August

I got my shipment in this week. I LOVE the yarn! I dont want to wind it up, it's so pretty! And the pattern is sooo cute! Sarah, you did a great job. I'm so excited, I cant wait! Off to knit!

Head Yarn Gatherer Still Alive!

Hey there,
Did anyone wonder if I'd left the planet? Well, I must admit with the opening of my shop and the amount of work (which I severely underestimated)involved, there have been days when I have been sitting on the front steps of this little shop and wondered what on earth I was thinking when I decided to plunge ahead on this project. But now, a mere 4 days from opening I can see it all coming together and am very excited - I planned to take today off to catch up around the house and find myself wanting to go to the shop - a good thing, right? Yet more yarn arrived last night and I can't help myself I have to go and put it on the few remaining shelves that are empty -

The sock kits have all been shipped - this month's yarn is very special, I think. Mostly because it's new and not very well known - yet it's from a very well known company. Sarah did a great job on the pattern - she's knit it over and over and over due to all the yarn changes and she deserves a big hug for persevering through it all.

Oh and the sock contest - we have picked a winner! And I will be announcing that on September 1st. I've just had the sock test knit and it's really good - all the entries were really good and I had a tough time with choosing, so I put it to my Pick Up Sticks team and we voted.

Enjoy your new kits!

Yarn sniffing, August kit (no spoiler)

I almost titled my post "yarn smells" then realized someone might think I got a stinky yarn! Not what I meant. I meant to out myself and own up to being a yarn sniffer. I mean, when checking out a new yarn, you want the feel, and the drape - but occasionally, I've come across a really STINKY yarn and well, you don't want that. A teeny bit sheepy, like a nice clean baby sheep that just had a bath, is OK, but not, say, wet muddy sheep on the barn floor smell. So I sniff my yarns.

Something lovely I've noticed about a number of the handpaints/handdyes, is not only is there NO sheepy smell, but there's often a tang to it that I find very evocative, and different yarns have such distinct scents. Mostly acidic, which makes sense as they would have gone through some variant of an acid dye process, but so different.

When I've had my hands on the occasional skein of Jitterbug, the smell is very distinctly vinegar. Reminds me of a clean linoleum floor at Grandma's house. My Blue Moon is a little less sharp, but a touch metallic, or mineral, reminds me a bit of the scent of rocks on a cool, damp day. And this month's kit yarn? I hope this is no spoiler from the kit point of view, but there's a tang to this yarn that very clearly brought to mind... chewable childrens' aspirin. Those orangey-pink tablets that were around when I was a kid. Something I associate with chilly days, pyjamas and staying in bed, probably because they all went with a little kid being sick with a cold or fever (back when nobody knew not to give them aspirin!).

Maybe that is just what jumped to mind as I've got a sinus cold this week, but still - I admit I'm a little odd, and maybe no one else has my warped sense of smell or has a totally different one, but I find it delightful how distinctly scent can bring a long-forgotten memory to mind, and more so that my different yarns can have such memorable essences.

Thanks again for a lovely surprise again this month!

This month's selection

is absolutely beautiful - love the pattern, LOVE the yarn - no spoilers, but just wait till y'all see... and feel...

Thanks, Connie, and Sarah, for a terrific kit!

An apology

I am sorry about the rant that I posted a few days ago about my terrible tangle. I never meant to cast aspersions on Connie's sock club nor on any of her suppliers - both have been really wonderful. In fact, Connie (who must be out-of-her-mind busy) wrote back in the comment right away offering to replace the skein and even wind it up for me. Wow, you just don't get any better in customer service than that! I am, however, going to decline her generous offer because:

-I ought not to have posted something when I was having a moment of frustration. I forgot my "wait 24 hours before pressing that send-button" rule. I know better than this.

-I did not in fact throw away that yarn. I just....couldn't. The colours - the silky feeling of it - nope, couldn't do it. Instead, I put it away for that day (that day that I should have waited - remember?), then sat down and spent several hours UNDOING it. Yup, I told myself that it was a "patience-building" exercise, and stayed calm and cut (yeah, cut - I know) when necessary, and now have about a dozen little balls of yarn. It's OK, really - just a few ends to weave in, right? :)

-I was an idiot when I decided to go ahead and try to wind the skein initially when I *knew* that there was a problem with it. Kind of like when you kinda sorta suspect that your gauge might be off a little, but you don't stop knitting because it might just magically get better if you just press on? Well, the skein may have been wonky, but I should have done something different, and I didn't. I cannot lay all the blame on someone else's feet when I shared in it.

Sorry everybody, I hope that you don't think that I am a total twit.

Cynthia
-off to work on my Beach sock.

How Cool!

July was my first ever sock club shipment, and can I say wow!! It was so exciting to see the box sitting there, not knowing what exactly was inside. I think someone else on here said not something she would have picked herself, but now that she has it, loves it. That's me too :) I have my First Socks on the needles (Lattice Stitch from More Sensational Socks by Charlene Schurch, Trakking XXL 100). Once those are done, on to Grow!

So sad...

Oh, but I am disappointed! Not with any of the wonderful colour choices or patterns, but with the yarn mishap that I have just had.

I just got around to pulling out the swift and ball winder to wind up June and July's skeins. July's (lovely) went just fine, but I had nothing but problems with the Bird of Paradise skein. As we were told ahead of time, this yarn was not re-skeined by the dyer, but sent in the original tie-up. I noticed that it was a really short skein, and when I unwrapped the ties I saw that there were quite a few longer loops that had been tied up with the rest. It looked unusual, but there was nothing that I could do to manipulate them to change it, so I had to try to put it on the swift and try. I wound slowly and carefully, but it ended up snarling and there was nothing to do but cut it. I now have a small 35 gram usable ball of this beautiful yarn, and 76 grams that are going into the trash because they are really and truly hopelessly tangled. I can't help but think that had this been re-skeined by the dyer that the difficulties would have been discovered then and I might have gotten a usable skein. I really hope that we get them done up properly in the future.

I don't like complaining (born and raised in Canada, eh), but this sock club is a little luxury that I cannot afford if I am not getting good product. Wah.....

Cynthia

First time!

Hi - bec from Australia here :) Well the July package was my first ever sock club package and I am thrilled! What a blast opening up the package to see that gorgeous shade of green (I think the universe has a green obsession at the mo and rightly so ;) ) and the divine pattern :)

I have a couple (well more than a couple but don't we all ;) ) UFOs that I need to finish before starting although my fingers are itching to get stuck into those cables :)

Take care everyone and thank you again Connie and Meghan :)

bec.

August Sock Club

Hey there Knitters! I'm glad everyone is excited with their July kits. I love Shelridge Farms - knits up to smooshy, yummy fabric! And well, Meghan's pattern - what else is there to say about that? This is the last pattern Meghan will be doing until November as she awaits her new baby - and sits and points telliing us where to put things in the shop - she deserves the break especially after July's pattern!

Our August pattern designer is Sarah Chase, another great friend of mine - she's hard at work knitting the test sock now and the pattern is a beauty! Oh and the yarn....well, there was a glitch but actually an excellent glitch! The supplier I ordered from is backordered on the yarn I selected until October but has offered to send a brand new sock yarn that virtually no one has heard of. You're going to love it and I'm so excited to be able to get it for you!

September and October patterns are part of our Sock Club contest and I have some beautiful designs so far - I'm just waiting for one more and then I will announce the winner!

I'm off to paint the shop today - you can check my other blog for pictures -
Connie

Hello - first time caller :)

I just received an invitation to join this group - thanks. This will be the second month for the sock club and I love it. I can't wait to start the socks. I love the pattern and who knew that shade of green was my favorite color. I first must finish the toe of the sock I am on - I promised myself and a promise is a promise. I look forward to keeping up with all of you.

Oh yeah - I am Luanne from Northern Maine- 3 kids ages 22, 19, 17 - I have been knitting most of my life. Our new baby is now 10 weeks old - Golden Retriever named Bauer. He has cut into my knitting time somewhat - his big brown eyes are hard to resist.

~bye for now~

I love this pattern

I think this is my favorite month (so far), I love the yarn (one of my favorites), I wouldn't have picked that colour but I really like it, and the pattern is terrific. I may use this for a few Christmas presents this year, simple colour but outstanding design.