As we know, Rowan hardly ever disappoints and they’ve succeeded again with Rowan Magazine 47 (Buy it now).  It’s out on shelves now, in our store, and up online.  It’s a lovely taste of spring during this particularly cold and snowy stretch of our winter season here in New England.

This issue has several lovely “stories”, which is how Rowan Magazine organizes the collections, and some great features.  The first story is Serenity, which is a deeply feminine story inspired by the serene beauty of far off places.  Next up is Jamboree, which is a fun cheery collection for both men and women and is a bit retro and reminiscent of some of my favorite 80’s classics.  There is also Halcyon days which is beautifully inspired by the scenery of Malta.

There is also a great online feature showcased in the magazine by none other than Kaffe Fassete.  It’s a nice treat and a must see.

As we know at Seed Stitch, crochet is really coming into it’s own this year.  We have so much interest in it and have run tons of crochet classes this winter.  Well the industry is really starting to hear the crochet drum beat and Rowan is sure to answer with some amazing crochet designs in this issue and a soon to be released crochet collection that we’ll stock as well.

Simply lovely right?  Don’t miss out on this great issue.  It’s a keeper!

Pick up your copy now. Rowan Magazine 47 here.

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We’ve had such a great class line up this winter. Not just because of the large number of classes we’ve been able to offer but because of our amazing line up of teacher and the energy and excitement of the students who’ve signed up.

This Sunday was no different. I caught the tale end of our Dorset button class, taught by a new addition to our teaching staff, Jules Means. I walked in to a bunch of smiling faces and lots of jubilation!

Jules really got the ladies’ creative juices flowing.  The table was heaped with yarn in all colors and weights as well as some finished buttons to showcase what can be done.

The students ended up with some fantastic finished projects.  Also make sure to check out a blog post from fellow SSFY teacher and (on Sunday) student, Rhonda Culbert, about her experience in the class.

We hope to run this class again in the coming weeks.  If you’re interested in joining the next session.  Give the shop a call and ask to be put on the list.  Once we have the date secured we’ll give you a call and try to get you registered.  As a reminder, check out our class policy and pre-payment is required to secure your spot in any class as the demand for them is so high.

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I found this cute animation from fashion company Pringle of Scotland. Pringle commissioned artist David Shrigley to create a humorous short animated film about life behind-the-scenes at Pringle to celebrate the brands return to Milan Fashion Week and it is a funny little parody on the yarn industry.

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I’m always interested in new up and coming designers, simple style, interesting stories, and those folks to watch for their future impact on fiber arts.  Some of you may already know Stephen West, but if you don’t he’s one to watch.  He’s a young designer who has a great blog, showcasing his designs and is quickly rising in popularity on Ravelry.  We caught up with Stephen to talk a little about his background, his work, and what’s next for him.  Check it out and check out his work!

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got started knitting and designing?

I started knitting in high school after a couple friends taught me, but my knitting looked as awkward as I felt doing it. Despite this rough first attempt, I was still interested, so I got a knitting book and learned all the basics. My first projects were acrylic scarves and hats until I went to college and found my LYS, Klose Knit in Urbana, IL. I discovered wool, alpaca, and other wonderful fibers and then there was no looking back. I brought projects with me everywhere and worked almost strictly from patterns for about a year. During that time I would often modify patterns to fit my taste and my 6′2 height. After modifying more and more patterns, it wasn’t too long before I started designing my own. By designing my own patterns, I can get exactly what I want or I end up with something completely different and weird, which may spark another design idea.

Shawls, shawls, and more shawls. They seem to be on everyone’s mind and you have some amazing shawl patterns in your line up. What is it about shawls that inspires your creative juices?

I love making them as much as I love wearing them. I particularly love smaller shawls that can be worn as scarves around the neck because they are easy to wear and they also look fun and stylish. Shawls as scarves or neck pieces are also quicker to make, often taking just one skein of sock yarn. Fingering weight yarn is one of my favorites because it drapes beautifully and the colors can be breath-taking. I don’t knit socks much, so shawls are another wonderful use for sock yarn. Shawls also have multiple functions. They can be wrapped around your neck, positioned several different ways, or draped over your shoulders. There are many different ways of constructing shawls. Most of mine start at the neck edge with just a few stitches and then gradually increase outwards. I love this method of construction because you quickly see progress and by the time rows become painfully long, you’re almost done. I am humbled by responses I receive from knitters who love my shawl designs. So, it is easy for me to develop shawl patterns when there is so much interest in them.

Where does your inspiration come from? Are their any designers out there today that are really inspiring you or you feel are on the cutting edge?

Sometimes my inspiration comes from images I come across or structures and objects in my environment, but mostly I am inspired by yarn, color, and the act of knitting. So, my designs often utilize simple stockinette and garter stitch, showcasing beautiful yarns. Simple, clear lines mixed with some interesting detail or shape appeal to me. I am always inspired by what other designers like Jared Flood, Ysolda Teague, Gudrun Johnston, and Kirsten Kapur come up with. I can tell that they are all passionate about knitting and I think their work has the ability to evoke a strong mood or emotion. All of them also take gorgeous photos, which is something I’d like to learn more about.

What’s up next for you?
A lot, actually. I am going to start working on a website soon and hopefully get my blog updated and going again. I’ve taught a few classes in my local area, but I am interested in expanding my class repertoire and traveling to different shops this year. I have been designing a lot of new patterns recently, which I am very excited about. Some of these new patterns will be part of a Westknits pattern collection that I’m planning to release later this year. I just started working with Deep South Fibers, who now distributes my patterns wholesale to yarn stores, which frees up more time for me to play with new design ideas. I’m also working on some knit art installations with Chicago-based fashion designer, Katrin Schnabl, These installations will be presented in Chicago and New York this spring.

Quick Facts:

On your iPod right now: Spring Awakening soundtrack. I can’t stop listening to it.

If you were a yarn what yarn would you be? Right now, I would be Malabrigo Twist because I can’t stop knitting with it.

Favorite place to knit: Outside in the shade

Current project on the needles: Farmer’s Market Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio, Chevalier Mittens by Mari Muinonen, Expedition by Todd Gocken, a new sweater design and scarf design.

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I’m so excited to announce that we are organizing a yarn crawl this spring to some of Boston’s North Shore’s amazing yarn shops.

As many of you already know, Boston’s North Shore is an amazing place and we have a wealth of awesome fiber shops, each with their own personality and something special to offer. As the new kid on the block, I decided it would be fun to get us all together and organize a crawl just when we are fighting the last doldrums of winter and need something to really look forward to.

Enter A Yarn Crawl 2010!

We have nine amazing stores participating. Stay tuned for more info in the coming days.

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Ok I’m so excited about this post today.  We recently received our new Seed Stitch Fine Yarn shirts and I love them!  As some of you may know I spend part of  my weeks in the city working in public relations and marketing for healthcare and life science companies and have for more than 10 years.  So I think that this shirt marries that life with my life as a yarn store owner.

Welcome Yarnamoritis — every fiber lovers disease “an insatiable love of yarn”.  With the route of the word obvious to us all “yarn”, combined with the Latin word “amor” meaning love and the suffix “-itis” denoting a disease.

Be the first one on your block to own one!

They come in a wide range of sizes from small to 2XL, but they are unisex and run a little big.

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I’m excited to introduce a new product into the shop line up, The Authentic Knitting Board. The first one to land in the shop is a great kit that contains a small knitting board, instructions, and two skeins of yarn to make a scarf.

This would make a great gift for anyone, but I think it would be an especially great gift for the child in your life to get them excited about yarn crafts. This kit sells for $24.95.

The Authentic Knitting Board is based off a centuries old technique but brought back to life by a great local mother daughter team from the North Shore.  Below is a little demo on how the whole thing works.

Stay tuned this winter for more from Authentic Knitting Board at Seed Stitch.  The Board comes in a variety of sizes to make larger projects.  You can do some amazing color work and a nice thick fabric as it creates a “double knit” like fabric.

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It’s that time of year. Only a few days left to stuff those stockings. We have some fabulous ideas at Seed Stitch to fill the stockings of all those loved ones. Drop by and we can help you out.

As well we have pre-wrapped gift certificates so all you have to do is drop by and let us know how much you want to add to the card and walk away with a great looking gift for your favorite Seed Stitcher.

All the basics

Tuck in one of these great accessories kit from KA. It has all the basics for those folks just starting out on their fiber adventure.

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The Knit Kit

Coined as the “Swiss Army Knife” of knitting this kit has all the tools a knitter needs in their bag of tricks and it’s FAA approved.

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Tools that are art!

Are they cable needles or are they shawl pins? These beautiful bamboo cable needles from KA can be used to fasten a shawl too.

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Yarn Pins

These witty little pins will be a welcome adornment to any knitter or crocheter’s project bag.

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Sheep or snow ball?

Who couldn’t resist one of these adorable little sheep ornaments? Of course made of the fluffiest little wool they are a must have for any Christmas tree or bobble for a project bag.

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Soak it!

4 oz bottles of Soak, the perfect wash for any woolen garments, are the perfect stocking stuffer or accompaniment to your handmade gifts.

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Everyone needs a hook

These mini bamboo crochet hooks are super handy in so many knitting and crocheting situations. stash one in your loved ones stocking.

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Seed Stitch Gift Certificate

Why not tuck in a Seed Stitch gift certificate along with these other goodies. Trust me yarn lovers feast on an excuse to come in an treat themselves to some yarn or inspiration.

Buy online

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I made this….

We all look for the perfect gift card to accompany a hand made gift. The cards from the I made series are great for your gifts and a great gift for any stocking.

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As you know we absolutely love Spud & Chloe yarns.  They’ve been a big hit since they day they arrived in the shop and of course Susan B. Anderson who authors the Spud and Chloe blog continues to provide us with inspiration.  She’s given us a fabulous little holiday buddy with the Tiny Elf pattern

Susan structured this pattern as a holiday knit along so it was super fun to see him develop.  However the pattern is all together on the site in one place now and you could definitely pull this one off before the holidays.  Only takes bits of three hanks of Spud and Chloe Sweater.

You can download the pattern here for free.

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During Sharon Brant’s recent visit she brought along the cutest little softie called Pete.  Pete is the cutest knit reindeer made from Alpaca Cotton.  He’d make a great gift for anyone on your list or a cute addition to anyone’s holiday decorations.

Mazie was anxiously watching me “yarn” this little guy over our Thanksgiving vacation to the west coast.  You can visit him at the shop until she wants him back again.

Download the free pattern for Pete here.

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