Countdown to Jared

Hello, Knitters, Crocheters, and Needlepointers!

Hope all is going well and you are getting into the fiber groove now that the weather is finally starting to act like Fall. My favorite item ever, the Mission Falls Mimi Throw, is getting a lot of wearing time, whether around the house, as a blankie, or as my favorite Autumn "jacket". Hope you have a favorite warm item to use, and may I suggest following my example and adding another in a new color every few years?

Has anyone else been reading the Brooklyn Tweed blog a whole lot ever since we found out that Jared Flood will be joining us in just a couple of weeks? I am so excited to meet him. You know I really, really want those mittens. And with the time crunch being what it is in my life, I am going to have to use all my willpower not to just wander off with his pair. Hmmm... good thing the yarns are so nice. I would hate to not get the chance to make them myself, actually. Eva ordered 48 copies of the book, and so far we have 34 people signed up. So, in plain English: If you already ordered your book, great for you. You won't be disappointed. If you haven't, well, what in the WORLD are you waiting for, friend?! This is a very unique opportunity to meet Jared. I have been to book signings where I waited FOREVER to meet the rock stars of knitting. Do you realize that we will not have to stand around all night? Or that we might get more than 8 seconds to chat with Jared? For goodness sake, just sign up already! If you want your book ahead of time, you are welcome to pick it up at your convenience. Just don't forget to bring it with you on October 15th! And if we get more signups, Eva said she will try to have enough books for everyone, but we can't positively guarantee this so please be prepared.

I stopped by yesterday to welcome Eva home and, frankly, to touchy-feely all the great Classic Elite yarns as featured in the book. Yeah, I want them. All. Every one. So besides making sure you get your book, you should probably get the yarn, because I might buy it all up just by myself! Don't tempt me, I have the shelves for it. Fresco, Lush, Princess, Moorland, Portland Tweed... I could find room for each and every one of them. So, you might want to really prepare by getting your book, getting the yarn, starting the project, and then if you have any questions, cornering Jared! I'm sure he'd love it, but just in case he doesn't feel like being cornered, don't tell him it was my idea. The good news is, friends who have been knitting out of the book already have said the patterns are straightforward.

Here's a fun new addition for your collection... Hiya Hiya has an interchangeable needle set, and we'll have it next week at A Stitch In Time. Come take a look at these great needles. Tips come in sizes 2-8, terrific for everything from socks to worsted.

Vintage by Berroco has arrived. This is a superwash, worsted weight yarn. Which makes it great for children's knits. Or, just as appropriately, for me. I spill a lot. So I am thinking I am going to be knitting with this, not just for me but for anyone within my dangerous reach.

Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash (see? More superwash!) will be in by the second week of October, and hopefully sooner. Along with this terrific yarn will be the beautiful Great American Afghan. A monthly workshop on this fab project will be starting in January, so keep your eyes peeled for details on that! Our Monday Night Social Knit has been postponed, so this workshop will be a fun opportunity for all!

For October, the raffle is back! One ticket for each $50 you spend, good for a drawing for a gift card to A Stitch In Time. Also, please note that classes are filling up. While this is GREAT news for us at the shop, it is only great news for you if you sign up in time. Don't be disappointed, classes are such a great way to learn a new technique, get out for a while, and meet other knitters. Please sign up early to ensure your spot.

******Guess what? Eva told me something, and I am going to tell you. Because I can. Since all these new yarns are in or coming in, it seems there are a lot of markdowns! Yeah, MARKDOWNS! On YARN! In the FALL! What's better than that? Get in there and make sure you have everything you need for your projects! We have done that Connecticut thing of going from summer to cold in 24 short hours; this feels like knitting weather! And better yet, a SALE!!! October 9 and 10, 20% all yarn and canvasses in-stock. Sale excludes new yarns, books, needles and needlepoint fibers.******

Needlepointers, there is great news for you, right here. Remember how I kept warning you that Lee Leather was going out of business? Well, another company bought them and we will still be able to get you all the canvasses and leather pieces you love.

The Amanda Lawford Trunk Show will be arriving on October 24th and be here for three weeks. Keep in mind that there will be a 20% discount on all her canvasses purchased during the show. What a great opportunity to pick up some new projects to pass the time when we are snowed in... it's coming sooner than you think!

By the way, needlepointers, I need to remind you one more time that in order to guarantee your project will be done for Christmas, you need to finish your stitching by October 1. After this, there is a chance, but no promises. Can I tell you how much I love our needlepoint finisher? I recently came across a canvas I stitched as a Mother's Day gift in 1979. Hearts and rainbows and other such '70's stuff... can you imagine that my mom snuck the canvas back to my house at some point instead of holding on to it for dear life? No, I don't know what she was thinking either. Anyway, I sent it out to our finisher, and may I tell you I am sooooo proud of the finished product! It was already "groovy" and fortunately someone had the vision to make it "beautiful." A feat my mom certainly never saw coming. She is totally jealous now, but it is all mine. Some of this joy can be yours if you just finish your canvasses and send them for finishing!

All belts and large Christmas stockings are on sale 25% off for all October. Other Christmas ornaments will be 20% off. Stock up for next year!

Wow, that is a LOT of good stuff. So stop in, tell Eva "Welcome Back" from her trip, pull up a chair, and spend some time around the table with us. Knit, stitch, or crochet; it's a great way to welcome Fall with your friends at A Stitch In Time!

Big Yarn Hugs,

Cathy

A "Flood" of New Information

Hello, Knitters, Crocheters, and Needlepointers!

Welcome back to school, everyone! In your house, maybe it's just the kids actually going back, or maybe you have no kids and are just watching the big yellow buses pass by. So, for all of us wistfully longing for the days when we, too, were heading back to a classroom, I have a pretty good alternative for you. Why not take some classes at A Stitch In Time? I mean, come on, how much fun is that? No pop quizzes, no getting called to the principal's office, and no fingernails on the chalkboard. I just forwarded a draft of the early fall schedule (Sept-Oct) to Eva for final approval, and I am sure it will be out in a day or two, so keep your eyes on your emails or this blog for complete information. New this time: several one-night classes! Yay! Budget-friendly and less of a time commitment. Take one or all of them, we promise a good time. We are also welcoming some new instructors, so you can enjoy learning from a variety of experienced knitters and crocheters. By the way, I know I promised a dog sweater, and that will be coming in November. Dates and details on that particular class as soon as I get the "knitty gritty" ironed out!

Don't forget to keep October 15th open for our book signing with Jared Flood! He will be joining us around 6:30 in the evening, but you MUST reserve your spot ahead of time to ensure there will be enough books and refreshments for all. To reserve, just stop by the store and prepay for your book, it's that easy! List price is $15.95 plus tax. The Classic Elite trunk show, featuring all the yarns used in the book "Made in Brooklyn" will be arriving on October 10th, so come on by! I clicked on Jared's blog (link below in our prior entry) and HAVE to make those mittens first. But you probably already guessed that. My Ravelry name isn't "mittengirl" for nothing!

A big "Thank You" to all the ladies who attended our First Annual Golf outing. I hear you had a blast, and it will definitely happen again. But I also heard the advice from Eva is to avoid the liquid lunch thing next time, based on her second nine... Watch out, my husband and I are talking about golf lessons in the spring, so I might be there to keep an eye on our favorite shop owner. Or to join in, after all, I am Irish, remember!

It is getting chilly, or at least it might be soon, so how about those Einsteins? Or a nice Afghan to wrap up in? We would love to see you at a Monday Night Social Knit in October, 6-8 pm. Please sign up in the store. There will be no cost to attend, but we do need to make sure we have a minimum number of knitters, as we will be opening the store up especially for this time. A great opportunity to work on a wintery knit in the company of others, and always fun!

New stuff in the store (you know I live for new stuff in the store):

* Amy Butler bags! Hooray! I love these and not only are the fabrics great, but the design details are terrific! Hurry up before I buy the one you have your eye on, it wouldn't be the first time I fall under Amy's spell!

* Amanda Lawford trunk show will be in store October 24-November 8. Needlepointers, you know you love her canvasses, so put this on your calendar now!

* Lantern Moon has just sent a bunch of great things our way. Shawl pins, the cutest baskets you've ever seen, flower tape measures (I NEVER have enough tape measures), and beautiful woven scarves which make great gifts for you or someone special. And you don't even have to knit them yourself! Also, take a look at the precious little pouches by the register... they are tiny crochet hooks for catching pulls in your knitwear and convenient little cable needle sets. I love these things, and whomever is behind all this has a very creative imagination.

* Plymouth is fully stocked and we have their new fall line. I just have to say, I am a little in love with Hillside Linen. Just take a look, it's in my favorite spot, to the right of the door as you walk in. Always the first place I check to see what's new in fiber.

* More Fiesta and Isis. We always sell a ton of this at this time of the year, because it makes the best gift scarves, so come in to get the best color selection.

* New from SWTC are two super-great super wash yarns (gotta love it, who has time for hand washing?). "Dream Big" does my favorite gift thing, it knits big. 2 sts/in on size 15's, and includes a free pattern on the label. Can't get any easier than that, right? Also, "Saphira" which comes in the BEST colors, all blended together to make a gorgeous knitting yarn. This knits at 3.5 sts/in on size 10's which is also terrific for starting and finishing a project in very little time.

* On the way, Vintage from Berroco, a wool blend that is washable (you already know I love that) and knits on a 7 or 8 needle. I am thinking winter accessories here!

On my needles:

Not as much as I'd like! The transition to High School has taken me completely by surprise. Not that I didn't know it was coming, but why didn't anyone warn me? School doesn't start until tomorrow, officially, for Allie (even though the others have a good week and a half under their belts), but already I have made as many as FIVE (count 'em) round trips a day, every day, including weekends, between my house and her school. Apparently sports practices happen twice a day before school even begins. I did not play sports in high school, I was too busy knitting. Our little guy, who is just seven, asked me this afternoon, "Why did you send Allie to boarder school for high school? I thought people didn't have to sleep at school until they were in college?" OK, so I had to explain a few things, like boardING school, not boardER. And that school didn't even begin yet. And that she was not sleeping there. He left the conversation more confused, and so did I.

Actually, I have taken the opportunity to replace the usual ribbed socks in my glove box with a wonderful pair from Cookie A.'s new book "Sock Innovation." If I have to wait in the car for Allie to be done, I might as well have something really fun at hand. For anyone who wants to improve their technical knitting skills and get something really beautiful at the same time, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. There is a whole section on inverse stitches, i.e. if it is a ssk on one side, what you would do on the other side to preserve the integrity of the look. Beautifully charted patterns make this a really fun and well-written book. I hope everyone picks up a copy, along with some solid-colored sock yarn, so the patterns really show. Did you notice that Eva is stocking some beautiful solid colors of Trekking XXL and Austermann Step? These are really terrific yarns for this type of knitting, as well as your basic sock. Give it a try!

Big Yarn Hugs,

Cathy