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- Annika Scheer | Rosemary & Pines Fiber Arts
- Ayano Tanaka
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We're here to help you stitch sustainability into every aspect of your making.
With our carefully curated selection of non-superwash, plastic-free yarns and notions, we have everything you need to get started on your next project - and the one after that.
Here's to a wardrobe of knits we love and want to wear for years to come!
Where In The World Is Making Stories - Ginger Twist Studios
Nestled on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, there's a very special yarn shop that we are proud to count as one of our stockists. Run by Jessica James-Thomson, Ginger Twist Studio is a cavern of pure woolly joy, bursting at the seams with squishy wool, fibre and patterns. It also serves as home to Ginger's Hand Dyed, a range of beautifully hand-dyed yarns from the Jess herself. You may remember us using her gorgeous Masham Mayhem 4ply which we showcased in BREEZE for our Coromuel pullover. We thought it would be fun to take a trip to Scotland today and find out a little more about Jess and her woolly world!
Q & A With Jess
1. Tell us a little about yourself! Where in the world are you?
My name is Jess and I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was born in the Philippines, grew up in Oregon, came of age in NYC and have become delightfully settled in Edinburgh. I've now had a wool shop (Ginger Twist Studio) for over 6 years, and life is good.
2. What is your knitting community like?
I run a weekly knit and crochet night at a pub near the shop. We meet every Monday evening and I typically enjoy a glass of wine with my current WIP. We are a wonderfully diverse group of gals (the occasional man will come along), and these are some of my favourite people! We are a very kind, fun and welcoming bunch.
3. Tell us more about 'Ginger Twist Studio'! What made you want to open a yarn shop?
I have always wanted to have my own wool shop, and after becoming settled in Edinburgh, I saw there was opportunity to turn this dream into a reality. I've always knit and been a lady of crafty ambitions, and a wool shop seemed the perfect fit for combining my skills of business and creativity. I started up on the teeniest of shoe string budgets (the shop hardly had any wool in it compared with now), and it was such hard work. But I just kept moving on ahead and feel more passionate about my wee shop and work than ever.
4. Tell us more about your beautiful yarn!
When starting up the bricks and mortar store, I wanted to offer something special and personal. The answer was to produce my own range of luxury hand dyed yarns. Ginger's Hand Dyed was born! I have a wide variety of bases from lace weight all the way up to chunky, and I love seeing how my colourways take to different bases.
5. What made you want to add Making Stories to the products you sell?
I love Making Stories' ethos and what they stand for, and the patterns are always of high quality and beeeeeeeeeeautiful. I only sell what I want to use myself.
6. You are not only our stockist but also one of our yarn partners! Can you tell our readers exactly what that entails?
I was so honoured to be selected as a yarn partner! My Masham Mayhem 4ply was selected to be used for the Coromuel Jumper in BREEZE. To be considered for the position of 'yarn partner' I had to send in a shade card of my nominated wool as inspired by a mood board, and was so thrilled when mine was chosen. And I've since made 2 versions of this jumper myself, and perhaps there is a third one in the pipeline.
7. Do you have a favourite type of knitting project?
I LOVE to knit sweaters and cardigans.
8. What is your favourite making tool?
My Woolly Originals project bag, no question. And my Hiya Hiya Interchangeable Sharp Stainless Needle set.
9. What is your favourite making memory?
My Nana teaching me to knit left-handed, even though she is right-handed. We managed alright, and little did she know, she was starting me off on my career!
10. What do you do when you knit - watch a movie, read a book, nothing, ...?
I have my favourite comfy chair to curl up on in my living room and binge on my latest TV obsession. I'm currently in the middle of watching New Amsterdam and manage to cry every at single episode. Ha!
11. Anything else you want to share about 'Ginger Twist Studio'?
My shop is super wee, and I therefore have to be very selective about what I stock. I do stock yarns for a wide variety of budgets, but everything is stuff I want to work with and use myself. I think this helps preserve my passion for my career choice.
12. How can we find you?
The shop is located at 11 London Road in Edinburgh if you are in the area, or check out the website www.gingertwiststudio.com.
I ship everywhere! I'm also on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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Also in Blog
6 Joyful Spring Knitting Patterns - My Current Favorites!
Hi lovelies! Spring has sprung here in Berlin – as I am typing this (mid March), the buds on the chestnut tree out the window are a few days away from bursting, the forsythias are in full bloom, and our strawberry plants have started their comeback as well (leaves so far, but Aurin checks every day for berries :)).
So it's no surprise at all that today's blog post is very much inspired by the sun and the warmer days to come! I have put together a sweet roundup of 6 joyful spring knitting patterns, all of which I'd love to have on my needles soon. (If someone can get me an extra day or two per week to knit (oh, and to spin), I'd love that!)
The three yarns I've paired them with are my favorite spring / summer yarns: De Rerum Natura's Antigone, a delightful sport-weight linen yarn, Wooldreamers' Saona, a 50% Spanish cotton, 50% Spanish wool blend, and Natissea's Pernelle, our newest spring yarn: A 100% European hemp yarn!
Get to Know: Pernelle, our first 100% hemp yarn!
Hi lovelies! As you might know, we are slowly, surely expanding the portfolio of the shop – I am always on the lookout for wonderful sustainable yarns that might fill gaps we still have, and one that was on the list since last summer was an additional spring / summer yarn.
When I learned about Natissea, a French yarn company dedicated to organic plant yarns, from Audrey Borrego last year, I immediately contacted them to order some samples. As soon as I had Pernelle, their 100% European hemp yarn, on the needles, it was love – grippy, but not ropey, with a lovely drape that only got stronger after a good washing and blocking session.
The shade cards had me swooning too – a really comprehensive, well-composed range of colors with something for everyone in it, from neutrals to spring-inspired pastels to deep jewel tones.
So I was so pleased when Natissea accepted us as a stockist – and I am extra excited to introduce Pernelle to you. Our first 100% hemp yarn, perfect for summer tops, T-Shirts, and lightweight sweaters!
I reached out to Mathilde over at Natissea and she graciously agreed to answer a few questions about Pernelle. I loved reading her answers!
Issue 11 - in and out by Liza Laird
Hello lovelies!
I am back today with a slightly unusual post that starts with a big, big apology to Liza Laird. Liza is a wonderful author (you might know her book Yoga of Yarn), knitter, teacher and yogi, and we were supposed to publish her beautiful poem "in and out", inspired by the ocean, in our Issue 11, "Seashore".
While I was putting the final touches on our layout, I realized that we had a spread too many (we always print in increments of 4 pages, or 2 spreads) and inadvertently cut the spread with Liza's poem instead of the photo spread I meant to delete.
