Midwest Yarn Iowa City- Guest Blog

Joanne writes from Iowa today….

“Just like my friend Ruth, I search out yarn shops when I travel, hoping to find local yarn.

I’m visiting my daughter in Iowa this week and made a quick visit to the Home Ec. Workshop.

Located in a lovely old red Victorian-style home, the shop offers supplies and inspiration for quilting, crafting, sewing, and a full selection of mostly natural-fiber yarns for knitting and crochet.

It was fun to visit and chat with the owner Codi Josephson, who shared that the shop was recently featured in Better Homes & Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine (Spring/Summer 2022 issue). I came away with a few treasures …. a fabric project bag and some fabric to make a few more. And I found a locally dyed yarn called Ewe & Lea. I loved all the colors, so ended up with five skeins …. wonder what projects I’ll be knitting up!” —Joanne

P.S. You can shop online, if you aren’t headed to Iowa City anytime soon. I bought some sock yarn (on sale) for a friend. -Ruth

The fabric- teacups, teabags and colorful buttons
The yarn by Ewe & Lea
Jen Hewett Project Bag holding the Punkin Head hat Joanne is knitting for her grandson
(click for Tara Thomsen’s free pattern)
This emblem was on their website!

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.

Last on the Card July 2022

Thanks Sheree for sharing the prompt

The rules for Brian’s Last on the Card prompt are pretty simple:

1. Post the last photo on your SD card and/or last photo on your phone for the end of the month.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t co-operate.
3. You don’t have to give any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Tag “The Last Photo”

Above The West Village Knit and Needle

Above The West Village Knit and Needle

Always good to get souvenir yarn.

My sister waited outside the Yarn shop while I popped inside. We were walking back from the parking garage by the River.

Mary had spotted the handsome dog above the entrance.

I bought a couple of skeins of Tuscan Gold DK weight yarn -50% silk 50% Merino wool by Rosie’s Colors in Brooklyn.

A Felted Bowl

My friend Ann in Colorado invited me to join her knitting group (via Zoom) one Friday afternoon. Everyone was knitting a woolen piece to be Felted into a bowl. it was fun to knit with them , virtually.

You have to use large knitting needles and 100% wool yarn to be sure it will felt. I was trying out Germantown yarn worsted by Kelbourne Woolens made in the USA. Our local yarn store, McWalker Yarns , had just gotten some in stock. I chose one 100 gram skein of Sage Green.

It took me a little under two hours to knit. I ran it through the front loader in hot water with old canvas sneakers, twice. A top loader is preferable for agitation and a quicker result.

Note:There are free knitting patterns to search online to make felted bowls. The pattern I used is in a book so can’t copy it.

The finished Felted bowl

Resolutions or No?

This little gift (sent at Christmas from my friend Joanne) spoke to me today when I picked it up to put it away. Some days it’s a challenge but I’ll put it on the shelf near my sink so I can be reminded.

Daily!

If there’s one resolution to make, I will make this one.

Do you make resolutions? I used to make a list. you know, the usual – read more books, exercise, get organized….

The Quotable Matches Resting on a Christmas Hat
I finished just yesterday. Disciplined myself to learn Norwegian Knit and Purl technique and except for the last decreases with purl 2 together, I accomplished this personal challenge.
Jawbreaker colorway of Knittinbro Bulky yarn

Quotable Cards makes the matches, mugs, cards, calendars and ornaments.

Arne and Carlos videos for Norwegian knitting technique

Bringing Joy

A little handmade gift is especially appreciated by someone who makes handmade gifts. You know what they put into it! ❤️

Thank you dear Pam, a fellow sock knitter.
Thank you dear Tookie. Your beaded ball and mitten are great additions to the garland.
.

And sometimes you get totally surprised by a generous spirit, thank you dear Carrie,who created and sent an Advent box, opening a new little package of yarn each day . Just look at the colors! –

And Maine surprises-chocolate lobsters, Moose Poop and maple syrup.

I’m going to knit a Simple Stripes sweater, a fingering weight pattern.

Beets. Yes or no?

Do you like to eat beets?

The beets were delivered in the farm box today.

I thought I’d prepare them for supper. After I cooked them on top of the stove for about a half an hour, I saw the pan of beautiful crimson liquid and quickly retrieved a skein of ecru wool yarn which was meant to be dyed. I’d received it from a woolswapper, Cheryl, and once thought I’d experiment and dye it with Kool-Aid. She’d sent me a skein of Kraemer Textiles undyed yarn. I soaked it in water snd vinegar first and lowered it into the pan. Covered it and simmered the pan a bit. I dyed just the one skein of yarn in beet juice and a bit of white vinegar, rinsed it in cool water and hung to dry in the bathroom. Cant wait to knit with it.

But I digress. Beets? To eat. Yes or no?

Beautiful beets
Soaking in the pan
Sucked up the liquid
A bit varied in tone. Drying in the shower