Back...and feeling relaxed

After all the insanity of the last few weeks, I took a much-needed vacation. I skipped out of work early on Friday (which was quite a relief, since it was either that or continue in my attempt to price all 975 skeins of Jamieson wool that are currently on display in the store) and headed up to my parents' cottage for the weekend. It was a nearly-perfect weekend. It was a bit chilly, but heck, it was Memorial Day weekend. It was sunny, so I even got myself a bit of a tan. I spent the rest of the weekend knitting, eating junk food, and laughing (because, in general, my family is nuts -- and my poor husband just has to play along).

Knitting projects: I re-started a drop-stitch scarf made of some Jaeger Celeste that I pulled out of the store's dollar bin. I continued working on my sock (it's the first sock-weight grown-up-sized sock I've made, and despite a little, totally fixable hole where I started the heel, it's looking good). Mom cut up more felt, which will allow me to finish my bag. I decided what I'm going to do with the belt I'm making for the store (it's going to be a fun one). And, while Paul was finishing up the driving last night, I make a dishcloth. Not bad for one weekend. I also ended up having a bit of a trunk show with the ladies next door, who were excited to see the stuff I'd made (and designed). We swapped stories and shared patterns -- and they totally want to drive down to the store to hang out on our big comfy couches.

In other news: I sold my first pattern on Friday. Julie, one of our Friday morning regulars, fell in love with the sample, and she decided that she needs to make one.

I have to tell you how weird (and exciting) it was to listen to the Friday morning group fawning over my design. When Julie tried the sample on, they all commented on how cute it was -- and they had all kinds of ideas for how they'd wear it and what they'd wear it with. I was pretty darn proud to tell them it was my very own pattern. My next pattern is going to be published in the store's newsletter (they're including the pattern my simple crocheted belt, which everyone always comments on). And I'm also excitedly awaiting my contribution to the second issue of Take Back the Knit. Woohoo!

Already a hit...

I brought a few patterns into the store yesterday -- along with the finished capelet sample. I was just hanging out for a few minutes, introducing Paul to those who hadn't already met him, when a customer walked up to the sample (which Sallie was holding up at the time) and said, "Oh, how cute!" and she tried it on (and since she was a larger-sized woman, she was thrilled to see that it fit fabulously).

I have to tell you -- I was pretty proud of myself at that moment.

Tomorrow is the first big Monthly Meeting at the store. I have to work all day, and from 6-8, we're having a potluck time to sit and eat and knit. Since I have to work all day (and thereby only have a tiny fridge -- which will most likely be full -- and no oven -- only a tiny microwave), I have no idea what I'm going to bring. I'm thinking chips and salsa. I could bake cookies, but that would take time and energy, and I really just don't feel like it...

I've already got my meeting project planned. I started some socks last night -- just so I can bring them along. :)

Cold Shoulders Capelet

Today I take my place in the yarn store filing cabinet with the likes of...well, all your favorite knitwear designers. Since it was a gorgeous day today (okay...that didn't matter...I was going to take pictures today even if it was pouring), we got out the camera and did a little photo shoot for my new capelet pattern. Then I did a little photo layout work. I chose between pictures I like to call "Is that chipped paint on our deck?" (shown) and "Can you tell this smile is fake?" (not shown). Then I started printing. I'll be delivering a stack of patterns -- along with the sample -- to the store this afternoon. How exciting!


Cold Shoulders Cape 

A few details:
Skill level: super-easy (but let's say advanced beginner)
Yarn used: Lana Grossa New Cotton Print -- 3 skeins
Needles: 9 US (5.5mm) circular

Price: US$4.00 for an electronic copy

If you're interested in a copy of the pattern, email me.

Up at the crack of dawn...

Yesterday my alarm went off at 5:50 a.m. That's just not right. But I was out the door by 6:45, so I could meet Jan, one of my bosses, at the mall before continuing on our drive to Dayton to meet up with the Dayton Knitting Guild. The DKG meets on the third Monday of every month -- at both 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. -- and they have a room where they invite vendors to come and display their wares. Since our store is so new, it was a great opportunity for us to have some face time. We're not that far from Dayton, so we needed to let them know we're here.

We showed up at around 8:30 and got everything set up before the guild members started arriving. I even wore my new sample cape to show it off... :)

The whole day was quite an exciting experience. I'd never been to a guild meeting before -- and it was a blast. Everyone hung out with their knitting while they listened to a speaker talk about making buttons out of polymer clay. Then we had a show-and-tell. Afterwards, we went back to the vendor room for a while before joining a bunch of the ladies at Panera for lunch. We killed some time at a local bookstore (where we found a few books that we need to order for the store), and then we went back to the guild building, where we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and knitting before the evening group arrived.

It was definitely a long day -- we left the mall at 7 and didn't get back until 9 -- but I had a great time. I met some wonderful people (the women in the Dayton Knitting Guild were so welcoming and fun -- and I hope to be able to visit them again soon). I learned about buttons. We had some time in the car to start planning our kids' day and discussing fall classes. And I got to bond with my boss. Exhausting, but fun. In fact, I'd do it again -- even if it means getting up at 5:50.

More work, anybody?

I got a phone call at 10 yesterday from my boss, who was in a bit of a panic. As it turns out, they need to get the store totally inventoried -- with every last skein, hank, and ball, into the computer -- by Tuesday. I've been trying to do that for three weeks, and we probably didn't get a third of the way through. And now we have to do the rest. So I agreed to come in to work. I was there yesterday from 2 to 6, and I'm heading in again this afternoon after I finish the more important stuff on my to-do list. And I work all day tomorrow. And then Paul's brother may or may not be coming for a visit this weekend. If he does, I have some serious cleaning to do, since we haven't touched the basement / guest living quarters in ages (not since my parents were here in February, I'm guessing). ACK!!

Talk about fast...!

When I got home from work yesterday, there was a package waiting for me. Let me tell you...Elann is FAST! I placed my order on Thursday night, and I got it on Monday. Now that's speedy!


Special delivery! 

So here's what I got: on the left, socks for my SIL. In the middle, the top two are for socks for me, and the bottom two are for socks for Paul. And on the right, six skeins for playing around with a skirt...

More knitters on TV

The latest: Bree on Desperate Housewives. On Sunday's episode, she was working on knitting green booties for Gabrielle's baby. Even Paul stopped and took notice. "Hey...she knits too!" he said as he looked over at his wife, who was diligently working on her sample cape for the store...

Yarn-ordering insanity

I went nuts last night. I had some extra cash sitting in my PayPal account, so I bought yarn from Elann. I bought TONS of sock yarn. This (in Cancun Fiesta) is for me. This (in black stonewash) is for Paul. And this (in Purple Sky) is for my sister-in-law. I also got this in Capri Blue for a skirt. It should be here on Tuesday or so. WOOHOO!

A yarn miracle

I sat down to get started on my cape for the store last night. I chose the most gorgeous new yarn (Lana Grossa New Cotton Print in a pretty orange print). The gauge on the band seemed to be a bit different from the one I used before, but guess what... I sat down last night to do a swatch, and the gauge was *exactly the same* when I knit it up on bigger needles. Talk about a yarn miracle! So I started the cast-on last night, but that's it. Hopefully, I'll get more time this weekend to work on it -- and I may just go into the store tomorrow to hang out and knit for a while. We'll see...

Still taking time to knit

Over the weekend, I made myself a really cool belt. I had some Fantasy Naturale sitting around (the color is Fire -- it's absolutely GORGEOUS) from my trip to the Patterworks store last fall. Mom suggested I make a belt. So I did -- while I was watching TV on Saturday night. I did it all in double crochet -- just like the one I made in tan silk last fall. When I was at work yesterday, I told my boss Sallie, and she just sighed and said, "Why does everyone else have time to knit?"

I also started my super-cool felt-y bag. In fact, I started it on Sunday, and I probably could have finished it -- had I had more of the stuff. Right now I'm fretting over whether I'll have enough to finish it -- or if I should just go out and buy more felt in another color and make the bag bigger. But I have to admit -- it looks really cool. I can't wait to finish it and show it off.

Yesterday was my work day. Jan brought a whole bunch of stock to a knitting event on Saturday, and I got to unload the boxes and restock it yesterday -- it really was a great way to learn about what goes where. Now I just hope I'll remember. I definitely learned a lot, though. I spent a lot of time studying shades of wool and our varieties of sock yarn. I also picked out some wonderful yarn for making a cape for the store. It's brand new, and it's so very soft. It's not exactly the same gauge as the stuff I worked with before, but I totally fell in love with it, and I'll make it work. I took three balls home with me last night, and I'll be getting to work on it soon.