Where Hands Create.

Today is another beautiful day - the kind where you simply cannot help but smile!  I have been traveling a good bit - and the best thing to do when you travel is actually look at another person and smile.  The fun is that more often than not they are shocked, then eventually smile.  However, the best is when you smile just for yourself and it brightens your own day. 


Today the weather is awesome - sunshine all around and small early harbingers of Spring are visible here and there. How can you not smile when you see daffodils along a fence line?


Cats always make me smile - and mine really do ham it up a good bit.   Here is Laurel looking so royal as she perfectly sits on my Calorimetry headband....  Just prior she had been "meatloafed" on top of it - and you know she had a cat smile.


Then there is Noro!  Yesterday we were sewing together our Scarves to Throws from last year - and Peggy let us borrow her finished masterpiece to provide inspiration!  Doesn't Noro look great on Peggy's throw?!  Peggy, I know you are smiling!


Then how about some of our great customers/friends who have finished projects?!   This is truly one of the best things of being a knit shop owner - seeing happy customers who have great looking finished projects!  The projects are first for both ladies - a first felted bag and a first garment!


For me - I love to finish projects - especially when they are great looking.  During Ravelympics able to finish three projects - only two of which are suitable for sharing.  The other project (Jolly Green Giant Mobius) was so so unattractive that we opted to not share via photos, but Mom and I had a tremendous amount of laughter as it was cast off the needles.   Just think green, fuzzy, and ugly - and you will have the vision. 

The first project I finished was a Kumara scarf in gorgeous Thai purple; makes me feel a bit Austin Powers! 


My second project was also in purple - but this time light purple (Purple Poem) for a very summery scarf in Creamy (80% milk protein) yarn.  This is a great free pattern - Whipped - that can be downloaded from Ravelry.  Just needs 400 yards of fingering weight yarn.

Wow, it is already Thursday, and we are getting more wonderful rain!   After seeing the weather news in the Northeast - aren't we glad to have rain and 40 degree weather for our winters?!   This type of weather does make me want to just stay at home all warm and snug, with my cats and a basket of knitting - and perhaps an audio book playing...  Ahhhhhh....  Yes, I did slip home a bit early from work today to meet someone at the house, but maybe there will be a bit of time to add a few stitches to my Sundae coat (pictures this weekend).

Well, the rain is a harbinger of Spring and so is Michael, the UPS guy!  Spring is arriving daily at the shop with great new yarns and patterns perfect for our South Texas Spring and Summer.  Boy, we have been getting boxes of new stuff in - and as always, Mom has outdone herself finding some neat and inspiring items. 

Last week I lucky enough to be there on Monday to get a few boxes; it sure is fun to open a plain brown box and see gorgeous yarns inside.  This week, Mom and Dad have shared that more great yarns have arrived....  We just aren't sure where to put it yet - so it isn't out, but it will be soon!   We will definitely need to have a Spring Fling party when we sort it out....   To give you a few hints on what arrived this week- we have gotten in the new Berroco goodies (e.g., Weekend, Origami), Sprout and Firefly from Classic Elite, several neat new hand dyers (one of which is Sweet Georgia).  Mom has noted that they are awesome - I just cannot wait to see them Saturday.

As mentioned above - last week we did have several great shipments, which included the new Rowan springtime stuff - and here are a few pictures.  The yarns include five new colors of Rowan Summer Tweed, five new colors of Lenpur Linen, and their newest Purelife yarn!  The cover of the new Rowan magazine has the best looking vest in Lenpur LInen with beads....  I love beads!  In this vest they make the prettiest pattern along the edes.  You can see a bit of the picture it in the foreground of the picture below - it is purple... 

We also got some wonderful sock yarns from Fiberphile...  The colors are so rich and amazing - and the yarns are soft!  Mom jumped right into these and is making a new Wendy Johnson lace shawl....  Ohhhh....

I am ready to cast on a wonderful scarf, Whipped, out of Kollage's Creamy.  This scarf is a freebie from Ravelry - and is also great in sock yarns....  I haven't yet had a chance to try Creamy - it is 80% milk protein.  Let's talk soft...  Below is our "Creamy" Cake display...  Unfortunately the soft pastel colors don't pop - you just have to see them!

A lot of other great stuff happening too - not just great yarns coming in.  We are ready to send the "ta da" out about our first national teacher, Gwen Bortner.  I am excited - and hope everyone else is.  AND we are already looking to see if we can get Wendy Johnson to teach a sock class in summer.  Yea!    Plus - I have finalized the class schedules for the shop through April.  Didn't want to go further in case some of the new goodies will need to be classes....  Feedback is always appreciated related to classes/knitalongs.  Please send your thoughts and ideas on what you would like to gather to knit.... 

I don't know a better way to close than with my cats or my parents or my husband - all of which I love dearly.  So this week, I will again pick the cats.  They are super and so photogenic.   Yes, the love I have for my cats continues....and I think this must come through in the pictures that I get of them.  This past week, I got several great shots of Laurel.  This one is my favorite - and I love it as she even has Noro's cat  hair on her nose!

 

And not to be outdone with great headshots, Mr. Noro again got his photo taken.  He had to try on the new scarf/cowl that Mom made out of Mountain Colors Moguls - and here he is!  Look at those blue/blue eyes!

Enjoy this rainy Thursday - it is so beautiful!  I am off to clean up my yarn stash room a smidge - Mom said I had some yarn she was looking for.  I hope I return..... 

To Noro or not to Noro - that is the question...  Yes, it is a silly way to start the blog, but hey, I am trying to be creative. 

The first Noro is related to the knitalong project we started this month from the pattern Wrap Me Up! by Knitting at Knoon.  Warning - I am completely addicted and just have to share my progress to date.  The pattern is a blast to knit, and it drives you to complete just a bit more before you put your needles down.  The finished project will be a wrap, but one of our adventure driven friends, Peggy, is planning to adapt the project into a vest.  Too cool.  Another plus for me - yes - is that I get to knit with Noro (Silk Garden) - and Noro is one of my favorite yarn lines...  Others in our knitalong group are knitting their project in other great self-striping yarns such as Mochi Plus, Wooly Stripes, Ty-Dy Cotton - but my favorite is the Silk Garden.  Without further ado - here is my progress thus far!

And here is a close up of the first three blocks...  You start with the strip of three mitered squares and then go to the double moss stitch.  The patterns are not hard; the patterns are great - and once you are comfortable with picking up stitches - there is just fun knitting with great yarns.

Several folks have already heard my analogy that this project is like reading a really fun book with short chapters - you just gotta read one more before you go to bed...  If you are interested in joining in the fun - it isn't too late, and you will not be sorry!

Now to the "cat of the hour" - yes, Noro continues to be a photo hog and is the second Noro!  Here he is with a classic profile and a front on photo of this handsome specimen of a cat.  If you have been in lately, you will notice that he rarely leaves his nest of the Spud & Chloe Outer blanket in the basket - except those few times when he stretches and rolls off the table....

    
 Have a happy week and enjoy some yarn.  That is an order from Noro! 

Wow, we are already two weeks into the new year!  Guess that means that 2010 will go faster than 2009, huh?  I know folks say that time traveling faster is a sign of age; however, I really believe that our world is going faster than it did 40 years ago.  Maybe not spinning faster - but we have such a need for speed in communications, cars, success, etc.  I think this year, 2010, one of my resolutions is to enjoy more along the journey and ensure that I look around versus just keeping my head down; simply enjoy life and some of the small beauties that are each day.  Anyone else in with me?  An example or two is coming....  Can you feel it?

At the end of the year and first week of 2010 we had the "blue" moon.  I was delighted to just sit on the front porch with a cup of coffee that morning and relish in the beauty of it.  Here is a snap on that cold winter morning in Comfort...   Isn't that moon incredible.  The picture doesn't really capture the amazing color (a dusky purple and almost turquoise) of the sky and the incredible stillness of the early dawn and the sounds of our little town waking up.

Another fun example was on a recent trip to Kerrville to visit Creations - we went past the "Watering Hole" a local bar, and there was a horse waiting amongst cars for their owner inside to have a beer.  Good old Texas.

As you can imagine, the last couple of weeks of the year is a busy time for any retail shop.  We had inventory and also a new computer system to bring up.  As Mom and I are often thinking of things outside of our projects at hand - we popped out one day and bought the shop a Christmas present - and it was a fireplace!  We really felt that the warmth needed to be brought up a notch!  We hope you enjoy.  Please know the heat of the faux fireplace is toasty - so if it gets too much, no worries we can just adjust it's fan.  Neato!

Did I say inventory in that last paragraph.  Boy, I really didn't realize how much we have grown in the past year.  We do have quite a stock of yarns, patterns, and stuff.  You really learn it when you touch each piece and affix a barcode.  However, during inventory, we rediscovered some gorgeous yarns that had less than desirable spots - and we took time to really review what we had - and we have some great stuff.  As you can imagine - Mom still is finding great new items to purchase, so there is even "mo better" yarn arriving every day!  In a nutshell - if you haven't been by recently - stop by, bring your knitting, warm yourself by the fireplace - and enjoy the shop we have built!

Now to close, I am going to come back to what I believe I do well - enjoy the wonder of my family.  First out is Mom.  She is simply amazing.  During our inventory efforts - she had taken a break and was on the computer ordering online.  Yes, this is a common site - so not much was thought of it.   I arrived on Saturday early morning to Mom with a huge smile and a very, very clean car.  To her car she has affixed two magnets that speak to the fun she had that day online.  As you can imagine - we have had multiple requests for bumper stickers...and a lot of laughter. 

Now to the part that I think everyone really reads the blog for...Noro and Laurel.   The shop cats are so fun - and I obviously am a proud cat parent in that I take a lot of pictures of these guys.  My poor human family is rarely  captured - but the cats are frequently the stars of the show.  These pictures were taken during the busy time of inventory - the kids are just so tired from all the efforts of counting on small paws....

  Here is Noro on Noro....

...and Laurel on Ms. Bab's Yowza!       

 
Happy Knit Year!  Don't forget to enjoy the small joys each day...and of course knit.

It has been a while since I have completed a blog - the primary reason is that the world has been traveling a bit faster in the last three months.  (Smile)    In all seriousness, it has...

On December 4th, Dad had his heart attack.  We were lucky that he is okay following two stents being added to his composition as well as now taking a handful of pills each day - and working to be smokefree.  During and after this event to our family - the outpouring of love and friendship has been amazing.   More than ever, this past month has made me truly realize what we as a family have gained since opening the shop - a community of friends.  The love came in a variety of ways.  Darcy appeared as an angel one day with a hot cup of joe for Dad while he was in the hospital; she had heard about his heart attack and had to come to see him.  Joey sent along a beautiful basket of fruit.  A knitting group in Kerrville sent a beautiful card with amazing messages.  Several ladies offered to cover the shop for us.   And many have just given Dad a hug.  This is the beauty that we have gained.  Thanks to all for your prayers, etc. - but also thanking you for sharing your "light" with us upon each visit.  (Gulp) 

Now to some of the wonderful projects that have crossed our door in the past several weeks.  I may have been slow to post, but I try to always have my camera ready for those finished projects and smiles that accompany. 

Here is Nancy with her gorgeous Ab Fab throw in the English Garden colorway...  Just beautiful!  She even mentioned that this was a super fast knit!

Rose also shared her most recent completed project - Owl Fingergless Gloves!  I have seen these on Ravelry - and in person they are even better!  (You can sure tell that Rose is taller than I am in the picture...)  The pattern can be gotten on Raverly here.

Cyndee finished hats for her daughter and granddaughter to keep their heads warm on their daily walk....  The pattern is cute and came from the 101 Designer One Skein Project book.

We also had a pre-Christmas get together on Sunday, 12/13 - just knitting, eating and laughing.  Here are a few pictures from that day. 

(Left to Right) Karen. Janice, Jane, and Janet.  (Wow a lot of J-names that day!) 

This was Janet's first day to knit.  We all thought she has done some type of knitting in a previous life - but she said not.  Since this picture she has already finished scarf #1 and starting on the purl stitch with scarf #2 (gift for husband for Christmas) and has picked out her first sweater!  Yahoo!

Susan and Cyndee knitting up a storm!

Without further ado I will close for this week - I must get ready for my day job and I need to be at North Central in just under an hour.  As I do love our kitties a lot, thought I would share a few of the snaps that I have taken of them in the past week.



 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! 

 

As this week is to focus on the blessings that surround us each day, the best place to start this week's blog is the spot where my heart melted.  It also reminded me how thankful I am to live in a free and blessed country that is protected by brave men and women. 

We have been collecting knitted and crocheted helmet liners for soldiers stationed in Afghanistan for about a year and have collected over 100.  The first two batches were sent to Dallas to be distributed via Yarn Heaven.  Mom then found a lady out of Galveston requesting helmet liners for her son's Marine platoon, so we sent her 27 about a month ago and another 18 this week.  On Saturday, we received the following email and link from Mary.   For those who have contributed - the following will make the contribution so valuable. 

Hi Wendy, what a wonderful surprise I got when I opened your box of helmet liners....all 18. Thank you and everyone who has been working so hard on knitting helmet liners. We plan on sending them out to my son's Platoon throughout the winter. They will not be able to shower, let alone wash their helmet liners, so I want to provide fresh clean ones to these boys all winter. So YES, I would love to keep getting helmet liners over the next several months. This has been such an exciting project to be involved in. I am actually working on the neck part of a helmet liner. I can't believe I can knit and purl on circular needles. I am forwarding an article from The Galveston Daily News. We did a "Blessing of the Helmet Liners" on Nov 9. All the helmet liners that you sent me initially were part of the blessed helmet liners that we sent to the Marines in my son's Weapon's Company. They will be the best protected soldiers in Afghanistan! Thank you and all your knitting friends for supporting our Marines, and keeping their heads and hearts warm. With much appreciation, Mary

As Thanksgiving is also about family and food.... Mom and Dad arrived mid-morning - and we had a fantastic dinner (made by moi) except I forgot to make the mashed potatoes, which are Scott's favorites.  My bad!  Despite the missing carb on the table - we had a fantastic day watching movies, eating, knitting, watching the cats play, and being together.   As I am a amateur movie critic - Pelham 123 was great and we also enjoyed Angels and Demons; at least Tom Hanks lost the gnarly hair from The Da Vinci Code.  I was also focused on finishing a sweater that I started a month or so ago - and I did it!!  The Big Baby was a treat to knit with and a smidge of Mountain Colors Moguls was the perfect finish.


As we opened on Friday, Veronica came in with a grin as big as you please.  She has finished her Adult Surprise Jacket and it is fantastic!  She had it in her mind to finish by Thanksgiving - and she did it!!  Congrats, Veronica, and thank you so much for sharing with us!  You are an inspiration - and hopefully the rest of our knitalong group will be done before the first of the year.  I guess that includes me too....


Also on Friday I had an itch to finish another project - so I cast on a Calorimetry (a knitted headband) out of Malabrigio.  This pattern has been at top of mind since we had a customer on Girls Night Out who was wearing one.   Such a fun (and warm) project.  Honestly, I think the pattern could also double as a great cat ruff.   Laurel just looks majestic in it.  I think the red/pink combo brings out her eyes!


Thanksgiving weekend would not be complete in Comfort without Christmas in Comfort.  It is amazing that as many people who were here fit in Comfort which is often such a sleepy town.  The weather was perfect - not hot or cold and not raining!  The music from the bands at the intersection of High and 7th was festive and radiated holiday!  As I love to people watch, it was hard to really look at the wares as the activity of families, smiles and pets were such a treat.  One of the vendors makes dog wear - and her "Purple" Heeler was a treat.  He literally was sitting there looking cute one moment and then poof he was in her arms (upside down) and happy as a clam!


In the end, I am sorry that we didn't stay for the parade.  We were pulling out of Comfort as the parade started and the music and festive floats were just what anyone needs to spark the holiday spirit!  You also feel like you are transported back to 1957... and in a great way!   

Watch out - the holiday countdown has begun!  Yea! 

Wow - this was one busy ten days filled with all manner of fun!  You could almost say I was just the definition of exultant LYS owner. 

The week started with Kid 'n Ewe last weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) - and it was again a pleasure to be a part of it.  We get a great group of people who travel in for this fiber show from all over Texas, Louisiana, and even North Carolina.  Mom and I held down the fort at the booth, and Dad and Scott did a tremendous job at the shop.  Of course, Mom and I did have fun finding gorgeous Brooks Farm and Plain & Fancy yarns to bring home.  Hopefully you all won't mind if we knit with a bit of fun that we cannot carry in the shop....  The "hot" items that folks loved included little felted notions bags (sheep and flowers) as well as our favorite String Theory Caper sock!  A lot of folks also went home with Ms. Babs' sock yarn and Sea Silk.


On Friday and Saturday night - Elvis returned to the Comfort Meet Market!  Each year to celebrate their anniversary (this year was their second anniversary), Mark and Diane at the Meet Market bring in Mark's cousin who is a tremendous Elvis impersonator for two fabulous nights!   He is a treat!  He sings right to you - and you just cannot help  but feel absolutely giddy.  The crowd is also great as we all ham it up and sing to him.  This time we even had a "mini" Elvis in the crowd.  Too cute!  Here are a couple of special shots of me along with Elvis and his "Mini Me".

Don't you just love to knit when it is a little dark outside and raining?!  Yes, today was a perfect day to knit - and get excited about the pending holidays! 

This week, I got some great Fall knitting done on my trip to San Diego.  I didn't get to see any of San Diego as my conference (neonatal quality) was full, but I did some great knitting done on the plane as well as in the hotel in the evening!  My accomplishments were to complete the Mini-November Knitalong with Susan Anderson (Spud & Chloe) - and made this great looking Mr. Turkey!  Doesn't everyone need one of these good looking birds for the dinner table?!

Another great week is closing - AND we are already in November!  Not only did we "fall" back and get another hour of knitting time - but we had an absolutely gorgeous weekend.  The temperature in the Hill Country was just right, and it is the time of year when I have convertible car envy.... I could just see myself flying down the road with the yarn outstretched behind me in a wonderful, colorful contrail.... Whew - getting a little out there - but you know what I mean.  It was a perfect weekend to just "be". 

This weekend also showed me that I was "special"; one of our customers, Jane, brought me a special gift.  Also, prior to sharing the gift, she was giggling and saying that she saw the pattern and immediately thought of me!   Voila - the Swine Flu Masque ("because every pandemic needs some levity").   Is this not the best thing ever?!  I cannot wait to wear this baby to work this next week!   Jane, thank you so much!  I am still laughing (under my mask)!

Wow, last week was wonderful.  We turned one-year old!  Looking back, this has been a tremendous year for all of us.  We have met an amazing group of knitters, crocheters, weavers, and general lovers of yarn...  I believe we have also built a home to gather and mix these minds together surrounded by colorful yarns (and a few cats)!

Our anniversary party was on Friday, 10/16 - and we had a great time.  We have tons of food, laughter, and later in the evening we had wine and champagne!  Thanks to all of you who joined us on our anniversary day!   Here are a few pictures of the festivities!

Another anniversary celebration item was to share "The Tinsmith's Wife" colorway from String Theory.  The yarn is her Caper Sock (with just a touch of cashmere).  This yarn is perfect for shawls as well as socks.  We kitted them up with a commemorative mug - and a nifty tape measure.  We do have a limited edition of all!  My the yarn comes up beautifully - Dad made Mom and I each a shawl, and wow! 

It is also neat as so many folks are still discovering us for the first time.  This weekend we had a lot of wonderful folks who attended a prayer shawl retreat here in the Hill Country.  Plus a knitting group from Llano came down and spent the afternoon with us.  This kind of company is awesome as everyone brings their current project(s) - and it is like a great big show and tell!  Also, it is a great way to cross pollinate ideas on yarns, patterns, etc.  One of the prayer shawl group shared a beautiful and neat thought - that you are often what you knit.  Last night they spread out their goodies - and shared that you purchase and knit what you value, who you are, etc.  When she said it - it was much deeper than I am making it, but I hope you get the general glimmer of this amazing concept.

Now, what else have I been doing since I missed a week with my blog?  Well - I had a great trip to Scottsdale, Arizona this past week.  It was just gorgeous!  The weather was in the low 60s - and the highs were in the high 70s.  Wow!  The trip was work related - but as soon as the free time bell rang, I was on my patio just knitting away!  It was extremely peaceful to sit, listen to the new Dan Brown book, knit, and watch the Cactus Wrens hopping around....  I did finish my Month 10 Scarf to Throw - and how awesome that there was a flower in the desert that matched!

Guess I better get myself to knitting on my Adult Surprise Jacket.  I think this is not going to be a fast project - but is a treat to have some "simple" knitting (after the math of setting it up - it is simple).  Also, next weekend we are knitting a Cat Bordhi Enchanted Forest Christmas Stocking that is felted - and I haven't started yet - ruhoh (said in my best Scooby Doo voice)....

Before I close - one more item...  Thanks again to each of you who have supported us in our first year; we do appreciate it and are looking forward to our second year!