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oooh, yummie!  This yarn thing really is a seductive pastime.  Here I am, I’m supposed to be getting ready for the Knitters Frolic in Toronto this weekend and instead of filling bags and sorting what to bring I’m fondling. 

I just had coffee with a friend and brought my newest cast on.  I’ve started a shawl out of red Sensation yarn.  It is a FiberTrends pattern – Ruffles and Ridges, I’m knitting it in Merino and Angora  5.5mm needles.  Once you get past the 807 stitches for the ruffle it will be a fast knit.  And it feels so lovely!  I will have it with me at the Frolic, come and fondle it.

The other thing you will want to check out is the Strickwear kits. Her colours are so inspiring, you just want to cast on right away.

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So Saturday, come and see me at The Knitters Frolic in Toronto.  Please introduce yourself and show me what goodies you’ve found.

Before when there was only a dream, there was also this..

This is what in it’s last life was a local bar and restaurant, loved by the locals and the couple that owned it.  He died and after a couple of years she sold the building.  And that’s were we come in.  The current owner is going to divide the building back into the smaller shops that it originally was. 

This building will probably always be called the Golden Hammer but it has only been that for the last 20ish years.  It was originally built in 1856 and the section that we are leasing was a bank.  And it was a bank until about 35 years ago, according to a couple of locals.  In between being a bank and a bar I have been told that it was a florist and “drumroll please” it was a craft and knitting store.

Over the next few days (as we wait for the permits to do the few things that need doing for firecode) I will show you a few things we are doing and planning on doing. 

 This is going to be the knitting shop of my dreams.  Some days I feel like I should pinch myself to see if this is really happening.  Or other days I feel like I should be committed – “What in the world was I thinking? and why is Tom encouraging this?”

stay tuned

I’m sitting here trying to focus.  It may be that I haven’t had my coffee yet (probably) or it could be the sun (YES REAL SUNSHINE) coming through the windows but I just can’t seem to focus on what needs to be done this morning.

Tomorrow I am in a quilting show.  Now before you say anything, yes this is a Knitting blog but I was asked to be in a Quilt Workshop put on by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Stratford.  Proceeds from their workshops are going to provide safe drinking water in a 3rd world country.  I’m not sure how they got my name but they did and I’m in. 

So, as well as actual workshops they are also having vendors downstairs-quilting and me.  It should be fun and since Stratford is just down the road from me it helps to get my business name out there. 

The other thing is that it will be a good test run for the computer and I.  We are using it as the cash register and while the computer is really smart, it’s partner (me) has a tendency to being tech challenged.  AND next weekend the 28th is Knitters Frolic in Toronto and I have a booth there too.  If you have never been – you need to go!  It is a great show put on by the Downtown Knit Collective.  Almost as good as our Knitters Fair in Waterloo.  But I may be a little biased there as I’m a member of the KW Knitters Guild who runs the Fair.

So I’m sitting here thinking of what I should bring, I have lots to choose from as my house right now is looking like a warehouse.  The shop is almost open and the yarn is itching for a home.  So…do I bring the unusual, can’t get around here stuff, or the stuff you can get but with a twist, or do I bring the practical?

Well, I guess you should come see me in Stratford and find out what really wants to go for an outing.

WOW!  We had a great time last night!  Sally was wonderful, everyone came away from the class looking at knitting patterns differently.  Whether we are designing our own sweater from scratch or using a published pattern, we need to be thinking for ourselves.  As Sally says ” the designers don’t know how tall we are” so how can a generic pattern fit everyone.  She broke it down in such a simple way that you feel like “now why didn’t I think of that?”

Regardless of your knitting level or comfort zone she was able to get us thinking in a new way.  I can’t wait for next week when we go into more depth.

It’s happening, it really is happening!  Tonight Sally Melville is going to be giving a workshop in my shop!  Well not really in my shop, we now have to have the ceiling drywalled so we have moved it to our house.  Originally we were going to have the shop in the house and we were going to live upstairs.  Well who would have known the stuff we would have to do to meet code!  We finally pulled the plug on that plan when it looked like we would have to put a BERM in my backyard to catch the drainage from the professionally engineered parking lot in our back yard.  Can you spell overkill?

Plan B – We have leased a lovely spot 1 1/2 blocks from our house, right downtown.  The building has been a bar and restaurant for the last 25ish years.  But originally it was built 1856 and was a bunch of separate business’.  The spot we have leased was a bank till 35 years ago.  So we have cement walls in the office and storeroom because they were originally part of the safe.  We have an original wood office wall and huge windows.  It is going to be lovely.

Right now we are waiting for permits to drwall the ceiling for firecode and a few other things.  We are so close I can taste it!  A lot of the painting is done and stock is piling up in my house.

But in the meantime, Sally’s workshop is tonight.  So we have turned my house into a classroom and mini store.  We do have a few more spots available if anyone is interested.  But I can’t wait, Did I tell you that Sally Melville is coming to my shop?

One of the most exciting things that is happening right away is our workshops with Sally Melville.  I am a member of the Kitchener Waterloo Knitters Guild which was started by Sally.  We are now over 230 members but we have a problem.  We have some amazing local talent – Sally Melville and Debbie New are both in Waterloo.  While just down the road in Toronto there is Knitting genius’ around very corner.  The problem is that we have no place to have regular classes or workshops with this amazing group of knitters.  A lot of us have had to travel great distances to take classes with these ladies and that is going to STOP!

One of the things we are really concentrating on at Shall We Knit? is workshops.  And what better way than to start out with our own Sally.  She is coming to do 2 workshops on the 17th and 24th of April (info in newsletter) and we can’t wait.  There are still some openings  so it’s not too late to call.

Come on in, pull out your needles, lets get to know each other.  My name is Karen and with my best friend Tom (who just happens to be my hubbie) we are opening Shall We Knit? in New Hamburg later this month.

I started knitting when I was pregnant with my daughter.  The first pair of booties would fit her now, only problem is that she is now 29 years old.  So the knitting didn’t start too smoothly but I was hooked. 

I think one of the first major knitting books I bought was one of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s.  I’ve always loved her way of looking at knitting – there is no right and wrong – only new things to discover.  That’s the fascinating thing about knitting, no matter how long we do it there is always something new to learn or try. 

For over 20 years I have talked with Tom about my dream knitting shop.  Well,  last year he finally kicked me off the fence, he said that maybe it was time to stop talking about that shop and make it a reality.

And so here we are.  In the next few posts I will fill you in on how we got here, where we are and what our plans are.  And now back to your regular knitting…