Our trip to Juniper Moon Farm

My family and I set off on Wednesday to visit Juniper Moon Farm in Palmyra, Virginia. The Tangled Web is stocking their commercial line of exquisite yarns and I wanted to see, first hand, the inspiration behind the product. After 5 hours in the car we finally arrived at our destination and we were not disappointed.

The red barn is currently home to some very large pot belly pigs who were definitely ready for their closeup. Oops, let's not forget about the chickens. A few times a year there are baby lambs in the barn that anyone can view online via the farm's "Lambcam".

Lauren had lots of fun getting to know the livestock guardian dogs, Fettucini, Sabine and Lucy who are there to protect the flock from predators. During the day they play and sleep in the sun but by night they stand guard over the flock, protecting them from wild predators and roaming domestic dogs. Thanks to their hard work, they have never lost a sheep or goat to predators, something very few fiber farms can say.

Here are all the momma sheep.

Lauren and Olivia hold the newest addition to the flock. What a cutie.

Caroline, our gracious host, took time out of her busy schedule to give us a tour of the farm. She certainly has her hands full tending to all of the critters on the farm. Thanks Caroline. We saw sheep, goats, llama, and this very friendly donkey. Check out our photos.

All of the fiber grown on the farm is available for purchase through the Juniper Moon Farm CSA. You can purchase a knitter's share or if you prefer to make your own yarn you can purchase a spinner's share. Find out all the details on their website: www.fiberfarm.com/yarn-csa
Here's a bit of CSA yarn drying after spending some time in an indigo dyebath. So cool!!

Needless to say, it was a long trip and a lot of time spent in the car. Everyone was a little tired and a bit cranky by the time we got home last night but what an adventure. Special thanks again to Caroline for taking the time to show us around. Now we are more excited than ever to have Susan Gibbs, owner of Juniper Moon Farms at The Tangled Web on Friday, September 23. We'll have more on that in just a few days so stay tuned.

Turn Your Sock Knitting Upside Down!

Socks knit from the toe up are fun and easy. Take the class and see! Diana will be teaching Toe Up Socks on Saturday, June 18 and 25 from 9-11am.

No Kitchener Stitch! Easy hourglass short-row heel! Diana's favorite sock! Socks are a great summer project - small and portable - and doing them from the toe-up saves you time and effort!

Call the store for details and to sign up - 215-242-1271

Take Out Your Scissors and Learn to Steek

Steeking and Knitting in the Round.
with Ragga Eiriksdottir
from Knitting Iceland

Thursday, June 23 from 1-4 p.m.

Ragga (raggaknits on Ravelry) is an Icelandic knitter, knitting instructor, knitwear designer, knitting entrepreneur and the general manager of KNITTING ICELAND.


The rumors are true - Icelanders knit everything in the round and they fearlessly steek their cardigans but cringe at the mere thought of knitting a whole garment back and forth. The class covers the principles behind knitting in the round both using dpn’s and the magic loop method. Two methods of steeking are covered, the conventional one using a sewing machine (demonstration with a ready sewn sample) and the increasingly popular crochet method. Examples and tips on finishing are included.

Techniques covered: German twisted cast on, continental knit and Norwegian purl (optional to practice), connecting in the round, managing dpn’s, magic loop for small diameters, steek with a sewing machine, crochet steek, finishing techniques.

Price:$50.00
Call the shop for more details and to sign up.
215-242-1271

Spend the day with Elsebeth Lavold

Elsebeth Lavold will be in Philadelphia next month to set up and open her exhibition "Knitting Along the Viking Trail" (see http://www.ingenkonst.se/exhibit.htm).

It will be shown at the American Swedish Historical Museum (http://www.americanswedish.org) from March 20th through July 3rd.

Elsebeth has graciously agreed to come and teach a class for us on Wednesday, March 23. It is an all day event (11:00 - 4:00) and there are limited spots available. Anyone who is interested should contact the shop as soon as possible to register for the class.

Here's what you can expect. Hope to see you there.

Lecture - Viking Knits and the History of Knitting
Elsebeth Lavold can talk for hours about practically any knitting related subject, and gladly does her best to answer any questions her audience might have. Her, to date, most elaborate speech is Viking Knits and the History of Knitting, a 90 minute presentation of the Viking Knits Project along with highlights from the origin of various knitting techniques and materials as well as some glimpses of Viking history that she has encountered in her research. An extensive collection of photos and drawings accompanies the speech.


Class - Basic Viking Knits

Discover the wonderful world of Viking cables, a 1000-year-old treasure of patterns re-discovered in a new technique. Join Elsebeth as she focuses on the technical aspects of knitting Viking Patterns. Learn how to cable without a cable needle. Analyze a simple Viking Interlace ornament. This class aims to give you confidence in reading charts, knitting Viking (and other) cable patterns, and get you started on the road to creating your own variations. Students should know how to do basic cabling.

“The main difference between regular cables and Viking Cables is that in regular cables you have ribbons that start at the bottom, intertwine on the way up towards the top and end there. The Viking Cables are made possible by a special technique of increases and decreases (very easy once you have learned it) that allows the ribbons to turn back and tie knots on themselves on the way towards the top, or even create isolated motifs on a reverse stockinette background.” This extends the range of possible cable patterns immensely. And it’s easy!

Price:$110.00
Price Includes: Yarn and “CityScapes” book. Lunch will be provided.
The student should bring size 8 needles. A couple of double pointed needles, a darning or tapestry needle and a cable needle. Graph paper, pencil and eraser may be needed. There's no homework for this class.

We've Got A Winner

Yay Lori. You are the winner of our "Tailgate at The Tangled Web" gift basket. Enjoy
and Happy Knitting!!