Thursday, December 27, 2007

Quick Newsletter Notes

There are two typos on the newsletter.

First, the Block of the Month for this year is $38. We have two prices listed in the writeup--$45 and $38--but $38 is the correct price.

Second, the price for the Wrap Me Up class is $50. It includes the cost of the pattern, which is normally $8.00.

And another note: We have added a knitting class for the Baby Surprise Jacket. It will be Friday afternoons from 2:00-5:00, and will run on Feb. 15, 29, and March 7.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

KNITTERS! DON'T PANIC!!!!
There's still plenty of time to get your last-minute gift knitting done!

To help you along, we are offering TWO OPEN KNITTING SESSIONS so you can work on your knitting away from prying eyes.

  • On Friday, December 21st, you can stop by and knit from 6:00 PM til ????
  • On Saturday, December 22nd, you can knit with us all day from 10:00 AM-5:30 PM.
We'll also have a Knitting New Year's Eve party--come on in between 10 and 5:30 to relax and knit on December 31. We're welcoming in the new year with some knitting for YOU!!!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Why is This Woman Smiling?

Kim looks pretty happy, doesn't she? That's probably because she has finished the quilt for this year's Block of the Month. After a year's worth of work, she has finished turning her concept into the real quilt, and she got to unveil it today:


Both Kim and Cynthia are especially happy with the actual Mariner's Compass in the center. It was a fun year. We admit that after a year's worth of monthly blocks, it was bittersweet that today was the final session.

For those of you who were in the Block of the Month, but did not make it to today's session, here are a couple things you need to know.
  • Kits will be available for the Mariner's Compass medallion, the borders, the backing, and the binding. You can pre-order kits and they will be available in late-January/early February. We are ordering the fabric this Wednesday, so be sure to get your order in if you want to be sure to have the fabric.
  • We will be holding a workshop for the Mariner's Compass medallion on Saturday, February 23rd from 9:00-4:00 at the Friends School. We think you'll come close to finishing it that day.
  • The final quilt is about 101" square. If you would like help designing another setting/size for the Block of the Month, set up an appointment with Kim.
And finally, get ready for next year. Kim is busy at home designing the next block of the month. Check out our newsletter and website for more details as they become available!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

We Love Winter

It's here at last. We are both indoor people, who would rather be inside sewing and knitting and crocheting than anything else. We don't even understand the concept of Cabin Fever. (Yup, we're in the right business.)

The glorious inside weather is here. And so in the evenings, we have been inside doing our favorite things--sewing, knitting, and crocheting.

In the most exciting news, Kim is finishing up her Block of the Month Quilt. Deb Kerr was able to get it quilted over the weekend, and Kim is sewing the binding in the evenings. The quilt is beautiful! Sorry. You'll have to wait to see it. We're keeping it hidden until the final unveiling at the block-of-the-month classes.

Kim has also been working on a few crochet projects to give her hands a break from the binding. She's been making a beautiful hexagon scarf out of Silk Garden. She is trying to figure out what to do about Christmas presents, but we have complete faith that she will soon figure out some nice gifts to make!

Meanwhile, Cynthia, a sweater fantatic, has been working on about 8 sweaters, all at once. She is also starting more Christmas presents. She suddenly decided that every man on her list should have a handmade hat. One hat is almost done. About 7 to go. We'll see if it happens. Can she let go of the sweater knitting to get the hats done? Only time will tell.

During the day at work, we're both working madly on the newsletter, which is due at the printer next week. Our objective is to mail it out the Friday before Christmas, so that you are sure to get it right after Christmas. As you read this, we are putting the schedule into our computer to make sure that we have not double-booked anyone (Kim), and we are home writing the class descriptions (Cynthia).

And with that said, we'd better go back to it.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Holiday Hours

We're getting a lot of questions about when we're open over the holidays.

This week, we'll be open on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We'll close only for Thanksgiving.

In December, we'll be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Otherwise, we'll be open.

In January, we'll be closed on New Year's Day, but open New Year's Eve.

Knitters: We have some special knitting days planned for you. Feel free to stop by just to knit on Friday evening, December 21, from 6 to ?, and also between 10 and 5:30 on Saturday, Dec. 22. Get those last-minute gifts done away from the prying eyes of the recipients! We'll provide light snacks to keep you buoyed!

And we will also have an all-day New Year's Eve knitting party. Lots of people are off work that day. Feel free to stop by just to knit and chat between 10 and 5:30 anytime. By then , it will be time to relax and make some things for YOU!

Psssst: We're also working on the new newsletter. Look for it right after Christmas.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Inspiration
We're finding inspiration everywhere now. Both of us are in project-starting mode again: for ourselves personally, for Christmas presents, and for samples and class ideas for the shop.

Part of this is due to the time of year. It's dark early now after turning the clocks back. The warmth from our glorious Indian summer is dissipating and winter's chill is beckoning. Migrating flocks of birds are winging their way to warmer climes. These seasonal signals send us indoors to create comfort for ourselves, our families, and our friends.

And part is due to the subtle changes in color and design that we're seeing this year. Simple and stylish lines define current fashion with clever twists on classic designs. We're seeing a new color palette for both yarns and fabrics that is softer, more neutral, and inspired by nature. As always, rich metallics accent this glorious new direction.

It's hard not to be inspired when we look at the beautiful soft color and texture of Ultra Alpaca.
Or the rich, variegated texture of Nature Wool.

And we can't stop petting Makower's Zen collection of fabrics. Subtle colors and prints combine in this restful fabric grouping inspired by Japanese quilting. We plan to use the collection to make Snapshots from Atkinson Design's Happy Hour pattern, which is an simple pattern that takes 12 fat quarters. We have packs cut and ready for you.

New batiks from Hoffman, new colors of Fairy Frost, and a variety of other new fabrics have arrived to inspire. Within the last month, we have received over 50 new bolts of fabric!



We've discovered new sweater designs that flatter a woman's body, curves and all. Beautiful new books such as Fitted Knits and Romantic Hand Knits emphasize designs that combine good fit and fabulous drape for all different levels of knitters.


And we're working on Christmas presents, having been inspired by One Skein and Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Cynthia could not resist a simple cabled scarf from One Skein out of our new Yak yarn. It's the ultimate luxury fiber in natural cream, rich brown, soft purple, or classic burgundy.

And we've renewed our appreciation for Elizabeth Zimmerman and her clever ideas. A new shipment of her Knitting Workshop and Knitter's Almanac has arrived. Classic patterns such as the Baby Surprise Jacket and the Rib Warmer are still fun to knit and look great.

We're loving the shop right now. There is no better time to knit and quilt.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Classes, Classes, and More Classes!

The full holiday rush is coming, believe it or not! And we have a number of holiday classes that will help you get ready.

The first is the classic Christmas stocking. This one is fun to knit and sure to become a family heirloom. (Note to Santa: It also holds a lot of goodies!)


The class runs Mondays, Nov. 5, 19, and Dec. 3 from 6-9 p.m.

Every kid wants Santa Mittens. Our knitting teacher designed this for her boys, and we think it is totally cute!

Learn how to make it on Saturdays, Nov. 3, 17, and 24, from 10-1. (Be sure you know how to use double-pointed needles before taking this class.)

Here's a great class, even for kids--the holiday sphere:


It's a great make-it-and-take-it project! It comes up soon--this Monday, Oct. 29, and runs from 6-9.

Sign up today for these great classes!

P. S. We also just got an opening in Barbara Lenox's class called Citrus Stars. You'll learn how to make Y-seams that lay flat for not only these stars, but also for tumbling blocks. Join in! The class is Tuesday and Wed., Nov. 6 & 7, from 6-9 p.m.