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November Newsletter

10/31/2019

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Itâ€™s time to get all snuggled up on the couch with a new project! The #coastalstormponcho was released today, you can purchase it through ravelry or on my website (link in profile for both). Itâ€™s currently 20% off, so snag it quick! Yarn: @malabrigoyarn Rios in colourway cirrus gray #knit #knitting #ravelrypattern #knitstagram #knittersofinstagram #knittersofravelry #poncho #wind #storm #laceknit

A post shared by @abbyeknits on Oct 29, 2019 at 10:30am PDT

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.
â€‹
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

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Janna's online tapestry weaving workshop

10/20/2019

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Project one in Janna's online tapestry workshop with the School of SweetGeorgia. Image by Felicia Lo.

This is a big day for me! I'm very excited to announce the release of my online tapestry weaving workshop with the School of SweetGeorgia.

When Felicia Lo of SweetGeorgia Yarns asked me if was interested in teaching a class for the School of SweetGeorgia I was both thrilled and a bit stunned. I deliberately didn't reply for a whole day, to take that time to relish in the fact that 1) she asked me and 2) it might actually happen. I know Felicia as someone who does everything with intention and professionalism, and she always delivers the most polished and exceptional products whether it be with her yarn, her podcast or her online school. So, when I thought I could be a part of that magic I had to pinch myself.

Leah, Janna, Sheleigh and Felicia on filming day in Janna's studio. Image by Felicia Lo.

Once I replied and we got to talking about the possibilities things moved pretty quickly. That first email was send at the end of February 2019 and by June Felicia and Leah were in my studio on the Sunshine Coast filming the workshop. It's been a lot of fun working with Felicia and her team.

I worked very hard to make this online introductory tapestry weaving course comprehensive, so we cover a lot in three-hours.

What will you learn?

To start, you will learn about tapestry terms and then different tapestry loom options, from frame looms to floor looms, and the pros and cons of each as well as a tutorial on how to make a PVC loom with tension control for around $20. Then we make three projects which each focus on fundamental techniques that will set you up for success in creating your own woven artworks after the course is done. I also show you how to finish your warp and weft ends and how to mount your tapestries to a wall.

Project one
In project one you learn how to blend colours, avoid shed discrepancies, move from one colour’s section into another and what to do when you run out of a yarn bundle and want to introduce a new one seamlessly.

Project two
In project two you learn about blending colours using more than one strand of yarn as well as creating smooth colour transitions vertically. We then move on to using more than two colours on a vertical plane.

Project three
In project three you learn to dos and don’ts of weaving shapes, some tips for weaving circles and multiple approaches to shape building.

Finishing and mounting
We end the workshop with finishing our warp and weft yarn ends and then I show you how I mount my tapestries to the wall.

Join me over at the School of SweetGeorgia, and make sure to ask questions in the forum there, too.

And, thanks for signing up using the links I've provided. They are my teacher affiliate links and are in part how I am compensated.

Janna

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