Documented theft: Forever 21

Copyright infringement is a serious issue that small designers often don't have the resources to fight. Jezebel.com has a shocking, but not surprising article on about how the clothing chain Forever 21 doesn't develop their own fashions they just rip off the small, creative designers. Beware artistic friends! This kind of thing is happening in fashion, art and design. Get informed and choose where you shop carefully.

Article here: jezebel.com

Gypsy Garden Collection {Designs by Heather Walpole}

Remember when I showed you this sneak peek?

Well here it is, the Knit Collage Gypsy Garden Collection pattern booklet and I had the pleasure of designing it!

I worked with Knit Collage to design a line of six fun and easy patterns using their Gypsy Garden yarns. The booklet debuted at TNNA 2011 and will be in yarn stores very soon! Here's the Tinkerbell Mobius Scarf worked up in the stardust garland colorway and Kinari Bolero in kinari bazaar.

And here in the trade show booth you can spot the Secret Garden Pillow knit in color bubblegum twist and the Bundled Up Beanie Hat crocheted using mermaid café.

Tucked into the left corner is the Sweet Pea Baby Sweater knit in emerald rainforest. Knit Collage yarns are handspun in India and each skein is a beautiful work of art making each knitted piece unique. The project ideas are endless!

I had so much fun creating this booklet, I can't wait to get my hands on some new yarn!

Click here to visit knitcollage.com and see all their amazing yarns and a list of retailers. Happy knitting!

TNNA Long Beach 2011

We had a good time this year at TNNA, the National Needle Arts trade show. I had a really fun day with Marsha, our cruise director and tour guide, and my sister Nancy, the world famous kung-fu master of the credit card.

Be Sweet yarns had tons of eye candy, as usual. This year Nadine seems to be bringing in a natural color palette next to her candy store brights.

We had a lot of fun checking out Imperial Yarns. These yarns are grown, sheered, spun and dyed in Oregon and are gorgeous.

Helen Hamann's booth was a color feast, so many beautiful brights!

Of course, Manos del Uruguay didn't let us down. They're launching a new line of colors that can be seen from space!

But don't worry, they still have our old favorites!

I think it's time to stop here, I still have more but let's save it for tomorrow! If you want more right now you can hop over to Nancy's recap at the beautifully redesigned NobleKnits.com blog.

Savor.

I want to be happy and show you pretty pictures of my yarn adventures, but I can't. I'm sad. In the last day we've learned that our good friend died suddenly, another friend fell with a stroke and is in the hospital, and a family relative lost her battle with brain cancer. None were old. All are making me slow and contemplative. Stop, breathe, relax and enjoy. Be happy you can.

A feast for the eyes

Look at all that yarn! Woohoo! This past weekend was the big yarn trade show called TNNA and I'm still trying to digest all the things I saw, people I met, and new ideas that came to mind. I'm excited to have some fun stuff to blab about for a while, I'll start with this photo of my sister and me. Have you met her? She's NobleKnits.com.