[CURRENTLY] reading: John Adams by McCollough listening:Guster and more Guster watching: Alias, Season 4 knitting: Whiteface Mountain
2 Baby Blankets
Snowflake Mitten
What's new?, you ask...
Friday, July 23, 2004
Nancy emailed me the other day to ask what’s new. I used to keep things up to date on one of my blogs but recently, I’ve been remiss. There are several reasons for this, but the public reason is it’s all yarn, all the time here. Since this is the story I’m sticking to, I thought I’d let you know what’s knew in the store.
I continue to teach knitting and that’s been going well. It’s really been a joy to watch people get excited about the things they are creating. One woman took a lesson last Thursday, finishing just as our regular “knit along” was beginning. She stayed for our gathering and continued to work on her scarf in Rowan Biggy Print. This past Tuesday (we’re closed, but Lois and I are here doing paperwork) she came to the door to see if we could help her bind off. Wednesday she was back for her next project and she picked out two skeins of Antonia (a fuzzy, shiny, very soft scarf yarn with little flower-like things mixed into it). I’m sure this isn’t too exciting in the reading, but it was really gratifying for me to be along for her enthusiasm.
After the TNNA show in Columbus in June, we continued to meet with sales reps. and have been busy placing orders for fall yarns as well as restocking things that have sold. Every day, Mike the UPS man is at our door. It’s like Christmas in July.
Just arrived: new patterns from Fiber Trends including a bunch of lacy, shawl patterns ranging from very easy to challenging; new patterns from Pure & Simple (the fabulous top-down, no-sewing-up-at-the-end patterns) including a super-bulky weekend cardigan, and a very cute top-down children’s poncho; another order from Brown Sheep including bulky and worsted weight; from Rowan, two new colors of Lurex Shimmer and more Polar. We’re also now carrying Manos del Uruguay in 25 colors including some variegated shades. This past weekend, I knitted a pair of mittens from one skein of a beautiful red shade, using the ‘magic loop’ method of knitting. I wrote the pattern myself, and will post it here soon. Also new to the store is Noro Kureyon (we have 10 shades but it’s flying out the door). New colors of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille and Squiggle and Splash arrived last week, as well as Berroco Quest and Plume FX. I’m currently hot on the trail of hand dyed yarns, some of my favorites (and this is the hell that is my job…I try to knit with them all!) are anything by Schaeffer (see earlier entries for the side-fringed scarf in Elaine), Colinette (see the earlier post re: squiggle lace with Point 5), and Mountain Colors. On the needles as I write this is the “Rock Star” scarf from Knitty, replacing the koigu with Mountain Colors 4/8s wool, and using some very fab Fox by Lang in a deep burgundy shade. Last night at the knit along, two of the woman became so enamored of my scarf that they were depleting our 4/8s stash. It can take up to 10 weeks for hand dyed yarns to be delivered so I guess I better stop writing and start making some phone calls.
Knit, Row Three
Thursday, July 22, 2004
A side-fringed scarf made of Schaeffer "Elaine" has been a best-seller at the store.
Here Jessica is wearing the Gossamer shawl by Karabella. It's knitted on size #15 US needles and I tell people, "two skeins, two dvds, and you're done!"
Knit, Row One
Here are a couple pictures of Jessye in the store, modelling some of the things I've knitted in the last couple months. This is a multidirectional scarf knit with one skein of Colinette Giotto.
This is "Birch" from Rowan #34. This is the second one of these I've made. The first one was in Heavenly (blue) Kidsilk Haze. I gave it to my mother. This one I began on my cruise last December (but just got around to finishing).
