Spun COVID-19 update Still keeping our distance but also our fingers crossed
As we've all noticed, Michigan's numbers aren't looking so great these days. I think we're all resigned to the fact of masks for the foreseeable future. And, though we're feeling hopeful with every new vaccination we hear about, we know there is still a ways to go. Many but not all Spun staffers have received at least one shot, so we'll be keeping our capacity limits (10 customers at a time) and other distancing policies in place (no in-person help with projects, wait outside the shop while your yarn is being wound). And, we'll be taking solace in a weather forecast that is beckoning us to enjoy time outside while we wait to enjoy time together inside.
Projects of the Week! Spun's Greatest Hits (Part 2) Buy the yarn for any of them, and the pattern is free!
Say hello to our second selection of kits built from shop samples that were made before the shutdown. Some landed in the shop when a lot of other things were going on and didn’t get the attention they deserved. Some are projects whose horn we want to toot again. Some are indulgences (a great way to use a gift card!), and some are one-skein projects that give a lot of bang for not a lot of bucks. All brought us joy. Whether you want a quick project or one that might feel like a more constant companion, these kits are worthy of your attention.
Browse all the projects here or click on the links below to shop each kit.
LØKKE Designed by Woolfolk and knit in Woolfolk Flette
Naryn Hat Designed by Mary Lou Egan and
knit in June Cashmere DK
Lokke is a versatile, gender-neutral scarf knit up in boucle yarn that is soft as kittens. Its bold colors are stylish, and the design, with points at either end, lends panache without feeling fussy. The scarf is worked back and forth in stockinette and reverse stockinette with the color change at the midpoint of every row. Each kit includes 6 skeins, 3 in each color, of Woolfolk Flette (100% Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino) in the color pairing of your choice and the pattern for Lokke, which will make one scarf approximately 16“ wide and 67” long.
This wonderfully textured, slightly slouchy and deliciously warm hat is knit in June Cashmere DK (100% sustainably sourced cashmere). While many cashmere yarns would look "blurry" in this design, June Cashmere's careful milling process means excellent stitch definition, showing off this piece's beautiful pattern to perfection while remaining luxuriously soft. One skein will make a solid-color hat, or choose the two-skein version to add contrasting stripes and a fantastically soft and poofy pompom. Each kit includes 1 or 2 skeins of June Cashmere DK in the color(s) of your choice and the pattern for Mary Lou Egan's Naryn.
Fairy Dust Designed by Dani Sunshine and knit in Malabrigo Arroyo
Dani Sunshine’s Fairy Dust is a sweet cardigan worked seamlessly from the top down. The yoke is shaped with yarn over increases that also serve to create the lace accents. This cardigan is knit in soft, washable Malabrigo Arroyo (100% superwash merino). Fairy Dust is available in sizes 3 months to 6 years.
Roundabout Romper Designed by Sarah Smuland and
knit in Spud & Chloe Fine
Kyst Designed by Olga Buraya-Kefelian and knit in Woolfolk TOV
When this sample arrived in the shop we couldn’t stop wishing there were more babies in our lives so we all had an excuse to make one. Sarah Smuland’s Roundabout Romper is versatile: wear it on its own in summer or use it as a layer in winter over a onesie and leggings. Washable and beautiful, the soft wool and silk blend of Spud and Chloe's Fine (80% Superwash Wool/20% Silk) make this little Romper deceptively easy to care for, while granting it the qualities of an heirloom.
Olga Buraya-Kefelian’s traditional use of Gansey panels gets an update on this generous wrap with minimal, stunning bands of stitching punctuated by garter row details. Woolfolk’s Tov 12-ply Aran weight fair trade yarn provides crisp stitch definition with luxurious softness. Each kit includes 7 skeins of Woolfolk Tov (100% Ovis Ultimate Merino) in the color of your choice and the pattern for Kyst, which will make one wrap approximately 17.5” wide by 77” long.
Little Willet Designed by Dawn Catazaro and knit in Cestari Ash Lawn
Dawn Catanzaro’s Little Willet is a sweet cardigan, knit from the top down with an applied i-cord edge and round yoke. Cestari’s machine-washable Ash Lawn yarn (75% cotton, 25% wool) is both soft and springy, the two fibers taking up the dye in beautifully heathered tones. Little Willet is available in sizes 0-18 months. Kits for sizes 0, 3 and 6 months contain 2 skeins of Ash Lawn and the pattern for Little Willet; sizes 12 and 18 months contain 3 skeins of Ash Lawn and the pattern for Little Willet.
Making No. 11, Dawn, presents a fresh collection of projects and artwork by Charlotte Edey, Sanae Ishida, Arounna Khounnoraj, Kristine Vejar, Susan B Anderson, Carolanne Graham, Julia Grace, Molly George, Amy Bornman, Kayla Powers, Tamar Dovrat, Emily Clark, Anne-Michelle Phelan, Paula Pereira, Bernice Lim, Nataliya Sinelshchikova, Tayler Harris. Nataliya Guseva, Susanna Kaartinen, Ksenia Naidyon, and Ezgi Tandogan Onat. All knit and sewn garment patterns are sized to fit at least a 60" bust measurement. Issues are print but include a link to download a digital version.
Expected release date April 23.
Order your copyhere.
52 Weeks of Shawls is a unique look into contemporary shawl knitting, its designers hailing from all around the world. This collection showcases an exceptionally wide range of yarns, techniques, and levels of difficulty, including two crochet designs. It is a true encyclopedia of shawls, a future classic for decades to come, with 52 patterns by 50 designers, all beautifully photographed, illustrated, and presented on 272 pages. Print only. No digital download.
Expected release date April 30.
Order your copyhere.
Available now!
Jacqueline has long made it her mission to empower makers of a wide range of sizes and abilities to create their own clothes as a practice of intimacy with their bodies. Embody unites Jacqui’s sewing and knitting expertise in a capsule collection of highly customizable patterns designed to be made and worn together and includes 3 deeply adaptable core patterns (2 knitting, 1 sewing), allowing you to make at least 25 different garments and 1 shawl. Each pattern is graded up to 60" at the chest, and each includes instructions for bespoke fitting so that you can make designs that will fit your own body perfectly. Also included with this paperback book is a digital download containing print-at-home sewing patterns and copyshop files. Enjoy!
We have limited stock after pre-orders. Get your copyhere.
Back in stock Strands of Joy
Strands of Joy features 20 versatile colorwork patterns from Finnish knitwear designer Anna Johanna, including sweaters and cardigans as well as an elegant dress, a warming hat, and a child's pullover. Hardcover.
Spun Online Tutorials How to Crochet a Granny Square
This week Annri takes one of our most common requests: how to crochet a basic granny square. She walks you through the entire process from the first stitch to the last. If you have a tool or technique you're interested in learning more about, please send a note to info@spunannarbor.com.
Click here to see all our videos and subscribe to our channel!
New in the shop! Harrisville Nightshades & Daylights
These soft and crimpy US-sourced and -produced 3-plies are woolen-spun beauties. Nightshades celebrates the beauty of night by marbling saturated black skeins with touches of color that will bring nuance and life to your work. Daylights are light and airy and dusted with color, evoking the play of warm sunshine over natural surfaces. These skeins come to us from a New Hampshire company that has been in operation for over forty years, at one of the only woolen mills left in the United States. This yarn is perfect for durable, lightweight sweaters, scarves, mittens, and hats: you can see a few pattern suggestions if you follow the link below. Full disclosure: Carol and Natalie in particular are having a hard time keeping their hands off this shipment, so you'd better act fast if you have your heart set on any of these long-awaited lovelies.
US 5-7/F-G (3.75-4.0 mm) • 4.5-5.5 stitches/inch • 250 yards • DK/Worsted
80 percent US Cormo, 20 percent US wool
See the full range of colorways and shop Harrisville yarn here.
Two new organic cottons from Juniper Moon Farm!
Pod
Nubby sport-weight Pod, core spun around the finest organic Peruvian cotton, works up into a light, bouncy fabric that is perfect for breathable summer wear for adults, babies, and kids.
US 3-5/E (3.25-3.75 mm) • 5.75-6.5 stitches/inch • 273 yards • Sport
100 percent organic cotton
Bulky-weight Bud, like Pod core spun around organic Peruvian cotton, boasts a similarly pleasing nubby texture that makes it fun to work with and yields a breathable and lightweight fabric. It’s perfect for garments and accessories for adults and the younger set.
Flette (meaning “braid”) is a textured yarn ideally suited for crafting into clean, modern silhouettes. Here Woolfolk’s Ultimate Merino™ has been innovatively spun into a lively skein whose twist lends it strength without compromising softness and wearability. Flette is ideal for elevated garments and accessories.
Colors 15/33 and 13/31 join the roster of this two-toned marled beauty. A sibling of Tynd, Sno features high- and low-contrast combinations that bring your work depth of color and texture, whether used alone or in partnership with Tynd. Like Tynd, Sno boasts a tight twist, the yarn working up into a lightweight, elegant fabric.
Welcome Gingy, Natural, and Jasmine to our selection of this smoothly plied and exceptionally pretty staple that will surely move you to look beyond the eponymous socks.
Some new colors (including Mill White, Coppertone, Seafoam, Holiday Red, and Olive Grove) round out the palette of this summer-weight favorite. Sirdar’s Cotton DK comes in a range of modern brights and softer shades that make it perfect for soft, lightweight summer garments. Also: washcloths! washcloths! washcloths! Great stitch definition, a soft hand, and generous yardage.
Project Bags, Totes, and Pouches from Mum and Sun Ink
These bags featuring (let's face it) adorable animals come to us from Bonnie Bishoff, who also makes some of our shop-favorite shawl pins. The Large Zip Pouch will hold all of your notions in style and add some charm to your project bag to boot. It measures 10" wide x 7" high, with a 3" gusset. The Drawstring Project Bag, measuring 11" wide x 15.75" high, will cheer every user, while the Zipper Tote makes a statement of its own; measuring 18" wide x 13” high, with a 6" gusset, it will safely tote your biggest projects (unless you're making something like, say, a sweater for an elephant).
Knitter, painter, and jewelry maker (so, basically, super-crafter extraordinaire) Abby Korontey is a Spun regular who just clued us in to her online shop, which features a beautiful array of her handmade treasures. She maintains a special section on her website called Shop for Good, donating 100% of sales to Detroit's Covenant House, an organization that provides shelter, security, and support for homeless and trafficked youth and teens.
Learn more about the organization here, and check out Abby's Shop for Good selection here.
Mondays • 6pm Join Spun staff members Monday evenings from 6-7pm for drop-in stitching. Thursdays • 1pm Join Mary B. to stitch together for an hour or so.
If you're interested in joining either drop-in, click here for information, including sign-up links.
Spun Hours General shopping: Monday-Friday, 10-5pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm, Sunday, 11-4pm By appointment: Email info@spunannarbor.com to set up a time.
