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Crafters are becoming more and more aware of where exactly their crafting supplies come from. After all, local products are usually more eco-friendly because it takes less gas to transport local products. Besides, it always feels good to think that your yarn came from a neighbor...even if that 'neighbor' is a few states away!

 The Mountain Meadow knit-along incorporates amazing American yarn along with great patterns from Y2Knit. I wanted to feature these two great companies on this blog so you can take a peek at what they have to offer.



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Mountain Meadow Wool, who produces the yarn used in the KAL, uses earth-friendly practices in their production. They reuse or repurpose all the waste byproducts that are created during their process. They use natural citrus-based cleaners, instead of the harsher carbonization process used by other companies, to clean their yarn.

They also dedicate 10% of the profit from each skein sold to the ranchers who grow the sheep who produce their wool. All of their wool is sourced from ranch farms located in the Rocky Mountains and each skein label has the name of the farm from where the skein came. Mountain Meadow Wool helps to protect our environment and they also help to support small farmers in America.



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Now take a great American yarn and add some talented American designers. Y2Knit is a wonderful company with two talented designers at the helm: Jill and Susan Wolcott. Mountain Meadow Wool and Y2Knit have joined forces to create a great knit-along that combines local yarn with local patterns.

 These adorable bobbled mitts and the two hats in the pictures above are all Y2Knit patterns. Market Street Yarn & Crafts is proudly supporting this knit-along. Each month, a different yarn and a different pattern arrive. We've been knitting up samples so you can see how well these yarns and patterns fit together. In fact, we're starting our very own KAL class for these bobbled mitts. We hope you join in and enjoy trying out these great new yarns and patterns!


Bobble-Back Mitts Class May 6th, 13th & 20th
Time: 1:30-3:30

Cost: $75
Includes the yarn and the pattern.
Bring size US 4 double-points, two circulars or one circular for Magic Loop.



 
 
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Last week I talked about our upcoming Fair Isle class. It was last night and we had a lot of fun! The main technique taught was how to hold your yarn using the two-handed method, but everyone ended up using their own style. This cute little blue and white snowflake square was knitted by an English style knitter who held both her yarns in the same hand and alternated between colors. As you can see, different styles still lead to the same end!

 Other upcoming classes include two socks at a time from the toe-up, knitted handwarmers, spinning and even weaving. I always especially enjoy the sock classes just because the students are always so much fun, but that is probably my sock bias showing :) Stop by or call if you want to join in and craft!

 
 
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As a yarn store employee, I get to test all kinds of new techniques and patterns. On April 14th, we are offering a  Fair Isle class from 4:30-6:30 that will provide the basics of the fair isle technique. The Debbie Bliss Fall 2010 magazine issue had a great beginner project that consists of a square with a snowflake motif  which is knitted and then attached to a card to make an adorable custom holida card.
 
One of the perks of the job is getting to try all kinds of yarns and so Pat let me pick two colors of Nature Spun Sport to knit my very own snowflake square. The original is knit in red and white fingering weight, but becaue sportweight is a little easier for beginners, we modified that for the class. I, of course, didn't pick traditional colors and instead chose two shades of purple: regal purple, a deep rich warm color; and lavender, a delicate gray-purple that complemented it perfectly. 
 
 Honestly, this cute little knit was SO fast to knit! I weighed my skeins after I finished my first square and it only took 4 grams of each color for the entire square. At that rate, you could make at least 12 squares from just two balls of Nature Spun Sport and at $3.75 a ball, that's less than $10 for a lot of knitting time. This could make a thoughtful holiday gift that doesn't take three months to knit and it offers a wonderful introduction to th Fair Isle technique. I can hardly wait for the class to start!

Class Details:

April 14th: 4:30-6:30 pm
Cost: $25
Includes:
Two colors of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport
Debbie Bliss Fall 2010 magazine issue

Bring your size 5 needles, straights or circulars!


 
 
 A great new shipment of books has arrived at the store and we are highlighting some of the titles here.
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Judy Durant's 101 One Skein series is a great asset for any knitter who wonders what to make with those lonely single skeins in their stash. After all, how many hats can you make?  Thankfully, there are plenty of great patterns of all kinds in 101 Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders and 101 Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders. I personally probably have more sock yarn than any other kind of yarn in my stash so I love the variety of projects in the sock book. These glossy paperbacks pack a lot of punch in a small package. At $18.95 each, you can get one or both and it's still a bargain!

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Vogue & knitting go together like peanut-butter and jelly and so it's no wonder they have published their own line of hardback stitch dictionaries. The crocheters don't have to feel left out because a whole stitchonary is dedicated just to crochet stitches! From color knitting, to lace patterns, cables and more, these stitchonaries would make a great technical library for any crafter. These lovely hardback books are priced at $29.95 and would make great presents.

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Never knit socks before? Great! Veteran sock-knitter? Still great! We have some amazing new sock pattern books on the shelves and whether you've been knitting socks for years or are just getting started, these books are excellent resources. As a long-time sock knitter, I love Wendy's Johnson's toe-up patterns. I also love the usability of the 2-at-a-time Socks book by Melissa Morgan-Oakes because the spiral binding allows it to lay flat and the illustrations are very clear, which is a great way to learn a new technique.

 
 
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 The March 'Stripes Alive' completed socks, knitted from Trekking XXL in the Prism colorway.
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For those of you ready to kick off the May KAL by getting your yarn early, we have the Trekking Hand-Art colorway in stock and we are loving the bright, cheery colors! Call or stop by to pick up your own skein to get knitting!
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Get started on the April KAL now by getting your yarn, if you haven't already!