Cabled out!

When Alana Dakos posted that she was creating a Knit a Long (KAL) I was interested as I had just completed the Doodler by Stephen West.  She offered the pattern through Ravelry's buy in store pattern program.  On a whim I posted that I would like to do it and would anyone like to join me, before I knew it there was a small group of us all inspired!

The first clue came out and we were well into the cables!  The designed promised a shawl with cables and lace!

The next clue gave us leaves and more cables!

The 3rd clue added lace to the leaves and the cables!

The final clue gave us a chance to relax and knit a lace border, only a few cables!

It was a big knit! I am happy with the result!

I am just cables out right now! 

The pattern is now called Four Seasons and is available on Ravelry, I am a bit disappointed that I can no longer purchase it for you.  At the moment we are not ordering paper copies of any patterns from the US, the dollar is just too unstable right now!

Yarn Challenge kits are all out and we still have a bit of a clearance sale going!

See you soon!

Yarn Challenge 2016

You have been asking and we have been deciding.  It's difficult to come up with a Challenge sometimes; looking back at some of the selections from previous years and wonder how can I make this year different:


2009: We used 100% wool dk/worsted, in 9 colours!

 2010: Featured Mission Falls 1824 (now discontinued)

:

 2011:  Cascade 220 was new to the shop the challenge was to use the 3 neutral and add one of the bright accents/

 

 2012:  Berroco introduced the Weekend line of Yarn, still one of our favourites!

 

 2013; It was time to go a bit finer and introduce the Cascade Superwash sport.

 

 

 

 2014:  The Olympics gave us the idea of using a Canadian Yarn in Red and white.  Briggs & Little gave the participants a chance to try some truly Canadian Yarn.

 

2015:  The Yarn of the Sheep!  We featured a yarn from Estelle Yarns.  In Sheep colours!

 

This year we are featuring a new yarn: Tradition from Diamond Select:

 

3 fresh colours to celebrate spring!

 

Kits are ready!  They are $6.00 this year and it gives you about 90 grams of yarn, 30 grams of each colour.  You can purchase more yarn in any of the colours given.  Completed entries can be returned anytime before March 4th!  We have only made up 18 kits and a few left yesterday!

 

Oh yes, there are prizes!

See you soon!

 

 

 

Knitting as a community?

Knitting is a solitary craft.  A person can choose to knit when and where ever they are, with in reason. It can also be a way to 'bond' with others without competing?  Runners, swimmers, bikers join forces but then it becomes a race or a competition.  Knitter's could compete but we join Knit a longs (KAL) . Sometimes we up the game and join a Mystery Knit a Long!

Hundreds and even thousands join in the fun, it's not a race, it's not a who can do the best job. We compare notes celebrate successes and commiserate with those who struggle. 

Last November I join the very popular Westknits Doodler Knit a long. It was a challenge and I enjoyed watching the results. 

Then Alana Dakos posted her Mystery Shawl Knit a long. I like her patterns and find her designs well written.  She had invited yarn shops to participate in her Knit a long by placing her pattern available for sale through the Ravelry in store pattern purchases. (Yarn shops can sell copies of the patterns available and pay for the patterns for their customers with Ravelry's help.  Customers get digital copies that can be stored in their libraries.)

A couple of weeks ago I posted the invitation to join me in this 4 week project.  There are several of us all working away at this Crescent Shawl with leaves and lace, that's all we know!

We have just one more clue to follow, it arrives on Friday.

Considering the amount of yarn I have used so far, we have only finished the first half of the project?

If you want to follow along there is a Ravelry group and forum with comments and questions and photos as we complete each section!

The Yarn industry has changed since I began working 30 something years ago.

I found this picture of a younger me winning a 'window display' competition.

Things have come along way in this industry, I really like where this is heading.  The creativity, the yarn and the way we communicate with each other is making this craft more accessible than ever!

 

See You Soon!

$1.42

A dollar and forty two cents, that's what the exchange rate on my last shipment from Berroco cost!  That means that anything that was $10 a year ago is now $14.00!  Yikes!

We love our suppliers from the US but at some point we have to consider all the costs involved.  The orders from some will just have to wait until the Canadian Dollar bounces back (it will).

Berroco makes beautiful yarn and we will continue to order the Vintage and Vintage Chunky, the Weekend Dk and Weekend and of course Folio.  Unfortunately the prices of these will head up! 

Beginning this week you will find some slight increases, (as against my accountants warnings)  we use an average cost basis. 

We did get a new yarn from Berroco today!

Mykonos is a lovely summer yarn.  Very different for the shop.  (66% linen, 26% Nylon and 8%cotton) 

This very lovely wrap takes 5 skeins! It's huge on our skinny mannequin.

I love the texture of this Linen, nylon and cotton blend, made in Italy.

A great warm weather wrap! It makes me want to go find somewhere warm to wear it?

Still counting inventory and putting some things aside for a quick clearance sale. (Coming soon!)

Tomorrow or very soon an update on the Mystery Shawl Knit a long!  It's not too late to join us!

 

See you Soon!

 

 

How I spent my winter vacation!

So we took a few days off! Actually it worked out to 3  1/2 days that the store was closed during regular hours that weren't stat holidays? It actually gave us 10 days off in a row. The most we have taken in a row since the shop opened. 

During those 10 days:

There were 3 Christmas dinners, 

made a bed for 'The Boy's' Labrador puppy,(a Christmas gift, the bed not the Puppy!) started a quilt for 'The Girl' ,(another Christmas Gift),  finished a shop sample (more about that later), and warped the Knitter's Loom! (More about that too!)

I did finally finish a little vintage sweater for Olive.

Then 'The Farmer' and I went on a little 3 day holiday.  

I was happy when this was the card key for the first hotel, they impressed me even more when they rescued my phone charger and arranged to get it back to me!

The second hotel let me borrow a charger from the lost and found.  We caught this lovely scene as a wedding party celebrated in the snow! We ate and toured the lovely Ontario village. 

I finally started some thing I had tucked away just for me!

It will be nice to get back to normal!

The shop returns to regular hours on January 5th.

 The next time we are closed for holidays is July!

Happy 2016, may all your projects be beautiful!

See you soon!

I blame Leah

A little over a month ago Leah arrived at the shop and made me watch this video by Stephen West!  I loved it, it's fun! I began looking into his other designs.  I had been tempted to make last years project. The more I thought the more I thought what the heck! When no was was looking I played with the colours in the shop.  Wanting to be a bit frugal I began with the leftovers from a previous project.

I decided on 2 colours and waited for the first clue! (It was a mystery knit a long ) 

Setting aside all other projects this took over all the knitting time available.

I got a little behind when the 2nd clue appeared but caught up quickly as it didn't require as much time.

Clue 3 arrived and it was another big section of knitting, I had barely started when the final clue was posted.

Fortunately we travelled to see 'The Girl' which meant there was plenty of time to knit while 'The Farmer' drove.

It took over 4 hours to do the I-cord bind off!

A quick bath and I left it to dry all day Thursday and it came to work with me Friday.  

Leah was in the shop that day! I told her I blamed her for this, it was a great challenge!

Time to get back to my regularly scheduled knitting!

Orange?

Life has been more than a bit hectic.  The shop is busy. I am seeing less of 'The Farmer' as his days are exhausting.  Crops have been good and we are into the last weeks of corn harvest.  Hopefully the weather co operates and he can slow down a bit.

I was going to write about all the projects I have been working on.  I seem to have a serious cas of startitis. New yarn needs a sample or at least a swatch; new patterns appear on Ravelry. 

Sometimes one crosses my path and it's instant love at first sight. Winterlong was introduced to me by Yarn Harlot's blog.  It's clever and I loved the design and the construction.

So I began

I am not very far along but I am in love with the combination of the yarn and the pattern.

 

See you Soon!