mid april 2014

hey everyone
before i begin to blab, let me remind you that the shop is CLOSED THIS FRIDAY 4/18 DUE TO THE EASTER HOLIDAY.
although we had snow yesterday, i am almost certain that was the last cold blast and we are on our way to beautiful spring weather.  this has made me think of sheep (another new one born last sunday), pastures, flowers, etc and has prompted me to finally get classes scheduled, so here are the new upcoming classes:  as with all classes, pre-
registration and prepayment is necessary to hold your spot in the class.  for further details, check out the website at raggzfiberart.com

EZ PEEZIE PIN CUSHIONS

two tuesdays, may 20 and 27th 
10 to 12 at the shop
$25 includes all materials*
*no previous felting experience 
necessary

TUNISIAN CROCHET

also known as the afghan stitch, a simple 

stitch using a long crochet hook,creating 

a dense, heavier "fabric."

wednesday, may 21  1 to 3 at the shop

instructor:  sylvia elliott

$25

bring your own cotton yarn to make a

dish cloth or pot holder.  we have

enough of the 'needles' for students

to borrow for the class.

FELTED FLOWERS

this photo shows one type of flower prior to felting

after much clamoring for a felt flower 
 class, it has finally arrived! we will make several different flower types.

wednesday may 28  10 to 12 OR
                              1 to 3 at the shop
select either morning OR afternoon
$30 includes all materials*
*some wet felting experience is
necessary

FELTED LANDSCAPES

try your hand at making a wall hanging

landscape!
mondays june 9 AND june 19 
1 to 4 at the shop
includes all materials except stick
$50
*some wet felting experience is
necessary

the first class you will lay out and wet
felt your landscape.  for the second class,
we will be doing some hand embellishing.
start looking now for an interesting
stick to hang yours from!

FELT SHEEP!!!!!

ok folks this is it!  this is a sheep you 
knit, stitch together, then felt.  in 

this class you will learn some short
row shaping techniques.  the class is
THREE weeks:
wednesdays, june 25, july 2, and july 9
10 - 12 OR 1 - 3  select a.m. or p.m.
$35 and includes the pattern only
requires basic knitting skills - see website
for materials list

a 4th class, which is optional, will be 
added to do some additional needle 
felting to add curls to your sheep 
to make it more realistic.  the info on
this class will be announced after this 
class has been completed.


that's all i have scheduled for now.  phew it takes longer than you think!  but i have 'on deck' more classes coming up late summer, early fall including but not limited to:
felted gnome homes, a felted clock (YES a real clock), felt vessels, felt pumpkins in the fall, peg loom, arm knitting, pin weaving, and fixing simple knitting mistakes.  be sure to check the website at raggzfiberart.com for more details on the classes.  contact me via email or phone to register for a class.

WHAT'S NEW AT THE SHOP??

new improved bling bites from pagewood farm as well as loads of beautiful fibers from opulent fibers in oregon.  

new colors in brown sheep seconds (burly spun $9 caribbean waves, victorian pink, and periwinkle); worsted $3.50 pink, teal haze, autumn harvest, violet fields, supreme purple, red hot passion; bulky $3.50 lemon drop and christmas green.  

also some hand crafted wooden knitting needles made by a lady in lawrenceville.  the sizes i received are 17's, 35's and 50's but susan will be making me 19's and some smaller sizes as well.  these one-of-a-kind needles are certainly beautiful and i can wait to use some myself.  i posted this picture on Facebook and that day kay farabaugh came to the shop early enough to get first pick!

CLASS UPDATES

the felt cuff class was fun and i am never ceased to be amazed how students all start out similarly but end up with such different and unique end products.  also our embellished sweater class is ongoing - we all got started at our first class on april 10 and we meet again may 15 to put our rectangles together and learn how to embellish them.  pictures below in the 'gallery' of both classes.

FUNDRAISER

raggz is holding its first fundraiser.  sylvia elliott, a member of the craftique fiber arts group and the friday chubby knitters club (also the instructor for the tunisian crochet class) has a grandson who has played ultimate frisbee for 3 to 4 years and was recently asked to go to Atlanta to try out for the world team. This involved players from all over the U.S.A. and of 20 chosen, Scott was one of them. The next step is a week in Boston to train, then to Italy where 56 countries will compete for the world championship. Ultimate Frisbee is a fast moving and fun game to watch.To see how it is played go to ultimatefrisbee.com and somewhere there will be video of a game.

Scott is 18 and lives in Gibsonia with brother Kevin (also a player) Mom Nicola and step dad Mike.  Sylvia tells me he is a good student and hard working kid who is paying his own way, not only going to school but working several jobs to pay for it all.  mind you, NONE of the expenses are paid for by the organization - each person has to pay his own way in its entirety!

SOOOOOOOOO for the month of may and into june, i will have a silent auction of sorts set up here at the shop.  the auction items will all be fiber related and each item will have a sheet where you can bid.  of course to the highest bidder go the spoils.  i will be donating items and i am asking that anyone interested, please donate as well, to help scott pay for his trip to boston, then italy that he has worked so diligently towards.  the bidding will start may 2, so please let me know what you would like to donate.  the sheet will have the donors name on it and the value of the item as well.  i hope to get a lot of support for scott, as its so nice to see a young person who doesn't expect the mom and dad bank to pay his way.  please consider helping! 

i will be posting photos of the donated items on my Facebook page or you can come to the shop to see them in person (my preferred method).

now onto regular business…

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

wednesday 4/16  4-6 close knit girls meet at panera murrysville
friday, 4/18 SHOP CLOSED - GOOD FRIDAY
saturdays 4/19 and 26 craftique fiber arts group meets at craftique
tuesday, 4/22 shop open 1-6
thursday, 4/24 purlin girls meet at the bean 12-3
friday, 4/25 shop open 10-6

HAPPY MID TO LATE APRIL BIRTHDAYS TO:  jan l (4/21) and laura t (4/29).  have a great birthday ladies!

also don't forget i still have some hand made wooden yarn swifts.  these are a steal at $25 and come in very handy when you order yarn online and it arrives unwound.  

i have some very good news!  deni and anthony are coming for a visit (a short visit but i'll take it!) tuesday april 29.  they arrive around midnight at pittsburgh airport and i am so happy i could bust.  anthony is bringing along the bike he assembled for me and i am excited to learn how to ride again!  deni will also be here at the shop on friday, may 2 to visit with all of us so try to pop in to say hello.  its not often she gets to come here and i'm about over the moon with excitement so i'm not planning anything that week.  she leaves the following tuesday and unfortunately anthony has to leave sunday, as his band is going on tour.

well i hope i've covered everything so i'll close with wishing you all a blessed Easter and adding a few pix to the gallery below:

tom on his recently acquired 'new' tractor

the morning embellished sweater class (note monte getting special attention, as usual)

cuff class

cuff class

one of maia's cuffs

one of mary ann's cuffs

april fools day 2014

not only are buds sprouting, but our flock continues to sprout as well.  our newest kid was born march 29th on zachary's 30th birthday, so in his honor, her name is zinnia.   daffodil (aka daffy) is the mom, a goofy little tricolor, who's name suits her to a tee. dougie is her dad, a full blooded alpine with very long hair so black its almost purple!  she is our first nanny and her hair is black like daddy's.


 the other three kids born this year were all billies; both lambs were girls.  we think we only have one more nanny to go then we're done for this year. 

the little billy here tom named sluggo because he's so big!  boer goats are meat goats and are therefore much stockier.  he most likely weighed about ten pounds when born and has grown quickly.  although he's only two weeks older than the twins (below), he towers over them!

                                                                                               

the two billies to the right are portulaca's twin boys.  average birth weight is 7 pounds but they pale in comparison to sluggo.  haven't named these two as of yet.  portulaca is carmel colored, dad is dougie again but somehow she had a white one and a tricolor.




so i really do believe spring has actually sprung!  babies are born, crocuses are blooming, daffodil leaves are pushing up through the soil, maple syrup is all done, birds are singing, stink bugs are out (ugh).  i cooked up only 33 gallons of sap this year due to the erratic weather we had.  it has to be above freezing in the daytime and below freezing during the night for the sap to flow.  well it would flow for a few days then get bitter cold.  flow a few more days and get bitter cold.  i collected ten gallons early on but then nothing for a couple of weeks and sap goes bad after two weeks and it had to be dumped.  oh well at least i got just under a half gallon.  not bad for 9.5 hrs cooking time and weeks of trudging out to check the buckets and put empties out.  monte calculated it only cost about $50 a quart.  

WHAT'S NEW?

feza

feza yarns for starters.  i received some new colors in the alp premiere and alp dazzle, as well as candy deluxe, silk, ribbons, tokyo to name a few.  

i have also added frabjous fibers (roving and recycled sari ribbons) to the shop.

just arrived are some kauni yarns in everybody's favorite rainbow color way.  












before i forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES GO OUT TO:    lisa s 4/3;  susan b 4/4;  erin c 4/5; and our own purlin girls guru monte p. on 4/5!!!  have a sweet day ladies!  come to the shop to get your $5 off any purchase!

the 'real' monte

CLASS UPDATE

wow classes have been going great here at RaggZ.  connie and her friends had a private birthday party here making the felted lights.  the ladies did a great job and what a fun way to celebrate a friend's birthday - a private class, then lunch at a favorite restaurant!

nancy's finishing class went very well, as did part one of the felted cuff class.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

wednesday  4/2 nancy's finishing class (room for one more student)*
wednesday 4/2 close knit girls meet in murrysville 4-6
tuesday 4/8 shop open 1-6
thursday  4/10 embellishment sweater class (room for one more in a.m. and p.m. class)*
thursday 4/10 purlin girls meet at the bean at noon
tuesday 4/15 and 4/29 EZ peezie pin cushions (only 2 have signed up -- this class may be cancelled)*
shop open fridays 10-6
*see website for details:  raggzfiberart.com

NEW CLASSES:

i've been busy trying to figure out what comes next.  plans are in the works for the following classes beginning end of april.
changing colors
felt sheep
bird pod
tunisian crochet
confident color two
fixing simple mistakes
boot socks
felted clock

however, due to my parking area finally getting enlarged, i will wait til the next newsletter to work out the details.  our contractor is going to work around fridays so the shop will not have to close so i will keep everyone updated on that situation.  but if in doubt, please call!


found an interesting article i think you would like:  http://www.treehugger.com/culture/dont-stop-knitting-its-keeping-you-healthy.html

MARCH DOOR PRIZE WINNER:  (DRUMROLL)……… MARLENE SMITH!!!

i've been busy finishing up my felt boot class and am getting ready to begin a nuno felted top.  i'm still getting my upstairs reorganized before i allow myself to have fun felting.  but i did finish my wonky felted clock.  

last friday we had a good time at the shop and our friend, donna stopped by sporting a new 'do and a puppy!

time to close now and i'll post just a few more pix below.  see you soon!

PHOTO GALLERY

fun times at the show!

dulcimer derek and my beautiful instrument!

spring!

i survived my first pgh knit and crochet show!  i may have brought more yarn home with me than i left with, but i'm sure that is not surprising to anyone.  i also brought home a nice head cold but as of today it's on the mend.

what fun the show was!  cathy rosensteel, betsy orr, sylvia elliott, ali and ardis mock were my helpers and i have to say it was a very positive and fun experience.  i could not have done it without their help.  we had two meetings prior to the show to put our heads together and it made a huge difference.  thanks so much ladies!

its hard to believe it took up a good three weeks of my time tho - two weeks getting ready and a week trying to get everything back together here at the shop.

i was pretty nervous about it at first, not knowing what to take or how to set it up but having emptied out the dining room and set  everything up in there made a huge difference.  my mind was racing all week making lists and running up and down the stairs.  it finally all clicked and i realized all of it was NOT going to fit in tom's truck so we both had to drive.  after that it was all downhill.  unfortunately i broke out in hives and was itchy all weekend - went through an entire tube of cortisone cream.  its not polite to be scratching when you're trying to talk to people about knitting, is it? 

while we were gone, portulaca gave birth to twin boys and buttercup had a boy the week before.  comcast has not been working properly for me the past week and i can't bring up any of the photos unfortunately but i'll make up for it next time.

i've been working diligently to get the shop back in order to re-open this friday.  i have really missed seeing everyone on my usual friday chubby knitters club.  so i figured since i had everything in total disarray, i may as well rearrange it all.  the shop will look very different next time you stop by, especially the porch and living and dining room.  the kitchen is pretty much the same except cleaner.

WHAT'S NEW YOU ASK??

while at the show, i opened two new yarn accounts.  i now have an account with blue heron yarns and also with a small studio called unexpected peacock (there's a story there somewhere).  both are beautiful yarns.  blue heron has been around a while and is well known; unexpected peacock is new and i am the first shop in pennsylvania so far to carry natasha's hand dyed yummy yarns.

i decided it was time to do spring cleaning in the yarn department and i now have a section where the yarns have a red line through the price and are all half off.  still adding to this but there's quite a variety - wool, linen, cotton, etc.  check it out next time you come over. 

UPCOMING CLASSES:

monday 3/24 jump ring bracelets (last call for this class) 1:00

wednesday 3/26 finishing class at 1:00

monday 3/31 felt cuff class 1 of 2 at the shop at 1:00

also don't forget the upcoming embellished sweater class (april 10 and may 15).  there's a morning and afternoon class and space for one or two in each.  

details for these classes can be found on my website

raggzfiberart.com

coming soon another boot sock class taught by sock nut laura mcguire.  these classes will be held on saturdays at laura's house.  details next month.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:

friday, march 28th jennifer le will be hosting a "Thirty-One" party here at the shop.  it will be extremely informal, with jen's products being displayed for the day.  no pressure - just check out the nice things they offer.  there are several knitting type bags with loads of pockets which can also be personalized.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

wednesday 3/19 close knit girls at panera murrysville

thursday 3/20 purlin girls at the bean and also the first day of spring!!!!

tuesday 3/25 knitters anonymous 1-6

fridays 3/21 and 3/28 shop open 10-6

last but not least, happy birthday wishes go out to:

diane p. on 3/21 (which happens to be my mom's birthday also) and kathy a. on 3/25.  have a wonderful day ladies!

sorry this is short and sweet with no wonderful pictures to share but hopefully comcast will have fixed my problem for my next newsletter.  i have missed you all and hope to see you soon!

march 1, 2014

IMPORTANT:  THE SHOP IS CLOSED UNTIL FRIDAY, MARCH 21st.  as most of you already know, i will be a vendor for the first time as a yarn shop at the pittsburgh knit & crochet festival at the 4 points sheraton north march 14-16.  check out their website:  pittsburgh knit and crochet.com
if you have a chance to come out, i am booth number 41.  i am really excited and anxious about my first show as a yarn shop.  yes, i'm used to setting up as a knitter and felter but its so different this time, taking my yarns and figuring out the best way to maximize a 10 x 10 space.  

if you need a yarn fix or are in dire need, you certainly can call me and stop over to get what you need but other than that, the place will be more disorganized than usual packing for the show.

ANOTHER GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT:  WELCOME LUCY!!!

 
lucy was born friday february 21 to mathilda.  mathilda is a very good mom and i know she is well taken care of!  more to be born soon!  she is named after my mom's next door neighbor who is now in her 90's!

MARCH BIRTHDAYS!  (this newsletter i am including all birthdays in the month of march, instead of just the first two weeks)  so birthday wishes go out to
alice c. on 3/3; kay f on 3/11; diane p on 3/21; and kathy a on 3/25. don't forget to come get your birthday certificates ladies!

door prize winner from february - dorothy gerhard!  dorothy was here last friday with her daughter and 3 beautiful granddaughters, all with different shades of blue eyes!

DATES TO REMEMBER:
thursday march 6:  purlin girls meet at the bean 
saturdays march 1, 8, and 15:  craftique fiber art group at craftique
wednesday, march 5:  baby sweater KAL meet at raggz (weather permitting)
shop CLOSED til march 21st

UPCOMING CLASS REMINDER:
monday, march 24 at 1:00 jump ring bracelet pair
wednesday, march 26 at 1:00 nancy's finishing class
monday, march 31 at 1:00 cuff class (second class april 7) 
see my website for details on the class:  raggzfiberart.com

RECENT CLASS UPDATE:

on again/off again class went very well and the students learned ten different ways to cast on and bind off, all with their own usefulness or look.

it's always nice to learn a variety of ways to do this and have the option of adding, for example, a picot edge (bind off OR cast on) to a scarf, hat, or baby item.









from wool to wonderful felt flowers class 
one of the fun things about teaching a class is that i ALWAYS learn some thing too!  the ladies made gorgeous multi colored flowers and added them to the string of hand dipped lights to make such a beautiful addition to a room.  i, myself, had been making my flowers one color other than the centers but my students, being much more colorful than i, went off and used colors i wouldn't have thought of putting together but they were gorgeous!  maia had to leave for an appointment early, so her lights are not featured below but check these out:

kathy working hard trying to get that roving to felt!















looks a little like elf hats sitting in a row, doesn't it?







SEE WHAT FUN YOU ARE MISSING?  I WILL BE TEACHING THIS CLASS AGAIN IN THE SPRING!

marlene's finished light string

kathy's lights already displayed on her mantel!

yesterday tom and i got a lot of work done up on the farm with the weather warming up at least temporarily.  my plan was to go up and help him feed and head back home to finish working on my display for the show; however, we decided to clean stalls, move the animals around, spread the manure in the fields, and do some general clean up.  

seems every time i work up on the farm i get hurt being the klutz that i am.  first off, i went up with tom on the tractor to spread the manure because you have to get down off of the tractor and set two heavy metal levers so that the chains move the manure to the back of the spreader to be shot out onto the fields (and i do mean SHOT  -- i even got hit in the back of the head with a chunk of wet manure while sitting on the tractor).  well it kept getting stuck so we had to get off the tractor and manually (with bare hands mind you) dig through manure to unstick it from the blades.  let me describe this to you:  the manure is almost a solid wet mass entwined with hay and urine so its a very thick dark muck and very strong.  now i luckily LIKE the smell of manure but i don't like it dug under my fingernails and all over my bare hands.  as soon as we got it unstuck, i went down to the barn to rinse my hands off but alas we had to do this several times.  i was thinking of the couple of scrapes and cuts i had on my hand and how this manure is now oozing into my bloodstream.

oh well nothing i could do about it now.  one of the last loads we did, i got off the tractor to re-set the metal levers back into the off position, which is up in the air over my head.  can you see where this is going?  i thought i was diligent about making sure the first one was locked before re-setting the second one.  as i reached under the first one to set the second one, the one which was obviously not locked in came loose and hit me directly in the face just under my right eye.  i literally saw stars and wanted to cry.  poor tom.  i just walked away because when i'm hurt you have to ignore me because i get mean.  he was asking me if i was ok and i was yelling YES JUST GO!!!  ha ha now its funny.  he was worried and i could see the swelling begin under my eye almost immediately.  i was hoping it didn't crack my orbital bone but after an hour or so it was no longer throbbing and i was fine.  i may end up with a little bruise but overall i got off easy i think.  lesson learned.

just before dark, we hobbled into the house, every muscle aching!  i went upstairs to scour my hands and realized i didn't have a nail brush so i grabbed an extra toothbrush and got my nails all cleaned out.  we fell asleep early last night needless to say.   note to self:  be more active in the winter…

that's all i've got for now.  gotta finish up some online felting classes and get ready for the show.  have a good couple of weeks everyone and i'm here if you need anything.  i'll miss my fridays at the table with the chubby knitters club but will see you all later in the month if i don't see you at the show!  wish me luck!

february 15 blog (late again)

i have been crazy busy with classes here at the shop, getting prepared for the upcoming pittsburgh knit and crochet show in march, and taking online felting classes.    also trying to keep up with the shoveling and today trying to knock huge icicles off the roof tops!

well, i got my maple trees tapped.  that's a relief because
 i missed it one year due to warm temps in january.  the temps have to be above freezing in the day and below freezing at night for the sap to be running. i will be collecting sap at least this upcoming week and if the weather turns cold again, i will have to get the sap cooked up before it starts to run again, as you can only store it so long.

most people don't know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.  REAL syrup i mean - NOT pretend syrup.  now you know why its so darn expensive.  to me, it is worth every second of trudging through the snow twice a day to empty buckets and carrying full five gallon buckets that weigh at least 40 pounds back up to the house.  the best part is cooking it down, which needs to be done outside over an open fire, as it takes about an entire day for the water to evaporate and for it to cook down to syrup.  well that's probably more than you wanted to know.

back to shop business:  i'm really excited about the upcoming knit and crochet show.  please mark you calendars for march 14-16 and try to make your way to the 4 points sheraton north.  check out their website at pghknitandcrochet.com for more info as well as class information.  it is well worth the trip!

70 never looked so good!

lets start with second half february birthdays:
holly h (feb 16); cathy r (feb 17 a BIG BIG one);
trish f (feb 17 NOT a big big one).  cathy r was at
the shop for a knit along on the 17th, so we sang
happy birthday to her and had a little boston creme pie.











                                                                         
                                                                         
my first KAL (knit along)!

cathy, maia, ardis, and beth are working on a baby sweater pattern which is virtually seamless.
pictures in march when everyone's is complete!












WHAT'S NEW?
i just received a shipment of nicky epstein's "knitting in circles" hardcover book.  this book retails for $29.99 and sells on amazon for $23.78.  however, i am selling this book for $20.  this book contains 100 circular patterns for sweaters, bags, hats, afghans, and includes twenty of nicky's original designs.   you gain an understanding of the fun and possibilities a knitted circle can offer.

ALSO NEW is some luscious roving i received just today from the lavender fleece in michigan.  my friend, laurie ball-gisch, raises icelandic and leicester long wool sheep, which i am happy to say, i will be getting lambs from her this summer (one of each).  her well cared for flock produce a most luxurious wool.  pictured below:  the white in the back is a blend of icelandic lambswool, alpaca, and silk; the royal purple ball in the middle comes in leicester long wool as well as icelandic (laurie dies them herself); and the white with yellow in the forefront is icelandic lambs wool mixed with mohair.  they are so soft to the touch - they feel like a cloud.  all of these wonderful rovings felt like a dream!

cathy rosensteel's 'confident color' class was so
educational. we learned how colors work
together - what does and what doesn't go together and WHY!  this is a great class for all your knitters out there who have that problem.  cathy is going to offer this class again soon once the weather breaks and will be offering a sequel to the class as well having to do with design.  stay tuned for more info!

NEW CLASS COMING SOON:

FINISHING WORKSHOP*
at LONG LAST!  this class is designed to help those who have a completed garment but are afraid to finish it!!  OR you are afraid to start a project you will have to finish!  you will learn to give garments a professional seam, how to pick up stitches, gauge, blocking, and more.
instructor:  nancy premoshis
cost:  $25
materials:  complete list will be given at registration
when:  wednesday march 26 OR wednesday april 2 from 1 to 4 (choose ONE date)
where:  raggz

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:
wednesday feb 19 class:  on again/off again*
wednesday feb 19 close knit girls meet at panera
thursday feb 20 purlin girls meet at the bean
tuesday feb 25 1-6 knitters anonymous at the shop
wednesday feb 26 1-4 class:  from wool to wonderful felted lights*

*as always pre-registration and prepayment is required to hold a space in the class.

this is a picture of a beautiful vest monte made for her beautiful daughter, wendy, in colorado.  monte knitted it with Brae Tweed yarn by Knit One Crochet Too.  it is so lovely and is the same seamless vest pattern most of the purlin girls were using with the plymouth bonsai.  but of course monte had to add her own flair to it.  i'm sure wendy just loves it!

just to give you a heads up, due to the frenzy i figure i'll be in getting ready for the show - what to take, how to display what i take, packing, pricing, etc etc etc, the SHOP WILL BE CLOSED MARCH 1 and will reopen friday march 21st.  i hate to miss out on two fridays and a tuesday afternoon, but i will be using my dining room area of the shop as a prototype for my 10x10 set up at the show.  you are welcome to give me a call and pop in if you need something but we just won't be sitting around the table as we usually do on fridays.  sorry for any inconvenience but we'll get back on track on the 21st hopefully.  i hope i have sold soooo much that the shelves will be bare and i will be busy re-ordering!  (wishful thinking).

below are a few photos i wanted to share with you all of various happenings:

maia modeling diane's recently finished scarf with about a foot of yarn left over!!!!!!

marlene and another of her beautiful creations!  she said she is SICK OF WINTER and is hoping by dressing in springy clothes, it will coax winter to go away!

thea was nice enough to make a sample of Noni's Lipstick and Change kit.  isn't it adorable?

a tunic i made for myself.  i'm thinking of offering this as a knit along in the near future - this is a great spring project.  mine is knit out of JoJoLand Fantasia super wash and is very soft and comfortable and very washable!  

this is called 'upwolfing' and is a dutch method of felting.  i stumbled upon it and had to try it out.  check it out in person at the shop.  i am currently working on a few other samples as well.  very unusual!  i was so excited when i finished it and showed it to tom and he said 'what do you do with it?'  i had to laugh because i don't know!  i suppose it will be a wall hanging!  i'll figure something out…

ok that's all for now ladies.  please check out the class schedule on the website:  raggzfiberart.com

for more info.  looking forward to seeing you all very soon!  i hope the next newsletter will include photos of lambs and kids!

t

2.1.14

frost on the glass

so long january! i think most of you are breathing a sigh of relief now that the 'polar vortex' has subsided.  i enjoyed that cold weather because i didn't have to go out in it other than up to the farm.  i hate to admit that i may have been in my sweatpants seven days in a row!  we were up at the farm today and the critters were all out enjoying the sunshine.  no one looks ready to pop as of yet so i assume we won't see any babies for another month but you will see photos as soon as they are born.  but they all enjoyed the treats mary ann sent over friday.  the photo above was the back door at the shop which had been decorated by jack frost on one of those below zero nights.

the shop was on overload last friday.  thanks to all of you who came out.  donna is back and on the mend and a good time was had by all.

early february birthday wishes go out to:  linda l. on the 4th; donna w on the 11th, and carolyn f. on the 12th.  have a super day ladies and don't forget to come to the shop in february to redeem your $5 birthday gift certificate!

WHAT'S NEW YOU ASK?

hiya hiya double pointed needles in many more sizes and bamboo interchangeable kits.  they finally put out a new color case - beautiful purple!  but they are already gone from the shelves.  i plan on ordering more and will request the purple cases.

brown sheep lana boucle in solids and hand painted.  100% wool with a crimp; 180 yard skeins; worsted weight; 4 to 4 1/2 sts per inch on a size 8; new hand painted colors in burly spun; and yes -as with all brown sheep yarns, made 100% in USA in mitchell, nebraska.  and yes more seconds have arrived as well!

burly spun handpaints

lana boucle

darn good yarn new colors in the reclaimed chiffon ribbon. this yarn removes thousands of pounds of waste each year from landfills while helping women of india and nepal. it is beautiful to knit with and is also great for nuno felting and needle felting. the colors are fabulous and an 80+ yard skein is discounted to $8 here.

also NEW - wooden yarn swifts made by a local craftsman.  

every girl should have her own swift, seeing as not every yarn shop is nice enough to wind your yarn.  also when you order from the internet, they are not wound for you.  this way you don't have to have your husband sit with his hands out holding your yarn, or use a chair back, or ask your local yarn shop lady to wind yarn for you!

a BARGAIN at $25.00!  now you buy a plastic yarn winder and you're good to go!  i will be taking these to the pittsburgh knit and crochet in march and i'm certain they will be gone before the weekend is over so get one while you can.  supplies are limited.

january's prize winner is marlene barbe of the knit chicks!  congrats marlene!  come to the shop to see what you have won.

class updates:

laura mcguire's boot sock class started today and the girls are off and running making socks but this time on two small circulars size 6 and using a worsted weight yarn.  these socks will go much quicker than the size 1 needles with sock yarn the rest of us learned on.  will post pictures of the finished products once class is over.

still a couple of seats available for the broomstick lace class being held at the shop tuesday, feb 4 at 1 ($10); coming up at towards the end of the month will be the on again/off again class on feb 19 where you will learn several useful cast on and bind off methods ($20); and from wool to wonderful felted lights will be held feb 26 ($40).  just a couple of seats left in each of these classes so hurry.  they won't be repeated in the near future due to my busy schedule.  check website for more details and photos.

another new fantastic class:  

i am please to announce that nancy premoshis will be teaching the Inspired Embellishment Sweater technique here on two thursdays, april 10 and may 15th from 1 - 4.  cost of the class is $50.  

 nancy has been knitting for over 40 years and has taught at kathy's kreations, purl in the 

pines (flagstaff AZ), and at

the Pgh Knit & Crochet Fest! she

has won many ribbons at the county fair.

this sweater is absolutely stunning and can be knitted in cotton (shown), wool, or other fabrics.  if you purchase the materials from me, you will receive a 10% discount on the yarn for this project.

the first class nancy will get us started on knitting the sweater, then a month later at the second class, she will teach us how to put it together and do the embellishments.  class size is limited.  additional classes can be added if need be.  we already have three students so room for only two more at this time.  see website for details.

nancy has also agreed to teach a finishing class, which we ALL need.  date to be announced.

MY FIRST KAL!

three of our new grandma's are meeting here at the shop on wednesday feb 5th at 1 to make a baby sweater.  my sample is knitted out of dream yarn 'classy' in the red rush color way.  (70% super wash wool, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon).  i have not yet put the buttons on but the yarn is so soft to the touch.  all three new babies are girls.  cathy and beth are using a pink with purple hues and maia is using green.  

this pattern is described as 'an almost seamless baby hoodie' and i learned several new techniques myself in the making of this little gem.

anyone wishing to join along, let me know soon.  

dates to remember

tuesday feb 4 broomstick lace class 1-3 cost $10

thursday feb 6 purlin girls meet at the bean at noon

tuesday feb 11 knitters anonymous at the shop 1-6

wednesday feb 12 confident color class at the shop (FULL)*

saturdays feb 1, 8, and 15 craftique fiber art group 10-12

friday february 14 valentine's day (celebrate with us at the shop)*

fridays shop open 10-6

*cathy's class has reached its max but a second class can be added if anyone is interested

*all red and pink yarn discounted 10% 

i have exciting news!  i bought a skutt kiln!  i have been wanting my own kiln for many years and seeing as i have been making a lot of my own hand built pottery, i decided to bite the bullet and get one and get it setup in the basement at the shop.  the lady who taught me to do hand building (brigita) will be teaching here and we will be making wall pockets, buttons, dishes, platters, bowls, mugs - you name it!  i am so thrilled and can't wait to get it all set up.  will have to put lighting in downstairs but as soon as it is ready (some time late spring), i will be scheduling classes.  i already have five or six ladies signed up!  brigita is a wonderful, patient teacher and i have learned so much from her.

my first hand built mug

i have been ever so busy making samples for the yarn show.  right now i've been working on some of pagewood farm's gorgeous yarns.  my theme for the show, suggested by cathy rosensteel, is going to be:

"let the yarn do the work!"

half helix pattern featuring glitterati yarn

garden party yarn cowl

 beautiful yarns make beautiful products without any effort!

flora fina hat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i have been on a roll doing some wet felting lately and finally embellished my brown vest.  i really like it and can't wait to try more wet felted clothing.

this box was sitting at the shop friday and not one person asked me what it was for!  can you guess??? (ps its not for our wood burning stove)...

have a great month everyone.  hope to see you all soon.  thanks for your patronage - my shop has had two wonderful months -probably the best two months in the 2 plus years i've been open!!  i sooo appreciate your business.  special thanks to those of you who have been spreading the word about my shop and bring new customers to me!