Inspiring Places: Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

On a recent trip to Seattle, I discovered this beautiful shop called Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. As the name would imply, it's a yarn shop, but with the added lovely bonus of being a tea shop as well! How cute is that?!

Churchmouse is located on Bainbridge Island, just a scenic, half-hour ferry ride from Seattle. As is typical, it was an overcast, cold & drizzly day as my husband & I walked the charming main street, so this cheerful, glowing shop was a welcome sight. Near the front door is a cozy work space where you can take a class or simply grab a seat to try out your new yarn. Just beyond that is a magical land of knittiness with yarns of every type & color imaginable, plus all of the knitting books, needles and nifty little extras a knitter or crocheter could want!

One of my favorite things about the shop was the number of finished projects on display. There were so many amazing & beautiful handmade garments - many made from techniques I'd never even seen before!

I also loved all the little bowls of fancy buttons. I'm a sucker for organization, especially when it involves pretty little things like these buttons. Check out those teeny tiger faces! eek!

But perhaps the coolest part of this amazing knitty wonderland is the little tea shop in the back! Tons of teas, by the bag, tin, even loose tea by the pound, await to delight your senses. Of course they had dozens of cute teacups, teapots and all of the other accessories as well. Too bad we had only taken a day trip over to the island; I wanted to curl up with a cup of tea & stay forever!

Eastside Knit Night: November 16th

Join us November 16th for Eastside Knit Night!

We've partnered up with Yarn Harvest, Austin’s only sweater recycling yarn company, to bring fiber arts to the forefront during this year’s East Austin Studio Tour. The tour is an annual showcase of artists’ studios, as well as an opportunity to see what is new in the art world of East Austin. Crafters attending the Eastside Knit Night will meet and mingle with experienced knitters and crocheters to learn the basics of knitting and see some advanced skills. During the event, Yarn Harvest will roll out their new line of luxurious recycled cashmere yarn, just in time for the cooler weather.

Our knitting/crochet teachers will include Tara Tschillard of Fifty Acorns, Maggie Murphy of Assorted Musings, Julia Chambers of Pixie Worx, Andrea Harris-Giron of Bitch Stitch & Kelly Minton of kellymagelli.

A special screening of the indie documentary “Handmade Nation,” will showcase the do-it-
yourself culture that is sweeping the nation. The film features several of Austin’s well-known
visionary crafters including; Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching and Magda Sayeg, of Knitta, Please guerilla knitted art fame.

Sponsor, Gauge Knits, offers up give-aways, including goodie bags to the first 30 peeps who arrive!

AND free beer sponsored by St. Arnold's! With snacks served by Reel Popcorn, too!

And DRINK sponsors Treaty Oak Rum & Graham's Texas Tea have joined in too!

Knitting, crocheting, food and drinks begins at 5:30pm
Screening of “Handmade Nation” around 8:30pm
Starving Art Studios, 2326 E Cesar Chavez

It's an official EAST happening & will be listed in the program!

Craftrepreneurs: Yarn Harvest

Have you heard of Yarn Harvest? It's Austin's own recycled yarn company, making beautiful yarn from second-hand sweaters! What a creative & eco-friendly manufacturing model. Here's what Yarn Harvest has to say about its nontraditional method:

"By finding a new use for a second-hand, locally-abundant resource, we are able to keep our costs low and our manufacturing local. By not having to make new wool, we are able to reduce the carbon footprint and negative impacts on the environment that making new wool causes. And by getting involved in the wonderful world of knitting, crocheting, and crafting in general, we know that what we make is both quality and a good value."


We love what Yarn Harvest is up to, and we're partnering with them to bring you Eastside Knit Night this November during the East Austin Studio Tour! On Tuesday, 11/16 from 5:30-9pm, you'll be able to hang out with creative knitters & crocheters, learn something new & share your skills at this fantabulous knitty party we're hosting at Starving Art Studios. There will be knit-tastic giveaways, the debut of Yarn Harvest's latest & greatest products & more! Mark your calendars & stay tuned for more details about this fun event.

Knitters & crocheters: Would you like to teach others your technique? We're looking for a few talented folks who want to share their mad skillz at this event. You'd be able to sell your handmade yarn-y creations as well. If interested, please drop us a line at getcrafty[at]thewondercraft[dot]com!

Greg, the friendly guy behind Yarn Harvest, shows off his goods.