A bowl of crochet Quahogs!
by: Filed under About SSFY, Events, Patterns and Projects | Comment (0)As my mom would say, “Can you stand it?!!” No I can not stand how cute these crochet Quahogs (pronounced ‘ko-hog’ for all of you that are not from ’round here) turned out. They are another part that will go into our Seed Stitch Sound:community art project celebrating New England Marine life.

Quahogs anyone?
I didn’t use a pattern for these, just free from single and double crochets where I increased to make the shells and then via single crochet increases and decreases to make the Quahog bellies. I almost want to eat them!

To keep your creative juices going, I’ll be posting projects a they are created and patterns for you. Stay tuned!
AddAre you pinning yet? Oooh I love Pinterest
by: Filed under How it works, Inspiration | Comment (0)I’m kind of obsessed with Pinterest these days. Have you discovered this world yet?
Pinterest is kind of like a big cork board online where you can “pin” various photos from sites you visit and categorize them into topic areas. I find it to be an amazing source of inspiration for me and a way to go back and remember where I saw something, etc.

Here's a quick peek at my knitting and crochet inspiration board
Warning: it is super addictive! Add
Ok I’m super excited that I’ve finished the first of a school of “minnows” for our Seed Stitch Sound project. The pics are not great so forgive me but I just had to share them. Hopefully it will get you all as excited as I am to start crafting all sorts of New England Marine-y things for our community exhibit.

Crochet minnow

Knit minnow
These are both made from cut up Crosby’s grocery bags. They were both just sort of free form knit and crochet to make the shape as I went. I love the way the bits of red and blue writing on the bags add to the scaley color of these minnows. I’m thinking I’ll make a whole school and have them swimming through some eel grass once we assemble the exhibit in September.
PS Happy first day of Summer! Add
We’re sooooo excited to announce we’ll be hosting a free concert for kids 2-7 at the shop with one of our very favorites, Debbie and Friends!!!!!!!!!!!!

Debbie is a big favorite around these parts and we’re so happy to share her music with all of our Salem friends. The concert will be held Sunday August 7th, starting 10:30 AM. It will be a great opportunity share some fun music with your kids.


Be sure to tell all your friends. We can’t wait! If you plan on coming, it will be a free event, but please give us a call to let us know you might be coming so we can be sure to plan ahead for the kids!
AddThe Seed Stitch Sound: A community art project to celebrate our waters
by: Filed under About SSFY, Events, Salem | Comments (4)Ok gang, I’m super excited about this group project that I’m organizing. I’m sure many of you have seen and been totally inspired by Margaret Wilhielm’s crochet hyperbolic coral reef projects. Well me too, but we don’t live in a place that is known for it’s coral reefs. Being a New Englander through and through and a die hard beach, ocean, shore, sand and sail kind of gal, I’m putting my own twist on it.

Muscle Shells
In September we will be constructing an underwater environment inspired by New England Waters, sort of like The Seed Stitch Sound. We’ll be creating many of the elements that will go into this shop exhibit but we’d like to involve all of you. So put your thinking caps on to see how you can manipulate fiber to create some wonderfully New England underwater gems. Think eel grass, jelly fish, lobsters (uncooked of course), felted rocks, cod, minnows, periwinkles, spider crabs, etc. We’d like to try to stay true to marine life of our area, but of course we always welcome a bit of creative license around these parts.

Cod Fish
We’d like to have all submissions as of September 1st. We’ll be posting an inspiration board in the shop in the coming weeks. As well to really make this a community event, we’ll be hosting a lecture series throughout September, every Friday night, with different local experts talking about some super cool marine focused topics. Schedule in the works but this series is not to be missed and open to non-fiberholics too so please spread the word to all your other eco-conscious NE friends.

Eeegrass
Salem Arts Festival, Highlighting One of Our Own!
by: Filed under About SSFY, Designers, Handmade, Inspiration | Comments (4)I am so excited this year to be participating in and supporting the Salem Arts Festival this year. I’m doubly excited that we’ll be celebrating one of our very own, Michele Bonner. Michele has an amazing ability to manipulate fiber in ways you never dreamed possible but will be inspired to try.

Green Coral by Michele
The Salem Arts Festival is a super cool event celebrating all that is fantastically art-y in our city. It’s held around town from June 3rd-5th and is a must see if you’re anywhere in our area.

An amazing representation of a child's growth so far.
Join us on Friday night June 3rd from 6-8 for a reception to celebrate her work. Her work will be on display in the shop throughout the weekend.
AddI’ve become totally obsessed with Pinterest these days. I’m finding an amazing world of new inspiration and artists. Although it’s cold and dreary here today, I’m dreaming of sand beneath my toes and warm wind swept and water worn rocks. Here’s how I’m coping with not being at the beach today with a bit of inspiration from a few recent “pins”.
I think I may have to add this sort of thinking to my knitting graffiti efforts. How wonderful would it be to walk along the beach and discover a gem like this?! Add
Who doesn’t love bunnies.

Seriously cute bunny sweater.

This is actually a hare but it's awesome.
For your Easter morning web surfing here are some adorable bunnies (or hares) from my Pinterest feed.
AddTo me, Peter Rabbit is the quintessential symbol of spring, earth, babies, and summer. As you can tell I’m trying to will Winter out of here by infusing my environment with color and reminders that warm weather really is on it’s way.
Easter is also a favorite time of year for me. I love the colors, the smell of the earth during that time, Easter egg hunts, Spring blooms, and family meals (oh and did I say chocolate bunnies and eggs). New displays are popping up at the shop in line with my state of mind. Here’s one of the latest to emerge.

Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGreggor's garden appeared behind the counter this week.
I love the shelves behind the counter. They continue to offer me so many ideas for quick inspiration.

Here's a close up of some of the goodies.
I love how yarn can take on the shape of or character of something else even before you’ve knit, crochet, or woven it. The tiny tomato on the right is just a lovely ball of Rowan Wool Cotton with a little poof of green yarn sticking out of the center hole.

Don't you want to eat that crochet eggplant?
Lauren whipped up a few crochet veggies and we always have a few knit tomatoes handing around. Obviously right? I found the most amazing Peter Rabbit paper at a new love of mine in Topsfield MA called Absolutely Everything.
If you’re local, stop in and see, and for all my far off blog friends, I hope the photos make you feel like I’ve brought the shop to you!
AddI was so excited to take a class last night at Boston Bead Company across the street from Seed Stitch. When I saw this posted on their site I registered instantly. What do you think?

So cute right?
It’s still a bit chilly here in New England, but I’m desperate for Spring and am trying to infuse it in my life anywhere I can. Now I’m literally wearing Spring!
P.S. I know that I could use a manicure.
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