September 2005

Yarn everywhere!!

I am sorry I haven't blogged in a few days. We had a tremendous first week, with so many wonderful people stopping in to say hello and buy yarn to get started on their first fall project. Thank you to everyone who helped make our first week such a success!

Right now, I am surrounded by boxes of yarn. UPS delivered all of my Blue Sky Alpacas order yesterday (details in a moment) and more of my Debbie Bliss and Noro yarns the day before. I managed to inventory all of the Blue Sky yarn yesterday and that is now on the shelves. 

Check out the colors in the Bulky Alpaca (an alpaca/wool combination).

Despite the fact that I am in the middle of knitting one of Jo Sharp's sweaters, I had to take some of this yarn home to make a hat. Here is the result:

This literally took me less than two hours to make! And that two hours included a number of bedtime stories to Alec. The yarn is a dream to work with and because it is so bulky it knits up incredibly fast. The hat pattern comes from Blue Sky's Bulky Scarf Set pattern.

We also received our Blue Sky 100% cotton. Can you believe these colors?

Just like the organic cotton, these are super soft and machine washable!

On top of all the yarn arrivals, we now have more of the knitting bags from Mainely Totes, thanks to De Austin, the artist who creates these wonderful bags. Now that we have more in stock, maybe I can snag one for myself!

I got a special surprise in the mail on Monday. My Aunt Alma sent a box of her famous mittens that will be available for purchase in the store. She has sold them from her shop in Pembroke, Maine. They are 100% wool and lined with tufts of fleece. You won't find warmer mittens anywhere - the perfect gift for anyone facing the Maine winters! Peter is already trying to reserve himself a pair. He has been searching for a pair of mittens that will keep his hands warm on the playground (he's a teacher at Midcoast Montessori in Bath) and these will definitely do the trick.

Speaking of school... yesterday was Connor's first day back at school. He is now in first grade! How in the world did that happen? Everyone tells you that you won't believe how quickly your kids grow up. Moments like this certainly drive that point home. Little Alec will actually be 3 in November!
Time to get back to checking in all that yarn.

Thursday, September 8, 2005

The café is open!!

That's right! The café is finally open! We received our state license today and can officially start offering Rishi tea and coffee. While the coffee selection is still undecided, I am leaning heavily towards Wicked Joe's. The coffee is roasted here in Brunswick (and we love supporting local businesses), they have a number of wonderful organic choices, plus, it tastes "wicked good." (ha,ha)

There is more exciting news - our class schedule is now posted on the website so check that page out as well. Class enrollment is limited to 5 people per class, so register soon!

Tonight is our third "Knit at Night." So far, we've had a great turnout. Last week, our first guy joined the group. Granted, he was only a couple of months old, but he is an expert knitter in the making!

I am currently struggling with a classic knitter's problem - too many projects! I am working on a number of samples for the store. Two sweaters - one from Debbie Bliss' Book Seven patterns, and the other sweater is this fabulous design from Jo Sharp. I also have a Noro scarf going and a pair of socks! Now I have my eye on a pattern for making a Noro bag. There simply aren't enough hours in the day. Luckily, my sister, Becka, starts next week and she can help me try out all these beautiful patterns. Every time a new yarn arrives, I want to stop whatever I am doing and knit a swatch to see how it looks. Becka was thrilled to hear that it would actually be part of her job description to try out new yarns and patterns. Paid to knit - what could be better??

Now that the café part of the shop is officially open, it is time to start really advertising. We'll be putting ads in all the local papers so be on the lookout for them and spread the word! Actually, we have been incredibly lucky so far with how many people have heard about us already. We recently joined the Brunswick Downtown Association and local Chamber of Commerce, and a number of people have come in after seeing our listing on those websites. In addition to our shop, you'll find lots of great information on the wonderful things happening in Brunswick. I highly recommend checking it out!

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Great day!

We had a fabulous day yesterday. Becka started working at the shop and she has already made a huge difference. She worked on some displays and vastly improved my sad attempt to write our café menu on the chalkboard. We spent the morning doing all that boring paperwork stuff to ensure she will actually get paid, and I almost killed the fax machine, but after that things went beautifully. The first part of our Louisa Harding shipment arrived. The rest should arrive today.... . But, the pattern books are here. Becka and I stopped everything we were doing to pour over these gorgeous books.

As if these weren't enough, the Jane Ellison, Queensland Collection book arrived as well.  These patterns are absolutely beautiful. She combines the same fibers used by Jo Sharp to produce amazing pieces. Mohairs blend with wool/silk/cashmere to create gorgeous sweaters, scarves, socks, and more. All of our Jo Sharp yarns can be used with these patterns, and we also now have the Queensland Uruguay Chunky - a blend of merino wool, alpaca, and silk. 

Speaking of books, we just sold out of Interweave's Wrap Style, much to Becka's dismay. She was planning on starting one of the wraps in Queensland Chunky. Not to worry, we will soon be getting in more copies. 

Yesterday we also broke our record for the phone sale from the greatest distance thanks to Karen from Colorado who found us on the web. Thanks Karen! 

On the personal knitting side, I am almost done with the hooded sweater I am making. Half a sleeve to go and then I can put the finishing touches on it. I am so excited to see how it looks all put together. I promise to post a picture once it is up.

Coming soon to the shop - a children's corner! Peter and I have been discussing creating a small children's area with books, toys, etc... since before the opening. We want a space that will not only keep our boys entertained when they are at the shop, but that will allow parents to have the time to really explore the yarns and patterns. So, we will be shifting things around a bit tomorrow. Stop in and see the results!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Yummy!!

We have a baker!!! Karen Marston, the genius behind Bowdoin Baking Company (many will know her from the Farmer's Markets) has agreed to supply the cafe with her amazing treats. This morning she brought in the most heavenly smelling scones (apple cinnamon as well as cheddar-basil-parsley), cookies, and biscotti. Check these out:

Karen uses organic ingredients whenever possible, and all her goodies prepared for The Knitting Experience are peanut-safe. We discovered that Alec is allergic to peanuts when he was about 1 year old, so we are committed to making the shop a safe zone for those with peanut allergies. 

We had a great time at Knit at Night last night. Becka's boyfriend, David, joined us and became the first official male knitter. He finished his first hat and started on his second. He even adapted a pattern by combining two different yarns! 


The big news from last night comes from Rachel who finished her very first knitting project - a beautiful round scarf. Yeah!!!  Can you believe that was her first project??? It came out great. I tried to get her to model it for the picture, but she said she would wait until she makes a sweater.

In other news, the Louisa Harding Yarns are actually here!!! Of course, the shelves for those yarns are not. That is causing a bit of a temporary storage/display problem, but we're working it out and the shelves should be here in a few more days.

Check out the Kimono Angora:

You would not believe how soft this yarn is! And the weight is wonderful to provide a soft drape for sweaters or scarves.

Now, take a look at the Sari Ribbon.

Unfortunately, the flash on my camera creates a reflection so you can't see the detail, but trust me - these are gorgeous and could be used for so many things. Her patterns provide terrific ideas, but a friend suggested the other day that you could use this ribbon for special gift wrapping! The possibilities are endless.


I am very excited about a new item we added to the shop today. A local artist, Rachel Bingham, of Shamrock Sheep, produces handcrafted needle cases. These aren't your average needle cases. I fell in love with them the minute she showed them to me. She searches for unique and/or antique fabric to use in creating these cases. One had the pleats of the original shirt running down the front. Another still holds the buttons from its former life. The word the comes to mind when I look at these cases is "romantic". They have a timeless and gentle quality about them. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea:

There are two sizes - the small is for double pointed needles, and the large fit straight needles. A circular needle version is coming soon! 

Ok - I need to take a computer break now. We haven't been getting along today, which I believe is a sign that I should be knitting instead. =-)

Friday, September 23, 2005

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