Wow, it's been awhile--this is a busy time of year for me, workshops, holiday shows, special orders for the holidays, fall yarns coming, etc., etc., etc.

Baby Bradley is growing, now 15#, and rolling over on his own. Here's a picture of him with his mom at his first football game. We spent the week with him (and of course, his parents) during the week following Labor Day and it was great. Our next visit will be in November, unless I can take a quick trip down to them!

New fall yarns:

ZAUEBERBALL CRAZY--a sock yarn from Schoppel-wolle, 75% wool, 25% nylon, 462 yds. Kind of a mouline with a gradual drifting rainbow stripe-thing going on. Really hot right now, I've sold most of the first order, the second is on its way. Price is $19.99 (4 cents/yd).

SUPER AUSSIE--100% superwash merino in a worsted weight, from Queensland. Eighteen gorgeous colors. 109 yds, $6.00 (5 cents/yd).

FILZ-WOLLE (LINIE 231)-100% feltable bulky wool, 55 yds, from ONLine, $6/ball (10 cents/yd). Should have been shipped with a pattern for felted slippers, but the pattern is on its way and should still be here in time for holiday knitted gifts.

EUCOOL--75%wool, 25%eucalyptus from Elsebeth Lavold. A dk weight yarn, 186 yds, for $8 (4 cents/yd). Twelve beautiful colors, and wonderful patterns! The eucalyptus makes this wool naturally moth-repellant.

and last, but not least. . . .

FIAMATO (LINIE245)--a 53%wool, 47% acrylic blend in a bulky weight, multi-colored, perfects for winter hats, scarves, and mittens. 99yds, $7 per ball (7 cents/yd), from ONLine.

Fall Classes have been put on hold. The spring and summer classes were poorly attended. I've been trying to figure out if it's the economy, if people were too busy, or if it's because I've recycled the same old classes for 4 years. So instead, I'm going to put my efforts into developing some new classes. I've started working on one for gloves done via the magic loop method. As always, if you have a need or an interest, let me know and we'll work it out for you. Just this past week, I did a class for mittens on the magic loop.

I got my packet back from the Master Knitter Program. Looks like I have a few redo's but I really haven't read through the comments yet. I will get back to it when things slow down a bit.

Our book club is now listening to "To the Nines" by Janet Evanovich. Very sassy, extremely funny and a little bit naughty. We were laughing soooo hard that we had to pass the Kleenex box around!!!! Join us if you can.

For those of you who might be interested in a knitting cruise: Go to www.craftcruises.com and view the info for the British Isles cruise in August 2010. Featured knitting instructors are Sally Melville and Beth Brown-Reinsel. I'm pretty sure I'm going, but thought it would be fun to have a group.

Well, my UPS delivery man just brought in 4 more small boxes. So I'll get to work unpacking them! See ya soon!

Master Knitter Level 1 is in the mail

Yup, I finished all of the requirements for Master Knitter Level 1 and mailed off my package this morning. Now I wait---for the evaluation and the do-overs! I really learned alot during this exercise, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to try it. It is somewhat intimidating to send your work for evaluation and criticism, but I think that it is an important part of the learning process. Here's a picture of my notebook.

the swatches

the questions

the report

and the project, a hat!

I'll keep you posted on the results!

Gonna take a few days off during the Labor Day Week--my son, his wife, and our new grandson are coming to visit. Connie will have the shop!

As always, if we can do anything to help you with your knitting needs, all you have to do is ask!

Shawls

Last week, I finished two circular shawls that I have wanted to do for a while!

The Shipwreck Shawl is my absolute favorite. I knit it on Tahki's Dream, which is now a discontinued yarn. Why do they always discontinue the stuff that I really like? It took six balls. It looked really weird while I was knitting on it, but, as you can see, it blocked beautifully. It has a bounce and a flounce that compliments the stitch pattern and drape. The outermost section is a simple "yo, k2tog", but beware----if you drop a stitch, you'll have a dickens of a time trying to pick it up. I strongly recommend the use of a lifeline every 3-4 rounds! This shawl is bringing more oo's and ah's than anything else I have in the shop! You can find the pattern for this shawl in the spring '09 edition at http://www.knitty.com/.

The second shawl is the Vortex Shawl. I have a bunch of Noro's Kureyon Sock yarn in stock, and as many of you have expressed, it's really not an ideal yarn for socks. So I've been looking for other projects that could benefit from this yarn. I tried this shawl because I thought the long color repeats could be quite interesting with this swirly stitch pattern. And I chose the gaudiest colorway that I could find, a throwback to my hippie days! This yarn also blocked wonderfully. I used a product sample of "Soak", which may be why the yarn became so soft after blocking. You can find this pattern online at http://www.knitterontherun.vox.com/.

Master Knitter Program Level 1 Progress Report:

I have been knitting, reknitting, and reknitting swatches! I had a particularly difficult time with the horseshoe cable: my knit stitches before the purl stitches were terribly enlarged! I thought I was going crazy when I looked at other cable work I had done, and there were no problems with the stitch tension. I must have done this swatch 6 times, trying different techniques to relieve the problem. Finally, I decided it wasn't my knitting tension,. . . it was my mental tension! So after a particularly potent vodka tonic, I did swatch #7, and voila--it was perfect!

Yesterday I blocked the first 8 swatches to be submitted and wrote out the answers to the questions relating to those swatches. They are still drying, but I'll have pictures of them in the next post! I'm learning a lot, simply by looking up information for the required references.

Baby Bradley is doing well, growing, and getting to know his mom and dad. He and his parents will be spending the week of Labor Day with us, so I'll have a chance to get to know him better. Here he is, at 4 weeks of age.

Talk to you soon!

Last week, I gave a workshop to members of the Congregational Summer Assembly in cut felted flowers. There were some non-knitters in the group, so I knitted and felted all of the fabric used, and the ladies went to town. Each of their flowers took on a different feel, and creativity was all over the place. I had fun, and I think they did, too! Thank you to Judy Norris for this wonderful opportunity!

In my last post, I told you that I had registered for the Level 1 Masters Knitters Program, from the Knitting Guild of America (TKGA). Well, I have received the packet of instructions: sixteen swatches, answers to a bunch of questions that will be referenced, a paper about blocking and a project ( a knitted striped hat). So, I've been busy organizing and collecting my reference sources. I also began to knit my first swatch. Because this is a learning experience, I decided to challenge myself even more and knit the swatch two different ways. I have been an English/American/thrower knitter forever, but since purchasing the shop, have taught my self to knit Continental/German/picking. Here's a picture of the swatches, one done English (the left swatch) and the other done Continental (the right swatch). They were both done on the same size 7 bamboo double-pointed needles, and both were done on yarn from the same skein, the same number of stitches. I was amazed! The continental sample knitted a full inch narrower, and had much more even selvedges. I have always believed in swatching before starting a project, and now I have the proof. I am going to try the same thing with size 7 Addi turbos, because theoretically, wood knits differently than metal, and straight differently than circular.

All of the learning activities for the Master Knitters program are submitted in a binder. As my journey progresses, the binder will be available in the shop to view until it is mailed to the committee.

It's a Boy!!!!

Bradley Robert Heckman was born 07-08-09 at 3:15 am. He weighed in a 8 lbs, 12 oz, and is 23 inches tall. He is our first grandchild, and we think he is absolutely perfect.

On another crazy note----I've decided to enroll in the Knitting Guild of America's Master Knitter Program. Call me crazy, it's okay. But I thought it would be a good learning experience. As I go, I'll let you know how I'm doing and share pictures of my swatches and projects, both good and bad!

I frequently peruse the blogs and websites of other shops across the country. Recently I came across one that determines and posts the cost-per-yard of a yarn. It seems a great idea to me, and I will gradually do the same for all of the yarns in our shop. If you are in the shop and want to know, especially for comparison shopping, I'll figure it out for you, right then and there!

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer!

The Sweet Ladder Scarf

Here's a free pattern that I developed specifically for Araucania's 'Ruca', their new yarn made from 100% sugar cane.

Materials: one hank (263 yds) Araucania 'Ruca' (colorway shown in picture is Color #1)

Size 6 needles

Finished Dimensions: approx. 4" by 72"

Gauge is not critical, about 7.75 st/inch in pattern.

Directions: Cast on 31 stitches loosely.

Row 1: slip 1, knit 1, knit 2 tog, knit 3, *yo twice, knit 3, knit 3 tog, knit 3, repeat from * once, knit 3, yo twice, knit 3, ssk, knit 2.

Row 2: slip 1, purl 6, knit 1, (purl 8, knit 1) twice, purl 6.

Repeat these two rows until desired length, bind off knitwise, loosely.

Please use this pattern for your own personal use, but do not copy it without permission.

New Spring Stuff!

New spring yarns are beginning to arrive--Here are some of them:

Katia's 'Linen' (53% cotton, 47% linen), 122 yds., $8.50/ball. Knits at 5.5 st/in on a size 5-6 needle. Beautiful sheen, would make a beautiful summer scarf or shawl. Available in white, silver, and ivory.

Ella Rae's 'Amity' (70% acrylic, 30% wool), 200 yds., $5.50 solids, $6.00 heathers. Those of you who love Encore will love this yarn as well, in a completely different palette. Knits at 5 st/in on a size 8 needle. But don't worry, Encore's not going anywhere!

Sirdar's 'Big Softie' (51% wool, 49% acrylic), 49 yds, $5. Machine washable. Great pattern book for this yard, geared toward the beginner. Makes wonderful hats, sweaters, vests, and bags. Knits at 2.5 st/in on a size 15 needle.

Araucania's 'Ruca' (100% sugarcane) 263 yds, $14. Yes, you read that right, sugarcane!!! Silky, shimmery, sensual, soft drape. I've knitted a scarf in this yarn, but I can imagine a cap-sleeved top for the summer. Knits at 5.5 st/in on a size 4-5 needle.

Noro's 'Taiyo' (40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool, 15% nylon), 220 yds, $18. Noro's yarns just keep getting better and better. Self-striping in the Noro tradition. New patterns available, too! Knits at 4.5 st/in on a size 7-8 needle.

There's new colors in Elsebeth Lavold's 'Silky Wool', Sublime's 'Cashmere Merino Silk Aran', Sirdar's 'Baby Bamboo', Debbie Bliss' 'Cashmerino Baby', and Araucania's 'Ranco'. Lots of new patterns, as well.

And we finally have our supply of the new Addi Cliks, the interchangeable knitting needle set.

Mary Helen, who was featured in our last blog entry, has fallen and fractured her hip. Please send your cards and notes to the shop, and I'll be sure that she gets them: c/o the Yarn Market, P. O. Box 406, Beulah, MI 49617-0406.

Thanks to all of you who voted for us as the best of the A-list. The contest continues until May 1. Right now, we're in 2nd place (following Nawbin Beads), so if you haven't voted yet, and if you think we deserve it, please cast your vote at www.wpbn.cityvoter.com.

Looking forward to seeing you again after our long, long, long, long winter!

Elsebeth Lavold's 'Bambool' ( 80% bamboo, 20% merino), 92 yds, $7. This is a perfect yarn for all kinds of garments worn year 'round in Michigan. Beautiful colors for mix and match. Knits at 4.5-5 st/in on a size 4-8 needle.

Meet Mary Helen

If you don't already know her, let me introduce you to Mary Helen. Mary Helen owned "the Little Shop" in Addison, Michigan for 21 years, and then moved it to Frankfort for the next 9 years. She began the store with a partner because they "thought it would be fun". "Little did we know," she said, "how much work it would be." She and her partner scoured the ads in McCall's needlepoint magazine and wrote to several companies to begin to stock the shop. Bernat was the only one to send a rep, so they carried Bernat yarns for many years. She closed the shop in Frankfort 12 years ago, at the young age of 80.

Now, at 92, she has four projects in the works. She likes to knit sweaters for Guidepost, saying that it's a double blessing: "it's good for the children and it's good for the knitters." She attributes that project to keeping her going. Mary Helen, and her daughter, Susie, are regulars to our Thursday night book club.

The wooden bins currently used by the Yarn Market were made by her nephew, and were used in both of her shops.

Today, Mary Helen says "Life is good!" We share in that sentiment, Mary Helen, and we are blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you!

We've made the A-list

The Yarn Market has been nominated to the A-list as one of the best businesses in the Traverse City Area. You can vote for us at www.wpbn.cityvoter.com beginning March 9. Our good friends at the Thistledowne Shoppe in Suttons Bay have been nominated as well!

New spring yarns and patterns will start arriving this month. In order to make room, we have selected yarns on sale. Come and check them out! We're also waiting on the new Addi Cliks interchangeable needle set.

We've had to cancel the last two book club nights, due to Michigan winter storms! Now that March is here, we hope the ice and snow will melt away, and spring days are not far behind. See the revised dates on the website. We're still listening to "the Secret Life of Bees", the reader has a young girl's voice with a gentle southern accent. I've read the book and seen the movie, but I'm getting much, much more from this audiobook!

Also check out our new class/event schedule at the website. We've added an introduction to tatting class, a lined mitten class, and we're offering some old favorites!

Happy Knitting!

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

When my husband wants to be cute, he tells me that he has good news and bad news. Then he asks me to choose which news I want to hear first. I alway choose the bad news, because that way in can be followed up with good news.

Well, I have bad news and I have good news.

The bad news is that I have been diagnosed with a rare form of cutaneous lupus. This appears as a really ugly rash on my trunk, with fatigue and generalized aches and pains. The good news is that it appears to be contained to my skin, with no evidence of generalized systemic lupus. The lesions have responded amazingly to injections: they are almost completely gone! They may recur, but I keep telling them to "go away"!

The other really good news is that we are going to be grandparents for the first time. The baby is due July 26th, to our younger son, Bryan, and his wife, Lori. Bryan and Lori do not want to know the gender of the baby, which makes it really hard on the knitting grandma! But I understand, and would probably make the same decision (if it were me!) The baby already has a hat and socks, and a Christmas stocking. There are a couple of other projects in the works, that I'll keep secret for now!

Inventory is done, and I've added some yarns to the sale bins. In addition, I'm planning some additional special sales for Winterfest, February 13th and 14th. Winterfest is Beulah's celebration of winter, an event-packed weekend of family activities like a frozen-face race, frozen fish toss, softball on the ice, a parade, a chili contest, and to finish it all off: fireworks!!!! Most of the merchants will have special sales! So be sure to come and check it all out!! This is our third snowiest winter on record, so there's lots of snow and lake ice for all!

Now that inventory and year-end bookkeeping tasks have been completed, I can get back to knitting. Our "Tech-Square Afghan" class is going well, the students are having a great time, and learning lots. I'm working on a similar class for lace, a skill-builder and sampler scarf. Look for it in the spring. We're also working on a lined mitten class. I'm always looking for new class ideas, so if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know.