A sheep, an alpaca and a mohair goat walk into a bar.....

...I'm sure there's a joke in there, somewhere.

The Mohair Splash wrap I started working on has taken on a personality of its own, rather like the personality of Steve McQueen in The Great Escape.  Every time I set this piece down, no matter how carefully I set it down, it tries to escape.  The stitches migrate off the ends of the needles.  Granted, I am using 24" Addi #13s with lace weight yarn, but seriously, this piece is on a mission.  It doesn't matter if I set it down in the middle of a row or at the end, they just find a way to come off the needle.  I swear I saw them creeping stealthily towards the tips one time when they thought I wasn't looking.  Fortunately the mohair component makes them stick to each other a bit, so it's easy to pick them back up without any dropped stitches.  But I have learned that this piece cannot be trusted on its own - it must be supervised.  Sure, I could use point protectors, but that seems to me a bit like cheating at this point.  This has become a struggle for control, and I will dominate.  I hope.

The folks from Joe's Fiber Tools came to the shop yesterday with some very interesting wooden needles.  Some are flat, some are triangular, some are square, and all are made from recovered exotic woods.  The flat ones  - and I do mean flat - are very interesting.  I test drove them in what is supposed to be a size 13, on the above prodigal wrap.  I knitted two rows with them, and I think the size may be closer to a #15, as the stitches in those two rows definitely looked larger than the ones I had done with the Addi.  But surprisingly enough, the flat needles are pretty easy to use and rather comfortable, once you get used to the whole concept.  I also test drove the triangular needles.  They took a bit more repositioning to find a comfortable way to hold them, but overall were not bad to work with at all. 

Joe also makes HUGE (at least size 50) wooden needles out of broomsticks.  These needles were even featured in Vogue Knitting (I forget which issue).  They would be great for very large, broomstick lace type projects, but what I would really like to try them on is knitting a rug that would subsequently be felted. It would probably be prohibitively expensive, but I'm thinking the new Malabrigo Rasta, a super bulky hand-paint, would make a really pretty felted rug knit up on these needles.

I know some people have asked about weaving supplies - Joe is going to drop off a 24" rigid heddle loom made from osage orange wood next Saturday.  I know nothing about weaving, so I can't answer anyone's questions about the loom, but it will be for sale, so those of you who are weavers may want to come look at it.  He had a bit of osage orange wood on some of the needles he brought in, and it is a really, really pretty wood, slightly orange in color, too. 

I do love beautiful wood.  When I was small my father did custom checkering on gun stocks, and that was where I developed my love of beautiful and unique woods.  One of the woods Joe makes needles out of is called blood wood, and it is a deep purplish red.  I would love to have a bedroom set out of this wood, it is that pretty.  The tiger wood is pretty, too, and striped accordingly.  He also has Brazilian cherry, walnut, and birds-eye maple, as well as some others.  These needles would be pretty just to have around the house, with the bonus of being useful.  I only got a few sets - I want customers to test drive them before I get more in.  So please - come in and test drive the wooden needles, and let me know what you think of them.

#1 Husband came to the shop with me yesterday and after a while decided to wander the neighborhood checking out yard sales.  Bob is a yard sale junkie.  He found two metal mitten drying racks at one house (only $2 each!!!), and snagged them for me, thinking they would make good yarn displays.  Right on the money, husband!  I moved the Berroco Seduce and Bonsai onto the mitten driers, and it looks really nice.  Plus there is the added bonus of freeing up shelf space for yarn that is not in slippery skeins.  This is why I asked him to go to the trade show with me - he sees things I may miss, and it is always good to have an extra set of eyes when you are in a 25,000 square foot candy store.

Well, off to the showers with me, then on to Pet Smart to get some special cat litter that is supposed to stop evil cats from peeing in places other than the litter box.  Dana the Destroyer has been on a real binge of peeing in inappropriate locations lately, and I am just about at the end of my tether with her.  Knit happy!

Question: Will you have a time when people can come into the shop and knit?

Answer: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 to 5, Thursday 10 to 7, and Saturday 9 to 3.  Any time my doors are unlocked anyone can come in and knit to their hearts content, from open to close if they so choose.  You can even bring in a bottle of wine, if you want. I am working on getting the knit-along for the Great American Aran afghan organized; I suspect that will meet on Saturdays.

The Ultra Alpaca arrived, and it is lovely.  I also got some more Berroco Bonsai in, in a shade called abalone.   When you see this colorway you will understand how it got its name - I love it.  The Cascade shipment should be in Tuesday, but I haven't received a UPS notice about it yet.  Of course, it could be coming FedEx or by some other means.

I ordered some funky novelty yarn from Crystal Palace the other day, too.  A customer called with a special order for a couple of colors in this yarn, so I added a few more to the order.  It is called Fling, and it will make great trim for things like felted purses or kids clothes. 

And I ordered some Panda Silk in a DK weight.  If you have fondled the Panda Silk sock yarn you know how decadent it feels - the DK weight will make incredible tops and lightweight sweaters.

I have been in touch with Twisted Sisters yarn, and will probably be ordering from them in the next two weeks.  I also sent an email to Maggie Knits, but haven't heard back from them yet.   Also Lavishea - this is a hand cream in the form of a bar (like a bar of soap) that is supposed to be non-greasy.  It was developed by an airline employee who got tired of the 3 ounce liquids limit and wanted a hand lotion that would last more than three applications.  It apparently comes in a lot of fragrances, in its own tin.  I am always looking for good hand creams.  In winter my hands are dry from the weather, and in summer they are dry from digging in the dirt.

One of my customers is working on the Raglan Rust pattern from the Knitter's Spring 2008 issue, using one color of Trekking XXL and another of Trekking Hand Art Flame carried together.  She brought it in for a sneak preview, and it is absolutely gorgeous!  Soon I will have a large cork board up for photos of customer projects. 

I started one of the one-skein patterns for an ARTyarns wrap yesterday morning, and got three rows done before I got busy.  I am using Mohair Splash (beads and sequins) in the black and white colorway.

And I (finally) finished the Malabrigo Worsted Off Set Tabard, from Knit One Below.  It is up on the shop wall. 

I got a bunch of crochet hooks specifically for Tunisian crochet, too.  This is a fascinating technique - I have some models of it coming, so if you haven't seen it, you are in for a surprise.

Well, off to have breakfast and shower.  Knit happy!

bamboo isn't just for pandas anymore

I discovered something about that sexy but oh so slippery Bonsai yarn - it works best when NOT wound into a center pull ball.  If wound by hand into your basic ball of yarn and placed in a zippered sandwich bag with just a half inch open for yarn feed (or a similar containment field), it is much more compliant.  So - those of you who have Bonsai or Seduce, even if it is wound into center-pull balls, I recommend winding it as above.  It will be much easier to work with.

The Ultra Alpaca didn't arrive yesterday, but I have high hopes for today, as the UPS tracking system tells me it is "out for delivery".  I did, however, get more of the Berroco Weekend yesterday - some very nice colors.  And I placed the Cascade order, which has already shipped, but is taking the polar route and is scheduled to be here 01 June - all 62 pounds of it.  I seem to have ordered one entire sheep.....

Yesterday I also ordered a bunch of needle felting supplies, as I had so many inquiries about this on Saturday.  I ordered books on felting, too, both knitted and needle.

I also met someone who I have asked to teach a class in Tunisian crochet this fall.  I had heard of it, but never seen it, so Joanne (the instructor) gave me a demonstration.  The really cool thing about this technique is some of the stitches look exactly like stockinette stitch.  I ordered a bunch of the crochet hooks specifically required for this technique, too.

And Birgit stopped in to see the shop!  Those of you who know Birgit know this woman has been knitting probably since before she could walk - she is amazing.  She will be teaching some classes this fall also, the specific ones have not yet been determined.

I am still waiting for Mountain Colors to check my references so I can order from them.

After the shop closes on Friday 11 June I will be leaving for Columbus OH to attend the TNNA trade show.  Dee will be manning the helm on Saturday 12 June.  I hope to come back with lots of great new stuff, including yarn and gadgets.

Someone asked me yesterday about the mailing list I will be developing from the customer information slips I ask people to fill out.  Fear not - I will not be inundating you with emails, for two reasons - I hate being inundated with emails myself, and I simply don't have the time to write that many emails.  My goal is to send out one email per month informing customers of sales, upcoming classes, and new arrivals.

Speaking of sales, starting 01 June I will be having the Yarn of the Month.  YOTM will be on sale at 10% off.  The YOTM for June will be Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece.

BTW, I have not yet had time to put the shop on Ravelry, but I will eventually.  :-)

So - knit happy!

I hate cottonwood

Greetings from Our Lady of the Never-ending Cottonwood Fluff.  My yard looks like it has snowed heavily, my screens look like I tried to sieve a sheep through them, and the skimmer in my pond clogs up with this stuff about every 8 hours.  I couldn't knit outdoors this weekend because of this stuff.  To add insult to injury, I only have one cottonwood on my property - but I am surrounded by the blighters on my neighbors' properties.

I received a UPS email notification that the Ultra Alpaca shipment is en route!  It should arrive today or tomorrow.  This morning I will place the Cascade order.  I don't know how fast Cascade's turn-around time is, but I expect I should have it by the beginning of next week at the latest.  So next week there will be Cascade 220 and some other Cascade yarns for your knitting pleasure.

I want to thank everyone who helped make the sidewalk sale day such a success.  It was great to meet so many people who are so interested in knitting.  I had many inquiries about needle felting, so I will carry that by mid-summer (hopefully).  I could use some input on what to order, as this is a technique I am not conversant with; my felting experience is limited to felting knitted articles.

Also by popular request, I am going to look into getting Maggie Knits yarn and patterns.  Stay tuned for more information about that.


I also want to thank the customers who were SO patient about waiting for yarn to be wound into balls Saturday.  Over the course of the afternoon I wound about 30 balls of yarn; had I not had so many friends helping me out in the shop I would have been truly swamped.  The Berroco Seduce is a pill to wind because it is so slippery; the yarn wants to be draped, not wound into a ball.  But it is surely worth the effort - this stuff knits up so beautifully. I have another order of Seduce on its way, including one colorway that I want to make into something for myself.  Now all I need is time to knit....

A big thank you to my husband, who worked until 2 AM Saturday yet still got up and came with me to the shop at 8 AM, and patiently helped out all day long. 

Congratulations to the six winners of the door prize drawings!  Your prizes are waiting for you at the shop, with your names on them.  You can pick them up any time during business hours.

Congratulations also to my neighbors Liz & Jim, who eloped Saturday.  I know you two will be very happy!

Dee had an amazing idea that we are going to try to get implemented this summer.  It is classified :-), but it will be the knitters' equivalent of the Bat Signal when it is done.  Stay tuned, and knit happy!

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who spread the word about The Yarn Gourmet through blogs, emails, and Ravelry!  My first two days have been very successful, and based on customer comments I attribute this more to word-of-mouth than radio and newspaper advertising.

Opening day was good - not so busy I was overwhelmed, but steady.  Chris was there almost all day, giving moral support that was worth more than I can say.  My darling husband brought me flowers from our gardens.  Yesterday was much busier, but at least by then I had established a rhythm for using the credit card swiper and filling out order slips.

And yesterday the Malabrigo Worsted and Silky Merino arrived!  The colors are so rich - there is even one worsted color that looks like strawberry ice cream with chocolate syrup.  Also yesterday I placed a big order for Ultra Alpaca and Ultra Alpaca Light - should be in by Tuesday, maybe Wednesday at the latest.  I also submitted my references to Mountain Colors, so once they verify I am for real I will be able to order from them.  There are so many colors to choose from, I cannot possibly carry them all.  I am thinking that if I get a couple skeins of several colorways so customers can see what they look like, that would be better than having a lot of just a few colorways.  Also, Mountain Colors has a Special Order program that would allow me to place an order for a specific customer and they will drop ship to that customer.  I don't know how fast the turn-around time is for this, but I think it's a good way of getting beautiful yarns to my customers.

The question of the Great American Afghan knit-along came up.  So far the consensus is in favor of doing the Aran afghan, rather than the other one.  Comments, please?  This is YOUR knit-along, so I want to do the project that the most people favor.

The Knitting at Knoon pattern order arrived at my house yesterday.  Lots of really sweet kids' patterns, and a few very nice adult patterns, including one kimono that is a great beginner project when a knitter is ready to progress from scarves to a garment.

Remember Saturday is the River Park Sidewalk sale.  The Yarn Gourmet will have drawings for door prizes at 10, 11, noon, 1, 2, and 3 PM; you do not have to be there to win.  In fact, if you come in today and fill out a customer information slip, you are automatically entered in Saturday's drawings.  I have some really nice door prizes, including whole bags of yarn.

Beginning June 01 I will have Yarn-of-the-Month - each month a different yarn will be 10% off for the entire month.  If anyone is interested in teaching classes after Labor Day, I am going to get a sign-up sheet together, listing the classes I would like to offer.  So far customers have specifically asked for colorwork, knitting socks on two needles, making knitted garments that fit, and introductory knitting.  Classes will likely be held Thursday evenings and Saturdays.

Also - someone suggested I get a box of toys for kids to amuse themselves with while mom shops for yarn.  All I have is cat toys (kids aren't too interested in those) so if anyone has some gently used kid toys they would like to donate, I would appreciate it.

Off to the showers with me - knit happy!

18 hours and 47 minutes to go

It's Tuesday afternoon, and today's weather is the Arthritis Special.  Tomorrow is my opening day, and the weather guy Gordy something-or-other says it's going to be a beautiful day.  I sure hope so.

Today I got a little more of my Berroco order - another bag of Seduce and 4 bags of Weekend - and my ARTyarns order.  The ARTyarns yarn is the single most decadent stuff I have ever touched (since Pierece Brosnan got that restraining order).  This stuff is glorious even on a cloudy day - I can hardly wait to see it in the sunlight!  FYI, all ARTyarns purchases come with a free pattern, but I am still trying to find out how one gets said free patterns.  Most of these freebies are one skein patterns, too.  Don't let the price of ARTyarns scare you - I have priced it out by the cost per yard, and it is a really fair price for what you are getting.

My Malabrigo order isn't here yet, but the folks in Michigan that import it tell me it was shipped out today, so should be here tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. 

My Zauberball order isn't here yet, either.  Apparently the dyers are a mom & pop operation that cannot really keep up with the demand, so getting the color packs I ordered will take quite a bit more time.  However, Skacel did have some bags (5 balls per) of various colors, so I ordered that and will have at least some of the Zauberball sock yarns by Friday. 

I am still waiting for the rest of the Trendsetter order, the rest of the Brown Sheep order, and the rest of the Interweave Press order.  This is Murphy's Law in action.

I have had quite a few people stop in just because they were passing by, or wanted to know more about the shop.  This is very encouraging.  I am not sure who, but someone called yesterday doing a bit of corporate espionage on me.  Since I would recognize Eleanor's voice - and she is way too cool for such silly games - that leaves one basic option.  This is me, smiling.

The Tribune is on its way here, I look like the wreck of the Hesperus, and I still have about 8 hours of stuff to do.  So - knit happy!  See you tomorrow, I hope.

NOW it's looking like a yarn shop!

Finally!  The hooks for the slatwall arrived, and I have most of my notions / tools hanging up!  And the Berroco order arrived - the colors of the Seduce, Seduce Colors, Bonsai and Bonsai colors are amazing.  I can't wait to make something out of this yarn.  And the Peruvia Quick came, too - such a rich looking yarn!  Jasper - another yarn I really want to knit up ASAP.

When the Frog Pond knitting group came to the shop the other night, it looked more like Old Mother Hubbard's yarn shop.  Now that I have the Berroco order and things are hanging on the wall, I am beginning to wonder if I will have enough display space for the yet-to-arrive Malabrigo and ARTyarns orders, the back-ordered Zitron, Brown Sheep  and Berocco yarns, and the Cascade yarns I ordered yesterday.  I still have to order Mountain Colors and Fiesta (there's only so much start-up capital).

Also yesterday I got my glass display case, so I will have somewhere to put all those beautiful antique buttons (I just haven't decided where to put the display case), and the flooring was installed in the rest room, so it is less of a nature excursion to go pee. 

And best of all, yesterday the phone rang off the hook with people calling to ask not only what day I will be opening, but what TIME I will be opening.  Chris - I think I am going to need that offer of help on opening day.

It has occurred to me that I still need to get in a sport weight yarn for colorwork, etc.  Any recommendations?  Cascade has beautiful colors, but so does Brown Sheep.

I also think I will start a Knit Along of the Great American Afghan, probably in July or August.  This will be a free activity, will meet once per month (probably Thursday evenings), and should be great fun.  I want to let the opening dust settle a bit before I start classes (which require a bit more structure than a Knit Along), so the target for classes is still after Labor Day.

This is the last weekend before the shop opens, and I have a boatload of yard work to do.  I have lots of plants needing to be put into planters and the vegetable garden, the soaker hoses and timers to set up, and mulch to put down.  I may knit myself a clone.

So - until next time, knit happy.

by popular request

I will be meeting with the Cascade yarn rep this Thursday.  It may be a couple weeks before I actually get Cascade into the shop, but if it turns out that people prefer it to Brown Sheep, it will become my "work horse" yarn.  The Yarn Gourmet is intended to be YOUR yarn shop - carrying yarns, tools, books and patterns that you, as the customer, want.  Of course, I cannot carry everything everyone wants, but if there is a reasonable demand for something I don't carry, I will get it.  For others who want something I don't carry, I can special order anything.

Today I get the decals on my shop front window and door.  Due to the monsoon season the hanging sign outside will not be installed until the weather clears up.  Hopefully by the end of this week - I am psyched! 

I am almost done with the Mini Mochi Fair Isle hat, and then I move on to finishing the offset tabard made with Malabrigo.  Then I want to start on something out of the Swing Swagger Drape book, using Tonalita.  I just love the colors of Tonalita.  But I also want to make a winter coat out of the new Malabrigo yarn, Rasta, a super bulky yarn that knits up at 2 stitches to the inch on #13 needles.  And/or the gorgeous Peruvia Quick, by Berroco.  The problem with owning a yarn shop is there is SO much temptation and SO little time to indulge it.  I can resist anything but temptation. 

I have to remove the front window display so the sign people can put the decals on the front window, so I'm off to the showers.  Knit happy!

It's not just for breakfast anymore

I have a confession to make - I am a color junkie.  Bright, jewel tone colors, mostly blues, greens, and purples, but especially the turquoise of shallow tropical waters.  My passion for color shows in the yarns I have selected so far, although I have made a point of carrying earth tones, too.  I admit to loving earth tones almost as much as jewel tones.

One of the more color-rich yarns I currently have is Mini Mochi, a sock yarn by Crystal Palace.  This yarn is so soft - it is a single ply that is more like a fine roving.  It self-stripes in beautiful segues.  And it is not just for socks, either.  There are some free patterns on the Crystal Palace website; one of them is for Fair Isle mittens and a hat made of two colors of Mini Mochi.  Needing some shop models I could make up fast, I decided to make the hat, using color 104 Fern Rainbow and 108 Neptune Rainbow. 

As a non-repentant color junkie, I can tell you that these colors are fabulous, and the resulting hat (6 inches from being finished) is glorious!  The yarn itself is wonderful to work with, lovely hand, and did I mention the colors are as rich as Godiva chocolate?

I also have Trekking XXL, which is a sock weight yarn, somewhere between fingering and DK.  In the Winter 2008 issue of Knitter's a pattern called Raglan Rust uses two colors of Trekking XXL carried together to create a unique color combination.  I am quite eager to make this sweater and take advantage of the infinite color possibilities offered by carrying any two colors together. 

A question for you Cascade fans - what do you think of Brown Sheep as an alternative to Cascade?  I personally have not knit with Cascade, but I have knit considerably with Brown Sheep, and like it quite well.  Can anyone tell me how the two compare?

Today being Mother's Day, my cats gave me a lovely hydrangea plant, a box of Ferrero Roche chocolates, and a very sweet card.  After Bob has been caffeinated we are going to go buy plants and potting soil.  I want to put at least one planter outside the shop, but realistically it will need to be big enough that it won't be portable enough to steal.  Gone are the days when locked doors were the exception, and people simply did not touch that which did not belong to them. 

So - a plant shopping I shall go.  Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mothers, and please knit responsibly.

By request...

I have now received three or four requests for Cascade yarns, so I am looking into getting them.  Unless Cascade has a ridiculous minimum order (like Plymouth Yarns wanting a $3,000 minimum purchase) I will carry Cascade, although it might not happen before the opening date.  I must say the Cascade patterns alone make it worth getting the yarn.

My Berroco rep, Joan Looi, sent me an email about the knit kit (knitkit.com).  This is the Swiss Army knife of knitters - it has a built in tape measure, row / stitch counter, crochet hook, and a yarn cutter, and has a compartment that has stitch markers, tip protectors, scissors, and a tapestry needle.  This is a great gadget!  To assemble all these tools separately would cost more than the retail of the kit - $19.95 to $21.95, depending on the color.  It should be here for the opening date of 19 May.

The Yarn Gourmet is now on Facebook.  I am not much of a techie, and spent several minutes of the set-up process using language that would felt nylon yarn.  But I think I've finally got it, by George.  I did get a photo album up and running, of completed projects from the past.  If my Alzheimer's is in remission this week I will take my camera to the shop and get some pictures onto Facebook.  I should have taken "before and after" shots of the shop - the progress is amazing, when I step back and look at it.

I will not be on Twitter, as I don't have much use for a cell phone anymore (I'm always at the shop), and it is just one more expense I don't really need.  I am told I can link my Facebook page to Twitter, but the sign up process for Twitter defeated me.  Felted nylon, anyone?

To label or not to label your knitting?

Good morning.  I usually label all my knitted garments.  Usually.  Sometimes I am so far behind on finishing something that as soon as it is blocked and assembled I give it to the recipient, sans label.  And I must also say that the labels I currently have, custom ordered, reading "A Katmandu Kreation, Handmade by Arvilla" are beautiful but very scratchy.  I try to put them low enough on the neck that they are unlikely to make contact with bare skin.  Naturally, this is not always possible, depending on the garment in question.

But then I saw a blurb about sig'knits.  These are small pewter emblems - a huge selection - that you knit into your garment as your signature.  Check them out at knitdots.com.  If there is enough interest in these I will carry them.  Please give me your opinions.

I have also ordered traditional sew-in labels, but not customized.  I am having difficulty finding a customized label manufacturer.  The place I got my current personal labels from was advertising in the back of a knitting magazine, but I haven't seen an ad like that in years.  Does anyone know of anyplace that still makes custom labels?

Off to the showers with me, then on to topping off the pond, making my darling husband's lunch, and going to the shop.  Remember - you are what you knit with.  :-)

What do you think?

I was perusing the spring issue of Knitter's yesterday, and came across an ad for Yarn of the Month Club.  So I went to the website and checked it out.  The club consists of a monthly shipment of 4 samples of yarn, just enough to swatch.  The premise is that it allows you to try out yarns without investing in a whole skein.  The cost is $8.50 per month.

So I said to myself "Self, what if you did something like that at the Yarn Gourmet?  You could call it yarn tapas."  Tapas, for those of you who haven't had the joy of experiencing them, are appetizers ranging in complexity from very simple to very elaborate.  They are Spanish in origin, and heavenly in reality.  A selection of tapas is usually eaten as a meal, allowing you to try several different dishes instead of being limited to just a few.

Yarn tapas would consist of three to four yarns every month, about 10 yards each, in a small Ziploc bag for $8.  The beauty of this versus the YoMC is you don't have to subscribe, you can pick up the tapas any time it is convenient for you, and it will be yarns that I carry, so you don't have to go find the tapas yarns you liked.  Each baggie would have a photocopy of the yarn labels, so you have full information (and so I don't have to type it all).

I also am thinking about the knitters who like knitting with beads.  If you haven't knit with beads, trust me - it is not as complicated as you may think, and creates gorgeous results.  Beads can be expensive, though, and carrying an inventory of all the available colors of glass beads would be very difficult.  BUT - if I had one pack of each available color, anyone who wanted beads would be able to choose the color that works with their yarn, and then order them from me.  The vendor is normally very prompt, so the delay in gratification would be minimal.

BTW, The Yarn Gourmet opens TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.  I am still waiting for ARTyarns,  Berroco, Malibrigo, some of the original Brown Sheep order, K1C2, and some of the Trendsetter.   As soon as I have cash flow I am going to order Mountain Colors, Fiesta, and several other lovely yarns.  Any requests?  I can't order any Plymouth yarns - they want a $3,000 minimum order, and that just ain't in the cards nor the bank.  Even Prism only requires a $1,000 minimum for the first order, no minimum after that.

I have invited the Frog Pond Knitting Group to meet here next Wednesday night, 12 May, to see the shop and give me some input on how the shop is arranged, and if I am missing anything I really should have.  I have been doing this so much lately I can no longer see the yarn for the sheep.

Back to work with me.  Please knit responsibly.

I forgot to mention....

...I also ordered some Soleil yarn from Trendsetter. This yarn is fascinating - it is 100% cotton, with randomly placed gauze leaves and beads. The leaves and beads lightly pepper the finished garment without overwhelming it. The color selection is somewhat limited: green, black, denim blue, yellow and rose, but I think the yarn speaks for itself even without a huge color selection. It is in an 80 yard put-up, knits on size 8 needles, and is very reasonably priced.

Last entry I was bemoaning all the price labels I have to put on products.  Then Dee said "Why not just have a price sheet for the yarns at the register?"  Of course, the prices will be posted next to the yarn displays, but the price sheet idea will save me much time and Zanax.

Well, off to the showers and the shop.  Sixteen days and counting....