New trunk show!

I have just received a Brown Sheep trunk show!  Brown Sheep makes wonderful yarns, and the pattern support is mouth-watering.  The great thing about most of these patterns is that the finished articles look really complicated - but they aren't.  Mostly it is a matter of creative use of slip stitches and textures created with purl stitches.  (Unfortunately, the photography that appears on the patterns seldom does the knitting justice.)  There are garments for kids, for men, for women, and unisex garments that look good on anybody.  I will have all the patterns and any missing yarns by early next week.

Have a safe and delicious Memorial Day weekend.  And remember what it is about - appreciation for those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Purls of wisdom:  Every day you waste is one you never can make up.

New magazines & clearance yarns

With the closing of Borders, previously the best local source of knitting periodicals, I am expanding my selection of magazines.  I have just started carrying Piecework and Interweave Crochet.  If enough people seem interested I will also carry Spin Off and Interweave Weaving.

The River Park Day / Anniversary sale continues!  There are three big bins of reduced yarns still available, marked down 25% or more.  Once these are gone they are gone for good, so if you want any Trendsetter Tonalita, Venus, Dune or Soleil, this is your chance to get it at a great price.  Also reduced for clearance: Berroco Comfort Baby and Comfort DK; Crystal Palace Poof and Popcorn; Feza Cyrpus Mohair; K1C2 Jam, Ruby and Wrapunzel; and Schulana Rodeo.

Purls of wisdom: Goals are dreams with deadlines.

Diary of a Mad Housecat, Part 2

Good morning everyone, Elwood here.  Life at our new home continues to be pleasant.  In the last couple of weeks Mama has taken to opening the big sliding doors on the front and back of the house, so there is just screen between us and the outdoors.  Now we can smell all the smells and hear what is going on outside a lot better.  The bird viewing is best at the front of the house, but there are chipmunks on the back deck, so we go from one to the other.

Mandy still hates us, and I think she's up to something.  The other day she sat on top of the entertainment center and told us that the reason there are 5 older female cats and only 2 younger male cats is because young male cats are good to eat.  I'm not sure I believe her, but I am staying out of the kitchen when Mama cooks, just in case.  Jake, on the other paw, can't bear to be more than a few feet from Mama, and he likes to lie down in front of the refrigerator to watch her cook.  If he turns up missing I am going to be very careful about the leftovers I eat.

I think my brother may be becoming something of a mama's boy.  Not only does he freak out if he can't see Mama, when she comes home from work he gets real excited and rolls around on her feet - like a dog for heaven's sake.  But he does get tummy rubs for his efforts, so yesterday I flopped down on the floor next to him and got my tummy rubbed, too.  Sometimes our morning wet food comes out of the refrigerator and it's cold.  Jake whines and Mama heats up his food.  What a baby.

Anyhow, it's now time for my morning nap.  Maybe this afternoon I'll try to find more pens to put under the couch.  Mama seems to like finding them there.  At least she sounds happy when she finds them.

Purls of wisdom: You may delay, but time will not.

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago today I opened the doors of the shop.  It has been an interesting experience, to say the least, especially as I had no previous experience with owning a retail business.  I have learned a LOT - about retail, about yarns, about knitting, and about myself.  And I have been blessed with meeting some wonderful people, many of whom have become regular customers.  I currently have over 750 names in my customer database!

This Saturday is River Park Day, and the official celebration of the shop's first anniversary.  There will be a parade at 10 AM, most of the local merchants are having a sidewalk sale, there will be food vendors and a magic show for the kids.  Come on into the shop - there will be excellent deals to celebrate the anniversary and show my appreciation for all my wonderful customers.

Thank you for a great year.

Artyarns does it again

Today I got a bunch of new Artyarns patterns - all but one are one-skein patterns.  There are lots of lacey wraps and shawls, at all skill levels.  And yesterday I spoke with Iris Schreirer of Artyarns - she tells me they are coming out with four new yarns that are to die for!  New cashmeres, new silks, new blends.  I'll get all the details at the trade show next month, so stay tuned.

Purls of wisdom: "There are liars, damned liars, and statisticians."  Mark Twain

The ultimate knitting retreat

In the course of looking for information on cruises (our long-postponed honeymoon) I came across something I absolutely have to share with you - CraftCruises.  These are cruises targeted to crafters of all persuasions: knitters, crocheters, beaders, cross-stitchers, and on and on.  Naturally, I clicked on the tab for knitting cruises, and the next one is described as "The ultimate lace knitter's dream cruise", departing July 25, 2011. 

This is a 21-day cruise that will include London, Amsterdam, Dale of Norway in Bergen, Jamieson & Smith Shetland Wool Brokers, the Shetland Museum, and Storkurinn Yarn Iceland, as well as others.  Myrna Stahman will be the instructor.  The link for the cruise website is here.

Had I known about this cruise sooner I could have planned for it, but I didn't so I will not be able to go on this one.  But if any of you do, Bon Voyage! (read in the voice of Bugs Bunny).

Interweave Summer is in!

The Summer 2011 issue of Interweave Knits is in, and it is full of good stuff.  The patterns are good, but only a few of them make me want to throw my priorities list to the winds.  It's the technical articles in this issue that really grabbed my attention. 

Most notable is the one on designing your own pictorial lace motifs.  The example in the magazine is an elephant design created by sketching it onto graph paper, then figuring out what types of yarn over-decrease combinations to create the effect.  The article goes on to illustrate and explain what effects one gets from these different combinations and their placement.  Very enlightening.

Another interesting article is the Artist Spotlight on Ben Cuevas.  He knitted an entire skeleton using Cascade 220 and #3 dpns!  He used a very fine sock yarn and #0000 needles for the teeth.  This is not anything I am likely to do in my lifetime, but it is worth looking at from a design creativity perspective.

Purls of wisdom:  every day you waste is one you can never make up.

Cool new patterns and other stuff

Greetings, my fellow fiber-holics!  I am pleased to announce I have started carrying Schoolhouse Press patterns.  If this is only ringing a faint bell with you, these are patterns (mostly) designed by Elizabeth
Zimmerman (e.g., The Green Sweater), Meg Swanson, and Barbabra Walker.  In all fairness there are other designers, too.  I have some fabulous designs in, including the Baby Surprise pattern, which comes with options from infant through adult sizes!

Effective May 19 the shop will be closing at 5 PM on Thursdays.  I will still be open until 8 PM on Fridays.  There just hasn't been any business after 5 PM on Thursdays; in fact, only twice in the last year has anyone come into the shop after 5 PM on Thursday.

The sign-up sheet for the bus to Stitches Midwest is filling up - make sure you reserve your seat soon!

Purls of wisdom: Whether you think you will succeed or fail, you are right.