« March 2008 | Main | May 2008 »
The Annual Customer Fashion Show and Garden Party is this Saturday from 1-4pm. Bring your own lawn chair. There'll be snacks and drinks and hanging out and knitting, possibly spinning. The show will start around 2:00 and lasts until we run out of stuff to show off. You can still sign up - just send me an email and let me know. Anything you've made in the last year or so - afghans, sweaters, hand warmers, a headband...really anything.
Aslan Trends is a new yarn company that produces the most wonderful stuff. Invernal is one I have been working with lately - the shawl I talked about a couple of weeks ago. There are some new colors of it in. It just feels heavenly - 50% Angora and 25% Merino, 25% Polymide. The shawl is close to done and I will write a clearer pattern for it. They also make another yarn we have - Del Cerro - 100% Merino Wool, worsted weight - but spun thin and with 12 plies so that it is less likely to pill and looks almost like cotton but feels SOOO much better.
There's more - the tree couldn't hold it all. Tomorrow a shipment from Plymouth is due. There will be Wildflower DK, Encore Worsted and Fantasy Naturale.
I have been making stitch markers lately. There's a new selection of them near the cash register - get some jewelry for your knitting. And next I am working on more double loop stitch markers - no one seems to make them so I will. They are really great for helping you keep track of increases. Lots of sweaters and socks and other things tell you to increase every other row and now you can keep track of this using a double loop marker. Both loops are up if you increased that row, only one is on the needle if you didn't. Brilliant, huh? Namaste Bags are due in this week also. They have some truly great designs for knitting bags and the ones I ordered could also be a large purse - they look very elegant and are still durable.
I have added the June calendar to the website so look for some new classes. there. And just a reminder - Starting in May we will be closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and open a bit later on Fridays. There will sometimes be Friday morning events or classes on going on. After hours classes will continue to happen on Thursdays too.
There's new Crosspatch in. It's "Shadow Grove" but it reminds me of a field of spring grass growing out of rich black earth and wildflowers running all through it. Yes I spun some already - worsted weight - though lace weight is just as easy with this stuff. It is a blend of Romney, Corriedale, Silk and a bit of viscose. It is amazing felted too.
It is made of diagonal modular scarves sewn together. Each scarf is 2 skeins of Kureyon.
Berroco has some great Mother's Day projects to knit! There are free patterns at the site and lots of projects. Here are a couple of them. There's still time - although Knaughty Knitter gift certificates are nice to give too. We also have kits to make wet felted flower pins that are pretty neat too.
I'll put this out there a couple of times cause I know folks forget. Starting May 1st we'll be going to summer hours. I will be closed Tuesdays and will be opening later on Fridays - at 1:00 - since I am here late.
I am almost done sewing together the Noro multidirectional afghan - then there's a crocheted edge to but on but I should have picture up by the end of the week. I have started on a shawl from Invernal - a WONDERFUL blend of Merino and Angora that has gone unnoticed in the back for a while now. It's by a new yarn company - Aslan yarns - they have very luscious and reasonably priced yarns. The pattern will be available free with purchase of the yarn as soon as I get it done. It is a free online pattern that I adapted.
Here's what it looks like so far...
Starts this week - Thursday from 5-6:30. There's room for 2 more folks in it.
It's a great summer top. Usually out of cotton or linen and easy! I have one, Carole has 3..... It's knit from the top down so you can see how the fit is as you go, and no sewing at the end. Sizes range from small to a generous X large. You only need to know how to knit, purl, increase and decrease. You'll learn knitting in the round, using markers, how to make a placket and collar. Sign up by Tuesday evening if you're interested. To get more information check out the schedule of classes on the sidebar.
it's roving.
Art Felt from Skacel. Merino Pencil Roving to make needle felted stuff with. Or to spin.....The colors are really great. There's a needle felting class coming up - I am changing the date on it to May 10th.
Here's a really simple design that was quick. It's a ruffly scarf. There are so many possibilities with needle felting. Come learn how. There were bluets blooming in our field last time I was out there. These flowers are kind of like those.
Hey, we won the "Best Needlearts Shop" award. Thank you to those who voted for me. I didn't know anything about this until first thing this morning when the Busy Bee Trader woman showed up to give it to me. (Busy Bee covers TN, Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama and is a guide to unique shops, antiques, etc. ) What a nice way to start the day.
Doyle recently went to Illinois to see family. His brother and sister in law travel a LOT and collect stuff - vintage jewelry and fishing stuff. They recently auctioned off some so that they can start collecting again - cause it's fun......Anyway Doyle brought back a bunch of vintage jewelry and it is for sale. They'd make great shawl or scarf pins, a closure for a sweater or jewels for your purse. Here's some of it. Excuse my bad pictures - and come see for yourself. Hey, at least he left the fishing stuff there.
