Moving!!

Yep, we’re moving!! But, it’s still in Weyauwega, although the whole thing is a bit complicated. We wanted to find a permanent home for The Knitting Nest and were intrigued by the idea of living on the same property where we work. And we found one that fits the bill!

103 W. Main Street has a main house that seems larger than our current home (although that may just be the layout), a “cottage” that used to be a chiropractic office, and a large garage (that’s heated!). We love the main house – it has a great floor plan and a bathroom upstairs. The cottage will make a wonderful yarn shop. It does need some work to transform it, including paint, but it’s not a ton. The garage is heated and very large, so Patrick can do his woodworking there, even in the winter.

So, how are the logistics of this going to work? We are going to rent the 103 W. Main property starting the first of February. This allows us to get most of our stuff out of our current house and facilitate getting it sold. As soon as our current house is sold, we will close on the 103 W. Main property. During this entire time, The Knitting Nest will remain open at it’s current location. The owners may be a little dragged out and exhausted, but we’ll still provide quality yarn and great service!

When the 103 W. Main property is completely ours, we will do the necessary renovations on the cottage, create some parking, put up some signage, and move The Knitting Nest to it’s permanent home. And, don’t worry, you won’t miss the move!! We’ll make absolutely sure that everyone knows about it!! The shop location will change, but we will still carry the same quality products you’ve come to expect. We hope that this move will make it easier for Patrick to do even more woodworking so we can sell even more of his hand-turned wooden knitting needles, shawl pins, and more.

That’s what’s up with us. It’s going to be a crazy spring. Somehow we’re going to work all this around my headaches and the kids getting schoolwork done, but we’re optimistic (or psychotic!). Hang on for the ride – it’s going to be a blast!

Lagniappe - December 5, 2012

• It's chilly outside again which is reminding us about Keeping Kids Warm! You still have time to come buy some yarn and make hats and/or mittens for kids in the Waupaca and Weyauwega school systems. Check out this post for the details.
• It's the Christmas season – and we're celebrating with “Comfort and Joy”! Yarn brings us comfort with warm wool sweaters and scarves. And the sparkly yarn made into scarves with bling certainly gives joy!! Stop in to see what we have!
• Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? We have a great sock pattern called “The Fellowship” from Unique Sheep along with their gradient sock yarn designed specifically for this pattern. Come check it out – and be ready to take a trip to Middle Earth!
• Class lists will be going up soon – keep an eye out. Or, better yet, sign up for the newsletter and find out immediately when Patrick puts them online!
• Need a Christmas gift for a friend? Check out our shawl pins and shawl sticks. The wooden sticks are hand-turned by Patrick and the glass squares by Mary Beisner of Blessings Glasswork. We also have hand-turned knitting needles by Patrick and ceramic yarn bowls by Terry Achten of Waupaca and Richard Milheiser of Eau Claire.
• Don't forget Stitch Night! On Thursday evenings from 7-9pm, we get together to knit or crochet while enjoying each other's company and chatting. It's a great way to spend an evening!

We hope to see you soon!

So, Where’s The Yarn Diva?

If you’ve been in to The Knitting Nest in the last month, you might have noticed a distinct lack of The Yarn Diva (aka Catherine). What’s up with that? Don’t Patrick and I (Catherine) both run the shop?

Well, theoretically, yes. We opened The Knitting Nest with the plans that Patrick can keep the doors open by himself if I have a migraine, but with the hope that I will be there when I don’t have a migraine and that that will be relatively frequently. Unfortunately, in the last month, the migraine-free days have been few and far between. I suspect that falling and hitting my head on a coffee table about a month ago may be something of a contributing factor.

Whatever the reasons, my neurologist and I are working on a plan to get the migraines under control. You probably won’t see me much next week because I’m getting some treatments at the neurologist’s office in the early part of the week and then have physical therapy in the later part of the week. But, it’s all part of the plan.

If you’re the praying type, Patrick and I would definitely appreciate lots of prayers. I hate headaches, and it’s hard not to get discouraged. But, we have a plan. And, even when I’m not at the shop, Patrick is there and is perfectly capable of helping you find whatever you need! And on my good days (or hours), I’ll be up  there, too!! Keep knitting (and crocheting)!!

Why A Local Yarn Shop?

You can buy yarn at all kinds of places these days – big box stores, the internet, etc. So, why bother with getting yourself out of the house and off to your local yarn shop? Why did Patrick and I believe strongly enough in the concept of local retail to open a local yarn shop? Lots of reasons. Sure, you can buy yarn elsewhere, but your local yarn shop offers much more than yarn!

1. The yarn! You can actually see and touch the yarn at your local yarn shop. Luscious by Kollage looks like a really nice cotton/elastic sock yarn, but it feels even better!! There’s nothing like being able to get your hands on yarn. It’s also great to be able to see the colors in person instead of just on your computer screen. And, while we may not have every color of Cascade 220 in stock, we do have a color card with a bit of each yarn color and we can special order what you need.

2. Service! Patrick and I want to help you find and choose the pattern, yarn, needles, and notions you need for your project. We’re happy when you’re happy! If we don’t have the yarn you need, we’ll try to order it for you. If you’re looking for a certain kind of pattern, we’ll show you what we have. If you want to try out a size of needle, we’ll let you do that. And we try to answer your knitting and crochet questions.

3. Classes! The Knitting Nest, like most local yarn shops, holds classes. We teach beginning knitting and crochet, but are also happy to teach classes for more advanced techniques like our recent entrelac sock class. Not only do you get someone to show you the technique, but you then can ask questions and get personalized help so you can truly understand what you are learning. Nothing can replace a live person when it comes to learning a hands-on skill like knitting or crochet.

4. Local products! Local yarn shops often have products  that you won’t find anywhere else. At The Knitting Nest, we have knitting needles and shawl sticks that are hand-turned on a lathe by Patrick. We also have glass items by Blessings Glassworks from Weyauwega and yarn bowls from both Terry Achten from Waupaca and Richard Milheiser from Eau Claire. We even have some wool that is from local sheep.

5. Support local businesses! When you can shop locally while still purchasing superior products and getting excellent service, you’ve gotten the best of all worlds. And that is totally possible! When you shop locally, you help keep tax money in your local area, you help keep people in the area working, and you keep your small town thriving. And you don’t have to sacrifice to do this. So, stop by The Knitting Nest for your yarn and other fiber supplies and then get some coffee or ice cream at a local eatery and maybe some cheese from the cheese store. There’s plenty here in Weyauwega to keep you busy for an afternoon.

Time To Keep Kids Warm!

It’s started – our fall charity knitting project is underway! Keeping Kids Warm is The Knitting Nest’s project for this fall. We are making hats and mittens for school kids who need them.

Check out this post for all the details. Now’s the time to get your knitting/crochet groups together and come purchase yarn for your projects! We have patterns if you need them. We’ll be accepting items for the prize drawing up till December 15, but we’ll continue to accept items to give to the schools all through the winter.

So, get knitting and crocheting!! Let’s Keep Kids Warm this winter with The Knitting Nest!!

Meet Frank!!

The Knitting Nest would like to present the newest member of our team, Frank the Yarn Bombed Scarecrow! Frank joins Birdie, our mascot, in welcoming customers to our little corner of the yarn world.

How did Frank get here, you’re wondering? The Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a scarecrow contest and Frank is The Knitting Nest’s entry into that contest.

Last Thursday night, we started with a PVC frame, a few bits of knitting, and a bunch of yarn. With the help of some M&Ms and lots of creativity, we managed to yarn bomb the living daylights out of that frame!! And look what came into being – Frank!

 

 

 

I’m not so sure Frank is going to be scaring anyone anytime soon – although Birdie looks a little skeptical of his presence. Really, I think he’s more cute than scary.

What now? There are scarecrows in and around lots of Waupaca area businesses, so check them all out. On the bottom of the frame is a can where you can donate money that will go to the Waupaca Area Food Bank. You can also go inside the businesses and sign up for a drawing for a gift certificate – no purchase necessary. The business with the most support for their scarecrow will win an advertising package from the Waupaca Area Chamber, so send all your friends and neighbors over to meet Frank!

And now, can you guess how Frank got his name??

UFOs Run Amok!!

I am drowning in UFOs – “unfinished objects”!! I’ve been trying to simplify my life, limit choices, etc., etc., but can’t seem to apply that philosophy to my knitting! It looks like I need an intervention. NOW!

Here’s just about everything out on the table. (The closed The Knitting Nest bag represents gifts I’m making that I’m not going to show on the blog because my kids are going to catch on to what I do on the computer one of these days!)

Yeah. I know. The first step is to admit you have a problem. And I do – I knit for myself and for the shop. And I have knitting ADD. And I like pretty yarn and patterns. That’s three problems. Well, let’s go through these one by one and figure out what I need to do.

Fair Isle sweater from Knit Picks kit. I actually made one of these and accidentally felted it. I still have enough yarn that I’m doing another one. Right now it’s in a box with cedar balls because I have other projects that keep taking up my time. But, this project is teaching me lots about doing Fair Isle work, so it’s definitely something I want to finish. Hmmmm. Keep in box for now. Work on after Christmas.

Hidden Treasure Pocket Sock in Kollage Luscious yarn. I made the model for our sock class out of some Universal yarn, but I hadn’t used any of the Luscious, which is a cotton/elastic blend, so I figured I’d just throw together a pair of these socks. Well, they do go quickly, but I’ve been interrupted a zillion times. I’m up to the pocket which will take very little time and then I can do the second sock. Definitely keep in the rotation.

Drummossie entrelac sock in Cascade Heritage yarn. I love this sock. This is the second of the pair and I’m making it using backward knitting instead of turning to do the purl sides. I’m motivated to finish it to see how the gauge works out. I’ll definitely get this one done soon.

Green lace socks for my daughter. She chose a pair of socks a year or more ago for me to make for her that have 5 (yes, 5) different charts! I finally finished the first sock last spring. I still haven’t cast on the second. It needs  to be done by this spring, though. Stays in the rotation. This . . . this . . . is why I need to knit socks two at the same time!!

Another reason for me to do socks two at a time – this sock from the Knitty website. It’s knit from side to side using Judy’s Magic Cast-On to start and kitchener stitch to end. Totally cool. And I used some of my favorite Regia Yarn. But now I need to make the second sock. Unfortunately, since it’s not remotely shop model-ish, it’s a low priority right now.

Ah, silk! My mom wants the silk model up in the shop, so instead of making another, I decided to make Wingspan in silk. I love it and I’m almost finished. This is one of the few projects that is only unfinished because of space/time constraints.

This little puff of wool is supposed to be a change purse one day. I pull it out and work a few rows every few months. I’m not sure it’s ever quite going to grow out of being a bit of fluff, but I’ll try.

Bamboo sock yarn sock. This is a new sock yarn that we’re carrying in the shop, so I need to whip up a sock and block it to see what I think of the stuff. As you can see, it doesn’t really even qualify as “unfinished” – it’s “unstarted”. But it’s a moderately high priority.

I love Cascade’s Baby Alpaca Lace yarn, so I’m making a shawl from it. But, it’s clearly in the UFO category right now. It’s not remotely “mindless knitting”. I have used my lifelines more than I care to admit. Definitely a piece to keep in the rotation, but only when I’m feeling up to putting some brain power behind the needles.

My “Live, love, knit” sweater. It doesn’t look much like a sweater right now, does it? I’ve only been working on it for six months. Why did I think I should make a sweater out of Ultra Pima Fine? Perhaps because I’m crazy? Perhaps because I love the yarn. Either way, I’m about halfway up the back. It’s more of a spring sweater, so I may not worry too much about it for a few months and spend more energy on something like the Fair Isle – which is much more of a winter item.

Spiraling Organza Scarf. My daughter came up with an idea to use some of the novelty yarns with traditional yarns, so I’m in the process of making a tube scarf with Organza winding up around it. So far, I’m loving the effect. This is a great project for me to work on when my hands are tired of the small needles, and I anticipate I’ll finish it in the next week or so.

I think I have these a little better prioritized in my head. And I won’t be starting anything new (except a Christmas gift or two). I’ll post my progress and see if I can’t get down to something more manageable in a few weeks.

How are you doing with UFOs? Maybe we can encourage each other and have fun at the same time!!