Equal Rights for All, Y’all

On a steamy July day in 1923, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman unveiled a brand-new proposal to the women activists gathered in Seneca Falls, N.Y. A simple idea that the American government could not discriminate against women simply because they are women. That proposal later became the Equal Rights Amendment. 

Twenty-four words:

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

A full century later, the ERA is not yet in the U.S. Constitution, despite its passage by Congress and ratification by the necessary 38 states. Women remain legal second-class citizens; our sole constitutional guarantee is the right to vote.

Here at The Fibre Studio, we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ERA with our newest colorway, “Equal Rights for All, Y’all”  and it is available in time to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8.

The Fibre Studio has chosen Studio Sox as the base for their brand new colorway.  Each skein has approximately 440 yarns and the fiber content is 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon.  Perfect for a knitted pair of socks, a scarf or shawl.  We chose to use the colors of blue and green to coordinate with the colors of the  ERA North Carolina Alliance.  If you purchase a skein of “Equal Rights for All, Y’all” during the month of March, you’ll receive an ERA Yes button to wear with pride.

If you’d like to know how you can make equal rights a reality for women, check out the websites of our friends at the ERA-NC Alliance and the national ERA Coalition. Show off your projects and ERA pride usinghashtags

#ERA100, #KnittersForERA and #I<3ERA #fibrestudio and #equalrightsforallyall.

Queen City Designer Trunk Show

The Fibre Studio is getting ready to kick of the first Queen City Designer Trunk Show. The trunk show features four local knitting and crochet pattern designers. Each designer will have several samples of their designs on display for the event. The trunk show will travel to each of the Charlotte area Local Yarn Shops, where it will remain for ten days.

I have included the flyer below which outlines the schedule and introduces the four, up and coming, designers. The Queen City Designer Trunk Show will begin June 4th at The Fibre Studio and run through September 5, 2021. The event is free to attend and the designers will make guest appearances at the yarn shops.

To get the latest information, please follow the designers and your LYS on social media. You may also follow the event on Instagram using #queencitydesignertrunkshow

We look forward to seeing you.

Peaceful Stitching, Debbie

To see the most current list of our events and classes, visit the Events page on our website or check out our Facebook page.

Bubble Tea and Noncho!

The Noncho in honor of National Bubble Tea Day – April 30, 2021

Have you heard about the upcoming project by Casapinka. It is called Noncho (because we know she would NEVER design a poncho). This project may be made using either a DK weight yarn on a US #6 needle, or a Fingering weight on a US #4 needle. The Fibre Studio has put together kits using our Studio DK and our Studio Sox. Our Studio DK yarn is 100% Super Wash Merino with approximately 280 yards on a 4.0 ounce | 113g skein. Our Studio Sox is 75% Super Wash Merino, 25% Nylon with approximately 440 yards on a 3.5 ounce | 100g skein. We have dyed up a special color on our Studio Sox that we are calling Bubble Tea.

As in years past, Casapinka will be offering the pattern for “Free” with yarn purchase. As a thank you to Casapinka (and to you, our wonderful customers) The Fibre Studio will offer all of our Noncho kits at a 15% Discount, no code needed.

WHAT IS BUBBLE TEA (BOBA)?

This got Glenda and I wondering what exactly is Bubble Tea? So we soon went on a reconnaissance mission. We googled Bubble Tea near you and found that there was a Bubble Tea shop less than 2 miles away. Shortly, we were at Kung Fu Bubble Tea shop. It was a colorful little shop with a great sign. This is how Kung Fu Tea describes Bubble Tea.

Bubble Tea (also known as pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, or simply boba) is a Taiwanese drink that was invented in Taichung in the 1980s. The tea is mixed with milk or fruits and topped off with chewy tapioca pearls. 

By the early ‘90s, bubble tea became prevalent in Japan and Hong Kong. From there, international traders brought the product to Chinatowns across North America. By the late ‘90s, the prominence of bubble tea grew among non-Asian shopping areas and nightlife districts.

Today, bubble tea is consumed almost as frequently as coffee, soda, and smoothies and celebrated heavily by kids, parents, chefs, and celebrities. To spread the bubble tea culture even further, Kung Fu Tea founded National Bubble Tea Day on April 30th, 2018.

Along with the growing popularity of bubble tea and how the beverage has evolved since its creation, it’s also important to mention that not every recipe maintains the same original flavor first discovered in Taiwan and that’s where we come in!

My choice of Bubble Tea was Black Tea mixed with milk and honey . . . and of course I had to have the tapioca pearls. I loved it andI think it will become a regular afternoon pick me up.

April News!

Local Yarn Shop Day – Saturday, April 17, 2021

I am excited to announce, once again, The Fibre Studio will participate in Local Yarn Shop Day. We will be open from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 17, 2021 to celebrate the fourth annual LYS appreciation day. Weather permitting, we will be able to gather outside in the parking lot for a bit of special time together. As a way of saying thank you to our wonderful customers, The Fibre Studio will offer a 15% discount on all online and in person orders on April 17. Just use coupon code LYS21 at checkout. I hope you can stop by to join in the fun.

LYS Day will be the perfect time to pick out yarn for a few upcoming projects, see below.

The Birdwatcher by Casapinka

One of our favorite designers, Casapinka, has created a very cute spring sweater called The Birdwatcher. You know how I am always looking for summer tee projects, well this one checks all the boxes for me. It is made using fingering weight yarn, perfect for our Walkabout, Studio Sox or Smitten. However, I have already started mine. I am using our Silk’n Linen Fingering. So far, I love it. The sweater is knit from the bottom up with four easy lace sections, then you are off to the races knitting in the round for the body.

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The Knights Who say Knit MKAL by LyricalKnits

Have you heard about the Mystery Knit A Long with Mary Annarella of Lyrical Knits? At the moment, it is being referred to as The Knights Who Say Knit in the quest for the Grail with many references to Monty Python. The pattern is available for pre-order April 1 and the MKAL will begin April 19. It uses two skeins of fingering weight yarn and a six color mini skein kit. The Fibre Studio has put together a few kits. It promises to be a lot of fun.
Click here to see our kits.

Socks Of Green Gables KAL

As a reminder, it is not too late to order your Socks Of Green Gables yarn bundle from us. Also, The Socks Of Green Gables pattern collection is a KAL that consists of four beautiful sock designs by Lisa K Ross of Paper Daisy Creations. Patterns are still available for pre-order on Ravelry for ONLY $5 with code GREENGABLES throughout the month of April! Click here to join the KAL!

I hope this has given you a few things to ponder and hope you can join us on LYS Day.

Peaceful Stitching, Debbie

It’s Our Anniversary!

I am so excited, and I can hardly believe, our 12 year anniversary is on September 1, 2020. I wanted to have a major event to celebrate, but at this time, I just don’t feel we should gather as a group.

As a way to celebrate with you, I have decided to feature a different Fibre Studio products each day with a 15% discount. The special begins now and continues until midnight September 1, EST (no code needed). Check our IG and FB page each day to find out which product we will feature. You can also see a list on our Events page.

Also, I would love to see projects you have made using our yarns. Please post to IG, using #12yearsofthefibrestudio and/or post to our FB page.

We continue to be open by appointment only. Click here if you would like to schedule a time to come in.

Peaceful Stitching, Debbie

To see the most current list of our events and classes, visit the Events page on our website or check out our Facebook page.

 

12/1 Mini Skein Kits

We are proud to offer our 12/1 Mini Skein Kits to you today at a 15% discount to celebrate our anniversary.  No code needed, just make your purchase by 11:59 PMEST.  Click here to view all colors in this collection.

Garden Variety MKAL

Lisa Ross has a new design called Garden Variety MKAL.  It will begin September 1.  The pattern is available on Ravelry.  Lisa is offering her pattern for 25% off now until the pattern is released.  JUST use code GARDENPARTY  Thank you Lisa, it promised to be a fun knit for all skill levels.

The Fibre Studio has put together a few kits using our Studio Fingering which is 100% Superwash Merino.  Each kit has two 4.0 ounce skeins of the Main Color with approximately 560 yards each and seven, 1.0 ounce skeins with approximately 140 yards in each.  Click here to view our collection of kits.

emPower People

 

 

If you haven’t ordered your’s skein of emPower Purple Studio DK yet, it is not too late to make you emPower People Cowl and wear it proudly when you vote. The patterns are free; Knit and Crochet versions available on Ravelry. 

 

Remember to VOTE!

 

For more information about the emPower People 2020 movement, please click here.

 

 

 

Spark Cardigan by Andrea Mowry

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Andrea Mowry, of Drea Renee Knits, recently released not one, but two colorwork sweaters, called Spark (shown) and Spice.  Spark has a bit of colorwork at the hem and sleeves, while both have slipped stitches or mosaic stitches on the body. We are suggesting our Studio DK in a solid or tonal, for the Main Color, plus using a multi as the Contrasting Color on Spice.

We have developed a new product, we are calling Fifty Shades of Gradient, Studio DK (pictured below).  We used our Studio DK and dyed it as a quick color changing gradient.  We suggest using a 113g | 4.0 ounce, skein (280 yards) for the body and two 56g | 2.0 ounce, skeins (140 yards) for the sleeves.

For Spark, you will need the following:
  Size 1    | 4 skeins MC, 2 CC
  Size 2-4 | 5 skeins MC, 2 CC
  Size 5-6 | 6 skeins MC, 3 CC
  Size 7-8 | 7 skeins MC, 3 CC 
  Size 9    | 8 skeins MC, 3 CC

Spark is knit in the round, from the bottom up. After the body is completed, the front is steeked. In knitting, especially when knitting color work, it is easier to knit in the round. Steeking allows you to knit a garment such as a sweater in the round without interruption. Once the body is complete, the “tube” may be cut. However, prior to this, the area on either side of the stitches to be cut must be reinforced – either with crochet stitches or sewn stitches. Click here to see an excellent tutorial by Very Pink.

The pattern begins with knitting the sleeves. I am knitting my sleeves, two at a time, using the Magic Loop method. Click here to see a tutorial by Vickie Howell on knitting two at a time using the magic loop.

I could not wait to get this project on my needles. It uses a size #5 for the rib and #7 for the body.

Studio DK shown in There’s A Storm Brewin and Fifty Shades of Gradient, Studio DK shown in Fall Is In The Air.

I have about another inch to knit in the 2×2 rib before I start the colorwork. So excited!

Follow my progress on Instagram and FaceBook or come knit Spark with us via Zoom on Friday morning from 10:00 – Noon. Meeting ID: 894 1575 5935, Password 931409.

What’s On Tap For August!

I want to take a moment to let you know about a few upcoming projects in August at The Fibre Studio. We continue to be open by appointment only. Click here if you would like to schedule a time to come in. If you are not ready to venture out just yet, I totally understand and would like to remind you we will continue to offer curbside pick-up on all online and phone orders.
I hope you are well and continue to stay strong!
Peaceful Stitching, Debbie
To see the most current list of our events and classes, visit the Events page on our website or check out our Facebook page.

Spark and Spice by Andrea Mowry

• 

• 

Andrea Mowry recently released not one, but two color work cardigans, called Spark (above left) and Spice (at right). Spark has a bit of color work at the hem and sleeves, while both have slipped stitch or mosaic stitches on the body.

We are suggesting our Studio DK in a solid or tonal, for the Main Color, plus using a multi as the Contrasting Color on Shine. We have something in the works to use with Spark and will let you know soon.

emPower People 2020

emPower Purple

The Sharon Show by Casapinka

We are so excited to participate in the emPower People initiative. Join us, make an emPower People Cowl and wear it proudly. The patterns are free; Knit and Crochet versions available on Ravelry. 

We are using our Studio DK and are dyeing up a bunch of emPower Purple.We want to see a sea of purple out there so for our part, we will offer a 15% discount on this color. No code needed.

For more information about this important movement, please click here.

Casapinka has a new Mystery Knit-A-Long that begins August 7. It uses four skeins of yarn, in contrasting colors. It is very important that your colors contrast, not blend! There are two version of the shawl; a beginner shawl knitter version and an advanced beginner. It is rectangular in shape and is knit mostly on a US #6 needle.
The pattern will be available soon on Ravelry.We have put together some kits you may like. Please note if the kit has a multi-color skein on top, we have pulled four contrasting colors from it for the kit.Click here to view kits.

May Newes. . . we’re in bloom!

The Ewe Crew couldn’t wait any longer to share the May news with Ewe!  The Crew is buzzing with excitement over our wonderful move, the upcoming Local Yarn Shop Day, new yarn colorways, new knit-a-long opportunities, new upcoming patterns, new employees and so much more.  At the Fibre Studio we are celebrating spring in full force.  We feel as if the Studio is in bloom right now, finding inspiration from the leaves that have popped to the multitude of flowers blooming all around us!  We want to wish you all a happy Mother’s Day month! We invite you to take time to smell the flowers and knit the yarns they have inspired.

 

OUR NEW LOCATION – 540 Griffith Road

Lola approved!  Yes, we have moved!  We are still in the midst of getting the finer touches put on the new space at 540 Griffith Road but are so excited to share our new space with you.  We have to admit that we are over the moon in this climate controlled location which is just a stone’s throw away from where we were located.  Already, we are full of new inspiration in our expanded dyeing location and looked forward to celebrating it with you in the years to come!

LOCAL YARN SHOP DAY is this Saturday, April 27^th

Stop by the Fibre Studio this Saturday to shop, visit and enjoy a bite of celebratory cake.  We are excited to share a great new pattern by our friend and talented designer, Casapinka, called “Magical Thinking.”  The pattern will be released on Local Yarn Shop Day.  We are enjoying every stitch of our shop sample and look forward to offering a free code with any in-store or online purchase of yarn from the Fibre Studio to make this project.  It takes three skeins of a fingering weight yarn, one Freckle and two tonals.  Click here to see some of the great color choices we have put together for you or stop by to choose your own.

 

MAY’S “GEMSTONE” – the Emerald

Our 2019 celebration of the birthstones continues.  How fitting that this month’s “Gemstone” offering is the emerald.  As we all are enjoying the fresh beauty of the leaves and foliage bursting out around us, we are happy to bring you our very own “Emerald.”  As the months unfold this year we continue to offer our BoPeeps, which are new colorways for which we take pre-order sales only.  We take these orders from the first week of each month through the 20^th.  We then dye and skein the orders having them ready to ship to you at the beginning of the following month.  We are sure that you will love this rich green colorway celebrating the verdant tones of the spring season.

The emerald is a symbol of rebirth and love.  It is also thought to represent wisdom, growth and patience.  We certainly hope you enjoy all of these as you knit this beautiful new Fibre Studio addition.

WIZARD OF OZ CLUB

The 80^th anniversary year of the beloved film “Wizard of Oz” has been an opportunity for the Fibre Studio to draw inspiration for our exclusive Wizard of Oz Club.  Each month’s yarn offering is based on pivotal characters and scenes from this timeless film.  May’s Wizard of Oz yarn is “Yellow Brick Road.”  It is a rich tonal that will certainly make your next knitting project pure gold.   Each month’s colorway will be dyed in limited quantities, so order yours today and experience your very own journey of remembrance down the yellow brick road.

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE FOR MOM’S SPECIAL DAY

Don’t forget that we offer the perfect Mother’s Day gift.  Click here to order yours today.  A thoughtful gift that will delight and inspire your fiber Mom.  We are sure that she’ll love you for it!

 

STARLITE COZY PATTERN

In the month of May we will release the Starlight Cozy Pattern.  We are thrilled to share this wonderful pattern in 3 variations.  This Cozy is a dreamy shawl/cowl that can drape gently over the shoulders or can be gathered up around the neck as a lovely cowl.  Also in May several new color options will be introduced in the studio’s Starlite yarn, colors inspired by spring that will surely delight you.

 

ON THE ROAD TO BLUE RIDGE FIBER FEST – June 7th & 8th

The Fibre Studio is proud to share that we will be at the Blue Ridge Fiber Fest in Sparta, North Carolina June 7^th and 8th. Click here for more information.   We hope to see you there in the glorious mountains of Western North Carolina to celebrate fiber and fun!

Want to know what we’re deweing? Pop in to see our studio wörks on Ravelry, Facebook (we post changes to our business hours here), and Instagram as well as on our website at thefibrestudio.com (we post changes to our business hours here).

Happy stitching, y’all!
The Ewe Crew

 

 

April Showers

We have so much news to share this month that we don’t quite know where to begin!  New colors, new yarns, new KAL, new patterns, new location, new job opportunities and so much more!

Yarn of the Month:  Studio Smitten

This month we are hi-lighting our luxurious Studio Smitten, which clearly has us quite “smitten”, and is another wonderful fingering yarn.  It is a squishy, three-ply yarn with exquisite hand and stitch definition.  It is available in undyed, tonal, variegated, or color washes.  The fiber content is 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, and 10% Silk.  Each 3.5 oz./100 g skein contains approximately 400 yards. 

We are delighted to share some of our new Spring Colors inspired by all that is bursting out in blooms around us.  From Fiddlehead to Buttercup, Celery Leaf, Ranunculus and more; our new colors will inspire both hand and eye.  We have chosen this yarn to help you embark on this month’s MKAL, read on for more details on how you can try your own hand with this sumptuous yarn.

MYRISTICA MYSTERY SHAWL by Marie Amelie Designs

We have put together some color kits for the upcoming MKAL by Marie Amelie Designs.  We have chosen our Yarn of the Month, Studio Smitten, for these color kits in the hopes they will inspire you as you travel down this spice road with her!  The Myristica Mystery Shawl will embark on a wonderful journey full of spices, colors and stitches.  You will make five different stopovers along the Spice Route.  There will be a new destination each week.  The first stop will begin with Pepper on April 2.  The week after; Saffron, followed by Ginger, Cinnamon and finally, Nutmeg, concluding the journey on April 30.

I have a few clues regarding the MKAL.  It is a crescent shaped shawl, knit using a US #5 needle, on fingering weight yarn.  You will need two skeins of the Main Color and one skein of the Contrasting Color.  There is a section which is worked using two color brioche.  The MKAL begin April 2 and concludes on April 30, 2019.

Click here to see come color options. 

LOCAL YARN SHOP DAY is SATURDAY, April 27th

We are delighted that Casapinka will release a new Local Yarn Shop Pattern that uses three colors.  I have chosen three new colors inspired by our recent travels to Scotland: they are (left) Lothian, (top) Loch Ness and (bottom) Loch Lomond.  We will have more Scotland inspired colors coming later this month.  The pattern will be release on Local Yarn Shop Day, which is Saturday, April 27.  This shawl will use a US # 5 needle and calls for three colors of a fingering weight yarn.

 

MEET US AT THE LOCH NORMAN GAMES, APRIL 13 & 14

The Fibre Studio is proud to participate in this year’s Loch Norman Games.  We are delighted to be a part of this ever-growing, fun, local event.  Click link for more information on the festivities and how you can attend.

 

THIS MONTH’S “GEMSTONE” – DIAMOND

As we move through 2019 we continue to add a new birthstone color.  Our Bo Peeps are new color ways, for which we will take pre-order sales only.  We take these orders from the first week of the month through the 20th, we then dye and skein the orders as they are received.  They are then shipped out at or around the first of the following month.

We are proud to share “Diamond” as our April Gemstone.  We are sure it will be a favorite.

Pre-Order yours now Diamond.

 

WIZARD OF OZ CLUB INTRODUCES APRIL’S  “GLINDA”

We continue to celebrate the Wizard of Oz’s 80th Anniversary throughout 2019 by offering a new monthly colorway representing a pivotal character or scene from this wonderful movie.  This month’s inspiration is “Glinda of the North,” our beloved good witch.   When brainstorming how to create a yarn that would be lovely enough and magical enough to represent this glowing memory we all carry in our hearts and minds of Glinda, we knew that we did not currently have anything in our “yarn bag” that would meet the call.  We knew that we had to find and bring in a new yarn, and so the search began.  We found it!

We will debut Starlight this month, beginning with our colorway, “Glinda.”  It will be dyed in an iridescent, dreamy soft pink, as lofty, shimmering and glowy as our own memories of “Glinda” on the screen.  We absolutely feel in love with the opulence of this yarn.  It contains 63% Cultivated Silk, 23% Kid Mohair and 10% Nylon.  Each 100g skein contains approximately 385 yards.  We will be introducing new colors in the upcoming months, beginning with Spring and Summer pastels and in Autumn and Winter, rich jeweled tones.

We are currently developing our newest pattern, The Starlite Cozy, which is knit using a US #8 needle and will be released later this month. This Cozy is a dreamy shawl/cowl that can drape gently over the shoulders or can be gathered up around the neck as a lovely cowl.

This beautiful yarn has been dyed in limited quantities, and is now ready for purchase and knitting.  We feel certain that you too will love this latest addition to the Club colorways.  There are still limited quantities of There’s A Storm Brewin (March) available if you missed out.

WE ARE HIRING (EWE CREW OPENINGS)

We are very sad to say goodbye to our Anne Z, Martha B and Darci M.   We celebrate their new opportunities and adventures, but we will be left with several big shoes to fill at the Fibre Studio.  We are looking for new Ewe Crew members.   We have a Friday Retail Position (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  This person would also, when customers are not in house, help with processing yarn to get it ready to bring to our customers.  There is also a flex hour position.  This person would help with yarn processing.   We are a tough crew that spend hours on our feet.  We do some heavy lifting and spend the majority of our days hard at work dyeing,  drying, winding, labeling and shipping the beautiful yarns that we create.  We certainly consider ourselves a hearty crew and family at The Fibre Studio.  We look forward to talking to potential new members that may want to join the team.  Please contact Debbie through FibreStudio@att.net if you think you might be interested.

WE ARE MOVING

We are excited to share that later this month the Fibre Studio will be moving just down the lane to 540 Griffith Road. It’s an exciting move to a bright, climate-controlled space.  We look forward to dyeing new treasures there and also seeing our locals at our Wednesday Open Knit (10 a.m. to noon) and at our Knitting and Giving Open Knit on Wednesdays and Thursdays from (noon until 2 p.m.).  What a great month!

Myristica by Marie Amelie Designs

Recently, while in Edinburgh, Scotland, I heard about an upcoming MKAL by Marie Amelie Designs.  She is about to embark on a wonderful journey full of spices, colors  and stitches.  You will make five different stopovers along the Spice Route.  There will be a new destination each week.  The first stop will begin with Pepper on April 2.  The week after;  Saffron, followed by Ginger, Cinnamon and finally Nutmeg concluding the journey on April 30.

I have a few clues regarding the MKAL.  It is a crescent shaped shawl, knit using a US #5 needle on fingering weight yarn.  You will need two skeins of the Main Color and one skein of the Contrasting Color.  There is a section which is worked using two color brioche.  The MKAL begins April 2 and concludes April 30, 2019.

If you purchase your pattern before April 2, you will received a 30% discount, just use coupon code MKAL.

We have put together kits of various color combinations using our Studio Smitten.  Each 100g skein is 80% SW Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon with approximately 400 yards.  This yarn has a wonderful hand, lovely drape and great stitch definition.  Click here to begin your journey.