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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Yup, a big batch of local alpaca now in stock. I’ve been wanting this for a few months now, and finally have it here…though for how long, I’m not sure, as the alpaca owners are moving on out of the business after the spring shearing. But let’s enjoy what we’ve got while we’ve got it, right???? Five (natural/undyed) shades of oh-so-lovely fingering weight alpaca…100 g and approximately 400 yds/367 m…nice, large hanks. Large enough to knit a pair of socks, or a hat or two, or some mittens, or…you get the idea. A couple of colors would make for stunning colorwork options, and, and…well, your options are limitless. The shadecard is below, and following are a couple of ideas for patterns, but please do send me a note or give me a call if you’d like more information or more choices for patterns. My space is limited on the website, here, but I did send out a more detailed email to all those on my newsletter mailing list, and I’d be happy to send that along to you, too. I’ll stock the yarn for as long as I can, but once it’s gone, unfortunately, it’s gone. 
Shades, left to right: Natural, Chocolate, Fawn, Rose Grey, Black. A couple of pattern possibilities: 
The first two patterns come from little booklets, and of course the last one is my JA30 Sugar Snow Stole and Scarf pattern (scroll down to bottom of page), which would only require 1 skein to make the scarf! Or try some Latvian Mittens, a traditional tam, or any number of socks from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks book. I also have ONE gorgeous, precious skein of local alpaca laceweight…9 oz./1300 yds (1193 metres), and is plenty to knit one of many shawl patterns…or lots of scarves! 
This is the Rose Grey color, and I may bring in other shades, depending on the demand, but just to let you know, Natural does not come in the laceweight. 
These are just a few of the patterns available…a Florence Scarf or two or an Arabesque Stole from Fiddlesticks Knitting, or a Flower Basket Shawl from Evelyn A. Clark (this last pattern will also work for the fingering weight alpaca, and includes instructions for 3 sizes of shawl…great to suit anyone’s budget). I am so pleased to have this yarn in stock…I love to support the local farmers, and it’s not often that I get a chance, since the pricing normally just doesn’t allow for a middleman (me). However, though you’ll find this yarn pricier than the Peruvian yarn I can bring in (for obvious reasons); it is still WONDERFUL value for the quality and quantity, and for the fun of having something from right around here. Since I may be sending some your way soon (should it pique your fancy), I thought I’d take this opportunity to mention my mail order packaging. I do see on blogs and other places around that folks enjoy getting parcels that are prettily wrapped inside, and I understand entirely...it’s fun! The parcels of yarn and needles and patterns that I send out by mail, however, are packed in a utilitarian fashion. I always reuse the packing materials which have come with my wholesale orders, and this means no frills. I can’t bear to throw out all the plastic bags which have encased each set of 5 or 10 skeins of yarn, so I save them and wrap your yarn in them when I send it to you (after all, that’s all they’ve ever held, is yarn)…a little bit of extra protection against moisture or dirt if your parcel suffers any damage in mailing…but by the same token, it doesn’t look pretty. I reuse cardboard boxes as stabilizers in envelopes when mailing patterns, too, and all the boxes that are used for the mailing package are reused boxes. I am very interested in trying my best to see that the stuff you order from me gets to you in good shape, rather than how it looks, and in throwing out as little as possible (one thing I can do for Mother Nature). Oh, one final thing on this COLD (minus 20 C) day… As of February 1, I will be increasing the price of all my Woollen Earth line of leaflets (the JA series) from the current $5.99 each to $6.49 each. . Kit prices will accordingly increase by fifty cents each. I’ve had the same price on my leaflets since 2000, and though I strive to keep my leaflet prices as low as possible, costs have increased and so must the selling price…though I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a reasonable increase. I’m giving fair warning, just in case you’ve had some projects in mind and would like to buy while you can at the old price. Happy Knitting, all…I’m off to TRY to wrap up some annual bookkeeping (GST end of this month), as my fingers are itching to start work on some of that alpaca!!! (Besides…with alpaca 7 times warmer than wool, I can use all the help I can get in staying warm in this weather!) |
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Thursday, January 17, 2008 Whew! Did you guys ever take me up on my offer! My sale went extremely well, and I did sell out of several yarns, but I have decided to go ahead and extend the sale this week…there are still several deals to be had, so please email me for the sale list if you’re interested! Inventory is all done and I’m in the throes of getting the annual bookkeeping jobs up to date. This isn’t exactly my favorite month for precisely those reasons (inventory and annual bookkeeping chores), but it’s coming along as well as can be expected. I’ve also been working along on a new sweater pattern for my Woollen Earth leaflet line…it’s been coming along tickety-boo, but I made a gauge error, which has now required me to rip back to the beginning. I may or may not model the finished sweater on my dress form, but just in case I do, I’d like it to have a couple of inches of ease (it’s not an adjustable form), rather than fit exactly to bust and hip measurement. It’s just the way I imagine the sweater worn: with a little bit of ease for a “relaxed” look (without being baggy). Of course, the knitter can decide for him or herself what sort of ease they’d like…positive or negative ease, and exactly how much…but my original vision wasn’t the size I was getting, so I figured ripping was better than moaning about it for eternity. Oh, well. Stitch one. So much for progress! I am making good progress on an angora-blend coat I’m knitting for my oldest, though. And I only have a few lazy daisy stitches to finish up on another embroidered pillowcase, so the personal projects are enjoying a bit more success. Still, when you divide your time among so many projects, completion of anything takes longer. In my defense: at least I don’t get bored! Oh, I did get a shipment of needles and books in…and copies of Stitch Style: Mittens are now here. 
This book has my slip stitch fingerless mitts I raved about last January in it. 
There’s just one thing…and I’m embarrassed to tell you…but they put them on UPSIDE DOWN for the photo shoot. So, the instructions are written for the way they were meant to be worn, but they photo shows the model with mitts that barely cover her wrists, and extend past the pinky finger tip. OY! Here’s a photo of one on my hand: 
Funky, no? Sheesh. Anyway, I made the prototype out of D. Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran…which is STILL ON SALE! Although, I’m all sold out of the lovely soft pink. Just takes a skein of each color for the pair, and I have several other colors from which to choose…or ask me about alternate yarns to use (like Misti Alpaca’s “Misti Cotton”). Off to brew cappuccinos and begin a sweater anew. Wednesday, January 09, 2008 Yes, it’s still winter, but there’s no reason why we can’t hold a sizzling sale, is there? Actually, I was so busy yesterday that I didn’t get a chance to post here about the sale, even though everyone on my mailing list did get notice. A couple of items have already sold out, but please (info at thewoollenearth dot com) I should have held this sale BEFORE I had to count it all for inventory, but you know, it takes some of us awhile to catch on about stuff. (Counting it all made me realize…again…just how much there is!) In other news, I finished the “rotating” mitts! (In other words, each person has to have 2 pairs of mitts at any one time, so that while one pair is wet and drying, the other pair can be in use.) These were made according to the specs given by the recipient, and they will be as warm as the other pair already in possession as soon as they are fuzzed up a bit from heavy play (i.e. lightly felted from the outside) and nice and wind/snow proof. Ta da: 
Saturday, January 5, 2008 Boy, how do you possibly write about everything that happens in such a jam-packed couple of weeks as the Christmas holidays always are? After a few more nights of little sleep, I did actually finish up on Christmas Eve, and got a little tutu and a couple of nightgowns under the tree: 
Whew! We had a wonderfully relaxing Christmas morning, although I have to say that the two adults of the party practically needed toothpicks to keep their eyes open by dinnertime. So, we opted out of fancy dishes, and just managed to get the fancy food on the table. Boxing Day, I hadn’t finished my Constantinople gloves by the time we reached our destination, but I did finish them up that afternoon (after they’d been gifted), and the last Christmas present slid off my plate. Whew again. How do I do that? Have oodles of time and still end up last minute? Must be in my nature to perform under a tight deadline or not at all, or something. After that, a feverish assault on all sorts of other projects. This always happens after a big deadline is met…I get so excited by having my agenda cleared, that I just can’t pick a single new project to start, so I end up with a whole new pile of works in progress. (By the way, just for the record, finishing up all the Christmas presents certainly didn’t clean up all the OTHER previously started projects with OTHER purposes!!!!) Don’t get me wrong, I love starting new projects (can you tell??); who doesn’t? But one exciting thing I started was some embroidery. Since opening my yarn shop almost 10 years ago, the range of my crafting has shrunk to pretty much knitting and crocheting, since that’s all I seem to have time for. But I do love other things, such as painting, calligraphy, and embroidery. I bought some great retro embroidery transfers just before Christmas and promptly set about ironing a very small one onto a pink pillowcase for NEXT Christmas…and I’ve been enjoying myself immensely...mixing up the knitting time and the embroidery time has been just about perfect! I’ve got one pillowcase done and in the “tub” for next year, and another one partially done. I can see this embroidery thing becoming a permanent little habit. I should probably drag out the pillowcase and take a picture, shouldn’t I? I always forget to take photos. We also spent our holiday with our cross-country skis, which was fantastic! We have a great trail we slog out on our skis around our place, which affords a great workout and a fabulous view of the lake. The hoarfrost and sunshine outdid themselves this holiday, and it was absolutely breathtaking skiing (in more than one way, let me tell you)! And isn’t there something so satisfying to be sitting, wine glass in hand in the evening, bone-tired from fresh air and exercise, indulging in rich food and enjoying the festive gleam of the lights on the tree? I miss it already. Especially since I’ve spent the last couple of days in an administrative and business housekeeping whirl, taking inventory (which is NOT done), responding to emails, ordering, and just generally catching up! I think I’ll have a big sale next week after it’s all been tallied up for the year…what do you say? (I say I should have had the sale BEFORE the end of the year so I wouldn’t have had to count it, but what do I know?  )Keep you posted, and a Happy and Healthy New Year to All! |
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THE WOOLLEN EARTH, PO Box 2530, Vanderhoof BC V0J 3A0 Canada Phone: (250) 690-7777 1-866-690-9665(WOOL) Email: |