North East – More Than a Direction

There is a town in Pennsylvania called North East. Yes, that’s the name of the town, not just a direction. About 150 miles north of Pittsburgh, near Erie, it turns out it’s the northernmost town in PA.

My friend Roberta went to the North East Farmer’s Market and saw a vendor with yarn! There were chairs behind the display table and knitters sitting and knitting. She told them about her friend the knitter (me) and that I’d even been on a knitting cruise to Norway with Arne and Carlos . (If you’re unfamiliar with this creative duo who live in a Norway, you can click their name to learn about their creative designs.)

Sunday night Roberta came over to my front porch to celebrate my birthday. We shared Taiwanese takeout she had brought with her, Blackberries on vanilla ice cream and pizzelles were dessert.

Then I opened a surprise birthday gift she brought. It’s so cool she chose such lovely yarn for me and although she’s not a knitter, she knows I have a passion for it.

Yes, she knew I’d love the yarn from the Three Tulips Yarn Company …dream up magical colorways in tiny, individual batches so that your project will be truly unique. We love yarn and believe that each stitch should be a joy to create.”

You can meet the team at Three Tulips Yarn Company here

Here is what she gave me

Colorful and feels so squishy and a teacup on the birthday card!

Hand-dyed Micro Batch Yarn by Three Tulips Yarn Company I think to make a Hat on the left /Socks on the right.

Pittsburgh’s Indie Knit & Spin

You know how much I love different yarns and all the possibilities they inspire.

Last Saturday I went with a friend to the Ace Hotel in East Liberty to check out the Pittsburgh Indie Knit & Spinevent, held in the former YMCA gym.  The “boutique hotel” was hopping, serving lunch and drinks and coffee, while eager knitters perused the booths.

A vendor at one booth was wearing this pin.Two dinosaurs winding yarn!

Although the vendor preferred anonymity she was more than happy to share the story of her quirky and creative pin.  She told me to google Malojos   So fun. Meet the designer of the pin who lives in Chicago About Natalie Have you seen the 14K gold gauge rings she makes?

I limited myself to purchasing a single skein of sparkle yarn named “The Shire” ( my first sparkle yarn)  HandDyed by Trisha Eliason of Gypsy Stardust Yarn and Fiber Shop. 

Good Water and Co. is a mother-daughter team dedicated to bringing the world a better knitting bag. Based in central Pennsylvania, each Good Water and Co. bag is handcrafted from start to finish, with no two bags being exactly alike. We are dedicated to providing knitters and crocheters with funky and innovative solutions to everyday problems.  – from their Website

They had many great bags and had repurposed dresser scarves sewn into project bags to hold knitting projects or whatever else you might think of-

The Ace Hotel hosts Knitting in the Knook every third Tuesday, too. Offering tea and a cozy place to sit and knit.  My friend Ann and I went to knit in February and everyone was so nice. That’s how I learned about the Indie Knit & Spin Event.

HANDYED Yarn in BERLIN at Die Wollnerin

Meet Sabine Bornemann.

Hand Dyer of gorgeous yarn and yarn shop owner in the Schoenberg Neighborhood –Die Wollnerin .Very close to Winterfeld Platz.

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Handcrafted little zipper bags for notions,  stitched by another woman (whose name I will add when I get it)

42608A5F-9241-40DE-B9A0-B509734CD410AB43D938-8889-4D52-8CA1-64969D125B6BMy first trip I bought a single skein of this lucious Alpaca Silk Cashmere and then made a second trip to buy another skein.  My last day in Berlin I bought the hand dyed sock yarn of the loveliest merino and a bit of nylon for endurance.  On my final day, I took Sabine’s photo as I said I would for the People at Work Series. Thank you Sabine. Your shop is wonderfully inspiring to me.

Looking  forward to my return visit in the Spring.

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