Have you ever thought about yarn bombing?  You haven't heard about it?  It's an international knitting movement where knitting enthusiasts (that would be you) knit up some shapes and wrap them around trees, posts, benches, statues, bicycle racks, parking meters to color up urban areas.  It can be done surreptiously at night or in broad daylight.  We could do the Plaza at night and then maybe the railyard another day.  What do you think?  I REALLY want to do it.  Google yarn bombing and let me know if you're in.  Bev

Back from The National Needle Arts show

Geez, Louise.  I tried to change the ugly font that was coming up on my screen to this one and lost the whole blog I wrote.  I'm sure it's in this computer somewhere, but it'll be faster and less frustrating for me to just rewrite it than to find it.

Anyway, the show was good, the food was predictably bad, and the weather was warmer than here but nothing to write home about.  Lots of yarn to touch, lots of people to mingle with, lots of candy to grab off display tables, and lots of homework to find the best prices on the most exciting yarn.  I bought a ton of stuff.  I bought some yarn from Universal Yarn, a company I don't often buy from but they have very good prices on some very interesting textured yarns.  I bought somethng clled Bamboo Bloom which is about 3 1/2 sts per inch thick and thin, mat and shiny if I remember correctly.  The most exciting yarn I bought from them is called Magnolia.  It has a handspun look to it with doodads hanging off it.  I got it in red, black, cream, and blueberry.  It's great for adding texture to a ruana, or a collar to a jacket, and all kinds of trim.  I got two more yarns from them.  One is made out of paper.  It's 2 3/4 sts per in.--lightweight and pilable, not like some stiff paper yarns.  And I got something called Cotton Gold which is a lightweight yarn with sequins.  That's coming in red, coffee, black with silver, and black with gold.

I ordered some yarn from Bergere de France.  I was mad at them because their shipping costs were so high, but at the show I got free shipping so I ordered a bunch.  They have the best patterns!  They're French, afterall, although the yarn comes from Canada.  I got some hemp yarn.  I've never carried that before so I had to get it for you. 

Also coming for Spring is Prism Art's Light Stuff and Cool Stuff.  They're expensive and worth every penny.  Then there are four different yarns from Feza yarn:  Alp Natural in a hank that's a variety of textures all in the same color; Nirvana, a self striping yarn I've waited two years for, Mesmerize and Jewel, each of which are shimmery and reasonably priced.  I'm getting a bunch of books, a bunch of buttons, and this is only the beginning! 

Before it all gets here I'm going to have a sale.  Still don't have a date yet but you'll be among the first to know.  After all, there's still lots of winter to knit for.  Happy knitting.  Bev

Happy New Year!

I'm in!  I'm here!  I found my blog spot! I've had a really frustrating time trying to get here.  Once I had a half a page written, switched to a different page to find the spelling of a particular yarn (more on that later) and when I tried to get back to my blog spot, I erased the whole *&%!# thing. 

Anyway, I'm here, writing to who knows whom--is anybody there?  Is anybody reading this?  Hellooooooo....

So, happy new year 2011.  Have you made any resolutions?  Have you resolved to finish an unfinished knitting project before starting the next one?  Don't do that!  Go ahead and start a new one and make yourself finish the old one at the same time.  If you're having trouble getting motivated, a good way to get in gear is to get yourself to Oodles and pick out your next project, you don't even have to start it yet.  Or, just bring your unfinished project in and hang out with a bunch of like-minded knitters.  Everyone's invited although no one needs an invitation to come knit.  I haven't made any resolutions.  I'm afraid to for two reasons.  The first one is that I'd have to work on doing whatever it is I might resolve to do even when I don't feel like it, and the only benefit I've found of being over 60 is not doing what I don't feel like doing. The second reason is that I'm likely to forget what my resolution was being that I can't seem to remember anything. 

I just bought a zipper for my purple, blue, pumpkin jacket, got home and realized it's not a separating zipper, which means I'd have to put my jacket on over my head and could never open it all the way.  Not what I had in mind.  Heidi told me there's a place on line where you can order whatever length and color zipper you want, so I'm going to go there and get a zipper as soon as I find out where it is.  I think I really like this jacket design.  I've never put a zipper in a sweater before.  Yipee, something new!

 I'm nearly finished knitting a blanket for my grandson.  His mom mentioned that his grandma (that would be me) never made him a blanket.  Well, no, I didn't 'cause his mom knits!  So, now I'm making a blanket out of brown and creamy yellow yarn that hasn't sold in over three years.  It's gonna be cute.  I got some light creamy yellow flannel that I'm going to back it with, some brown satin looking polyester blanket binding, and some yellow and brown buttons.  I think I'm going to put it all together (one of these days) and have a really cute blanket.  I might put giraffe and teddy bear buttons on the binding, but then again, I HATE sewing on buttons so....  Then I can knit something for me.  Hmmm. 

I just got in some Plymouth...ok, here's where I lost it last time I tried to write, 'cause I went to the Plymouth page to find the correct spelling of the name of this yarn and I'm NOT gonna do that again, so I'm guessing at the name of it, being that I'm not at the yarn store and I want to do this NOW!  I just got in some Plymouth Mushishi.  It's silk and wool, 490 yards for $33 a hank.  It's luscious, especially the multi white one.  I also have a multi purple and multi something else, plus one back ordered color that I can't remember that is scheduled to arrive January 10th.  It would make a lovely pullover.  It should be something you wear next to your skin it's so luscious and soft.  Come over and squeeze it then I'll help you find a pattern to knit a sweater.

I guess I didn't win any prizes for my Drifting Gardens mohair jacket with Ozark yarn.  I'd entered it in the South Africa Mohair Association/Vogue Knitting design contest and didn't win.  oh well.  Five knitters have been doing a knitalong and having a good time, so the hell with the contest. 

Two events coming up quickly.  First is the yarn market I wrote about last blog. I'm very excited! I'm leaving Friday and will be back Monday.  The store will be open with Mary at the helm.  The second thing is Oodles' SEVENTH anniversary is coming up....  That means...yes...there will be a yarn sale--but this is just between you and me.  Don't tell anyone else.  I don't have specific dates yet.  I also hope to have a well known knitting teacher come to Oodles for a workshop of some kind.  Any suggestions?  I'll try to schedule someone when I'm at the show. 

So, that's it for now.  Hope to see you soon.  Bev