O~Wool's Weekly Wooly News

Happy New Year & a Salute to Classic 2-Ply Yarn!!

2010-01-11T08:58:00.008-05:00

Well, I can never believe that another year has passed us by, and this is no exception.

But, alas, here we are in 2010!

I am going to start off the year with a salute to one of my favorite O~Wool yarns, the Classic 2-Ply. In the fall we made an addition to the line of four more colors, always a bonus in any fingering weight yarn, MORE colors to play with.
In this posting, I will feature a few recent pieces from our shops found on the web and recent in house creations.
I will start with a salute to a shop in Lexington, KY.
"ReBelle" posted a beautiful picture on Friday, these mittens in O~Wool Classic 2-Ply.

I have always loved the combination of Tea Rose (pale pink) & Sumac (red)... but the addition of Willow (green) adds a wonderful touch to these beautiful mittens. I always enjoy seeing the colors other people decide to put together. These colors are usually not what I would use, but are often more wonderful because they are different from what I would choose.

This pattern is available as a free PDF download, the pattern is written in both Norwegian and English, the English version coming on the same PDF, after the Norwegian!!! Don't be fooled, by thinking you cannot read the pattern (if you are looking for English). You can find the PDF link by going to ReBelle's posting about the mittens they knit, pictured above...
http://rebellegirls.blogspot.com/2010/01/vinterblomster-mittens.html

Here at O~Wool I have found it fun to make the Alice Starmore "Gloves" from 'Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting' (1990)... when we added a few new colors to the Classic 2-Ply Line in 2008, I made a single one of these to highlight the new yarns at that time.

Recently, I have been making other gloves and found that the construction of Ms. Starmore's was superior to the ones I had in process. So, I revisited them for an old high school friend in a darker, less traditional pallet... this second version is seen below-

Share your Classic 2-Ply projects!!! We would love to see them... ~Happy Knitting!

NEW Colors in the Classic Lines!!!

2009-12-03T13:41:00.017-05:00

Well, it has been a long while since we have piped up with any news!

What a great fall & winter season it has been for our yarn. I hope that all of you have been appreciating the cool weather and doing lots of knitting!

We are pleased to announce a BRAND new O~Wool® color, French Lilac. She is a pretty new color and likes to snuggle up to other colors and blend right in! We have found that she can be more blue or more grey or more purple depending on who she is making time with.

Here we have featured the color in a new free pattern available on our web site at:
http://www.o-wool.com/free.html

The scarf can be made from one skein of O~Wool® Classic and is suitable for all skill levels!

We have also added FOUR colors into our O~Wool® Classic 2-Ply line!! Anyone who has a love of fair isle and intarsia will be delighted to find an expanded pallet in this yarn.

There are a total of four new 2-Ply colors... the two mentioned above-

French Lilac
Evergreen
Plum
Mulberry
This expands the 2-Ply pallet to 16 colors. (yay!)

We have a new pattern using all of the new 2-Ply colors. It is called the Stewart Thistle Tam:

This was inspired by Lynn Stewart-Parker... who requested a Scottish Thistle design. ~~Thanks Lynn!

We also had an inquiry for 4 colors of 2-Ply for a pair of mittens by the talented designer Nanette Blanchard of Knitting in Color. We offered her our newest colors and without even seeing them in person she was "game" to try them out.

She came up with a beautiful design she calls "Tijeras Mittens". She describes them this way:

'The color work patterns on these fun-to-knit mittens resemble cut-outs (Tijeras means scissors in Spanish). Four colors of organic yarn are used: Plum, Mulberry, Evergreen, and Lilac. The mittens are knit from cuff to tip and feature a peasant thumb and a ribbed cuff.' -Nanette Blanchard

You can see them here and also on Ravelry.com!

More Great New Items in O~Wool!

2009-10-02T09:26:00.020-04:00

Another beautiful book has come to our attention, Joanne Seiff has completed her latest effort, Knit Green. And has been gracious enough to include a beautiful project featuring O~Wool Classic. She also included a great quote in her recent e-mail to me:

"If you should have need of pattern support in the future, please let me know. Your yarn just jumped off my needles, I enjoyed it so much. How's that for gushing!?" - J.Seiff

The book provides both interesting projects and strong educational information regarding how to Knit Green. We are very pleased to be a part of this project.

Here is the sweater, shown in Saffron-

It does often strike us that we are lucky to work on such a wonderful mission with such talented and giving people. We are indeed very fortunate.

~Again, we must mention our KAL's on Ravelry~

We have reached October and have a brand new afghan square... Please join us before you get too far behind!

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/12-month-afghan-k-a-l-from-owool-and-woolen-collectibles

The sample show is in Tea Rose, O~Wool Classic.

There is also a second KAL going along on Ravelry.com
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/beautiful-balanced-bolero

This one for the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern by Diane Soucy. (see pictures below in the previous two posts)

We discovered a great stitch pattern, which looks fabulous in the Balance yarn while playing "knit-a-long" for this project. It is knit here in Agate, Malachite and Sunstone.

We think that we will have to come up with a nice design in Balance to incorporate this great looking stitch.

Don't you agree? Please let us know!!!

Happy Knitting~

Autumn has BEGUN...

2009-09-23T09:47:00.017-04:00

Happy Autumnal Equinox~
It's time to snuggle down and knit away!

We have recently been lucky to be reminded how many talented people love to play with our yarn.

Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong have just begun singing about their beautiful book AwareKnits from Lark Books,
with an Oct. 2009 release date...

The design "Global Warmth" features our O~Wool® Legacy Bulky,
shown here in Natural (undyed) 100% certified organic merino wool.... YUM!

Quick KAL reminders....

Joanne Cole's Beautiful Balanced Bolero group on Ravelry.com has begun... join in the knitting FUN and get a jump on a great Holiday gift...

we will be posting a link to make this fabulous matching button as well!

12 Month Aran Afghan continues on Ravelry.com with September, Square Number 2, it's not too late to catch-up!!!

shown here knit in O~Wool® Classic, Oatmeal...

Special thanks again to Tammy E. Thompson of Woolen Collectibles for this pattern offer, we have many people enjoying this project and learning new techniques for cabling and the ease of chart reading. We are very excited to be able to offer this to any 'raveler' who wishes to play along.

Here Comes FALL in Vermont!!!

2009-08-28T11:02:00.012-04:00

Summer had finally arrived in full force of heat and humidity here in Vermont, and almost as quickly we are receving possible frost warnings... bring on the knitting weather.

We have been delighted at the reawakening of our shops' thirst for wool. The slow days of summer are transitioning to the brisk days of fall, and the approach of knitting weather. We have a little bit of news regarding Knit-A-Longs on Ravelry.com
and a couple of new patterns we are offering from an independent designer.

We will be following this with some exciting news about a couple of new colors in our Classic 2-Ply, fingering weight. And a free pattern for Christmas! I hope you all are doing well and looking forward to fall.

Knitting Along with O~Wool

12 Month Afghan "KAL"
I am amazed that we were at the magic number of 99 members on our KAL in less than one week. Thanks for so much enthusiasm for this project, let's see how many more people will join and how many of us we can get knitting together!
Here is the first square of a free project generously offered by Tammy E. Thompson of Woolen Collectibles (scroll down to see a couple of new patterns of hers we now carry).
I knit this August square up pretty quicky in Robin's Egg and I think it looks wonderful. This square, aptly named, "August Aran Afghan Square" took about 3 ounces of wool and is about a 12" square.
I have started a Ravelry Knit-A-Long for this pattern. I realize I am a bit late for August, but we will have to catch up over time!!!

And speaking of "KAL's" on ravelry.com... Beautiful Balanced Bolero

Bolero Adult or Child's version

FROM: Knitting Pure Simple

is being hosted by Joanne Cole, one of our wonderful sales reps. She works in MI, IN, OH and Western PA. If you do not know her, this would be a great way to 'meet' a retired engineer from the American Auto Industry who has transferred her brilliance and energy toward the hand knitting yarn industry.

She is welcoming anyone interested in knitting this pattern in either our Classic or Balance yarn.
We are coming along for the ride to help her get her version, in Balance 'Lapis', done for her daughter this Christmas!

Let's put our sticks together and make a great sweater for someone we love; a family member, a best friend, or... ourselves!!

Llyr

by Woolen Collectibles
We have added two great new patterns from Tammy E. Thompson to our independent designer collection. This elegant cabled swinging sweater was designed to be knit up in Classic, and is shown in Natural... here is a detail of the beautiful cable patterning:

Stor Mo Chroi
Treasure of My Heart
From Woolen Collectibles
This beautiful new pattern features our Legacy DK yarn and uses one skein of 2-Ply Classic on the lower border and neckline. She used Legacy DK 'Russet' for the Main Color, 'Gamboge' for the patterning and 'Slate', Classic 2-Ply for the lower border and collar.

Tammy Eigeman Thompson has done a lovely modern piece steeped in the tradition of Scandinavia and updated with modern touches. Named after a traditional folk song, it is sure to be a great gift or wardrobe addition!

We are working on a knit-up to lend to shops in a slightly different colorway...
I am using Legacy DK in 'Clay' for the Main Color, 'Lava' for the scroll patterning, and 'Rose Gold' in Classic 2-Ply for the lower border. It is lots of fun to knit. The pattern works in the round with steeks for the sleeves and a break in the work for the collar.

O-Wool's Marin goes for a visit

2009-07-24T12:47:00.012-04:00

Last weekend Marin made a trip to southern Vermont to visit Knit or Dye at Rachel's request. Located right on Main street in beautful historic downtown Brattleboro, this light airy shop has been a popular spot for local knitters and tourists to Vermont alike.

Rachel opened her shop last fall, and has been experiencing quite a steady flow of business despite the economic slowdown. Her focus is local, sustainable and organic yarns with classes and projects in knitting, felting, crochet, spinning and dying.

She has devoted this quarter of her store to an O-Wool display area, and has a number of knit up garments on display as well.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's crafty and everpopular Baby Surprise jacket is here ...knit up in O-Wool Legacy DK. (There are over 8,000 projects listed in this pattern on ravelry!)

So Lets join in with Marin and Rachel! Say O-Wool all together Now!

O-Wool Balance Pattern "Andy"

2009-04-16T13:25:00.005-04:00

In the spring issue of Knitty.com there is a free downloadable pattern of this sweater known as the "Andy". It is made with the O-Wool Balance, (50% organic Cottton and 50% Organic Wool) which is a light weight worsted yarn. I think most men who would find a heavy wool sweater too warm for indoor wear would really appreciate this comfortable sweatshirt like garment.

You can find this pattern at http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTandy.php
The colors used in this model are agate (brown) and malachite (green).
Jillian Moreno has designed such an interesting garment. I love the leaf pattern, and the twisted rib that almost hides under the arms and against the sides of the body. The malachite bands are knit from another ball of yarn, with twisting of the yarn to prevent holes.

New Knitting Patterns from O-Wool

2009-04-03T14:04:00.013-04:00

We are happy to share some new patterns!

The Elements in Balance pattern is now available. This lightweight summer vest is made with our 50% organic cotton and 50% organic wool yarn called Balance. When I was originally designing this vest I used 4 colors which represented the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. And as I knit I had time to contemplate the balance of these elements here on our own Earth.

For this pattern release we used a different "Fire" only version of the "Elements" as our photo shot.

We also have our first two Legacy Patterns available. We used the Bulky O-Wool Legacy to make this Fun Earflap Hat in the color Grove. This is a quick knit up, uses just one skein of yarn, and can be worn with flaps down, tied, or bomber style tied up over the top of the head. You can see Courtney of Rosie's Yarn Cellar wearing hers in the blogpost below.

In the DK weight we have Marin's beautiful new Entrelac Pillow. This "interwoven" design is knit in the entrelac style, doing successive small rows of knitting. The end result is truly wonderful. You can find more information about entrelac knitting at many sites such as this one:

http://www.needlepointers.com/displaypage.aspx?ArticleID=34263&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwolfandturtle.net%2fYarnpath%2findex.php%2fYarnpath%2fcomments%2fall_aboard_the_entrelac_express%2f

The back of the pillow makes it possible to remove the pillow from its cover.

Finally, we are very close to releasing the pattern for a wonderful capelet which was designed by Joanne Cole and took first prize in our Danforth Button contest last year. It is knit using our Classic O-Wool worsted weight yarn, and uses three colors: these are willow, evergreen and rust.

The border of the capelet is finished in lacy crochet. Marin had never done crochet before, but found the crochet directions easy to follow, with great results.

Marin knit up the caplet in these colors: plum,sky and cornflower, which also look very nice. The beautiful buttons are Danforth Pewter, in a design called Celtic Knot. We are so very lucky to have Danforth Pewter as our neighbor!

Marin visits Philadelphia

2009-03-06T13:55:00.014-05:00

Cathy Campbell, who has been our hand knitting yarn manager for the past 3 years has left us to pursue married life closer to her home in New Jersey. We will miss her wonderful loving style and wish her well in all her new projects. She is looking forward to staying involved (in a more part time way) in the world of knitting.

In the meantime, here at O-Wool in Middlebury VT, we welcome Marin Melchior to our routine. Marin is an avid (as in VERY avid) knitter who started knitting right after she learned to walk. Besides her great technical skills, she also has a vibrant, energetic sense of color. The one word I would NEVER use to describe Marin is boring. She always has a new project underway, (an older one to finish), a new idea, a pattern to tweak, a book to buy and a swatch to experiment with. She is a wonder, and it's great to have her working with us.

Last week Marin met with Cathy as they visited Caledonian Dye Works in Philadelphia. This is the dye house that dyes our yarn, and you can see Rick with his welcome smile outside the magestic entry way.

Inside the lighting wasn't really good enough for photos, but Rick gave them a tour of the large dying vats, and explained how the dye is washed back and forth through the skeins.

After the skeins are dyed they need to be wound into the right yardage for the small skeins that a customer will purchase. This winding is done by Bill Clemson, just a short distance away in another large cavernous building.

Here Bill is measuring out the correct yardage on some Classic Natural O-Wool yarn. Later these will be twisted and tagged by us here in Middlebury. Then they are finally ready for retail sale.

Speaking of retail sale, Marin and Cathy did get a chance to visit Rosie's Yarn Cellar in Philadelphia where they were greeted very enthusiastically by Courtney!

Courtney modeled her new O-Wool earflap hat, and held up some of the cozy yarn.

Bookcrossing

2009-03-06T12:06:00.009-05:00

The other day, after writing the posts below I had a definite "bookcrossing" experience at our local library. If you are not familiar with this concept, wikipedia defines a bookcrossing as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise". I guess technically a library is a pretty obvious place to cross a book(!) but the quality of the crossing is what I am writing about. I went to the library to return a couple of books, and without looking in any stacks, or on any computer search index, I crossed paths with TWO books about the healing quality of knitting. Yes, the day after I had been writing about that. Not any of the last 10 years. No, just that day. See what I mean? One was a shelf end display, and the other had been donated by the library patron just in front of me. Now, truly, what are the chances?

So, with my assignment in front of me (has anyone else gotten reading assignments dropped on themselves like that?) I headed home to do a quick read and review.

The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
is the story of a mother, Mary, who has just experienced the sudden loss of her only child, and has found it impossible to continue finding comfort in the activites she used to. She is depressed with grief, and has trouble following her husband's lead to acknowledge, and then move on to once again regain the joy in life. At her mother's suggestion she (very reluctantly) takes up knitting, and then joins the local knitting circle. Mary meets a group of women with their own stories and each one teaches Mary a new technique in knitting. Through this process Mary is able to finally share her grief, and find the spark of life again, supported by her new friends and the rhythm of knitting.

Knitting, A Novel by Anne Bartlett
is a wonderful book written by an experienced Australian knitter. Again the subject includes grief over the death of a loved one. Sandra, who is studying textiles from an academic viewpoint, has just lost her husband to cancer and feels like she lives life from within an ice cold glass bubble. By chance she meets an eccentric woman who is her polar opposite, Martha. Their lives start to overlap, and Sandra persuades Martha to help her mount an exhibition of retro and contemporary knitting. What begins as a professional collaboration becomes a deeply personal and transformative experience. This is a wonderful quirky story in which knitting plays a very important part in the healing process.

For people that like lists

2009-02-27T09:42:00.012-05:00

This is such a perfect list that I couldn't resist sharing it.... Perfect for persuading your professor to let you knit while in class perhaps?

What do you think of this list? Where would you post it? Can you add anything?

This is straight from the Stitchlinks Website:
Copyright Stitchlinks www.stitchlinks.com November 2007
Betsan@stitchlinks.com

25 WAYS KNITTING AND STITCHING CAN HELP RELIEVE STRESS

Slow down thought processes enabling you to think more clearly
Stop cycles of stressful thoughts – useful to use before sleep
Enhance problem solving enabling you to look at problems from all angles
Facilitate mindful meditation – you don’t worry about the past or fret about the future
Facilitate relaxation – necessary for bringing down high levels of stress hormones
Distract – focus your mind away from problems
Enable you to escape into the sanctuary of a quiet mind, giving your mind a break
Encourage positive thought cycles helping to break negativity
Improve mood and help to manage the worry associated with stress
Improve feelings of loneliness/isolation if you've been over working
Teach patience and perseverance – you don’t have to rush at everything
Improve feelings of helplessness – stress is greater if you feel there’s nothing you can do
Raise self esteem and confidence so you feel better equipped to manage stress
Enable you to experience excitement, anticipation and achievement again
Teach planning and goal setting so you become better organised
Involve you in the outside world – opening up an alternative avenue away from stress
Take them anywhere – their portability means you can deal with stress any time
Improve communication skills – build communication networks at work and outside
Help in peak stress times before deadlines or presentations
Introduce enjoyment and fun into life, so life becomes more than work and stress
Enable you to make friends at work or outside through groups
Occupy you on your commute to work, so you arrive calm and collected
Put you back in control
Calm – great tools for workplace stress
Encourage you to look forward to tomorrow

Therapeutic Benefits of Knitting

2009-02-24T18:18:00.017-05:00

Just recently I learned that a friend has received notice, and will become unemployed shortly. Most likely a change in lifestyle will follow, and I have been thinking about her lately. I wanted to acknowledge the situation, but how? Then I remembered that before this job she used to knit beautifully and prodigiously. I found myself putting together a small care package for her.

For me this would be a good consolation package: some beautiful organic O-Wool classic yarn and a pattern.... and some chocolate. There is the immediate remedy of chocolate to scare the demons away (or dementors just as professor Lupine knew in the Harry Potter series.) Then there is the immediate project, an activity. It feels intuitive that hand work would help her feel better. I have always felt that the process of knitting had that power. I remember coming to some conclusions about knitting in college. (not an arts or crafts college by the way!).

I started knitting seriously in college, and liked it for a number of reasons. One important reason was that it made long stressful car rides tolerable. Being a member of several athletic teams, I was often on the road heading to a game or race, and then heading home again. The knitting helped tremendously with all the negative aspects: the length of the drive, the case of nerves, a depressing performance, and side dramas with teammates. Instead the result was a great creative challenge, a finished garment (usually a hat) and later, pocket money as I started to sell them. I loved coming up with new color combinations and charting designs. I loved that knitting was portable. I loved that wool was a natural fiber. And oddly enough, I also appreciated that I could be comfortably warm when others were chilly in our underheated group house. The act of knitting seemed to raise my temperature just a bit, and engage my metabolism. (This led me to think it burned calories as well)

Lately, while listening to all the dire news about the downturn in our economy, I have been reflecting that hand crafts like knitting provide a wonderful combination of lifestyle benefits for a wide variety of people. I decided to look into this subject online and found a number of interesting sites. Betsan Corkhill of the UK has been interested in the therapeutic benefits of knitting and has developed a whole website which helps foster support and positive development in the face of life's changes. All the stitch arts: needlework, knitting and crochet are included.

http://www.knitonthenet.com/issue4/features/therapeuticknitting/ http://www.stitchlinks.com/

There are several pages of quotes from people who attribute their ability to cope and thrive with their habit of knitting, or doing other stitch work. http://www.stitchlinks.com/quotes.html

Karen Zila Hayes of the Brainwaves School of Creative Arts has also written at length about the incredible therapeutic benefits of knitting, and has devoted herself to this mission in Knit Magic. http://www.knitmagic.com/4.html

Apparently knitting has been known to help people with chronic pain, ADD and ADHD, cancer recovery, Post tramatic shock syndrome, grief related disorders, motor skills impairment and possibly more. I'm not really surprised to read this list. And I don't credit knitting alone perhaps. But knitting can help in so many situations. It can help lower blood pressure (and get you through a stressful family gathering), it can make you feel engaged instead of bored....I know I have felt these things. Why wouldn't others have their stories too.

Knitting is also being used by a network of voluteers to increase the positive quality of life for cancer patients. This group is called Knit for Life and has the following mission statement:

To support and enhance the lives of cancer patients and their caregivers while going through the process of treatment and recovery by the gentle and healing experience of knitting. This program enables patients and caregivers to come together and share experiences and concerns in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Their website is complete with news events, testimonials, support, and sponsors http://knitforlife.org/about.html

In our overall economically stressful times, or in a particularly challenging time in a friend's life, maybe we should make a special effort to remember that hand work like hand knitting can actively play a positive role. Maybe now is the time to send out a care package, or start a new knitting group at your library, senior center, church or community hall. Or maybe now is the time for you to pick up a new knitting project; something that will calm, soothe, and engage you. A simple repetitious movement, with a natural wool organic yarn, (with or without a circle of friends,) can slow life down and remind us of connections that bring joy to life and help us remain resilient in the face of challenging change.

2009-01-30T11:31:00.026-05:00

I had been wanting to try a felted piece for quite a long time, and when I saw this felted braid...I felt a spark.
And an idea started growing for a felted bag made of our new O-Wool Legacy bulky yarn. I had also seen a classic elite pattern that showed a cable bag, though not felted.

http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/20/Issue20.php

So I began casting on, and soon found out just what it feels like to knit with size 15 needles, the largest size in my KA interchangeable set. What a sloppy feel! You could see through the net bag I was making. I started to lose faith that it would ever look nice. This was the type of project I felt a bit embarrassed to take out in public...I did NOT want to hear the interested passerby ask "What are you making?" Actually, after awhile I caught on, and just brought the swatch along to show people. Knitting in public (KIP) really is a conversation starter. I'm sure other people have noticed that fact. Haven't You?

So, then came the moment when I had to drop this piece of knitting into the washing machine. I found this rather difficult to do. It really went hard against all my instincts. I actually had to go psyche myself up to the task by viewing a step by step on the computer, even though I knew the process.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_felt_a_knitted_piece/

After this helpful nudge I managed to drop a pillowcase of my knitting into the machine with a pair of sweatpants. I went through 3 cycles of agitation, checking in after each one, and ended up with a wonderfully soft piece of fulled wool. I really was surprised to feel how soft, and pleasantly dense the wool had become. The organic wool was looking its best...I think even the sheep would be proud!

Next came the sewing, which proceeded pretty quickly. I forced the top of the flaps through the handle slots, and sewed them down onto themselves on the inside. I will definitely also be making lining, after I find the perfect material of course.

Since this is just the first model of the bag, I decided to keep things interesting by making each side a different cable pattern. I was hoping that I would like one alot more than the other, and then choose it for both sides in the future. Actually though, I think I like them both. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, in her Yarn Harlot blog recently mentioned knitters' inability to have a matched set of knit wear.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2009_01.html

the child told me that she has noticed something about knitters. She says that she can spot them in a crowd because their hats, mittens and scarves don't match.

I most definitely fall into that category ....heck I can't even seem to manage two matched sides! It is just too much fun to knit different designs all the time.

Well, I still need to get serious about this project, because the top opening needs some designing work, as does the bottom. I have plans to make another one. Like most everything else in my life, it is after all, still a work in progress.

Happy New Year !

2009-01-09T11:05:00.008-05:00

We were fortunate enough to assemble everyone in one room the other day, so I can pass along greetings from our whole O-Wool Family. Names starting in the back ... Caroline and Christina from fabrics, Matt Mole our founder, Ronan our spreadsheet guru, and Ed our CEO. In the front we have the HKY crew (Hand Knitting Yarn), with Marin, Cathy, Wendy and Lynn. We all look forward to helping you with organic wool in 2009!

Packing for a Tradeshow

2009-01-07T06:17:00.005-05:00

Here are the hanging banners, or prayers flags, as I have been calling them as I pray that they get finished in time. We have twelve colors of our New Legacy 100% Organic Wool to show. These are made with the DK. The colors are available in a bulky weight as well.

It's quite a big project to pack for a booth a tradeshow. At O-Wool we are in the midst of it! More photos to come...

A moment in Time

2009-01-05T06:32:00.025-05:00

We received a most beautiful light snowfall yesterday ..8-10 inches that coated our world, yet could be blown away with a single breath! Everything looked completely different, with large caps of snow on the bird feeder, the branches, the railings, the car. It gave all the familiar things around us new shapes and even an air of mystery.

As I hung the new calendar I noticed the familiar sight of heavily marked days of appointments and schedules replaced by an altogether new sight as well, the mystery and beauty of the empty page. A whole January page of empty squares stared back at me. Days to be orchestrated. Adventures to be had. Yarn to be knit. Meals to be created. Thoughts to be thought. All still suspended unformed.....

Sometimes at the beginning of the new year, out of the usual routine, I experience a moment of timelessness like this that leads to reflection. It seems like an opportunity to draw on a blank page, an empty snow field, an act of creation. But also, the moment asks me to reconsider my driving beliefs, priorities, inspiration. There seems to be the real possibility of making some new choices.

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As I ponder my first knitting project of the year I let the thoughts flow freely about what I am striving for..... to achieve simplicity yet elegance, to promote healthy relationship to the Earth and all her inhabitants, to maintain healthy lifestyle patterns for myself and my work, to be joyful and appreciative of gifts around me, to sow seeds of friendship, teach and learn well, take nothing personally, find humor often and occasionally stare into the vastness of the night stars.

Before I know it however, schedules have begun anew, and time is back to being serious. At O-Wool, here, we are suddenly in a great hurry to prepare for the upcoming National Needlework Association show, TNNA in San Diego. Although I will not be going this time, I feel the excitement! This means booth preparation, paperwork preparation, packing, planning. organizing etc. There is definitely no longer time for quiet reflection.

I have been employing my trusty Brother Standard Gauge Knitting machine to make some hanging backdrops for the booth these past few days. The Legacy DK knits up very nicely on the #10 Stitch Dial setting, and so I have been enjoying creating some long flowing banners or flags. I'll post some photos tomorrow!

A Wreath to inspire creativity

2008-12-05T09:15:00.010-05:00

In the northeast here, we are definitely starting to look forward to Solstice, or more specifically to the time when the days will start getting a little bit longer. Just a few minutes a day at first, but every bit helps. The shadows start to get very long and cold just after school gets out. Luckily the moon and planets are cheering us up with their light. And there is some wonderful homey time to catch up with indoor sewing and knitting projects.

This is also the season for donations and giving. The three of us in the Hand Knitting department at O-Wool have had a lot of fun this week, decorating a wreath that will become part of an auction to raise funds for a local child care center.

Wendy used her standard gauge Brother knitting machine to create these little stocking ornaments out of our new Legacy DK o-wool yarn, in the colors lava, grove and natural.

Lynn knit up this little snowman, who can be used as a tree ornament or a table ornament. He has some beans at the bottom to help him stand up! She used a great little pattern from the winter edition of the Living Crafts Magazine (p 22.), and our DK wools (on #4 needles) in the same holiday colors.

We really wanted to include the Peace dove that was also featured in the same issue of the Living Crafts magazine (p.18). Marin made a wonderful pair of peace doves out of the o-wool melton fabric in natural.

And then perhaps the best idea of all! Marin thought it would be great to include the patterns and all the materials to make the decorations. So we stuffed the little stockings with the o-wool yarn needed, enclosed the patterns in envelopes, and rolled up a bit of the fabric. Voila!

Here it is: our beautiful wreath which includes not only the ready made ornaments, but also the supplies needed to make a set of your own. We stepped back to admire our wreath, and all realized that we would love to bid on it ourselves!

TAKING CARE OF YOUR WOOL,

2008-11-25T15:38:00.004-05:00

…While Taking Care of your Earth

Our O~Wool hand knitting yarn has already experienced
an alternative processing path to keep it, the
sheep and the environment healthy. Now that you
have bought this yarn, you too are participating in
this endeavor.
Begin your project by untwisting the hank. When
your hank is an open circle again, you can have a
friend hold it to make a round ball, or you can use
a swift and ball winder. If you use a swift and ball
winder, you can pull from the inside or the outside
of the ball, or both for double strand.
After you have finished knitting your project, continue with a final
soak, the last but very important part of your processing! Remember
that no softening chemicals were added earlier, so this
last step really brings out the loft and softness of the merino wool.
Use your favorite wool wash and let your knitting gently rest in
tepid water for 15-20 minutes. (We recommend Eucalan or Soak.)
Remove from water and roll in a towel to remove excess water.
Let your piece dry horizontally. You will notice how much softer it
has become once it has dried completely. And the wool continues
to soften as you wear it. So go out and change the world in comfort,
warmth and good cheer!

An important part of sustainability is continual caretaking. To take
care of your wool garment remember that this complex, multilayered
fiber is a protein animal product. Contrary to the frequent,
agitated washing that synthetics fibers require; wool responds
best to frequent airing, gentle handling, surface sponging and
rest between wearing. Wool fibers will naturally resist soil, odors
and wrinkles, and return willingly to their original shape. If necessary,
a steam iron (without direct touching) can further encourage
shaping. If you have suffered a direct spot or stain, washing the
area immediately with cold water is a good first response. See the
Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association website for a
complete listing of stain removal suggestions.
At O~Wool, we understand that our farmers, our spinners and
our customers are all part of a new awareness of the impact of
human activity upon the earth and its diverse ecosystems. When
every one of us alter some part of our daily pattern to promote
conscious change we feel the energy and mindset of problem
solving, and we know that everything is possible. We are all part
of a creative global movement.

What is new?

2008-10-10T11:44:00.012-04:00

In Vermont this is the season of change, and it sure seems like there is plenty of change in the air! Astronomy is dictating the shortening of days, activating the color change in the tree leaves, and putting on the show of the year in these parts. The harvesting of gardens and apples is in full swing. This is a season of lush abundance and plenty, with a hint of exuberance even in the face of the looming knowledge that times will get cold and difficult in the next few weeks with the approach of winter.

But now is the time to harvest, prepare and share, and at O-Wool, we are in the final stages of preparing a new line of organic wool hand knitting yarn for sale.
This new line of yarn has a wonderful color palette that is both muted and timeless, yet has a depth and complexity that grows as you work with it. The colors take me back in time, to an era of hand tinted photographs, antique lace, strong dusty cowboys and wild distant hues reflecting the natural landscape.

There are a number of avid knitters here, and the knitting, planning, sharing and showing of projects and ideas has reached a new threshold of energy. We have all had a lot of fun exploring the colors and the new weights.

In the new DK line, a skein of yarn gives you 305 yards of wool! The gauge is 22-24 st = 4" on 4-6 needles (US size). In the Bulky line the Gauge is 11-13 sts =4" on 10-11 US needles. Both lines are available in the same 12 colors which are: Gamboge (a yellowish resin from a tree in Indonesia, Lava (red), Russet, Clay, Desert Blush, Olive, Sand, Natural, Sprig (lt green), Grove, Storm and Charcoal.

So now is the time to create something new that echos the old and pulls together those illusionary wrinkles in time. With 100% organic O-wool yarn you can knit up a subtle garment or eclectic accessory and create your own wearable Legacy while keeping the health and well being of the sheep in mind.

Wool and Knitting in Children's Literature

2008-09-23T06:19:00.014-04:00

As my daughter and I were cleaning (deep cleaning because of a house renovation!) her picture books, we became immersed once again in the beauty and humor of some of these books for youngsters. Suddenly we were drawn right back to the time when we both enjoyed our nightime routine of my reading aloud a few books before sleep. I remember the amazement I first felt at discoving this whole world. I just had not realized how immense, and beautiful the selection of children's literature is.

And of course I was looking at books with the eyes of a knitter...haven't we all seen patterns in passing that we run home to sketch. Once, I was asked to take off a vest I was wearing at the food store, and the "cheese lady" returned with a xerox copy of my garment in her hands, a huge grin on her face, and a head full of plans for her next project!

Jan Brett is an author and illustrator that all knitters can enjoy. She is a fabulous artist that writes one glorious children's book every year, and travels to the geographical region she will highlight in order to get every tiny, amazing detail just right. The books that take place in Europe feature wonderful knitted clothing that serves both as background, and even as important plot features. The Mitten, which you can start reading to kids even before they can walk, has a knitted piece as one of the main "characters", and a well timed sneeze that delights every time. And of course,grandmother's "knitting held tight".

In The Hat, each animal tries on a garment of Lisa's, and so we view the entire winter knitted wardrobe as Lisa unpacks the big trunk.

Jan Brett draws knitwear in detailed perfection as we can see in Trouble with Trolls.

Another wonderful book which has appeal for fiber artists is Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow. This wonderful book has already stood the test of time: it has a copyright date of 1912.

The lamb in this book has a coat that grows longer and longer, while Pelle's coat grows shorter and shorter, so Pelle decides to take action. He shears his lamb's coat, and then proceeds to trade for all the tasks involved in turning the wool into a garment for himself. We get a delightful look into the whole life of his extended family as the wool takes it journey through washing, carding, spinning, dying and sewing, becoming both a woven suit and a large family project. The story is at once more simple and grounded than our own O-Wool story could possibly be, but it surely exemplifies many of the ideals we hold as desirable and strive for in our company mission.

Something Old, and Something New

2008-09-12T10:00:00.002-04:00

Well, it’s been too long, and really there are no excuses …although I can come up with a few. In any case, it sure is time to get back to this WEEKLY blog!

So, here at O-Wool we are getting closer to offering a new line of 100% certified organic wool hand knitting yarn in 12 wonderful colors inspired by nature. We are all looking forward to seeing the new shades, and are busy knitting up swatches for the sales reps kits. In the meantime, my job has included making up the little skeinlets that you see in the sample packets when you open a new account, or get a sample at a trade show. These little samples offer between 10 and 20 yds of yarn so that someone can actually knit a little swatch.

What I find interesting about this task is that the machine we use is truly a functioning antique. It weighs about 50 lbs, is made of heavy gauge indestructible iron, and has gears that work together like a dream. The crank just begs to be turned. It’s magnificent.

So, I feel like I take a step into the past when I use this wonderful tool. Its an amazing time we live in ...when one can go from this old machine to typing on a computer ...all in a quick minute. Globally I hope we can appreciate the well functioning old tools as well as the great advances of the new. Its an ongoing process of evaluation that we all take part in every day.

summer knitting projects

2008-07-28T06:55:00.000-04:00

As a quick diversion from our trip upstream with a skein of Hand Knitting Yarn, two of us here at O- Wool must, really must! share our latest projects with you.

I’m very excited to be nearing the completion of a lace vest and pattern that I have been working on. The vest, (2 1/2 of them so far actually), is complete. Its the pattern that is still wanting attention. Will it ever stop!? Isn’t there always one more revision, one more number to confirm? Fortunately a friend has offered to “test” the pattern. So, there really is hope that it will be available soon.

All this knitting has given me alot of time to think. And what I got to thinking about were the ancient Classical Greek Elements of Earth, Air Fire, Water and Aether. The first 4 were states of matter, and the fifth was used to describe “that beyond the material world”. These 4 states of matter represented a connection also between hot, cold, dry and wet.

And haven’t we all experienced the discomfort of imbalance in these states of matter: whether in life activity, weather, friendships, knitting projects etc. I think I will dedicate this vest in our line of Balance (50% organic cotton, 50% organic wool) to the Elements ....not the periodic table of, but to the concrete, physical aspects of life. And sometimes as I knit I end up repetitiously chanting the mantra: earth air fire water, as if somehow the arches merging upwards representing all the forms of matter will indeed find a balance if I just knit hard enough.

Our shipping guru here at O-Wool has been working hard (in this summer heat) to complete a very special sweater. This garment is an 80th Birthday present for John Blake who breeds and raises cormo sheep organically in Southern Patagonia Peru. O-Wool purchased fiber from him for the two new lines coming out this autumn, the DK and the Bulky weight in a natural palette.

As a special request by John Blakes’s son, via Matt, Marin received, and rose to this challenge of knitting up a gorgeous XL sweater in Bulky. She used 4 colors and worked a wonderful wrapping pattern around the entire neckline. It will have no problem keeping its wearer warm and cozy as he surveys his flock of Cormo sheep! These sheep, by the way, are a scientifically researched cross between corriedale and merino types, and offer some of the benefits of each breed. Their fleece is appreciated for its very soft texture.

Twister Sisters

2008-07-17T16:27:00.002-04:00

How does the hair off a sheep’s back end up cozily hugging your back in that beautiful shade of green?

Maybe we have taken things for granted a bit, but there is quite a fascinating story here involving families, ecosystems, an old spinning mill that has reinvented itself, dye houses, and our own wonderful group of skeiners here at o-wool. You know your story from yarn as newly discovered and gleefully stashed, to wip, to ufo or to beautiful, admired, finished piece of art. Ravelry and the other blogs document your stories. We all love to share these stories. Its fun, and inspiring.

I’m going to travel the other direction, from the skein at your LYS to the hair on the sheep back. We’ll take it in steps, meeting people and places along the way.

At o-wool I am the assistant to the head of the hand knitting program, Cathy Campbell. My responsibilities lie with receiving shipments of yarn and escorting them through the whole process; ending on the yarn shelf at your store. For instance, on Monday we received over 200 lbs of yarn in 12 boxes, in three different weights. I knew I had a workout coming: weighing, stacking, sorting and general inventory. The very next day skeining began.

The yarn arrives to us in large hanks, measured by yardage, and loosely held together by a tie. We separate the hanks into the individual skeins. Then we twist them so that they look nice, and are easy to handle for shipping, and for retail display and sale. Its one of those jobs that could be described as boring, but then so could knitting! That is definitely not my style. I prefer to describe it as repetitious, heart opening movement. The way you hold your arms out and twist really does get your blood flowing across your chest, and feels, well.... healthy!

Of course too much of a good thing is a bad thing after all, so the next idea was how to get more people involved with this skeining. I decided to try a volunteer program modeled after food coops. We invite fiber lovers (better yet; yarn addicts) to come skein for an hour in exchange for a skein of the hand knitting yarn. To date over a dozen people have participated. We have had a really enjoyable group. We skein and chat, have “show and tells,” and generally share our time together. In exchange people have gotten enough (sometimes second quality due to spots, tangles, color variation etc.) yarn to make hats, sweaters, crochet square blankets, wash cloths etc. There is nothing like a volunteer “job” for college students, moms with newborns, homeschoolers, pregnant moms, older grandmothers etc. These folks appreciate being part of the working world, but can’t commit the time for a full time position because of other responsibilities. Its a win-win situation, and we all appreciate each other.

Well, gotta get back to skeining, we’ll travel back further next time.

Knitting Green

2008-07-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

Knitting has been there for me as a hobby (I thought) since college. But what keeps surprising me is how knitting seems to direct my work life (or career, as my mother would say). Even in college my trusty circular 6’s made hats for everyone I knew and earned me some pocket change. Then my customer service job at Garnet Hill morphed into supplier of knitted Christmas Stockings. The latest rounding back came last summer. I was dusting off my teaching certificate, getting ready to re-enter the field of education. Instead I got turned right around by two opposite phone calls, and now I’m back in another dimension of the world of knitting. And frankly, it’s a delight!

At O-Wool there is an additional twist that I also love and appreciate: the environmental focus. It is absolutely fascinating how quickly things get complicated when you add in the activity of environmental self-examination. When all wool was organic and spun in small batches by industrious neighbors, quantities and questions were small and intimate. Now that we have so much technological capability to enhance quality with chemicals and produce goods on a global scale, the line of questioning becomes frightfully complicated. Who wants to make the value decisions that please some people and disappoint others? I make them for myself, yes, but for a company that has investors to please and a reputation to uphold...now there is a challenge. These are exactly the types of questions that Matt Mole, our founder, has been immersed in for the past decade. He has worked on the Global Textile Standards (GOTS), and with the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and continues to refine specifics of organic certification. This isn’t something that is ever completely finished.

I like to collect quotes that inspire me, and one of my favorites dates back to the 70’s, from Tom Bender’s appropriate technology publication Rain Magazine:

“ Appropriate technology reminds us that before we choose our tools and techniques we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve them, while others make them unobtainable.”

I think some of us are feeling that word “unobtainable” in a stronger way than we have before. We are feeling the loss of pure waters, clean air, icecaps, traditional cultures, peaceful lifestyles and real political freedom. It has gotten to the point where MANY people are ready to speak out and act out in public about these concerns.

Actually isn’t it a weird coincidence? Both knitters and environmentalists were largely hidden and ignored by the mainstream buzz and media in the 70’s. They were there, and they were smart, but if you engaged them in public you were considered a bit strange: old fashioned or doomsdayish. Now it’s all so different. People of all ages, all professions, all religions across the whole continent are knitting in public AND talking about how to take real steps to address the losses in our natural environment. And why not?

I think the qualities of a knitter make a good environmentalist. Look at us... We don’t mind a bit of repetitious work, don’t mind backtracking sometimes (well not much), and always want to have more projects on hand that we can possibly get to. We want to share ideas, be in groups, learn new techniques and invent new designs. We want to make our own, wear our own, give our stuff away, and see it passed down to the next generation. Those simple little needles make some pretty great values and dreams obtainable!

Well, I feel like I’ve come full circle to some earlier parts of my “me”, but then again, it’s not a circle; it’s more like a spiral. Each time back around, things look a bit different, the circle is expanding to include more.....vision (or just more yarn?!) But on this round at O-Wool,I am ready to embrace both the knitter and the environmentalist in me. And I know I am not alone!

This first post is dedicated to the wonderful grannies of Lincoln, VT who knit on Sundays, and create all sorts of awesome things including the beautiful antler basket (by Nancy Willis) pictured above.

2008-07-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

coming ... a new voice

As an employee of the Vermont Organic Fiber Company I have the pleasure of working with wool every day! I look forward to sharing some of the daily moments, observations and happenings of our global business here in rural Vermont.