Another eventfull week at the shop!

A really big thank you to Brett for designing a beautiful website for the shop!  Hats off to you!  Also would like to thank all who attended the Focus Meeting at the shop.  We are working very hard to make Calla Lily a great experience for everyone that comes in.  Although some changes have been made we do hope that you will understand.  Times are a little different than a few years ago!  So we want to offer you great things but keep ourselves in check. 

 No one has yet suggested my favorite way of keeping count of rows,
especially on charted patterns.  Find a xerox machine with an enlarger, and
make lots of "blown-up" copies of the graph (I usually run one enlarged
copy, and then enlarge it again.)  Then you have big, easy-to-read row by
row charts.  I use a highlighter to mark off each row as I finish it; it's
always OBVIOUS what row I am working.  Right now I am knitting an Alice
Starmore vest with something like a 65 row repeat; I made one BIG copy of
the chart for each repeat, plus one for the swatch.  I just toss each sheet
into the recycling bin after I've marked off all the rows.  This seems
obvious, I know, but I suffered thru the back of my first intarsia sweater
until I figured it out.

        I don't think that there is such a thing as too many markers.  I too
use the coiless safety pins:  I think it's Maggie Righetti who suggests
using them to mark increases and decreases.  I do this religiously, and
though my pin-studded knitting looks quite odd, it is a lifesaver if you
pick up your knitting at odd moments.  I can count safety pins marching down
my sleeve, which makes it easy to see if I need to decrease on the current
row, and how decreases I've already finished.

 Nancy Lutz
        lutz@platon.econ.vt.edu
       

Inventory Complete

WOW....what a week!  Inventory....I'd forgotten what it's like to do inverntory....Glad that's over with!
What to look forward to at Calla Lily in the next several monthes.  Sales!  Sales!  Sales!  Classes...our Retreat! 

We will be having some sales here at Calla Lily.....Patterns, Yarn.....Needles!!! 

Watch for our new website to be going live here in the next couple of weeks.  Until you see it we will have everything posted on the old one.....

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season and thank you very much for your support of the shop!

Donna

Retreat info for The Inn at Honey Run

Retreat info for The Inn at Honey Run

Friday Night 2/18/2011

8:30 PM - Beautiful Buffet Dinner at the Inn at Honey Run 

10:00 – 2:00 Open knit / Time to get to know one another.

Saturday 2/19/2011

8:00 AM – Continental Breakfast at the Inn at Honey Run

9:00 AM to 12:00 - Class / Lisa Ellis Design / Swedish Technique/ w/Kit

12:00 to 3:00 PM   - Lunch and Shop

3:30 PM to 5:30 PM - Class / Beaded Hat or Crochet  techniques for knitting.

5:30 PM to 6:30 PM - Open Knit

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Ready for Dinner……a little R&R for the night ahead!!!

8:30 to 10:00 – Another Beautiful Buffet Dinner at the Inn at Honey Run

10:00 – midnight or whenever……Style show….I would love for all you to bring on of  your favorite knitted items….wear it….or carry it….show and tell….A night of pure fun and fantastic talent!!!

Sunday 2/20/2011

On your own…..Breakfast at The Inn at Honey Run…..R&R Hope you had a wonderful time with Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts. 

Price   -    150.00 to paid at Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts

Your hotel rooms are booked by yourself.   I won’t be handling anything having to do with the rooms.

Call: The Inn at Honey Run for reservations

         Reservations : 800-468 6639  Be sure to mention Retreat put on by Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts

 

 The Kangaroo Dyer

Gail Callahan started her odyssey as The Kangaroo Quilter, designing quilts and bags as an expression of her love of fabric and color. Gail wanted a symbol incorporating her love of her children and the concept that they were always with her. The Kangaroo, like her human counterpart, is the only mammal who carries her young with her. Thus was born the Kangaroo Logo. Her journey led her inexorably to weaving where she designed her own line of handwovens as The Kangaroo Weaver producing her unique scarves and fabric.
Eventually, Gail reached a point where she wanted more contact with the raw material, unimpeded by even the minimal interference of a loom. After several classes and much experimentation, Gail began felting hats of many styles and shapes. One result of the classes was her own “felted goddesses” which seem to come alive and develop personality as the felter works to create the face and then the body, rendering each as individual as its creator.
Color and texture have always been priorities for Gail. As she became more accomplished in these areas, she created her own color way. Thus was born The Kangaroo Dyer. Using her instinct for color, Gail begins with un-dyed skeins of yarn, creatively blending until the final product is both beautiful to look at and sensual to handle. As a by-product, Gail now hand-dyes silk scarves and sashes, creating elegant fashion accessories at a modest price.

Please join Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts for our Brand New

Toosties Club

 (What one most refers to as Sock of the Month Club)

Each month we will bring in a brilliant new sock color.  Created by the Kangaroo Dyer.  We will start this program the 1st of the year. 

Cost to you will be $72.00 plus tax and shipping every three months.

You will need to call the shop to get on the list to participate.  We will mail your yarn to you or you can pick it up at the shop the first week of the month. We are only going to have 30 skeins each month so if you are interested I would call soon.  If I see that it's growing we will raise the Quantity.  We will have a contest every 3rd month and have judging on the socks for a small gift from Calla Lily. If you live out of town you can send a photo via email to participate ....We would like to feature the sock in the shop, along with the pattern you used for your sock.

I hope you will join us for this fun event!!!  Can't wait to see your creations!

Stiffening Knitted Pieces

I was wondering about making a knitted project a little stiffer...I want to use one of my projects for a planter for in the house.  Here is what I learned.

Use potato flour. Mix 2 table-spoons of potato flour in 1/2 - 1 cup (1-2 dl or dilute) cold water.  Pour it slowly into boiling water, stirring until it has the consistency of paste.  Let cool a bit. Place the knitted piece into the stiffening agent so that it becomes thoroughly saturated.  Remove  it and squeeze out the water. Block it over a form and pin or sew it down.  Let it dry completely. Finish by covering with decoupage paste to make the piece totally stiff.  

I can't wait to try this... I will post a picture when I have it completed!!!!

As you can see....I will only be posting once or twice a week.....

Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts

Presents it's first Knitting Retreat

Please join us for a very relaxing weekend in Holmes County!

Where: The Inn at Honey Run

Dates:

February 2011

Friday 18th, Saturday 19th,

You will need to book and pay for your own rooms

Pricing goes as follows

Standard  $129.00

Deluxe: $139.00

Superior: 149.00

Suite: 199.00

Room rates per night plus applicable taxes for double/single occupancy.

Inquire about special amenities or requests.

(Rooms must be reserved by January 1st 2011)

This is going to be a fun filled weekend.

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes.....

Learn a couple of new techniques!

Visit.....Eat.....Relax......Knit, Visit......Eat......Relax.....Knit!!!!!

Shopping too!!!

More details to follow! Check the blog frequently!

Give more "WOW" this year.

You know the "wow face"... It's that reaction someone has when you give them a gift that's both totally awesome and completely unexpected.
In my experience, giving something handmade that people will actually use always makes for a pretty awesome gift. This year, I'm attempting to get as many wow faces as possible by giving these takeout coffee cozies. I'm making them from a simple basic pattern that can be altered to meet any design specification and in many different yarns in many different colors. But this one, in a color I'm calling "Pumpkin Latte", is one of my favorites. It's knit in an all cotton Misti Alpaca fingering weight yarn that I picked up at Calla Lily. I picked it so I could get the stitches tight and have it look like a sock, plus this yarn is DELICIOUSLY soft so no one could resist using it.
Wow faces, here I come.

Here's the skinny on how it's made:

CO 44sts on 3 size 4 DPNs (I then knit the first stitch then slip it back onto the first needle to lock it in.

K1P1 rpt for rows 1-6
For row 7:
K1, K1F&B, K40sts, K1F&B, K1
Knit rows 8-14
For row 15:
K1, K1F&B, K42sts, K1F&B, K1
Knit rows 16-22
For row 23:
K1, K1F&B, K44sts, K1F&B, K1
K1P1 for rows 24-30
Cast off.

There you have it, simple, huh? In fact, you're only 60 minutes away from a gift that is sure to get you a "wow face". Who wouldn't want that?

By: Brett T. Coalmer
Blogged from my iPhone.
See what else I'm doing/making/breaking at http://www.thebrettt.tk