New hours!

I would like to announce that starting Sunday, December 13th Ewetopia will be open from 12-4pm on Sundays through Christmas! From what I have heard, other shops in town will also be open during these hours!

Shop news and pattern musings

Well, it seems that the closer it gets to the Holidays the less time I have to devote to the blog, I will try and be a better blogger from now on! The shop has been a flurry of activity getting ready for the Holidays and the cold Wisconsin winter! Yarn is coming in regularly to re-stock for winter projects! In fact, a big box from Noro just came today full of Silk Garden and Kureyon and i'm having a hard time keeping to my already started mittens (a beautiful pattern called Turkish Rose Mittens from Green Mountain Spinnery, I'm knitting them out of a strand of Silk Garden Lite and a solid black from Berroco Cashvero).

The above pictures are 2 patterns I have recently finished! The stocking was written from popular demand for the exact pattern that I had made up for our Stocking class, using a sample of different techniques to-be-learned! The hat I have dubbed Braided Spiral Hat and was written for the Madison publication Knitcircus (which if you have not already checked out, you should!) I'm excited to see if it makes it into their winter issue! It's a fun pattern to knit up, tedious with cables and changing colors, but amazing to see the quick progress, and of course, my attention was especially kept by the next vibrant color in the Noro skein!

Friday Night Sale and Knitting Gathering!

This Friday (Nov. 21st) we will be having a grand time with our needles, yarn, punch and snacks! Come join us for sales throughout the shop on everything from yarn to books, quick and easy Holiday gift ideas and of course bring your knitting or other fiber project to work on or get help with! We'll also have door prizes!
Where: Ewetopia Fiber Shop
When, Friday, Nov. 21st from 4-9pm

New yarn from Frog Tree!

Meriboo is a new scrumptious yarn from Frog Tree - a blend of Merino wool and Bamboo in a DK weight, it has wonderful sheen and softness! The cardigan above is a new design that came to me after seeing how fun the brown, rosy red and bright green worked together in this yarn. I've dubbed it the Climbing Rose Baby Cardigan, it was started as a 6-12 month size, but after finishing it quickly became a 0-3 month size! ...It will be great when I have this baby and can actually correctly size children's garments! A pattern is in the works, and will be available at the shop and online at our etsy site ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5535031 ) as a pdf download, once I have made another few sizes! It's a fun and pattern though, complete with steeking and color work!

We're hitched! And the dress was worn!

Sept. 27th was a beautiful day, although storms had dominated the radar, the weather turned out perfect! I was glad, for more reasons than a dismal wedding weather day... I did NOT want to smell like dead fish (something silk is prone to do when wet, and something I lived through during the blocking process). The dress fit well, although in full Kathryn fashion (I always alter something the day of), I did have to sew my bodice to my strapless bra (the bra was too comfortable to go through the hassle of finding a new one!) Other than this little dilemma, the dress was great, and was only snagged a few times without much drama (something else I was worried about being in a barn and a field)!

The wedding itself, while almost completely spur of the moment and not at all rehearsed was beautiful and smooth despite the before mentioned reasons. Something very memorable during the ceremony were the cows, who occasionally gave a soft "moo" or would shake their bells. The reception was a wonderful night full of dancing, good food and great company! Keith and I thank you all for your support helping to make our day as wonderful and perfect as it was. Although the days leading up to it were stressful, the day itself was so amazing that it all became worthwhile. This is why people get married, to start a new life off surrounded by love from family and friends. Thank you.

Ewetopia will be closed Saturday Sept. 27th

The shop will be closed Saturday September 27th due to my wedding! I am very sorry for the inconvenience, I hope you see this before you make a trip! Be sure to check back here for pictures of the wedding dress in action!

7 days to go!

Well it's now 7 days until the big day... Do I feel ready? Well no, but at least the dress is finished! Or I can pass it off as finished (it still needs a clasp for the back underskirt), can anyone say....safety pin?! I have finally finished the shrug, which I had planned all along on staying true to the pattern "Lacy Hug-Me-Tight" shrug from the book Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark. But alas, I couldn't resist the urge to change something about it, so after starting the lacy border I decided that I did not want to attach it afterwards (this concept goes back to the skirt and how I started it over after deciding I did not want to seam lace, or purl...), instead I picked up a numerous amount of stitches and used the pattern I used for the skirt. This worked well, and I think it will match better then a whole new lace pattern.

I have also been fretting about shoes.... all summer.... So to appease my feet and to finish off this outfit I went two doors down to Center Stage and bought a very comfortable pair of light beige sandals that work out perfectly! I have a mohair/silk very airy veil started, but I'm not sure if I will finish it or decide against it. What do you all think?

Estes Vest

Even before the fall issue of Interweave Knits was out I was already dreaming about this vest from a sneak preview on the wonderful "Knitting Daily" blog by Interweave Press. I even ordered yarn from Berroco with the pattern in mind. As soon as the fall issue arrived I casted on, it didn't matter that I had 15 projects waiting to be finished, this was a priority. I am now 3/4 finished with the back and am still loving the pattern, it keeps you busy, while giving you breaks during some rows, plus with the bulky yarn and US #9 needles it goes fast! I love seeing progress, especially after a project like "the dress"...

It's not only the pattern that I love, but it's also the yarn. Berroco's brand new bulky weight of their popular Ultra Alpaca called Cuzco is a soft, silky, 50% Alpaca/50% Wool in a 2-ply is perfect for this pattern. It will be warm, soft, and it shows off the cables impeccably!

I'll keep you updated on the progress of this, but if you're interested in learning cables, we'll be having a class on this project Oct. 22, 29 & Nov 5 and 12 from 6-8pm. Cables are simple, they just look really complicated ;)

I'm finally able to Dye!

No matter how you put it, it sounds morbid. It is exciting though, for the past couple months I have been too nauseated with morning sickness to work with the dye pots, but now equipped with open doors and a mask I am back to work and just in the nick-o-time for the WI Sheep and Wool Festival. The past week i have been busy dyeing up everything white in the shop and even sent in a quick order for back up yarn! Think lots of beautiful dyed mohair, mountains of our special pre-balled sock yarns and much more! Yesterday was a big blues and greens day after being oddly pre-occupied with reds, purples and pinks. I am hoping after this month I will have the time to start some natural dyed sock yarns and maybe an organic worsted weight line much like our popular Bam-bino yarns.

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

One week from now Ewetopia will be it's second appearance at the WI Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI. If you're a fiber artist or just starting out in the fiber crafts world I urge you to go to this great festival to check out the classes, vendors, animals, dog trials, and much more! While you're there check out Ewetopia's booth, we have been busy dying lots of new colors of sock yarns and much more, which may never be seen in the shop!
http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com/

New Needle Felting Kits

We've had people ask for needle felting kits, and yesterday when I was ordering I came across these little guys! They are adorable, even down to their egg carton packaging. Unlike other needle felting kits I have found, these are unique in that they come with a core "egg" already felted, hence the genius egg carton idea I suppose! We have sheep, bunnies and pigs coming in we hope by early September.

Living Crafts Magazine is Here!

We have decided to carry Living Crafts Magazine, it is full of wonderful fiber crafts directed toward children and parents. The fall issue is very exciting indeed, with patterns for felt crowns, gnome hats, wet felted pumpkins, a beautiful lace cardigan by well-known knitting designer Annie Modesitt, and a lovely hedgehog story and hedgehog family needle felting instructions by a fiber artist who many in the waldorf community have taken classes from - Suzanne Down. There is also a great article about making buttons from branches which I am now itching to try out!

Ewetopia is now testing out some new crafting mediums, of course sticking to our love for natural fibers, we found a source for some beautiful earthy hued thick 100% wool felt fabric. This will be perfect for felted crowns, felt gnomes, and as a canvas for needle felted paintings!

SOCKS

With a brighter days and crisper nights comes a new vision for Ewetopia's inventory... can i say socks and sweaters? The UPS, Fed-Ex and DHL deliverers think I'm crazy, how can a box of yarn be so heavy? Because we have so much gorgeous new yarn coming in that they are stuffed to their limit and are often tearing at the edges! Soxx Appeal, Berroco Sox, Kureyon Sock yarn, Silk Garden Sock yarn, Louet Gems in Fingering weight and Sport weight, Ultra Alpaca Fine and others that are still arriving daily will soon grace our new sock corner, which is already showing signs of needing more space! With the WI Sheep and Wool Festival approaching quickly (Sept. 5-7) the dye pots are going constantly and we hope to get in some large cones soon to create a special self striping yarn!

This has been a yarn I have had on order for 7 months now, a tell-tale sign that it is a yarn in high demand. I finally got the call that it was in and being shipped to Viroqua. Are you ready? This will go quickly! A blend of wool and nylon, a revolutionary strong single ply washable sock yarn, in a skein large enough for a pair! Of course it also has the amazing Noro striping effect just like its sister the regular Noro Kureyon.

Audrey and June the Shepherdesses

My newest creations! Making little people has been so much fun and the creative urge seems much stronger with small projects! Check Audrey out on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12677287

My childhood fascination with knitting designer Jan Messent has finally paid off, while i still cannot figure out the patterns, i have figured out a design to knit them in one piece!

Betsy and Tacy

“It was difficult, later, to think of a time when Betsy and Tacy had not been friends.” Have you ever read the Betsy-Tacy books by Maude Hart Lovelace? I grew up LIVING these books with my friend Amanda (I was Betsy and she was Tacy, if you must know). So, when Bounce had a ewe lamb and Twinkle also had a ewe lamb the next day, they of course had to be Betsy and Tacy! (the top picture is Betsy and the bottom is Tacy). Both are very lively little babes, so much that poor little Tacy has sprained her leg quite badly and is still hobbling about 5 days later, she is getting much better though and is still able to leap and frisk about!

Meet Martin

The first of the 2008 lambs! He was born May 31st and has probably been the easiest lamb in the world. His mom (Magnolia - you may have seen her picture in the shop as "Our Founder") is a terrific first mom and had already nursed him and cleaned him off by the time I came down to the barn in the morning. He's strong, quiet, inquisitive and has the most beautiful face of any lamb we've had. Martin is a Border Leicester/ Merino cross and will live his life as a wether producing scrumptious wool in exchange for his care :) We're hoping the rest of the lambs are this easy this year... and keeping our fingers crossed for ewe lambs!

Dress update - IT'S ALMOST DONE!

It's off the needles and onto the mannequin! The full picture is pre-blocking and the first picture is a detail of the picot bind off that i quite like. Thank you Elann.com Unfortunately as expected the dress grew in length after blocking and is now almost floor length, not quite the ankle length i was hoping for. I think i will investigate a hoop skirt at Bonnie's Bridal Center to see how that works with the crinoline over it and then the underskirt and lace over skirt (whew, glad its in September!). The idea is for it to be organic and not too wide, but make the heavy silk widen and allow the crinoline to do what its supposed to... give it some body for dancing! Which brings me to my next design decision. To make this outfit more fit for dancing than museum material, I'm planning to put the skirt on a drawstring so it can have just a bit of gathering, and will be removable for the dancing later that night, I just won't be able to think about anything else if I'm worried about snagging it! My friend said then next that that I looked lost without it always as a back up. After thinking about it, I am a bit lost I must admit, but i can now finish up the shrug and look at other aspects of the wedding planning... and designing... maybe flower crowns made from delicate felted i-cords and flowers? A veil? We will see what happens next and of course I'll keep you updated!

The perfect summer shawlette

Meet Jessica - one of our most dedicated customers and loyal knitting loiterer showing off her beautiful first lace project, the Clementine Shawlette, by Michele Rose Orne, Interweave Knits, Spring 2007 issue. Jessica knitted this out of the versatile Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy a Hemp/Cotton/Modal blend.

Seductive Shrug

Dress up any outfit with this sexy lace shrug, which is actually incredibly simple and knits up super fast! For those lace fanatics we have the pattern here as a free pattern with the purchase of Berroco Seduce (our 20% off featured yarn now until 5/31/08), but for those who would like to learn about lace, but are too afraid to try alone, we will be having a class making this shrug on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30pm on 5/28, 6/4 & 6/11
Please call to register

New hours

With beautiful summer weather, comes a strong urge to be outdoors! Thus, Ewetopia will now be closed on Sundays. However, we will be open now on Saturday 9-5pm (instead of 9-4pm). Of course, if at all possible, I can be open by appointment on Sundays, and sometimes (especially rainy ones) you may see the open sign out there, because, I may find I can't stay away from here even for a day! May the fiber be with you.

Do your kids want to needle felt?

Needle felted Mermaid/Merman class for kids ages 7 and up! Parents are welcome and encouraged to come and help especially with the young-uns! This class will be taught by Jen Breitbach who is a needle felted mermaid expert! It will be held here at Ewetopia May 17th from 10-11:30am. Please call 637-3443 to register!

E-Newsletter

Happy Spring Everyone! Even after last night's storm the weather is still warm (relatively) and inspirational, a definite sign of spring! Yesterday I sent out Ewetopia's very first e-newsletter, I hope to make it a monthly ordeal with coupons, free patterns and other shop news! If you have not received it yet and would like to, feel free to e-mail me so i can put you on the list (and send a current issue!) info@ewetopiafibershop.com

In other parts of the shop... as you can see I am still working on the wedding dress, but only a few more inches to go! The bodice has been blocked and all the odd curvature in it that was not expected has been straightened out nicely! I would like to send a warm thank you to the Stitch n Bitchers from Madison who made the long drive from Madison (driving that drive on a weekly basis i should know!) on Monday for our knitting group! PLUS many wonderful pictures were taken like the one above, THANK YOU! I would like to remind everyone that all are welcome to our Monday night group and our BRAND NEW Tuesday morning group for those die hard knitters who want to come to both, or for those who simply can't make it at night!
May the Fiber be with You!

Class announcement!

Aren't these adorable? Have you ever wanted to learn needle felting? These would be a great introduction into the versatile art of needle felting! These classes are taught by Danita Doerre from Stoddard, WI who works with wool, but also the less commonly used alpaca and llama fiber!

Chickens! June 18th 6:30-8:30pm $25
Llama/Alpaca July 8th 6:30-8:30pm $25

Thoughts on a bright and beautiful day

Spring is in the air, even though it snowed yesterday. Yesterday I felt terrible, today is a very productive and inspiring day! It is quite amazing to me how the weather can affect one's health and outlook! The grass is getting greener and the sun is getting stronger, Kickapoo-gians are starting to come out of doors and believe again that there are other colors other than white, gray, and brown! Plants are on everyones mind, knitting has been put to the back burner for some, although not here at Ewetopia, we are playing with brighter colors, and silkier and cooler yarns now, but are still hard at work to keep you inspired! But in an effort to cater to those knitters who do put their knitting aside during the summer and pick up trowels and hoes, we are proposing this: To work with my mom's business Read's Creek Nursery ( http://www.readscreeknursery.com ) and bring ample greenery to Viroqua's Main Street we will be selling beautiful herbs and select annuals as well as our wonderful nature inspired yarns. To us, knitters and gardeners go hand in hand and thus, why not have a one stop shop?!

What do you all think? I would love some feedback on this idea.

Beautiful new FEATURED yarn!

FEATURED YARN! 20% off until May 31st!
In the mood to knit something summery? Seduce from Berroco just came in and IT IS LOVELY! Even better than i could've imagined! It is a wonderful rayon blend that is shiny, slippery, and nubbley, a perfect array of textures for summer wearing! I can see a sexy tank top, or elegant wrap in this yarns future here in the shop... Maybe for our up-coming summer shrug class (May 28, June 4 & 11 - 6:30-8:30pm)! We have in stock a beautiful lime green, grape purple, turquoise, black and my favorite, a taupe and turquoise blend!

This yarn also comes with wonderful pattern support from Berroco, such as the beautiful projects shown above!

Shearing day!

They were very woolly little beasts, now they're much more deer like and although the weather is not cooperating, seem warm enough! I just need to keep reminding myself that other sheep are sheared much earlier in the year! Anyways, we have 10 beautiful fleeces, well 9 beautiful fleeces, UFO's fleece will most likely be used for weed barrier due to her traumatic lambing last spring and her amazing recovery. Bastien (Merino/Border Leicester yearling) has the most incredible fleece, the crimp of merino and the length and color of his sire (a Border Leicester). I'm already in the process of washing it so i can start yet another major project... a pea coat for next winter! The shop is over run with raw fleeces needing attention! Spring is so exciting!

The February Sweater!

A sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman's book "The Knitters Almanac" knitted by my mom! Isn't this just adorable? She used Silky Wool from Elsebeth Lavold, which came out perfectly soft and stretchy! This is for the new little addition to my aunt's family in June and i'm sure will become a family heirloom!

Wedding Dress update!

Update: Well i'm thinking of going 5 more inches and then starting the border! The finish line is in sight! I don't want the knitted lace to be too close to the ground since it will be an outdoor wedding... in a hay field! I'm pretty proud of myself for doing 1.5" yesterday! Its getting there!
Also, i had a very exciting interview with a woman who writes for a CA wedding guide website called herecomestheguide.com a while ago, and a couple days ago my dress was posted as a blog post on their website! Here is a link to the blog post! Very exciting!

http://www.herecomestheguide.com/blog/detail/personal-expression/

New Fair Trade yarns from Frog Tree

Just arrived! An exquisite sport weight 85% Pima Cotton, 15% Silk blend, with 155 yds! Frog Tree! This is a great yarn from a wonderful company who sources their yarn from South American cooperatives who are given fair prices for their products! From Frog Tree we also have some really cool hand painted ceramic buttons!

Spring!

Look at these little woolly beasts! This will be there first shearing and they will all have such different but wonderful fiber! Our 4 2007 lambs are Merino/Border Leicester crosses and are all a rich chocolate color like our BL ram Esau. Bastien (the one looking at the camera) is humongous and appears to have the best fleece, i can't wait to work with it! Spring is definitely in the air!

Spring Scheming

So as spring draws nearer and nearer, even the short lasted blizzard on Easter can't stop the scheming that seems to come from nothingness. Last spring it was how do i start a yarn shop, this year it is how to start a Ewetopian line of yarn! My goal is to have a line of yarn that is spun from blended fibers (not dip dyed, but dyed before spinning) to give a more subtle color effect. You may remember the beautiful blue sweater knitted by Carol Hanson, which graced our back wall all summer, this is the kind of yarn i would like to produce (of course without the handspun price!) Is this possible? Can i have this yarn ready for the WI Spin-In show and the WI Sheep and Wool Festival? I believe so :) As i write I have cauldrons of wool in greens and purples simmering away down in the basement!

My plan is to have my blends carded by Georgia at Quail Hill Carding because of her expertise in the area of carding beautiful clouds, then to send it off to be spun somewhere! My future goal is to have a processing mill right here at the shop and source from local shepherds in the area to create an eco-friendly yarn that is unique and local!

Fair Isle Project

Of course, a lovely Dale baby sweater would be the perfect project! Not too huge . . . easier to finish . . . This beautiful child's ski sweater was knit by Gloria Fetty.


But also consider something adult sized - there's lots of great color information in Kristin Nicholas' new book, Kristin Knits. Look to Meg Swansen's Knitting for further inspiration. And of course, there are plenty of gorgeous Dale of Norway Adult patterns. Frankly, at this point, I can't choose from all the great patterns! I better decide soon - it's almost time for the knit-along!

Flutter Sleeve Cardigan

Spring is in the air! And with that glimpse of spring... more of a feeling really, something the weather just can't take away from us, comes a new inspiration for knitting. Away with the wool and on with the HEMP! This is a new yarn that just came in from Elsebeth Lavold called Hempathy. In a great range of spring and summer colors this yarn is soft and drapey, which is the perfect fit for your new summer top! The spring issue of Interweave Knits is full of great summer tops, but this one named Flutter Sleeve cardigan caught my eye right away, and even though my gauge is off by one stitch per inch i decided to go ahead anyway with the fun new Hempathy yarn in a wonderful celery green! I decided since my gauge was too loose on #7's that i would knit the next larger size and use a #5 needle. My gauge is now 6sts per inch (it is supposed to be 5sts per inch), but my fabric is just the right weight, not to loose and not too tight! This also knits up super fast, the back is almost complete and i just started 3 days ago! woohoo! I can't wait to wear this around the shop over tank tops all summer long!