Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning those Road Trip Projects – even if the trip is to your local Pool or Baseball diamond! The ideal Road Trip Project is small and simple – you don’t want to miss out on the scenery because you’re too wrapped up in a complicated stitch. Something repetitive that doesn’t overly tax the brain is the perfect thing to keep your hands busy while you watch the miles go by, or your kid running bases.
Read on for some great Project ideas!
An easy and fun project that’s great for summer is the “6×6 Traveling Rib Cowl Kit.” This squishy-soft cowl features a simple, Zen-like stitch pattern that “travels” around the cowl. Shown here is the short version; modifications are available for a longer version as well. You can make either length with just one skein each of Shibui Birch and Habu Textile’s N-80 Silk- Wrapped Merino. The Kit includes the pattern, plus the two yarns in complementary color combinations. This is a really striking cowl, but one that is super easy to make. Great for knitting while chatting with your friends and family! And if you want to get ahead on your holiday gifts, this is a perfect candidate since it comes in so many lovely colors.
The elegant “Summer Silk Topper” is just the thing for chilly summer evenings, or for over-air-conditioned indoor spaces. The Topper is knit flat, holding one strand of Habu Textiles’s Tsumugi Silk together with one strand of Mohair throughout, and then seamed together at the end. This allows for more knitting and less purling, making the Topper faster and easier to make. And using a Size 10 needle, you can speed through this and have it ready to wear in no time! We have these made up as Kits with the pattern and yarn included, so you can just “Grab and Go”! But if you prefer to pick out your own color combo, you are welcome to do so – we have tons of colors in both the Silk and Mohair! Plus the pattern is free with yarn purchase at our Shop.
If you’re in need of a cute bag to tote your fiber projects around in, we have just the thing: the “Parrot Drawstring Bag.” Staffer Tracy designed this fun crocheted bag using two skeins of Berroco’s Modern Cotton and one skein of Pappagallo from Trendsetter. Pappagallo comes in a variety of fun, colorful combinations, the perfect thing to complement bright summer fashions. The pattern is for sale at our shop.
Next up is the “Elegant Luxury Scarf Kit” from Imperial Yarn. This luscious scarf kit includes the yarn and the pattern, so all you need is needles and you’re good to go! It’s made with two skeins of Imperial Yarn’s Our Back 40 American Classic Alpaca Yarn, a yarn so soft, your hands will thank you while you’re knitting it. And the kit bag even comes with a tiny bell, perfect for ringing for the Bar Menu while sitting Poolside! We really liked the simple lace pattern – it’s just challenging enough to keep your brain engaged, but repetitive enough for you to memorize it quickly.
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The “Fresco Simple Slouchy Hat Kit” also features a super-soft yarn. This adorable hat is knit with two skeins of Classic Elite’s Fresco – a blend of alpaca, angora and wool. This project is so simple, you can create several while you travel, and have Holiday gifts all lined up by the end of the summer! We have kits for this highly wearable hat available in many different colors, to suit everyone on your gift list and, of course, one for you!
Any of these projects will make a perfect companion for your travels, even if you’re only going as far as your backyard! We look forward to seeing what you’re working on this summer – so please stop by and show us!
Friday, May 3, 2019
2:00-6:00 pm
We’re kicking off May with a celebration of Mothers! In conjunction with our next-door neighbors, Uptown Property Management, we’re hosting an afternoon of pampering.
Stop by the shop between 2:00 and 6:00 pm for a free, 10-minute hand massage, courtesy of Nancie Hines, MA, of Portland Reflexology. This is a wonderful opportunity to give some extra love to those hands that do so much for everyone else. Nancie is a National Board-Certified Reflexologist, so she really knows her stuff! And if you enjoy your intro to Reflexology, Portland Reflexology has their offices right here in Multnomah Village!
We’ll also be showing our appreciation for Moms by raffling off a prize basket! No purchase is necessary, but you must be a Mother to enter. Take some time for yourself, Moms: Relax with a hand massage, enter to win a prize, and enjoy the afternoon and evening at this First Friday event.
We look forward to seeing you on May 3rd!
Rowan Trunk Show
Northwest Wools is excited to host a trunk show full of spectacular Rowan garments from Friday, November 16, through Saturday, November 24th.
In addition to the shop models we normally have on hand, we’ll also have additional garments sent to us from Rowan. These special models will include sweaters, wraps and accessories made from a number of Rowan yarns, including Kid Classic, Felted Tweed, Alpaca Classic and Valley Tweed. All of the models are from their Fall 2018 line, and patterns are available in Rowan books and magazines on sale at Northwest Wools.
Don’t miss this opportunity to admire, touch and try on some of the fabulous items we usually just admire on the pages of Rowan Magazine!
Shaggy Bear Farms Pop-Up Shop
Friday, September 7, 10 am – 6 pm
It’s almost time for one of our favorite events at Northwest Wools! Wendy Hanson of Shaggy Bear Farms will be here once again with a roomful of fabulous yarns and fiber.
Wendy runs a “Farm to Needle” operation in Scio, Oregon, where she tends a flock of more than 400 animals and hand-dyes her yarns. Wendy knows all of her animals by name, and sings to them as she shears them! She can tell you all about the various “characters” on her farm, many of whom are rescue animals.
Wendy’s inventory truly has something for everyone: Beautiful, vibrant colors as well as undyed, natural hues; buttery soft merino/silk blends and rugged, “crunchy” yarns. Many of Wendy’s yarns are blends of fibers from her many breeds of animals. There are a variety of yarn weights to choose from, as well as undyed roving from her unique breeds.
Whether you knit, crochet, spin or weave, you are bound to find something you love at this First Friday event! Come on by and meet Wendy – you will learn a lot more about the life of an independent farmer and dyer.
