Staying Warm

As the weather turns chilly, here in Asheville or wherever you may live, it's time to stay warm in a cozy hat or scarf.  With a number of talented knitters and crocheters in our region, we can offer you some terrific choices.  Wild and crazy?  We've got that.  Playful?  We've got that too.  Subtle and sophisticated?  Well, I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.

I will say that the array of hand made hats and scarves grows everyday as the talented artisans deliver their most recent creations ready for you to select a gift for yourself or the people you love.  And we can just about guarantee that you won't see a dozen others just like it next time you are out and about.

If you're rather make your own accessories, we can help you select a pattern and yarns to make something uniquely yours.  We carry a number of new books as well as patterns from our own designers.  Some yarns include a free pattern with purchase. 

A new yarn in the shop, that will make a lovely hat, scarf or even mittens is Viking Balder.  All wool, it's soft and gently variegated and it comes in a big hank - 137 yards.  Two skeins would make a hat and very generous scarf.  The brown or gray colors would work nicely for men or women and the bulky weight makes it a quick knit.

Drop by on any Friday night to sit and knit. We'll be happy to get you started on a new project or bring whatever you're knitting right now.

Mmmmm...Mohair

OK, I admit it.. I love mohair.  The way the halo surrounds the knitted piece - hat, sweater, scarf - it doesn't matter what.  Could be a throwback to my childhood when my teenage babysitter wore a pink mohair sweater that I truly coveted.  Sadly (or not), they were out of style when I reached adolescence, so I never had my chance. 

Luckily for knitters, mohair is back and it's not quite the same.  Asheville Homecrafts was some sweet mohair in stock right now.  New to the shop is Karabella Verona.  It's a big loopy boucle - it will knit up as a bulky yarn.  Available in a couple of muted variegated colors (I love the autumn medley!), I can see this as a long skinny scarf.  Cast on say 9 stitches on about a size 13 needle, knit every row, then cast off when you have about a yard left.  You're done! Buy one in every shade and your holiday gift knitting will be done and the recipients will look fabulous!

That's not the only mohair selection on the shelf.   Also new in the shop is Mohair Royal from Plymouth Yarns in lots of pretty colors.  Eighty percent kid mohair with a nylon binder, I like this on it's own or as a carry-along yarn.  Cleckeaton Studio is a mohair/acrylic blend that is soft and lovely and comes in a number of colors. 

For pure luxury, pick Kid Seta.  Mohair and silk, this soft, luscious yarn is a delight to wear next to the skin! It is light and airy, yet surprisingly warm and it comes in a ball with great yardage.  I bought a solid color to combine with a tweedy yarn for a tone-on-tone, texture-on-texture look.  I'll try to post a picture once the hat makes its way out of my imagination and onto the needles.  I've got plans for Kid Seta.

These are just a few of the mohair yarns - there are lots more.  Look in the mohair section - opposite the sock yarn in the sections arranged by color.  Then sit down and knit (or crochet) with us on any Friday night.  Mohair is optional; fun and good company are always in good supply.

Where Did October Go?

Well, it just flew by! The leaves are still beautiful in Western North Carolina, and fall is definitely in full swing. Last weekend found us very busy with both the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands at the Asheville Civic Center and the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) going on. Both festivals attract our customers and friends. Thanks to everyone who came by the shop or our booth at SAFF - we had a great time seeing old friends and making new ones.  A very special thanks to our regular knitters who joined us to help staff the shop and the booth.  We couldn't have done it without you! 

For your knitting or crochet pleasure, today's yarn is  Mushishi by Plymouth. It's a wool-silk blend and comes in an absolutely huge skein - 491 yards - 250 grams.  Not only that, the yarn label includes free patterns -  a hat and scarf set to either knit or crochet.  We currently have 7 colors in stock.  Mushishi is multicolored, subtly selfstriping  and sweetly textured - kind of tweedy look but very soft.  Holiday knitting?  Think about creating a luxurious scarf, a shawl or maybe even a sweater for your self or someone you love.

Drop by the shop any Friday evening for our friendly Sit and Knit.  Bring your current project or start a new one.  We always have the yarns to make your great ideas happen!

New Yarn: Fatter Sheep

There's a new sheep in town - and it's fatter that you thought!  New at Asheville Homecrafts is Fatter Sheep yarn from Farmhouse Yarns.  Fatter Sheep yarn is hand dyed in semi-solids and multicolor skeins.  Sweet or vibrant, the shop has lots of colors so you should find colors that you like.  It's 99% wool with a nylon binder, giving the yarn a good bit of texture.  The call it 'Fatter Sheep' for a reason - it's a very bulky yarn - perfect for knitting on size 10.5 to size13 needles.  And it's put up in big skeins - 150 yards at 5.5 ounces for $24.  Long yarns mean fewer knots in your knitting or crochet -and fewer ends to weave in. But the nature of the dyeing means that you might want to alternate your knitting between 2 skeins.

Keep your eye on the blog this week - I'll keep tempting you with yummy and luscious yarns!

All Stocked Up: Needle Felting

Whether you want to make lovely flowers, adorable animals, tiny people, even jewelry, visit our needle felting section.  If you've already discovered needle felting, than you know how much fun it can be to jab wool with sharp needles.  If you are new to needle felting, you can begin to create amazing 3 dimensional wool sculptures. 

We've recently received a number of new books and supplies.  Check out A Touch of Felt by Lynn Farris, Simply Needlefelt by Jayne Emerson or any of the other books for instructions and inspiration.   But woman (or man) cannot felt by books alone - we must have supplies!  And that means fiber and needles and just maybe a few other supplies.  Take a look at our range of natural fibers from local farms as well as hand-dyed roving from our favorite artists.  We have wool, mohair, alpaca, silk and more ready to be transformed by your imagination and a few pokes of the needle. 

If you are just getting started, our staff is happy to help you.  Drop by any time, but make Friday evening your special time to sit and knit.  We gather 'round the table, starting a project, helping one another, or just knitting among friends - old and new.

Just a note to our readers:  Many of these blog posts are created by AnneMarie, one of the many fiber artists who work with Judy and Marie to make Asheville HomeCrafts the exciting Asheville fiber center that it is.  If you have an idea for a blog post, leave a note in the comments. 

Opening Day at the Fair

It's opening day at the 2010 North Carlina Mountain State Fair. It begins on Friday, September 10th and runs through Sunday, September 19th. As always Marie and Judy will be demonstrating spinning and basket making while selling a number of handmade items - many that they make at the fair. Look for the Asheville HomeCrafts sign in the the Heritage Walk area.

While you are there, stop by the exhibit building to see the knitting, dyeing, weaving, spinning crochet and other work that people have entered. The quilts are always amazing and so are the baskets and heirloom sewing. Giant pumpkins? We got 'em! Jams and Jellies? we got those too! Al kinds of handmade food and craft items, plus student work, amazing flowers, and so much more.

Asheville HomeCrafts, the Shop in the Grove Arcade will remain open throughout the fair, so if you are inspired by the blue ribbon winners - or the 'people's choice' award that you would give, treat yourself to the yarn , fiber or needles that will get you the blue ribbon next year!

NC Mountain State Fair - Won't be long now!

Start planning your annual trek to the 2010 North Carlina Mountain State Fair. It begins on Friday, September 10th and continues through Sunday, September 19th. As always Marie and Judy will be demonstrating spinning and basket making while selling a number of handmade items - many that they make at the fair. Look for the Asheville HomeCrafts sign in the the Heritage Walk area.

Have you ever entered some thing that you made? Have you (or your children or friends) shown sheep or goats or a sweet calf? How about that fabulous jelly that you made? or the beautiful squash that you grew? Don't mind saying, it's kind of fun! Many area hand spinners, knitters, quilters, weavers and crocheters enter, and the competition is strong. So think about entering that hand dyed yarn, a particularly beautiful hand knit hat or pair of mittens. The prizes aren't breathtaking (unless you ace a cooking contest), so don't quit your day job! But the bragging rights are rather nice. So take a look at the competitions page and check the registration dates - they are coming up soon.

You could listen to music, ride the rides, visit the midway, eat cotton candy, but really, wouldn't you just rather talk to the animals? Even if you are not showing sheep or entering your finest hot peppers or amazing sweater, come by the little 'log cabin' to visit. The wool breeds sheep show and fleece show are September 18th and 19th. Take in a bit of fiber on the hoof!