Hi there!
It's halloween and I was up until 2am putting the finishing touches on my son's Sonic the Hedgehog costume. He was thrilled to wake up to a finished 13-spike (that specific number is very important, apparently!) Sonic get-up. This is the second time Sam has been Sonic, the first was two years ago. He loves this one so much that right away he requested that I "never ever" give it to the thrift store (something about that makes me think he loved the first one more than I knew). 

I'm very excited to announce that my School of SweetGeorgia workshop on tapestry weaving techniques has launched and the feedback has been amazing. My very first review begins, "You have inspired me to the core". I am flabbergasted and so grateful. All the hard work (by myself and the SOS team) is more than worth it when you get feedback like that.

Let's look at what other textile goings on are happening locally. There's a lot!

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Pattern releases:

• Abbye Dahl just released this stunning flowy poncho, Coastal Storm.
• Pip and Pin released a new book Rainforest Knits featuring three patterns in fingering weight, including a dress!
• Yvonne Stowell in collaboration with Everlea Yarn released a cozy and elegant alpaca/linen seemed shawl, Mark of the Hand.
• Caroline Dick released the Osier cowl in collaboration with dyer Cara Barter of Spirit Song Fibre Studio and jewelry designer Kristan McIntyre.
• Karen Bourquin released this cozy rectangular shawl in the fall/winter issue of Noro Knitting
• Holli Yeoh released these cuff and mitten pattern Pulse Point, which comes with a fun fact about keeping warm.
• Josee Paquin released this dreamy Over the Rainbow shawl.
• Moira Engel released Friendship Gloves, featuring colourwork Latvian braid.
• Sylvia McFadden released this super bulky shawl, Overcast
• Lindsay Inouye released the Rhomer pullover in Hinterland Range.
• Jenny Faifel released this aran weight Uvek hat and cowl.
• Tin Can Knits released the cozy Oaken shawl
• Amanda Kaffka released the Climate Strike hat
• Shannon Cook released this bright and cheery Songbird Shawl
• Nat Raedwulf released this stunning Henwife shawl

Other releases:

• The online School of SweetGeorgia released Spin to Knit a Sweater and Spin to Knit Socks with Rachel Smith as well as Tapestry Weaving with Janna Maria Vallee (that's me!)
• Knitwear designer and photographer Abbye Dahl released her online Photography for Knitwear workshop.
• Steve Malcolm just release the 7th episode of ITBTK
• I began a series of videos about Mirrix tapestry looms beginning with a simple unboxing of the 16" Mirrix

Events Around Town
Be sure to check out our calendar from time to time. I add events as I hear about them.
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Arne and Carlos are back TOMORROW! There are still seats left for their talk at the UBC Golf club hosted by Urban Yarns on November 1st.
88 Stitches in Langley have a couple of trunk shows scheduled for the upcoming months including Pip and Pin on November 9th from 11pm-4pm and Songbird Handmade on November 23rd from 11am-4pm. 

If you're on the Sunshine Coast I have an Everlea Yarn pop-up at The Kube in Gibsons and a Tapestry Support night ata Sew Easy in Sechelt in November.
 
Know of an event or other listings that I can include in an upcoming newsletter? Email me or just hit reply to this newsletter.

love, Janna

​This image shows the first project that I cover in the online workshop. It is woven on my 16” Mirrix Loom in our Everlea's Organic Merino Sport in two colourways: ‘french locks’ and ‘twilight’.
If tapestry is something you've been thinking about trying, I bet you'll be surprised at how much there is to learn, Felicia was! Here's my blog post which outlines the basic supplies you need to weave tapestry including a link to the video I made back in 2015 about how to make a PVC tapestry loom. Everlea subscribers currently get a discount on our already competitively priced Mirrix Looms. Sign up here.

PS. Thanks for using this link if you are signing up for the School of SweetGeorgia. It is my teacher affiliate link and is in-part how I am compensated.

What a weekend we have coming up!

Knit City is on Saturday October 5 from 9am-6pm and Sunday October 6 from 9am-3pm. For this annual event the PNE forum on Hastings gets filled with over 100 vendors and also hosts workshops, evening events (at alternate locations) and demonstrations. I will be there with all my naturally dyed Everlea Yarn (booth 340) and I'll also be giving a tapestry weaving demonstration in the SweetGeorgia Lounge from 12-1 on Sunday Oct 6th. Go here for the marketplace map and demonstration schedule.

Baaad Anna's is hosting three trunks shows in their store, just blocks away from Knit City. Go see Caroline Dick Design, Spirit Song Fibre Studio and Ukee Knit Designs there on Saturday and Sunday on October 5+6.

In Langley, Melissa at Sweet Fiber is having a trunk show at 88 Stitches yarn shop this weekend as well!

Many indigenous women in remote northern communities must travel long distances to give birth, often doing so without the in-person love and support of their families and loved ones. As well, the financial challenges of providing for a newborn are amplified in these communities where infant clothing and basic needs like diapers are incredibly expensive. Imagine how comforting a baby layette bag of handmade woolens, a few necessary store bought baby goods and a personal note of congratulations and encouragement would matter to a new mom?

Love, support and hope matter.
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There are many ways you can get involved and together with True North Aid, we can make a difference, one stitch at a time:

Join Subculture Yarn and knitters across Canada in combining our love of fibre craft and our humanitarian concerns to support new indigenous mothers and families, while at the same time generating a powerful wave of fibre arts driven fundraising for our friends doing amazing work at True North Aid.

• Create and donate baby booties, hats, blankets etc
• Sign up as a drop off site and mail in site for completed handmade donations
• Sign up as an online or in-person fundraiser (Dyers, Designers, Local Yarn Stores, Guilds, Groups)
• Make a tax deductible financial contribution directly to True North Aid via THIS LINK

Mission and Goals

• create clothing through knit, crochet and makers for newborn Indigenous children
• collect donations of food, formula, diapers etc. to support moms when they return to their communities.
• personalize notes for new moms congratulating them on the birth of their child
• provide awareness about new moms living in the north and ways to support them

How can you get involved and help make an even bigger difference you ask? Follow SUBCULTURE Yarn on social media (Instragram and/or Facebook) to stay on top of news and updates in our craftivism project with True North Aid! We will be posting updates on our progress and sharing event information as we go! Share this page, let your local yarn store know about it, repost and share our social media posts, invite your friends, knitting and crochet group members and anyone who might be interested in contributed their fibre arts energy to this exciting project!

On social media, please make sure you tag your related posts with @subcultureyarn and #subcultureyarncraftivism so we can share in celebrating your energy and contribution to this project!

I finally updated Vancouver Yarn to not include Urban Yarns in Lonsdale. They permanently closed their North Shore location this summer. Go see them in Point Grey!
 
Know of a local design, event or other listings that I can include in an upcoming newsletter? Email me or just hit reply to this newsletter.

Janna