CHANGES TO MELISSA LEAPMAN RETREAT and upcoming events

Due to the economy, enrollment for the luxury retreat has been low.  As a result, I have decided to have Melissa give her classes at the shop on Saturday and Sunday 24 & 25 March, which will significantly reduce the cost.  There will still be a minimum requirement of 20 registrants and a maximum of 35.  Registration minimum must be met by 21 February 2012 or the weekend will be cancelled (I must give Melissa 30 days notice of go or no go).  The cost for the weekend at the shop will include two lunches and is $275 for all four classes.  If you wish to take classes "a la carte" they are $75 each, no lunches included.  The class schedule remains the same. 

 

Retreat Details:  

• Refund policy:  A 25% refund will be given after 01 Feb 2012.  If, for any reason, The Yarn Gourmet must cancel the event, a full refund will be given.
• Classes only policy: A single class may be purchased for $75, no meal included.
• Spouses or partners are welcome, but may not sit in on classes unless appropriate registration is paid.  If they do not participate in classes but wish to share lunch with us there will be a $10 meal fee.
• No children, please.

MORE GOOD NEWS:

I am having a ONE DAY SALE on Friday 03 February!  Select books will be 40% off, clearance yarns will be reduced 50% or more.  I need to move out the old so I can bring in the new, and my customers will receive the benefits of both.  Hours will be the usual 10 to 8; no coupons may be used for discounted items, and all discounted items are non-returnable.

But wait - that's not all!  (No, I'm not selling ShamWOW.)  I will be having a Artyarns and Interlacements Champagne and Hotdogs Event on Friday 24 February, from 3 to 8 PM.    This event will feature kits from Artyarns and Interlacements.  The Artyarns kits will  include 2 mini skeins of Beaded Silk Light and 1 mini skein of Cashmere 1 Ply (Every Which Way Shawl Kit), or one 200-yard skein of Rhapsody glitter Light and 4 mini skeins of Beaded Silk & Sequins Light, approximately 80 yards total (Shawl for All Seasons Kits).  Best of all, some of these kits have a crochet option! 

Purls of wisdom: if you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win.

Stitches!

The dates have been set: Stitches Midwest is August 9 - 12, 2012 at Schaumberg, Illinois!  I WILL be booking a bus again this year, but I cannot say what the tickets will cost until I speak to Cardinal bus lines.  I can tell you that I will be asking for a wheelchair-friendly bus, that it will depart from South Bend at 8 AM, and will depart from Chicago at 4 PM Central time. 

After last year's trip I received a lot of tremendously helpful feedback on what was great, what was good, and what was not-so-good.  I am still working on some of the things I intend to improve for this year's trip, but the first thing I have changed is the return trip departure time.   Most people said they would have been just as happy to leave an hour earlier last year - so be it.  I am also going to try to do something about the food situation, since that was the biggest complaint most people had.  So stay tuned!

Oh by the way - today I got 3 new yarns in - K1C2's Linus and Geologie, and Pagewood's Yukon.  Yesterday I got Berroco's Circus - come in and see!

Purls of wisdom: persistence is one of the keys to the kingdom.

I'm baaaaaaaack.....

Sorry about the hiatus - things have been a bit hectic.

New yarn!  Berroco's Versa, a 50% cotton, 50% acrylic ribbon yarn that looks like it is hand-painted on each edge.  This yarn knits at a bulky gauge, and looks much better made up than it does in the skein - and the skeins look pretty good. 

The new Knitter's arrived today, and this issue is FULL of good stuff.  Normally I like half or less of whatever is in any given magazine3 (which means the publishers are doing a great job of addressing a broad range of tastes) but this issue is really, really nice. Come in and check it out.  We have hot coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate (see a theme here?) as well as red & white wines.

Purls of wisdom: no one ever excused their way to success.

new arrival

Greetings!  I hope everyone is recovered from the holidays and ready to enjoy winter - what better time of year to knit?

Yesterday I received 8 colorways of HPKY's Precious: 60% silk, 40% merino.  This yarn has a sheen that any fiber cognoscenti can identify as silk from 30 yards away.  At 275 yards per skein, the price is quite reasonable.  There are many more colorways and kettle-dyes available, so if there is a color you want that isn't in the shop, just ask for it.

Good news: I have decided to replace most of the Malabrigo with Manos del Uruguay.  Manos has a worsted weight yarn called Maxima that is a dead ringer for Malabrigo Worsted, and the Silk Blend is a doppleganger for Silky Merino.  And the Manos lace weight is heavenly - a plied blend of 70% baby alpaca, 25% silk, 5% cashmere; put-up is 439 yards per skein.   I will continue to dye Yeti as a replacement for Rasta.  I will be getting the Manos in by mid- to late February.

The Berroco rep was here yesterday, and showed me some of the new yarns for spring.  Most notable and irresistible was Versa, a collage of two hand-painted ribbons held together.  This is an excellent warm-weather yarn.  It should arrive later this month.  I also ordered some new colors of Bonsai and Seduce.


Purls of wisdom: Pennies do not come from heaven; they are earned here on earth.