Homespun Yarn Party

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Friday, March 10, 2017

2017 Classes, Contests, Prizes, Swag, and more!

For the last few years, we've run The Longest Thread Competition at Homespun Yarn Party. Its been such a hit, that we’re doing it again!

Bring your favorite drop spindle and 10g of the fiber of your choice. Everybody gets ten minutes to spin as much singles yardage as they can. The longest singles wins GLORY, and a prize. In honor of our 10th anniversary, this year's winner will receive former local vendor Sarah Eyre's Craftsy class, Professional Yarn Dyeing at Home, donated by our spinning teacher Lauren.

Hope you join us!

Don't know how to spin on a drop spindle? We will teach you! We'll offer free classes on knitting, crochet, and drop spindle throughout the day.  If you're a beginner looking to pick up a new craft, loaner needles and hooks will be provided for intro to knit and crochet lessons. For the spinning lessons, you can purchase some fiber and a spindle from one of our lovely vendors or bring your own.

We're excited to bring you two new classes this year. We'll show a few different cast ons - i.e. for toe up socks, or the circular cast on for shawls (instead of the tab), or even how to knit that tab. Time permitting, we may add some cast-off options, such as a stretchy bind off for socks or cuffs. For both knitters and crocheters, we will give tips on how to weave in ends. Then we will show some methods to join new yarn in the middle of a project to avoid having ends to weave in at all.

We're also bringing back the "Fixing Your Mistakes" class. Bring a 3"x3" stockinette swatch on large needles with you and we'll teach you how to easily pick up a dropped stitch, add a yarnover when you realize you've missed it on a later row, and fix a twisted or accidentally purled/knitted stitch. Bring a crochet hook appropriate for the yarn used in your swatch if possible; picking up stitches will be easier with one. If you don't have time to swatch you can watch our demo.

Classes are held at the center tables. Space is limited and classes are first come, first served.

1:15 - More Ways to Cast On
1:45 - Intro to Drop Spindle (bring fiber & spindle)
2:15 - Weaving Ends and Joining Yarn
2:45 - Intro to Drop Spindle (bring fiber & spindle)
3:15 - Fixing Your Mistakes (bring your swatch, needles, and a hook)
3:45 - Longest Thread Contest (bring fiber & spindle)
4:15 - Intro Knit or Crochet or Sock Machine and Spinning Demonstrations

In addition to our group sessions, our teachers will be available for one-on-one project help and Q&A throughout the day.  More details are available here.

We'll have fantastic door prizes throughout the day, courtesy of our vendors and sponsors. You'll get a raffle ticket as you enter, and we'll draw winners every half hour. Prize packages will be on display at the HYP Door Prizes table (aka the TABLE OF AWESOME) - place your ticket in the jar for the prize you'd most like to win but make sure you'll be in the room when that ticket is drawn - you must be present to claim your prize.

Don't forget to bring your comfort monsters for TAPS, hats and scarves for Alternative House, and chemo caps for Anne Arundel Medical Center in memory of HYP volunteer Beth Haneke. If you have any extra yarn you'd like to donate, Claire will be happy to take it off your hands at the Knitters and Crocheters Care table. Some scarves will be started if you'd like to stop by and add a few rows. You can read more about this year's project here.


We'll have Homespun Yarn Party bags, stitch marker boxes, key tags, tape measures, and buttons for sale at the HYP swag table just inside the door. We will have some limited edition 10th anniversary buttons this year. If you don't have a swift and ball winder at home, or if you just can't wait to start working with your new purchases, we will offer winding for $2 a skein at the HYP Winding Station. All proceeds support future Homespun Yarn Party events.

Here's a preview...


Weather permitting, the adjacent deck will be available to hang out and socialize if you need a break from shopping.  If the deck is open and it's warm, we may also have some fun demos of wheel spinning, and an antique sock machine. Keep your fingers crossed for lovely weather, but our vendors are all indoors so we are mud-free and dry, rain or shine!

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