Y'all Are SERIOUS About These Shawls

OK--it went down a little something like this........I finished my post at 9:59 a.m. today (I know it was that time, because someone was banging on the door of the shop after having banged on the door at 9 a.m., seeing lights on inside while we were working on mail order stuff). I clicked "Post & Publish" and ran for the shower in back. I came back around 10:25 a.m. and my inbox was packed with requests for the five stars from this morning's post. Um............y'all really do hover and wait.........so here's a little bit of a "bone" for those who are still viewing and still wanting more.......

Check out the ThreadBear main page for two examples of finished Charlotte's Web shawls, or Theresa's great one as well (these are two of many out there on the web, but they're the first two I could think of to post here).

Behold a couple more Charlotte options (not quite what someone wanted, so I'm glad to offer them up here to you folks)

How's about a little Jungle Brights for ya?


Matt says it reminds him of deep jungle tones with pops of bright color (that one next to the bottom is his brights). I think the blendy parts (where you do two rows of each, back and forth) will be just amazing with these yarns). Who needs it? Who wants it?

And of course, there's always the warmth and comfort of Caribe..........


This is one of my favorite combinations of late, since it has the elusive P131 on the bottom (a sapphire dye lot that a certain someone out in Virginia tends to be a little covetous of!) and then you have crow-bright other colors in there. And as usual, the orange in here isn't as intense, due to the camera's eye.

These gals are ready to be mailed, iffin' you're ready to begin. Just let me know, as always.

One more gratuitious shot for you, on the way to the weekend. We have a very fun customer that lives on the north side of Indy who's been consumed by the felting bug since last fall. Meet Louise, and her bag.........




That's a combination of a great pattern from Two Old Bags, the Triangle Felted Handbag, and three shades of Cascade 220, some Squiggle in Deep Sea, and some blue/green eyelash. I loved the bag, and I can't wait to start using some of these embellishment yarns we've been loading up on of late. And next week Louise will be bringing back her next creation, which uses three REALLY WILD shades of 220 (lime/fuchsia/orange) and a skein of the Great Adirondack Fluff, in really wild colors!

With that, I'm outta here. Time to pack envelopes and get these babies in your hands! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Follies

It's time for some Friday fun and games..........I've tempted you to come back with the promise of multiple Charlotte variations (six, not the five I mentioned before) as well as a basket of incredible color and texture from the wizards at Great Adirondack Yarns. So let's fulfill that promise!

Thank you, first and foremost, for your very warm embrace of the Charlotte's Web colourways that we've been showing here recently. I know it's very tempting, and I know many of you are waiting on specific color consults from Matt (he's sequestered in another room right now and I have STRICT ORDERS not to bother him so he can maximize his efforts before we throw open the shop doors at 10 a.m.---EASTERN STANDARD TIME--a.k.a. "Chicago time"). He's really making progress on a long list of folks, and part of the evidence is that I have more and more good things to share with you. Plus, when there's no restraints ("no blue" or "extra-heavy on the pink" or "I'd like something in a fall combination") he's able to stand at our 22-foot-long wall of KPPPM and randomly pull skeins and make combinations at will. (we love doing custom things, but it's also good to see him just play with color and then share the final results) And those are what I'm posting here (and some are combos that I start and he refines...it's wonderful to see him work without constraints, as I'm learning a good bit about color and combinations from him--and that's a VERY GOOD thing). So let's see what we have to offer to you today.

In complete homage to Le Bonne Tricoteuse, I bring you Bonne


a striking combination of oranges, fuchsias, limes, and yellow. Definitely not for the faint of heart, this is gonna add a serious POP of color to your wardrobe, and the hot colors will be incredibly fun to knit up. I seriously considered snagging this one and making it myself, but in the interest of fairness, Bonne is up for adoption to a good home. Is that yours?

Let's meet our next candidate....Berry Berry


Koigu-lovers seem drawn to combinations of blues and purples, so who am I to not serve that need. Berry Berry is a lovely combination of everything in the berry family, with a good pop of pink for interest. Could it be of interest to you?

Several of you have asked for more rich tones--something in the autumnal range.


I bring you Fall Splendor (please understand that the bottom color is not generating it's own electricity--it's just that red/orange thing with a digital camera--and is MUCH less pronounced in person). Warm tones of fall color evoke the idea of leaves turning, with a hint of strong green to bring to mind the conifers amongst the deciduous trees, in their last blaze of color. Is it your color?

This one is just plain fun........


I call it "Spot On" because of the wonderful pepper dots of color that are constant across all five skeins. They're constant in application, but they do vary in color and intensity from skein to skein. I think this would be a fantastic finished shawl, with interest in both texture and color from the yarn AND the lace. Anyone out there agree and just have to have it?

Ah, the beauty of Golden Valley.


From teals to golds to yellows and back, Matt's done a great job of blending beautiful shades together on this one. Not for everyone, it would be a striking wrap on the right person. I like it as a combination, and I'm not a fan of the color yellow (my complexion.....it's a fair-haired Eastern European thing, trust me).

And last up today, the (bwahahah) subtlety of Blimey!


This one has to have an exclamation point after in, no? Berries and limes and fuchsia and an explosion of color. Again, no fan of yellow here, but this is one F-U-N set of shades. And purples tend to look really good with lime tones, especially when dyed by the masters at Koigu Wool Designs.

I was fortunate enough to have not one, not two, not three, but four (maybe five?) phone conversations with Taiu from Koigu Wool Designs yesterday. She was driving into The States for an engagement and we shared time on the phone while she was headed south as well as afterwards, when she was in her hotel room. I thoroughly enjoy time on the phone with her, and if there was a way to pull it off, I'd be up in Ontario for a visit so fast there'd be dust behind me at the border at Sarnia or Windsor. And I'd be at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in a couple weeks to see them there.

And last, I bring you the same picture as earlier today, but with an explanation


This is a basket of the most beautiful textures and colors from the folks at Great Adirondack Yarns in upstate New York. We received a second box yesterday (not even shown here) and I plan to bring you up close and personal with them in the next few days. Some of it has already started to leave the shop, and you can see why. And some folks want us to use it in making up combinations for a multi-fiber, multi-color poncho kit (I have the basic structure of the garment all settled with a few other details). See you soon! I have to run.

Mwahahahahaha........I'm so evil

I Have A Confession To Make

Yesterday (Wednesday) was sheer bedlam around here.......and with all that was going on at the shop, I got a tish confuzzled on things. I managed to sort everything out tonight, and I got most of it packed. But..........if you and I spoke yesterday and you think this is your Charlotte's Web kit


Please contact me and we'll get it in the Friday mail run.

SORRY.....................so very sorry!

Look for many more options for Charlotte on Friday.........and a little bit of other fun stuff. Oh, and we'll be doing "Not Colinette" poncho kits on here shortly---who's up for some ideas? Who needs one? Contact me.

Bits and Pieces of Beauty

Um.......where to start.......I appreciate your warm embrace of the different Charlotte's Web options I've had up over the past two days. As so many have commented, it is a beautiful project that is deceptively simple, for lace knitting. The hard work is done by the colors of the yarn and the pattern, and it is all wonderfully executed by the knitter, who takes all of the (well-deserved) credit. Y'all have inspired me to return to work on the one I have started, which I'll reveal here shortly. It's just that I get distracted by new projects (Gigi being the most recent example) and feel a need to work hard on them to bring them to fruition. But that's my issue, not yours...let's move forward.

NEWSFLASH! Matt has finished the redesign of the main ThreadBear page. WOW!

First off, I made some good progress yesterday on my version of Gigi, the newest pattern from Bonne Marie over at ChicKnits. We love her, and we love her stuff! As revealed here yesterday, I'm working the pattern in On Line Clip, and here's what it looks like so far


I'm into the second part of the shaping, headed towards the bust. Yes, I'm a rebel and started the body first, leaving the sleeves for later. It was a matter of practicality, actually, as I started it Monday evening while we were at the Franklin Knit Night at the Community Center (first and third Mondays, from 7 - 9 p.m., contact Eva for more information--and clean the e-mail address before clicking send...you'll see what I mean if you send her a note). I wanted something VERY portable that I didn't have to do much more than knit and chat with the folks up there, and the body is just the ticket. So.....that's about 24 hours of life/knitting progress there in the picture. See, it's a quick knit, folks---I don't have much knitting time and I've made good progress. You can too! Lemme know if you need yarn suggestions.......we've got tons!

On to the glam part of today's post--THE CHARLOTTE OPTIONS. Today I'll share four with you---each is 100% unique, no duplications are humanly possible--and the first to e-mail me about one is the proud owner. KO? So away we go............ up for a little color in your life? Some beauty on your needles? Then maybe you'll love this wonderful combination Matt created that I'm calling "Crayons"


Primary colors, a little pop of pink, and some fun grassy greens.......this one's sure to fly off of your needles. And if that isn't bright enough for you, .....something wild and wonderful.....I'm calling "Monet"


Pinks, blues, limes, and a little sapphire thrown in for good measure. Fun and festive, it would definitely brighten up your wardrobe! Not bright enough for you yet? Then how about the power of "Neon"


Bright magentas, fuchsias, limes, and rich purply-blues are the order of the day here. Are you ready to start on this one? If not, how about another rich and subtle combination I'll call "Redwood"


Deep greens, lots of natural shades, and a pop of terra cotta makes this another wonderful choice for someone who likes something a little less bright! If that's not your taste, how about something I'm calling "Berries"


Purples, blues, pinks, lavenders, and just a hint of green. Yup, that's the ticket! As always with these, just slip me a note if you're interested. Five skeins of the yarn, the pattern, and postage (inside the US) totals $52.17, and I can have this in your hands in most parts of the US by the weekend or early in the week.

On to the requests portion of our posting for the day...........both Maggi and Kim asked for more information on the Lorna's Laces Sampler Bouquets. Who am I to pass on a request like that? Here's one in all it's beauty


The idea is that it's a sampler of one of (almost) every fiber offered by Lorna's Laces (minus their Revelation, which was released after these bundles came into existence). Let's break it down a little bit, fiber by fiber, starting with these two


The lovely green on top is Bullfrogs & Butterflies, a blend of 85% wool and 15% mohair, knitting at the aran gauge (4.5 sts/inch on US 8s). Soft and lovely, the mohair component really takes the dye wonderfully. (You may recognize this yarn as being very similar to Lamb's Pride). The bottom yarn is Grace, a lovely boucle/mohair loop that's about 4/inch on US 10s. Two hanks make an incredible shoulder shrug or scarf, but a single hank can be used for accent on many projects, or even as a bit of "jazz" in a felted project. Nummy! Time for some more.....


On top is a hank of Shepherd, their superwash yarn, in the worsted gauge (4.5 sts/inch on US 7). The tan is the ultra-delicious Lion & Lamb, a 50/50 blend of silk and wool that knits at the worsted guage (about 4.5 sts/inch on US8) and is a single (one ply). There's 205 yards in a hank and it's LOVELY (we stock it in her multis and one hank makes a lovely scarf) and it has fantastic drape. And more beauty.......


On top is Dove, which is 80% wool and 20% cotton and aran gauge (4.5/inch on US 7) and just wonderful in the hand. Down low, we have Glory, a brushed mohair, chunky gauge (4 sts/inch on US 10) that is amazing stuff (we also carry it in open stock in the multis). And rounding out the lovely kits......


Fisherman on top--a monster-sized bundle (500 yards) of worsted-weight wool (5 sts/inch, US 8) in their lovely hand-dyed colors. This stuff felts, so it's FANTASTIC for felting (their solids come in colors you just can't find in some felting yarns.....like a really WILD hot pink someone needed for the Mercury Bag from KnitKit.com (we LOVE Janet). On the bottom, I'm sure many of you recognized our best buddy Angel, the lovely angora/lamb's wool blend. Mmmmmm. Now for the detailed part......Sampler Bouquets, being one of eight different luxury, hand-dyed fibers, run $148 retail, so they're $133.20 from us. They are on sale right now, until the end of the month, for an additional 5% off (total 15% off retail) for a price of $122.40. Compared to a Colinette Ab Fab throw kit, that's a bargain!

What can you do with these Sampler Bouquets? Well, the most obvious one to us is the Radiating Throw pattern, available from us from Lorna's. Here's an example


And now you're curious about what colors I have on hand, right? Here we go...........you've seen Watercolor (above), dissected and discussed.


Here's Clay


and Embers (the red isn't this horrid....it's that digital camera thing again)


and Gold Hill


and Happy Valley


and Vera (the pink doesn't THROB in real life.....digital madness again)


and Sandridge


and Lakeview


and I just found out there's a Ravenswood waiting for me in Chicago (it's lovely blues and deep reds). In the pattern packet for the Sampler Bouquet #2 (it includes the pattern for the above throw), there's also a design for a multi-fiber poncho and for a vest, among other projects. So you have many options if you're interested in these wonderful bundles of fantastic fiber and color.

Speaking of ponchos, many of you out there are intrigued by the Colinette Poncho Kit, and Matt and I were thinking about the project. Given that we have an incredible stock of wild yarns around here (in addition to good base yarns, mind you) we could EASILY come up with suggestions and ideas for a multi-fiber, multi-color poncho project (we've had several folks do just that recently in the shop, going from room to room with baskets and pulling down wild things). So............here's an idea basket Matt pulled together just yesterday, with one addition from me (the hank of Noro Shumile towards the back around 1 o'clock--the multicolored cotton/silk bulky chenille stuff.....mmmmmmmmmm)


We estimated, depending on your fiber choice, that we could do one for about $70-$80, versus the $157 price tag I've seen on the Colinette kits. And playing paper dolls yesterday, I came up with a bit of a mock-up of the structure of the project. Anyone out there interested? We're glad to get busy with similar baskets, if you so desire.

If you're game for a good bit of PIZZAZZ in your poncho, we did get in about $3,000 worth of Great Adirondack yarns today---Fluff, Sequins, Irisee, ribbons of all types, and so much more. This would add incredible texture and color to this type of project, but it comes at a price. These yarns retail for $20-$30 a hank, but you're getting SIMPLY AMAZING hand-dyed yarns made with incredible base fibers (the ribbons are to die for.......trust me), so they're worth it. Plus, a little goes a long way--so you include a hank of FLUFF in your poncho for about $20 more than a ball of Splash, and it's so completely worth it! (You know you're worth it!).

I'll try to feature the Great Adirondack yarns here shortly. But for now, I gotta run. There's work to be done, packages to mail, and tons of people to get back to from today's activity. Lemme know if a Charlotte or something else catches your eye and you need it....for your very own. Until tomorrow.....................BE WELL!

Whew!

Single-word titles seem to be all I can muster right about now. Talk about a busy day!!!!! I had good output, however--a stack of boxes and two of those plastic "laundry basket" tubs of small parcels/envelopes/Priority Mail packs left with the letter carrier this afternoon (a new carrier for this route--and he was a little surprised at the volume!). There will be several really happy folks out there, as we sent a WIDE variety of things on their way to new and loving homes. For each of you receiving packages from us over the coming days, enjoy and love them as much as we did assembling things just for you. As I mentioned earlier today, sometimes I can just do a "slam dunk" and put specific things in an envelope, seal, and send. But most of the time, what Matt's able to do is more involved and takes several days---he finds out exactly what you want, contemplates things, works up color options, takes several photos of several variations, manhandles them in PhotoShop, and then sends clean pictures to the person interested in knitting an heirloom-quality project. See..........art takes time!

Speaking of art........would anyone like to work up their own heirloom out of these potential Charlotte's Web kits? Each is a unique individual, unable to be reproduced (most skeins are singles and small batches, and Matt doesn't like for there to be two of any colourway out there, as he believes that if you put that much time into creating the shawl/sweater/etc. then yours should be unique). So they are first come, first knitting!


Isn't she beautiful? A unique combination of limes and purples and accents, this is one project that will NOT go unnoticed. And think of the fun you'd have knitting with these intriguing and beautiful shades hand-painted onto this luxe merino yarn. Mmmmmm. Good stuff. But wait, there's more


If blues aren't your thing, how about being a bit "current" with a combination of bright limes and pinks--a touch of Shrek with a bit of Big Pink, perhaps? Oh yeah......this is one wild one--in a good way--with just a tish of orange thrown in for good measure. Not yet intrigued? How's about this combination......


Hot, Hot, Hot! Oranges galore (some of the last clear, true orange we have on hand until our next order of Koigu yarns arrives in the next two weeks), along with some clear pinks and greens. Bright Stuff! Not yet hooked? This may do the trick....


Cooling tones of lavenders, greys, and blues run rampant in this one, with just a hint of pink for a little unexpected color (Matt typically puts something like that in most color combos for this project).

Again, if you're interested, let me know. Earliest time/date stamp is the "winner". And if you're curious, at $9 per skein and $4.50 for the pattern, plus $2.67 in postage, a "kit" for one of these projects runs $52.17, complete and delivered to your door. Not shabby! You'd pay $50 for the yarn alone (before shipping) some places.......

On to what I promised about what I was felting while in the shower (naughty, naughty JoJo......). I'm not sure most folks would want the mental image of me under water with a woolen bag (shudder). So..........starting wtih the great Sophie pattern from MagKnits, I added my own color choice (Cascade 220 in 7802) and a little sense of fun from our friend Christie


And here's the knitted-up results


and a close up of the top


and of the strap


That's an evening of knitting, folks. I started the bag last night before dinner, still did computer work until about 10 p.m., and finished the bag before turning in around 1 a.m. Granted, I do knit quickly (especially on those Addi Turbos we just got in.....how I love them....), but this ain't rocket science and it's not a large amount of yarn. You probably want to know how it looks felted up, since you know it's completed, right?


Up for one of your very own? The Cascade 220 is just $5.94 per skein (one is all you need for this bag, but you'll use nearly every yard) and one skein of the Tahiti. Here's some suggestions


I like it, and she garnered quite a bit of attention today in the shop, even though she was damp and a little "sheepy" smelling. Who am I to argue with good taste in bags? If you're not interested in using the Tahiti for your embellishment, how about looking over these choices


The only one I've seen used in a felted bag in person is the top one (Tahiti), but we did pick them up as embellishment yarns, for both felted and NOT felted things. And we have a LARGE amount of this type of stuff arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday (today/tomorrow). YES! More fun with felting and fluff! And I've already started a second one, this time in a bright blue.

Speaking of good taste in bags, Low Helen recently completed her own version of Lily, a design by Julie of Black Sheep Bags fame. She used a wonderful multi-colored shade of Manos del Uruguay called "Mar" (color 103). Here's her before
Check out the stunning results


She's more than a little happy about the finished results, and who wouldn't be. GREAT JOB, HELEN! And when she put the strap on this evening, it was rather striking to see the completed project. I see several of these in my future (and what about embellishing these, too--eyelash, the above stuff, and more!)

UPS brought more goodies this morning. We now have another dozen of those great Anny Blatt scarf kits (multi-colored ribbon and multi-colored angora) and a nice, big box of Lorna's Laces goodies arrived, too! My favorite part of this box (aside from the GREAT Shepherd Sock in Lakeview and Blackwatch--back in stock!) were these goodies, in the beloved Angel yarn (50% angora and 50% lamb's wool). YUM!


The above is Lakeview, my favorite of the new colourways introduced by Lorna's Laces this spring. It's beautiful (and we have a Sampler Bouquet in this same color combination--one hank of each type of Lorna's yarns, all in the same color family.....wow!). 16 skeins available.


If you're in need of a little BRIGHTNESS in your life, maybe some Daffodil is in order. This is one HAPPY yarn, no? 8 skeins available


Uptown is another welcome new addition. Bright and cheery, for certain. 8 skeins available. And each of these, if you choose four skeins, you can make this incredible scarf from the brilliant mind of TheresaW. For the curious, Angel is $10.35 a skein from us (it took a nice hike in price in March), as it retails for $11.50. Still, that's a nummy scarf in an angora blend for under $50. You're worth it!

Being a sucker for genius, I just had to succumb to this new design. Granted, it will never grace my shoulders, but it's a beautiful design by a beautiful person (inside and out, folks...Bonne Marie's genuine, funny, bright, and strikingly pretty!). She's showing it in Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, but we only carry this yarn by special order. Fortunately, we do have a number of yarns that happily knit at this gauge (5 sts/inch), including a close approximation to CF by Cascade Yarns called Sierra, which is the same blend (80% pima cotton and 20% merino wool), but has the added benefit of being machine wash/dry (guaranteed by the company). Of course, most any worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend would be a good candidate, so what am I up to?


That's a couple shades of On Line Clip, a stunning mercerized Eqyptian cotton in an amazing palette. The body of the garment is the wonderful lime and the deep purple will be the accent at the neckline. Matt's outdone himself this time. And it's a fun knit--I started the body first, rebel that I am. I've got about 4 inches knitted already, just this evening. Go get yourself a copy of this pattern--it's worth every penny!

With that, I'm outta here for the night. Be well, knit like mad, and drop by often. Ya never know what's gonna show up here, or when!

WOW!

Y'all are some Charlotte-hungry folks! I appreciate the heated responses to the combinations posted yesterday--suffice to say that if you haven't contacted me about a specific one, it's already loved and adopted out to a new and wonderful home. Fear not, however. I have three more to put up on display, but I was going to wait until Tuesday (tomorrow), unless you want different! I envisioned today's post to be one covering a new book that we just received, but if you want more options for the lovely Charlotte, I'm game to post something sooner than Tuesday.

Yesterday involved a busy day at the shop, followed by a fantastic evening at Low Helen's for a HOME COOKED meal. This is special, as we haven't been able to use the kitchen for it's intended purpose in over a month (more like six weeks). And that intended purpose is COOKING. It's packed with yarn for now, and I won't cook in front of yarn. So, when Helen called and invited us over to grill, we jumped on the chance. Between the great food, the wonderful company, and the lovely evening, it was a perfect end to a nice day. THANKS, HELEN! And in personal knitting news, I finished my "Springtime Sophie" (pictures, before and after felting, to follow) and Low Helen passed along her finished adaptation of a different Black Sheep Bags pattern. You'll see them both here shortly, in pre and post felted states. I think I'll felt while I'm in the shower, which I'm about to go do.

Back in a little bit.........but if you're reading this and wanna see more Charlotte options, comment or tagboard me!

It's Getting Hot in Here

Yup, the stitches are out...and it looks better, but the itching is only more intense. Charlotte (in St. Louis) said that her father told her that when your hand itched it meant you were about to receive money. Hmmmmmm, is it that, or the fact that I'm healing? Or both? I think it's healing time!

Hot......HOT, I tell you. 84F yesterday, slightly warmer today, and we don't have the window units in the house yet (they're in the cellar.....yuck). They'll be in the windows later today, but in the mean time, Matt's running around in boxers this morning to keep from overheating (no, JoJo, you may NOT have pictures--you naughty girl). The windows are wide open from end to end in the house and shop, and it's a beautiful morning!

Speaking of beauty..............check these out...............at the risk of sounding like an escort service or some sort of online dating/match making system, please meet some of our "girls" from Charlotte (no connection to the above-mentioned St. Louis resident)..........available for your knitting pleasure


That little hottie goes by the nickname Pinkie.........she's a lovely blend of blushes, oranges, slightly red tones, a tish of purple and mocha, and streaks of yellow. Guaranteed to give you many evenings of enjoyment, she's a one-of-a-kind gal who's ready to head your way at the slip of an e-mail. Again, I'm pleased to introduce you to Pinkie.

Our next lovely vixen is Madison, an aquarian delight (anyone out there get the bizzare reference?)


Reminiscent of a trip to the Caribbean, she's tones of blues and aquas, streaks of berry and lime, and a surprising pop of candy pink and hot pink.

Our last little beauty is a demure, yet striking, beauty that goes by the name of Nellie.......Plum Nellie (that's the actual name of an actual street in Athens, Georgia, by the way)


Berry tones, soft lilac and lavender tones, and beautiful, rich blues are the order of the day with this one. Sure to appeal to a variety of needlers, she may be quick to depart these parts.

If you're in the mood for one of these Charlotte's Web combos, just let me know and we'll get the ball rolling.

In the mean time, many of you were surprised to find out that we were stocking Rowan Yarns when I showed our stock of Calmer last week, and several of you have asked about our color selection for Summer Tweed, their cotton/silk blend that knits at the chunky weight (16 sts over 10cm/4in). We have several choices in this wonderful yarn


but wait, there's more


and two more that are here but not yet on the shelves (they just arrived)


The Berry doesn't really glow in the dark like that (reds can be fickle under a digital camera)--it's more of a rich shade that's about the color of fresh cranberries (not dark, but a ripe red/burgundy). Summer Tweed retails for $8.95, and again--we're not able to discount on Rowan Yarns, so there's none of our standard 10% off regular retail. But, we are very fair in shipping charges (we only pass along ACTUAL postage to get it to you, without handling fees or other artificial crud). And I have these colors IN STOCK and ready to go out.

A quick update for those of you who've asked about the availability of Little Toes from Interlacements. After Wednesday night's posting, several skeins left for the four corners of the world (literally, folks......I sent one to Europe!). Here's what's left from the first picture


and the second picture


I made a passing reference to our having received some of the newly-reformulated and reissued Cascade Indulgence on Wednesday, and many of you were on it like a chicken on a junebug (that's a Southern-ism, I do believe..........and proof I lived in the Deep South for awhile). Here's a shot of the colors on hand


This yarn is 70% superfine alpaca and 30% angora, and this time around the color palette is different (more variety, better shades) and the put-up is smaller--only 50g, 123y--but the gauge is still the same, 5 sts/inch on a US 7 needle (for our non-American friends, that's 20/10cm and a 4.5mm). But the price reflects that smaller ball. as it's $9.50 retail or $8.55 from us. It's soft and nummy, and remember--it felts into the most lucious fabric (remember the big run on this stuff in the 100g skeins for felted gloves......I know you do). I only got a little bit, just to see what the new stuff was like, but we've already reordered on this great stuff. Warmer weather be damned!

It's been wacky busy around here for the latter part of the week, but I have gotten some knitting accomplished. I finished a scarf out of On Line Punta (no picture, sorry) and I came up with the brilliant idea to make one out of three different Crystal Palace yarns--Glam, Whisper, and Squiggle. I wanted something slightly dressy, something soft, yet with a little bit of whimsey. Here's the result


It was knitted following my "Bear-ly Bias Scarf" pattern, which is just a little something I tossed together at the advice of our awesome yarn rep Pam. Check out a close-up shot of the scarf


I like the finished result, and the "hand" of the scarf is amazing--it's got good body, it's just as soft as you can imagine, but the finished result isn't quite what I wanted. The Glam just doesn't POP like I anticipated--the colors are all too similar and the Whisper tends to cover things up, and everything is in the same basic color range. Next time I'll use a Glam with more contrast, as that was supposed to be the focal yarn, in my eyes--it's got some fantastic shimmer to it. I do have a second one of these I'm going to knit, but instead of Glam, I'll be using a different ribbon yarn and the entire project is in blues and greens. Oceanic! (I'm on a water kick of late......)

I've started something else, too! Last night, riding in the car, I knitted the bottom of a Sophie in a bright cherry pink that I'll be embellishing with some of that Great Adirondack Tahiti in Crayons. Given that Sophie is a quick knit, I'd expect to be able to show y'all something in a day or two (tonight has good TV watching, too, with Sopranos and more). Stay tuned.....this is a VERY fun felted bag that screams "SPRING'S HERE!". That Christie E is so creative, adding the embellishment to Julie's great design!

And with that, I'm going to close for the day. It's time to go get ready to open the shop (12 noon we toss open the doors) and there's a little bit of tidying that needs to be handled. Be well, keep on knitting, and