In This Edition: David's Favorite Lace Books What's New New Knit and Crochet Alongs "He Said, She Said" reviews of Respect the Spindle

My Favorite Lace Books by David We are halfway through the Summer of Socks and Lace. If you are looking for some inspiration to bolster your lace entries, consider knitting any of the patterns in some of my favorite lace books. Whenever I need a little inspiration, I turn to these books: Wrap Style by Pam Allen & Ann Budd (Interweave Press, 2005) The first lace triangle I ever knit came out of this book: Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle. The design is surprisingly easy to knit and is a great introduction to knitting lace triangles. Any yarn weight will work and I knit my Shetland Triangle out of the Crystal Palace Panda Silk (hurry and get your skeins today since the yarn is now on clearance). Shirley Paden's Wrapped in Tradition is an intricate lace sampler capelet and would look lovely knit in the Crystal Palace Kid Merino (new to Natural Stitches). Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle (Interweave Press, 2000) This book is a staff favorite at Natural Stitches. If you missed participating in last year's Stora Dimun knit along or this year's Wool Peddler knit along, then you must get yourself a copy of this book. The designs are based on and inspired by folk shawl traditions and motifs from around the world. Each shawl design is accompanied by an historical anecdote which explains the inspiration for the design. I am currently on the search for yarn to make the Irish Diamond Shawl. Shall I stick with a traditional yarn and choose Jamieson's Spindrift? Oh, so many colors from which to choose! Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush (Interweave Press, 2008) I admit that I have only knit one project from this book (the Raha Scarf in the Blue Sky Alpaca Silk) but I often (very often) leaf through the pages of this book to admire the breathtaking designs. The Estonians are world-famous for their lace shawls, and this is one of the best books to discover their beautiful lace for yourself. If you are a fan of nupps, consider knitting the Queen Silvia Shawl out of the Brown Sheep Legacy Lace or the JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool Silk. Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby (XRX Books, 2006) Victorian England was a time of great innovation in the knitting world. Knitting was being done for leisure (much like we do today) and was no longer being driven by necessity. Printed patterns were being introduced for the first time. Jane Sowerby fills this book with reinterpretations of Victorian era patterns. If you are interested in knitting large shawls and wraps (circular and rectangular), there are several from which to choose (imagine yourself wrapped in the elegant Cap Shawl knit out of the tosh lace in the Byzantine colorway). Or if small scarves suit your knitting curiosity, there is a whole chapter dedicated to just scarves. Wherever you find your lace inspiration, best of luck to all of you participating in the Summer of Socks and Lace.

What's New Congratulations to Chrissy F. for winning our June BYOB contest For your viewing pleasure, we have new DVDs, including The Art of Knitting, Vol. 1, The Art of Knitting and Crochet, Vol. 2, Color Works for Spinners and Stitch Heaven Salutes Barbara Walker New colors of Scarlet Fleece Trinity and Scarlet Fleece Wool Paint Adorable greeting cards from Lantern Moon, featuring breeds of sheep We have many, many new books! To name just a few, we've received Sock Knitting: Master Class, Knitting Vintage, Scary Cute: 25 Amigurumi Monsters, Welcoming Home Baby, and FINALLY: Little Red in the City by Ysolda Teague! If all the books weren't enough pattern-y goodness, Knitscene Fall 2011 has just hit our shelves! JUST IN! Two new yarns from a new company: Zen Garden Serenity 20 — $29 for 70% SW Merino, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon Fingering 400 yards / 100 grams US 1-3 Machine/Hand Wash Cold/Dry Flat including an exclusive colorway: Go Pittsburgh! Pure Silk Lace — $21 for 100% Silk Lace 540 yards / 50 grams Hand Wash/Dry Flat Also just in: TECHNO from Blue Sky Alpaca!

Come Knit and Crochet With Us! If you're in the mood to knit or crochet with others, we have two knit and crochet alongs coming up that will have you running to pick up your needles and hooks! "Rock Island" Knit Along by Jack I am totally excited to be hosting our next knit along! If you're like me and have been drooling over this piece since the pattern release, then you will be just as excited. I'm talking about the Rock Island Shawl by Jared Flood, which is available for individual purchase via Ravelry. This beautiful shawl is a lace triangle with Shetland motifs. It is knit with either lace or fingering weight yarn on size 6 needles, or size needed to obtain gauge (you did swatch first, right? The gauge police are watching you!). The pattern starts by knitting the lace edging in a long, single strip. After the lace edging is finished, you will pick up stitches along the edge and decrease to shape the shawl until only a few stitches remain. These stitches are then grafted together. I love a pattern that gets smaller as you go. It gives you a great sense of accomplishment and you won't get worn out from all of those stitches on your needles. The pattern calls for approximately 600 yards of a lace weight or 680 yards of a fingering weight yarn. The original was done using Helen's Lace from Lorna's Laces (silk wool blend), but we have many beautiful alternatives from which you can choose. Some wonderful candidates are Trinity from Scarlet Fleece and Zephyr from Jaggerspun or if you are looking for something a little more decadent, try Tosh Lace from madelinetosh. Last but not least, for those of you that love a little bling in their lives, we have Stardust Lace from The Natural Dye Studio. This list is not exhaustive, so please come in and have a look around for some inspiration. The "official" start date of the knit along will be Thursday, July 14. Come in to the store, grab your materials and get started. I'll be here during the day to cheer you on and provide any assistance that you may need. Happy knitting! "Say Good-bye to Noro" Knit & Crochet Along! by Amy Some of you may have noticed that the three Noro yarns in the shop are all marked down. Natural Stitches will no longer be carrying Noro, so when these discounted skeins are gone...they are gone for good! Let's give this colorful yarn a proper send off before it is out of the shop forever! To do that, we will be hosting a knit and crochet along starting in July. That's right, knitters and crocheters can come together to make a similar project. I will be writing up patterns for both a knit and crochet version of an entrelac scarf. And because I love you, the contest participants, so much, I will even include an optional lace panel in both designs so it can count toward your Summer of Lace tallies! We will be kicking off the knit and crochet along on Saturday, July 23rd. I'll be spending most of the day on the Natural Stitches couch -- handing out the patterns (free), helping customers choose their skeins of Noro, helping with cast-ons and entrelac questions and working on my own entrelac projects. If you can't join us on the 23rd, the pattern will continue to be available in the shop for anyone interested, and we'll start a thread on Ravelry for project discussion. As always, Natural Stitches staff can answer questions during shop hours or you can sign up for a private lesson if you need more involved assistance. For your budgetary purposes, Noro Kureyon (110 yards) is currently $6.30. Noro Silk Garden (122 yards) is $8.40. Noro Kirameki (495 yards of laceweight) is $9.00. The required yardage for the project will be provided in the pattern available on the 23rd.

He Said, She Said: Two Reviews of Respect the Spindle No spindles were harmed in the shooting of this photograph. DVD Review: Respect the Spindle: the Video with Abby Franquemont by Jack A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking Nora’s Intro to Spinning class. Nora was wonderful, and by the end of the class I was completely enamored with the spindle spinning process. Throughout the class, Nora continued to tell me that with practice, I would have an “a-ha” moment when the process would click for me. However, the perfectionist in me did not like that bit of information. I purchased Respect the Spindle: the Video in the hopes that, in Nora’s absence, it could help me become proficient more quickly. What I discovered was an invaluable resource that, along with real-life instruction from a wonderful teacher, will serve the fledgling spinner well on their travels from novice to master spinner. In Respect the Spindle, Abby Franquemont takes the viewer through the spindle spinning process from unspun fiber to plying and finishing a new yarn. The video is broken down into four sections on the DVD. The sections are as follows: "How Does Spinning Work," "Spinning, Winding, and Joining," "What’s the Right Spindle" and "Plying and Finishing." Each section reviews and builds on the information from the last. You get detailed information about such topics as spinning with a stick, making your own functional spindle, managing fiber and yarn supply, drafting tips and how to ply and finish your handspun yarn. The best thing is that you can watch Abby actually demonstrating each of the topics that she explains on the video. In addition, the ability to pause and watch a section again is priceless. The information is not exhaustive and will not replace the benefit of asking questions of a live instructor, but as a supplement, "Respect the Spindle: the Video" is infinitely useful. Unfortunately for my inner perfectionist, Nora and Abby were correct when they said spinning proficiency would come with short periods of regular practice. Fortunately, because of my stubborn nature, I stumbled upon an invaluable supplement to my spinning instruction and I am well on my way to being a true spinning addict! Book Review: Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool, by Abby Franquemont by Jenn After one failed attempt at spinning in college and years of swearing that I was through with spinning, I recently took an Intro to Spindle Spinning class with Nora. This time, my spinning was a success and I was left wanting to learn more. Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool by Abby Franquemont is chock-full of spinning information and tips. The book begins with the physics of spindle spinning (mass distribution and rotational dynamics, anyone?) and why the weight and design of a spindle matters. Once the physics of spindle spinning have been covered, we get to the fun part: making yarn! Abby Franquemont will walk you through spinning your first skein, from winding the leader to trouble shooting common problems, such as breaking yarn and thick and thin spots. Once you have the basics down, Franquemont provides exercises to help you increase your spinning speed and productivity, as well as breaking free from your default yarn. If that isn’t enough, Respect the Spindle also covers plying methods and which plying structure will work best for the yarn that you want to produce. Abby Franquemont explores specialty spindles, such as Navajo, Turkish and Russian spindles, as well as teaches you how to maintain, repair and travel with your spindle. There are even patterns for your handspun yarn! While I tend to learn better from actually seeing someone spin and getting feedback, this book taught me a lot and would be an excellent supplement to an introductory spindle spinning class.

Don't forget the SUMMER OF SOCKS AND LACE IV, WITH SPINNING! Coming soon! GET MEASURED EVENT!

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!

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