Natural Stitches will be CLOSED July 4th.

Zizmo Goes to TNNA As Told to Yvonne: Hello. It is I, Zizmo. I want to tell you about my trip to The National Needle Arts Association’s market. For short, we will call it TNNA. I was lucky to be chosen to go. Alejandro, he wanted to go, but he is too young. There are no children allowed there, unless they are babes in arms. He is not a babe in arms. The first big thing that happened at TNNA is something called “Sample It,” where vendors have the opportunity to offer their newest items for sale. It is a cash and carry event, with one purchase from each vendor allowed. The offerings are limited, but it is an excellent chance to get something for evaluation, to see if you would like to bring it into your shop. Martha and Yvonne were excited about something called a miPattern Saver from Slipped Stitch Studios. Were these things we would like to bring in? Yes. Yes, they were. Look for them in the shop soon – there will be 16 designs, including some in Steelers fabrics for all you fans! We also were lucky to be able to purchase the new Solemate from Lorna’s Laces. We are very excited about this yarn; it is 55% merino, 15% nylon and 30% Outlast, which regulates temperature! How exciting is that? Watch for an announcement on Ravelry and Twitter, so you know when this great new yarn hits the shop! And yes, we will have it available in the exclusive Pittsburgh Pride colorway. Zizmo gets 'into' the Jul Buttons Sample It is also a feeding frenzy…lots of elbows, and jockeying for position to see things that are new. It is difficult to not get caught up in the BUY! BUY! BUY! Mentality, but Yvonne’s will is strong, and she kept Martha on task. They did stop by Jul, though, to see the bright new rivets for the interchangeable buttons, and of course, there was a photo op for me. How could I resist? Saturday…day one of the market. Picture many football fields covered in yarn. Okay, maybe it isn’t like that, but it is a LOT of space, a LOT of vendors, and a lot of people. Because of the larger space, it isn’t as crowded as the Sample It portion of the show, but there are individual booths that do get crowded. The short version: There are new colors of Madelinetosh and Malabrigo coming; there are new “vintage” buttons that have already arrived; we got to see the Little Red in the City book (This book should be in VERY SOON!); and a new yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas called Techno is going to hit our shelves. Yvonne interrupts here: Let me take a second to tell you about Techno. This yarn is created by spinning a tube of merino and silk, then blowing baby alpaca into the tube. The result is an extremely warm yet featherweight, heavy-worsted yarn. I love it. At the show, I held a woman’s sweater that weighed no more than a t-shirt. It was amazing. There are natural colors intermingled with some “retro” colors (lime green!) and the entire line together is absolutely stunning. Stop by the shop to fondle the super light Techno Hat that I knit using my sample skein…you won’t believe how weightless it is. It was great to knit, with absolutely NO SPLITTING. Come by to feel how SOFT and LIGHT this yarn is! Zizmo is back now. I am sorry for the interruption. On Saturday, we only made it through about half of the show before it closed. I know they say time flies when you are having fun, but honestly, I felt that I had only been traipsing around the floor for about 3 hours, when in reality it had been 8. On Sunday, Yvonne and Martha met with a yarn rep who escorted them around the show floor to see different yarn companies that he represents. A new yarn from Knit One, Crochet Too caught the eye of my handlers and has already hit the shelves at the Store. Pediwick is a great bamboo/nylon blend yarn which will be wonderful for not just socks, but also chemo caps, baby items, and on and on. Also look for new colors in Smooshy and Classy, and a new yarn (Smooshy with Cashmere) coming from Dream in Color. Also, I am sure they will talk about this more, but a new yarn line will be coming to the store in September. It is from Imperial Stock Ranch, and we will be carrying Tracie (sport) and Columbia (worsted) yarns from them. You can read more about Imperial Stock Ranch on their website. I highly recommend that you follow us on Twitter @NaturalStitches, and check out our group on Ravelry, so that you can see when the new arrivals make it to the shop. I certainly had a great time at TNNA, I’m glad that I got to go, and I behaved myself so that I didn’t have to walk home. (Martha here: Zizmo was an excellent companion. I'll probably let him come next year if he wants.)

What's New, What's Going On We have a lot of new pattern books and magazines! Summer issues of Interweave Crochet, Spin-Off and XRX Knitter’s Magazine are now on the shelf, plus Interweave Knits Weekend, Berroco 313: Comfort and Vintage and Norah Gaughan 9! From Mountain Colors, new colors of Weaver’s Wool and Bearfoot sock yarn, plus Bluefaced Leicester spinning fiber! Finally! HiyaHiya’s bamboo interchangeable needle sets are here! For crocheters: we now carry Addi Color crochet hooks in sizes US A through J. If you have hooks and DPN’s scattered about, we have new hook and needle cases from ChiaoGoo to help you keep everything contained. Martha and Yvonne’s TNNA finds are starting to arrive: we have several lovely additions to the button wall, plus Pediwick from Knit One, Crochet Too! It’s a bamboo and nylon sock yarn and it’s so soft and springy that you won’t believe it. Also from TNNA, we have new colors of Dream in Color Classy and Smooshy, plus we are thrilled to carry Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere! New from Natural Dye Studio: Stardust 2 Ply Lace, a delicate merino, silk and Stellina lace yarn with a hint of sparkle. Coming in July, look for our Rock Island Knitalong!

10 Reasons for Knitters & Crocheters to Learn to Spin by Nora It makes your husband/significant other amused when you drop your spindle since you have made fun of him/her for years when s/he drops the remote control. Fiber stashes better than yarn because it makes better pillow stuffing than skeins or balls, which create pesky lumps. There is no math involved! No increases, decreases, yarn overs, make ones, slip slip knit or any other of that knitting BS (or crochet BS like double crochet or treble crochet...is treble even a word!?). Tired of the same old, same old? Spinning is just plain cool. Or hot, depending on your generation and cultural references. Really confuse people who mix up crocheting and knitting...spinning will boggle their minds. If they wondered before why you did not buy sweaters at Old Navy or socks at Target, they will have no smart remark for you making your own yarn! You get to learn a new language, and it is easier than Mandarin or Cantonese. It is both ancient and modern...worldwide, people either enjoy the hobby of spinning or earn a livelihood from it. Spinning promotes true diversity. Gandhi had it right, world peace would be here now if everyone spun their ten minutes a day! If spinning creates muscle memory when it goes from your head to your hands, then it must count as exercise, right? Reason I spin? I can drink AND spin. 'Nuf said.

Meet Our Teachers! We've made some changed in our teaching staff and class structure, and are currently revamping our class offerings. Take a second and get to know our teaching staff, then keep an eye on the schedule to see what classes they have to offer! Connie designed these just for Natural Stitches! Connie Connie began knitting and crocheting before she can even remember. Basic stitches were learned at grandma’s knee and her enthusiasm for these fiber crafts grew from there. Besides her fanatical obsession with knitting, Connie has also worked with fibers in other ways – counted cross stitch, needlepoint and spinning. Other non-fiber creative outlets include portrait and landscape painting in oils, watercolors, and pastels. Having gone through a crazy sock phase a couple of years ago, her current obsession is lace knitting. After joining Ravelry’s “10 shawls in 2010” group last year, she proceeded to knit 25 of them. Connie is always trying out new patterns and ideas and is currently designing heirloom patterns to be knit with crochet thread and fine yarns, beginning with a series of baby items. Amy Amy Growing up, Amy was exposed to just about every craft that one can accomplish with yarn, thread, needles, and hooks. For many years, cross-stitch was her creative outlet of choice...until Spring 2004 when she found herself surrounded by knitters at a crafty get together. This sweater-loving woman realized that she could make her own sweaters and discovered some of the amazing yarns that were available – and the obsession began! After a few years of learning many knitting techniques, crochet became the next frontier to be conquered. Motifs, lace and interesting stitch patterns are her current passion, as well as trying to figure out which tasks are best suited to crochet vs. knitting. And each year, hope remains that she will finally finish the Babette Blanket that she started in 2008 in Cascade 220 from the Natural Stitches wall... Amy continues to learn new techniques in addition to her love of fair isle knitting, making sweaters and crocheting motifs. She looks forward to sharing her favorite techniques with the crocheters and knitters that frequent Natural Stitches! If there is a technique, pattern or skill that you would like to learn, please put in a class request! Jack Jack In 2002, Jack taught himself to knit in an attempt to recreate the baby blanket that his great grandmother made to bring him home from the hospital. As it turns out, the blanket was actually crocheted, but Jack immediately took to knitting and never looked back. Shortly after that, Jack began teaching beginning knitting at a store in the Pittsburgh area. It was during this time that he fell in love with crochet as well. In 2003, Jack began teaching himself to crochet in order to create a baby blanket for his nephew. The result was not only a baby blanket, but several other full-size afghans, an adorable stuffed Eeyore, and an ongoing love for needlework, both knit and crochet. Jack is thrilled to be part of the Natural Stitches team and is excited to meet and learn with all of the store’s wonderful customers! David David David grew up around fiber crafty people -- watching his grandmother and mother crochet afghans and garments. His favorite piece was the granny square vest that his grandmother crocheted for him when he was four (he wishes he still had that vest!). He tried to learn to crochet when he was about ten but just could not get past making a foundation chain. Crochet was just not his calling. Many, many years later (in 2005), David discovered knitting though his best friend, Nicole. Although Nicole was not his original knitting teacher, she was the one who inspired David to look into the craft. David took a beginning knitting class and was baffled by knitting, especially the purl stitch. He made an abundance of garter stitch scarves and wash cloths during his first year of knitting. One day after watching an episode of Knitty Gritty, the purl stitch just clicked in his mind and hands. Mastering the purl stitch removed a barrier in his knitting discovery and he became addicted to knitting, especially lace projects. Yvonne's Peanut Yvonne Yvonne has been crocheting on and off since she was 4 and knitting feverishly since she was -- well, let's just say she picked the habit back up about 5 years ago. She lives in Butler with her family that drives her crazy, and she is grateful for her friends, coworkers and the hobby that keep her sane. Nora Nora In August 2003, Nora learned to drop spin in Avella, PA at Weatherbury Farm’s Sheepfest. Her first drop spindle was a recycled CD on a dowel rod and freshly shorn wool. She now has over 30 spindles! In 2004, her father gifted her with her great-grandmother's spinning wheel…as she is the last family member living on the Butler County property that her family settled in 1816. Soon thereafter, Nora took spinning wheel classes and promptly purchased her first modern wheel, an Ashford Traveler. Her next wheel was a Louet S75, and she is eyeballing her third wheel. Nora enjoys spinning on almost every wheel she tries. She spins solely for pleasure, not production! Nora is an avid knitter (over 20 years) and recently completed her term as the Vice President of the Three Rivers Knitting Guild. Nora loves lace, shrugs and cardies, and Fair Isle--including the steeking portion--but Nora does not do socks! She hosts a Stitch ‘n Bitch called CranKnitters (on Yahoogroups) at the Cranberry Barnes & Noble. We are still trying to get Annette to write this pattern! Annette Annette learned to knit & crochet when she was very young when her mom taught her the basics. She knit & crochet sporadically for most of her life, but really took to it about 9 years ago when her now husband mentioned how he longed for a Dr. Who-style scarf. She made the scarf and has been hooked ever since (get it? hooked! she teaches crochet and you use a hook... nevermind). She loves making more unusual items, and frequently brings out her inner geek via yarn. Her favorites are amigurumi, socks, and lace, but you never really know what to expect her to make next. If it's unusual or potentially difficult, that's right up her alley. She'll be teaching sporadically, generally more eclectic or atypical classes with a sprinkling of amigurumi (she really does love making little critters!).

Don't forget the SUMMER OF SOCKS AND LACE IV, WITH SPINNING!

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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