Fit for a Queen Angelfish

Another new colorway in the Purldiver Collection has just been launched by A Good Yarn!

Our newest Purldiver collection yarn is called Fit for a Queen Angelfish.  The inspiration for this new colorway is from a photograph I took of a Queen Angelfish while visiting my daughter Jennie for a dive vacation.  At the time, Jennie was studying at the Little Cayman Research Station on Little Cayman Island.  The best diving in Little Cayman is on Bloody Bay Wall.  The wall is an underwater ledge that starts at Little Cayman Island and stretches the length of the entire island chain.  It is a place covered with coral and full of cracks, crevices and small caves for all types of critters to swim through and hide in.   When diving the wall in Grand Cayman, it starts at 60 feet and goes to a couple thousand, but here it starts at only 25.  Being closer to the surface allows for better lighting conditions, and hopefully, better more colorful photographs.  Queen Angelfish are usually seen in pairs, but I’ve always had a hard time getting a good photo as they are quite skittish.  I never can get the pair, in fact I usually just get a tail, but here I managed to capture a full profile shot.  Sharon McMahon of Three Irish Girls has certainly captured its awesome colors in this beautiful new colorway.

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Too Much Stash!

Imagine yourself at home, gazing at your stash. Now, remember how your significant other looks at you when you bring more of it home. Yes, that’s the look.

Depressed? Don’t be! We have a solution. Our new 15″ Cricket loom will have you busting through your stash in no time! The possibilities and combinations are only limited to what’s in your stash…and you know where you can get more when you run low.

This May we are having a 3-session class for this amazing loom instructed by one of our own: Katie! You know Katie, she’s the one who looks like Jessica! Don’t worry, they are sisters after all. Anyway, sign up for her class and she’ll get you comfortable with the basics and then help get your creative juices flowing! But don’t wait too long, there’s only 4 seats available to ensure that everyone has enough time to be spoiled. Call the shop (941) 487-7914 or sign up online! The first class is May 5th at 10:30AM-12:30PM with the next two classes the following 2 Saturdays.

If you don’t own a loom yet we are offering a $25 rental for the class so you can see how you like it. Katie has lots of ideas on what to weave and then what you can turn your fabric into when you’re sick of scarves!

If you want to buy a loom of your own before the class, the Cricket 15″ loom is $169 and we can even help you put it together if you come before the day of the class.

Remember, only 4 spots are available for the class! Call the shop (941) 487-7914 or sign up online!

See you soon!

 

 

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Knitting & Felting Noni Flowers

daffodils in Noni studio

Nearly a year and a half after completing the initial designs for Noni Flowers, this wonderous new book is available to be read over and over. It will inspire you to make a beautiful sculptural garden of your very own.

“This book is an homage to, and an exploration of, what I find in the woods I walk through and in the garden where I work in the morning. If I were a nineteenth-century woman, perhaps I would use a small pocket sketchbook and a pencil or watercolors to capture the flowers that inspire me. But my medium is silk, merino, mohair, lace and worsted weight yarn. My instruments are knitting needles. With these tools, I’ve tried to recreate a little of the botanical beauty I see every day and it share with you.”

-Nora Bellows

Nora Bellows has been designing and selling felted handbags for more than a decade. Most are embellished with knitted or felted flowers. For her choosing the right yarn is vital to creating a flower that could pass for the real thing. The yarn must be the right shade, not too bright, not too soft. Most of the yarns in the book are from Stonehedge Fiber Mill in Michigan. Their colors are vibrant but not fake. To create her first book Nora sequestered herself for over a month to come up with 60 orginal designs and then cull those down to the 40 knitted flower patterns which can be simply knitted or felted and 6 additional projects that use the flowers as focal points.

Dahlia Pattern from Noni Flowers

When it comes to felting, making sure to choose the right yarn is important as well. Some of the best felting wools are merino and debouillet with cormo and rambouillet coming in close behind. Do not choose  machine washable wools as those are processed so as not to felt. Also, the presence of synthentic fiber will make the felting process difficult. If the yarn contains mohair or alpaca, however, it will  felt beautifully. You may want to swatch, and do a test run before knitting your entire project.

Enjoy knitting a bouquet that will never wilt, and never fade. You will always have spring at your fingertips with Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers

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Seamless Crochet

Best known for her crochet designs, Kristin Omdahl is a well-established crochet and knitwear designer. With 72 individual patterns under the company Styled By Kristin and 3 books, her fresh designs reflect fascination with geometry and masterfully combine skillful and very intriguing techniques.

In an interview on NaturallyCaron.com she talks her design process: “Often I am inspired by a texture I find while observing what is around me. Flowers, arrangements of bricks in a street, snakeskin, tiles in the hall of a 100 year old restaurant in Detroit, geometry, etc… From there, I like to pick up the yarn (with my hook or needles) and start playing with the yarn. Sometimes it works out right away, other times I find something else interesting from the swatching process. Occasionally I will write the pattern first, but I prefer what I call the “organic” process of creating first and documenting second.”

From her new book Seamless Crochet: Techniques and Designs for Join-as-You-Go Motifs the influences are clear and beautiful. The brand-new modular construction allows one motif to flow into the next, creating secure joins and beautiful geometric patterning. Imagine creating a shawl with 144 motifs. Normally that would mean 288 ends to weave when the piece is finished.

Blissful Flower Shawl From Seamless Crochet

With Kristin’s guidence and instructional DVD included with the book you can create this beautiful piece with only 2 ends to weave when you are done. Kristin Omdahl will truely change the way you crochet.

At A Good Yarn Sarasota we are pleased to be hosting Kristin at the shop Saturday, March 31st for a book signing and meet & greet. Then on Sunday, April 1st for a Seamless Crochet Workshop. If you would like more details or to registar for the workshop please click here. We look forward to having Kristin here and to seeing all of you!

 

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Butterflies and Sweet Lips

A Good Yarn is happy to introduce the two newest colorways in our
Purl Diver Collection!

 

The inspiration for the first of our two newest colors in the Purl Diver collection, Butterfly, came from this picture of a Pyramid Butterfly Fish, taken with my son Michael in the Solomon Islands.  Unlike most butterfly fish that stay close to the reef and are usually seen singly or in pairs, this species spends most of its time swimming in open water, where it captures zooplankton blown about at the mercy of the current.  This makes them more susceptible to predators, so they are more often found in schools where there is safety in numbers.  At night these fish disperse and hide in reef crevices. Their color pattern also changes dramatically at night: the white area of the body and head becomes black, and a single white spot remains on the side.

 The second new colorway, Sweetlips, was inspired by one of the few pictures I have from a trip with my daughter Jennie to the Maldives. (On day two, I flooded my camera.) This is this one of two Oriental Sweetlips. We saw many small schools of these fish in the reef channels. Juveniles of this ornate looking fish look completely different. They are reddish brown overall with white or cream colored blotches.

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Habu’s World of Possibilities

Have you ever fingered a strand of superfine silk wrapped stainless steel or cotton gima and wondered what would you ever make with it?

  Takako Ukei, owner of Habu Textiles has an answer, “Anything you want!”

It’s Takako unique way of viewing the world that lead her from producing fibers for her own weaving pleasure, to wondering at the knitting possibilities for same ultra fine fibers. Even the name Habu, which in Japanese means refers to a kind of venemous snake, reflects the endless possibilities the company represents. The break down of the characters ‘ha’ and ‘bu’ meaning ‘wave’ and fabric respectvely, describe prefectly how the garments flow. However, Takako decided to use another character for ‘ha’ which means 8; because of its shape it’s believed to bring life that slowly opens up before you. What a perfect way to describe Habu fibers! The yarns can stand alone or work well when knit together. On any size needle, from thin to thick they can produce sculptural fabrics that wear with surprising ease.

Nette by Julie Weisenberger

Takako chooses to work with designers that embody the sprirt of the yarn;  Setsuko ToriiKirsten Johnstone and Julie Weisenberger to name a few. Easy clean lines and classic shapes define the patterns. Who needs frills and flounces when you can let the yarn speak for itself? From jackets to tunics to wraps and skirts to bags and socks Habu Textiles have been combined to create beautiful garments and accessories of all sorts.

Take time this weekend to stop by the store and check out the trunk show from Habu and CocoKnits. It’s bound to give you inspiration on working with the unique fibers. Or sign up for one of the classes taught by Takako or Julie and get in-depth and up close with Habu Textiles.

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Coco Knits + Habu Textiles

We’re thrilled to be welcoming two special guests to A Good Yarn the weekend of March 9th, 10th and 11th – Julie Weisenberger of CocoKnits and Takako from Habu Textiles!  Be sure to make some room on your calendar to attend one, some or all of these exciting events:

What Not To Knit!
We’ll kick off the weekend’s festivities with this part-workshop, part-dress-up party with Julie Weisenberger!  There will be a short talk about what to look for (as well as avoid) when choosing a pattern.  Afterwards, we’ll try on sweaters from the CocoKnits trunk show to get feedback on what works (and what doesn’t) for various body types – and why! Refreshments will also be provided for this event. 
Friday, March 9, 5:00-7:00 PM
Fee: $30
Click here to register online

Japanese Pattern Reading
Takako will explain how to read Japanese written patterns.  Each session will last approximately one hour.
Saturday, March 10, 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Fee: $20
Click here to register online for the AM session
Click here to register online for the PM session

Using Japanese Charts in Western Knitting
Julie will show you how to chart your patterns so you can keep track of where you are with just a glance!
Saturday, March 10, Noon-1:00 PM
Fee: $20
Click here to register online

Habu Yarn Tasting
Ever wonder what to do with the many unique fibers from Habu?  Julie will show you in this class!
Saturday, March 10, 4:00-6:30 PM
Fee: $55, materials $10-$20
Click here to register online

CocoKnit-a-long
Choose your favorite CocoKnits pattern -  everyone will get help from the designer Julie Weisenberger!
Sunday, March 11, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Fee: $60, pattern and fiber not included
Click here to register online

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A Few of our Favorite Fibers (+ Winner!)

Shacht Sidekick

What better way to celebrate February that with lots of fabulous fiber?  We’re crazy for spinning at A Good Yarn, and hope we can inspire you to try something new and see just how fun it is to make your own yarn!

We’ve got Schacht wheels on-site for you to test-drive – choose from the Sidekick, Ladybug and Matchless!  When you find the wheel that’s right for you, we’ll include a free lesson with resident spinning expert Heidi Lawrence to ensure you’re familiar with your wheel and on your way to spinning up a storm.

Once you know the basics, the fun can begin:  picking out your favorite fibers and turning them into unique yarns you’ll love!  One of our many favorites is Imperial Yarns’ 2-ply Pencil Roving- not only is it great for beginners, but it’s made using wool from the Imperial Stock Ranch.  You can feel good about spinning with this 100% American-made product!

2-Ply Roving from Imperial Yarns

Another product we love is Frabjous Fibers’ 3 Feet of Sheep.  If you’d like to make stripey, colorful yarns without having to invest in several pound of fiber, 3 Feet of Sheep is the way to go!  Each collection features a medley of hand-dyed fibers that are ideal for spinning, blending and more – this was our top seller for our recent Wet Felted Flowers class!

Finally, our selection of hand-painted rovings from Abstract Fibers are sure to please. Choose from luxurious fibers in unique colors – no two rovings will spin up alike!

Three Feet of Sheep

We hope you’ll join our Ravelry Group this month as we discuss not only our favorite fibers and spinning techniques, but share our tips for knitting with the yarns we make and patterns that show them off best!

Finally, we’re sure you’ve been wondering who won our contest last month.  The winner has already been notified & the prize has been sent to its new home – but we’d like to formally congratulate Deborah, aka wildthing1058 on Ravelry.  More importantly, we’re like to thank everyone who commented on our blog – especially those of you who are coming back to see what’s new!

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Exciting Events + A Contest!

Our new year has been filled with lots of exciting new classes, products and events.  Where to begin?

Each Tuesday night, we’re opening our doors for a brand-new social event we like to call Stitch ‘n’ Spin!  Needleartists of all persuasions are welcome – if you’ve been looking for a place to socialize while quilting, needlepointing, or cross-stitching, you’ve found it!  Spinners, take note: your wheels and drop spindles are also invited to join in the fun.  Stop by, make friends, and maybe even learn something new every Tuesday night from 6-8 PM at A Good Yarn!

Susan Gibbs from Juniper Moon Farm

We’re also looking forward to a special visit from Susan Gibbs, the Shepherd behind Juniper Moon Farm.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 28th from 12-4 PM.  Please join us for an open house reception to welcome Susan Gibbs and her gorgeous yarns & patterns to our knitting community! There will be trunk show with lots of goodies to try on plus a 10% discount on any of her yarn and patterns purchased that day. The discount will also apply to any special orders prepaid that day!

Come meet Findley, Chadwick and Willa in person – and perhaps we’ll even get a sneak peek of what’s to come for the spring from Juniper Moon Farm!

No fees or registration are required – just a good time at A Good Yarn!

Now, what was that about a giveaway?  We’ll be randomly selecting one lucky person to win a skein of Findley & a copy of the Findley booklet, featuring 10 knit-worthy patterns designed by Tanis Gray.

Simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us your favorite pattern from the book (click on the link above or image at right to view patterns!) for your chance to win.  Be sure to mention a good way to contact you (i.e. Ravelry ID), just in case you win!

We will randomly select 1 comment on the afternoon of Friday, January 27th.  Good luck!

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Learn something new in 2012!

Resolve to finish more projects, hone your craft, or branch out and try something new this year!  At A Good Yarn, we’ve also designed our class roster to get you where you want to  go, and our friendly staff will offer you support every step of the way.

Ready to try socks?  Each month our Sock of the Month Club meets to work on a new sock pattern from Clara Parkes’ Knitter’s Book of Socks.  Our Sweet Tomato Heel Pedi Sock class on January 12th is a fun and easy intro to sock knitting, or you  may prefer to give top-down sock knitting a try in our three-part series beginning January 14.

If you’re just getting started, make sure all the basics are covered with our Learn to Crochet and Learn to Knit classes which are offered continually (be sure to check our website for our next sessions)!  Then build skills with our upcoming Learn to Knit 2 and 3, Cast Ons and Bind Offs, Circular Knitting and Fixing Mistakes classes.

If you’ve mastered the basics and want to level up, take a project-based class such as the Brick Road Cowl, Spud & Chloe on the Farm, or Saroyan.  Perhaps you’d like to join us for a Knit Happy session? These relaxed sessions feature a relaxed atmosphere while exploring new techniques in the company of knitters – plus, there are treats!

Making your own yarn is another fun resolution for 2012 – you won’t believe how easy it is!  Our resident spinning guru Heidi is available for private lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when you’re ready to give spinning a try!  Though she’ll be out this week for an exciting spinning workshop, Heidi will return to her regular hours next week – you can call ahead for an appointment (941.487.7914; classes are $35/hour).  Don’t forget, we also offer your first hour of private instruction for free with any purchase of a wheel!

Come see our lovely selection of drop spindles and hand-dyed fibers, plus you can test-drive any of our new Schacht spinning wheels on the spot.

Finally, we’re thrilled to invite you to our first-ever Stitch ‘n’ Spin Night – beginning next Tuesday, January 17th from 6-8 PM, we’re opening our doors to needlecrafters of all persuasions.  Bring your wheel, your embroidery, cross-stitch, or even your knitting or crocheting!  All are welcome for this fun, free social event.  We’ll be meeting weekly, so mark your calendars for each Tuesday from 6-8 PM!  (Please note, our shop will close at 4 PM on Tuesdays and reopen at 6 for this event).

Resolve to feel clever and confident in your crafting this year – we’ll help you every step of the way!

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