Hello!

It’s great to see skeins of hand painted yarn drying in the warm breeze of late April. Alison’s first batch of the new Rayon Chenille Forest is the first yarn we have dried outside this year. Be sure to check out What’s New and Coming for an update on the color change to Forest.

We are busy getting ready for Wasoon, the biannual event of the Weavers and Spinners of Ontario North. This year Wasoon will be held in Sudbury May 7-9th. It is always a fun time and we are looking forward to participating in the 2004 gathering.

Be sure to check out What’s New and Coming for all the latest product news. Yes, 2/5 undyed Tencel is here.

Don and Marie

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From the Distillery

Marie is weaving scarves and shawls for late spring and summer wear. She is working with a combination of a handpainted silk warp and Tencel weft. The result, in a word, is stunning. As we offer so many colors in mill dyed Tencel, Marie can always find the “ just right” hue for the weft.

We made a sizeable purchase of 2/20 silk made in Japan and can now offer this to Yarns Plus customers who are looking for a source of high quality silk for that very special project. This silk is pure white and ready to dye to exactly the color you want. It is done up on 1/2 lb. tubes and is priced at only $49.00 per 1/2 lb. Marie finds a sett of 30-36 epi is ideal depending on the weft and the weave structure you use. With the warmer weather around the corner, every weekend at the District features a special event. Two outdoor art exhibits will take place May 15& 16 and June 19 & 20.

The Distillery District signature event “ The Distillery District Jazz Festival” runs for ten days May 20 to 30th. Kimberly Seldon presents her “ Designer Flea Market on June 19 & 20th.

On June 27, the first of five Distillery District Food Festivals scheduled during the summer takes place. The “Strawberry Festival” will be a not to miss event..

When you visit the Distillery District be sure to drop in and say hello to Marie in Studio 105, Case Goods Warehouse, 55 Mill Street, Toronto. Wednesday—Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

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What's New & Coming!

2/5 Tencel is here and ready to ship…
For all our customers who have been looking for a heavier Tencel the wait is over. The 2/5 Tencel is beautiful. Twisted by the same mill to the same specs as our 2/8 and 2/10 Tencel this yarn is going to be a winner. Let us know if you want a reeling and we’ll get it in the mail, quick.

With the addition of the 2/5 undyed Tencel we now offer undyed
Tencel in six sizes, all the way from 2/16 –4 ply to 2/30 plus 45 colors in 2/8 or 2/10. Yarns Plus is the source for Tencel!

New Forest Colorway in Stock!
Marie has changed the gold shade in the Forest combination to Rust as I mentioned in the last newsletter. The new Forest will be Rust, Dark Green and Chino. This change has been made to both Rayon Chenille and Tencel hand painted skeins as well as Tencel scarf warps and Rayon Chenille scarf kits. All items are in stock in the new colorway. We think it looks great and will be a very popular combination.

Hand Painted Tencel Warps now 2/8
All Tencel scarf warps hand painted in the last month have been done with 2/8 Tencel. 2/10 Warps will be made up on a special order basis only, allow three weeks for delivery. Both sizes permit the selection of weft from any of the 45 colors we offer in 2/8 and 2/10 mill-dyed Tencel.

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Congratulations Patricia,

In early March, Marie and I were surprised when a note arrived from Madelyn van der Hoogt, Editor of Handwoven. Enclosed was a copy of an article appearing in the March/April issue by Patricia Townsend of San Francisco. Patty purchased some of our handpainted Tencel yarn at Convergence in Vancouver.

Exploring the use of satin weave structure, Patty used the hand painted Tencel as a portion of the warp in a scarf design that created a very dramatic color effect. We immediately recognized the Seascape and Twilight colorways in the pieces illustrated in the article.

Mill dyed Tencel was used for the balance of the warp and the weft. The complete article is on pages 52-55, we know you will enjoy reading it.

Congratulations, Patricia, we are very gratified to see our yarn used to create such beautiful pieces.

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A Little Inspiration…

As members of the Hand Weavers Spinners & Dyers of Alberta we receive their quarterly publication Running Threads. In the Summer 2003 issue, editor Pamela Marriott ran the poem below inviting all readers to share it. With apologies to those who have already read it, here it is. Thanks, Pamela.

Dust if you must but wouldn’t it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must but the world’s out there,
With sun in your eyes , the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come round again.

Dust if you must but bear in mind ,
Old age will come and it’s not kind,
And when you go, and go you must,
You, yourself will make more dust.

Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write
“ I love you” on the furniture….

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Here are the shows Shows we will be attending in 2004….

• May 7,8,9 , 2004
  Wasoon 2004, Cambrian College, Sudbury, ON
• September 18, 2004
  Five Counties Seminar, Cambridge, Ontario
• October 2, 2004
  OHS Central Region Seminar, Thornhill, Ontario

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May/June Specials

Annual Dyed Rayon Chenille Sale—20% off our reduced regular price on all colors, 1300/1450 and 2000 yd. lb.

Regular $28.00 a lb. Now only $22.00 a lb.

Now is the time to stock up on Rayon Chenille for your fall weaving and knitting projects. Every color in every weight of mill dyed Rayon Chenille in stock, including Black, is on sale. Conveniently done up on one pound tubes we have 34 colors in stock ready to ship.

Don’t miss this special, order early for best selection as some colors are limited !

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Security change helps the Environment!

To safeguard the information our customers provide we have always made sure our computer is fully protected. It helps to have a brother who is a computer expert. The latest change was to install a router as a security add-on to the two firewalls we utilize.

Like any business we produce paper, some containing confidential business info. With the drastic increase in reports of identity theft we decided to invest in a shedder. Wow, does the thing ever produce a pile of shredded paper.

We started to noodle around ideas of what it could be used for and presto … why not use it instead of the styrofoam noodles we use to pack orders.

So as the supply permits we plan to use it around the yarn to fill up the cartons to prevent carton damage during shipping. It is a bit messier but we have always placed the yarn in plastic bags to protect it.

We expect to have to continue to use some styrofoam noodles but hope to limit the amount. In fact when you add all the junk mail we get it starts to look quite colorful.

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Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

As mail order specialists we fully understand the apprehension to purchase yarn sight unseen. If you are planning a project and feel our yarn may be suitable we’ll be glad to send a reeling of any yarns you may want to order so you can be sure they are right for you. Just call toll free 1-877-448-4544.

If you buy yarn from us and discover it is not exactly what you wanted for your project we’ll take it back. We want you to be happy with your Yarns Plus purchase. To make it absolutely risk free we are happy to exchange an item or give a refund. We'll even pay the return postage. Just call.

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A Little Pearl…..

“Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

Chief Seattle, 1854

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