I have to live a long time......

I have to live until at least 195 years old to knit with all the yarn I want to. Ok - so there might be down side to owning a yarn shop - it's not good for your stash and it's definitely not good for WIP.

Here's what I've started just since I've been in the shop:

Chevron Scarf with 2 skeins of Oceanwind Knits Premium Merino

Bulky Tunic with Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyed Worsted in Red

Baby Surprise Jacket with Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyed Worsted in a gorgeous olive color.

High Neck Cable Sweater with Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in Pink

Socks from Araucania Ranco Multi

Not to mention the Clapotis out of Hacho from Mirasol!

And look what just arrived - 3 dozen roses from my husband for our Tenth Anniversary. Aren't I a lucky duck? I'm going to smell the roses - next time I'll blog about what I want to cast on but am trying to resist!

Canada's Fastest Knitter

We had a celebrity in our midst last night at our Knit Night - she didn't even tell us - I figured it out this morning when I read her blog. Meet Wannietta (I snagged her photo from her blog - had I known who she was I would have got out my camera and snapped away!) She is the two time and current winner of Canada's Search for the Fastest Knitter with a personal best of 245 stitches in 3 minutes. Her technique is amazing to see. Thanks so much for visiting Wannietta - it was our pleasure!

So on to some blog worthy things that happened this morning. Lisa and I stopped at McDonald's on the way into work (I know not a good breakfast choice)and I had a coupon for 2 can dine for $5.98 - I forgot I had it so the first total I got for the cashier was $8.53 after giving her the coupon she spent several minutes making a refund, inputting the coupon order and then pleasantly announced our new total was $9.00. Now how does that happen? Apparently sausage mcmuffins are not included in the two can dine coupon so she had to charge us for sausage and egg mcmuffins - I wanted to just pay and get out of there - by now there was a line up several cars deep behind us and I could see some agitated people glaring at us. Lisa didn't want any part of paying more for something that we should have gotten cheaper so then a manager had to come and re-do the whole thing - turns out our new cost was $7.19 so we did save but boy oh! boy - what a struggle!

On the way to the shop we were stopped at a stoplight and the van in front of us said on the rear window. "I wish my wife were as dirty as this car. " It was written in the dirt on the window and actually had been written twice because we could see where it had been erased and then someone re-wrote it. I wanted to follow the guy and ask him what he could be thinking with something like that on the window. Lisa and I figured he's a bitter divorced man who's wife got the best of him in a settlement - we say well deserved for the wife in question. Some people!!!!

My husband always says I shouldn't comment on things like the above because you never know who could be reading this blog - in this particular case I say I hope the guy does read it and maybe gets the hint. Jerk!

Good News!

Not much time to blog today because I have things to do:
sock club boxes have to go and I'm going to figure out how to do an Adult Tulip cardigan since I've now completed a solid one. Dream in Color Classy came in today so we are fully stocked in all the colors once again. Yay!

And......
I've been nominated for the Entreprenuer of the Year Award - can you believe that? I'm so excited!

Clapotis

Check this out! Here's a new Clapotis for ummm...the shop.....well, me! It's done in Mirasol Hacho in Color 308 and will take about 8 skeins. Hacho is a bit heavier than a sock weight yarn so it's knitting up beautifully on 3 mm. At our Knit Night - Angela and Marion were busy at work on Chevron scarves in two contrasting colorways with Hacho and I was so jealous I couldn't knit another thing. I kept trying to talk myself out of a new project but no luck as you can see - first thing Thursday morning I wound up a skein to give it a try. For $8 per skein - it's wonderful stuff - reminds me of Koigu and I've even had some customers comment on the same thing. Plus I love the fact that by purchasing this yarn, I'm actually helping out to build a school in Peru - how cool is that?

I'm going shopping at the wholesaler's on Monday - a bit dangerous I've found but fun. Picture a Costco size warehouse full of yarn. I could live there. Claire has brought in some great new sock yarn that I must have and Malabrigo has new lace!

I've been having such a good time in the shop - time absolutely flies. This past week I had some online customers visit on their way up north - we are an easy detour from the main cottage country highway! So...........so far, so good. Yay!

Amazing!

Our first Saturday at the store was amazing - even with the Knitter's Fair in Kitchener going on which I believe draws all knitters from everywhere on earth. I had a visit from Meredith and Kim - two valued online customers from Napanee, Ontario - I've never met either of them just emails exchanged back and forth - and orders. Turns out they are "Calendar Girls" for Knitty 2008 calendar and they arrived with a beautiful framed, autographed photo of their picture knitting on Meredith's dock (naked, covered up by their knitting).

This picture will adorn a special spot in the shop and remind me always of the kindness of these two amazing women! Meredith and Kim - thank you, thank you, thank you! It's the perfect gift and I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am for your thoughtfulness!

Ahhh!

So it's Friday, I'm exhausted - no sleep! Well, I do have time to sleep but I keep wondering what the next day will bring at the shop so those thoughts wake me up way too early! I must say though, there is no other place I'd rather be - I'm growing very attached to being here. We had our first SnB on Wednesday night, lots of laughs - I said I would likely get a call from the landlord asking what exactly we sedate knitters were doing with all the hooting and hollering! My little sign guy (Ben, 23 and cute, cute, cute!) actually asked me if young people knit - he's a

silly boy because he asked this of three late thirties, mid forties women with pointy sticks in their hands.

Here's the inaugural group of Pick Up Sticks Chicks! (to the left and above) See Ben - chicks - we're chicks as in young chickens!

Lisa (my sister) and assistant extraordinaire finished her second thrum mitten for the shop but didn't want her picture taken! Nice mitt! I love working with my sister - we have lots of fun and lots of laughs. After the SnB, I was really tired and she wanted to know if I was going to actually stop the car to let her out at her driveway. Nope - tuck and roll Lisa, tuck and roll!

Angela knit the shop a baby surprise jacket out of Classy Dream in Color - gorgeous!

Next week there will be quite a bit of updating online - more Apple Laine including new colors, Oceanwind Knits in Premium Superwash Merino and Suri Silk, the debut of Red Corset Designs Osmosis and the Spotlight of the Week which will be Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyed Worsted, bulky and suri merino. I'm knitting this and oh my, oh my, oh my! You gotta get some!

Day One

Day One would be what I would consider a great success! Lots of knitting friends paid a visit and I cannot even begin to say how thrilled I was to see everyone.

Here's part of the Cast Offs! Ruth, Cindy and Lynn - see they have bags! They bought stuff! Thanks so much!

The other big surprise was all the gifts that arrived - I had no idea.

Roses from my husband, a floral arrangement from my dad (I really miss my mom today but he did good!) A plant garden from my aunt and uncle, lilies from Nick and Meg and another plant garden from my mom's best friend from high school.

I feel grateful to everyone who helped me get here and grateful that I have this opportunity.

Oh and look I'm almost finished my Dream In Color Smooshy cardigan - top down raglan is definitely the way to go!

One last thing - see my antique ladder which my husband thinks I spent way too much on - it's for knitted blankets!