E-Newsletter: October 2, 2008

Dear Reader,

I think my favorite album of all time is Carole King’s Tapestry. Released in 1971, it has remained one of the most popular recordings available for 37 years. This week, the lyrics of “You’ve Got a Friend” have been running through my head.

When you’re down and troubled
And you need some loving care
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

This certainly has been a roller coaster week, hasn’t it? It may not be darkest night, but the news has been pretty grim. More than once I’ve had the thought that I’m glad I have my knitting and spinning to keep me sane, keep me calm in the face of the economic news coming from our nation’s capitol.

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there

We often talk about the therapeutic value of working with fiber. It slows our heart rate, we focus on the repetitive nature of wrapping yarn around needles, we feel the soft, snuggly fabric we’re creating. It’s like comfort food without the calories. And like comfort food, it’s even better when it’s shared with others.

Every Thursday is knit-in day at Yarn Expressions. The day group meets at 11:00, knit night begins at 5:00. Come relax, unwind, share your passion for fiber.

You’ve got a friend.

What’s New in the Store

This time of year, shipments begin to slow down. In fact, in just a few weeks, I’ll begin seeing sales reps about their merchandise for Spring — can you believe it?

This past week did bring a few things though. We finally have a restock of Pagewood Farm Mill Ends. Twelve pounds arrived late last week and the pile is steadily decreasing.

We also received from Lorna’s Laces the new Tuscany Vest Kit, the newest offering in the Duets kit line. Designed by Ginger Luters, it uses two shades of Lion and Lamb from Lorna’s Laces and two shades of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat. It comes in four colorways and we have all four in stock.

What’s Being Spun

We had a great time Monday night, playing with fiber. I brought my drum carder, and demonstrated making layered batts. Now I have a few more to add to the growing pile of batts to spin for my red sweater project. Some day I’ll start knitting this. Really! Spin group is back on track this month, meeting from 4:00 to 7:00 this coming Monday, October 6th, and then again on the 20th.

Our first shipment of fiber from The Scarlet Fleece arrived on Monday. They are just beautiful braids of buttery Australian wool top, hand dyed in Powhatan, VA.

If you’re a fan of Abby Franquemont’s luxury spinning batts, keep an eye on the website. We’re expecting a huge order to arrive in the next few days. Ten different colors, with names like Mad Lily and Freezer Burn. Read for yourself about the evolution of the Freezer Burn colorway (Ravelry link). Abby says that because of her very busy speaking/writing/teaching schedule, this is her last batch of batts for the year. So get ‘em while you can, because when they’re gone, they’re gone till next year.

What You’re Working On

Thank you, everyone, for the pictures you’ve been sending and projects you’ve been bringing to the shop for me to photograph. It’s nice to have pictures to share every week.

This week we have mittens to share, courtesy of Laura. She made these mitts (sorry, I thought I had a reference for the pattern, but I seem not to.) out of our Rio de la Plata fingering weight wool. Laura adds a word of caution about this wool — “it felts”. They’re beautiful and will certainly keep a lucky pair of hands warm when the chilly weather arrives.

What’s Going On Around Here

I just received an invitation you might be interested in. Our friend Debi is organizing a workshop with Judy Pascale, well known knitting teacher and designer. On October 22nd, Judy will be offering workshops on bead knitting and designing necklines at Debi’s summer home on Smith Lake, near Cullman, AL. You can get details by e-mailing debiswaney AT aol.com or calling (205) 489-3362. This sounds like it will be a wonderful workshop. I’d be going if I weren’t going to be out of town that week.

Back at Yarn Expressions, it’s T minus 10 days to the arrival of Franklin Habit. If you haven’t added it to your calendar yet, do it now — Saturday October 11th, 10am until we run out of books or Franklin gets tired of signing his name. If you’re one of the lucky 45 to be part of the 1,000 Knitters Project, that starts at 10:00. Stick around after the photos are done, for the first book signing for “It Itches”, Franklin’s brand new book of knitting cartoons. It promises to be a fabulous, fun-filled day.

 

That’s it from me for now. Until next week, enjoy your knitting!

Sincerely,

and all the crew at Yarn Expressions