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Barb is moving! She and Randy closed on a new home and are moving to the other side of town next month. While packing, sorting and clearing out, many books, magazines and yarns have been set aside to be included in the baskets for the following stores, our exhibitors in the upcoming Steel Valley Yarn Crawl: RaggZ fiber art, Kathy’s Kreations and Yarns by Design.

Information for the Steel Valley Yarn Crawl, including dates and other participating stores can be found at this link.

Here are some fun items to look for:

• Lots of Knitting, Crochet and Fiber Arts magazines, free, while they last at RaggZ fiber art in Greensburg, along with some books to go into the raffle baskets.
• Books and yarns for Yarns by Design in Oakmont.
• A “Sporty Stripes Cardigan” kit, designed by our very own local designer Kathy Zimmerman of Kathy’s Kreations in Ligonier (see review below). It was one of the items Barb came home with from June’s TNNA trade show to review from Kraemer Yarns. We’re sending this full kit to be included in one of the raffle baskets at Kathy’s store during the Yarn Crawl. Stop in and enter for a chance to win. Eleanor Swogger of Kraemer Yarns will be at Kathy’s Kreations for a meet & greet/yarn tasting on Friday and Saturday, August 7th and 8th.

With Warm Regards,

Barb and Ann

Sporty Stripes Cardigan Review:

It is a ladies’ hoodie style classic striped cardigan. It knits up quickly with durable, easy care Kraemer Yarns Made-in-the-USA “Perfection” weight acrylic/merino wool blend yarn, spun in Nazareth, PA. “Chunky” is especially soft and enjoyable to knit, making this the perfect casual sweater for cooler evenings and into fall. The garment supporting your favorite sports team. Or just choose two or more colors that you especially like. The counterpart is the striped adult’s unisex “Sporty Stripes Pullover”, also knit with soft easy-care “Perfection Chunky” in a different stripe sequence.

Here is what Kraemer Yarns says about the yarn:  “Perfection is a soft, easy care wool/acrylic blend that won’t break the bank. Perfection is well, perfect! The merino wool makes the blend one of the softest around. It is very comfortable against the skin. Whether you are knitting a sweater for a newborn infant, an afghan for a friend or something special for yourself, you will find that Perfection is a great all purpose yarn. Perfection is available in 57 colors and four weights: DK, Worsted, Chunky and Super Bulky.

Congratulations to our winners from last months newsletter:

The Winner of the “50 garter stitch gifts to knit “featuring Universal Yarns Book Giveaway Sweepstakes is: Darlene Barngrover of Pittsburgh, PA.

The Winner of the Universal Cotton True Sport Yarn Giveaway Sweepstakes is: Jean Tibbs of Seven Hills,Ohio.

The Winner of the  Universal Universe Yarn Giveaway Sweepstakes is: Donna Erisman of Pittsburgh, PA.

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet and Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2015 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

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The heat is here and oftentimes a good respite from the heat is to stay indoors. When it is just too darned hot to garden, take a walk or even sit by the pool, I find myself getting more things done indoors as if it were a rainy day. Knitting, crochet and crafting projects rate high on my “to do” list and they keep me sane and reduce the stresses of work and life.

The past few weeks have been crazier than usual, our mom fell and broke her hip 🙁  Poor mom, at 89, it’s a more difficult recovery, but she is doing well and has made excellent progress in rehab and will be discharged soon to go home.

In the middle of Mom’s recovery was TNNA, The National NeedleArts Association show, the largest trade show for retailers. I went with Sarah while Ann stayed behind and took care of mom, (that Ann is a good kid!).

I was overwhelmed at the amount of new products I saw this year. Lots of lovely yarns, along with accessories, patterns, books and fibers. I love being steeped and surrounded by so much color, but if I had to make choices and purchases for a store, I would be hard pressed to select less than 100+ new products. I met with several of our sponsors, teachers and new folks who will be making an appearance at the 2016 Festival.

We’ll be making final selections for our 2016 headliners and will be sending out class submission forms soon. Please let us know if you have any intriguing class ideas or would like to be considered as a teacher in knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning, quilting, paper crafts, sewing, jewelry and beading, or scrapbooking. We have many fun and interactive ideas brewing already.

I came home with many new products to review from skacel, Kraemer, TSC, Universal Yarn, Knitting Fever Inc, Louet NA, Brown Sheep, Coats, Kreinik Mfg. Co. Inc., Bryson Distributing, Martingale and others who plan to send items for review at a later date. I’ll save some of the heavier weight wool items until fall to review. I can’t even think about wearing or beginning a heavy weight project just yet with the heat and humidity.

With Warm Regards,

Barb and Ann

Yarn Review:

skacel has a fun yarn suitable for all weather, but more so at this sunny time of the year. Abracadabra, by HiKoo, is a blend of merino, poly and nylon that changes color when exposed to the sun! “The hippest thing since platform shoes is this trendy new yarn for knitters and crocheters. You’ll amaze the whole posse when you step into the sun and your sweater comes to life, changing from cream to vibrant pink, purple or blue!” You can combine all three and make a variegated changing garment:

I took my skein outside and it changed to pink. It worked!

A perfect hat, outfit and blanket set for a baby, to be given at a baby shower. What a fun surprise it will be for Mom and Dad to discover they have accessories that change when they take baby out.

Book Review:

50 garter stitch gifts to knit
The Ultimate Easy-to-Knit Collection featuring Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted

The easiest and first stitch we learn how to do, garter stitch, is often overlooked for fancier stitches in patterns. This easy to follow book features 50 projects for the very beginner to the advanced knitter. Whimsical, easy to make toys and gifts to complex shawls, blankets, home decor, accessories and a flattering, simply shaped colorwork-yoke cardigan. Don’t forget, garter stitch can easily be enhanced through shape, color and other textures and designs. As shown in the book: mosaics, striping, zigzags, chevrons, twisted stitches, dropped stitches, felted bags and a special pattern featuring Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s Geometric Openwork™ Hole in One Cowl. This pattern happens to be my favorite…after finishing it I would weave silk ribbons throughout the entire piece:

:

This month we have 3 giveaways, in addition to the book, Universal Yarn sent the following yarn for giveaways:

Cotton True Sport: We have one skein of a silvery gray, the yarn is lightweight and smooth, 100% cotton. It comes in a broad color palette. Cotton True Sport is a perfect choice for baby knits and exquisitely polished fine garments that can be worn on those beautiful summer evenings.

Universe:  We have one skein of this yarn for one lucky winner.  This yarn was created as the tenth anniversary offering of Universal Yarn.  Universe is a special fiber blend with just the right amount of sparkle, also a good choice for a summer evening shawl. A perfect weight for crocheters, this superfine yarn is a combination of linen, cotton, a bit of poly and a hint of glitter. One skein has 246 yards, just enough for an openwork shawlette.

To Enter the Book Giveaway Sweepstakes email pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com with the subject line “50 garter stitch knits” by June 30, 2015.

To Enter the Yarn Giveaway Sweepstakes email pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com with the subject line “Universal Cotton True Sport Yarn” by June 30, 2015.

To Enter the Yarn Giveaway Sweepstakes email pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com with the subject line “Universal Universe Yarn” by June 30, 2015.

Congratulations to our May Sweepstakes winners:

Debbie Charney of McKeesport, PA won the Crochet Skill Building book and Kathy Matson of Harrison City, PA won the LB Cotton Bamboo Yarn!

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet and Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

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With the merger of the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival and the Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival we have been exploring a broad range of activities, classes and creative arts for the show in 2016.  We have just returned from the Great Lakes Mega Meet in Detroit, the mecca for Scrapbookers with many exciting ideas and inspiration.

This was the beginning of our Creative Art and Fiber travels this summer. We will be attending TNNA (The National Needlearts Association trade show) at the end of the month in Columbus and hope to stop in at the other fun events slated for this summer. You may want to save the dates and make plans to attend:

• Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber Festival, Saturday May 16th. If you are interested in farm and fiber tours, Pittsburgh Tours and More is providing shuttles to the Waynesburg Festival, the Ten Mile Fiber Mill and Lippencott Farm, and the Dundee Field Sheep Farm and Apiary.
• The Western Pa. Quilt Shop Hop, June 17th-20th, 2015.
• Steel Valley Yarn Crawl, July 31st-August 9th, 2015.
• Summer Knittreat, August 6th-9th, 2015 in Tuscon, Arizona!

We will keep you up to date with news, events and fun happenings in the local scene of knitting, crochet, fiber, quilting, scrapbooking, creative arts and more. If you are attending the Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber Festival this weekend, make sure to stop by and visit our participating exhibitors including Annadele Alpacas, Ashgrove Soaps and Sundries, Fairy Tale Knits, Michelle’s Assortments, Rainbow Mountain Alpacas, Star Knits, Taylored Fibers, Ten Mile Fiber Mill and The Ross Farm.

Book Review and Sweepstakes:

Crocheter’s Skill-Building Workshop with Dora Ohrenstein
Essential Techniques for Becoming a More Versatile, Adventurous Crocheter

Everything comes back around. Crochet was huge in the 60’s, 70’s and even earlier, taking a back seat to knitting in between and making a recent rapid rise in popularity. Following on the heels of knitting’s renaissance, crochet is undergoing it’s own revolution and is being recognized as a more sophisticated craft, featured on fashion runways and seen more in art installations. With crocheters looking for new ways to update their skills beyond the basic granny square and afghans, designer Dora Ohrenstein is leading the way in shaping the fresh fashionable face of crochet.

Dora integrates traditional techniques with new innovative discoveries developed to keep up with contemporary materials and evolving styles.

The book is organized by technique, offering patterns for 75 swatches. Followed by  “toolbox” essentials, tension tips, problem solving solutions, shaping and construction, color and finishing techniques, this book leaves no room for guessing. Featuring a photo of a stunning 1940’s Edwardian-style gown, used for a theatrical production with a matching parasol, done in Irish crochet, to a “hip” Colorwork bag, Dora has covered all of the bases. This book is for crocheters of every level who are eager to understand patterns, and want to create their own designs.

Yarn Review and Sweepstakes:

Lion Brand’s representative left me with a bag of LB Collection yarns to try out after the festival. I have had the pleasure of beginning a little ruffled skirt for my granddaughter with the Cotton Bamboo. The yarn is soft, easy to work with and perfect for any number of spring and summer projects. Tanks, bathing suit cover ups, shawlettes and lightweight baby clothes, this easy to care for yarn works up with 5 stitches to an inch. With 245 yards on a skein, in a variety of colors, it’s doesn’t require much to make many smaller projects with only one skein. I have a skein of Cotton Bamboo Magnolia for one lucky winner.

On a final note we had over 350 fiber angels made at the Festival to donate to the children at The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with our Annie’s Angels campaign. Thank you to everyone who took the time to help put a smile on a child’s face.

Please let us know if your guild or group is interested in making any angels, we will be happy to help supply the materials.

With warm regards,

Barb and Ann

To Enter the Book Giveaway Sweepstakes email pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com with the subject line “Crochet Skill Building” by May 28, 2015.

To Enter the Yarn Giveaway Sweepstakes email pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com with the subject line “LB Cotton Bamboo Yarn” by May 28, 2015.

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 / (412) 963-7030
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

View online | Subscribe | Visit us online | Archives

Ann and I have sufficiently decompressed and rested. What a great Festival! We are grateful for all of the kind words and feedback, and want you to know that we couldn’t have done it without you! Your continued support and participation in the festival is what makes it a tremendous show and very rewarding for us both. Some of the highlights of this years festival included:

Beth Weldon and her daughter Grace Zimmerly – Best in Show Winner for “Alpaca Princess” (Photo credit: Sebastian Voth)

• The Fab 4!
• Fantastic Teachers and Classes
• Yarn
• Fashion Show and Design Contest
• Yarn Tasting
• Chocolate
• Mystery Gifts
• “Knittsburgh”
• Warm Up America Lounge
• More yarn
• Pop des Fleurs “Pop in Lounge”
• Annie’s Angels for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
• Waterfall of Yarn Installation
• Knittsy KnittER
• Even more yarn
• Stretch and Renew Sessions
• StevenBe’s PJ Party
• Crochet Superbooth
• Wonderful exhibitors and vendors
• On site Demos
• Outstanding Sponsors
• Free Gifts at the Door

Whew! We have lots of photos. We’ll resume the book reviews next month along with some reviews of yarns that were on site for giveaways and at the Yarn Tasting. Hope to see you atRaggz fiber art grand reopening celebration on Friday, April 10th & 11th and don’t forget Saturday, April 11th for Salvation Army’s Annual Fabric Fair.

With warm regards,

Barb and Ann

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 / (412) 963-7030
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

This message was sent to annsz@live.com from:

Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet | pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com | Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival | P.O. Box 7706 | Pittsburgh, PA 15215

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March 27, 28, 29, 2015

THE WESTIN CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH

Don’t go to the wrong location! We are at the Westin Hotel at 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (downtown). It is adjacent to the convention center. With only 15 more days to go, below are some important reminders, updates and notes to make:

• Mohair, South Africa has sent a small gift for each person taking the “Knittsburgh” Tour with StevenBe on Friday morning, March 27th.
• The last day to mail in an advanced registration form is this Friday, March 13th.
• The final day to make class choices or register in advance online is Sunday, March 22nd. There may be some available open classes, but onsite class selections are an additional $5.00. Take a peek and make those selections now.
• We will be accepting donations for the Salvation Army’s Annual Fabric Fair. You still have time to clear out a drawer or closet and bring in any fabrics, notions, yarns, and art and crafting supplies. Donations will be accepted on the 3rd floor at the registration area.
• Hog Heaven Rescue Farm will be returning as our official coat and bag check and skein winder. (We may not need coats by the end of the month). They are happy to keep all purchases and bags to keep you from having to cart all of your belongings throughout the day. Coat check hours are the same as Marketplace Hours. Bring in any skeins of yarn from home and they’ll have staff onsite to wind them for a small donation.
• The final day to make shuttle arrangements with Pittsburgh Transportation Group is Monday, March 23rd.

On a last note, Ann and I will be on TV next week. Tune in to KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live on Monday, March 16 at 9:00 AM.

Stay tuned next week for all registration and check in details.

With warm regards,

Barb

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 / (412) 963-7030
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

This message was sent to annsz@live.com from:

Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet | pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com | Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival | P.O. Box 7706 | Pittsburgh, PA 15215

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March 27, 28, 29, 2015

THE WESTIN CONVENTION CENTER PITTSBURGH

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE TOUR!

                                                          Lights, Camera, Action: “Knittsburgh”!

Join StevenBe and his film crew on Friday morning, March 27, to kick off the filming of “Knittsburgh” in Pittsburgh with a special tour to Celebrate the “Hollywood of the East”, where movies and film crews abound! This is an interactive tour through city backdrops of movies such as The Dark Knight Rises, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Flashdance, Next Three Days, Inspector Gadget, Abduction, Jack Reacher and dozens more!

Photo ops with Steven as you stop at various locations where movies were made in the ‘burgh. You’ll have an opportunity to ride up the incline, to have an inside peek at various city locations, with surprise guests, a surprise stop and photo op. Treats are included in this fun, interactive tour of Pittsburgh.

Tour departs from the Westin at 9:30 AM with a 12:00 Noon return. Hop on board to be included in the filming of StevenBe’s new Reality show.

Seating is limited, don’t delay. Check out this intro: http://www.surecan.tv/#!work/c24vq

Tour cost: $45.00 – Reservations will only be available for this tour online.   REGISTER HERE

The filming will continue throughout the hours of the festival with Steven and his crew.  They’ll be filming Steven as he interacts with his Festival friends, at the PJ Party, where we’ll be featuring Spring’s latest fashions from ourSponsors, original creations from the Fab Four, and the Design Contest finalists with the “Best in Show” winner to be awarded.

Warm regards,

Barb

Festival Update is published by
Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet
P.O. Box 7706, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 / (412) 963-7030
We do not share our mailing list with any third party.
Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.