Crazy for Ewe

I'm super excited about the Aalta Yarn Trunk Show this Saturday!  Christine Forester, owner of Aalta Yarns will be here to talk about the company and share with you her vision and some of her fabulous products.  You already know Aalta Truth, the delicious blend of merino and baby alpaca.  She's launching a line of Truth Hand-dyes that are just beautiful.  She'll have some on hand that will be more

Are you knitting or crocheting a gift for someone this holiday season?  If so, that's wonderful.  If feels so nice to give someone you love something you've created.  It's a little piece of yourself and your life that you've set aside especially for them.  If you're not knitting or crocheting gifts, that's fine too.  This time of year lots of customers confess with some guilt that they're "a selfish knitter."  I wish there were another term for those of us who knit more

A big warm thank you to everyone who came out and shopped on Small Business Saturday.  It was wonderful to see you, and I so appreciate you coming out to support the shop.  It was an especially great weekend for me with all my kids home together.  It was especially nice to have my girls home for the holiday.  The rest of the year, I'm the only female in the house, so it was a fun time for some girl talk.  They're not really girls anymore read more

The Winter 2017 Mystery Knitalong starts December 21st, first day of winter.  This is the shortest day of the year with only 9 and half hours between sunrise and sunset.  We thought this would be the perfect day to begin our mystery knit, shrouded in darkness and, well, mystery.  Plus, by this time, most of the rush of holiday planning, baking, shopping, etc, is probably done, and you'll be settling in or traveling off for the coziest time of the year read more

The holidays are in full swing, as witnessed by the hoards of shoppers at Giant today.  Everyone had a full cart, but no one seemed particularly happy to be there.  It made me think about the concept of happiness -- that elusive feeling that so often seems just out of reach, just beyond our grasp.  I just watched a video by Google X's Chief Business Officer. Mo Gadawt, called, An Algorithm for Happiness.  In it, Gawdat describes happiness read more

I always try to encourage newer knitters to invest in a set of interchangeable needles.  It's a difficult sell because they are a big investment up front, but given the fact that they save you 300% over the course of your knitting, they're a very smart buy.  I love my interchangeable needles.  As far as I'm concerned, they're the greatest invention read more

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week.  It always sneaks up on me.  It shouldn't, but it does.  Good think I already planned had lots of fun stuff back when November seemed way in the future.  We'll be open closing at 2:30 on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) but be sure to join us that day for special deals on lots of fun new things like these wrist rulers

A lovely bit of instant gratification from one of our favorite shawl designers, Melanie Berg, the Decemberist Shawl  is just what you need on your needles right now.  Make it as a last minute gift for some incredibly lucky (and knitworthy) individual on your holiday list, or as a cozy indulgence for yourself.  You've been read more

I just bought a new cookbook because it's going to change my life.  It's called  A New Way to Dinner, and it's all about cooking once for the whole week.  I know, there are dozens of articles about cooking a thing and using it over and over, but this book is laid out by season, with 4 week's worth of menus, grocery lists, and game plans for each. It doesn't cover every single week of the year, but that's ok.   Most weeks I kind of enjoy meal planning - poring  read more

Leonardtown High School basketball tryouts are next week, and while Colton almost never talks about it, I know it's on his mind.  Unlike some kids who've been playing since they were small, Colton never really showed much interest in basketball until one day he was 6'3 and realized that this was probably the sport for him.  Last year, a freshman with almost no experience, of course he didn't make the team.  He and his friends signed up for parks and rec ball and went to every summer camp Coach Harney offered.  Coach Harney focused on the basics - skills and drills -- and lots of time on read more

Umina is an example of what a difference it makes to ramp up the luxury factor.  It's deliciously soft blend of Royal Alpaca and Extrafine Merino, both of which have a micron count below 18, which rivals cashmere.  With the silkiness of alpaca and bounce of Merino, Umina does just what you want it to do. It holds its shape when you want it for a sweater, but blocks out nicely when you're looking for some drape.  Its 2-ply construction helps prevent pilling and makes even simple stockinette look special.  Umina is the perfect fiber for Groovy, a simple elegant read more