Lost in Cyberspace

Oh dear.  I have too many eggs to sit on these days (figuratively, please).  I mentioned to you that I was invited to join Ravelry and now I am a woman possessed.  Someone please send me suggestions on how to budget on-line time...it is taking a toll on my "free" time.  I should be ashamed to admit I'm so weak...but for those of you who already belong, surely you can sympathize.  If you can't, then please forgive me and try to understand.  Think on-line knitting and crocheting candy store...or worse. 

Just to pop in now to let you know I've not completely stopped all things creative...I knitted this shawl
this past week for something fun and easy.  It's the Malabrigo shawl pattern again, but this time I used Noro's Iro yarn (Color 18, I think...and no, unfortunately, we don't have it anymore).  It is to donate to a friend's shawl ministry here in Taos.  I love it so much, I may knit another with what I left in my stash...

The new Harmony guides

For those of us who have long been fans of the Harmony guides,

they've just been republished by Interweave Press (edited by Erica Knight).  They are beautifully done.  Many kudos to Interweave and Erika Knight for doing such a great job with these good old reference books.  These are in the shop, just in time for a great holiday present for your favorite knitter (maybe you). 
They're a nice size and would fit handily into your knitting bag...and something I would rarely say about a reference book...they're pretty, too...very pleasing to the eyes.  I'm planning on stashing one of each for the pile on my nightstand.

Seems that this incredibly beautiful weather we've been having is going to change, just in time for Thanksgiving Day.  Snow is predicted for Weds and Weds night, so we're hoping for a snowy day to sit in front of the wood stove and reflect on all we have to be grateful for.  Among the many things I'm grateful for:

• A great family and home



• Our good health



• Great pets



• Great friends



• A fun business and all the many friends it has brought into my life



• That I can now fit into jeans one size smaller



• That I can stick turkey pot pies into the oven on Thursday, open a can of cranberry sauce, and spend the rest of my day spinning and knitting.

A friend from the shop sent me this fun holiday greeting.  I don't know who to credit for this, and I hope it's OK to use it, because I sure think it's fun.  I share it now with you:

May your stuffing be tasty;
May your turkey plump;
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Ravelry

Woo hoo!  We received our invitation to Ravelry
this week.  I only applied about two weeks ago, and we were #43,XXX something on the list (no kidding)...so I am heartened by the speed with which our invitation arrived.

So what is it?  For those of you who haven't been keeping up, it's THE place for knitters and crocheters to unite, from all over the world, to share about their work.  It is data base that goes so deep I hestitate to make you think I totally understand all the possibilities...just let me say here that it's now all I want to do (well mostly...it's like a magnet).

I have fallen down the rabbit hole and am loving it.  Check it out if you haven't.  If you're already a member, drop me a note...we are listed as TaosSunflower.  In a few weeks, I'm going to start a group so we can all keep in closer touch on our projects.  Let the party begin!  ---Martie

Cat days of fall

Ok, so this is a lousy play on dog days of.....whatever, but I couldn't resist it.  This incredibly warm and sunny weather we're having has us all wishing we could just hang out outdoors.  I would like to point out that if the rest of us are working our hind ends off indoors, at least the kittens of Taos Sunflower know how to live. 
I happened to be on my way outdoors to photograph a WIP today when I spotted little Miss Tinker, draped over her bro, B.C. (stands for Baby Chester).  By the time I got the camera out and got in closer, B.C., who lives in fear of me grabbing him for the dreaded trip to the vet, took off like the wind.  Little Tinker patiently sat and posed for me.  She is about as big as a minute.  I don't know if she was always going to be small, or if having her spayed so young did it...but she's absolutely adorable and the apple of our eyes.  ----Martie

We're back...

and even better than before, we think.
During our two weeks of being closed, we've moved the shop into the end of our building, to the room we (mistakenly) used for back stock for so long...not considering that it has all the windows and natural light.
For those of you who remember how hard it was to see colors in the "old" shop...you'll be happy at this first big change.  Next, I pared down the height of all the shelving, so it's nice and open and, well...clean feeling.  Know how some yarn stores make you feel like you're smothering (happily or otherwise) in shelves?  We took care of that!

We opened the doors yesterday morning, waiting to hear what our customers had to say.  The first person in the door
(I apologize for not asking your name!) was aghast at how great it feels, and had so many compliments I wished I'd had a bouquet of flowers to give her...I wanted to smother her with hugs, I was so happy that SHE was so happy.  We know we have lots of you who love our shop (thank you thank you thank you) and any kind of change always harbors the possibility of making someone unhappy.  Here's a photo of her, along with Linda and Joan at the counter.

Before we could turn around twice, a group of visitors from Colorado came in and were having such fun,
I decided to play paparazzi again. Here they are (notice the model in the Nancy Shawl?):

I've also included some photos from different places in the shop, so if you can't get here for a while, you can see some of what we've been up to.
Notice all the natural light, fighting with my camera but blessing the shop.

To those of you who made the trip to visit us while we were closed, I apologize again for not being able to let you in...there really wasn't any point...there were yarns in bags strewn everywhere.

To the local woman who came to see us, found us closed, and got nasty with me about me not considering her time was worth something...well...if you're even reading this, which I doubt...I hope you can find happiness shopping in another yarn shop somewhere else.  ---Martie

Happiness

When I started the coffee about an hour ago, I was thinking about how nice it is to be happy (well, most of the time...I'm human, too).  I started thinking about all the great reasons I have to be happy, and then started cruising my photo collection for a few illustrations.  Oprah has talked, for years, about keeping a daily gratitude journal.  Even if it's only one sentence, you take a minute or two each day to write down one thing from your day you're grateful for.  I always think this is a fabulous idea, but for some strange reason, have never been comfortable with journaling...my journal, of sorts, has been a life long stream of handwritten letters to friends...something I've missed terribly since e-mails became so pervasive and everyone's in such a hurry.

You probably remember the three kittens I fostered last spring...Yoda Man, Shermie Jr. and Leo.



Yoda now lives with Sunflower Joan.  Earlier this week, I ran into my dear friend Lesie, who adopted Shermie J and Leo. She reports they are having a great life, living as indoor cats with her other cats and dogs.  It turned out that over time, Shermie J started exhibiting signs of a neurological disorder, and now walks funny, sometimes falls over for no reason, and can only jump up a short distance.  HOWEVER...she reports that he has a heart as big as all outdoors and is just flooded with love...often times riding around on her shoulders, draped around her neck, completely relaxed.  Here are some snapshots of Shermie J during his evening forays under my shawl.  While I loved them all, for some reason, he was the one that captured my heart.  I shall be ever grateful that someone I know and love gave him such a good home.

The holidays are just around the corner, and I've just learned my son and his family will be joining us in Taos for Christmas.  This is a treat on many counts...and now I need to find snow attire for my grandson, who will be two on Dec. 23.  I'm thinking he and I need one of those big snow saucers to go goof around in...and another year soon, he can start ski school.  For my gratitude photo, here's a shot of him at his four week weigh in...he was almost premie
...and weighed just enough to be able to go home right away (on Christmas day, to be exact).  I had never seen a baby so small before.

My last shot is from my dear friend Elise.
She sent this at least a year ago, and I've been saving it for just the right occasion.  I love the simplicity of the single flower, the birdhouse in the background, and the endlessly blue sky we New Mexicans enjoy so many days of the year.  It is beautiful...love in its simplest form.  To me it represents the many good friendships and wonderful people having Taos Sunflower has brought to me.

I hope you have a great day and take some time to be happy about all that you have.---Martie