Feb
CRAFT 06 Release Party!
Posted by Emily in crafting, events
What are you doing on Sunday, March 9th? You’re coming to the CRAFT Issue 06 Release Party at Twisted!
Diane, from DIY Alert, Crafty Pod, and the Church of Craft, and Susan, from West Coast Crafty, and author of the new book Bead Simple, are co-hosting the Portland bash here at Twisted, from 1-4pm.
Moxie will be on hand, too, demonstrating how she makes the adorable monsters on the cover of CRAFT 06. We’ll also have a hands-on craft table, where you can learn to make Pantyhose Flowers from the magazine. And we’ll have free snacks and door prizes!
So please come by, have some afternoon tea, and CRAFT with us! And please spread the word to other crafty types while you’re at it… Also, don’t forget that the March Crafty Wonderland sale is the same day, from 11-4, so you can hit both for a super fun afternoon out!
Oct
Basketweaving is Back
Posted by Emily in crafting, classesIn case you missed it in the class list, we wanted to announce that we’re having another basketweaving class on Sunday, November 11. Sheryl Kizer (my mother-in-law) is coming to town for an early Thanksgiving and agreed to do a class while she’s here. Her last class in August filled up, so if you missed that one (or if you took it and loved it) here’s your chance to get in on the fun.
The project is a Market Basket (6W X 11L X 5H) and featuring a 6×10 wooden handle. It’s a catch-all, a tote, a gift basket, a yarn basket, a perfectly practical little project. This basket is easy to make and constructed with a start and stop weave using contrasting natural and smoked reed to form the design.
Sunday, November 11
3:00 – 6:00 pm
with Sheryl Kizer
$30
Materials: Basket kit is $25 (regularly $30). Optional tools kit including heavy duty shears, sanding egg, and packing tool is $15 with class (regularly $20). Or, you may bring your own scissors, sandpaper, and flat head screwdriver.
If you’re interested in registering, just give us a call at 503.922.1150!
Oct
movie night tonight
Posted by Shannon in crafting, events, movie nighttonight is movie night at twisted! come on over and join us for…
from imdb:
“Science transformed him into a monster. Love changed him even more!”
and, from the Moria website (”The Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film Review”)
“Biochemist Alec Holland develops a formula that can regenerate organic matter. But a fight ensues when his rival Arcane burst into his laboratory to steal it. During the fight Holland is set on fire and dives into the swamp, covered with the formula. But there the formula and the swamp waters combine together to transform Holland into an entirely new creature.”
Sep
Five things…
Posted by Emily in the shop, crafting…you didn’t know about Twisted (unless you’re way cool).
1. We have free wi-fi. Yes, although we sell yarn and other fine crafting goods, we are planted firmly in the 21st century. This makes Twisted a great place for students looking for a quiet-but-not-too-quiet place to study with some tea and nice fodder for study breaks. It’s also very useful for giving non-crafting spouses/partners/friends something to do while you fondle yarn.
2. We love kids. Afterall, it’s a yarn store - there’s not a lot they can really break. We have kids’ story books, puzzles, crayons and coloring books stashed under the coffee table. Frequent kiddie visitors know they can dash straight for them and have a fine time while their parents look around. The amigurumi toy samples are also very popular…
3. We have a variety of needlepoint, cross-stitch, embroidery and crewel kits. These kits range from learn to cross-stitch for kids, to surprisingly hip needlepoint bracelets, to embroidered pillowcases, to insanely complicated and huge works of cross-stitch art that look like paintings (one of our favorites is “Going to Market” at left).
4. We do internet/phone orders. While we don’t have a fancy online catalogue - maybe someday - if you see something you just have to have, just send us an email or give us a ring! You can pay by credit card over the phone or online via paypal. Right now everything we sell in the store is also available by internet/phone. However, we know of at least one line that we’re planning on carrying in the future that we will only sell in the store.
5. The gorgeous painting of coffee mugs in our store is right-side-up. The artist, Bonita Davis, hung that painting, titled “Full Tilt on Route 66 in Santa Fe,” herself. In fact we, too, thought that it was upside down at first! Bonita says that while staying at a hostel in Santa Fe, she saw a cabinet of mugs that had been crammed in so tightly that, as other mugs were removed, some of them stuck to the paint on the shelf above them. So that’s why some of the mugs seem to be floating in midair!
Sep
Crochet, you say?
Posted by Emily in crafting, classes
Yes, indeed, this is crochet. This is crochet using beads and wire to create fabulous necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Even better, this is a class coming up at Twisted. And, best of all, this class is going to be taught by the incomparable craft goddess Diane Gilleland.
Diane created and maintains DIY Alert and organizes the Portland chapter of the Church of Craft. She’s the producer and host of a bi-weekly podcast about all things crafty, aptly named CraftyPod. You might also know Diane from her articles published in SuperNaturale, CROQ, CRAFT, and Whipup. And she’s going to be teaching classes this fall at Twisted!
Bead and Wire Crochet Jewelry Workshop
Skill level: Beginner
When: Sunday, September 30. 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Check out our classes page or download the class list for full details!
Jun
a craft for every person
Posted by Shannon in craftingas we practice the fine art of patience, emily and i have had a little time to reflect on our crafting lives, and to explore just a bit more fully the path, and crafts, that have lead us to where we are today.
crafting has always been in my blood, and, as my mom says, i come by it honestly. my family has always been the crafty sort - for many years, my parents spearheaded a home-made christmas present for every attendee of our family christmas party (not a small feat, as my mother has seven siblings, and i have at least 30 cousins, all younger than me). many of the projects were made from wood, and all required a great deal of work, from creating patterns, to cutting, sanding, assembling, and painting. growing up with a stay-at-home mother also inspired my craftiness, as well as having a paternal grandmother who was a whiz at sewing and quilting.
i have long tried to get my husband crafting. years ago, i taught him knitting. it didn’t stick. he loves my knitting; he wears socks i have made him almost every single day, and in the winter, is never without one of his handknitted hats; he has been begging me to make him a sweater for years, but there has never been a strong desire on his part to take part in any craftiness of his own. his creative endeavors are of a more literary sort. so imagine how surprised i was when, when getting ready to iron on some of jenny hart‘s fab designs, he said to me “i think i might like embroidery.”
we quickly found the perfect pattern for him: a race-car complete with speed-flames shooting out from behind, and he got to work. you know what people say about the speed with which men pick up crafts? i am here to tell you that it is a true story. his embroidery is pretty freaking tight, yo. he’s doing some amazing things with the colors, and the textures…i am so very proud. my dear sister also got the embroidery bug - stop by the shop when it’s open and both will be proudly on display. a few weeks ago, we three spent the weekend embroidering together. what a fabulous thing. mine was a decemberists pattern, j did a bowling bettie, and s the race-car.
Apr
springtime in portland
Posted by Shannon in craftingportland in the spring can be such a fickle beast. this morning, as the hubby was heading to work, he made a big production out of donning his sunglasses. the air was brisk, the sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in sight. i thought it would be a perfect day for a swatch photo shoot. but, portland being portland, it is now a bit…grey. overcast. decidedly un-sunny. me having been a portlander-in-training for at least a few years, however, i have decided to forge ahead with the photo shoot as previously scheduled.
what’s on the craftastic menu today, you may ask? crewelwork.
there are almost as many fiber arts in the world as there are craftista(o)s, and quite a few (including knitting) have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. i have my theories on the ‘why’ of the rebirth of craft, not the least of which having to do with the chill of our modern computerized society and the globalization of all, leading to a desire to return to the handmade, the real, the tangible. many crafts have undergone a pretty major face-lift and crewel is one of them.
traditionally, crewel is a type of embroidery worked on linen fabric with very thin wool yarn in short lengths. hoops are employed, as are needles. as with many fiber arts, there are no knots allowed in crewel. wool and hoop has come up with some truly fabulous crewel designs, with a 70’s flava’ and a 21st century flair. crewel is easy to do, and can be used as art, embellishment, (think pillow cases and decorative towels), and even as a greeting card for someone truly special.
the lovely crewel, hanging out with complementary-colored carnations that need to get planted in the next few days.