September 3, 2002

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had a great Labor Day.  Can you believe that fall is almost here?  It has been a busy summer here in Mississippi and the busy season is just now approaching.  Business continues to escalate and for this I am very thankful.  The data base is reflecting your favorites and is helping me to determine what to add as well as what to discontinue.  Thank you for your continued support of Heritage products.

Dyeing to knit, spin and weave,
Margaret Pittman

In This Issue:

• Silk/Rayon Yarn in New Size
• Spinning Fiber
• Colorways News
• New Scarf Kit
• Upcoming New Products
• Polychrome Treadling Option
• Shopping/Contact Information

Silk/Rayon Yarn in New Size

The silk/rayon is a delightful yarn for knitting or weaving.  In order to accomodate all of your needs, the 4 oz. size of silk/rayon is being discontinued effective August 31, 2002.  Dyed stock remaining is limited but includes several colorways.  You may choose any of these colorways for the silk/rayon knitting kits or weaving kits shown at Knitting Kits or Weaving Kits. You may purchase single skeins for $12.50 each.

Silk/rayon will be offered in 8 oz. skeins in the near future for $26.   A kit for faux ikat scarves and shawl options will also be available.

There is a limited supply of this special yarn so stock up for future projects.

Spinning Fiber

In the interest of working more efficiently, I have decided to discontinue dyeing acala cotton spinning roving.

Silk spinning caps will also be discontinued.  I will continue to dye silk tussah roving with a minimum of 4-2.2 oz. hanks in the same colorway. I will continue to look for possibilities that can be dyed efficiently.

Colorways News

As time allows, I am slowly adding colorways.  The latest is Teal Then which is a tone-on-tone.  Colors include teal and blue green - a nice base for both warm and cool colorways.  Hopefully, I will have colors up soon.

It is always hard to say goodbye to "old friends."  That's the way I feel about some colorways that I have been dyeing for some time.  But, with the new data base in operation, it is revealing colorways you really love.  I hope to offer "replacements" or suggest alternatives that will be pleasing to you.  Change is effective August 31, 2002.

Fire and Tropical Fruit have been around for 4-1/2 years and have cooled down.  An alternative "primaries" colorway is Spring At Rocky Springs.  A new colorway is planned as a replacement as well with lots of heat.  Look for it soon with a hot new name.

By the Sea is one of the older colorways of which sales have slowed down; it will be replaced with a much more complex colorway of deep intensity of blues, teals and greens.

Traces of Autumn and Southwestern Pottery will also be discontinued.  For warm complexion needs, I suggest America, America, Choctaw Ridge or Red Bluff.

Choctaw Jewels and Kristen's Jewels will be discontinued and be replaced by another bejeweled colorway yet to be named.

Sundown will be replaced with a darker, more intense colorway.  Look for deep purples blues and rusty reds.

Tapestry will be replaced by Old World Tapestry.  It will have the best of Tapestry plus a few additions for a richer, more complex look.

Look for these and more soon at Colorway Collections.

New Scarf Kit

As the holidays approach, the weaver in us starts thinking about what we can weave quickly with very little yarn for that special someone on our list.  A new twill scarf has been planned using 8 oz. of Heritage Yarns cotton/rayon as both warp and weft.  The kit includes one 8 oz. skein in a variety of colorway choices plus a pattern for a Skein of Diamonds at Weaving Kits.  It is priced at $30.  The cotton/rayon may be dyed in the colorway of your choice or you may want to select from dyed stock while the selection is good.  Here is a quick peek at the drawdown.

Upcoming New Products

It is always fun to have a box show up at the door with something new in it. And, the latest arrival is wool/mohair sock yarn and another mohair/wool that is a little heavier.  Both are hand dyeable and I will be trying my hand with a few colorways in the weeks to come.  I will let you know how my progress goes.

Polychrome Treadling Option

There are many ways to do this and I will show you one of Mary Snyder's to try on an overshot treadling.  For those of you just joining us, start at the beginning of treadling options at Issue #4.

Pattern (2 color of the same size), tabby

Block D-Color 1
Tabby
Block C-Color 2
Tabby
Block C-Color 2
Tabby
Block A-Color 1
Tabby
Block B-Color 2
Tabby
Block B-Color 2
Tabby

This is one repeat of the Mary Ann Ostrander threading that is from A Handweaver's Pattern Book by Marguerite Davison, p. 146.  Balance with the first 17 ends.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Check in the near future for the drafts on all of  the overshot treadling options beginning with Issue #4.

The next treadling option will cover change in the size of blocks.

Teal Then,
Margaret Pittman

Shopping/Contact Information

Yarn shipments are limited to the U.S. and Canada. If you live outside the U.S. or Canada and would like to place a pattern order, please inquire at Margaret@heritageyarns.com.

Visit Knitting Patterns and take a look around at the wide selection of downloadable patterns from HeartStrings.

Purchasing options:  by PayPal shopping cart, Visa, MasterCard, personal check or money order.

Margaret Pittman
Heritage Yarns
5875 Baxter Drive
Jackson, Mississippi  39211-3317 USA

Telephone - (601) 956-1478
Email - Margaret@heritageyarns.com
Fax - (601) 957-2963
Celebrating color in hand painted skeins and warps since 1994

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