Signature Needle Arts Closing Its Doors

I’m a few days behind on this news, but per their Facebook page, Signature Needle Arts has begun the process of closing down.

Owner Cathy says she recently retired from Bothe Associates (the machine shop that made the needles) and “I simply don’t have the energy to continue to shepherd Signature in the coming years.”

Their final sales began last week, and accessories, kits, yarn, books and patterns are now 20 percent off. The announcement said there are currently no plans to discount the needles, which are beloved in the knitting community and carry a high price tag.

The website says that all sales are final and orders and being processed on a first come, first served basis. There is no guarantee items will be available because of the high volume or orders, and shipping is delayed at least five days as they work through orders.

The company made interchangeable circular knitting needles, fixed circular small circumference sock needles, double pointed knitting needles and single point needles. They also sell accessories, a selection of yarn and pattern kits, and a selection of patterns. It was founded because Cathy, who was president of Bothe Associates, was struggling with knitting fuzzy yarn and wanted needles with sharper points. She had the needles made at the shop and the stiletto point was born. They also make “middy” and blunt tips for knitters who prefer a less-sharp point.

I was poking around this morning and it looks like some needles have sold out already, so if you want to get some you should check in and order quickly. The note says items may go out of stock and not come back, but others may reappear as they work on finishing products in progress.

The note did say they are open to serious inquiries about selling the business, so there’s a chance someone out there will be able to take over the company and keep these great needles coming.

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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