Unpacking Boxes

Rowan magazine 43 is here along with the new colours for spring in Cotton DK, Cotton Glace and 4ply Cotton. The magazine is great!! I will enjoy looking it over tonight.

Berroco has arrived. There are great pattern books and four new yarns (Berroco Sox, Lumina, Seduce and Linen Jeans).
The sweater is called Johnny Boy and is a baby and child's sweater knit out of the new sock yarn.



I have started a new store project. I have been carrying knitting back and forth so I decided to keep one at home (LOL!!) and one in the store. This is a baby sweater from Blue Sky Alpacas knit out of their Dyed Cotton in colour 618 Orchid. The pattern is super easy to knit and the stitch definition in the yarn is great. It will take two balls to make the sweater in an 18 month size.

I'm off to unpack more boxes. Hopefully we have snow in the morning so we can all stay home and knit. :)

Thanks for the kind words

I just want to thank everyone for their kind words about Digger. Mom, dad and Tui are all doing well. Tui is enjoying being an only dog.

I spent a couple of minutes in the store today and the box of Namaste bags arrived. I showed a picture of the Malibu bag a few posts back and this is the Laguna bag. Check out the Namaste site to see all the colours.

I haven't picked up knitting needles in a couple of weeks and I think tonight is the night to start again. I have spent every waking minute in front of the computer writing newsletters and updating the website. I am turning the laptop off now and sitting in front of the tv!!

More arrivals

My Offhand Design bags just arrived. The Punch Bloom bag (brown with flowers) is for me!! That colour is now sold out but rumour has it will come back into stock. The green bag is Martini. This colour is sold out so don't delay if you like it.

There is a new display of Soak Sweater wash on the front counter.

The latest news on spring Rowan and Berroco is that it will be arriving next week.

Korey and I have been working on the website today. There are some new yarns and books added. The updated shade cards look great-as new shades are added to a yarn, we are updating the look of the shade cards. The pictures are larger giving you a better look at the colours.

I was hoping to write more but it is closing time. I am running home for some quick dinner and then back for class.

Rocketry

Rocketry is officially done!! Personally, I like the Tulip cardigan better but just my opinion. Both are very easy to knit-done from the top down.


I just sent out a newsletter and talked about the felted Easter Egg kits we were getting in. Here is a better picture. This is the bright kit and there is a kit with pastel colours as well. The kits just arrived and look great!!

I need a bigger store :)

I was at one of my suppliers in Toronto yesterday and I saw the pictures for Jane Ellison's Noro book for spring. You can see them online.

While I was gone yesterday, Jane did lots of unpacking.
-Jordana Paige bags
-Fleece Artist soft sock/mitt kits (wow-the colours are amazing)
-Sirdar Snuggly DK (a great baby yarn with lots of new colours)

Now I have done lots of unpacking
-Skinny Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas
-Dyed Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas
-Cashmere Island from Noro

Mom and dad had to have Digger put to sleep yesterday morning. He started having seizures on Saturday night and his kidneys and liver were failing rapidly. We all shed a few tears yesterday but it was for the best.

Spring Yarn Update

I just unpacked three large boxes of new yarn from Sirdar. The first is Eco Wool DK. There is a great pattern book that goes with the yarn for women, men and girls aged 2-13. Also in the box was Just Bamboo. 100% bamboo in worsted weight with great pattern support.

We just received another shipment of Cascade 22o. This yarn is amazing for felting and the price is great. The complete range of colours isn't available in Canada yet but new colours are continually being added.

Shipping updates
-Berroco should be shipped today and I should have it next week
-Rowan magazines just arrived in the US-shipping should start next week
-Noro Kureyon sock yarn-February 19


While in Long Beach, Bev and I did do some shopping. You can't go to California and not visit Nordstroms. We each came home with two new pairs of shoes (mine are from Paul Green who makes the most comfortable shoes known to man). Thank goodness the customs agents didn't open my suitcase. On the way down it was overweight (luckily I was flying business class and they didn't charge me). Beth came the next day and brought an extra suitcase. When she flew home on Monday we filled the suitcase with everything I didn't need which was mostly clothes. My suitcase had shoes (the four pairs I brought and the two new pairs), underwear, pajamas, two shirts and a pair of jeans. How do you explain that?

Digger update-he isn't doing well. Mom and dad brought him home from Charleston but the vets are giving him a couple of days to a couple of weeks to live. Thanks for all your comments.

I will get a picture of my Central Park Hoodie for you next week as well as Rocketry.

Home Again

I arrived home last night from my trip to California to see the spring yarns. The show is always lots of fun. You meet new people (Cornelia Tuttle-Hamilton and Casey from Ravelry) and meet up with old friends (Norah Gaughan, Mags Kandis, Lorna Misener, Brandon Mably just to name a few). I always come home from the trip very energized and excited about the upcoming season. Unfortunately everything I bought can't be delivered today!! I am not a patient person and the new yarns and accessories are great.

There are some great new bags and yarns on the way. I am going to write a newsletter this afternoon (hopefully) showing some of the new that is coming. Here is a sneak peek.

This is a taste of the new bags from Namaste. These should be here within the next two weeks.

I have a preview of the spring Rowan. The yarns and books should be here by the end of next week.

Berroco is also on its way. The new Norah Gaughan pattern book is great.

I placed an order for Shepherd Sock yarn from Lorna's Laces. Unfortunately this won't be here for about 12 weeks.

We landed in Toronto at 9pm and when we got to customs there were at least 500 people in line. It took almost an hour to get through. When I got to the counter the customs officer asked 'Do you have any alcohol?' I didn't have any and said 'No'. No more questions asked. The only positive about the wait was that our luggage was already there when we got through. You would think they could do a better job of scheduling customs agents when lots of flights are arriving. There were 9 flights that arrived at the same time and 10 agents working.

Monday morning we called home to talk with my dad and he had bad news for us. One of my parents dogs (Digger who is a Sharpei) was very ill. Dad was flying back to Myrtle Beach a day early so that they could get him to a vet in Charleston. He landed in Myrtle at 11:30pm and they got in the van right away for the one hour drive. Sharpeis get an awful disease that stops their kidneys and liver from working properly. It comes on suddenly and there is nothing that can be done. Digger is still in Charleston and they are doing blood work to see if his kidneys are getting any worse. If they can get the levels back to normal then he can come home tomorrow-until then it is a waiting game. Tui (the other Sharpei) isn't doing well without her brother to keep her company.

While I was away a box arrived from Prism with more of their Saki sock yarn. These are the three new colours.




Three new yarns arrived from Noro as well. Taiyo (40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool and 15% nylon) should knit to the same tension as Silk Garden and Kureyon. Silk Garden Lite (Silk Garden in a double knitting weight) is a blend of Silk, kid mohair and lamb's wool. Matsuri is 87% cotton and 13% wool. Kureyon sock yarn will be arriving sometime in February.

Beth taped Celebrity Apprentice for me. I am watching it on my computer while writing this. Gotta love Slingbox!!

My knitter finished my Central Park Hoodie last week. I am wearing it today-very comfortable and warm. Wannietta is knitting one for Beth right now.

My batteries are dead!!

I finally finished Rocketry (even sewed on the buttons) and was ready to take a picture but the batteries on my phone are dead. The sweater is cute but is in need of blocking. Rhonda brought the Tulip Cardigan to knitting guild last night. If I was to make another jacket, I would definitely pick Tulip over Rocketry.

We had fun at guild last night. No program, just knitting and talking. I got some rows done on the Leaf Poncho Jacket. The February meeting will be on Tuesday February 5th, 2008. Jocelyn and Mandi will be teaching crochet and crochet edges to the group! If you have a crochet hook that is size G through J (4mm to 6mm) and some spare worsted weight yarn, please bring it along!

Still not done

The Rocketry cardigan still isn't done. I have the first sleeve finished and am about to start the second sleeve. It is very easy knitting-the yarn is great to work with. I think my problem is the sleeves on double pointed needles. My stitches aren't nearly as neat as when I knit and purl. Every time I pull the cardigan out of the bag I put it back. If I was to knit this again I think I would knit the sleeves flat and seam them.

Some anal part of my body has been making me do administrative work. I get in the registrations for the Gone Stitchin' weekend and wait until closer to the date to get everything ready. I am so ahead this year that I am actually scared. Confirmation letters are about ready to be emailed. Paperwork that I will need at the retreat is finished as well. The next three newsletters are written. HELP!!

The next few days are going to be busy-it always is just before I go away. Tonight I need to have my nails done. Tomorrow night is guild meeting. Wednesday night is knitting class and Thursday morning I am on the plane.

I didn't get the sweater done!

My plan of having the baby sweater done on January 1 didn't happen. It didn't get done on the 2nd either. Cathy and I worked in the store yesterday and it was a good thing we were both here. The store was jammed-I guess everyone needed knitting after the holidays. We did more re-arranging to get ready for the arrival of spring yarns. I also did administrative work for the Gone Stitchin' Weekend. The classes have been chosen. If you wish to receive emails about the weekend let me know.

We are starting a section for 'Green' yarns-the big item for this spring. Organic cottons and Bamboos are being shown by many companies. There is a 100% organic cotton from Tahki called Jeans (3 colours-2 denim and one ecru). The patterns are amazing-we are having one knit up now so it should be here when the book arrives. We will be adding more colours of Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton and Dyed Cotton as well. Stella, Naturally's Bamboo yarn, has new colours which are now in stock. This is a 4ply yarn that works well for adults and babies.

A week from now I will be on my way to Long Beach, California to see the new yarns for spring. The weather will be in the mid 50s-I was planning on warmer so I have to do a wardrobe adjustment. The show is always fun because we get to see friends from around the world.

I'm signing off now so that I can finish the sweater.

Don't forget that the new season of The Apprentice starts tonight!!