October 1st, 2016

Welcome to October! I think the lovely quote above by American author Rainbow Rowell says it all, although in my version I would substitute "Swaddle me in handknits" for the "Swaddle me in corduroy" part, of course.       And I'd like to start off this newsletter with another quote, one that really resonated with me as I was reading my Fall 2016 copy of Vogue Knitting magazine (check it out, the newly re-designed format is wonderful, and the articles in this issue are amazing, as amazing as the designs this time around - great job, Trisha!). This quote is from the article on Shetland Knitting:  Then and Now by June Hemmons Hiatt, really going straight to the heart of how we feel and operate here at Conversational Threads, and the article starts out as follows: "Mass-produced garments made anywhere and everywhere by machines are impersonal and disposable; they hold no special meaning.  This "fast" fashion is often made by laborers working long hours in unsafe conditions for poor wages; the environmental cost is high as well because of the way most raw materials are produced and shipped.  As a result, a growing number of us are becoming more interested in the provenance of the materials we work with; increasingly, we want reassurances that the clothes we wear leave a gentler footprint on the planet and are ethically produced.  We knitters want the yarn that flows through our fingers, and the things we make with it, to express our values.  We want this knowledge to be part of our practice so we can send our work out into the world with pride, and have it received with appreciation for the thought that went into making it." These were just a couple of the thoughts I wanted to share with you this month, as we head on in to high season for knitting.  I hope you don't mind my sharing them. Now on to the news for October!

We Have Not One But Two Pop-Up Shops Coming Up in October! Monday, October 10th from 4:30PM to 8:30PM, We Welcome Helena Bristow of Oink Pigments and her Pop-Up Shop! Stop by and shop at this one-time exclusive event! Here is their statement - Established in 2010, Oink Pigments is a purveyor of small-batch, indie-dyed yarns in Vista CA (San Diego) and Indianapolis IN. Our team (Alexa, Helena, and Julie) is a trio of strong-willed women who love pigs, puns, and purls (and parentheses). Our bright and playful yarns and fibers are 100% USA made from sheep to shelf (yes, even the sheep are Americans).   Now you can check out their yarns on their website (link above) and then stop by the shop for a great time and the the chance to purchase your favorites! And Another Pop-Up Shop - Sunday, October 23rd from 1:00PM to 4:30PM  Theodora's Pearls Pop-Up Shop You've seen her lovely yarns in our shop before, and now Jennifer will be bringing us new lovelies from her wonderful collection of unique, hand-dyed yarns in such bases as wool, wool/cashmere and bamboo fingering. And Don't Forget to Stay for Jennifer's Free Lecture from 2:00PM - 3:00PM to a mp up your color confidence and knitting success! If you've got a few (or many) skeins of lovely handpainted yarn, but don't know what to do with them, you’ll love this informative talk! Jennifer, a designer of hand dyed yarns, will show & teach the most spectacular ways to show off your special skeins. This talk covers fearless color combining, innovative ways to work with 2+ skeins of handpainted yarns, color theory, and more. You will explore your own color sensibility and preferences; learn how to visualize how a handpainted, multi-color skein will knit up; how to work with long & short color repeats, & explore the stitches that avoid unsightly color pooling. Jennifer shows many examples of handpainted yarns from skein to ball to finished garment/accessory, so that you can better predict your knitting outcome! This lecture includes a handout for a handpaint stitch sampler scarf.

The Bus to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival is Full!    If you have a seat booked for which you have not yet paid, it would be best to do so as soon as possible as there is a waiting list started.  Unpaid reservations soon will be getting a call to be certain you still intend to go on the trip.  Everyone whose seat is already confirmed will be getting an email approximately one week before the trip with reminders of all the details of the trip.

Upcoming Classes

Toe-Up Socks with Lavanya Saturday, October 22nd - 11:30AM - 2:30PM  Cost $25.00 Join Lavanya for an afternoon of knitting and learn the techniques needed to start your very own pair of toe-up socks. In this class we will be learning the Turkish cast on, toe increases, and magic loop knitting. You will learn how to knit a sock that fits using the measurements of your own foot. This is a great introduction to sock knitting! Materials needed: US2 32" circular knitting needle and 400-800 yards of fingering weight sock yarn.

Our Regular Class List (See our website -  www.ConversationalThreads.com - for more information) Beginner's Knitting Course - An Ongoing Class  Tuesday Evenings from 6:30PM to 8:30PM and Thursday Afternoons from 3:00PM to 5:00PM Weekly General Knitting with and Emphasis on Shawls Session with Jean Thursday Afternoons - 1:00PM - 3:00PM | Cost $10.00 Weekly Open Crochet with Deb Thursday Evenings - 6:30 - 8:30PM | Cost $10.00 Weekly Knitting Basics with Jean - Evening Session Thursday Evenings - 6:30PM - 8:30PM | Cost $10.00

See you at the Shop - Cindy

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