Next week is the official Be Grateful holiday of the nation. We still have a lot to be thankful for, despite the economy and the weather. We’ve pulled in our horns a little and learned to appreciate what we have and not buy 20 of something when one will do. We’ve learned that things could be worse and a house at the shore is not always something to be envied. We’ve learned that patience is not just a virtue, it just makes good sense and cuts down on road rage, coffee shop rage (my personal problem – I just want coffee, why do I have to wait for someone who wants 10 different things all in one cup?), and the general stress level of everyone around us. Not terrible lessons to learn. I have quite a way to go, I think.
But one thing I’m always grateful for is you, the people who come to the store, frequently or just now and then, and love yarn and knitting and crocheting and looking at designs and samples, and touching the fibers and being blown away by the colors. You feed my love for my job and make it possible for me to find the best yarns and bring them to one place so we can all Have Fun with Yarn!!
Speaking of fun with yarn, I received my shipment of EcoDuo this week – I pre-ordered so I still have it at last year’s price. We have 4 beautiful natural colors of this soft, soft, soft alpaca/wool blend. All have slow color transitions that just enhance your project and make it fun to see what happens next. We’re all making projects – I made this simple brioche rib scarf – it’s about 5″ x 44″ unblocked – with one skein. It was an absolute delight to knit, and don’t forget it’s 10% off through the end of November:
Here’s a close-up to show you the lovely little fluff you’ll feel against your skin:
If you read my newsletter, you’ll know that we’re going to be closed Thanksgiving week Monday through Friday, then open our regular hours on the weekend. You’ll also know that 5% of our sales through Christmas will be donated to the Red Cross for victims of Sandy. I don’t know anyone personally, but I’ve heard so many stories from our customers who have family in New Jersey who have lost so much. They’re our neighbors, we want to help!
Okay, I think it’s time we looked at pretty projects:
Anne Nordhoy, who is a fabulous knitter, is also turning into a very good designer. She has branched out in the last couple years, getting very interested in exploring her own ideas. She, with the assistance of Barbara Walker’s stitch treasuries and the Great Afghan series from Knitters magazine, designed her own afghan using these beautiful autumn tones in a variety of different yarns:
You can look at any of the blocks and find little beauties, but here are some of my favorites:
A cunning little turtle:
A subtle spider:
A cute little cat:
And my favorite, an oak leaf with acorns:
I finished my sister’s birthday scarf – she wanted a lightweight red scarf that she could wear with a suit to work. I’m grateful for several things about this: First, it’s always nice when someone wants you to knit something for them. Second, it was a good excuse to do a lace project. Third, it gave me a good project to use Cascade’s Heritage Silk Paints, a really beautiful yarn that gets lost in the sock yarn section but deserves to made into something beautiful. Fourth, it was nice to have her say what she wanted instead of my trying to figure something out – easy! I used a free pattern from Ravelry called Haruha by Mari Muinonen, a pretty little leaf design:
Hope she likes it. And my sweet niece, who lives in Manhattan, and had no heat for several days, sent me an email thanking me for all the wool socks I’ve made her over the years. Wasn’t that sweet?
Nancy Rambo made this cute little beret for her granddaughter, with a little trim of white around the edge. She found the perfect button for the top and promised to send a picture of Reilly in it:
Just for kicks, I made our Berry Stitch cowl in a pretty shade of Souffle, a lovely, lightweight and superbulky alpaca blend. We made it first in Magnum, which is 100% wool and very wintry, very country, very earthy. In Souffle, it’s softer and still very cozy:
Okay, it’s time to go get my hair cut. I want a real change, but I don’t know what. It will be a surprise for all of us!
See you soon…
Trish
