Knit Me, I'm Irish - St. Patrick's Day getaway!

Grab your knitting needles, the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast and the Cornwall Yarn Shop are marking St. Patrick’s Day by offering guests a chance to knit their very own Irish scarf using Irish yarn at the historic Irish inn throughout the month of March. “We’re excited to offer guests such a unique Irish experience in our newly opened ‘Great Room,’” said Dena Finneran, who co-owns the inn with her husband, John. “When we heard Gail specializes in traditional yarns, including traditional Aran yarn.

“This is a new approach for us,” said Gail Parrinello, owner of the nearby Cornwall Yarn Shop. “We usually teach at our store, it’ll be great fun to knit in the inn’s ‘Great Room’ with a roaring fire in the background.” The class is open to intermediate knitters, those who’ve already mastered the basics. Attendees will learn to knit an Irish Cable Scarf using traditional Irish stitches from Gail or her assistant, Meghan.

The Cornwall Yarn Shop hosts Sit and Knit, I Heart Crochet, and various other classes and events at its shop at 227 Main Street in Cornwall from mid-week through weekend.

The Irish scarf knitting classes will be held at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast at 25 Orrs Mills Road, Salisbury Mills and will take place on a single Monday in March, based on availability. On Mondays March 2, March 9, March 16 and March 23rd 2015 the class runs from 2-4 pm; on Monday, March 30th 2015, class runs from 7-9 pm.

The hands-on experience is available to guests through the “Knit Me I’m Irish package” but the class itself is open to the public independently with a $40 fee plus tax, which includes supplies. Knitters may return on a following week for a recurring fee.

The Knit Me I’m Irish package includes:

• -3-night stay at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast for the price of a 2-night stay (i.e. one night free!) 
• -Admission and all supplies for two to the Irish scarf knitting class 
• -Complimentary three course gourmet breakfasts 
• -Free WiFi at the inn so you can show off your new creations 
• -If your partner isn’t interested in knitting, they could always join others who will be watching the basketball tournament games on the 75” 4KHDTV 
• Package starts at  $530 per couple plus tax; the Knit Me I’m Irishpackage is available Sunday - Tuesdays in March 2015. 

About Caldwell House
The Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast was once a refuge to an Irish family fleeing the British during the 1798 Irish Rebellion. The Caldwells, including a dozen children, crossed the Atlantic to arrive in New York City in the early 1800s. They later scrounged to amass 50-acres of land in Salisbury Mills and began to recreate the estate they had left behind in Ireland. Over time and generations, the buildings were sold off. Innkeepers John and Dena Finneran have been steadily reclaiming the buildings, once again piecing history back together.

Today the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast is a multi-award winning member of the prestigious Select Registry© and Diamond Collection© groups of Luxury Inns. Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley - just 60 minutes from NYC – and close to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Storm King Arts Center, Brotherhood Winery (and many of the Shawangunk Wine Trail Wineries), and the Woodbury Premium Outlet Mall. Some of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful hiking/biking trails are within walking or easy driving distance. Built in 1802, this historic inn is full of many original features, antiques and original paintings, as well as modern amenities. Each guest room includes its own private full bath (several with Jacuzzi tub for two), “Smart HDTVs” with Netflix/Hulu, free Wi-Fi Internet access, individual room temperature controls, iPads, round the clock coffee, tea, and snacks, and much more.


The Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast is located at 25 Orrs Mills Road, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577. To make a reservation call 845-496-2954 or visit www.caldwellhouse.com. Also at: facebook.com/CaldwellHouseBandB

Happy Valentine's Day!

We wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day a day early on the blog by sharing a couple of Valentine's theme Etsy treasuries featuring items from our members.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Fooling Around with Fiber - An Adventure in the Wet Felting Process

Today we have a guest post from team member Kathryn Luciana of Huzzah Handmade sharing with us her recent visit to White Barn Farm and Fiber.

White Barn Farm Shop

Spring was barely in the air when I returned to White Barn Sheep and Wool near New Paltz, N.Y.  I'd visited this lovely shop and farm last year and signed up for a couple of lectures, but this time, I was there to immerse myself in a process called Wet Felting. I have always been intrigued by this process, and although I've been knitting and felting my work for years, Wet Felting is very different, and I wanted to learn more about it.

Paula Kucera, owner of the farm, welcomed us to her studio and shop, which is housed in part of the white barn for which the farm is named. The shop is cozy, very well stocked with a wonderful variety of fiber, books, tools, and a nice selection of local handmade items. Featured is a good selection of locally sourced fibers in addition to her own luscious yarns from her herd of mostly Cormo sheep. She recently remodeled the "knit lounge" and the workshop area of the barn, so we had lots of light and space to work. She described the process, showed us various examples of finished pieces, books about wet felting, and described the materials that we would  be using.

Merino wool batts, and coils of roving

Very simply stated, Wet Felting is a process by which various fibers are arranged on a fiber background creating a design. Then the substrate and fibers are covered, and warm, soapy water is gradually poured over the piece. By rubbing gently with your hands, and adding water as necessary, gradually the fibers start to meld, but that's just the beginning! Several more steps and several more hours later, you have your finished piece.

In preparation for the day, Paula suggested that we find something to inspire our project, like a photograph, scrap of fabric, an image or anything we might find helpful as a jumping off point. I decided to choose one of my photographs. I found several that I thought might work, and manipulated them in Photoshop to make them more abstract. I took four or five with me, but finally ended up with one from part of my garden.

My batt and my inspiration photos

Paula was kind to us. She chose 100% Merino 19 micron wool, because of it's ability to felt more easily then other fibers. A great choice for newbies. The "canvas" on which we worked is called a batt. We had chosen our batt colors in advance, and Paula had a nice variety available when we arrived. The batts are basically soft, rectangular sheets of wool, and since we were going to be making purses or tablet carriers, the color of the batt would become the inside of the bag. I chose gray/brown, but more adventurous students chose lime green or turquoise. Other than that, our tools were humble: a towel, plastic bubble wrap, synthetic organza fabric, a plastic sheet, rubber stair tread material, a scrap of non-slip rug material, and a piece of a foam "noodle" like kids use in the pool.

Our tools

The "paint" we used on our "canvas" was Merino wool roving in an amazing variety of colors,  yarn, and various other fibers. We set about pulling off sections from the roving coils to create our designs. With my photograph nearby, I started creating my scene. As well as the wisps of roving, I also used a couple of colors of merino yarn for texture. Once our bag front was complete, we flipped the whole piece over and repeated the process for the back and flap. (Notice the piece of plastic inside the bag to keep the back and front from felting together). With step one, the bag front and back completed, we moved on to step two. Time to get wet! If you like getting messy, you'll love this process.

Step One, complete

Step Two is where the magic starts to happen. The front of the bag is covered with a scrap of organza fabric. Then, warm, soapy water is dribbled over the fabric gradually. It needs to get really wet. Squishy wet. As you add water, you start to gently rub the fibers with your hands, eventually covering the entire piece. This abrasion will start the felting process. Rub, add water, rub, check your progress by lifting the fabric. Finally, the fibers will be adhered to themselves and to the batt, so that you can lift the organza and flip the piece over to repeat the process on the back. I wanted to make a messenger style bag with a cross body strap, so I had an additional step. I selected a length of roving, allowing for shrinking, and using the rubber stair tread, I rolled the wet roving back and forth on it until it felted into a solid tube. As I worked on the bag back, I attached the strap to the inside, felting it as I rubbed the outside of the bag. The side seams are turned under and felted closed securely. After that, time for a quick lunch and a trip to see the sheep down at the barn.

Recently sheared Cormo Sheep

Organza fabric layer

Back to work, we now started the labor-intensive part of the process. Our pieces were sandwiched between two sheets of plastic, and one piece still remained inside. We placed our work on the bubble wrap, rolled them around our foam noodle, and tied the ends tightly. On top of our towels, we started rolling the package back and forth on the table, 50 times one way, then flip the package around and 50 times the other way. There is a stance one must assume to do this, and you quickly learn the meaning of the phrase "put your back into it." Using our forearms, we rolled and flipped and rolled and flipped. Paula assured us that it would only take and hour or so! I soon realized that I didn't have to worry about working off the calories I ate at lunch.
Every couple of hundred rolls, we had the chance to peek at the progress of our work. They were getting smaller and denser, little by little. Finally, we were ready to move on, but we were not done yet! 

Checking the progress

Rolling, rolling, rolling!

After deciding that our pieces were sufficiently felted, Paula led us to the sink, where we scrubbed them vigorously in a basin of hot water. After wringing out most of the water, we then got to use our rubber mats. Now, at this point, if you have any aggression to release, go for it. We grabbed our bags and threw them down on the mats repeatedly to finish the process. Wham! We were done!! Our bags were felted, but there was still opportunity for further experimentation. I took my bag home and threw it in the dryer on hot, so that it felted even more, and the strap was then the perfect length. My bag ended up being about and inch or two larger than an iPad, all around. I will add a lining and a closure. Other students were considering adding needle felted decorations, beads, leather handles or other adornments.

Hot water "shock"

Throwing down!

So, after 5 hours, lots of elbow grease, and three cups of Yogi Energy Tea, I have a small insight into the ancient process of Wet Felting. It was a great day, in good company with a patient teacher. A very satisfying experience.  White Barn Farm and Fiber Shop is located at 815 Albany Post Road, New Paltz, N.Y. You can visit Paula on the web at: whitebarnsheepandwool.com

My bag, with felting completed

Story and Photos by Kathryn Luciana of Huzzah Handmade

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

We're BA-ACK! Well, Elena is anyway. While most of the craft fairs are taking place in the warmer months or around the Holiday shopping season our very own Elena Rosenberg (have we mentioned how proud we are of her winning the NICHE award for best fashion accessories?) is traveling down to Baltimore with her gorgeous knit and crocheted wares. Her pieces are an excellent way to make any outfit special.

Elena Rosenberg

 Elena Rosenberg will be at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, MD, this Friday, Feb. 21: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 23: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Elena Rosenberg

Elena Rosenberg

Hope she'll see you there and tell your friends!
Happy shopping!

Yarn Bombed Bridge - Go Knit!

I've seen some pretty yarn bombing before but this may be one of the coolest!

The Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh has been decked out in fiber goodness through early September.   Wouldn't it be great if we can do something like on the Walkway over the Hudson?  Surely we got enough knitters in the area that can take this on right? :)

Member Of The Month: Tickled Pink Knits

Happy December everyone! With the start of a new month, it is time to share this month's featured team member. We started  Member Of The Month last month to acknowledge members of the group who are involved in discussions and helping the team grow. 

In this chilly month, let's keep the warm coziness coming as it seems we have some super talented and knowledgable knitters in our group.  This month featured member is Tickled Pink Knits!

Elena Rosenberg creates lovely and luxurious handmade knit and crochet fashion accessories, clothing, fiber jewelry, and wearable fiber art. Her work has recently been featured in the High Fiber exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

In 2013 Tickled Pink Knits will be at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, MD on February 22-24th and CraftBoston Spring, April 19-21st in Bostom, MA.

You can shop online at tickledpinkknits.etsy.com or her other shop atelierTPK.etsy.com where she sells original knitting patterns.

Follow Elena and her work on Facebook, Twitter, and http://www.elenarosenberg.com/

Member Of The Month: Huzzah! Handmade

We're beginning a new feature on the blog where we showcase members of the team who are active and involved with the group and are committed to seeing the team grow.

This month, check out Kathryn from Huzzah! Handmade

Kathryn knits and sews everything you see in her shop incorporating different techniques to her work.

Lately, I've introduced machine embroidery to my designs, adding another dimension to my work. I strive to make all my items functional, as well as beautiful. I use only the highest quality raw materials.

Huzzah! Handmade  will be at Pocono Mt. Arts Council's Juried Holiday Art Festival at the Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania Executive Conference Center Saturday 11/24 and Sunday 11/25.

Huzzah! Handmade will also be a part of The Peter Lawrence Gallery's Handmade Local Holiday Gift Show in Gaylordsville, CT. The show runs from Nov. 16-Jan. 6.

Follow Huzzah! Handmade on Facebook

Have You Seen This?

I know most people are wistful about letting summer go.  I on the other hand gladly wave goodbye and look eagerly toward the first cold snap of fall.  I love everything about fall - the change of light as the sun drops lower in the sky, the color blast of the changing leaves, the invigorating cooler air... Most of all, I love the wardrobe change.  Yes, it's true.  Given the choice between a cozy, soft, over sized sweater or a cotton tank top, I'll take the sweater, hands down.  And as much as I love the colors of the changing landscape, I adore the charcoals, blacks, browns, navys, greys, reds, yellows and all colors of coats and hats and gloves and all garments toasty.  Even better, these clothes beg for fabulous accessories. 

Well here it is.  The minute I saw this neckwarmer, I wanted to get my coat out, toss this beautiful yellow and grey (one of my most favorite color combos) cowl on and take the dogs for a walk in the woods.  Or maybe,wear it with my sweatercoat and take off for a day strolling the city.  What's better than layers when you are going in and out of doors in the city?  This gorgeous item is by TickledPinkKnits and I can just feel this silky blend of fibers brushing against my chilly chin.  Don't you just love this piece?

Chunky Knit Neckwarmer

Knit A Giant Cable Scarf

Clay, Wood & Cotton in Beacon, NY is hosting another terrific class this Saturday, March 6th. You can learn how to knit a giant cable scarf taught by Jill Draper from Kingston, NY.


Cost: $25 + Materials - you can bring your own or purchase materials at the shop. A 50% deposit is required to hold your place in a class. Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the class in order to receive store credit for your deposit. Give them a call during store hours at 845-481-0149 or stop by the shop to reserve your spot! Check out CW&C's Notebook for more details.

Open-weave Cowl Knitting Class

Learn to knit an open-weave cowl!

A great way to get started using circular needles.

Saturday, November 21st, 10:30AM-12:30PM
at Clay Wood & Cotton, 149 Main St., Beacon

Cost: $40 + materials

This bulky neck warmer is made in the round with no seaming necessary. It is such a quick knit you could make one while on your way to the mountains for a Wintery adventure. The stitch pattern and bulky warmth make this a one of a kind piece you will want to wear all season long.

Materials needed:
60+ yds of bulky yarn
#17 or 19 circular needles
large crochet hook or darning needle for finishing

Jill's handspun yarn will be available at a discount; needles and pattern will be available for purchase.

About the Instructor
Expert knitter Jill Draper (pictured) hand spins her delectable merino yarns (also pictured) in Kingston, New York.

A 50% deposit is required to hold your place (cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the class in order to receive store credit).

There are two easy ways to pay:

~Drop by the shop and pay in person located at 149 Main Street, and are open Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays 12-7, and Saturdays and Sundays 11-8.

~Give the shop a call with your credit card number at 845-481-0149, during the same hours.