Never do this with your rubber bands

This is a public service announcement to needleworkers everywhere. Share with your stitching friends. Help us spread the word that rubber bands are not good when it comes to textiles. 

This week's blog post is an important tip: keep rubber bands away from your threads. Never, ever,
ever ever ever wrap them around threads that have a silver content, such as Kreinik Japan Threads, or the "J" colors of Kreinik Braids and Ribbons (001J, 002J, etc). It may sound strange to some, but we have seen this over the years: people secure their threads on a spool by wrapping them with rubber bands. Not good. The sulphur or sulphur compounds in rubber bands will cause your thread to tarnish.

Fortunately, Kreinik's black spools were designed to have their own thread-end holder. The illustrations below show how the brilliant mechanisms save your thread ends from loosely hanging around and tangling up in your thread box (just say no to frustrations, and to using rubber bands to secure your threads).

If you're looking for the safest way to store textiles, including real metal threads or threads with silver content, use acid-free tissue paper. Learn more about it here: http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2014/04/practice-safe-storage.html

Let's all practice safe and sane storage!

Read more...

Come play with sparkly threads at Kreinik

Does winter have you going a little stir-crazy, stuck in the house, surrounded by gray days? Then join Kreinik for a colorful, cheerful hands-on craft class. Make a string art design using sparkling Kreinik threads. Our theme this month is LOVE. We'll have a cozy, fun time expressing creativity, exercising imagination, and making something to hang at home or give as a gift. Here are details and sign-up (spots are limited):

• WHEN: February 3, 2018
• TIME: 10 a.m. to noon
• WHERE: Kreinik factory, 1708 Gihon Road, Parkersburg, West Virginia
• COST: $12 per person for materials
• AGES: All ages (children must be accompanied by an adult)
• To reserve your seat, access the Paypal payment form via http://www.kreinik.com/shops/classes.html

Read more...

Kreinik is coming to Bridalpalooza this weekend

If you're planning a wedding in 2018 and live within driving distance of Morgantown, West Virginia, visit the Bridalpalooza Wedding Expo this Sunday, January 21, 2018. You will find all the usual ideas for dresses, cakes, and decor, but also a unique twist: a creative corner of crafty ideas to personalize your wedding and make it absolutely YOU. Kreinik will be at this bridal show offering threads and creative ideas for adding a handmade, artisan touch to your special day.

A handmade element could be just the thing missing from cookie-cutter weddings. "My mother made the table centerpieces for my reception," says Dena Lenham, Kreinik's Creative Director. "It added another level of love and personalization, and we let guests take them home. It was a special way to share the moment with our close friends." Noted trends for weddings this year include unique placecards, embroidered linens, metallic finishes, innovative invitations, wedding wreaths and interesting floral twists, embellished capes, decorated vases, and other "special touch" elements.

Gather your family and friends for a craft night to make things for the wedding, and you will have more wonderful memories to go along with your day. Even if you aren't "crafty" you will find quick and creative ideas in the Kreinik booth. Samantha Tornes will be demonstrating "no sew" embellishments to use on place cards, table settings, vases, capes, table linens, invitations and more. 

Doug Kreinik will also be at the event making custom shoelaces. That's right: you can have shoelaces made in your wedding colors—what a fun way to show personality. Come to the expo for great ideas like this that will make your wedding even more special.

For more information:

• Details on the event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wv-bridal-palooza-tickets-40986825699
• If you can't attend but want to know more about personalizing your wedding, stay tuned! We'll be spotlighting ideas on our blog and Facebook page throughout the next few months. 

Read more...

Free knitting pattern featuring Reflective Yarn

Stay warm and safe with reflective knitwear

If you knit or crochet hats, scarves, dog sweaters and other outdoor wear, you're going to want some of this: Kreinik Reflective Yarn. This fiber looks like a simple gray when it’s knit or crocheted into a project, but shines brightly when light hits it, adding a little level of safety when it’s worked into outerwear for you or your pet. If headlights from a car or cyclist aim in your direction, the reflective yarn helps tell the driver that someone is there. 

This particular reflective fiber comes on spools for small projects (like stripes or highlighted areas) or cones for larger projects. Super fine or lace weight, you add it to any yarn you already have, making it versatile for all projects. It's a fun material to experiment with as the weather keeps us indoors this time of year. Start now and you'll have all of your gifts made by the time Christmas 2018 comes around.

To get you started, here is a fast, free knit ear warmer/headband pattern from designer/teacher Mary Beth Temple of Hooked For Life Publishing. Ribbed top and bottom for a good fit, the simple diamond pattern in the center is achieved by working a diamond shape in stocking/stockinette stitch and its reverse. The reflective thread is only worked into the reverse stocking/stockinette stitched diamonds, so it lights up in a fun pattern when the light hits it. 

Reflective Diamonds Ear Warmer

Finished Size: Approx 3.5″/9 cm tall x 21″/53cm in circumference, unstretched. Will stretch to fit larger heads

Materials:

Approx 45 yds/41m worsted weight yarn. Model shown in Diamond Yarns Tradition (51% acrylic/42%wool/7% nylon; 100g, 219 yds/200m)
1 spool Kreinik Reflective Thread (buy here)
Circular needles size 7/4.5mm or size needed to obtain gauge
Stitch marker

Gauge: 16 sts x 20 rows = 4″/10cm in st st

Notes:

A denotes wool yarn only.

B denotes wool yarn and reflective thread carried together.

Carry the reflective yarn on the wrong side of the work, twisting yarns to keep from tangling if float is more than 4 sts.

Ear warmer:

With A, cast on 82 sts. Set up for working in the round, being careful not to twist Stitches, and place marker for beginning of rnd.

Work 5 rows k1/p1 ribbing, decreasing 1 st anywhere on the 5th rnd for a new total of 81 sts.

Diamond Pattern:

Rnd 1: With A, k4, with B, p1, (with A, k8, with B, p1) 8 times, with A, k4.

Rnd 2: With A, k3, with B, p3, (with A, k6, with B, p3) 8 times, with A, k3.

Rnd 3: With A, k2, with B, p5, (with A, k4, with B, p5) 8 times, with A, k2.

Rnd 4: With A, k1, with B, p7, (with A, k2, with B, p7) 8 times, with A, k1.

Rnd 5: With B, p.

Rnd 6: Rep Rnd 4.

Rnd 7: Rep Rnd 3.

Rnd 8: Rep Rnd 2.

Rnd 9: Rep Rnd 1. End off reflective thread.

Work 5 rows k1/p1 ribbing, increasing 1 st anywhere on the first Rnd for a new total of 82 sts.

Bind off/cast off in ribbing.

Weave in all ends.

originally from http://hookedforlifepublishing.com/2017/11/reflective-diamonds-ear-warmer-free-knit-pattern/ used by Kreinik with permission from Mary Beth Temple

Read more...