Fresh Purls -- your neighborhood yarn shop

Weekend Fun

2012-01-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Alasdair Post-Quinn taught 2 classes at Fresh Purls, Intro to Double-Knitting and New Adventures in Double Knitting! If you haven't seen his book, check it out here - his patterns are beautiful, clever and fun!

We also had a surprise visitor, Sabrina, one of Karen's cats - she is seen here minding the cash count at the end of the day - she wanted to know what her take was going to be and where were her favorite treats??? She was greeted by several customers and remained well behaved - as some of you may know her nickname is "biteycat" - but all in fun of course!!

Mystery Shawl KAL with Helen

2012-01-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

It's not to late to get on board with Helen's beautiful Shawl knit along. The picture is a prototype or this Mystery Shawl to give you an idea of what type of creation you will be knitting for this KAL.

Starting January 23rd, Helen will post the first “clue” (section) for this shawl. Every Monday from then on, a new “clue” will be available for download. This is an 8 week knit along. As long as you know how to knit, increase and decrease you can make this piece. Click here to get your first clue!

The materials needed are the following: 3 colors of sock weight yarn with 400 yards in each color; 2 colors of sport weight yarn with 300 yards in each color; US 7, circular needle at least 24” long.

There is a Ravelry group so you can post your photos as you make progress. Please go to the “gurls of fresh purls” forum group and post under Mystery Shawl KAL any photos, questions and comments.

We can't wait to see everyone’s color choices!

VOGUE KNITTING LIVE 2012

2012-01-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Karen was fortunate enough to attend Vogue Knitting Live - it was fun and so many beautiful fibers to go crazy over! Below are just a few pictures of some fun things at the show!

Knitted/Crocheted Hotel Room

2012-01-12T15:57:00.001-05:00

The Hotel Pelirocco in Brighton, England offers theme rooms and one of them is called "Do Knit Disturb" - this room is filled with knitted/crocheted decor. Kate Jenkins took 11 lbs of yarn and one month to create all the items that fill this room.

Jenkins, began designing knitwear for Marc Jacobs 16 years ago prior to setting up her own business, Cardigan. She stated that she wants to show people that knitting is stylish, not granny.

The walls are decorated with wallpaper made from photographs of knitting/crochet, while knitted artwork has been hung up for guests to enjoy.

If you are interested in a night at the 'thread and breakfast'? The room is now available to book - with a time limit of three years - and costs £59 (approximately $91) for a weeknight and £75 (approximately $115) on the weekend.

To see more info about the hotel, click here!

Continue in Pattern

2012-01-10T11:26:00.000-05:00

Monday evenings at Fresh Purls were a hit for sure so we didn't want to give them up entirely. So thanks to Liz, one of the faithful attendees, we will be starting up Monday evenings again. There will be a change in the venue, but we will continue to have a fun knitting evening.

Starting Monday, January 16th we will start our new Monday evening knitting group called "Continue in Pattern" and again, thanks to Liz for the clever name, so you will see it referred to as "Cont in Patt" for future reference on the homepage and calendar! The group will meet the first and third Monday's of the month. Where we have a fifth week there will be two weeks between the meeting of the group. We will meet from 6:30PM-8:30PM. Karen will run the group!!

This group is for knitting/crochet folks that want to hang out, get help and just have fun. Hope to see you there!

New Year's Knitting/Crochet Resolutions - Stashdown Info Too!

2012-01-02T17:16:00.003-05:00

Now that we are starting new year we'd love to hear what some of your thoughts are about your year ahead with knitting and/or crocheting. Some of our thoughts are:

Knit down some of that stash!
Pull out and finish at least 2 UFO's...maybe more...
Knit or crochet something a bit outside the comfort zone...maybe try steeking
Try a color outside my own palette!
Learn a new technique!

The list can go on and on - but let us know what some of your resolutions for 2012 will be!!

Also - we will be announcing the winner of the 2011 Fresh Purls Stash Down this week! Since this was a big help getting yarn out of the house let's go for 12 projects with stash yarn in 2012! So if you're interested here are the guidelines:

To qualify as stash yarn the yarn must have been purchased before November 1, 2011.
If you need to purchase new yarn for the project that’s fine, but 50% of the project must come from your stash OR use 100% of the selected stashed yarn.
Only projects begun on or after January 1, 2012 count toward the stash down.

Post your projects on Ravelry and let us know on our gurls of fresh purls group as you complete them. Use the following as one of the tags on the project: fp-stashdown-2012.

Here's to a Happy, Healthy and Wonderful New Year!!!

Happy Holidays to All

2011-12-22T07:32:00.000-05:00

The "slow to post" has been due to the blogger having a cast on, cast is off but still in a splint but getting better and by beginning of year we'll be back in full force!!

Collage

2011-12-09T05:34:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to host Amanda Keep, author of Collage, her new book of 12 accessory designs. These designs are beautiful, unique and interesting they all look fun to knit.

Please join us at Fresh Purls, Sunday, December 11th from 11AM - 3PM to meet Amanda, see all 12 designs and the book will be available to purchase and Amanda will be signing books!

Click here to see the info on this exciting new book!

Amanda is now designing for Berroco and working with Norah Gaughn.

Maxima Has Arrived

2011-12-06T23:30:00.001-05:00

After our crazy Black Friday we feel yarn depleted (in a good way), but we are now working on building back up our inventory - on Friday we received two boxes of Maxima from Manos del Uruguay. We love receiving these beautiful "bails" of yarn!

Maxima is a 100% Merino wool that is kettle dyed and comes in semi-solid and multi-color shades. The yarn has 219 yards and knits at a gauge of 18-20 sts over 4 inches on a US 7 - 8. This is a great yarn for so many projects that can be done up quickly and beautifully.

"SQUIDY"

2011-12-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

Wow - what a fun day today. As soon as the doors opened in came Amelia wearing her "Squidy" hat - she said he is a sleepy squid just waking up ..... The pattern is Poor Mojo's Squid Hat by Sara Swanson, click here for the free pattern. Amelia spends what time she can combing through patterns on Ravelry and her next project will be a pair of fingerless mitts with colors that compliment her "Squidy" and will keep her hands warm.

"Squidy" is made with Colinette's Taglietelli and lined with a soft white Alpaca. Today she purchased some eyes to add on - enjoy the hat and we are excited that Amelia has taken to knitting and truly loves it, her younger sister sews, but after today she may join the knitting crowd too! Great job Amelia! We can't wait to see the beautiful mitts - striped with two colors of Claudia Hand Paint Fingering yarn and two colors of Pirouette Mohair held together.

Getting Ready for the Holidays in a BIG Way

2011-11-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

We are hoping that by Friday evening we will have a beautiful Holiday Window for you! Karen is working on crafts at home for the window made with yarn and other interesting materials. Today Helen started working on a piece for the window!

Thanks to Kathy for capturing Helen hard at work with her size US 50/25mm needles knitting a piece for the Holiday window....the consensus is these needles will give you quite the workout!!!

NaKniSweMo - Part Trois - Fin

2011-11-28T18:40:00.000-05:00

Becky has done it - finished the Knit a Sweater in month! The Bella Hoodie from C2Knits is the pattern she chose and it worked up beautifully in Rowan's Calmer. This was yarn from her stash so she also completed the Fresh Purls Stash Down, 11 in '11 - great work!!!!

Check out others progress on Ravelry, click here to view the group posts.

Congrats to Becky for finishing the sweater challenge and now she has a great, comfy sweater to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2011-11-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

What a fun week we have planned at Fresh Purls!! Everyone is getting ready for the big feast on Thursday - so this week our hours are a bit different, click here to see what this week's hours are.

We are really excited for the 3 days after Thanksgiving, On Friday, November 25th, we will open at 8:00AM for our "Sliding Sale" - so that means discounts will be offered from 8-4 as follows:

8:00-9:00 - 40% off full priced items

9:00-11:00 - 30% off full priced items

11:00-2:00 - 20% off full priced items

2:00-4:00 - 15% off full priced items

From 4-6 we will have wine and cheese and "chatter" knitting (so bring a project that isn't too detailed)!

Saturday, November 26th, from noon to 4:00PM we are pleased to feature a trunk show from our own Helen - click here to see Helen's beautiful designs, but make sure you come in to see them in person!

Sunday, November 27th we will be open from 11-3 and all full priced books will be 20% off!! We will be open for the 4 Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas from 11-3.

Hope to see you over this fun weekend!!!!

NaKniSweMo - Part Deux

2011-11-18T09:00:00.014-05:00

Becky has been working diligently on her Bella Hoodie - looking good and she has finished both sleeves as you can see. I think she will get through this just fine before the end of November. Let's keep cheering her on - can't wait to see the finished sweater!!!

Greeting Cards for a Knitter

2011-11-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ann Faith of Keene Street Studios has come up with a very clever idea - she has designed a greeting card that you can give to a knitting friend that is lovely and functional.

The cards come with the pattern instructions so that they can make their own cards to pass on, cost of card is $6.95. We are test marketing a batch of cards now and the response is great. All the cupcakes are sold - perfect for the birthday knitter!

Come in and check out these cute, clever and functional cards!!!

Jane Austen Knits Magazine

2011-11-12T07:02:00.000-05:00

Fresh Purls is excited to have the Jane Austen Knits magazine. This issue is really special to us as the owner, Karen, has a design in the magazine, The Leafy Muff.

The magazine features 35 Austen-inspired projects, as well as insightful articles that explore Jane Austen's life and novels. Check out the beautiful patterns in this issue and make reticules, muffs, spencers, capes, hoods, shawls, mittens, and more projects specially designed for this issue.

If you love Jane Austen, you will love this magazine and the opportunity to explore Austen's novels through knitting. Don't be left out of this adventure!

NaKniSweMo: Knit A 50,000-Stitch SweaterIn A Month

2011-11-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

Every year, knitgrrl.com readers knit alongside the writing pals over at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) again.

How it works with NaNoWriMo: write a 50,000-word novel in a month. As they say on that page: "This is not as scary as it sounds." Check out the Ravelry Group to see what is going on!

But wait, we have a challenger here from Fresh Purls!!! And I know you can guess who it is, that's right, Becky!!! She has chosen a great project with beautiful yarn, the bella hoodie by Cheri Christian. Becky is using Rowan Calmer for the project in colorway 474, Khaki. As you can see she is making great progress.

Progress as of November 8th!

Let's cheer Becky on and remember to check back during this month to follow her progress!

Fun Knitting Facts

2011-11-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

Check out some fun facts about knitting below - answers are under the 5 questions!

1. Knitting has always been a traditionally female handicraft?

    True or False

2. Which of the following is not a material commonly used for knitting needles?
    Glass, Wood, Bone, Tortoise Shell, Copper, Ivory, Steel, Bamboo, Aluminum

3. Which of these is not a method of casting on?

    Cable, Knitting On, Backwards Loop, Ringed, Crochet

4. Now for some basic history. The knitting of stockings first became a major occupation of the poor in England during the reign of which monarch?

    Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Mary, Queen Katherine

5. During World Wars I and II women were encouraged to make garments for soldiers. To this end, the phrase "Knit your Bit" was used by which organization?
    National Guard, The USO, The American Red Cross

1. False. Most historians agree that knitting originated with male Arabian sailors and was basically a male-only craft until fairly recently in it's history. In many non-western cultures knitting has remained prominent amongst men and is now considered a unisex hobby.
2. Copper. Early knitting needles were usually made from bone, ivory or tortoise shell. With the legal issues surrounding some these substances, new materials were found, and examples of these old needles are very difficult to find, though even new examples of bone needles can be found. Modern needles are typically aluminum, steel, plastic, bamboo or hardwood, and even glass.
3. Ringed. Other types of casting on include Cable, Knitting On, Backwards Loop, Crochet and dozens more.
4. Queen Elizabeth I. Silk and wool knitted hose had been gaining in popularity amongst the upper class of England when Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne. By 1600 England was the world leader in knitted stocking exports, largely due to the Queen's influence in fashion and new metalsmithing techniques which made steel knitting needles widely available to the lower classes.
5. The American Red Cross. "Knit your bit" appeared on a famous poster depicting a pair of knitted socks in progress and the line, "Our boys need sox!" Special patterns were designed for uniform garments, and required olive drab or navy blue yarn. The patterns are still available at the American Red Cross Museum website, and in 2004 a new "Knit your bit" kit was released to commemorate the dedication of the National World War II Monument in Washington DC.

2nd Annual Fiber Festival of New England - November 5th & 6th

2011-11-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

Eastern States Exposition and New England Sheep and Wool Growers Association team up to present the second annual Fiber Festival of New England. This weekend will feature vendors and fiber enthusiasts together to promote the use of wool and other natural fibers and related products to the general public. Click here for the Fiber Festival full information.

There will be shopping opportunities, exhibits, and lots of fun. There are a host of workshops as well as interesting and informative demonstrations. New England exhibitors will showcase their products including clothing, quilts, blankets, rugs, looms, spinning wheels and more. Learn how animals contribute to the fiber industry through live displays of llamas, alpacas, sheep, rabbits, and goats.

There will be a Fiber Fashion Show, featuring accessories and clothing made of fiber. The show takes place on Saturday at 3p.m.

Admission is only $5 for adults and is free to children under 12. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Fiber Festival will be at Eastern States Exposition (The Big E), use 875 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA - click here for directions.

Let's Hang Out

2011-09-30T14:53:00.000-04:00

Spin/Knit/Weave/Quilt Weekend @ Slater Mill
Sunday, October 9
Noon-4:00 p.m.

Are you making your plans for Columbus Day weekend? It’s hard to understand how October is upon us and it’s time to start thinking like it’s fall for real!

If your plans involve a long weekend “staycation” rather than a trip out of town, maybe you’ll want to include an afternoon over at the Slater Mill in your plans! On Sunday, October 9 from 12-4p.m. the fiber guilds who meet at Slater Mill will be gathering to talk crafts, show off projects and techniques, and generally have a fun and educational fiber-filled afternoon.

Members of the Hook & Needle Guild will be there, as well as members of the Spinners Guild, the Industrial Revolution Guild, and the Weaving Guild.

There are some special guests and presentations planned for the day too!

Deborah Newton and our own designer extraordinaire Helen Bingham will be there with some of their own designs. Fresh Purls will have a booth too, in case you absolutely need yarn RIGHT AWAY for something you've seen.

And Pam Weeks, the curator of the New England Quilt Museum, will give a presentation at 1:00 p.m. about how the abundance of cotton print fabric changed the craft of quilting in the first half of the 19th century.

This event is open to all who have any interest in the crafts and Slater Mill. Include any portion of this afternoon in your long weekend plans!

Fall Classes

2011-09-06T15:38:00.000-04:00

Well, the school year has begun in all of the local systems, at the colleges and universities, and here at Fresh Purls too! Click here to go over to our classes page for full descriptions. There are many fun classes on the horizon! Take this opportunity to polish up a troublesome skill or try your hand at something new.

September

13 & 27, 14 & 28: Baby Surprise Jacket with Becky (2 session class)

22, 29: Learn to Knit with Helen

October

1: Cabled Baby Hat with Helen
4 & 18: Learn to Knit Lace Shawlette with Becky (2 session class)
6, 13: Learn to Knit with Helen
11 & 25: Fingers Aren't Scary: Making Gloves with Becky (2 session class)
20: Crochet Basics with Helen
27: Crochet Flowers with Helen
29: Unraveling Ravelry with Becky

November
3, 10: Learn to Knit with Helen
15 & 22: Entrelac with Becky (2 session class)

Phoebe's Have Great Taste!

2011-08-24T07:52:00.000-04:00

Last year just before Christmas Becky's Mother-In-Law asked her to bring some brightly colored yarn scraps over when she and Mark went north for the Holiday Visit - a request Becky was only too happy to fulfill. She went through the basket with some of her leftovers and selected the brightest she could find.

Becky's MIL Barbara is a huge birder living in Weybridge, VT. Their property is filled with feeders and flocks of birds come to rest and sometimes stay for a bit. Barbara planned to put the yarn scraps out in the bushes in the yard in the Spring for the birds to take and use in nest construction, something her family used to do when she was a child in Valhalla, NY.

As you can see from this picture, there is a family of Phoebes in Weybridge, VT with some wild style! The Phoebes choose a strand of Creative Focus Kid Mohair leftover from a hot pink mohair dress Becky knit last fall. The nest is in Barbara's garage.

She is keeping her eye out for other fabulously decorated nests and will let us know what other yarns were used.

Fall Preview Coming Up!

2011-08-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

I’m sure you all remember the annual Christmas in July…Oops August event. It’s still happening, but we’ve renamed it!

Next Tuesday, August 23, we’re hosting the Fall Preview (formerly Christmas in July…Oops August) from 5:00-7:00 p.m. And we’ll have special guests!

Attendees will get to meet Norah Gaughan and Amanda Keep from the Berroco Design team!!! Both of them will be here for the entire event.

And there’s more! Nancy from Bashful Bags and Fibers will be here selling her GORGEOUS yarns. You know we love Nancy and all of her yarns. (Hint: one of Helen’s new designs – it’s called Sunray - uses a Bashful Fibers yarn.)

We also have new samples knit up in some of our most popular yarns, and a few in some of our favorite yarns.

Don’t miss out on this always super-fun event. Tickets are $5 each and need to be purchased in advance. You can call the store to reserve yours today by calling (401) 270-8220, or stop in and get one. You’ll get the price of the ticket back in the form of a discount on your purchases that evening.

NOTE: Fresh Purls will be closed for general business during the Fall Preview. Only those with tickets will be able to shop during the event.

A Day Trip To Block Island for Fiber Fun

2011-07-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

From guest blogger Ellen H.:

On a beautiful, sunny day in July. Karen and Ellen took a day trip to Block Island. Nobody needs an excuse to head to Block Island in July, but our travelers had a purpose: to visit the North Light Fibers and tour their fully operational fiber mill where natural luxury fibers such as alpaca, camel and yak are dyed and spun.

North Light Fibers is a labor of love by longtime Islanders Sven and Laura Risom. In addition to sharing their love of fibers, the Risoms are motivated by a desire to prove that manufacturing can have a place in the local economy, which is otherwise almost completely dedicated to tourism. In fact, they are the only manufacturing on the Island and had to get a zoning change before they could open their small, single-room mill above their outlet store.

The location could not be better! A very easy walk from the ferry terminal in Old Harbor, on their way to the mill visitors pass Abrams Farm, which houses a wonderful collection of unusual animals, mostly in open fields where people can interact quite closely. There are fiber-bearing animals such as llamas and camels, but also kangaroos, emus, lemurs and a giant tortoise. Through a farm gate (don't let the alpacas out!), a short walk up a gravel drive brings you to North Light. If you arrive by 10 am, Sven will give you a personal tour of the mill operation. It tends to get rather hot and steamy later in the day, especially when the dye baths are cooking!

The company store sells yarn, batts and roving, and finished goods: woven, knit, crocheted and needle-felted. Karen bought some luscious yak-and-wool yarn and Ellen bought a small, throw rug, loom-woven out of dyed alpaca in sunset shades. What luxury!

Afterward, our travelers met up with friend-of-the-shop Kathy Lang to see her show of monotype prints (lovely!) and enjoy a relaxing lunch on the veranda and the Spring House Hotel.

Both our travelers had a such a good time and enjoyed such a hearty welcome from Sven and Laura, that we thought we'd put an idea out to our blog readers. Would you like Fresh Purls to organize a day trip to Block Island to visit the mill? Perhaps in sometime in September? Let us know in the comments if you would be interested in going as a group.

June Pryce Fiber Arts to Visit

2011-07-13T16:03:00.000-04:00

Many of you may recognize the name June Pryce Fiber Arts from her visits to the Slater Mill knitting events. She was a part of the Knitting Weekend back in January and the Yarn Crawl Marketplace in April. The "Gurls of Fresh Purls" are big fans of June Pryce!

And because we like to spend times with talented fiber folks, we've invited June to the shop for a trunk show! She's agreed to come and we're so excited.

Save the date and plan to stop by!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

10:00 a.m-4:30 p.m.

This fab dyer has a shop on Etsy where you can check out her wares, as well as a page on Facebook. Why don't you click on over and give her a 'Like' on Facebook? She also blogs and is worth a follow too!

Referral Rewards!

2011-06-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

Fresh Purls has the best customers! We really do. They are lovely, loyal people. We never get tired of seeing their projects, learning from them, teaching them new techniques, and generally chatting. Our customers become our friends.

And we know they love us back and love to recommend us to their friends! So, we want to thank our customers for spreading the word while also making some new friends. But how??? Rewards of course!

From now on when you refer a friend to Fresh Purls (someone who hasn't been here before), make sure they tell us you sent them. We'll issue you a 25% reward for a full-priced purchase (valid for 60 days) AND we'll issue your friend a 25% reward for their next purchase (valid for 60 days)!

Helen's Designs Taking Off

2011-06-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

Fresh Purls is lucky to have an extremely talented designer on the staff. Our store manager, Helen, is brilliant! She has a head full of great ideas that flow off her needles at an impressive rate. She's designed for great companies like Classic Elite Yarns, Nashua, Misti Alpaca, and Sheep Shop. Now she's getting ready to take the internet by storm! At the end of the summer she'll be going live with a website where you'll be able to buy a whole new collection of patterns in her signature style of simple, stylish, and elegant knits.

As she gets the site ready you can follow the updates and progress with her on Facebook, just search for Helen Bingham Designs. She tweets on Twitter as @HBinghamDesigns. And you can always find her work on Ravelry by searching for Helen Bingham.

Stay tuned here, and we'll let you know when her site goes live. If you "like" her page on Facebook you can get a sneak peek at some of the new designs. Becky is already dreaming of the Clearwater Cape.

TNNA Wrap Up

2011-06-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

Last week Karen and Becky packed up the car and drove out to Columbus, OH for the annual National Needle Arts Association Market. Every year this group hosts a ton of classes with knitting, crocheting, needlepointing, marketing, and tech experts and a Marketplace where vendors debut new products for the Fall and much of the ordering is done.

It was so much fun! For the most part, picture taking is not allowed. But we did sneak in a few photos with some of our favorite people. Karen was thrilled to meet Hannah Fettig of Knitbot, and Becky chatted with Courtney Kelly and told her about finishing the Starboard Cape. We also had the chance to see Amanda and Norah from Berroco. They were very busy at the Berroco Yarn Bar!

It wasn't just play and chatting though. Some real work got done! You'll be so excited when the new yarns start arriving from Dream In Color, ShiBui Knits, Be Sweet, and Claudia Handpaints (more sock yarn!!!).

In the days before the trade show opened both Becky and Karen took classes too. Karen learned some neat things in her class about Tunisian Crochet, like how to do short rows, and Becky was blown away with knitting secrets by Sally Melville. No doubt that the Fresh Purls community will benefit from what they learned!

Perhaps most exciting outside of the TNNA show was their excursion out to Pickerington, OH to visit the Yarn Market warehouse and shop. It was overwhelming! We walked into a space of about 7 loading dock bays filled floor to ceiling with bins of yarn! Talk about kids in a candy shop. Becky drooled for a long time over all of the Kid Silk Haze choices, and Karen splurged on Art Yarns and Twisted Sisters yarns.

And Becky finished a pair of socks she started 2 years ago on the long drive home!

You can also read all about their experience at TNNA on the Fresh Purls Facebook page and in our Twitter feed (@freshpurls)!

Celebrate WWKIP Day on June 11

2011-06-08T09:34:00.000-04:00

WWKIP - World Wide Knit in Public is being celebrated June 11th - June 19th, 2011.

Here at Fresh Purls we will be hosting a WWKIP in celebration. Join us on Saturday, June 11th anytime between 10am - 4pm to knit, crochet and chat with friends while sitting outside Fresh Purls. Bring a chair and join the fun. Fresh Purls will supply cold water and good company!

Stashdown Incentives

2011-06-05T12:09:00.000-04:00

The 11 in 2011 project is still active and, hopefully, going strong! Becky just finished her 7th stashdown project. Woohoo!To help you stay engaged with the stashdown (or re-engage if you've lost your stashdown mojo) we've come up with a couple of incentives to keep you going.

When you finish six of the 11 in '11 projects and upload and tag them in Ravelry, send us an email at info@freshpurls or a message in the stashdown thread in Ravelry and we'll issue you a 25% coupon (good for 60 days from date of issue).

Everyone who completes all 11 projects by December 31, 2011 (and uploads and tags them in Ravelry) will be entered into a drawing for a full set of Addi Clicks (your choice of turbo or natura bamboo)!

Just don't forget to use that fp-stashdown-2011 tag!

Get knitting!!!

Summer KAL: Stuffed Animals

2011-06-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

Join Helen for a fun summer knit-a-long in July and August. Every Thursday evening from 6-7:30 p.m., July 7-August 25, come in to the shop for a fun group and knit a cute stuffed animal for yourself or someone special in your life.

You'll find plenty of free patterns on Ravelry, a handy link, and in some great books. Helen will be making a few projects out of Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Toys.

The KAL is free, as usual, be we do ask that you call and register so we can save you a seat and have an idea of how many knitters to expect! Call us at (401) 270-8220 or email your full name and contact info to info@freshpurls.com.

Paper or Plastic? Neither!

2011-06-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

Or, how to receive a 2% discount on your purchase!

We all remember the days of getting into the checkout line at the grocery store and being asked “Paper or Plastic?”. Thankfully, these days it is au currant to shop with our reusable bags and take neither paper or plastic. Hopefully this is a trend that will stick around for a while!

Paper and plastic shopping bags are convenient. But both are so destructive to the environment. Paper bags cost us millions of trees annually, require toxic chemicals to manufacture, and sadly do not degrade significantly faster than do plastic bags. And on top of all of that, they tend to be larger than plastic bags and therefore take up more space in landfills.

Plastic bags are hard to recycle, jam up machinery in recycling plants, and there is dwindling demand for resold plastic bags. And, as we all know, plastic bags don't degrade well and take up space in landfills forever (or almost). And the ones that don't end up in landfills seem to always end up stuck in trees. Have you ever noticed that?

Reusable bags it is! This summer, why not knit yourself a couple of reusable bags that you can take to the farmer's markets, grocery store, Target, or wherever you'll need a shopping bag for purchases? They are great summer projects because often market bags are made out of fibers like cotton. So you won't be too hot and working with wool. Knitted or crocheted market bags also let you really show off your individual personality and style. Go for it! Here's a handy link to market bag patterns in Ravelry!

For the last two or three years Fresh Purls has offered a 2% discount for anyone who doesn't take one of our shopping bags. We call it the “eco-friendly” discount. This discount is on top of any other discount you might receive, for instance if you are redeeming your 25% reward discount.

Queueing in Ravelry

2011-05-30T15:00:00.001-04:00

People use Ravelry for many different reasons and in many different ways. One great feature of Ravelry is the Queue. As you browse patterns and other people's projects in Ravelry you have the option of adding it to your Ravelry queue and adding a tag to make it easy to find later.

That being said, not everyone uses the queue feature the same way. Some only add things to their queue that they are absolutely sure they'll be knitting in the near future. Others add patterns to their queue so that when they are browsing for a project to work on they can go through the queue and look at projects they already know they're intrigued by.

Becky, Karen and Helen are the heaviest users of Ravelry among the Gurls of Fresh Purls. But they obviously use it very differently. Especially the queue.

Helen's last queued pattern was the Dianna wrap back on April 17, 2010. It was her 5th queued pattern.

Karen's last queued pattern was the Rhinemaiden wrap on April 19, 2011. It was her 10th queued pattern.

Becky's last queued pattern was the Zen Garden pullover on May 24, 2011 (yesterday – this post is being written on May 25). The Zen Garden was her 469th queued pattern!

How do you use your queue in Ravelry? How many projects do you have queued? Inquiring minds want to know!

Welcome Summer!

2011-05-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

Fresh Purls will be closed on May 29 and 30 to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of Summer!

This weekend also marks the start of our Summer Hours. Beginning May 29 Fresh Purls will be closed every Sunday. Other than Sundays our hours remain the same:

Monday-Friday: 11-6
Saturday: 10-4:30

Free Mitt Pattern

2011-05-27T10:21:00.002-04:00

Designed by Helen Bingham

MATERIALS:
1 Skein Maxima Trekking (75% superwash wool& 25% nylon with 459 yards)
#7 double pointed needles
Stitch markers
Waste yarn

SIZE: to fit an 8” hand circumference

GAUGE: 20 sts = 4” in stockinette stitch with two strands held together

PATTERN NOTES & ABBREVIATIONS:
~The mitten can be made wider by adding stitches in multiples of 4.
~For the mittens pictured, two different colorways of Maxima were knit together.
~Hand dyed sock yarn creates a unique color pattern.
Pm = place marker
Sm = slip marker
M1 = pick up the bar between sts and knit through the back loop (creates a st)
Kfb = knit into the front and back of the same stitch (creates a st)
K2xP2 Rib = K2 stitches, P2 stitches keep repeating these 4 stitches
K2tog = knit two stitches together

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS

CUFF:
~With two strands held together, cast on 32 sts dividing sts on 3 needles as such: 10 on first needle, 12 on middle needle and 10 on last needle.
~Join into the round being careful not to twist sts.
~Work in K2xP2 Rib for 4.5”.
~Knit 4 rounds

THUMB GUSSET:
~Next round work as follows: K15, pm, K1, M1, K1, pm, k15
~Work the next rounds as follows:
Round 1: K15, sm, kfb, k1, kfb, sm, k15
Round 2: knit all stitches
Round 3: K15, sm, kfb, k3,kfb, sm, k15
Round 4 : knit all stitches
Round 5: K15, sm, kfb, k5, kfb, sm, k15
Round 6: knit all stitches
Round 7: K15, sm, kfb, k7, kfb, sm, k15
Round 8: knit all stitches
Round 9: K15, sm, kfb, k9, kfb, sm, k15
Round 10: knit all stitches
Round 11: K15, sm, kfb, K11, kfb, sm, k15
Round 12, 13 & 14: knit all stitches (15 sts between markers)
~Knit to first marker, remove marker and put 15 sts on waste yarn, remove the second marker, cast on 3 sts, knit remaining stitches.
~Redistribute sts so that there are 11 sts on each needle.

HAND:
~Knit every round till mitten reaches the base of your middle finger.
~Next round: K2tog, K1, P2, (K2, P2) repeat to end of round.
~Work in K2xP2 Rib for an additional 4 rounds.
~Cast off all stitches in rib formation.

THUMB:
~Put 15 sts on waste yarn back onto needles, with Right Side facing and using two strands of yarn, pick up 3 sts from the cast on sts for the hand, knit across the 15 sts
~Distribute the 18 sts evenly on the 3 needles (the picked up stitches should be the beginning of the round)
~Knit one round
~Next round: K2tog, knit till 2 sts remain, K2tog (16 sts).
~Work in K2xP2 Rib for 4 rounds.
~Cast off all stitches in rib formation
~Weave in all ends.

You can download a PDF of this pattern at the Fresh Purls Patterns Section at www.freshpurls.com.

Tune Up for Summer

2011-05-25T11:17:00.001-04:00

Have you taken a knitting class in the past year at Fresh Purls? Feeling the need for a check-up? Maybe you've put down your project and now you're not sure where you were in the pattern or what you were doing? Or it's a been a little while and you need a few reminders about casting on or off, or how to wrap your yarn for the knit stitch?

Join Helen June 2 (next Thursday) for a pre-summer tune-up from 6:00-8:00 p.m.! Bring your project in for a quick spot check; or come in for a couple of hours to knit and reacquaint yourself with the joys of knitting.

The Tune-Up is $10. Call to reserve your seat: (401) 270-8220.

Light Blog Week

2011-05-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

Well folks, Wednesdays are the day that we write most of the blog posts for the upcoming week. This week, as Becky settled in for her weekly session, the UPS man arrived with many boxes of new inventory that need to be received, stickered, and shelved!

Our sad needle wall of limited supply is fully replenished with Addi needles, bamboo needles, and all of those notions and necessaries we all have been asking for. Our sad, empty needle wall (pictured here) is sad no more!

And as a bonus Mr. UPS also brought us a big box of Berroco Comfort!

So the blog will be light this week as Becky helps get the new inventory out. Sorry to disappoint all of our loyal readers. Stop in to see what's going on, pick out yarn for your Sweater Weather Prep, and say hello!

5th Annual RI Wool & Fiber Fest

2011-05-18T11:27:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, May 21, is the 5th Annual Rhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival at the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, RI. This festival is the only fiber festival in RI, and no fiber enthusiasts should miss it!

There will be vendors with knitting, crocheting, and spinning related wares for sale, yarns to purchase, alpacas to pet (at least there were last year!), and demonstrations from the Coggeshall Farm craftspeople of traditional and contemporary fiber arts. You'll be able to see spinning demos and sheep shearing too!

The festival runs 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.this Saturday. Don't miss it! Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for Seniors and Children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Go here for directions to the farm.

Many of the Gurls of Fresh Purls will be there. Say hi if you see one of us!

Sweater Weather Prep Group

2011-05-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Do you have a sweater you've been meaning to knit (or finish)? But now it's spring – almost summer – and who wants to knit that sweater now? Well, the summer is actually the perfect time to knit a sweater because you'll have it for the cold weather. It's one of the ironies of knitting; the timing works so that you should knit cold weather garments when it's 90 degrees outside, and summer garments when it's 40 degrees out. Sigh.

Fresh Purls is here to help! We're hosting a Sweater Weather Prep Group this summer. Everyone will knit a sweater of their choosing through the summer, and we'll have new sweaters to wear when the chill returns (if it ever leaves!).

We'll crank up the AC and the music while you crank out a sweater!

The group is free to join, we just ask that you sign up so we know how many to prepare for. Call us at (401) 270-8220.

Meeting times, June-September:
1st and 3rd Tuesday, 6:00-8:00pm
2nd and 4th Thursday, 10am-Noon

Our first meeting will be June 7 at 6:00.

Looking forward to knitting together!

Knitting Posture

2011-05-13T16:07:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love those times when you can curl up on your couch with your knitting and log some serious time in your current project? Maybe you're sitting there with a cat sleeping in your lap (I wonder how many stereotypes we can fit in here?), and not wanting to disturb your companion you sit slightly twisted, keeping your yarn out of her fur. And then you get up to grab a mug of tea...OUCH!

Muscles pulled, joints out of whack, and oh! the repetitive stress injuries to our wrists, necks, fingers, elbows and shoulders!

As much as we all like to curl up, sit cross-legged, and knit/crochet for hours on end, it's just not as healthy as it could be. We unintentionally put too much stress on our bodies doing something that is soothing and relaxing by not paying enough attention to our posture when engaged in crafting marathons.

Here's some advice on how to stay limber and pain-free while enjoying some fun with your fiber (and this is totally a “do as we say not as we do situation”)! We're all guilty of not maintaining good posture when knitting.

1.    Sit with your back straight, tummy tucked, feet on the floor, and shoulders relaxed.
2.    Take frequent breaks (a 10 minute break for every 45 minutes of knitting/crocheting). During these breaks stretch your arms, hands, neck, and back. Get up and walk around, go grab a glass of water.
3.    Consider changing the type of needle you use if you're experiencing any pain (switch from straight needles to circulars, smaller/larger sizes).

We found some great suggestions on these sites:
Accidental Yarnover
About.com
2003 article on Knitting.com

Warm Weather Knits Adorn the Window

2011-05-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

Local knitwear design star Deborah Newton has a new book out, published by Leisure Arts, titled Warm Weather Knits. It's a book full of fun, flirty, classy warm weather garments.

And we are so lucky! Deb has loaned Fresh Purls many of the original knit pieces featured in the book! One of our favorites is the Peridot Dress, currently being worn by our mannequin Stella. It's a keeper!

The book has great patterns, clear directions, helpful schematics, and even advice on yarn substitutions for the patterns.

Stop in soon to see these original pieces and grab a copy of the book ($23.95)!

Oldest UFO at Area 51...so far

2011-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Area 51 group we started in January has turned into a popular knit night, as knitters have found some satisfaction in having a dedicated time to work on old projects while also getting ideas for some new ones!

A few weeks ago one of our regulars brought out an impressively aged UFO (UnFinished Object). It's a sweater coat for a toddler. It's been passed down, unfinished, from family member to family member for finishing when someone new enters the family who it could conceivable fit – if finished.

The child it was initially started for is now 34 years old. All it needs is to have the rest of the collar attached and buttons added! We hope it is finished soon!!!

What is your oldest UFO? What's holding you back?

Obsession: Finding the Perfect Yarn

2011-05-06T10:47:00.000-04:00

It's been pretty funny in the shop the last week or so. With the Whippoorwill KAL starting and the Mara KAL only days away everyone has been obsessing about the PERFECT yarn for the project. We don't think we're exaggerating when we say that close to 100 yarn combinations have been approved, then rejected, then modified, and again approved, rejected, and finally embraced.

We're noticing different factors effect the combinations. How spring-like the weather is, what a person is wearing that day, what other people choose for their shawl, and what we've seen on Ravelry. It's been so much fun!

We find that sunny days=brighter color choices, warmer days = less wooly choices, and then surfing the projects in Ravelry opens up new options.

A few of the winning combinations for Whippoorwill:
Becky: Dream In Color Smooshy with Cashmere paired with Dream In Color's Starry
Karen: Ella Rae held with Superior and an unknown stash yarn similar to Tosh Sock
Helen: Silk Garden Sock
Other KALers
Ella Rae Lace Merinos in Various Colors
Tosh Sock with Trekking XXL
Araucania
Tosh Sock with Dream In Color Smooshy
Done Roving Frolicking Feet with Ella Rae
Colinette's Jitterbug with Dream In Color Smooshy

After the Mara KAL gets rolling on May 10 we'll let you know what yarns seem popular there.

Do you obsess over yarns or do you just know it when you see it? Do you ever change course after making the decision? What effects your choices as you're making the decision?

May Classes

2011-05-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

May is typically a time to wind-down classes and learning. Graduations are on the horizon and summer vacation is tantalizingly close. Not at Fresh Purls though! We're still going strong with our class schedule. There are two great classes scheduled. Call to register at (401) 270-8220.

Knitting In the Round: May 17, 6:30-8:30
Teacher: Becky
Cost: $25

In this class Becky will provide instruction on the various methods of knitting in the round.
Double Pointed Needles (DPNs)
Using 2 Circulars
Magic Loop
In the Round on a circular needle

This could be a great class for getting ready for summer knitting! Summer is an ideal time to work on small projects like socks, mittens, or hats. All knit in the round and not sitting in your lap making you hot!

Materials: double pointed needles, a 16” circular and 24” circular of the same size, a 32” or 40” circular needle, yarn appropriate to your needles, and stitch markers.

Sew Don't Graft: May 22, 10am-12pm or 2-4pm
Teacher: Christiane Burkhard
Cost: $35

Designer Christiane Burkhard, who was here on the Sunday of the Yarn Crawl, has developed a way to graft knitted pieces together to avoid having to seam them. It's pretty cool. She'll be here on Sunday, May 22 teaching 2 classes on the technique. Your class fee covers both the class time and your choice of her Priska (a neckwarmer) or Talvi (a neat scarf) patterns.

You have a choice of a morning or afternoon class.

Magic of Knitting: The Long Tail Cast-On and Why It Works

2011-05-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

A little while back we posted about why the Kitchener Stitch works in a new Magic of Knitting and someone asked us about why the Long Tail Cast On worked. Here is a short video of both why the Long Tail Cast On works, and how to do it.

Hope For the Earth Festival

2011-04-29T13:06:00.001-04:00

This coming Sunday, May 1, the Hope Street Merchant's Association is hosting the annual Hope for the Earth Festival from 12-4. Many of the shops on Hope Street will have special sales, snacks, and activities for kids!

There will also be a drop-off for electronics recycling near Seven Stars. You'll finally be able to get rid of those old cell phones, computer monitors, and remote controls!

Fresh Purls will be open for our normal operating hours of 11-3 during the festival. Weather permitting, there will be a fun coloring with yarn activity for the kids outside! And especially for the Festival all of our Earth-friendly yarns will be 20% off! That means yarns like Tahki's Katydid, Good Earth Cotton, and Blue Sky Alpaca's Multi Cotton will be a great deal!

Swing by Hope Street on Sunday for a good time! The weather forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 72 degrees!

Another Fun Knit-a-Long: Mara

2011-04-27T13:06:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday mornings in May Helen will be hosting a free knit-a-long of Madelinetosh's Mara. Mara is a simple garter stitch triangle shawl that is worked from the top down, ending with a pleated boarder. The original Mara was knit with 3 skeins of Tosh Worsted.

You will need 675 yards of any light worsted weight yarn, a US 7 circular needle and stitch markers. This shawl can be made with many different yarns (Manos Silk Blend, Classy by Dream in Color and Ultra Alpaca have been used)….be creative, maybe use some stash yarn or stop by and pick out some
new yarn. Download the free pattern from Ravelry.com.

Come spend a fun, relaxing hour with fellow knitters and create a shawl for a someone special (yourself included!).

When: Tuesday mornings May 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Who: For everyone who can knit and purl.

How: Call the store at (401) 270-8220 to register ahead of time to reserve your seat.

And don't forget that on Tuesday evenings in May Becky is hosting the knit-a-long for Whippoorwill.

Whippoorwill KAL in May

2011-04-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

A little while ago we asked if anyone would be interested in doing a Whippoorwill Knit-a-Long. It seems several of you like the shawl and would like to knit it with Becky. Yay!

The KAL will be on the following Tuesday evenings: May 3, 10, 24, and 31 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

The KAL is free to participate. You should purchase the pattern on Ravelry (it's $6). Use stash yarn or stop in and pick out your yarns!

While there isn't a charge to participate in the KAL, we do ask that you register ahead of time. Call us at 270-8820 and we'll save you a seat in May!

Free Hat Pattern

2011-04-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

MATERIALS:
1 Skien Misti Baby Alpaca
#10 ½ Circular 16” Needle
#10 ½ Double Point Needles
Stitch Marker

SIZES: one size to fit the “average” head
GAUGE: 3 sts = 1”

DIRECTIONS:
* Cast-on 64 sts
* Join into the round being careful not to twist stitches
* Knit 5 rounds
* Work in 2x2 Rib for 5 rounds (*K2, P2*, repeat around)
* Switch to knitting every round till hat measures 6” from cast- on edge or desired length till crown decreases.

CROWN DECREASES: (Switch to DP Needles when needed)
Round 1: *K6, K2tog*, repeat between *’s
Round 2: Knit every stitch
Round 3: *K5, K2tog*, repeat between *’s
Round 4: Knit every stitch
Round 5: *K4, K22og*, repeat between *’s
Round 6: Knit every stitch
Round 7: *K3, K2tog*, repeat between *’s
Round 8: Knit every stitch
Round 9: *K2, K2tog*, repeat between *’s
Round 10: Knit every stitch
Round 11: *K1, K2tog*, repeat between *’s
Round 12: Knit every stitch
Round 13: *K2tog*, repeat between *’s

*Cut yarn leaving a 8” tail and weave through remaining sts on
Needles, weave in ends, steam and wear with pride!

Download a PDF of this pattern at the Fresh Purls website in the Patterns section.

It Happens to All of Us

2011-04-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

Many people come into the shop for help because something has gone wrong in their knitting, or they don't understand a direction in a pattern. And this is fine. And many of those people are surprised to hear that we, "the experts," have things go wrong with our own knitting. But they do. We're knitters too!

Case in point, the Laminaria shawl that Becky is knitting. Yesterday she spent HOURS knitting it. And then disaster struck (hmmm, this happens to her a lot.). The very slippery yarn she was using (Classic Elite's Silky Alpaca Lace) slipped...right...off...her...needles. Five stitches. All at once. To the lifeline 5 rows below. When she was 3/4 done binding off.

So Laminaria, currently in time out in a deep dark closet, was ripped back 5 rows plus the bind off row to the lifeline. About six hours worth of knitting. Sigh.

It happens to all of us at some point.

Great Rhody Yarn Crawl: Fresh Purls's Plan

2011-04-06T11:37:00.001-04:00

It's almost here! The Great Rhody Yarn Crawl takes place April 15-17 all over the state of Rhode Island. It is seriously shaping up to be a super fun weekend. We can't wait.

If you're planning out your route and schedule for the weekend, here is the Fresh Purls activities and schedule for the Crawl!

All Weekend

Bring in a food donation for the RI Community Food Bank and earn a mystery discount coupon for full price items (discounts from 15-30%)
Kits available for the Leaves Hat and Everyday Wrap
Daily 3-5 pm: Yarn Stuffing of different yarns - see how many skeins you can fit in a bag and get them all at deeply discounted prices!
    Friday: All in-stock Louisa Harding yarns
    Saturday: All in-stock Elsebeth Lavold yarns
    Sunday: All in-stock Schulana yarns

Friday: Open 10-6
4-6pm: Afternoon Tea with treats from Duck & Bunny
2-6pm: 35% discount on Lorna's Laces and Mountain Colors yarns

Saturday: Open 10-5

Mini Tutorials with Helen (15-20 minutes each)

11:00: How to knit an I-cord (bring scrap yarn and DPNs)
1:00: How to Knit a Beaded Bookmark (bring sock yarn, US 3 needles, 20 seed beads.
3:00: How to turn a short-row heel (bring your sock on needles with heel flap completed)

Sunday: Open 10-4

All Books and Patterns 30% off
11-3: Designer Christiane Burkhard will be in the shop. She designed Morning Breeze, a project perfect for Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering.
Christiane will be offering mini tutorials on ways to graft pieces of knitting without having to seam!

Day 6: Something To Aspire To

2011-04-02T07:41:00.001-04:00

As we mentioned on Day 2, there is always something new to learn in our crafts – whether it's refining a skill, learning a new way to do a technique, or trying something totally foreign to you.

You might think that because we work in a yarn shop (or own in Karen's case) and are the “experts” you come to for help and advice that there isn't anything we haven't tried our hand at. This is so far from the truth!

None of us has ever tried our hand at steeking. There is something that has always been just too scary about taking scissors to knitting and cutting it. Yikes! Karen and Helen have both recently expressed an interest in it though, so who knows! Maybe they'll tackle it and we can report happy results here on the blog.

Becky has never knit a top-down sweater. She is planning to knit Gosport out of Dream in Color Classy as part of a new group we'll be announcing soon (keep an eye out for some rather exciting announcements regarding new groups and clubs). Gosport is a sweater knit from the top down and involves lots of cables – Becky's favorite.

How about you? What would you like to try? Any plans on the horizon to dive in?

Day 5: And Now For Something Completely Different

2011-04-01T07:22:00.004-04:00

To see posts from other participants in the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, search for the term "2KCBWDAY5".

A Day In The Life of Fresh Purls:

Day 4: Where Is It Now?

2011-03-30T12:54:00.004-04:00

To see other blog's contributions to today's topic for the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week participants, Google the term “2KCBWDAY4”.

As part of the Fresh Purls 11 in '11 Stashdown Karen decided to make the Snowdrop and Snap Peas shawl by Kirsten Kapur. She took a dive into her stash and came up with six skeins of Rowan's Cotton Glace in a very pretty pale green color. The yarn had been in her stash since May 2008 – fully qualifying it for Stashdown 2011. And given the shade of green, fiber type, and weight of yarn Karen decided to gift the shawl to her cousin Mary Jo (MJ), who lives in Hawaii.

She started the shawl on February 9 and finished it on March 17. It was blocked and sent off to MJ. Everyone who saw it can attest that the final product was beautiful (and congrats to Karen who hadn't done any lace work until last summer when she knit Panache!). The shawl was packed and sent to Hawaii after blocking (Becky offered to hand deliver, but it seems she's needed in the shop more than as a courier).

No word from MJ yet on her thoughts of the shawl but we know it was received because Karen followed the package's trip across the country with the tracking number and saw that it had been delivered. Hopefully Karen will hear from her soon!

Day 3: Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches

2011-03-30T12:20:00.006-04:00

To see other blog's contributions to today's topic for the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week participants, Google the term “2KCBWDAY3”.

Today Karen has dared to Flash Her Stash. Or at least a little bit of her stash. She's taken this brave action to demonstrate one method of storing yarn. The majority of Karen's yarn is stored in clear plastic bins, and colored bins on shelves in her yarn room. It goes to reason that if your yarn is neatly organized and stored it will be easier to find what you need, and remember what you have.

This works really well for some people. Other people, like Karen, prefer the adventure of stash diving. When she's contemplating a new project she'll go to her stash and start digging through bins to see if she has the right yarn for the project. Along the way she'll find something she totally forgot she had. Or discovers a partially completed project. Soon her quest for a specific yarn becomes an adventurous trip down memory lane.

When asked if she has plans to organize her yarn differently she says, “No. It can be frustrating sometimes if I'm in a hurry and looking for something specific. But it works for me.”

How do you store your stash? Do you think it reflects anything about you or the way you knit/crochet? Do you wish you organized it differently? Or are you one of those rare crafters that doesn't have a stash?

Day 2: Skill + 1Up...Or What I've Learned This Year

2011-03-29T20:42:00.004-04:00

To see other blog's contributions to today's topic for the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week participants, Google the term “2KCBWDAY2”.

One of the things we love about knitting is that there is always something else to learn. One never knows everything there is to know about knitting. We can learn from each other, take a class to refine a previously learned technique, or gain the confidence to tackle a project or technique we've been afraid to try before (or maybe tried but weren't ready for yet). Becky's New Year's Resolution for 2010 was to try her hand at fair isle. She'd taken a class on it a few years before but never really tried to apply it.

For the first part of 2010 Becky searched and queued Ravelry patterns to find the perfect pattern. Her inspiration finally struck when New England Knits was published. The Canopy Fingering was ordered and in July Becky dove in and started the Whale Watch Hat. It was so much fun!!!

She learned to carry one yarn in each hand, how to catch the floats efficiently, and take frequent breaks because of the awkward positions she ended up in due to the concentration needed and suddenly working yarn with her right hand (Becky knits with the Continental style).

Becky's 2011 New Year's Resolution is to tackle the Cobweb Lace Stole. It involved working lace patterns on both sides of the shawl (YOWZA!). It's a project she tried a few years ago. Sadly she wasn't quite experienced enough to be successful.

What new techniques have you learned this year? Are you a crocheter that tried knitting? Knitter that tried crocheting? We're looking forward to hearing what you have tackled or would like to tackle.

Day1: Knitting & Crochet Blog Week

2011-03-28T08:28:00.002-04:00

A Tale of Two Yarns “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, ...”

And so opens Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Similarly it describes Becky's experience with one of her favorite yarns: Rowan's Kidsilk Haze.

It was the best of times: This yarn is GORGEOUS. It's so soft, fluffy, indescribably feminine, and best of all - warm without a lot of weight. And the colors I had to choose from! It was like walking into a candy store.

It was the worst of times: I now call it Kidsilk Crack. I'm addicted. At any and every opportunity I have to use, pet, buy, stash Kidsilk Haze, I do. I've made a sweater with it: the Twilight Pullover. I've made a shrug with it: Stella. I've made a wrap with it: Everyday Wrap. I will admit that through these projects I've come to have a love-hate relationship with this yarn. It's NO FUN to unknit or rip out. Really. It's almost impossible. I would go so far as to say that ripping out Kidsilk Haze is The Worst of Times.

It was the age of wisdom: I chose Kidsilk Haze for each of these patterns because it was the recommended yarn. A wise knitter will choose and use Kidsilk Haze at every opportunity. Especially when it's the recommended yarn.

It was the age of foolishness: Kidsilk Haze is not an inexpensive option. Retailing at $14.95, Kidsilk Haze has cost me a pretty penny.

And in keeping with the Dickensonian trend... “Please, Sir, I want some more...” brings us to Becky's second favorite yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted.

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted is a superwash worsted weight wool that is soft and doesn't have the squeaky feel some superwashes can have. With 220 yards in each hank, the price tag isn't bad. And finally, why I love this yarn...the funny and creative names. Who can resist Zombie BBQ? Robot Overlord? Turtle Rodeo? Mother Lode?

March 28-April 3: 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week

2011-03-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

Beginning next Monday Fresh Purls will be participating in the 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week. During this seven day period we, with hundreds of other fiber-focused bloggers, will blog about a predetermined topic each day related to knitting and/or crocheting.

It sounds like a fun but challenging endeavor. We hope you enjoy the ride with us!

If you're interested in other blogs participating, search using the tags below each day to see who else is posting.

Knit with Us

2011-03-25T12:31:00.000-04:00

Helen wants to knit the Little Lizard, a free pattern on Ravelry that would use up some of those leftovers from a completed project. The Little Lizard is seriously one of the cutest things we've seen in a while. It just makes your heart smile

Becky has been sitting on the yarn to knit Whippoorwhill for a year now. It's a purchasable ($6) pattern on Ravelry. Whippoorwill is a semicircular shawl that uses two shades of sock yarn and incorporates a pretty eyelet detail.

Would you be interested in informal knit-a-longs with either of these projects?

If we receive enough interest we'll set up times to get these projects started. Let us know in the comments if you're interested and in which projects!

The True Benefits of Knitting/Crocheting

2011-03-24T15:28:00.000-04:00

All of us knit or crochet for different reasons, and we've all found different benefits from it. These reasons and benefits are what tie us together as a community, even in their differences..and similarities.

We got talking about the benefits of knitting the other day. We all agreed that the #1 benefit to our lives are the people we've met through knitting. There were other benefits too:
Helen: Knitting helped her quit smoking, and never go back to it.

Karen: Knitting was the entry point to eventually owning and running her own business.

Becky: Knitting has improved her math skills (we are talking about someone who avoided math and science like the plague throughout high school and college).

What inspired you to learn to knit or crochet?
What do you think have been the biggest benefits?

The Magic of Knitting: Why the Kitchener Stitch Works

2011-03-23T12:14:00.003-04:00

There are some things in the universe that I'm just glad they work but don't understand why. Gravity, for instance. I'm just relieved it holds me to the planet everyday, all day. For a long time there were many things with knitting that were the same way. I didn't understand why something worked; I was just glad that it did and looked pretty all at the same time. The Kitchener Stitch was one of those magical elements of knitting for me. It made the toes of my hand-knit socks comfortable to wear and looked neat and tidy. As I was kitchenering the toe of a sock I knit for my husband the other day I began to wonder why it works the way it does. Off to Google I went and here is what I found.

1. The Kitchener Stitch (KS) is a method of grafting two equal sets of live stitches together without a seam.

2. The KS is named after Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War during World War I. He supposedly invented the finishing technique because the socks with toe seams his troops were wearing were rubbing their feet raw.

But why does it work? By doing the KS you are essentially adding a row to your knitting – in pattern – with a tapestry needle instead of using knitting needles. To graft them invisibly you will either knit or purl the stitch off the needle, depending on what stitch needs to show on the Right Side of the work. By doing this you'll join the two pieces together without a seam and stay in pattern!

What magical elements of knitting did you just accept but now understand on a deeper level?

You Tell Us

2011-03-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

Have you been hankering to do a specific project but don't want to tackle it on your own? Or is there a class you keep hoping we'll offer but you haven't seen in on the calendar yet? Here's your chance to let us know what you'd be interested in seeing offered at Fresh Purls.

Let us know in the comments, on Ravelry, or on Facebook what classes or Knit-a-Longs you'd be excited to see.

Helen's Newly Published Patterns

2011-03-17T10:00:00.002-04:00

Helen just had three of her patterns published by Classic Elite Yarns in their Spring 2011 publications. We're so proud of her!!! The patterns are beautiful. The booklets are in stock in the shop now and we have the yarn to make them too.

Tomatillo
This is a sleeved wrap with a leaf motif knit in Classic Silk. Classic Silk is 50% cotton, 30% silk, 20% nylon. It's really soft and comes in some great shades. Tomatillo takes 7 or 8 balls of the Classic Silk.

Buttercup
Buttercup is a garter stitch and eyelet tank top. You knit two identical squares with Provence (100% mercerized cotton), and with the magic of seaming you end up with an adorable tank top. You'll need 2-4 skeins of Provence, depending on the size you'll need.

Impatiens
An easy to knit vest using Katydid (a 100% organic cotton tape yarn) that looks more complicated than it is. Impatiens will require 7-10 balls of Katydid. Of these designs Helen says, “I design things I want to wear. When I write the design I try to write a pattern that both beginner and intermediate knitters can tackle without frustration. These pieces are some of my favorites for Spring and Summer and were so fun to knit!”

Policy Reminders

2011-03-15T14:51:00.004-04:00

Fresh Purls Return Policy
We cannot accept returns on needles, books, or patterns. Refunds are given on yarn (unless you paid with a debit card) up to 10 days after purchase.

You will receive an in-store credit on returns up to 30 days after purchase.

Yarn MUST be in original condition for a refund. Receipts are required for all exchanges and returns.

Dogs
We are a very pet-friendly shop. All of us working at Fresh Purls simply love dogs. Please feel free to bring your furry friend in with you when you come in to shop. When you do, please keep your pet on his/her leash.

Cell Phones
We all understand the pull of the cell phone and our 24-hour contact society. When visiting the shop please put your cell phone on vibrate and, if you must take or make a call, we do ask that you do so outside the shop so that your conversation can remain private and other customers are not distracted from their shopping. Thank you!

Copying Patterns
We are not able to copy patterns out of books, leaflets, or magazines. It's against copyright law for us to make a copy and give it to you. Sorry!

Fun Designs from a Fun Designer

2011-03-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

We've recently discovered Frankie Brown's designs in Ravelry, where she goes by the name Rosemily. A self-described “normal person with a perfectly well-balanced interest in all things woolly,” her designs are at times cute, at times stunning, and always clever.

Our favorite thing about many of her designs? They use up scrap yarn!!! All of her designs are free on Ravelry. She just asks that if you download any of her designs you make a donation to the Children's Liver Disease Foundation. Here is a handy link to her donation page: http://www.justgiving.com/frankiesknittedstuff.

A list of our top 5 fave designs:
Bubbles (baby blanket)
Pinwheel Purse
Sheep in Sheep's Clothing
Lightening Shawl
Pathway Blanket

Huh?

2011-03-11T10:30:00.001-05:00

Becky received this text the other day from a friend: “When do they learn to play ganesh by the cukes?” Huh?

You have to love autocorrect on the new smart phones, right?

What do you think the real question was?

In the comments let us know the funniest autocorrected text you've ever received in the comments. And the translation too!

And by the way, “When do they learn to play ganesh by the cukes” translates to “When do they learn to play games by the rules?”

11 in '11 Stashdown

2011-03-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

How's it going? Don't forget to tag your projects in Ravelry with fp-stashdown-2011 and send pics to freshpurls@gmail.com. Let us know what you're working on these days.

Becky just finished her 4th and 5th stashdown projects for the year!

The Great Rhody Crawl

2011-03-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about the Great Rhody Yarn Crawl? It will be a weekend long event taking place on April 15, 16, and 17. 15 shops have signed up to be stops on the crawl and the list of sponsors continues to grow with the craft world's biggest names including Lantern Moon, Quince & Co., Brooklyn Tweed, Designs by Romi, Berroco, Annie Modesett, Serendipity Needles...and the list goes on and on! It's shaping up to the a GREAT weekend.

Fresh Purls is one of the shops on board. We'll be offering extended hours throughout the weekend so you have time to come in and browse while on the crawl.

So get a group of friends together and start planning your weekend! To stay aprised of GRYC's details and announcements, join their group on Ravelry and stay tuned to their blog at greatrhodyyarncrawl.blogspot.com. We'll post details here as we receive them too!

We Love the UPS Man These Days

2011-03-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

It's the time of year when new items start arriving and hitting the shelves. It's so much fun to open a new box and see the treasures contained within. It started in earnest last week. Some of what arrived:

Tosh Vintage: a worsted weight wool yarn
Tosh Merino DK: DK weight single-ply yarn
Tosh Sock: glorious colors in fingering weight
Ella Rae Lace Merino: a squishy fingering weight yarn JoJoland Tonic: a new alight worsted crylic/wool blend
JoJoland Melody: self-striping fingering weight yarn
Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering: 520 yards of organic merino wool And there's more on the way.

Stop in to see, squeeze, and obsess over the new yarns and colors with us!

Spring Classes Announced

2011-03-03T16:19:00.002-05:00

Our new class schedule for March, April and May is up! Having you been looking for a new project or technique? Take a look at our offerings, you might find something that interests you! This time we're offering some of our classes during the day to make it more convenient for those that find evenings to be a challenge.

Back by Popular Demand:
Learn to Knit
Learn to Crochet
Entrelac
Unraveling Ravelry.com

New to the Schedule:
Knit the Baby Surprise Jacket
Knitting in the Round
Knit the Estonian Lace Shawl Laminaria from Knitty.com

Check our class schedule at freshpurls.com for class times, costs, and supply lists!

Knitter/Crocheter, Know Thyself

2011-02-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

How well do you know yourself? And by know yourself we mean, do you know all of your measurements so that you can knit or crochet hats, mittens, gloves, sweaters, etc for yourself and have them really fit? Or are you like many of us and you sort of wing and make it up as you go along?

Well, we want to help.

Join us for Know Thyself on March 18 at 6:00 p.m. At this fun evening event you and a buddy can measure each other from head to toe, literally. And then you'll be armed with the information you need to really make things that fit.

What you should bring:
1. A buddy. We're thinking of this as a buddy-system event. That way someone you know, trust, and are comfortable with can help you measure yourself for accurate results.

2. Your favorite fitting sweater or top.

3. A flexible measuring tape.

4. YOB (Your Own Bottle): This is a BYOB event. If you and your buddy want a glass of wine or a beer or a Coke, no problem. We'll provide snacks and cups. You guys bring a refreshing beverage of your choice!

When: Friday, March 18, 6:00 p.m.
How Much: $5.00 per person
Registration is required! Call to sign up: 401-270-8220

Everlasting DK, Our New Love

2011-02-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

Last week we received a new yarn from Dream In Color, the manufacturer of faves Classy, Groovy, Starry and Smooshy. They now have a DK weight yarn called Everlasting DK. It's DREAMY! Becky knit up a quick sample that will be in shop as soon as it dries on the blocking boards.

This yarn should be an instant classic. It's soft, the colors are vibrant, it doesn't split when knit, drapes beautifully, and is washable!

Everlasting DK Stats:
275 yards/100 grams
5.5-6 stitches per inch on US 5-6
$26.00

Come on in and give it a squeeze, this is a Charmin yarn (ie. Squeezably soft)!

Becky's sample is The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief. It took about ¾ of a skein so there will be enough to embellish with tassles if she decides to go that way.

Spring is Springing

2011-02-16T11:57:00.003-05:00

Don't you love when you come home and find something other than Stop & Shop fliers and Verizon envelopes in the mail? You pick up the stack, it's surprising heavy, so you start digging and find...a magazine! That's what happened for Interweave Knits (IK) subscribers last week. The Spring 2011 issue has arrived!

If you are not a subscriber, you may not have seen this beautiful issue yet. No worries though, we have it in the shop. It has some great articles: a review of wool and cotton blend yarns, a primer on designing, and encouragement to dive into Fair Isle work. In all honesty though, most of us get the magazine because of the patterns. The first thing we do when IK arrives is flip through to see the patterns and what yarns they call for to see if Fresh Purls carries them or if they are already in our stash.

This issue is packed with projects that we have the yarn for!

Here's a list of the ones we have the yarn in stock and some links to Ravelry:

1. En Pointe Pullover, p. 20 (Louet Kid Lin Lace Weight)
2. Heliotropic Pullover, p. 23 (Rowan's Lenpur Linen)
3. Rose Lace Stole, p. 56 (Manos De Uruguay Lace)
4. Gossamer Smocked Tunic, p. 95 (We'd substitute Rowan Kid Silk Haze because we don't carry the Shibui Knits Silk Cloud)

If you aren't quite ready for Spring and Summer knitting, we do still have the Winter 2010 issue of Interweave Knits and the Vogue Knitting Winter 2010/11, and Vogue Knitting Holiday 2010 in stock!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

We Love Our Customers!

It's Fiber! Not Fur!

2011-02-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

We have a fun new yarn in that is so so so so soft. You won't believe it. It's mink (Make Mine Mink). The fiber is combed from the minks, they are not harmed for the fiber. We have three colors in and are awaiting the fourth color we ordered. We all have been petting it whenever we walk by the carousel it's on.

Karen is knitting up a hat using this and the Kashmir yarn (65% cashmere, 35% silk). Early reports are that the mink yarn is a bit fragile so you have to carry another strand along when you knit it to give it strength.

Make Mine Mink: 120 yards, 100% Handspun Mink, $29
Kashmir: 110 yards, 65% cashmere, 35% silk, $25 This is pure luxury. That's for sure!

11 in '11

2011-02-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of people excited about the stash down challenge and participating in it. Below are a few of the photos we've received. One is Stephanie F.'s hat she designed in Helen's "Design Your Own Hat" class at the Slater Mill Knitting Weekend. The other project is the Pleiades Shawl from the February Dream Club. It takes one skein of Starry from Dream In Color. Great jobs, both of you!

If you're on Ravelry you can find more projects for this by searching in patterns with the tag fp-stashdown-2011.

Email photos of your finished projects to info@freshpurls.com or post them in the stashdown thread in our group on Ravelry: Gurls of Fresh Purls.

Knitting and Sports: A Great Match

2011-02-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

At first glance it might not seem like sports and knitting would go hand-in-hand. Unless you're the competitive sort of knitter - but we're not naming names.

However, they can be a perfect match! There are the social situations of the Stitch & Pitch events at minor league baseball games, Stitch & Sticks at hockey games; the personal entertainment when you're at a Super Bowl party or watching the game of the week with friends and family; the opportunities to show your pride for your city like the Super Scarves promotion for the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis; or charity knitting like just wrapped up for the RI Special Olympics!

Stitch & Pitch style events are gatherings of folks who bring their needlework with them to the game and stitch their way through the afternoon/evening. It's a great opportunity to get together with friends and meet new friends while taking in game and making progress on one of your projects!

If this kind of event interests you, Save the Date for the 2011 Stitch & Pitch at the PawSox: May 15 at 1:00 p.m. We'll post more information as we receive it!

Super Scarves is a drive to collect 8,000 handmade blue and white scarves in honor of the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis, IN. The scarves will be given to volunteers at the Super Bowl. If you'd like to get involved in this check out this link.

Many knitters and crocheters in the area were busy in January making scarves for the RI Special Olympics. Unfortunately the deadline has passed for this but we want to tell you about it anyway because the support this effort received was incredible.

The Special Olympics put out a call for 400 scarves to be given to their athletes for the opening ceremonies this month. As of January 8th only 12 scarves had been received. The call for help went out and it seems that people responded with gusto! One month later the Special Olympics had received 360 scarves! If you'd like to keep your eye open for future scarf needs with this group, keep an eye on their website. The 2011 page can be found here.

With the Super Bowl just over we're sure there was a lot of knitting going on. Helen worked on a new design that she's planning to submit to knitty.com (keep your fingers crossed for her!) and Becky worked on the Ocean Colors wrap she's planning to give her cousin. Did you attend a Super Bowl party? Did you work on a project while you were there?

And then there's this woman who planned to knit a scarf and run a marathon. At the same time. Wow.

Yarn Behaving Badly

2011-02-09T10:35:00.003-05:00

Trying to untangle this skein sure did make a snowy afternoon pass by rather quickly.

So Much Yarn, So Little Time

2011-01-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

You may imagine that the Gurls of Fresh Purls have abundant yarn stashes (most of Becky's stash is pictured on the left here). As the new yarns come in we fall in love with certain colors, fibers, color names and then...we bond with it and it has to go home with us. There is only so much time for knitting and crocheting in our lives, so the stash grows.

In 2011 Karen, Helen, and Becky are taking down the stash! We've all agreed to complete 11 projects in 2011 using stashed yarn. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Anyone who wants to join us in our quest is welcome!

There will be a thread in our Ravelry group to share progress and photos.

Here are our criteria for it to count toward the 11 projects:

1. To qualify as stash yarn the yarn must have been purchased before Thanksgiving 2010.

2. If you need to purchase new yarn for the project that's fine, but 50% of the project must come from your stash OR use 100% of the selected stashed yarn.

3. Only projects begun on or after January 1, 2011 count toward the stash down.

We'll keep you posted on our progress!

Go Red for Women

2011-01-21T09:01:00.002-05:00

Go Red for Women is a social initiative sponsored by the American Heart Association with the goal of raising awareness about the risks of heart disease women face and aims to help women change their behaviors to ensure improved heart and cardiovascular health.

Go Red is active year-round, but ramps up during the month of February to really draw attention to this issue. February 2011 will be no different. One of the fun traditions of Go Red for Women is national Wear Red for Women Day, this year on February 4. Go Red asks everyone to wear something red that day to draw attention to the Go Red movement. February 4 is only two weeks away!

That leaves you plenty of time to knit up a red scarf, cowl, mitts, hat, or whatever to wear that day! Between today (January 21) and February 1 we'll be offering a 15% discount on red yarns to help you get ready for National Wear Red day!

Snow Day!

2011-01-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

This winter has been shaping up to be quite the snow-maker. Two major storms already and we're hearing forecasts for another one at the end of this week. Gulp.

What is your idea of a perfect snow day? Here are ours (they are remarkably similar):

Helen: The whole family at home hanging out and watching great movies on TV, and Helen knitting on the couch with them while she also reads a book.

Becky: Curled up on the couch under a fleece blanket with a cat snoozing in her lap while she knits, drinks hot chocolate and watches Pride & Prejudice (the BBC version starring Colin Firth!).

Karen: On the couch with her kittty Sabrina watching various movies on Netflix, knitting, and sipping a homemade toffee nut latte.

OK, 'fess up! What's your ideal snow day?

3rd Annual Knitting Weekend at Slater Mill

2011-01-19T12:14:00.003-05:00

January 21-23 (This Weekend!!!) is the 3rd Annual Knitting Weekend at Slater Mill. This annual event is quickly becoming a must-attend soiree for the knitters in RI and southern MA. Don't miss out!

The weekend includes a Wine and Cheese reception on Friday night (7-9 pm) with a Berroco Trunk Show, classes on Saturday and Sunday, and a Knitting Marketplace too! Fresh Purls will be a vendor in the Marketplace, so stop by and say hello to Becky and Karen!

Helen is teaching a “Design Your Own Hat” class on Sunday. It's going to be fun! If you have any questions about the Knitting Weekend, contact Bernadette at bernadette@slatermill.org.

Upcoming Classes

2011-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Fresh Purls January and February class schedule is up and classes are filling! Call or stop in to register.

Knitting Classes: Learn to knit or learn a new skill! January 13, 27 and February 3 and 17, 6:30-8:00.

Sock Class: Learn to make socks on DPNs, using two circular needles, or doing magic loop. Ready to turn the heel but not sure how? This is your class! January 20 or February 10. All take place 6:30-8:00

Unraveling Ravelry: New to Ravelry and you're not sure what your next steps are? Here you go, we'll fill you in on the basics. February 5, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Entrelac: Learn the method of knitting in slanted tiers. Two week class on February 8 and 15, 6:30-8:30.

She'll Never Forget How to Kitchener Again

2011-01-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

The Kitchener Stitch is one of those things that many of us struggle with remembering.

Helen, of course, has it memorized. Becky, on the other hand, always has to look it up in the book where she first learned it (One Skein by Leigh Radford). Sarah – friend of the shop and sometime employee – has found a different way to remember it. A couple of weeks ago she had it tattooed on her left thumb! Now whenever she is ready to kitchener a sock or mitten her key is right there!

Is there something knitting related you would ever tattoo on your body? Or not knitting related? In the spring Becky will be getting a new tattoo that's a Mark Twain quote. It's not knitting related, but she did find the quote on the wrapper around a ball of yarn!

So that you don't have to tattoo the Kitchener Stitch on your hand here are Helen's directions from her sock pattern...

Hold the two needles parallel, use a tapestry needle (TN) and leaving about 15” of yarn:

STEP 1: On Front needle: put TN through first stitch knitwise and take off needle, put TN through second stitch purlwise but leave on needle.

STEP 2: On Back needle: put TN through first stitch purlwise and take off needle, put TN through second stitch knitwise but leave on needle.

Continue these two steps till all stitches have been used. Pull yarn through last loop and weave in the ends.

Fresh Purls is Good News

2011-01-11T15:18:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, January 10 Fresh Purls was highlighted in an article in the New York Times, authored by the lovely and talented Ann Hood. The response has been overwhelming and so positive! Thank you to all of you who have called, emailed, and stopped in to congratulate us. It was an honor to be chosen by Ann for her article.

It is true, the community of Fresh Purls is a comforting, supportive one who helps us to celebrate successes and comforts during times of stress. Thank you!

New Hours Coming Soon

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

You've told us, and we listened! Starting January 17 Fresh Purls will have new operating hours...

Monday-Friday: 11-6
Saturday: 10-4:30 (unchanged)
Sunday: 11-3 (unchanged)

We hope that these hours will work better for our customers and allow you to stop in when it's more convenient for you!

Cool Tools of our Crafts

2011-01-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Do you know what this is?

If you said “A Niddy Noddy”, you'd be correct! Do you know what it's for? Read on (courtesy of Wikipedia) to find out a little more about one of the cool tools of our craft...

A niddy-noddy (plural niddy-noddies ) is a tool used to make skeins from yarn. It consists of a central bar, with crossbars at each end, offset from each other by 90°. The central bar is generally carved to make it easier to hold. Either one of the crossbars will have a flat edge to slide the skein off of, or will be completely removable. Niddy-noddies can be constructed of many different materials, including wood, metal, and plastic. Wood is traditional, and most quality niddy-noddys are still made of wood. Budget spinners occasionally use niddy-noddys made from PVC pipes.

Manufactured niddy-noddies can be made of different sizes, producing skeins from 12 inches in length to 4 feet in length. The most common size, however, produces a two yard skein. Very small niddy-noddys are generally used for small samples. Many spinners will spin a sample length of yarn, ply it, and skein it using a niddy-noddy before washing. Then the spinner can see if the yarn is as desired or not.

By counting the number of wraps for the skein, and measuring the length of one wrap, the approximate yardage can be calculated. The yardage is approximate because an exact yardage requires an even tension throughout wrapping the whole skein. Also, a very large skein requires wrapping the new layers on top of the old, which increases the length of the top layers.

Same Sock Different Yarn Finale

2011-01-04T15:36:00.008-05:00

Back in November we embarked on a knit along to make the Harris Tweed Socks in different yarns to see how the pattern held up to different colors treatments. The goal was for all of us to finish one sock by December 15. It was a blast!

A reminder: Sherry knit hers in a variegated Bashful Fibers sock, Helen knit hers in a sport weight from Lorna's Laces color that swirled, Becky (who did actually finish by the deadline) used Unisono for a self-striping effect, Sarah knit hers up in a solid Sereknity yarn, Karen's was in a self-patterning Maxima yarn, and Kathy (a customer who joined the knit along) did a solid from Cascade Heritage Sock.

All of us finished the first sock by the deadline (Becky eeeked by in last place by finishing hers on December 14). Now you be the judge, does the pattern hold up in all of the yarns? Do you have a favorite? All of us agree that this pattern is a GREAT sock pattern with a pretty effect. For many of us it will become our go-to “vanilla” sock pattern.

(Becky apologizes: “I accidentally deleted the photo of all the finished socks so have to make do with in-progress socks for those not still in the shop.”)

New Year's Resolutions: 2011

2010-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the blink of an eye 2011 will be here and it will be out with the old and in with the new...resolutions!

Becky resolved to complete a fair isle project for her 2010 knitting resolution, hence the Whale Hat she knitted over the summer. In 2011 all of the Gurls of Fresh Purls are making New Year's Resolutions. And we figure there's a better chance we will stick to them and complete them if we share them all with you. So there they are! The 2011 Knitting New Year's Resolutions:

Helen: Knit a Stuffed Animal from a pattern (that's 2 resolutions in 1!).

Karen: Attend Area 51 to finish up some of her languishing projects.

Sherry: Do the finish work on two of her completed sweaters and wear them.

Becky: Knit the Cobweb Lace Stole, a project she frogged a couple of years ago because she wasn't quite ready for a lace project on that level.

Do you have a 2011 Knitting/Crocheting resolution? Share them with us in the comments and we'll all keep each other honest!

Just Click and Go!

2010-12-27T11:12:00.000-05:00

A question we are always asked is what kind of needle is better: bamboo, metal, wood, straight, circular... The answer is always the same: It's a total personal preference. Karen and Helen prefer the metal Addi Turbo circular needles. Becky prefers wood or bamboo circular needles. Sherry tends toward straight needles, usually bamboo or wood.

This fall Skacel released a new interchangeable needle set for those knitters who don't like to use their Turbo needles. Made from bamboo, this set comes with eight needle tips in sizes US4-11. Also included are three cables in 24”, 32”, and 40” lengths.

Becky, the resident bamboo circular needle knitter, has taken them on a test knit. She used them with various fibers and sizes to see how they worked. She loves them! The tips are nice and smooth, but with just enough grip that she doesn't feel like her stitches are going to slide off. Where the cable joins the needle is nice and smooth: no catching of the yarn. And the convenience of the “click and go” is great. It sure is nice to not have to go looking for a little tool to tighten the needle onto the cable like you have to do with the Knit Picks Harmony needles.

If you are a knitter who prefers the bamboo or wooden needles, and are in the market for a set of interchangeable needles, these are a perfect option. Finally, you could have all the needle sizes one generally needs in a fun green case! The price tag is on the spendy side at $180, but just think about how much you spend on every individual needle for different projects. It adds up!

We don't normally have these sets in stock, but they are easily orderable! If you are interested in purchasing a set, come on in and we'll get the order placed!

Wrapping your Hand-Made Gifts

2010-12-21T15:21:00.003-05:00

The knitting and crocheting is done (or nearly we hope!) and now comes the wrapping. You've put so much effort into creating your one-of-a-kind gifts, they should have a WOW! presentation too! Below are a few of our favorite ideas, some inspired by guidance found in Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Adorn your packages with pom poms (use a pom pom maker or follow these directions) or knitted stars (fast and cute!) using the free pattern Stjarna on Ravelry.

Instead of using store-bought ribbons, make a few i-cords in festive colors or matching the gift within to wrap around the packages.

Include handwritten note on how to care for your new garment and a lavender sachet to use when the item is stored.

Wrap the item in tissue paper and tie a bow with yarn leftover from your project.

We know that Christmas is only days away so knitting or crocheting a bag to give your present in is a long shot, but in the future you may want to consider creating a bag to give the gift in.

Week of December 20-27

2010-12-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Monday: 10:00-4:00
Holiday Knit Night 6:30-8:30

Tuesday: 10:00-5:00

Wednesday: 10:00-5:30
Knit Therapy 6:30-8:30

Thursday: 12:00-7:00

Friday: 10:00-2:00
K2tog will be canceled

Saturday: CLOSED

Sunday: CLOSED

We will reopen for our normal business hours on Monday, December 27.

Thank You!

2010-12-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

We did it!!! Our collection box for the RI Community Food Bank is filled! Thank you for your generous donations. They are sorely needed and will go to good use.

The Holidays Come to Hope Street

2010-12-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

The Holiday Stroll was a lot of fun and the street was hoppin' with folks enjoying the brisk weather and holiday atmosphere! Here are some photos of the festivities. Check out the violinists in Kreatelier. Is the young woman on the right wearing Fetching gloves?

Yankee Swap Food Drive

2010-12-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Our Food Drive for the RI Community Food Bank has been a lot of fun so far! The box is not quite full yet though. Help us to fill the box! The Yankee Swap Food Drive goes through this Saturday, December 11.

Gifty-loos for Crafters

2010-12-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

Gifty-loos for Crafters It's always so hard to figure out what a knitter or crocheter might want or need for a fun holiday gift. Right now we have a table full of ideas! There are travel mugs, coffee mugs, earth-friendly journals, lace blocking wires, Eucalan wash, shawl pins, and bags to hold all of the little tools we need for projects.

We've also just received some very pretty Laurel Hill crochet hooks made from Palmwood. They're light weight, slick, and pretty to crochet with! Becky discovered these hooks on her recent trip to Arizona and used one to finish her Big Fat Crochet Scarf. The palmwood hook was so much nicer to work with than the metal hook she began the project with.

Are you a crafter who is trying to come up with suggestions for your own list? Karen, Helen, and Becky have their list. Here it is to help jumpstart your brainstorming!

Karen
Gift wish: Atenti Knitting Bag
Stocking Stuffer: Gift Enclosure Tags

Helen
Gift wish: Vogue Knitting Stitchionaries (Volumes 1-5)
Stocking Stuffer: Zauberball sock yarn in bright colors

Becky
Gift wish: Elizabeth Scarf pattern and four balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze #640 (Glacier)
Stocking Stuffer: Palmwood Crochet Hooks in E, G, and H

Junior League Marketplace – Fresh Purls will be there!

2010-12-08T12:29:00.001-05:00

Saturday, December 11, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI

Get all of your holiday shopping done at the JLRI Holiday Marketplace with more than 40 area merchants and artists! Fresh Purls will be there. Come and visit us and all the merchants!

The Marketplace is a free event and Santa will be there for holiday pictures!

Come in for some Me Time!

2010-12-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

Beginning January 11 we'll be hosting a weekly hour of Me Time! So while the kids are in school, or the laundry is washing, or your avoiding the grocery store, stop in to Fresh Purls for an hour just for you.

Every Tuesday 10:30-11:30

There is a fee to join the Me Time group. The joining fee is $45, which you can pay in installments of $15 a week for the first 3 weeks. As a Me Time group member you'll receive a 10% discount on in-stock products during the weekly meeting time! So come in, bring a friend, make some new friends, and relax!

When is it not OK to knit or crochet?

2010-12-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

Helen was telling us a story earlier about how she got chatting with a gentleman at the garage while waiting for her car to be serviced. The two of them chatted along for a while as Helen was knitting a new design. In the course of conversation he asked if she brings her knitting when she goes to someone's house. She replied that she always has knitting with her. He told her that if she came to his house and knitted he would be offended and feel that he wasn't holding her interest.

This has us wondering, when is it OK or not OK to knit? We all regularly knit when we're out visiting friends, drinking in our local pub, have company over, waiting in the doctor's office, etc. Obviously we wouldn't bust out the yarn and needles at a wedding, but rarely do we feel it's inappropriate. In fact, for many of us knitting while visiting friends helps us to focus on them!

So, what do you think? When do you knit or not knit?

Public Art on Hope Street

2010-12-03T11:51:00.001-05:00

If you've been on Hope Street between the Library and Seven Stars this week you may have noticed the new sculptures that were installed last week.

The Hope Street Merchants Association held a public ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, November 30 that was attended by Mayor Cicilline and artist Donald Gerola. Read the article in the Providence Journal about the sculptures here.

Next time you're on Hope for fun, food, and shopping check out the sculptures near Festival Ballet, Seven Stars, Citizen's Bank, and the Rochambeau Library.