Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Yarn Cottage has been humming with new knitters, knitters finding us and people signing up for the summer classes. Our coffee group on Tuesday mornings is a hit and keeps on growing. Thursday night is even better now with the Fairhope Farmers Market just out in front of us. We have the benefit of a great caterer with his own portable smoker (I think that's what it is) right in front of our little building and man are his sandwiches great! You can come for knitting, eat supper, buy local goodies, including flowers and go home a happy woman. Where else can you do such great one stop business.

The Yarn Cottage has selected a new charity for our knitters and crocheters to participate in. It is one near and dear to my heart and I am very pleased that the organization has agreed, quite enthusiastically, to my hope that we could help some of the children in Baldwin County. Please come by the shop to pick up your bag of supplies with the pattern included to help this organization. I feel that you will be happy to know that you are making something that will help a little one during the most horrible time in their little lives. To get us started, since we haven't been open long enough to have a clearance room to draw yarn from The Yarn Cottage will be donating the yarn for these little "blankies" for these children. I just need you to knit it.

In order to get you ready for summer vacation and to include your knitting in that vacation, I am reducing the cost of our Namaste bags 20%. What knitting project wouldn't look great being transported in that bag?

The KIDS KNITTING CAMP is looking like a big hit for the summer. Mom's and Grandmother's are anxious to let their young daughters and hopefully, some sons learn to knit. Sometimes it is alot more fun to learn in a "group of your own age" that it is at home. Not a bad way for mom to have alittle free time either. Call us for details. The June class is filling up quickly so call now. We will have one in July also. If you have a group of your child's friends that want to come to camp, I will schedule one that is convenient just for you.

The class room is coming along. As soon as my husband and son-in-law finish with the painting and the new shelves (for the continually coming in new stuff) we will move in. Don't worry about seating for the front room for our sitting and knitting, I have that all figured out.

Now, just like at work, I can finally get to my knitting. I am working on a baby sweater out of Borrocco Comfort in the most brilliant fuschia with the pattern being from Heirloom Stitches. It is knitted with crochet edges. I can imagine the mom's of Mary Claire and Bailey, my grandaughters, will have to toss a coin for who gets to wear it first. It feels so good in my hand while knitting and the mom's like the idea of wash and dry. For myself I am knitting a lace cardigan out of Cascade Rustic which is a blend of wool and linen. This stuff feels great on your needles and the stitch definition is phenomenal. I am also working on a lace shrug from a silk blend for my mom who is in a nursing home. She instilled in me the love of handwork and the satisfaction of making it yourself, so I try to keep something on the needles for her every season. We got a shipment last week of Petit Mandarin from Norway that is 100% cotton and also some organic cottons from them. This stuff is a summer knitters dream. The pattern support is fantastic as well.

Enough!!!! I want to knit. So come in for great yarns at affordable prices, lots of good ideas swirling around from the staff and our customers alike. We love having people involved in it all at The Yarn Cottage.

Happy Knitting,

Rhonda

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Young Knitters


Would you just look at the age of starting knitters here at The Yarn Cottage! Our Nona is helping a nine year old who was shopping with her mom, who crochets, and she decided Ms. Nonna looks like she is having fun with those sticks and string and wanted to try it. And folks, she did. The student is very able and Nona is a fabulously good knitter and teacher. Now, Mary Claire on the other hand is trying to decide which color she wants. (She decided on the pink) We are having a great time here at The Yarn Cottage. The yarn and goodies are still coming. The Namaste bags have been a great hit. Every style and every color. Nobody can have just one. The classses are filling and Thursday night Knit and Eat is a huge hit. We laugh and eat and knit (mostly eat and laugh), but hey, we knit everywhere else. The lace classes are going well. Our students are quite capable and excited about learning new things. The lace scarf/shawl class is starting next week and is being taught by Nona, and if you haven't seen her lace repertoire you are missing out on "lace heaven".
The Yarn Harlot booksigning is next Tuesday at Page and Pallette here in Fairhope. Thanks to Keifer and Karen for bringing her to our neighborhood. We are going to have refreshments here at The Yarn Cottage beginning at 4:30 for those of you who are traveling here to see her. Come join us for fun and refreshments and then maybe we can all march over there together.
If you haven't been in yet to see us, please use this event to stop in and say hello. We love meeting new knitters, crocheters and tatters.
Rhonda