Swatch, scarf and new Festival info

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Calling all swatches, bits and pieces

The Knit the Bridge group is looking for and collecting all swatches, bit and pieces. Some of the crocheters are using these within the panels. There are many meetups listed on the website: www.knitthebridge.com.

We’ll have our very own Knit the Bridge Lounge Kick-off reception at the Festival on Friday evening (March 15), with a presentation scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the official kick-off for the “Knit and Crochet all Night” to begin at 9:15 p.m. Games, prizes, coffee and lots of fun are planned. We’ll provide the yarn, all you need to do is bring your needles and hooks.

If you have fabric or notions, bring them, too, for the Festival is once again an official Salvation Army Fabric Sale drop-off location.

On Saturday evening (March 16), we will have a Ravelry meetup at the PJ party with StevenBe. We will also be presenting Kathy Zimmerman with a Lifetime Achievement award. Kathy will be featured in our event program… please be sure to stop at her Kathy’s Kreations booth (Nos. 2 and 3) so she can autograph your copy. At the party, we’ll have prizes and giveaways, so wear your best jammies, socks and slippers! We’ll also continue to knit and crochet panels for Knit the Bridge during that event.

There is no charge for either evening’s activities; it is included in your day admission. Please be sure to RSVP for them, though, so that the hotel has an idea of how many to plan for. Can’t wait to see you there!

With Warm Regards,

Barbara Grossman

Join us for UPMC Senior Communities Sunday

March 17 is UPMC Senior Communities Sunday at the Festival! That means that all seniors, 65 and older, pay only $5 (admission at the door only) ALL DAY Sunday. This discount was graciously made possible by UPMC Senior Communities.

Plus, did you know that the Mega Bus stops in Pittsburgh? Plan to come with a group on the Mega Bus and save money to buy even more yarn!

Festival classes are filling up

Right now, the following classes have been filled:

Friday PM Intro to Fair Isle Knitting
Saturday AM Crochet with Bead Class
Saturday AM Tunisian Crochet Entrelac Scarf

Please be certain to check the website when filling out your form for full classes, they will be updated there, as well as on our Facebook and Twitter pages, as they fill. You will receive a confirmation if you sign up for classes.

Dyeing demos added to Festival lineup

We will have demos on Saturday and Sunday showing various dyeing techniques. Wendy Colbert and Amy Reed have been providing dyeing demos in the Fiber Tent at the Martha’s Vineyard Ag Fair for the last 5 years, but we welcome them to their Pittsburgh Festival debut.

Wendy and Amy will be showing how to dye with a Crock pot, and how to “paint” on fiber and yarn. They will also have on display items that have been dyed in the past, so you can see the wide variety of options that can be used on fiber.

Two winners from Jan. 9 Sweepstakes announced

We had two copies of Knitted Farm Animals, 15 Irresistible Easy-to-Knit Friends, by Sarah Keen, to give away in our last issue. The random Sweepstakes winners are Gina Eckert, Eighty Four, PA, and Jane DiMenno, Pittsburgh, PA. Congratulations to you both!

Free pattern AND Sweepstakes prize, courtesy of Robyn Chuchula

The wonderful Robyn Chachula, Crochet by Faye, is sharing her Trefoil Scarf pattern with Festival Update readers! But before you break out the crochet hooks, check this out:

We are offering a FREE ADMISSION for one person to one of Robyn’s classes: Beyond the Basics on Friday PM OR Crochet Sweater Repair Kit, Saturday PM.

The drawing for the winner of the class will be selected in one week: Jan 30, with the winner notified and posted on Facebook. Simply send an email (one entry per person, please) to pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com by Jan. 29, 2013, with the subject line of “Crochet by Faye.” Please include your name and a phone number where you can be reached.

Robyn will also be available at the Crochet by Faye booth (No. 56) to sign any autographs and books when she is not teaching.

OK, now about that scarf pattern: Visit CrochetByFaye.com/TrefoilScarf.pdf to download the PDF!

Welcome, TKGA!

We are pleased to welcome a new exhibitor this year: The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA) will join us and will be our official “ER” for anyone who has any mistakes that need to be addressed.

We also welcome our 2013 Festival sponsors: