February Sock Club Sweater!

Behold! Our first addition to the contest gallery. This is what one of our sock club members, Melissa Rowles, created with her one of a kind hand dyed sock yarn! Isn't it adorable?? It makes me want another baby just so I can make one of these. (Ok, those that know me well know I LOVE babies and I really don't need a reason to bring another one home!)

So come on everyone! Where are your entries? What are you out there creating with your sock yarn? Remember, you are not only going to gain the satisfaction of having your masterpiece posted on the blog for all to see. You are in it for the PRIZES!! We will be judging all year long for the most creative use of your sock club sock yarn.

* FINE PRINT: Please keep in mind that all entries must utilize your sock club yarn only.

Looking forward to seeing what y'all come up with.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

A Sock To Remember

Well, if you were one of our founding sock club members then, by now, you have received our premier sock club kit! We have been "dye-ing" to post a picture of all the fabulous goodies. But, we've been waiting until everyone who subscribed had gotten theirs. We couldn't spoil the surprise :)

So? What's in the kit? I am so glad you asked!! We had such fun putting this together. In the kit you will find first and foremost, a 480 yard hand dyed merino wool skein of sock yarn. This yarn is a "Sock to Remember" exclusive colorway. That's right. The only way to get this yarn is to have been one of the original members. I love one-of-a-kind yarn. So, this fact really appeals to me. Also, we have included handmade stitch markers created by Karen Hanson. The stitch markers too are exclusive to the "Sock to Remember" kit. Our members will also find an adorable affair themed note pad with pen and pencil, a Knit Affair heart shaped tape measure, special candy packs put together by our own Terri Saski, a heart shaped pom pom maker(complete with enough hand dyed yarn to create a fabulous hot pink heart pom pom!), a buddy case from Namaste to store your accessories, a beautiful heart themed scarf pattern from Fiber Trends, and a basic sock pattern - in case they actually wanted to use their yarn to knit a pair of socks.

We are currently putting together the kits due out in April. If you haven't signed up for the sock club yet, don't wait! We are taking registration up until March 25th. Contact the shop for more information, (951) 738-0076.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

A Sock To Remember

Knit Affair
Presents
“A Sock To Remember”

You’re invited! This year, take your knitting to the next level.
Join us for a new bi-monthly sock club.
Each club member will receive enough sock yarn to knit a pair of socks. The yarn will be 100% hand dyed merino wool. The color ways will be one of a kind, and exclusive to the Knit Affair. You will receive 2 separate patterns. One will be a sock pattern, but we will also include a small project pattern appropriate for a sock weight yarn.
In addition, each shipment will have 1 handmade stitch marker to compliment
the yarn, theme, and pattern design.
Also included are unique accessories which will accentuate the yarn, pattern and theme.
Pretty packaging! Each package you receive will be prepared with the utmost care and love.
Shipping (the cost of the club includes shipping costs)
Shipment Dates:
February 2010 April 2010
June 2010 August 2010
October 2010 December 2010

Fun Contests and Prizes
Through out the year, email us a picture of what you’ve created with your sock kit yarn. Enter as many times through the year as you want, but your finished object must be made with your sock kit yarn only. We will post all entries on our blog each month for all to view. At the end of the year, we will vote on the most creative entry. That lucky person will be our Grand Prize winner!!
Also, be on the lookout for special signs in your kit that you’ve won one of the monthly surprises. Email Torey at knitaffair@knitaffair.com to claim your prize.
Cost:
$300.00 for a year subscription. You can pay via paypal, or call the shop about details for paying with a check, credit card, or money order. Call (951) 738-0076 for more details.
You can also participate a month at a time for $62.75 per kit. (additional shipping charges for International subscriptions other than
Canada will apply.)
*Note, there is a discount with the full year’s subscription.
Payment:
You will be sent a PayPal invoice in early February and payment will be due no later than February 5th.
Open membership begins January 15th, 2010.
How to sign up:
In order to sign up for the club you will need to pre‐register. E-mail us at
knitaffair@knitaffair.com, or call us at (951) 738-0076. You will receive a confirmation within one week regarding your registration.

A day to "dye" for!

Sunday was spent hand dyeing yarn at Torey's house.

Friend's, fiber, fun, and Torey's FABULOUS food!

Who could ask for more? Certainly not I. Aside from the Kool Aid method, I had never actually dyed yarn before today. What on earth was I waiting for? We used kits from Knit One, Crochet Two. They could not have been easier. Torey was kind enough to welcome us all into her home for the day. There was plenty of room to spread out, and the creativity flowed.

Some of us hand dyed hanks, while others customized previously knitted scarves. You can leave the scarf as is, or unravel from one end and knit it into something completely original. Either way, we all left with a one of a kind creation.

Update on the shop........

Hi all,
For those that don't know, Torey's new nephew is being born as we speak! Also, Diane is helping her daughter with her grandbaby today. So, unfortunately, this has left the store unmanned and sadly, unopened today. It was sort of a last minute deal, (meaning 9:59 AM this morning) or we would have posted something sooner. Our apologies to anyone who happened by the shop and found it closed. Rest assurred, all will return to normal tomorrow, Friday, April 17th.

Meet you by the wool,
Rob

Spring is on it's way......

Well, we have set our clocks forward, stopped wearing scarves, and actually started thinking of what we could do with that cotton yarn? This can only mean that Spring is near. To celebrate the next season on the horizon, we are welcoming Lorna Miser, author of "Faith, Hope,

Love, Knitting" for a special event at the Knit Affair. Join us Friday, May 1st for a meet and greet with Lorna herself from 6PM-8:30PM. We will be serving wine and appetizer's while Lorna signs copies of her new book. Then, Saturday, May 2nd - we will be hosting a workshop with Lorna. We will be working up one of the projects from the book. The workshop will be held from 11AM-5PM. Space is limited, so please contact the shop to sign up.

This is going to be a not to be missed affair.....so don't miss it!

Also, don't forget that we are having our "Hippity Hop" workshop this Saturday, March 14th, from Noon - 4PM. If you haven't signed up yet, call Tore at the shop. I know there is still room. We will be making felted easter baskets and cute little knitted bunnies. Perfect for all of those little people in your life.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

What's Happening This Week at the Knit Affair?

Hey All,

In an effort to be more diligent with the blog, I thought I would post a little update on the going's on at the knit shop.

We are posting our newsletter this week so look for that in your e-mail boxes. Or, if you still prefer a hard copy, stop into the shop for the good old fashioned paper kind that you can post to your fridge.

We are going to be working on a few new projects during February and March. A few of us actually casted on and finished the 5 hour baby sweater. This is Rosemary's sweater below.

Rosemary used a superwash wool from Lorna's Lace's for her version. I finished a pretty little one in a red quattro from Cascade for Charlotte to sport on Valentine's day. The pattern for this little beauty was actually written in the 1950's. The story goes that the author of the pattern intended for the knitter to be able to knit this sweater so quickly, that they could knit one to keep, and one to give away to charity. It's a great pattern. This is actually the forth time I have made Charlotte this particular sweater. She's had one in every size so far. It's knit from the top down, and in one piece. You only have to seam up the arms at the end! It does state that it could be finished in 5 hours. I personally have never managed it, but then......I get distracted easily:)

So, for those of you who would like to be able to check the blog, and see what's coming up at the shop - I thought I would post the class schedule for the next 2 months. Call or stop by to register.

February and March 2009 Class Schedule

2/21 Late Nite Sit N' Knit

6PM - 12 AM

PAJAMA PARTY!!

Come enjoy a night of fun, friends, food, and maybe even a little knitting :)

Cutest pajama's wins a prize!

Dinner included with paid registration

2/28 5-Hour Baby Sweater

11AM-4PM

3/14 Hippity Hop

Felted easter baskets, or a knitted bunny.

What better way to welcome in Spring?

12PM-4PM

3/28 Felted Flower Tote

The perfect little spring accessory!

12PM-4PM

BLOCK PARTY!

Beginning in March, we will be starting a weekly block party every Wednesday.

Each week we will offer 2 new block patterns. One knitted block , and one crocheted.

Weather you are looking to increase your skill level, or create a cherished heirloom afghan - come join the party!

*Call the shop for more details.

Well, that's all from me, for now. I am working on the Felted Flower Tote so I can post a picture for you. I am also working on my first lace project. It's a little shrug pattern I found online. Of course, I have completely modified it! My hope is that I will finish it by Saturday night. I want to wear it on my Valentine's date with my hubby. Wish me luck!

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

We're Back!!!!!

That's right, inventory is over! Whoohoo! We hate counting more than anything. We would like to thank everyone who did their part to help us count less by stopping by for the big yarn sale week before last. :)

You may have read our previous post where we mentioned that Torey and I had spent some time at the semi-annual TNNA yarn show. Seems some of the new stuff we ordered found it's way to us a little sooner than expected. That's right, not only are we back to our regularly scheduled hours starting Tuesday, February 3rd - but we have some new yarn lines in to share with you! Above is a picture of a new line called "Sublime". it's the perfect soft weight yarn for all of your spring or baby knitting projects. As you can see, the colors are just beautiful. Find some time this week to come check it out in person.

We are very excited to get back to all of you and our new project plans for spring. Stay tuned. We will be posting our new class projects later this week. Also, we have our first Late Night Sit 'n Knit of the new year coming up on Saturday, February 21st. We are going to have a pajama party theme for this month's event. So, start planning your outfit now. There will be a prize for the best pajama's!

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

Happy New Year!

Ok, ok, I'll admit that January 18th is a bit late in the month to be wishing you a Happy New Year. However, for those of you that know me personally - you'll have to admit that it's actually a miracle I remembered at all! For those of you that don't know me, you will soon learn that I am not what one would call "punctual". I try, but I am still a work in progress.

I hope that all of you had an incredible holiday. I also hope that you got all of your gift knitting done. If you didn't, don't lose heart. Try not to think of it as being late for Christmas. Instead, consider yourself early for next year. :) I actually managed to finish my one knitted gift item, in the car, on the way to the gift exchange!

Well, we here at the Knit Affair are off to a great start for the new knitting year. Torey and I attended the TNNA yarn show down in San Diego today. This is the show that is open to shop owners. Imagine a convention center filled with nothing but booth upon booth of every imaginable yarn you could think of. They are all there - Rowan, Lorna's Laces, Noro, Lamb's pride, Trendsetter, the list goes on and on. You name it, they were there. This is the show that gives the yarn vendors the opportunity to see, touch, and in my case "nose" all of their yarns at once. It also gives some new companies a chance to meet retailers in the first place. I have to tell you, I love this process. I love spending the day seeing, touching, "noseing" as much yarn as I can stand, all the while conversing with other people who are just as into it as I am. I mean, where else do you think Jess, Casey, and Mary-Heather from www.ravelry.com could be walking around and getting spotted like stars on the Hollywood walk of fame? Yup, I met them today. My first question was, "Where's Bob"? Sadly, he was left at home. But, I did get one of those cool "Hello, my name is ____" Ravelry pins. For those of you who don't ravel, what are you waiting for? Jess, Casey, and Mary-Heather run the ravelry website, and Bob is their dog. It's a great site, if you get a moment go check it out. My user name is rkkilmer. Please add me as a friend if you sign up. Also, look for Knit Affair in the groups section. You'll see a few familiar faces.

Torey and I are pretty excited about the new stuff we have coming in for you all. Don't forget that the yarn sale is next week. The week after that is inventory, so we'll be closed. But, directly after that - we've got some great stuff planned. For starter's we met Fabulous Trish from Tanglewood Fibers. We also met her friend Beth, who was truly a delight. Tanglewood Fiber Creations are one of a kind, hand spun, hand dyed skeins of the most amazing cashmere and silk blends. They are luxerious, and special. I was seriously coveting a sample skein just to put on my bookshelf. I imagined sitting and pondering it during my morning coffee. I loved the idea of it sitting there, only to serve the purpose of inspiring me, and to make me smile. Believe me, there was not one yarn at her booth that I would have said no to. We have tentively arranged for a trunk show with Trish and her fabu yarn on May 9th. It will be an all day affair that you won't want to miss. I promise to follow up with details as soon as we nail it all down.

Which leads us to the point in our day that reminded us why we love what we do, and why we feel truly blessed to get to spend our time with you all. After talking shop with Trish from Tanglewood, she informs us that her yarn is actually being featured in a not yet released book writtern by none other than Lorna Miser. Lorna Miser is the founder and previous owner of the yarn line, "Lorna's Laces". Lorna is an amazing person that we had the pleasure of meeting back in 2004. She had graciously appeared at the shop and conducted an all day purse workshop for us. Seems Lorna was going to be at the show later in the day signing copies of her new book. Torey and I waited in line to get a copy, and say hello to her. As we approached the table to greet her, she very excitedly asks us if we know that we're actually in the book??!!?? {What? That's right, we're IN the book!} There is a hat pattern that Lorna wrote to be used for charity knitting. Evidently we were doing some charity knitting at the time of the workshop and had told Lorna all about it. After the workshop, Ann Roberts ( a long time customer and one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet) offers Lorna a ride to her next gig. During this car ride, Ann proceeds to share with Lorna all about Ann's many charitable endevors. It's true, Ann is always knitting for others, helping others with their knitting, or teaching others how to knit in the first place. At any rate, Lorna writes in her book that she was so touched by Ann and all that she did, and the shop and the charity knitting we were doing, that she was inspired to create this particular hat pattern and to retell the story. Just goes to show you, you never know what lending a helping hand may lead to. I am sure Ann was just happy to share her love of knitting with someone who felt the same way as she did about it. I am sure Ann never considered the impact she would have on Lorna. Now, imagine the people that will read Lorna's book, and then be inspired to knit for someone in need. Ann just thought she was offering someone a car ride, not possibly bringing some small comfort to someone who may otherwise not get it. We were able to get a signed copy of the book for Ann. I can't wait to get it to her. The book won't actually be released until March, but we talked to Lorna and it looks like you are all going to get a chance at a signed copy of Lorna's new book. We haven't firmed dates yet, but we are going to host a booksigning for Lorna. Stay tuned for more info. Lorna is one of those people you have to meet. She's honestly and truly nice, in a way that few people are. I'm looking forward to a good time.

Well folks, it's late. The babes are tucked in bed, hubby is sacked out on the couch, and I have a hot cup of coffee and some new yarn waiting for me. I'll be in the shop on Thursday. Come say hi if you get the chance.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

Summer Vacation

Hi all,
Well, it's early August, so we all know what that means. Torey and her family are taking their annual family vacation. Diane is going to be taking some time off as well. So, for the next 2 weeks, we are going to have some midified shop hours.

Please note, we will be closed August 7th and 8th, as well as, August 12th, 13th and 14th.

We will be open this Saturday, as usual, and then back to regular hours next Friday.

I will be in on Saturday as the official shop girl, so if you get a chance, stop in and say hi! I am looking forward to seeing you all.

Meet you by the wool,
Rob

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

I know, I know! The title of this blog is enough to take you over the edge. But, the sad fact is that there are only 170 some odd days till Christmas. It doesn't sound so bad when it's put that way, so you may be thinking what's the big deal? But, if you are anything like me, and you qualify your time by available blocks of knitting or crochet time, then that translates to only 20 or so Saturday's left! If I really want to give myself a panic attack, I have to remember that since I really only find time to seriously knit about once a week, then that means I only have have about 20 days in which to complete all of my handmade Christmas gift giving. Lord, I feel faint.

That being said, I felt it my responsibility as your friend to bring up this unsavory topic and see if I couldn't help get you on track this year. That's right...on track! For the holidays! I have a plan this year. I have decided that this is the year when I FINISH all that I intended to originally make for Christmas gifts. How? Well, it starts with a list. Over the next few days, begin making a list with the names of each person you would ideally like to make a gift for. Be as ambitious as you like. Make it the, "If I ran the World, This Is What Would Happen" list. Shoot for the moon. Then, write down a suggested item that you might make next to each name. For example, Dad - argyle socks, Mom - cashmere gloves....and so on. Then, (heres where the rubber meets the road) take out your calender. Take a realistic inventory of your upcoming schedule from now till Christmas. Next, SCHEDULE in your crafting time! That's right, if you know you have a dentist appointment on August 13th, plan for 20 minutes of knitting in the waiting room. if you know your darling hubby is going on a business trip, or that the kids are going to camp, plan to use at least some of that time for knitting. You could get really crazy and start to number the projects in matter of importance, set drop dead finish dates, and so on. The vision is that by the beginning of December will find yourself PREPARED for the holidays! Can you imagine that feeling? Yeah...me neither, but I'll bet it feels good!



Now, I know that this plan sounds rather ambitious. Especially for those of you who actually know me on a personal basis. :) However, I have a secret weapon that is going to help me make this plan a success. Have you been to http://www.ravelry.com/? Well, if you haven't yet - go there ASAP! Aside from all of the organizational help you are going to find, you are also going to find Torey and Diane and me from the Knit Affair. There is a spot on the website to sign up for "groups". Knit Affair has their own group! It's open for anyone to join. It's a place where we can all hang out and discuss this pesky Christmas plan together, or anything else we care to, anytime of the day or night! Now, if you are at a loss as to what to knit for your beloved's, not to fear! Torey has a whole Christmas project plan for us. Over the course of the next few months, she is going to be offering classes in smaller, quick to knit projects that will be the perfect thing for someone on your list. To start with, this Saturday, July 19th - you can begin either "animal toe slippers", or " take along teddy blanket". Either is sure to delight the small people on your list. The class is from 12PM-4PM. Or, if you are just looking for a block of time to get started on something new, and would like Torey's expert advice and direction , you can sign up for that too! Just stop into the shop, or send her a message on http://www.ravelry.com/!



See? The holidays aren't going to be so bad after all....IF you stick to the plan!



Meet you by the wool,

Rob

Hey Batter Batter!

That's right, we are having our very own Stitch N' Pitch night! You don't want to miss out on the fun. Stop into the shop to purchase tickets. Also, be planning your contest entry. Any knitted or crocheted item is eligible. We are going to be looking for "Storm" inspired projects. The teams colors are black, red and white. You could be the lucky winner of a $100.00 gift certificate to the Knit Affair! Note* Knit Affair yarn only please. Also, the winner will be announced at the game, with the item and winner being brought onto the field beofre the game starts. Tickets are only $9.00, so bring the family.

See you then!

Torey, Dianne & Rob

Summer Hours......

Happy 4th of July!
We will be closed for the holiday on July 4th.
Also our hours from July 1st. thru July 12th will be
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 12PM – 5PM
Saturday 10AM - 5PM
Closed Monday, Wednesday & Sunday
We apologize for any inconvenience. Please come see us then.
Thank You,
Torey, Dianne & Rob

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Where have you been????

So, it's been nearly 28 days since my last blog. Some of you may have been wondering where I had gotten off to. The rest of you probably didn't notice my absence! However, I am back and we are getting back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

How have you all been? What have you been working on? I started a very cute shrug pattern out of the book, "Fitted Knits". It's a great book. Takes the whole concept of sweater knitting and gives a much needed update on fit, in my opinion. At any rate, I decided upon the adorable shrug pattern found on page 42. I even followed the directions to a tee! I mean, except for the fact that I didn't do the size I measured out for, I changed the yarn, and I used 2 different needle sizes. But, other than that - I did EXACTLY what the book told me. I am sad to report that the finished product, yes - I used the word "finished", is hopeless. It would be a perfect fit if I were an NFL pro quarter back! Of course, I brought my disappointing little project into the shop in the hopes that Torey would be able to do some of her magic voodoo and miraculously fix the stupid thing. However, my dear sister merely informed me that perhaps it is I who really needs to be taking the upcoming Knitting 101 class. Staring at my recent failure, I really couldn't argue. So, for those of you who were planning on taking the class, save me a seat. Obviously, I need to go back to the beginning. Knitting 101 is going to cover a multitude of techniques, starting with how to cast on a ton of different ways. I do admit that I take for granted the ability to determine the correct cast on for any given project. However, it's been 30 years in the making of mistakes that I have acheived this small talent. Torey is hoping to help our beginning knitters to move forward in their skill level, and to help our more advanced knitters maybe find an easier, or different way than what they're used to. This class is begins June 3rd, from 6-8PM. Torey is going to start with casting on and go from there. The class is a series and will be held once a week for the rest of the summer. There is still room to join, you can call the shop for more info.

Behold this summer's "must have" shoe! In the picture are mine and Torey's personal pairs of croc's. In working up our donations for the "Walk for Life" event that's being held on September 27th, we have also been going a little overboard in creating some fun summer footwear for ourselves. I mean, check these out! You can see how it's hard to resist keeping a pair for yourself! I am pretty excited about this particular event. I love that we can all get together at the shop and not only do something we enjoy, but also know that we are helping to make a difference in the fight against cancer. For those of you who want to learn how to make your own pair, we are holding the "how to" class on Thursday, June 5th at 6PM. Then, once you have gotten the hang of it, please join us on Saturdays during the month of August. The shop is supplying all of yarn. All you have to do is bring in a pair of flip flops to donate. We will be selling our finished pieces at the "Walk for Life" event, with the proceeds going to The Foundation. The Foundation is a community and family health organization that helps those suffering from cancer. Our goal is to have at least 100 pairs of flip flops donated for sale. So come hang with us, and "think pink"!

So.....has anyone noticed that summer is nearly here? I am very excited about the start of my favorite season! However, I do notice a lack of time to sit and concentrate on my knitting with a little peace and quiet. This could have something to do with the fact that the children in my life are free from school and therefore looking for my undivided attention. I love being the favorite Aunt, but not when I want to knit, and they want to go swimming. Thankfully, there is an upcoming late night sit and knit at the shop. What could be better than a full six hours of uniterrupted knitting? I can't think of a thing. I am leaving Jackson home with his daddy and me and Charlotte will be joining you all for the night. I am really looking forward to seeing you all. I get to the shop a few times a month during the day, but I haven't seen many of you since Jackson was born. I am starting work on a felted yoga bag today. I am hoping to erase the bad memory of the ill fated shrug with a new project. ( Ha! Like I need an excuse to start a new project. ) Maybe I will be ready to finish it up by the then. The late night sit and knit is scheduled for Saturday, June 7th from 6-12PM. Hope to see you all there.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

Nothing more delightful than a bit of Jack Daniel.....

Here at the Knit Affair, we have discovered another four letter word that means love. We spell it J..A..C..K! You will have to forgive us, but this particular blog has nothing at all to do with yarn. It is just a complete and total lovefest for our newest knitter to be (ssshhh...don't tell his dad!).



I can honestly tell you, as a complete and unbiased overly doting Aunt, that this is one cute kid! I mean, let's be honest. Sometimes babies come out and well...umm..not so much. You know? I mean, it's not easy sometimes. The journey to the outside can leave a baby, well- sort of mushed??!!? Acckkk, forgive me if your baby was of the mushed variety. I am certanly not speaking of them. I mean those other kids. The ones who belong to people we don't know and love. :)

We are happy to report that Jack and Mom are thrieving. Uncle Greg was over recently for Jack's first photo shoot. Take a look.....

Mom and Jack

The Happy Family

Jack's Birth Announcement

Ok...this concludes this week's look at our total obsession of baby Jack. Thank you for your patience. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Meet you by the wool,

Jack's Aunt Rob

Jack Has Arrived!!!!!

Introducing Jack Daniel Templeton! That's right folks, he has arrived. Jack was born yesterday afternoon. He weighed 7 lbs., 12 ozs. and is 21" long. In the photo collage you can see that he is his Papa's pride and his Nana's joy.

Both Mommy and baby are doing fine. It was a bit of a rough start for Jack. He came into the world "sunny side up". That means that although he came out head first, he was face up. So, it took a special team to get him to start breathing at first. But, all is well. The good people at Kaiser Riverside swooped into the room and set everything to right. Meghan also had a bit of a tough time. They are going to be keeping her until Wednesday so she can get a little rest and recovery before going home.

Also, we wanted to let everyone know that the shop is going to be closed Tuesday, April 8th, and Wednesday, April 9th so that Torey can be with her babies. We will return to business as usual on Thursday, April 10th.

I will be blogging more later. I just wanted to pass on the good news for now.

Meet you by the wool,
"Aunt Rob"

Spring Has Sprung!

Now that Spring has begun, you may see your knitting taking on a little different direction. I notice that as the weather gets closer to Summer, my projects get smaller in scale. I seem to start gravitating towards cotton sweater patterns and purse projects.

In honor of Spring, we are doing a workshop this Saturday, April 5th. We are doing a beaded crocheted flower purse complete with entirely original beaded handles. I like this project because although it makes up rather quickly, it looks like you must have just spent hours and hours on it. Along with learning some basic crochet steps, Torey is also going to show you how to embellish your flowers with individual beads, and how to make your own beaded handle. For those of you who don't know, Torey was a SERIOUS beaded jewelry maker prior to opening the shop. You are definitely going to want to take advantage of learning to bead from an expert. The workshop begins at 1pm and goes till 4. You can either call the shop, or stop in to reserve a spot.

By the way, now that it's April - we all need to remember that a "Jack Attack" could happen at ANY MOMENT! That's right, Meaghan is due any day now. I, for one, can not wait! I don't think we have so anticipated the arrival of a baby in the shop, well - since my Jack was born almost 2 years ago. Wow! Talk about time flying. So, if you arrive at the shop in the next week or so and either find it unexpectedly closed, or no sign of Torey, you'll know why.

Jack has received many hand made gifts from our wonderful friends at the shop. I wanted to show off a few of them here. Meaghan can't wait to put all of them to use.

This beautiful little sweater, hat and booties were made by Nancy Leviton with a little help from her daughter Katie. Could they be any cuter??!?!?! The pattern she used was one from Plymouth yarn company. I know that Torey has it available in the shop. I think I am going to have to get a copy so I can make a similar set in pink for Charlotte!

Also, there were a number of helping hands on this project. It's a crocheted wall hanging with pockets for storage! It's going to be perfect in Jack's nursery.

Well, that's it for the highlights this week. I am in the middle of crocheting a blanket for my little one, so I had better get back at it. Otherwise, you know it will wind up at the bottom of my stash somewhere while I am busy buying new yarn to make the layette set that Nancy made!

Hope to see you all Saturday!

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

A Work In Progress

The images above are what Torey and I have completed so far of the Amherst Sweater class sample. I show you our work in progress because I'd like to pose a question.

Have you ever started a project, gotten very near the end, and then suddenly realised you may not have enough yarn? Well, if you have, then you are not alone! It would seem that even owning your very own knit shop does not protect you from such a folly. Torey and I started the Amherst Sweater sample with such anticipation. I was going to knit up the back, while Tore was going to knit up the sleeves. We would somehow divide up the 2 front pieces, depending on who finished first. It was a good plan, a perfect plan even. In theory. It would seem that we may not have enough of the Rowan cotton tape in our chosen color to finish. AArrrgghhh! The frustration! Of course, we could have stopped and done a bit of math before beginning in the first place. And yes, we could have very well chosen to work our project in a yarn that we could re-order. But alas, sadly, we didn't. Instead, we are a cautionary tale. A warning, if you will, of the perils of skipping the absolute irrefutable MUST DO'S of any project that you care to actually succeed in finishing. *Note that last phrase....."that you care to actually succeed in finishing." I emphasize this because I don't always care to finish. (Wait...if you put your ear to the computer, you can probably hear Torey laughing at that last comment. ) See, I think the world of knit and crochet is divided up into 2 seperate catagories. The "product knitters" and the "process knitters". The "product knitters" are completely focused on the end result. They have a finish line in mind and they are going to cross it! However, the "process knitters" a.k.a. my people, are more interested in the journey. If they actually finish the piece, all the more reason to buy more yarn, and start something else. But, it's not really necessary to them. The "process knitters" will buy more yarn and start something new regardless. Of course, I am a "Professional Process Knitter". This means that I start 4 or 5 new things at a time. However, my beloved sister is the "Queen Product Knitter". Torey finishes what she starts. Always. It can be annoying. So, you can understand our canundrum. At this point, unless I find some random balls of cotton tape secretly stashed in my house somewhere, then Houston - we have a problem.

Wait, scratch that last sentence! Just as I was typing it, a little light bulb went off in my head. I could actually see the missing ball of yarn. I get up to look, and YES! It's there! Lying at the bottom of my underwear drawer, a brand new ball of Rowan cotton tape. Mind you, it's 11:40 at night, but I call Torey any way to let her know. For some reason, her intial response to the good news is, "What was it doing at the bottom of your underwear drawer?" I explained that it wasn't my every day underwear drawer. That it was the one where I keep the stuff hubby has given me, or that I recieved at my bridal shower 10 years ago. Now that I think of it, the bigger question isn't why was it in that drawer, but instead, did it have dust on it?! Whew, crisis averted. I love a happy ending, don't you? But let this be a lesson to you all. The moral of the story is to take your time and DO THE MATH, and also to remember that drawers of clothing you rarely use make for excellant yarn stashing.

By the way, this class is meeting tomorrow night, March 19th. I know of at least 2 people who are going to be just beginning the project, along with the folks that started last week. So, if you are ready to dive into your first sweater, or just want to join in on the fun - be sure to come by the shop. There is always room for one more. Also, for those of you who have made some progress so far, I would love to see it. E-mail me some pics to knitaffair@knitaffair.com . I want to document the "journey" for everyone else to enjoy online.

I also have some fun shots to show you from last weeks Saturday workshop. In this class we tried something new. We needle felted. Needle felting is a pretty unique method of adding some really fun embellishment to just about anything. If you haven't had a chance to swing by the shop lately, you really should stop in. We have a whole display of different needle felting kits to show you. The kits range from pretty little flowers to actually being able to put pictures of animals and shapes on things. You'll really have your friends and family wondering how you did it.

In this shot you can see Diane, along with Brooke and Jessica. Brooke is working on some very cute butterflys. We are going to be working with needle felting again on April 19th. Come see what all the fun is about.

Well, I need to be signing off. It's now after midnight and I am sure one, or both of the babies will rise up to rob me of my sleep at any moment. I am going to be in the shop on Thursday, and I would love some company. So, if you feel the flu coming on *wink, wink - call in "sick" and come join me for the day.

Meet you by the wool,

Rob

Wool on the go.....

Just a little message from the road. I have recently discovered that I can post to the blog from my cell phone! I LOVE technology! So, I thought I would pose a question. What's on your needles? I started a baby blanket using Lorna's Lace yarn and an entrelac stitch. I am now addicted to both the yarn and the pattern! This is a snap shot of row one. I like that the process is simple enough to memorize, but doesn't get boring over time. Also, how many projects do you have going at once? I am seriously knee deep in 4 things at once. I hope to finish before my procrastination kicks in and they sadly go live in a ziploc baggy, never to be heard from again.