us photos of projects that you would have shared with us if we’d been able to connect at the festival this weekend.  Share projects  that you are proud of, that may feature a technique that you’ve learned during quarantine.  Show us what is on your needles, let us know what yarn you are using and if you are enjoying the work.  We’d love to see what you’ve been up to.

Post these photos to Instagram with the hashtags #greenmountianspinnery or #gmsrhinebeckcreations.  You can also email them to us at spinnery@spinnery.com.  With your permission, we’ll create a blog post for later this month that will gather these images together in a scrapbook for everyone to enjoy.

To help get the ball rolling,  we’d like to share what is on Kate’s needles this weekend.  This is her almost complete Alaska Sweater designed by Camille Descoteaux.  Kate started this sweater as wildfires were sweeping through the western forests last month, and making new trees felt to her like a hopeful response to that calamity.

She is pairing Sylvan Spirit in the Hematite color with a double strand of Sun Valley Fibers fingering weight yarn (from her stash) in the Log Cabin colorway.

She’s making a few modifications, such as adding some length and a-line shaping so that the sweater will demonstrate that gorgeous drape that is one of Sylvan Spirit’s superpowers. She hopes to have it done in the next couple of weeks.

We are so looking forward to seeing what you are eager to share with us!

Behind the scenes

This week, we thought we’d share with you a few additional details about our new pullover pattern, Elevate.

Kate found inspiration for this stunning yoke on one of her early morning coffee walks to downtown Brattleboro last spring.  While she was waiting at a crosswalk she noticed the manhole cover under her feet and she decided that its simple geometry was compelling enough to translate to a stranded yoke.

She spent the early months of our quarantine holed up at home making several prototypes, working out the details of the yoke design and shaping to ensure the perfect comfortable fit.  As she worked on this design with various skeins from her stash, she found that her favorite samples used vividly dyed worsted spun yarns paired with Spinnery woolen spun yarns for the most dramatic effects.

Kate found that the blank canvas created by the almost matte fuzzy finish of Simply Fine contrasted beautifully with the lustrous shine and stitch definition characteristic of the worsted spun yarns that she was using as her contrast colors.  And thus the second intention of this pattern began to take shape.

She hoped that with a pattern like Elevate, she could encourage knitters to experiment with blending yarns from different producers in the same project.  Perhaps they might already have the perfect skein of fingering or sport weight yarn in their stash that was purchased on a whim and was just waiting for the chance to be the focal point of a special new garment.

This pairing of disparate yarns could potentially introduce knitters to new yarns, new vendors and new friends in the way that a stroll through a fiber festival would normally allow.  In the absence of this year’s crafty gatherings, Kate hoped that with her design she could somehow recreate the sense of community, play and regenerating enthusiasm that she enjoys when festival season comes around.

Her next challenge was to find a couple of models who could demonstrate the unisex appeal of this sweater; and she wanted to find a pair who would be comfortable being photographed together, unmasked.  Happily, Lauren’s kids Magnus and Zola came to our rescue.  They are local siblings who were quarantined together, and were willing to be photographed one morning this summer in exchange for breakfast at the local food co-op (steps away from that manhole cover that started us on this adventure).

Shown on the left –  MC: Shown in MC: Stargazing Green Mountain Spinnery Simply Fine Skinnies CC: Java Jive Fiber Optic Yarns Short Unified Gradient (225 yds) and on the right – MC: Woodsmoke Green Mountain Spinnery Simply Fine Skinnies CC: Log Cabin Sun Valley Fibers MCS Fingering.

One last detail that we’d like to share with you concerns the fit of this sweater.

You’ll see in the photos above that Kate (at the top of the page) and Magnus are wearing the same sweater.  It has a finished chest circumference measurement of 38″.  On her that means that there is approximately four inches of positive ease and on him there is less than two.  The overall length of the sweater from neckline to hem is 26″ which fits him perfectly and is about five inches longer than Kate would prefer.  With a french tuck into the waist of her jeans, (thank you Tan France from Queer Eye), it feels cozy, looks stylish, and works perfectly.

Since the pattern is constructed top-down, modifications are easily made.  We recommend that you block and try on the sweater after separating the sleeves so that you can customize the length of the body and sleeves for a personalized fit.

Kate modified her second sample, shown here on Zola (who is wearing her sweater with about 6 inches of positive ease).  Kate made this sweater for herself and so customized the length of the sweater to hit her just below her waist and the sleeves to be 3/4 length.  This change meant that her MC yardage requirement was reduced by roughly 300 yards.

The pattern as written does not include body shaping, for a unisex appeal; so folks who would prefer a closer fit with close to no positive ease, may want to add waist shaping.

We hope that this additional information about our new Elevate pattern answers some questions that you might not have known you wanted to ask.  If you find that you have a few more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Kate at spinnery@spinnery.com.

Waste not, want not

My grandmother lived through the depression and took that phrase to heart.  We here at the Spinnery, aspire to waste as little as possible in our production process, to ensure that every ounce of fiber that was grown, shorn and delivered to us with care is put to its highest use.

We capture the leftover scraps of wool and spun roving from every batch of yarn, and save it for future use.  Each lot of custom yarn generates its own small bag that is either returned with the finished yarn, or popped into storage here at the Mill to be added to the next batch of yarn we’ll make for that producer.

The leftovers from all of the Spinnery yarns that we spin is separated out into two categories.  Usable waste fiber from the mill floor and weight rolls is gathered in giant $5 bags and sold on a first come first served basis.  We’ve had customers use this fiber for crafting, felting and even as a natural insulation for their home!

The cleanest fiber that remains from our production process is saved and re-carded into our bulky Yarn Over.  Each dye lot of this yarn is truly unique.  It includes a differing combination of fibers and colors that has accumulated from our most recent batches of yarns.  We occasionally supplement this mix with some additional bale dyed wool to create a more appealing shade.  Our most recent colorway, Ember (shown on the left), even includes a subtle variegation of shades that can be found among the dying ashes of a comforting campfire.

We thought we’d highlight this warm yarn this week, and share with you some terrific pattern suggestions that make great use of it.  Now that the weather is turning cooler, bulkier knits are going to be more in demand.

Earlier this year, our friend Denise Bayron published the Wave of Change Jacket.  This jacket gets its name from the purl ridges that create concentric rings around the body. Denise’s pattern includes a generous range of sizes: 36 (40, 45, 50.5, 54, 58.5, 63) ” or 91.5 (101.5, 114.5, 128.5, 137, 148.5, 160) cm: and calls for 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8) skeins.

This yarn has also been used in some of our most popular patterns.   From largest to smallest is a collection of some of our most recent favorites!

Thistledown Throw.  We hope that this bulky throw that features a botanical thistle lace will bring you sweet dreams, whether it’s used for an afternoon nap or a good night’s sleep.  This pattern creates a blanket that measures 53”/134.5 cm wide x 54”/137 cm long, (after blocking) and is created with 10 skeins.

John’s Sweater.  This sweater is based on a well loved sweater Cap’s father wore for years. The boat neck allows for layering to make this a perfect sweater for your winter outdoor activities.  Cap’s pattern includes sizing that ranges from 37 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56)”/ 93 (101, 111, 121, 132, 142)cm and calls for 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) skeins (MC) and 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2 ) skeins (CC).

Beekeeper’s Smock.   This pullover has been designed to provide you with a hard-wearing outer layer that is as comfortable as it is practical. Pop it on as you head out for errands, chores and cool weather excursions this season and many to come.  The pattern has two sizes: approximately 50 & 60”/ 127 & 152.4cm (designed to fit with 11-15”/ 27 -38 cm of positive ease) and can be made with 5 or 6 skeins.

Gathering Hat.  This FREE pattern creates a hefty hat that can protect from brisk winds and cold ears, giving us a bit more time outdoors to enjoy the best of the season.  The pattern creates an adult cap that fits most – Circumference: 18” x Depth: 8½; (after blocking) and is created with a single skein.

You’ll find even more great pattern suggestions by browsing through the 150 projects listed on Ravelry that were created with our Yarn Over.

Two terrific shawls

Two of our Raverly friends, Tara and Amanda recently finished Andrea Mowry shawl patterns to equally beautiful effect!  We’d like to share their new shawls with you and introduce you to the patterns they selected to work with.

First up is Andrea Mowry’s recently published Cinnabar shawl pattern.

© taracelsus

This asymmetrical pattern combines garter stitch and brioche for deliciously comforting stretch and coziness.  It has a wingspan of approximately  74”/188 cm and a depth of 32”/81 cm when worked at the recommended gauge.  One of the fun and rewarding aspects of any shawl pattern is that you can adjust the finished measurements with your yarn selection.

© taracelsus

Tara paired our DK weight Touch of Grey Mewesic with Aran weight Spincycle Dream State in the Devilish Grin colorway.  Andrea’s pattern calls for two contrasting yarns of slightly different gauges.

“Using two different weights of yarn adds even more texture to this shawl. I kept my MC neutral and used my CC to play with color. Anything from another solid, to gradient sets or even stash scraps would be great! You are looking for a flowy fabric with nice drape. I recommend yarns with some bounce back (wool, for example) to help keep the brioche from stretching out too much. The best way to know if your yarn choice will work is to do a swatch and wet block it! If you like the drape and feel, then go for it!”

Earlier this summer our friend Amanda started Andrea’s Satellite shawl; another design that pairs garter stitch and brioche to play with color and texture.

Amanda used our 2-ply fingering weight yarn and paired undyed creamy white with several hand painted skeins in autumnal hues of gold and ochre.  This design has an even more generous wingspan of  83”/211 cm and a center depth of 32.5”/82.5 cm.

Both of these shawls will be large enough to snuggle into on a brisk fall morning.  When worked up with any of our woolen spun yarns, their generous volume will not weigh you down.  The bounciness and elasticity of our yarns will ensure that the brioche sections don’t stretch beyond reason, which will keep your shawl looking freshly knit.

We hope that these two beautiful projects may inspire a new shawl of your own.  Thank you Amanda and Tara for sharing your photos!

Since we saw you last

Over the course of the past year since we last saw you all at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival we published quite a few patterns!  Clicking on the pattern name will lead you to that pattern which will include all the details you need to know about sizing and yardage requirements.

Our newest garments include these adult sweaters, clockwise from the top left we have: Your Irish is Showing, Whitby, Sign of Spring Top (yes, that is crochet!), Sanderling and All in a Row.

We also published these, clockwise from the top left we have: Terry’s Sweater, Raggedy, Hybrid, Stansfield and Bunny Hill.

Our newest accessories include four patterns that were originally part of or last club: clockwise from the top left is Dominique Tuck Socks, Margeau & Rebecca’s Cowl, Nezinscot River Hat & Mitts, and Jill’s Boots.

Our selection of accessories also includes four more great patterns.  Clockwise from the top left is Tosh, the Gathering Hat, Thistledown Throw and Fall Waves Hat & Mitts.

And launching today, we have two new patterns to share with you. The first is Cap Sease’s Cricket.  This wee bottom-up henly sweater is designed for kiddos between the ages of 2-10.

As cute as a bug is an expression that sums up our new worsted weight pullover perfectly. This sweater’s easy fit will allow complete freedom of movement for your little one. It will render your favorite kiddo as snug as a bug and can be worked up as quick as a cricket. Appropriately enough, it is pictured above in Grasshopper Weekend Wool.

Last but not least is a reboot of a classic Spinnery pattern.  Cap Sease has updated a classic worsted weight Spinnery pattern to make it more adaptable and easier to create. The Slip Stitch Cardigan (which is actually created with an eyelet pattern) is now new and improved!

Cap has reimagined this design with a DK weight gauge for a broader range of appropriate yarn options as well as three season wearability. The new almost seamless construction of this revised pattern will appeal to any knitter who prefers to avoid the added work of old-fashioned finishing.

The revised pattern includes a generous size range: 32 (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 54, 58, 62) ” / 81 ( 102, 112, 122, 132, 137, 147, 157) cm chest with corresponding yarn requirements of  6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) sks Cotton Comfort, Alpaca Elegance, Mewesic or Sylvan Spirit (180 yds each).  It is shown above in Bluet Cotton Comfort.

We hope that you enjoy perusing these new designs.  Feel free to pop over to the Spinnery Facebook page where you’ll be able to enjoy a saved LIVE video of Kate and Maureen talking about these projects and their memories of Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festivals of year’s past.

What to knit next

To help you find some terrific pattern ideas that would look terrific knit up with our discounted Alpaca Elegance, we did a little online searching.

We found a listing of almost 300 patterns on Ravelry that will work beautifully with any of our DK weight yarns. You can sort through them all here.  Adding some additional search parameters (to be found on the left of your screen) will narrow this large group down.  You may want to focus on particular kinds of projects and selecting a particular criterion in the categories filter will allow you to look only at your preference, sweaters or hats for example.

Our DK weight yarns include Cotton Comfort, Sylvan Spirit, Mewesic, Ragg-Time and Alpaca Elegance.  With the exception of our Ragg-Time yarn, all of our DK weight yarns are available in 2 oz. skeins with approximately 180 yards each, so they can be substituted for each other with out any special yardage calculations.  Ragg-Time has been skeined in a more generous amount of 306 yards to take better advantage of the playful variegations in colors that we created for each colorway.

Our special coupon for the virtual Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival will give you 15% off your purchase of Alpaca Elegance through the end of day Monday, September 14, 2020.  Use the coupon code wisconsin at checkout for these savings!

 

A pattern suggestion and a knitalong for October

When our newsletter was delivered last week with news of the upcoming savings to be had on Alpaca Elegance this weekend, (please see in bold below) we received several messages from friends looking for pattern suggestions.

We thought we’d share a great possibility with you today that was published by our friend Fatimah Hinds: Modcast.  This pullover pattern was published a few years ago and it’s modern pattern block couldn’t be more timely.  This type of design is all over our Instagram feed, which means that patterns like this will likely be on everyone’s needles this fall.  She shared with us that, “It’s my favorite thing that I’ve designed and it’s the knit that I wear the most. ”

© Barbara Benson

Fatimah is going to be starting a knitalong in the coming weeks that will feature this design, so it is a perfect time to learn a bit more about it, find the perfect yarn and get swatching!

She shares these details about her pattern on the design’s Raverly page, “texture and visual interest in knitting can be created by changing various elements or in this case directions. For this seamless sweater, I used wrist to wrist knitting to create horizontal cables that change pattern at an off center point on the chest and back. Then I knit the body in the round and added garter stitch accents to keep it interesting. To echo the body a funnel neck collar is knit in garter stitch. Finally, to make this piece infinitely customizable and fun to style, I used 3 different colors. The color blocking and shape give this sweater a mod look that easily fits into a wardrobe today.

© Barbara Benson

What I loved most about knitting this piece is that the sleeves and chest/back are knit using fewer stitches than other sweater shapes, meaning the sweater can be ‘knit on the go’ for a longer period of time. The casual, easy to wear vibe comes from wearing the piece with 3”+ of ease as shown on the model. Or wear it with no ease for a tailored fit.”

The pattern includes sizing that ranges from 32 (36, 40, 44, 48)“ bust/chest circumference. The sweater is shown in 40” with 3” of positive ease.  Our DK weight yarn suggestions (Alpaca Elegance, Cotton Comfort, Mewesic, Sylvan Spirit) are skeined at a similar yardage to the yarn she used when designing her pattern, so the yarn requirements should work perfectly. (Color 1), 3 (4, 4, 4, 5) skeins; (Color 2), 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) skeins; (Color 3), 3 (5, 5, 6, 6) skeins.

Prior to the launch of her Knitalong that will run through the month of October, she plans to increase the sizing to include instructions for a 52″ chest circumference.  To make the pattern accessible cost-wise, Fatimah will be providing the instructions, one step at a time for free on Instagram.  She has done this previously and it was well received.  Finally, for those who are able to support her design work by purchasing the pattern, she will offer a discounted price for those who purchase the pattern $6 instead of $8.

You can receive all the updates that you need by following Fatimah on Instagram and searching for #modcastalong.

Later this week, we’ll be hosting a Facebook Live Video Show and Tell of our recent projects and patterns.  You’ll find us on Friday September 11th at 9am Central at Virtual Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival gathering that will be happening on Facebook.  You can join the group here.

To celebrate this first Fiber Festival of the fall season we will be offering 15% off savings for our DK weight Alpaca Elegance from Thursday 9/10 through Monday 9/14.  Please use code wisconsin at checkout to receive your savings.
We’ll post again in a couple of days with more DK weight sweater pattern suggestions that you can browse through to take advantage of this weekend’s sale!

 

Let’s reconnect!

We have two virtual craft meetings scheduled for September.

Find a comfortable spot and be sure that your project is near at hand.   Using your computer, tablet or  phone, head over to this website: https://www.gotomeeting.com/meeting/join-meeting  

You’ll be prompted to add a meeting ID that you’ll find listed below in bold for each gathering.

On Thursday 9/3 we’ll gather at 6:30pm – 8:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time) using Meeting ID number: 176-221-037.

On Saturday 9/19 we’ll gather at 10 am – noon (Eastern Standard Time) using Meeting ID number: 423-682-741.

We can use the gathering as a chance to catch up, share our progress on our current project(s), problem solve any snags that you may have come to, or even model what is off the needles.  Your beautiful work may inspire a friend to make something similar!

Its never to early to start gift knitting

Our friend Maria Muscarella (aka Ninja Chickens) recently released a clever hat pattern that is wildly adaptable.  This top down hat that can be knit with any weight yarn in two contrasting colors. You simply cast on 8 stitches and continue increasing until you have the perfect size hat for you!  It will work for everyone on your knitworthy list and could allow you to use up some stash yarn to boot.  Win/win.

We’d like to introduce you to her Andromeda Cap.

You’ll see on Ravelry, that this pattern works for a variety of yarn gauges.  She worked up several versions, two in sport weight and one in worsted weight, using Green Mountain Spinnery Weekend Wool.

© NinjaChickens

“This worsted weight version is so cozy and feels very warm. I also love the 2 solid color version and how well the slipped stitches show up. The Green Mountain Spinnery Yarn is also wonderful for filling in the spaces when it’s blocked and creating a nice solid structure to the knitting.”  It couldn’t be cozier.

She used less than full skeins of two colors for this sample that fits a 22″ circumference adult head.  We love the gorgeous contrast that allows the different textures of the fabric to pop!

Which colors of Weekend Wool would you consider pairing together?

 

Introducing Hybrid!

We have a new pattern to share with you this week!  We’d like to introduce you to Hybrid.

This top-down yoked sweater designed by Kate Salomon, pairs woolen spun Spinnery yarn with beautiful super washed worsted-spun skeins created by some of our fiber friends whom you may already know.  Kimber Baldwin of Fiber Optic Yarns and Karida Collins of Neighborhood Fiber Co. are both working magic with buttery soft yarns that are a treat for the eye and hand.

Gardeners have been cross-pollinating plants for generations to introduce exciting new variations. This stranded pullover blends different yarns to startling effect, similar to an opening blossom or a spreading bird’s wing. Carefully blending lofty woolen spun yarns with brilliant worsted spun yarns can result in a comforting sweater that showcases a radiantly hued yoke like a prized bloom.

The sample shown on the lovely Magalie Remy above was made with a single strand of Dark Roast Alpaca Elegance as the main color and a double strand of Fiber Optic Yarns Unified Gradients in the Java Jive colorway.

By happy accident, this sample was lightly fulled in the soaking process of the final wet block. (The washing machine agitated for about 3 minutes before it was caught). This slight bit of felting had no effect on the super washed contrast color yarn, but pulled the alpaca blend woolen-spun main color yarn together into a deliciously dense and fuzzy fabric. Below, you can see  the difference in stitch definition between the fulled sample and another that not agitated when blocked.

The Yarn Requirements for this pattern are a little unusual.  The Fiber Optic Unified Gradients used as the contrast color is a fingering weight yarn. In order to get gauge, you will hold a double strand of this yarn throughout the yoke. These vibrant gradients are available in two lengths: Short (225 yards) and Long (400) yards. The two versions are created with an identical color spectrum. This ensures that the larger sizes of the Hybrid pattern can be created with a similar effect using a double strand of the longer gradient.

© Neighborhood Fiber Co.

If you opt for Neighborhood Fiber Company’s mouthwatering Studio DK as your contrast color, you’ll work the yoke with each yarn held as a single strand.  Karida’s signature colorways are all named after neighborhoods in the Washington DC and Baltimore areas.  One of our test knitters is in the midst of a sweater that pairs a soft pearly grey (Charles Center) with our classic navy Ceylon Alpaca Elegance. A sneak peek of her wip is below.

Finished Measurements (Chest circumference) – Chest: 34 ½ (38 ½, 44, 50 ½, 56 ½, 63.2)”/ 87 (98, 112, 128, 143, 161) cm

Yarn Requirements  — MC: 4 (5, 6, 7, 10, 11) skeins Alpaca Elegance CC: 2 skeins Fiber Optic Unified Split Gradient 255 yd each, 400 yds for 3 largest sizes (held dbl); or 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2) skeins Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio DK 275 yds each.

And to celebrate the launch of this new pattern we’ll be sponsoring a contest over the month of August that you can read more about on our blog post here!  We hope that you’ll join us this month in spending some time reconnecting with fiber friends and sharing your love for gorgeous yarn and fun new patterns.

 

 

Crafting for action!

We are excited to share with you a great trio of projects that can bring the fiber and crafting community together and working towards social justice.

“emPower people is a purple colored craftivism project aimed at uniting crafters to spark conversation, engagement, and action. Wear it when you vote, grocery shop, march, or knit in your socially isolated bedroom. We would love to see a sea of purple to represent unity so please tell your friends, family, knitting groups, or anyone who can knit, crochet, or sew a simple pattern. Make a bandana and a commitment to vote!”

 

© Casapinka

The FREE pattern for the emPower People Knit bandana can be found here.  There is also a crochet pattern here and a sewing pattern and all three are free and available at the emPower People website.

We’ve gathered a collection of skeins that will work beautifully for this project and we are donating all the proceeds of their sales for justice!

100% of the sales of our purple yarns sold between now and the end of the month, will be donated to our local The Root Social Justice Center.  This local organization is growing a movement here in Southern Vermont for racial justice and it operates with a collective leadership.

This list of skein options show above includes: Purple Rain and Purple Haze Mewesic, Amethyst, Agate and Blue Opal Sylvan Spirit, Iris and Violet Cotton Comfort, Lavender Cream Alpaca Elegance, Elderberry, Lupine, Blue Violet and Alpenglo Mountain Mohair.

To ensure that your donation is recorded, please use coupon code: empower.  This will allow us to more easily track these sales, and make sure that the funds are properly allocated.  We hope that you’ll join the fun of this crafting for justice movement; and please be sure to register to vote if you haven’t already!