It has been a really long time since I have written. The last couple of months at the shop have been crazy!. Sarah Jo told you about the move so I will try to update you from there. We are pretty well settled into our new digs and are loving it. The lighting is spectacular and I'm having a great time decorating the windows. The colors in the yarn seem to have taken on a new life and I'm inspired to start a lot of new projects (but please if you see me eyeing any new yarn in the next 6 months please stop me). I have several pieces started, all of which will hopefully work into great displays or workshops for the upcoming year. The highlight of the last couple of weeks was our day with the owners of OZARK HANDSPUN. They brought basketfuls of yarns and garments and spent the afternoon and evening inspiring us. (you can see some of us in the pic). I hope to see lots of hats and other garments on the streets of Fayetteville this winter in the funky and fun yarn. They showed us their new yarn that is a worsted wool that is dyed as a companion to the handspun that we all know and love(in fact it is called OZARK COMPANION. The colors are amazing! We bought several of the colors, so I hope everyone gets the chance to come see it before it's sold out.

Most of our Fall and Winter yarns have arrived though we are still thinking about some new ones. I'm very pleased with all the Harrisville Shetland that we have. It's such a versatile yarn and I like the fact that it's American made. We got quite a few colors and it will be used by Jane for her shadow knitting workshop. One of my ongoing projects is the Winged Shawl in Harrisville, designed by Vivian Hoxboro. It's on the back burner right now because of the all the other projects I'm working on, but everytime I see the one in the window that Jane did I'm determined to finish mine.

Next week I will be going to Colorado with my husband so I plan to check out the shops in Boulder and Minturn and see what they are doing in that part of the world. I let you know when I get back, Meantime Happy Knitting.

We Moved!!!!!

Hand Held has moved to 15 N Block --- to an actual store! Not that the house wasn't darling, but now we have display windows and fantastic lighting, so You can actually see the beautiful yarn.

It was a strenuous move, but there were lots of great helpers (thanks!)

Our new hours are 10-6 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10-4 on Saturdays, and 10-8 on Thursdays. Monday night knitting has been moved to Thursday nights.

Sasha has adjusted well, and really enjoys napping in the front windows and greeting customers, as always.

We're having a grand opening Celebration all day on Thursday, October 16th. We look forward to seeing our faithful friends, as well as meeting new ones, at our new location. Join us there!

The power of friends, family and knitting

Good news! Saturday night my son was in a car accident near Denver where he lives. He has been in ICU since then - I arrived on Tuesday to join the on-site vigil. Everything, so far, is progessing in an amazing way. I'm so impressed with the medical expertise, the team effort, the miracle of the human body and the will to survive. He is on lots of pain medication and sedated in order to be on a ventilator (bruised lungs) but he had no general anesthesia today and he is actually communicating as of this evening. He was opening his eyes and acknowledging us, trying to smile with his jaw wired shut and mouthed "I love you". We are so encouraged and hopeful that this just keeps getting better and better.

Knitting saves me through all these fearful times. I ask questions, take notes, pass information on the others that wait and I wait and knit. Thanks for all your good thoughts and prayers.
Joy

Let's Dye!

This is from Juliann, the dye lady here at the shop. We are having a dye workshop on June 22, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. Last year we had so much fun. We played with Gaywool dyes, and did a little bit of Kool-Aid. This year we are going to play with a new dye called Culinary Colors. It is an easy dye to mix and does not make a huge mess! It is set in a microwave, and is kitchen friendly! I will set up a crockpot for some Kool-Aid, but we will spend our time with Culinary Colors.

So please sign up now and get on the list. We will be having a great time playing with color, eating, laughing, and making ourselves turn special colors. Be sure to bring rubber gloves and an apron.

And be prepared to HAVE FUN!

A Quick Note

Just a little note about the World Wide Knit in Public Day this Saturday,June 14th (also Flag Day). We don't have anything formal planned but if anyone feels like coming to the shop and knitting outside in our yard they are certainly welcome. We have some chairs though if the weather is wonderful and the word gets spread you might want to bring your own chair or a blanket. Again we don't have anything planned but the lawn is open. I hope to be back(if I get out tomorrow) from New Orleans. Of course the airlines might screw me up again( today I got to the airport for my 11:50 flight and it was delayed and we couldnt find the right connecting flight so I ended up at home). Don't you just love flying these days? It just makes a person just sit at home and knit. Well I'm off to bed as I have to get up at 4:30am to make the flight they promised me for tomorrow. Wish me luck

Our entire line of Mirasol yarns are now 25% off!

Are you familiar with the Mirasol line? Well, it's a neat story and wonderful yarn. So, we bought into it - too much so. But, it's to your advantage on many levels - price, quality, designs and giving back.

Here's the deal - it is luxurious Peruvian fibers, cotton, merino, baby llama and alpaca, spun and dyed in Peru. A portion of every purchase is dedicated directly to the funding of a school in the remote Munani region in Peru. Go to http://www.mirasolperu.com/ for beautiful photos and more details of this fairtrade endeavor. Jane Ellison is the designer for the line and has created some wonderful pattern books - she is highly envolved in the project. "Miralsol" is the name of one the children that lives in the highlands. She and her brother are responsible for 350 alpacas and a local school will enable them to get an education.

We have five different yarns in good quantities and two pattern books. And we are selling it at 25% off. We will have it in our webstore this week so you can see colors and of course at the store store so you can touch it -

Miski is 82 yards of 100% baby llama on sale for $6.67,
Sulka is 55 yards of 60% merino and 20% silk on sale for $5.81,

Hacho is 137 yards of 100% hand dyed merino on sale for $6.67,

Cotanani is 90 yards of 60% pima cotton and 40% merino on sale for $5.36 and

T'ika is 91 yards of 100% pima cotton on sale for $5.36.

New for Fall!

First, I'd like to say, "be in the present and enjoy summer." But, because life never stops, Colleen and I are planning some fall activities that we hope you’ll really like - we're excited. And we’re buying our new fall inventory!

Here are a few of the details so far- Our favorite sales rep visited this week. And as far as the Rowan line is concerned - we're on it! Kim Hargraves is designing fabulous stuff for them and even has her own colors in about six of current the yarns. She has a new book out for Summer which is on it's way and two new for fall. We're replenishing our Cashwool colors and got bunches of lucious Kid Silk Haze. The preview of the fall magazine looks wonderful.

Stephanie had real live Prisim models that we got to try on. The two models were sooo wearable - a swing jacket that covered the derierre and a boxy jacket with curved front panels. We are debating about the line - it is very unique, high-end, luxury hand dye line. See http://prismyarn.com/ which does not do it justice. What do you all think of this line of yarn? How would you like a fashion show and kit sale evening? Any feed back is welcome.

Next, Mission Falls is introducing their wonderful washable wool in a lighter DK weight. We are getting it in all the current colors with a new pattern book. This weight will be so good for our climate and for children's things! Can't wait for that to come in.

Also, we have some ideas for classes and workshops. The Sunday workshops have seemed to work for you all so, we'll be doing more of those. Look for this one - a workshop on the corelation between Good Health and Knitting, yoga for sitters/knitters and how to use the incredible website Ravelry to your advantage and connect to the knitting community "out there".

Another class idea we are planning is a fantastic designer project that uses up your stash yarn. Good, huh? 'Cause you might have some yarn stashed away and might have some small amounts of cool stuff that you don't know what to do with. So, you and a few folks with similar issues, could get together with us and knit Chris Bylsma's fabulous Crayon Box jacket - mitered squares of combined yarns, in colors you choose that is so fabulous. She even has a girl's sized version.

And, we are going to do a Christmas stocking class using the very cute, popular Minnow Knits pattern. If you have never knit socks this is a great intro - first off, it is only one large gauge stocking, not a pair and second you do a real heel flap and turn!

Cynthia Parker is going to teach intarsia knitting - a beautiful Kaffe Fassett knock off pillow top and Jane Foster is going to show us shadow knitting ala Vivian Hoxbro.

Sound like a good start? Let us know what you think and if there is anything more we can do for you!