E-Newsletter: August 8, 2008

Dear Reader,

Here in North Alabama yesterday was the first day of school. For me this time of year is much more a time of renewal than the beginning of the calendar year. We’re heading into my favorite season, and I feel much more motivated to take on new projects. Are you ready to learn new things? Jill and Valerie are working on the class list; our goal is to have it ready for you in the next newsletter.

Meet Louisa. Her mother, my friend Helen, taught her to knit at a very early age, and this week she decided she wanted to make socks. So to unwind after the first day of school (”it was very easy,” she said), she embarked on a ribbed sock out of our new Encore DK Sock, using the magic loop technique. Way to go Louisa!

I had an e-mail this week from a new spinner, wondering if we could talk about uses for handspun yarn in the newsletter. If you have favorite suggestions you’d like to share, send them to me (you can just reply to this newsletter and it’ll get to me). Pictures are welcome too (hint, hint). I’d love to start a newsletter section devoted to spinning. My suggestion is to explore the book Homespun, Handknit, published by Interweave Press. It’s full of patterns for hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves, all done in handspun yarn. This is not a new book, but we keep it in stock — that’s how valuable it is.

What’s New in the Store

Patterns, Innovative Crochet and Lots of Yarn
This week brought us a good supply of Cotton Fine from Brown Sheep, ordered especially for the crocheted wrap you see here, on the cover of the Summer issue of Interweave Crochet. I don’t do much crocheting, but I think I might have to tackle this project. It’s really stunning!

We also received our pattern order from Iknitiative, one of my favorite design companies. I immediately dove in to start the Amelia Cardigan, a lovely, soft, floaty jacket with a little lace edge done out of GGH Soft Kid. I chose a gorgeous shade of teal for what I’m sure will be my wear-with-everything sweater this year. Pictures of the sweater in progress next week, I promise.

Last Friday our UPS driver pulled up to the door and started bringing in boxes, and more boxes, and more boxes. Guess what? Our Cascade 220 is here! 90 plus shades of the country’s most popular yarn are here (we’re still working on getting them up on the shelf), along with a model of the Great American Afghan, pattern books for same and copies of the Great American Aran Afghan booklet as well. We’ll be offering a class featuring these blanket squares starting in September. Details will be on the website next week. By the way, if you click on the link to the Cascade site above, you’ll find a link to a video tour of the Great American Afghan, put together by the folks at XRX, the publishers of Knitters Magazine. It’s a nice way to preview the design.

What We’re Working On

Siren Song of the Ocean Breeze
I don’t get to work with Kim that often, so it’s always a special treat when we’re together on a Saturday, as we were this past week. Kim works a full-time job during the week and has school age daughters to keep tabs on, so her knitting time is somewhat limited. She’s been working on one of the scarves from the book Ocean Breezes: Knitted Scarves Inspired by the Sea, in my favorite new yarn, River Twist from Mountain Colors. It’s such fun to see how a new type of yarn will knit up, and I can’t wait for Kim to finish this scarf and model it for us.

What You’re Working On

Chemo Caps and Handspun Yarn
This is Aileen. She stopped in last week to share her finished hat with us. “Great!” I said, “you brought me something to use for the newsletter.” I got a blank look from Aileen. She didn’t know about the newsletter, she just wanted to share this lovely hat with us. It’s the lace cap from Interweave’s Lace Style book, and Aileen used Plymouth’s Lyndon Hill for both inner and outer sections. She particularly chose this cotton/silk blend because of its softness. She’s made this as a chemo cap for a loved.

We had Spinning Group this week, and Phyllis brought her latest batch of handspun for us all to see. She’d participated in the Tour de Fleece, an online spinning event timed to coincide with the Tour de France. Each spinner sets a challenge for themself, and then they work on that spinning challenge during the time the Tour de France is going on. Among other things, Phyllis spun up these scrumptious skeins of wool. The darker ones are Grafton Fibers batts we have at Yarn Expressions, the lighter one is Abby’s Perfect Sky batt, also available here.

What’s Going On Around Here

Franklin Habit at Yarn Expressions Events Calendar and 1,000 Knitters Update
Thanks to the many talents of my firstborn child, we now have an events calendar on the website. It’s easy to find, in the box on the right hand side of the front page of the website. Ongoing events, class dates, holiday closings and special events will all show up there.

We’ve had quite a few people sign up for the 1,000 Knitters Project photo shoot in October. This is the final public shoot of the project and Franklin has promised us at least 40 slots. As of today we have 37 people who’ve signed up. If you’re interested, don’t delay. Send me an e-mail (just reply to this newsletter) and I’ll send you a model release form to fill out and return. There may be a few more slots available — Franklin says he’ll know in a few weeks exactly how many spaces are left. Even if you don’t want your picture taken, come by. We’re making a party out of this, and you don’t want to turn down a good party, now, do you? You can click the picture above for more details.

What’s In the Works

A Ceaseless Parade
Expected this next week are shipments from:

• Jojoland — more Melody sock yarn and swirl shawl patterns.
• Many, many colors of Trekking — you asked for it, so we keep up the supply.
• Mountain Colors — Bearfoot mill ends should be here Friday.
• Pagewood Farms — more Denali and more mill ends. Maybe this batch will last long enough for me to put it up on the website!
• Storm Moon Knits — a new-to-us indie dyer, with some of the most unique color combinations I’ve ever seen. We’re all anxiously awaiting this shipment.

 

That’s it from me. I hope your week is a good one, filled with much laughter and even more fiber.

Sincerely,

and all the crew at Yarn Expressions