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Greetings –

I had planned to get a newsletter out to you before Valentine's Day. Obviously that didn't happen, but here I am finally! After all, with a name like HeartStrings, you certainly should not be surprised that Valentine's is a favorite around here. Hope you had a good one.

Another fun springtime holiday that's just around the corner is St. Patrick's Day. Do you celebrate Saint Paddy's Day? In this newsletter I share an idea for beaded Frolicking Shamrocks wristlets that you can make based on the previously published socks pattern by that name. So be sure to read on. Even if you don't have the Frolicking Socks pattern, the write-up will still give you an idea of how you can make wristlets from any of your other favorite socks patterns.

Also in this newsletter is a short write-up about blocking a smoke ring. And finally, the long-awaited release of 5 new patterns – These are now available in stores, so be sure you check with your favorite shop for these new designs from HeartStrings.

I hope you enjoy the newsletter and find one or all of these articles and announcements interesting and inspiring.

Happy knitting!

Jackie E-S / HeartStrings FiberArts

p.s. Do you live around Nashville, TN? I'll be teaching two workshops at Haus of Yarn on Sunday, March 2. Check Upcoming Classes for more information on these workshops, as well as flexibly-timed online classes you can take wherever you live.

Attention Newcomers - If you are receiving this newsletter from someone else and would like to start receiving your own free issues, just sign up by visiting my website at http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/e-news.shtm

Knitters Ask –

How should I block my smoke ring?

From Gill Alexander, owner of The Woolly Workshop in Northamptonshire, England:

I have a customer who has recently knitted one of your [lace] smoke rings and is wondering about which is the best way to go about blocking it. Do you have any tips I could pass on to her please?

My motto is keep it simple. Even though a smoke ring is a tubular item, the lace can be successfully blocked as two layers rather than complicating matters by trying to block in-the-round. There can be more elaborate ways and ones using fancy equipment, but this works fine for any that I have blocked:

Thoroughly wet your smoke ring with an initial soaking in cool water and mild detergent for no less than 30 minutes. Rinse and gently squeeze out extra moisture. This wet-blocking method has the advantages of both relaxing the fibers to their fullest for an optimum blocking and to clean the article (you'd be surprised how much oils from handling etc. can be picked up along the way in your knitting, and you definitely don't want ugly age spots to show up later because of this).

Instead of blocking under tension with wires and/or pins. I just lay the tube flat on the drying surface and block with my fingers, opening up the lace nicely and gently pulling along the edges to accentuate the shape of the scallops or points that I design into my smoke rings.

Leave laying flat until thoroughly dry (usually minimum of 24 hours since fibers can feel dry long before they actually are dried throughout).

You might be left with a slight crease in the smoke ring where folded while drying, but this can later easily be steamed out under low heat (do not allow iron to touch fabric though – we are just talking about a little bit of moist steam applied along the crease if there is one).

Enjoy your smoke ring!

Interested in more smoke ring patterns from HeartStrings? Check them out here.

Do you celebrate Saint Paddy's Day?

Frolicking Shamrocks wristlets

Here is an idea for beaded wristlets based on the HeartStrings #S10 Frolicking Shamrocks Socks pattern.

Please note: For the complete set of instructions to make these wristlets, you will need the #S10 Frolicking Shamrocks pattern in conjunction to this supplemental write-up. Don't have the socks pattern? The writeup will still give you an idea of how you can make wristlets from any of your other favorite socks patterns, or you can purchase the socks pattern here, or check with your favorite store.

Here is the bonus write-up to celebrate more good luck and laughter in the Irish tradition by making wristlets to match your Frolicking Shamrocks socks. Even if you are not a sock knitter, these wristlets are charming to wear on their own.

New pattern announcements

Lacy Wraps
H48 Palette of Colors Shrug	H44 Wisps of Smoke Ring	H45 Ring of Lace Wrap

Beaded Socks
S28 Daylight and Shadows Beaaded Cable Socks	A134 Buffalo Beaded Socks

Overview of New Patterns

#H48 Palette of Colors Shrug
Create a masterpiece in color and texture to wrap your body in style and comfort. Palette of Colors Shrug features interplay of tonal harmony across coordinated colorways of heavier texured yarn and finer smooth yarn.

Shop now for Palette of Colors Shrug knitting pattern.

#H44 Wisps of Smoke Ring
Wisps of Smoke combines the heavy drape of silk, the lightness and fluidity of lace, and the sparkle of beads. The stitch patterning imparts the feeling of softly wafting smoke in a light breeze intermingled with fleeting touches of flames.

Shop now for Wisps of Smoke Ring knitting pattern.

#H45 Ring of Lace Wrap
Ring of Lace is an airy, lightweight circular wrap that can be worn in a variety of ways. This design is an example of how a project in hand-dyed yarn can be planned according to the length of color repeat to create 'faux ikat' effects.

Shop now for Ring of Lace Wrap knitting pattern.

#S28 Daylight and Shadow Beaded Cable Socks
Beads in a lighter color (daylight) and darker color (shadows) embellish the twining columns of stitches on these charming cabled socks. This pattern includes instructions for two styles – one with a playful beaded fringe cuff; the other with the more refined look of a plain cuff.

Shop now for Daylight and Shadows Beaded Cable Socks knitting pattern.

#A134 Buffalo Beaded Socks
Buffalo down is a soft yet sturdy fiber worthy of pampering our feet. Add some beads and a pretty lace pattern, and you'll have a luscious pair of Buffalo Beaded Socks to treasure for traveling across the plains or anywhere.

Shop now for Buffalo Beaded Socks knitting pattern.

HeartStrings FiberArts / Jackie E-S Design Collections

From the classic to the uniquely appealing.
Skill-building, comprehensive instructions.
Yarn-generic patterns for your creative freedom.
Specializing in Knitted Lace and Beaded Knitting.