Happy Halloween to ALL

The winner of the Halloween Contest is >>> go to the bottom of the page.

LAURA BUCHANAN (WINNER DRAW AT RANDOM).

Itty Bitty Nursery and Itty Bitty Hats Books

At sleep, at play, in the nursery, and on the go, adorable babies need adorable knits. And here are 40 gloriously unique projects that manage to be utterly charming, fabulous, and usable all at the same time. Baby sets and toys; stroller blankets, jackets, and mittens; and a pure and sweet layette are just the tip of the knitting frenzy that is Itty-Bitty Nursery. Picture cute garden mice on an amazing mobile and a knitted clothesline of miniature knitwear adorning the nursery. Coo at the baby sporting a striped hat called "Frenchie" or Mom with her Fruit Loops felted bag. Marvel at the amazing Cupcake Tea Set and the Three Pigs and a Wolf finger puppets, both perfect for the toddler at play.

The baby hat is the perfect project for knitters of any level, with enchanting patterns that are easy enough for beginners but also interesting enough for the most accomplished needlewielders, in yarns that range from silk and linen to cashmere and mohair. Itty-Bitty Hats presents thirty-eight irresistible designs for infants and toddlers-fun, hip, creative patterns with decorative flourishes that are witty, whimsical, and undeniably unique. The projects are arranged by order of difficulty and accompanied by beautiful photographs, instructive how-to illustrations, and utterly clear instructions.

Want Some Fun? You will LOL with "It Itches"

The undeniable urge to purchase yarn. The desire to out-stash your fellow knitters. The expression of love through yarn & needles. Artist and writer Franklin Habit has the affectionate eye, the knowledgeable ear, and the slightly twisted mind of one who knows the innermost yearnings of a yarn junkie's soul....because he's one, too. His wit, keen observations, and slightly outrageous humor will have you laughing out loud on subjects from the delightful mania of the fiber festival to the siren song of the handknitted sock.

Spin/Crochet/Knit-In Event November 16th

Due to popular demand (and because the last event was so much fun!) Tempe Yarn will be hosting a Spin/Crochet/Knit-In on Sunday, November 16th from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at the the Mesa Riverview Mall.

Why do we do this? It's fun and to raise awareness of our fiber arts.

Who's invited? The event is free and open to all spinners, crocheters and knitters.

Where will we be? We'll be located in the area outside of Cinemark Theatres (see D18 on the Map) . Mesa Riverview Mall is located at 1061 North Dobson Road in Mesa.

Mark it on you calendar and come join the fun.

Membership Open for the 2nd Half of Tofutsies Sock Club

We are now accepting memberships in the 2nd half of the 2008/2009's Tempe Yarn & Fiber Tofutsies* Sock Club.

By joining the Tofutsies Sock Club, you will be guaranteed to receive a skein of the Southwest Trading Company Limited Edition Colorways of Tofutsies yarns.
Here are the details:
-Join the TYF Tofutsies Sock Club for six months for $48.

-Receive 3 skeins of Tofutsies Limited Edition (one every other month)

Add your needles and produce a one of a kind pair of socks.

Give us a call to sign up before they are gone.

*TOFUtsies: 50% Superwash Wool25% SOYSILK brand fiber22.5% Cotton2.5% Chitin (made fromshrimp and crab shells!) 8 sts = 1"needles: US 2 (2.75mm)425m /100g ball machine wash and dry

Halloween Costume Contest!!!

In celebration of Halloween, on Friday 10/31, anyone who visits the shop wearing a halloween costume and has their picture made for our web page, will receive a raffle ticket. Prior to All Saints' Day (see below), we will draw one ticket and that lucky person will receive a gift card from Tempe Yarn & Fiber.

Come join the fun and celebrate Halloween.


Brief History of Halloween:
In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.

(from www.history.com )

New Books Arrive: Knitted Lace of Estonia, 201 Crochet Motifs Blocks, Baby Crochet, Crocheting on the Edge

Deepen your knowledge of knitting in Estonia with the in depth look at the west coast town of Haapsalu, its knitting traditions, and how to make them your own. Inside you will find 14 heirloom quality projects for scarves and shawls, plus a stitch dictionary that gives more then 20 additional lace patterns.

The essential collection of more than 200 decorative borders! The Right Edging will transform a plain handmade piece into a fabulous work of art in this ultimate collection of edgings. Nicky’s inventiveness and artistry sparkle in more than 200 crocheted edgings and nine full scale projects including: written instructions and crochet charts for each patterns, and a wide variety of edgings of ribs, ruffles, flora, fringes and more.

Crochet has gained popularity as more and more people are taking up this quick and easy alternative to knitting. Lois Daykin has created an ensemble of 20 wonderful designs for newborns and little toddlers in a fun-loving collection of garments and accessories, together with some cool ideas for decorating the nursery. You can chose from cute hats and bootees, a scarf and a little wrap cardigan for baby to wear or pretty but practical bibs and bottle warmers. There are great ideas for the nursery, too, including strings of crochet hearts and a little rabbit diaper holder, along with some great toys, including a cat and a curly snake, and some big, soft crochet building blocks. Simple, bright colors make crocheting for baby fun to do, and many of the projects can be done in a few hours, easy enough for even novices to make successfully.

Containing a directory of motifs and blocks, plus patterns, you can either create your own designs from the wealth of glorious motifs illustrated or follow one of Melody's fail-safe patterns that are also included. Inspiration varies from simple geometric patterns, to pretty floral and spiral designs to picture blocks created from the motifs shown. Once you start, you will realize the possibilities are endless. Each motif is displayed in a close-up color photograph next to a clear, easy-to-follow stitch diagram. The instructions are also written out in full so you can choose the way you prefer to work. Full instructions are given for the type of yarn to use, the tension and the size of the motif, plus tips on how to achieve the best result. There are also sketches and photos showing how the motif can be used, either on its own, with several together, or partnered with other motifs. Uses for your completed blocks include cushions, coverlets and afghans, scarves and wraps, and bags and totes.

Yumiko Alexander (Dan Doh)Patterns:Coco & Mocha Have Arrived

MOCHA Pattern

COCO Pattern

Tempe Yarn & Fiber November Class Schedule Posted

From Blending Fiber Colors to Advanced Knitting Projects, Novemeber is full of fun and creative classes. Check out the entire schedule by clicking here.

Local Artist "Greenbean"Introduces Stone Buttons

These one of a kind stone buttons are made by local artist Greenbean. When you need that special button come check these out!

"Woolpets" Needle Felting Kits

These cute kits include everything that you need to create the various Wool Pets. By using the felting needles included in the kit, you sculpt the wool into the lovable pets. The kits skill level go from easy to intermediate.

"What Shall I Become" Yarn

Exclusive to Tempe Yarn & Fiber, we are proud to offer "WHAT SHALL I BECOME" yarn.

Each unique skein of yarn has been randomly put together for you. Each varies in yardage and weight and is priced by weight. Let you imagination run wild with this unique yarn.

"Knits" Magazine - - "Holiday Gifts" edition is in

The weather outside is frightful (not in Arizona), but the knitting’s so delightful (always)—so grab your yarn and needles and curl up with the third annual issue of Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts. From one-afternoon wonders to intricate treasures, there’s something to knit or craft for family and friends, other knitters, and even yourself. Learn easy techniques to dress up simple knitting, make luxury yarns go far, and get ideas for quick craft projects to share. And participate in our first-ever Count the Sheep Contest, featuring guest illustrator Franklin Habit, and win great prizes! Happy Holidays!

Layaway For the Holidays

Before you know it the holidays will be here. With the economy the way it's going (up and down), we are happy to offer you the option of buying those special items for your yarn and fiber lovers on layway.

Get your orders in now, make those layaway payments, and have everything in place before the holidays are here.

We also have gift cards.....

Malabrigo Sock Yarn

If you've been in the shop, you've seen the sample of the Malabrigo Sock yarn. Well it looks like our long outstanding order is about to be filled (no delivery date yet, but it's soon).

We will be getting all 24 colors. If you'd like to see the color card and reserve this lovely yarn - we are now taking pre-orders.

NEW Patterns Arrive...Let's have some fun with these

Dandy Dog Coats Patterns

Everyone's Favorite Hat Pattern
Alpine Adult Felt Boot Pattern

Felt Christmas Stockings Pattern

Felt Ornaments Pattern

Playful Penguin

Last Day to Sign Up for theMystery SpinAlong is October 15th

Never heard of a Mystery Spinalong (for spinners), we hadn't either until we made it up. There is still time to join in our first every spinalong. For details click here.

Tempe Yarn & Fiber is 5 Minutes from Tempe Marketplace

After visiting Tempe Market Place, stop by Tempe Yarn & Fiber for a good yarn.

Fiber to Shawl" Demo Was Lots of FunThe Raffle Winner for the Shawl Is...

Step 1: Blending the Fiber

Step 2: Spinning the Fiber Step 3: Weaving the Shawl

More Photos:

WINNER FOR THE FIBER TO SHAWL RAFFLE IS:

Ruth Fairbanks