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Festival Update

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:

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
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Copyright 2014 Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

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