Late yesterday afternoon the FedEx guy showed up with this HUGE, battered box full of Feza Yarns. I had expected it to arrive somewhat later this summer, but I ain't complainin'.
First we have the "Alp Light", kind of a knock-off of Prism Cool Stuff, but at $28.00 for 312 yards, much more affordable. I am still waiting for two back-ordered colors, a black and white, and a turquoise and brown. The poncho is made with one skein of alp Light, and yes, it does all those color changes for you - all you have to do is knit.
Next we have "Fanatic", a gorgeous, self-striping chained yarn that has loooooong repeats so you get nice, wide stripes. Two colors of Fanatic are still back-ordered. At 230 yards for $16 it is only 7 cents per yard, and knits on size 10 needles. The sweater shown takes 5 skeins.
"Cyprus Mohair" actually has no mohair in it at all - it is wool and acrylic, but has the soft feel and the light haze of mohair. At 198 yards for $14 it si also 7 cents per yard and knits on size 10.5 needles. I am waiting for three back-ordered colors, but the ones I have are lush.
BLING! Feza "Night" is a metallic that is very soft, not at all scratchy like some metallic yarns can be, would be perfect for a shrug or shawl for special evenings. At 93 yards and only $6, it is 6 1/2 cents per yard and knits on size 8 needles.
BLING! BLING! Chanel is a very large flag type of yarn that is very soft, and comes in rich colors. I am waiting for black and silver, which are back-ordered. At 99 yards and $10 per ball it costs 10 cents per yard and knits on size 13 needles. The Feza pattern book Dare to Dream has a glorious lacey wrap pattern for Chanel that takes only four skeins.
This is Fourth of July weekend. I encourage everyone to remember what this day stands for, and to fly our flag. I also encourage you to have a great and safe weekend. Knit happy!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
When you need a giggle...
...check out Franklin Habit's blog. His most recent is absolutely hysterical, especially if you've had enough of Twilight.
Sorry I haven't updated the blog lately. I've been up to my eyeballs in getting the newsletter ready and getting the fall class schedule done. Still have quite a bit to do on the latter, but at least it is coming together. My needle felting instructor had to cancel for this fall - anyone want to volunteer to teach needle felting?
Yesterday I ordered some Mochi Plus, a worsted weight version of the Mini Mochi sock yarn, and Mochi Chunky, a bulky version that won't be available for another 4 to 6 weeks. Very. very rich colors, and soooooooooo soft.
I also ordered some Himalaya Silk. If you haven't worked with this yarn, it is like candy for knitters. It is made of scraps of silk from sari factories, and is just lovely. It can be used for a simple scarf, all the way to a unique sweater. I love it.
This is going to be a short update, as I have to get me to the showers and head off to the shop. Speaking of the shop, my Number One cat, Katmandu, is now a shop cat. He is 18+, deaf and recently went blind from a stroke. Otherwise OK, I am bringing him to the shop so I don't have to worry about him falling down the stairs at home, or being harassed by the other, younger cats. Especially Dana the Destroyer, who is lobbying to be the next alpha feline by trying to stage a coup de cat. Du pretty much stays in the office on his heated cat bed, so even if you are allergic to cats, there shouldn't be a problem.
Knit happy!
Sorry I haven't updated the blog lately. I've been up to my eyeballs in getting the newsletter ready and getting the fall class schedule done. Still have quite a bit to do on the latter, but at least it is coming together. My needle felting instructor had to cancel for this fall - anyone want to volunteer to teach needle felting?
Yesterday I ordered some Mochi Plus, a worsted weight version of the Mini Mochi sock yarn, and Mochi Chunky, a bulky version that won't be available for another 4 to 6 weeks. Very. very rich colors, and soooooooooo soft.
I also ordered some Himalaya Silk. If you haven't worked with this yarn, it is like candy for knitters. It is made of scraps of silk from sari factories, and is just lovely. It can be used for a simple scarf, all the way to a unique sweater. I love it.
This is going to be a short update, as I have to get me to the showers and head off to the shop. Speaking of the shop, my Number One cat, Katmandu, is now a shop cat. He is 18+, deaf and recently went blind from a stroke. Otherwise OK, I am bringing him to the shop so I don't have to worry about him falling down the stairs at home, or being harassed by the other, younger cats. Especially Dana the Destroyer, who is lobbying to be the next alpha feline by trying to stage a coup de cat. Du pretty much stays in the office on his heated cat bed, so even if you are allergic to cats, there shouldn't be a problem.
Knit happy!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Great American Aran Afghan Knit Along
Happy Thursday, one and all! Today I got a long-backordered shipment from Skacel - two colorpacks of Zauberball sock, and the associated patterns. The colors of this stuff are amazing, but what really impressed me is the patterns. Pictures to the right.....
The Great American Aran Afghan knit-along will be held at the shop on the third Saturday of every month, (excluding 18 December 2010) from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. You do not need to be present at every meeting of the Knit-Along to participate; participation may be on-line, or occasional. You do not need to knit all the squares, either - you may choose to knit a few and make pillows out of them, or knit 12 squares instead of 20 for a smaller throw.
Yarn choice is up to you. The pattern book calls for Plymouth Encore, but I will not be carrying any Plymouth yarns for some time yet (minimum order is too big). You may substitute any of the following:
Speaking of the pattern book, the afghan squares will be done in the order they are presented in the book. If you are doing less than 20 squares you can either take off the months for squares you are not doing, or skip on ahead - it's totally up to you. Being part of the Knit Along will give less experienced knitters the opportunity to increase the level of difficulty of their knitting, with the advantage of having more experienced knitters working on the same project readily available for advice.
The Great American Aran Afghan knit-along will be held at the shop on the third Saturday of every month, (excluding 18 December 2010) from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. You do not need to be present at every meeting of the Knit-Along to participate; participation may be on-line, or occasional. You do not need to knit all the squares, either - you may choose to knit a few and make pillows out of them, or knit 12 squares instead of 20 for a smaller throw.
Yarn choice is up to you. The pattern book calls for Plymouth Encore, but I will not be carrying any Plymouth yarns for some time yet (minimum order is too big). You may substitute any of the following:
- Cascade 220
- Cascade 220 Superwash
- Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted
- Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash
- Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Speaking of the pattern book, the afghan squares will be done in the order they are presented in the book. If you are doing less than 20 squares you can either take off the months for squares you are not doing, or skip on ahead - it's totally up to you. Being part of the Knit Along will give less experienced knitters the opportunity to increase the level of difficulty of their knitting, with the advantage of having more experienced knitters working on the same project readily available for advice.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Maggi Knits!
Good morning all! Monday I went to K'zoo to see Mary at Maggi Knits. She still had all the models from the trade show out, so I got to look at them more closely than before. The thing I love about Maggi Knits is her garments don't necessarily look like much "on the rack", but on a person they are amazing. I spent about 2 hours there, looking at yarn types and pattern books.
Maggi's genius is not limited to her designs - she has had the tremendous foresight to color-coordinate her yarns, so everything is rather easy for knitters who find putting colors together challenging. As Mary pointed out, Maggi is not a knitter who designs patterns, she is a fashion designer who knits. Everything is simple, as Maggi does not care for complicated knitting. I had little previous knowledge of Maggi Knits, and was most impressed with how simple her very elaborate looking garments really are.
Maggi will be back in the country this Thursday, and Mary will have her contact me about doing a workshop at The Yarn Gourmet. I am very, very pleased about this, as last week a customer who has taken one of Maggi's workshops told me that she paid $85 and got $170 worth of information. The workshops include a fashion show on Friday night. I am also told that Maggi's entertainment value alone is worth the price of admission. As soon as I have a workshop scheduled I will let you all know.
Another advantage of having Maggi Knits so close is I will be able to get the yarns you want with minimum delay. If necessary I could drive to K'zoo to pick them up - it's only about 90 minutes (if I do the speed limit).
Yesterday the K1C2 Wrapunzel came in. This yarn is so pretty, and so affordable - only $7 per ball. Best of all, you can make something really unique out of it and it is machine washable. How many really unique yarns can say that?
I am also pleased to t ell you that yesterday I obtained a coffee-maker for the shop! It is one of the small ones that uses the Senseo pods, and I got a nice selection of coffees so everyone can have what they want. A 50 cent donation per cup will keep the coffee flowing.
Well, off to unlock the doors and begin the day. It presently looks very stormy outside, although nothing exciting weather-wise has happened yet. Hopefully I will have phone, internet and credit card machine all day. Remember - only 184 knitting days left till Christmas! Knit happy!
Maggi's genius is not limited to her designs - she has had the tremendous foresight to color-coordinate her yarns, so everything is rather easy for knitters who find putting colors together challenging. As Mary pointed out, Maggi is not a knitter who designs patterns, she is a fashion designer who knits. Everything is simple, as Maggi does not care for complicated knitting. I had little previous knowledge of Maggi Knits, and was most impressed with how simple her very elaborate looking garments really are.
Maggi will be back in the country this Thursday, and Mary will have her contact me about doing a workshop at The Yarn Gourmet. I am very, very pleased about this, as last week a customer who has taken one of Maggi's workshops told me that she paid $85 and got $170 worth of information. The workshops include a fashion show on Friday night. I am also told that Maggi's entertainment value alone is worth the price of admission. As soon as I have a workshop scheduled I will let you all know.
Another advantage of having Maggi Knits so close is I will be able to get the yarns you want with minimum delay. If necessary I could drive to K'zoo to pick them up - it's only about 90 minutes (if I do the speed limit).
Yesterday the K1C2 Wrapunzel came in. This yarn is so pretty, and so affordable - only $7 per ball. Best of all, you can make something really unique out of it and it is machine washable. How many really unique yarns can say that?
I am also pleased to t ell you that yesterday I obtained a coffee-maker for the shop! It is one of the small ones that uses the Senseo pods, and I got a nice selection of coffees so everyone can have what they want. A 50 cent donation per cup will keep the coffee flowing.
Well, off to unlock the doors and begin the day. It presently looks very stormy outside, although nothing exciting weather-wise has happened yet. Hopefully I will have phone, internet and credit card machine all day. Remember - only 184 knitting days left till Christmas! Knit happy!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Storm carnage
The following was written Saturday morning when I had no phone or internet.
And how did all of you enjoy the storm last night?
My drive home was interesting, to say the least. Everything was fine and dandy when I left the shop at about 6. Sunny but hazy, warm verging on to hot. I went up Ironwood and stopped at Martin’s for salad bar, as I usually do. Takes me all of ten minutes.
In those ten minutes the whole complexion of the weather changed. When I came outside the sky was pitch black to the west, and moving fast. I decided it may be good to expedite getting home. It wasn’t raining yet, but it was obvious that it would soon.
I headed up Ironwood, and the world started coming to an end. Trees whipping to and fro like kelp in a tide, small branches and twigs coming down. And rain – it began to rain in earnest. I decided discretion being the better part of valor, I would take a left onto Cleveland and then go up 933.
As I was headed down Cleveland the wind and rain picked up. Now there were some very large branches down in various yards, and the wind was so bad that a couple times I thought I was going to be pushed into the car beside me. I headed up 933, and when I got to the traffic light at Auten it was flashing instead of cycling. I construed this as a bad omen.
I turned onto Auten and all hell broke loose. Huge limbs down across the road, leaving just enough room to maneuver around them. Rain driving so hard that at idle speed I couldn’t see five feet in front of me, and the water on the road was fearsome. Even in an SUV there were a few times that I thought I might not make it through the water. I was, however, on a mission to get home.
I turned up Lilac and within 150 yards there was a big branch across the road. I could have gotten around it with a little off-roading onto a lawn, but 50 yards past that there was a whole tree across the road, and I guessed that these two would not be the only ones and I might not be able to get around the others. So I turned around.
I headed west on Auten again, and what a rodeo that was, mainly from a water on the road perspective. But the bull riding portion of the rodeo began when I turned up Portage – it was like running a giant slalom, with branches across the road just enough that I had to go off the shoulder to get past them. One van ahead of me got stuck in the mud off the shoulder and very nearly blocked everything for the rest of us.
I made it to my house about an hour after I left Martin’s, a drive that only should have taken 15 minutes. I pulled into the yard and up under the front deck as far as I could go, since I knew the power was out and I would have to go inside to open the garage door. I forgot, though, that when one opens the garage door manually it does not open completely, leaving it just about two inches too low for me to pull the Toyota into the garage. Horsefeathers, as my father would say.
So the Toyota stayed outside and my salad and I went inside. I went to the front windows to see what damage had been done, and discovered that the top half of the tree on the west side of the driveway was now the world’s largest widow-maker, having hung up on the oak on the other side of the driveway. It was also directly over where Bob normally parks. From the back windows I could see that my patio table was lying on its side on the deck, but my umbrella was halfway across the backyard.
I went up to my neighbor’s house and she graciously let me use her cell to call Bob at work and warn him not to park in his usual spot. A good thing, too, as by morning the largest branch of the widow-maker collection had dropped at least three more feet.
A charming fact about being without electric at my house is that we have a well, so no electricity to run the pump, no water for a shower. When Bob got home last night from working in a machine shop and reeking of machine oil, he couldn’t take his usual pre-bed shower. He said he would sleep on the couch rather than bring his fragrant self to bed, but I lovingly pointed out that it was still raining, and that rain makes a dandy shower. So at my behest my darling husband went outside buck naked and stood in the rain. I love that man.
Alas, I, too, was shower-less this morning, but did not have rain to use as an ersatz shower. I put some cosmetics in a sandwich bag and came to the shop early, and used the restroom to freshen up. It is a sad reality that the lighting in the restroom is adequate for its intended purpose – piddling and hand washing – but leaves a bit to be desired for applying make-up. I fear I may resemble either Tammy Baker or The Joker this morning.
It is sunny and glorious outside; one would hardly know that last night was a frog’s whisker short of a tornado. As I sit here typing this I have electricity at the shop, but no phone or internet – I’m actually typing this in Word. But the yarn is all safe and dry, which is the most important thing.
By the way, the Malabrigo Rasta came in, as well as some lace weight. The Rasta is incredible, such rich colors. I have 9 of the 16 available colors. I knitted up a hat as a shop model in just a couple hours (probably would have been less without interruption). The Malabrigo lace weight is lovely, too.
Speaking of lace, one of my customers had a very interesting idea yesterday. She was perusing the book of Herbert Neibling lace patterns, and I said I wanted to make at least one of them, just so I could say I did it and survived. She suggested we start a club of people who had successfully knitted a Neibling pattern – kind of like the Mile High Club, without the airplane and partner. So I propose the following: anyone who knits a Neibling pattern that is large enough to be used as a shawl will become part of an exclusive club. I will even look into getting enameled pins made up to commemorate the accomplishment. There is no time limit within which to finish the project – just finish it and bring it in for a photo.
The one thing I cannot come up with is a good name for this exclusive group. “The Neibling Knitters”? “Neibling Survivors”? Please submit your suggestions.
Remember, it isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass – it’s about learning to knit in the dark. Till next time – knit happy!
And how did all of you enjoy the storm last night?
My drive home was interesting, to say the least. Everything was fine and dandy when I left the shop at about 6. Sunny but hazy, warm verging on to hot. I went up Ironwood and stopped at Martin’s for salad bar, as I usually do. Takes me all of ten minutes.
In those ten minutes the whole complexion of the weather changed. When I came outside the sky was pitch black to the west, and moving fast. I decided it may be good to expedite getting home. It wasn’t raining yet, but it was obvious that it would soon.
I headed up Ironwood, and the world started coming to an end. Trees whipping to and fro like kelp in a tide, small branches and twigs coming down. And rain – it began to rain in earnest. I decided discretion being the better part of valor, I would take a left onto Cleveland and then go up 933.
As I was headed down Cleveland the wind and rain picked up. Now there were some very large branches down in various yards, and the wind was so bad that a couple times I thought I was going to be pushed into the car beside me. I headed up 933, and when I got to the traffic light at Auten it was flashing instead of cycling. I construed this as a bad omen.
I turned onto Auten and all hell broke loose. Huge limbs down across the road, leaving just enough room to maneuver around them. Rain driving so hard that at idle speed I couldn’t see five feet in front of me, and the water on the road was fearsome. Even in an SUV there were a few times that I thought I might not make it through the water. I was, however, on a mission to get home.
I turned up Lilac and within 150 yards there was a big branch across the road. I could have gotten around it with a little off-roading onto a lawn, but 50 yards past that there was a whole tree across the road, and I guessed that these two would not be the only ones and I might not be able to get around the others. So I turned around.
I headed west on Auten again, and what a rodeo that was, mainly from a water on the road perspective. But the bull riding portion of the rodeo began when I turned up Portage – it was like running a giant slalom, with branches across the road just enough that I had to go off the shoulder to get past them. One van ahead of me got stuck in the mud off the shoulder and very nearly blocked everything for the rest of us.
I made it to my house about an hour after I left Martin’s, a drive that only should have taken 15 minutes. I pulled into the yard and up under the front deck as far as I could go, since I knew the power was out and I would have to go inside to open the garage door. I forgot, though, that when one opens the garage door manually it does not open completely, leaving it just about two inches too low for me to pull the Toyota into the garage. Horsefeathers, as my father would say.
So the Toyota stayed outside and my salad and I went inside. I went to the front windows to see what damage had been done, and discovered that the top half of the tree on the west side of the driveway was now the world’s largest widow-maker, having hung up on the oak on the other side of the driveway. It was also directly over where Bob normally parks. From the back windows I could see that my patio table was lying on its side on the deck, but my umbrella was halfway across the backyard.
I went up to my neighbor’s house and she graciously let me use her cell to call Bob at work and warn him not to park in his usual spot. A good thing, too, as by morning the largest branch of the widow-maker collection had dropped at least three more feet.
A charming fact about being without electric at my house is that we have a well, so no electricity to run the pump, no water for a shower. When Bob got home last night from working in a machine shop and reeking of machine oil, he couldn’t take his usual pre-bed shower. He said he would sleep on the couch rather than bring his fragrant self to bed, but I lovingly pointed out that it was still raining, and that rain makes a dandy shower. So at my behest my darling husband went outside buck naked and stood in the rain. I love that man.
Alas, I, too, was shower-less this morning, but did not have rain to use as an ersatz shower. I put some cosmetics in a sandwich bag and came to the shop early, and used the restroom to freshen up. It is a sad reality that the lighting in the restroom is adequate for its intended purpose – piddling and hand washing – but leaves a bit to be desired for applying make-up. I fear I may resemble either Tammy Baker or The Joker this morning.
It is sunny and glorious outside; one would hardly know that last night was a frog’s whisker short of a tornado. As I sit here typing this I have electricity at the shop, but no phone or internet – I’m actually typing this in Word. But the yarn is all safe and dry, which is the most important thing.
By the way, the Malabrigo Rasta came in, as well as some lace weight. The Rasta is incredible, such rich colors. I have 9 of the 16 available colors. I knitted up a hat as a shop model in just a couple hours (probably would have been less without interruption). The Malabrigo lace weight is lovely, too.
Speaking of lace, one of my customers had a very interesting idea yesterday. She was perusing the book of Herbert Neibling lace patterns, and I said I wanted to make at least one of them, just so I could say I did it and survived. She suggested we start a club of people who had successfully knitted a Neibling pattern – kind of like the Mile High Club, without the airplane and partner. So I propose the following: anyone who knits a Neibling pattern that is large enough to be used as a shawl will become part of an exclusive club. I will even look into getting enameled pins made up to commemorate the accomplishment. There is no time limit within which to finish the project – just finish it and bring it in for a photo.
The one thing I cannot come up with is a good name for this exclusive group. “The Neibling Knitters”? “Neibling Survivors”? Please submit your suggestions.
Remember, it isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass – it’s about learning to knit in the dark. Till next time – knit happy!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
First post-trade show arrival!
Yippee! The Aurora Yarns Whisper we chose at the trade show has arrived! This stuff is gorgeous - the colors don't quite come across in the photos, unfortunately. Whisper is a hand-painted lace-weight yarn, 1362 yards per skein. No two skeins will ever be alike, as the artist paints what she sees at the time the yarn is in front of her. Could be a sunrise, could be a pine tree, could be a squirrel. It will always be unique and beautiful.
I also received an email from UPS that my Malabrigo Rasta will be here tomorrow! I cannot wait to see this stuff - the samples at the trade show were spectacular.
The class list is firming up - I now have someone to teach the kids' knitting class, ages 6 to 12, limit 3 students at a time. I will publish the first newsletter on 30 June. That issue will have a list of classes that will be available, without schedules. The issue going out on 31 July will have the class descriptions and schedules. I am going to teach 3 of the classes - Intro to Cables, Funky Felted Bags, and Magic Loop.
I also saw at the trade show a small shawl knit out of Zauberball Lace, in a blue and white striping colorway, and one larger shawl from the black and white colorway. This stuff stripes up so beautifully - it's a pity there is no way to determine what it will look like from just looking at the ball, but believe me when I say it is worth knitting.
Next Monday I am going to K'zoo to MaggieKnits! I had no idea she was so close, or I would have gone long before this. I stopped by her booth at the trade show after seeing the most incredible long sweater on one of the participants. I stopped the woman and she told me it was a MaggieKnits pattern. I sincerely hope I find time to knit this sweater for myself, it is too special not to make. I also heard a rumor that Maggie will do whole day workshops. If she and I can work out the scheduling, I will ask her to do a workshop on a Saturday or Sunday. I spoke with someone who has taken one of Maggie's workshops, and she said that your really, really get your money's worth. Stay tuned!
Well, I have to put in a Crystal Palace order that I have been working on for three days. Knit happy!
I also received an email from UPS that my Malabrigo Rasta will be here tomorrow! I cannot wait to see this stuff - the samples at the trade show were spectacular.
The class list is firming up - I now have someone to teach the kids' knitting class, ages 6 to 12, limit 3 students at a time. I will publish the first newsletter on 30 June. That issue will have a list of classes that will be available, without schedules. The issue going out on 31 July will have the class descriptions and schedules. I am going to teach 3 of the classes - Intro to Cables, Funky Felted Bags, and Magic Loop.
I also saw at the trade show a small shawl knit out of Zauberball Lace, in a blue and white striping colorway, and one larger shawl from the black and white colorway. This stuff stripes up so beautifully - it's a pity there is no way to determine what it will look like from just looking at the ball, but believe me when I say it is worth knitting.
Next Monday I am going to K'zoo to MaggieKnits! I had no idea she was so close, or I would have gone long before this. I stopped by her booth at the trade show after seeing the most incredible long sweater on one of the participants. I stopped the woman and she told me it was a MaggieKnits pattern. I sincerely hope I find time to knit this sweater for myself, it is too special not to make. I also heard a rumor that Maggie will do whole day workshops. If she and I can work out the scheduling, I will ask her to do a workshop on a Saturday or Sunday. I spoke with someone who has taken one of Maggie's workshops, and she said that your really, really get your money's worth. Stay tuned!
Well, I have to put in a Crystal Palace order that I have been working on for three days. Knit happy!
Monday, June 14, 2010
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.....
...from the TNNA Trade Show! This was the ultimate knitting nirvana, possibly even more intense than Stitches if only because so many manufacturers had samples of yarns that are not even available yet. There were over 600 knitting-related booths, plus another 200 or so needlework booths. I went with a list of booths I specifically wanted to visit - marked off on the exhibit map kindly provided by TNNA - and accompanied by my sainted husband, I started with the "100" aisle.
I took copious notes and collected two large shopping bags full of literature (mostly price sheets and catalogs). I got a few samples and several calories as lots of booths had baited themselves with chocolate, like bits of cheese in a very large mousetrap. Bob thinks that if putting out a salt block to lure deer is illegal, it may also be illegal to put out chocolate for knitters. We are not bothering to have legal counsel look into it.
I went with a budget, and didn't get too far off the mark. But I did order quite a bit of stuff I had not had on my original list, and when it gets to the shop you will see why. Feza Yarns (I had never heard of them) are a luxurious but very affordable collection of yarns, some of which are self-striping in different colors, and some of which are self-striping in completely different yarns. You can check them out at www.fezayarns.com, but about half the yarn I ordered is so new it is not yet listed on their site. Of the yarns that are listed on their site I ordered Alp Light and Fanatic, both bulky yarns and both to-die-for gorgeous.
I have a long list of other yarns that are must-haves, including a Knit Collage yarn that is a super bulky handspun, with a slight metallic touch added. The colors are delightful, especially the winter white with metallic - it looks like fresh snow in the sunshine, the kind you couldn't wait to go out in when you were a kid. At 47 yards per skein, one skein makes a great hat, two skeins make an unforgettable scarf. The yarn I am ordering is not yet on-line for viewing.
Ozark Handspun is another yarn that will find its way to the shop for knitters needing immediate gratification / last minute gifts. You can see some of it at www.purlsoho.com. It is outrageous and will make perfect collars, cuffs, scarves, and other neat things for the "visually adventurous" knitter.
Fiber Sphere is a tool for the management of slippery yarn. It is a clear plastic sphere, available in 5" or 7" diameters, that you place a ball of slippery yarn in and feed it out through a hole in the top. This will be especially useful for the Bonsai and Seduce yarns. Check it out at www.thefibersphere.com.
Lavishea is a solid hand lotion bar that comes in a tin slightly larger than a shoe polish tin. You just rub it on your hands and in a few seconds it is absorbed and your hands feel wonderful. It won't transfer to your yarn and you can even turn a doorknob. The fragrances are delicious - I especially liked the citrus-basil and coconut-lime scents, but it also comes in a "man scent" and unscented. The really nice thing about the scent is it fades quickly enough that you can pop a handful of M&Ms a half hour later without smelling the Lavishea.
There are some other things I will be getting in soon that I want to be surprises, but let's just say I think my customers will be pleased.
I spent several minutes at the Prism booth talking with Laura Bryant. I was wearing a Cool Stuff sweater in Patina colorway, and that naturally started up the conversation. Laura showed me some of the new Prism yarns for fall, and I assure you that at least some of them will make it to The Yarn Gourmet. She is a really neat lady, so creative.
Nancy's Knit Knacks has the ultimate knitters aid - a wallet-sized card that tells you how much tail you need for long-tail cast on to obtain the number of stitches you want. She also has great drop spindles and "learn to use a drop spindle" kits with a DVD. Nancy sat down with me first thing Sunday morning, and in about 20 minutes had me spinning yarn on a drop spindle. This woman is an AMAZING teacher. I had tried drop spindle spinning before, but let us simply say it was not a success, and no one was seriously injured by my over-exuberant attempt at starting the spindle spinning. Nancy gives the information a new spinner needs to handle the roving, and then moves on to spinning the spindle. I'm hooked.
Mountain Colors - I have been telling you I would get Mountain Colors this summer, and I went with the plan of seeing the colors in person so I could choose which ones I really, really want in the shop - there are just too many to carry them all. Fortuitously enough, I chose 18 colors, and there are 18 different yarns made by MC. So in a few weeks I will have one skein of each Mountain Colors yarn, each skein a different color. This way you can choose your yarn, choose your color from real yarn instead of a photo that may not be a good reproduction, and Mountain Colors will drop ship the yarn to your house - you don't even have to wait for a convenient time to come back to the shop to pick it up.
Knit One, Crochet Too has a new yarn called Wrapunzel that is hard to describe, but delicious to the eyes. I am getting all seven currently available colors, should be in before the end of June. Wrapunzel is not even on the K1C2 website yet.
By the time we left the exhibit hall Saturday (3 minutes before it closed at 6) we had been to all but two of the booths on my list, plus at least three dozen others. Bob nearly froze to death, as he had worn a very light short-sleeved shirt and I forgot to warn him about the cryogenic temperatures of the average convention center. We had taken a hotel shuttle to the show but decided to walk back to the hotel; during the walk Bob thawed out, then began to actually melt. Being out of the AC and into the humidity, my sore feet promptly swelled to a semblance of Fred Flintstone's feet. Sunday we got there at about 9:30, looked at the "What's New" table some more while we waited for the exhibit hall to open at 10, then finished up and left by 1:30.
There is so much more I saw and petted and stroked, I cannot even begin to write it all here. It was worth every minute of sore, tired feet. Next year I will know exactly what to expect, and will still feel like a kid in a candy store. I will let you know as soon as the loot starts to arrive - till then, knit happy!
I took copious notes and collected two large shopping bags full of literature (mostly price sheets and catalogs). I got a few samples and several calories as lots of booths had baited themselves with chocolate, like bits of cheese in a very large mousetrap. Bob thinks that if putting out a salt block to lure deer is illegal, it may also be illegal to put out chocolate for knitters. We are not bothering to have legal counsel look into it.
I went with a budget, and didn't get too far off the mark. But I did order quite a bit of stuff I had not had on my original list, and when it gets to the shop you will see why. Feza Yarns (I had never heard of them) are a luxurious but very affordable collection of yarns, some of which are self-striping in different colors, and some of which are self-striping in completely different yarns. You can check them out at www.fezayarns.com, but about half the yarn I ordered is so new it is not yet listed on their site. Of the yarns that are listed on their site I ordered Alp Light and Fanatic, both bulky yarns and both to-die-for gorgeous.
I have a long list of other yarns that are must-haves, including a Knit Collage yarn that is a super bulky handspun, with a slight metallic touch added. The colors are delightful, especially the winter white with metallic - it looks like fresh snow in the sunshine, the kind you couldn't wait to go out in when you were a kid. At 47 yards per skein, one skein makes a great hat, two skeins make an unforgettable scarf. The yarn I am ordering is not yet on-line for viewing.
Ozark Handspun is another yarn that will find its way to the shop for knitters needing immediate gratification / last minute gifts. You can see some of it at www.purlsoho.com. It is outrageous and will make perfect collars, cuffs, scarves, and other neat things for the "visually adventurous" knitter.
Fiber Sphere is a tool for the management of slippery yarn. It is a clear plastic sphere, available in 5" or 7" diameters, that you place a ball of slippery yarn in and feed it out through a hole in the top. This will be especially useful for the Bonsai and Seduce yarns. Check it out at www.thefibersphere.com.
Lavishea is a solid hand lotion bar that comes in a tin slightly larger than a shoe polish tin. You just rub it on your hands and in a few seconds it is absorbed and your hands feel wonderful. It won't transfer to your yarn and you can even turn a doorknob. The fragrances are delicious - I especially liked the citrus-basil and coconut-lime scents, but it also comes in a "man scent" and unscented. The really nice thing about the scent is it fades quickly enough that you can pop a handful of M&Ms a half hour later without smelling the Lavishea.
There are some other things I will be getting in soon that I want to be surprises, but let's just say I think my customers will be pleased.
I spent several minutes at the Prism booth talking with Laura Bryant. I was wearing a Cool Stuff sweater in Patina colorway, and that naturally started up the conversation. Laura showed me some of the new Prism yarns for fall, and I assure you that at least some of them will make it to The Yarn Gourmet. She is a really neat lady, so creative.
Nancy's Knit Knacks has the ultimate knitters aid - a wallet-sized card that tells you how much tail you need for long-tail cast on to obtain the number of stitches you want. She also has great drop spindles and "learn to use a drop spindle" kits with a DVD. Nancy sat down with me first thing Sunday morning, and in about 20 minutes had me spinning yarn on a drop spindle. This woman is an AMAZING teacher. I had tried drop spindle spinning before, but let us simply say it was not a success, and no one was seriously injured by my over-exuberant attempt at starting the spindle spinning. Nancy gives the information a new spinner needs to handle the roving, and then moves on to spinning the spindle. I'm hooked.
Mountain Colors - I have been telling you I would get Mountain Colors this summer, and I went with the plan of seeing the colors in person so I could choose which ones I really, really want in the shop - there are just too many to carry them all. Fortuitously enough, I chose 18 colors, and there are 18 different yarns made by MC. So in a few weeks I will have one skein of each Mountain Colors yarn, each skein a different color. This way you can choose your yarn, choose your color from real yarn instead of a photo that may not be a good reproduction, and Mountain Colors will drop ship the yarn to your house - you don't even have to wait for a convenient time to come back to the shop to pick it up.
Knit One, Crochet Too has a new yarn called Wrapunzel that is hard to describe, but delicious to the eyes. I am getting all seven currently available colors, should be in before the end of June. Wrapunzel is not even on the K1C2 website yet.
By the time we left the exhibit hall Saturday (3 minutes before it closed at 6) we had been to all but two of the booths on my list, plus at least three dozen others. Bob nearly froze to death, as he had worn a very light short-sleeved shirt and I forgot to warn him about the cryogenic temperatures of the average convention center. We had taken a hotel shuttle to the show but decided to walk back to the hotel; during the walk Bob thawed out, then began to actually melt. Being out of the AC and into the humidity, my sore feet promptly swelled to a semblance of Fred Flintstone's feet. Sunday we got there at about 9:30, looked at the "What's New" table some more while we waited for the exhibit hall to open at 10, then finished up and left by 1:30.
There is so much more I saw and petted and stroked, I cannot even begin to write it all here. It was worth every minute of sore, tired feet. Next year I will know exactly what to expect, and will still feel like a kid in a candy store. I will let you know as soon as the loot starts to arrive - till then, knit happy!
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