Better Know A Crafter: Franki

Franki must be the most patient crafter of all time. Her beautiful lace knitting projects take upwards of 150 hours each to complete. She has taken these lace knitted tablecloth patterns, originally meant to be knitted with a size 2 needle and a very skinny yarn, and made them tiny intricate masterpieces that are knitted with the thinnest of thread on needles that measure 0.75 millimeters!

Franki

Tell us about yourself. What makes you want to craft?

By trade I am an office goddess. The rest of the time I read, write, garden and take pictures. My people have "smart hands" that itch to do things.


Tell us about your knitting project.
These are lace knitting--Neibling's Lyra (on purple), Goldregan (unmounted) and Kinzel's Daffodil (on blue). For Neibling's Lyra and Goldregan I used size 000 knitting needles and quilting thread. Kinzel's Daffodil uses 000000 knitting needles and 100/2 thread.


How long does it take you to complete one piece?
Depending on the compexity of the pattern, one to three months, knitting at least 3 hours a day.


How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself to knit when I was 10. I learned to quilt, sew and embroider from my mom, but never really glommed on to doing those crafts.

What is your favorite animal?
CATS!

Thanks Franki! Happy lace knitting!

New! Hemp Goodness--Denim, Jersey, Webbing and More!

Hemp is here!

Check out the new hemp wovens: a denim and a ticking, both 55% hemp/45% organic cotton, and on the right a tweedy 55% hemp/45% recycled cotton, the bits of recycled cotton adding a touch of color and texture. I've never seen a lovelier denim than this--oh my goodness, it's pretty. We are imagining crisp denim dresses for summer, hemp ticking sailor blouses, and tweedy summer bicycling shorts. This fabric makes us swoon.


Hemp is perfect for summer--it is cooler than cotton and naturally antibacterial so it will keep you cool and fresh on summer days. We also have a new hemp/organic cotton jersey, perfect for tees and soft baby items.


100% Hemp cotton webbing is here, too. It is super strong and works great for bag handles, belts and dog leashes.


Hooray for hemp!

Better Know A Crafter: Kate Solomon

Kate is an amazing knitter. She teaches knitting classes at Common Threads in Boulder and also helps to organize a knit night in Boulder that is super fun! We love her most recent finished object--a pig-tailed, intarsia skull and crossbones baby blanket! Sweet!

Kate Solomon

What kinds of crafts do you do?

I am a knitter. As much as I'd like to transition to sewing, the yarn just calls too strong. I got started because of the color and haven't yet run out of inspiration.

Tell us about your knitting project.
This is a baby blanket for some friends of mine who are expecting their first (a baby girl!) in July. I created the pattern and am proud to tell you it's my first intarsia project. Go graph paper!


How did you learn to knit?
A friend of mine from the East Coast sat me down and taught me about 8 years ago. She told me that the meditative aspect of the craft would be great for me and the Type A part of me would be satisfied with the final result.

What is your favorite animal?
Gecko. They do push-ups when no one is looking.

Geckos really do push-ups? My googling tells me you aren't joking!

Thanks Kate! Happy knitting!

New! The Little Experience Craft Kits for Kids

The Little Experience craft kits are here! These kits for ages 6 and up have won awards-a-plenty for teaching skills like hand-eye coordination and creativity. Plus, they are so darn cute who can resist them?


Jaime sure couldn't resist and she's already stitched up this raccoon keychain. I think she's hoping that she can be featured on the box someday...


There are also bigger kits for making your own adorable toys. Check out these for handsewing and knitting.


Cute!

Summer 2010 Class Schedule!

It's official--the summer class schedule is out! Hooray!

Our instructors have been working hard on some fantastic new projects to bring to our classrooms. We have more classes than ever and can hardly wait for summertime crafting to begin!

Fancy Pack | Art Quilt Pillow | Sock Knitting

Spinning Wheel | A-Line | Needlefelt Flower
Mendocino Dress

Market Tote | Lost Crafts: Needle Tatting | Circle Skirt
Embroidered Sampler | Charm Pack Quilt

Elizabeth Zimmerman Ribwarmer | Granny Square Pillow
Cabo Halter

Check out the full class schedule here.

New! MoMo Freebird Fabrics!

MoMo's new Freebird fabrics are here! They are so inspiring that Amber has already made herself a new a-line skirt for summer!


MoMo's bright circus-y colors and graphics are always irresistible! These prints make us so excited to sew cute tank tops and polka-dot girls dresses. The colors range from warm to cool so everyone can find a hue they love. Here is a small sampling of the amazing-ness:


Don't worry, if you can't decide between so many amazing prints, we also have pre-cut bundles of the whole collection. Choose from charm packs or layer cakes to make all of your patchwork dreams come true!

Better Know A Crafter: Christine Cunningham

Christine just finished her very first quilt and we love the way she put it together--it is like a cuddly, cozy rainbow. I especially love the Transformers and the faux tuxedo blocks!

Christine Cunningham

What kinds of crafts you do?

I make photocopies a lot, but I'm going to for a BA in Graphic Design at AIC. I mostly do digital crafts.

Tell us about the quilt you've made.
It's my first quilt. I didn't use a pattern, I just made squares and rectangles and sewed them together on my refurbished Brother sewing machine. The quilt is for my boyfriend. I bought fabric everywhere and finished it in about a week.

How did you learn to be so crafty?
I've been crafting as long as I can remember. My mom started me off doing cross stitch as a kid.

What is your favorite animal?
A raven. Thanks! Fancy Tiger, you guys are awesome!

Thanks Christine! You are super sweet!! Happy crafting!