New Yarn Squee-Fest!

Around the shop, we've taken to using the word "Squee!" when we're really excited about something. It lets us release our inner fan girl (as Kelli's husband would put it) without losing the decorum required for working in a yarn shop. Simply ball up your hands into fists, hold them close to your chest, and in as high pitched a voice as you can muster, "Squee!"

Since the TNNA trade show in Columbus a few weeks ago, we've been "Squeeing" an awful lot with all the new inventory coming in.

In no particular order, here's what we've been "Squeeing" over:

• Xie: A 100% Bamboo lace weight from Southwest Trading Company (makers of Tofuties) that is so incredibly soft. Jill is working on a sample for us all to squoosh, but for now, don't be afraid of the put-up. It comes in cones of about 940 yards.
• Therapi: Also from Southwest Trading is another wonderfully soft yarn, this time in worsted weight. Therapi contains Jadeite, which is the dust leftover from carving pieces of jade. We don't know how they get it into fiber, but when the milk yarn from Kollage showed up, we just stopped asking.
• Hempton: From Hemp for Knitting this lovely hemp/model/cotton blend proves that hemp is indeed for knitting. We brought in every color.
• Jade Sapphire Cashmere: New more hand dyed, masculine colors in DK weight (knit on a US 6 or so). My dad's getting a cashmere scarf for Christmas. How ‘bout yours?
• Lamb's Pride Bulky: You asked for it, we listened. From Brown Sheep Co.
• NatureSpun Sport Superwash: Also from Brown Sheep, a straight up sport weight wool, it's only bell or whistle being that it's machine washable. Perfect for kid's clothes.
• Peruvia Colors: Berroco Peruvia is a great single ply, slightly fuzzy wool that comes in great heathered solids. Now they've added variegateds to the line and we had to have them all!
• New Colors in: Noro Kureyon Sock, regular Kureyon, Noro Silk Garden, Tatamy Tweed, Sterling (come see the variegated before Martha takes it all home), Berroco Comfort, and Brown Sheep Burly Spun

I saved the two biggest Squees! for last.

Lantern Moon Baskets!!! Come see! Come see!

and....

Drum roll please!

BLUE SKY ALPACA!!!!!!!!

We are thrilled to be carrying their Sport Weight Baby Alpaca, Melange, Alpaca Silk, Dyed Cotton, not to mention their Organic Cotton! (Squee!! See, doesn't it feel good?) Blue Sky is very choosy about what shops carry their yarn, so to say we're excited is a pretty big understatement.

Purple Lace Socks	The competition has really started heating up since the last newsletter! On the sock front, Rachel A. catapulted to the top when she came in with a pair of socks that she knit for her husband out of Natural Stitches yarn. Can anyone dethrone her? In the lace competition, it's a battle between the knitters and crocheters right out of West Side Story. In a single day, Diane pulled ahead with a shawl knit from Rowan Felted Tweed only to be toppled by Kristina and her crocheted lace baby blanket later that evening. Who will come out on top? Perhaps someone hoarding all of their finished projects til August… From Martha: Everyone entering as of August 15th will receive a small prize for participating. However, you have to actually log at least one project by that date to qualify. This is to convince those hoarders to come in before the deadline so we aren't scrambling to weigh in 50 projects on the last day. Besides, it's FUN to see the race progress! :-)	Ranco Socks
	Compete with Melissa I forgot to post my official yardage in the last newsletter, so I'll post it this time around. Total yardage for socks: 1740. I had a pretty big personal victory this week as I finished a pair of socks that have been on the needles for almost a year. (On the left) And I'm almost done with the Ranco Socks. (On the right) Will things drop off as I start the February Lady Sweater this week? Possibly. Now's your time to pass me by!

I have realized lately that many of our customers have not yet discovered our Yarn Information Cards. Attached to the bin for every yarn in the shop is a card that is crammed full of great information. It lists all of the normal things you can find on the yarn ball band like company, yarn name, fiber content, yardage, weight, recommended needle size, gauge, etc.

But there is much more. There is a table that lists the approximate number of balls of that yarn you will need to make a standard sweater for a child ages 2-14 or an adult sizes 34-48. That gives you a great place to start when you are estimating how much yarn you need for a sweater. (By the way -- if you check the number of balls recommended for a age 4 child that is approximately how many balls of that yarn you will need for a 6 foot long, 4 inch wide scarf in that yarn.)

Of course, the price of the yarn is also listed for your convenience. And just lately we have added something else very important. Color! The color of the card now indicates something more about the yarn. White cards are regular price; a yellow card means the yarn is 20% off; and a pink card means the yarn is 30% off. And those discounts are on top of our already low prices! We have recently moved yarns out of the Eco section and merged them in with yarns of their weight class, so if you see a green card that means it is an Eco yarn. {Ed. note: Green hasn't come out quite yet as of the release of the newsletter.} Pretty slick, huh?

Next time you are in the shop please check out the Yarn Information Cards. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how helpful they can be.

We got this little tidbit in our email from Eileen:

Socks are not my forte, but I've found that handknit socks given to me tend to be loose. A pair of purchased 
topless socks, worn inside sport shoes, came up with an answer, just after the heel, about an inch and a half 
to two inches is done, sometimes only on the bottom, sometimes all around the instep in the same k1 skp 1 on 
one row and k next row pattern as the heel. The result, a section of sock that grips the instep and doesn't 
slipslide. I have no directions beyond those above, but give em a try. I have one sock done that way and the 
other one requires that I finish a couple of sweaters before I get to it....EF

In this issue, we're moving from the cuff all the way down the leg to the heel. This is not to say that the leg doesn't MEAN anything. It's my favorite place to play with patterns, to play with stripes. It's the blank canvas of the sock on which you can do ANYTHING. This just means that it's not prone to causing trouble.

The heel area, on the other hand… The biggest problem I've ever had with the heel is not the turning of the heel; it's getting the whole darn sock to fit over the arch of my foot when I'm done. The first time I put on a completed sock, it felt like every stitch was going to snap as I put it over my foot! Then when I finally wrestled it on, it felt like the circulation where my foot met my ankle was going to get cut off. Not an encouraging experience.

The solution: I can't remember where I read it, but the solution isn't found where you'd expect it. It's in the heel flap. Longer heel flaps mean a higher gusset, which means less constriction over the arch of your foot. If you've had my problem, or are making socks for someone with high arches (and they'll usually tell you!), simply knit a few more rows on the heel flap. For example: If you're knitting your heel flap over 32 stitches, make the heel flap 36 or 38 rows instead of the usual 32.

One more tip for you: I love me an Eye of Partridge heel flap. There's something about its checkerboard effect that just makes variegated yarns pop and brings a really great texture to solid colors, as you can see in this example from the blog Pura Lana. The problem I had with mine, initially, is that I knit too tightly. I didn't get the nice waffle weave effect; it just looked like stockinette. Really THICK stockinette, but plain nonetheless. Then I came across a tip on the Sock Maniac's website.

An Eye of Partridge heel is normally done as follows:
Row 1: Slip 1, k1, repeat to end
Row 2: Slip first stitch, purl across the rest of the row
Row 3: Slip first stitch, then Slip 1, k1, repeat to end. (So you'll be slipping two stitches in a row.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2

To accentuate the waffle weave look, only slip the first stitch of each row as if to purl, after that, all the slipped stitches are slipped as if to knit. Waffle weave achieved.

Summer camp for kids!

Natural Stitches is holding a Summer Camp for kids who have finished 2nd grade through 6th grade in June and July. It will run for 4 weeks and have a different topic each week. Camp will be held Monday through Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30am. Each week will cover a different topic.

Week 1 - June 16-18 : Spinning with Carol  - All over, a grand time was had!
Week 2 - June 23-25 : Knitting with Charissa  - All over, a grand time was had!
Week 3 - June 30-July 2 : Weaving with Carol
Week 4 - July 7-9 : Crochet with Charissa  - There's still time to register!

Campers don't have to sign up for all topics. They can take only the ones that interest them or all of them if they wish.

These are beginning workshops to learn the basics of the individual crafts but a child who picks up things quickly can move on at his or her own pace.

Cost for Summer Camp is $45 per week plus a $5 materials charge per week. That's quite a bargain. A total of 4½ hours of instruction for $45!

Please call Natural Stitches at 412-441-4410 or stop into the shop for more information. Sign up deadline for each week is the Friday before that week's camp. All fees must be paid at time of sign up. Places are limited so don't delay.

From the entire staff of Natural Stitches, we wish you happy knits, creative crochets and splendid spinnings. And, as always, if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know!

Please check out what is happening at the web page.
Past editions are always available online as well.