2024 NY State Sheep and Wool Festival

Patty will also be talking in our TALES OF YARN space on Saturday at 12:30!

Patty Lyons' Knitting Bag of Tricks: Do you wish your knitting was better and that you had an expert knitter by your side to help you when it goes wrong? Then this is the book for you! Patty Lyons is an expert in all things knitting-related, but she wasn't always!

Learn the secrets behind the making of her book, and find out how Patty went from self taught knitter, to knitting teacher (spoiler alert: it was from making every mistake you can make!). With the 70+ hacks and many brand new how-tos you'll know why Seth Meyers calls her "A very popular, a very nice woman who seems to be of the knitting community."

Vincent Williams is the crochet/knitwear designer and educator behind @visuvios_crafts , which was born from his longing for stunningly timeless knits that’ll keep you warm in the coldest of mid-winter horse pastures. When he isn’t crafting, he’s working with dogs, horses, and playing music.

So if you ever see him with headphones and a tapestry crochet design in the works, you are truly in for a treat! Join all the crafty vibes of his maker journey on Instagram and visit VisuviosCrafts.com for cozy creations, beautiful patterns (knit or crochet), classes, inspiration, and curated Maker Mood playlists to set the mood for your crafting.

Iza Trapani joins us with her wonderful books for children of all ages, from the traditional nursery rhymes Baa Baa Black Sheep and Mary Had a Little Lamb, to Gabe and Goon that helps younger children understand nighttime fears, and many more.

Iza was born in Warsaw, Poland, where she lived until she was seven years old. Her parents fostered a life-long appreciation for books, art, and music. Iza learned to read before she started school and was always encouraged to draw, even though she would take over the entire dining table with her papers and pencils.

When Iza was seven, her mother traveled to America to visit her sister. At the time, whole families were not allowed to leave Communist Poland, so Iza's mother took her, the youngest. Their visit turned into a permanent stay. Her mother remarried and hoped to bring Iza's brother and sister to the United States, but tragically, she died too soon. Iza moved to a children's home in Lodi, New Jersey, where she stayed until she was 16. During this time, Iza's father in Poland also passed away. It wasn't until after she married and became a U.S. citizen that Iza felt she could travel to Poland without fear of deportation. Twenty-five years passed before she was reunited with her siblings.

Over the years, Iza continued to draw and paint. She wanted more than anything to create children's picture books. Crossing paths with a turtle in the woods inspired her first book What Am I? An Animal Guessing Game. Since then Iza has written and illustrated several books for children including the best-selling Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; The Itsy Bitsy Spider; and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Inspired by nature, children and animals, Iza has an endless wellspring of stories and ideas to share with young readers. She was once told that to be a good author a writer must know CPR—concise, precise, and rounded. In her picture books the illustrations play an integral part in enhancing and clarifying the text. It's a wonderful union of art and story with a fresh and interesting perspective.
Iza lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her husband on their farm in a house that they designed. She has worked very hard for her success and feels blessed by the warm reception her books have received by readers young and old.

Husband-and-wife creative team David Soman and Jacky Davis write the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl books together and all the stories are inspired by their own children and family experiences. David’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations bring readers right into Ladybug Girl’s backyard adventures with her, and you will want to stay and play all day!

Mr. Soman comes from a family of artists. He is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, as well as at The Mill Street Loft, a non-profit arts education center in the Hudson Valley. He lives with his wife and two kids in upstate New York.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of Margaret's first book!  A knitting expert ,Margaret Hubert has books using granny squares and more. Personalize any knitting pattern for a perfect fit and style all your own, with expert help from Margaret Hubert!

Designers have to create knitting patterns in standard sizes, but very few people actually match up to those "average" measurements. Body shapes vary, weight fluctuates, and good fit means different things to different people; so what is a knitter to do?

Customize Your Knitting teaches you how to adjust standard patterns to fit your unique measurements. Through techniques that Margaret Hubert has used for years to teach classes on custom fitting, you can learn to adjust patterns for a perfect fit for yourself or someone else. Yarn shop instructors can use the book to teach classes for their customers.

Please make sure to join Margaret for her talk about combining knitting and crochet, in our Tales of Yarn space, Saturday, at noon.

Katrina Rodabaugh is an award-winning artist and writer working across disciplines to explore environmental and social issues through craft techniques. Her writing and work have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living,Mother Earth Living, Sewing Magazine, Sunset magazine, Sweet Paul Magazine, Taproot magazine, and more. Rodabaugh teaches and speaks at craft gatherings across the United States, including to standing-room only crowds at the popular New York State Sheep & Wool Festival. Rodabaugh currently lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.

Nearly a decade in the making,Yoga of Yarn is the go-to guide for those knitter's who want to take a spiritual journey with their craft.

No prior yoga or meditation experience necessary. This practical and accessible guide will fit in your project bag and be with you whenever you need it.
Find how simple movements can lighten your mind and body. Explore different breathing techniques for calmer knitting. Discover knitting patterns written for knitters who want to explore meditation as they stitch.
“Liza understands that knitting, like yoga and meditation, can be a pathway to wellness, even more so when all three are combined.”
                                                                                 —from Foreword by Melanie Falick