July 31, 2007

pictures as promised

Yesterday it finally quieted down enough for me to have the time to take pictures of our newest arrivals. Six new books for your reading and knitting pleasure…

(Don’t forget that Lynne Vogel’s going to be here on August 26 to sign books, complete with trunk show. And her handspun, hand dyed yarn!)

Just as I snapped pictures of last weeks arrivals, Malabrigo and Maizy sock yarn, the UPS truck pulled up in front, and brought yet more yarn! One of the boxes contained seven new colors of Step, sock yarn with aloe and jojoba. Such pretty colors!

Now to start unloading the other boxes! One contains our shipment of Jamieson Shetland and Silk; the others are filled with 26 colors of a new acrylic basic from Berroco called Comfort. No rest for the weary this time of year!

memorial fund

I thought you’d like to know that a memorial fund has been set up for Donna and her girls at Redstone Federal Credit Union. Anyone can make contributions to the Larosche Memorial Fund. I don’t think that you’ll need the account number to make a contribution, but if you want it, just give us a call.

back to work

I have so much catching up to do it’s not funny. I’ll start with words today and fill in with pictures tomorrow when I get back to the shop (I’m babysitting a sick freezer today).

Since my last appearance here, we’ve received the majority of our fall order from Plymouth Yarns, which includes some very cool new yarns. Royal llama silk is a blend of, yup, llama and silk, giving a tweedy, almost but not quite smooth yarn. Yardley is an alpaca blend spun up into a small boucle. Very soft and drapey. Confusion just has to be seen to be believed. It’s several different textures in one yarn, perfect for scarves and hats. I promise, pictures tomorrow.

We also have quite a few new books on hand, including Lynne Vogel’s Twisted Sisters Sweater Book, Knit Kimono by Vicki Square, Getting Started with Socks by Ann Budd and Stefanie Japel’s Fitted Knits. I understand there’s a box of books on its way to us from out west, with more new titles inside.

Dream in Color update: I just talked to the folks at Dream in Color a few minutes ago. Our order is next on the dye tables, so we should have our worsted weight in about two weeks. The sock yarn hasn’t arrived at their studio yet, so our shipment probably won’t be here for another four weeks. I guarantee it’s all worth the wait.

Knit Night is happening tomorrow night, and you’ll be treated to the premiere of two new yarns. They just arrived and aren’t out on the shelves yet. Only Janet and I have seen them. Dawn, honey, you’ll weep with joy over one of them, I guarantee it!

Later this week we should see our order from Neighborhood Yarns come in. Sock yarn, lace weight mohair and sport weight silk, in an amazing array of colors. This new indie dyer promises to be a bright star in the knitting firmament.

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July 11, 2007

update

Yarn Expressions will be closed all day Friday, so we all can attend Donna’s husband’s funeral. Normal hours will resume on Saturday. Thanks so much for your outpouring of support. Knitters are amazing people… but we already knew that!

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July 9, 2007

sad news

Our dear Donna was in a serious car accident on Saturday, July 7. She was injured; her husband did not survive the crash.

Most of you who’ve come to the store have met with Donna many times. She’s helped you fix problems, she’s helped you find just the right yarn for that special project. Now it’s our time to help her.

We’ve started prayer shawls for Donna, her husband’s mother and each of Donna’s daughters. Please join us in this ministry of love and knit a few stitches or a few rows. We’ll be dedicating the next few Thursday Knit Nights to these projects.

Thanks for your help and support,

Meg and the staff at Yarn Expressions

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July 5, 2007

can you say new sock yarn?

Just in time for Knit Night, 18 new shades of Trekking showed up this afternoon. Yes, really, 18! Pro Natura, the wool/bamboo blend has come out with solid shades, and we have seven of them.

Also in the box were 11 new multicolored shades. Just look!

We also received from Skacel a new yarn called Aloha Stripes which will be the subject of a class on July 21. It’s a unique knitted ribbon yarn that, when knit in a very unconventional style, produces a ruffle. I’m starting a scarf tonight, so stop by to see what it’s all about!

holiday hours, new and coming attractions

Holiday hours — We’ll be closed tomorrow, July 4th, to celebrate Independence Day. Normal hours apply for the rest of the week.

New in the shop — Take a look at these pretties that arrived this week.

This is Soxx Appeal from K1C2, a brand new sock yarn. Merino wool, nylon and 1% lycra make for a soft and stre e e e tchy sock, that stays up! As you can see, we have a good supply of a dozen colors to tempt you.

This is Fino laceweight, from Alpaca with a Twist. A blend of baby alpaca and silk, it’s sensuously soft and well priced at $21 for 875 yards. We have more colors coming later in the summer, but we were happy to take the few colors that were in stock at the warehouse. EDIT — Boy, that went fast! The red’s all gone!

Coming attractions — Many people have expressed an interest in finding unique, off-the-beaten-path yarns and fibers at Yarn Expressions. I’ve been working with several new, independent dyers to give you what you’ve asked for.

Very soon we should have a shipment from Dream in Color, both their worsted weight wool and fingering weight sock yarn. We’ll be kitting up their popular Tulips sweater, and a new design in more “boylike” colors, called Rocketry. I think you’ll like the look and feel of these lovely hand dyed yarns.

Last year I participated in a fiber of the month club run by Mama E at C*Eye*Ber Fiber Yarns, and liked it so much I began talking to her about carrying her yarns and fibers at Yarn Expressions. It’s taken us a while to come up with a plan, but we should have a variety of sock yarns and a selection of spinning fibers from her in the next couple of weeks. Erin’s sense of color and composition is top notch, and I’m really pleased to be able to bring these goodies to you.

I’ve also just placed an order with Linda and Tom at Grafton Fibers. Linda’s blended batts are sought after all over the country — we’ll be the first shop in the south to carry them. Tom makes beautiful knitting needles and crochet hooks. I’ve ordered a few to test drive to see if they’re also something I’d like to carry. This shipment should arrive in a month or so.

If there’s a company, large or small, that you’d like to see represented at Yarn Expressions, please be sure to let me know. I’ll do my best to bring in new yarns and fiber just to please you.

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