Happy New Year!

The dawn of a new year brings hopes, expectations and resolutions to make this year the best year. We have to comment about last year first. Last year was the first year in our new home in downtown Natick. The hard work, long days and nights and bringing in inventory, new co-op members instructors has had a wonderful response from all. We thank you for every day, not just once a year.

Thank you to our co-op members who help out in the store as well as bring us your beautiful hand crafted items for all to enjoy. When they are given as a gift or purchase for oneself, they are receiving something truly special. Their items are available throughout the year and they also welcome custom orders.

What is the new year bringing for you? The list of classes is on our website that are ones you have asked when they will be offered again or you have stated you are so glad they are still be offered. We learn as much from you as you learn from us! It helps to improve our teaching style.

New yarns for the new year have started to arrive. You have asked for more cotton and more luxury yarns and they are coming! We will still have the favorites also. Berroco Flicker is in the store now. A luxury yarn with alpaca and a tiny bit of glitz. Glitz and novelty yarns are coming back this spring, but they are not the novelty yarns of years past.

We have brought back out project of the month theme for those who have wanted to be inspired year round and not just in the summer to keep you motivated in the warm months. We have posted it in our newsletter but briefly it is a sweater called Amherst by Dolce Handknits. A fun, easy, fast, raglan top up cardigan with fun bottons. That will start Jan 3! The yarn we are using is Berroco Peruvia. I am making it out of Abusar If we don't have enough in stock we will custom order what you need. Berroco is so good at sending orders right out also.

We just introduced a new KAL (knit along) This was first suggested to us by Kate F. . She and I have the same taste in knitting and we both laughed when we showed each other the same pattern! It is knit side to side but using color work through out. We have a sample pattern in the store and will be ordering them and the Lamb's Pride yarn as a special order just for those who will be participating. We do request payment at the time of placing the order. This will be ongoing until one of us finishes it! Please join us Thursday mornings to stitch, bring it to stitch night the second Monday of the month or work on it at home.

There is so much more to talk about today but it is a day off for me and that means farm work. I am "skirting" fleeces today to get them ready to send off to the processors to have more natural color roving made.

FYI, thank you Kate, the date for the monthly spinning group is incorrect in the newsletter, it is Friday but the 28th not the 29th. That is what I get for not proofreading at a reasonable hour.

Turbo Knitting

How many watched American Idol or Dancing with the Stars and were knitting frantically while the judges made their decision, tallying up the American public votes and finally telling us who won? Congratulations to the winners -Lee on AI won and Nicole won on DWS. Jessica was betting Lee and I on Nichole. There was some turbo knitting during those final episodes.



As we sat around yesterday waiting for a new Berroco shipment to arrival, new ideas were popping into our heads. Berroco has some great free patterns on their website! We grabbed a couple of work up for all of you to see. One picked is Andoa that will be made in Ultra Alpaca in a beautiful heather blue.

The Comfort DK and DK Prints are finally starting to arrive. This has been a long anticipated shipment. It is comparable to Comfort Baby and is machine washable and dry. Look at one of the new colorways that is on the shelves now... This is "Bluebells". Yummy!

Tomorrow will be another fun day. Meeting with yarn reps is always like the holidays, we make out lists and then wait with anticipation.

Stay Cool with Summer Projects!

It has been a while since writing! The store has had a semi new face lift with new displays. Our stitchers have new models to show you and even during this unusually hot weather we are cool with the air conditioning on, summer cool colors of yarn and plenty of time to help you find the right project for the summer.

Don't forget we start out monthly project of the month in June. which come in, purchase your yarn and many times, pick up the free pattern or we will tell you where to get the pattern for free and stitch away. At the end of the month, stop by with your finished project and we will place your name in a drawing with the prize being $25.00 gift certificate!

Barbara and Joan are working on great knit felt hats for the fall for sale, Jessica and Jamie are working on their latest knit tops, Patty has a couple of shawl on her needles as well as Tunisian crochet, Charlotte is busy with quilts, place mats, table runner s and more. Roberta and Kerry are working on new gift items and Debbie just finished the July Project of the month as well as just starting "Buttercup" in Pima Cotton by Berroco.

What's on your needles?

This is a question that is asked often to those of us who knit in the store. We promptly pull out the projects (yes, sometimes many to one knitter) and show them off, telling all where the pattern came from and what yarn we are using. it is like parents showing pictures of their babies!

One of the current projects on Debbie's needles is a pair of angora/merino blend gloves for a gift for a family friend. I am down to the last 3 fingers on the last glove. Love those 5 inch double point needles!