Equal Rights for All, Y’all

On a steamy July day in 1923, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman unveiled a brand-new proposal to the women activists gathered in Seneca Falls, N.Y. A simple idea that the American government could not discriminate against women simply because they are women. That proposal later became the Equal Rights Amendment. 

Twenty-four words:

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

A full century later, the ERA is not yet in the U.S. Constitution, despite its passage by Congress and ratification by the necessary 38 states. Women remain legal second-class citizens; our sole constitutional guarantee is the right to vote.

Here at The Fibre Studio, we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ERA with our newest colorway, “Equal Rights for All, Y’all”  and it is available in time to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8.

The Fibre Studio has chosen Studio Sox as the base for their brand new colorway.  Each skein has approximately 440 yarns and the fiber content is 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon.  Perfect for a knitted pair of socks, a scarf or shawl.  We chose to use the colors of blue and green to coordinate with the colors of the  ERA North Carolina Alliance.  If you purchase a skein of “Equal Rights for All, Y’all” during the month of March, you’ll receive an ERA Yes button to wear with pride.

If you’d like to know how you can make equal rights a reality for women, check out the websites of our friends at the ERA-NC Alliance and the national ERA Coalition. Show off your projects and ERA pride usinghashtags

#ERA100, #KnittersForERA and #I<3ERA #fibrestudio and #equalrightsforallyall.

Navigating Rainbows

Hi Everyone,
This week we rejoin Dorothy as she continues her journey towards Oz, update you on Gemstones, and prove that knitting “for good” can be “wicked” fun.

February Gemstone
No matter if you’re an Aquarius or a Pisces, we say Happy Birthday to the February babies out there! As a continuation of our 2019 gemstones whimsy, we offer Amethyst, the February birthstone.

We offer this lovely purple in our Bo Peep format. Our Bo Peeps are new color ways, for which we will take pre-order sales only. While we offer them on multiple bases (including yarn weights perfect for sweaters), this color way will be on sale only through February 20, 2019.

The Wizard of Oz Yarn Club
In celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the movie The Wizard of Oz, we continue to tell the story, delve into the cast and characters as well as other trivia, which gave this movie such color and magic.

We last left Dorothy in a quandry. After a nasty incident, the horrid  Miss Almira Gulch is seeking an order for Toto to be euthanized. Dorothy tries to tell Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and the farm hands what happened, but no one will listen. Dorothy pesters Auntie Em so much that Auntie Em tells Dorothy to “go find a place where you won’t get into any trouble.”

This prompts Dorothy to walk off by herself, musing to Toto, “Some place where there isn’t any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat, or a train. It’s far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain…”, at which point she begins singing, “Over the Rainbow,” the pivotal award-winning song and mainstay of the movie.

Yes…award-winning…and it was almost cut from the movie, can you believe it? MGM chief executive Louis B. Mayer and producer Mervyn LeRoy thought it “slowed down the picture” and sounded “like something for Jeanette MacDonald, not for a little girl singing in a barnyard.” Other producers, Judy Garlands’ voice coaches, and most of the cast talked the big wigs into keeping the song…thankfully, and thereafter, history was made.

Our second (February) yarn club  offering is Over the Rainbow, a brilliantly-hued gradient and our dedication to the famous song. While actually sung during a period in the movie, which was black and white and sienna, the colorful descriptions in the song hint at the potential for color in the movie and in life…if we only seek it.

Other bits of Over the Rainbow trivia include: (1) There was to be an additional verse sung while Dorothy was imprisoned in the castle as the hourglass ran out. The scene was cut from the movie, but the actual recording of the additional verse was saved and can be found on celebratory releases of the movie’s soundtrack. (2) The American Film Institute voted  “Over the Rainbow” the best movie song on their 100 Years…100 Songs list. (3) After The Wizard of Oz appeared in 1939, “Over the Rainbow” became Garland’s signature song. She performed it for thirty years, singing it just as she had for the film. She said she wanted to remain true to the character of Dorothy and to the message of being somewhere over the rainbow.

Knitting for Good
We want to remind our readership that our C-KAL (charity knit-along) is in full swing, and we even have a new group on our Facebook Page called Knitting and Giving. Participants are knitting booties, small doll clothing, and other fun bits that, when placed in welcome baskets and given to families arriving at Ronald McDonald House, provide a welcome distraction from illness and worry.

Debbie will provide yarn for anyone who may want to participate but does not have stash from which to pull. Pauline Philip (our visionary) will be available on most Wednesday mornings at Open Knit/Crochet, and Sheri Balke will be available on most Thursdays (after 11:30am) to offer guidance and support. Knitters of all skill levels, with hearts of gold, are welcome to participate.

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

Replacement Post: February Newes Knitting for Good

Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the duplicate post. The first was mistakenly sent without all the active links.

This week we are announcing a new Charity KAL (C-KAL), a new gem, a series of photos that provide wiki-nspiration, and are continuing our jaunt along the yellow brick road.

February Gemstone
As a continuation of our 2019 gemstones whimsy, we offer Amethyst, the February birthstone.

We offer this lovely purple in our Bo Peep format. Our Bo Peeps are new color ways, for which we will take pre-order sales only. While we offer them on multiple bases (including yarn weights perfect for sweaters). This color way will be on sale through February 20, 2019.

Wiki-nspiration
Each year Wikipedia calls for beautiful and diverse photos of our planet for their Wiki Loves Earth blog. Click here to see some of the most beautiful photography depicting the varied topography of the far reaches of our planet. My….aren’t we just the lucky Earthlings?

Totally Gaga for Toto
There are still a few skeins of our color Toto available from the first month of our Wizard of Oz Club. This color way is amazeballs in person; the photos just don’t do it justice.

While there will be twelve color ways developed to tell the story of how Dorothy made her way to the wonderful land of Oz, each color way is dyed in limited quantities and will not be repeated. Get yours before they….melt away.

Ronald McDonald House Knits
The Fibre Studio is happy to announce a new 2019 Charity Knit-a-long, which will begin in February. Our dear friend and yarnie, Pauline Philip, recently shared a box of knitted magic that she planned to donate to the Charlotte Ronald McDonald House.  Pauline knit multiple booties, Mary Janes, and little slippers. There were also adorable outfits, hats and clothing, for little wood peg dolls (both safe, cheerful and engaging for small children). These items provide a much-needed, safe distraction at the Ronald McDonald House, when placed in welcome baskets and given to arriving families. There are so many free patterns, which fit our Mission and which we will soon share (some Pauline created and some free on Ravelry).

In this Charity knitting endeavor, we hope to create top-quality items that will be used and loved, all while meeting the standards of this wonderful institution, which gives so much to so many battling cancer. Debbie will provide yarn for anyone who may want to participate and who does not have stash from which to pull.  Again, we will strive to provide only top-quality items for these battling families.  Pauline will be available on most Wednesday mornings at Open Knit/Crochet, and Sheri Balke will be available on most Thursdays (after 11:30am) to offer guidance and support. More information and pattern details to come.

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

For Thanks and Giving

Hi Everyone,
It’s just unbelievable that it is already time for Thanksgiving here in the U.S. The Ewe Crew has discussed how difficult it has become for retailers to give the appropriate attention to each holiday as it occurs. However, we are also extremely thankful we CAN celebrate so many special events with so many diverse members of our fiber community.

Making and Giving for Good
In order to bring home our message of thanks and giving, we want to remind our fiber community that we continue to support (year round) the Knitted Knockers Campaign (more info at knittedknockers.org) by offering free cotton bamboo fiber and the related pattern to support this worthy cause.

Perhaps our fiber community could make these prosthetics instead of a new holiday ornament this year. If you’re interested in making “for good” this season, stop in to sign up and get your fiber today. We will ensure these knockers get into the helpful hands of the right people.

Black Friday | Small Biz Saturday | Cyber Monday Sales Preview

Black Friday: The code will be BLKFRI18 (good for Friday, 11/23 ONLY), and it can be used for 20% off our highlighted color way Muscadine as well as the companion colors Aubergine, Cabernet, Golden Wheat, and Tobacco Road (individual skeins only; no kits) on our Fifty Shades of Gradient™, Walkabout, Studio Smitten, and SW Merino – Fingering bases only.

Small Business Saturday: The code will be SMBIZ18 (good for Saturday, 11/24 ONLY), and it can be used for 20% off all our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ (no deja vu) color ways.

Cyber Monday: The code will be CYBER18 (good for Monday, 11/26 ONLY), and it can be used for 20% off any of our in-stock The Shift Kits.

(Note: Sale codes are to be entered at checkout, are good for the noted day and product variants only, and cannot be combined with other sales or promotions.]

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching in Thanksgiving, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

SAFF Color Way & Salty Friends

Hi Everyone,
We are sending out a mid-week message to share some of our favorite things with you.

Catawba, 2018 SAFF Color Way

Our Catawba color way was our autumn mystery color way, dyed with the 2018 Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair  (SAFF) in Fletcher, NC in mind. We were a vendor at this fiber festival, at the end of October and witnessed fantastic crowds who ignored the cold wind and rainy weather to support their beloved fiber arts.

The color way was born of the moody hues found in and around the Catawba river and Lake Wylie (as pictured) areas and is reflective of the flora, fauna, and waterways found there.

The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa, or Iswä means “People of the River” and are a federally-recognized tribe of Native Americans, formally known as the Catawba Indian Nation. They live in the Southeastern United States, on the Catawba River at the border of North Carolina. Their language is of Sioux origin, and they are known as avid hunters and fisher-sans, with talents in both pottery and basket-weaving–skills preserved to this day.

The Salty Sheep
We cannot share with you the happiness we felt when we saw our friends at The Salty Sheep (in Swansboro, NC) display an Instagram photo of their new floors, in their new shop space this week. The recent hurricane just decimated the shop, and Peggy B. has shared the heartbreak, hope, rainbows, and elbow grease it takes to make what you love happen.

If you haven’t friended them on Facebook or followed them on Instagram, their beautiful little shop in the friendly city by the sea is truly an inspiration and a positive influence on anyone’s social media feed. We hope to get to see their new space welcome back their fiber community very soon, and we hope you visit them when they reopen!

The Fibre Studio Welcomes Sheri Balke
While Sheri may not be truly salty, we love that our friend and fiber ally is now a member of The Ewe Crew. Sheri will be helping the rest of the crew in the studio be better at everything. Stop in to say hello if you get a chance!

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

Edinburgh On Our Minds

Hi All!
Most everything is coming up Lothian this week. We are so excited to promote our recently-added Lothian color way in TWO different fiber formats and for TWO different patterns. We also have a Deja Vu pattern that will leave you dreamy as well as our first Bo Peeps, still available for pre-order.

Your Slip Is Showing
Your Slip Is Showing is a boomerang-shaped shawl by designer Casapinka. It is an opportunity to make a large statement piece using a simple slipped stitch technique, which is meditative to knit as it flows from one color combination to the next in twelve different sections. It uses four different colors of fingering-weight yarn and lends itself well to speckles, tonals or variegated colors, fade sets, or gradient colors. We have Your Slip Is Showing Kits in our Studio Sox base, and our shop sample was completed in the Lothian collection.
 

Want to stash bust for Your Slip Is Showing? There is a schematic that allows you to plan your shawl colors using colored pens or pencils. How fun! Use it to determine which color will show up at the beginning, middle and end of your project. Directions for this are described in the pattern. Or just do it any ole way you want!

Local Yarn Store Day
It’s just about that time! In support of TNNA’s inaugural Local Yarn Store Day, we will be open on Saturday, April 21, 2018 from 10am to 4pm. Yes, that’s THIS Saturday! We have several new color ways and fiber kits to share.

We will also give away a free pattern (with a yarn purchase) by designer Casapinka. Her new pattern is called Local Yarn Shawl (at left), which she designed in support of this event. We are excited that Casapinka chose a skein of Fifty Shades of Gradient™ in color way Lothian for her pattern sample. Pick up a friend and make a day of it and c’mon out and see us and support your local yarn shop!

Deja Vu All Over Again
Designed by Lisa Hannes, this bias-knit triangular shawl combines the interplay of two colors with a bold & graphic mosaic stitch pattern, which creates an eye-catching effect. It is an easy and fun knit (as it only engages one yarn color at a time) that will give you a large and cozy shawl to keep you warm.

This pattern is perfect for one 3.5-ounce skein of our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ – deja vu and one 3.5-ounce skein of Studio Sox. Our shop sample features Amsterdam and Blackberry. However, when committing to strong contrasting tonals, we love our Walkabout – Fingering and Merino Bamboo – Fingering (adds a soft sheen) for these mosaic stitch projects as well.

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

Get these Bo Peeps for a Limited Time Only (Until April 20)!

New Kits on the Block

Hi Everyone,
We visited the Great Smoky Mountains this weekend…Maryville, Tennessee to be exact. Thank you to the fine folks at Hook & Needle: A Yarn Studio for hosting such a lovely trunk show for us. If you are in the area, we highly recommend adding their shop as a stop on your itinerary. The area will host a Wool(dot)Calm event (in mid-March), and who doesn’t enjoy meandering through the mountains seeking out yarn and fiber?

The Fibre Studio is excited to share a new project by one of our favorite designers as well as kits (the selection is just cray cray) for this new project.

Your Slip Is Showing is a boomerang-shaped shawl by designer Casapinka. It is an opportunity to make a large statement piece using a simple slipped stitch technique, which is meditative to knit as it flows from one color combination to the next in twelve different sections. It uses four different colors of fingering-weight yarn and lends itself well to speckles, tonals or variegated colors, fade sets, or gradient colors.

There is a schematic that allows you to plan your shawl colors using colored pens or pencils. How fun! Use it to determine which color will show up at the beginning, middle and end of your project. Directions for this are described in the pattern. Or just do it any ol’ way that you want!
   

This is a fun and addictive knit that creates a soft and interestingly woven piece for your wardrobe. We love our Studio Sox and our Walkabout – Fingering yarns for this project and have created Your Slip Is Showing Kit suggestions in our Studio Sox for you to peruse.
   

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook, and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com.

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

If It’s Free, It’s For Me!

Hi Everyone,
We realize much of our readership gets overwhelmed during the holiday season. We are all inundated with overlapping sales strategies (including our own), and much of the joy and true meaning behind the holidays is lost during the hustle and bustle of shopping and business.

We are so very grateful for our customers and social media followers as well as for the designers and makers in our greater fiber community. Therefore, we want to spend this week sharing the gifts they’ve offered to us all by featuring these FREE patterns, currently available on Ravelry.

Maori Shawl by Daria Sorokina
Maori is a classic top-down shawl knit in one piece. Patterning is on the right side rows only; wrong side rows are purled. Lace-weight fibers like our Sea Song – Lace or fingering-weight yarn like our Walkabout – Fingering are great options for this project. Gauge is not crucial so use needle size to obtain the desired lace effect. Here are some of our favorite Ravelry projects for you to view and enjoy.
   

Amorous Shawl by Katja Löffler
Unlike many of our featured patterns, this generously-sized shawl pattern is crochet (yayyy!) and is perfect for large-skeins of gradient yarns like our those 7-oz cakes in our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ line. Look at this selection of beautiful completed projects from Ravelry yarnies.
   

Ghost Ranch Cowl by Jessie Ksanznak
This cowl was inspired by the designer’s travels through the American southwest. She visited Santa Fe and fell in love with the Navajo woven fabric designs. Patterns (similar to those in the cowl), dramatic colors, and simple motifs adorned rugs, pillows, and clothing. This project uses slipped stitches and three contrasting colors to create a woven effect, and the pattern comes in three sizes. We think our Cashmere Silk – Fingering would be a luxe option for this cowl, but we love the silky radiance and three-season flexibility of our Sea Song – Fingering as well. Mixing and matching works too! Here are a few completed cowl projects for you to peruse.
 

Touchstone Shawl by Laura Aylor
Sometimes we need to just knit for the pure joy if it…to remember WHY we knit. The combination of simple eyelets and garter stitch in this shawl make it an easy public knit when with our friends. It’s an ideal project for most all fibers, including tonal, variegated, and gradient yarns. The Fibre Studio has a studio sample in Nantahala in our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ line, but this shawl can be enlarged by using SW Merino – Sport or can really be personalized by stash busting from your existing favorites. Here are some of the beauties found on Ravelry.

Black Sheep Are Ewes Too

The Fibre Studio has long struggled with how to identify our one-of-a-kind color ways or those 4-ounce skeins that broke during the winding process, which ended up being odd-sized skeins after we trim off the broken bits. We decided to name these unique offerings, Black Sheep. So the next time you’re in our studio, and you see our little lavender-faced ewe….there may just be a very special color, product, or price attached.

Want to know what we’re deweing? You can always pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook, and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com

Happy and peaceful stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

SAFF Recap, Halloween & Sheep Ninjas

Hi Everyone,
Ready for some tricks or treats?

For those of you who attended the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) in Fletcher, North Carolina, you’ve already enjoyed a few TREATS. After a few initial TRICKY technical difficulties with the Davis Arena wi-fi, this year’s SAFF was another huge success. We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to those of you who came by our booth to see us and support our participation. We appreciate you!

A Smoky Mountain Treat
Our secret SAFF color way was posted on Facebook and Instagram just as we were pulling away from our doors and heading to SAFF. This Nantahala color way, part of our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ line, was dyed with SAFF in mind. This fiber festival takes place at the end of October and is in a particularly beautiful and colorful part of the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

Nantahala (our color’s namesake) is Cherokee for “Land of the Noonday Sun.” The Nantahala National Forest is also located in the Smokies. This area has richly-hued autumn foliage with crystal bright waters, which feed into Fontana Lake. For you Game of Thrones lovers, this color way IS “the song of fire and ice.”

For those of you looking for a new project, we made our shop sample from the lovely Laura Aylor shawl pattern called Touchstone, which is currently a free download on Ravelry here.

One Trick, More Treats
These are the last days customers can order our Halloween colors. Two of these colors will be placed in hibernation until next year.  Even though we’ve gifted these color ways with groovy Monster Mash-friendly names like Wicked (below top left), Slip Sliming Away (below top right), Eastwick (below bottom left) and Sleepy Hollow (below bottom right) doesn’t mean they aren’t great all-year-round colors to delight and enjoy. The TRICK is to get these spookilicious TREATS before they, like Casper the Ghost and really great chocolate truffles, go POOF!

It’s Coming
Although the weather is not yet be frightful and the turkey hasn’t been bought or stuffed, we want you to know the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Ewe Ninjas of the biggest holiday shopping weekend of the year WILL have your back so stay tuned to this same sheep time, same sheep channel….

Want to know what The Ewe Crew is up to? You can always pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook, and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com.

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

October Newes

Hi Everyone,
The Fibre Studio Ewe Crew is both sad and exhilarated this week. We are sad because the long-awaited yarn crawl is over, and yet we are so happy to have been able to see everyone!

Flash Your Stash
What did ewe add to your stash during the Charlotte Yarn Crawl? Flash Your Stash on our Facebook Events Page here! We will randomly pick a flasher’s name for a small prize on October 11…so bare (your stash, that is) if you dare.

October is another busy dyeing and event-centric month for us. Check out these upcoming events and sneak peeks to stay in the yarn over loop.

Save the Knockers Campaign
Thank YOU to all the makers who supported our Save the Knockers Campaign and who have already returned your completed Knitted Knockers to us. Please note we decided to continue this community project for the entire next calendar year and will continue to provide the Knitted Knockers kits at no charge (must be picked up AT and returned TO our studio on Griffith Street) for any who would like to continue to support this worthwhile endeavor.

Trunk Show at Admit Ewe Knit
On Saturday, October 7 we are taking the show back on the road…this time to our state capital Raleigh, North Carolina.

Baaathsheba will tow her little cart of pretty yarns up to Admit Ewe Knit yarn shop. Proprietor, Sara Mims is graciously hosting our visit, and we are excited to return to Raleigh with some of our newest color ways and yarn bases. If you’re in the area, come see us! Ewe know ewe want to!

Spinning Saturday
Attention all spinners! With the weather cooling a bit, we are planning to have our regularly-scheduled Sit & Spin open event on October 7 at the studio. Please note: There will be no retail on Oct 6-7 as our yarn is traveling (note above).

Spooktacular Yarns
All Hallows Eve (or Halloween) is just around the corner, and many crafters like to use holiday-inspired yarns. We’ve brought back a favorite for this season’s Monster Mash. On the left is gradient Wicked, which we’ve paired with Slip Sliming Away (center) in our Freckles – Fingering as well as Eastwick, another new color in our Fifty Shades of Gradient™ line. Order yours today before they fly off the shelves.

  

Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF)
Be sure to mark your calendars for SAFF 2017! The event proper will be held from Friday to Sunday, October 27-29. The Fibre Studio’s booth will be located in the Davis Arena (unrelated to Debbie) in Booths 336 & 338.

Open for Business:
Fri & Sat, October 27-28 – (9am – 6pm)
Sun, October 29 – (9am – 4pm)

The event is located at the WNC Agricultural Center, in Fletcher, NC.

As an indie dyer, we are always pleased to offer a new mystery SAFF colorway. This year’s color is gorgeous, and we’ve named it Nantahala. Debbie knit a shawl sample in a fantastic Laura Aylor design called Touchstone. Grab this (currently) free pattern and place a pre-order for your cake of Nantahala so you are assured of receiving a cake of this luscious color way at SAFF (we always run out) and still have enough time to make something gorgeous to enjoy for fall and winter.

Please Note: The Fibre Studio will be CLOSED to the public from October 25-29 in preparation for and traveling to SAFF. Online orders received during this time will be processed upon our return. Thank you for your patience as always.

Happy traveling and stitching, y’all!