Knit the most elegant Halloween design

Your "what to wear this Halloween" quandary is solved with two new knitting patterns from Kreinik and LMB Designs. The unique designs are pretty (with a twist) and versatile: lacy for daywear, edgy for nighttime, and fun for party time (they glow in the dark).

The Black Widow Spider Choker is designed by Lisa M. Barnes (LMBDesigns on Ravelry). She used Kreinik's realistic fuzzy Micro Ice Chenille yarn for the creepy-cool spider, and carry-along Blending Filament for the glow-in-the-dark background. Fun and quick to make, the downloadable pattern is just $6 here: http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Black-Widow-Choker.html 

Complete the look with the matching Widow's Spider Web Wristlets, available as a separate downloadable pattern here: http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Widow-s-Web-Wristlets.html. Both can be worn beyond Halloween, too: the choker will be a conversation piece at your next ComicCon, Spiderman viewing party, or knit-out. The wristlets will keep your wrists warm in a cold office, plus serve as an elegant accessory to wear at a formal event. The background yarn (Kraemer Yarns Fountain Hill Brushed Mohair) is a lovely neutral gray, so it will coordinate with any outfit.

The spider is created with duplicate stitch, a useful tool to have in your knitting repertoire due to the embellishment possibilities. If you've never tried duplicate stitch, this project is a perfect first-timer.

Love the designs but don't knit? Simply buy the supplies and pattern, and ask a knitting friend to make one for you (they'll probably want a set for themselves too). Both projects are easy weekend or weeknight projects that can be finished quickly.

Buy the patterns here:

You can buy the Kreinik threads on the Kreinik website or through your favorite shop.

• Black Widow Choker: http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Black-Widow-Choker.html

• Widow's Web Wristlets: http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Widow-s-Web-Wristlets.html

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Voila! It's needlepoint you can use every day

For Kreinik's 40th anniversary celebration this year, the needlepoint company Voila! C'est Fini created a limited-edition gold crown painted canvas design. It is part of their Fab Fobs® line of keychains, where kits come complete with painted canvas, stitch guide, and keychain hardware. We love how useful this project is — and the finishing can be done at home, by you, at no extra cost. The motif features the Kreinik crown logo, but even if you don't want to celebrate Kreinik every day (who wouldn't?!), stitch it to celebrate your inner royalty, your diva status, or just to coordinate with the crown motifs so popular in home dec these days. Enjoy!

Crown Keychain Needlepoint Painted Canvas

Get the painted canvas, hardware, and threads from your favorite needlework store. Buy them individually, or Kreinik has a limited-edition kit featuring the following:

• Crown design on canvas by Voila!
• Kreinik silk and metallic threads: Tapestry #12 Braid 202HL Aztec Gold Hi Lustre and Kreinik Silk Serica 8050 Black
• Coordinating grosgrain ribbon for finishing
• Key fob hardware and ring for finishing

You will also need:

• white fabric glue
• pliers
• paperweight or book

Instructions:

1. Stitch the design in tent stitch using Kreinik Tapestry #12 Braid 202HL Aztec Gold Hi Lustre for the crown, and Kreinik Silk Serica 8050 Black for the background.
2. When stitching is completed, trim off excess canvas to 1/2-inch along length of needlepoint. Along each end, trim flush with needlepoint.
3. Place needlepoint top side down. Fold in edges to back of needlepoint and press with fingers, turning two rows of stitching so that canvas does not show along edges.
4. Place a book or paper weight on top of your folded fob to hold the edges down to create a crease.
5. Using white fabric glue, liberally apply glue to canvas ends. Wait 10 or 15 minutes for the glue to become tacky and press down onto needlepoint until it adheres. Keep pressing along the canvas until glue adheres firmly.
6. Apply the paperweight or book again and let set for about 1/2 hour until glue adheres to canvas and needlepoint.
7. When edges are glued securely, liberally apply white fabric glue to entire back of needlepoint piece. Be sure to apply the glue to the edges. Place ribbon on back and press down firmly with hands and let sit until completely dry. Trim ribbon to proper length.
8. When dry, join the ends of the needlepoint to form a loop and place a thin line of glue along top edges to hold the edges together. Use your fingers to smooth out the ribbon inside the loop. Use your weight again to hold the ends until the glue dries.
9. To attach the metal key fob, first remove the key ring from th metal jaws. Place the metal jaws to the raw ends of your looped needlepoint. Cover the metal jaws with a cloth and, applying gentle pressure, squeeze the jaws together with pliers until tight. Then reattach the key ring and Voila! you have a fab fob.

© Copyright Kreinik and Voila!
Voila! 5968 Michaux Street, Boca Raton, FL 33433
561-367-9339 • voila1@comcast.net • www.voilaneedlepoint.com

Kreinik Mfg. Co., Inc., PO Box 1966, Parkersburg WV 26102
1-800-537-2166 • info@kreinik.com • www.kreinik.com

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New Christmas Ornament Designs

New from Kreinik: Starlight Ornaments, a series of six counted thread designs by Kathy Holicky. Stitched in beautiful, easy-to-use Kreinik Silk Mori with sparkles of Kreinik Very Fine #4 Braid and Blending Filament, the ornaments look high-end but can be stitched in no time. We would consider these an intermediate skill level - but if you can count, you can make these ornaments. Very detailed stitch diagrams and close-up photos are included.

Our favorite part about the ornaments: no extra finishing costs and no 'extra time' needed to send them out to a finisher. The pillow-style finishing can be done at home, easily; simply turn fabric edges to the back and stitch together. Kreinik featured a series of pillow-style ornament designs from Kathy Holicky many years ago, and we constantly get requests to do them again. With this new series, Kathy is back designing and we have brand new ornaments to share with you.

They are perfect hostess gifts, to make as an ornament set for newlyweds, or simply to add another stitched heirloom to your family tree. Click here to see all of the designs: www.kreinik.com/kshop/home.php?cat=395

Look for the Starlight Ornament series in your local needlework store, or buy online at www.kreinikmall.com. With each design available as a full kit including threads, fabric, needle and instructions, you can stitch one or more right away for holiday gift giving.

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Easter Grass

Valentine's Day is in the rear-view mirror and Easter is coming up...a little later this year on April 24, 2011. One of our newest products is called Easter Grass. Just imagine a basket of Easter grass in one continuous strand and then wound on a spool. That's Kreinik's Easter Grass. Just think how much fun it will add to Easter-themed designs.

The thread is 1/8" wide and has an iridescent, mother-of-pearl look that shows a spectrum of colors depending on your viewing angle. This makes it versatile for many applications, besides Easter themes. Imagine laying a strand of Easter Grass on the surface of your fabric or canvas, then making decorative couching stitches such as Herringbone or Ladder Stitch on top with a gold, silver, or other color of Kreinik Metallic Cord - the look will be stunning.

Kreinik Easter Grass can be playful and fun, realistic in mimicking natural elements, or subtle and classy, all depending on your design and how you use it in your needlework and crafts. It can be used in needlework, crochet/knitting (as a carry-along thread), machine embroidery (couch it), jewelry, paper crafts, and more.

What can you do with Easter Grass? Use the iridescence to your advantage in Longstitch, background, and specialty stitches. For instance, use it to mimic...

• Easter Grass for an Easter project (sorry, that was too easy)
• Sea Shells
• Butterfly Wings
• Windows
• Bubbles
• Hummingbirds
• Insect Wings
• Shimmering water
• Iridescent clouds
• Jewelry
  

Got any other ideas to share? Post your ideas and comments here, and look for Kreinik's new Easter Grass in needlework stores near you.

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New Gingher Sonia Scissors

Looking for a great gift idea? Gingher has just released their latest series of designer scissors. The series called "Sonia" features white flowers on a firecracker red background. These scissors are produced in very limited quantities. Each series has become instant collectors items. Once these scissors are gone, there will be no more in this series so act fast. Each pair comes with a blade sheath and reusable gift tin.

Kreinik offers the "Sonia" scissors in 4" Embroidery, 5" Knife Edge Sewing and 8" Dressmaker Shears. Click here to see these lovely new scissors.

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Silk gauze and Patricia Parra

Once upon a time, a young girl stitched a sampler on gauze. It must have been meaningful gauze — the placard on the museum wall next to this framed needlework said it was gauze leftover from her family's care of a wounded Civil War solder. Romance makes me wonder if she was in love with this boy, and stitched her sampler on something that would remind her of him. Or maybe, she just wanted the medium, the finely woven canvas mesh on which she could achieve amazing detail for her palette of stitches.

If so, she wouldn't be the first or the last to stitch on gauze. Silk gauze — canvas mesh made of 100% pure silk thread — has been used in clothing, jewelry, embroideries and other textile work for centuries. Today it is common for miniaturists to use silk gauze for to-scale reproductions like rugs, miniature pillows and samplers. Silk gauze comes in different holes-per-inch sizes, so with 40-count silk gauze, for instance, you get 40 holes per inch, and a perfect 1-foot to 1-inch scale.

Other needle artists use silk gauze as an alternative medium and for creating intricate needlework. One silk gauze embroidery designer we are excited about is Patricia Parra. She has taken Kreinik silk gauze kits and added stunning specialty-stitch borders. Her particular use of decorative stitches creates more three-dimensional looks on silk gauze. When she uses Kreinik's holographic threads on silk gauze, her designs look simply magical.

A native of South America, she has had an interest in needlework since she was a child.  Her mother was a clothing designer so she has always been exposed to color and design.  Patricia opened a San Francisco needlepoint store in 2005 and started teaching and creating stitch guides. In 2007 she discovered silk gauze and fell in love with the delicate work. Her silk gauze patterns include traditional themes as well as contemporary geometrics using specialty stitches and lots of color. Patricia often loans us her silk gauze models to take to shows, and we are excited to share photos here.

Where to get more information on silk gauze:
• For more photos of the designs shown here, visit http://flickr.com/photos/kreinikgirl

• Patricia Parra, visit http://www.sfstitch.net/
• For Kreinik silk gauze, available in framed ready-to-stitch pieces or yard increments, visit http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/home.php?cat=44
• Kreinik silk gauze is available in needlework stores (visit http://www.kreinik.com/locator) or through stores in http://www.kreinikmall.com
• Check with your needlework store for other artists creating silk gauze designs. Erica Michaels Designs, for instance, has a new line of "Petites" silk gauze kits, http://www.ericamichaels.com.

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Sweet Sixteen

Welcome to our brand new blog! We hope to share our thoughts, give tips and ideas, announce new stuff and just have lots of fun. For our very first posting we are announcing that the final installment of Kreinik's Holographic Threads are now in stores. Kreinik is proud to announce that the Holographic Threads will now be available in Medium (#16) Braid.

Use Medium (#16) Braid in Cross Stitch (10 & 11ct), Needlepoint (14-18ct), Plastic Canvas, Scrapbooking & Card Making.

Kreinik's Holographic Threads have been all the rage since their introduction in January 2010. The holographic threads, available in sixteen brilliant, 3-D colors, will now be available in most Kreinik thread sizes including Blending Filament, Very Fine #4, Fine #8, Tapestry #12 and Medium #16 Braids, as well as 1/16" and 1/8" Ribbons.

Visit www.kreinik.com for FREE projects and information.

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