What is a Yarn Tasting?

Yarn Tasting.  It sounds so silly, strange and wrong, at least to me.  But for some reason, it's what many yarn manufacturers call and event in which you get to sample their wares.  So in a way, I guess it makes sense, after all, the definitions of "taste" includes: To partake of, especially for the first time; experience and to appreciate or enjoy.  (From www.thefreedictionary.com)  Sure, one of the definitions is labeled "archaic" but when we're talking about a craft as old as making clothing...sometimes  archaic definitions are better!


taste  (tst)
v. tast·ed, tast·ing, tastes
v.tr.
1. To distinguish the flavor of by taking into the mouth.
2. To eat or drink a small quantity of.
3. To partake of, especially for the first time; experience.
4. To perceive as if by the sense of taste.
5. Archaic To appreciate or enjoy.

So what does this mean for DYNT?  Well, DYNT has scheduled it's first Yarn Tasting in Harmony for this coming Friday, February 1st.  The event will be from 6:30pm - 9pm.  We'll be "sampling" the Verde and MountainTop lines from CEY.  DYNT carries these two lines because they are eco-friendly and/or use undyed fibers in their natural colors.

There will also be coffee and teas from Wunderbar (they won't be open, however), some munchies, and Pearlette will be open as well.  This is a great opportunity to check out her handmade jewelry - just in time for Valentine's Day.

On a different note:  This just in - 15" Cricket looms and Pediboo Worsted!  Be sure to stop in and ask about them!

First Friday in February

I was at a loss as to what to update everyone about this week.  Then I realized that January is more than 1/2 way over, and the first Friday in February will be here very soon!

If you've been following the blogs you know that I've tried to implement special events or classes on the first Friday of each month.  January's was a Tunisian Crochet class.

February's is a CEY Verde & Mountain Top Yarn Tasting!  I think "Yarn Tasting" is such a silly choice of words, but I also understand it's logic.  A Yarn Tasting is your chance to see and feel new or different yarns, and in this case it's CEY's "green" and natural lines - since DYNT specializes in "green" and eco-friendly.

The Yarn Tasting will be Friday, Feb. 1st from 6:30pm - 9pm and it's free.  The first 10 customers will recieve a door prize.  All the Verde and Mountain Top yarns are on sale (15% off!) and you can order colors that aren't in stock at the sale price!  There will be coffee, hot cocoa and munchies.  This is a great chance to plan a Friday night out and join other yarn lovers.  Rumor has it that Pearlette Jewelry will also be open and offering Valentine's Day specials.

DYNT currently carries Woodland (wool and nettle); Seedling & Sprout (100% organic cotton); Katydid (100% organic cotton) and Crestone (100% undyed wool).  The Verde line also includes Solstice (70% organic cotton and 30% merino).  The Mountain Top line will be introducing Canyon (85% Pima Cotton and 15% Alpaca) this spring and also includes Blackthorn (50% superfine alpaca & 50% wool); Chalet (70% Baby Alpaca, 30% Bamboo); Vista (50% Superfine Alpaca & 50% wool) and Vail (70% Baby alpaca & 30% Bamboo).

Book of the Month and other new things for 2013

 I'm trying some new things this year, I think you deserve it.  I figured I'd wait a year or so, see how things went in the new location, and then start new things - like schedules, sales, and other events.

One of the new things I've started is holding events on the first Friday of each month.  Yes, I'm still closed on Fridays, but I thought this might be a fun way to start a regular schedule of events and shorter classes.  They will start at 6:15 - 6:30ish, because I still have to get here from my other job, and they will run until 8 or 9 (depending on the event).  The first one, was a Tunisian Crochet class, and it met with great success!  I may just have to offer the Tunisian Crochet option again!  February's will be a CEY Verde & Mountaintop Yarn Tasting.  Stay tuned for more details - but be sure to mark your calendar now!  It'll be Friday, Feb. 1st from 6:30pm - 9 pm.

Another thing I've decided to try this year, is a Book of the Month Sale.  A bit odd, but I thought it might be fun.  January's book is "Quick Knits to Wear", Edited by Jeanne Stauffer and published by House of White Birches.  All the patterns in the book use Brown Sheep Yarns!  And since I stock Brown Sheep, if I don't have the yarns or colors you need for the pattern you're working on, I can order them in for you.  The regular price of this book is $29.95.  At 25% off, it's now $22.46 + tax.  If you are a crocheter, don't worry, I'll try to alternate knitting and crocheting books, as well as throwing in a few alternatives every now and then.

Jul accessories at DYNT

If you don't know, I love to experiment.  Above is a photo of one of my experiments.  It's my purse.  I hand-spun the yarn.  The bottom is crocheted in the round in grey hand-spun.  Then I picked up the stitches and knitted, in the round, the body.  To make the handles I bound off an even number, evenly spaced on both sides.  Then when I cam back around to those stitches, I cast on the stitches plus a few more for good measure, and to make the handle.

But this post is really about the snap in the second photo.  Pretty snazzy huh?  What's cool about it, is that it's magnetic!  If you are a bag maker - you need to pick up a few of these.  At $2.50 each (you get 2 pieces - 1 for each side), it's a great way to easily finish off that bag that just needed something more.

Also available are handles from JUL.  These handmade leather pieces will quickly elevate your hand made bag from cool to amazingly stunning.  The shorter one with rings would be worked into the piece, the longer one has rivets that screw into each other and would attach to a finished piece by working the screws through the fabric.

I also have some of Noni's bag patterns - if you really need a project in which to use these pieces.  I'm currently working on the "Lipstick & Change" purse... but with all the other projects, it may be a bit before I get to post that finished photo.

New Year, New resolutions...

So it was brought to my attention, that somehow, in all my updating and posting, I managed to miss adding the classes to the class schedule on the home page of this blog!?  I'm not sure how I missed that!  So this is your call to action!  Check them out and sign up - the first classes start on Friday & Saturday!  I also updated the Classes Page if you need descriptions and more information.

So did you make any New Year's Resolutions?  I'm going to try and keep all my media more up to date!  Not sure how that will go.  I'm also going to try and stock more and more USA made products!  I'm pretty excited about that.  And I hope you will be too.  There are still many smaller mills and dyers out there, and I'm going to look hard to find them.

In the mean time, have you seen the new, Ewetopia, from Frog Tree.  If you aren't familiar with Frog Tree, they are a Fair-Trade company, with amazing soft yarns.  This particular blend is a 50/50 blend of superwash wool and merino wool.  It's super squishy, a bit tweedy looking and light worsted weight.  50grams/109 yards retails for $8.40.  I think it would make some great outerwear - and really, with all that snow out there, who couldn't use some new, fun, soft, warm mittens, hats, or scarves?