Yarn Gallery Blog

…(sung to the tune of “On the Road Again.”)

Thank goodness!  I’ve realized just how dependent I am on the internet since I was basically without it for a week – I felt very out of touch.  Sometimes we yearn for that, but not unless it’s our choice, right?  It’s not just that I couldn’t write a post or upload pictures (could, but very slow on the BlackBerry), it’s not just that I couldn’t ramble around Ravelry or download podcasts.  I couldn’t check my bank account at 10 at night, I couldn’t place orders with some suppliers except during business hours, and volunteered for a web-heavy project for our LYS group and had to do it via BlackBerry – very hard on my eyes and thumbs.

Okay -  I’m done complaining.  I want to thank all our Frequent Buyers for a wonderful response to our sale – and let everyone else know that there are still good buys to be had on sale merchandise and as soon as you turn in a new card, you’re assured of an invite to our next sale!  It’s been too long since I had time to think, so I’m not sure what has come in since I last talked about new yarns, but we have a nice selection of summer yarns and great models – including the Sprout Cardigan that David Ritz posted a week ago or so – another great job by David!

We’re hard at work on the summer class schedule – it’s going to be wonderful.  Some of the models for the classes are done, or at least done enough that we could take pictures at our teachers’ meeting.  I’ll  whet your appetite a little next week and hope to have the schedule ready for you in another week or so after that.  I’ll send out emails when it’s up on the site – if you’ve changed your email recently, be sure to update it here.

I’m deep into a wool vest for a rather studly friend, who has a 38″ waist and a 52″ chest.  He also has the nerve to be long-waisted so in addition to remembering to shape the body by incorporating increases into the (thankfully simple) stitch pattern and working 300+ stitches every row, I’m also going to have to lengthen the body quite a bit.  I don’t care, though; after knitting with cottons and summer blends for the last 3 months, it’s just a pleasure to work with a nice plain wool.  No hurt fingers, no sore shoulders – there’s just something wonderful and satisfying about it.

I have a bajillion pictures to show you, so here we go:

Pat Schaeffer finished her second sweater in as many months.  It’s our Misty Mo pullover, but done in yummy pink Alpaca Bouclé and bordered with a pretty multicolored mohair.  It will be wonderful to wear next winter!

Karen Wenrich made this wonderful afghan from a Manos Del Uruguay pattern and various colors of a really yummy superwash merino wool.  I wish you could feel it – even in 90 degree weather, you still want to touch it.

Here’s a detail:

Sheila Yarus and I both made designs from the Noro Flowers collection, and both in the same colorway of Taiyo – I guess we were both just yearning for bright, striking colors after a long winter. Sheila’s jacket is done sideways at the top; she looks just beautiful in it, doesn’t she?

Here’s the one I made: It only took 4 balls, which is still not inexpensive, but do-able.  We have the newest colors in stock as well as favorites from last year.

Look at this cute little creature, knit by Kelly Straub:

And Lynda Slovitsky designed and knit this wonderful sweater, inspired by a photo she loved in a magazine. She used Plymouth’s Royal Llama Silk in a design that incorporated seed stitch and sideways stockinette.  Looks so perfect on her.

Doesn’t Kris Hahn look great in her Curly-Q scarf, knit in a wonderful green shade of Kidsilk Haze from Rowan and edged with Paris Nights from Ironstone?

Sandy Albert finished this wonderful sweater from a Mari pattern in Cascade’s Ecowool.  She added the black accents for collar and cuffs and it sparked up the whole look.

Here is Barb Piazza in her “favorite sweater ever” – what a great look for her in an awesome red:

We started our beginner crochet series this past weekend. The class was full and they all worked hard!  Inspiring them was teacher Lynne Nagle, who has some wonderful projects planned for crocheters this summer, and who wore this beauty to the teacher’s meeting, crocheted in Rowan Summer Tweed:

I should have gotten a closeup of the pretty pin she had on with it – perfect.

Well, I could yak on for a while, but you’ve probably had enough, already, and I’ve got errands to run.  So nice to talk to you again!  See you soon…

Trish