Show and Tell Friday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. It is always so fun being with family. My oldest daughter and her husband with their two boys came over for lunch. My son and grandaughter were also there of course. We missed having my youngest daughter and her husband with us this year as they went to Oklahoma to visit family. This was the very first Christmas she has missed being at home. But I got to talk with her and find out about her Christmas gifts, so it was OK. And she's already been told that she needs to be home next year for Christmas.

My grandkids LOVED their wallabys that I made for them. Here's a photo of them sitting on the front porch. My grandaughter wore her wallaby ALL DAY LONG! It made me feel so good to know that they will enjoy them.

For supper we all went over to my brother's house to eat with his family. So today was a good day. I even snuck in an afternoon nap. :-)

Don't forget to stop in the next few days for our End of the Year Sale! There are some great savings to be found!

Show and Tell Friday

I have lots of show and tell items for today!


First off, we'll start with Kristina's shawls. I believe she has gone on a finishing frenzy lately and brought in 3 shawls that she had finished. I'm afraid the photos don't do them justice. They were really all very lovely. The light aqua one was made with Malabrigo lace yarn.

Kristina also brought in a pair of the Komet socks. She used the Mountain Colors Bearfoot for this pair. Very nice!

And then Tracy brought in a mosaic bag that she had made. I love the design, Tracy! Great job!

And finally, Karen finished her Wonderful Wallaby. It's made out of Swedish Yarn's Vinga yarn. I believe her little girl is enjoying wearing it, don't you? You did great, Karen!

Well, this will probably be my last blog before Christmas, so I hope you and your family have a wonderful celebration together. May 2009 bring many blessings your way.

Show and Tell Friday

Mimi made this vest out of her very first handspun yarn! The pattern is from Meg Swanson. Mimi also had to learn how to steek on this project. For those not familiar with steeking, it's where you cut (yikes!) the knitted garment...so you can add a zipper, for example. Mimi, it looks great and I'm so proud of you learning how to do steeking. You are one brave soul!


Leslie took what she learned in the Block of the Month club and created her own bookmarks using the "Leaves of Grass" pattern. What a good way to incorporate a stitch patten into something you can give away as gifts. Good job, Leslie!


And Mary Beth came in with yet another hedgehog...but this one was definitely from society...the Red Hat Society that is. She made this darling purple hedgehog with its red hat for her mom. Way too cute, Mary Beth!

Thanks to everyone for bringing in their finished projects. It's so much fun seeing what everyone has made!

Show and Tell Tuesday

Well, last Friday I came to work feeling not so great and went home after about 30 minutes when it became apparent that I was coming down with something. Melissa was so kind to help out here at the shop all day Friday, during the Friday Night Knitting Club, and then back again on Saturday. She was a big help and I sooooo appreciated knowing I could go home, get in bed and sleep as long as I needed to without worrying about the shop. Thanks Melissa!

So I missed our show and tell time on Friday. But never fear, Tuesday is just as good of a day to share with you as Friday. So without further ado, here are some of the items that you all are making.

Donna brought in her Block of the Month afghan to show. She used the Red Java and Golden Ochre colors of the Malabrigo yarn to create this gorgeous afghan. She has some other afghans she is working on in different colors. I can't wait to see the rest of them.

And she used the Cascade Victor yarn in the sale bin to make dog sweaters for her 2 cute little dogs. The pattern is the Fiber Trends Dandy Dog Sweaters. There are 3 different stitches on the pattern and she chose the mock cable stitch. I'm going to have to make my little dog and my grandpuppy one of these sweaters. Great job on all your projects, Donna!

Marilyn used Berroco Jasper yarn to create this earflap hat for a Christmas present. The pattern was written for back and forth knitting, but she learned in the Weekly Class how to do the pattern "in the round". A much more pleasant experience in my opinion. Someone's going to love finding this hat under the tree. Very nice, Marilyn!

Well, have a great week and I hope to share more Show and Tell projects with you on Friday.

Show and Tell Saturday

Yesterday was soooo busy that I never found the time to do show and tell. After we closed the shop last night all I wanted to do was go home and put my feet up. What a fun day...but a busy one! My daughter, Sarah, got to come and spend some time with me at the shop. It was a treat having her here. Unfortunately, I had to wear my boot most of yesterday. I'm concerned because I don't think my foot has made much improvement. I know that it takes time to heal these types of injuries, but I'm not a very patient person when it comes to physical problems.

Well..on to show and tell. Melissa brought in a pair of socks she made out of Crystal Palace Panda Wool. She used the free pattern from Ravelry for Komet socks by Stephanie van der Linden. She also showed me a sock she had made for her son out of Crystal Palace Panda Cotton and Brown Sheep Wildfoote. She said her son had been wearing the first sock even before the 2nd one has been completed.

Ann finished her sweater from the Weekly Class. Lisa helped her make up the pattern out of Noro's Silk Garden. The buttons she added were the Tagua Nut ones we had here in the shop. Didn't she do a nice job!

Missy just got a refresher course in crocheting about 2 weeks ago after years and years of not crocheting. Her first project was to crochet this darling baby blanket out of Cascade 220 superwash yarn. The pattern is in the Hooked Throws book that we have here in the shop. She had this blanket finished in less than a week. Way to go, Missy!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. If you need ideas for gifts for Christmas, I hope you'll come to The Yarn Haven for all your knitting and crocheting needs. Let the shopping begin!!

The boot is off!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I went to the doctor yesterday and he said that my foot had healed enough to get out of the boot. YEAH!! I will still need to use the boot for a couple of weeks anytime I need to be on my feet a lot. He gave me some arch supports to put in my shoes that should continue to help in my recovery. And he said not to walk barefoot. I go back in 6 weeks for a recheck. Hopefully, the tendon will be 100% by then. It feels sooooo good to not have to lug that boot around.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I know I have a lot to be thankful for.

Blessings to you all!

Show and Tell Friday

I couldn't wait to show you Mary Beth's creations this week. First of all, she made this darling scarecrow. Using his tail, he even stands up. Instead of the corn field, he's guarding the Yarn Bells. Very cute and just in time for Thanksgiving. And then she made this little gnome. He is just as cute. Both patterns are from Alan Dart of the UK. There are several sizes of the gnomes. Mary Beth made the small one so she could use him as an ornament on their tree. Both the scarecrow and the gnome are darling. Great job, Mary Beth!

I also have Betsy's diagonal sweater to show you. She used a Mother of Purl pattern (which we have in the shop) and Ella Rae Palermo yarn (which we also have in the shop). This self-striping yarn is a great choice for this pattern. This is the pattern that used in making my sweater this summer for The Yarn Haven Olympics. It's an interesting design. I think several other people are also in the process of making it, so I hope to show you this design in other colors in the near future.

Have a great weekend...and stay warm!!

An Unusual Sight

I didn't get to go to the mountains this fall to see all the trees in their beautiful colors. My hubby and I used to go for a weekend getaway every fall. But the shop has just kept me too busy this year. Plus the fact that it's hard to go on a hike lugging a boot on your foot. :-(


But I've enjoyed seeing the trees down here in the valley turn colors. And then the wind came and blew most of the leaves off the trees. My backyard looks like a sea of leaves. I'm hoping my son will see the need to try out his new blower this coming weekend and gather them up.


Seeing all the leaves being blown off the trees and scattered everywhere caused me to stop short this week when I saw the most unusual sight. I was sitting at the bank when a tree caught my eye. Most of the leaves were off the tree. But instead of being scattered everywhere they looked like they has just been dumped on the ground. It looked so strange that I had to take a picture to show you. It's like the tree just decided to let them all go at once. It's amazing that the wind hadn't come along and scattered them. I'm betting when I go to the bank again the leaves will all be gone. But at least for a moment in time, I got to see this unusual sight. And it did make me smile.

Take some time today to look around you and find something that makes you smile. I've heard that smiling will add years to your life. And if you also get the time to knit or crochet today, then that alone could add a few more years.

So keep smiling!

Show and Tell Friday

First of all, I want to thank everyone for the patience they have shown me as I get around on my bum leg. I go back to the doctor in about a week and a half. My foot seems better, so hopefully the time being off of my foot has healed it enough that having some arch support will now correct my problem. I've gotten real tired of wearing this boot though...and while having a wheelchair has been wonderful in keeping me off my feet, I can honestly say that I can't wait to walk normally again. And then it hits me...at least I will be able to get out of this chair and take off the boot and walk again. So many people must live their lives in a wheelchair. I have a much greater admiration for them after being in a chair for the past 3 weeks. So I have many things to be thankful for. Thank you also for all of your warm wishes for a speedy recovery.

Today I have 3 things to share with you...a purse...a belt...and a baby.

Leigh made this purse from a Berroco pattern a while back and just recently finished it up. It's a great purse and the Yarn Craft leather handles she used look great with it. Nice job, Leigh!

Reynie came in the other day for more yarn and was wearing the belt she had made out of Noro Daria yarn. It was too cute. We have lots of colors in this yarn and this belt would make a great Christmas present. Free pattern comes with the yarn purchase. Very cool, Reynie!

And now for the cutest baby...Emily's little one is modeling his Baby Surprise Jacket made out of Plymouth Encore yarn. Emily sure did a nice job on the jacket and her little one sure seems to enjoy wearing it. He comes to visit us at the shop on some of the Sit 'N Spin Saturdays. I've heard several people say that they just come on those days to see him. He's quite the popular guy. Thanks Emily for sharing your little one with us. He is just too cute!

Well, enjoy the rain today. It's a great time to just sit and knit or crochet. Blessings!

Show and Tell Friday

Isn't this crazy weather we've been having...it's cold, then it's hot, then it's cold again. Don't you just love East Tennessee this time of year! But while I complain a bit about it, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. This is home to me and I feel so blessed to have been born in just a beautiful part of the country.

For show and tell today, I wanted to show you some of the things that the gals in the Weekly classes have been making.

Melissa made up the Amanda Hat out of our soft, soft Malabrigo yarn. I really like the Amanda stitch pattern. In fact, I need to get back to work on finishing up the fingerless gloves I designed in that stitch. Note to self...move the gloves up a bit on the priority list. Nice job, Melissa!

Marilyn made the Mock Entrelac Scarf out of Plymouth Encore yarn. I'm sorry this picture doesn't show the pattern very well. But Marilyn did a nice job on the scarf. By the way, this is a free pattern when you purchase Feza Cyprus Mohair yarn. Come to the shop and check out the model on display.

Mary took some of the Tahki Bunny yarn and turned it into this gorgeous vest. There's still a little bit of this wonderful yarn left in the sale bin. They have discontinued the variegated colors and this is an excellent time to get it at a good price. Mary, your vest looks great!

I think all the gals taking the Weekly Class have been learning a lot of new things and having a ball. Thursdays here in the shop are busy, busy, busy with everyone coming to class all day long. We now have a Wednesday morning Weekly Class as well. And I hope to have classes on Tuesdays after the first of the year. So if you want to learn how to further your knitting skills, then come sign up for one of our Weekly Classes. The next one starts on Thursdays on December 4.

Can you believe it's only 48 days until Christmas!!!!! It's time to start knitting those Christmas gifts! Stop by the shop to see some examples of things you can give for Christmas. We have both knitting and crocheting ideas.

Have a great day and keep knitting and crocheting!

From Scarecrow to Pirate

Last Sunday night as my son was getting my granddaughter's things ready for another week of school, we realized that Monday was Pirate Day. Not sure why we missed that bit of information before, but we had about 1 hour before bedtime to turn my little cutie into a pirate for the next day. She didn't really have anything in her wardrobe that looked like a pirate, so I went looking in my clothes. I finally found a turtleneck shirt that would look very billowing on her...with the sleeves rolled up. We didn't have black pants, but she reasoned that she was a girl and she should have pink pants. I added a scarf for a belt and put on a bandana around the head. She put on some rainboots that a friend had given her last year, but quickly realized that they were so small that she wasn't going to be able to wear them. She looked cute, but I realized that every good pirate needs an eye patch. So I quickly sat down and crocheted her an eye patch...with a hole in the center so she could see. Here's a photo of her the next morning right before we left for school. She was putting on her best pirate face and saying "Aarrgghh". I hope before the next dress up day comes we have a little more warning. I think we did pretty well considering the lack of time we had, don't you.

Speaking of dressing up, Amanda stopped by to show me what she wore to work on Halloween. A lot of people would say that's the reason they have a job...so they have money to buy yarn.

And lastly today, I have another recipe for you from our Friday Night Knitting Club. Carmen brought Mexican Fudge last time and it was delicious. Very quick and easy to make.

You mix together 4 eggs, beaten; 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded; 8 oz. mozarella cheese, shredded; and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies. Dump mixture into a greased 8" x 8" pan and cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool and serve at room temperature. Try it the next time you need an appetizer.

Show and Tell Friday

Thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and wishes as I recover from my foot problem. Mary was so nice to bring me by a wheelchair so that I could truly stay off my feet. It's been a real blessing. Only 3 more weeks to go until I can quit wearing the boot!!!



I have 3 finished items to show you today. Betsy made this beautiful colorblock scarf out of 7 colors of the Filatura di Crosa Aliseo yarn. The pattern is in the Fall/Winter 2008 collection book. Isn't it gorgeous!




Mary finished this checkerboard sweater vest for her grandson. Then she used the leftover yarn to make him a hat as well. She did a nice job and the sweater looks great!


Here is our first finished Block of the Month afghan!! Patty brought hers in to show me. She used the Vetiver color of the Malabrigo yarn. Great job!! I hope as others finish their afghans, they'll also bring them in so I can show them to you.

Enjoy the beautiful weekend ahead of us!

Scarecrow Day

Yesterday it was Scarecrow Day at my granddaughter's school. In planning what she would wear, I got the great idea that I would knit her some "straw" to stick out of her clothing. She got the biggest kick out of the

fact that Grandmomma was knitting straw. Basically, I just knit a cuff for each of her wrists and ankles. Then I put fringe on each one. For her neck, I just did a 2 x 2 ribbing and left long tails to tie around her neck. Then I added the fringe. She looked so cute. They were going to paint her face at school. Doesn't she look cute!

She liked her scarecrow outfit so much, that she decided to wear it for Halloween instead of her Sleeping Beauty costume that she had originally decided to wear. Oh...it's so fun to be a grandma!

More Yarns/Accessories Have Arrived!!

Wow! Lots of new yarns/accessories have arrived in the past couple of weeks:

• New from Kollage yarns is Delightful…an Aran weight kid mohair/rayon blend that makes a beautiful holiday scarf.
• Also from Kollage Yarns is Glisten. This is an Aran weight alpaca/silky blend that has just a hint of a sparkle. Also great for holiday scarfs, shawls, etc.
• For all you spinners out there…Frabjous Fibers just sent me 7 gorgeous colors of Blue Faced Leicester roving.
• From Plymouth Eco Earth Collection are Mainland (alpaca/silk blend) and Ranch (100% alpaca)…both in Aran weight. All natural colors that are both beautiful to look at and so soft to the touch.
• We now have Dale of Norway Baby Ull…14 baby colors in a washable, fingering weight wool
• Plymouth Cotton Kisses…a kit with 2 baby sweater patterns, yarn, and buttons. All you need to add is the needles.
• SweaterKits Wild Silk has been restocked with lots of colors
• Pewter buttons and clasps from SweaterKits
• Crystal Palace Panda Soy…6 colors of this bamboo/soy blend sock yarn
• More ball winders have arrived
• Annie Adams Pewter Shawl Pins and Sticks
• Mountain Colors River Twist yarn - 6 gorgeous colors of this yarn that I fell in love with at Market
• Muench Kid Melange…a wool/kid mohair blend in lace weight
• Misti Alpaca Suri Silk…more colors have been restocked of this baby alpaca/silk blend DK weight yarn
• Holiday issues of Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting

I think that’s everything, but I’m sure I’ve left something out. So stop by to see all the new yarns and get some ideas for gifts you can make for Christmas.

Show & Tell Friday

Socks and sweaters are the focus for today's Show and Tell.


Melissa brought in a pair of mystery socks that she is almost finished with. She made them out of Crystal Palace Panda Wool. I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but the patterns are opposite images of each other. Very cool design.








Kay took our "Knitting Socks" class a while back and brought in her socks to show me. It's just a basic sock pattern out of Plymouth Sockotta. But she did a very nice job for her very first sock. Way to go, Kay!






Pat has been going to town in knitting up sweaters. And I can tell you her favorite yarn must be alpaca because a couple of these sweaters were made out of Misti Alpaca Suri Silk. She did a gorgeous job on all of them.
































Keep those finished items coming in so I can show everyone your wonderful works of art!

Time to Slow Down

Do you ever take time to stop and smell the roses? Something tells me that it's time for me to do so. Maybe this picture will give you the reason why I say that.

I've been having trouble with my foot lately. After a long day of being on my feet, I can hardly walk because of the pain. So I finally got in to see the podiatrist and he says that the tendon that holds up the arch of my foot is enflamed. I could blame it on getting older, or possibly not wearing the best shoes, or the change of being on my feet most of the day after years of sitting at a desk working on a computer. But the result is that I get to wear this wonderful boot for the next month. Sigh. The good news is that it really does help my foot not to hurt. The bad news is that it certainly is slowing me down. Although that could be good news as well. So the morale of this story is...take some time today to stop and smell the roses. If you don't slow down on your own, sometimes your body will slow you down in the most inconvenient way.

Have a great day smelling those roses...I know I will. :-)

Recipes from FNKC

Folks have been bringing some mighty tasty treats to our Friday Night Knitting Club lately. I thought I would share with you today a recipe for one of them. Marti brought these Chess Bars that were absolutely delicious. You can make them with just about any flavor of cake mix, but I chose chocolate because I am indeed a chocoholic. These are quick and easy to make.





Marti’s Chess Bars
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cake mix (any flavor)
Combine above items and press into 9" x 13" pan (no need to grease pan).

3 eggs
1 box (3 ¾ cups) confectioner’s sugar
1 (8 oz) bar of cream cheese, softened
Combine eggs, sugar and cream cheese. Pour over above mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.

Hope that helps satisfy your sweet tooth this week. Next time I'll share with you a recipe for "Mexican Fudge". Yum!

Show and Tell Friday

I unexpectedly got sick with a 24 hour bug this week and it has gotten me off schedule. I totally forgot to download the pics from my camera at home. But I do have a couple of things to share with you today.

Pam brought in her Wonderful Wallaby to show me. It is made out of Cascade 220's superwash yarn. I just love these wallabys. If you've never done one of these little hood and jacket sweaters, you should try it. We have a class coming up on Tuesdays in November if you think you'll need some help with it. I just finished up my 2nd one and have one more to do for Christmas. All 3 of my grandkids will be getting a wallaby this year. It's a great pattern because it goes from size 2 all the way up through adult sizes. In fact, at our last wallaby class two of the gals were doing adult sizes. They seem very comfy and will be great for this fall weather that is approaching.

The other pic I have to show you is one of the baby surprise jackets that I made for a friend's baby shower recently. In the past I have made the jackets out of worsted weight yarn. But this time I chose Cabin Fever's Cotton Tweed yarn. It's a DK weight yarn and makes about a 3-6 month size jacket. I just love working with this yarn and the lady bug buttons looked great on the jacket. Also, I added a collar to this one. There's also a class coming up on the baby surprise jacket. Be sure to come by the shop and pick up a class schedule if you're interested in either of these great classes.

Hope you're enjoying the cooler weather that has finally arrived!

Show and Tell Friday

The cute items just keep coming in! Pam brought by 4 hats that she made. The first one was a Debby Ware kit. There are a couple more of the kits in the sale bin if you'd like to try your hand at one. The 2nd hat was the April Joy hat that Mimi designed. I'm not sure where she got the pattern for the 3rd hat, but she designed the UT one herself! We asked our Teddy to model them. He did the best he could considering a couple of them were a little small for his head. Pam, you're really cranking out those hats!

Nonie brought in a baby sweater she made out of Plymouth Encore yarn. It is Plymouth pattern #1354. This cute little sweater only takes 1 skein for the small size. I love the doggie button she chose. We have a shop model of this sweater if you'd like to make one also. Very nice, Nonie!

Marilyn finished up a sweater that she has worked hard on in the Weekly Class. She used Plymouth pattern #1093...a lacy pullover sweater. She chose Aslan Trends Class yarn. Purple is Marilyn's favorite color and it looks great on her! She's already working on another sweater, so keep checking back to see what she's made next.

Have a wonderful weekend...and if you're a spinner, be sure to come to the Sit 'N Spin time tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon from 2-4 pm. All roving and drop spindles are on sale to celebrate National Spinning and Weaving Week! If you've been thinking about learning how to spin, then this is a great time to come learn more!