Swap Reduction and a New Friend from Norway

I admit it- I have Swap-in-mouth disease! I love being in these things and was keeping up well. But I was building a house of cards. When I got ill, it all came tumbling down and now my poor swap partners are paying the price. I feel like I will never catch up! I promise, I am working hard to get back on track and am now on a swap "diet". Too much of a good thing is still- too much!

But the benefits are so awesome. Here is my Yarn Junkies 6-Yellow package from Else; all the way from Norway! What a beautiful , buttery shade of yellow, co-ordinating different weights in a yarn that I have never heard of. And the multicolored she sent me out of her own stash that she had purchased in Japan! There are also some scrumptious sounding teas (which I'm going to try as soon as I get this posted).

You are so awesome Articgirl 64! And I envy you your weather- I'm dying to have some cool weather to inspire working on winter projects.

We had a great time at the yarn tasting last weekend. I'm sorry to those of you that couldn't make it due to the re-scheduled date but we will have another one at the beginning of November. Should have lots of great new fibers to try.

And here is one of the fibers, Martha, by Schaefer, in color "Rosa Parks" being worked up in the Ballet Neck Twinset Cardigan by Annie Modesitt from IK Spring 2004. It is lambswool, cashmere and dehaired Angora (who woulda thunk?) and is incredibly soft with no shedding. Of course, that means that Joey has to be sure that there is some hair on it.

Yarn Tasting & Scrappy Business

I apologize for being absent for a few weeks. It is taking a while to climb back from an illness 2 weeks ago but we are almost up to speed. The Fall Yarn Tasting is scheduled for this Sunday, September 9th and the weather should be very conducive to planning that fall sweater, wrap or afghan, so we hope you will join us. The fibers are luscious and I think you will like the fall palette we have chosen.

And this is how a cat performs a yarn tasting-literally!
Thanx to Sasha and Tobie for the great photo!

For the next few months at the shop we are concentrating on "scrappy" projects that hopefully will inspire you on how to combine some of that stash into creative, beautiful and useful projects that you will enjoy or that would make great gifts. Many of them use the Magic Ball technique. I have to note here that I use this technique very differently, but this article gives you some place to start.
The first one is a Magic Ball afghan for the Project Linus Blanket Out that Bonnie and I will be attending on Saturday September 8.

It is using Encore (donated by Plymouth Yarn Company) and the pattern will be free at the Blanket Out. Here is the info:

COVERED IN LOVE - MAKE A BLANKET DAY
September 8, 2007 10A.M. – 3P.M.
Co-Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
5500 Fruitvale Ave

For more information contact: Michele Willis, Project Linus Chapter Coordinator 398-0254 or quilts4kidz@sbcglobal.net or www.orgsites.com/ca/bakersfieldkerncounty
We would love to have everyone join us to work on items for this marvelous local charity.

This is EZ's Adult Surprise Jacket using Indulgence.

It is not actually scrap yarn but you could certainly use scraps of the same weight as I am changing colors every 2-4 rows. Cool, huh?

And this is Chris Bylsma's Ladder Shawl using supplemented scraps, also with the Magic Ball technique.

I'll be dropping the stitches to make the "ladders" tomorrow afternoon at the shop so come on by and check it out.

I'm so blessed to have thoughtful customers, whom I also consider friends. One of these recently brought me a Kitty Catnip Quilt that she picked up on vacation in Hawaii. Precious broke it in and wouldn't let anyone else use it for 2 days!
Even the dogs took a turn on it. Thank you, Mary, and all the kids thank you also. It gives me an idea for creating one out of scrap yarn. Hmmm...............