New Knitter's Pride Needles are in the house...

Have you heard about the new Knitter's Pride needles? Well, we now have their Dreamz wood needles at our Farragut shop. These needles are very similar to the Knit Picks needles. They are made of laminated birch wood that is sourced out of Vermont. The needles come in straight, double-pointed, fixed circular and interchangeable. But there are a few differences in these needles from the Knit Picks needles.

• Instead of all sizes having the harmony wood color, each size of the Dreamz needles has an unique color.


• The size is printed on the wood AND on the metal shaft of each needle. No more guessing which size you have.


• The Knitter's Pride needles come with 16" cables.


• Needle tips come in 2 sizes...5" and 3 3/4". The shorter tips were especially designed for creating 16" needles, but they could be used on any of the cable lengths.


• They have cubic needle tips which are square and useful for hands that need a little tender loving care.


• They also make crochet hooks that are interchangeable and able to do tunisian crochet. And they have regular crochet hooks made out of the same wonderful laminated birch wood.


• And finally, they are priced at the same price as Knit Picks...although some items are priced a little lower.

Come try out some of our new Knitter's Pride needles. If you already have some Knit Picks needles, you'll be glad to know that the cable cords fit them as well.

I also have some finished items to share with you. Marilyn has been a busy bee for the past few months. She made the Miley Tee (which is a C2Knits pattern) out of Araucania Ulmo yarn. By the way, we've gotten in some more of this yarn and I'm working on a mitered square bag pattern to share with you in the near future. Look for it at our Cedar Bluff shop.

And then she made Ysolda Teague's Ishbel shawl out of Noro Silk Garden Lite.

Next came her gauntlets and headband out of Berroco Blackstone Tweed. She used 1 skein of 3 different colors to make both of them using Berroco's Huxley pattern.

And then she made the Green Goddess Cardigan out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL and Malabrigo Sock yarn. She stranded the 2 yarns together.

Ginny brought in a different version of Kate's Shawl using Malabrigo Rios yarn.

She also shared with us a diagonal scarf she made out of Berroco Jasper yarn.

Ann did a great job on the Kate Jackson Log Cabin Bag. She used 11 different colors of Cascade 220. Lining the bag was a nice finishing touch.

Roz finished her Coquille shawl out of Araucania Ranco yarn. We're having a class on learning how to make this shawl at our Farragut shop on Tuesday, January, 10. Come sign up if you'd like to join us.

And last, but not least, Susan brought in her finished Ladder Shawl that she made from Lisa's Ladder Shawl Workshop.  Great job, ladies!

On a more personal note, have you ever prayed for a miracle? Well, I have been this week. You see, I have a great-niece, Hayley, who is only 14 years old. She has recently been diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem cancer. She is at St. Jude's Children's Hospital right now receiving 6 weeks of radiation. While we are praying that this medicine will shrink the tumor, we are also praying for a miracle. We want that tumor to go completely away. We want Hayley well and able to live a long life. If the Lord brings Hayley to mind, would you join her friends and family in praying that Hayley would get her miracle. Here's a prayer that Hayley's mom, Kari, posted.

I wait in faith... acknowledging you are in control.
I wait in confidence... knowing you are almighty.
I wait with expectancy.... knowing your plan is perfect.
I wait in thankfulness... for what you are going to do.
I wait in dependence... knowing you are all I need.
And I wait in stillness...knowing you are my God.

Blessings!

Life has returned to normal....

In reading my last blog I realized that there is so much more to my health story than I posted about. To make a really long story short...the doctors finally diagnosed me with cancer of the spleen. So I had surgery to remove my spleen. Once it was out, they discovered that there was no cancer! Now 2 months after surgery I am feeling better than before I got sick back in April. My energy level is back up and I'm working regular hours again. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me during this long time of illness. I know God answered your prayers in a miraculous way and I'm thankful to be in good health once again. To God be the glory!

I didn't knit much while I was sick. But after my surgery I got to feeling better and finished my version of the Princess Kate's Shawl. I used 5 skeins of Mirasol Nuna yarn. I'll give you the pattern if you purchase the yarn.

Just because I haven't been in the shop doesn't mean that folks have stopped knitting. I have lots of photos to show you of their finished projects.

Leslie finally finished her Crayon Box Jacket. These jackets are a lot of work, but are one-of-a-kind masterpieces when they are finished.

And she also finished her Coquille Shawl using Wolle's Creation color changing cotton. This is a fun to shawl to make if you're looking for a new project. Lots of folks have made them out of Crystal Palace's Mini Mochi as well.

Debbie made a pair of Hat Heel Socks out of Galway Paint yarn. The striped yarn did a good job of showing off the hat heel...even though the photo is not very clear.

She also made a Raglan Top-Down sweater using yarns from her stash and ones she got from the sale bin. Some of the yarns that were too thin were doubled to make the weights more even.

Marilyn made the famous Weekend Shawl by Anne Kuo Lukito out of Malabrigo Sock yarn.

She also used Lisa's "Lucky 7 Socks" pattern to make herself a new pair of socks. Fame Trend was her yarn of choice.

And she finished the Diamond Patch sweater using Berroco Linsey. She used 2 colorways to provide a contrast.

Mavis made socks for her 2 sisters. She said these were "loud", but they will be warm as winter arrives in Western Australia.

Sarah made some Opera Gloves using Kollage Sockalicious. The pattern was in the Fall 2010 issue of Vogue.

Ellen's summer sweater was made out of Berroco Linsey. She used Knitting Pure & Simple pattern #9727.

Freda's Sarorayon Shawl was enlarged just a bit to make it a wider shawl. This is a quick, easy pattern.

And Mary made some legwarmers for one of her great-grandchildren out of Berroco Comfort Sock yarn. The pattern was a freebie on Ravelry called "Heather Legwarmers".

I hope you're enjoying the fall crispness that been in the air today and yesterday. The changing of the seasons is one of the things I love about living in East Tennessee.

Blessings!

I'm Back....

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted anything. I had lots of things we were going to do the past month, but I couldn't do them because I got sick. At first I just thought it was the flu...although it seemed a little late in the season for that. So the doctor did a chest x-ray, and an ultrasound on my stomach area, and lots of blood work. They ruled out a lot things that it wasn't, but never were able to determine what knocked me flat on my back for 3 weeks. There were many scary times...like when my fever kept spiking up to 104-105 degrees every night. Thankfully, Tylenol brought it down quickly, but the night sweats made it very hard to sleep. They finally changed my antibiotic and gave me some sleeping pills to help me rest. That's when I started making the turn for the better. Now I finally over the fever and finished with my antibiotics. I've very weak and have no appetite whatsoever. But I'm trying to get into the shop at least several hours each day...and making myself eat at mealtimes. So, hopefully, each day will find me stronger and with more stamina than the day before. I've missed being in the shop. And I don't know what I would have done without Melissa, Kelora, Paula & Leigh to keep things going. You gals are the best!!

Although it's a little late in the month, we do have a Winner for our Knitter of the Month for May. It's Linda Overly!! Linda, be sure to come in and pick up your $20 gift certificate. She brought in a couple of projects to share. A lightweight summer shawl she made out of Noro Yuzen. She used a simple pattern of K1, yo, K2tog. It's really beautiful and I'm sure she will get a lot of wear out of it.

She also brought in a baby blanket she made out of Plymouth Encore. The pattern was the Pine Forest Baby Blanket. It looks very soft and warm for a special little one.

Pat made this gorgeous shell using Mango Moon Mantra and Chakra. This was Plymouth Pattern #1601 that she redesigned using the beaded yarn on the top and non-beaded yarn on the bottom. Very nice job, Pat.

Pam made these fingerless gloves for her cousin who was graduating from college. She used Jawoll Magic yarn and used a pattern from the Not Just Socks book. She said he absolutely loved the gloves. Good yarn choice, Pam.

Mary made a cute toddler jumper using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. Pattern was Plymouth #C163. Great job, Mary. It's adorable.

Marilyn used Classic Elite Provence to make Just One More Row's Heartbeat Sweater. She suggested that picking up with a size smaller needle and knitting the ridges with a size larger needle will help for a better fit. Good advice!

And she also made the famous Berroco felted coasters out of Berroco Jasper. She used a size 8 needle in order to get 4 coasters out of a skein. Using 2 different colorways gave just enough leftovers for a 9th coaster. These are great coasters to make for gift-giving. They are quick to make and do a super job of absorbing the moisture off glasses.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you for all the well wishes I have received during my illness. I feel so blessed to have come through that dark time. It's good to be back at the shop.

Spinning Classes Just Around the Corner...

Yesterday we had the wonderful experience of having Carol Larsen from River's Edge Fiber Arts come to the shop and teach all of our staff some spinning skills. We had all skill levels from gals that had never spun at all to newbies to experienced spinners. But we all learn some new things in preparation for bringing Ashford Spinning Wheels into the shop and having Spinning Classes.

We also had the joy of another big box of Miss Babs sock yarn arrive at the shop. You would have thought it was Christmas as all the staff and some customers were ooing and awing over the beautiful colorways that Miss Babs creates.

Well, the Ashford order has been sent and soon we'll have wheels and classes to tell you about. Just when I thought that knitting and crocheting were the best it could get...I discovered spinning. We're just having way too much fun over here at The Yarn Haven these days. Enjoy the beautiful sunshine today! Blessings!

New Yarn Line Has Arrived...

Well, the secret is finally out. Miss Babs yarns and roving have arrived at The Yarn Haven! We are so excited to have Miss Babs wonderful fibers in our shop. We got in the "Yet" lace weight, "Yummy" sock weight in both the 2 ply and 3 ply (sport) weights, and some BFL roving. We have designated an entire yarn tree to Miss Babs yarns.

And I have already snatched a colorway that I just couldn't live without. It's called "Cool Triad". But when I look at it I think of spring... of green leaves & purple crocus nestled by the water. Now I have to find just the right pattern to go with it. It will probably be one of the yarns I use for the Sock Club.

And the extra surprise is that Madelinetosh yarns will be arriving here in the near future. So many people guessed that Mad Tosh was our new yarn line that I just had to bring that one in as well. I love her "Tea Leaves Cardigan". We'll be getting some of those patterns as well as her "Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan". I think that's one I just might have to make for my granddaughter.

I also wanted to share with you a sweater that Ellen finished in her Weekly Class. It's Knitting Pure & Simple Pattern #9727 with some modifications. It looks great on her!

Well, that's all the big news of the day. Don't forget that tomorrow is our Spin 'N Stitch from 2-4 pm. Hope you enjoy the weekend and come in to see Miss Babs yarns & rovings soon.

Our Knitter of the Month for April is...

Congratulations to Peggy Burkman...our knitter of the month. Peggy brought in her 10 Stitch blanket that she made out of Noro Silk Garden. It's absolutely gorgeous!

She also brought in a child's dress that she made out of Cascade Pima Tencel. The pattern was in Creative Knitting magazine (January 2011). Nice job, Peggy!

Donnette made Mimi's Rolled Brim hat out of Noro Silk Garden. Doesn't it look cute on her daughter!

Roz took the All About Fibers and Ladder Shawl classes and made this yummy shawl using different yarns and textures. She said she was so glad she took the class because she learned so much. Look for these classes coming again soon.

Marilyn use the same technique for the 10 stitch blanket and made a 10 stitch table runner. She used the Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn. Very pretty.

She also brought in a lacy scarf that she made out of Tahki Stacy Charles Ritratto. This is an easy pattern and looks quite lovely in this yarn.

Linda finished her Boneyard Shawl using Malabrigo Rios. This was one of our most popular Projects of the Month. I love this color.

Annhara finished another Potpourri Scarf. This yarn came from the Magic Ball she won at the Super Ball party. It looks very nice on her, don't you think.

Margaret brought in this adorable toddler vest made out of Berroco Pure Merino (one of her favorite yarns) and Muench Family. She added some cute car buttons that made it very cute. This was a Knitting Pure and Simple pattern.

And Ginny finished another beautiful summer sweater. This one is made with Ella Rae Rimini...a new cotton/viscose/silk blend yarn that we just got in.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their projects. Be sure to bring in your projects when you finished them and you could be next month's knitter or crocheter of the month.

Thanksgiving...

I know it's not November...the month we focus on thanksgiving. But today I'm really thankful for so many things.

First of all, I'm thankful for my health. Yes, I've had low back problems for almost 2 years now. And yes, I struggle on a daily basis with pain and fatigue. But, at least, it's not a life-threatening illness. My sister-in-law has pancreatic cancer. This is her second bout with cancer. She's been receiving chemo treatments for about a year now. And this week her sweet husband did something that not many men would do. He shaved HIS head in support of her. You've got to love a man that would do that. If you think about them, please pray for Nancy. She just became a grandmother and needs to live many more years to see her 5 children and 1 grandchild grow up.

Secondly, I'm thankful for my customers. You know, there are several yarn shops in this area. But those who claim The Yarn Haven as their LYS are the best. Your loyalty to our shop has made you become more than just customers...you're friends. Recently, when the Second Harvest Food Bank had all of their food & supplies destroyed by flooding, I put out a container on the counter asking for donations and we were able to send a check to Second Harvest this week for $120.00. My customers have always come through for me. Whenever I've asked them to give either money or food or knitted/crocheted items, they have been there ready to join together as a fiber community and help out those who have needs. I think back to the gal who lost her home to a fire and everyone brought in their extra knitting supplies & yarn to completely fill her car with wonderful goodies for her to use. Or when we put out the challenge of making preemie caps and everyone blewn the Alabama shop out of the water by making so many caps. Or the times I've asked for yarn donations to send overseas to help African ladies provide for their families. Or the time we sold the Capulana bags so that families in Mozambique could purchase a truck to carry their produce to market. Over and over again, my customers have given of themselves to help those in our community and others far away.

What are you thankful for today? Your family, having a job, being able to take a vacation last week during spring break? We are so blessed in this country to have the resources to care for ourselves. And when we come upon hard times, there are folks there to help us get through that rough patch.

This past weekend was the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival in Townsend. We had a booth there and enjoyed meeting other fiber folks. Don't you just love these cute little sheep that they had leading the way to the festival. Be sure to watch for it next year in March 2012.

Before I finished, I wanted to share with you two projects that have come in recently. First of all, Leigh finished her beautiful sweater coat. This is the Natalie Coat from Big Girl Knits. She used Cascade 220 Tweed yarn. She modified the cuffs to match the shawl collar stitch pattern and added ribbing at the back waist. Her tip: be sure you measure.

And then Kimberly brought in an Aran Sweater she made using an Alice Starmore pattern. It's made of merino wool. Nice job, Kimberly.

Go out and enjoy this beautiful day and spend some time thinking of the things for which you are thankful. Blessings to you all!