Introducing Sarah Jo

Hi! This Sarah Jo! Hmm... about me? Well, i love to knit! i learned at Hand Held 4 years ago and i've been exploring the wonderful world of knitting ever since.
The photo is of me in my latest big project (which i normally don't do - i like little stuff): a formal dress for a dance in May. i sort of made it up because i couldn't find a pattern i liked. Thankfully, it worked out.
i am willing to try anything once, as far as knitting goes, and i'll usually follow the pattern the first time, but i'm big on modifying to taste.
i inherited a monthly Teen Knitting Group at the Fayetteville Public Library (third Thursday of every month from 5-6:30pm, beginners welcome) where novices are taught, intermidiates can expand their skill, and all the experts pitch in and confuse the first two groups with good advice and lots of "help".
Oh, i can also crochet (my great grandmother taught me) but i prefer knitting. Unless it's a coaster or some other round, flat object - then i prefer crochet.
So now i work at Hand Held two days a week and love it! i'm learning everything i can and getting lots of practice and good advice.
And that's me. But not the end.

one of my favorite places, and some of my favorite people

I'm so pleased that I've made the time to join the knitting nights at Hand Held. I enjoy seeing what everyone is making, I almost always learn something, and we laugh-- which doesn't come up as often in life as I'd like. Oh-- and they have among the books some of Elizabeth Zimmermann's! My favorite knitting author. Thanks!

sasha modeling baby cap

Though it doesn't look like it Sasha rather enjoys the attention. One of our Monday night knitters needed a model for her darling baby cap and Sasha jumped right in.

Hello from Colorado

I'm in Colorado with parts of my family and am having a relaxing and somewhat productive knitting time. The rest of my family are expert and obsessive skiers so that leaves perenially beginner me much time to myself. I have my projects laid out on the footstool in the living room and will begin a morning of knitting soon. I cant wait. I do have to take my daughter up the lifts this afternoon(she's sleeping in) and will do a bit of town wandering but it then is back to the needles until my husband and I go to dinner tonight at our favorite restaraunt. Sounds like heaven doesn't it? I've started my market bag project that we are very excited about at the shop. Depending upon the outcome we will do a class on it later in the Spring. I found this great pattern in Bag Style that screams Farmer's Market so we hope that everyone who is being ecologically smart will knit one and take them to the Farmer's Market this summer. I'm so excited about all the colors of pima cotton we have in that I may have to have several.

Speaking of Spring. I can't wait for it this year. I'm sure I'm not alone. It's been a cold, unpredictable, and icky winter here and though that makes for good knitting it's feels like it's time to move on. We are getting lots of new Spring yarns and have many plans for all of it.
I hope that everyone visits us soon and sees that knitting isn't only for the winter.
Of course socks are a year 'round project and we are getting more sock yarn than we have ever had and plan to be a Hot Sock location for several of the different brands this spring and summer. You will be reading about this in the upcoming Knitter's magazine.
I guess I ought to get to some of these projects be for I get so far behind that I don't have anything to write about. Happy knitting from Colorado.

A Great Day at The Shop

Like they say, "a bad day at the shop is better than a good day at the office". I love my job! I had a little time to think today since the sale is over and Sarah Jo is helping us out! So, if you come in to get some yarn before the predicted weather hits you'll probably meet Sarah and see a few sale yarns that are left TOTALLY marked down for your bargain of the day! Sarah is a great little knitter and so enthusiastic. She keeps the Teen Knitting Club organized at the Fayetteville Public Library and has taught at the Arts Center on Sang Ave.

Since I posted last, I haven't knit a stitch on the Dale of Norway Fair isle baby sweater, but finished my Koigu modular vest and a Mission Falls Trinket Bag (for this Sunday's workshop, started a men's Gansey out of Louet Gems worsted and made great progress on a Wagtail lace shawl.

I'm including a photo of some customers' finished products, too! A gorgeous Rowan Denim Gansey being sewn up and the classic Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted Cardigan. It is her own design. I love the cable detail and the metal buttons. Great jobs!

Not doing too good...

I'm not doing very well on my New Years resolution to write every week on our blog and to post pictures. I can give you a lot of excuses but I won't. I'll just try harder. Nothing has slowed down in the New Year. Things are hopping at the shop. We are having a winter clearance sale this week and despite the " Icky" weather we have seen a lot of people. I always get excited with a sale thinking about what we can fill those empty shelves with. We have sock yarn from Mountain Colors on the way(bearfoot) and are looking at others. I would like to get more small mill things this year as well as some local goods. I'm also excited about the fiber festival being planned for this fall. Some lovely and industrious people are heading it up and have asked us to be involved in it. If anybody out there is interested let me know because I can tell it's going to be well planned and wonderful. I'm not sure what role the shop will play but we will do what we can to be part of it.
My husband and I took a short trip to Taos NM this last week (my first) and talk about being in "fiber heaven" La Lana Wools was inspiring and made me want to spend more time on all aspects of my craft. I came home with angora from a bunny named Chloe to spin and some fabulous handspun silk to make socks. I was so overwhelmed that I had to go back twice to just drink it all in. Besides that I spent a couple days just walking around the historic district and eating (way too much) My husband skiied and we spent our evenings in front of the copper fireplace in our room at a wonderful bed and breakfast. We plan to go back at another time of the year so we can get the full flavor of this charming Southwest diamond.
Well I promise again I will get this picture things figured out and start posting some of the shop and all that's going on there. Of course when we had our spinning workshop I was so caught up in it I forgot to take any. We are having a superbowl day on Feb. 3 and I will make up for it then. Got to go; I hear the dog drinking out of the toilet.

new Year, New Resolution

It's been awhile and I'm feeling the guilt. My promise to our readers is to blog at least weekly and let you know what's going on in our knitting world down here at Hand Held. I also will get this picture thing down and hopefully make this a much livelier sight. (Are you still with me?). Not a lot going on down here, though it's nice to see that people are moving on from their holiday knitting. Now is the exact right time to be knitting with the crazy weather and some slow down in our lives. We are very excited about the introduction of our once a month Sunday workshops and are especially looking forward to this Sunday's spinning time. I promise I will take pics and post them soon. We are anticipating a good turnout and think that this will be a good time to start carrrying more roving and spinning supplies. We also hope to start carrying more local fiber, as that is another one my New Years Resolutions. Well time to get that spinning wheel in the care and down to the shop. I'll let you know how it all goes.