The Whole Nine Yarns

Ho Ho Ho!

Hello again!  Last weekend, we celebrated our annual Christmas in July and I think it's safe to say we all had a jolly time.  Our instructors were there, with simple and quick knits to get holiday knitting off to a roaring start!  Here's Caryn, my manager and the main crochet teacher; she also organizes all the classes, so I think you can imagine how much I appreciate her.

We had BJ with her "I Got Your Lace" shawl and Ginny with her "Tam-tastic" pattern.  (I'd show you pictures of them, but they were surrounded by customers the whole time!) Here's Judy with her continuous strand  weaving; she'll be teaching that this fall for us!

 But I don't want you to think that's all the news for this week.  We've been receiving regular visits from the Man in the Brown Truck!  Just Monday, he dropped off four HUGE boxes from Berroco. The new pattern books are so fabulous, but the yarns are just as good.  Here's Sundae, a bulky weight yarn with amazing depth of color:

 

See what I mean? I'm also in love with their Vintage Wool, which comes in such a great range of colors and is washable! Oh, and the Lustra - a wool tencel blend with shine and softness to make you just need this yarn!  The patterns are also just so good - a range of wearable things no matter what age you are. 

 

And then, just when we found room for all of that wonderful yarn, along came the boxes from Aslan Trends.  They've launched three new lines of yarn, all kettle dyed. There's a sock weight, a worsted weight and a bulky weight all in the same colorways. With that, you could either mix and match yarns in one piece or have socks that perfectly match your sweaters!

 

The other thing I love about yarns like this is that they can make a simple sweater really look special.  We had one customer who bought the purple worsted weight to make her first garment - a vest.  It is such a basic pattern, but it will pop in the yarn she chose. Who says basic has to be boring?

On a final note, I want to encourage you to check our class listings from the main store site. We have 15 instructors and they are always coming up with new projects. We've also added two new instructors. Melissa will be teaching the Bianca sweater and Louise will be teaching the Botanica Medallion cardigan from the summer Vogue. Welcome to both of them!  The shawl below is the Limbo shawl which was designed for new knitters.  It will teach you everything from gauge to cables, to lace, to seaming.  Just look for it on the August calendar!

 

Keep knitting and thanks for checking in with us!

Debi and the rest of the TWNY gang

Summer is a great time. . .

to sit inside and play with fiber.  I know, I know, people love their gardens and being outside before it gets to hot - I do, too. But I also know that here in Georgia, it's going to get TOO hot to be outside if you can help it.  That means, naturally, that it's a great time to play with yarn and fiber. Heck, you can play with fiber outside, too, since you can really get a fleece dry fast when it's 100 degrees!

I was inspired by the weather to dye some fiber - another great thing to do outside.  We have a dye kitchen in the store, but it's so nice to have plenty of fresh air blowing through the dye fumes.  I dyed some Polworth fleece I got from Australia.  Polworth, for you folks who are not-yet-spinning, is a wonderful long-stapled fleece with a high crimp and a very fine staple.  It's a joy to spin and to knit with. The results of my dyeing are below and are ready to be purchased at the shop.  Please come save me from myself. 

Speaking of saving me, I have to show you some of the wonderful products we've gotten in.  We're carrying organic cotton baby sweater and blanket kits from Appalachian Baby.  Cotton is more than a great choice for the South - it's great year round for layering no matter where you are. We also have the alpaca hat and bootie kits that come in keepsake boxes, perfect for giving.  The only dilemma will be if the mother-to-be is a knitter - will you knit it yourself or let her do it?

We've also gotten the cutest bags from Attenti. Several are more dignified and practical, but the one that made me order it for the shop is this one:

It made me laugh every time I walked past it and has caused a couple of customers to let out screams of joy.  Believe me, it's even more fun in person!

Oh, and great buttons from Gail Hughes.  Some of you may have seen her at Stitches South; we did and made a point to look for her at TNNA.  She has the most creative resin buttons - great for kids and grown ups. I've said it before and it's still true - great buttons can make a simple sweater special. 

 

And once we saw the buttons, we talked about all kinds of uses for them - on a felted hat, clustered on a sweater shoulder like pins, making eyes for animals out of the round ones. What will you think of?

And now for a special feature - Do You Know This Yarn? The only real problem with having a store full of great yarn is keeping track of it all.  With so much, you cn be sure there are hidden treasures all over this store.  So, can you guess what this is? Leave a comment or ask next time you're in the shop - I bet you'll be surprised at what it is!

Finally, I hope you've all got Christmas in July on your calendars!  This Sunday, July 19, from 1-4 PM, we'll be having demos, previews of fall classes and more. For $5 at the door, you'll get a folder full of great patterns that will help you get started on your holiday knitting. This could be the year you finish it all before Christmas Eve!

And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a couple more hours until it's really cool enough to go outside.  I think I can get a few rounds done on my sweater before then!

Is It Tuesday already?

Welcome back!  It's time for our regular Tuesday update.  Just so you know - we'll be updating at least every Tuesday, but maybe more often.  Sometimes, it's just too hard to wait to let you guys know about new stuff.

We've been working hard this week planning our annual Christmas in July event.  Sunday, June 19, from 1-4 PM, we'll be helping you to get an early start on your holiday knitting.  Many of our instructors will be there, displaying simple patterns that make great gifts and showing you previews of their fall classes; there'll even be a discount offered on class supplies purchased that day.  For $5 at the door, you will get inspiration, lots of patterns and some serious new knitting mojo. Oh, and sweet treats to eat.  Can you think of a more fun way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon in July?

Now, to reward ourselves for all the work we're doing to get ready for Christmas in July, we're having a PurlJama party this Friday night!  We had one back in December and it was so much fun that we had to have another.  So, put on your favorite pj's, grab some knitting that doesn't need you to pay too much attention and get to The Whole Nine Yarns at 7 PM this Friday, July 10.  There's no charge for this event, but if you want to bring a dish to share and whatever you feel like drinking, that would be great. We'll be keeping an eye out for those of you who make an extra effort with your outfit - there could be some good stuff in it for you!  See you there! (Teddy bears are optional.)

Now, I just got a delivery from my favorite man in brown - my anniversary Schacht Matchless spinning wheel in cherry is here!  I have to get out my tools and play!