It’s about time I got around to showing you some of the new stock that has come in so far this fall. First, I have to tell you that we will be closing at 5 on Thursdays for the rest of October. I’m taking a class on social media for small businesses at RACC. (Okay, everyone under 40 is now sneering at me, like “You need a class for that?”) This will not affect crochet help from 4 – 6 this Thursday – just pop in, Lynne will be there!
Donna’s Friday cowl series begins this week – first up is this slip-stitch design:
Class starts at 12:15 – join us if you can! Cost is $12/session plus yarn.
I’ll lead in to our new stock with a sad tale of poor judgment and impulse buying:
This summer, in my never-ending quest for the perfect handbag, I decided that my birthday present to myself would be a gorgeous bag. I went online and looked and quailed at the prices. So I went to an outlet here and found something I liked very much and even at 50% off, it was more than I had ever spent on a handbag before. But it had tassels! and lots of shiny hardware! and the leather looked like skin!
I was dazzled and I bought it. I was happy.
On my birthday, I allowed myself to “move in” to my new bag, transferring this and that. Not everything fit very well, and I had to find an old wallet, a smaller hairbrush, only one lipstick. These things happen. I got ready to go to work. My iPad just fit if I didn’t zip the top, just room for yogurt, no room for a project. Oh well, I’ll tie a plastic bag to the handle. There goes my elegant look, but I’ve got to go. I leash up the dogs, sling the cross-body strap across my body – and nearly fall over. Between the weight of my lovely well-built leather bag, the contents that I’ve managed to stuff into it, and the fact that everything else I need for the day is tied to it, there must be 15 pounds digging into my shoulder. So I tromp to work, handbag and plastic bag bumping on my hip, two dogs pulling me in different directions the whole way, and thinking that maybe the beat-up old “pleather” backpack from Namaste wasn’t so bad after all. Got to work and found that the “skin” had rubbed my sweater and pilled and frayed the yarn.
Long story not at all short, I looked longingly at these nifty nylon totes from Walker Bags
for a couple of weeks before I said the hell with it and took one home. They are medium sized, weigh nothing, my iPad, lunch, and a small project fit in perfectly, and cost $40. I leave my hairbrush at home.
I like Walker products. They are made in California, last forever (Purl put one of their little accessories to the chew test – the Walker won), are all pocket-y and zippy, and come in fun colors. We also got some of these nifty little project carriers, too. If you have nosy kitties, these are perfect for protecting your yarn while you knit:
Manos del Uruguay has begun producing a lush sock yarn called Alegria. Merino and nylon, 445 yds, fingering weight, and bright hand-dyed colorways. I usually like a more muted palette in hand-dyed yarns so I hesitated at first, but frankly, the yarn is irresistible and the colors are awesome!
It came in a little late for our Zephyr Cove class, but it would be perfect to combine with a solid or semi-solid for that shawl, or any striped shawl, like Color Affection, In the Moment, Stella Luna, or about 1000 others. Of course, you could also make socks with it, and there is the free Esquina Cowl pattern on Fairmount Fibers website.
We received pretty new colors of Manos’ Maxima as well. Look at these beauties!
This lovely extra-fine merino worsted weight is wonderful to work with and to wear, and is very well priced. I made this great sweater using Maxima and a little Cambio for some mildly contrasting stripework.
I loved the collar and the pockets immediately, the fact that it’s all one piece with very interesting construction was intriguing, and the Maxima was the perfect yarn for a sturdy fabric with a lush touch. The pattern is called Mrs. Garter – I made a few minor changes based on comments from previous knitters; isn’t that a great thing about Ravelry? You can make the front symmetrical, lengthen the body, forget the stripes – all kinds of options. This may be a knit-along this winter – what do you think?
Still way more to show you, but enough for today, right? See you soon!
