1824 Wool is Back!

Okay, so no picture today. My sister took my camera on a totally fun train ride to Seattle. Anyway... 1824 came in yesterday. As of now we have 30 colors not including the backordered ones. (Of course they backordered black and white!) We have given this yarn a thorough check and it is as close to the original as one could get. So if you used to love it and cried when it went away, you can now rejoice with the rest of us!

Reminders and Checkups

Just a little reminder that our book release party and signing for Leigh Radford is next weekend, April 1 from 5-7pm. (This is also my birthday!)As you can see little Avery sporting the petal bib from this fabulous book. We've been furiously knitting every project we can get our hands on!

I also wanted to let everyone know that we will be receiving our second shipment from the Fibre Company sometime next week. The next yarn is called Savannah and I'm sure you will love it as much as Terra. (I knitted the baby bolero from One Skein in this yarn.) And I know I've been slacking a little lately, but last week we got 2 yarns from Phildar, Silk Garden Lite, Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy and others. So there's definitely more to check out if you haven't been by in the last couple of weeks. Oh, and be sure to check out Jaydn's blog...It's such a sweet story, it makes us weep.

All of the Hats are off to Kasakhstan

Here is an email I received from our customer who requested all of the baby hats for the orphans in Kasakhstan. It's so exciting and wonderful to see where your donations will land. Thanks to everyone who participated and donated to this very worthy cause. Good luck Cindy...

Yes! Dreams do come true.

Yesterday at 5:15 am we got a call from our agency coordinator that we are to be in Kazakhstan on Thursday 3/16, which means we leave on Wednesday this coming week! While we expected more than 4 days notice, we could not be more thrilled. Knowing that your baby is waiting for you on the other side of the world is quite the incentive to pack fast!

Our route as scheduled now brings us from Portland to Cincinnati, Cinci to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Almaty. We arrive in Almaty at 2:00 am on Friday 3/17 and meet that morning with our agency's counterpart in Kaz. From there we hop aboard an old Soviet warplane for another 4 hours of flying time to Koksheteau (although this go round we'll be lucky to get a seat - sometimes it is standing room only). Depending on the arrival time, we will either be taken to the hospital straight away or the following morning to meet Jadyn. Can you imagine?!

The first three weeks we will be visiting our little guy at the hospital where he currently resides. Visits are 2 hours each. After that point we go to court where we (God willing) are awarded custody and crowned the official parents of Jadyn. He will then move in with us to our apartment for several weeks while we are waiting for the papers to be processed. By early may we will return to Almaty to get his passport and the final papers. We expect to leave Kaz on May 5 and arrive back in the states on May 6. Looks like we are in for an adventure of a lifetime!

We've created a blog so that you can follow along on our journey: www.babyjadyn.blogspot.com. Take a look now and you'll see some pics of Jadyn taken yesterday by our new friend and hero Ellen who is currently in Kaz adopting baby Max.

While we'd love to send more personalized emails and chat with all of you to bid adieu, we are spending all waking moments packing and wrapping things up at work and at home. Thanks for understanding. We feel all your support and can't wait to catch up when we come home - there will surely be much to tell.

Giggle giggle, gulp gulp, sigh...

Cindy and Tony

New Yarns and New Class Schedule

Hooray! The new class schedule is online. Just give it a look and see some of our juicy new offerings like the cupcake workshop and Simple Sewing II...
And this weeks new yarns are.... Swirl Chunky by Lornas Laces. An amazing use of blending to take advantage of the dye technique, then yarn is soft and fabulous. Terra by the Fibre Company. Spun and dyed in Portland, Maine, this is so so so wonderful. I can't even tell you how much we love this stuff. It's a definite must-see!

Felted Flower Kits

Today we received these great kits from Pick Up Sticks. Each kit contains yarn and a pattern to make a felted flower. You can choose from Tiger Lily, Tulip, Sunflower, Gerbera Daisy, Calla Lily, Daffodil, Iris, or Leaves. They are so cute in their little packages, they look just like a bulb ready to plant! We want to knit them all!

If you don't want to buy the kit, we also have the patterns sold separately, as well as many other totally cute felted designs from this company. This wavy flower hat is just one of many super fun baby and kid hats to felt!

Rowan Has Arrived!

Our Rowan shelf is now bursting with color! We have received the two new yarns for Spring, Holiday and Glimmer Print. These are a slight departure for Rowan, but come in wonderful shades and are accompanied by great patterns books as you can see here...
In addition to the new yarns, we now have lots of 4-ply cotton, Cotton Glace, Handknit DK, All Season's Cotton, Summer Tweed and more. If you're a Rowan fan, it's time to come in and check it out!

One Skein Arrives!

We are so thrilled for the release of Leigh Radford's second publication "One Skein." This amazing little book features 30 projects to knit, most of them with just one skein of yarn! These are so great. I would knit everything in this book! We're so proud of Leigh and her creative spirit, so we'll be hosting a book release party and signing for her in the coming weeks. Watch our newsletter and this space for updates, and be sure to stop by and check out this great book!

Laura in Interweave Knits

Congratulations to our very own Laura Irwin for publishing her first pattern. This "Bridgetown Beltbag" appears in the current issue of Interweave Knits. She will have other patterns appearing in future issues of Knits as well as their offshoot, Knitscene. Keep your eyes peeled!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hearts, flowers and kisses to all of you fabulous knitting people! If you need a Valentine tonight, Lint would be happy to oblige...just bring a tasty snack, or just your lovely self to our Valentine's potluck at 6pm. Be there or be somewhere else!

Sale, Sale, Sale!!!

Today, tommorrow, and secretly Monday and Tuesday we are having a mega sale! Come on in and get amazing discounts of 40% or more on some really amazing stuff! We're open today until 7pm, Sunday 12-6 and normal hours on Monday and Tuesday. Also don't forget the Valentine's Potluck Tuesday night!

New Yarns...

Yesterday and today we received many of our new and amazing Spring yarns. First for Blue Sky, there are 8 new colors of Alpaca & Silk! There is also the most luxurious Royal alpaca. This beauty is as soft as cashmereand comes in 8 earthy tones. There are also three new shades of Blue Sky Sport which are called "Melange" to indicate their wonderful multi-tones. We've added the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash to our array of this great company. There are many beautiful heathered shades to play with. Plymouth treated us with 4 new yarns.... First, we added solid colors in the Fantasy Naturale cotton. We also added Jellibeanz, a great washable kids yarn, and Obsession... this one you have to feel to believe! And I saved the best for last! The new Rowan has arrived! We think this is just so gorgeous and amazing. It is a magical journey through the possibilities of knitting. This is just the beginning of all the amazing new products coming in. Keep checking here for the latest!

Weaving Success!

Today we had our first ever weaving class. Diane McKinnon came to teach a classroom full of eager students in the art of the table loom. Each person made their own scarf or table runner, and all had great success! Since weaving is my first passion, it thrills me to see so much interest in this amazing craft. Congratulations Laura, John, Amy and Aase. (John will be showing off his amazing handspun cashmere scarf this Tuesday at Knit Night.)

Knitting Olympics

So I know a lot of you read the Yarn Harlot Blog. One of my friends sent me this link and it sounds totally cool. It's a good reason to force yourself to knit something in an extrordinary amount of time. And to challenge yourself. If any of you are doing this I'd love to hear about it. (Send me pictures!) http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/olympics2006.html

Yarn to Donate

Lately, Lint has collected quite a stash of random yarns. We get all kinds of samples and extra skeins and what not. We've already donated 2 garbage bags full of yarn to school programs, and now we'd like to find a third worthy recipient. This bag is filled to the top with all different kinds of yarn treats perfect for a kids knitting class or craft program. If you are or know of a program or school that could benefit from this great stash, please email me at Lint. Thanks!

Update! Whew, that was fast! We've already found a great program to take this wonderful stuff. Thanks Kathy!

Charitable Knitting (Passed Along by Jean Herbold)

Thanks Jean for this great info. Another good way to utilize our ever growing yarn stashes and skills!

Interweave Knits magazine was pleased to announce their partnership with the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) Red Scarf Project to collect and send warmth and encouragement to America’s college-attending foster youth by collecting 2,500 handknitted and crocheted scarves, preferably in shades of red, for Valentine’s Day care packages.We know there are hundreds of charitable fiber arts projects across the country, but this one stood out in our mind, perhaps because many of our staff are recent college graduates and have great memories of care packages from home.Blogger Now Norma Knits (www.nownormaknits2.typepad.com) writes about this project in words better than our own: “There are a few things I am a sucker for, and one of them is sending care packages to kids in boarding school or college. . . Foster kids who have the smarts, and more importantly the gumption and the self-direction and motivation, to go to college, deserve a pat on the back as often as we can give it. They are hoping to overcome obstacles that the rest of us can barely imagine. . .”For more information, review our press release or visit the Orphan Foundation of America website at www.orphan.org.We’ll be sure to give you PLENTY of advance notice if the Orphan Foundation of America makes this an annual event!

Stina's Last Day

So Stina's last day was Saturday. She's off to New Mexico to become a newspaper lady. We're so sad to see her go, but we're hopeful for her new adventure. If you want to send her a message. Just post it here, and we'll get it to her. Bye Stina!

New Hours and Announcements

So we're starting some new hours this month. Not anything major, we're just closing earlier on Fridays and Saturdays. (7pm) If you need that late night, we're still here 'till 9 on Tuesdays.
A couple of things to note... Our Spring Sale is coming on February 11 and 12. This is a major sale so that we can make room for all of that amazing yarn we ordered at the trade show. There are very deep discounts and prizes galore! (It's totally fun even if you don't buy yarn.) We're already starting to get in some new stuff, so there will be some to check out that weekend. The last bit of info involved Valentine's Day. Our knit-nighters have requested that we have another potluck that day. So I say yay! That's a Tuesday, February 14th. Bring a dish if you like, or just come and eat!

New Art at Lint

Wednesday night was a night for celebration as the long awaited installation of Lint's first stained glass piece took place. My amazing and talented husband Peter has been working on this gorgeous glass since Lint opened. (He's taking commissions.) These pictures show the install and the glass, which changes colors depending on the lighting and where you stand within the store. Don't forget to look up the next time you're in the store! (Thanks to Crystal, Thadeus and Morgan for all your help!)

Jane Makes a Gorgeous Blanket

Jane Kennedy (on the right) just finished this amazing baby blanket. This beautiful lace pattern what knit using Jane's own handspun yarn. What a lucky little baby!

More great products from the Trade Show!

So I was just checking out a couple of websites for companies that I love. We've ordered some yarns from these people, and I thought that maybe you could read from them what they stand for and what they do. If you've got a little time, check 'em out, won't you? The first is the Fibre Company. Spun and dyed in Portland, Maine, this yarn and these ladies are tops! Find them and www.thefibreco.com We also love Be Sweet. Now, we've had their yarn for a little while, but I thought you'd want to know where your money goes! See them at www.besweetproducts.com. We also love the creative mastery behind some of the most amazing tools on the market. Glass Knitting Needles! Check out www.namasteneedles.com. We may not be the only folks in town to carry these amazing needles and accessories, but I'm sure we love them the most! This is the true original, so don't accept any imitators! (Even if you don't buy them from us!) They also have some totally awesome bags and solutions for how to store all of your needles and accessories. I promise, you will not be disappointed! We won't have these beauties for another few weeks, but you can at least put them on your list for the Spring! Speaking of awesome bags... you must check out www.offhanddesigns.com. Sweet ladies and even sweeter products. We'll be getting the new "Eve" and "Ursula" bags. I'll just let them speak for themselves.
So... had enough! Well here's a small list of other people we love. When you're done doing your homework, drop me a line. I'd love to hear what you think, what you love, what you'd like us to carry and all of that! Thanks...
www.knitrowan.com
www.blueskyalpacas.com
www.lanternmoon.com
www.koigu.com
www.malabrigoyarn.com
www.lornaslaces.com