Colleen Davis Is Back On!

I know a lot of people are confused as to what is going on with Colleen Davis' Workshops that were scheduled and then canceled. Let me tell you that there was a little confusion and misunderstandings going on and I am happy to say that all things are sorted out and are back on track. YES.... Colleen Davis will be in our store to teach her four classes, which will begin on Saturday, April 21st (not the 28th as previously stated) and on Saturday, May 19th. All the information about her classes are listed online as well as in our store (http://www.yarnlady.com/colleendavis/freeformworkshops.htm). Sign up today to save your space. These will go fast, so don't delay! Call the store at 949-770-7809 and reserve your seat. You will be glad that you did.
Niqua

Did You Know About Yarn Lady Specials?

Did you know that Yarn Lady has ongoing specials that are held on the website? If you get the chance to visit the website, please note that we are working hard to get it updated. We are also in the process of re-designing the site to go along with the re-design of our store. Check back often to see all the changes.
The changes so far have been the addition of the "SPECIALS" page. On this page, you will notice all the great deals Yarn Lady has to offer that you can not get in the store. Currently, we are offering Signatur Handknits Kits by Jane Slicer-Smith at prices well below suggested retail. These kits are on a limited supply and once they are done, they are gone for good. Check it out by clicking here (http://www.yarnlady.com/webstore/hotspecials.htm). They are only $300 USD for each kit. You must pay for shipping (even though it is over the $50 policy that we normally have) and there is absolutely no returns accepted. All sales are final. Don't miss out on this special deal. Call Jenny to place your order and she will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have (toll free 1-888-770-7809). Jenny is available Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 2:00pm PST.

Encore Has Arrived

As you may have noticed we have been a little low on certain yarns. As stated in our store, some companies are now shipping three to four weeks out and therefore some of our backorders are taking longer to get in. This is to let you know that the long awaited Encore by Plymouth Yarns has finally arrived. Clayle is busy working to log in all the colors, price them and get them on the shelves for you to finally get your hands on. If you made a special order, please note that these will be pulled first before Clayle puts them on the shelves.
Happy Knitting!
Niqua

Trendsetter Yarn Tasting and St. Patty's Day Sale

My cousin from Germany has been here so it's been like a vacation for me! Taking her places made ME take time and enjoy the sites and the weather and it was great! A little tiring, but great! We went Whale watching (didn't see any Whales but lots of Dolphins. I remembered how much I love being on the water!

I told my husband that I don't really need to go on another vacation, we have all that I would want right here. Of course that doesn't help him decide what to plan for the 40th wedding anniversary we have coming in a couple of weeks.......

Tomorrow we will have some fun of a different sort:

We're having another one of our famous Yarn Tastings. This time again it will be with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. In case you haven't been to one or heard of one, a Yarn Tasting is where the supplier brings lots and lots of yarn for us to try. You get to swatch it and knit (or crochet) with it, try out different needle sizes, try out different color combinations and much more! Here's your chance to try the yarns before you buy them. What could be better?

Barry will also bring a pile of new sweaters from his collection and I'm sure he'll have a mini Fashion Show where YOU get to try everything on.

If that wasn't enough, we will also have a 10% off sale on any green yarn in stock! Come in and grab a basket and go for the green! Who knows, there might also be some other green things there.

Hope to see you there!

Gaby

It's over!!!

Well, we're all done with Stitches this time around. We had a great time and it seems everyone had a successful show. Packing up went real fast because you, our dear customers, bought so much! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

So remember when I said I had to practise backing up the trailer? Well, I DID IT!! First I had to hook it up by myself. It took a few tries, but I got it done. Then I drove to the convention center and God had a spot for me on one of the loading docks. There was already another truck parked on the ramp but there was just enough room for me. You would have been soooooo proud of me if you saw me back that trailer up that ramp in such a tight space.

We got loaded and parked behind the hotel and will be on our way home tomorrow. Keep us in prayer as we travel home. We have a check engine light on but the kind folks at Onstar think that we will make it home OK.

Thanks for you interest and thanks for reading this. If you are reading this and have been at this Stitches show, we would like to hear from you as to what yarns you liked that we may not carry. We are always looking for new yarns and hearing from you would help us choose just the right ones.

We'll talk to you when we get back home.
God bless you!!
Gaby

Our last day at STITCHES

So this is our last day at Stitches. It's raining outside and we hope that it will clear up by late afternoon when we have to load the trailer again.

But before then, we still have a day of fun and activity on the floor. We are almost sold out of all of our bagsale yarn that we brought along. WOW!! That never happened to us before! I seriously considered driving back home to get more, but with an eight hour drive each way, I soon gave up on that idea!!

I have to tell you how much fun we had last night. As you can imagine, after a day on the floor we are pretty tired and our feet are longing for us to just find a comfy place to SIT!! So we asked at the hotel where we should go and eat and some recomendations were made. After we drove there and circled the parking garage forEVER, we found the restaurant only to be told there was a two and a half hour waiting list. NOT!! So we went for a walk and Jenny spotted a Chilly's (is that how you spell it??). We were quite silly and giddy by the time we finally were seated there.

Now you have to meet Lambchop, Jenny's new best friend. Now Lambchop had quite a time behaving herself, but she was having such a good time! She even made Jenny roll around the restaurant on her roller shoes just like she did on the showroom floor all day. You know Jenny decided it was her silly day. We threatened to put a sign on her back which said: Folloow me to Yarn Lady and have her roll around the showroom floor. We may still be forced to do that.

Speaking of fun on the showroom floor: Benjamin who is the head of XRX, came by with his camera and Jenny did the splits for everyone. I wonder if it will be on the XRX website. I'll have to go and look real quick.

Well it's off to the showers and another day.

Oh, last but certainly NOT least: When I finally got a break yesterday, I put my purse down someplace and left it there. THANK YOU to the kind person who turned it in. God bless you!!!!

Have a wonderful day!
Gaby

Times Are Changing

Times are changing....the past couple of years, knitting and crocheting have been a hot ticket craft, where anything and everything was readily available to be purchased. Now, the craft has slowed down a little and the vendors/distributors are having to cut back on their available stock, therefore making it more difficult to get product in our store. We are doing our best to get the items that you are seeking in a timely manner, but we too are having to wait for the product to be shipped in from other countries. Our promise to you is that once we can get our hands on the products, if you have placed a special order, you will be the first one notified that the product is in (and possibly put on hold in your name if you have pre-purchased it). Please bare with us as we go through these changes. Thank you for your understanding!
Yarn Lady Staff

Hello Again from Santa Clara

Hello Again!
If you were at Stitches West today you would have seen the crazy long lines that we had. We were non-stop busy with people flooding our bag sale, as well as all the other sales that we were having in our booth. We are so blessed to have this great response in our booth; we look forward to the next two days. Constantly, people are coming to us stating how much they love our store and are excited to see us back here at Stitches. Thank you! We love you too!
We will do our best to put up some images of the craziness that happened today. Please stay tune and watch for our updates in our newsletters. If you are still planning on coming to Santa Clara and want to stop by our booth, please do so and mention that you read our blog. We would love to hear about your experience while attending Stitches West.
Niqua

Hello From Stitches West

Hello!

Yes, we are here in Santa Clara at the Santa Clara Convention Center for the Stitches West Expo. We are having a wonderful time and lots of people are loving the fact that we have lots of sales (especially our Famous Bag Sale at 75% off the marked price). If you are in the area, please come by and say hello.
To give you an idea of what it is like here, we have attached a couple of images for you to enjoy!
We will do our best to update you each day with more images.
Niqua, Gaby, Jan & Jenny

More classes at Yarn Lady

Martha and Laura teach knitting of all sorts

Charlotte teaches knitting and she loves to do baby things as well as intarsia

and Susanne would love to teach you to make 365 squares, all using different pattern stitches.

Please check out our class schedule at www.yarnlady.com to find out more about these classes and many workshops that we have going.

(OOPS!! It looks like I have only a very small picture of Susanne. I'll look for a bigger one....)

See you there!

Fridays at Yarn Lady

WOW!! Did we have a crowd on Friday!

Actually it is a knitting and crocheting class with Jan and Jenny.

They are there to teach you anything you need to know regarding knitting and crocheting. For a mere $10.00 for a two hour lesson you can join their class!

If you don't need any help, there is a large group that just comes to socialize and knit and crochet. Bring some nibbles to share if you want and come and join the fun on Friday nights.

New patterns by Gaby

So I'm just putting the finishing touches on a couple of my designs. There is something here for every weather.

I know that much of the country is still dealing with cold weather, and here we have it quite warm and are hoping for some rain.
So I made a tank top with Segue Ribbon that you will love to wear! It's easy and quick to make on big needles. So when I was done with the tank, I thought of us who don't want to go sleeveless and added optional sleeves. I even thought how cool it would be if the sleeves were detachable (as in zipper them on and off) If you're up to that- GO for it!

I know, I know- technohair is not the most popular yarn anymore. But if you live in cold weather, you'll have to take a second look at this vest. It's a really easy design- if you can make a scarf you can do it. And it is sooooooooo warm!! Just what the doctor ordered to slip over anything. When we went for a visit to Minnesota in January (!!) I wore it under my coat and I was all set to go! The patterns will be ready tomorrow, so call the store and tell them you saw it on the blog and they'll get you one FREE! You must mention the blog to get it free.

Enjoy!!
God bless you!
Gaby

Going to Stitches!

So we're getting ready to go to Stitches West and packing "everything"!!
If only we had a crystal ball that would tell us just what folks are going to buy. We filled our big trailer again and are still adding last minute items that we just HAVE to have along!

If you're reading this and don't know about Stitches, please go to www.knittinguniverse.com for more information. When we go we take our famous bagsale along. Here are some pictures of a past bagsale, just so you know what it is. http://yarnlady.com/bagsale/fr_open.htm?/bagsale/bs0412.htm

Jenny and Jan and Niqua and I will be going and we hope to see you there! If you're not going, the rest of the gang is still at the store, ready to help you with all of your knitting and crocheting needs.

See you soon
God bless you!
Gaby

Happy Valentine's Day!!

If you're reading this on Valentine's Day, come party with us!
Jen and Jan have brought a Chocolate Fountain to the store with all the goodies!! Come and join the fun.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the love that you have shown us and wish you the happiest day ever!

God bless you!
Gaby

Our Hall of Fame

So here we had a 90 years young lady, Clara Oliver who came to our store to show us this wonderful afghan that she made. Notice all the flowers and detail, which was made in one piece. Did I forget to mention that Clara is legally blind?

Way to go Ms. Clara!!!!!!
Thanks for showing it to us!

Sally Melville

Just got an e-mail from Sally. It sounds like she is going to be alright. Here is what she said:
"I am now home and have seen my doctor. The good news is that the lungs are clear. I just caught that virus that is going around the west coast? It involves a terrible cough. I did have a lot of pressure in the sinuses, but that has cleared. So, although I am very very tired, I believe I am on the mend. The good news is that I don’t have pneumonia and don’t have to go on antibiotics."

We're glad you're feeling better, Sally! We look forward to re-scheduling with you.

If YOU are interested in taking a future class with Sally, please let us know and we'll put you on our list.

Sally Melville Workshop cancelled due to flu

We were all excited about having Sally Melville come to our store again.
Alas, she called to say that she was very sick with the flu! She could barely talk in between coughing spurts. She said that all she wanted to do was to fly back home to Canada and go to bed.

We're so sorry to miss out this time around and look forward to re-scheduling her at a later time.

Get well soon, Sally!!

Football Widow's Party at Yarn Lady

Football!! It's here again!!

Some of us though, would rather spend a day without it!

For those of you who consider yourselves Football Widows, come and join us at Yarn Lady for a special knit and crochet get-together.

When: Sunday, February 4th from 3PM to 6 PM

Where: Yarn Lady Store

Cost: $10.00 per person (please call the store to sign up 949 770 7809)

Bring a friend and an appetiser to share

Trendsetter Yarns listens to Yarn Lady

We want to take a minute to say: Well done!! to Myrna Klein, co-owner of Trendsetter Yarns.
Some of our customers were upset when they heard that the slate blue color # 201 (formally 26903) of their popular yarn Merino Otto would be discontinued. Upon hearing that our customers were not ready to let go of this color, Myrna spoke to the manufacturer on our behalf and got the color re-instated!

Thank you so much, Myrna for listening to our needs! http://trendsetteryarns.com/mseispecs.asp
http://trendsetteryarns.com/aboutus/bm3.jpg

Sally Melville is coming!

I always wonder who reads blogs and WHY we read them. What may be of interest to you ? We have so many interesting things going on that we would love to share!

So this time I'd like to tell you that Sally Melville is coming to town! Actually not to TOWN, but to YARN LADY! You just don't know how much this means to us!

Sally is the author of 4 (count them: FOUR!!) books which are all best sellers. She lives in Canada but travels all over to teach and speak. Some folks are intimidated when "big name" teachers come to our store because they feel that they could not possibly know enough to be able to attend a class. So perhaps I can explain: These teachers don't have time to teach you HOW to knit or crochet. So the minimal skills are required, but otherwise, you are there to LEARN!

It's also difficult to pick just the right day and time to suit everyone. So how do we pick the days, you might wonder? That's easy! If the teacher says that's when I am available, that's the day we pick!

Recently we hosted Laura Bryant, and it's been wonderful to see that folks who took her classes were inspired and came away with a new skill and new ideas for their knitting projects. Taking a class from Sally will enrich you just as much!

Find out more here: www.yarnlady.com/Newsletter/2007/january/january07newsmore.htm

and here: http://www.knittinguniverse.com/xrx/athena/ProsDetail.php?ID=1402


So if you're interested, please call the store at 949 770 7809 or 888 770 7809
See you there!
God bless you!
Gaby

Yarn School

Have you ever heard it called that? Someone said that last night and it made me chuckle. Yarn School!! I guess that's what we have here. Willing participants who come to learn and enjoy their chosen craft.

A few days ago, I just clicked away during one of our many classes. I thought it was interesting what each person had in their lap and what they were working on. Each one a unique piece, stitched one stitch at a time. If only we could see all the thoughts and effort that go into each item!

You know what they say about idle hands. Well there are no idle hands here!

Laura Bryant was HERE!

We were out of town when Laura first got to our store, but when I got there it looked like everyone was having a GREAT time! It is always wonderful to take a class and learn from Laura. She is so very talented! Her eye for color and design and her knowledge of fiber translates into a great experience!

Were you there? You should have been! If you want to see more pictures, please go to
http://yarnlady.com/newsletter/events/laurabryantworkshop.htm to see them.

Having just come from the industry Trade Show, Laura had with her a huge Trunkshow of her garments and accessories. It is such a treat to get to see thosse first hand, and even get to try them on. They always look different in person than in a picture. Niqua even felt that one sweater looked so much better up close than it did on a model in the Trade Show Fashion Show.

Laura was fighting a cold when she was here and was super tired after days on the showroom floor. Still her students came away with new ideas and talents.
Thank you so much, Laura!!! Can't wait to have you back again!

Laura Bryant is coming to town

If you are receiving our newsletter, you would know that Laura Bryant from Prism Yarns will be coming to our store on Tuesday, January 16th to teach a couple of workshops. We are so proud that one of her classes was completely sold out. The other was a close second. We are honored to have Laura come to our store because of her talent as a designer and creative artisian. Please stay tuned for more information on Laura's other works of art. We will try to get some samples in our store for you to see. If you missed Laura this time, please make sure you sign up early next time. You will be glad that you did!
Niqua

Cottons, Cottons, Cottons

Cottons, Cottons, Cottons! Did I mention Cottons?
Albeit that there was not much new in regards to unique items, we did see lots of different gauges of cottons that were hard to resist. This is the season for the cottons for our warm summers. Sock yarns are also a huge hit at TNNA. We have lots to share with you about these - stay tuned for more info in our newsletters as they arrive in our store. You won't want to miss out on all the goodies that we have in store for you.
Niqua

Cold in Southern California

Hello again from TNNA - Day 2!
It is starting to get even colder here in San Diego, California. The weather reports are stating that it is going to freeze close to the coast line. Low winds too! We are not use to this crazy weather here.
Classes are so far great. Just long walks to the rooms from the front entrance. It is a joke that TNNA planned this ahead of time to help get our blood circulated since it was so cold outside.
We met with Edie Eckman and Nicky Epstein. They said they would love to come to our store to do some workshops. Please stay tuned to dates coming. We also said hello to Melissa Leapman, Laura Bryant, Sally Melville, Lily Chin, Judy Pascal, Chris Bylsma, Annie Modeset, just to name a few. Numerous people have come up to both Cherie and I stating that they love Yarn Lady and that we are the store to visit when in the southern California area. Tonight, we get to preview the garments for the upcoming season via the fashion show. There are suppose to be over 140 products, ranging from accessories to extravigant wedding gowns that are completely knitted or crochetted. Each item is more spectacular that the one previous. Can't wait to get the trunkshows from various companies. Don't miss out - Crochet is huge!
Stay tuned for more from TNNA!
Niqua

Day One at TNNA

Hello from TNNA!
Cherie and I are here to take some classes, see the new items for Spring/Summer 2007 and get the 411 on whats new for 2007.
So far, San Diego is extremely cold. They are stating that there will be a frost advisory for the shoreline (which almost never happens in sunny California). People (store owners and staff) are slowing arriving. We have found that most of the people have that dreaded cold that we all seem to have or cant get rid of.
Stay tuned for more information tomorrow - classes will be starting; new techniques will be learned.
Niqua

New Products for Spring 2007

Hello,
It is that time of year again when we attend TNNA (The National Needleworks Association) to preview and order the products for the upcoming season. This time, Cherie and I do not have to travel too far, as the show is in San Diego, CA (just about an hour south of our store). We will attempt to update you via Yarn Lady Buzz as to "What's Hot" and "What's Not".
Stay tuned for more information.
Niqua

More Events at Yarn Lady

Have you read our latest Newsletter? Here is where you can find it: http://www.yarnlady.com/newsletter/2006/january07.htm
In it you will find all kinds of information regarding our upcoming workshops with Laura Bryant, owner of Prism Yarns. You probably heard of their signature yarn: "STUFF" There are only a few more days left to sign yp for that, so please hurry!

January is filling up so fast with events, I already have two more to share with you:
http://yarnlady.com/newsletter/eventscalendar.htm

First off, we will have our first ever Pajama party! Dates: Saturday, January 20 Time: 6:00pm - 12 midnight Cost: $20.00
That is going to be such a hoot!!! Many of you have told us that you want us to do this. So now you have to show up for it!! Here's more information on that:

Dinner: Pizza, salad and soft drinks will be servedDeserts: "bring one to share with all"
Supplies are purchased at Yarn Lady
Project choices:
5 hour baby sweater or blanket,
Jen's cell phone case or
The Clutch You'll Never Give Up from the book "One Skein"
Note: In order to receive a FREE pattern for the 5 hour baby sweater, you must make at least one for Charity

AAAAANNNNNNNDDDD.......................... as if that we'rent enough, we have another event that you won't want to miss:

Yarn Party Wrap
First Choices, Basic Shapes
Basic Manuevers
Advanced Shaping

with SALLY MELVILLE!! That's right, Sally is coming back to Yarn Lady!
http://www.yarnlady.com/classschedule/workshops/sally07.htm

Check on our webiste for further details. Check back often for updates and exact times. You will want to be there for sure! Sally is a very popular teacher and the author of several books. Sign up for all four of her workshops and get a big discount!

Happy New Year

So what are you doing today? Along with the parades and the football I hope you had some time for some serious knitting! I brought home so much yarn for so many things to knit, I just don't know where to start first. The sweater is simple but sweet with a yarn that feels-oh-so-good!! I'm trying to decided if it needs the trim around the neck or not. The trim yarn is a great Prism yarn but one of the colors in it is slightly "off". I'm always trying to tell people that the colors don't have to match exactly and having one that doesn't match often adds a little spice, but here I am, trying to decide.

The capelet is to replace a model that was stolen during our excitement around the time of Stitches East lasy year (can you believe I said it??: LAST year!!) I changed it a bit and added a new twist. Hope you will like it. Still have to write the instructions.

The purse is one out of a Prism book. It uses a wonderful yarn with loops and the pattern calls for it to be felted. I don't know- I kind of like it the way it is. So we'll have to see about that. The pattern also calls for i-cord handles but I'm kind of thinking of using wooden handles. I'll have to take it to the store and try some out to see how it looks. Then I'm wondering if it needs a big ribbon on the front.... hmmmmm....... oh and another thing I did: the pattern calls for all the same color yarn. Well the rebel in me said no way! I want to see what it would look like if I just used random colored yarns. So there you have it!

We also need new models in the store, so I'm on a kick to finish some of the things I have started and to write patterns that need to be written. It's also time to write a newsletter. Wouldn't you know I'm having trouble with the computer- so I'm waiting for my favorite son-in-law to come and bail me out.

The main focus of the newsletter will be Laura Bryant of Prism Yarns http://www.prismyarn.com
She will be teaching two workshops at our store on January 16th. Be sure to reserve that day! You won't want to miss it! Laura is visiting us right after our Trade Show and I hope and trust that she will have some of her newest designs with her for us to see. It is such a priviledge to be able to host designers of her fame and ability at Yarn Lady.

Please watch your e-mail for our newsletter. With all of the spam blockers out there now, I'm afraid that many of them get trashed and I so want to be able to be in touch with you to tell you what's happening.

All of us at Yarn Lady wish you a very healthy and blessed and prosperous New Year!
God bless you!
Gaby

What will you be knitting in the new year?

Sorry to have been quiet for so long. As all of you, the pre-HOLYdays kept me plenty busy.
I just HAVE to share with you what our 8 year old Granddaughter was up to. We celebrate Christmas Eve and after Church and dinner and just before we open presents, we like to do something to really bring home the reason for the season.

So Caitlyn decided to write a script and we were all assigned parts to read. Here she is at the computer, learning how to do things in Word. She came up with a great script (short but sweet). When she read it to me she said: "If someone doesn't like it I will tell them: DEAL with it! This is the way I wrote it!!" After the "play" she and her daddy entertained us with Christmas songs.

My sister and her husband are here on a visit from Seattle. We went through pictures from our trips earlier this year and it made me realize that I still have not shared pictures with you from the yarn shops we visited in Europe. Stay tuned: I will do that soon!

Perhaps YOU have out of town visitors here. I do hope that you'll have a chance to bring them by the store. As time permits, you will find me at the store more this week in case you have time to stop by. Do you remember our former store manager, Mia? She and her husband Robert are in town to visit their family. She has already been at the store twice and I hope she'll have time to visit with us again.

So now that most of the hussle and busstle is over, perhaps we will all have time to sit back and relax a bit and think of what we'll be knitting next. Why not drop us a line and let us know what you are planning.

Talk to you soon! God bless you!
Gaby

It was probably our biggest bag sale ever!

Wow!! What a day it was! I put most of the pictures on a page. There are a lot of images, so please be patient. I reduced their size, so you should be OK.
http://yarnlady.com/newsletter/2006/decemberbagsale.htm

Anyway, we had a great day! Thank you to everyone who came and who stood patiently in the long lines! We had 3 registers going, but it still took quite a while to get everyone processed. I know you got some great yarn at even greater prices. No doubt you know what you will make with all that yarn. Remember that we have just loads of patterns in our library- from single leaflets to the wonderful hardcover patterns now on the market, and of course the knitting magazines.
Also please remember that you can sign up for one of our many classes offered at Yarn Lady. There is so much to learn from our yeachers and each other.

Cherie and Niqua tell me that they are working on a newsletter with more information for you. Please make sure that you read it when it comes! As always, we will select one lucky winner to receive a prize just for reading our e-mail.

If you made it to our sale, you can e-mail us with your comments or comment right here on the blog. We love to hear from you!

Talk to you soon!
God bless you!
Gaby

Our greatest Bag Sale is almost here

So today Clayle and I were at the storage unit getting ready for the big day! We filled rack after rack with all that great yarn. I had to make a list of what's on the racks so we can make a pricelist, so I thought perhaps you would want to have an idea of some of the yarn that we will have.

Please keep in mind that this is only a partial list, since we will have another 50+ boxes full of yarn in our playpens.

If you use yarn for any reason, you will want to be there. If you're a quilter, you will want to be there. If you've ever thought of making your own designer throws, you will want to be there. Take my word for it: you will want to be there!

Pssssssssst........ I'll be baking chocolate chip cookies tomorrow and we'll have them on Saturday for you early risers.... Of course, the coffee will be on as well.

Here is the partial list of yarns you will be able to buy at 75% off....

7 Septembre 10 pack Baruffa
Adhoc 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Aquarius 10 pack Trendsetter
Aton 10 pack Trendsetter
Aura 10 pack Austerman
Barcelona 10 pack Austerman
Barcelona 10 pack Austerman
Bell 'Epoque 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Bergamo 10 pack Muench
Bongo 5 pack Filatura di Crosa
Bugia 10 pack Trendsetter
Calliope 10 pack Trendsetter
Capri 10 pack GGH
Carezza 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Chic 10 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Chispa 20 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Cinta 20 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Coconut 10 pack Trendsetter
Coconut Perla 10 pack Trendsetter
Cometa 10 pack GGH
Cortina 10 pack GGH
Cotone Mouline 20 pack Filatura di Crosa
Cruz 10 pack Muench
Daniela 10 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Dynasty 10 pack Muench
Eclipse 10 pack Trendsetter
Eleonora 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Emmy 10 pack Trendsetter
Emozione 10 pack Austerman
Esprit 10 pack Trendsetter
Euforia 10 pack Trendsetter
Fabu 10 pack Muench
Fee 10 pack Muench
Firenze 10 pack Plymouth
Firenze Boucle 10 pack Plymouth
Fortissima Sock Yarn 20 pack
Giardino 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Iguana 10 pack Trendsetter
Jewel FX 10 pack Berroco
Jolina 10 pack GGH
La Picola 10 pack Austerman
Legacy 10 pack Trendsetter
Linea 10 pack Trendsetter
Linie 97 Iceland 10 pack OnLine
Loto 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Ludique 10 pack Plassard
Lullaby 10 pack Berroco
Marabella 10 pack Trendsetter
Maratona 10 pack Baruffa
Marco 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Marco Stretch 10 pack Austerman
Masai 10 pack Trendsetter
Mayfair 10 pack Austerman
Melody 10 pack Austerman
Microlana 10 pack Austerman
Microlana Fine 10 pack Austerman
Mohair Buffo 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Murano 10 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Opulent FX 10 pack Berroco
Paola 10 pack S Charles
Plata 20 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Policash 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Pom Pom 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Prisma 10 pack Filatura di Crosa
Ravello 10 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Samoa 10 pack GGH
Scarlet 10 pack Austerman
Siam 10 pack Trendsetter
Sir Galli 10 pack Muench
Spumante 10 pack GGH
Streamers 10 pack Ironstone
Topacio 20 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Torino 10 pack Tahki Stacy Charles
Vintage 10 pack Trendsetter

Yarn Lady's Famous Bag Sale 75% off regular price

As you might have guessed, we made it home safe and sound. We've been doing a lot of sleeping. I guess the trip was a bit stressful and we need the rest.

Did you have a great Thanksgiving? We hope you didn't spend all of your money on the day after Thanksgiving and that you saved some for our Famous Bagsale!
For more information on our bagsale, check out our last newsletter at
http://yarnlady.com/newsletter/2006/06november20.htm

Since we are almost giving the yarn away, you will want to be there early for best selection.

Wonder what this picture is? Well it's a picture of one of our darling sewing baskets. When we were in Germany a couple of years ago I fell in love with them and we bought a bunch of them. It turns out that everyone loves them, just not at the price we needed to charge for them- sooo we won't be carrying them anymore. We do have a few left which we are selling below cost. So if you want one for your special someone for the holidays, then you better act quick. Call the store and Janice will get one out to you as quick as she can. 949 770 7809 or email her at mailorder@yarnlady.com
See you on Saturday. The Bagsale starts at 8 AM and ends promptly at 3 PM. Bring 10 of your best friends!!
oh, and please bring an unwrapped gift for our Toys for Tots drive.

God bless you!
Gaby

Isn't God good?

We were just watching the news from our hotel room in Phoenix and saw that many of the areas we just drove through are being pounded with severe weather.....

Thank God that the kids were alright in that center that was destroyed!

Lord willing, we'll be home tomorrow.
See you there!
Gaby

Getting closer to home

We're getting closer!!! We can almost smell home!

So we've had a couple of days of hard driving. Hotels for some reason or other were all full in two locations where we had planned to stay the night, which forced us to put in a lot more miles than we normally do.

Yesterday we were bucking 50+ miles/hour winds. Literally head on. I hope our poor truck has recovered today. Actually, Dutch and I both pray that it's still out there when we are ready to leave. We are really gunshy now and worry about it more than we used to.

I don't know if you've ever driven along Interstate 40. There are LONG stretches between facilities when you hit Texas and New Mexico. Finally there was a rest stop. Now there are PARKING places with no facilities along the way. Who ever thought of that!! Must be a guy thing!!! So here we got to a REAL rest stop and I along with women streaming out of others trucks and cars made a bee line only to find a sign saying CLOSED due to power problems. Mind you the lights were ON!! I wish I had a camera on me to record the looks on our faces and get to interview people right on the spot regarding their thoughts at the moment...... In fact, if you saw Opera's show lately where she and Gail drove cross country, you kind of know where we are.

But I am so very thankful for the clean rest areas and for the gas stations that provide facilities. I'm especially thankful to those whose job it is to get up every morning, knowing that their job is to clean lots of toilets that day.

So I pulled out my knitting. I was working on a poncho to replace one of the ones that got stolen. I think I am pleased with it. It's a little different from the old one which is probably good, since we needed a new look. When we get home I'll take a picture and write the pattern. Dutch is often cold- what am I saying: he is ALWAYS cold!! So I decided that he needed to wear a hat to bed since he wears his hair real short. So after we landed in the hotel last night I made him a hat and presented it to him all proud just in time before he went to sleep. Of course he didn't wear it...... But it's COLD outside, and he may be thankful for it yet :-)))

So Phoenix, here we come tonight!. We've already talked to Mia and told her we are coming. She is teaching knitting at her house so we'll have to squeeze some time in between. We'd also like to visit with Rob and Kay Shields (hi!!!) and perhaps Dutch's cousin. We'll see. So we'll probably be home late Friday.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I'm very aware of the love it takes to remember to pray. I so wish I were more diligent about it.

Talk to you soon!!
God bless you!
Gaby

People to thank

Before I forget, I do want to thank the people again who have come to our aid and to all of you who have prayed.

I couldn't have a first, second, third.... list but I want to be sure to thank Chuck.
Chuck was one of the men who worked the Stitches show and unloaded our trailer and brought things to our booth. If you remember, the trailer had to be towed from Philadelphia to Baltimore and there it sat without us being able to move it. The convention center gave permission to leave it near the loading dock for the duration of the show. Chuck and his colleages emptied and then loaded the trailer for us and then Chuck offered to bring his own truck to move the trailer and keep it at his house for us until we knew how we would get it home.

This morning we met up with Chuck who brought our trailer back to us and helped us hook it to our new vehicle. Since we needed to have electric brakes installed on the car for the trailer, he told us exactly where to go to have it done. He even called a few hours later to make sure everything worked out all right. On his truck he has a bumper sticker that says something to the effect: Does this look like the face of a people person? I told him: "YES! It does!!!" God bless you Chuck! We so appreciate you!

Even the car salesman, who saw us under immense pressure and not from our best side, called today just to make sure we had gotten the electric brakes and were now safely on our way.

The list goes on and on.....

Speaking of the place that installed our brakes: I don't think we ever had such good service! We barely got out of the car that they went to work, replacing a tire which was severely damamged by the thieves, installing a new hitch, bending metal straight here and there and, of course, installing the electric brake connection.

There are some bad apples out there but there are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many good ones!!!
Praise God!!!!!!!!!

Going home at last

Well, I just saw Niqua's post. Looks like we are in front of a computer at the same time on oposite sides of the country..

Indeed, we are finally on our way home! While driving the last few hours, I mentally went over what I would have to say to you here and so many things came to mind then and of course now I draw a blank.....

I told Cherie yesterday that we were soooooo tired of hanging out in Philly, waiting for a descision by the insurance company and then the ardious chore of choosing a new car to buy to take us home. I HATE buying cars. So many choices and then all the haggling...... All our insurance is with one company and they have been on the phone with us a LOT. But since vehicles were taken, personal clothes and business property (yarn etc) we are dealing with three different departments. Some at home and some out here on the East Coast. YIKES!! Who can keep it all straight. As helpful as they have been, it still is very very frustrating. The day before yesterday the local insurance agent told us to hang in there another day before he would officially declare the van totalled. We couldn't make any arrangements until we knew if we were still responsible for the vehicle.

In the meantime all the hotels in the Philadelphia area were full so we couldn't stay two nights in a row except for one place. Looking for hotels alone drove us slightly crazy and when we looked for a way to get the trailer home things didn't get any better. Anyone that Dutch contacted said: too big- too far... Niqua found a moving company who might fit it on a truck going West but they wanted about $6000 for the pleasure. OUCH!!

So we decided that we needed to buy a new car anyway since we are now minus one car and we would rather put the money towards that. As I said before, I HATE buying cars!! We had to buy one big enough to pull our trailer but not so big that it would be impossible for us to drive around town. Pressure!! I could fill pages with the details.... not fun when you're far from home. Our old van was paid for and this one costs MEGA $$$$. Oh well..... Insurance will probably only cover 1/10th or so.

But we are so thankful that we have the means to make our choices. We can't even imagine how people fare who have lost everything and have no place to go and no money or credit. While insurance will hopefully re-imburse us for portions of all this, we do have lots of out-of pocket expenses with hotels, car rentals, phones, meals, clothing we had to buy and on and on. I have a whole new respect for organizations like the red cross who come to peoples aid when they are in need.

So now we're finally back on the road again and going home! Of course we don't hold anything against Philadelphia- we had many wonderful visits there, but this time around, we are so glad to be going home. We have learned so much and found again that when things get tough, we draw closer together and we needed that.

Cherie bought some special yarn at Stitches for all our "girls" who "kept the homefires burning" on the home front and at the show. Now they tell me that they like the yarn so much we will have to carry it!! And we promise that we will as soon as our budget allows.

We're in North Carolina tonight and plan on driving about 400- 500 miles a day.
We'll wave at you as we drive by your house!

Thank you so very much for all of your prayers. Please keep praying as we drive the remaining 3000 miles. Did we mention that we won't be driving to shows anymore, but that we'll be shipping? Speaking of bagsales, the one at our store is less than a month away. PLEASE mark your calendar for the first Saturday in December. Stay tuned for more information and please check out our website at www.yarnlady.com if you've never heard of our bagsale.

Gotta get the clothes in the dryer. Talk to you again when I can.
God bless you!!!!!!!
Gaby

Save the date!

Save the Date! Our semi-annual Bag Sale is scheduled for Saturday, December 2nd.

We have surprises for you that you won't want to miss.

Come rain or shine!

What's Next

Many people are calling and asking "What has happened since Gaby wrote her thoughts".
Since the end of Stitches East, the staff members have flown home and are now back at the store. They have lots of stories to tell as well. My parents went back to Philadelphia to find out what and/or when the van would be finished and they could come home. Much to their surprise, the cost to repair the van was enourmous and the insurance company decided to have the van totalled.

Ok, now they are in the same boat that they were in before Stitches and that was "How were they going to get the trailer home without a vehicle to tow them?" I have tried contacting numerous companies to see if they would tow it back to California. Most of them laughed at me and said no way. I am shocked as to how little resources there are in Philadelphia to get someone towed. I joke with customers who are at the store that if anyone wanted to start a towing business to do so in Philadelphia.

Our only options are to ship all the product home and sell the trailer while there or buy another car and tow it home ourselves.
After numerous phone calls and lots of praying, my parents purchased another vehicle and I am happy to say that they are currently on their way home. I am not sure how long it will take them to get home, but I am just glad that they are at least heading west.

Again, thank you to all those wonderful people who have given their all to help my parents during this crazy ordeal. I know my parents are greatful and are looking forward to thanking each and every one of you.

Niqua

Thoughts from Gaby

So we just returned from dinner in Amish Country. As I probably told you before, they have been so much on my mind and such an inspiration to me. When I walked back into the hotel lobby after discovering that our vehicles were gone, I sat on the couch, unable to really believe that this has happened. The first thing that came to my mind was how the Amish FORGAVE the man who hurt and killed their children. How could I do any less. We only had THINGS stooen, not children.

We are waiting for word about our van. Even though it was recovered, it blew the transmission within three blocks of where we took posession of it again. So now the question is if it is worth fixing with the other damage or if it will be totalled by the insurance company. If they do that, we won't have anything to tow our trailer home with. So God is giving us a time of rest now -albeit expensive with hotel bills and rental cars..... But that's only money. Dutch and I are fine, just very tired.

Although the van and trailer were recovered by the police, the thieves did get away with some things. We had brought three big suitcases full of additional merchandise and models and samples- some of which we just completed... computer equipment, and this list goes on. Because we were going to be on the road for close to 3 weeks, I had packed a lot of clothes and shoes. I didn't know what kind of weather we would encounter so we had everything from winter coats to bathing suits along. All of it is gone. From the trailer they took a rack full of Prism yarn and two hand trucks. Don't know why this is all they took from there- perhaps they were interrupted.... I had a carry-on suitcase full of Dutch's and my shoes, as well as a rain-type jacket and some oter warm clothes...that, too, is gone. So now the insurance company tells us that we must file another report in which we give them a list of everything that was NOT recovered. It looks like we will be wrapped in paperwork for some time.

We do not condone theft or crime of any sort. But after driving through neighborhoods the kind of which we have never seen before on our way to the police yard, in a way I do pray that someone will get warmth from my winter coat, good use out of my new walking shoes, perhaps one of the model garments that was stolen will make someone feel special in a way they never did before. I pray that God will turn for good that which the thieves meant and did for evil.

Before we left on this trip, my older brother in Nova Scotia wrote me a Bon Voyage letter in which he said that above all else he wished us KINDNESS along this trip. We have been showered with kindness from every corner. We are so grateful to all of you! We know that through all of this, good will come and hope that we are open enough to be used as vessels for God.

We are so thankful for all of our staff who helped us through this and held down the fort at home and we are especially proud of our "little" girl, who made things happen back home and set heaven and earth in motion to get her parents off that road. I can just imagine how she felt when she had me on the phone telling her that I was sitting alone in the dark and cold in front of an X rated establishment with cars honking at me. But it wasn't raining and I still hadn't wet my pants (I was there a LONG time) and I had a beach towel I could wrap around me for a bit of warmth. We didn't break down in the middle of the desert or some deserted place. We had people call us trying to help and we did have a rental van that could get us to a warm and safe place to sleep. Our profound thanks goes to the tow truck drivers, who came to our rescue.

So now please pray with us that we figure out a way to get our trailer (and us) home. Yesterday was Dutch's (and Caitlyn's) birthday and we had a wonderful time celebrating with our whole group. We always wonder how many people to bring to help us with the show because of the expenses involved. This time we had Cherie, Jan and Jenny as well as Elaine along. We needed each and every one and were so very thankful they were there. God does work in misterious ways His wonders to perform. I look forward to what's next. As I have access to computers, I'll keep you posted.
God bless you!
Gaby
(from near King of Prussia, PA)

Praise God!

I just got off the phone with my mother. Yes, she finally got her phone charged and now I can talk to her. She said that they got there at 2 am (11 pm PST) and that they felt bad for the tow truck lady because she had been up since 5 am and still had to drive back to Philly and go back to work again at 5 am. Thank you Lyons Trucking Company for getting my parents out of a bad situation.

My mother said that the staff at the convention center and the people running Stitches were such a blessing this morning. They had two workers ready with fork lifts and pallets and they allowed my parents to drive in and on the floor to unload. Note, they could not do this until 8 am (5 am PST) and the show was to start at 10 am (7 am PST). They had to hurry and get things set up and ready for the Market to open. Thank you to all who have put their time and effort to help my parents during this time of need. Without all your help, love and prayers, my parents would not be where they are now... safe, warm, fed and with all the people they love to work with. She said that the booth is almost up and ready, and Kaffe Fassett is there for his book signings. Cherie is working as fast as she can checking out all the people who want to purchase items. The booth is filled with people and hopefully it will all turn out for the best.

If you are in the Baltimore neighborhood, please stop by and give my parents and our staff a big hug. They could sure use it!

Thank you to all that were there and helped my parents, our staff, the staff at Stitches, the police in Philadelphia, Lyons Towing Company, Trendsetter Yarns, Muench Yarns, all the staff here at Yarn Lady, Rancho Capistrano Christian School for the assistance with my daughter while I was on the phone helping my parents, State Farm, my husband and all those whom I may of forgotten. Your love and support that you have given us during this time will never be left un-noticed.

Thank you Lord for watching over and protecting my parents!

Niqua

Help and Support

At this point, the word has gone around to other yarn companies and people were calling the store asking how they can help. Kirstin Muench of Muench Yarns has offered to send knitted samples over night to Stitches to help replace the items that were stolen. Hopefully it arrives in time and it could be of some use for the girls at the booth. Thank you Kirstin for your love and prayers during this whole ordeal.

It is now midnight (9 pm PST) and my parents are still there waiting to go. The tow truck lady was waiting for some lights to be placed on the trailor, as the ones that she had were too small. I called Cherie and informed her that my parents needed a place to park the trailor once they arrived, preferrably next to the convention center so the unload in the morning will be a little easier. Cherie did not know where they could drop it off as it was late and she didnt know who to contact. I felt bad, but I am in California and I dont know who to call either. Remember, there is no parking for large vehicles there in Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Find out if there is an end to the never ending saga!
Niqua

Holding On

So now that my parents are waiting for the tow truck, the tow company calls them and says they will be at least another hour because they dont have the right truck to handle the ball that is on the trailor. So they wait some more in front of the sex store and in the dark with no food and no jackets and its cold outside. Cherie called and said that the mouse of the lap top that she is using for a register at Stitches (Stitches is now open and customers are shopping the Market) is not working and the battery is dead. She needed to know how to open it and to insert a new battery. They were not going to tell anyone about the ongoing saga but customers were walking by and asking why they had such a large booth with little to no product. They thought they had better start explaining what has been happening and the customers began to understand. They starting selling most of the product that they did have. It ended up being a great sale day for them with little to no product to sell. The other vendors were helping the girls which is very much appreciated.

With everything that has been happening with my parents, I wanted to have a back up in case some thing else went wrong. I called Cherie to track Barry Klein down at Stitches. Barry called me back and asked what he could do to help my parents. I asked if there were any vendors there with a hitch. He said there was and that vendor said that after the show ended for the night, they would be happy to go down and help if needed. (They couldnt leave their booth until 10 pm their time). I told them thank you for offering, but that I needed to get my parents out of that area now and into a safer location. Barry informed me that he had a representative in the area and to give him a call. I called their main office in Van Nuys, Ca and Heidi called that rep and asked about the area. He informed Heidi that it was not a good area, especially at night. He offered to help and asked all his neighbors who had SUV's if they had a hitch. Again, no one had a hitch. I asked Heidi if the rep (Andy) could at least go there and be a third person there while they wait for the tow truck and to bring my parents some food and coffee. He said it was not problem as he was just 10 minutes away.

More to come!
Niqua

Break Down

My parents are heading up to Baltimore to finally participate at the Stitches show when the van breaks down in the middle of an intersection in South Philadelphia. At this point, they are not going to get back to Baltimore in time for the help. I called Cherie (our Business Manager who is waiting for my parents at Stitches) and informed her that they are not going to make it and to make arrangements for them to come in later. Now Cherie has to do plan B for the bank, bags for when they do sell product, set up the booth the best that they can for what they have, etc. The girls are troopers and are working tiredlessly on their end to help.

At first glance, my parents though that the van needed fluids, so my father took the rental van and went to go look for some fluids while my mother stayed behind hoping that she doesnt get rear ended. (Remember, they are in the middle of an intersection). My father comes back and nothing is making the van work again. The van is now dead and needs to get to a mechanic asap. Fortunately for them, a Ford dealer is right around the corner. They called AAA and they came and got them off the intersection and they took only the van to the dealer. It is now 3 pm (12 noon PST) and my parents are calling me in California for help. They need assistance with finding a van with a hitch to help pull the trailor up to Baltimore. Their cell phones are dying and they cant find anything. At this point, my parents have had no sleep or any food. I spent most of the day on the phone calling rental companies and Uhaul companies looking for a truck with a hitch. Wouldnt you know that there were absolutely no one who had a hitch. One lady gave me a confirmation number at a Uhaul about 20 minutes away from my parents stating that there was a 14 foot truck with a hitch waiting for them that they could take to Baltimore. Once my father got there, it was not available. Now they still have nothing and it is beginning to get dark outside. The staff at the store, our insurance reps, Barry from Trendsetter Yarns (while at Stitches) are now assisting me with finding other means to help get my parents up to Baltimore. Finally, a towing company says that they will tow my parents up to Baltimore, but that the driver couldnt be there for at least an hour. With my parents cell phone almost completely dead, I had to find out how they were holding up. My father was still driving around town, getting lost looking for a hitch to tow the trailor while my mother stook guard over the trailor and the products that they had to take out of the van before it went to get repaired. My mother was not a happy camper at this point in time because it was dark now, she is standing in front of an adult sex store and people who were driving by were now honking at her. If you know my mother, that does not stand well with her. I called my father and said to get back to my mother asap and just wait as I have help on the way. I was afraid every time the phone rang as I didnt want anything else to go wrong.

Stay tuned for more!
Niqua

Recovered Van & Trailor?

Ok, one would think that there is going to be a happy ending here and now, now that my parents were in Philadelphia and were able to get the van and trailor back. Let me add here that it was a long and hard day for my parents, the girls, the staff at Stitches, the staff at Yarn Lady and myself. I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to all those who were helping me today. I could not keep calm while in California without all of the love and support.

My parents picked up the van and trailor from a yard (not sure if it was the police impound yard or not). They noticed that the drivers side window was smashed in, the only way to start the van was to use a screw driver, there is some red paint on the trailor (looks like someone hit them or they hit something) and all the luggage was still missing. Besides all that, everything else was still there. The only bad part is that my parents still have no clothes to change into. At this point, they have been wearing the same clothes that they traveled there in which was now four days ago. I told them to get some new clothes and they said when this was all over they would. Right now, they needed to get out of the area and to a safer location. Besides all the clothes now being gone, some product that I had sent with them and all the knitted samples were also now gone. I figure its a blessing that those are they only things missing. My concern was for my parents.

My father is now driving their van and trailor in tow and my mother if following behind with the rental van and now they are heading back up to Baltimore. Wait, the saga doesnt end here. Trust me, it only gets worse!

Stay tuned!
Niqua

The Saga Continues

Hello!
I thought I would update you on the continuing saga of the stolen items while at Stitches East. A lot has happened within the last 24 hours.

The last we had mentioned was that the van and trailor were stolen and my parents no longer had any of their luggage. After a couple of days sitting and waiting to hear from the police, my parents finally decided to rent a van and head up to Baltimore where they can be with the girls while they try to figure out what their next step would be and all their options. The staff at Stitches were very helpful and supportive during this entire saga. They gave my father some insight and more options to consider. Just when my parents and the girls were just about ready to pull the plug and come home their cell phone rang at 1 am (10 pm PST). It was the police calling stating that they found the van and trailor. They asked if they could come over and pick them up within the next hour. My parents jumped up from a sound sleep and got ready to make the trip back down to Philadelphia.

One thing that most of the exhibitors at Stitches has been complaining about is the lack of parking for large vehicles, such as vans and trailors. Needless to say, my parents had to park their rented van blocks away from where their hotel was. At 2 am (11 pm PST) they went to the parking garage where their van was parked and found that they were not open until 5 am (2 am PST). They noticed a Holiday Inn across the street and thought they could just sleep in the lobby over there until the parking garage opened. The front doors to the hotel were locked because of the area they are in. After a little persuasion, the hotel staff finally opened the front doors for my parents to come in but said that they dont allow people to sleep in the lobby. Therefore, my parents had to stay awake for the three hours until the garage had opened. They didnt mind because it was safer than being on the street.

The garage opened finally and now they are heading down to Philadelphia where they can get the van and trailor and hopefully get back to Baltimore before 3 pm (12 noon PST) so they can get help with setting up the booth at Stitches. In the meantime, the girls are working at bringing over from the hotel all the books that I had pre-shipped to the booth using the suit cases that they had brought with them. They had to travel over 2 blocks each way toting the products.

Stay tuned to more of the saga!
Niqua

YIKES!! Yarn stolen!

Well, here we are in Philadelphia ready to resume our trip to Baltimore for Stitches East and then back home again. We were trusting that our van and trailer were still safely parked where we left them. Sure enough, they were. So we happily drove to a nearby hotel to spend the night, had a good rest and when we came out the next morning, there was just a pile of glass where our vehicles had stood.

So now we're hanging on to our cellphones, hoping that when the phone rings it will be the police, telling us the vehicles were found. Please pray with us that this may be the case.

We had a little bit of merchandise shipped in for Stitches East, so Cherie and Elaine, Jan and Jenny will be there. If you are going to Stitches, please stop by the booth. We are having booksignings with Kaffe Fasset and Brandon Mabley as scheduled. Dutch and I will hang out in Philadelphia hoping that they will find our stuff in time to still bring it to the show.

A few years back, I lost my diamond engagement ring. After the initial shock and looking everywhere, I thought: we lost two children. Loosing a diamond is nothing. So here we go again. As upset as we are about the theft of our vehicles and merchandise, compared to loosing two children, it's nothing.

Stay tuned. As I have access to a computer, I'll keep you posted. First we have to go clothes shopping. All we have with us is our little carry-on bag with underwear. All our other clothes were in the van. My face also looks pretty scarry, since my make-up was taken from me at the airport........ Other than that, we're just great!

Gaby

Muench Yarntasting

YOU are cordially invited to our next Yarn Tasting!

This time Kirstin Muench herself will be flying in just for the day to bring to you her newest yarns and patterns and model garments.
So you wonder just what IS a yarn tasting?

Some years ago it occured to me that folks might want to be able to try out some yarns before they buy them. Yarns are expensive and we don't always know how they will knit up. Should you go with the suggested needle size? What gauge will you get?

When I first thought of this, I also wanted folks to experiment and kind of break out of their mold. I dumped a bunch of yarn on the table and said: Here! Have fun!! Use different needle sizes, use two or more strands together and see what happens, try different patterns and by all means try colors alone or in combinations that you would normally not use.

So the idea caught on- first with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns who changed the concept a bit. He had us set the table with paper plates and placed a different ball of yarn on each plate. Knitters and crocheters are now encouraged to cast on about 20 stitches and "play" with the yarn. Then change seats or pass the plate along to someone else. You see a yarn you like on someone else's plate, ask for it and play with that. Barry also brings a big trunkshow of sweaters and projects made from these yarns and everyone gathers around to see and try them on.

Now most of our suppliers do this and this has become a very popular event at our store and this week we are so pleased to welcome Kirstin Muench to our store for her very own version of this exciting event. She is a funny lady who knows her yarns and her business well. For many years I have been one of her "Ersatz- Moms" which to me is such an honor! (Ersatz means replacement in German)
Kirstin Muench is the US representative of GGH and the owner of Muench Yarns.

To learn more about Kirstin and her wonderful yarns, as well as her company, please go to http://www.muenchyarns.com/pages/happypeople.html

This Yarn Tasting happens on Saturday, October 21st, 2006 from 11AM to 2PM. Call our store to sign up.
949 770 7809 There is only a $5.00 charge for this wonderful event!

See you there!
Gaby

Four knitting worshops with Judy Pascale

We were so blessed to have Judy Pascale come and teach 4 knitting workshops at our store! Hope you didn't miss it!! At Yarn Lady we bring you many of the best, nationally known teachers to show us up close and personal what they specialize in and would love to teach you.

Judy was here for two days and showed us her special techniques for Beaded Belts, and her Shapely Shawlettes. These two were special project classes. If you ever have a chance to take one of Judy's classes, you just have to sign up for them. She was very informative as well as witty and had so many great samples and hand-outs.

During her Measure, Modify, Knit and Armhole Success classes we learned so much about proper fit and better ways to knit your garments to even make finishing easier and more professional. We often hear that knitters are intimidated by "professional" teachers and knitting classes in general because they think that they have to "know more" before they can take a class. Perhaps they might even stick out in class or not be able to keep up. It was so much fun to have one such person in one of these workshops and I can tell you that she WAS able to keep up and she DIDN'T stick out and she came away feeling that classes are fun and very do-able!

Seldom do we have such positive feedbacks from everyone who attended the classes. If you weren't there for these classes, you must clear your calendar for any upcoming ones. Check our website at www.yarnlady.com and tell your friends!

Tomorrow is the big day!

The day is almost here when Judy Pascale is coming to teach at our store. She is teaching not one, not two, not three, but FOUR workshops! If you haven't signed up yet, you need to do it quickly. You can call our store in the morning or go online at http://yarnlady.com/classschedule/workshops/06pascale.htm and do it here.

You've probably been wondering why we haven't posted. We have just been so busy re-arranging the store and planning new events, getting ready for Stitches and just plain recouperating from our trip.

So slowly but surely I'll get around to telling you about all of the things that are happening. Of course I have no way of knowing if you are actually reading this, so if you are, please drop us a note, or click on "blog this" and sign up and send us your comment.

Judy will be staying at our house with us. Now I'm not the perfect hostess.... My motto is: here is the fridge, here is the cupboard, help yourself. Actually I've been doing a bit of getting ready. I will do my best to let her rest and not pick her brain too much. When Sally Melville stayed with us we had such a good time together, sitting around and knitting.

In a couple of weeks, we have another surprise for you! As you know there will be a workshop with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. What you don't know (and we didn't either until just recently) is that he is coming on another day with a filmcrew in tow. Yes!!! They are filming for a show in OUR store! Don't know what all will happen, but if you just happen to drop by on Wednesday, the 25th of October we'll all find out.

Now they tell me that I'm to keep these posts short and sweet. But I have always been too longwinded and I guess I'm not going to change here.....

Last week several of us had the pleasure of teaching (?) about 65 gals from the MOPS group at our church to knit in about a half hour. Whew!! That was me with the microphone: "Now everyone make a slipknot....... A slipnot is just like tying your shoelaces..." So this Friday we get to do another session and see what they remember. The goal is to make a decorative flower. Then we'll have one more chance the following Friday. How great it would be though if at least some of these young mothers would actually learn and ultimately pass this wonderful talent on to their kids?

So enough for today. If you want in on Judy's classes, better hurry!

God bless you!

Gaby