Playing With Yarn

After the New Year

2008-01-07T09:40:00.001-08:00

Okay, so from the day after Christmas until the 7th of January, I didn't get in to post. I did get a class schedule done for the next 3 months and it should be on the web page by tomorrow. I have finished the Wrap and the afghan plus worked on Baby Bo's Teddy sweater and a couple of other things.

The class room is a mess and has to be cleaned up by tonight when the Monday Night crowd gets here. I have washed a sweater and the afghan and need to lay them out to dry too.

Jossie went in to the vet today to be repaired. She told me that she didn't know that she was broken and I told her that all Yorkie girls come broken and at about 6 months they get fixed. I am not sure that she believes me. SHe will come home tomorrow. In the mean time that other girls are alternating between being happy that she is not bugging them and looking for her to play with.

When we drove Jossie to the Vet this morning it was very icy. It was so warm yesterday that snow melted and then it froze over night. Ugh! The snow is melting on roofs and people are out using their snow rakes to clean off their roofs before there is leaking. Elisabet called yesterday because she had water coming in her dining room. She was up on the rool getting rid of the snow.

I have about 4 projects sitting around in different places and in different states of being done - okay so maybe there are a few more then 4. But I want to try all the new yarns and patterns and I get behind. Adriane just finished a very nice cardigan in Van Dyke. I need to take some pictures and get them in the computer so I can put them in the blog. It is such a nice yarn an Alpaca blend and it works up so nice. Since it is a 100 gram ball, people are a bit put off by it. It seems that many 100 gram balls don't get the attention that they deserve. I am not sure why that is. Universals, Classic and Deluxe come in 100 grams and they get noticed but others don't seem to. It maybe the way that the balls are wound.

I'll try and get those photos up today. So you can see what they look like.

Christmas is over!

2007-12-26T09:13:00.001-08:00

It was nice but it is over. We went to daughter, Elisabet's house for Christmas Eve. A quiet evening with split pea soup and opening of presents. It seems that everything that kids get these days makes noise or flashes light - even gift cards. I will say that the kids were more excited over noise making, light flashing gift cards then they were of the amounts of money that was on them.

Christmas day we were back at Elisabet's house for puzzle working and turkey dinner. It is much easier for us to go to the kids then for them to come here. Our Holidays have calmed down as the kids have grown. We have also changed our gift giving a lot too. The little kids still get toys but we older folk don't give each other as much and look for some special personal gift or fun inexpensive plaything. I got a bunch of wooden games at Target's dollar department. Elisabet and the Granddaughters gave me Yorkie ornaments. Marion and her family gave me a design block set. We tend to give each other puzzles, books and things that the person collects. We did give Elisabet some good knives. Bo couldn't carve the Thanksgiving turkey with her old ones.

The girls had asked for snow globes and we found some nice ones and ended up getting quite a few to give to people. The two youngest granddaughters got American Girl dolls and Annika got a futon. I got some great dog training equipment - I ordered it myself. Although we give something to everyone, none of the items have big price tags. Bo and I tend to spend more on the grandkids but that is what grandparents are for! We have the most fun with stocking stuffing. We tend to buy inexpensive, silly things to put in stockings. I sure like dollar stores!

And we have snow! It snowed all day on the 24th, a little bit yesterday and even more today. It is great for those who got skates, skis and sleds for Christmas. The Yorkie girls are either extremely happy with the snow or don't want to get their feet in it. Emma loves the snow and always has. Winnie thinks that she is put upon about it. Josse thinks that it is awful and Lilly likes it if she can find something to do in it.

We did gett he girls pictures and a card made. They were pretty tired at the end of it all. Josse was exhausted! But it is done.

I am over half way done with the afghan. I am really excited about getting it done. I am excited about getting it done and working out a class timing to teach it.
Now off to shovel snow - our prediction of 1" has changed to several inches. I could have told them that a few hours ago!

Saturday Dec. 22nd

2007-12-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

We are having a funny winter day. It started at at over 30 degrees at 5 this morning - the girls had to go out then - with rain. Our snow drifts had started to disappear. We had green grass in places. And it was this way until 11 or so when it turned to snow. Then it stopped. But we are told that it will start again this evening and continue to snow until Monday morning. I wish that the snow hadn't started to melt.

Tomorrow is Winnie's birthday. She will be 2. She is still such a puppy. She thinks like a puppy and acts like a puppy. I think that she will always be like this. Josse is a real puppy but I can see her growing up, but Winnie is our blond, cheer leading Yorkie. She does well in school but her attention wanders. "Gee, mom there is a new dog coming in the door, I have to go meet him." During sits and downs line, she gets bored. She doesn't break the sit or down but she starts to whine. She loves school but she is one of those kids who goes to school to hang out with her friends. What a joy that she is. She is such a fun little girl. And she hates cold, wet weather. She makes short work of her trips out. It messes up her hair.

I found my Clover J hook. I like the Clover Soft Touch hooks for big hooks. Maybe my thumb will quit hurting now. And I finished a hat in Universal's Duet yarn. I am almost done with a felted bag and I am going to ravel out the button band on one of my baby sweaters and redo it in a smaller needle. I thought that I could get away with using the same size needle as for the rest of the sweater but not this time. I have 3 projects using Art Yarns to finish. Maybe Christmas day I will get to work on them. But then it is puzzle day.

We usually do a Jigsaw Puzzle on Holidays. Everyone can do it and we all enjoy them. I get them from Bits and Pieces when they go on sale. The only conflict is that we all like different kinds. Last year I got glow in the dark ones. The rest of the family said that they were too dark. So this year I got a bunch of American Primitive art ones. At Thanksgiving Elisabet said that she didn't like them. But it is that or watching a flick and then we really have choice problem.

Now I have to stop and close up for the day. Tomorrow is another day and I have bathe the girls before we open.

Drive carefully!

Hey, I just found !

2007-12-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

I just found out how to allow people to post comments. Okay, so I am slow but this blog thing is some what a mystery to me.

I have my crochet afghan almost to where it was before I raveled it. And it looks much better. I find that crochet is harder on my hands then knitting. My right thumb gets sore.

Hopefully, I can get back to my other projects now that I am comfortable with the hook and the crochet pattern. I have another new baby sweater started. I am using a sock yarn from Universal and am finding it quite nice. I will wait until I am further along on it to tell you more about it.

We have heard that we may have some nasty weather tomorrow through Sunday. It is funny how quickly we hear about storms coming. I rather liked it better when it was just a surprise when they came. And I find that this early warning causes a lot more talk about what weather might be then what is really happening. But it is in the 30's today and the Yorkie girls have been out and out and out. Emma loves to dig in the snow. Winnie doesn't like to get cold. Lilly will stay out if she thinks that something exciting is happening and Josse isn't sure what she likes but will stay out if someone else will. So they are in and out over and over again. During the summer they have their doggy door and can come and go as they like. But when it is cold, they have to ask to go out and some one has to go and open the door for them. Now that Bo is retired, he is often in with the girls and does door duty. I am not sure just what he does think of this retirement business. I don't think that I would like it.

Today is the Winter Solstice. Locally it has become quite a Holiday with a big bonfire in Two Harbors. I always like to take the evening and knit for someone else. I usually work on a prayer shawl. There are so many people that I know that could use one right now. My friend, Brad Nelson lost his dear friend Lena the Black Lab. Lena was such a lady and so smart. It was very hard for Brad to say goodbye to her. Brad needs extra love right now. Gail Mathers has a breast biopsy today and needs extra thoughts. And there are a couple of my Fibro friends that are in special need. My bookkeeper has a angegram next Monday. Spell check didn't give me the correct spelling for that so you have to figure it out. When bad things happen it is always so much harder near a Holiday.

We have been receiving Christmas card and we have still not been able to get a picture that will work for ours. Cards have taken on a new meaning over the last forty or so years. It used to be that people sent tons of them, okay so several hundred weren't unusual - maybe not a ton, And they were all either religious or Santa types but wishing someone a Happy Holiday. More and more they have become a way to keep other abreast of what is happening in your life and include family pictures. I used to not like that but as I have gotten older and don't see many of my old friends as often and we don't write like we used to, I find myself looking forward to the family catchup letters. Bo and I pour over the pictures and comment on how kids have grown, our friends have aged and are excited to hear what people are doing. It is rather funny as we email a lot and keep in touch more then we used to because of email. But there is something about the letters and the photos that seem so much more personal and connecting. I guess that we better get the girls lined up and a picture taken so we can send ours out. But the reality is that we have a new camera and we are still learning how to use it. Too many menus for us I guess.

Stay warm, keep your feet dry and your needles clicking and enjoy the first day of winter!

Day ??? so I'm behind! Make it Day 10

2007-12-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have fallen behind and for no real good reason, just work, dog training, shopping and wrapping gifts. Also, come to think of it, starting new projects, restarting the same project and now I have to restart it again.

The new Crochet Today from Vogue came out and there are some terrific projects in it. Now I readily admit that I am not the crocheter that I am a knitter or weaver or spinner or a few other things, but I do crochet. There are two really good afghans in the magazine and a cute dress and some darling baby hats. But the afghans grabbed me. They also grabbed Carolyn Bergman who teaches classes here. So I decided to start one. And miracles of miracles my swatch came out perfectly. So I started the afghan, Then decided to switch the color order, so started it again, realized I miss-counted rows and started it again. Then my gauge seemed to tighten up. When Carolyn came today, we discussed it and figured, 'oh, well'. I chalked it up to my hands and the cold, Sounded good, anyway. Then today I was looking for something and there under something else was my J hook. Seems that I put the project down and when I picked it up again, I took a smaller hook. So tonight I will unravel what I have done - almost half the afghan - and start again with the J hook.

I have also started Josse - Josephine, our baby Yorkie - in Cyberagility classes. I guess that I did write that we were going to start. I am a clicker trainer, which means that we work with positive reinforcement only. Our first lesson was on targeting. For you non-dog trainers out there, we teach targeting so that the dog will go to a certain spot and touch it either with a nose or a paw - at least that is the simplest way to describe it. To move to step 2, the dog has to be able to touch the target held in the hand 10 times in 40 seconds. As they touch each time, I click and produce a treat, all in the 40 seconds too. At first Josse was unsure of what I wanted but she soon caught on, the trouble was the Cheerios that I had broken into 3s and was using as a treat. Josse had lost all her front baby teeth a couple of weeks ago. The new ones are coming in but she is now losing the back ones. And Cheerios maybe be okay for coming in from outdoors but now for real work. So I switched to the good stuff - cheese. She quickly went from 10 clicks in 1 minute 10 seconds to 10 clicks in 42 seconds - I dropped a treat so she had to look for it. And then 10 in 30 seconds. You see when the reward was good enough the performance improved. And today she happily showed Carolyn how she can do it.

Our next step is to change the position of the target. Now this all, rather, reminds me of my afghan. I have had to progress through steps to get the stitch right and then the gauge to having a successful project. It didn't all happen on the first try and I had to see some reward in the process. In my day teachers understood this and we got gold stars on our papers. As we got older the reward grew until it was the grades that we earned. But there was some reward for a good job and for increasing our ability. No increase, no reward or at least less of a reward. It works the same for me today but I set many of my own goals and I set the reward or aim for a reward determined by others. I grew up in an atmosphere where often the reward was pleasing our family, no fancy treats. We never received money or presents for good grades or doing household chores but we did get the positive approval from our family. I sometimes wonder if we haven't stretched the reinforcements to the limit at the beginning and we get to the cheese too soon. Maybe that is why we feel that we have to make the Holidays into an orgy of buying.

I need to chew on this for awhile, maybe while I am unraveling my afghan tonight. But in the meantime, I have learned a couple of new crochet stitches, seen how two of my color choices work together, learned a whole lot about crochet gauge and I can now do the afghan pattern without thinking - at least to where I am now! All in all not all that bad but it sure puts me behind in my other projects. And by the way, I love my throw and I have received a number of positive comments on it, including hearing that it is much more attractive on my body then it is laying flat.

So keep reaching out for new patterns and stitches. Playing with yarn can teach us all sorts of new things.

Day 10 - Christmas is coming and my projects need to get done!

2007-12-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

I have one sleeve to finish for the baby sweater model, the wrap is done and around my shoulders, I finished 2 hats, and a purse but I haven't worked on either of the sweaters for the two grandkids that have sweaters promised, haven't worked on my socks, haven't done any doll clothes yet and there is less then two weeks to go.

Josse starts her Cyber-agility class this week. And while she is taking the class, I am going to be working on the same exercises with Winnie. Winnie needs a refresher class before it is time to move to Modular 2 in Cyber Agility. Helix Fairweather has this Cyber program and this is our fourth dog to go through it. It is a clicker training based program and we have good results in using it as our agility foundation program.

In January we start back in Obedience and Josse will go to kindergarten. Hopefully it will be a warm winter for going back and forth to school. Dog training is really people training. The dogs have a very good idea of the moves, people need to learn their part and how to turn it into a 'dance'. When it finally works that trainer and dog work together as a team, you can feel it and it is grand. But we, humans, are the weak link in the partnership.

Teaching knitting is often the same. A knitting teacher's first job with the students is to figure out how each learns and then how to explain the system to them so that the student can learn with as few restarts as possible. It is such a joy to find a student that learns as I do. I am a visual person and it is so easy for me to relate to another visual person. It takes work to explain to other learning modalities. But after some 50 plus years of showing people how to wrap string around sticks, I have learned a lot about how to explain to people how the string becomes fabric. I haven't had any where near that amount of time working at learning how to be a team with a dog.

I haven't had any where near the 60 years of knitting experience that I have as a knitter, as a crocheter. I have always done a bit of crocheting but the last couple of years I have been trying to increase my crocheting ability. The last couple of years the yarn world has made that easier for me. Besides joining the Crochet Guild of America, I have signed the shop up for carrying a number of crochet magazines. We also get the new crochet books from a number of publishers and the selection of both have increased and improved. Today the new copy of Crochet Today came. This magazine is published by the Vogue knitting folks and is very good. It has inspired a number of crochet classes for next year. I can hardly wait to be able to teach some. Of course that adds projects to my already large pile. So it is off to the rocking chair in the corner with my hook and a ball of yarn.

Have a warm day!

Day 8/9 ops!

2007-12-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

We were in shopping yesterday among other things and missed getting anything written. W spent a great deal of time looking for what I had thought would be an easy task, finding a set of plastic stacking cups for our grandson. Who would have thought that some thing that simple would be so hard to find. It seems that he loves other kids sets and wanted some to play with. When our kids were little they were a standard toy at every house. We had two sets for the kids, one was round and he other pentagon shaped. After having no luck at the Duluth toy stores, I went on line today. I did find some but it would be hard to get them here to ship to Texas in time. And I do like to see what we are sending. I called our local Pamida today and they have two sets in stock so tonight we will head to town to get them. At least I hope they are what we are looking for.

But I guess, these are todays that don't talk, play music or move around - in fact no batteries involved at all. It is very hard to find toys that kids have to provide their own sound and movement to. Every things talks, makes noise or moves on it's own. All that the kids need to do is press a button. Rather sad, I think.

Today is a day of remembrance in our household. It is the anniversary of my Grandmother's birth. A date that she shares with Frank Sinatra......but much earlier then his. I am a very lucky person, my grandmother was my best friend much of my life. Grandma took me to baseball games, taught me to do needlework, played cards with me, allowed me to pluck her chin whiskers and listened to me. She is a person that grows wiser every day that I live. She had an eighth grade education - not all that uncommon in her day - but kept on learning until the day that she died.

Grandma was a great ball fan and would take the streetcar to the old Nicollet Avenue stadium where the Minneapolis Millers played. Wednesday was Ladies Day and women would get in free. Much of the time she took me with her. Grandma would coach from the sideline and tell umps just how blind that they were, all the time wearing a hat and white gloves. But then all the ladies wore hats and white gloves. She also would have 'a little glass of beer' while we sat in the warm sun. Grandma never drank a big glass of beer, at home she had a small jelly glass, but she did have more then one of those 'little glasses of beer'. She never drank enough for it to 'go to her head' but she did like her beer. She loved to tell about the great Giant players that came through the Millers including Willy Mays. When the stadium moved to the Bloomington and shortly after the Twins came to Minneapolis, Grandma still went to games but it wasn't an easy streetcar ride any longer and they played at night so she went with Grandpa. Once in awhile they took me but it wasn't the same as being in the old stadium in the sun.

Grandma also took me to the Minnesota State Fair, parades and the circus we would take the streetcar and off we'd go. One year at the Fair, it rained and at that time Daytons had a store under the grandstand ramp. We went into Daytons, bought new clothes, skin out, sent our wet clothes home with the Dayton's delivery truck and we finished doing the fair.

But Grandma was also a sly one. I love polishing silver to this day because Grandma made it the reward for being good. Only 'good' children were allowed to polish silver so on a rainy day Grandma would bring out her very ornate Sterling Silver and we would be allowed to polish it, if we had been good. And she would have us polish with our little fingers to get into those groves and swirls. The smell of silver polish still makes me feel so happy.

Grandma would take a nap and she would lay on the couch with her head in our laps and we would use the tweeters and pull out her facial hairs.....for a penny a piece. At other times she would sit on the couch and we would use her foot stool and play shoe clerk with her shoes.

So today I remember and celebrate my Grandma's life - Mable Winnifred Loberg your are still loved and missed but I revel in memories of you. I love you still and you are still one of the most important people in my life.

Day 7 - Still cold but a little bit warmer

2007-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

Now that really is a weird way to start, isn't it? But I guess that really sums up our weather. I just read that from the middle of the country to New England there is terrific ice cover. I hate ice! It scares me. Snow is something that I can deal with but ice is dangerous. I sure hope that people have enough knitting to keep them busy until the ice melts or isn't dangerous any longer. You know, we always embrace a storm. Then we can hunker down at home and play with our projects. Pearl has special projects saved for storm knitting. Storm days are like free days. You don't have to do any thing that is scheduled, instead you can hide from the world and normal responsibilities. This winter is starting out with the promise of some good storm knitting.

The Open House is over and we return to normal. It did cause me to move some things around here in the shop. First of all, I NEVER move things around. I don't like change. Unless I am forced to move things because something new enters my life and it doesn't fit in the old place, I don't change things like furniture around. For this Open House I did decide to move a couple of things around. And I like the new way better. The rocking chair is now in front of the window that you first see when you enter. And the container that was there is now over on the far back wall. It really makes a better traffic flow and it is easier for those who need the chair to get to it. I have to have some thing in front of the window or people come in and start to look out the window and miss the step down. Even with a sign at face level hanging there, folks just don't see anything but the view out the window.

I have been evaluating some of our dog training plans and I think that I have a new way to teach the dogs fronts. As a clicker trainer I break down tasks into small parts and teach each small part building to the whole finished behavior. I never thought that I would be using Skinner's behavior studies at this time in my life but I am finally pulling on stuff that I learned in college for something useful. It is so much fun seeing the light bulb click on in the girl's heads as they understand what they are to do. Emma has become a real problem solver and loves to work things out. Lilly is just happy putting it together and getting it. She doesn't seek out problems to solve. Winnie, is our little cheer leader, she watches the big girls and follows along. She really doesn't initiate anything but learns the behavior and applies it. Josse is still pretty much in the dark about it all. She knows that clicks are great and that they happen when she does some things but she hasn't tried to control the clicks to keep coming. It will come. I know people who have applied clicker training to sports, dance and music training but I don't know anyone who has used it to teach knitting. I think it is because we knitters have so many different styles and they all work that clicker training isn't useful.

Now back to my wrap. Almost done. Instead of finishing it, I knit the Mood hat and it is finished. But I really need to get cracking. Tomorrow we finish Christmas shopping and get the stuff mailed out to the kids. Then I can get back to what I need to do. I did get my boots ordered. I hope that they get here soon.

Day 6 - Still cold and I need boots!

2007-12-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

6 degrees today and it is cold. People have been coming in looking for yarn for those, 'I have put it off too long' and 'what can I get done fast' Christmas Presents. And there have been some who are upgrading the presents to something warmer. They made some cute little thing and realize a nice set of warm wool or alpaca mittens, hat and scarf will be better.

Personally I am looking at having some warm vests and wrist warmers. But then it helped when I remembered that I hadn't uncovered the heat vents in the shop since putting displays over them last Spring. But I really need new boots, ones with treads and warm linings. My years old Sorrel's are still in good shape but they are so heavy. My legs have gotten older in the last 30 years and they don't lift weights like they used to. I looked for some last Tuesday and was shocked at the price, the lack of warm linings and no treads at all. I guess it is time for me to bite the bullet and buy Steger mukluks. Just checked their website and they are less expensive then any of the wimpy boots that I saw at the mall. Good!

People have been really excited about the Universal Classic and Delux yarns. How nice to have people like them. I have a ball of their Moods yarn. I added the photo in the color way that I am sampling. I am actually knitting a hat with it. It is a wool/acrylic blend and feels great. I think that people will really like it. Okay, so I haven't finished the edge of the wrap, I will get it done soon...and the sweater in Teddy and the vest for Kathryn and some doll clothes....yes I will! Oh and the baby sweater too, lets stop there before I remember too much.

Day 6 Cold St. Lucia Day

2007-12-08T13:38:00.001-08:00

It is really cold today. It may have reached 10 degrees. It is a very good thing that snow is on the ground. I have been moving fast to get every thing done today for the Open House. Sales have been good for such a cold day and it is nice that it didn't snow because it is hard to keep up with lots of people tracking in snow on their boots.

Bo went into Duluth because the Granddaughters were in the St. Lucia program that the Swedish Cultural Society puts on. I understand that a good time was had by all. Now we are past St Nicholas Day and St. Lucia Day, just St Thomas Day to go. I don't know why that I judge the Advent season by Saints Days. I grew up and have remained Protestant, but for some reason I measure Advent by Saints Days. Wonder why?

I am still knitting the last edge of my Wrap. I am about half way down the edge. It is really not a difficult project but it is fun and moves along quickly. I was hoping to wear it today but I just couldn't stay up any later last night.

I really have to get going on my other projects too and today I added another one. Universals Ditto came in yesterday and I have decided to knit a baby sweater with it. I think that it is time to consider using sock yarn for more then socks. So a baby sweater will join my list of to dos.

I did manage to shelf all of the Kaffe Fasset Special Edition sock yarn this morning before I opened. It is so pretty! Then The Collinette Throws finally came in today, unfortunately for the people who special ordered certain kits, none of those came in. I had two people waiting for three different kits and those are the three back ordered kits. The good news is that I have five unspoken for kits in stock.

Day 5 - Getting ready and it's cold

2007-12-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

It is cold! 6 degrees and with a wind chill added it is -4. They say it will be around -30 tonight with the wind chill. The Yorkie Girls make fast trips out today. I have all of the yarn that came in yesterday to shelf and then get the shop ready for the Open House this weekend.

I am on the last edge of the Wrap and I did get some pictures into the computer. Hopefully they will download to the Blog. It did! This is a close up of the beginning blocks. The stripped yarn is Universal Classic Long Print. The solid color is Erdal's Lazer. Not only does each block offer a chance to learn a new stitch pattern but all but one of the blocks is built on by different pick up techniques.

I also got some pictures of new puppy Josse. So that darling puppy face that you see is her. The girls are getting along so good. Bo has been taking Winnie to dog school as she and Lilly are in the same class. So he is getting the bug and beginning to understand dog training. So Josse is getting lots of 'come' calls.

Now off to those shelves of yarn to take care of. And we have to rearrange some space to put the table for the Cranberry Tea and cookies for the Open House.

Day 4 - more snow

2007-12-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am putting the day of the post in the heading of each post. It worked good for me when I read Bud Huston's blogs and figure that I will do the same thing. This early morning we took Josephine ( Josse ) into the vet. She is 1 pound bigger then Oct 30th when I took her in for the first time - 6 pounds now. She got her shots and then came home to wrestle with her sisters. Her two top teeth are showing and I can see the four front bottom teeth under the skin. We wouldn't have to get her dentures.

I took my Wrap off of the blocking wires this morning. I have the top edge knit on and am starting the bottom edge. I am so very pleased with the way that it looks. One of the pictures from the pattern is at the left. I did mine in different yarn and am taking some pictures of it to put on the Blog. It has been such fun to knit and when I figure out how to structure a class, we will be offering it as a class.

The Kaffe Fassett, Regia sock yarn has arrived. What great colors! What fun yarn! And all I needed was more sock yarn. But we do have a great selection. The sock yarn picture is one of the amazing color ways that Kaffe developed for this special limited time Collection Yarn.

And today the shipment of Erdal's Lazer arrived. The lazer shelves are full again and I did add a couple of new colors. This is such a great wool/acrylic blend with solid colors. It knits up beautifully and washes wonderfully AND it has a great price point. I used it as the solid color in my Wrap with Universals Classic Long Print as the self stripping yarn. All of the yarn comes to $37.05, a very nice price for such a large project. I think that two if the Wraps connected would make a nice size afghan.

Now I have to run. I have some ad copy to get ready and yarns to shelf. And the snow just keeps coming.

Day 4 late!

2007-12-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

I just about didn't make it today. This morning, after I made a new pot of coffee and before I got a chance to pour myself a cup, the internet went dead. I called Tech Support and spent the next 4 hours on the phone. Finally they scheduled a home visit from a technician for tomorrow. Then I got to putting the back back on the desk and putting all the stuff that hides the cables and wires for the computer and office equipment back in place. While doing that I heard internet noises and everything was fixed. The gremlins had repaired them selves. EXCEPT - I have to call tech support and have them help me set up the laptop again because they changed all my settings during the phone call.

I have a ton to do to get ready for the Open House and I didn't need to spend it on the phone with computer problems. I did get the wrap blocked before coffee this morning.

Yesterday, I figured that the part 2 from the day before would count as my blog for the day. We went shopping in the morning and it started to snow. And it snowed all day for another 6 to 10 inches. Driving was nasty and they closed schools. We didn't get home until late afternoon. I had promised the Yorkie Girls that we would play some box games and that was how we spent the evening. Winnie is really getting the idea now and Josse is just starting to figure it out. Tomorrow she has her rabis shot, then I have to get the classroom ready for the spinning class. Now it is 6 degrees and I am going to go feed the girls and get dinner. But I am connected again so I don't feel isolated.

Day 2, part 2

2007-12-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

And I am finishing Annie Modesitt's Regal Silk Ribbed Corset. The Regal Silk just slides on my new Addi Lace Needles. I really love these needles and may switch to using them over my traditional Addi needles. I can't imagine that I would ever find a needle that I liked better but I just may have. And even with my rough winter hands, the Regal Silk just flows though my fingers. I wish that I liked the way that the pattern is written as much as I love the yarn and needles.

There are so many projects waiting to be knit. I have a Sweater started for our Grandson, Baby Bo, in Teddy. Teddy is an old favorite of mine and it is fun to see the sweater take shape. I HAVE to get this done soon or he will be too big to wear it.

I also have a vest to be knit in Silky Wool on the back burner. Granddaughter, Kathryn has requested it. She had a picture from an expensive British kid's clothing catalogue and said that she wanted something like the one in the photo. It was easy to take the elements that she liked and design a Faire Isle Vest using the colors that she liked. She is growing too, so I better get that done too!

It is always hard to determine just what it is that makes someone like a certain item. I have found out the hard way over the years that what I see is the main element of a garment, is not what the other person does. I have knit too many items to find that the neckline isn't what the person was looking at or even the color. The finished garment, even though it looks like or is the original pattern chosen, is not what they wanted. I have learned to ask leading questions to find out just what it is that they like before I knit what they say is what they want. And way too often people who say that they love a pattern are appalled when they see they yarn that it is done in. I often hear, 'oh, but I don't like that extra bulky yarn!.' So I have learned to take the time and go over the details and make sure that the one who wants the item will like the end result.

My other pre-Holiday project is some American Girl doll clothes. They are fun to knit and fairly fast projects. One Granddaughter is getting Kirsten and one is getting Kit. The Kristen Granddaughter has an older sister and another American Girl doll so has a lot of clothes. But the Kit Granddaughter is getting her first doll and Kit has a limited wardrobe so I plan to knit a couple of sweaters for her. Lucky we have many American Girl size doll patterns in stock to chose from. Knitting At Knoon has even done some of the doll patterns that match their children's sweater patterns.

Yesterday was Yorkie Girl bath day. Emma is such an old mother hen. She always wants to rescue any other dog or even a cat that cries out. brushing Josse was a trial and Emma was trying to grab her by the tail and pull her away from me. This just made Josse cry out the more. But finally they all got baths and look so nice. Hopefully we will get Holiday card pictures taken before they get all dirty again.

Day 2 of My resolution

2007-12-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

I guess I am doing okay on this - the second day.
I am busy finishing my baby sweater using the Rocketry pattern and Classy yarn from Dream In Color Yarn. Classy is a machine washable wool, worsted weight and hand-dyed. I am kitting up the yarn and pattern and plan to sell it for $25 a kit. It fits babies in the 6 to 9 month age range. I am trying to see just how much can be done with the kit. It looks like it is possible to get a matching hat in addition to the sweater. The pattern is easy to read and follow with no surprises to deal with.

Besides the sweater I am ready to block my Wrap Up from Knitting At Knoon. I had hoped to put a photo in this Blog but I guess I can only get one photo in per blog as it wouldn't download. So I guess that I will have to post the photo tomorrow. I am going to get a new foam pad to block on tomorrow and decided to wait until I get the new pad to block it.

An Early New Year's Resolution!

2007-12-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am a bad Blogger. It has seemed such a hard thing to write often. But, I am inspired by Bud Huston, well known dog agility trainer, to write once a day. Bud promised us to write once a day for 100 days and now he has renewed his promise. I may not be as good at handling my dogs as Bud is his, but I can certainly add something to my Blog every day.

We had snow, real snow, yesterday. Depending on who says what, any where from 6" to 12" fell. I don't care about the amount but just that we have a snow cover over our well and sewer pipes. Snow is our friend when it comes to rural living. It keeps pipes from freezing and makes us happy. We haven't had snow this early in a few years and we are happy to have it. It makes it even better after we had the driveway blacktopped a few years back. Now it is easier to clear the snow off and the driveway isn't as slippery and hard to get up.

I had to go out with the Yorkie Girls this morning. The snow had drifted over the fence in a couple of places and they could easily have run right up and over the fence. Bo has started the fence moult early this year to keep up with it. Most of the girls wouldn't jump over the fence but our new girl Josse might. She flys through the air when she jumps and with the help of a snow drift, she could easily clear the fence at 4 months old. More about them in future blogs.

I have been enjoying knitting a number of different projects this Fall. None which I have finished but they need to be soon. I have to block my Wrap from a pattern by KnittingAtKnoon. It has been so much fun to do but before I put on the side edges, I have to block it. I am trying to figure out how to teach this project as a class and when I have that worked out, you will hear about it. There are tons of fun parts to it and with each one you learn a new stitch, plus there are lots of techniques and color play in it too.

Oh, I have to run. More tomorrow!

New Postal Rates and other unpleasent realities!

2007-05-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have spent considerable time trying to figure out the new postal rates. On the surface it is very easy, just print up a new rate chart and you are ready to go. But it isn't quite that simple! The rate chart has a new zone. The old chart put zones 1, 2 & 3 together at the same rate. Now only 1 & 2 are together. Zone 3 is by itself and costs more. I used to be able to pop a ball or skein into an envelope and send it out. Now there is a thickness measurement that has to be met for an envelope to be sent. A letter can be no thicker then 1/4" and I understand that it can't have a cardboard piece for support as many of us used to do to send photos. Large envelopes can't be more then 3/4" thick, no cardboard and no little metal wind fasteners, even if taped over.

I often use bubble envelopes to send needles but no longer. The bubble envelopes are too thick. What this is going to mean is that shipping is going to cost the customer more. Flat rate envelopes will have a $4.60 rate and can't bulge. Flat rate boxes will be $8.95 and can't change shape or bulge. Regular Priority mail for all zones will be cheaper then the flat rate up to 3 pounds. ARG!

I understand rate increases and I can even sort of understand standardization of packages. But I hate too many variables. And I hate having to pass the costs on to the customers, you all. But the reality is that my suppliers are paying more to ship to me and they have passed those increases on to me and I have to pass it on to you in increases in yarn etc prices. Now I have to also pass on to those of you who order yarn to be shipped, the increases in postal rates.

I do sort of understand all of that and I hope that you do too. But what really frosts me is having to spend a couple of hours trying to get the information on just what is increasing, how much the increases are and just what the new regs are. And this is the second time that I have spent time getting this information. It was a chance remark by a customer about the thickness regs that had me searching for this information today. It was not included with the information on the new rate charts.

In the meantime we are watching the fire situation in Grand Marais. It has been over a week now that the fire along the Gunflint Trail and the BWCA has been snaking its way through the forest. The fire is 15% contained today and has destroyed over 135 buildings, many of them homes. It is very early for the fire season to start but a few dry summers, very little snow last winter and strong winds have helped make this a big problem this Spring. When I hear the names of the people fighting the fires, I hear many of my old Cub and Boy Scouts involved. A former neighbor girl, now an adult, lost her home. Sometimes it is hard to realize that they are not only adults but in their 40s. The pull of the wilderness is strong in kids who grow up along the Lake and many have moved to Grand Marais. The county sheriff was a Cub Scout, the Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department was one of my son's Team mates in the Order Of The Arrow Dance Team.....he was 'an older Scout' that my son learned from. These connections make the fire fighting more personal to us. We worry about them and for them. Fire is a scary thing and has a life of it's own when it gets started.

So what am I knitting? I am doing a baby sweater in Bunny Hop. A little wrap-around top that reminds me of the little undershirts that my kids wore. It is a fun project and a nice yarn to work with. And it is easy enough that it keeps my hands busy while I think of my, not so close but just up the shore, neighbors fighting a terrible fire to protect their community.

Now off to feed the Yorkie Girls and get the classroom ready for tonight's Monday Knitters.

It's been a long time!

2007-05-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since I added anything to this blog. And it has in many ways been a busy one. I went down with my soap making friend Lori to The MN Knitter's Guild's Yarn Over. Yarn Over is the once a year educational and shopping event from the Guild. It's a great way to connect with customers, new folks and fellow vendors after a MN winter. Lori has been coming with me the last few years with her wonderful Handmade soap. I carry her soap in the shop and this gives people a chance to meet her. Lori is also a fellow Agility person. She has a Golden Retriever as a partner, way bigger then my Yorkie Girls.

I had Lori Ihnes' trunk show from her now out of print book, A Garden Stroll. And she let me bring it back to the shop to have on the walls until June 15th. Although the book is out of print, Lori and I still have a number of them. Lori is a MN designer and lives in the Twin City area. I love her book and the patterns. I also love the yarns that she has chosen to use for them. She uses one of our favorites, Rauma Garns. All of the patterns have flowers as a theme and most of them are women's garments. There are two children's patterns included in the book.

I have been busy trying to get caught up on unfished projects since also. I finished the children's Hausewoole, sweater. I used a Cabin Fever pattern and it looks great. I threw the sweater into the washer over the weekend to see how it washes. It came out beautiful and the yarn really softens up after washing. It is a 50/50 wool/acrylic yarn and comes in 100 gram balls. It has wonderful colors too. Hauswolle has 218 yards and is $8.30.

I have two wool acrylic blends that I really like. Lazer from Erdahl Yarns is a 25% wool / 75% acrylic blend and comes in many colors. It also comes in 100 grams and can be knit at either 5.5 or 5 stitches per inch. It has 197 yards and costs $5.85.

What is really nice about these two yarns is that they wash up so beautifully. They are perfect for kids clothes and afghans, not bad for adult clothes either.

It's doing it again!

2007-04-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened again. 12.1" of snow fell yesterday. lucky for us it was a Tuesday and we were closed. But it was our shopping day and we didn't get out to do the pre-Easter shopping that we planned. The trees are covered and the yard is full of snow again. For a winter that didn't start until the end of Feb, we have almost caught up with a normal year's snow fall.

I have been busy starting projects! I don't know why but the interesting projects have just been coming in. I finished the fingerless gloves in SWTC's Karaoke. Fun to do and quick. Then I started another pair in Art Yarn's Cashmere 5. Oh, I wish that you could all feel them! Both of these patterns are freebies from the respective companies. Then! Kay Elliot, one of our local customers, came in with a scarf that she started in Jade Sapphire's Maju silk in the Sterling color. It is a narrow scarf for indoor wear and is a knock-out! I remember us picking out the stitch pattern for her when she bought the yarn to show off the shiny silk but I wasn't prepared for the finished look. After she left, I pulled on a skein of the Sterling and started one for the shop.

Then there is the kid's sweater using Cabin Fever # 609 and Steinbach Wolle's Hauswolle. I am part way down with the increases for the shoulders. this is a top down, And it is looking good. This wool/acrylic blend has great colors and knits up so nicely.

And I do plan to finish the SWTC's Bamboo sweater that I started last Spring! I am using a pattern from the Very Easy Vogue book that has broken cables. If you haven't looked at that book, you should! There are many great, easy patterns. People are afraid of Vogue patterns because they think that they are hard. But they forget that Vogue does a very good job of ranking difficulty of their patterns and they try to include patterns at all levels in their magazines. The patterns were originally in the magazine but Vogue has compiled them into this book. The original yarns used are long gone in many cases but there are good substitutes out there. I really want to wear this sweater to market this year. But that is what I said last year!

Now I have to go check the snow. Bo shoveled this morning but with the wind it is blowing and I want to make sure that the driveway is clear. Crazy year!

It is SPRING!

2007-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

They tell me that it is spring! The snow is going but then it just came. And worse still the clocks changed. I hate when they do that. It is hard on my fibromyalgia. My body doesn't like changes like that. I get cranky and hurt.

But I do have the new class listing up and there are some exciting classes, I think. Kathryn McGonaghie is finishing up her Not So Basic, Basic Mitten class. The student got a real deal in that class. Kathy worte a small book for the pattern and included some fun techniques in it.

Next Carolyb Bergman is teaching a Hooded Cable Sweater class. She is using a Penny Straker pattern that has a companion adult version too.

I am teaching a simple mohair jacket class using a Very Simple Vogue pattern. A very cute sweater that is a great introduction to sweater knitting.

I am also teaching a fun, easy and quick double knitting class. The pattern is for a I-Pod or cell phone pouch. Luck Neatby generously offered to let us use a pattern that she sent out in her newsletter.

And we are offering our Ops! classes again. These are short technique orientated classes that help people learn the basics of trouble shotting their knitting problems.

All this is either already on the website or will be shortly.

We have managed to get to dog school every class this week. In the last few weeks the weather has managed to keep us away from at least one class a week. But Tue. Lilian passed her Canine Good Citizen test and Winnie passed first grade - known to the rest of the world as beginning obedience.

i have dusting to do so better run. But check the classes on th class page on the website.

We are shoveled out now!

2007-03-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

We are finally shoveled out. This was our classroom door Fri. morning. Emma was upset that she couldn't go out until we opened the door and she found that the snow was over her head at the bottom of the door. Bo had to shovel a trench around the girl's fence as the snow was as high as the fence and the girls could just run right over the top and there would be no stopping them. We haven't had anything like this for awhile now and to some new folks and even some of the kids in the area, this was all new.

So I used the time to get new pages ready for the website. I did take part of Fri. off as they were asking people to stay off of the roads and even the mall was closed. The new Pattern page is up but I am not sure if the new Tools page is on the site yet.
By Sat. people were moving around and by Sun. the snow was melting and settling. Of course, we still have tons of snow piled around us and some where in the piles is the shop's Open/Closed sign. It blew away during the strong winds.
We postponed the weekend's mitten class until the weekend of March 17 & 18. This will give some folks that didn't sign up a second chance to do so. Next Sat. is the Women's Expo in Duluth and I will be at the shop's booth there. Now if I can get over this cold that I managed to get, I will be much happier!

Another Blizzard!

2007-03-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it we have the second official blizzard in a week. One of the strange things about the official definition of a blizzard is that the temps have to fall. Normally, in MN when it snows the temps rise. I learned this when my husband was a grad student and we lived in NJ. I went through more official blizzards in four year in NJ then I had living most of my life, up to then, in MN. All because of which way the temps went when it snowed. But now we have had two blizzards in less then a week and we aren't done yet with this one. By all accounts, it will be worse tomorrow.

I am not sure how much snow we have had but it is plenty! I can't tell if it is still snowing or the wind is just blowing around the snow that has already fallen. And there are times that I think that the shop roof will blow off. The driving has been so bad all week that hardly anyone has been in the shop. People are taking it seriously when they tell us not to drive unless it is necessary. My daughter went to the grocery store yesterday and had to park a distance away, people were stocking up. But we plan for winter. We have enough food in the house to feed a family of five plus. The last kid moved out almost 17 years ago, but we still think that everyone is still home and some of their friends may be snowed in with us so we need plenty of food..

And I have been coming into work each morning whether anyone could get here or not. I have been using the time wisely. Unfortunately not in the way that I always plan on for a Blizzard! MN knitters have 'Blizzard Projects'. These have been saved for these occasions. They are cherished projects waiting for us to be snowed in. Mine are still waiting. But I have a revised Products Page on the web site. And today the new Patterns Page went up complete with pictures. A few minutes ago, I sent the new Tools Page to my web guy and it will go up soon. For tomorrow, I have the New Kits page to start. And my precious Blizzard Projects are still in their baskets waiting.

Hopefully, I can add some pictures to this blog tomorrow! The porch is covered with snow and so is the girls' agility equipment. The tire swing is half covered by snow and Bo is going to take down the snow levels around the Girls' yard so they can't walk over their fence. There are places where the snow is reaching the top of the fence. Our girls aren't agility dogs for nothing!

Now I need to go see to the peas. Tomorrow is pea soup day. Another MN blizzard tradition is that every family has their special blizzard food. Of course we don't call any of these things 'blizzard food' or 'blizzard projects' we just refer to them as 'storm food' and 'storm projects'. We just don't get that many blizzards, just storms. Maybe Global Warming will give us more blizzards.

Finally we have snow!

2007-02-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

I really have to remember that you have to think ahead when you wish for something. We finally got snow. So much snow that no one could get in to the shop on the weekend. They say that we had a blizzard. There sure was lots of wind and plenty of snow.

But it gave me time to work on updating material to go onto the web page. I have sent to the web guys material for our new pattern's page. It took some doing because there are some of the pattern designers who seem to have disappeared. I spent considerable time trying to run down a few designers who I hadn't hear from for awhile. I found that found that one has moved to Australia and a couple of others have moved with no forwarding address. It makes me wonder if they have just stopped writing patterns or if they have had things happen in their lives that make pattern writing unimportant.

Now I will start the material for the tools page and then the kits. And I may have plenty of time to do it too, they say that we will be getting another big snow storm coming.

Commercial time

2007-02-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Have I been busy. The TV camera crew just left after shooting this years commercial. While they are here I am the gofer but after they are gone I have to put everything back where it was. Sometimes it is weeks after when I find something in an unusual place.

This year all three Yorkie girls and the two local granddaughters were actors. Annika is an experienced actress by now and knows the ropes. Natalie finally decided that she was old enough to say something so got a speaking part. Emma is the Yorkie with the most air time as she is steadiest. Lily sat nicely in a lap but she is shy and didn't like that they moved things around. Winnie bounced around on her hind legs and may miss the final cut. Annika delivered Emma's lines as Emma wasn't talking. She was just so excited that she got to sit in a yarn basket where she normally isn't allowed.

I am getting better at this now and have decided to treat it like a kid's birthday party, I clean after they are done! It takes about two hours and the crew is very good but when they leave, I look for a cup of coffee. Today was the perfect day for a commercial shoot. We are being told that there is a big storm coming, so folks aren't doing much driving around. The shop was relatively quiet. This morning I understand that they got snow north of us along the shore and they are saying that we will get some later today and all weekend but not as much as they will get further south of us. It's about time! We have bare grass now but the very cold temps have left us.

I am still trying to get Annika's blue sweater done for her birthday. The sleeves are longer then the body and since I do both at once it is seeming to take forever. This is the pattern cover picture of the sweater. I am knitting it in an aqua blue, mohair. I think that it will be really cute when I get it done.

Now time to run, I am trying to get some new things on the web site. I have updated the yarn products page and we are adding a pattern page and a tools page. We carry so many good patterns from very good pattern designers that we need a page to tell everyone who they are.

It's COLD!!!! And new projects with new yarn!

2007-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Nine days of wind chill advisory. And another week of the same in the forecast. And no snow! We would love to have a snow cover. So far no big pipe bursts in the area or fires where people are trying to heat their houses with alternate methods. But it is cold. The Yorkie girls don't mind and get a bit testy waiting to have their sweaters on. Emma is terrible, she doesn't want to come in and we either have to go out after her or rattle a treat can at her. They do have a fenced in yard with their agility equipment and other toys so they can just run out to play when we open the door for them. In summer, they have a doggie door and come go and come when they want but it is through the screen and they just have to learn that we have to close the door to stay warm in winter. We have quit sending them out alone the last couple of days. We saw an Eagle circling the yard yesterday morning and we don't want him to think that he can have Yorkies for dinner.

I have been knitting away trying to catch up on gifts and models. Annika's blue mohair sweater needs to be done by her birthday. As usual I am way behind in finishing projects. I sometimes think that I am getting nothing done but then start to count projects and realize that I have finished more then I thought. There are just so many more projects in line.

South West Trading sent sample cards of some of their new yarns and also some of their older ones. I have been knitting up the samples and putting them with the card that came with them near the yarns. The old yarns have some of the new colors that will come after March 1st. I am really glad that I ordered the new colors. I knit up some of the Tofutsies sock yarn. What a nice feel and fun knit. It feels like it has a good stretch, slid nicely on my needles and didn't split at all. It has such a great fiber combination, wool, soysilk, cotton and Chitin.....Chitin is crab and shrimp shells made into fiber.
They say that Chitin is naturally antibacterial.

Time to go. The girls are hungry ;-)