Yarn Gallery Blog

What a fun week at the store!  We saw a lot of great projects, and Carol Sullivan, while respecting the treat rules for the boys, brought in treats for us.  First she brought in Sugar N Spice Walnuts, the recipe for which follows – they were absolutely delicious – and then she brought in some nut cake, crazy delicious! – both made by her father, who is a retired Berks County farmer, and darn it, I forgot to get his name.  But I want to thank him for the treats and his recipe:

SUGAR N’ SPICE NUTS

3 cups of English walnuts, shelled
1 egg white
1-1/2 Tbls orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
Pinch of salt

Place nuts in a large bowl.
In another bowl mix egg white and juice.  Beat with fork just until foamy.
Add sugar and spices.  Pour over nuts, stir to coat.
Spread into 15 X 10 inch baking pan.  Bake at 275 degree.
Stir every 15 minutes for 50 minutes until crisp.

Carol says her Dad doesn’t use quite this much sugar and that you can play around with it a bit to suit yourself.

I swear I’m working on the email for new classes, but we won’t have much to sign up for this spring.  We’ll have a couple of beginner classes in knitting and crochet, and the other classes are almost all full from waiting lists or previous classes.  But experience tells me that as soon as the weather gets consistently warm, you all want to be working outside anyway.  We’ll have a great summer schedule for you!

Speaking of summer, I’m thinking of cutting back hours and/or closing for a week or so every so often during May, June and July. Now, this doesn’t mean the store is in trouble, but after 7 years and maybe 15 days of vacation spread out over those 7 years, I need a break!  I’ll be more specific once I consult with my wallet and potential travel companions.

Here’s a look at our new “cotton” room.  We cleared away the novelties and will be able to keep cottons and blends out all year instead of packing them away in the far corner of the classroom.  Look at these colors!  It should be 70 degrees outside right now!

This gives a wider look at it:

We just received Sprout from Classic Elite, which is a bulky organic cotton, soft and textured, very lovely to knit with.  I’m making the Textured Cardigan from their Johns Bay booklet and am enjoying it immensely.  I have to say, though, that there is a knot in every single skein I’ve used, which  I have (atypically, for me) knit right in.  Since the cardigan is so textured, the little knots will be all right, but seriously – every skein?  It’s like they planned it!  Whatever the problem is, I hope they’re working on it because the yarn is great otherwise.  The size I’m making calls for 8 skeins, but I’m through the yoke and sleeves with 4, so I think it will take 6, 7 at the most.

I received a little bit of Laurel from Schaeffer Yarn this week – I didn’t buy much, but couldn’t resist these wonderful semi-saturated colors.  Laurel is beautiful, and lovely to knit with but not inexpensive, so I indulged just a little!  Each skein has 400 yards of superb mercerized cotton in a worsted weight.

And this is Mandy Color, from Schoeller and Stahl, a cotton tape in a bulky weight that self-stripes.  Just a bit of fun!

Now, here are some wonderful projects from our customers:

Susan Pengelly knit this beautiful top from a Rowan book, but added a separate color to some of the motifs in an extremely beautiful way.  This just took my breath away.  Susan thanked Karen for helping her pick out the additional color, but the way she incorporated it was her very own design!

Katen Wenrich is modeling a Lady Eleanor scarf knit by Pat Cieslinski in Noro Silk Garden Sock:

And here is Lynda Slovitsky’s summer version of the Cuzco wrap, in hand-dyed Pima Fresca cotton, a work-in-progress.  It inspired Melissa Korth, who also took the Cuzco class, to make a version in blue Pima Fresca.  Very nice!

Linda Seifarth made this Edie’s Wrap and has made one for her daughter – both are very stylish  – and a summer version is in her plans!

Now I’m going to show you three wonderful versions of the Harvest Cardigan, which is the Fair Isle sweater class that Karen Walter is teaching.  All three are so different, but beautiful nonetheless!

Here is Loretta Hollenbach’s:

And Ginny Close’s:

and Susie Drake’s:

I missed Tracee Yawger’s and Carol Coleman’s, who had to leave early.  It’s a challenging project but everyone is making good progress.  Last class is stabilizing and cutting the steeks and picking up for bands, etc.  I hope I’ll have finished versions to show you this spring!

Rochelle Mann has been using up odds and ends making all kinds of different hats – very cute!

And Tanji Terrell, who is a relative newcomer to knitting, finished this absolutely gorgeous little baby top from a Debbie Bliss pattern and accented it with an embroidered ribbon flower.  She’s making another, different top because the babies will be twins!

I finished this little top in Pebbles, a cotton with a unique texture.  Changed the pattern all this way and that way and have to type up the changes, but love the way it turned out.  Oh, summer, wherefore art thou?

Now I have to go file down my claws.  I know it’s time when I can’t type a sentence without hitting 7 wrong keys!  See you soon…

Trish