Fiber Fest Love Reaches Boston

Our wonderful manager Missy is in Boston today, attending her daughter's graduation (congratulations, Kathryn!). She was enjoying coffee and breakfast in a cafe this morning and casting on a sweater when a woman at the table next to her leaned over and told Missy that her family would be interested in what she was working on.

They got to talking about knitting and the StevenBe Creative Community Foundation came up. She and her brother were very interested in the therapeutic knitting that the foundation is sponsoring. Missy told her about the foundation's plans to work with a major Minneapolis hospital this summer, specifically with adolescent in-patient girls with eating disorders. At that point, the woman and her brother were overcome with emotion and told Missy about why they were there.

Her two nieces, the daughters of the brother there with her, are at Tufts Medical Center, just across the street from Missy's hotel. They were waiting to celebrate with their mom at the finish line of the Boston Marathon when the bombs went off. One niece lost a leg and her younger sister is battling to keep both of hers. They have had regular 12 hour surgeries for the last two weeks.

Their father called the family knitters who were taking turns sitting bedside with the girls, keeping them company. Missy told them about Fiber Fest and all of our celebrity teachers who were spending time with us this weekend. As it turns out, they are big fans of Stephen West and when she mentioned the Yarn Harlot, they were positively gleeful.

Today, Stephen West picked out one of his patterns and a skein of Madelinetosh for our Boston knitting aunts and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee signed one of her books for them. While they're standing vigil for their nieces, we want them to have something special to work on. Our hearts go out to everyone in Boston and the knitters who love them.

Fiber Fest 2013: Select Classes Still Available!

There's still time to grab a seat and take in some knowledge from your favorite knitting celebrities! There are still a few spots left in select classes! Register through the links here or come in to StevenBe or Yarn Garage and we'll help you get signed up and pick out your class materials at the same time.

The best way to start your Fiber Fest experience is with Steven at the Pillsbury House Theater tomorrow night for our Kick-Off Party! Steven will be interviewing our fabulous teachers in the style of Joan Rivers-meets-Oprah-meets-Wendy Williams (or as we usually just call it, "StevenBe-style").

Ragga & Stephen West--a package deal!

4/25 @ StevenBe: Icelandic Chevron Mittens from 10am-1pm
The Icelandic Textile Museum has a few very interesting pieces of mittens and socks knit in beautiful chevron patterns. Most of these pieces are older than the lace shawls that also show many variations of chevron and feather and fan patterns. Learn how to create your own Icelandic Chevron Mittens with the expert!

4/25 @ StevenBe: Ragga & Stephen West Exclusive Preview Trunk Show from 2pm-5pm

In this two hour program Ragga and Stephen share their experience of working as a design team on their collection, to be released in fall 2013. Samples will be shown and photographs and videos from photo shoots shared. The book is due to be released in October 2013 as a part of the Iceland Airwaves music festival.

4/26 @ Yarn Garage: Mixology with Ragga & Stephen West from 10am-1pm

In this class it's all about mixing, matching and juxtaposing different yarns, shapes, techniques, colors and textures. We'll break down the walls between knit and crochet and disregard all boundaries between bulky and fine. Participants will find new confidence in planning projects and taking control over their stash.

4/29 @ StevenBe: Ragga & Stephen West Present Party Tricks for Knitters from 10am-1pm

In this class we cover various tricks that will come in handy in a wide variety of projects. We will cover 4 different types of casting on, 4 different types of casting off, various uses for i-cords and different techniques of making buttonholes. We’ll discuss how you can take control of your knitting and make smart decisions that will refine your knitted pieces and make you the master of your knitting!

Mary Scott Huff!

 4/26 @ StevenBe: Two Strings = Not Scary from 10am-1pm

In this introduction to stranded colorwork, we will learn the basic moves for handling two strands at the same time, and what is special about the construction of stranded colorwork.  We will practice stranding by swatching in class, then begin this stranded colorwork hat pattern.  No stranded knitting experience is necessary and we promise--it's not as scary as it seems!

Julie Weisenberger of Coco Knits!

 4/26 @ StevenBe: Pick Your Girl from 10am-1pm

This is your chance to have your own "Cocoknit-along" where everyone chooses a Cocoknits pattern to fit her own personal style and shape and choosing the right yarn for the project is a guided experience. What a perfect opportunity to make something to suit you and work with the designer!

4/26 @ StevenBe: Coco Knits, Habu, & Claudia Handpaints Trunk Show from 2pm-5pm
FILLED!
Learn how to read Japanese patterns from expert Takako Uekei, owner of Habu Textiles. This class will give you the keys to decipher a Japanese pattern and the confidence to knit one of Habu's beautiful garment kits! Experience fabulous fibers coming together in Julie's amazing designs!

4/28 @ Yarn Garage: Seamless Sweater Construction and Japanese Pattern Reading from 10am-2pm
Do you hate seaming sweaters? This class will teach you how to transform a seamed sweater pattern into a seamless pattern. We will use the Gisela pattern from cocoknits and go through the pattern in class to transform it into seamless construction featuring set-in sleeves and English Tailored shoulders. Also includes Takako's Japanese pattern reading workshop!  

Melissa Leapman!
 
4/26 @ StevenBe: Two Color Double Knitting from 2pm-5pm FILLED!
With this fascinating knitting technique, both sides of the knitting appear to be stockinette stitch. In just a few fun hours, learn how to knit—and even design!—these beautiful reversible fabrics. 

4/28 @ StevenBe: Flatter Yourself from 10am-1pm
In this fun hands-on workshop, learn how designers use fully fashioned shaping to create flattering sweaters. No matter your shape, use your knitting prowess to create knockout pieces that fit and flatter.

Franklin Habit!

4/28 @ StevenBe: History and Methods of Lace Knitting from 10am-1pm FILLED!
In this three-hour session, we’ll examine the fundamental principles and techniques of knitting's grandest tradition. Students will learn about the history of lace knitting, and the development of the art in three parts of the world (Russia, Estonia, and the Shetland Islands) in which the craft was developed to the highest level of artistry. We will not only discuss, but practice and play with some of the methods and motifs that distinguish each of these traditions. 

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot!

  4/28 @ Pillsbury House Theater: Exclusive New Lecture by the Yarn Harlot from 6pm-8pm
Even if you were lucky enough to see Stephanie in October when she was last here with us, you'll be in for a treat on Sunday night. She has created a brand new lecture just for StevenBe and you get to be the first to hear it! Also, the last hour will be our fabulous wrap-up party, another not-to-be missed opportunity to see Steven interact with Stephanie and our other teachers.

Fiber Fest Teacher Feature: Stephen West

We're thrilled to be hosting Stephen West for Fiber Fest 2013! We're looking forward to his classes with Ragga--Steven spent some time with them in Amsterdam last month, so we know we're in for some big fun!

Ragga, Stephen, and Steven knitting in public!

Stephen first learned to knit when he was a sophomore in high school. "I did a lot of musical theater and many of my friends were crafty, so I asked them to show me backstage during a rehearsal for Once on this Island," says Stephen. We all admire his designs and beautiful stitches now but was he an immediate knitting prodigy? "It was a disaster," he laughed, "but it was enough to get me interested and I later bought a book and yarn from Michael's to teach myself more." He's designed some remarkable pieces since then, some of our favorites being Earth & Sky, Vulpix, and the Moose River cowl, samples of which you can see at StevenBe.

One of our favorite things that Stephen does is his YouTube channel, Places Where You Can Knit. You can check out his fabulous video about knitting in Reykjavik here. The strangest place he's ever knit? A lava field in Iceland! Stephen also loves knitting on trains and planes because "I'm forced to sit down and I can't escape so I always get a lot of knitting done."

Stephen knits at the Eiffel Tower!

We all have projects that were less than successful and Stephen is no exception. "One of the first sweaters I made was a raglan style pullover that I tried to make up without swatching or measuring," he confessed. "I didn't try it on until the whole body and yoke were knit and the bottom was fitted, but the yoke was 8 sizes too big." He has, of course, mastered the sweater since then, as you can see in his marvelous Vaila pullover on Ravelry.

Stephen's worked with fibers galore but his current favorites are Malabrigo Finito (which we carry!), Quince & Co. Puffin, Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER, Still River Mill Harmony, and Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk (one of our favorites, too!). For one of his more unusual projects, Stephen knit with strips of plastic bags. "The finished result was beautiful for a gallery exhibit, but the process was laborious and slow," he told us, because the plastic "was so sticky and difficult to work with." Sometimes it's more about the product than the process!

Here are Stephen's Fiber Fest classes, click to register before they're full!
Thursday, April 25th, 10am-1pm @ StevenBe: Top Down Shawl Tips & Tricks
Thursday, April 25th, 2pm-5pm @ StevenBe: Trunk Show & Lecture with Ragga & Stephen West
Friday, April 26th, 10am-1pm @ Yarn Garage: Mixology with RaggaWest
Monday, April 29th, 10am-1pm @ StevenBe: RaggaWest Party Tricks for Knitters

Steven & Stephen: AN EXCLUSIVE DAY - Three Events

An exclusive day of workshops and new samples awaits. Stephen West is making a special trip to StevenBe to launch WestKnits - Book 4 - Made for Movement.

Be the first see all of the new pieces along with some old favorites. Join one of the convenient workshops to tap into the inspiration of this young and inspirational designer. StevenBe is stocked with all of Stephen's favorite yarns to have you knitting these new gems in no time.

Seriously, we love you all so much that we snagged Stephen West for a single day next week! He loves StevenBe so much he emailed that he would be available and, well, we just can't deprive our knitters of the fabulous Stephen West! Book Four will be available! 

Let me repeat that. 

WestKnits Book Four is AVAILABLE! It will be here only because Stephen is bringing it! This is an opportunity NOT to be missed! Turn in those vacation days, call in sick, get a doctor's note....do WHATEVER it takes to get here to see Stephen West and his new knits!  

Use the links below to get more information and register while you still can!

Tuesday, October 23rd

StevenBe
Minneapolis, MN

10:30am - 1:30pm
Top Down Shawl Workshop

2:00pm - 5:00pm
Booksigning & Trunkshow Lounge 

5:00pm - 7:00pm
Top Down Shawl Beginner Tricks

Stephen West Will Be In The House!

When
Tuesday October 23, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM CDT

Where
StevenBe 
3448 Chicago Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407 

Stephen West - Top Down Shawl Workshop - Tips and Tricks 

In this workshop Stephen West uses his popular shawl designs to talk about shape, construction, and drape. Students will knit a small triangular swatch while topics such as cast ons, increases, bind offs, and blocking are discussed. Special emphasis will be focused on different shaping techniques. You will also learn some of Stephen’s favorite tips and tricks!

Materials: scrap yarn and needles of choice for a swatch (worsted weight recommended)

Homework: Familiarize yourself with Make One Left and Make One Right increases if you have never encountered them before.

Class Fee: $78

Stephen West is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. After moving to the Chicago area, he caught the knitting bug and started designing patterns while epic amounts of wool infiltrated into his life. There was no looking back. He now lives in Amsterdam where he studies Choreography at the School for New Dance Development and travels frequently teaching knitting workshops throughout the United States and Europe. He creates his own series of popular self-published pattern collections and also designs for Malabrigo Yarns and knitty.com. 

Register Now! 

Need more info? 
Contact
Jeremy Smith 
StevenBe 
jeremy at stevenbe dot com 
612-259-7525 

Stephen West Mystery Shawl Knit-A-Long

Get ready for a summer shawl KAL, Westknits style! Join the group at the Yarn Garage as we discover a new clue each week. Our expert staff will be knitting along with you every Friday a clue is released. Visit us for an exclusive color consultation and we will get you set up with everything you need to join the fun. 

SCHEDULE at the Yarn Garage:  

Join Michelle for the following KAL dates! 

Consultation and Yarn Selection July 9 - 15   

Clue 1 - July 15 (KAL circle 1 to 3PM)
Clue 2 - July 22 (Skype date at StevenBe 1 to 4PM)
Clue 3 - July 29 (KAL circle 1 to 3PM)
Clue 4 - August 5 (KAL circle 1 to 3PM)

Learn MORE about WestKnits and this year's Mystery Shawl by joining the group on Ravelry HERE.       

SPECIAL EVENT! - Skype Date with Stephen West at StevenBe...Sunday July 22nd
1 to 4PM at StevenBe 

Reserve your spot for this special addition to our Knit-A-Long month. We will do a live Skype chat with the designer himself. Show off your progress on the Mystery Shawl and participate in a Q & A about upcoming designs, patterns, and books! This is your V.I.P. access to hip!Present your offer, ensure it is specific, and includes a call to action and time frame.

Learn More and Register NOW...

Sneek Peaks from Stephen West and more from today's Skype Chat!

Hey Gang... we just finished our hour long Skype with the amazing Stephen West. The hour flew by. He started with some insight into his knitting past, current travels, and future inspiration.

 The group shared their color choices for the Mystery Shawl KAL and asked questions about the pattern, the process and the clues! Stephen hinted at some variations he's been working on for a future pattern using intarsia  and color blocking similar to the mystery shawl.

Mr. West treated our group to a gigantic fall preview that included samples that will be in WestKnits Book 3 that is due out in October. My favorite was an earflap hat that he was finishing from the comfort of his Mother's back yard. Other highlights included a chunky cowl with buttons and a cable edged scarf that will be perfect for Minnesota Fall and Winter.

Stephen shared his favorites for fall. We were all WOWed by a fabulous felted bag with a suburst motif he created in Noro and a similarly inspired circular blanket.

Here are some more pictures below. Visit me at StevenBe for a full wrap-up of the chat and details on upcoming patterns. Happy Knitting! -Jeremy

West Knits Book 2, Alisha Goes Around, Namaste, and so much more

Well, after an exciting weekend at StevenBe, I arrived back at the Yarn Garage this morning.   I was greeted by so many new and highly anticipated items!  One was Stephen West's new book West Knits Book Two!

It is FULL of new fantastic designs by one of my favorite new designers!  He is such a sweetheart and we look forward to everything he does. 

 Once again, the photography is amazing!  He really presents his pieces so beautifully and creatively.  I don't know which project to start first, but I will surely be casting on one soon!

Another newbie to the yarn scene is Alisha Goes Around!  We got our first shipment in today, and I am speechless!  And, as most of you know, that almost NEVER happens!

Steven and I met Alisha of Alisha Goes Around at TNNA in January and she is bubbly and fun!  Her booth was decorated with hand-knit peacocks and flamingos! 

 She started her company in her kitchen and she does everything herself!  Her colors are rich and bold.

Alisha is whimsical and vivacious, just like her yarn.  Click here is the free hummingbird pattern available from her website.

In addition to yarn and patterns, we received a shipment of Namaste bags, needle cases, and more!

We received more Bitty Bags, Zuma bags, Hermosa bags, Circular Needle Cases, Buddy Packs.  Each shop now has a nice supply of each of Namaste's signature pieces.  The needle cases always go quickly, so stop in soon to get yours!

The FedEx man came while I was working on this blog and teaching class.  He delivered EIGHT boxes from Aslan Trends!  I demanded he stay and help me process them, but he refused.  Unbelievable!  So, Steph got stuck with the task.

Whoa!  That's alot of yarn!  We received, Del Sur, Guanaco, Litoral, Los Andes, and Tango.  They also sent us some great leather handles for purses. 

Some of the Aslan Trends will be on sale, so stop in to see what discounts Steven is giving out on this yarn.  Have a great week everyone, and I hope to see you soon!

WestKnits Book Shipped!

ATTENTION ALL STEPHEN WEST FANATICS: Our copies of Stephen West's first pattern book, WestKnits, has shipped from the manufacturer. It should be in the shops the end of this week. If you are interested in reserving a copy, please contact us at steven@yarngarage.com. The author, Stephen West, has written some of our favorite shawl and hat patterns such as, Daybreak, Windschief, Akimbo, Herbivoire, and the Botanical hat. We can't wait to cast on one of his new patterns!!

Early Morning Breakfast Hop, Stitch and a Jump

Steven and Cis of 3 Kittens Needle Arts are cohosting Hop, Stitch and a Jump this weekend and have guests Cookie A and Lucy Neatby in town teaching at their stores. Here is a little slideshow taken at the breakfast this morning.

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This is an exciting opportunity to meet and greet some of the top knitters in the country. Stephen West is also at StevenBe's. Yarnover is tomorrow in Hopkins. What a great Spring weekend for fiber artists!! Call the shop and you might be able to get into one of the fabulous classes this weekend.