Food & Drink
There’s an Artisanal Yarn Revolution Happening in Bellingham and It’s Awesome
Bellingham knitters now have a bounty of yarn colors and styles.
By Megan Lamb October 26, 2017
This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
In Bellingham, a burgeoning community of yarn enthusiasts is helping knitters get cozy in style, hand-spinning and hand-dying yarns that stand strands and hues apart from their commercial brethren. Scarlet Tang of Huckleberry Knits (online only, huckleberryknits.com) uses wool from lesser-known sheep breeds, such as Targhee or Bluefaced Leicester, for a yarn that is softer and more lustrous than synthetic versions, and more durable and pill-resistant than traditional merino wool. She dyes her yarns by hand in her small Bellingham studio, yielding vibrant “farm-to-yarn” colors, such as gold-tinged emeralds, rich browns and silvery blues.
Northwest Yarns (Bellingham, 1401 Commercial St.; 360.738.0167; nwyarns.com), owned by Heather Seevers and Echo Mae, features local hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn. They stock Tang’s yarn as well as those of Spincycle Yarns (Bellingham, 2135 Queen St., Suite B; 360.752.0783; spincycleyarns.com; call to schedule a visit) and Cedar House Yarns (cedarhouseyarns.com). Hand-dyed yarn is exciting, Seevers says, because “no two batches are ever the same.”
You can find some of Bellingham’s artisan yarns closer to home in Seattle, at The Tea Cozy Yarn Shop (Ballard, 5816 24th Ave. NW; 206.783.3322; teacozyyarn.com) or Bad Woman Yarn (Wallingford, 1815 N 45th St.; 206.547.5384; badwomanyarn.com). But it’s worth the trip north if you’re also a craft beer fan: Every Sunday you can join a group of local knitters at Bellingham’s Racket Bar and Pinball Lounge (downtown Bellingham, 1220 N State St.; 360.778.1067) for a night of “knitting and drinking,” two of the season’s coziest pleasures.
Follow Us
Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing
Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege
In his book, Old White Man Writing, Seattle resident Joshua Gidding attempts to come to terms with his privilege. Gidding grapples with the rapidly changing cultural norms in 21st-century America while examining his own racial biases and prejudices. As Manhattan Book Review notes: “Old White Man Writing is an introspective deep dive into an eventful life…
Glacial Expressions
Local scientist and painter Jill Pelto spotlights climate change in a multi-artist show at Slip Gallery
The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…
How Taproot Theatre Survived A Financial Crisis
Theatre is planning for its 50th birthday next year
Karen Lund vividly remembers that sinking feeling she had in the fall of 2023. That was when Lund, producing artistic director of Taproot Theatre Co., first realized that the financially strapped, midsized professional theatre in the Greenwood neighborhood might not survive. The theatre had already weathered the worst of the pandemic, but costs were mounting….
Humanities Washington Fights ‘Midnight’ Cuts
Nonprofit loses previously approved federal grants with little warning
The letter came without warning, like a slap in the face from an invisible hand. Humanities Washington CEO and Executive Director Julie Ziegler had already been talking with peers in other states, and she readied herself for the blow. The National Endowment for the Humanities (think DOGE) had terminated her nonprofit’s previously awarded federal grant…