Twisted Yarns Newsletter
March-April-May-June 2010
News: Wow! We
just celebrated our 6th Anniversary, and what a party we had! It was great fun seeing all of you, and
sharing stories of the last 6 years.
As we embark on the next year, we just want to say thank you to all of
you, for your support and friendship through the years. We look forward to many more years
together!
Follow us on Twitter! Be the
first to know when we receive new items or significant shipments of some of our
favorites. Just go to www.twitter.com/twistedyarns and you can sign up to follow us.
New Yarns: Spring is here and we have the spring yarn to prove
it! We have the new Debbie Bliss
ecobaby yarn with a great pattern book.
ItÕs the same gauge as her Cashmerino Baby yarn, so you can also use the
same patterns. We have resupplied
Sublime Baby Cash Silk DK and have their new great books, and some new pattern
books for their Organic Cotton and Soya Cotton. We have the DK weight Ruca, which is AraucaniaÕs yarn made
from 100% sugar cane!
MirasolÕs
Nuna is here as well, a beautiful 6 sts/inch merino/silk, with a hint of bamboo
to give it a nice subtle sheen.
CascadeÕs new Ultra Pima is on the shelf, with the usual 220 yards, and
beautiful colors. Kertzer has a new certified organic cotton that we couldnÕt
resist. ItÕs a sport weight called
Down to Earth Cotton, and we think you will love it. Come see our Baby Surprise
model in this yarn! A bit heavier weight is CascadeÕs Luna, a soft 100%
Peruvian Cotton, at 4.5 sts/inch in gorgeous solid and painted colors. Blue Sky
has added some Multi Colors to their Organic Cotton line. Queensland Collection
has a new worsted pima cotton, the relaxed looking Pima Fresca.
Our
Classic Elite yarns just arrived, including Firefly, a viscose/linen blend that
has a nice sheen. Classic Silk is their new cotton/silk/nylon blend. The nylon
helps keep the cotton silk from stretching. It comes in many gorgeous colors. We also received their
organic cotton called Sprout. It
is a worsted weight cotton in fun spring colors! There are several great pattern books to go along with these
new yarns.
We
are so excited to be carrying Isager Yarns of Denmark! Marianne
Isager selects only prime quality, classic yarns in a richly varied and
stunning range of colors, and uses only natural fibers. We have the super soft Alpaca 2, a
50/50 blend of alpaca and wool.
Her Highland yarn is 100% wool from Scotland, with amazing depth of
color. We also have the books The
Fine Line , Classic Knits, and Japanese Inspired Knits which
feature these yarns. The new Sekku
Lace from Noro is great fun to work with.
ItÕs a cotton/wool/nylon/silk blend spun in the famous Noro style. We
have a new cotton baby yarn, called Cotton Candy which comes in fun baby
multicolor twists. Our latest shipment of Crazy Zauberball sock yarn is flying
off the shelves. We also have
Mountain ColorsÕ new sock yarn, Crazyfoot. ItÕs a superwash merino and nylon, in their amazing
colors!
There
are several more yarns on the way – Linares from Ester Britan – a
multi colored cotton/viscose blend and Cottontail from Jill Eaton – a
machine wash/dry 100% cotton in fun colors! The list could go on and on –
we will keep you updated on new arrivals in Twitter!
New Books & Other
Stuff: Knitting
Brioche is the ultimate book on the brioche stitch. It has several
techniques, different brioche stitches and patterns. From the popular One
Skein series, we have One More Skein with several quick knit
projects. Reversible Knitting includes several unique patterns for
reversible projects. The New Stranded Colorwork book has several fair
isle projects for adults and kids. For crocheters, we have Crochet Adorned,
a great book for updated crochet embellishments and Crochet in Color with
a wide variety of scarves, shawls, and sweaters. We also have the series of Kim
Hargreaves books, including Amber, Precious, Breeze, Nectar,
and her latest, Winter Blooms.
New Classes: A Beginner Lace class is a good way to branch out
with your knitting, and try something new! We are offering ÒTop Down Cool Cable HatÓ - a hat with a
cable rim thatÕs added on at the end.
ItÕs great fun, and youÕll learn several useful techniques. We are
introducing a Shadow Knitting class which will teach you this technique for
interesting color effects in your knitting! Beginner Crochet is back on the
calendar as well, weÕve had a big increase in crocheters with all the fun patterns
out there. We are bringing back
some favorites that we havenÕt offered in a long time - the Aran Baby Sweater
class, Entrelac and Basics by the Block (formerly known as Block of the Month).
Charity Knitting: We will be gathering hats and helmet liners for the troops
in Afghanistan and Iraq. This time, hats will be donated to Blue Star Mothers
of America, a nation wide troop support group which has been around since
WWII. Your hats need to be donated
by April 30. Please use dark colored yarn. We also are accepting adult hats for
the Lord of the Streets Episcopal Mission in downtown Houston. They are in need of hats to keep their
clients warm! Our Newborn
Hat Project continues, so come by and pick up some yarn and a pattern. Please
make sure the hats you make are at least 3Ó in diameter. We deliver hats to Texas ChildrenÕs
Hospital and MD Anderson. The
hospitals and babies greatly appreciate your hard work. Check our website for other charity
knitting opportunities. For each
hat brought in for charity, you will receive a $1 coupon.
Each
class includes experience level information to assist you in determining if a
class is right for you. Also,
remember you will receive 10% off your yarn purchased for a class. The class schedule
is available on our website – www.twistedyarnstexas.com
Beginner – youÕre a novice, either youÕve never knitted
before or itÕs been a long time!
Advanced Beginner – you know the
basics, cast on, knit and purl, and basic increases and decreases
Intermediate – you have experience
in knitting or crochet projects, knitting in the round, reading patterns, etc.
Ever want to learn how to make an aran sweater (or
one with several stitch patterns), but not ready to make a full adult
garment? This class is for you.
You will learn three stitch patterns (simple cable, lattice and moss stitch),
reading the pattern, making increases and decreases in a pattern, buttonholes
and assembly. This is a 3-session class. Materials: 350 yards of worsted weight
yarn, appropriate needles, cable needle, and 5 buttons. Pattern is for a 6
month and 12 month size. There is homework before the first class. The class
fee is $50 and includes the pattern. Level: Intermediate
In
this class you will be introduced to this great art and will learn how to cast
on, knit, purl, increase, decrease and bind off. By the end of the
three-session class you will have completed a felted bowl and have the skills
to knit scarves, hats, shawls and many other projects. We will have classroom
yarn and needles available for your use for the first class. During the
subsequent classes you will be working on your first project, so will need
about 100 yards of 100% wool in a worsted weight and 16Ó circular needles size
11. Fee: $55 includes the bowl
pattern.
Basics
by the Block
Learn
several new stitches as you make 12 blocks to make a gorgeous afghan! This is a
12 session class meeting twice a month, so your afghan will be done in six
months. This is a great project to learn new stitches and experiment with color
combinations. Materials: about 1650 yds worsted weight yarn (Manos is a great
choice) or 138 yds per block, size 9 needles, and Four Seasons Throw Pattern booklet. Fee: $15 per session. Level:
Advanced Beginner
Beginning
Lace Knitting
Tired of
casting on the same old way for each project? In this class we will explore a variety of cast on methods
– from the basic e-wrap through more complicated long-tail variations,
various provisionals and beyond. Included in the cost of the class is our first
ever DVD of all the cast on methods learned for easy reference and practice!
Materials: 50 yds worsted weight yarn, a small amount of waste yarn, size 8
needles (straight or circular), size H crochet hook.
Fee: $45
includes the DVD. Level: Intermediate.
If
youÕve avoided knitting a sweater because of the seaming and finishing work
involved, then this class is for you! This basic cardigan is knit from the top
down with neck and button bands included as you go, with no pieces to seam
together. You can also customize your sweater with a choice of neckline styles
and body and sleeve lengths. Materials: 1100 to 1450 yds worsted weight yarn,
Size 7 needles in 24Ó circular and DPNs and size 8 needles in 29Ó-32Ó and 16Ó
circular (or size to obtain gauge) and Button Up Your Top Down
book. Homework will be given upon
registration. Fee: $60, plus cost
of book. Level: Advanced Beginner.
Entrelac
Scarf
Learn the
entrelac knitting technique as you start knitting this beautiful scarf. This is
another one of those addicting knitting techniques! The color-coded tutorial
from Leslye Solomon will help you keep your place in the pattern. Materials:
440 yards of self striping yarn (Noro Kureyon or Silk Garden are good choices),
size 9 needles and Watercolor Dreams Entrelac scarf pattern (will sell to you
for 50% off with the class). This is a one session class. The fee is $30. Level: Intermediate
What
is yarn? And how do we make it?
Join us for this basic class using a drop spindle and wool roving to
make your first chunky worsted yarn. The fee is $25 which includes the fiber. A spindle is
available for $13. Level: Beginner
Joyful Joins!
This quick
one-hour session will teach you 4 different invaluable ways to join a new yarn
into a project. WeÕll show you how
to weave your ends in like an expert as well. Materials: 2
colors worsted weight WOOL scrap yarn (not superwash), needles size 7 or 8,
scissors, and BYOS (bring your own spit! J)
Fee: $15. Level: Beginner
This
is a good class for beginners who want to learn shaping. As long as you know
how to cast on, knit & purl you are ready! You will learn to knit in the round on double pointed
needles, make ribbing, decrease, and finish your hat. This is a great class to
take before learning to make socks. Materials: Yarn and appropriate needles in
16Ó circular and DPNs (or just DPNs if you are taking this before taking Socks
101). The fee is $25 and includes the pattern. Level: Advanced
Beginner
Learn
to Crochet
Learn
the basics of crochet, including single and double crochet and chain stitch.
When you are done you will have an Ipod or cell phone case! This is a one-session
class. Materials: approx 100 yds worsted weight yarn in light color and a size
H crochet hook. Fee: $25. Level: Beginner
Learn
this fun and easy technique in using different colored yarn and just knits and
purls to create interesting effects in the finished product. This is a one
session class to teach you the technique, experiment on different samples and
get you started on a project of your choice. Materials: 50 yds of light worsted
weight yarn in two contrasting colors (tightly spun cotton is preferred), #4
needles and stitch markers. The fee is $25 and includes the pattern cost.
Level: Advanced Beginner
Make a Sleeveless Summer Shell in your
choice of yarns. This class will
be split into 3 sessions and you will have plenty of time in between sessions
to complete the homework. We have
pre-selected a basic shell pattern.
This is a great way to venture beyond scarf knitting! You will need to purchase yarn
and make a gauge swatch before the first class. The class fee is $50 and includes the pattern. Level: Advanced Beginner
You will
complete a small sock and learn all the techniques needed to make socks for you
and your family. We have revised this class to teach you how to knit in the
round during the class. Materials: size 7 DPNÕs and 1 skein of worsted weight
yarn in a light shade. Fee: $35.
Level: Advanced Beginner
Top Down Cool Cable Hat
– New!
Learn a hat
from the top down! On this cute
hat you will learn I-cord, increases, and cables. Materials: 250 yds DK or
worsted weight yarn, 16Ó circular and DPNs in needle appropriate for your yarn
and ÒNeed a Hat?Ó book. The fee for this two session class is $40. Level:
Advanced Beginner
Return Policy: Returns must be accompanied by a receipt, no exceptions! We encourage you to buy plenty of yarn
for a project so you donÕt run out, which is why we are happy to take back any
extra within 1 year of purchase. Returns
on yarn will only be accepted for 1 year from date of purchase, in their
original condition. We cannot accept yarn that has been wound, or yarn
that has been kept in a smoke filled environment. Additionally, we will only accept returns of needles and/or accessories in
their original packaging for 2 weeks from the date of purchase with your
receipt. That should give you plenty of time to do a gauge swatch and
figure out if you need a different needle size. No
returns on books, patterns, or
clearance merchandise.
Special Orders: When
you are placing a Special Order, we require a 50% non-refundable deposit.
Special Orders are not returnable.
Holds &
Clearance Items: We are happy to hold regular priced
yarn/needles, etc. for 30 days, and then they will be returned to the shelf. Please call us as soon as you know you
wonÕt need the yarn. We
cannot hold clearance yarn.
Classes: All
class fees are non-refundable!
Please understand that we are securing an instructorÕs time and holding
a place just for you. You will
receive a 10% discount on any yarn purchased for a class. Please support your local yarn shop by
using our yarns for your class project.
We are happy to help you with any project at any
time, but hope you will understand that if the store is busy, we may not be
able to give you 100% of our attention! If you have a project that requires a lot of help, or
you will need more than 15 minutes of our time, please call the shop and book a
private lesson with one of our instructors. That way we can give you our undivided attention, and we
wonÕt keep other customers waiting for help. The fee is $15 per hour.
Thank you so much for sharing
our love of knitting! We really
enjoy having you as our guests. If
you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions as to how we can better serve
you, please feel free to call us at 281-528-8664, or send us an e-mail at twistedyarns@earthlink.net. Thanks for helping us make Twisted Yarns your
favorite yarn shop!
Twitter: www.twitter.com/twistedyarns We
are usually open the 4th Thursday of the month Ôtil 6:15 before the KANG KNOT meeting.
Store
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday
10 to 5
Closed Sunday & Monday
Phone: 281-528-8664
Website: www.twistedyarnstexas.com
E-mail: twistedyarns@earthlink.net