Winter has no hold on us once February 1st arrives and we begin to hear from our many friends who have registered for a Sievers class. Thank you! Hearing from you warms our winter and we anticipate the spring, summer and fall days when classes are in session and we’re together. As enrollment continues and before our 2022 season begins, we enjoy the landscapes of a Washington Island winter.
2022 Sievers Preview
February 1st will be here in just a few weeks! That day, all of our 2022 classes will be open for registration and those class descriptions along with complete information will be available on our website. The site will be in “maintenance mode” soon, but available again for registration on February 1. Featured on the cover of the 2022 brochure are Coiled Baskets made by Sievers instructor, Lynn Stracka Schuster. Thank you, Lynn, for sharing your many fiber art talents with us and with your students! This past year was Lynn’s 40th year of teaching at Sievers. Many of our instructors are returning in 2022 and we welcome two new team teachers, Karen Zeman and Jackie Barry. Both have been […]
Warmest wishes
Dear Sievers friends and family, These stockings are filled with our warmest wishes to you and yours for happiness, good health, love and peace this holiday season and into the new year. With gratitude for your friendship, Ann, Butch, Cindra, Carolyn, Barb, Kathleen, Patricia, Kirsten and Ellie Thus having prepared…against a sure winterthe wise treesstand sleeping in the cold. William Carlos Williams “Sometimes I needonly to standwherever I amto be blessed.” Mary Oliver
Make it!
Whether it refers to baking, creating or otherwise, it’s the season to “make it”. That’s what we’re doing. Make it a Julekuler! This Scandinavian heart knitted bauble was made using a free pattern, but was adapted by using sport weight yarn and size 2 double pointed needles. Make it delicious! This cookie recipe was discovered in last winter’s Door County Living magazine. It’s especially suitable as a non-fussy holiday treat and yes, the dark chocolate chips are highly recommended! Apricot Ginger Oatmeal Cookies Preheat the oven to 350°. 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder Mix these ingredients into a bowl and set aside. 1 c. butter […]
November now and then
We’ve had one of the longest fall seasons in recent memory and are still enjoying the sight of many leaves on the trees, especially in those places closest to the water. These late fall days truly feel like a gift! As one of our favorite seasons, it never seems to last long enough. Contrast the two photos, both taken on November 9. On the left, 2021 and on the right, 2018. This is not to say we don’t like winter, but instead are happy with the current weather conditions. It has been 81 years since the “Big Blow of 1940”, the Armistice Day Storm of November 11, 1940. Not being a historian, I won’t delve into all the ramifications of […]
Wrap-up and Pop-up
We’re getting close to wrapping up our 2021 season. Classes concluded last week and the shop’s daily hours will end October 31st. Starting in November, we’ll be in the office on weekdays only. (Pease know you’re always welcome to stop in!) We’ll still have yarns, books, needles, etc., available for purchase. This year (our 43rd) we had a total of 347 registered students and 75 of those were taking their first Sievers class. New students came from AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NM, NY, OH, SC, TX, VA, WA, WV and of course, WI. It was so good to see many of you this past season and meet our new […]
Velkommen
Velkommen til Simply Scandinavian, our last class of the 2021 season. Connie Westbrook was kind enough to offer it twice this year, in June and October, and both times focused on projects with the clean lines and simple designs of Scandinavian weaving. Like the class held in June, Connie shared her beautiful handwoven samples and ideas, offered afternoon fika (not just for Swedes, it’s time for friends to take a pause, share a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat), arranged for a guided tour of the Stavkirke and created a welcoming atmosphere for her students. From an array of weave structures and patterns including Halvdräll, Monk’s Belt and Scandinavian Snowflake, students wove table linens, pillow […]
Knitters: Agents of transformation
The students in the Creative Knitting Retreat class with Sandy De Master and Mary Germain and their fellow knitting friends in the Open Knitting Studio know these words are true. From the simplest of tools and a ball of yarn, plus the knowledge of only two stitches, knit and purl, the possibilities are endless. From our Sievers Readings file: “I am a knitter. I take yarn and needles and become an agent of transformation…taking my part in moving a sheep’s’ fleece to garment…knitting my intentions and love into the fabric. I am linked to the past and my knitting Grandmothers, I am linked to my present when people ask me what I’m doing. I am knitting a future, honing myself […]
