SUMMER OF SOCKS AND LACE IV, WITH SPINNING! Are you ready? Then grab your hook, your needles or your spindle or lube up your wheel (yes, you heard us right) and GO! The Summer of Socks and Lace (SOSL) is ON! This is our fourth year and there's a twist – pun intended! SPINNERS, START YOUR ENGINES! Or your treadling. Or – well, you know. Between now and Labor Day (September 5, 2011) knit your hearts out, crochet your hands off, and spin 'til you're dizzy. We'll once again be weighing your lace and sock projects, and for the first time ever, weighing your handspun lace- and fingering-weight yarns. You'll need to stop by the shop and fill out an entry form, and sign your Solemn Vow that all of the projects you enter will have been completed between NOW and September 4. We say September 4 here because you'll need to have your items in to us to be weighed on or before that date. Do you have a shawl from 2010 that you haven't finished? Finish it NOW and bring it in to be weighed – it will count! Do you have a pair of socks you finished yesterday? Don't bring them in – they won't count. When you've completed a lace or sock project, bring it to the shop where we will calculate your yardage using our Very Accurate System (designed by a Ph.D. and professor of mathematics) and enter it into our records. Bring your ball band, because we need the weight and the yardage from it! The person with the greatest total yardage in each category (except spinning, where we're going for weight) at the end of the contest (remember, 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 4) will win a $50 gift card and the praise and adulation, or extreme envy, of their fellow fiber artists. Remember, if you use yarn or fiber from Natural Stitches, it counts DOUBLE! Spinners, for years now we've tried to figure out how to include you, and while we cannot account for you using your handspun in projects, we CAN ask you to challenge your skill set and spin fingering-and lace-weight yarn! Please note, it must be plied – singles won't count! In order to make the judging of the spinning fair, we are going to ask you to leave it here until Nora, our spinning expert, can measure it with the wraps per inch tool to make sure it falls in the correct category, and then we'll weigh it. When she's done that, we'll give you a call that it's ready to be picked up! And again, if you use fiber purchased from Natural Stitches, your entry will count as double! Did you like the “star system” last year? We hope so, because it's returning! In order to keep you guessing as to who's in the lead, we'll be using blue, red, silver and gold stars to represent a range of yardages and weights! And now, the fine print: You may enter any or all of the categories (socks, lace, double threat, spinning), but each project can only count once. For example, if you enter the sock and lace categories and then knit the Hedera socks, you can enter them in socks or lace, but not both. You may use ANY yarn or fiber from your stash; however, yarn or fiber purchased at Natural Stitches will earn double yardage/weight. This is why we need that ball band! Crocheted projects are eligible! The definition of lace, as handed down to us by Elizabeth Zimmermann, is what we're going to use: A series of yarn-overs with accompanying decreases used to make holes. In the case of crocheted projects, if we're not certain it qualifies as lace, we're going to ask you to leave your project to have it judged by Amy, our advanced crochet teacher. We cannot calculate mixed-ply or mixed-yarn projects fairly. Two colors of Malabrigo Sock to make patterned socks? Yes, by all means. A skein of Smooshy and a little bit of Tosh Sock in a shawl? Sorry, we can't do it. Yes, past winners can enter! Beads are no longer a loophole! If your sock or lace project has beads, we will take off 5% of your measured weight. Socks must be entered in pairs. You can't enter a single sock, even if it's an awesome Christmas stocking. Spinners: All components of your yarn must be handspun. That means no thread/manufactured yarns are to be used in plying. Spinners: When you bring in your spun yarn, please bring any identifying tags from the original fiber. In order to make sure that the judging is consistent, Nora will be the only one handling this. We promise to keep your yarn separate and safe, and return it to you as promptly as possible. If you would like to make sure you can take your yarn home the same day, please bring it in on a day when Nora has classes scheduled, no later than 1 hour after her last class. You can find her schedule on our class calendar. Natural Stitches reserves the right to disqualify items not fitting within the appropriate category. (For example, a row of eyelets in your raglan sweater won't count as lace). Remember, this contest is supposed to be fun. We don't want you hiding your friend's double points or unraveling a row of lace so that you can pull ahead of him or her in the game. We're also asking you to remember that lives do not depend on whether that top you are knitting is lace or just lacy because you used a needle 5mm larger than the needle recommended on the ball band. We can't wait to see all of the wonderful things you bring in for us!

What’s New Are size 1 double-pointed needles just too big for you? We now carry HiyaHiya double-pointed needles in sizes 00-000000 (yeah, that's 6 0's). Getting ready for the Summer of Socks and Lace? We carry ChiaoGoo's Red Lace Needles. See our review below! In need of the perfect finishing touch for a sweater? We have new buttons: bunnies, martini glasses, Jack & Jill, The Cat & the Fiddle, and coconut fiber buttons. Craving new yarn? We've received new colors of Lamb's Pride Bulky, tosh lace and tosh DK! In need of some summer-y inspiration? We have Interweave Knits Summer 2011! For all the spinners... We now carry pencil roving from Pagewood Farms in a variety of luscious colors. Just in time for the Summer of Socks and Lace, we have 1/2 ounce spindles from Ashford, perfect for spinning laceweight yarns! We have Interweave Knit & Spin 2011, which is full of tips to energize your spinning and projects to make with your handspun. We also have one very special addition to announce: Anna's son was born on May 10 at 2:21 PM. Michael Francis was 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Congratulations to Anna and her family!

Spotlight on Kids' Classes by Jack Do your children spend their summer days plopped down in front of the television? Is "Mom (Dad), I'm bored" a common phrase? Then why not bring them to Natural Stitches to learn a great new skill? Knitting and crocheting are not just for your grandmother anymore. They have become increasingly popular with children and young adults for their approachability (all you need is some yarn and a hook or some needles), their social aspects (you can knit or crochet with a friend!), and the ability to create hip, modern clothing and accessories. Imagine the pride your child will feel after completing a hat or scarf for mom, dad, brother, or sister. Fiber arts are also great for improving hand-eye coordination! By manipulating yarn and needles or hooks together, a myriad of wonderful creations will emerge. Stop by, call, or visit our website to check out the dates and times for "Kids' Knitting and Crochet" or "Students' Choice Crochet" classes with Jack. With all the great stitches and patterns that your children will learn, you may never have to hear "I'm bored" again!

Needle Review: ChiaoGoo Lace Needles by Carla The day that ChiaoGoo's new lace needles arrived at the shop, I was ready to start a new project so I thought I'd give the new needles a try, and must say I was happily surprised. The needles are sleek and smooth which, in my opinion, allows me to knit much faster. The cord lays flat and does not twist, allowing you to move your work around with ease. While ChiaoGoo's regular steel needles have a bend at the join, the lace needles are completely straight and much more comfortable to work with. I feel that I knit faster with the lace needles than I do with other needles. The tips of these needles need to be discussed. They are sharp, with the smaller sizes being stiletto-like. If you are the type of knitter who constantly pushes on the tip of the needle, these might not be for you. The sharp tip allows you to access the stitches with ease, and the taper from the shank of the needles to the tip is a bit shorter than other lace needles that I have seen. I'd say that the ChiaoGoo lace needles are really worth giving a try, whether you are knitting lace or not. I give them two thumbs up.

Yarn Review: Kauni Wool 8/2 Effektgarn By Martha At first glance, this yarn is gorgeous. You touch it and go “too scratchy,” but you cannot stop looking at it. Angel Lace Shawl Knit by Martha When I first saw this yarn and got some samples, I was very dubious about bringing it into the shop. It was beautiful to look at but not soft, not soft at all. But so pretty (Shiny!). Then when it became available via an American distributor at reasonable prices, I took the chance and brought it in. So what that it’s not the softest yarn at the shop? Its depth of colors more than makes up for it. It also softens quite a bit with a good washing and some hair conditioner thrown in for good measure. No, it’ll never be merino soft, but it will be stunning. You can see the Angel Lace Shawl (a Fiber Trends Pattern) that I knit from ONE 150gm ball of color ES. Since this yarn is sold by weight, it’s important to know how big a ball you have before you embark on a project. At the shop we have 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and I think even 180gm balls. Since each ball is sold by weight, it is priced according to weight -- therefore, you're not paying the 170g price for 130g. Another trick with this lovely, slowly changing yarn is to do Mock Fair-Isle using a solid color along with it. There are loads of lovely patterns available that would work well for this technique. Perhaps someday I’ll make myself a Kauni Rainbow Cardigan. Or some fun mittens for a nephew? Those look a lot more realistic right now. Knitting with my particular ball of yarn had some…challenges. While the knitting was easy-peasy, my ball (and some others on the shelves) appears to have a good deal of spinning oil left in the wool. How do I know? Well, first the yarn kind of smelled like WD-40, and secondly, my white rubber ring markers all turned grey! It took several washings to get out the spinning oil, but otherwise it was a painless knit. Addicting, too! And it's so exciting to see what color comes next. If you've passed the Kauni over because it's scratchy, give it another look. We promise you won't be disappointed!

One final note: we will be closed on Memorial Day, May 30. We hope that everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday!

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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