The Sock Market is Up!

We're a little clueless about the stock market, but we sure are bullish on yarn. In these interesting economic times, we think yarn is one of the best investments you can make.

With stocks slipping down faster than our knee-highs in grade school, you'll want to  find a safe place to put your money. May we recommend a yarn store?

Think of buying yarn as a little like buying futures: you're investing time, skill and yarn, and you're betting that two sticks and some string are going to turn into the most fabulous (insert name of garment here) that anyone has ever seen. But unlike the stock market, you never get less out of it than you put in.

Yarn is an investment that saves you money.  We heard you; you just said, "Get out!"

No, really! When you've put those needles to good use and are dressed in wool from head to toe, you can turn the thermostat down to "arctic".  Even in its unknit state,  your stash of yarn strewn over the attic floor could step in as an insulation substitute, keeping those electricity dollars in the house and not flying out your roof.

Yarn is also an investment in your friends and family. Grandma teaches Mom, Mom teaches Son, Son teaches Pal, and so on and so on. And how many of us feel we can hang out with our friends without justifying it with a purpose?  Hello, knitting night! Think of all that togetherness! Priceless!

Best of all, an investment in yarn is an investment in creativity and fun. And we're thinking we're ALL gonna need more of that!

Boo!

Since it's Halloween, (we thought we'd better tell you that, just in case you think this is the way we normally dress for casual Friday),

the Devil made us do it! We put every- 

thing in the store on sale at prices guaran-teed to scare the pants off Celia, but

put a great, big, jack-o-lantern grin on your face.

With the entire shop at 30% off today, your budget will definitely not need rescuing like a damsel-in-distress. And the savings have oozed over to the other side of the building, because the deep discount also applies at Snippets, next door. Rosa (aka, Miss December 1972, gone to seed) will be glad to ring up some Amy Butler fabric for you after you've made a big haul at the Purl.

Remember: Don't wait for your treats! If you come in tomorrow, you'll feel tricked, cuz we'll be closed over the weekend to move those 10 skeins of yarn that don't get sold today. But we'll be back open on Monday with more yarn and more fabric -- and a whole new look.

Jane, Unhand That Baby!

No can do. Jane obviously left her mark on our cutie-pie model, Sebastian, when she popped him into this sweater and hat set appropriately named "Hand." 

After Mission Falls sent us a big box of their 136 Merino Superwash, Jane went a little nuts, grabbed the Wee Knits booklet, and whipped out this fall ensemble almost before the UPS guy got back in his truck.

Ever since it arrived, we've been playing touchy-feely with this yarn. It is so soft you'll be surprised it's wool. As you can see from Sebastian's face, he's a little surprised, too.

Celia Goes to the Dark Side

No surprise: Celia is going to the dark side. But it is a surprise that she's taking us and all the yarn with her. Next month The Purl District is crossing the great divide(r) to be roomies with Snippets.

Yes, even though we're moving, you won't have to go far to find us: we will have moved about 10 feet. No matter whether you knit, sew, crochet or just make yo-yos, you'll be in a one-stop fiber paradise.

And don't worry, we're keeping the couch and the big red table. True, the little red table will have to go. (Any buyers? Contact Celia.) But the important thing (YARN!) will be there in abundance.

Those of you who know and love us will realize that we don't want to go to all the trouble of moving aaalll that yarn aaalll the way over to the other side of the building. So being clever and devious, we've developed a cunning plan. On October 31st we are having a moving sale! That way you can haul the yarn to your house instead of making us stagger the incredible distance of less than five yards under the weight of tons of wool. And since the Snippets employees are just as lazy as we are -- probably because we're the same people -- Snippets will have a big staying-in-the-same-place sale on the same day. You won't want to miss it.

Meet the Family

Last week we were graced with the arrival of an entire family of dolls from the country of Kyrgyzstan, all wearing their traditional garb. (We can now cross "use the word 'garb' in a published format" off our bucket list.)

They are cute; no, they are charming; no, they are beyond words. You have to come in and see them to experience how exquisite these little people are.

This tall lady in the top photo is wearing elechek, the traditional headdress for married women, and the smaller girl below her has on the cone-shaped hat worn by brides.

The detail on all the work is painstaking and fascinating. When we pick them up to take a closer look, we just have to smile in wonder.

The bottom grouping is a roly-poly family of mother, father, and daughter, who are all looking for a permanent home here in the states.

And if only we could get iphoto to cooperate, we could show you the cat slippers -- the colors and the embroidery are amazing. When you put them on your feet, you'll just want to hug them, which starts to look a lot like yoga but might feel better.

A co-op of women in Kyrgyzstan makes all of the items by hand. Each member has her own specialty -- one woman creates the dolls, another makes the slippers, another works her felt into bags, etc. Each one of them is a master of what can be done with wool and hard work. What makes all of this even more mind-boggling is that the wool is felted in a very low-tech way by rolling and beating it in their driveways! And it comes out in rich, bright colors, often subtly shaded or shot through with contrasting streaks. Wow!

We've got to stop now before we start using regrettable words like fabulicious and cutesy-wootsey, but when you stop by to look at them, feel free to use any adjectives you like. 

We're Classier Than You Thought

The kids have been back to school for a month now, and their minds are picking up speed after their cranium-softening vacation. But how about you? If you're still suffering from a bit of summer brain rot, don't take a pill -- take a class! That's right, it's not too late to sign up for fall classes at The Purl District.

Bunny Gail has skills to spare and share, whether she's teaching you the basic knit stitch or helping you figure out why all your decreases won't slant the same way. Come to her class, Beginning Knitting and Beyond; it restarts every month on the first three Tuesday evenings, 6-8 p.m.

Now, if you're ready to amaze your friends and confound your enemies, it's time to learn how to knit in the round at Jane's Socks! class. Can't you just hear Aunt Tilly, who always told your mother you were a klutz, say, "However do you knit with four needles? I could never do that!" You don't need to tell her it's a CINCH -- and we won't say a word.

Jane will also help you get a jump on those Christmas presents with our Felted Clogs class. After three Monday evenings, you'll be cranking those puppies out for every member of your family -- Aunt Tilly excluded.

Perhaps you suspect crochet may be your "thang." Our fearless leader, Celia, can teach you how in three sessions custom fitted to your schedule. Once you've got the basics under your crocheted belt, Celia has a couple of other classes for you to try: Crocheted Flower class, where you can grow your own garden with just yarn and a hook, and Crocheted Felted Bucket Bag class, not guaranteed to hold water, but absolutely guaranteed to hold your interest.

Did we mention that there's a 10% materials discount on whatever you buy for any class? No? Well, we'll mention it now. All classes start this week, so join us and save your brain!

Got Sweater?

One more example of what happens when you lock our Jane alone in a room with a basket of Cascade 220 Superwash and just one pattern.

Happily, that pattern was Mission Falls' Zelda Pull Sweater.  Ten sweaters, ten colors, but we notice she only made them in one size -- hers!

By the way, Celia Bedelia and Bunny Gail are off! No, not as in you-have-to-be-a-little-off-to-work-here, we mean they're on another field trip. This morning they packed up half the shop, loaded it into the Purlmobile, and drove away to Canby for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF). If you're one of the fiber fiends who will be there this weekend, be sure to stop by our booth and do a little shopping. 

Autumn is Here! Autumn is Here!

Okay, the scientific, meteorological types may say it won't come until September 22, but the rest of us know it in our bones -- autumn has arrived!

How do we know? True, the leaves haven't turned yet, but the air is crisper, and there's fresh cider down at the farm stand. The most important clue of all? The autumn colors have arrived at The Purl District.

You don't have to wait until the autumnal equinox to see the browns, golds and oranges of fall. They can be in your knitting bag now -- or at least as soon as you come down here and get 'em.

Road Trip!

Next week Bunny Gail and Celia Bedelia are loading up the truck to move to Beverly (well, maybe just to Portland). Why? It's time for the Knit & Crochet Show, sponsored by The Knitting Guild Association and The Crochet Guild of America, and The Purl District is gonna be there.

We've got a booth, yarn, and attitude. Starting Thursday night, September 11, from 7-9 PM and then all day Friday through Sunday, Gail, Celia, and our special guest star, Nita Porter, will be selling their little hearts out at the Portland Convention Center. And we want you to be there, too.

All of Gail's special angora yarn will be there -- hand-dyed and spun from Gail's own rabbits.

There will be lots of sock yarn, too, good for socks (yeah, duh), but also good for KnotSoPlainJane's hoodie sweater for kids. As the photo shows, self-striping is not just for feet.

The Purl District's very own brand of circular needles also get to make a trip up I-5. Made of bamboo, with smooth joins and ultra-flexible cables, these needles are just what your knitting bag has been missing. And at the crazy low price of $5 a pair, you can stock up and up and up...

And since it wouldn't be the Purl District without some sass, we saw Celia packing up pins, bags, and t-shirts with some smart-sass sayings (how's that for alliteration?) to take along for your consumer enjoyment.

We know that you are going to go to the show just to shop at our booth, but don't forget all the classes! The powers that be wanted us to tell you that while it's too late to sign up for classes online, you can still register for them when you get to the Convention Center.

Patricia Goes to the Fair, Doesn't Bring Us Any Cotton Candy...

but she did bring in her prize-winning sweaters for us to show you.

At left, Patricia Henderson, of Silverton, is wearing the sweater from Interweave Knits Magazine that she knitted and entered in the Oregon State Fair. It took third prize. 

And below, Patricia is modeling her vest (made from a Berrocco pattern) that earned her a 2nd place ribbon.

Disclaimer: Patricia wants you all to know she didn't know we were going to make her put on the sweaters, and she "wouldn't have worn these pants" with them. Patricia, you should know by now: prize-ribbons go with everything! Congratulations on your wins.

Celia got the Gold

We forgot to update you on Celia's hat marathon. Drum roll...... She did it! Celia won gold! Twenty-six hats in 17 days. Whew.

Celia's next goal: sell 20 hats in 17 days. Hmm. There must be a connection here.

We Don't All Have to Fit In This Tent

Don't pack away that tent and gear after Labor Day; you have one more camping trip this year! Clear your calendar for Friday, September 19th; it's time for The Purl District Camp Out. From 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, you are going have some fun roughing it surrounded by some of the best yarn in the world.

Twenty bucks gets you an indoor campsite (aka a chair) -- no worries about skeeters or rain -- and a chance to mosey up to our chuckwagon-- not just beenie weenies and smores-- AND a 20% discount on whatever you buy that night. (The discount is good at both The Purl District and Snippets, 'cause we're all camping together that night.) Bring in a pop-up tent or camping equipment and we'll bump up that discount to 30%. Wow! What more could you want? It's an excuse to knit and laugh and eat and pretend that summer isn't over. But since autumn really is just around the corner, there will be hourly door prizes to jumpstart your autumn knitting.

Be sure to come in and sign up by September 11th. We're not sure that we can build a campfire, but we can't wait to hear you tell us scary knitting stories around the big red table.

Barbara designed these beautiful socks with viscachas (a small South American animal somewhere between a squirrel and a chinchilla) on them, but she found a mistake, we believe some ripping was involved, and now she wants nothing to do with them.

We're going to nag her here in the blog to try to guilt trip her into finishing these gorgeous bits of footwear. I mean, check out the 3D edging at the top of the socks. 

So, Barbara, you know who you are, we want to see you at the big red table on Friday with these puppies in hand. Pleeeease. (We're also not above begging.)

Has She Hit the Wall?

It's been said that a marathon can be divided into two equal halves -- the first 20 miles and the last six. All marathoners know that there's a point -- different for each runner, every race -- where it seems that you can go on no longer. It could be in the 18th mile, maybe it doesn't happen till the 21st, but sooner or later you hit the wall.

In crochet, the wall is made out of yarn.

Celia's crocheting a hat marathon. She set herself a goal during the Olympics: 26 hats in 17 days. Here in the basket you see 20 hats. There is sworn testimony that there are two more hats at her house, and a couple of our mannequins are wearing some pretty warm headgear for August, so that brings us to 24 completed objects with only a couple of days left to go. It looks like she's going to make it, BUT it's possible that she's hit the wall. Those last two skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash could be the equivalent of six miles of grueling road.

Check in next week to see if she won the gold...

Yarn Dreams

It could be a yarn shop. It could be a small, well-organized fiber warehouse. Or it could be the headboard of Jane's bed. Take a guess.

Our Jane, The Purl District yarn slave and incredi-knitter, lives for fiber -- and not in an All-Bran sort of way--which explains why, when she needs a respite from a hard day of being surrounded by skeins of wool, alpaca, and bamboo at the shop, goes home to this. Last thing she sees at night? Yarn. First thing she sees in the morning? You get the idea. Just in case you didn't feel that Jane is fully committed (and feel free to think of the word 'committed' as you like) to the fiber lifestyle, you should know that she is here in the shop right now -- on her day off!  Some people are crazy like that.

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Deja Vue Web Page

You may have checked out our website lately and said, "Whoa, haven't I seen this before?" The answer is probably 'yes'. The page has been a little bit on hold since spring, and we bet you're gonna ask why. So we're gonna tell you. Tim, our webdude, is revamping the whole shebang.

When Tim's done, we're going to have a shopping cart, and while you can't ride it up and down the aisles like at Safeway (yes, you know you've done that), you can load it up with yarn and yarn and more yarn. Oooh, and you're going to want some of those buttons, and dang if you haven't misplaced your 24" and 40" size 8 Addi Turbos, so throw a couple of those in there. And before you finish clicking, there's a new book on needle felting you MUST have. Whew! You've done a full day's shopping and nobody needs to know you're still in your jammies.

The Purl District will also no longer be calendar-challenged. We'll have one for you to click on, so you can check on upcoming events. And never again will you have to sheepishly call to find out what time Gail's teaching that class-you-signed-up-for-but-can't-remember-when-you're-supposed-to-show-up-at. (It's okay, it happens to all of us.)

So the upshot is: keep visiting our site. We're sure it'll be worth the wait.

Oh, since you're going to be shopping in your pajamas, you'll need new slippers. What a coincidence -- Jane will be teaching a clogs class, beginning Tuesday, August 12th. As the picture shows, these are fabulous, so soft and cushy. Yep, you definitely are going to want these.

When It Comes to Yarn: Moths Bad, Butterflies Good

Susan Carr brought in her Butterfly afghan today. "Only 3 rows to go." And sitting around the big red table, she polished off those rows; pictured here is the result. (By the way, that's Susan, hidden by her feat of crochet.)

Using Tunisian stitch and an afghan hook (which looks a lot like a regular crochet hook on steroids), Susan turned 18 balls of Encore yarn into a work of art. This fall Susan is going to teach the Butterfly Afghan class for us (details pending). We'd love to have you join us.

First Freaking Friday

August is here next week, and you know what that means: 1st Friday!

For those of you out-of-the-loopers, on the first Friday of the month, we, along with most of Silverton's stores, don't close up shop at 6:00 -- oh, no-- we stay open until 9:00! Wahoo! We gather around the big red table and knit and gab and eat. There's always fun. There's always cheese. And this month, there's Stella.

No, we're not talking "A Streetcar Named Desire" Stella. This Stella is a tape yarn from Rosetti Yarns that makes super funky ruffle scarves. (Check out the pic of Jenna modeling one for us.) They're easy. They're fun. And Celia and Gail will show you how right here next Friday evening.

O Spinner, where art thou? It's Friday morning and The Purl District awaits you...

Spin 'n' Yak sessions have been on hold, but people have asked us to start them up again, so here we go -- grab your wheel and a latté on Friday mornings and chill out with us.

Elizabee, here at the shop, has been spinning for the Tour de Fleece. While bicyclists worldwide have flocked to Europe for the Tour de France, spinners of a different sort have taken their wheels to the web for the Tour de Fleece to spin yarn out of their stash. Here's a photo of a merino/mohair blend that she's racing to finish. She keeps mumbling, "Too much twist. Too much twist." It must be her mantra or something.

Anyway, if you're in the Tour de Fleece -- or even if you're not -- there's no need to spin alone. And while you're down here, maybe you can give her some pointers, we think she's spinning out of control!

Never Felt Better in My Life...

We've got some pix for you from our Felting Workshop in May. Fifteen felters descended on the Silver Falls Convention Center along with fiber from Skacel and ArtFelt paper to learn a new-fangled method of feltmaking where you build the art right in.
Instructor Jo Ann Ellis shows how easy it is....to get carried away!

Ready, set, felt!



It's so easy that Nita can do it with her eyes closed.


Look at what they made!








And after a full day of fiber-wrangling, there are only two choices: more fiber-wrangling --aka knitting, as chosen by David, Mary Lou, and Gail -- or a soothing massage. Thanks, Tracy!

Wow! Here's some inspiration for you:

And just a little something to think about if you're one of those people who think you can never learn to knit...

This is Chloe Nealon, of Silverton, wearing one of the two -- yes, we said two -- scarves that she made this week. Amazing. She came in with her mom today to buy four more skeins of yarn, because she can't wait to create more.

Amazing Thing #2 is that she learned to knit last Sunday, so she's been a knitter for six days and has already finished more wearable items than some of us crank out in a year.

And since good things come in threes, there has to be an Amazing Thing #3. This is it: Chloe is five years old!

Now, you may be saying to yourself, "But I'm not a five year-old knitting prodigy." Good news: you don't have to be; we can help you out. Come on down and sign up for our Beginning Knitting class with Gail. It's perfect timing; the first class starts this Tuesday evening, July 8th, at 6:00 PM.

And Chloe, welcome to the wild, wacky, wonderful world of knitting. You rock!

Ya Gotta Love a Sale

Okay, here's the thing: we can't get Jane to stop knitting, Celia would rather crochet than sleep, and there's only so many places we can hang this stuff. That's why we're having a sale on all those fabulous samples we've had on display to spark your imagination.

We've got sweaters, scarves, funky hats, hip little bags, darling tiny-girl dresses, and more -- all ready to go home with you.
Over the last year or so, we've knit and crocheted up a lot of things just to show you what can be done, and now we want room to show you what's next.

Come on in and see the whole rack of samples -- all at 50% off of the original price. Ooooh, what a deal! And hey, don't worry about cleaning us out -- we'll make more!

Artfelt

We are having a workshop at Silver Falls Conference Center May 16,17,and 18th. There are approximately 5 spaces left. It is $250. to attend. It includes all your food,lodging,workshop and kit. Call or come in to register. The workshop is called I Never Felt Better. The Purl District is sponsoring the workshop. Jo Ann Elis is the instructor. She is a sales Rep for Skacel, a wholesale yarn company in Seattle. We will have a wine and cheese reception on Friday night for the students and the instructor. Vitus Ridge Wines will be there. They are one of our Premier wineries in the East Valley.
Bring your knitting,crochet,beading,crafty projects, that book you want to read and lay back with us.

Hope to see ylu there,
Celia

Pictures of the Mad Knitters Tea Party

We had soooooooooo much fun. Here you see Courtnie and Mom Tracy as the catepillar,and the white rabbit. Peter is a card at the queens and JoAnna is the Red Queen.

Tootles,
Celia

Update of the Big Ass Fiber Festival-10/09

OK, Guess what? this whole conference doing is a BIG job that we are still trying to accomplish . We are finding out that the expenses of such a gig are in the $30,000 plus range and none of us can back it on our own so No signing contracts without the $$upfront to back it.

We are going to have to establish a corporation most likely and seek backing from wholesale yarn companies. The Oregon Garden Hotel and Resort is working with us diligently to make everything affordable and deluxe at the same time. Silverton is a great spot with all its recreational ops and just the coolness factor is very high!

If anyone is skilled at evvents and has some ideas or would like to be on our team come on down.

toot toot,
Celia

Our New Employee/Knitting Slave

Rosa Hernandez, cutie patootie,is our new employee. She is a beginner knitter, and a long time crocheter with personality to spare!She is working on Mondays only for now, occasionally on Sunday for Jane. She makes Killer Flan. Stop by and see Rosa on any Monday or lots of times she's just hanging out with us on any old day. Welcome to The Purl District, Rosa.

Bye,
Celia

Stuff and stuff to think about for 2009

Fans, Friends, and Fellow Needleworkers of the World,

We are plotting and scheming at The Purl District for 2009,October to be exact. We want to have a Big Ass Fiber Fest at The Oregon Garden's New Hotel and Resort. What do you think? We would invite about 30 Vendors and Workshop Instructors. We'd have Belly Dancers for entertainment and Dinners and the East Valley Wine Association, and a Runway Fashion show. We'd have a Stinkin' lot of FUN and we'd learn stuff and buy yarn and Crazy Cool Baubles etc.And we'd only hang out with the boys and girls who are fun and knit,and crochet and tat, and spin and do yarny things! For a whole entire weekend,Thursday-set-up,Friday-SundayMarket,Classes Thursday-Sunday.The area is gorgeous and you can go to the Abbey or Silver Falls Park,or the creeks or, I don't know ,crazy, if you want to. There are lots of shopping ops in Silverton and dining Galor also a fiber mill to visit in action.. I'll keep you all updated as we confirm instuctors and dates. So far we have Jane Robbins, Paula Schull, and Lisa Jorgenson.........

Toodles,
Celia

CrazyKnitty Women Mob us!

Whoa! We had a 50% off sale on Sooper Bowl Sunday,everybody scored. I can hardly see a dent ,however, in the inventory. What's up with that? So for the entire month of February we are continuing the sale fever with All Red,White, and Pink yarns 20% off. I am also contiuing the 50% off on select yarns mostly novelties that we've lived with long enough. Wouldn't you rather have some silk or new cotton from Egypt?
So come in and check out all the sale yarns, no dogs, I promise. These yarns are good just not the new hip thing! And you know I can't stand not to be hip and happenin'!

Oh~! Just because, the Chamber of Commerce voted our shops, Stone Buddha and The Purl District,and us,Renee and Celia the business of the year for 2007. We just got notice and written up in the media in the metropolis of Silverton!

We ROCK the Town.
Celia

Anyas crocheted top

Anya crocheted this top from Eco wool Cascade. It is ridged due to crocheting in the back loop of the stitch. It is from a 1970's c Modular crochet book.
See ya,
Celia

Mary Ann's sweater!

Mary Ann made this sweater in a class with Nita Porter on many Saturdays and homework. Chris Bylsma is the designer of this sweater. It's all off whites and creamy beiges., many textures. Each block connects to the next as you go.

It's a Creamy,snowy ,warm and fuzzy dream.
Bye,
Celia

Kathy and her harp playing for us!

Picture coming soon! OK,so I can't get the picture to the text. It must be too large. Kathy Holt spent a Tuesday afternoon in December 2007 knitting,teaching and playing the harp for us with her traveling harp. She has a big harp at home. It doesn't like to go out much.
Bye now,
Celia