What a strange weather week...

This week has definitely been a challenge for us as we dealt with snow and ice. My grandkids, of course, loved being out of school a couple of days. Ariel could hardly stand it until she got outside to make snow angels and play in the snow. And then the ice on the trees was so beautiful...but dangerous on the roads. It made driving much more challenging for me this week. I felt I was creeping along as everyone else flew by me. Sorry, but having another accident was not what I wanted this week. I was on high alert when driving.

I wanted to share with you a finished project I completed this week. This is Stephen West's Slipped Rib scarf. I used Filatura di Crosa Aliseo yarn and it made a lovely shawlette when paired with a pretty shawl pin.

Cindy brought in several items to share. First of all, she made this sweater out of Louisa Harding Albero. The pattern is in Andra Knight-Bowman's book, "Easy Cable Knits for All Seasons.

Then she brought in a boatload of socks she had made over the summer. She used Swedish Yarns Raggi, Opal 6 ply and Berroco Comfort.

Patty's Coquille Shawl out of Crystal Palace Mini Mochi was so pretty. I need to make me one of these.

She also made a garter stitch entrelac scarf out of Skacel Opus 1. Very nice.

And Barbara's Pi Shawl from this past Summer's Lace KAL was simply breathtaking. I did the same shawl, but used a DK weight cotton. Barbara was brave and used a lace weight merino yarn.

Also I wanted to share this recipe with you. Lin brought in these yummy tasting turtles to one of the class Christmas parties. They are wonderful and quick to make. I might have to make some of these for the Gray clan this Christmas.

Sweet & Salty Turtles

Place an unwrapped Rolo candy piece on a small round pretzel. Bake for 5-6 minutes in a 175 degree oven until the rolo is melted. Place a pecan half on top of the Rolo and let it set.

And before I close, I had to share this photo of Ariel...and her Daddy...and Jasmine. Ariel had made her own set of reindeer antlers out of paper towels and a headband. I love the way she is so creative.

Hope your Christmas plans are coming together nicely and that your knitting and crocheting projects get finished in time!

Show and Tell...

Hasn't today been a simply gorgeous day! I love days like today. It makes me want to sit outside and knit all day.

But I have lots of finished projects to show you instead.

Linda made this pretty shawl out of Fiesta Rayon Boucle. The color was called "Carribean".

She also made a pair of socks out of Knit One, Crochet Too Crock-o-Dye yarn.

Marilyn made a cabled scarf out of Swedish Yarn Raggi.

Karen's sweater was made out Berroco Lustra yarn.

Peggy's hood & jacket were made out of Cascade 220 superwash.

Becky's child sweater was a free Berroco pattern. She used Berroco Cotton Twist to make it.

This was Debbie's first pair of socks. She learned how to make socks in one of our Weekly Classes. She chose Swedish Yarn Raggi to make a heavier sock first.

And lastly, we have Kristina's Echo Flowers Shawl out of Cascade Alpaca Lace.

Nice job, everyone. Enjoy your weekend!

Challenges...

I haven't been posting lately. We've been so busy with new yarns coming in that I haven't had the time to share with you some wonderful finished projects that our customers have made.

So let's get started...

Marilyn wore in her sweater she knitted with Berroco Pure Pima. I love this yarn. It's very nice to work with.

She also brought in her first pair of socks done using the Magic Loop method. She used Berroco Metallic Sox.

Julia finished her Woodhouse Knits Ribbed Ruffle Scarf out of Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK. She's done several of these scarves and each one has turned out so nice.

Kristina's German Shawl turned out just beautiful.

As did her Haruni Shawl. I really like this one.

Jayne made a UT sweater out of Tahki Cotton Classic.

Leigh made a sweater out of Berroco Weekend.

And Kemper shared with us her market bag she did in just one week.

Great job, everyone!!

Back in June I forgot to share with you that Betsy McCarthy, author of "Knit Socks", came into the shop. It was nice having one of our authors visit us.

I had another visit from a very special someone this week. My grandson came by in his Cub Scout uniform trying to raise some money for his troop by selling popcorn. Someone gave me some of the Boy Scouts popcorn last year and I've got to say, it was wonderful. So I bought a box from him and he was so excited. If anyone else wishes to buy some popcorn from his troop, just let me know. It really is great popcorn!

Jasmine has been doing well at the shop. It's hard to believe that I have only had her 5 months. She really does take her job as greeter seriously and will greet everyone who enters. I recently found her in the back office on TOP of Melissa's knitting bag. We had to laugh that she has now taken on the job of security as she was doing a great job of guarding Melissa's bag.

And now for a more thoughtful moment. Every day of our life we face challenges...some great, some small. But each day we live we will be faced with decisions to make. Sometimes we make the wrong decision...and have to face the consequences of that decision. Other times we make the right decision...but can't take credit for it because a higher power guided us along the way. Not sure why I'm being so pensive today, but I am. The past year has been hard on me...both physically and mentally. I've come a long way physically since my car accidents a year ago in June. But I still have lower back pain and I don't think it will ever be going away. It's very frustrating for me to not be able to do the things that I used to do before the accidents. Mentally I've made great strides as well. I no longer panic when getting into a car. But daily I am faced with dealing with the stress of the possibility of getting hit again. I've seen a wonderful psychologist for almost a year. She has helped me tremendously in dealing with my post-traumatic stress disorder. But she tragically died about a month ago from a horrible disease. I didn't know her medical issues were life-threatening until it was too late to have the chance to say thank you for all she did for me. So I feel like I am floundering a bit. I keep pushing forward because that's who I am. And yet something feels missing...out of place. So I'm going to take a break and go to the beach for a week with a dear friend. We're going to stop along the way at some other yarn shops to get some new and fresh ideas. And we're going to talk about 2011 and make some plans for events for our wonderful customers. And we're going to rest, and knit, and read books, and watch movies, and just sit and watch the ocean waves come in and go out. Call it a mental health vacation if you will. Sometimes we just need to get away and take time to rest. The shop will be left in the excellent hands of our staff. I know they will be able to help you find whatever it is you need. And hopefully, when we return, we'll come back refreshed and ready to take on the challenges that face us in the upcoming year.

We Have a Celebrity Among Us...

Many of you know that Sam was working as an intern in North Carolina all summer with Coats & Clark through TNNA's Internship Program. She came into the shop this week to share with us all of the wonderful projects she has made this summer.

Here is a scarf she made using the cocoon stitch.

And here is Ysolda Teague's Ishbel Shawl out of Plymouth Happy Feet. We have this pattern if you'd like to make one for yourself. There's also a model in the shop using Noro Silk Garden Lite yarn.

This Lyttelton Shrug from Ravelry was very cute.

And Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl is beautiful...and it's a free online pattern.

I love this Citron Shawl she made. Also a free online pattern from Knitty.

And lastly, a Through the Loops design.

She's been busy this summer working on these projects...as well as designing a shawl for Coats & Clark. In fact, she's being published!! Her shawl pattern will be in the February issue of Knit 'N Style. As soon as that magazine becomes available, we're going to have a magazine signing for her! We'll let you know all the details by email as soon as this event is set up. We're proud of you, Sam. I know you're going to be a great designer in the future.

Some other folks have been working hard this summer as well. Laura brought in her Ysolda Teague Liesl she made out of Noro Taiyo yarn. We also have this pattern in the shop...and lots of folks have made them.

Sue brought in a hat she made out of sock yarn. The pattern is in the "Not Just for Socks" book. We have a couple of copies of this book in stock and it has some really cute projects using sock yarn.

Peggy made her Oat Couture swing vest out of Berroco Geode yarn. I think this yarn has been overlooked by a lot of people, because this is wonderful yarn. You should check it out the next time you're in the shop.

Well, try and stay cool because this summer is rapidly becoming a bit unbearable. I can't wait until Fall when the mornings have a crisp in the air and the temperature outside is nice and cool.

We have a mascot...

Some of you know that I've been wanting to get a dog for a while. The psychologist that I've been seeing for my PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) thought that having a dog would help lower my anxiety level. Well, this past weekend we adopted a boston terrier/chihauhau mix from a rescue group. Jasmine just turned 7 years old and is the sweetest dog. Some of you who came to the shop yesterday got to meet her and love on her a bit. She will be coming with me most days to work, so I guess she'll get to be our mascot. I realize that not everyone is a dog person. So if you are not comfortable around dogs...or have dog allergies, please tell one of our staff and we'll make sure she stays in the back office during your visit. That's where she is most of the time anyway while I am working. I hope you'll come by and meet Jasmine. Her name means "God's gift" and that has been so true. She is God's gift to me and is helping me get back on the road to recovery.

We've had a couple of garments lately that a lot of people have been knitting. The first one is one of Lisa Hackman's designs. It's called the Primetime Shawl and can be made out of different bulky/chunky weights of yarn. Here is Aggie wearing Lisa's Primetime.

And here is Jan's Primetime shawl out of Ironstone Sky yarn. The Sky yarn is a good choice for this shawl as is the Plymouth Jungle yarn. We have a sample of the Primetime knitted up in the Jungle yarn in the shop.

Another popular design has been the Liesl sweater by Ysolda Teague. We have the pattern for this quick-knitting sweater. Here is Karen wearing her Liesl made out of Malabrigo yarn. A lot of the students in Mimi's Weekly Classes are making the Liesl.

I hope you used the pattern in our April/May newsletter to make a butterfly dishcloth. Dianna brought her dishcloth in to show us. It turned out very nice. These dishcloths make great housewarming gifts. Just tie a wooden spoon together with a couple of dishcloths and you have a very useful gift to give.

Hope you are enjoying our beautiful spring this year.

Show and Tell Friday...

This rainy day today makes me want to just curl up on the couch and knit. But unfortunately, the paperwork in the back office is keeping me here at the shop and working hard. You know, the first couple of years as a yarn shop owner I was able to be out on the sales floor and really get to interact with customers. That's how I made so many really good friends. But the last year or so, as we have grown, the business side of the shop has kept me going at a pretty fast clip. I constantly feel like I am behind in ordering supplies. I think the purchasing and processing part is becoming a full-time job. And I'm always on the outlook for new products and new ideas of fun events we can have at the shop. While I love my job, I do miss the leisurely hours I had at the beginning. Now they didn't seem so leisurely back then. But seeing how busy I've become in the past year...those years were a piece of cake. Hopefully, you all will enjoy the fun things I'm planning and not be too disappointed when I have to hid back in the office and do paperwork. That time is what keeps the shop up and running.

OK...I have to share another photo of my great-nephew, Jackson. He's really a cute little guy and is doing quite well for being a preemie. I'm hoping I'll get to see him up close and personal before too long. My brother is obviously smitten with being a grandpa for the first time. I hear through the grapevine that he's headed back up to Kentucky this weekend for a visit. That's so good to see him excited about his new grandson.

And I forgot to share last week about the fun time that we had at our Girls' Night Out Workshop on making clay buttons. They were really fun to make and not hard at all. We just might have to get Mimi to teach this class again. It was so neat to see the gals create such neat buttons to go on their garments.

Now for a few show and tell items...

Kori made her scarf out of Berroco Seduce yarn. A simple pattern created a great scarf!

Mary finished her 10 stitch blanket and did a wonderful job. She used the Noro Silk Garden and created this beautiful heirloom for her family to enjoy.

And Kelora made this shawl out of the Frabjous Fibers Blue Faced Leicester roving that she handspun. That's quite an accomplishment to first spin your yarn and then knit it up into a beautiful garment to wear. And speaking of spinning, don't forget to come to our 2nd Saturday Spin 'N Stitch tomorrow from 2-4 pm. You'll find folks spinning, knitting and crocheting to their heart's content.

If you're looking for something to do next weekend, don't forget the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival up in Townsend. We'll be having a booth there and you'll get to see lots of fun fiber items. Hope to see you there!

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.