shallweknit.com

Ok, in case you haven’t noticed the newsletter for September is up!  Boy do I miss Tom when he’s away.  He’s on a business trip and I have been emailing him and a friend to finesse this newsletter.  Tom is the tech-guy and has this pixie dust when it comes to computers, they just work for him, even if I have been trying what he told me to do all (ALL) day, he walks in the room, does the same thing and it works.

Royally ticks me off but I would have loved to have that pixie dust (I guess that’s not a real manly name for it but it’s magic anyways) today as I was trying to get this newsletter online.  He solved most of my issues long distance and he is soooooo patient.  And its up!

And in happier news, orders are coming in.  HiyaHiya came – did you know you can get needles in .7mm?  That is like knitting with ….I don’t know what….they are so thin that I can only imagine that the pixie of computer dust fame uses them to knit gossamer wings.  You have got to see these tiny things.

And, the new Fall Knitters has a shawl by Jane Sowerby out of Jojoland Harmony and it is in too.  But I am being good and working on samples for the Fair.  But isn’t it lovely, and it’s calling my name, I must be strong, I must resist, (RESISTANCE IS FUTILE).  Did you hear that voice?

Have you been to the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter’s Fair?  If not- why the heck not!  It is a great show, put on by the KW Knitter’s Guild which I am proud to say I am a member of.  It is on Saturday, September 8th and is only the one day but it sure is worth the trip.  Go to  http://www.kwknittersguild.ca/fair_about.html  for all the details.

And as if a day spent with knitters and being among all that lovely, lovely stuff that is just crying to come home with you isn’t enough - you can also come and see me.  I will be having a booth there with a friend to help and another friend (and her daughter) holding down the fort at the shop.  What would we do without friends?  I hope I never find out!

I just made a quick trip to Buffalo to pick up some cool things for the show.  One of them is my order of HiyaHiya needles.  If you haven’t tried these yet, you are in for a treat.  The other exciting thing is some Jojoland laceweight yarn.  In the new Fall Knitters, Jane Sowerby has done a simple but awesome shawl out of this yarn.  It is a very slow colour change yarn and my fingers are itching to get started with it.

Patience Grasshopper!  Must finish others samples for the show first.

Just a real quick note cause I really should be working on getting some new inventory into the computer, and working on new samples and …. you get the point.

BUT, we have 3 important dates coming up that I have to share.  All the info will be in the newsletter on the website this weekend.  After my fiasco with the website the other day, I will wait till Tom is here to help with major changes.

1- Shelridge Farms Hand Dyeing – We are going to be going to see Buffy and she is going to teach us to handpaint our own yarn on Sunday, September 16th.

2- Sally Melville – She’s coming to the shop on Tuesday, September 18th for a workshop on Borders and Buttonholes. 

3- Joan Kass – She’s going to be teaching an all day LACE workshop on Sunday, October 14th.

OK, are we all excited now, cause I sure am!

Back to work now.

I am so thrilled this line is here!  I have been talking about it to everyone since I was introduced to it in the spring.  It finally hit the Canadian warehouse last week, and on Monday (my day off) our Canpar guy came to the house to let me know he had 6 large boxes and did I want to meet him down at the shop.  You have to love a small town!

I had my Grandson for a sleepover, so off we went and met Rick at the shop.  Chance helped me unpack all the boxes and stack them neatly and then we got out of there.  He’s 5 and was starting to think that all that lovely stack of yarn would be fun to bounce in.  And how do I tell him no when I think that would be a great idea too.  I distracted him by sending all the empty boxes home with him to build tunnels.  My daughter wasn’t as impressed but he thought it was a cool idea.

This yarn is so delicious!  I have spent 2 days and still haven’t gotten it all on the shelf, everytime a new customer comes into the shop I make them touch it and tell them all about it.  I think I’m wearing a bald patch in some of the skeins.

They have done a lovely job with designing the yarns.  There is Sulka which is Merino/Alpaca/Silk and knits to a chunky tension.  Then there is Miska which is a Worsted 100% Baby Llama.  Hacho is a handpainted Merino DK and Cotanani is Pima Cotton and Merino and knits to a DK tension as well.  Jane Ellison has done the patterns and they are truly lovely. 

I do have to admit that I have started a garment out of the Sulka.  I just couldn’t resist and I need to see how it knits and I need samples for the Knitters Fair and ….OK, I’m weak, I just wanted to knit with it and touch it and feel it and I think I’m in love.

And as if my yarn cup wasn’t full enough – behold this new addition from Cat Bordhi.

OK, when Tom told me how to change the frontpage of this website it made sense.  Maybe I should have made him write it down.  If you feel like we’re going backwards, relax.  It’s just me and technology going at it again.  I think that’s why I like knitting – you are truly responsible for what you are doing and not at the whims of some code buried somewhere that makes no sense whatsoever to the normal person. 

Luckily I have one of those un-normal types who understands that kind of thing.  Unfortunately, his paying job gets in my way sometimes and he is off doing that.  So I am trying to solve this longdistance.  Thank goodness for Blackberries, I can pick his brain wherever he is!

But the good news is that I got 2 big orders in today at the shop (actually I’m closed today but the joy of a small town – Rick the Canpar guy stopped at the house and asked if I wanted to meet him at the shop – cool!)  The Mirosol Project is in and it should be on the shelves in the next few days, so come on in and see it.  AND Kaffe Fassett’s sock yarn is in AND Cat Bordhi’s new sock book! 

Do I really need to do price labels for it all or can I just sit and read and maybe cast on something new?

This is Victoria, isn’t she a pretty little girl as she is meeting some of her new friends.  She is Louet’s new travelling wheel, and will fold down into a backpack size bag.  She is available in Oak or Beech and is waiting to be adopted into a loving family.

We’re having a baby shower!  Like I’ve said (and I think I’m getting repetitive in my happy years) this opening a yarn shop thing has been really like being pregnant and going through labour and giving birth.  Well, she’s here,  ” Shall We Knit?” has emerged in all her beauty.  More lovely than in my wildest dreams.

And I want to share this fulfillment of a dream with everyone!  So, starting next Tuesday we are having our Grand Opening and Baby Shower all rolled into one. 

Details – bring a gift for the baby or childrens unit of Grand River Hospital in Kitchener and you will be entered in a draw for some lovely swag.  A new toy or a knitted baby blanket or cap have been recommended as things they need.  We have some autographed knitting books, afghan kits, dye kits, spinning kits and a bunch more stuff.  Even a Nicki Epstein autographed Knitting Bag!

We will also have door prizes you can enter for just coming and saying hello.

SALES – what would a Grand Opening be without some sales!  So we’re putting all cottons and blends on sale as well as a couple of wools.  Magazines – because we were planning on opening last winter (didn’t happen) we have Fall and Winter issues of Knitters, Piecework, Spinoff and Interweave Knits that will be discounted.

So come on in and say hello to my new baby.

How cool is job of mine?  I walk 1 1/2 blocks and I’m at work and then I get to play with yarn and books and talk to people who are just as passionate.  I LOVE my job!

And just to share the joy with you all, NEWS!  Starting next Tuesday, August 14 we are having our Grand Opening Week.  Yup, that’s right it’s on for a whole week!  And that includes SALES! 

First Grand Opening details – You’re invited to our Baby Shower.  No there is no baby but this whole opening a shop has been like being pregnant (for an elephant) – will my baby be OK? will everyone be nice to my baby? will they like her? and what the heck am I thinking?

So we’re talking to a hospital to get a list of things we can donate to their baby department, some knitted, some purchased (a list will be posted shortly).   And if you bring a gift to our baby shower you get your name in a draw for some lovely prizes.

Secondly, starting Wednesday in town is the annual sidewalk sale, so we are going to be tying that in with our Grand Opening.  ALL COTTONS and COTTON BLENDS will be on sale as well as a few wools and some magazines.  And the nice thing is these aren’t old stock that need to get out of here because they’ve been manhandled or are too ugly to sell.  This is all lovely new stuff but we had planned on opening in the spring and I ordered accordingly. 

So you can help me make room for winter stuff by coming and getting some cottons.

Prizes, you should see the loot I have to give away.  I would take a picture but my docking station is at home, so tomorrow I will post pictures of some books and kits and … oh you’ll see…

We’re open! I think I need a nap!