385 colors of Cascade 220 Wool

Looks like about 385 colors in the Cascade 220 line of 100% Peruvian Wool. Color Cards in html and in pdf are now online! Solids and heathers, Tweeds and Hand-Dyed Paints.

Lorna's Laces new colors are here!

Just a quick note to say Lorna's Laces New Colors are here!
Sheridan, Midway, Hermosa, Fiddlehead and Valentine have arrived. They are still in the box, but they are here in Shepherd Sock, Sport, Worsted, Bulky, Helen's Lace and Lion & Lamb.

Web scripts should be up sometime today, but if you want part of this first shipment, phone 541-759-3975 or email me store@yarn-store.net now!

Trade Shows and New Yarns

The trade show for yarn and needlework store owners occurs twice a year. It is huge, exciting, overwhelming, exhausting and simply just a fun show. I love seeing company owners that I've emailed or phoned with over the last 6 months. It's like seeing old, but very good friends. It is against show rules to photograph the booths, but I think I can photograph the ceiling. The ceiling does a fairly good job of showing you that this is a large convention center. I was sitting at the end of one of the isles where there was a sandwich shop. This is also the same isle where Silver Reed Knitting Systems had their booth set up. I spent approx 2 out of 3 days demonstrating in the booth. I've spent many years, off and on, teaching and demonstrating machines to the general public. But this was a new experience demonstrating to my peers (other store owners). It seemed a natural step and once I found my groove, it was a very enjoyable experience. I spent half of time operating the standard gauge punch card knitting a lace shawl in very thin lace weight yarn. It was a good project to show considering lace weight yarns and lace is just about as popular as sock knitting! I felt the machines were received very well and the hand knitting community was very ready to look into machines. So I left the show feeling very excited about the future of machine knitting. You have to remember that machine knitting was my first love .... way back in 1984. My favorite thing to do on the machines is hand manipulation. Which I guess I could say is a cross between the hands on of hand knitting and the speed of machine knitting. And, oddly enough, I feel I am much more creative and original with machine knitting than with hand knitting. You can check out knitting machines by downloading my pdf catalog: Silver Reed Knitting Machines.

Lorna's Laces introduced 4 new colors and re-introduced a color that was semi-retired a few years. Tonal variations are very popular right now. We all like to work with color, but too much color isn't often the best look for adults. A compromise between solids and multis are tonal shades. The first 4 above, Sheridan, Midway, Hermosa and Fiddlehead will be in the store in a couple of days. They are in UPS right now! The 5th shade, Valentine, is a color that I never did retire. These colors are available in all the Lorna's Laces lines. I saw some garments done in Lorna's Laces Pearl, a silk bamboo blend. Wow, this yarn never fails to impress. And you'd think after working a project myself with it, it would be old hat. Nope! Anne Modesitt knit Pearl in the color Montrose in her pattern Silk Ribbed Corset. I just fell in love with the garment on display. Just stunning. You can purchase and download Anne's pattern from her site ( I did ). The photo is in another yarn, but I want to use Pearl. Returning to the store to the daily routine of shipping in and out, bookkeeping and so on, took some adjusting. It was great to get out, but nice to return home. The big project this week was still working on the new colors of Cascade 220 and the umpteenmillion steps involved in recreating the new color cards. Cascade introduced 16 new colors in their Peruvian Wool line. When new colors are introduced, you don't just add the colors to the end of the cards. No, the cards are totally redone and the 8 extensive steps involved in making them usable for my catalog, for the website and in a pdf for you takes days and days. I am only able to devote a few hours a day to this job. But the end result is very nice. I will post the pdf URL when they are done. Beautiful shades. I think the Seafoam Heather is my favorite. Pale light blue, with a touch of green to it. These are so new I don't even have them on the website yet. Cascade has a bulky weight wool. Very, very nice. Can't decide if it would be a good investment for the store. It is a superwash, and it knits up really nice. Soft, yet has great body. But do I need another bulky weight? These days it is the worsted and DK weights that seem to sell the best. Makes me think I'm playing the stock market with yarn!! Scary!! Father's Day today. Cody is down from Portland again. Fishing, what else. John's sister Sylvia is here for the week before flying to China to teach. The weather is typical Oregon coast. cool, breezy, can't decide whether to rain or shine . . . . . My music (techno today ) is up loud and I'm working!

In a Fog

The Oregon Coast has been in a fog all week, alternating with rain. Is this June? Do I live on planet Earth? Looking back over the past week, even my brain is in a fog.

What have I accomplished?

Besides the daily shipping and admin work, I'm not sure . . . ha ha . . . Well, on Wednes day I attempted to purchase an iphone on my current contract. Hit a snag, there. Made a decision and attempted again on Thursday. Now I've been thinking about this since the day I bought an ipod touch, which was months ago. This is no impulse decision. With the help of Becky at my local ATT ofc, we set up a conference call for Friday morning. After 4 frickin' calls, the paperwork was complete, and I literally flew into town to buy the phone and sign the deal. My gawd, ATT doesn't want to make it easy for you to switch! But thank you, Becky (ATT North Bend, OR) for sticking with me on this, and refusing to give up nor have an attitude about this.

All this tech is rather new to me, but I'm lovin' it. I ended up downloading ALL my contacts from my Windows Address book. You DON'T want to do that. After hours of reading and research, I created a group within my address book called iphone. And thru itunes replaced the current book with this group. For some reason this replace process is a big secret. GHEESHE!! Found the answer on this blog: http://manismani.blogspot.com/2008/03/delete-all-contacts-from-iphone-using.html

Problem solved. On the social front attended a few parties this week, one retirement and one graduation. It was entertaining. I hadn't seen some of these people for years. A few didn't recognize me. When you drop 40-50 pounds, do weight work and have a great esthetician . . . . more than a few eyebrows go up, and a few comments were received that make even the most mature woman blush.

In the store, have cleaned up many loose ends and "piles" too numerous and mundane to list here. Currently spread across my desk are the Cascade 220 colors. Looks like we are now up to about 380 colors. Can you imagine??? Crazy. Cross reference-edit catalog-edit jpg-edit webapge-upload pdf color card . . . . . my eyes are crossed and I've not even started. Its only the loud pop-rock in the background that is keeping me awake!

Leaving Thursday afternoon for Portland, OR. Will stay with son, Steve, and catch a morning flight to Columbus to attend The National Needlework Assoc trade show. Will return on Monday with lots of goodies to share. If you need to place an order, you will need to do so no later than noon on Wednesday, otherwise, it will ship next week.

Take care!!

Trips, Sunrises and Fog!!

It's official and the last of the paper work to deal with. TNNA (The National Needlework Association) puts on a trade show twice a year for store owners. In June it is in Columbus June 13-15. Plane tickets are purchased, room is reserved and my show passes have arrived. If you will be there, look me up. Most of the time I'll be at the Silver Reed(Knitcraft)booth.

As promised, another color commentary in Lorna's Laces arrived this week. This color is called Sunrise and is a creation from Wendy at Wendy Knits Blog. Dramatic!! I have Shepherd Sock, Shepherd Sport, Shepherd Worsted, Helen's Lace and Lion and Lamb currently in stock, in this color.

Last but certainly not least are two more web site updates. These jobs take up so much time and are simply mind numbing. When new colors are introduced, I need to cross reference numbers and names to my data base. Proof color card labeling to my database. Cascade does a really nice job of scanning the color cards and they are super quick to send me them. I proof their numbers to my database, then process the graphics. Processing consists of removing their numbers, then retyping them along with the color name. Save one copy for my catalog, process again and save a pdf copy for the web site and/or a jpg version for the web page. Last but not least, cross reference colors on cards to what is currently on the web and add all colors not listed. The mind ends up in a haze after a while. This past week Cascade Sierra and Cascade 220 Superwash both had massive updates. Sierra wasn't so bad. It has great colors, just not zillions of them as the Superwash has. The 220 superwash has so many colors, I cannot put the 220 Superwash color cards on the same web page as the shopping cart scripts. Another window opens up for that. Or you can click on the pdf color card and print it out. Next on the to do list is Cascade 220. Sigh . . . . more new colors there too!! On the home front, a somewhat quiet week. Son Cody was down last weekend from Portland, and he's here again this weekend. Lakeside is super for fishing, and he sleeps, eats and dreams fishing. He was born with a pole in his hands. Don't know where he got that. His father nor I fish. But he's a good son. He always saves time for his Mom, whether it is having lunch or taking a few hours out from his day to play pool on our table. I will toot my horn, tho, our games are 50/50. It's fun to beat your son at pool! Tomorrow we will be heading up to Albany for a family picnic. The coast is socked in fog. The valley is in the 80s. I hate fog!! Can't wait to hit the heat. I must be part lizard!! I don't come alive until it hits at least 75 degrees. 'til next weekend !!!

Lacey-Cables

Memorial Day weekend on the coast is often times cool or wet, or both. This year it is cool and windy, but the sun is out, and if you can find a sheltered spot, it is quite nice. But the wind is cold!!

Finished my Lacy-Cable shell. Originally it was to have either 3/4rd or at least a cap sleeve, but after getting the bands and hem done, it just screamed "sleeveless". So be it. This is Alchemy's Silk Purse, a 100% pure silk yarn, in the Poppy color. Used every single last yard of 4 hanks. It was machine knit on the LK150, but the cables and lace is all hand manipulated. Every stitch and every row was architectually planned out. With a machine, you don't knit to inches. You MUST know exactly how many rows you will need.

The LK150 machine was put away today. I was rather sad. I love working with that machine. I believe I will dig the SK280 back out and set up the lace carriage. I don't often do lace on the Silver Reed. With so much to do, just seems like I don't get around to it much. But I have an event coming up in a few weeks and I need to be able to operate this machine, and all its features without much thought. I could do this mindlessly on the Brother machines, but never had to with the Silver Reed. Now my time as come!
If you would like a brochure on knitting machines, I have a 20-page booklet. Email me at store@yarn-store.net and I will email you back the pdf.


The store was all business this week too. Weekly shipment from Lorna's Laces brought in the basic colors, and Cascade as well. This coming week the Lorna's Laces shipment is bringing in the next color commentary blogger color Wendy Johnson of WendyKnits .
WendyKnit's Sunrise should be here Wednesday or Thursday, in Shepherd Sock, Sport, Worsted, Helen's Lace and Lion and Lamb.

Have a great holiday!

Summer Daze

This weekend on the coast, it is beautiful. Saturday it was in the mid 70s in Lakeside, which sits about a mile east of Highway 101. Like a lizard, I love the heat! I don't come alive until it gets warm! And we don't get much of that there. A friend parked his car at our home for the day and, with a grin, handed me the keys. My grin was much bigger!! Needless to say, all work was tossed to the wind! We cruised up to Reedsport to show our temporary toy for the day to my sister, Claudia, who took a picture. What a day. LOVED IT!!

Early Sunday morning, when I usually sit around in my PJs, I was hard at work on the web site. Cascade Heritage Sock Yarn has 12 new colors. Yarn is in stock. Catalog is updated. Web page is updated. PDF is added. CHECK that job OFF.

You know sometimes you get an idea in your head and you just know you have to do it. And you have to do it NOW!! This project is so pretty it is hard to look away from it. This is the back. The yellow at the top and bottom is waste yarn when the shoulder is seamed and I've attached a hem, it will be removed. The yarn is 100% silk from Alchemy Yarns called Silk Purse. What a sin! I'm working it on my LK150 knitting machine. Much much hand manipulating going on. But even so, it is much faster than hand knitting. Sun it still out. It is only noon this Sunday. Am going to find a rock to lay on and soak up the sun!!