Gayle's "Lettuce" sweater

Prompt and organized as she is, Gayle quickly responded to my cry for photos when I told her I'd been telling you about how cool the handspun yarn looks on her "Lettuce" sweater (so named for the color of Malabrigo Merino she used).  There are two detail photos  and one of the whole shebang: 

Preparing for camp

When I was a kid, growing up in East L.A., summers were SO BORING. I actually attended summer school whenever possible, just for something to do.  The rest of the time was spent reading, sewing, and lying out in the back yard, trying to tan so I could look like I'd spent the summer at the beach (who was I trying to kid?).  To attend a summer camp was just something folks like us just never did.

AHA!  Now I'm all grown up and can sometimes do what I want...including attending summer camp.  Next week Monte and I are headed for spinning camp, and I can barely wait.  I spent Sunday afternoon dyeing fibers to take, and today am hauling my wheel off to UPS.   What's so special about this class?  Well, it's Camp Pluckyfluff, that's what!  If you haven't experienced it, check out www.pluckyfluff.com sometime.  Lexi Boeger has taken the lead in the new spinning revolution and is taking handspun yarns to places they've never been before...twisted, overspun, felted...flowers, buttons, lace, and an assortment of other oddments spun in.  For those of us who thought we had to worry about angle of twists, twists per inch, and all sorts of other spinnerly things...this spinning revolution is flying in the face of all that.  Instead of worrying about spinning enough for an entire garment, we can spin a single, artistic, wild, fun skein and have it stand alone.  One of our regulars, Gayle, purchased a Plucky Fluff skein from me recently and cleverly knit pieces from it that she sewed on cuffs and neckline of a Malabrigo pullover...it is beyond wonderful and next time I can, I'll ask her for a picture to post here.  Stay tuned.  --Martie

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it

This week we met with three yarn reps in three days, making little piggies out of ourselves, buying yarn for later this summer, fall and next winter.  I'm telling you, it's hard work.  It really is!  There is so much great yarn to choose from, one can lose one's head if one isn't careful.  I was trying to tell one of the Sunflowers today (who has been out for a week due to some nasty dental work) just what kind of purchasing "trouble" we got into while she was gone...and it was darned hard to remember all that we bought.  Just to give you some highlights...we're adding all the new colors of Silk Garden (natch) and lots of other goodies from Noro, Araucania, Mountain Colors, Mission Falls, Berroco, and JCA, to name a few.  Also we ordered those new needles that have tips that light up so you can knit in the dark (what's next?)...they'll be in later in June or early July.  Oh...and today I learned that another 40 kilos of Malabrigo merino are going to be arriving in the next few weeks.  Get back!  This place will be bursting by fall.

And lest I forgot to tell you...I've just updated our website and added new sale yarns.  Some of the highlights include closeouts on Noro's Kochoran, Silver Thaw, and Kureyon.  This is the time to stock up for next winter's knitting...or start making your holiday presents now.

I hope wherever you are, you're having a great holiday weekend.  I'm headed for home now, with hope of doing all those things tomorrow that didn't get done on Monday...Martie

I meant well

Last evening, the prospect of this entire Monday to accomplish so much was almost as wonderful as it would have been to have opened the refrigerator and found it stocked with creme brulee.

Alas, it wasn't to be.  After sleeping in far too late, I made a pot of coffee and decided the next best thing I should do was catch up with friends by telephone.  My game?  I have a headset and a holster for my phone...so what's a girl to do but knit during phone calls?  While this was great fun, it still wasn't that whirlwind, genie out of a bottle, I-want-to-clean-the-house feeling I was hoping for.  However...I finished a raglan pullover I'm knitting for the Dulaan Project and that felt great.  Do you know about this project?  It was written up in the front of the spring issue of Vogue Magazine...a group of wonderful people all over this country are knitting clothes to be donated to the orphans in Mongolia.  Want to know more?  Google on Dulaan Project...it's part of an organization in Flagstaff, AZ, called F.I.R.E.  It's a great way to start using up that stash, and feel great about it while you're at it.

The good news: one of those calls was with Terri Ranck, designer extraordinaire and FOTS (Friend of Taos Sunflower).  We've about settled on two class topics, to be taught the weeks of July 10 and/or July 17.  One of those classes is her Tie On One class...we are already taking names for this, so if you're interested, please contact the shop at info@taossunflower.com as soon as you can.  Watch for posting of these classes on the website, www.taossunflower.com, by early next week.

Dinner dishes behind, I am now headed for the spinning wheel, to spin up some of that delicious Blue Faced Leicester I painted a few weekends ago.  At this late part of the day, I am certain it's not a good idea to worry about the laundry...Martie

Getting it going

OK...we're finally getting this off the ground.  Soon as I figure out how to get everyone else on board, look for news from each of us...what we're making, thinking, wishing we were making, and how we agonize over too much stash, just like you do.  You are not alone.

Martie