Knitgrrl Studio owner Shannon Okey has been chosen to create the awards that will be presented at the 34th annual Cleveland International Film Festival. Created from handmade, hand-dyed wool felt, these awards will be given to four top filmmakers from all over the world. See page 21 in the festival guide for more details.

Among the previous local artists chosen for this honor is Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, whose textile pieces Shannon loves.

Following up on last month’s sewing patterns as knitting templates class, we’re working on new sewing-related classes for you, both online and off. The marketing class has just started: if you’re a crafter or designer who needs help marketing your work, send an email to us (info [at] knitgrrlstudio [dot] com) and we’ll get you set up.

In addition, Knitgrrl Studio continues to offer team-building exercises for companies and corporations — one of our upcoming events was customized by the client (a certain large Cleveland-based insurance company) to make a certain kind of fabric blanket. You can customize yours, too! Just drop us a line and let us know what sounds like fun, and we’ll bring the class to you!

SO excited! This is seriously one of my favorite products in the world, whether I’m washing a handknit sweater or a delicate cashmere one! We just got some in after months of backorder (it’s popular stuff!), so get it while you can. Limited edition Unleash Soak fiber wash at Knitgrrl Studio.

Check it out! My studio was featured today as part of CRAFT’s January “Make Space For Crafting” feature!

Now you don’t have to be local to Knitgrrl Studio to take classes with us! We’ve posted February’s class choices (4 classes and one all-day workshop being offered in two separate sessions) here at our sister site Knitgrrl along with signup options.

If you ARE local, you are welcome to stop in for help as needed.

Knitgrrl Studio’s up for a $5000 small business award — would you mind voting for us? Here’s the link. Thank you!

(Feel free to retweet this post or share it elsewhere, too).

Last night’s Cleveland Handmade Last Minute Market was a smashing success, especially as Kathy, owner of Smashing, did an amazing job putting everything together. Of course, this lovely ad in the Scene helped quite a bit, too, if you ask me!

It was great to see our building mobbed with people supporting indie craft and the other artists spread over the Lake Erie building’s two studio floors.

With a few exceptions, Knitgrrl Studio will be closed until the first of the year. We need to take inventory after so many packed holiday shows, and of course, spend time with friends and family. (Not to mention a few top-secret-exciting business meetings!)

If you would like to order anything specific, please either place an order in the online shop and we’ll ship as soon as we can, or email us at info [at] knitgrrlstudio [dot] com for further assistance.

Thanks again for a wonderful 2009 and see you in 2010!

We were featured recently in a lovely Sun Post-Herald article about the upcoming Cleveland Handmade Last Minute Market in our studio building. For more about the event, see here.

Knitgrrl Studio will be selling at at few more events over the winter show season. For the full list, see here.

Just added:

• 3 December: Cleveland Yachting Club holiday gift show
• 5 December: Cleveland Handmade Market, 10–6 p.m., Wooltex Gallery, Cleveland, OH

Thanks to everyone who came to Open Studios this weekend! I’ve been so busy making these…

and these…

that I’ve lost track of the days, so it was fantastic to see so many of you at the show.