Look who gave me the gift of a birthday song video.
Sam Barsky and his Artistic Sweaters came to Yarns by Design in Oakmont PA in 2019 summer and I blogged it. Click on his link to see the list of sweaters he’s knit. Here are a few of his artistic designs.
Sam Barsky gave me the gift of a birthday song while wearing a birthday cake sweater. Click to see his video we have a mutual friend. A prolific knitter, Naomi, whom I “met” on McWalker YarnsKnitting Zoom .
Remember when I traveled to Norway for the Arne and Carlos Knitting Cruise in September 2018? That’s where I met Arne and Carlos, who are well known knitwear designers and authors of creative books. During these difficult and anxious times of COVID-19, they are videoing daily from their home Quarantine Knitting with Arne and Carlos. It’s on their YouTube Channel
Even if you aren’t a knitter or crocheter they are entertaining and fun to listen to. They are generous and kind. There will some cooking on the episodes, too. Their neighbors will deliver the ingredients to their porch. Because they had just travelled out of the country, they are in quarantine in their home.
We are all having to “shelter in place” as the brave nurses, doctors and medical workers have to go to help others. Grocery and pharmacy workers and other essential services are at risk as they continue to work with the public every day. Challenging is an understatement.
Join their public Facebook Group Quarantine Knitting with Arne and Carlos They are welcoming dialogue, comments and engagement from viewers. Joining in can help you feel less isolated and anxious. They are encouraging knitters and crocheters to continue to support their local yarn stores during this shutdown of small businesses. Because social distancing is necessary and the physical stores in Pittsburgh are closed, McWalker Yarns in Millvale is offering creative options for yarn delivery and Yarns by Design in Oakmontis offering Free Shipping through Apr 15th. Knitting groups and classes are cancelled but they’re even trying to have a virtual knitting circle, stay tuned.
These fancy peach cookies, which are more like a full scale dessert item, were created by Rebecca. She’s going to be in her friend’s wedding and she’ll be baking six dozen peach cookies for the big day.
I met Rebecca while I was taking a Sunflower Granny Square Crochet Class, taught by Sarah at Yarns by Design in Oakmont. Rebecca brought a dozen of these peach cookies to share with the Knitters and crocheters. A trial baking run. The verdict was unanimous-excellent job, Rebecca! Delicious.
There are many steps to making these. Baking, hollowing out center to make room for cream. Peach Schnapps is involved. Big sparkly sugar, pastry cream, maraschino cherry for the center. She’ll add a tiny green stem and leaf to the ones she makes for the wedding.
We hit the turnpike and went about an hour’s drive to Forbes Road PA where we met Toni at RaggZ Fiber Art Vincie spotted these giant knitting needles and the welcoming archway.
We called Dyed in the Woolin the North Hills from RaggZ because they were going to close at 4 PM and weren’t open on Sunday and in order to finish the Yarn Crawl and get their pin and stamp I needed to hightail it out of the village of Forbes Road and get to Babcock Boulevard. We skipped lunch and made it in plenty of time to meet “….Carol Briggs Dragos and Lynda Bowen. We love yarn in all its glorious phases, fleece, roving and yarn. We love to spin, weave, knit and crochet with it. Join us in our fiber journey. All we can promise is fiber, fun and friendship” from the website
SUNDAY at Noon Sewickley YarnsOpened and I got there close to their opening.
A beautiful summer day to drive down Ohio River Boulevard to the town of Sewickley.
Owner Robin welcomed me, assisted by her daughter Clair. Store hours are going to be changing soon -Tues Thurs and Sat- 10-4 with a late knit night open on Wednesday 10-8 PM. Friday 10-7 with Knitting Happy Hour 5-7
I asked Robin what Sewickley Yarns sells that is unique to the area and she showed me Koigu, Baa yarn and Shibui.
Raku Ceramic Buttons
Paper Patterns
Raffle Baskets
Baa Yarn
Sewickley Yarns carries Koigu Yarn
The Yarn Crawlers who complete the eleven store crawl are put into a random drawing to win a prize basket with yarn and accessories from all of the stores
The Grand Prize Baskets waiting for a random number to be drawn
After I completed the crawl I went to knit a bit with a nice group at McWalker Yarns in Millvale and photographed Jennifer and Joanna in the Photo Spot.
There are 11 yarn stores on the “passport” where the yarn crawlers get a stamp and a cute pin to put on the specially printed bag, finishing the center of each of the flowers in the design. Every store has different types of yarns, accessories and supplies for sale.
The bags were/are for sale at each store (if they haven’t already sold out). My friend Vincie and I started the crawl this morning, wending out way out to Ligonier and visiting Kathy’s Kreations on East Main Street. Thirty nine years in business! See photos below.
Three Knitters from Altoona were going to ALL eleven yarn stores in a single day!
Kathy’s Kreations in Ligonier Pennsylvania
Faerie Garden Theme Tinkerbell is all around the store
One of the prize baskets
Yarn to knit up Black and Gold sports team items
Tink is Knit backwards. Tinkerbell and the Faerie Garden Theme at Kathy’s Kreations
Owner Kathy Zimmerman and Karen on the right
Gorgeous samples all around the store
Every Friday morning as many as twenty knitters gather around this table to knit.
How about the detail of this gorgeous dragonfly?
Stop #2__________________________________________
McWalker yarns in Millvale PA
Amy McCall Owner of McWalker Yarns sporting her beautiful Soldotna Crop Sweater designed by Caitlin Hunter
Good Night Steel Valley Yarn Crawl. Extended hours- opening at 8AM in Saturday morning.
This Yarn Crawler visited FIVE yarn stores the first day! See her pins on her bag.
At the end of the day, Friday evening, my daughter Laura drove me (and my grandkids Charlie and Maura) over to Millvale to get in on the extended hours at McWalker Yarns. I wanted to get a few more photos for the blog to generate some more excitement for the crawl.
Although this is the sixth year for the Steel Valley Yarn Crawl, it’s my first time to join in on the fun.
My grandkids Maura and Charlie pose for a photo at McWalker Yarns in Millvale
Christine and Amy pose in their Steel Valley Yarn Crawl Photo Spot at McWalker Yarns.
Exclusive COLORWAYS at McWalker yarns
Millvale Marigolds by Stitch Party of Millvale
Neighborhood Fiber Company dyes Fireworks Over Pittsburgh for McWalker Yarns
Fibernymph Dye Works in the Laurel Mountains PA
Jes is always ready to help you select yarn and figure out what you need to create your design. She is a great teacher and a prolific knitter.
Fun Tshirts for Knitters
Knitted Wit Yarn is luscious
Come get your photo taken to remember the Steel Valley Yarn Crawl
Traveling with him and on display were some his famous landmark sweaters. You may have seen him on the internet, posing in front of famous landmarks, sporting the sweater he designed and knit of that very landmark. He showed one sweater he knit with Ellis Island on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other side.
He’s even knit a sweater for himself and a matching dress for his wife, too. Click his name in the beginning of the above paragraph for link to see a photo.
The attentive audience got to ask Mr. Barsky questions after his presentation, showing his artistic hand knit sweaters which on average take him a month to complete. He said knitting has really helped him in his life and health.
After the photos were taken, he was teaching a two hour workshop on his technique.
Here are some photos of the event.
Natalie and Michelle of Yarns by Design with artistic knitter Sam Barsky and his sweaters
Posing with Sam (in his Pittsburgh sweater) and Deborah (his wife seated on left), with the audience modeling his colorful knitted sweaters
The famous HOLLYWOOD sign on the left and the Eclipse of the Sun on the right.
Thanks for inviting me, Natalie. Got home just in time to have fun capturing Mr. Barsky and his colorful knitted sweaters.
Here’s Natalie Belmont with her latest knitting Work in Progress in hand.
Although I took the above photo in July. I read that our beautiful city is bathed in blue light tonight, remembering the eleven victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. The city is grateful to the first responders and everyone who gathered in to help.
Tonight there was an Interfaith Memorial Service. There aren’t words to describe the emotions experienced in response to this horrific tragedy. Many friends and family around the globe have written or called to express sympathy and concern. Lighting candles, praying, keeping us in their hearts.
Attention Knitters –
Reposted from Yarns by Design-
“In the aftermath of the horrors at Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh many of you are wondering how you can help.
Our instructor Vanessa has started a Tree of Life Afghan Project. Over the next several weeks, she will be knitting and collecting squares to assemble into an afghan (or 2, or 20) to give to the Tree of Life Synagogue.”
click link for Tree of Life Patternto knit a square “To make the square, I took one of the tree twins from Nikki Epstein’s Tree of Life Afghan and framed it in seed/moss stitch. I will include the chart here and the pattern errata I encountered. That said, feel free to do your own thing. There are plenty of tree of life designs available on Ravelry. Leaves, hearts, or expressions of the Jewish faith would also be lovely. If you are a beginning knitter, plain squares in a color that speaks to you would also be very welcome. The only restrictions are the square size mentioned above and the yarn weight, so the afghan forms a consistent fabric. Each square needs to be 9 in horizontally and 8.5 in vertically. Check your gauge!
Drop off or mail to store Yarns by Design 622 Allegheny River Blvd
Oakmont PA 15139
Local yarn store Yarns by Designhas generously agreed to host this effort and will be collecting squares and donating their time and experience to help assemble the afghans. You are more than welcome to drop your squares off there, as well.
Five hours in. Knitting a mitten. A Baby Alpaca yarn mitten. I looked at the clock. I knew what time I turned on the TV and what time I turned it off .Time to stop knitting and get to bed.
The Weekly Photo Challenge is relax but I remember some people found learning to knit stressful. Have to get past the possibly awkward part of learning the basics before you get to the Zen. Holding the needles. Finding the right place to stick the point.
My friend Ann texted (after a volley of texts about the miserable weather and whether we really NEEDED yarn) that she’d pick me up and we’d go to Oakmont to the Yarns by Design store. She brought a fingerless mitt and a matching cowl she’d completed and since I had the same pattern at home –Susan B. Anderson Waiting for Winter Mittens pattern– I felt inspired to knit mittens Thanks, Ann.
Now I Thought I’d start the new effort in the morning .. but the new yarn spoke to me and I started.
Ann said they worked up faster than socks. She’s right about that!
Remember when I traveled to Norway for the Arne and Carlos Knitting Cruise in September 2018? That’s where I met Arne and Carlos, who are well known knitwear designers and authors of creative books. During these difficult and anxious times of COVID-19, they are videoing daily from their home 
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