Hey Everyone, check out our latest beaded scarf mad by Diann Kohn

Beaded Scarf

I have to admit this project happened when a customer brought in her own scarf to show me and get some of my help. I was intrigued enough to learn a new technique while two of us figured it out. Then I went from there.

First I needed to find a durable yarn that could handle many beads being strung on and pushed down the skein as they were knit on without fraying or damaging the yarn. It also needed to be closer to a DK or light weight and be soft for the neck and kind of summery in texture. From my vast selection I picked a new yarn, Elsebeth Lavold’s “Hempathy”. This yarn is made from Hemp, Cotton and Modal. So you ask what is Modal? This is definitely a “Green” yarn as all fibers have been grown! Modal is made from Beech wood chips! Our colors are rich and Susan has brought in a great selection of size 6.0 beads that match our nice yarn colors. You will only need 1 skein of yarn but many beads – I’ll catch you up later on just how many.

Choosing a sturdy yarn

There are several techniques incorporated in this scarf which make it a nice small project to start with. One of the things that happens when you add beads to a knitted project is that it becomes quite heavy and drapes down rather than floating so I knew this project should be a shorter, small, neck type scarf.

Beads draping down

Then I thought I could add the keyhole opening so that the scarf would stay in one place. I think this rounds it out nicely. So my first scarf is done and if you watch the video below you can see the basic technique for starting the scarf and continuing to knit on the beads.

Keyhole Opening

This  pattern is now ready for purchase for $5 or it is free if you purchase the yarn and beads from us.   Just let me know what your color scheme is  and we’ll match the yarn and beads and ship them out to you with the pattern.  You can call us at 909-584-9715.  This is a fun summer project and could be a wonderful gift for a friend or treat for yourself! Yarning away. Gena

I am so excited about our new shipment of Feza yarn, I decided I really had to get you some information on my blog.  Some of you remember that I let our stock completely sell out last year as I was so overwhelmed with what to choose for my next orders, that I just didn’t reorder.  So when I went to San Diego TNNA Market in January, I knew I must give this line serious consideration as their yarns are so unusual and beautiful.   This year I restocked Alp Premier and Alp Dazzle in many new colors as well as last year’s most popular.  These yarns are bulky weight and dressy with a new strand being tied in every 15 to 18 yards.  Some are bumpy, some are shiny, some are fluffy, and many are ribbons, which gives wonderful color and texture variation.

This is a sweater in “Alp Premier”

This year I added Alp Oriental which is Super Bulky with 3 strands being tied together each 15 to 18 yards.  It creates a more casual, Bohemian look – I’m finding that I have to keep at least one project going at all times with the Oriental.  My projects so far are a matching crocheted hat and scarf from one ball, a knitted triangle shawl from one ball plus 2 coordinating balls of Lion Brand Fettuccini to lower costs, and now I’m working on Nancy Bocuzzi’s “Rounded Shawl” knitted on size 35 circular needles with just 1 ball.  If you go to www.fezayarns.com the rounded shawl is on the left center (in Alp Oriental) and Alp Oriental is the shawl on the right center.

Gena's Triangle Shawl-Oriental

Maile in Nancy's Cropped ShrugHere is Maile in Nancy's beautiful cropped shrug - this is the Alp Oriental made with 1 ball in the One of a Kind Colors. Nancy (Feza's Designer) has promised me this pattern soon! This is pretty wild but there are many more color ranges that aren't so wild. I am doing my Rounded Shawl in Color #7 which has a camel background with other colors popping out - much calmer.It's not easy getting these pictures in here. Criss is much better at this. I'll keep trying!Gena's Oriental Sideways

Yes, we’ve received our stock of yarns from the Mirasol Project (see entry below).  We have Hapi, Sulka, Miski, Nuna, and Qina.  When Susan and I finish our beautiful hats, we’ll show them here.  Just go to www.knittingfever.com/c/mirasol/yarn/ to take a look.  We’ll have them up on our online store soon at www.yarndesigners.com.  Back to my needles..  Gena

New Yarns Coming Soon….

The Mirasol Project creates beautiful luxurious hand dyed 100% Merino Wool from the Peruvian Highlandsnear lake Titicaca. A portion of every purchase is dedicated directly to funding a school in the remote area of Munani in the region of Puno to educate the children of the shepherds (visit www.mirasolperu.com).

The Mirasol Project is based on Fairtrade. Fairtrade guarantees that disadvantaged producers in the developing world get a better deal for their products. The producers receive a price that covers the cost of sustainable production plus an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects such as the Mirasol Project.

The Mirasol Project will do something to redress the balance between rich and poor nations. Peru is a nation of 29 million people with a high level of social inequality, with the poor rural Quechua-speaking communities high in the Andes being particularly disadvantaged. A survey undertaken in 2002 rated Peru last of 41 nations in terms of educational provision and the people of the Puno region, where the ranch is situated, have one of the lowest levels of health and education in Peru. The illiteracy rate is 95 per cent. Families live just at subsistence level in mud huts that lack plumbing and electricity and have only an open fireplace for warmth. As a result of this survey, the Peruvian government has decided to prioritise the development of the rural areas of the sierra on the national agenda.

The Mirasol Project is named after a young Quechua girl who, with her brother, tends 350 alpacas.

Its aim is to fight poverty and encourage community development. As well as providing accommodation, meals and health-care, the boarding-house will be a centre where the children can develop personal, occupational and communication skills and study techniques in specialised after-school workshops. The centre will foster the principles of peace, tolerance and equality with a respect for human rights and basic freedom. As well as an awareness of other cultures, the centre will also focus on the preservation of the language, culture and tradition of the children and their families.

The architectural design of the boarding-house makes use of local materials and know-how. In its physical, social and educational aspects, value is placed upon local knowledge However, in addition to preserving local traditions, the centre has a creative and innovating function in preparing its children for a changing and challenging future. The after-school facility will include dormitories for boys and girls, a dining room, sports area and classrooms where children can receive help with their regular school homework as well as participate in studies aimed at developing different skills and personal goals. Workshops will be developed appropriate to local career opportunities: trout farming, market gardening, the breeding and care of guinea pigs, traditional textile arts and languages.

Currently children have to walk long distances to and from school, sometimes ten miles a day, which results in them giving up school, preferring to work alongside their parents as shepherds. The boarding-house will be able to give the children much-needed educational support as well as focusing on the health of the children. The extensive poverty and social exclusion that still exist in this area do not permit an adequate level of nutrition. Malnutrition and chronic illnesses such as anaemia are a problem with the local children and so the pastoral care offered by the centre is very important, focusing on issues which might affect the development of each child in programmes such as ‘nutrition awareness’.

Do your bit to support this valuable project and help this community thrive, buy their gorgeous Mirasol yarns from us today, and feel good about your contribution to a fairer and more sustainable future!

 Diann and Nanci  with their new beautiful sweaters done!

Hi everyone, TNNA starts tomorrow in San Diego.  This is the West Coast Winter trade market for retail stores to purchase yarn and needlecraft supplies and the only market I go to annually to find new yarns and notions to offer to you!  I am really excited to go but a little disappointed that Susan (Susan’s NeedleArts – our sister store) is not able to go with me because of scheduling conflicts! 

Jill-Ayn will be here Friday and through the weekend to help you at the store!

I will be taking a few pictures and keep you posted through the rest of this week and will update you about my new finds in my email newsletter next week.  I know for sure I will be picking out my favorite colors of Opal Yarn’s new “Harry Potter” sock yarn and looking for new yarns that are thick and thin like my all time favorite “Farmhouse’s Lumpy Bumpy”.  I’ll also be looking for replacements for some of our favorite fancy yarns that are being discontinued.

TNNA also offers excellent classes to improve our knitting, crochet, and business skills and what could be better than taking classes you actually get to learn new yarn techniques and it’s all a business expense for me!   This is definitely my favorite type of conference to go to!

If you want me to look at anything special for you this week, just leave me a comment and I will do my best!  Happy Yarnings, Gena

Hey Everyone,

Have you all heard about the Hyperbolic Coral Reef thats touring around the world? Well I’ve been hearing about it for 2 years now and it’s finally come to England. It’s currently in London, but unfortunately I won’t be able to see it. But I have finally bitten to bullet and have made my own piece to contribute!

For more information check out these websites:

http://www.theiff.org/reef/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH0DQRmMyII

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/c-coralReef.html

We’ve trawled the internet to find the best costumes, decorations and accessories for a fantastic Halloween. From the adorable, to the funny, to the downright bizarre. Here is our top ten list.

At number 10, is our furry friend from Lion Brand. Click here to get the Free Pattern.

At number 9 is this adorable little friend, not very practical though.

At number 8 is the perfect Halloween decoration.

At Number 7, is a remake of the hippest technology.

At number 6, its the cat in the hat, and he does not look amused!

At number 5, its a bit sick and twisted, but perfect for Halloween.

At number 4, this is truly horrifying.

At number 3, is a real work of art, and it takes true dedication to wear it.

Here come the baby pictures, always a winner.

Drum roll please, and the winner is...

Please post your comments and show use your crazy Halloween knits!

Ok so 11 months, 500 loose ends, and 2 shoulder fixes later (well I tried to fix it, and it just looked worse so it reuturned it to its previous position), its finally finished. This is the first sweater I’ve ever finished (I have two others that are still works in progress) and I have to say its been difficult. It doesn’t seem to fit as well as the one the model is wearing, and I don’t have to patience to take it all out and redo it. Here are the pictures below see if you can tell which one is me. If anyone wants to attempt this pattern which I have to add is really quite simple please contact us, and I would advise adapting the pattern to be worked in the round and it will save you from having to deal with so many loose ends.

Here’s how… Frazzled?  Blue? Pick up a paintbrush (or a knitting needle) to feel better fast! Studies prove that simply drawing, writing, or singing is enough to ease problems like stress, depression and even pain and illness!  “Being creative triggers positive biochemical changes in the brain,” says Eric Maisel, Ph.D., author of The Creativity Book.  And you don’t have to be Picasso or Pavarotti to benefit.  Just expressing yourself through any creative outlet will give you the feel-good results!

Erase stress …by knitting or sewing…

Harvard Medical School researchers found that knitting, crocheting, sewing or needlepoint are as effective as meditation at triggering relaxation.  What’s the secret?  Scientists say the tasks require all your concentration, preventing you from thinking about anything else–including your worries!