Signs of Winter

No that's not a typo! Here's what we got on Monday....

By yesterday evening we had gotten this much stacked:

....and there's a lot more to stack. It won't fit in the shed. On to plan B (not sure what it is yet). Hopefully this means we will be nice and warm this winter with our wood stove.

And here is poor Mandy during the very-small-and-relatively-quiet-but-still-upsetting-to-her thunder storm last night:

Under/around the end table, infringing on Phoebe's space (who could care less about thunder).

What's happening around the shop:

Last Friday was the Altamont Library Chicken BBQ fundraiser and from the door of the shop there appeared to be a great turnout!:

Paul and I didn't get any this year since we were on a Lowe's mission once I closed the shop. But we'll get some next time (we've had it before - it's yummy).

Spinning Wheel ER:

Karin M-T (of the Periwinkle Sheep) brought her wheel in for some surgery. Her drive band had broken and I had ordered her a new one, however when she got it home she realized there was no way to get the band on. She has an older wheel, so I called Louet and they told me what to do. We had to unscrew the bracing bar from the main post, then un-bolt the wheel and slide the drive band in the gap.

Oh and while she was here, she brought some sock yarn!!!!!

Some GORGEOUS new colors!

What's off and about-to-be-on my needles?

Finished my Noro Leaf Shawl:

LOVE. IT. SO. MUCH. I only got through 19 out of 20 repeats with my 8 balls of Silk Garden, but it is plenty long (forgot to measure it). Very cozy. In case you forgot, the pattern is the Noro Leaf Shawl - 2010 Olympics Pattern by Deborah Anderson. She created the pattern and then knit it for her Olympics project this year. Patterns are for sale in the shop!

I also did two more squares for the Lizard Ridge Afghan:

(I really have to get a more neutral blocking background.) I finished one on Monday and one on Tuesday. Pretty quick to knit and once you get the hang of the pattern aqnd knitting wraps, it's really a breeze.

And this is about to be on my needles:

This is a 100% alpaca yarn from Maple Creek Farm that I got at Rhinebeck two years ago. There are 622 yards and I think it is DK or light worsted (the label didn't say and I didn't care because I loved the color). My plan for my upcoming vacation is to knit with yarn that I don't have in the shop (what??????). I have so much in my stash -- when I go to other yarn shops I usually buy yarns I don't have so I can test them out and see if I'd ever like to have them in the shop. But I never have time to test them out because I'm always knitting for the shop. So my vacation is the perfect time. I will be knitting the Citron Shawl from Knitty.com (or Ravelry). That is, if I don't decide to use a really pretty laceweight silk from Claudia's Handpaint that I just found in another basket in my crap-i-mean-craft room. The difference is that the alpaca is DK weight and would knit up MUCH faster.

Customer Show and Tell:

Here is Yvette and Wilna with the shawl that Yvette asked Wilna to knit for her so she could wear it to her son's wedding.

Gorgeous! And it will be beautiful on Yvette at her son's wedding.

And here is an adorable blanket, sweater and hat set Wilna made:

Annie's Turn-a-Square hat (from Ravelry) made with Noro Kureyon and Ella Rae Classic -- another of her orientation hats (she gives them to incoming international students):

Laura's very cute baby sweater made with sock yarn (can't remember the name of it!). She test-knit this sweater for the designer:

And her very pretty and soft drop stitch scarf made with Queensland Haze:

Lois baby blanket made with Dreambaby DK:

Whew! Apparently I had a lot to say today....