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Herrschners to Distribute Big Twist Yarn

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One of the biggest worries I’ve seen from people with the in-progress closing of Joann craft stores is the loss of Big Twist yarn. Big Twist is a private label yarn that was sold exclusively at Joann (though you can find some colors on Amazon at huge markups). Many crafters like it as their go-to low-cost acrylic yarn because it’s softer than Red Heart Super Saver but similarly came in a wide range of colors, as well as some prints and themed colorways.

There had been a rumor that the yarn was made by Spinrite/Yarnspirations and that they would start making it under one of their own labels such as Caron or Red Heart, but Marly Bird debunked that rumor.

Herrschners has announced that they “will soon be carrying” Big Twist yarn, “bringing you an even wider selection of colors and textures for all your knitting and crochet projects,” according to a statement on their website. No timeline is mentioned but they do suggest signing up for email alerts so you’ll know when the yarn is available.

In case you don’t know this company already, Herrschners is a needlework company that got its start in the late 1800s in Chicago. It has been a catalog company for more than 125 years (and I’ll still get their catalogs in the mail from time to time) and of course now they also sell online. The company is currently based in Stevens Point, WI.

They sell yarn and notions for knitting and crochet as well as needlepoint, latch hook, plastic canvas and other crafts. Since we’re talking about yarn, they carry well-known brands like Red Heart, Caron, Premier and Lion Brand, but also have their own private label brand of yarn. Their Supreme Worsted is probably the closest to a Big Twist option that they currently have.

I know a lot of knitters and crocheters will be relieved to have Big Twist as an option in the future. It’s not quite as convenient as running to your local store to grab a ball when you need it, but at least it will still be available!

[Photo via Joann]

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Learn About Central African Republic for Kids

The Central African Republic is a landlocked central African country that’s bordered by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and Cameroon.

Central African Republic Basics

  • The area that is now the Central African Republic has been inhabited by humans since at least 8000 BCE. The country’s borders were set out by France, and it gained independence in 1960.
  • The capital and largest city is Bangui.
  • The country is about 240,000 square miles or 620,000 square kilometers, and has a population of more than 5 million people. Among those people are around 80 different ethnic groups, and the nation has been in a civil war since 2012. It is among the 10 poorest countries in the world and considered the unhealthiest country in the world.
  • French is the official language and Sango, a creole language based on Ngbandi, is the national and co-official language.
  • Most of the country is savanna, but there is also equatorial forest and river basins.
  • The country has a president and a prime minister, and the country holds elections, though the official government is not in control of much of the country that is held by rebel groups.

Central African Republic National Symbols

The flag of Central African Republic is interesting because it has both horizontal and vertical stripes. The horizontal stripes are blue, white, green and yellow, with a vertical red stripe bisecting the flag. There’s also a gold five-pointed star in the top left corner.

The colors are meant to be symbolic of France and Africa, with the red stripe connecting them both, just as Africa and Europe should be connected. The star recognizes their independence.

The national anthem is “La Renaissance,” which was adopted before their independence was declared in 1960. The music was written by a French composer who also composed the national anthem of Senegal. The lyrics were written by the prime minister at the time.

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The coat of arms includes an African elephant and a baobab tree, and the peregrine falcon is also considered a national symbol.

Central African Republic Learning Activities

Learn the difference between African elephants and Asian elephants, learn some fun facts about African elephants, learn about the parts of the elephant and life cycle of the elephant with great printables from Montessori Nature, and make a cute elephant printable craft from Learn Create Love.

Learn more about the baobab tree and why it is so important throughout Africa from this post from The Travelling Chilli.

Explore more learning resources from Teachers Pay Teachers.

For older kids, you can learn a bit about the origins of the civil war in the Central African Republic with this video from Al Jazeera. (It’s a little dated, from 2021, but the history is sound.)

Check out the Chutes de Boali, or Boali Falls, a stunning collection of waterfalls in Central African Republic.

Learn about Dzanga-Sangha National Reserve, a preserved forest landscape that includes deciduous and evergreen tropical forests, swap forests and clearings that is home to forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, forest buffalo, antelope and more.

Boondocking Recipes has a collection of recipes form Central African Republic, which has food similar to other African nations, such as chicken stew, plantain soup and fufu, a classic starchy concoction made of cassava root and plantains. Learn more about it from Immaculate Bites.