In This Edition: Did you know that February is American Heart Month? So many new books, plus an exciting announcement! David spotlights his new workshop Jenn reviews MiPattern Savers from Slipped Stitch Studios

Join Us as We Stitch Red! Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Did you know that heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined? Stitch Red aims to inform women of the dangers of heart disease and provides information about staying heart healthy. What can you do to help? Berroco has designated Vintage color #5150 Berries as a Stitch Red product. 5% of the profits on this yarn will be donated to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. During the month of February, purchase the HeartStrings FiberArts“Thinking of You” pattern through Natural Stitches' Ravelry In-Store Sales Program, plus red yarn to knit it with, and receive 20% off those items!  For each pattern/yarn combination sale, Natural Stitches will donate $5 to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) .  If we sell more than 50 "Thinking of You" pattern/yarn combinations this month, we will double the donation! Most important of all, how can you help yourself? 80% of women between the ages of 40 and 60 have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Risk factors include age (55 and older), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, being overweight, being physically inactive, and having a family history of early heart disease. Many risk factors can’t be changed, but others can. Learn more by visiting The Heart Truth.

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What’s New, What’s Going On January and February have brought restocks of some of your favorites, including Kollage Needles, Bolga basekets from Honeycomb Enterprises, Kauni Effektgarn and Lorna’s Laces, including the Pittsburgh Pride colorway that is dyed exclusively for Natural Stitches! Spinning fibers from Frabjous Fibers are back in stock! We have BFL and Silk, the Opulence blend, Silky Cashmerino, Merino Sparkle Top and silk hankies. If you’re intrigued by the silk hankies, but don’t know where to start, keep an eye on our class calendar. New classes are in the works! If you’re looking for new books, come in and see the new additions to our book section! We have Knitting Scandinavian Slippers & Socks, Knitting Circles Around Mittens, Handknit Romance, Custom Crocheted Sweaters, Austentatious Crochet, Hooked for Toddlers, Knitting 101: Master Basic Skills & Techniques, and 75 Seashells, Coral & Colorful Marine Life. Speaking of books, February means it’s time for our . . . Fourth Annual Valentine's Day Weekend Book and Pattern Sale As an incentive to stock your knitting library, we are pleased to announce our Annual Valentine's Weekend Book and Pattern Sale! We know you'll be visiting the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show on the weekend of February 10-12 to stock up on yarns you can't get anywhere else. But what are you going to do with all your gorgeous yarn? While you're out and about, stop by our Fourth Annual Valentine's Day Weekend Book and Pattern sale. All books (including from the pattern companies like Berroco and Fiber Trends) will be 25% off and all loose-leaf patterns found in the binders will be 50% off! In addition, all patterns already on sale will be marked down an additional 10%. This sale is February 10, 11 and 12 ONLY. If you've got a yarn crawl planned that weekend, make sure you stop by Natural Stitches for some sale-priced inspiration!

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Class Spotlight: Cast On, Cast Off Workshop By David Throughout this year, I will be offering some workshops based around this year’s theme of “Back to Basics.” The first workshop will focus on two of the most basic elements of knitting (besides the knit and purl stitches, of course): The cast on and the cast off (or bind off). The first part of the workshop will focus on various cast-ons, including a review of the most basic cast-ons. We will then advance on to other cast-ons, such as provisional, tubular, and various stretchy cast-ons (to name just a few!). The second half of the workshop will explore bind-off methods that help you successfully finish your projects. If you want to know how to deal with that pesky last stitch in most bind-off methods, then join this workshop to find out! Throughout the workshop, we will discuss which cast-on and bind-off methods to use for which knitting situation. All skill levels are invited to participate in this workshop. The workshop does not result in making a project and will focus on hands-on learning. However, time is allotted at the end of the workshop to answer project-specific questions. The workshop will be held on Monday, February 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and costs $25. Call Natural Stitches at 412-441-4410 to register

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Product Review: MiPattern Saver Pattern Wallets from Slipped Stitch Studio By Jenn Every year at TNNA, Martha and Yvonne have the opportunity to purchase products at the Sample It! Event for the staff of Natural Stitches to evaluate. I was given a MiPattern Saver Pattern Wallet from Slipped Stitch Studios, as Martha and Yvonne had elected to bring the pattern wallets into the shop. I am ridiculously happy with my pattern wallet and let me tell you why. First, there is the obvious benefit: the pattern wallet keeps your patterns clean and tidy. My knitting patterns no longer will sink to the bottom of my knitting bag, turned into a sad and crumpled heap. I put all my patterns into the wallet, fold it up, snap it and everything is safe. Each wallet is lined with lightweight foam interfacing that is sturdy, but is easier to carry around than a binder full of patterns in sheet protectors. The MiPattern Saver Pattern Wallet is designed to stand up when it’s folded backwards for easy viewing. The low-glare plastic page protector means that your pattern is easy to see in a variety of light levels. Speaking of the plastic page protector, you can use a wet erase marker on the plastic to make notes (disclaimer: I have not yet tried this myself). The MiPattern Saver Pattern Wallets each have a zippered pouch for carrying extra supplies and the product tag doubles as a pen holder. Natural Stitches carries the pattern wallets in a wide variety of fabrics, so you’re sure to find something that will suit your personal style. I highly recommend the MiPattern Saver Pattern Wallets from Slipped Stitch Studios. It has become an indispensable addition to my knitting bag and I hope that you give the pattern wallets a look the next time you visit Natural Stitches!

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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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