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.

New Merchandise

Some new items have arrived in time for knitting through the long winter months.

Plymouth's "Happy Choices" is a piece of knit fabric that may be unraveled at one end, worn like a scarf, and reknitted into socks, mittens, hats, whatever. These fabrics have been handpainted in a variety of designs, but who knows what they will look like when reknitted! We also have plain fabrics in a natural color, if you would like to handpaint your own. In total, there is close to 400 yds of superwash wool and nylon in a fingering weight.

"Cotton Kisses" from Plymouth is a cotton blend yarn, dk weight, that comes with three buttons. There's enough yarn to make one of two infant/toddler sweaters from the patterns that are included. One is a cardigan, as shown in the picture, and the other is a pullover.

There's still room in our "Two socks on circular needles" class. Call the shop or e-mail me to register. To celebrate the new year, Noro's Kureyon sock yarn will be on sale at 15% off until January 15th.

We're beginning a new book after the first of the year: "Back on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber. Scheduled dates are Thursdays, January 8, 15, 22, and 29. Remember that we've canceled some sessions due to the weather, so let me know if you plan on coming.

As I'm writing this entry, we are having yet another winter storm. My guess is that we've had another 12 inches of snow, and the wind is howling! A good night to sit indoors and knit!

I'd like to wish you all a wonderful Holiday season, and the best in 2009! Thank you for a wonderful 2008!

Fur Trimmed Pillbox Hat

Here's a new pattern--I have this wonderful alpaca/merino/silk blend in a single ply and loads of fur fabric and wanted to come up with a simple project to use them both. When I modeled this hat, I heard comments like "a bad hair day" and "looks like it came from Dr. Zhivago"!

FUR-TRIMMED PILLBOX HAT
Materials: 1 100gm (197.8 yd) skein Araucania’s Azapa (30% alpaca, 45% merino, 15% silk, 10% donegal) color #802, tan
Size 15, 24-inch circular needles
Size 15 double-pointed needles; alternatively you may use a second circular or the magic loop method for finishing the top of the hat
stitch marker
fur fabric, strip approximately 6" wide by 24" long
Gauge: 2.5 st/inch in circular stockinette
Dimensions: Before felting: 10.5" tall, approximately 25 1/4" circumference
After felting: 4" tall; approximately 5 ½" in diameter, measured on the inside of the hat
Directions:Using the circular needle, cast on 72 stitches. Place a stitch marker and join in the round. Knit for 10 ½ inches, approximately 28 rounds. Purl 3 rounds to give the top a more defined edge.
Begin decreasing the top:
Round 1: *Knit 7, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: *Knit 6, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 3: *Knit 5, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: *Knit 4, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 5: *Knit 3, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 6: *Knit 2, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 7: *Knit 1, knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 8: *Knit 2 together; repeat from * to end of round.
Draw tail through remaining 7 loops and weave in loose ends.
Felt the hat and dry over a container shaped like a pill-box hat, such as a cookie tin.
When dry, attach the fur fabric:
Fold approximately 1/2-inch of the long edges of the fabric to the inside and hem, using a blanket stitch at 1/4" intervals and a doubled thread. Pin the fabric to the felted hat, using lots of pins. Hand-stitch this fabric to hem of hat, fitting to match the circumference. Trim the short-edges, if necessary. When satisfied with the fit, seam the short edges together, on the wrong side. If desired, take the upper long edge of the fur to the felted fabric to secure.

There's lots of luscious colors in the Azapa, and three colors of fur to match!

Please do not copy this pattern or hat for sale. You may knit the pattern for yourself or family/friends.

It's been doin' nuttin but snowin' here in northern Michigan. We woke up to a foot (at least) of fresh snow this morning. It is beautiful!!!

We've had to cancel the last two book club evenings due to the weather--we'll continue to plan on Thursday evenings, because eventually the weather should settle down. If you plan on coming, please let me know. Give me your phone number so that we can call you if we cancel. We have a couple of regular members that drive from Traverse City.

I've been searching for new patterns that knit up quickly (in time for the holidays) and cheaply (in case you haven't heard, we are in a recession!) I've found two great hats and have been able to knit up one.

It's called the Republic Hat, and you can download the pattern for free at Ravelry or at http://niksknits.blogspot.com/. It's a very easy pattern, and the hat is easily knit up in a couple of hours. I knit it in Esther Bitran's Socos (88 yds/100 gms). It required just a little bit of a second skein, so you might want to consider purchasing 3 skeins to be able to knit a matching scarf or mittens. It sells in the shop here for $12 per skein. Alternatively you could use Encore Chunky, Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande or a number of other yarns that knit at 3 st/inch. You'll also need a giant button for this hat.

The other hat is also bulky, the pattern calls for Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande, one skein. I'll try to get this one knit as soon as possible and post the picture, but you can find the pattern at http://wallisknits.blogspot.com. The name of the pattern is "Marlo".

Hope you are all doing well. I'm wishing wonderful Holidays for each and everyone of you!