April Showers

We have so much news to share this month that we don’t quite know where to begin!  New colors, new yarns, new KAL, new patterns, new location, new job opportunities and so much more!

Yarn of the Month:  Studio Smitten

This month we are hi-lighting our luxurious Studio Smitten, which clearly has us quite “smitten”, and is another wonderful fingering yarn.  It is a squishy, three-ply yarn with exquisite hand and stitch definition.  It is available in undyed, tonal, variegated, or color washes.  The fiber content is 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, and 10% Silk.  Each 3.5 oz./100 g skein contains approximately 400 yards. 

We are delighted to share some of our new Spring Colors inspired by all that is bursting out in blooms around us.  From Fiddlehead to Buttercup, Celery Leaf, Ranunculus and more; our new colors will inspire both hand and eye.  We have chosen this yarn to help you embark on this month’s MKAL, read on for more details on how you can try your own hand with this sumptuous yarn.

MYRISTICA MYSTERY SHAWL by Marie Amelie Designs

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We have put together some color kits for the upcoming MKAL by Marie Amelie Designs.  We have chosen our Yarn of the Month, Studio Smitten, for these color kits in the hopes they will inspire you as you travel down this spice road with her!  The Myristica Mystery Shawl will embark on a wonderful journey full of spices, colors and stitches.  You will make five different stopovers along the Spice Route.  There will be a new destination each week.  The first stop will begin with Pepper on April 2.  The week after; Saffron, followed by Ginger, Cinnamon and finally, Nutmeg, concluding the journey on April 30.

I have a few clues regarding the MKAL.  It is a crescent shaped shawl, knit using a US #5 needle, on fingering weight yarn.  You will need two skeins of the Main Color and one skein of the Contrasting Color.  There is a section which is worked using two color brioche.  The MKAL begin April 2 and concludes on April 30, 2019.

Click here to see come color options. 

LOCAL YARN SHOP DAY is SATURDAY, April 27th

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We are delighted that Casapinka will release a new Local Yarn Shop Pattern that uses three colors.  I have chosen three new colors inspired by our recent travels to Scotland: they are (left) Lothian, (top) Loch Ness and (bottom) Loch Lomond.  We will have more Scotland inspired colors coming later this month.  The pattern will be release on Local Yarn Shop Day, which is Saturday, April 27.  This shawl will use a US # 5 needle and calls for three colors of a fingering weight yarn.

 

MEET US AT THE LOCH NORMAN GAMES, APRIL 13 & 14

The Fibre Studio is proud to participate in this year’s Loch Norman Games.  We are delighted to be a part of this ever-growing, fun, local event.  Click link for more information on the festivities and how you can attend.

 

THIS MONTH’S “GEMSTONE” – DIAMOND

As we move through 2019 we continue to add a new birthstone color.  Our Bo Peeps are new color ways, for which we will take pre-order sales only.  We take these orders from the first week of the month through the 20th, we then dye and skein the orders as they are received.  They are then shipped out at or around the first of the following month.

We are proud to share “Diamond” as our April Gemstone.  We are sure it will be a favorite.

Pre-Order yours now Diamond.

 

WIZARD OF OZ CLUB INTRODUCES APRIL’S  “GLINDA”

Glinda

We continue to celebrate the Wizard of Oz’s 80th Anniversary throughout 2019 by offering a new monthly colorway representing a pivotal character or scene from this wonderful movie.  This month’s inspiration is “Glinda of the North,” our beloved good witch.   When brainstorming how to create a yarn that would be lovely enough and magical enough to represent this glowing memory we all carry in our hearts and minds of Glinda, we knew that we did not currently have anything in our “yarn bag” that would meet the call.  We knew that we had to find and bring in a new yarn, and so the search began.  We found it!

We will debut Starlight this month, beginning with our colorway, “Glinda.”  It will be dyed in an iridescent, dreamy soft pink, as lofty, shimmering and glowy as our own memories of “Glinda” on the screen.  We absolutely feel in love with the opulence of this yarn.  It contains 63% Cultivated Silk, 23% Kid Mohair and 10% Nylon.  Each 100g skein contains approximately 385 yards.  We will be introducing new colors in the upcoming months, beginning with Spring and Summer pastels and in Autumn and Winter, rich jeweled tones.

We are currently developing our newest pattern, The Starlite Cozy, which is knit using a US #8 needle and will be released later this month. This Cozy is a dreamy shawl/cowl that can drape gently over the shoulders or can be gathered up around the neck as a lovely cowl.

This beautiful yarn has been dyed in limited quantities, and is now ready for purchase and knitting.  We feel certain that you too will love this latest addition to the Club colorways.  There are still limited quantities of There’s A Storm Brewin (March) available if you missed out.

WE ARE HIRING (EWE CREW OPENINGS)

We are very sad to say goodbye to our Anne Z, Martha B and Darci M.   We celebrate their new opportunities and adventures, but we will be left with several big shoes to fill at the Fibre Studio.  We are looking for new Ewe Crew members.   We have a Friday Retail Position (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  This person would also, when customers are not in house, help with processing yarn to get it ready to bring to our customers.  There is also a flex hour position.  This person would help with yarn processing.   We are a tough crew that spend hours on our feet.  We do some heavy lifting and spend the majority of our days hard at work dyeing,  drying, winding, labeling and shipping the beautiful yarns that we create.  We certainly consider ourselves a hearty crew and family at The Fibre Studio.  We look forward to talking to potential new members that may want to join the team.  Please contact Debbie through FibreStudio@att.net if you think you might be interested.

WE ARE MOVING

We are excited to share that later this month the Fibre Studio will be moving just down the lane to 540 Griffith Road. It’s an exciting move to a bright, climate-controlled space.  We look forward to dyeing new treasures there and also seeing our locals at our Wednesday Open Knit (10 a.m. to noon) and at our Knitting and Giving Open Knit on Wednesdays and Thursdays from (noon until 2 p.m.).  What a great month!

Myristica by Marie Amelie Designs

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Recently, while in Edinburgh, Scotland, I heard about an upcoming MKAL by Marie Amelie Designs.  She is about to embark on a wonderful journey full of spices, colors  and stitches.  You will make five different stopovers along the Spice Route.  There will be a new destination each week.  The first stop will begin with Pepper on April 2.  The week after;  Saffron, followed by Ginger, Cinnamon and finally Nutmeg concluding the journey on April 30.

I have a few clues regarding the MKAL.  It is a crescent shaped shawl, knit using a US #5 needle on fingering weight yarn.  You will need two skeins of the Main Color and one skein of the Contrasting Color.  There is a section which is worked using two color brioche.  The MKAL begins April 2 and concludes April 30, 2019.

If you purchase your pattern before April 2, you will received a 30% discount, just use coupon code MKAL.

We have put together kits of various color combinations using our Studio Smitten.  Each 100g skein is 80% SW Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon with approximately 400 yards.  This yarn has a wonderful hand, lovely drape and great stitch definition.  Click here to begin your journey.

 

 

March Craft Madness

Hi Everyone!
Yes, it’s time for March Madness! And in this instance, we here along Tobacco Road are not talking about basketball…that other madness. We are talking about all the wonderful fiber-related events and projects, which are ushering in the spring season. Here are just some of the highlights causing all the excitement.

Go Green Aquamarine for March!
Happy Birthday, March babies! Our latest color offering in our Gemstones line is Aquamarine, the birthstone for March.

The aquamarine’s name is derived from the Latin word for seawater. A Roman legend stated that the stone absorbs the atmosphere of young love: “When blessed and worn, it joins in love, and does great things.” Aquamarines were once considered a very appropriate morning gift to give to a bride by her groom following the consummation of their marriage. It was also once known as a stone whose properties when worn would render marital love and soldiers in battle as invincible.

What do WE love about Aquamarine? We love that it is one of nature’s colors, representing both water and sky. The merging of soft blues and greens ensure it stands beautifully alone but also goes with so many other fiber colors. This color is practically a staple and looks good with every skin tone and hair color. Want some suggestions for this lovely new color way? Make a beautiful t-shirt like Westbound by designer Elizabeth Doherty (above right), perfect for spring and summer. Or combine it with another color in an amazing shawl like 4-Ever in Blue Jeans by designer Cally Monster (above left). We love it with Silver Lining for an airy, mystical feel, with Fawn for a warm and cozy feel, or with a freckled yarn like Frolic for the fun and whimsical. However you choose to wear this treasured gemstone, get it soon because Aquamarine is a Bo Peep, and we will lose her on March 20, 2019.

Trunk Show at Hook & Needle
The Fibre Studio is excited to announce Hook & Needle Yarn Studio (located at 113 West Harper Avenue, Maryville, TN 37801) is once again hosting us for a Pop Up Shop on March 8-9, 2019.

We look forward to returning to beautiful Maryville, Tennessee and hope our fiber friends and customers will visit us during this two-day show. For more information, please click on our Facebook Events Page or visit Hook & Needle’s website here.

Carolina FiberFest
It’s almost time for the 13th annual Carolina FiberFest, and The Fibre Studio is happy to again participate in this wonderful celebration of fiber and craft. This fun and dynamic show is held at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC on March 22-23, 2019. Come see us in Booth 5 to say hi and to check out some of our latest offerings, dyed especially for the show.

Drawing fiber enthusiasts from the surrounding area and beyond, this family-friendly event features classes, free demonstrations, and shopping for yarn, ready-to-spin fiber, patterns, tools, accessories, and specialty items.

Please Note: The Fibre Studio’s retail space will be CLOSED on Thursday, March 21 to pack for and travel to the show.

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

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

Hi Everyone,
We’re beginning our year with two new color series–one based on birthstones and the other based on one of the most colorful stories of all times.

Gemstones
Happy birthday, January babies!  Garnet, the January birthstone, is our first offering for our new 2019 Gemstones line. We are offering these birthstones as Bo Peeps. 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) for a limited time, these color ways will not be reproduced or replicated so please order enough yardage in the desired fiber base for the entire project. We will take these pre-orders through the 20th of each month.

The Wizard of Oz
The year was 1939, and to many a movie buff, it was considered one of the best years of cinema since the medium was developed.

That was 80 years ago, and one of the major hits to land on the big screen during this exalted year was the musical The Wizard of Oz. Produced by mega studio MGM and based on an original story (printed in 1900) by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz is the most-viewed movie in cinematic history. As part of the 80th Anniversary Celebration, movie fans can see the movie this month by purchasing tickets here.

This year we are going to tell the story, delve into the cast and characters as well as other trivia, which gave this movie such color and magic.

The story begins in Kansas with our protagonist Dorothy Gale who lives, along with her beloved dog Toto, on the farm of her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Toto bites witchy neighbor Miss Almira Gulch, who then obtains an order for Toto to be euthanized. The very cross Miss Gulch takes Toto away on her bicycle, but he escapes and returns to Dorothy, who decides to run away from home to save her dog.

In the 1939 MGM movie, Toto (whose name is actually a homophone pronounced toetoe or / tō tō /) was played by a female brindle Cairn Terrier named Terry. Terry was paid a $125 salary each week, an amount higher than some of the human actors were paid.

During production, Terry’s foot was broken when one of the Winkie guards accidentally stepped on it. A second dog had to be used while she healed. Due to the popularity of the movie, and because that role was the one she was most remembered for, her owner and trainer changed her official name to Toto. She actually appeared in 13 films and passed away at age 11.

There is a memorial to her with a small statue of a terrier standing next to a ruby red slipper at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and the band Toto admitted they named the band after the dog, in part because toto means “all-encompassing” in Latin.

Like the story, The Fibre Studio believes beginning our color journey with Toto, woman’s best friend, is a great idea. This variegated color way is perfectly paired with Noir, Charcoal, Silver Lining, Fawn, Chestnut, Autumn Gold, or Tobacco Road.

You can even buy the full Annual Membership (at our 2018 prices and at 33% off shipping) to ensure you get all The Oz colors. Your options, just like Dorothy’s, are numerous and can take you on many a different and colorful adventure.

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

There’s Still Time!

Twas the Night Before Knitmas,
And all through the house,
The needles were silent
I was stumped on the couch.

Collecting my thoughts,
Short moments to pray,
No ugly sweaters this season,
No how and no way.

A small light appeared,
From a phone click away,
My media app dinged,
With a new color way.

I clicked on my email,
And saw with great joy,
New fibers and patterns
They were my kind of toys!

Some duos and triples,
In fingering, some lace.
Those ideas had merit,
And I knew just the place.

It has both plump sheep and shop dog,
Asleep on her bed,
While visions of sweet meats,
Dance in her head.

While I in my neck shawl,
Hugged my new ideas tight,
Selected my gifting and
Said, “Peaceful stitching, tonight!”

No need to “dash away, dash away, dash away all” to give the lovely gift of choice for Christmas. Give the makers in your life a gift card, The Fibre Studio Gift Card to be precise, and let THEM choose. Visions of sugar plums are only one click away!
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 and giving, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

Come on a Halfventure With Us

Hi Everyone,
This week, we wanted to remind our fiber community about a fun project, a potluck, and a pretty great holiday gift idea.

Halfvent MKAL by Laura Aylor
No time for the full fiber advent calendars? We have just the project for you! We’ve developed kits for Laura Aylor’s Half-vent MKAL (details here), which was released on November 15 and will begin on December 13.

The Fibre Studio has six micro-sized kits modeled after the Crown Jewels, and we’ve added a seventh mystery “Gemstones” kit just for this project. Pssst…you will love the mystery kit color way as it includes something for “everyone.”

Each kit contains one, 4-oz skein and twelve, 8-gm mini skeins of SW Merino – Fingering yarn for your knitting pleasure, which is approximately 1050 yards total in each kit. Order your kits now so you will have your yarn ready to go by December 13.

Holiday Potluck Luncheon
Help us celebrate the holidays by bringing a dish to share during our December 5 Holiday Potluck Luncheon, from 12-2pm following our Open Knit/Crochet group (10am-12pm).

The Fibre Studio will provide cups, plates, napkins, and cutlery; however, we ask participants to bring a dish to share as well as any serving ware, specialty items, and extension cords for any Instant Pots, slow cookers, or other electronic devices they may bring.

Should you be interested in attending, please RSVP to our Facebook Event Page so we have an approximate headcount. Thank you!

The Most Personal Gift of All
Want to give a personalized gift to a maker but unsure of what they want or need? Let them personalize it themselves. Give them a gift card, The Fibre Studio Gift Card to be precise, and let them choose! What a great way to show you care AND ensure they get exactly what they crave. We have gift cards in increments to fit any budget, and customers can mix and match increments as necessary.

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

Carolinian Rhapsody

Hi Everyone,
We are celebrating color in all its delicious glory this week and are so very thankful we have such a fantastic fiber community to support our little Charlotte, North Carolina studio.

Half-Vent MKAL Kits
No time for the full fiber advent calendars? We have just the project for you! We’ve developed kits for Laura Aylor’s Half-vent MKAL (details here), which has a pre-release of November 15 and will begin on December 13.

The Fibre Studio has six micro-sized kits modeled after the Crown Jewels, and we’ve added a seventh mystery “Gemstones” kit just for this project. Pssst…you will love the mystery kit color way as it includes something for “everyone.”

Each kit contains one, 4-oz skein and twelve, 8-gm mini skeins of SW Merino – Fingering yarn for your knitting pleasure, which is approximately 1050 yards total in each kit. Order your kits now so you will have your yarn ready to go by December 13.

BFSSCM Weekend Sale
Is it already that time? Yes! Next week our Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday deals will begin. While the brick and mortar studio will be closed over the Thanksgiving Holiday, our online store is open 24/7, and we will offer on-line specials on those three days that are not available at any other time of the year.

Catawba on Our Minds
Our Catawba color way was dyed with the 2018 Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) in Fletcher, NC in mind.

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

This color is perfect when paired with another Fifty Shades of Gradient™ or with our tonals such as Dark and Stormy or Kale.

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

P.S. In celebration of of the rock band Queen and the recently-released movie (Bohemian Rhapsody) about Freddy Mercury, we have a little poem to be sung along to We Are The Champions. Enjoy.

We are the knitters, my friends.
We’ll fix a dropped stitch and weave in ends.
We are the knitters, we’re crocheters and knitters.
Making and doing,
Sip some wine, we are cruising.

We love good fibers, my friends.
Our knit a longs, quality demands.
Acrylics are for losers, so don’t be a loser.
Like Fifty Shades of Gradient,
Great yarns should be radiant.

We’re in good company, my friends.
With community ’round the world, end to end.
Ravelry connects us, our neighbors are the universe.
Spin, knit, and weave it, making can be so diverse.

We connect on the Internet.
We share our content on…the…Internet.

We’re makers and doers, nap time is for losers.
Except for Lola, it’s for losers.
Maybe it’s NOT for losers.
When we dream of yarn, it’s not for losers.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz