Tallent says she's looking forward to expanding into chemical dyeing. She feels, "You can get more vibrant colors, like deep purples, cobalt blues and true reds."

As a prolific knitter, she sells many of her garments and accessories outright, while some are available at Artisan Knitworks. Prices range from approximately $15 for a pair of angora baby mittens to $350 for an adult-size sweater.

Dyeing with Kool-Aid

Level: Beginner

Estimated time: 1 1/2 hours, plus drying time

Tools: Measuring cup, microwavable pan, microwave oven, pot, rubber gloves, baster, pastry brush, a pan for each color (3 work best) of Kool-Aid.

Supplies: For each 200-yard skein (not ball) of undyed yarn, use 4 packs Kool-Aid in same or different flavors/colors and a pint of white vinegar.

Instructions

1. Soak yarn in water mixed with 1 cup vinegar for 30 minutes.

2. Mix each package/color of Kool-Aid separately in a pan with 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar. Stir until powder dissolves.

3. Remove yarn from vinegar water, squeeze excess water out and divide into three sections, loosely tying each.

4. Dip one section of yarn into one color; then another section into second color. Wearing rubber gloves is recommended. Then dip remaining undyed yarn into third color. (For solid color, pour dye evenly over yarn in pan and push down on it.)

5. Put in microwavable pan and use brush and/or baster to blend colors. Expect some muddling of colors.

6. Cook in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Then, let set for 2-3 minutes. Yarn will be HOT.

7. Check color of liquid by pushing down. If water has any color, nuke and let set again. Repeat until all water runs clear.

8. When yarn is cool enough to handle, remove from dish and tug to straighten it out.

9. When yarn is cool, rinse in pot filled with tepid water. Drain and squeeze excess water out. Tug it straight and hang to dry.

The yarn will also be used for stuffing soft toys for chronically ill children. The chapter is especially in need of 100 percent worsted weight black wool to make helmet liners for the troops for winter. . Bring wool to 389 Millburn Ave.

Creative Hands, a group of volunteers who make items for hospital patients and other special needs groups, meets Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at the chapter house.

SOURCE  _  http://www.northjersey.com/community/announcements/85302777_Yarn_needed_for_Red_Cross_volunteers.html

The yarn is supplied by the club. The Happy Stitchers group meets Thursdays at 1 p.m. at the Saddle Brook Senior Center, 8 Caldwell Ave. Come have cookies and coffee, and make new friends. Donations of yarn appreciated. Can be dropped off at the Senior Center.

SOURCE _  http://www.northjersey.com/community/announcements/84084072_Happy_Stitchers_looking_for_volunteers.html

Ah, the power and the glory of yarn! When you step into a yarn shop, are you overcome with all the splendid colors, fibers, textures and yarn fumes? Does your head spin as you finger skeins, pet them, weigh them, drown in color, or dream of possible projects? You may fall so deeply in love with a yarn, you can't wait to cast on with it for your next sweater. But will this yarn do what you envision? Will you match the right yarn with the right project? Consider these five crucial tips.

1. Wrong Fiber?

2. The four basic types--protein, cellulose, cellulosic, synthetic--have different qualities. Protein means animal hair: sheep, alpaca, goats, rabbits, yak, buffalo and such. This gives us everything from angora to scratchy rug wool. Most wools are springy and have memory, good for nice stretchy ribbing. Alpaca? Not so much, but drapes well. Their scales trap air and absorb water for great comfort while wearing. Silk, in a class by itself, feels warm in winter, cool in summer. Cellulose comes from plants. This includes cotton, flax and hemp for everything from crochet thread to rope. Cotton feels cool in summer, but heavy, droopy, inelastic and some knitters find it hard on the hands while knitting. Cool, hard-wearing linen and hemp soften with repeated washings, have no stretch at all and feel scratchy to knit.

Bamboo shares many of cotton's qualities with a lighter weight. Cellulosic comes from plants and trees, broken down into a chemical slurry that's extruded into long strands like a spider makes his silk. This includes rayon and Tencel. New fibers like soy, corn and others appear on the market these days, great for wool-allergy folks. Synthetics are entirely man-made and include polyester, nylon and acrylics. This gives us everything from rope to fun fur. Synthetics can be machine-washed and dried, which is great for blankets, afghans, or toys. These include workhorse acrylics, showy fun furs and a million varieties of specialty textures. They can feel less comfy because they don't absorb moisture, but they won't rot or mildew. Blends of these four fiber types can share their great qualities and downplay drawbacks. Wrong Yarn Preparation?

3. Wool can be spun worsted for a shiny, sturdy yarn or spun woolen for a softer, cushier yarn. The fiber in yarns can be dyed before or after spinning, sometimes bleached or left the natural colors, hand-painted, kettle-dyed or a million other methods. Lighter colors show stitch definition better than dark colors. Solid and semi-solid colors work well for highly textured designs as they don't confuse the pattern. Multi-colored yarns can make the simplest knit look not-so-simple. For a garment worn near the face, choose colors that work well with your skin tone. The right color makes you glow--the wrong color, no matter how well-knitted, could make you look ill. Wrong Yarn Spin?

4. Multistrand means single plies are spun one direction, then singles are twisted together the same direction to form yarn. Did you ever notice the left leg of your knit stitches looks skinnier than the right in stockinette? That's a multistrand yarn. Cabled yarn has singles spun one direction, then singles are twisted together the other direction for a balanced yarn. Wrong Ply Combination?

5. Single ply can feel soft and plush, but pills. Two-ply can make great lace as it spreads stitches open. Three-ply makes round yarn that's great for socks and gives cables extra dimension. Yarns with even more plies have more strength, less pilling. Yarn spun into cobweb laceweight behaves well for airy shawls. Sock weight, DK and fingering weight yarn makes a splendid yarn for socks, hats, baby items, mitts, tights, scarves--you name it. Worsted weight works great for sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, heavy socks, slippers, afghans, blankets, bags--either felted or not--and so much more. Bulky weights create heavy sweaters, coats, hats, scarves and slippers. Danger: Slippery When Wet?

Some fibers are weaker when wet. Some stretch or grow when wet. Dry clean only? Hand wash and lay flat to dry? Machine wash and dry? Each yarn comes with its own care instructions which may affect your choice of what pattern or garment you knit. How many sweaters and socks have become gigantic or miniature through the wrong laundry method? Don't discover this the hard way.

The right yarn at the right weight, knitted into a pattern that shows off the yarn's finer qualities can last for years of happy use. If you're still unsure how your particular yarn will work up, read The Knitters Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes. It's fabulous. Or if you check what others have made on Ravelry you'll see how their yarn behaved in various projects.

Knits going Bad

Charlotte, NC - January 21, 2010 -- Debbie Stoller, America's knitting icon and author of the New York Times best-selling "Stitch 'n Bitch" series of knit and crochet books, is launching a new line of 100% natural and 100% affordable yarns.
Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller™ offers three new, premium-quality, natural fiber yarns of the type previously only available in specialty yarn shops, at prices so attractive, they'll quickly become needlecrafters' preferred basics. The yarns were developed in partnership with Red Heart® from Coats & Clark.

"I am so excited to introduce these quality yarns," said Stoller. "The fibers are luxurious and the range of colors for each yarn is eye-popping. Plus, the entire line is supported by contemporary, hip, stylish knit and crochet patterns; a breath of fresh air for today’s knit and crochet fans."

Stoller, a "knitting superstar" known for revving up a new generation of knitters, crocheters and crafters, brings the same passion and expertise to her yarn line. Full o’ Sheep™, a lofty, 100% Peruvian wool in 12 vibrant shades, is perfect for mixing and matching. With tasty colors like Poppy, Clementine, Passionfruit, Honeycomb and Mediterranean, it is a natural for color work and stitches up quickly into stylish fashion scarves, warm hats or cozy throws. It’s also great for felting.

Bamboo Ewe™ combines the exquisite softness of wool with the sheen of bamboo. A silky smooth combo of 55% viscose from bamboo and 45% wool, boasting a luxuriously soft hand, Bamboo Ewe is available in 10 glorious colors including Geranium, Beach Glass, Sprout, and Mermaid, to name just a few.

Alpaca Love™, a plush combination of 80% wool and 20% alpaca, offers the hand and properties of a fabulous alpaca yarn without the price tag. This luxurious blend comes in 8 rich colors. It feels and looks wonderful, adding a bit of luxury to a multitude of projects.

All three are medium weight and come in generous 85 – 100 gram balls, selling for under $5 each.

"Finally, there’s an affordable option in high-quality yarn. With one stitch you'll discover that Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller is yarn for people who love yarn," said Stoller.

For more information about Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller™, visit
stitchnationyarn.com or redheart.com.

With over 1,000,000 copies in print, Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘n Bitch series of books have not only helped create a new generation of knitters and crocheters, but have also spawned a worldwide Stitch 'n Bitch movement, with more than 600 groups formed in close to 300 locations and over 25 countries. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the popular women’s magazine, BUST. Debbie has a Ph.D. from Yale in the psychology of women, and hails from a long line of Dutch knitters. In addition to writing books and running her magazine, Debbie also leads travel excursions, teaching and meeting her fans around the world.

Coats & Clark is one of the most recognized names in yarn, sewing and needlecraft products in America. First marketed in 1936, the Red Heart® brand today continues to exude its founding principles: quality, value and inspiration for the knitting and crochet enthusiast.

June Auld holds a basket of toques she knitted for needy children. The Guelph woman is one of many who knit items for charities, nursing homes, schools, hospitals and developing countries.Photo by Greg Layson

by Joanne Shuttleworth

GUELPH — When all your friends have a handmade blanket, all the kids have Christmas sweaters and all the grandkids have booties and hats, for whom does the knitter knit?

A growing number of hand crafters are knitting for charities, supplying nursing homes, schools, hospitals and developing countries with cosy comfort and warmth.

So it was for June Auld, 74, who had pretty much exhausted her list of gift recipients.

“I did afghans for all my grandchildren and my honorary grandchildren too,” the Guelph woman said. “I was looking for something else to do. When I heard there was a need I could fill, I got busy.”

In each of 2007 and 2008, Auld crocheted 100 child-sized hats for the Rotary Club of Guelph South, which transported the hats to Nogales, Mexico for Rotary’s shoebox project. In 2009 she set a personal record of 250 hats.....

Read more at -  http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/585908

Photo by Swikar Patel

by Deb Todd

Celebrity sightings of Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts and Madonna engrossed in knitting projects and a recent spate of movies and books such as “The Friday Night Knitting Club” have inspired a new generation to explore the craft. Touted as “the new yoga,” knitting soothes jangled nerves and allows technology-saturated psyches to power down and relax.

And, Lori Miller said, “It's guilt-free sitting.”

Miller, co-owner of Sarah Jane's Yarn Shoppe with her mother Linda Yovan and her aunt Sally Rang, has knit since childhood. Taught by their mother and grandmother — the store's namesake — the resurgence in knitting surprises the three women. They never stopped.

Natalie Bell, co-owner of Knitting Off Broadway with her mother, Jan, believes the knitting revival began mid-decade.....

Read more at -  http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100115/LIVING/1150302

Participants of all skill and ability levels will knit and/or crochet hats, booties, and blankets. Admission is free and all materials provided. Families and children are welcome.

Yarn donations are being accepted, wool exempted, as many of the babies are severely premature and could have skin sensitivity. Non-perishable food items and clothing donations will be collected at the door for the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless.

For more details or to RSVP, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwvolunteers. For more information, call Katie at (307) 766-6871 or e-mail kkleinhe@uwyo.edu.

SOURCE -  http://www.uwyo.edu/news/showrelease.asp?id=38682

Threads of Life wool shop in Castle Donington

The full day workshop will be led by Emma King, a local knitting expert who has published four books on the subject . Only 10 places are available and will run between 10.00am - 4.00pm. The class is linked to current trends and magazines, and demonstrates how different textures can be combined. Participants will complete a project which focuses on techniques such as cabling and lacework....

Read more at -  http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Derbyshire/Derby/DE74/News/Whats-On/151466-Threads-of-Life-Introduces-Knitting-with-Texture-Workshop-30-Jan

Twist Yarn Shop customer Lynn Muskus (left) watches Susan Gilroy, an employee and knitting instructor, knit a fingerless glove during a class. In addition to offering knitting supplies and yarn, Twist Yarn Shop also hosts knitting classes. Photo by Corinne Westeman

Shelly Stilger comes across as the quiet type — not shy, but definitely soft-spoken.

Her demeanor certainly contrasts with the lively gatherings she facilitates for knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching enthusiasts as owner of Twist Yarn Shop in Wichita's Delano district.

Twist, which opened in July 2007, fulfilled the 34-year-old Stilger's dream of running her own business. Her 1,500-square-foot shop features a cascade of colors with different types of yarn lining the walls.