Snow days

It's supposed to snow. A lot. On Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a good chance I'll cancel the knit-in (more definite info will be emailed tomorrow - tuesday - so you can plan ahead), and, depending on what the weather is doing (up to 20 inches????) there is a possibility of closing even earlier on Wednesday. So please call before coming to the shop that day!
Twenty inches?????? Where are we going to put it all?

The message board outside the Altamont Resuce Squad says "Groundhog, please don't see your shadow!"

On another note....
Poor Mandy.

Sound familiar? Doesn't she just look miserable? She hates it and I feel terrible about that. But, she has to have it for now. She has some obsessive licking behaviors, causing some sores on her paws, so we have to do this until they heal. She's crashing around the house. (It's a tiny bit funny, but mostly I just feel bad for her.)

The Wonderful Wallaby KAL is going along wonderfully. Here is the progress of those who have been coming to the Saturday meet-ups:

Sue Z's, making an adult size with Encore:




Yvette's, making a child's size with Encore Tweed:





Jan's, made with Encore Colorspun:



Mari's, also made with Encore Colorspun:




And Kathy's completed child's Wallaby, using Artesenal:

....and her Autumn Vines Beret made with Louisa Harding Kashmir DK, and her stranded cowls made with Cascade 220 and Noro Kureyon.


CUSTOMER SHOW AND TELL:
Deborah's crocheted project bag, which her son's girlfriend lined with fabric for her:

Lois' knitted necklace with beads:

....and her adorable zipper-up-the-back baby sweater, made with Encore:

Patti's Leaf Hats, made with Royal Alpaca and Manos del Uruguay Silky Merino:

Melanie's first ever sock, made with Jeannee worsted:

Nancy in her pretty vest made (knitted with a crochet border) with Noro Kochoran:

Nancy E's top down baby sweater, made with Encore Chunky:

Nancy C's socks, and her one our scarf:

Yvette's very own pattern the "Newport Scarf", made with Art Yarns Beaded Mohair:

....and her Shawl Collared Cowl, made with Viking Balder:

A one-bite Saturday

Another busy Saturday at the shop. Here is how busy it was:

....one bite of my PB&J is all I got! Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I just thought it was a good pictorial description of how busy it was. (and how un-like me to make it a food reference.) [Have I ever talked about how much I love PB&J? I could eat it every day and not get tired of it. Just like I could have pizza for dinner every day and not get tired of it. I just love it. And it's even better (the PB&J, that is) with potato chips on it!]

The KAL is still going strong with lots of progress being made. I wish I had thought to take pictures of everyone's progress Saturday. [Note to self: take pictures this Saturday!]

This is my Wallaby with the sleeves just attached. I demonstrated how to attach them at the KAL. It's coming along nicely and I really like it. Can't wait for the next step.

I also started a Traveling Woman shawl (free or for-purchase-for-a-more-advaced-pattern on Ravelry) with Periwinkle Sheep Sock Dream (mmmmm, cashmere) in Sophisticated:

Several customers have knit this and I decided to offer it as a class coming up in April. It will be a great class for those who want to try a lace project for the first time. Stay tuned... the new class schedule will be up soon. Hopefully later today.....

In the meantime, here is some CUSTOMER SHOW AND TELL!:

Pat's felted mittens and hat, made with Andes; and her felted clogs made for her son, with Lamb's Pride Worsted:



Mary Kate's Stranded Cowl, made during the class she took here at the shop last weekend; AND the matching mitts that she whipped up to match:



Mary Jane's Mobius Cowl, made with Noro Kochoran:



Dorah's Fake Isle Hat, Felted Mittens, and Shawl Collared Cowl:



Bonnie's Snug baby jackets (another free Ravelry pattern!)

This may also be an upcoming class, if not this Spring, then maybe in the fall.... Very cute, with lots of techniques to learn. (Thanks for the suggestion, Bonnie!)


And a wonderful top-down sweater made with Cascade 220 by this lovely woman whose name is escaping me! Sorry!:

She stepped outside the box and made this in a color she wouldn't normally have chosen and she LOVES it!


And take a look at Suzanne's lovely needle felted scenes:

....made with inspiration from her pictures of her trip to Hawaii! Pretty amazing.


Speaking of the Traveling Woman shawl..... this is Alison's second Traveling Woman shawl, made with Periwinkle sheep sock yarn:



Sue Z.'s cowl and keyhole scarf:




Sue A.'s fruit caps made with Encore:

Winter Weekend

Saturday was a bustle of activity at the shop! Three classes and the knit-a-long meant lots of knitting creativity was going on. Thanks to Jana who worked so Paul and I could enjoy a weekend in Vermont...

It was a slow drive up since it snowed the whole way there. Made for lots of white knuckle knitting (when I wasn't closing my eyes) as Paul drove through it all. I worked on my Tudor Henley which I started this time last year when we went to Geneva, NY. Sorry, no pictures. It looks virtually the same since I was knitting for 14 inches.

We stayed next to the Quechee Gorge:



We went and visited our old house:

Just like when we lived there, it was snowing nowhere else that day but up on the hill where we lived! (eerily similar to where we live now...)


The pretty (frozen) fall in our town:



Then we went to have dinner at our favorite restaurant in Bradford (and where we got engaged!), The Perfect Pear:

....but it was closed! So, we went to the Vermont Beer Company in the basement of the same building and had a nice dinner there.


We also went to our favorite antique place in Quechee:




Then, before we left, we went to breakfast at a great diner:




Here's what we got our beverages in:

Loved it!

No other knitting to tell you about. I haven't had a chance to make much more progress on my Wallaby but I'm hoping to this week. Stay tuned!



CUSTOMER SHOW AND TELL:

Janell's felted mittens that she made for her husband:

Marie's Easy Bulky Hat made with Encore Tweed:

Robin's cabled scarf made with Big Softie and her hat (can't remember what she used to make the hat!):

Trudi's sweater (not sure of the name or what it is made of but I suspect it may be Noro or Noro-like.... this was taken during the very busy Saturday!)

Sally's Noro Striped Scarf made with Noro Kureyon:

Lisa's Done by Monday afghan made for her son with Encore:

Kathy's shadow vest:

And her Shawl Collared Cowl made with Balder:

AND her felted mittens made with Malabrigo, and fingerless mitts:

Double Talk

A Saturday morning conversation:

Paul: "I think I'll take the tree down while you are at work, if you don't mind."
Me: "Awwwww." (meaning, "I wish we could continue to enjoy the lights and the tree.")
Paul: "Well, if you want me to wait for you, I will." (totally misinterpreted my "awwww")
Me: "No, I meant 'I wish we could continue to enjoy the lights and the tree.' If the tree is going to be taken down, you don't have to wait for me." (meaning, "please don't wait for me because I really don't want to do it.")
He waited. (totally misinterpreted my "you don't have to wait for me")
Darn it.


Meanwhile, at the shop on Saturday we had the first meet up of the Wonderful Wallaby Knit-a-long! We had a few people there, but the weather seemed to keep others from getting there. Everyone got a good start on their sweaters. So far, it seems most are making a larger version of the sweater. I'm making the smallest, as a sample of the Ella Rae Superwash for the shop. Here is my progress so far:

The technique for picking up stitches for the pouch was new to me, but I figured it out and it seemed to come out just fine. I gave a little demonstration of how to do this at the KAL. Now, I'm ready to start the sleeves which will be joined to the above peice (also a new technique for me) before continuing to knit in the round.

What else am I knitting? Nothing! I have several things waiting for me to pick them back up including the Echo Flower Shawl and the Volna scarf. I'm going to make a little more progress on the Wallaby, then work on these.

Customer Show and Tell:
Carol's socks made with the Viking Balder (a superwash bulky wool):



and this adorable coat she made for her dog, Kelly:




Jan has been knitting up a storm!:

Above are her two Gathered Scarves (teal and brown; a free pattern, made with Malabrigo Silky Merino), Traveling Woman Shawl (made with blue Happy Feet Sock yarn), cowl (made with green Encore Tweed), and her La La's Shawl made with burgundy Pastaza).



Sally's pretty beaded scarf (I forgot to ask her the yarn she used!):


and here is the beginning of the amaryllis plant she gave me:

Thank you Sally!


Nancy C.'s car seat blanket made with Encore:




Stevie's next two animals, a bunny and a tiger, in her quest to make 50 (I think it's 50. Maybe it's more!)




Cheryl's Shalom Cardigan, made with Cascade Ecological Wool, in one of their pretty new heathered colors:




Kim's very pretty beaded shawl:




Flora's very cool Sev[en] Circle cowls made with sock yarn:

So unusual, and it looks great on (I tried it)!


Alison and her gorgeous Heather Hoodie Vest

...made with Cascade Ecological Wool in another of their pretty heathered colors! (In case you didn't realize, this is a very popular yarn and wonderful to knit with - you should try it!)



Barbara's very first pair of adult socks (after taking the socks 101 class)!:

Mari's very pretty socks, made with a Paton's yarn (can't remember the name!):