About those Kreinik spool labels

We hear you: It's really annoying when the labels come off the Kreinik thread spools. We're here to assure you: we're working on a solution. 

Why do the labels fall off?

1. Most of the spool end is hollow. We were forward-thinking back in the 1980s with our snap-spool mechanism design, creating a spool with a lip that opens so you can wrap the thread end around it, close it, and never have flyway thread ends tangling up your thread drawer. However, that unique design comes with a price: a hollow spool. There's not really a lot of space for a label to grab onto, not a huge area for sticking. These hollow spools are also required for our thread-winding machines. In hindsight, we would have created spools in which we could print info right on them. But for now we're stuck, no pun intended, with the spool design. 
2. The glue may not be aggressive enough. We print only a small amount of labels at a time to keep the glue from deteriorating in storage, and keep those in a temperature controlled environment. However, humidity levels can affect the hardiness of adhesive. Also storage conditions and weather conditions in shops and homes can affect the glue.
3. Kreinik labels are applied by hand. A few years ago our label machine broke down, and we were unable to fix it. Since then, every single spool has been hand labeled. You definitely get the personal touch from us here at Kreinik. However, perhaps every once in awhile the labels aren't attached well enough. 

So what can be done?

The biggest effort right now is fixing our label machine. Our engineer Martin is actively working to get it going again. The machine uses pressure to push the labels on, and it will be a stronger bond than hand labeling. We are also investigating other adhesive options for our pre-printed labels to make sure we have the strongest bond available. 

Other stitchers recommend...

In the meanwhile, if you have spools with labels about to come off, look for some small baggies at craft stores (in the jewelry section), drug stores (for single use medicine storage) or office supply stores. Some stitchers use Floss Away storage bags. One stitcher tucks the label inside the spool. We suggest using double-sided tape or your own glue to reattach (tuck some cotton balls or scraps of something inside the spool to give a greater area for the adhesive to 'grab'). 

We appreciate your comments and your patience. Feel free to contact us at any time if you have questions or concerns about Kreinik products—or if you need help identifying a color that has lost its label. We also have a downloadable color chart for quick reference, or an actual thread color card with actual thread samples. 

Thank you for using Kreinik to make your creative ideas come to life! 

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Come to the once-a-year Kreinik sale

Grab your friends and make an autumn road trip to the Kreinik Factory Outlet Store the first weekend of October. The mi-Ohio Valley is lovely that time of year, and the fibers you'll find in our mega sale are even lovelier. 

We put up tents in the parking lot for the overflow of silks, metallics, fabrics, accessories and just about anything your creative mind desires. This year we are selling finished models from the Kreinik archives too. Pick up some home decor or gift items in needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, crochet, and quilting. We will have a huge section of Christmas models that make quick gifts. 

Spend at least $125 and get our famous "Kreinik Stash" tote (you can only get it at the Factory Outlet, much to the envy of people who haven't made the visit yet!). You will have a great time visiting the colorful, interesting Kreinik factory. Get some fibers for your winter projects, and meet new friends who share your passion. 

If you do any of the following techniques (and more that aren't listed), you'll find fabulous fibers and treasures:

• cross stitch
• crochet
• needlepoint
• embroidery
• quilting
• jewelry making
• Temari
• Sashiko
• Swedish Weaving
• fly fishing
• weaving
• knitting
• crochet
• tatting
• mixed media
• fiber art
• art schools
• kids' camps

And, of course, anything else you would want to do with threads and yarns. 

So here are the details:

1. October 3, 4, 5, 2019
2. 1708 Gihon Road, Parkersburg West Virginia 26101
3. October 3 and 4 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
4. October 5 from 8 am to noon
5. We can provide recommendations on lodging and eateries if needed

Hope to see you there!

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Kreinik is coming to Ohio!

Meet Doug Kreinik and do make-it-take-its with Kreinik threads at Quilt Fest at the end of this month, at The Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio

Come play with Kreinik threads and pick up exciting fibers to use in your next creation. Show dates and times are August 31, 2019, 10 AM – 6 PM and September 1, 2019, 10 AM – 4 PM. This event is being held in conjunction with the Athens Area Fiber Faire and is a celebration of everything fiber.

It doesn't matter if you're not a quilter, come anyway. There will be lots of exhibitors (including Kreinik) to inspire you! You'll find treasures you can use in your own creative projects. Get your fiber fix if you're into crafts, creating, making, and merriment.

• WHEN: August 31 - September 1, 2019
• WHERE: The Dairy Barn, Athens Ohio USA
• MORE INFO: https://dairybarn.org/

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How to learn embroidery stitches galore

If you've admired the gorgeous embroidery seen on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest and wish you could stitch those beauties, we're here to tell you that YOU CAN. It's as simple as:

1.  Learning the stitches
2.  Combining different fibers for different textural effects
3.  Practicing
4.  Then using your newfound knowledge to create patterns

Ok the last part can be more challenging, so just focus on steps 1 through 3 if you're beginning. A new pattern series from PIecemakers—the huge store in Costa Mesa, California—will help you get started. Their "Stitches Galore" patterns focus on the most popular and basic stitches you should know as well as give you actual projects that combine the stitches. 

We love how they have combined different fibers, beads, etc to create more visual interest; something that is not hard to do at all and takes your stitches from basic to stunning. "We appreciate the quality of your products and recommend them highly," Shivaun from Piecemakers told us about using Kreinik threads in the designs. 

Look for the STITCHES GALORE series from Piecemakers or other online sources (notes in italics are our commentary):

1. Volume 1, Number 1: Buttonhole Stitch Combinations (a basic beauty)
2. Volume 1, Number 2: Chain Stitch Combinations (another basic that can be used in so many ways)
3. Volume 1, Number 3: Herringbone Stitch Combinations (classic linear/traveling stitch)
4. Volume 1, Number 4: Zigzag Detached Chain Stitch Combinations (these look really elaborate but are easily done)
5. Volume 1, Number 5: Cretan Stitch Combinations (anyone know the origin of that stitch name?)
6. Volume 1, Number 6: Feather Stitch Combinations (one of the best for creating foliage)
7. Volume 1, Number 7: More Cretan Stitch Combinations (definitely a counting stitch)
8. Volume 1, Number 8: Bugs, Bees and Butterflies (let's be honest, this is the most fun)
9. Volume 1, Number 9: Chevron Stitch Combinations (a useful foundation stitch)
10. Volume 1, Number 10: Ribbed Stitch And More (shown in the pumpkin photo in our post)
11. Volume 1, Number 11: Cross Stitch Combinations (fun to see this basic stitch worked in different ways)
12. Volume 1, Number 12: Holbein Stitch Combinations (it's so much more than a straight-line stitch)

This is a great time of year to learn new stitches and to explore embroidery ideas. Once you start combining your favorites, you will create gorgeous designs. Have fun!

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Visiting needlework shop Needlepoint Gallery & More in New York

Take a virtual trip to this fabulous needlework store — and then visit the shop in person if you can! They carry lots of Kreinik threads for all techniques (embroidery, needlepoint, cross stitch, fly fishing) Watch Doug Kreinik interview owner Doris Katz in this video from July 2019. 

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More Scary Apothecary cross stitch patterns from Hands On Designs

The last three designs in the fabulous cross stitch pattern series Scary Apothecary by Hands On Design are now available! Witty, colorful, easy to stitch and finish, this series will liven up your Halloween display. The three clever new patterns are:

• Snail Slime ("Take a slug!")
• Spider Legs ("Serving size 8")
• Skeleton Polish ("No tarnish varnish")

Details on the designs and the materials you'll need to stitch them all:

• Stitch count: each is about 3.5 inches by 5 inches stitched on 32-count linen
• The linen: Cathy, the designer, used 32-count Winter Wishes, from Fabrics By Stephanie
• Threads needed: Classic Colorworks Bean Sprout (2), Boysenberry Jam (1), Finley Gold (1), Frog Legs (2), Pumpkin Harvest (3), River Rocks (3), Shamrock (2), Sugared Violets (1), Ye Old Gold (1), Zack Black (4)
• Kreinik threads needed: one spool each of Kreinik Very Fine #4 Braid in colors 011HL, 027, 242HL, 5013, 5510, 5535, 5720, 5815, 5835
• Designed by Cathy Habermann of Hands On Design

For more information on the new designs or earlier patterns in the series, contact your favorite needlework store or Hands On Design, https://handsondesign.biz/ 

Photos of previous patterns in the series can be found here http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2019/02/new-cross-stitch-from-hands-on-design.html and here http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2019/06/start-your-halloween-stitching-now.html

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20 experiences in 10 days and 2100 miles

Adventures with thread maker Doug Kreinik

Every year, my wife, Myla, and I aim the car in a direction and set off on an adventure. This year we decided to head for Vermont, my wife’s 49th state (now we are tied in the number of states visited). Along the way, we learned interesting facts and saw fabulous sites.

Hidden in the rolling hills of upper New York State driving out of Utica, you will find the Holy Trinity Monastery- a Russia Orthodox friary completed in 1946 in Jordanville, New York. Next stop was visiting a friend in Johnstown, NY, the site of the last battle of the revolutionary war taking place after Yorktown.

Our first goal was soon met by dropping into Ausable Chasm located south of Plattesburg, New York, known as the Grand Canyon of the east coast. Very beautiful, lots of walking trails, short rafting trip, and lots of rock formations. If you're going, get there early.

On leaving, we took the Port Kent Ferry to Burlington, Vermont—a very relaxing hour trip. It deposited us into downtown Burlington, a city with great restaurants, walking and biking paths, beautiful vistas and even a very busy boardwalk area on Lake Champlain. We walked the University of Vermont campus and saw the statue of Ira Allan, the younger brother of Ethan Allan and founder of the University of Vermont.

Then...aaahhh...we visited the famous Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream factory in Waterbury, Vermont. It was a very short tour, but we saw how they make ice cream and of course enjoyed the tasting room. I am lactose intolerant so I selected their Vegan ice cream (it was good).

I like to bake, especially cookies and breads, so a stop at the King Arthur baking school in Norwich Vermont was fun. I picked up some gifts and of course flour. No tour here, but if you want to go to a baking school, this would be a nice venue.

Being in manufacturing, I am always interested to learn how machinery works or was created. The American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont, takes you step-by-step through the development of the machinery used to create the machines we use today. This is the ultimate museum of how-they-made machines that make other things: from gun assemblies invented during the revolution creating replaceable parts to machines created for the cutting of gears, to the development of textile machinery. It was all fascinating.

When in Vermont, we had to visit the Vermont Country Store in Weston, one of Myla’s favorite catalogue stores. It was unbelievable the assortment of candies that are no longer available except there. I saw Charles Chips in a can and that brought back childhood memories.

The American Fly Fishing Museum in Manchester Center, Vermont, is a small museum that packs a lot into a limited area. It covers the history of everything fly-fishing: rods, reels, clothing, hooks, lines, and more. The fabulous non-profit organization Project Healing Waters has an exhibit on the second floor with a fish plate denoting the wars fought in the last 120 years. Colors used in the flies represent the wars fought. I noticed that the purple heart used Kreinik braids.

From the fly fishing museum, we stopped at the 301-foot memorial obelisk in Bennington, Vermont, dedicated in 1891 to celebrate the Battle of Bennington. The battle actually took place in Walloomsac, New York, but was fought by soldiers from Vermont.

But Doug, what about the food?

Kreinik friends know how much I love to find good restaurants and good food. We ate well on this trip! We love lobster rolls, and found Brown’s Seafood in Seabrook, New Hampshire, to be a very good place to eat.

Back to the interesting sites...

A surprise along the way to Boston was America’s Stonehenge in Salem, New Hampshire. This site has a lot of walking. Hidden back in the woods is an historical site more than 4000 years old. It is not known who created the sanctuary, but the on line app we downloaded walked us through, explaining all the rocks, how they lined up to Stonehenge in England, and also that it was used as a hiding place for runaway slaves in the 1800s.

We viewed the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit at the Massachusetts Fine Arts museum in Boston. The exhibit took us on a tour of his life and times, explaining who he painted, where and when. It was very exciting see all these pieces in one place. The museum also had a fantastic collection of old musical instruments from all four corners of the world. Never knew that there were so many types of lutes.

Wakefield Rhode Island, east of Newport, has a lot of small mom and pop stores including a drug store with a soda jerk. It's a fun stop if you're driving through.

Myla has always wanted to visit the Catskills, so after visiting my older brother in Connecticut we headed to Woodridge, New York, in the heart of the Catskills to visit Doris, owner of Needle Gallery and More. It was a lot of fun surprising her and getting a tour of the shop, which stocks Kreinik threads. Check out my video posted on Kreinik's Facebook page.

The Poconos are vast. Lake Harmony was perfect place to spend an evening of eating and sitting outside. We also found a hidden treasure in the town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. This charming little town has walking and biking trails as well as rafting, kayaking, canoeing, a train ride and interesting old homes. We walked around this very old town, remarking on the wonderful old buildings and parks. We then took the train through the Lehigh Gorge.

Lancaster’s Central Farmers Market a fun market, with lots of food and Amish handicrafts. It is located in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is a good stop for a bite to eat if you get there early.

This trip was a drive through history, and our next stop was no exception. Gettysburg Battlefield National Museum is really worthwhile. They took us through the entire event, minute by minute, covering what lead up to the battle, the generals and troops involved, and the results to the soldiers and citizens in the area. We saw the aftermath of battle and the horrors of war. There were many videos to watch while going through the museum and even a bus tour through the battlefield. We ate crab cakes in the old Dobbin house’s Springhouse Tavern. The bar was built in 1818.

On the 10th day, we got back home. Our cat was glad to see us. It was one fun adventure of experiencing 20 great things in 10 days through 10 states. I encourage you to take as many road trips as you can while you can, for the sights, sounds, food, and memories—and don't forget to visit needlework stores along the way.

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