https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtKFgjdjY2I ... Read More »
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY – NOVEMBER 29 – ALL DAY FIRST ANNUAL MEN’S SHOPPING NIGHT, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 – 4 TO 8 P.M *SNOWFLAKE SCAVENGER HUNT, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 – 10 TO 5. Welcome to downtown Torrington! We invite you to come down with your shopping list in hand or better yet, use this great list created by the business community. Share the list with friends and family and see just how many wonderful gift ideas you can find. Plan to dine at Backstage Restaurant or Sawyer’s and enjoy great food and drink! 1 Act Natural – 24 Water Street - Kombucha tasting night, Kambucha kit, ... Read More »
Focus on Fiber Arts: Get going on those holiday gifts!
By Ginger Balch Posted: 11/12/14, 5:05 PM EST | I know, I know — I’m one of the first ones to roll my eyes when I see Santa sitting right next to the Great Pumpkin. But let’s face it. If we fiber folks plan on getting anything finished for gift giving, much less wrapped in time for the holidays, we’d better put our fingers to the needles, and crank up the speed. I actually know a knitter who starts her holiday knitting for the following year the day after Christmas. Of course, she likes to knit sweaters for everyone, but still, if you are only beginning to think about ... Read More »
A Focus on Fiber Arts: Hand felted Owl Masks, and an Art Walk By Ginger Balch Posted: 10/16/14, 11:41 PM EDT | While everyone is busy searching for Halloween costumes here, there, and everywhere, might I suggest another alternative, creating your own? With the help of Robin Mac Cahill, you can needle felt a fabulous owl mask with wool roving and a special barbed needle. Robin is a frequent artisan, who teaches both wet felting and needle felting at the New Britain Museum of Art as well as workshops at the White Memorial Foundation, Flanders Nature Center and Trust ... Read More »
Focus on Fiber Arts: Don’t miss the fall festival and the yarn crawl this weekend Submitted photo - Ginger Balch In Sheep's Clothing will take part in the Yarn Crawl on Saturday. By Ginger Balch Posted: 09/24/14, 4:47 PM EDT | Right on the heels of the arrival of autumn, comes the second Annual Fiber, Friends & Fun yarn crawl, presented by the Western Ct Yarn Council. This September 26-28, “Yarn crawlers” will make their pilgrimage from one of the seven participating yarn stores over the course of the weekend. Each store will offer yarn crawlers the ... Read More »
Focus on Fiber Arts: The ‘just right’ shawlette Posted: 09/10/14, 3:54 PM EDT | Updated: on 09/10/2014 By Ginger Balch It’s that rare project that I can find myself making more than a couple of times. That’s not to say that there are times that I have to reproduce an item many times for customers, but most times I’m not fond of churning out the same product over and over again. That being said, I do enjoy taking an idea and creating a “series”. It can be done in different color ways or slightly different techniques, resulting in a totally different product. I’m ... Read More »
A Dream Student
It’s always rewarding to watch someone struggle at first to make the knitting needles and yarn yield to their wishes. Sometimes the stitches are big and loopy, while others times the stitches are so tight on the needle that it is nearly impossible to slide them off. As the knitting progresses, holes and extra stitches may mysteriously appear. The knitted piece can at the same time grow wider as it grows longer, and in very special circumstances become narrower, all this to the beginners dismay. First-time knitters need to take this in stride, since this too shall pass. With ... Read More »
You can knit anywhere you like, in the summertime
I’ll be honest. This is my least favorite time of the year for knitting. It’s not that I mind knitting throughout the summer. Give me a fan or air conditioning and I’m good to go. It’s more that I’m a wool lover, and not so fond of working with cotton. You also have such a short knitting season, especially if you take these years extremely late spring. There are not too many knitters who want to spend their time knitting something that they can only wear for a short time. Add all the other summertime distractions, and knitting just tends to sit on the back burner. Some of us purists ... Read More »
Make a recycled market bag
This time of year, many knitters and crocheters are up to their elbows in their vegetable gardens. Hour upon hour is spent in battle, gardener pitted against the weeds. It’s an ongoing struggle, one of which I haven’t the stomach for. Heat, bugs and sweat, will win every time over me. I will gladly show my appreciation of such hard work and determination by purchasing my vegetables at the farmers market. I would much rather choose to match wits with yarn and a knitting pattern any summer day. Still despite all the excitement happening in the gardens, there needs to be a little ... Read More »
Focus on Fiber Arts: Celebrate World Wide Knitting in Public Day at Coe Memorial Park Photo by Ginger Balch If you like to knit in public, or at home, or at the local yarn shop, come to Coe Memorial Park Friday night and join others in a celebration of World Knitting in Public Day with other knitters. By Ginger Balch Posted: 06/20/14, 1:09 PM EDT | Updated: on 06/20/2014 Knitting is generally a solitary craft. Knitters spend a lot of time quietly knitting at home, often with the TV in the background. Some knitters even will take advantage of lunch breaks or work ... Read More »
