Yarn and Y'all

Stitches United 2019 This year I took a couple of classes at Stitches United in Atlanta.  They were FABulous classes!   Friday was an all day class about multi-directional knitting.  I am hooked!  The concept of this notion is SO logical that it kinda blew my mind.  Why isn't this already a thing?!  The instructor, Myra Wood, taught us how to make fabric by knitting in different directions and THEN how to turn it into a finished project!  It's brilliant. Saturday was spent learning how to make sweaters that fit from Jeane deCoster.  Every time I take a "how-to-fit" class I learn something new.  At this class I learned how to make a schematic from a written-only pattern.  Again, logical but not something that has ever popped into my brain to do!  Plus, she has her own yarn line, designs AND an online product for making patterns that are based on YOUR measurements.   Keep your eyes open for upcoming classes based on things I've learned from

It's true!  The New York Times printed an article all about this notion.   "Elisabetta Matsumoto, an applied mathematician and physicist at the Georgia Institute of Technology.   For Dr. Matsumoto, knitting is more than a handicraft hobby   with health benefits . She is embarking on a five-year project, “What a Tangled Web We Weave,” funded by the National Science Foundation, to investigate the mathematics and mechanics of   “the ancient technology known as knitting.” Dr. Matsumoto’s team likes to contemplate how stitch patterns provide code — more complex code than the 1s and 0s of binary — that creates the program for the elasticity and geometry of knitted fabric. The buzzword is “topological programmable materials,” said postdoc Michael Dimitriyev. He is working on a computer simulation of knitted fabric, inputting yarn properties and stitch topology, and outputting the geometry and elasticity of the real-life finished object. “I’m the killjoy that brings

In case you've missed it, crocheted garments have hit the runway!   According to Glamour Magazine, New York Fashion Week " spring collections bring with them a resurgence in all-crochet everything—from tops to rompers to frilly dresses. You can go as hard as you want on this trend, whether that's adding a single blouse to your wardrobe or decking yourself out head to toe. (We see you, Michael Kors.)" The picture above is Dolce and Gabana... yes, you read that right:  Dolce and Gabana.  If you had asked me if we'd ever see a Dolce and Gabana crocheted outfit, I would have bet money that we would see you-know-where freeze over before we'd EVER see that happen!  But here it is . . . crocheted items walking down the runway. Let's celebrate -  let's spread the word - let's wallow in this development!  Crocheters stand up proud and hold your heads high!  Crochet has been taken from being considered a less-than-worthy craft to FASHION-l

Georgia Mountain Needle Arts Festival  April 26 - 28, 2019 Make plans to join us in Ellijay, Georgia this weekend where we will be enjoying the lovely north Georgia mountains and playing with fiber and sticks!!  (Not to mention eating some pretty darn good BBQ, too.)   We'll be at  the Gilmer County Civic Center where fu n can be had one or more of the following days:  Friday, April 26, Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, 2019. The hours are 10 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. There will be a Marketplace with Fiber Vendors all 3 days as well as Classes on Saturday and Sunday only. There is an entrance fee of $5 for anyone ages 11 and older. 2018 marked the inaugural year of the  Georgia Mountain Needle Arts Festival (GMNAF). Brought to being by a dedicated group of fiber artists and businesswomen,  this festival in the mountains is a gathering of folks with a passion for handcrafting.  ​  We are thrilled to be part of this event and ar

Endangered sheep? Really? Yes, I have recently become aware of an organization called The Livestock Conservancy. This group is dedicated to protect endangered breeds of livestock from becoming extinct. These breeds are referred to as Heritage Breeds. From The Livestock Conservancy: What Are Heritage Breeds? Heritage breeds are traditional livestock breeds that were raised by our forefathers. These are the breeds of a bygone era, before industrial agriculture became a mainstream practice. These breeds were carefully selected and bred over time to develop traits that made them well-adapted to the local environment and they thrived under farming practices and cultural conditions that are very different from those found in modern agriculture. Traditional, historic breeds retain essential attributes for survival and self-sufficiency – fertility, foraging ability, longevity, maternal instincts, ability to mate naturally, and resistance to diseases and parasites. Heritage animals o

Every now and then, some lovely person (Becky Whitt) plans a knitting retreat (Carolina Fiber Retreats) in the mountains.  And, that same lovely person invited us to have a vendor booth at the retreat!  Ha!  Very tough work but we were happy to oblige!   It really doesn't get much better than "working" in a lodge in the mountains with great views, good food and wonderful company.   We were not the only vendors at this particular retreat.  Angie from Camel City Yarns was there with her beautifully dyed yarns.  Keep your eye on this dyer - she's got some gorgeous products. Camel City Yarn booth   Let's not forget one of our favorite dyers - Ashley at Twist Fiber Studio.  Her spectacular yarns and eye-catching bags were tempting shoppers all weekend, too!  (It really took all my self-control to refrain from buying several items that caught my eye this weekend.)   Twist Fiber Studio booth April, Lisa, Anita, and several others were offering gorgeou

Today is the start of this years 100 Day Project! Krista and I just recently found out about this free worldwide art project designed to help us explore our creativity and would like to invite you to join us on this journey! From the website (www.the100dayproject.org/) : Ready to get creative? ​Join the global community participating in the 6th annual #The100DayProject.​ #The100DayProject is a free art project that takes place online. Every spring, thousands of people all around the world commit to 100 days of exploring their creativity. Anyone can join (yes, that means you!). The idea is simple: choose a project, do it every day for 100 days, and share your process on Instagram with the hashtag #The100DayProject. Just think of all of the possibilities! I will be focusing on fiberarts and spinning but there are so many other possibilities! Fiberarts, writing, drawing, photography.....where would you like to explore? A member of the A Spinners Study Facebook group u

One of the things that I love about fiber arts is that there is always something new to try. The new thing can be within something that I already do, like learning a new stitch, or it can be something totally new that still uses yarn (or fiber). Or, it may even be a new way of sharing your fiber journey…like blogging! Starting in April (can you believe it is almost here?!?!?) Krista and I will be starting our week with Tuesday blog posts! Make sure that you stop by and check it out. We have a variety of ideas for topics and are so excited to get started!                                                                                                      -Jenn