Author: 3kittensl

Let’s Make a Sweater in November

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It’s time for NaKniSweMo again. What??? Yep, NaKniSweMo. Kind of rolls of your tongue, doesn’t it? It’s actually National Knit a Sweater Month – also known as November to non-yarnie folk. According to Knitty, NaKniSweMo has been around since 2010 when Shannon Okey copied NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month – which my sister does every year…)

It never fails that each year when October rolls around, I start thinking about doing NaKniSweMo – dreaming about which sweater I want to knit, scrolling through Ravelry, testing out yarns from 3 Kittens, etc. A couple of years ago, I participated (and if I recall, I held a Knit-A-Long at the store). That year, I made a Janesville Jacket out of my favorite yarn – Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok.

I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to knit this year. Something simple or something more complex? Will Covid allow me more time to knit or less? My daughter wants me to knit a sweater for her, but do I want to make something for her or something for myself? I have a week to figure things out! In the meantime, here’s the plan if you want to join me:

  • Choose your sweater.
  • Buy your yarn – obviously at 3 Kittens… If you already have yarn in your stash from 3 Kittens, feel free to use that. There’s no need to buy more!
  • Join our Facebook Group (see below).
  • Join our Zoom knit/crochet-a-long* (see below).
  • Swatch your project.
  • Get ready to start your sweater on Nov 1!

Facebook Group We have a private Facebook Group just for NaKniSweMo 2020. You can join here. In the group you can:

  • Share what you think you might want to work on (links to Ravelry and/or photos are encouraged).
  • Ask questions about your project – I’ll try to answer.
  • Post pictures of your progress.
  • Get to know each other better.

Knit/Crochet-A-Long* Gather virtually with me on Thursday evenings in November (except for Thanksgiving Day) from 6-7pm via Zoom. I’ll put each week’s Zoom link in our Facebook Group (if you don’t do Facebook, you can email me for the link as well). I’ll be working in the store during that time, but since it’s typically slow on Thursday evenings, we can meet, even if I have to get up and help somebody in the store. These Zoom gatherings are FREE! It’s really just a place for us to sit and talk while we knit, so there won’t be any teaching. But I’ll be happy to answer questions as they come up. Sign up for the Knit/Crochet-A-Long here.

Let’s have fun!

*I know it’s NaKniSweMo, but crocheters are welcome to join as well (for NaCroSweMo???).

Can you help isolated seniors in the Twin Cities?

~ 3kittensl ~ 1 Comment

We’re hoping that you can give a little help! Gifts for Seniors is a local non-profit that:

provides donated gifts and life-affirming personal contact to isolated seniors in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and surrounding communities through the engagement and support of volunteers and community partners.

Last year, Gifts for Seniors served more than 5,600 isolated seniors in the Twin Cities and seven county metro area with the help of 254 community partners and countless dedicated volunteers.

from the Gifts for Seniors website

Gifts for Seniors is now looking for yarn, knitting needles/crochet hooks, patterns/books, and finished items (adult-sized hats, scarves, mittens, shawls).

If you are interested in donating yarn, there are some caveats –

  • Prefer washable yarns
  • Yarn must have labels attached
  • Yarn must be unused (no partial skeins/balls)

Yarn, needles/hooks, and patterns/books may be used by the seniors themselves or by volunteers making items for the seniors.

If you’re interested in knitting or crocheting items for the seniors, Gifts for Seniors prefers machine washable yarn (if not machine washable, please attach care instructions) and please wash/dry the items before donating.

To get your donations to Gifts for Seniors, you have two options:

  • Ship to Gifts for Seniors, 2300 Kennedy St. NE, Suite 40, Minneapolis, MN 55413
  • Schedule a time to drop off donations by calling 612-379-3205 or emailing info@giftsforseniors.org

Thank you for your help!

New Yarn and Patterns Inspired by the 1940s

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The Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop normally happens in April. From August to April, the local yarn stores that participate in the Hop plan, plan, and plan some more. We work with hand-dyers to create exclusive colors in the yarns we choose to highlight. And we design patterns to showcase the yarn. We arrange to donate money to food shelves. And we organize the event to make it the most appealing to a broad range of participants. It’s a long process. But, oh so worth it.

Then, along comes a pandemic. The best laid plans have to be abandoned – including 2020’s Shop Hop. Sigh!

But, guess what? We already had our yarn and patterns, so… Introducing our homage to the 1940s!

The 1940s was a time of war, tragedy, and hard-won peace. Because World War II was such a huge part of the decade, we asked local dyer Trippin’ with Dixi to create colorways reminiscent of army fatigues and the Red Cross.

Migration Fatigues
Migration Red Cross

We chose Trippin’ with Dixi’s Migration base to showcase these fabulous colorways. We wanted a fingering weight yarn, but not the ubiquitous merino. Not that we don’t love merino wool – it’s just that there is so much of it in today’s yarn world. At 3 Kittens, we’re always looking for non-merino yarns to introduce to our customers! And the blend of wool, yak (!), and nylon in Migration is just so luscious, we couldn’t resist. The yarn will be available while supplies last, so get yours while you can! Click here to purchase.

When Laura started thinking about the patterns, she considered what was happening in the forties to influence the design process. For the knit pattern, Laura chose to do a riff on argyle socks. ‘A Short History of Argyle Socks’ on the Joseph Turner website, says –

During the 1940s and 50s, after World War II, the Argyle pattern once again grew in popularity. Beginning in England, the craze spread across the pond to the US, where girls learning to knit would create Argyle patterned socks for the boys they were sweet on.

Because argyle socks are typically done with multiple colors in intarsia, but that just seemed too complicated, Laura decided to create her own faux argyle pattern using knits, purls, and twisted stitches. The resulting Fogyle Socks have a continuous diamond shaped pattern running up the leg of the sock. The stitch pattern is both charted and written out.

During World War II, many of those on the home front wanted to help in whatever way the could. One thing that many people could do was knit or crochet for the troops. From socks to “helmets” to sweaters to vests, people could create useful items to warm and comfort soldiers on the front. Laura used the idea of making “helmets” as an inspiration for her crochet pattern, the Medic Hat. It is a very easy, slightly slouchy beanie made with basic stitches.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry – free through July 15, 2020.

We hope you enjoy our 1940s inspired patterns and yarn!

The 4-Day Sweater KAL is Coming

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We’re participating in Olive Knits 4-Day Sweater KAL again this year. Marie Greene has designed a unisex sweater for everyone – Soundtrack!

What is the 4-Day Sweater KAL?
Olive Knits has been doing the 4-Day Sweater Knit-A-Long for four years. Every year, Marie Greene designs a sweater that can be completed in 4-days – but you’re allowed to take longer! This year the sweater is Soundtrack. Check out the Olive Knits blog for all the details on the how, why, and when, but know that it starts July 1, 2020 – which is just around the corner.

How do you sign up?
There’s no real sign up. All you need to do is buy the pattern (during the pre-order phase, the price is $8; after June 15, the price will be $9). And make sure to join Olive Knit’s Facebook group for lots of fun during the KAL.

What do we recommend for yarn?
Soundtrack calls for DK or light worsted weight yarn in two high-contrast colors, and 3 Kittens has a lot of options. Marie used Kelbourne Woollens Scout, a non-superwash wool. Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok or Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted would be lovely as well. We also have some superwash and non-wool options. Keep in mind that, whatever you choose, you should do a swatch and wet block it to make sure it behaves as you want and that you are getting gauge!

Click here for all of the details on the Olive Knits website.

Shopping at 3 Kittens During the Pandemic

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We know how it is. You’ve got free time on your hands. You’ve been browsing Instagram, Facebook, Ravelry, Pinterest, etc. And, you’ve seen something you’ve just got to have … right now! But you can’t make it to 3 Kittens, and what you want isn’t on our website. We can still help!

The first step is to call us at 651-457-4969 or send an email to Julie (for needlepoint) or Laura (for yarn). Sometimes, the item you need is in the store but not on our website. Many other items we can order for you.

A number of our yarn department vendors are drop shipping directly to our customers during the pandemic. This is a special service for a special time. (And, boy, are we grateful!) How does it work? You place your order through us. We send the order to our vendor. They ship to you. Easy peasy! (You will get your 3K Club rewards for all drop shipped items).

Who’s participating?

DropShip123_1

Appalachian Baby Design

Berroco

Feza Yarns

Jul Designs

Lenny Mud

Trendsetter Yarns

Urth Yarns

 

 

 

What We’re Doing During the Covid-19 Crisis

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The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is changing how we do business. Check back reguarly for updates. All information below is being sent out in our newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

5/4/20
#StayHomeMN continues, but… 3 Kittens is now allowed to offer curbside pickup! Of course, we will continue to ship items to those who prefer that, but if you want to drive to the store to pickup your items, here’s how the process will work:
Place your order through our website, phone (651-457-4969) or email  to: julie.mast@comcast.net for needlepoint or  laura@3kittensneedlearts.com for yarn
Payment will need to be made prior to pickup.   
If you order via the website, make sure to select “curbside pickup” for the shipping method.
Curbside pickup will be available
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
from 10am-2pm
When you arrive at the store, pull up in front of the yarn department and call us at 651-457-4969, ext 2#.  
We will bring your purchase to your car. No need for you to get out. We will place your purchase in your trunk (please pop the trunk) .
We highly recommend that you wear a face mask when coming to 3 Kittens to collect your purchase.
3/25/20

By now you have probably heard that Minnesota’s governor has issued a Stay at Home order beginning Friday, March 27, at 11:59pm to last through Friday, April 10 in order to fight the spread of COVID19 in Minnesota. We, of course, will comply with this rule. Beginning Saturday, March 28, 3 Kittens’ doors will be closed.

That means that you have just a couple of days left to purchase things and for us to get them to you.

Store Hours

Thursday, March 26 10am-2pm by appointment only

Friday, March 27 10am-5pm by appointment only (note updated hours)

Ordering Over the Next Two Days

You can choose –

  • in-store pickup
  • curbside pickup
  • shipping – orders for product over $25 are free – please note that all orders to be shipped must be received no later than Thursday at 2pm to give us time to process the orders

Classes, Coaching Sessions & Social Events

All classes suspended through April 10

All social events cancelled through April 10

Face to Face Coaching Sessions suspended through April 10

 

How can you continue to stitch/knit/crochet with 3 Kittens?

  • Call ahead to make an appointment for a quick shopping trip, to pick up finishing or an online order, or to drop off finishing. This service is meant to be quick. If you know what you need when you call for your appointment, consider pre-paying to limit your time in the store. Remember if you are picking up or dropping off, we offer curbside service. Call us at 651-457-4969 (ext 1# for needlepoint; ext 2# for yarn) to make your appointment. In order to maintain social distancing standards, we will be limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time, and we will not be offering one-on-one help with issues on your projects.
  • Shop our e-store. We have many, many items on our website, including canvases, yarns, notions, and more. You can pick up your online order at the store or curbside from 10am-2pm Thursday and from 10am-5pm Friday. If you choose to have your order shipped, please remember that we will need your order no later than Thursday at 2pm.

What will we do regarding classes scheduled through April 10?

  • Studios, Embellishment Workshops, All-Day UFO Workshops – we will contact you to determine next steps (rescheduling at a later date; receiving a store credit refund).
  • Project Classes – we will reschedule these classes at a future date (including project classes that have already begun). Needlepoint project classes may be converted to a Home Study.

What are we doing in the store?

  • Washing our hands – often.
  • Wiping down credit card machines, door handles, bathroom fixtures, etc. with disinfecting wipes several times each day.
  • Asking employees to stay home if they are feeling unwell.
  • Offering free shipping on all orders over $25 placed on our website, by phone or by email (domestic only).
  • Offering curbside pick up. Simply call us at 651-457-4969 when you arrive, and we will bring your purchase out to your car.

What can you do to help?

  • Stay at Home
  • Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
  • Keep fiber-ing! Needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, weaving. All of it keeps your hands busy, which means you can’t touch your face! Plus, we all know that the fiber arts relieve stress.
  • Shop local as often as possible. Small businesses and their employees are stressing out right now. Help out by continuing to support the small stores, coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, in your community. Buy a gift card online or by phone to help your favorite small business manage their cash flow during this time. They will be so grateful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to support

3 Kittens in any way possible. We’re in this together. We have no idea if Julie and Laura will be allowed to come into the store to fill and ship online orders after Friday. We will let you know if we can. In the meantime, we wish all of you good health and happy stitching!

 

3/16/20
Unfortunately, we feel the time has come to make further changes to our methods of operation to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19. In light of major events in our industry being postponed or cancelled (the Spring Needlepoint Market, the Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop, and Yarnover to name a few), we have decided to follow suit and limit interactions in our store at least through the end of March:
New Hours through March 31
10am-2pm Tuesday-Saturday by appointment only
Closed Sunday-Monday
Classes, Coaching Sessions & Social Events
All classes suspended through March 31
All social events cancelled through March 31
Face to Face Coaching Sessions suspended through March 31
How can you continue to stitch/knit/crochet with 3 Kittens?
  • Call ahead to make an appointment for a quick shopping trip, to pick up finishing or an online order, or to drop off finishing. This service is meant to be quick.If you know what you need when you call for your appointment, consider pre-paying to limit your time in the store. Remember if you are picking up or dropping off, we offer curbside service. Call us at 651-457-4969 (ext 1# for needlepoint; ext 2# for yarn) to make your appointment. In order to maintain social distancing standards, we will be limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time, and we will not be offering one-on-one help with your projects (see below for other options).
  • Utilize our virtual options
    • Shop our e-store. We offer shipping, as well as in-store pickup and curbside pickup (choose the in-store pickup option, then call us when you arrive) between 10am-2pm Tues-Sat
    • Personal shopping with you via FaceTime/Skype between 10am-2pm Tues-Sat (appointment required)
    • Virtual Quick Stitch Consultations (needlepoint) with Paula via FaceTime/Skype on Fridays (appointment required) – $15 for 15 minutes
    • Virtual Coaching Sessions – one-hour (appointment required)
      • In needlepoint with Paula on Tuesdays – $45
      • In yarn with Elizabeth, Shayne, or Jane – $25 (if you need a shorter session, please let us know, and we will book you in 15 minute increments)
    • Custom Stitch Guides for needlepoint (must drop off or mail in your canvas; we will consult by phone/email; when your canvas and threads are ready, we can either mail them to you or you can make an appointment to pick them up)
      • Stitch Guide Mini – 2-3 sts for your canvas – free of charge
      • Full Stitch guide – $50 deposit; balance to be determined and due upon pick up/shipment
    • Facebook Live “Surviving with Yarn” videos with LauraTuesday-Saturday at 3pm to show you yarns and products in the store and to give you ideas for projects and helpful hints.
What will we do regarding classes scheduled through the end of the month?
  • Studios, Embellishment Workshops, All-Day UFO Workshops – we will contact you to determine next steps (rescheduling at a later date; receiving a store credit refund).
  • Project Classes – we will reschedule these classes at a future date (including project classes that have already begun). Needlepoint project classes may be converted to a Home Study.

 

3/12/20

You can’t miss the news reports about the spread of COVID-19. Changes are occurring all over the country, and we’re all being vigilant about washing our hands. Even the Spring Needlepoint Market has been postponed. We at 3 Kittens are taking the news seriously. While we are remaining calm, it is time to take steps to help our staff, our customers, and our business navigate the ever-changing situation.

What are we doing in the store?
  • Washing our hands – often.
  • Wiping down credit card machines, door handles, bathroom fixtures, etc. with disinfecting wipes several times each day.
  • Asking employees to stay home if they are feeling unwell.
  • Monitoring classes and social events regularly – we will cancel if we feel it is necessary (although we haven’t done that yet). If you would like to cancel any class that you are scheduled to attend, please call us. We are happy to move you to another class date or give you a refund on your account.
  • Offering free shipping on all orders over $25 placed on our website or by phone. (Domestic only.)
  • Offering curbside pick up. Simply call us at 651-457-4969 when you arrive, and we will bring your purchase out to your car.
What can you do to help?
  • Keep yourself healthy – wash your hands; stay home if you feel unwell; follow the guidelines of the CDC and the WHO.
  • Continue to shop with us in the store, by phone, online or through the Contact Us form on our website.
  • Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Laura and the yarn staff will be doing a Facebook Live presentation for yarnies at 3pm Tuesdays-Saturdays for the foreseeable future, starting Friday, March 13. Julie and the needlepoint staff will be upping their social media game as well.
  • If you’re scheduled for a class, please check your emails and phone messages before coming to make sure we’re still holding the class.
    Consider booking a Virtual Coaching Session ($25/hour for knitting or crochet; $45/hour for needlepoint). We are happy to  teach you something new or help you resolve an issue via FaceTime or Skype. We usually book these sessions in one-hour increments, but if you need less time, give us a call and we’ll work something out.
  • Keep fiber-ing! Needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, weaving. All of it keeps your hands busy, which means you can’t touch your face! Plus, we all know that the fiber arts relieve stress.
  • Shop local as often as possible. Small businesses and their employees are stressing out right now. Help out by continuing to support the small stores, coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, in your community. They will be so grateful.
Whew! That’s a lot to take in. Please know that we are monitoring the situation closely, and we are considering other options, including reducing hours and staff. If you have any ideas, we’re open to your suggestions. Just respond to this email.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to support 3 Kittens in any way possible. We’re in this together. Stay healthy and craft on!

2nd (Annual???) Cloud 9 Knitting Retreat

~ 3kittensl ~ 45 Comments

We’re working furiously to get all of the details pinned down for our 2nd Cloud 9 Knitting Retreat! We’re happy to announce that Kate Atherley and Keith Leonard have agreed to come and teach for us.

 

Kate Atherley is the technical editor for Knitty.com and is a seasoned designer and teacher of all things knitterly. Known for her attention to detail in her patterns and her classes, she regularly teaches at stores and events across North America, including Interweave YarnFest and Vogue Knitting Live. Her work has appeared in many books and magazines.

Keith Leonard gained a love for knitting at the age of eleven when he joined a lunchtime knitting program in his hometown of Haworth, New York. After working at four yarn stores, he realized that there was no specialized service for knitwear finishing and took the initiative to start his own professional finishing service, Knits All Done. He now travels the country teaching classes while selling his custom Zen Yarn Garden yarns and colors and Soulwool from Israel (and, yes, we will have a trunk show of his yarns at Cloud 9).

Kate and Keith will both teach four classes at Cloud 9, plus Kate will give us her The Good, The Bad, The Ugly presentation as a kick-off on Friday evening. Here is the planned schedule for 2019.

Schedule

We hope to have the details ironed out within the next week. Make sure you are one of the first to be able to sign up! Just say you want to be on Cloud 9 Interest List in the comments below (include your email address or phone number), and we’ll let you know when registration is available. People on the interest list will get a few days to sign up before the rest of the world!

 

Got Gauge?

~ 3kittensl ~ Leave a comment

Making a gauge swatch is the best, most accurate way to determine whether your knitted or crocheted finished project will fit and/or be the right size.

So why would you want to skip this step?

Just think, if you are making a hat to fit a 21″ head and the requested stitch is 5 sts/inch, but you’re working at 4 sts/inch, your hat will end up being 26¼” around – you’ll be swimming in that hat. It just won’t fit! What if you were making a sweater and your gauge was off by that much???

Gauge swatches are essential!

Here are some basics to keep in mind when making your gauge swatches:

  • Check your pattern for the recommended gauge (stitches and rows).
  • Use the needle or hook size recommended in your pattern, unless you are not using the yarn recommended in the pattern. In that case use the needle size recommended on the ball band for your swatch.
  • Make your swatch at least 6″ x 6″ in the stitch required.
  • Knitters – Work your gauge swatch in the round if the pattern is knit in the round – your purl gauge is probably different than your knit gauge.
  • Bind off (knit) or finish off (crochet) your swatch.
  • Measurement #1 – measure your swatch, making note of the stitches/inch and the rows/inch (this is your pre-washed gauge or pre-blocked gauge).
  • Wash and block your swatch as you would your finished item. If you plan on throwing your finished sweater in the washing machine then laying it flat to dry, treat your swatch the same way.IMG_5061
  • Measurement #2 – measure your swatch again, making note of the stitches/inch and the rows/inch (this is your finished gauge)

Our sample was:

  • Pre-washed gauge- 18 sts = 4 3/8″ and 28 rows = 4″ (or 4.1 sts/inch and 7 rows/inch)
  • Finished gauge – 18 sts = 4 1/4″ and 28 rows = 4 1/8″ (or 4.2 sts/inch and 6.8 rows/inch)

While those differences don’t seem significant, if you are knitting a sweater and you’re pattern says to cast on 178 sts for a 42″ circumference sweater, your pre-washed sweater will be ~43.5″, but after washing it will be ~42.5″. You might think that you need to go down a needle size based on the pre-washed swatch, but in reality you don’t…

If your finished stitch gauge has more stitches per inch than the recommended stitch gauge, switch to a larger needle, and swatch again.

If your finished stitch gauge has less stitches per inch than the recommended stitch gauge, switch to a smaller needle, and swatch again.

If your finished row gauge is different than the recommended row gauge, your pattern and/or the quantity of yarn you may need and/or the type of knitting needles you are using may need to be adjusted. Please ask us for advice!

Why do you want to make note of both your pre-washed gauge as well as your finished gauge? Well, you will actually be knitting/crocheting to your pre-washed gauge, so you will need to know how different it is when figuring out how far to knit/crochet. For instance, let’s say you’re knitting a sweater, and the pattern says to knit the body until it is 10″ from the cast on edge before you start your armhole (for our purposes, we’re going to pretend that there is no edging, you cast and just knit, never changing your needle size, until you have 10″). Now suppose your pre-washed gauge gave you a row count of 8 rows per inch, but your finished gauge was 7 rows per inch. That means when you wash and block your sweater after you’ve knit it, your sweater is going to “grow” in length from 10″ to 11″ from the bottom edge to the armhole. Not good – unless you wanted a longer sweater! Instead, if you know that your finished gauge is 7 rows/inch, you know that you should knit 7 rows/inch x 10″ = 70 rows. It means you have to count your rows rather than pulling out your handy tape measure, but you’ll be so much happier in the end!

Learn from our mistakes (yes, we’ve made sweaters … and hats … and mittens … and other things that didn’t fit)! Do your gauge swatch.

~ Cecilia and Laura

PS Check out our video podcast, the Yarn Mews, for more useful tips – and some silliness.

Cloud 9 Knitting Retreat Coming Together

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This summer, we are re-launching our Cloud 9 retreat – this time as a knitting only event. What is a knitting retreat? Well, for us it’s bringing together a couple of national instructors, Patty Lyons and Melissa Leapman,

for a weekend of classes at a location outside of our store, where knitters can learn, socialize, relax, and above all have fun!

The Cloud 9 Knitting Retreat will be held July 13-15. We’re still finalizing our class selections and the location, but here’s a run down of what we are hoping to do:

Schedule

We’re planning on having everything finalized and ready for registrations by March 25, so keep your eyes on our Facebook page and our newsletter. Or, if you would like us to call you to let you know when it’s all ready to go, email Laura and ask to be put on our interest list.

3K Holiday Gift Guide 2017

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Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s, Winter Solstice… Whatever holiday you are buying for is right around the corner, so we thought we should give you some ideas of great gifts for people on your list.

For Anyone

IMG_3750

 

Ovella Wool Dryer Balls – For the eco-conscious

These dryer balls help speed up drying, control static clean, last for hundreds of washes, and completely eliminate the need for dryer sheets.

 

 

IMG_3751

 

Soak – Great Stocking Stuffer 

Soak is our go-to wool and delicates cleaner.

 

 

OTG_Kit_bbc94a4f-36dc-4c64-a459-d8b8853b173e_1024x1024

 

Gleener to Go – For the Style Maven

Some people always look put together, and their clothes are impeccable. This handy tool helps rid clothing of pills and lint, plus it’s the perfect size for travel.

 

IMG_3747

 

Lolo Bar Gift Sets – For Travelers and Makers

These little gift sets are perfect for people who travel and for makers of all types. Keep their hands soft with a Cuticle Intensive and two travel sized Lolo To Go lotion bars with our Gift Set. The Lolo Travel Lite Set has a mini-deodorant, mini-face pudding, Lolo To Go, and a mini-lip balm.

 

 

IMG_3752

Bullenbees Skin Care – Because it’s Winter

Locally made Bullenbees products are filled with vitamins (much more than most other skin care products) and are beloved by our customers. The Chapped Hand & Foot Therapy is our favorite item and comes in a travel size, 6 oz tube, or 8 oz pump bottle.

 

Beginning Class – For the Novice Maker

With the new year, our beginning classes will be ready to go again! Click for more information about Needlepoint, Knitting, Crochet, or Rigid-Heddle Weaving. All classes (except weaving) can also be handled as private or private group lessons. Just call us at 651-457-4969 for more details. (See below for children’s classes.)

 

Minnesota Maker Decals – For Established Makers

Help your maker show their love of their state and their craft with these 5″ decals – a 3 Kittens exclusive! Perfect for cars, laptops, windows, and more.

 

For Children

IMG_3753

 

Bundle Up Betty – For the Girl Who Loves Dress Up

Bundle Up Betty is a wooden version of the paper doll. Little girls (or their adult makers) can create their own outfits to dress Betty in. Patterns are available on Ravelry to knit, but sewn clothes would be great as well.

 

 

 

Kids Knit Too Bunny

Kids Knit Too Class – For Little Makers-to-Be

Schedule your little ones (ages 10 and up, please) for two private lessons with our knitting instructor to learn how to cast on, knit, bind off, and create a cute little bunny. After the Kids Knit Too Class, your little maker will be on her/his way to a knitting life.

 

For Needlepointers

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Needle Bling/Magnets 

Needle magnets are essential to needlepointing – they keep your needles handy and safe when not in use. And, if you have to use needle magnets, why not make them something special with these blingy ones? (Sorry, not available on line.)

 

 

 

Stella Light TableStella Light

These are our favorite lights by far! With Tri-Spectrum Technology which allows users to easily change their light from a warm spectrum similar to incandescent lights, to a natural white similar to sunlight, to a cool white similar to moonlight and  5-level dimming, the Stella light is simply the best. Available in floor, table or clamp models.

K's Floor Stand

 

K’s Floor Stand

Needlepointers love this stand, because it allows them to stitch hands free, giving more flexibility to execute complicated stitches and relieving muscle aches and pains. Give this to someone you love!

 

 

For Yarnies

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Yarn Bowls

Yarn bowls are beautiful and functional – they keep yarn from rolling across the floor (or under your chair) while working with it.

 

 

 

True Colors 1

 

True Colors Color Pack

This beautiful shawl by designer Melanie Berg will flatter anyone and be a joy to knit. Our kit contains all of the colors chosen by the designer died in luscious Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. (The color pack does not include the pattern, but it can be downloaded here.)

 

 

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June Cashmere

Treat your knitter or crocheter to true luxury with this 100% Cashmere yarn. June works with nomadic Kyrgyz shepherds to collect the fiber for this beautiful and oh-so-soft yarn. One skein will make the Journey Mitts or three skeins can make the His or Her Scarf.

 

Of course, these are not the only gifts we have available at 3 Kittens – there are too many to choose from to list them all here. But, hopefully, this gives you a few ideas!

Remember, a thoughtful gift is always more exciting to open than a gift card (although, we sell those too!).