Continuing our renovation

We are continuing to work on updating the shoppe. This is where we put the checkout counter.


Then the rest of the main room.

And check out the front room. Three of the trellis's are sitting out in the front lawn, in the snow.


This is the last of the trellis's. We purchased three bookcases from Ikea to replace the trellis. They are in the middle room.

Hopefully our carpenter is coming in tomorrow to put up the slatboard in the front room. Then we will use hooks for the notions and needles. Books and patterns will go on bookcases.

I am still looking for a table. If you know of a 60" oval pedestal table, let me know.

Renovation time

After being in business for 1.5 years, we decided it was time to look at the shoppe and see how we could use the space to give you better service. We decided to put a table and chairs in the front room, to use for classes. Books, notions, and patterns will also go out into the front room. Yarn will be in the main and back room.

We are getting rid of the trellis and brought in shelves for the yarn. Here are Kate and Ashley working hard, helping to set up the new shelves.



And here is the finished project.


The checkout area has also been moved.


We are still in the process of moving items around. This is the back room - we took the shelves out and the countertop will also be removed.


The room will have shelves full of yarn and the buttons and notions are going into the front room where we are putting up slatboard for the notions. Bookshelves will hold patterns and books.

I have four boxes sitting in the closet, waiting to be unloaded. New yarn from Farmhouse Yarns, more Denise Organizers, yarn from Fiber Trends, and felted items and other goodies from Rising Tide.

Click and knit

Yup, they are here. The Addi Clicks. There are 10 different tips, from US 4 to US 15 (no US 5, and don't ask me why), along with a 24", 32", and 40" cord. You place the cord into the tip, twist, and let go. It clicks into place and will never pop out. If you don't want the case, put the needles and the rest of the kit into this - the Denise Organizer. We also ordered Loft Color from Skacel. This yarn was used in knitting the Inside Outside Scarf from Knitting Universe. Then we have sock yarn that can be knit with US size 3 - Opal 6 ply and Trekking 6 fach. Now, if I could just order some knitting time.

Kristina's Glo

Love the hats from Hip Knit Hats. Here is another quick one to knit up. I used Cascade Autunno on size US 10 needles. Did some minor modifications to the pattern and it turned out cute.


And the best part is that Kristina likes it! Merry Christmas, sweetie.

Finished Thorpe

Here is the finished model. We tied the earflaps up for an alternative look.

This hat and 116 other items went off Tuesday to the Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative Holiday Gathering that was held last night for 97 foster youth and aged-out foster youth. You folks are amazing! In less than two weeks you donated all of those items.

Where's a crocheter when you need them?

I am working on the Thorpe. And I have it knitted.

Now I have to half-double crochet around the edges. Easy for you to say - just look it up on You Tube. But I have to have someone show me first, as I always seem to find some way of not fully understanding the directions.

So, where are the crocheters?


P. S. You just have to ask. About 5 minutes after I posted this, Pamela came in. Pamela, a crocheter. Guess what is now crocheted around the border.



Thanks, Pamela. Now all I have to do is add the braids.

More Goodies

We just received these great pendants! They are from Debra's Garden. Knitter's Review did an article on them a while back, which piqued my interest. I finally got around to ordering them and they are really nice. They come with a bag and would make a great gift. Clara Parkes tells us that she found that ChiaoGoo US 6 did not fit properly in this gauge, but when I checked mine, they worked, so it may be that ChiaoGoo fixed their sizing after Clara's review.

I have to admit that one of the fun things about owning a yarn shoppe is that it feels like Christmas year around. We get to try out all sorts of wonderful items and I am forever awed by the artistic talent that is shown to me.

Missing Kathy

A while ago, I was really excited because I met up with an old friend. She came back into my life and once again, she enriched it. Then that rotten cancer came back into her life and this past Friday, Kathy left this world.

So, I am feeling sad and I know that I will miss her. I keep hearing that heart attacks are the biggest killer, but the majority of people I know that have died, die from cancer. And they are always the good people. In fact, I have adopted the philosophy that I had better be a really terrible person if I want to live a long life.

I find it hard to say goodbye. I am not afraid of dying, I just don't know what to say to the folks who are left behind. And in the last couple of months, three people have died who are connected, in some way, to my life. And that is pretty crappy.

No Idle Hands

About two months ago we asked you to join us in the No Idle Hands Project.


And what a response we have had! 57 hats, 51 scarfs, and 20 sets of hats, mittens, and scarfs. Thanks to you, we will be taking all of these wonderful items over to Goodwill Inn, where they will be distributed to folks.

What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Hats

Bring on the cold weather.
I am getting ready for it.

Actually, what I am doing is knitting up some hats from Hip Knit Hats. They have been fast and fun.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

Yes, we can and we did.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change. (We want change.)
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics…they will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea: Yes We Can.

Halloween

Hope you had a great ghost and goblin day!!!!

Suttons Bay Fall Art Walk

Friday, October 24, 2008, the Art Walk. Ingrid Zotter was our featured fiber artist. Pictures are not that great. Sorry, Ingrid. As her knitted garments were amazing. Besides, with her New Zealand accent, what do you expect? They teach them to knit when they are still wearing knickers. (That is the expression, isn't it?)



She brought in doilies, shawls, vests, sweaters .....See the one with tea cups? The back of that sweater has a tea pot. Cute.





And here is my favorite landlord in the whole wide world. That is Joyce, yakking away. Can't remember if I have mentioned it, but for those of you who have not been here in person, we rent our space from Bayside Salon, where they have manicures, pedicures, facials, and fantastic hair stylists. Not to mention that all of them are wonderful ladies.


This is Dorte's 14 yr. old daughter, Erika, the bride of a corpse. She is on her way to an early Halloween party. Dorte is one of those wonderful hair stylists, manicurist, and pedicurist.
She moved here from Denmark many moons ago. Had to be love.


We had a great time.

Done

Pat came in wearing this fun sweater. She knit it out of the Shibui Merino Alpaca and it is for her daughter-in-law in Oregon. I told Pat she could forget to take it with her to Portland and leave it here for us.


Stacy came in wearing this hat. It is her pattern and she knitted it out of the Autunno.

Isn't it cute?
We will be offering this pattern as soon as Susan gets it to us. Susan designed it after I told her I wanted a 3 button wrap that had a cable. And voila! How wonderful to have a designer on staff.


Kate is wearing her Broken Rib Vest made out of the Harlequin yarn and knitting one for her hubby out of the Elegant Merino.


And here I am wearing my Bea Arthur rib warmer. I love, love it.




Jacki finished this amazing lace top for her daughter, Ingrid. She used Naturally Dawn, a bamboo yarn and the pattern, Oriel Lace Blouse, from Interweave Knits Summer 2007. I have watched Jacki work her way through this blouse and she has done an amazing job. I am sure that there were many times she was ready to throw it into the trash, but look what her preserverance brought her. This is truly a work of love from a mother to her daughter.

With Friends like These

I have Thanksgiving every day. Look what was waiting for me when I came in yesterday morning.

Jill knitted this out of Louet linen. And as with everything in life, there is more to the story. She was over 1/2 done and her kitty found it and ate it. Poor Jill had to take most of it out and regroup. You have to come in and see it in person. It looks like an article from a museum, as it is absolutely lovely.


Makes me glad I named the shoppe Thistledown. It has obviously given folks a reason to play around. See this: Melody had this made by Pat McKean. Pat has some wonderful buttons and pins at our store. And she also makes items like this.


Then my knitting group surprised me with this flag last year. Think it lets folks know what we have here? And underneath the flag is a lamb that Kathy Herman put together for the shoppe. See what I mean about having a continuous Thanksgiving?