A Shop-Owners Impressions of the LYS Tour (North Puget Sound)

First off:

THANK YOU ALL, FOR TRAVELING AND VISITING US!

We truly were honored by seeing how many of you came to check out our little shop up here in Fairhaven and it was SO awesome to hear how much you liked the shop and the patterns we came up with for the tour!

This was our first time in the LYS Tour and we really did not know what to expect. We were told it is going to be intense. There will be lots of people. So we thought, ok, lets print 60 patterns….(I was still a bit skeptic, if we really needed that many…HA!)

These last 4 days were the most intense work days I had in a while! It was amazing how many knitters and crocheters came out and participated in the tour! We ended up giving out close to 500 patterns!!!!

The Patterns! I haven’t shown them to you, have I?

Well here they are:

When we first thought about participating in the LYS Tour this year, we thought we should have a pattern for knitters and crocheters. For a while, this is as far as we got. Then we settled on wanting lace shawl patterns. Ok again, for a while, we hovered there. Finally we thought, we should try and make a knitted and a crochet shawl as close to each other as possible. This way, if you are a crocheter and liked the knitting pattern, you will still be able to have it and visa versa! This way nobody will feel left out, or sad, or feel the “other” craft got something unobtainable for them. We do feel very strongly about embracing all kinds of fibre arts and artists and wanted to do our best to express that in our patterns.

So, said and done and there were the shawls not long after. It was such fun to pick out the yarn, design the shawls and knit/crochet them up, trying to imagine how people would like them and what kinds of colours they would choose to work up their sample!

We were done with the sample shawls quite a bit before the Tour started and it was SO hard to keep them a secret and not show them off to people! FINALLY the Tour date rolled around and we got to take the precious out. We decided to hang them on the wall in the shop, so they can be seen from all over easily and if you choose to make them out of yarn differently than the suggested one, you could glance over there and decide which one of the tons of yummy yarns and colours you would like to imagine it in.

We were open until 8 pm on Thursday and Friday and we had two sets of knitters that came in just under the wire on Friday, calling and letting us know they were close and asking if we could stay open just a wee bit longer.

We thought, well if it was us in the car, coming up from down south for several hours drive to check out a yarn shop, we would be super disappointed if we didn’t make it, so we stayed. Can’t disappoint a fellow fibre addict!

We were happy to do it and it turned out the ladies were super awesome and we were happy to get to know them.

I have to say, it was one of my favourite bits of the whole tour! The chatting with fellow fibre enthusiasts! Talking about (and in some cases fondling) the latest project on the needles, discussing what and why one yarn is preferred over the other, checking out favourites and regaling in tales of past projects and past years of the LYS Tour of the knitters/crocheters that came in our shop for the first time ever. This is not to forget our regular friends and neighbours that -of course- also hopped on by this weekend! YOU ROCK, but you already knew that!

Look! One of our new friends and I!

I am amazed at the amount of creativity and generosity and happy attitude of fibre folk. I was a bit sad, that I had to “work” that weekend and could not go on the tour myself, but it ended up not being “work” at all. Many of you told us you really liked the shop and the patterns and generally made us feel like a welcome stop on the tour! It was so wonderful! I can really not begin to tell you how great that made us feel! I do hope to see many of you back for a bit more chatting and knitting/crocheting together (or even showing off some of the other projects I have been hearing about, like quilting and weaving and embroidery!!!!). Maybe we can enjoy a spot of tea together and get to know each other a bit more. If we can’t make it, then I do hope to see you again next year and that you at least stay in contact via email! I DO WANT TO SEE THE THINGS YOU KNIT WITH THE YARN YOU GOT! EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM!!!!

Another really fun and sweet gesture was that Meg, from NW Handspun and Andrea and her husband, from Apple yarns took time out of their own busy schedules, to come over to our shop and check on us! I guess they remembered their first time on the tour and how hectic it can get. Thanks guys! It was such a nice surprise to see you. The gesture was absolutely appreciated and made us feel such a part of the group!

In recap: Lots of laughter, lots of ooh-ing and aaah-ing, lots of stuff learned, lots of tips swapped, lots of new friends made and A WONDERFUL TIME was had by Callie and me at Mrs. Hudson’s Yarns and Teas in Fairhaven!  We hope you had a great time, too, and we are looking forward to welcoming you again!

Thank you, from Callie and me!

An update is in order, methinks.

Ok so. I will try and be a better blogger! One update a week? I think that should be in the realm of possibility!

A lot of things are happening! We are getting ready for the LYS Tour (the local yarn shop tour) here in the pacific Northwest coastal region! It’s a big deal and 24 shops are participating from way up in the north, all the way down to a bit south of Seattle!

If you are in the vicinity, do go and check it out! It is tons of fun!

Every shop came up with at least one free pattern (and some even with two). They are all one or two skein patterns and the yarn featured in the patterns is 10% off that 4 day weekend! (May 16-19) There are daily prize drawings (and every shop will give away the same prize, so visiting a few is going to up your chances of winning!) and on the total you can get entered in the grand prize drawing by visiting at least 8 of the 24 participating shops!  Here is the link to the official website for the tour. You can check out who is who on the tour and where we are!

Ok on the knitting front: I have been knitting up a storm and writing as well. I finished a pair of socks, a pair of slipper socks, three kerchiefs, and a shawl, alongside the patterns for all of these! O.O  Pictures of the socks , kerchiefs and slipper-socks will be uploaded to my flickr account shortly.

I have no idea how I got all this done and still kept my sanity!

Let’s start with the shawl! It is my happy at the moment! I spun the yarn for it myself.  I wanted a tight and clean look,  something soft, but  not fuzzy that could hold it’s own in square miles of stockinette stitch. I decided on  a beautiful gray-ish brown Merino roving, spun with a short draw (inchworm) technique, to about a Dk weight.

The shawl was knitted from the bottom up with short row shaping on the “wings”. It’s  a small one, with only 39.5 inches from bottom tip to the top of the wings. I wanted something simple, something for every day, something warm and comforting. I have been thinking about my interpretation for a Jane Eyre Shawl for a few years and now it materialized.
The shawl itself is rather plain, in all stockinette stitch, just as Jane appears to be. The center spine, as it’s only embellishment, does give a hint of Jane’s playful nature though. Just as we get glimpses of it in the book! I dare say, I think Jane would have approved of it!

Here are some pictures of it blocking:

 

Let me know what you think! I will make modeled shots after I pick it up on Wednesday. I got it done on Sunday and blocked it at the shop, but it was not dry by the time I went home, so it is still there.

I really love the shawl.

I do want to change the style of my blog a little, so I will put additional pictures on my flickr account. If you want to see more of the projects, please feel free to follow me there! I apologize for the inconvenience, but I do believe it will improve the overall look of the blog and make reading it more pleasant!

Hey there, I’m back! :)

A while ago, I dropped my laptop to the floor and now it is broken. DH hooked me up with a temporary replacement for now, but the keyboard is coming off it an the D key is having problems (it’s either not typing at all or too many times in a row lol, so forgive me a few errors until I can actually fix or replace my beloved old lappy)

So. I am sure you were wondering what I have been up to. I have been teaching and designing like mad.

I have been hanging out at the shop (since one is loath to call it work, as it is so much FUN)

And I have been made a partner at the shop! WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.. like how I sneaked that in on you?

Yep! Callie was crazy enough to take me on board! THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!!

Honestly, I still can’t quite believe it myself. It’s like a ream come true!

It’s such fun! We are currently working on a class in collaboration with the bead store down the street. If this is receive well, there will be follow ups for that! So the work is starting to pick up.

I am also still reviewing books an knitting of course and I will try to pick up my regular schedule for the blog again soon. (maybe minus a few things and plus a few others)

If you want to keep up with what we are up to, just sign up for the shop newsletter! Email Callie an I am sure she will be happy to put you on the list!

Ok for now I will leave you with a picture of the latest finished shawl:

100% bamboo yarn in lavender! It will go a traveling come next week! WOOT WOOT!

What’s doin’ what’s happenin’?

So I haven’t posted any fibery updates lately. I have been knitting and crocheting a lot though.

A twin size cuddle blanket for one:

and I made these:

midnight blue handspun merino

lavender

black with vintage buttons

The pattern is mine. I made it up for a beginners lace knitting class, to show the movement of the decreases…The pattern will be available at Mrs. Hudson’s Yarn and Teas (by themselves, or as a kit) I will let you know exactly when.

I even plied some yarn for them:

seeeeee? This is the colour of the midnight blue merino up close.

And I designed and knitted this top and a matching shoulder wrap (shown here in a size for my daughter though. I have to knit a few more repeats to make it fit me, but need more yarn for that) It’s for the summer KAL at Mrs. Hudson’s yarn and Teas.

My attempt at “windswept beauty” hahahhaha

and the shoulder wrap

close up of the pattern

I made a headband fro my upcoming beginners crochet class:

and my FB peeps decided it would also look good as either a choker, or a garter for a wedding… I might write the pattern in crochet thread as well…. lets see when I have time!

And right now I am waiting for more yarn to make something really awesome for a friend of mine and I am knitting on a cardigan for myself! In the most beautiful yarn.. wanna see? (the dark colour is a bit more “jewel tone” then in the picture though)

soooooo pretty!!!!!

I also worked in my garden, Planted and moved a few things, but I want to keep this a fiber post…. I will also tell you about my Kefir another time. Yep. Loooooots of happenings in Chateau Rambling Desings

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand you are all up to speed!

Some FO’s for a change! :)

I have finished something Another owl set (I don’t think I need to show you that again.. let’s just say the yarn I used for it was divine!) It was Simply Sweet’s whipped cream in steel. 45% kid mohair, 45% wool and 10% silk! SO YUMMY!!!!

Ok, so, here’s a picture hahaha:

SO SOFT!!!

and I got the lavender shawl done too! (pattern soon to be available at Mrs. Hudson’s yarn and teas!)

A few pre-blocking pictures:

Here is a pre blocking shot

Yarn for this one:

Swans Island, Natural colors collection, 100% organic merino, hand dyed with all natural dyes! OMG! let me tell you! It’s divine!

Challenge your Creativity 2012

I have thought about it, and thought about it, and have decided I will make this an ongoing thing throughout the year.

Every Quarter I will put up a new challenge for all of you. You can participate or sit one out, whatever fits in your schedule! You can do only one for the whole year or work on all of them together. There are no deadlines and nothing to win. Just for the fun of it and for spreading your creative wings!

Any medium goes, fabric, yarn, wood, plaster what have you… Any type of artist can participate. The only thing I ask of participants is: BE NICE! No slurs, and nothing too explicit either. (I don’t like curtailing anybody’s creativity, but this is an open and PG-rated challenge.. keep that in mind. I do not put an age limit on participating!)

Please do let me know via comment here, email (ramblingdesigns [at] gmail [dot] com), or via FB if you want to participate! I will do a little link party at the end of every quarter, so make sure to leave me your blog link! I have also started a flickr group, so people without a blog can participate and share their works of art! (I would still love for peeps with a blog to upload their pictures there as well…)

SO!

For the first quarter, this is the challenge. Read all about it and then go for it!

 

I will put the next inspirational picture and challenge up in April! This does not mean you have to be done with this one in April!!! You can take all year for it… however long you need! Stay tuned!

two more socks!

Got one more pair of socks done last night. Nothing too spectacular, just the softest yarn you can imagine (baby alpaca) and a little cable up the side! These are not for me though (hence they are a bit too small for me) and will go with the blue pair off to a very, very nice person!

Now I’m on to a pair in blue with all round cable pattern! I’m so looking forward!
I also started a new hat, but no pictures of that as of yet.

In other news: A friend of mine in Germany Test knitted the German version of my shawlette! Pattern available here. Remember 50% go to the Red Cross!
I love the yarn she used! Sockyarn!
It makes it look so happy!
Here are pictures:

I may have to make one in sockyarn for myself now! Doesn’t it look so cute???
Thank you to E. and to C. fro testing the German Version of this shawl and to Karen for testing the English one!
You guys ROCK!

FO’s

I have a few, but I’m not showing them just now..
I will however show you a few shots of the spring/summer scarf/shawlette I made!

Not much better then the first one, but you can sort of see LOL
I have no idea why my camera is acting up lately. It was also super windy and ice-cold outside when we took those pictures….I will have to look into getting a new lens for my dSLR… but they are so expensive! *whine*
Hope you all have a great start in to the new week!
More pics of FO’s coming soon! Promise!
Off to go volunteering! Smooches!

New Design!

I have told you all about my secret knitting.. Well I am ready to show it to you!
The pattern is written and is being tested and will be available here at the end of March!

I offered it up to a yarn company. They did not want it, because their designers are working on something similar. YAYYY ME for being at the pulse of fashion and first to bring you a new design, even before the “BIG BOYS”.
So keep this in mind: if you want cutting edge design: COME HERE FIRST!

This pattern is now available in my shop!  

Lace pron! :)

I made it! The birthday present for my co-volunteer.
Tomorrow!

Stats: leftover Cashmere/silk yarn
Pattern: blue Jeans lace leaf shawl
Nitty gritty: Well, it’s done. I have knitted this shawl a total of 11 times and I can honestly say: This was the last one! I will retire from knitting it… But you all can go ahead and knit away! Super easy and super fast!

I love how this one came out.. I do every time.. I may have to knit just one more LOL

ETA: she loved it YAYYYY