Gourmet Yarn Shop Tour to Ireland

And knitting everywhere

So much has been going on these past few weeks, I don’t know where to begin.

In late May, I took a group of knitters to tour the South of Ireland for ten days, and we knit everywhere.

Jane Hogan, our tour guide from Irish Tourism, was absolutely amazing, and made all our dreams come true.

We drove through the Irish countryside, exploring the meaning “50 shades of green”. We knit everywhere.

We visited wool mills and sheep farms,

Took a ferry to the Aran Isles,

Learned to make scones, brown bread and freshly churned butter

We visited castles, gardens, and distilleries, and knit everywhere

We learned how to make Irish coffee and tap dance on the Ferry

We had knitting workshops with Irelands’ finest knitwear designers

Carol Feller

and Anne O’Maille

We learned how local wool is dyed from regional plants and flowers

The cliffs of Moher left us breathless, and we continued to knit everywhere

We saw the Irish Trad on the Prom Show, and kept knitting

While on the road, we knit Carol Fellers Rathcooney hat using Dovestone , courtesy of Baa Ram Ewe. It’s 100% English wool, and we stock all colors.

We also knit baby booties with Yarn Art Bianca Lana Lux. Each knitter received a sample ball of their 100% wool to try, and it was love at first stitch. We carry all 9 colors.

If you like what you saw,

Our next knitters’ trip will be to Scotland

We are already signing up for May 2018.

Follow us on Facebook to receive updates.

Happy Knitting!

Orly

Summer 2011

Summer knitting – let me count the ways…..

To me, summer knitting is looking through the new spring/summer copies of all my favorite knitting magazines

And choosing a new pastel shade to knit my favorite cotton cardigan

And picking a challenging stitch for that summer shawl, especially needed for those chilly summer evenings in the garden

To me, summer knitting is all about small light projects. The kind you can carry with you everywhere, even on vacation

Like baby garments, and hats, and especially socks. Lots of socks

Summer knitting is also for catching up. On all those unfinished projects lying around and cluttering my closet

Summer knitting means lots of knitting time

In the kitchen over my first cup of coffee

On the train, or in the bus, on my way to work

On my lunch break, on my coffee break

In the doctors office, waiting for my turn

In the airport, on the plane

On the boat trip, or at the beach

At the concert in the park

In the classroom, during the lecture

Watching TV, or relaxing in the garden

Summer knitting means vacation knitting

Because, in the summer, the days are longer, which give me more knitting hours

I love summer knitting

So if you aren’t a summer knitter, try it. You may even love it. Like me

And if you are a summer knitter, spread the word. Spread our love of knitting

Happy Summer Knitting

A special thanks  to our wonderful knitters, Shmulik, Naomi, and Olga for lending us their projects.

Don’t forget to come visit us before your summer vacation, and grab a pair of birch knitting needles or a palmwood crochet hook for knitting on the plane!

Writing a newsletter after visiting TNNA last week (It’s only the greatest knitting convention in the world!), is always so exciting. I have a problem deciding what to write about first.

So let’s begin with the yarns. The varieties there were endless, so here’s what we’re getting in,

Frog Tree Yarns is a non profit company, with beautiful wools and cotton all made by Artisans from South America. The owners of this company are a lovely couple on a mission of help.  Read their story and enjoy their truly wonderful yarns.

Schaefer Yarns have added some new patterns by Laura Nelkin to their collection and we’ll be getting them in, together with a new shipment of their Andrea Silk, Heather wool/silk blend, and Anne sock yarns. We also have a few skeins of Nicole and Helene on the way, a luxury for one skein projects.

The Bagsmith came out with a surprise yarn I hope you’ll like. You will need ONE SKEIN for the BIG NEEDLE PROJECT. All projects are done on humungous needles that we’re also getting in.  The Big Stitch Yarn is 70% Alpaca, 15% Merino Wool and 15% Nylon for that extra “give”. This Yarn is great for rugs, blankets and garments, and we will have the patterns for you to enjoy.

Farmhouse Yarns will be on our list of special yarns this year, as will The Alpaca Yarn Company. Check out their sites to get new ideas, and choose your favorite colors. The shipments haven’t left yet, so if there’s a special wish you have, I’ll be glad to fill it for you, just let me know.

Hand Painted Knitting Yarns have some Giant Skeins I thought you’d like. I had a hard time choosing from all their colors, which make up a fabulous shawl or poncho. The samples I saw at the show were breathtaking.

There are a few skeins of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn. I brought in all their basic solid colors. If you’re into the sock craze, they are a must on your list.

I still have lots of surprises that I am keeping up my sleeve, but you must know that we’ll have the Denise Interchangeable needle kits many have asked for, and the special Chinese HIYA-HIYA Interchangeable needle kits for lace knitting.  We don’t have many of each, so please call and tell us if you’d like us to put them on hold for you when they arrive.

I’ll be teaching a new class when I get back, it’s the Undulating Scarf, designed  by Laura Nelkin, made with one skein of Heather by Schaefer Yarns. I’ll teach you how to add Japanese glass beads to your knitting (which we’ll also be carrying). It’s meant for the advanced knitter, so you can still catch up on your knitting skills before we begin.

Last but not least, I had a class with the famous Cat Bordhi. I can say that was the highlight of the convention for me. We made baby booties, which I’m ready to teach you.

And till I get back, have a great summer, and

Happy Knitting!!!!!!

Orly