Gone Knittin'

I'm off tomorrow on the ski trip. I love the people we are going with, they are some of the nicest people I know. The problem is that I am going to be in the middle of a ski mountain with nothing to do. I have spent the entire week deciding what to bring along in terms of knitting. I am definately not bringing the shrug, its too big, and too many balls of yarn. I did have a lazy week and only managed to do 2 more hexagons. I am planning to go for the big push to finish right after I get back, so watch this space!

I was able to finish my Fleece Artist socks this week. The pattern is Jeanne Townsends Spring Twists. It is available from her Yahoo group.



I don't know why one looks longer than the other in this photo, I can assure you that they match up. The color is great, bright and fun, and they are so soft to wear. I love them! Here is a close up of the pattern.



I am also happy to announce that I have mastered the Mobius Cast-on. It is really very simple. I am using the kit from Fleece Artist, but also have Kat Bordi's book, which helps a bit. It is actually very easy. I was worried, so started it before I left just in case. Now I just have to knit away! I am hoping to finish this quickly and wear it on the trip.



I also cast on these socks. I've been admiring this color of Koigu in the shop for ages. It is not what I would typically choose, but its fun for a change to use something completely different. I am using the Badcaul pattern from Anna.



Sorry about the blurry photo, didn't realize it until I got it into Photoshop. I have to be at the shop to open in 30 minutes, but you get the idea on the color.

I am also going to bring along my lace, which you can see below. It has grown quite a bit, but that photo came out terrible. Hope the next one is of it finished!

See you on the slopes...not!

Hexagons

I am now on the 7th hexagon of the shrug. This means that I have finished the first row, and the following ones will be the shoulders, then the sleeves. I was starting to panic yesterday because it is pretty huge at the moment. I called Nathalie for some knitting therapy, as I was thinking that it is coming out too big. She told me, which makes sense, that when I start to connect it with the other hexagons, that it will probably pull it in. I hope so, or I'm not sure who this thing is going to fit. I did my gauge swatch, and as usual, I had to go down a needle size. I am going to soldier on, and trust in the pattern.



I wanted to wait for all 7 hexagons to be finished before I took a photo, but as it was unually sunny today, I thought I would seize the moment!

I am averaging about a hexagon a day, so basically if I am not lazy, I can at least get onto the sleeves before I leave on my stupid ski trip next week. (This is my name for it as I don't ski and everyone else does. Its pretty much sitting in a lounge knitting week for me) I am working on what projects to take along, most likely not this one though, too big.

I think I forgot to mention which yarn I am using. It is Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Stone.

We got some fun new yarn in the shop this week. Its called Tofutsies from Southwest Trading Company. I might take this one along and try some socks. It feels like silky cotton, though its made with Soysilk and Chitin, which is derived from crab and shrimp shells. I thought it would smell funny(pit doesn't), and it is really soft. I am dying to try it out!

Shrug and New Stuff

This week has been pretty productive on the knitting front. I have made some headway on the Vogue Knitting shrug. I am on the fourth hexagon.



Here is a closer look, the color is pretty true to the real thing in this one:



This project is so much easier than it looks, I am really enjoying it. The only advice I can offer is not to use straight needles, the stitches will never fit. I'm not sure why this is what is written in the pattern, if you look at VK's website, they show it on a circular. Not sure what they are thinking.

Also got a bit of lovely new yarn in the shop. First is the softest cashmere in some really beautiful colors.



This is the same yarn that I used for my husbands hat, it was really great to knit with. I'm thinking of what else I can make with it!

Next, hot off the press is Sea Wool from Fleece Artist. It is a combination of merino wool and Sea Cell, the same as in Sea Silk. It should make a really nice, soft, silky pair of socks. Can't wait to try it out.

Piggie Problems

OK, I know this has nothing to do with knitting, but I must have a rant. Since we got the guinea pigs for the girls a month ago, my life has been consumed with them, and the trouble that they are causing. It is mostly our fault for not doing our homework beforehand. We were just a typical family, who wanted to get pets for our children. We had heard that guinea pigs were supposed to be great for kids because they don't bite. It was nice that they like company and you should get two, which meant one for each of our girls. At the pet shop, the only cute ones were males that day. We were told that this was fine. After we got home and I went to other pet shops, I was told that you should not have two males, and that I might have to seperate them. Around a week later, they began to fight, but from what I read, this was normal fighting for territory, and should subside. To make a long story short, this one




ended up attacking this one to the point of bites, blood, and horrible squeals.





I have now had to house them seperately, you should see my kitchen!

Now for the good part. Last week, while all of this was happening, a customer came in for some help with magic loop on a hat. We got to talking and I told her of my problem. She told me never to buy an animal at a pet shop. I should have known this! She recommended the Bobtails Rescue Center. I have since been in touch with them, and I have to say that Delia has been so lovely and helpful. I have agreed to neuter them both, then she will take Patch (the black and white one), and will find us a nice girl for Charlie (fluffy one).
If you are thinking of getting a rabbit or guinea pig, I would urge you to get your animal(s) from her, we went there yesterday to take a look, and they have a great selection. This is not to say that males guinea pigs cannot live together, they just should be related, or have known each other from very young. I think that we just got extremely unlucky. I would say, please do not buy pets from this shop, although they are great for all of the accessories for your pet.
Many thanks to my customer that day, you were a great help! Hope you are magic looping away!

Now back to knitting. I have started the jacket from the cover of Vogue Knitting, we should have copies in the shop this week, I was told they were on the way. I should be finishing my first hexagon later today, photos to come!

Finally

It has been forever since I have posted anything. I think its mostly because I haven't had much to say since the new year. I have done some knitting, but not much. The shop has been a bit quiet, mostly due to this horrible weather! Today was like a hurricane. No one wants to be outside on a day like that. It has also been so dark that its hard to take photos of anything. I managed to take some today in the shop, where the lighting is pretty good.

This hat is a Handmaiden kit that we had in the shop. It is for my husband, who is never cold, so I can never knit for him. We went out last week, and I noticed that he was wearing the most horrible hat, so this is for him. I really like how the colors came out, they didn't really pool, they made a design of their own. It is so soft, who can resist cashmere!

Here is my Fleece Artist sock, I have just started on the second one. Hoping to have them on my feet by sometime next week!

Sorry this doesn't look that great, this new Blogger is not very easy to use!

Koigu!!!

It has finally arrived! The UPS man delivered the 65lb box late this afternoon. As usual, there are a few colors that I really don't remember Nathalie and I ordering, but we put the order in last July. Anyway, there are definately some great ones. Tomorrow will be a day of putting price stickers on all 400 skeins, fun. Diane took this lovely photo of all of them together.

Happy New Year

It has been a very lazy week here. I have gotten tons of knitting and spinning done, which is great. Eric bought a new TV and promptly hooked up his XBox 360, so you know where he spent his week off, and loving every minute if it by the way.
Anyway on to the knitting...
The Fleece Artist box arrived last week, which included this lovely wool/silk sliver for spinning. I love this Amethyst



I started spinning it, and it looks like this



My only complaint is that there is alot of white in it. It almost looks as if there wasn't enough dye. I have pulled out alot of it as I don't want it to be too light. Will have to email them and ask if this is how it should be.

I also finished another skein of some other spinning that I have been working on. I think I have enough now to start a project, maybe a multidirectional scarf.



I've been working on the lace alot, but no photos. It is definately growing.

Also started this sock, now at the heel flap. Hoping to get to the gusset tonight. I am in love with the color!



I think it is called Jester, but not sure as the skeins don't come labeled. Will check it out tomorrow when I unpack the rest of the box at the shop.

The big excitement tomorrow will be that UPS has promised that the Koigu box will be delivered. Can't wait to see the colors as we ordered it back in July, so it will be a surprise! Should keep Diane and I busy for a few days!

Leaf Lace

Its been nice to have a few days with not much to do. We went to some friends for Christmas yesterday, then to the gym today with the girls. Eric is determined to get in shape for skiing in February. I took the girls for a swim, and decided to try a few laps. I was told that swimming is good for asthma as it increases your lung capacity. I don't think I was ready as I am still coughing a little. I did 4 lengths, which is a bit pathetic for someone who normally works out a few times a week. I guess I'll get there. I keep reminding myself that just over a week ago, I couldn't walk up the stairs without panting. Anyway, its been a good excuse to do lots of knitting. I did a quick pair of socks for Larissa in Lornas Laces. What fun to do aran/worsted weight socks! They knit up in no time flat.



My next project is the Cocoon Lace scarf in Jaggerspun Zephyr. It is my first real lace project. I have done lace in socks and heavier yarns, but never in such a fine weight yarn. I did need a bit of help from Nic on Saturday. Check out this neat counter that Wibbo gave me, its really handy, and cute!



I've even had a chance to do a bit of spinning after getting some handy tips from Diane. More on that later.

Tomorrow I get to hang out all day at home and wait for the Fleece Artist/Handmaiden order to show up. Can't wait to see it all, already planning my next socks!

Asthma, RPM, and Piggies

I can't believe that I am just getting over being sick. Thus the reason for no new postings. I finally ended up going to a private GP as the NHS ones were pretty much useless. He laughed when I told him which antibiotic I was on. He pretty much said that it would have never worked, and that he hasn't used that one for 20 years. Anyway, he isn't quite sure it was an infection, but gave me some super drugs, and I was feeling better within hours. I am still coughing a bit, mostly in the morning. Today is my last day of antibiotic, but I still have two inhalers. I have to go back Thursday. My father-in-law used to be a doctor, and wonders if I am allergic to wool. My husband thinks this is funny, but I am not laughing. I will absolutely flip if this is the case. I am borrowing an air purifier from Nathalie tomorrow, she is up on asthma as her two little ones and her mom have it. Lets hope it was in infection! Meanwhile, I finished my pair of RPM socks in no time flat sitting at home sick. I love them, and have now moved on to a pair for Larissa in Lornas Laces Shepherd Worsted. They should be quick as she is only 9. Here is the best photo I could come up with at night with bad lighting. The color is pretty true. It is Socks that Rock in Mist. They are a bit heavier than most other socks I have knit, but it is nice to have them work up quickly for a change. They will be great with trainers/sneakers.



This weekend we took the plunge and got a pet for the girls. We were thinking of a hamster at first, but after talking to a friend, decided to go for guinea pigs. I was a little nervous about it as I have never had a pet before. The girls have been asking for a pet forever, and this is definately less work than a dog. We have named them Charlie (fluffy one) and Patch (the black one)





Needless to say, the girls are thrilled, and I am spending my time cleaning the cage! They are very cute though.

Secret Santa and Debbie Bliss

Its been another busy week here at Stash, and life in general. I was just getting over my illness from last week, when we had a dinner out on Sunday. It was a lovely truffle evening at Isola Del Sole with a bunch of friends, and lots of wine. I ended up with quite a hangover the next day, which didn't help in my recovery! I ended up with a bout of asthma yesterday, fun! Anyway, lets get back to the weeks activities, shall we.
Monday evening we had a visit from Debbie Bliss. She brought along a giant bag packed full of samples for us to try on.




Here is a shot of Mary in one of the sweaters. It is really great to be able to try them on and see how they look on you instead of a model in a book.



Debbie also gave an interesting talk about the design process, how she gets her ideas etc. We learned about how she chooses her color palette, and how the whole book publishing thing works. I think everyone enjoyed meeting her, she is very friendly.



Yesterday was the knitting group Christmas party and secret santa swap. I can't believe what Fiona made for me. It is actually the first time that anyone has ever knitted something for me. They are exactly my colors!



I love them!

P.S. I forgot to include a photo of the fab flowers that Lesley made for all of us at the party. I found a photo of it on Brigids blog for all to admire!

Its A Boy!



















Matthieu has arrived! Nathalie had the baby on Saturday morning, which was a bit of a surprise as we all thought she was being induced on Thursday. It all went quite quickly, lucky for her. He is a big boy, which we pretty much figured, 9 lb 7 oz. I did get a chance to meet him today, and of course he is very cute, with lots of hair! Now I just have to decide what to knit for him, besides these booties.

Sock Pal

I apologize for not posting a photo of this sooner. I have quite ill this week. Not sure what I have, but basically, walking up and down the stairs makes me want to take a nap. This is really not good as Nathalie is due to have the baby this week, and its not fair to leave Diane on her own too much in the shop. Hopefully I'll be back to normal after the weekend in time for our Debbie Bliss evening.
Anyway, I recieved this fab package about a little over a week ago from my Sock swap pal from the Townsend Yahoo group. We decided that in lieu of coffee and tea, we would swap sweets. She asked me what I missed from the U.S, and I said Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Well she sent me enough to keep me going for a while!
















She also sent me this great yarn from Scoutswag in the most perfect colors for me, how did she know! Also, check out the adorable bag for me to keep a sock project in. Its the perfect size. Thank you Michelle!

Wristers Too!

I have joined the Wristers craze. It seems to be going around Stash at the moment. Mine are done in Malabrigo's Velvet Grapes colourway, and is based on Fetching from Knitty. I ended up doing the cables in a way other than the pattern because I didn't bother to read the pattern carefully. I like the way they look anyway. I also made the thumb and finger part quite a bit longer so that they would cover my fingers a bit more. As usual, I had to go down a needle size, and change the amount of stitches cast on.
























On another note, last week was Thanksgiving, which is why it took me so long to get a post up here. We spent the entire last week cooking, so not much knitting took place. I am now going to start my Mobius kit from Fleece Artist. I have to go take a look at the cast on, it looks a little tricky. More photos to come later.

Silk Shrug

It is finally finished! The Silk Shrug has been on the needles for what seems like forever. I have been stuck on the outer bit quite a while, but finally was able to cast off today. I did as I was told by some others in the knitting group, which was to cast off very loosley. Did a quick photo, I know it would look better in the daylight, but I am going to wear it out, and not sure when my hair will look good again!

Intarsia and Swatching

There has been quite a bit of activity in our classroom lately. Last Tuesday we had the pleasure of hosting a class taught by Debbie Abrahams. It was so nice to meet her, I had heard what a great teacher she is, and how very nice she it, guess what, she is! Here is Nathalie learning not only beading, but two color beading. Very impressive.



and a close up of the work



She is now working on the back. I believe it is going to be a tooth fairy pillow, or something like that. I'll have to get a photo of the finished product. In case anyone is interested, we will be having Debbie back in the spring for a couple of classes, dates and topics to be announced.

Moving along, Monday night we had our Lornas Laces yarn tasting evening. I will post this photo, as it was the best one I got. I was trying to get them in action instead of posing, but they all look either bored, or very into their swatching. I am hoping it is the latter. I think it was quite successful as you can tell by reading Tales of the Knitty, and Wibbos Words.



The next event will be an evening with Debbie Bliss, which I believe is fully booked at the moment. I will have to work on events for the new year, but at the moment the next event will be Nathalies baby, which is due in just a few weeks!

I am also pleased to announce that the gallery is up in the shop. I'll try and get it online one of these days. One thing at a time!

Check it out

I am happy to announce that Debbie Bliss is coming to the shop. She will be in on Monday, 4 December from 7-9 in the evening for a talk and demonstration. She will bring along samples from her collections. Its always great to be able to see these kind of things in person to try on. I think this will be a really nice event, I've heard so many nice things about Debbie. I did get a chance to meet her briefly at Alexandra Palace, but it was quite busy there at the time.

On other fronts, we are getting closer to putting up the gallery in the shop. Nathalie bought these great magnetic things to hang on the wall, and I have alot of photos at the ready. We were all set to hang them up when I noticed that the wall is made of cement. I am a bit nervous that I am going to ruin the wall, so I am hoping that our friend Jack will be able to come by soon and hang them for us. I don't have much luck with walls and nails, if you saw what the walls look like behind the pictures in my house you would know!

Busiest Day

We had our craziest day yet on Saturday. I'm sure it was helped by the fact that Louisa Harding was in to promote her yarns, and sign books. She brought along some samples of the sweaters in her books. She is wearing the orange cardigan. Its always nice to see the finished products in person. This is what it looked like at the peak, you can spot many of our regulars as well, you know who you are.



I also finished a project for a change. It was a quick one, but the yarn is the softest ever! It is Misti Alpaca chunky, and the pattern is from Knitting Wisdom. It is a very easy pattern, which knit up in no time.





It was a welcome break from the Alpaca Silk Shrug, which I have nearly finished. I am on the dreaded 300 stitches of K5P5 ribbing, and it is taking forever. Meanwhile, I am going to start another Trekking sock in the most beautiful shade of purple. This time I am going to write my own pattern. Hope to have a photo in a day or so once it gets going.

Print O The Waves

Since Nathalie doesn't have a blog, I have to show this off for her. She finally finished the stole just in time for the wedding, despite nearly running out of yarn! She had to send away to several places to get more at the last minute, and she was only 5 grams short! Anyway, it came out great, as you can see in this photo (Click on it for a larger image).

Where to Begin?

I don't even know where to start, I have to much to blog today. First I want to post a photo of the new needles that we have in the shop. How cute are these? They are by Serendipity, which is a company from Rhode Island, USA. Every top is different, and the tips are really sharp. Great for lace.



They come in this cute box which looks as if they are flowers in a garden box.

The next thing is what arrived in the post today, my Hot Socks box. I cannot believe how many lovely things were inside.




I have been dying to see some "Socks that Rock" in person, and here it is in just the color that I would pick! It is so soft and lovely, I just keep looking and petting it. I am debating whether to make socks with it, or a scarf. Jennifer has also included some Eucalan wool wash, another item that I have been wanting to try. The Interweave yarn requirments chart looks great. I have to get it for the shop, it is really handy. I am also going to have some of that lovely hot chocolate later on, I expect it is going to be delicious. Thank you so much Jennifer!!! You have made my first experience with swapping a great one. Here is a close up of the STR in Mist.




You would have thought that my day could not get any better, but then I had to work at the shop. I was not really looking forward to working another Saturday as I was there last week. I could use a few days off, but today was like an all day knitting party. The morning was a bit slow. We had a class upstairs with Nic. Around midday, the "regulars" started coming in. I had to bring some chairs down from upstairs. Here is a photo of one of the less crowded moments.



If you look in the foreground, you can see a little bit of the other table, where some very nice ladies were learning magic loop and working on socks. At some point, Nic went out to get everyone some tea, and then the place really started filling up. There was a point where it was a bit hard to walk around, but everyone was in a very happy mood, so I don't think anyone felt very bothered. This was quite a contrast to yesterday, which was our slowest day on record. Days like today are when I feel like this is what we opened the shop for, and all the work is worth it!

P.S. Sorry the photos are quite small, click on them to see them larger.

News News

Lots of things happening around here. This weekend I had a great day out with Ingrid at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace. It was really nice to go with a friend as I went alone last year. We were very organized, and mapped out which stalls we wanted to see ahead of time. We had signed up for a couple of classes, the first one of which we missed due to too much talking. The one we did make it to was with Lucy Neatby. At first I thought it was a bit basic, but then she showed us a really interesting method of casting off which I have to try. It is more like knitting, but you get the same result. We did get a chance to see the knitted Ferrari:



It is quite unbelievable, though I don't know how the woman didn't get bored to death.

I did allow myself to make some purchases. It is a bit hard to do when you own a yarn shop, but here we go:



On the left is some lovely hand dyed Wensleydale roving. Then going clockwise is some handspun, hand dyed silk from a woman in the Isle of Skye. Next is a cotton/linen mix from Knitshop.co.uk. They had some beautiful yarns, and I asked for some color cards for the shop. Last but not least is a skein of Terra from The Fibre Company. Nathalie loves their yarns, and we are thinking of getting them for the shop. I can't wait for her to see this skein in person.

The big news, drumroll please, is that Diane has joined us to work in the shop, and definately fits right in. She is pretty much as mad about knitting as we are, and she started yesterday. Check out her blog.

Gotta run, shop opens in 20 minutes!

Looking Up

OK, thinks seem to be getting better. Believe it or not, we had a bunch of calls from people interested in the job yesterday, and I think we have found someone. We just have to speak with her tomorrow. If you are reading this, you know who you are. More on that to come.
On the shop front, we had two deliveries today. First was Misti Alpaca, which is what we have been waiting for. The bulky is so soft, you can't believe it. It is 100% baby alpaca, which definately makes a difference. The laceweight is lovely as well, but we only recieved 3 colors as the others are on backorder. Then came our Zitron order with new colors of Unikat, which is great for scarves. I made a bit of a mistake on the Trekking, and less arrived than expected, but more will be along in another week or so. Definately a good couple of days

Bad News

I'm sorry to have to announce that our visit from Nicky Epstein next Wednesday has been cancelled due to an illness in her family. That is too bad. I feel bad for her, and I know alot of people were looking forward to coming in to meet her. In other news, we are still on a search for someone to work in the shop. I didn't realize how difficult it would be, it is quite frustrating, but we are hopeful that someone will turn up. I am also getting a bit discouraged on the swap front as I haven't heard from my person. I signed up for my first swap, Hot Socks, am looking forward to trying this out. I have seen so many swap photos onlike, it looks like a lot of fun.
We had a visit today from Becca of Yarnsmith fame. She did a demonstration on how to make her bag kits. It made me want to make one, if I ever finish my Silk Shrug, which is still in progress. We also recieved our shipment of Feza today, which seems to just fly out the door on its own.

P.S I have heard from my hot socks partner. Her email went into my bulk folder by mistake. She sounds really nice, I am really excited now!

Busy Days

I just realized that I haven't written anything new here in a week. I haven't taken any photos either. I did manage to finish the partner to my Trekking sock, so now just waiting for the weather to turn so I can wear them. I am now hard at work making the Silk Shrug from Blue Sky Alpacas. I am doing it in plum, and am plugging along on the back at the moment. I am on inch 17 out of 29, so a little more than half of the back. The nice thing is that its made all in one piece, then you pick up the stitches for the edging. I like no sewing up.


This is becoming quite a popular pattern as Jill and Lesley from the knitting group are also making it. I'm sure Jill is nearly finished, she is quite the fast knitter.

We have been anxiously awaiting our shipment of Lornas Laces, which was due to arrive last week, except that the customs paperwork got lost, and it spent a week in the airport. I believe that it is on its way, I hope! My fear is that it will arrive tomorrow when I am in the shop on my own, Nathalies son is having his adenoids out, not even sure I spelled that right, but anyway. The box is supposed to weigh 74 pounds, which is alot of yarn! I can't wait to see it, but have no idea where we are going to put it. There will definately have to be some reorganizing of shelves this week. Should be a busy week!

Yarn Tasting

We had our first yarn tasting evening at Stash this past Thursday. The event was sponsored by ArtYarns, one of our favorites. Not only do they have beautiful yarns and colors, but dealing with them couldn't be easier. They supplied us with lots of samples, which we divided up into goodie bags for everyone. I forgot to take a photo of what it looked like before we began, but here is a photo of the evening in progress.



These are a few of our lovely regulars at the shop enjoying a bit of conversation and swatching, as well as some nibbles. This is a good shot of some of Jills swatches.



These are pretty well organized. From left to right, the yarns are Silk Ribbon, Silk Rhapsody, and Ultramerino 6. I think the consensus was that all of the yarns were lovely. Not everyone loved the Silk fur, but honestly you would never knit a whole project with it anyway, it is more for an edging.

At the end of the week, some of the new Louisa Harding yarns arrived. It was a bit annoying that some of them are on back order, and we haven't been given a date as to when they will arrive. The other frustrating thing is that several of the colors in the book are only available in the U.S. It is annoying that yarns by a British designer are marketed mostly to the U.S, and the UK as an afterthought. Anyway, I hope the rest of it turns up at some point since the patterns are lovely.

This week we are expecting a shipment of Lorna's Laces which will include Shepherd Chunky, Lion and Lamb, and some new colors of sock yarn. I'll keep you posted...

Finished Products

This past Saturday was one of the busiest days I have seen in the shop. It was really nice to see some customers bring in their finished products, which we always encourage. I have said in the past that I am going to put a gallery in the shop and on the website, but I have been quite busy, so I will post the photos from this weekend here. The first is in Silk Rhapsody and was knit by Joyce Daniel. Nathalie was a very good model for this as her shirt matched the scarf exactly.



The next two are from Fiona Hobson. The first is in Artyarns Royal Silk and Silk Fur. I tried to make the photo as close as possible, but it isn't quite as bright as in this photo.



The next scarf is in Till Tomas Disco Lights. The pattern is from the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk book.




I hope to see more finished projects, these are really great.

I recieved an email the other day from Christine, who came in about a week or so after we opened. She is from Texas, and is a podcaster. I am really honored that she mentioned us in her latest podcast. Thank you Christine. If you want to have a listen, it is at Pointy Sticks, Podcast 7. I think she mentions us towards the end.

Trekking

Well, it has arrived, Trekking XXL. This is the sock yarn that everyone is talking about online. There are blogs everywhere doing Trekalongs. We are really excited to have it. I have been knitting a pair of socks with it, as you know, and I love it. The same company also makes some other interesting yarns, which we have in the shop. One can been seen below in a hat that I made. It is called Loft Color, it self stripes in a beautiful way, very softly. The other is called Unikat. I made a scarf out of it, which I forgot to photograph. I will try and do that today, and post it. It is the same type of yarn as the Loft, but a bit chunkier, and it doesn't seem to be dyed in one skein. Its as if they have assembled it after it has been dyed. They are both light, fluffy, and super soft, a welcome addition to Stash Yarns.

New Stuff

Just a quick one to tell you about all of the new arrivals yesterday. We have two new magazines, Interweave Knits Crochet, and Vogue Knitting Knit Simple. Both of which I have been eagerly awaiting. The boxes from Blue Sky Alpacas were delivered in the morning. We have some new colors in the Alpaca Silk blend, and Dyed Cotton. There is also a new yarn called Brushed Suri. It looks like a fluffy mohair, but much softer. Another great new item is their new DPNs, which come in the cutest collectable tin.


















How cute are these? They are made from the wood of the Lal Kohla tree in India, and are meant to be quite strong. They also come in those sizes that everyone are always looking for, 2.25 and 2.75.

Help Wanted

Thank goodness Nathalie is coming back to work tomorrow. Besides the fact that it is strange not to have seen each other much over the summer, it has been extremely busy in the shop. It is hard work being there own your own for an entire week. I am also not sure when she will decide not to work anymore as she is due in December. I suspect that she will stay as long as long as she can get up and drive there! My next project is to find someone to work with us. I guess you can say that this post is sort of a help wanted ad. If anyone out there is interested, please email me at info(at)stashyarns.co.uk. We are looking for someone to work part time during the week, Tuesday-Friday, and possibly a few Saturdays leading up to Christmas.

In other news, Saturday was really busy as usual. I have been a bit lazy getting my gallery section up on the website, and in the shop. Susannah came into the shop with her beautiful shrug knit entirely with the magic loop method. She used Malabrigo yarn, and it looks great!



Hoping for some good deliveries this week. I'll keep you posted.