Knitting and crocheting with friends

I had to cover a shift at the yarn store last night. It is always interesting when I do that, since I'm not there that often and I'm not totally up to date with all the new things that are there (and all the new register procedures:-)))

But as I looked around the store I was so blessed to see so many of you there, taking classes and just fellowshipping with other knitters and crocheters. I stood on a chair and just took pictures in a circle and no matter in which direction I looked, there you were.

Thank you so much for participating in all of the classes, workshops and special events we have here for you at Yarn Lady. Without you it wouldn't happen!

Please make sure you check out our class and workshop schedule so you don't miss any of the events that are coming up!
http://yarnlady.com/classschedule/index.htm

More travel pictures

The proud grandma in me can't wait to share some pictures with you from our trip.

We travelled with a 15 passenger van and a big trailer full of YARN. As you can see, we barely had room for our luggage and OURSELVES!!
Now our vehicles are safely (we trust) parked and in late October we will be flying back to Philly and driving to Baltimore for the next Stitches show. We have scheduled several book signings with Kaffe Fasset and Brandon Mabley in our booth. If you remember they were teaching at our store not too long ago. So if you find yourselves at Stitches East this Fall, be sure to stop by our booth!
See you there!

About yarnstores and lace knitting

As you probably know, we drove from our store with our van and trailer full of YARN to Chicago to do the Stitches show there and then on to Philadelphia. We logged about 4000 miles with the sightseeing detours we took.

We weren't really on the lookout for yarn stores but more for things that would entertain our 7 year old granddaughter, who was travelling with us. (How fun was that!) On our second night's stop, we were in Ogden, Utah and were directed to eat at a certain restaurant and when we came out what do we see but a yarn store right next door!! Of course it was late in the evening and it was closed, but we did press our noses against the window and took a picture.

From there we stopped in Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore and then went on to meet our teacher, Martha at her parent's home in Sioux Falls, SD. Martha just happened to be there visiting with her husband and kids and invited us to meet her parents and see the wonderful old house she grew up in! What an honor! She also took us to see the Cathedral of Sioux Falls and showed Caitlyn the huge pipe organ.

Also in Sioux Falls is the home of XRX-inc.
XRX, in case you don't know, is the publisher of Knitter's Magazine, as well as the publisher of many of your favorite knitting books. They are also the organizers of the Stitches shows. We were invited to come and see their offices and meet the staff. Isn't it wonderful to get a behind-the-scenes look?

Elaine Rowley, who is the editor of the books, showed me the samples of the newest book Victorian Lace Today, that they are working on and I got to meet Lizbeth Upitis, the lady who is doing much of the proofing.

I told Elaine that I wasn't much for lace knitting but then she showed me the samples of the items which will be in the book and she made a believer out of me! There are lots of very wearable things and some of them are not too difficult to make so even the beginner can have a shot at it. Look for this book on our bookshelves soon. You will love it!

What this proved to me again is that things do look different when you get to see them in person. Please remember that we schedule many yarn tastings and other events for you at Yarn Lady so you CAN touch and feel and try on and see in person.

What's been happening....

I haven't reported to you yet about our trip and here we are, about to leave on another one....

At Stitches I could take pictures of our booth only, since photography was strictly prohibited. Understandable, since everyone has their best new designs and ideas "out there" and with copyrights and all..... The point IS that you get to see so many great things and just like in our store, we hear over and over again how overwhelming it all is.

In our booth, we of course had our famous bagsale. (If you're going to Baltimore, do we have a surprise for you!!) We also had a lot of Anny Blatt Angora at half price. On the last day we looked in our pen and found a couple of PEOPLE in it. They, of course, were not for sale at any price!

Of course there was a huge list of other items as well but it always pains me when I have to tell someone that we don't have that particular item with us, but we carried a big van and trailer full of inventory with us and just couldn't fit another thing in.

If you remember Tirzah who used to work for us and her little boy, Robbie, who grew up in our store before and after birth...they came to visit as as you can see, Robbie is about to have a little brother or sister.

If you've never been to a Stitches show, you owe it to yourself to go. For more information go to www.knittinguniverse.com The next show will be in Baltimore and Kaffee Fasset will be the featured speaker. I understand things are pretty well sold out, but, hey, there is always room for one more, right? If that's a little too far for you, the next show will be on the West Coast again.

Remember our special events on Saturday

Just wanted to take a minute to remind you that tomorrow (Saturday August 19th) from 10-4 we are having a very rare sale at our store involving all Prism yarns. You will want to make sure that you come in to select from our huge supply of Prism yarns. http://yarnlady.com/prism/sale060819.htm

Also, we have the great pleasure of welcoming Fayla Reiss for a Freeform Crochet Workshop. Purses are the hot thing and Fayla will be showing you how to make her fabulous creations using freeform crochet. You will need to have the basic knowledge of crocheting and enjoy just having fun. In freeform, there is really no set pattern. We hope to convey to you the idea of how to make this happen and once you understand that and get comfortable with it, the sky is the limit as to what you can create with this technique.

There are still a few spaces left in class so check out the details on our website http://yarnlady.com/classschedule/workshops/06reiss.htm and call the store to sign up (or you can sign up online)

Also on hand for all of this will be Barry Klein who is the co-author of Fayla's book. Come and meet them both and get your books autographed. See you here! God bless you!
Gaby

Day Four - Pack Up Day

Hello!
Today is the most anticipated day of the entire show. It is the day when every thing is done, you not only get to see how your sales went, but you get to pack every thing up and see if you can get what's left in our van and tailor to be hauled to Baltimore for Stitches East in November. The last minute attendees are coming back for those items that they wished they bought the first time they were in our booth and the ones who just could not do with just one of anything they bought....had to buy another to bring to a friend or add to their stash. A lot of our cards, special orders and interest in our store happens on this day. They want to make sure that they can get more once we are gone. This is why we do these shows....advertisement and meeting new people across the nation. My parents (Dutch and Gaby) asked me once back at the hotel if I had fun doing this, as they were sitting there while being fully exhausted and could barely move. I said yes, because I enjoy meeting all the people, making new contacts with designers to come to our store to do workshops for you to take and for what it will create at our store afterwards - a BUZZ of excitement and knowledge of our store.
So we are all packed up now.....having to pack certain items that are staying in the van and trailor and others that needs to go back to the store until the next show when we have to bring them back when we go to Baltimore. It is tricky to get every thing in suitcases with trying not to make them too heavy or else you will pay for them at the airport and also making sure you have room for everything that needs to go home. The glitches that are going on at the airport now with being on orange alert are also making things a bit more challenging. We will get through it with smiles on our faces.
Tomorrow, Stefan, Caitlyn, Elaine and I will be flying home, back to California. Dutch and Gaby will be bring the van and trailor to Baltimore before flying home on Wednesday. See you when we get back.
Niqua

Day Three at Stitches

Hello!
Today was our most busiest of them all so far. We had lines around our booth just to purchase their items. I had all I could do to keep myself calm and concentrating on each customer as they came to the register. I didnt want to stress out by looking at the large lines. I can not image how it will be in November when we will be having at least four book signings done by Kaffee Fasset and Brandon Mobley. It will be busy then too!
We are having a great time. Still have not been able to get away to see what other vendors are selling. We will try to walk around before market opens tomorrow (last day). Barry Klein came by our booth again as well as Colleen Davis. Apparently, Colleen has produced a new Free Form DVD. Colleen asked us if we would be interested in selling it and we said we would. The DVD is very popular, in fact, we have sold all the copies we had today. Colleen said she will give us more tomorrow. Good thing, because we have many people still asking for it.
Patterns seem to be the most popular item that we have, besides the purse handles. Good thing that we have lots of those. Many customers that knew Jan and Jen (our new and wonderful teachers from Chicago) have come by to say hi and that they missed their beloved friends. "Hi Jan and Jen from Chicago! We miss you"
Well, tomorrow is the dreaded day! First, we have to attend a vendor meeting, then take a quick walk around before market opens. Once market opens, we sell those last minute items before we have to prepare to pack up until the next Stitches in Baltimore.
Off to work - until tomorrow!
Niqua
P.S. Guess who we got to see today as a special surprise? Do you remember Tirzah and little Robbie that use to work at our store about a year ago? They moved to Chicago so they could be closer to family while Tirzah's husband went back for more education. Little Robbie is walking and talking and was having a blast eating an ice cream and afterwards climbing in the play pen full of yarn. He apparently is a climber and is very good at what he likes to do. Tirzah is expecting her second child. She is due in a couple of days. She looks really good and is in good spirits. They both said to say hello to everyone!

Day Two at Stitches

Hello there!
Well, we made it through the first day here in Chicago. We are a bit tired, but the attendees are very excited to see us back here at Stitches. (For those who did not know, we have not attended for a couple of years). The show is going well. It is surprising that certain items are selling better than others, but who is to know what will sell and what wouldnt when you are packing? Any which way, we met with Barry Klein from Trendsetter Yarns, Kerry from Prism, Fontelle from Great Yarns, Sally Melville and Melissa Leapman. Melissa is very excited to be coming to our store to teach four workshops in September. If you have not already signed up, sign up soon. Melissa said that these workshops are a lot of fun and so far, all of the ones that she was teaching at Stitches were sold out. Dont be left out - sign up today on our website or by calling our store.
Elaine, Gaby and I are eager to walk around to see what other vendors are selling, but we can not manage to get away. We are trying out a new accounting system and so far, I am the only one who knows how to run it. With a few minor problems with our printer and running out of certain patterns, we are managing to get every customer serviced.
More tomorrow!
Niqua

Arrived Safely in Chicago

Hello,
Yes, we all arrived safely in Chicago before the major developement at all the airports. We are a little concerned about when we have to go home, but we will deal with that later.
The booth is all set up and we are very tired. Tonight, we have to begin selling for a couple of hours before we get to go back to the hotel to get some much needed rest. I will do my best to attach some images later on to give you a better feel of what we have to do at these shows.
Until tomorrow.
Niqua
P.S. Guess who came by our booth today? Chris Bylsma of Chris Bylsma Designs. She said she had a great time at our store and was looking forward to coming out again soon.
P.S.S. Just as we were walking over to our hotel, we ran into Sally Melville. She also said she was very excited to be coming to our store in January. I still need to talk details with her, but please be sure to sign up for her classes. You don't want to miss all the new and exciting things she has been making and designing - WOW! Stay tune for more information regarding her workshops.

Off to Stitches Mid West

Hello!
As you know, Dutch and Gaby (owners of Yarn Lady) have left for Stitches along with my daughter Caitlyn some time ago. Today, they called and said they made it safely and are awaiting Elaine, my husband Stefan and my arrival tomorrow.
I will do my best to keep you informed of all the BUZZ at Stitches for those who are not able to attend. Please check out our Yarn Lady Buzz on a daily basis to see what went on that day in our booth. If you are able to attend, please come by our booth and say hello. Our booth numbers are 427, 429, 528 & 530. We won't be hard to miss with Elaine in our Bag Sale Play Pen. We will also be having show specials, please ask us about them. Don't miss out!
Until tomorrow!
Niqua

Our first meeting of Stitches From The Heart at our store

Yesterday the ladies from Stitches From The Heart met for the first time at our store. We so enjoyed having them and seeing the wonderful little things they make for mostly preemie babies. As you can see they had a big bag full of things that will be passed on to someone in need.

Their brochure says it all:

"Let your heart embrace newborns in need of warmth as they leave the hospitals. Join the volunteers who bring love and warmth to needy infants."

If you would like to get involved with this worthwhile organization, check it out at http://www.stitchesfromtheheart.org/patterns.html

Stitches from The Heart will be meeting at our store on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Please bring your love, your yarn and your needles and join these lovely ladies.




Here is a letter we just received from Peggy Baxter (holding the yellow bag full of goodies):


Dear Gabby, Niqua and the entire Yarn Lady staff,

Thank you for allowing me, on behalf of Stitches From the Heart, to come to your store this afternoon and promote this great charity that I have become involved with. I was overwhelmed by your kindness, generosity and enthusiasm. Everyone from your store was so nice and genuinely interested in what we are trying to achieve. I am really looking forward to next month's meeting (Aug. 23, 2-4PM) and if you can think of anything else I should bring or do, please let me know. Oh, yes, regarding the baby hat sizes, we often say, think of making hats that will fit:
Grapefruit (average newborn)
Orange (small newborn)
Lemon (preemie)
Lime(small preemie)
Walnut (superpreemie)

Oh, course, Stitches LOVES any size hat and will find a baby's head to fit it. We even like to have toddler hats. Blanket sizes are good from 18" square to 30" by 40" rectangles. Again, we love anything and there is always a need for these items. Sweaters and booties are great also, but not as needed as the hats, from what I understand, but we do need them, as well as knitted or crocheted stuffed animals. Hope this additional info helps and let me know if you can think of anything else you might need to know.

Thank you again for a most enjoyable afternoon and am looking forward to next month's meeting.
"Keep stitching for the babies"
Peggy Baxter

It's getting down to the wire! We are leaving for Stitches in a couple of days and I'm still knitting and still have to write the patterns and photograph the models!!! All this yarn and so little time!! It's a good thing we don't have much company because there would be no place for them to sit!! My couch is covered with WIPs in various stages of completion. What does YOUR couch look like?

Back to watching HGTV and Knitty Gritty and Knit one Purl One. Is there a foot activated remote control to fast forward through commercials and still keep knitting?

Don't forget that today we have ladies at our store from Stitches from the Heart. Here is what we said in our newsletter about that:

We here at Yarn Lady have received so many blessings that it is important to us to give to those less fortunate.

We are thrilled to announce that Peggy Baxter of Stitches From the Heart will be in our store on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2pm to 4pm to sit and knit and crochet with you. This is a fun activity, a chance to made new friends and gives a purpose to those who have a passion for knitting and crocheting, but have run out of family members to give hats and scarves to.

Stitches From the Heart accepts donations of items for any size baby from super preemies to big newborns and even toddlers. Peggy will bring with her "official" stitches, pattern booklets and info booklets for you to use. Bring your finished projects or your yarn and sit and knit or crochet with Peggy, starting July 26th.

I'd like you to meet Betty!
Would you believe she produced a Gift Certificate which was awarded to her- did you say 9 years ago, Betty?? She won it because of the sweater she is holding up below. Great work, Betty!!

Of course we reminded her that these certificates are only good for one year, but we thought that an exception was in order.

Did you know that Yarn Lady sponsors the Orange County as well as the LA County Fairs? So if you happen to win best of show for any knitted or crocheted item you may well be the lucky recipient of a nice gift certificate from us.


If you look closely at the pictures, you will also see Betty holding a wonderful purse that she made. I forgot where she got her inspiration but the purse is great. It is also lined in a fabric to match the yarn.

Bring in your knitting and crocheting for us to admire and we'll take a picture and post it here.

As soon as Barry was done showing all the garments everyone was invited to try them on. We should have had more mirrors!

The pink thing that Nancy is wearing was not a part of the Fashion Show, but it is a baby blanket that I made and it also looks great as a shawl. You decide!

Well I have so much more to tell you and you've probably been wondering why I am posting so much. Perhaps you know: we are leaving on Friday to go to Stitches Mid-West. We are leaving a few days early because we are taking our 7 year old granddaughter. So we'll take the long way and go through Yellowstone and we're just planning on having the best time with her.

But, as you can imagine, Niqua and I are still trying to think of all the things to pack. We are driving a 15 passenger van and pulling a big trailer, both of which are packed to the brim! I'm talking be careful when you open the doors! So now I'm still knitting samples to take with us and I want to get them done because I still have to write the patterns for them. I just brought home two more suitcases full of yarn and needles and stuff- did I mention we have no more room??

Niqua wanted me to remind everyone that we encourage you to use your leftover yarns to make 4x4 swatches and bring them to the store. We'll have a party to assemble them all into throws for charity. Remember that we have open knitting and crocheting on Monday and on Friday nights. We'd love to have you come.

See you there or at Stitches!

So don't forget to sign up for the workshops we have at our store this coming weekend!
Chris Bylsma is coming to teach two workshops. Friday will be all about felting. She does some really cute pillow rolls, or you can choose to make a great felted bag. If you've wondered what all the fuss around felting was all about, sign up for this class and catch the bug! I overheard someone at the store say today: "I could never do this!" Well of course you can!! And that's what we have these classes for! To sign up go to our website at http://yarnlady.com/classschedule/workshops/06chrisbylsma.htm or come on in and we'll get you signed up. Talk a friend into taking the class with you! We will even serve you lunch!

Oh, before I forget- on Saturday you will be making the "Crayon Jacket"
Chris told us that this is one of her most popular classes. (I just checked: It's sold out at Stitches) You can bring all of your left-over yarns to use along with the 5 or so balls you will probably need to buy that day.

You will be asked to pay only $80.00 for each class (and that includes lunch). I just looked up what the charge is at Stitches and there you would have to pay $135.00

At Yarn Lady, we try to bring you popular "Name" teachers at very reasonable prices. We want you to think of us as THE place to go for instruction and for your yarn.

Watch our newsletter for dates for Melissa Leapman and others to teach at our store. Don't miss out!

So here is Alberta trying on a wonderful creamy sweater and scarf made out of handspun Cashmere. Barry is modelling a scarf made out of the same yarn. This is for when you want to be extra good to yourself....
btw: you can see closer pictures of all of these garments on Trendsetter's website for now and we are working on getting them onto ours. The patterns are at the store and you can come in to buy them and the yarn to go with them or you can call the store.
http://trendsetteryarns.com/pattern33a.htm

The next picture shows Karen in a very open shawl. Barry showed how they had hot-glued some special pailettes on there. It was quite interesting. You could wear it open as a shawl or simply scrunch it together and then it would look like a scarf. Very cool!!




Then Barry held up a cute little sweater made out of Pandora Shadow and it looked great with him holding it. But here's my point: it looked soooooo much better when Jen tried it on!! Alas, the sweaters went back home with Barry to make the rounds around the nation. Some of them will come back to us as store models (they have a special program) and others we will have to wait for.

My point? Next yarn tasting or fashion show, please be there!

When you get to try on these wonderful garments, Barry is right there to tell you more about them and to tell you how he thought they should be worn and what he was thinking when he designed them. Where can you get that??

First off, I would really like to thank everyone who came to our Trensetter Yarns Yarn Tasting last Saturday. It is always so much fun to get to play with the yarns and knit or crochet with them and then to have Barry Klein present to us all of his newest designs in person.

You can see pictures of a garment in a pattern and you can even see a model garment. But until you get to try it on you will just not know how it will look on YOU!!
We find so many times that garments don't attract much attention until someone tries it on. "Who would have thought that it would look and feel soooo good!!!" is a comment often heard.

So now we'll talk about the Trendsetter Yarn Tasting. You know we carry a huge selection of Trendsetter yarns. You know we carry all of their patterns which come out twice a year. You know that we have many of the models of these patterns in our store for you to see and try on.

But during a Yarn Tasting, Barry is there himself and he brings samples of all of the yarns and you get to sit and try them all out! Some of our regular attendees have gotten smart and are making hats and purses while they are sampling the yarns.

Great job, ladies!