March Newsletter

Silk Road Students Featured in Art Exhibition

Congratulations to SRT fiber artists whose work has been selected for inclusion into the Oxford Community Arts Center’s 2014 Exhibition Series, ART: Assembled Reproductions in Textile. These fantastic pieces, created in the Landscape and Architectural Quilt classes taught by Like Simcock, will be exhibited November 14 – December 6, 2014 at the Oxford Community Arts Center. Mark your calendars now…no need to miss this opportunity to see what Silk Road travelers have created! (We’ll be sure to remind you again too!)

Coming soon…..Martin Storey Mystery Afghan/Throw Rowan Pure Wool Worsted Knit Along
Join knitters around the world in this new KAL….

Don’t miss this opportunity to knit with a brand new yarn, learn new skills and make new friends.
Each week for 10 weeks, Rowan will release a surprise new square design so that after ten weeks you will have a beautiful heirloom piece to treasure.
Class is free with purchase of Pure Wool Worsted…Rowan’s newest super wash designed exclusively for the North American market. Many colors of this yarn arrived this week at Silk Road Textiles. As soon as Rowan releases the materials list and first square’s directions we will let you know. Tell us if you want to participate so we can be sure to keep you in the loop. Check our Facebook page for details.

See what’s new to help you make your 2014 creations amazing!

Books and Patterns! Including these titles: Rustic Crochet, Pillow Pop, Woven Scarves, Adding Layers, and Me & My Sewing Machine Adventures. Get Inspired! Make something amazing!

We are happy to offer individual Rowan Yarns patterns through Ravelry.

The 26 popular designs chosen by the Rowan and Westminster Fibers teams from the past 10 years offer a range of skill levels. Patterns can be accessed on the Rowan Yarns’ Ravelry Store: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/rowan-yarns-ravelry-store. The original Ravelry pattern file for each design has been updated. The price per pattern is very affordable at $5.00. Find one you like and come in to purchase the pattern and yarn.

New Fabric

• Hanabi – Japanese’s prints in warm, gorgeous reds are designed by Hana for her own design company. These luxurious cottons are distributed by QH Fabrics, a mother and daughter team with a passion for fine Japanese fabrics and design. Koi, bamboo stalks, and shibori…what’s not to love?
• Palindromes – A stunning collection from Paula Nadelstern, featuring bilateral symmetry. The electric color combinations and stunning designs are simply fabulous.
• Xanadu, designed by Evelyn Mowder for P&B Textiles is a digital collection that has exquisite detail and gorgeous nuances of color and texture. The large main print is a glorious and subtle patchwork. Delicately colored stripes, chevrons and allover prints mix and match in myriad ways, create elegant, understated works of art. Free quilt pattern included with fabric purchase.

New Yarns

Noro Kibou, Mountain Colors Monarch, Plymouth Encore in bright spring colors, and fresh rich shades of Berroco Maya for 2014. Oh so pretty!
Hand Painted Knitting Yarns- HPKY is 800 yards of luxurious bulky thick and thin spun fine merino “flame” yarn that knits into a beautiful Cuddle Afghan. The pattern , included with purchase, is perfect for a variety of skill levels, even beginners. Start now and stay warm while knitting and finish it before the summer months. It will be ready to go next fall!

Fair Trade Update: Knitter’s Pride Needles and Hooks

Knitters Pride Needles were featured in “The Needles We Knit With,” by Karin Strom in Interweave Knits Spring 2014. Karin describes the Knitter’s Pride factory as a modern, new facility, built in 2011 dedicated purely to making needles and hooks. During her tour she was “fascinated to see how much handwork is required to make these tools, even though state-of-the-art machines are used throughout the process. Women sand crochet hooks by hand, individually test each joint of interchangeables and glue the metal tips onto carbon needle ends, one by one.“ Knitter’s Pride has established, and continues to fund, a rural school that prioritizes the education of girls and young women. The KP executives are passionate about the advancement of girls and women; the company’s hiring policy states that “any woman who wants a job with the company is hired, no exceptions.” We love knowing that our crafting dollars go back to these women in an important way.
Knitter’s Pride products are available in a full range of types: Double Points, Fixed Circulars, Single Points, Crochet, Cuboid and an interchangeable line that is innovative in design and satisfying in performance. Knitter’s Pride needles and hooks come in a variety of materials: densified laminated birch wood, nickel plated brass, natural birch and aluminum, and all lengths and sizes – including the not-easy-to-find jumbo tools—all the way up to 25 mm knitting needles (US 50)!
Silk Road Textiles is proud to carry several styles of these wonderful to use, fairly traded, affordably priced needles and hooks. If we don’t have the one you need, we will be happy to order it for you.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

“Equality for women is progress for all.”

Each year, International Women’s Day celebrates woman and their achievements around the world.

So we celebrate you, your creative spirit and all you make and do for others.
We also want to acknowledge and celebrate the skilled women in Bali, India, Australia, Ghana, South Africa, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and here in the US who are the artists of origin for the beautiful materials and finished products we carry for you to use In your creative process. Many of these women live in places where modern conveniences are rare, but work ethic is strong and artisan skill is the fabric of their communities. We both admire, and strive to support, these women, our global sisters.
We salute you for the support you provide when you purchase beautiful fabric, yarn and handmade items from Silk Road Textiles.

Clearance Corner –40-50% off fabric, yarn, patterns, and more…check often…you never know what might turn up there.

Items are priced to sell so don’t wait! We’ve got to clear the road and make room for new products! These items are on permanent markdown, but will not last long at these prices.

Classes

Visit http://www.silkroadcincinnati.com/classes-events/class-decriptions/ to see the class offerings in March and April. Beautiful work everyone!

Comments made during or after class (yes you are tooting our horn and we just had to share!):

“Excellent class, so much fun!”
“Can’t wait to go home and make some more scarves”
“Good visual demonstration and gave one on one attention as needed. “
“The teacher kept as all moving at our own pace.”
“Silk Road Textiles has the best teachers and classes…thank you!”

Overheard along our Silk Road…..

On the afternoon of our latest big snow fall, we heard, “Who needs bread and milk? I have new yarn!”
While shaking off cabin fever, “This place is like a great candy shop!”
From a first time customer, “It’s just as cool in here as I thought it would be. “
Regarding customer service, “Thanks for the TLC. SRT is the place to be!”
Thank you ladies! We are so glad so many of you cured your cabin fever with us!

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