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Spring 2010
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Our Newest Color: Charcoal
When John and Carolyn Grace founded our company in the early 1990’s they consciously strove to rediscover and replicate the nearly lost traditions of animal husbandry, dying, weaving, and finishing that had distinguished the centuries-old cottage industries of New England. Amongst our core principles none is more engrained than the determination to remain true to that simplicity and authenticity upon which the Graces insisted, and that is so highly valued and expected by our customers. At the same time we are constantly innovating within the generous framework of tradition and don’t feel at all constrained as we remain true to the ways of our forebears.
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| For several months the dyehouse here in Northport has been the scene of intense experimentation as we searched for the perfect recipe for a charcoal dye color. Our newest concoction combines two ancient dye substances: cutch and logwood. Cutch is the resin of a small tropical Asian tree that is boiled and wrapped in large leaves to dry. The heart of the logwood tree produces a color that ranges in shade from pink to grayish purple. Their combination in the hands of our dyers yields a handsome charcoal that is now available to Swans Island patrons either as a knitting yarn or a colored blanket that we think is possessed of both the subdued reliability of tradition and the enthusiastic promise of invention. |
Spring Babies
Swans Island Baby Blankets have become a popular gift for people who want to bestow a memorable heirloom: many new parents have told us how pleased they have been to wrap their newborn in our cuddly hand-woven organic merino blankets. Now we have introduced a beautiful new baby blanket box with a special space to insert baby’s photo on the inside lid. These blankets are already precious keepsakes for many parents; now they will have a worthy vessel to safely transport and store them. Friends and relatives often give blankets to welcome baby into the world and ask us to include his or her monogram, which we hand stitch into the blanket. The boxes are custom made for us in Massachusetts and are similar to the ones in which Swans Island Scarves are now available. We have come to recognize that an item that is unique and hand-made should arrive in a package that is designed to contain it and in which it feels at home.
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Yarn and Knitting
We are so encouraged by the response we’ve received to the introduction of Swans Island Yarns. Multi-colored skeins are flying out the door, and our natural hand-dyed yarns have been included in the upcoming Vogue Knitting book, “American Beauty: 25 American Knits”. As luck would have it our neighbor and good friend is Michele Rose Orne, a nationally respected designer (Classic Elite, Tahki, Berroco, etc) whose handknit work has been featured for over 2 decades in many major publications (Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, Knit Simple, etc). Her book “Inspired to Knit” was published in 2008; still she considers her greatest accomplishment to be her 4 wonderful children. We are working now with Michele to create knitting patterns that will be available to our yarn customers and embody the inspiration of these beautiful products and the Maine coast. Please watch for these patterns on our website or call for updates.
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Bill Laurita for Swans Island
Past Newsletters
Winter 2010
Fall 2009
Summer 2009
Spring 2009
Winter 2009
Fall 2008
Summer 2008
Spring 2008
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