Welcome to our March links we love roundup of fiber arts inspiration!
Discover what’s caught our eye this March.
What’s Trending this March
Biodesigned Textiles
Have you heard of the futuristic innovations happening in the textile world?
Sunday, I was listening to an audiobook on investing, of all things, and the author rattled off a list of futuristic changes in medicine, technology, etc. I was only half listening until he mentioned that fabric is being made with bacteria, mushrooms, and algae.
Mushroom mycelium turned into a leather-like material?
Algaes transforming into high-performance fabrics?
A quick search turned up reams of information – not only is it true, but these emerging technologies seem sustainable and eco-conscious.
I wonder when we’ll start seeing mushroom yarn and algae embroidery floss in the stores.
And maybe I’m way behind, and it’s already out there. If you know about anything like this available to consumers, I’d love to hear about it.
Exhibitions & Events Coming Up
Next Level Knitting Conference (online)
TKGA (The Knitting Guild Association) is hosting an online knitting conference on April 4-6th, 2025.
The event is packed with online workshops. The guild’s mission is to “support serious knitters.” The classes look intermediate to advanced.
In addition to attending because you love knitting, if you’re interested in a knitting certification, such as ‘Master Hand Knitting,’ ‘Professional Knitter Certification,’ Certification for Knitting Instructor,’ etc., you may want to check this out.
Words to Search
To find events in your area, try searching these terms:
Yarn Crawl near me
Yarn Shop Hop near me
Fiber Retreat near me
Fiber festival near me
Wool Festival near me
Knitting Conference near me
Fiber Gathering near me
Less common:
Sheep Shearing near me
Alpaca Show near me (or any fiber animal)
Fiber Arts Fiesta near me
Fiber Frolic near me
Learn Something New
The more I dig into the world of traditional craft, the more amazed I get.
Human beings are endlessly creative and innovative.
Here are three, shall we say esoteric, fiber skills to consider.
Nalbinding
Have you ever seen a cozy Viking-esque mitten or hat? They were likely made with nalbinding, an ancient technique that predates knitting and crochet.
Nalbinding uses a single needle and short lengths of yarn to create loops that interlock with each other.
What makes nalbinding special is its incredible durability (like Vikings!). If one section breaks, the whole piece doesn’t unravel like knitted fabric.
Samantha at Emerald Ewe carries Nalbinding supplies and a book to get you started. (We are enthusiastic affiliate partners with Emerald Ewe.)
If you’re in the Kansas area, she also has an upcoming Nalbinding Workshop.
Sprang
Imagine creating a flexible, elastic fabric without any modern materials – that’s sprang.
The technique results in a naturally stretchy fabric by twisting and crossing threads that are fixed at both ends.
What’s mind-blowing is every move you make at one end is mirrored at the opposite end, creating perfectly symmetrical patterns.
Sprang dates back to ancient Rome.
The technique is used for hairnets, bags, hammocks, and clothing.
(See video example below)
Tablet Weaving
Weavers created intricate bands and trims long before complex looms came into being.
Artisans create patterns by threading yarn through holes in cards and rotating the cards in different sequences. Some of these patterns are so mathematically precise and intricate that they look computer-generated.
The oldest examples of tablet weaving date back to the Bronze Age.
Tablet weaving makes decorative bands that embellish clothing, horse tack, and ceremonial items.
(See video example below)
Reading Corner
Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans
Calling all dyers and textile history buffs.
Indigo by Jenny Falfour-Paul is the last word on indigo dye.
You will learn indigo’s who, what, where, when, and how and come away with a deep appreciation for the fine blue powder we take for granted today.
The book may be challenging to find, and the price reflects that. Check your library, and if they don’t have it, maybe they’ll order it through an inter-library loan??
You could also request the book as a special gift, ask your guild to buy it for members to pass around, or treat yourself because you’re dyeing 😜 to know everything about indigo.
Listen & Watch
Sprang
Table Weaving
Shop Spotlight
Rose City Yarn Crawl
I mentioned in February’s Links We Love that we would do the Rose City Yarn Crawl in Portland, Oregon.
We did, and Brittany made a fun video about the experience.
See all the shops we visited.
Tools & Resources
The Cordsmith i-Cord
Also, in Brittany’s video above, she shows her first experience using an i-cord from Cordsmith to finish the neck binding of her latest knitting project.
Your comments tell me people have mixed feelings about this – is it a gadget or a helpful tool?
Here’s a video that explains the tool beautifully: 7 Uses for the Cordsmith (and i-cord)
Missbabs.com carries a full selection of i-cord tools – because, as Brittany discovered the hard way, there are two sizes.
Community Corner
Happy, Happy, Happy
In one of our recent weekly emails (which you can sign up for here), we asked, ‘What is Making You Happy?’
We received many wonderful responses that put some pep in my step – so I thought I’d share them this month.
“Hummingbird in a fountain’s spray, backed by a blooming peach tree – And enjoying the comfort of a recently-finished blanket.” – Clare
“I like…
Learning new things
Incorporating different techniques together
Allowing my projects to evolve
Finding unusual pieces of wood to incorporate into projects
Get inspired by seeing other people‘s work
When I’m creating, I feel that I’m making good use of my time!” – Julie
“Learning new skills brings happiness!” – Linda
“What makes me happiest is the moment when the final touch on a weaving is finished. Then pondering, the color choices, the fiber, the pattern, all the steps preparing the warp, the serenity of the actual weaving, the final post weaving steps—all done, the magic worked.” – Beverly
“What makes me happy? Planning a project. Going for a walk and finding something free to craft with. The smell of pine needles on a forest walk. Tasty food. As I go to work the sunrise as I go over the mountain. Finishing a project. Viewing other people’s craft etc, etc.” – Kate
“Making baskets and giving them away. Nurses really appreciate a gift of thankfulness.” – Johnny
Have a fiber arts resource you’d like us to feature?
Email us at [email protected], and we’ll take a look.
If you’ve enjoyed this issue of March Links We love share it with a friend!
