Fiber Legacies This month, I've asked some of the Natural Stitches' staff if they have any knitted or crocheted artifacts and stories about their fiber legacies to share. From Yvonne: When we determined that our theme this year was going to be "legacy", I was excited, because I have a couple of legacy pieces to share. When I was pregnant with my first son, my mom opened her cedar chest and gave me a box of clothes that she had saved from when I was a baby. I have my christening gown, including the satin booties; some dresses (including the rubber-lined pants), and a sweet little green sweater. My mom tells the story of the sweater like this: "Mom (Grandma Brundage) couldn't knit, and wanted to give me something special for you. She asked her best friend Caramel, who did knit, to make a sweater, and this is what I got." I very proudly put the sweater on both of my boys, who are now 17 and 13. It made me nostalgic every time I had them wear it, because I don't have many memories of my grandma. It still makes me think of her every time I pull it out, and as a knitter, I've learned a few things from it. The buttons on the sweater are shank buttons, which I learned are best held onto a sweater with a bit of ribbon backing them. I use this tactic for all of my buttons now, and find it to be a real boon. Grandma Brundage died when I was 4, so our neighbor (and my mom's close friend) Rita, aka "Gramma Rita," adopted my brother and I as grandkids because she had none of her own. To get me through my grief and give me something to do with my hands, Gramma Rita taught me to crochet. I started by making a chain as tall as I was (her idea, not mine). Then I had to do another one, just to be on the safe side. After I could chain, it was on to single and double crochet, and granny squares. I cranked out granny squares like nobody's business. Every doll and stuffed animal had a granny square blanket, and my Barbie dolls were outfitted with granny square skirts, shawls and ponchos. I think there was even an unfortunate red, white and blue granny square bikini that wound up looking like a poorly fitted adult diaper. I continued my crocheting on and off but never really went as berzerk as I had when I was younger and outfitting everything. The cat may also have been a sad recipient of more than one "cape" (after all, in my mind, she wanted to be a superhero). Gramma Rita passed away in 1995. I was told that she died while working on an afghan for a sick friend from her church. Even though they were no longer close (friendships ebb and flow, after all), my mom finished the afghan and passed it on to the sick friend. Fast forward to about a year ago, when my mom was cleaning out her cedar chest again, and she gave me a Tupperware box full of things from Gramma Rita, including some thread crochet items that she had started yet not finished, steel hooks ranging from size 16 to 0, and this book, The Complete Book of Crochet from Graystone Press, printed in 1946, which was Gramma Rita's mom's book. I have a confession about this book: I hadn't really looked through it until recently (to be honest, when I went to take pictures for this article, and I did it at the shop). I was surprised to find some loose patterns tucked in among the pages, including one from 1946 for a filet crocheted Last Supper wall hanging. I laughed aloud when I read the note on gauge. I hope that you've enjoyed this look into my legacy of fiber arts, and it will inspire you to pass your skills on to a close friend or family member.   From Monica: We all have some sort of familial crafting legacy. My most prominent was my mother's grandmother. By trade, she was a tailor; however, as is typical in Finnish school curriculum, she was also quite proficient in knitting and crochet, particularly crochet. Below are a few examples of her beautiful handwork: This same great-grandmother also had a very talented wood-working father. You've probably seen this miniature spinning wheel replica, which was hand-carved and put together by my great-grandfather. If you have knitted or crocheted item or a story from your fiber legacy to share, please email us at newsletter@naturalstitches.com.

What's New, What's Going On Are you tired of all your knitting and crocheting books? We can help! Just in: Crochet Compendium, Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches, and Totally Simple Crochet: Over 30 Easy Projects for Home and to Wear. Plus, we have the brand new book from Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knit One, Knit All! If it's shiny new yarn you're yearning for, we have many new colors from Berroco, including Ultra Alpaca, Vintage, Vintage Chunky, Comfort, Linsey and Peruvia. Have you been missing mohair yarn in laceweight? We now carry Kid Merino, a kid mohair, merino and nylon laceweight blend in 12 solid and 5 variegated colors! TNNA is right around the corner and this year, Zizmo is tagging along! He'll be helping Martha and Yvonne evaluate yarns, notions and bags. Stay tuned to our next newsletter to read all about it! (*editor's note: If Zizmo doesn't behave... he's walking home! —Martha*) Coming July 24th, it's the 6th annual Stitch n' Pitch! Your ticket will get you a seat to see the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Saint Louis Cardinals, plus a canvas tote bag with goodies from sponsoring vendors. New this year is the "Throw Out the First Pitch Drawing." Each person requesting tickets will have the option to enter the drawing to throw out a pitch during pre-game festivities! For more information, contact Angela Criscella at 412-325-4798 or Angela.Criscella@pirates.com.

Yarn Review: Blue Sky Alpacas “Alpaca Silk” by David If you ask me what my favorite yarn is, without hesitation, I will tell you that it is Blue Sky Alpacas' “Alpaca Silk” yarn. This has been my favorite yarn ever since I bought my first skein back in 2006. Whenever I explore the yarn aisles at Natural Stitches, I always end up at the Alpaca Silk – admiring the beautiful colors and seeking inspiration for my next project. When looking at a skein (or a whole shelf) of Alpaca Silk, you will immediately notice the polished sheen of the yarn. On their own, alpaca and silk each have their own luster, but when blended at a 50/50 ratio, Alpaca Silk has a shine that few other yarns can match. The sheen enhances the depth and character of the colors in which the yarn is available. The lighter shades seem to glow while the darker shades have an unexpected vibrancy. Alpaca Silk is a joy to work with. The combination of two very smooth fibers makes for a very fluid yarn in my hands. This fluidity of the yarn is important to me for when I knit during the hot and humid days of summer. Additionally, Alpaca Silk is one of the easiest yarns to frog and reuse. You know how yarn can get fuzzy and kinky when you have the need to tink? Alpaca Silk remains intact and relatively unfazed by any tinking. One of the biggest drawbacks to Alpaca Silk is its lack of “memory.” Unlike sheep wool, alpaca and silk have a tendency to “grow” with wear. If you choose to make a garment out of Alpaca Silk, the resulting fabric may lengthen over the course of the day (knitting at a slightly tighter gauge can alleviate - but not prevent - some of the “growth”). However, lack of memory can be a positive characteristic, resulting in a drapey fabric often desired for shawls and wraps. Alpaca Silk is an ideal yarn for elegant accessories. On your next visit to Natural Stitches, seek out the Alpaca Silk -- located in the Sport/DK aisle, nearest the Cascade wall. Discover it for the first time, or consider it for your next project if you have overlooked the yarn before. Each Alpaca Silk skein is approximately 146 yards or 50 grams. Two skeins will make a shawlette or a small scarf. For sheer indulgence, invest in seven skeins and knit yourself (or a loved one) the Kaw Valley Wrap.

Teacher Spotlight: How Much Experience Do You Really Need to Take a Crochet Class at Natural Stitches? by Amy If you have had a chance to look at the list of crochet classes that I'm offering now, you may have noticed that most of them say "Advanced or Adventurous Beginner". I'll be honest, when I first started to learn to crochet and knit, I was annoyed by anyone who told me that I couldn't make something because I hadn't been practicing the craft long enough. Who were they to tell me what I could and couldn't make?!?! I learned because I wanted to make sweaters and garments, not because I wanted to make endless feet of garter stitch scarfs or double crochet blankets. (Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!) Crocheting and knitting is about doing what makes you happy, not about following a list of things that you have to make before you can make a more complicated project. My philosophy is that if you really want to learn to make something, I am not going to keep you out of my classes because you have "only" been crocheting for X number of years. I think an adventurous beginner is someone who wants to try new things and jump into the deep end of the pool, even if they haven't been swimming for very long. They won't drown, but it may take some extra effort and concentration to achieve their goals. I am thrilled to have adventurous beginners in my classes and I encourage you to try something new, even if you have just been wading in the kiddie pool up to this point with basic squares and rectangles of double crochet. The one exception on my class schedule is the "Baby Blanket: A stitch pattern sampler" class, which is listed as intermediate. This class is a chance to learn a number of different stitch patterns that use a mixture of crochet stitches, and the resulting fabrics have a wide variety of textures and drapes. In my opinion, using stitch patterns like these is one of the best things about crochet - you can get so much variation in the fabric that you produce with endless combinations of stitches that you already know. This class is intermediate because you really need to be able to work chain, sc, hdc, and dc stitches fluidly in order to cover all the ground being presented in the time allotted. The class will also discuss how to crochet and sew pieces together, as well as working crochet borders. I hope to see you in class soon! Did You Know? Any class on our calendar can be taken as a Student's Choice class or as a private lesson from our fabulous instructors! Call us at 412-441-4410 if you're interested in scheduling a class or lesson.

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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