Aw, Geez.  I finally figured out how to get here to blog then I lost what I'd written so I had to step away from the computer for a few minutes.

 My apologies for being negligent in keeping my blog up to date, but man, I've had trouble remembering how to get here.  Now, I think I've got it. 
And, on top of that, I started writing, even uploaded a photo of new yarn, then somehow it disapeared.  And on top of THAT, I just took a break to rip out every stitch I knitted yesterday on an entrelac baby blanket I'm knitting.  That called for a cookie break and another cup of coffee.  I'm much calmer now.

Welcome to springtime in the Rockies!  A time for warming up, sunny days, blue skies, pollen, fire danger, wind, digging up documents for the IRS, and, of course, knitting cool, summer tops.  It certainly beats spring in the midwest--cold rain, more rain, flooding, tornado sirens, allergies, and herbicide commercials on TV.  I do love Santa Fe.

Well, I have LOTS and LOTS of new spring and summer yarn and patterns to tell you about (and if all goes well, to show you on line.)  OHMYGOSH--where to start!  The UPS man has delivered oodles of colors, textures, and blends of great fibers waiting for you to create something gorgeous. 


Alp premier

 I'll start with Feza Yarn's Alp Premier.  It's over 200 yards of ribbon, glitz, shiny and matt combinations in fabulous color combinations.  They make great, fast scarves or shawles or trim on anything.  I also have Alp Natural, also from Feza.  

Alp natural

They are 230 yards of handspun linen, silk, cotton, and viscose in saturated solid colors with about 7 different textures.  Another yar from Feza is Nirvana.  It's 100% washible bamboo in multicolors.  It's what I'm making the baby blaket out of.  I'd like a blaket out of it for myself.  It's great to knit with, although it does split if you're not careful. 

Here's some really exciting news!  I just got Maggieknits yarn for the first time.  I have linen, cotton, and some accent slubby viscose to match.  I got a few of her pattern books, too.  You'll either love 'em or wonder why I bought them. 

But, wait...there's more.  For you Noro lovers, I have four summer weights of Noro yarn each in various colorways and pattern books to go with them.  Some yarns are smooth and knit up striped, some are bumpy and have all over multicolors. 

I also have sequined yarn in white, gold, silver, black, and red.  Need a wrap for this opera season or for a wedding reception?  These will knit up beautifully.  Knitted on big needles carried along with a little sparkle or silk, they'll make a heavenly, gossamer summer wrap in no time flat. 

Have you seen the newest ruffle-by-itself yarn?  I have some from Trendsetter that has been going fast.  I have a sample in the store you can see.  I wish I could include the photo of it, but nooooo, I can't seem to get any more photos from my photos to this page.  I give up.  I'm going to knit.

Hope to see you at Oodles soon.  Bev

Oodles' 7th anniversary SALE!

Seven years!  How about a SALE to celebrate this event!  How about  20 to 50%OFF enough yarn to make some fabulous projects for you and your kids, your grandkids, your dog, and your Valentine.  This is the time (and temperature) to start knitting a cozy, wrap-yourself-up afghan and a pillow to match.  Consider knitting a simple shape in fat yarn for those of you with little time to knit:  knit a ruana, a cover up,  and of course, sweaters.  Did you know you can knit a sweater with a lovely, relaxed shape just by knitting four rectangles?  I'll show you how.  If you can knit a scarf, you can knit a slouchy, chic sweater.  Knit one for witner and a couple for summer.  Cotton and cotton blends are on sale NOW. CASHMERE IS ON SALE.  ALPACA IS ON SALE.  SILK IS ON SALE.  DOODADS ARE ON SALE.   

The sale starts this Friday and runs through Wednesday, including Sunday with NO football.  Hope to see you.  I'll make cookies.  Bev

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

Geez, Louise, I've had a hard time finding my way back to my blog.  I'll try to write more regularly if I can remember how I got here.  I guess I should write down the path to get here on a piece of paper that doesn't disapear into the nethersphere.  

I finished the gray sweater--hurray! and have started the bluish gray, purple, pink, rotten apple (pumpkin would have been a better color name.  Why couldn't I think of that this time of year anyway?), red, and cream.  I added a multi color, left out the red and cream and I'm doing a half fisherman's rib or whole fisherman's rib, what do I know?  This is about the third design I've started and ripped, and I think I like this one.  My plan is to make it into a short jacket with a diagonal front zipper!  Kind of motorcycle jacket style.  I'm still on the back so I have time to change my mind many times over.  And then what?  Got to have an idea in the wings, yes?  I think I'll make an off white ruana or coat.  I just ordered a couple bags off white yarn for me to go with some white yarn I already have in the store. I'll have enough for you to make one, too.  The Berroco and Plymouth salesman came to my store today.  I bought something really cool.  I just can't remember what it was except that it comes in a big 300 or 400 yard hank and feels really good.  Everybody'll love it--I hope.

It's time to plan a trip to the yarn market in January.  It's being held in Long Beach January 6th through 8th--hardly enough time to look at everything, touch everything, compare prices and yardage, look at patterns, stop and gab a bit with people you only see twice a year, find all your notes or reading glasses that you left at a previous vendor's booth, stop for lunch--choices are a lousy salad, a greasy piece of pizza, or a rock hard hamburger.  Sometimes I just eat M&M's which the Noro yarn booth always has on hand.  I try to eat the peanut ones so I have some protein.  I can eat myself sick if I spend too much time there.  It's difficult to pick out yarn that other people want, especially chosing summer yarn in January.  Some people have said to just buy what I like.  Well, then everything in the store would be purple, gray, or green, or at this moment, off white.  I almost never have navy.  I have one lonely ball of dark navy right now and no one has asked for more.  Ya know what--If you can find it, you can have it.  Do you have any idea how many shades, or is it tones, that purple comes in?  It comes in a bluish purple, redish purple, just a little redder than redish purple, pinkish purple, grayed purple, bright purple, almost black purple, almost brown purple... and that's just purple.  Blues, reds, greens, even beiges come in all kinds of tones and shades.  And then there's multicolors.... And then there's gauge.... And then there's texture.... And then there's fiber....  And then there's price....  And even the decision as to which ball of basically the same yarn is a better price per yard.... And I can't possibly buy it all.    I don't buy a huge selection of sock yarn, but I always want to have some sock yarn in stock, so it has to be exceptional sock yarn.  Hmmm, should it be self striping or random or patterned.  Should it be wool or cotton?  With nylon or not?  What if I pick out 10 bags of this summer's supposedly (according to those who are trying to sell it to me) hottest yarn in different colors, each with 10 balls of, say, bamboo and cotton yarn and nobody likes it?  What a nightmare that is!  Or what if I pick out 8  bags of 10 balls each of  a beautiful yarn and everybody wants the colors I didn't buy?  Another nightmare.  Or what if I buy a bunch of exquisite silk and everybody wants washable linen?  What if I buy a bag of ten and a pattern calls for 11 balls?  If I buy 2 bags, what do I do with 9 left over balls when it takes 11 to make a sweater?  I LOVE THIS BUSINESS!  I love the decisions.  I love the textures and colors.  And I love having gotten to know lots of you.  I love getting new knitters addicted and I love the excitement of someone finishing their first garment.  LOVE IT!  

More later if I don't get lost in cyberspace.  Bev

OODLES FIRST BLOG

Welcome to my FIRST blog entry.  I'm kinda jazzed about being in touch with a bunch of knitters on a frequent basis.  Knitters are such nice people.

So...It's the week end after Thanksgiving.  What are you knitting? 

I just cleaned out my knitting bag--this knitting bag anyway. I found lots of yarn labels,  the name and number of a plumber and a rotten apple.  I did not find my stitch markers that I had hoped were in there, nor any money, which would have been a nice surprise.  I found a bunch of balls of yarn wound up for my next project.  Actually, it was yarn for my previous project before I changed my mind and decided I didn't want to make an intarsia sweater in red, purple, cream, and--wow, I can't even come up with a descriptive name of the last color of yarn--brownish orange--oh, I know--rotten apple brown.  I neither want to make the sweater nor use those colors anymore.  The challenge is to figure out what to make next--using that yarn or not using that yarn--that is the question.  I'm sure if I looked in other, older knittng bags I'd find lots of ideas I decided not to do.  Maybe I'd even find the little plastic envelope with my stitch markers.   Well, I still have one sleeve to knit and one sleeve to kind of redo (AKA rip) before I need to decide.  But isn't it nice to have at least two projects going?  Somethimes you just need to get away from a project for a while to be able to get back to it with a new perspective.  Can I live with that stupid little glitch, or should I rip it out?  Don't be too hasty.  Just pick up your other project and work on that for a while, sleep on the decision to rip or not to rip, and you'll have a clear answer in the morning--maybe.  Meanwhile, you still have something to knit on.  I'm an obsessive knitter.  Got to have something to knit at all times. 

How do you know if you're an obsessive knitter?  I suppose one clue is that you have more than two projects you're working on--not just started and sitting there waiting for inspiration.  Another clue is that when you pack for a trip out of town you start with which project to take with you.  Hmm, you can also tell if your dog understands 'wait till I finish this row'.  I suppose hiding yarn from a spouse would be another sign of knitting obsession.  If all your friends tell you 'thanks, but I really don't need another scarf' that could be another sign.  (If only some of your friends tell you that, you're not obsessed-yet.)  If you have knitted flower pot covers, I'd begin to worry. 

If you need an idea of something to knit right now, don't forget the scarves for the homeless collection going on now.  You can drop off scarves, hats, or mittens at Oodles.

That's it for now.  I've got to get back to my gray sweater that goes with nothing I own which doesn't matter because it's dressy and  I have nowhere to wear it anyway. 

Keep in touch.  Bev