The Yarn Shop and Fiber Place

The Intruiging World of Habu

This month at The Yarn Shop, we are pleased to share Habu Textiles as our featured yarn of the month.

This unusual series of yarns (some of which include components such as stainless steel or paper) provides a fresh perspective on your fiber endeavors, whether they be knitting, crochet, weaving, or spinning.  During the month of March, we are offering a 20% discount on any yarns in the Habu collection.

 

What can you make with these fascinating yarns?  Good question.  We would like to hear your thoughts on the matter! 

Please join us on Saturday, March 6, from 10-12 as we discuss and brainstorm ideas over coffee.  We will look at samples of knit and woven pieces aimed at stimulating all of our imaginations!

This is in honor of our Habu Textiles Contest, the winners of which will be announced on April 3rd.  We will also be posting the entries here on the blog and on our flickr group. 

Come join us for coffee, community, and creativity this Saturday at 10am.  There's still time to participate, and we look forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas!

Thoughts On Socks

Overheard at The Yarn Shop:

"Socks are so addictive to make...I love the way they fit."

"They're so quick to make."

"And they last forever."

Encouraging words for my first pair, which have already traveled through the Rocky Mountains even though they're not quite socks yet.  This is my first "real" knitting project.  And though I wouldn't necessarily call it a fast knit (remember that I'm a crocheter first), I would definitely call it gratifying. 

There's something to be said about taking the time to create such a basic, utilitarian item by hand.  Stitch by tiny stitch.  This pair is a gift to my loving and supportive partner, kind of a six-year-long running joke between us. 

As I knit up a row here and there, I concentrate on the sacrifices he makes for our family and how much I appreciate how hard he works.  It makes all those humble little circles of stitches feel very honorable and important--each stitch a representation of the hours he of his life he gives to support our little tribe.

And once these are off the needles?

Well, there are two sets of little tiny feet in our house.

And my own two feet.

And of course we'll each need more than one pair of socks.

Oh, there's just nothing better than the potential I see in The Yarn Shop's wall of sock yarn.

Stitch by tiny stitch.

The Navajo Spindle

My family and I just returned from a sorely needed vacation down to Arizona this past week.  My man and I both spent many of our growing-up years in the Southwest and it's always good to reconnect both with family and the Sonoran Desert.

Right around the start of the New Year, Spin-Off Magazine posed the question, "What are your spinning goals for 2010?" on their Facebook Fan Page.  Eager to challenge myself and seeing this as an opportunity to hold myself accountable, I fired off, "I want to learn how to use my Navajo Spindle on our trip to Arizona next month!" 

A Navajo spindle is a bit different than a regular drop spindle.  It's about two and a half feet long and is meant to roll on the leg while either sitting cross-legged on the floor or sitting upright in a chair.  It's a bit intimidating, even for experienced spinners.  Though I bought it from The Yarn Shop months ago, I have been terrified of the thing.  Mustering up my courage, I figured there was no better place to learn to use it than in the bosom of the Sacred Mountains, the origin of such a simple and soulful piece of equipment.

It would have been utterly dreamy to sit alongside an actual spinner, but we were on the road and I didn't have the contacts to make such a fantasy come to fruition at the time.  However, thanks to a little help from YouTube and a few stolen moments before we checked out of the hotel, I was able to keep my promise to myself.

Though the yarn is slubby and fat, it's yarn and it's ready to be spun again in order to make it sound (Navajo yarn is spun 2-3 times on the before it is ready for weaving).  The trick with learning how to spin isn't to make perfect yarn, it's to learn the feel of how the wool reacts when you begin to draft correctly.  The yarn will evolve with practice and time.

Many thanks to a perfect teacher, Clara Sherman, via the technology of the good old internet.  Grab yourself a cuppa (as in cuppa coffee, cuppa tea), and enjoy the peaceful demo performed by a traditional master spinner in the video below.

Between the view of the red rocks of Paige and the mystical quiet resonating on the video, I found a deeply satisfying inspiration and connection to the Navajo Spindle.

What inspires your spinning?  ~ J

February's Featured Product: 13 Mile Organic Wool

Pardon me a few moments here while I wax rhapsodic about the 13 Mile Lamb & Wool Co.  Let's face it, it doesn't get much better than this;  A sheep farm in the most idyllic setting possible, with the gorgeous Bridger Mountains as a backdrop, a fiber mill where the wool is washed, carded, spun into yarn, and dyed with natural plant dyes, and all of this owned by the nicest folks you could ever hope to meet, Becky Weed and David Tyler.  

The mill is in a picturesque old barn...with solar panels on the roof.  David, a retired engineer, figured out the system for heating the water to wash the wool with solar energy in specially designed sinks that drain all the waste water into a truck that spreads it on their pastures as natural fertilizer.  The farm is certified organic and everything about the operation has been carefully thought out to maximize positive effects on the environment, right down to the sweet-smelling composting outhouse across the creek from the barn. 

Organic AND predator friendly, a status earned by working with nature to minimize losses from predators, rather than taking an "us" vs. "them" attitude about our wild Montana predators such as wolves and mountain lions.

Becky is the wool-queen extraodinaire.  She has worked for years to tweak every aspect of the washing, carding, spinning, dyeing and everything else until she was confident in their consistently excellent product.  13 Mile Organic Wool now holds a place of honor as one of the best organic wools in the entire country.  And it's made right here in the Gallatin Valley!  Yay!

This wonderful wool is our Yarn of the Month this month, and we are offering it at 20% off the regular price--roving or yarn.   If you haven't ever tried it, please treat yourself!  Will it be the beautiful natural colors or the plant-dyed colors or a combination of the two?  Whatever you decide, know that your support of this special mill is good for the earth, good for the local economy, and good for you!  Enjoy!

Read more about the 13 Mile Lamb & Wool Co. here.

Drifts of Wool ~ The Anniversary Cowl Pattern (Free Pattern Alert!)

A thick and quick knit cowl, complete with eyelet accents and an almost-a-hint-of-a-cable all throughout the pattern.  Perfect for those who are terrified of jumping into the realm of cable knitting.  Like me.

Those look innocent enough.  Deep breath, Jules.  Deep breath. 

Barb was feeling sassy about it being the anniversary and all, so she threaded a silk ribbon through the eyelet trim and tied it into a big bow right up front.

Inspired by this idea, I grabbed one of Tammy's renowned flower scarves and followed suit:

There's nothing better than a simple accessory that can be changed and updated at a whim, whether it be with a decorative skinny scarf that features a special stitch, a lariat scarf made with a more extravagant yarn (I'm thinking of shiny things and handspun art yarns...), or a simple ribbon to liven up your mood and help keep your neck warm on a windy spring day!

Join us in celebrating our 12th year of making your fiber dreams come true by knitting up your own rendition of our exclusive free pattern.

The Yarn Shop Anniversary Cowl

Yarn:  Cascade Lana Grande -- 3 balls

Needles:  24" or 40" circulars, size 13

Finished Size:  32" circumference, 15" length

Pattern:

• Cast on 72 stitches, place marker, join in a round.

• Knit one round, Purl one round.

• Knit six rounds.

Next round, begin cable pattern:

• Round 1:     K4, *C2B, K8.  Repeat from * until the end of round.
• Rnds 2-8:    K
• Round 9:    *K8, C2B.  Repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4.

• Rnds 10-16: Knit.

• Repeat rounds 1 - 16, then repeat rounds 1 - 12.

Eyelet Round:

• K2, yo, K2tog, *K4, yo K2tog.  Repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Knit 3 more rounds.  Bind off loosely.

Adorn with your choice of fanciness!

Abbreviations:

C2B -- cable two back:  slip next 2 sts to a cable needle and hold at back of work.  K next 2 sts from working needle then K 2 sts from cable needle

YO -- yarn over (creates the eyelet hole)

K2tog -- knit two together (a decrease stitch)

Special Anniversary Colorway

Wow!  Thank you, Kim!

This is our custom-dyed-just-for-us anniversary colorway courtesy of Kim from Western Sky Knits.   Barb and I sat mesmerized by the transition of periwinkle, pink, and chocolate brown in this expertly dyed sportweight.  We also fawned over the variations that occurred as the yarn worked up into the very girly sock pattern that is the focus of the free workshop on Saturday, January 23rd (that's tomorrow by the way).

Of course it needs a name.  It was created in honor of The Twelfth Anniversary! 

Bridger Twilight?

Yarn Shop Sundae?

Sweet Pea Surprise?

A reference to our lovely state flower?

This particular yarn colorway feels important.  It's the symbol of twelve years of serving the fiber community here in Bozeman after all!  And what better way to share the celebration than to hold a contest to name the colorway?

So here's the deal ~ if the name you suggest is chosen, you win a skein of this beautiful custom-dyed yarn!  Come on down to the shop or leave a comment with your suggestion to enter for a chance to win!

Entries must be received by January 31, 2010.  Void where prohibited.

~ Jules

Perfect Colors, Naturally

Have you ever noticed, as you walked outside on a beautiful summer day, how all the colors of nature work perfectly together?  The red flowers next to the blue and yellow flowers next to the orange and purple flowers all mixed up with a thousand shades of green?  And it all works! 

Plant-dyed yarns seem to be like that too.  I say it's because of their natural provenance--they simply have to look smashing together!  And the yarns from Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool Co. do since they are all dyed in the eco-friendliest manner possible with all natural plant dyes.  In our notoriously long Montana winters, yarns like these are just the ticket for keeping our mental faculties in check.

This latest batch that we received last week just made me drool.  All the gorgeousness of nature wrapped up in sweet skeins of yarn!  Wahoo!  Can't wait to start my fabulous fair-isle sweater using all the colors. Will keep you posted...

Barbie Pink

Getting Organized in the New Year

One of my favorite things about the dawn of a new year is the breath of fresh air it brings.  There is a sense of change, a bounty of unforeseen opportunities, a goodbye to everything that erupted in the previous year.

And 2009 was a doozy, wasn't it?

I'm not one who makes resolutions at the beginning of the year but I do allow myself to daydream about changes I'd like to see happen in our lives.  What's the difference?  Instead of saying, "This year I'm going to exercise and lose 25 pounds," I say, "I'd like to begin embracing changes that make my body as healthy and as in tune as it was created to be."

It's a lot easier to remember that I'm "making changes" when I weigh out my choice between the carrots and the cookies, and there's no feeling of guilt when I fall off the wagon and choose the cookies now and then.  A healthy body requires a healthy mind and my mind likes cookies.

One of the changes that our family is making this year involves becoming more organized.  In true Julie fashion, I refuse to say, "This year I want to get more organized."  I say, "I would like our home to reflect peace and beauty while providing us with an easy way to keep up with the activities that we enjoy so much."

This is a challenge, being that we are a family of four who lives in an 800 square foot home. 

And we don't have a garage. 

Or closets.

Yeah, I know.

Now if I wanted to just "get organized", I could easily stick everything in plastic bins with big labels that say things like "YARN" and "FABRIC" and "CRAP I SHOULD GET RID OF".  But you know what?  I don't like plastic bins and I don't want to look at them.  They don't inspire me to dig my hands into the materials I have on hand and create.  They inspire me to go buy more stuff to put into my half-filled bins.

Instead I work at accumulating beautiful objects that I like to look at.  Beautiful objects that double as organizational tools.  Like these gorgeous little baskets from Lantern Moon:

Now because space is an issue in our home, I really like these collapsible baskets that I can tote around with me or fold up and tuck away when it's not in use.

These larger baskets for organizing my ever-growing yarn stash.  These larger baskets coordinate nicely and look great in virtually any type of decor, whether you are a minimalist or a pack rat like myself. They are also nice because my husband is less likely to notice when more yarn suddenly appears (shhhhh).

 

All of these lovely items are of course available at The Yarn Shop right now (we're the one on North Willson).

What are your daydreams for the New Year?

An Outing to Thirteen Mile Farm

Ahh, what a breath of fresh air it is to visit the Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool Co. farm just outside of Bozeman!  I set off on this trip grumpy due to unforeseen complications of the day, but after I picked up Julie (my friend and fiber cohort) we headed south out of town and the bad mood ebbed away. 

Soon we were skimming along the edge of the Bridger foothills and then into the open valley with the glorious, snow-covered Bridger Mountains keeping constant vigil on the right. As we turned into the driveway of David Tyler and Becky Weed, we saw (what else?) adorable sheep frisking in a pasture and the setting sun glowing on the white barn that houses the Thirteen Mile Mill.  What a magnificent place!

I could wax rhapsodic over every detail of this farm, but not today. 

It was late and I wasn't sure anyone was even still there.  Luckily, Mary Ann was still working away at the spinning frame as we entered, steam billowing from the special sink where wool was being scoured, and a washing machine whirring as water was spun out of freshly washed fleece.

She said she'd still be working for a while, and graciously allowed us to poke around in the yarn corner. Our stock of Thirteen Mile's gorgeous organic, plant-dyed and natural-colored yarn had been low at the shop and it was time to stock up!  Woohoo!  Like kids in the candy story, we had to choose yarn of every possible color.

We also spent time touching and ogling the special hand-knit hats, Becky's awesome crocheted rugs, wool bats and large pieces of felt...oh gosh, it was just dreamy.  At last it was time to let Mary Ann finish up her work and we headed back home with a van full of local, organic wool and a readjusted attitude. 

 

Thanks, Thirteen Mile Farm, for the reminder about what's truly important in this life:  making stuff with wool, of course!

Can You Habu?

We're getting very excited about the Yarn Shop's 12th anniversary in January.  Almost to the point of having idea overload.  We might have to drag the celebration out for a while because there are just too many fun things to do in one month!  I'll keep you posted on the plans, but for now I want to just mention one idea that I hope you'll find intriguing:  a Habu Textiles contest. 

 

There has been a lot of interest in the unusual Habu yarns that we are now carrying, but folks inevitably ask, "What can you make with this?"  The answer to this question would most certainly be, "Anything you want!"  The caveat with the Habu Textiles is that they are a thinking knitter's yarn.  It takes a bit of imagination and an adventurous spirit!

I was privileged to meet the owner of Habu Textiles, Takako Ueki, at a trade show last summer.  I did my fair share of holding up various unique yarns and saying "What can you make with this?"  She very gently and sweetly explained to me that she really doesn't like to give people suggestions about what to do with the yarns.  She feels that it is more freeing and allows more individual creativity if a person is not told what can and can't be done with the yarn.  I certainly see her point and now you know what I mean about a thinking knitter's yarn! 

I do agree that there is something to be said for working with a yarn for awhile, learning its particular characteristics, before expecting it to grab your imagination and furl you into unimagined heights of creativity!  But fear not:  we do have Habu patterns and kits available to help you along during those times that imagination falters. 

Let the furling begin!  Perhaps as you contemplate these amazing yarns, a most unexpected project idea will occur to you!.  You may design it yourself, use a commercial pattern, or even use a Habu pattern (one designed specifically for Habu yarns).    You may knit, crochet, weave, or something else.  But please start thinking about entering this contest!  More on this later, including categories and prizes.  Wahoo!

Stay warm,

Barbie Pink