The Warmth of Fall
BY KATE MCPHEETERS-MOSES
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And even in California the autumn months bring with them crisp air and cooler temperatures, inviting us to pull out our favorite sweaters, scarves, hats and gloves.
This season, stores are carrying sweaters in all types of silhouettes and styles – everything from slouchy and belted to feminine with ruffles or fur. If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, you might consider knitting your own cozy piece.
Yarns today come in a wide variety of colors and materials, such as synthetic, natural, and hypoallergenic fibers. You can make something that’s just the way you want it.
Knitting is as popular today as ever before, in part due to the countless celebrities taking up the hobby. Stars like Julia Roberts, Felicity Huffman, and even David Arquette are known to fill their downtime on the set with knitting needles and a ball of yarn. Check out the books Celebrity Scarves and Celebrity Scarves 2 for scarf patterns and photos courtesy of numerous A-list celebs.
Before becoming a fashionable hobby, knitting was a skill learned out of necessity by earlier generations. Ask around and you’ll likely find a friend or grandmother who would be happy to help teach you the craft. And if creating your own handmade item still seems like an overwhelming task, you needn’t worry – the folks at local knitting stores, Knit Witz in Stockton and The Knitting Room in Lodi, are happy to help you through your project.
So next time you’re bundled up at the high school football game, try staying warm and stylish in something you created!
Did You Know?
This isn’t a woven tale; it’s true!
Right here in Stockton, Mr. E. Gilmore invented the “jack loom” and got his first loom system patent in 1933 and opened Gilmore Looms in 1936. The original loom manufacturing shop was located in downtown Stockton and 1956 moved to its present location, just outside the Stockton city limits. Today Gilmore Looms is owned by Bob and Judy Allen.
Made of the finest of solid wood, each part is still made by hand, goes through several sanding processes, and is hand-coated with lacquer. The fine craftsmanship and strength give these looms the ability to weave everything from fine light threads to heavy yarns. Not available in retail stores, each loom is built to the customer’s order.
weavinginfo@gilmorelooms.com
209-463-1545
Rachel Ingalls
Spinning yarns and weaving original fabrics
Rachel Ingalls entered San Joaquin Delta College’s apparel design and fashion merchandising program planning to focus on sewing, but after enrolling in a course on textiles, she found she had a new passion.
“The fashion design program at Delta offers a wide range of classes like pattern making and textile design,” said Ingalls, 25. “It really opened my eyes to different options working in fashion, and I fell in love with creating my own textiles.”
Ingalls, who learned to sew and knit as a child, now spins her own yarns and weaves her own fabrics. She creates funky, textured, colorful yarns that you can’t always find at your local craft store. Occasionally she turns her yarns into unique, handmade accessories – selling both on her website, rachelsrarities.etsy.com.
The Lodi resident also enjoys using her yarns and fabrics to make gifts for friends and family. “Almost everyone who knows me now has something that I have made,” said Ingalls. And her advice to anyone who wants to get started creating and working with textiles? Experiment, have fun, and be sure to make something that you would like to wear.
This season, stores are carrying sweaters in all types of silhouettes and styles – everything from slouchy and belted to feminine with ruffles or fur. If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, you might consider knitting your own cozy piece.
Yarns today come in a wide variety of colors and materials, such as synthetic, natural, and hypoallergenic fibers. You can make something that’s just the way you want it.
Knitting is as popular today as ever before, in part due to the countless celebrities taking up the hobby. Stars like Julia Roberts, Felicity Huffman, and even David Arquette are known to fill their downtime on the set with knitting needles and a ball of yarn. Check out the books Celebrity Scarves and Celebrity Scarves 2 for scarf patterns and photos courtesy of numerous A-list celebs.
Before becoming a fashionable hobby, knitting was a skill learned out of necessity by earlier generations. Ask around and you’ll likely find a friend or grandmother who would be happy to help teach you the craft. And if creating your own handmade item still seems like an overwhelming task, you needn’t worry – the folks at local knitting stores, Knit Witz in Stockton and The Knitting Room in Lodi, are happy to help you through your project.
So next time you’re bundled up at the high school football game, try staying warm and stylish in something you created!
Did You Know?
This isn’t a woven tale; it’s true!
Right here in Stockton, Mr. E. Gilmore invented the “jack loom” and got his first loom system patent in 1933 and opened Gilmore Looms in 1936. The original loom manufacturing shop was located in downtown Stockton and 1956 moved to its present location, just outside the Stockton city limits. Today Gilmore Looms is owned by Bob and Judy Allen.
Made of the finest of solid wood, each part is still made by hand, goes through several sanding processes, and is hand-coated with lacquer. The fine craftsmanship and strength give these looms the ability to weave everything from fine light threads to heavy yarns. Not available in retail stores, each loom is built to the customer’s order.
weavinginfo@gilmorelooms.com
209-463-1545
Rachel Ingalls
Spinning yarns and weaving original fabrics
Rachel Ingalls entered San Joaquin Delta College’s apparel design and fashion merchandising program planning to focus on sewing, but after enrolling in a course on textiles, she found she had a new passion.
“The fashion design program at Delta offers a wide range of classes like pattern making and textile design,” said Ingalls, 25. “It really opened my eyes to different options working in fashion, and I fell in love with creating my own textiles.”
Ingalls, who learned to sew and knit as a child, now spins her own yarns and weaves her own fabrics. She creates funky, textured, colorful yarns that you can’t always find at your local craft store. Occasionally she turns her yarns into unique, handmade accessories – selling both on her website, rachelsrarities.etsy.com.
The Lodi resident also enjoys using her yarns and fabrics to make gifts for friends and family. “Almost everyone who knows me now has something that I have made,” said Ingalls. And her advice to anyone who wants to get started creating and working with textiles? Experiment, have fun, and be sure to make something that you would like to wear.