Just Around the Corner

Just Around the Corner was the name of a book I had as a small child. Each page went "Just around the corner, you might see . . . . " Around here, just around the corner you might see more freight!! The weekly Lorna's Laces shipment contained three more colors of Pearl. My mystic is here and I need to start thinking seriously what I want made out of this yarn. Something slinky?

The colors shown above are blackberry, mystic, navy and cranberry. The only other color I'm waiting for now is charcoal. All other colors will be up to you!

Another large box from Cascade Yarns arrived this week too. Top 2 best sellers is the Heritage Sock Yarn and Cascade 220. So I'd say sock knitting and felting is still incredibly popular. 3rd most popular is the Cascade 220 Superwash. I was unsure about this yarn because I didn't think it would be all that popular. You've convinced me otherwise! It's very popular. All wool, and all washable! It knits best at 5 and 5.5 sts per inch. It looks like a 4.5 sts per inch yarn, but it is soft and needs to be knit a bit tighter to retain garment shape.

Took a big step last night and moved my web site. Been thinking about it for 6 months. Been going over and over and over the steps involved, and 7pm was the designed switch time. They say it takes 24hrs to redelegate all the dns servers, but in 2 hours I was able to upload the site to its new home. But it took me another 24hrs for my knees to quit shaking. If someone told me when I was 20 I'd be doing this business, I'd think they'd been smoking something funny! But all is well. Orders stopped for a few hours, but picked up again late last night. Wheeewww!! Boy was that scary.

New patterns from Lorna's Laces and Oat Couture. Will be posting them soon!

A Navy Pearl

Just a real fast post and uploading of this photo. This is Lorna's Laces Pearl in the color Navy. The saturation isn't as dark as I expected, but the variations in Navy are very elegant.
Really, really nice!! Click on the photo to get a large picture.

Been busy doing a lot of administrative work over the last 4 days. I updated my Cascade 220 yarn sheets and created a pdf out of the solids, heathers, quatros and hand dyed. I'm missing the tweeds, but we are working on that! The pdf color card is 17 pages long!! Did you know that there are like 365 colors in Cascade 220!

So what do you all want for the next give-away??

WIP-Cascade 220 color cards

This is something that is really needed. A list of Cascade 220 colors, complete with color # and color name. High quality color. Almost as good as the real thing. I'm not quite half way through. I've been working on them at night. Roughly 360 solids, heathers, tweeds and hand-dyeds in the line.

I did this last month for Cascade 220 Superwash. Superwas was in a real bad way. The graphics were little and did not include the colors. So they were reworked, names added, nice layout etc. They were uploaded to this page: Cascade 220 Superwash Colors. But you can also download and print the pdf version for yourself here. It is a 6 page pdf, full version of the Cascade 220 Superwash colors. It is print quality and will take 1-3 minutes on a fast connection to download to Acrobat Reader.

Today my weekly shipment of Lorna's Laces is due to arrive. Can't wait to see the Pearl in the color Navy. I checked the UPS tracking #. Tomorrow another big box of yarn from Cascade 220. Love it !!!!

Sunday Morning Knitting

Sunday morning was a very productive morning on my knitting machine. Both front and back panels of the Yoke-Skirted top were completed. By Sunday night all was seamed into place. I thought in my wisdom that I needed to reduce the ease. While the top yoke fits me just stunningly, the bottom was too fitted and I looked like a stuffed sausage. Next step, remove skirt, wind up the yarn and hope that in a few days I can rechart and reknit. Actually it goes quite fast once you dedicate a few hours. This was machine knit on my Silver Reed SK280 with Cascade's Heritage Sock yarn. Nice stuff!

Already in mind mind I'm designing another. But I want something for evening wear. Something with some lace. What color? I was once told to knit something in Burgundy. If my memory serves me right, that was late last summer. Burgundy is a color that is not popular right now, but it is way past due for a major resurgence. Burgundy is a color that most people can wear, and wear well, and I'm no exception. I was trying to image Burgundy with white bands, and how to work the lace in. But now I'm thinking that the white bands would take away from the lace, so how about all burgundy with lace. And lace were? What part of me is supposed to be peeping out? I thought a lace panel that parallels the band would be nice, but the neck is shaped. So maybe pivot the whole yoke so no shaping is done on the v-neck. It's possible, but I will need to cut some pattern paper and pivot it on the chart. Well first things first. Let's finish the Jade and Chocolate.

I selected another job from my long "to-do" list. My Figheadh Patternworks page for adult sweaters is now complete with pictures and pattern details. I just love to cross things off my list! This week I'm expecting more Addi Needles and my weekly Lorna's Laces shipment. Addi needles and single patterns are the #1 item I've been shipping over the past 5 days. In the Lorna's Laces shipment I can see that Pearl in Navy is due to arrive. I'm thinking this will be super rich, super saturated and super shiny. That'll be the first bag of yarn I'll be digging out.

Time to think about another give-away. I've done yarn and I've done needles. Any suggestions??

Designers Unite

You all need to be aware of of this situation.
http://www.modeknit.com/2009/02/valuing-our-work.html

Angelika
VP Association of Knitwear Designers

Small Jobs, Big Jobs

All done!! Mark that HUGE job off my list!! (but don't look at all the jobs that stacked up underneath!).

The Lion & Lamb photos are complete and up on their page. I photographed them late last night and after freight out and freight in today, I managed to prep them for print and web.

So who's watching American Idol these days?? I missed Wednesday night. (had a prior committee to knock the socks off of a few men's pool playing skills. Yeah, baby, I did goood! Won 5 out of 7 games. ) I have a few favorites from past years. Kellie Pickler was so darn cute during her show. I have both her CDs. I'm not toooo into country, but her voice just gets me. David Cook from last year really brings back the memories of rock from my party years. Oh wait, I'm still party-ing!! Well, you know, way back when...we just won't say exactly when . . . . . So spinning in my CD player as I work the web and orders is Kellie Pickler, David Cook, and Greg Allman. I think my hubby alternates between worrying about mid-life crises and smirking . . . . Gotta go excercise....need to stay in shape!

Soon!

Pearl

Such a busy week!! In a busy week one gets soooo much done!! The photographs of the new colors of Shepherd Bulky were put up a few days ago. Already colors are flying off the shelves. Shepherd Sock is always the most popular, but it was good to see the Shepherd Sport was a close 2nd. Shepherd Sport is an ideal weight for sweaters in my opinion. It produces a drapy fabric that is as comfortable as a t-shirt to wear, yet still warm. Coming soon, the Lion & Lamb Photos!

Just today, UPS brought in my weekly Lorna's Laces shipment. Despite just ordering, I already received Pearl in Natural and Aqua. Pearl is a new yarn from Lorna's Laces . 51% silk, 49% bamboo. 215 yds/3.5 ounces. 5 sts per inch on a US#6 or 7 needle. oh so luscious!! Amazing!!! This is Amy's Vintage Office (on the left) and Natural and Aqua. Lots to photograph. Be back soon!