Dear Friends of The Blue Purl,
At The Blue Purl, we come together as a community, but ours is also a solo pursuit that produces items that are calling cards of who we are – with each stitch we put a bit of ourselves into our work. That’s one reason handmade items are so treasured, they are not just hats, gloves and socks, they are part of each of us.
That’s why we find the picture below so powerful and why we wanted to share it and a bit of its back-story for African American History Month.
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Do you know Sojourner Truth? She was a runaway slave who spoke throughout the country with her stories of being beaten, harassed and forced into hard labor. She sued when her five-year-old son was sold into slavery – and she won. But she was also a pioneer,
one of the first to use photography to tell her story
, build her reputation, and earn a living, by selling the photograph, while being an abolitionist. Hers was a kind of early social media with photographs mounted on postcards, popular in the day and collected.
This one shows her with a knit shawl over her shoulders as she holds her knitting in her hand. This was only one of her cards, and it is hard to know so many years later why she chose this image – but to us it sends a message of pride in her work, determination in her identity and love of creation.
Sojourner Truth copyrighted the image in 1857 (see the back of the photo below) and wrote on the front
I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance.
While at a human rights convention, she said that she
“used to be sold for other people’s benefit, but now she sold herself for her own.”
It's so much more than a picture of a woman knitting --- It is, we believe, her saying I am somebody, I matter. Knitting, crocheting, all the beauty we create and spread through our chosen craft is partly about our very human need to be creative, to express ourselves.
Maybe you will find this all a bit too heavy for a neighborhood yarn shop. But we think it’s important to stop, reflect and think about how our craft has over the centuries meant so much to so many, including a runaway slave/abolitionist who expressed herself and her message of freedom and individuality in this picture, where she is knitting.
We have lives so far removed from what Sojourner Truth lived. But each of us can look at this and understand her feelings of pride in her craft.
Please join us at The Blue Purl. Take a class. Coach a friend.
connect + create
Patty & Wendy
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Learn more about Sojourner Truth, her life, her speeches ("Ain't I a Woman" speech - she's an early feminist too!) here on her
Wikipedia page
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NEW SHOP HOURS
ARE IN SESSION!
Sunday 12-4 and Monday Evening 4-8
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Scarlet & Gold Super Bowl Sale
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On Sunday Feb 2, The KC Chiefs and the SF 49ers will face off in the Super Bowl. Both Teams rock red & gold -
which can be an issue. So we are taking 10% off our red and gold yarns in stock (hand dyed, variegated, Woolfolk excluded) for Sunday only! Sports matters to many of us. In fact we have an employee, who shall remain nameless, who bleeds blue pinstripes.
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Shibui Sale Continues on Discontinued Colors
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Say that three times :) We Will keep the 20% off Shibui on the discontinued colors only. They are beautiful. Enjoy!!
Also...check out Casapinka's sweater design-
The Night Forest
One of our staff picked out her colors in Shibui Birch(pictured and still on sale) Wouldn't that be beautiful?! Limited sweater quantities available at 20% off!
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NEW!! Frame Loom Weaving Workshop
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2 Sunday's in March with Judith Symonds
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Tapestry Weaving on a Frame Loom. 12” x 16”: An Introduction and Beyond
Level:
Beginner
Dates: 2
Sunday Mornings March 8 & 15
Time:
9AM - Noon
10 SPOTS ONLY!
Do you have a yarn stash and wondering what to do with it? Want to bust out and learn something new that's highly accessible?
The what, why and how of Warp and Weft.
All the ins, outs, overs and unders needed to begin and complete a woven project. We will learn plain weave, kilim technique, cross hatching and more. There are endless possibilities of what can be done.
Warning! VERY addicting!
--Judith Symonds
is an artist, weaver, knitter, educator. When asked she said she has been weaving for 200 years.
She was named 2003 Knitter of the Year from Lion Brands Yarn.
Cost:
$100
Supplies:
Loom on sale at The Blue Purl
Need 2 colors or worsted weight to start - Please bring bits and pieces of yarn you love and if you have a stash - some you don't mind sharing.
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Join in the fun! Email, call or drop in. We always love to see you!
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New! Beginner Knitting Class
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Felted Change Purse
Level: Beginner (no experience)
Instructor: Yiba Ng
Dates: Wednesdays, March 4, 11, 18, and April 1
Time: 9 - 10:30am
Pattern: Provided at first class
Skills you will learn: Casting on, knit stitch, purl stitch, decreasing, increasing, making a button hole, simple seaming, binding off.
Are you a beginner who's never knitted a stitch but wants to join in the fun? In this four-session class you'll learn the basics of knitting, purling, casting on and binding off, increasing and decreasing, and more, all while creating a simple change purse.
Class fee: $75 + supplies from The Blue Purl
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Babette Blanket - Crochet NEW!!
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Babette Blanket by Kathy Merrick
Level: Advanced beginner (must know how to chain, single, half double, double, triple crochet - not a very beginner class)
Instructor: Carolyn Hanson
Dates: Thursdays , March 12,19,26
Time: 7-9 PM
Skills you will learn: crochet a granny square - in the round, color work, follow a pattern, how to seam together
This is one beautiful blanket. Made in fingering (sock) weight. Check out the many ways it has been done on Ravelry to get some ideas. The pattern has been around for awhile so
this link is helpful to look at hundreds of examples! Can be as big - or small as you want.
Class fee: $75 + supplies from The Blue Purl & dip into your stash for this baby!
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Bunny
Level: Intermediate
Instructor: Keri Samuels
Dates: March 11, 25, April 1
Time: 5-7 PM
Pattern will be provided
Skills taught: A lot of shaping (increasing/decreasing), seaming
This is an old toy pattern Keri will work through with you to make this super cute bunny. Look at that belly!
DK Weight Yarn
Class Fee: $60 plus supplies
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Claremont Cabled Hat
Design by Virginia Sattler-Reimer (for Blue Sky)
Instructor:
Yiba Ng
Class Meeting:
February 12 and 26, 9am-11am, Wednesdays only
Experience Level:
Advanced Beginner
Skills:
Knitting continuously in the round in a small circumference and decreasing.
Supplies:
-Blue Sky Woolstok, 2 hanks or any worsted weight yarn, approximately 160 yds
-US 6 needles, 16 inch circular
-US 7 needles, 16 inch circular
-US 7 needles, 24 inch circular
Notions: stitch markers, cable needle, tapestry needle
Have you mastered the basics of knitting and are ready to expand your skill set? In this hat class, we will guide you through the pattern, as well as work from charts. In addition, instead of the traditional method of decreasing using double pointed needles (dpns), we will show you how to manage decreases using two circular needles.
(new pattern available next week)
Cost: $50 + supplies from Blue Purl
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Sasha Cowl - 2 spots left!
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Level: Advanced Beginner
Instructor: Keri Samuels
Dates: Feb. 25, March 3 (March 10 as snow date)
Time: 9-10:30
This pretty cowl is the perfect project if you’re looking for a quick little neck warmer made in thicker yarn. It only requires 130 yds. of chunky weight yarn and could be the project that introduces you to knitting in the round and making lace.
From the pattern: “Knit in the round, Sasha starts and ends with a bit of simple garter stitch. The easy lace pattern in the center reminds us of Gothic arches.” Pattern is both written and charted.”
Techniques include: knitting in round on a circular needle, chart reading and learning yarnovers and decreases to make a simple lace pattern.
cost: $40 + supplies from Blue Purl
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Golf Club Covers - 1 spot left!
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Golf Club Covers
Level: Intermediate
Golf Club Covers by Keri Samuels
Dates:
Tuesdays, Feb. 18, 25 March 3, 10 - 5 - 6:30pm
Pattern- will be provided
Teacher: Keri Samuels
These golf covers are great for your set of clubs or a fantastic gift for the golfers in your life. Choose your favorite colors.
Techniques: Different stitch patterns, each club is a bit different so there is a new stitch to learn, also, working on 2 circular needles, knitting in round, simple color-work, increasing/decreasing.
Class fee: $75 + supplies from Blue Purl
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What's Up at The Blue Purl
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Woolfolk Trunk Show - Wool Elements III
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BETO N . D I C K I E
BY NATALIYA SINELSHCHIKOVA
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We are getting the Woolfolk Elements III trunk show immediately upon launch of the new patterns. The patterns debut tomorrow and the show should be here Wednesday. There's a new dickie people!!! Nobody designs better dickies than the Woolfolk designers. Remember the
Grete! All of it is beautiful as you can see. Also Woolfolk has been doing really great little interviews with their designers on instagram - follow them
@woolfolk_yarn.
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PLADE . COWL
BY ALMA BALI
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KLAR . HAT
BY LUUANNE CHAU
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STRENG . WRAP
BY PENNY OLLMAN
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ENKEL . HAT
BY CAMILLE ROMANO
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Never enough Woolfolk - Antonia Shankland visited and left us her adaptation of Getting Warmer by Espace Tricot in Flette Bulky - Just 2 skeins! Pattern free with purchase. This is so comfy cozy and so warm and looks so cool. Tried it on and didn't want to part with it.
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May I have some more Marianated Please!
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Yes you may! We've a new shipment of Marianated Scrumptious HT (sock/fingering) in the house.
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Fibre Co. Shipment is beautiful!
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Right? Look at the colors! Cumbria Fingering, Acadia, Meadow, Arranmore Light, Road to China - We gave them a shelf space together - come see! Also we have a round of trunk shows from The Fibre Co. coming in. First up Cumbia Fingering and the One Sweater - should be here towards the end of next week.
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Our Monthly Baah LaJolla color is here! Feb "20 It's AMAZING!
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The beautiful handcrafted shawl pins just arrived from Nature's Wonders in Ontario, Canada.
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When Claudia showed up at the counter with her Noro Ito it made our day. The pattern is
#9725 Neck Down Cardigan by Diane Soucy. Love her Buffalo Nickel buttons too. Beautiful Claudia.
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Never Not Gnoming by Imagined Landscape is on Ravelry, it has three sizes. Kathie made hers in Harrisville Shetland and they sure are super cute.
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Cheryl came in with her son Jeffrey in his new sweater. What a good sport - he put it on for a picture with his
mom.It's the
Easy Favorite Knit Pullover
by Joyce Nordstrom. Cheryl made the sweater in Homestead tweed. Amazing Cheryl and we LOVE him!
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Barbara's
Arcade scarf by Antonia Shankland in Woolfolk Tov DK is elegant. Lucky person who gets to wear this.
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Noelle and her mom made this blanket for her son Andrew. "
I took the Building Lace and Building Blocks classes which gave me the idea and basis of the blanket. Then I took patterns from different sources - Bristol Ivy, Seed Stitch, and Sequence Knitting to come up with the patterns. They have stitch glossaries so I adjusted the number to my blanket. " So impressive Noelle Love it and sure he will too. Thanks for showing us!
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Catherine came in wearing her
Brielle Shawl Collar Cardigan by Jennifer Wood. She used Shibui Staccato and Pebble held together. It's stunning Catherine!
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Addison works on a scarf for her Grandmom Monday Night (Yes we're open 4-8 PM on Mondays!) while wearing the
Getting Warmer cowl - modified into more of a poncho by her mom April - who as a matching one! They are made in Trendsetter Icon with the sparkly sequence in it. Gorgeous poncho on Gorgeous Addison. We love hanging with you Addison!
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Sheila's looking awesome in her
Royal Mille Cowl out of Malabrigo's Rasta. Great work Sheila, that'll sure keep you warm!
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New Hours: Sun. 12-4 •
Mon. 4-8 •
Tues. - Sat. 10-5
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