Knit in Public Day

The Thistledown Shoppe is celebrating World Wide Knit in Public Day on Saturday, June 14, 2008 from noon until 6 pm. In addition to spinners, we will be hosting Fourth Coast Fibers, the powerful duo that creates hand dyed sock yarn for our shoppe. They will be demonstrating natural dying; allowing participants to hand paint a skein.

Come, sit, and knit or crochet a small blanket for the kitties and puppies at the Cherry Land Humane Society. Bring acrylic or other machine wash and dry yarn to knit/crochet and/or drop off yarn to be used by others. Patterns will be available. Suggested patterns to use are washcloth, favorite stitch, or just plain garter stitch. Please, nothing too holey for those claws. See below for pattern ideas.

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 by Danielle Landes. It began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other’s company. Knitting is such a solitary act that it is easy to knit alone somewhere and sink into your work without thinking about all the other knitters out there. Neighbors could spend all their lives never knowing that the other knits. This a specific day to get out of your house and go to a local event (with your knitting in tow) just for you and people like you. WWKiP Day is really about showing the general public that knitting can be a community activity in a very distinct way.(taken from http://www.wwkipday.com/history.htm)

If you are not able to attend, you may drop off your finished blankets or other items from the Cherryland Humane Society wish list at our shoppe or at So Many Books So Little Time.

Cat Litter (gravel type)
Washable Cat Toys
Kitten Chow
Name Brand Cat Food

Washable and Sturdy Dog Toys
Puppy Chow (regular formula)
Name Brand Dog Food

Paper Towels
Blankets
Towels
Rugs

Laundry Detergent
Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets
Bleach

Tall Kitchen Trash Bags
Garbage Bags

Copy Paper (white or colored, letter size)
Scotch-Tape (office dispenser type)
Ink Pens (medium point)

Cherryland Humane Society blanket pattern

Cast on 4 sts

Next row - k2, yo - knit to end

Repeat row until 100 sts on needles

Next row - k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog - knit to end

Repeat row until 4 sts remain

Bind Off

Compliments of Gloria and Cindy of So Many Books So Little Time, located at 140 E Front, Traverse City at the Front Street Commons (formerly known as the Arcade), on the main floor, 231-922-5916.

Links for patterns for blanket:

http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/blankaran.shtml

http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/blankcushy.shtml

http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/blankcushy.shtml

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/petblanket.html

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/knitted_dog_bone_blanket.php

Spring is Here

Well, there is no question now. The leaves are showing up on the trees, our daffodils and tulips are out and the birds are telling us how happy they are.

In the shoppe, we have knitted samples to show you garments for warmer weather. Susan has been busy, so we will start with what she has knitted.

A Ripple and Lace Leaf Linen Basket Liner out of Euroflx 100% Wet Spun Linen. The pattern is in Clara Parkes' The Knitter’s Book of Yarn. You can make two of these out of one skein.

Then she is still churning out more Elizabeth Zimmerman goodies. Here is the Badger from Spun Out #19 made with Mission Falls Tricolor wool.

Check out the short rows. Aren't they a great detail?

This is the ribwarmer in Mission Falls Cotton with strands of the cotton woven around the edges.

Kate is modeling it for us. Susan also knitted the Summer Cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple out of Cotton Fleece. Perfect for air-conditioned rooms.

And check out this lacy top made with Cotton Fleece using the Ginger pattern from Louet.
Betsy has been knitting away. This is the Twizzle Cardigan using Mission Falls Cotton and Cottonlicious. And then we have the Summer Breeze Pullover made with Serendity Tweed. And here are my finished felted boots using Lamb's Pride worsted.

I'm not Superwoman

I know, this is a big surprise to you all. But I really can't do it all. I can't have the shoppe that is all, I can't be the greatest knitter, and I will never have everything I think I need. But I can figure out how to be happy with what I have. I have wonderful friends who have adopted me. The clan who help out at the shoppe. I have a great husband who doesn't get to see me very often. I have children who support their mother and help her out (see Slave Labor). And I have a knitting community. Every day we open, we meet new folks who are glad to see us. Folks from here and from far. I even meet people who are friends of my friends, which reminds me of what a small world we live in. I have Lost Art and Yarn Market and Yarn Quest and Knitting Bug. We all work together to better serve our customers and to exchange ideas.

In fact, today the clan is meeting together to talk and brainstorm and plan. We will address what the shoppe offers, what classes to have, future events, and anything else that comes to mind. And that is what we excel at - a group of people who work at giving you our best.

So, I may not be Superwoman. But what I am is a very fortunate person who loves what she is doing.

Kits. Kits. We've got the kits.

Tired of making a choice? We have made it easy for you with our kits. Stella, Dawn, and Mist are lace scarf kits from Fiber Trends.


This is the Alpaca and Silk Hat kit from SweaterKits.

And here is their Twin Tail Scarf.

Let me count the ways.

As Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." I could not phrase it any better. As you can see, the yarn we received from Fourth Coast Fibers has the most yummy colors. I want to make socks out of every color.

Here is how they say it: "We harvest our own locally available dye material in an ecologically responsible manner. The color sources we purchase are also sustainably harvested to insure a right livelihood for villages in the countries where they are gathered. Peoples are remembering traditional ways of living and working in harmony with the earth, as they revive renewable practices of growing and harvesting dye sources for artists around the world."

The two Kathys use plants, barks, and bugs to dye their yarn. This process takes them approximately 2 to 7 days, along with another 2 days to prepare the dye bath. Once that happens, the fiber will simmer and steep for at least 24 hours. They assure me that once the weather warms up (it will happen), that we will be able to have blues and purples.

At this point, they are using the Louet Gems Fingering Weight yarn for their dying. Which means you can match their yarns with the Louet Gems we already have.

Fourth Coast Fibers

A long, long time ago, I met a very nice woman named Kathy. (Of course she is nice, look at her name!) Kathy and I became friends. Then I met another nice woman named Kathy (are you getting the gist that all Kathy's are nice?) The second nice Kathy works at City Knitting in Grand Rapids and we found out that we both knew the first nice Kathy. Then I received an email from the first Kathy and she said that she and the second Kathy now dye yarn and would I be interested. Of course. See what happens when Kathy's get together?

More yarn and new samples

We received a box from Mission Falls this morning. It had yarn to fill in the spots, plus their new book The Illustrator and their new cotton yarn in the colorway Vintage. Mmmmm. I love the Mission Falls cotton, it has great texture.


Then you have to see what Susan knitted with the unspun Icelandic. It is the Butterfly Wrap from Schoolhouse Press.
































And then look at what Melody knitted for the shoppe - the
Hexacomb Cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 2008. It is made with Pima Tencel, the softest yarn ever. This sweater makes me think of something from the 1920's.







Jill knitted up this baby cap and hat from Opal, using the Black Purl pattern Sock It to Me Baby.

It just keeps coming

As spring approaches, we are bringing in new yarns, patterns, and other goodies.

Amy Detjen told us about a pattern designer named Amy Armstrong. Amy has family here in Suttons Bay and lives in Wisconsin.

Her patterns have a classic style and get me thinking of the yarns we could use to knit them. I see Cotton Fleece, Lamb's Pride, Heavenly, Mission Falls, Jewel, Pastaza, and Harlequin.

A needle gauge pendant made by Bent Metal. This covers US 0 to US 11. I love wearing it. No longer do I have to worry about trying to figure out what size my needle is.

We also have added Stella and Dawn to our yarn inventory. That includes lace kits. Dawn is 50% silk and 50% wool and it is so soft. Stella is 100% bamboo. Interweave Knits features one of its
patterns this spring with Dawn.

And then, don't forget some more patterns from Fiber Trends. Bev has done a wonderful job with her company and we just keep adding her patterns and yarns to our inventory.

Don't you love our passion?