Today it’s not about me, but about giving you some information. As I work on this site, I will be adding blogs and links to knitting communities, places to purchase yarn, and people who are doing cool things with yarn.
First off, you may have found this site through Ravelry.com, which is a terrific knitting and crocheting community. If you haven’t already become a member (it’s free!), do so now. If there was ever a place for the knitting and crocheting community to congregate it is Ravelry, which includes crafters from all over the world. Wondering about a particular yarn? Ask about it on Ravelry and see how many have it in their stash. Looking for a particular kind of pattern? Check it out on Ravelry, many of which are available for free.
While my sister Jackie (another knitter) was visiting about a month ago, I took her to our local farmers market. Among the vegetables and fruit was Solitude Wool, run by two Loudoun County, Virginia, shepherds who love wool—Gretchen Frederick and Sue Bundy. These hand-spinners have taken what they’ve learned in making yarn from their own flocks to create a range of special breed-specific yarns from sheep raised locally. Each fleece is hand selected. They even pay extra to get a good fleece. From the different breeds of sheep, which grow different types of wool, they design yarn to exemplify the character of the fiber. They sell their yarns mostly at farmers markets and from their website.
I learned about Wandering Wool by Joelle Burbank, an indie dyer, through a work associate. When I went to her site I was entranced with her outstandingly lovely colorways. Joelle is following her bliss, as Joseph Campbell would say, combining her love of yarn and of the outdoors into dyeing her own yarns. She recently quit her day job to see if she could make a living out of doing what she loves to do. She sells through Etsy and also some shops in the DC area.
I used to not like working with cotton, but some friends and family prefer cotton, so I’ve branched into this area. While investigating various cottons, I came across Woolle’s Color Changing Yarn. Elisabeth Drumm, another one who is following her bliss, designs unique yarns that seem to melt from one color into another. I picked up a skein (100 gr/480 yds) at a local shop and used it to knit my first shawlette. It was such fun that I bought another skein (different color) for another shawlette). Check out her fun colors, which also come in hefty skeins for regular-sized shawls at her Etsy store.
Happy knitting!
Reah Janise
First off, you may have found this site through Ravelry.com, which is a terrific knitting and crocheting community. If you haven’t already become a member (it’s free!), do so now. If there was ever a place for the knitting and crocheting community to congregate it is Ravelry, which includes crafters from all over the world. Wondering about a particular yarn? Ask about it on Ravelry and see how many have it in their stash. Looking for a particular kind of pattern? Check it out on Ravelry, many of which are available for free.
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| Shawlette knit with Woolle's Color Changing Yarn Ashton Shawlette pattern by Dee O'Keefe |
While my sister Jackie (another knitter) was visiting about a month ago, I took her to our local farmers market. Among the vegetables and fruit was Solitude Wool, run by two Loudoun County, Virginia, shepherds who love wool—Gretchen Frederick and Sue Bundy. These hand-spinners have taken what they’ve learned in making yarn from their own flocks to create a range of special breed-specific yarns from sheep raised locally. Each fleece is hand selected. They even pay extra to get a good fleece. From the different breeds of sheep, which grow different types of wool, they design yarn to exemplify the character of the fiber. They sell their yarns mostly at farmers markets and from their website.
I learned about Wandering Wool by Joelle Burbank, an indie dyer, through a work associate. When I went to her site I was entranced with her outstandingly lovely colorways. Joelle is following her bliss, as Joseph Campbell would say, combining her love of yarn and of the outdoors into dyeing her own yarns. She recently quit her day job to see if she could make a living out of doing what she loves to do. She sells through Etsy and also some shops in the DC area.
I used to not like working with cotton, but some friends and family prefer cotton, so I’ve branched into this area. While investigating various cottons, I came across Woolle’s Color Changing Yarn. Elisabeth Drumm, another one who is following her bliss, designs unique yarns that seem to melt from one color into another. I picked up a skein (100 gr/480 yds) at a local shop and used it to knit my first shawlette. It was such fun that I bought another skein (different color) for another shawlette). Check out her fun colors, which also come in hefty skeins for regular-sized shawls at her Etsy store.
Happy knitting!
Reah Janise
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