Tag: screenprinting

Fábrica fundraiser:

“Fábrica Yard Sale”

Saturday, July 11, 12-4pm

@ The Fábrica
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

The Fábrica’s 3rd (approximately) annual TEXTILE ARTS YARD SALE is coming up on Saturday, July 11 at 703 Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz. The sale will be in the courtyard of The Hub and inside The Fábrica and SubRosa from 12-4pm.

We will have tons of fabric, sewing patterns, knitting and crochet tools, yarn, notions, sewing machines, and vintage clothes for sale at great prices! This is a fundraiser to support the continued operation of our community textile arts workshop. And this year our friends at LGC will be joining with some bargain prints and live silkscreening at the event. Please share!

Ongoing workshop

“Mending Circle”

@ The Fábrica
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Wednesday, June 29, 2026
6pm – 8 pm

* Starting in August, the mending circle will be every 2nd and 4th Wednesday.

Bring something to mend and learn some new mending methods! You’re also welcome to join with any hand-stitching project (crochet, embroidery, knitting, etc). No machines during this time.

Knitting is a Summer Sport

I recently heard someone refer to knitting as a “Winter Sport” and, while I understand that sentiment entirely (it is certainly slow and fuzzy compared to many warm weather activities), I’d like to argue that knitting is just as enjoyable and practical during the summer.

If you’re an avid knitter, you are probably familiar with the need to have multiple knitting projects going on at the same time. Different knitting projects require different levels of focus and space, so they’re suitable for different environments.

For example, when you’re by yourself, lounging on the porch and enjoying the long June and July evenings, work on your more intricate and bulky project, something that requires counting or reading a pattern and changing colors. I’m working on the King Salmon Sweater from Boyland Knitworks. It’s my first stranded colorwork project in a long time and it definitely requires some attention to detail!

During the summer of 2026, you might also find yourself watching a thrilling World Cup match at the pub with a crew of friends. If you absolutely must bring a handicraft with you, bring something so simple that you don’t even have to look at it! A simple scarf would be perfect, but I’m working on the deceptively simple 3 Day Pullover by Laerke Bagger. This is an excellent project for using a bunch of different yarns you find at The Fábrica, or leftover from your other projects.

And if you’re taking a plane, train, or (the passenger seat of an) automobile on a summer trip, bring something small and complicated that will help you pass the hours without taking up too much space in your bag. Some folks might prefer a lacy shawl or a colorwork knit cap, but I usually opt for socks. I have been using the Muleteer Sock pattern for years and years. It’s a very simple toe-up pattern, but you can change things up to make it more interesting. Sometimes I do seed stitch across the instep, use a self striping yarn, or change up the length and ribbing pattern for the ankle.

By the way, when making socks, I highly recommend knitting both socks at once on two setfs of needles. This will make it easier to knit both the same, without keeping meticulous notes. And, best of all, when you’re done, you’re done!

By Elaina, one of the Fábrica’s co-founders and Collective members.

A Note About Donations:

Some of you may know that we (lovingly!) refer to our neighborhood as the sketchy end of Pacific. And although the area is rapidly gentrifying, the sidewalks on our block see their share of low-level chaos. For this reason, we kindly ask that you never leave donations in front of the shop when we’re closed. Those donations might end up becoming a hazard or a mess before we’re next open and able to take them inside.

If you have a large donations, it’s always best to contact us in advance. And if you want to make sure we’re open, just double check our website or social media. We always post online and put a sign on the door if we need to be closed for some reason.