Natural Stitches will be closed Thanksgiving day, November 26th.

This is a newsletter about gratitude… Reflections on Giving and Receiving By Teri We’re fast approaching the season of pine cones, snowflakes, fruit cake (which I like very much, thank you! [eds. Note: me too!]) and cheesy music that still puts a smile on one’s face in spite of itself. With the hurried rush to make sure this project gets done, that one mailed out in a timely fashion, and stress about what we can’t accomplish, the spirit of the season gets lost. And if you’re a craftsman, then half the time the feedback isn’t really proportionate to the work we’ve put into a project so the satisfaction lessens, but we get philosophical and move on. Well, this time of year the media extols us to be something more than we have been. Remember to acknowledge the people who’ve done all those wonderful little things too easily taken for granted: Monica and Martha keeping me in treats, the gauntlets Carla made that I groove on every frosty morning, Eva offering to make me a pair of socks for no reason I can determine, and I remain in awe of her generosity. Sadly, I know I’ve been as remiss as the next person at times. My goal for this holiday season is to make sure all the people who’ve taken care of me are properly thanked. Decades ago I read something that stuck with me. “In accepting the gift you honor the giver.” Thanks guys

What’s New and Other Tidbits We were thrilled when the UPS truck pulled up with boxes of Malabrigo. Not only do we love the Malabrigo worsted and the sock, and we can’t forget the chunky, but our UPS man brought us Malabrigo Twist – YAY! Imagine Malabrigo, plied…but in a heavy worsted weight (it could be considered Aran weight, really). Thick, lofty, fun. When the boxes were opened, Anna grabbed a bag and jumped for joy…and one of our customers claimed an entire bag before the yarn was even labeled and ready for sale. Come on in and take a look…but don’t say we didn’t warn you about the addiction factor! Back in stock just in time to start your holiday knitting! Steelers' Pride from Lorna’s Laces in Shepherd’s Sock, Shepherd’s Superwash Worsted, and Bullfrogs and Butterflies has finally arrived. Just a reminder that we will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but we’ll reopen at 10:00 AM on Friday. Looking ahead to December, we will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, and will close at 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. On Friday, November 27, we celebrate Monica’s favorite Natural Stitches Holiday: Pajama Day. Traditionally on Black Friday, folks tend to find that a. they’ve eaten so much that their pants don’t fit, and/or b. they’ve gotten up at 5:00 am to hit the sales. Thus, for the second year in a row, we’ve decided to come to work in our pj’s and invite our customers to come join us. We’ll have the coffee pot on, plus tea and cocoa. Check out the blog for other cool things happening that day!!!! Thanks to the generosity of our customers, we were able to raise over $80 with our Bella Mitten Raffle to benefit Ward Home. We’re thrilled to support this amazing local charity, and we’re sending out a call to our generous customers to help us keep helping the residents of Ward Home. We are happy to accept donations of knitted/crocheted items (hats and smallish blankets would be greatly appreciated). We’ve had a group on Ravelry for as long as we’ve been open, but we recently got a Ravelry id just for the shop. Friend us – NaturalStitches – and use the id to track store projects and blog posts. Also remember that you can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Spotlight on New Yarn: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering By Anna The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering is everywhere this season, from the cover of Interweave Holiday to free patterns all over Ravelry. When our yarn rep brought it in for us to check out, I begged to be the person to knit the store sample. It was love at first sight – er, touch? With 50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool, and 20% bamboo, it represents the best of all fiber worlds: it has the “sproing” and elasticity of merino, the lofty softness of alpaca, and the sheen and drape of bamboo. Unlike many bamboo blends I’ve knit in the past, the Canopy is not prone to splitting, and it retains its shape when it is tinked back. The unique blend of fibers also means that the yarn takes the dye in a way we’ve never seen before; the variation seen in the muted colors has amazing depth. This yarn glows in a stunning and beautiful array of colors. Our shop sample is a free pattern from the makers of Canopy, the Springtime in Philadelphia Beret from Kelbourne Woolens. Knit in the round from the top down, this pattern demonstrates what a beautiful choice this is for lace patterns. One 200 yard skein makes one beret, making it an excellent option for gift knitting for a person you love (or, even better, yourself). The finished project is soft, light, and warm. Check out the versatility of this yarn with other free patterns from Kelbourne: try the garments with the Lucille baby cardigan and bonnet or try colorwork with the Selbu Modern hat. I hope you enjoy this yarn as much as I have.

What are you grateful for? Anna: I’m grateful, obviously, for my family and my health. I’m grateful for my job at Natural Stitches that not only allows me to balance work and my child, but also allows me to combine my love of writing with my love of knitting, and I’m so glad I get to share these things with you all. Carla: First off I'm grateful to God I am alive and well. Next on the list is my son, Walt. The one thing I know I did right in my life was raising that wonderful man. As I sit here one week after my 60th birthday with the memories of an absolutely great birthday party in my head, I am grateful to my coworkers (really friends – well, not friends - family) for making the occasion one I will never forget. And speaking of my 'at-work family,' I am grateful for each and every one of them every day, grateful that Martha is willing to put up with all our shenanigans and keep the doors of the shop open. I'm also grateful for all my customers and students. Without you my life would be empty. I will end where I began: Grateful to God for the skill he has given me at knitting and teaching so that I can enrich the lives of others. Grateful to Him for everything. Charissa: I'm thankful that my son has been home from the hospital for a whole year and is already caught up developmentally and needs no more surgeries on his hands! And my stash of alpaca. I'm thankful for that, too. Monica: I am thankful for my families both at home and at Natural Stitches. What's better than going to work and hanging out with friends all day? Yvonne: I am thankful for the friends I have made or become closer to since I started working at Natural Stitches, and for my family and for what I have. I need to focus on the haves and not the have nots. Martha: Wow. That's all I can really say. A bit more than two years ago this shop was just a dream. And now, I can't imagine what life would be like without it. I am tremendously thankful to my WONDERFUL staff (without whom the shop would simply NOT exist), the fabulous venders who supply us with all the yummy yarns and cool tools, and the many other people who help us behind the scenes. I am grateful to my SO, for all his patience on those nights I'm up late getting a newsletter out (Anna writes them, I get them ready for the web) or the days when I simply don't know what time I'll be home from the shop. But most of all I am thankful to YOU, our customers, who have embraced Natural Stitches as a part of Pittsburgh's knitting community. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. All of us here at Natural Stitches wish you and your families a happy (and delicious) Thanksgiving!

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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Past editions are always available online as well.