Super Wash Wool

A gal was in the shop last weekend and asked the question:  "What is superwash wool"?

Good question! 

After a quick internet search, we looked it up and was able to give her an answer.  But I decided to do some more reading on the subject...there really is so much to learn about our favorite subject...yarn and fibers!
I also hear people say they are allergic to wool, but while reading discovered why dermatologists think many think they are allergic...more on this in another blog.

The advent of the washing machine almost rendered wool extinct for obvious reasons.  So, to keep the world from being taken over completely by man made fibers, the wool industry started working on a way to create a machine washable wool.
Fibers are made up of tiny little scales.  They play an important role in how protein fibers look, feel, and behave.  They act as miniature fingers that help hold fibers together to form a strong, durable yarn.  They give fibers something to hold on to during the spinning process.  At the same time, they also provide a microscopic buffer between fibers, making them at once enmeshed distinclty seperate.  And scales are also the reason why a wool sweater, when machine washed in hot soapy water, will emerge a shrunken felted mass!

Textile scientists tried to eliminate the scales from the fiber.  Early efforts involved carbonizing the scales by rapidly burning them off at a high tempuerature, but this proved too harsh on the fibers, as a result it was scratchy and unpleasant.  Later developments involved applying a fine resin to the fibers, which essentially glue the scales into the fiber shaft.  Today's superwash wools may also contain biopolished wool that's been bleached to remove the fiber's protective outer lipd barrier and then treated with enzymes that literally eat away the scales.  Another source states that the scales are removed by an acid bath or it can be made by coating the fiber with a polymer that basically keeps the scales from being able to join together and cause shrinkage.
Because the scales have been eliminated in on way or another, superwash wools tend to have a denser hand and a more lustrous appearance.
Read your yarn labels.  If it reads Superwash wool, you will know that it is safe to wash and how it got that way! 
I did my homework from The Knitters Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes, and about.com

Mulberry Creek on the Web

 Today Trish and I worked on the website we've created for Mulberry Creek....even though it's a work in progress, we think it's suitable for viewing class schedules and basic information.

http://www.mulberrycreek.net/

Come in costume to Group Therapy (bring a project to work on ).  You could win a spooktacular prize for best costume!  But be nice to the stitch witch, she may cast on a spell on you!

See you there
If you dare!
BWAHHAHAHAHAHA!!

Learn to Knit

My head is still realing over the Yarn Shop Hop over the weekend! Still in recovery mode but the next Learn to Knit Class is just around the corner!

Learn To Knit

November 8th & 15th

7:00, for 2 Monday Evenings

at Mulberry Creek

(park and enter on the north side of the building, front door will remain locked)

I am offering this class for $20

for those who pre-pay by Nov. 4th!

Come in anytime before the deadline

at

Mulberry Creek

801 Manning

Winfield, Ks

Yarn Crawl 2010

Today is the last day of the South Central Kansas Yarn Shop Hop.  Sad to see it come to a close, but it has been a huge success!  I didn't run short of anything, except printer ink to make copies of a free pattern I was giving away with a ball of yarn.  Hubby came to the rescue and made the ink run for me and I was good to go!  No one went without a pattern!  Getting some ideas for next year though, one of our customers brought back show and tell from her shop hop adventures and I got to see what the other shops were handing out in there goody bags.  Wonderful freebies! 
I don't expect alot in today, but perhaps I will get a chance to just sit and knit and get that bag Im working on close to finishing!
My first year in the hop was a learning experience and so enjoyed it!  We had people from all over Kansas in shop and had a good time visiting with them and they shared their strategies for hopping and it's funny how groups were doing it differently and why. 
One group came in, with husbands in tow.  They had made them a scavenger hunt list and they had some hard questions on that list!  Like, what was your favorite yarn and what was it's content and where was it from?  Another was, a book title and fill in the blank, "Elizibeth Zimmerman's book, Knitting Without ___.
So they really had to do their homework!  I wonder what the prize was for them?  I should have asked! 
Another group of ladies had matching t's that read "Yarn Floosie's", I said my name was Susie, so I was Susie Floosie....they said I could be in their group.   LOL  They were having a blast!
Anyway, I deem the hop a huge success!  Not only were sales up, but even in our own town peeps were in wanting to know more about the hop and would mention they didn't know we were even there!  Being on the shop hop gave us a lot of exposure and so worth it!
Making plans for next years hop!!

It's Time for the Yarn Crawl!

I hope you are planning to be a part of the 4th Central Kansas Yarn Shop Hop!  All the fun starts on Thursday, October 21 and continues through Sunday, October 24.  Grab a friend or a carload of em and start out at one of the 9 yarn shops that are participating.  You will recieve a passport at any store where you begin.  Get your passport stamped at each of the 9 shops to be entered to win 1 of 3 prize baskets.
You will recieve a gift at each stop and have fun shopping in the different shops. 
Want to know more?  visit http://www.centralksyarnhop.com/ .  There you will find information on each store and it's location. 
I am all ready for our guests to arrive tomorrow and so excited to be in my first Yarn Shop Hop!  I hope I have overplanned and not to be caught short of anything!  I want everyone to have a free gift and what kind of hostess would I be if I didn't have enough refreshments for my guests? 
Hope to see you in the shop this weekend and if your a local, ask for a ball of yarn to knit or crochet a square for the Feel Good Project!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Susan

The Mitered Jacket

I loved knitting the Mitered Square Jacket.  The back is made up of 4 squares and the front has two.  Then 4 half squares make up the upper part and stitches are picked up for the sleeves....Fairly fast and fun!  Knit from pattern from Plymouth Boku and Plymouth Pattern.  The buttons are also from Plymouth!

I am so excited about the Yarn Shop Hop starting this Thursday and runs until Sunday! The store is ready, now all I have to do is worry about what to feed the masses!  I think I will just keep it simple:  Coffee and dounuts in the morning and maybe switch it up for the afternoon and evening, maybe tea and crackers and cheese?  Im sure I will change my mind 10 times by Thursday!  Im just ready to get the party started!

Jawoll Magic Hat

This is the hat I knitted up for Anna at Just Shoot Em Photography

Sorry the photo is a bit blurry, I apparently am NOT a photographer!

I just used a free stocking hat pattern from Ravelry.com.

She picked out the the new Jawoll Magic from Lang Yarns and is sooo soft and beautiful the way the colors bleed into each other and the colors are so rich!  I highly recomend this yarn and not just  for socks!

Still on the needles:

Square Hat with outrageous pompoms, trying out my new Hiya Hiya circular needles and new yarn Mille ColorI

Another pair of socks using Berroco Sox

Waves Scarf knit with Jawoll Magic

New bag pattern useing Tatamy Tweed

Hot Pink Pigtails Hat

So much yarn, so little time!!

New Blog Home

What do you call a person that keeps changing and growing and have ADHD tendencies? 
I think you call her Susie, because I feel like Im always wanting to change it all up and make it better! 

My partner who owns the Quilt Fabric Shop and I own the Yarn part of Mulberry Creek.  We started out a gift and craft store and as we burned out on that, I started buying yarn to test the market....knitters started crawling out of the woodwork!  I knew then what I wanted to do.  My partner then decided with the Quilt Guild bein so big in Winfield, she decided fabric was the way to go...so, thats how we got started~

This blog will be my new home where I talk about projects, patterns and my favorite subject, YARN!

I am unofficially calling myself iYarn at Mulberry Creek....I needed my own identity and space, so why not?

Subscribe to my blog and you will always be in the know. 

Later!
s