Christmas is delightful ... especially at On The Lamb!

ooooohhhhhh, the weather outside is frightful...

No, it's not. Not really! But it definitely is winter and it's time for snuggling up in front of the gas fireplace, or the micro heater or the floor vent and pull out a warm, rewarding project that will provide someone with years of comfort and smiles. OR, now here's a thought, make something for yourself!

We have lots of 'one skein' wonder ideas if you need to pull off a quickie project (how about Felted Bowls?) a terrific scarf or those cute little 'gauntlets' (fingerless gloves.) Don't forget our Artisan teas - such a wonderful addition to a stocking - and we have kits made up with delicate tea cup infusers and packages of tea for your ease of gifting. And how about a Sock Kit????? Socks are such a hot item right now ... jump on the bandwagon. Don't know how? Let's talk in the new year and we'll get you 'learned'!

I'm on the hunt for a perfect doggie coat for Purl - the last one i made for her was a little small this year (hmmmmmmm, there is a reason Pugs are one vowel away from pig!) So if anyone has a pattern for the perfect jacket for pug with no neck...

Super Duper news for you! A pre-Christmas sale begins Wednesday December 17th and runs until the 23rd. 20% off store wide - does not apply to special orders (that means stuff i have to order in for you, which i will do happily, but it's not on sale.)

Please check the website for updates to class schedule - it's by no means exhaustive - we would be happy to accommodate your times and needs.

okay - gotta go 'cause i'm gonna get this little jacket knit up for a family 'do' on Saturday. Think i can do it? i may be knitting during the two hour drive to the party ... but it won't be the first time.

Just a note - we are closed December 24 - 29th and Jan 1 & 2.

Merry, merry, merry Christmas!

oh man! SNOW! WINTER! Let it come!

It's sunny and snowing and what could be better? I'm about to start a super chunky sweater for Christopher and because it's done on 7mm needles, i anticipate getting it done for Christmas. That is if i don't keep getting sidetracked knitting sweaters for Purlie - poor little puggy - she's really avoiding the cold and we all know what that means!

Send me a note - what are you working on? What is exciting in your knitting basket?

Relaxation, purling and tea

Hey! we have something entirely different here at On The Lamb - Art of Tea. We feel we must continue with the relaxation theme of the Wonderfully Delightful Knitting Store - who will now offer you a lovely cup of tea to enjoy while you are shopping.
In addition we have bundles of 5 teas for $5.99. Such a wonderful stocking stuffer or an interesting hostess gift. Or hey! A gift for yourself! We also have a small selection of tea pots - more giftware will follow shortly.

Just wanted you to know the latest - i'm off on a lovely weekend retreat for my local Rotary club.

Happy purling. And to make you chuckle ... here's Purl. Whoa Purl, slow down!

Dashing off ...

so much is new!

Oh my gosh! I just have to tell you what's new at On The Lamb!

Except it's old... what is it? Recyled silk Sari's! (get it? it's new to me but because it's recyled, it's old ... never mind.)

This stuff is stunning! We have recyled Silk Sari, Banana Fibers and Sari Silk. It's beautiful, vibrant and mind-blowing and you'll just want to have it all!

I just made a wonderful, elegant evening bag and scarf with the Recycled Sari.

Make a statement - knit with the Recylced Sari and just wait for the compliments to flow!!!

YARN CRAWL!!!

We are participating in a yarn crawl in Durham and York Regions. All shops offer 15% discount (at least) and some will offer extra goodies!

6 shops - 6 locations! Grab your best knitting buddy and come to the 3rd Yarn Crawl on Saturday November 1st - 10 - 5 p.m.

Shops participating: Never Enough Wool, Port Perry. On The Lamb, Uxbridge. Unwind, Newmarket. Needles and Knits, Aurora. Pick Up Sticks, Bradford. Serenity Knits, Newmarket.

Check out my website for more details: www.onthelamb.ca.

Hope to see old friends and meet new ones!

Customer Appreciation and our Second Anniversary!!!

I know ... time has flown. We have been in business for 2 years and don't know where the time has gone.

But we couldn't have done it without you!

So, thanks. A lot.

And please, drop by on Saturday September 27th, 2 - 4 p.m, for a nibble and a nosh, on us.

Our First Ewe Crawl!

We're back! Our bums are a little sore from the 'extreme driving', but we are happy and content and have seen Wool! Yarn! Angoras! Boucles! Ribbon Silks! Recycled Sari's! Hand dyed, varigated, home grown, Maine wool, New Hampshire wool, beautiful sock yarn made in Canada, but bought in Maine ... and the Hand dyes! (i know, i already said that but you should see.... these are just the blues!)

Our first EWE Crawl was a resounding success - our wallets are still reeling! And we've eaten enough lobster ... And we've met fabulous people (hi Chesley!), skilled people (Tess, i bow to you!) and some not so terrific people who could care less if we were in their shop at all! Surprising, i know. Because we are such fabulous people! And consider ourselves quite entertaining!

Special thanks to Muriel for watching the shop on Tuesday and Taryn (my baby girl) for watching the shop the rest of the week - couldn't have done it without you guys!

Will we do it again?ABSOLUTELY!

Stay tuned for trips to East Coast of Canada, West Coast of US and Scotland!

Get ready - here it comes!

Okay, i'm getting excited! New stuff is starting to arrive weekly and we should have all our new winter stock by end of August! At which point i'll have to schlepp all the summer cottons up to the attic and i'm NOT looking forward to that - speaking of which, all the summer cottons and cotton blends are on sale - 40%. Get in here guys and take advantage of a really good sale! I REALLY don't want to schlepp!

What's new? Socks, Socks, Socks! 8 new colours of Arequipa sock yarn, which is a blend of Alpaca, superwash wool and nylon.

AND a new beauty, Cadenza - Superwash Merino wool and Tussah Silk! This is also a sock yarn and with a prominent twist x 6 wonderful shades.



Classes continue to make the shop hummmmmmmm - a new class schedule is being made up - check our website for updates. One fun class will be the HatMittScarf Class - Almost full at this point and very reasonable. One full ball of Marble Chunky will net you a hat, pair of mitts and a scarf! We will be making this up as a kit as well for your Christmas shopping! (i know it's early, but you gotta get going on those Christmas pressies!) We currently have 3 colours (had 5 but they flew off the shelves!) and 8 more colours are coming.

Hey, did you know that knitting is the new Yoga? It's calming, slows your heart down, and can be described as a moving meditation. Who knew?

I'm In!

Okay - i'm going to bite the bullet! I'm going to enter into the fray! I'm going to see what all the commotion is about!
What, you ask?
I'm going to dye my own wool! I know - it's crazy! Don't these dye people know that you can buy coloured yarn? In some very lovely colours i might add.
I've ordered the blanks. I've ordered the dye. I've picked up the Koolaid (not just for tweens hair anymore!)
I'll let you know how it goes. You never know - this may turn into a class!
And i'll take pictures so you can see what kind of a mess i can make.
Any takers that want to jump into the dye bath with me????

new things all the time!

Opening a new business is all about new things - and yesterday we had our first ever 'Kids Learn to Knit' class! After we all chose our wool (pink, pink, and oh, pink!), got it wound into a ball from a hank, and kinda cast on, we kinda knit! It's very fun watching little light bulbs go on in Hannah, Phoebe and Alexis' heads! They're knitters and they're proud! The girls will come back for a few more weeks and when we're done, we'll have a felted purse completed. Kinda! (Alexis and Hannah are concentrating.)
We are still running a full board of classes - go to our website and see what's available. The summer is the perfect time to learn new stuff.
And other new things - the Website is finally up and running and looking wonderful! Check it out at www.onthelamb.ca.
If you're looking for a new project and want to keep it small for the summer, how about trying our 'Wellness Cap' program? We have kits assembled or you can purchase yarn at 25% discount and i provide the pattern. The 'Wellness Caps' will be going to Princess Margaret for their patient program.
New sock yarn has been arriving and will continue to arrive weekly, as will more Alpaca, Camel, Eco Yarns, chunky's, and more dk's!
Drop in for a look and say hi!

Anne, KIP and sales, sales, sales!

If you didn't manage to make it to the shop for the Anne of Green Gables Festival - you missed a real treat! We had a wonderful Country Fair, under pretty white tents, reminiscent of Anne's days. There was a knitting bee (populated by our very own KnitWits), in support of KIP (did you know that it was the third International Knitting in Public Day?) We had our good friend Judy Findlay, master spinner, spinning alpaca and taking on all and sundry for a quick lesson. And for those who wished, slightly naughty t-shirts with our logo on the front and risque sayings on the back!

We also had an old fashioned apothecary, wine tasting, ice cream for the little and big kids, baby lambs and real live exotic Alpaca's! Northfork Farms supported us with their Alpaca's and they came armed with all sorts of information! (i want one, but Purl would be put out)

Yes, it's been busy around here - Gonna be even busier 'cause we're gonna have some big sales! We've got to - i just spent hours with reps buying for the winter. And we've need more space! So come in - all Cottons are 25% off for the month of June! and there are still lots of colours to choose from.

And a door crasher sale: Real Worsted - $1.00 per ball! Great for afghans, children's sweaters, dog sweaters! Goes in the washer and dryer! Stock up - This sale will not be repeated.

Remember that if you want to get away from the laundry and dishes, Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 is drop in day. Drop in with your knitting, pick up a project while you're here and enjoy yourself!

Wow! Who knew a Yarn Crawl would be so much fun! But i must confess, before last week, who even knew what a Yarn Crawl was????
We met lots of new friends and got reacquainted with old ones. The other shops involved, Serenity Knits, Needles and Knits, Unwind and Pick Up Sticks reported an exciting day as well and all agree that we must repeat! We will have even more savings for you and perhaps other exciting things! Like maybe a spot sale? Or break a balloon and get the percentage listed inside off your days sales? Or the 25th customer through the door gets 30% off, not just 15%! The ideas are endless and you will be the happy recipient!

In fact, the Yarn Crawl was so successful, we're going to do it again! Look for an announcement sometime in October for a November date - just in time for your Christmas knitting!

And a special thank you to Pam Diggins who was so helpful in organizing the Yarn Crawl event and even worked a coupla' hours in the shop!! Thanks Pam - what a trooper (and she even had the flu!) And of course, thanks to Mom (the Junner!) Where would i be without you?

News at On The Lamb
Our winter project "Warm Hugs" has been completed. We donated 6 baby afghans to Women's Shelters in Durham Region through IODE. A special thanks to a committed knitter who knit most of the squares. And special thanks to my Knitwits who assembled the squares into afghans!

Our new charity project: Chemo Caps in conjuction with Princess Margaret Hospital. If you care to knit one, drop in for a free pattern and 25% discount on yarn you purchase to do the cap. If you are knitting from your stash - NO WOOL! or wool blends. Chemotherapy patients often endure very sensitive skin (and cold skin!) and prefer to have the softest of soft! Please support us in this endeavour and help support our friends and neighbours at Princess Margaret. (And before you ask, Oshawa General doesn't need our help, neither does "Look Good, Feel Better", and i never heard back from Hospital in Newmarket. I asked.)

So what else is new at On The Lamb - i'm happy to report that the ship did not sink without the captain - while i was having minor surgery the helm was capably held by Taryn, Muriel, Junne and the Knitwits! Many, many, many thanks to them. (apparently, i, like many, are totally replaceable!)

Are looking for the best summer project that's not too large and doesn't weigh heavily in your lap? - consider socks! We have wonderful Kaffe Fassett sock yarn and spectacular Arequipa (alpaca sock yarn from Peru) as well as 15 other types. The colours are brilliant and you will have trouble picking out just one! These ain't your gramma's socks anymore!

As a special thank you to all our wonderful customers, we are offering 25% off on all cottons and cotton blends! Yep, that's right. Until when? Until July 1st. Then i'm putting the cottons away and bringing out the bulky's. I know, it's not even warm yet! But the buying season for winter has begun and we need to make room! So come in and get that project that you need for the dock! (frequent buyer cards not applicable for cottons.)

Normally in May i would say stay cool - but at this time, i'm gonna say, stay warm and keep knitting!!!!! And just because she's so darn cute, but still not allowed in the shop - here's Purl!

How far will you Crawl for Yarn?

Hey! i heard a Robin. No, really. I did. I thought i would never hear birds chirping again after this past winter, but i did! So i threw off my scarf and winter sweater and ran with abandon ... no, i didn't really.

A new thing: we're trying something new with other yarn shops in the area. Gonna have a Yarn Crawl. 5 shops are joining forces to offer you 15% discount during one day of shopping. What day? May 10th. Saturday. 10 - 5p.m. All you need is a passport - available at the first yarn shop you hit for a cost of $2. If you show your passport at Tin Mill Restaurant in Uxbridge, home of, yeah, you guessed it, On the Lamb - you will receive a 5% discount on your lunch on the Saturday of the Yarn Crawl (kind of a creepy name, isn't it - Yarn Crawl - hey, maybe it represents how far we will go to get our yarn!!!!!)

And of course, At On The Lamb - we will have much, much more for you! Additional discounts, Surprise Grab bags ($5.00 - whoooo!) and who knows what else?

Okay - here are the shops that are involved.
On The Lamb - 905-852-1944, 53 Toronto St. N, lower level
Tin Mill Restaurant - 905-862-0553, 53 Toronto St. N
Needles and Knits - 15040 Yonge St, Aurora
Unwind - 234 Main St., Newmarket
('Scrumptious Sandwiches' is in the back with special tasty treats for all you 'Crawlers')
Serenity - 525 Brooker Ridge, Newmarket
Pick up Sticks - 67 Holland St. W., Bradford

Please try them all, but always, always return to On The Lamb! Hope to see you there!

Lots of interesting people drop into the shop - today, Judy Findlay (that's her in the blue) almost-master-spinner-extraordinaire, came in to show the KnitWits (our wonderful weekly knitting family) the yarn she has been creating and spinning to pass her Master Spinning course. The colours were breathtaking and she's spinning a blend of merino and bamboo - very trendy, very green. Just take a look.

What was shipped to me last week? Regia sock yarn - designed by Kaffe Fasset! Wonderful little beauties! Only $8.99 per 50g, 2 balls required to knit a pair. Okay, a question. How many socks do you have to have on the go to be labelled compulsive? It's not 3 pairs is it? We also have Cilantro from Nashua - wonderful alternative to cotton for summer garments and lots of patterns to tempt you! Lovely fresh colours of Cotton 8 have arrived, blends of cotton and cashmere, cotton and merino, cotton and bamboo, cotton and just about anything! And of course, Eco Cotton. Come and see!

Okay - enough wool and cotton talk. Go stand outside and breathe in the fresh air. It's spring. I promise. (But take your knitting; you can put a ball of wool in your pocket and knit while you walk!)

I simply will not say the 'W' word

Well, i have returned from the tropical paradise of Hawaii, specifically Kauai. And because it's what i do, everywhere i go, i look for a knitting store. And i found one! There's a real cutie in Hanalai Bay called Strings and Things - a wonderfully creative store that combines stringed instruments such as ukuleles and wool. I know, it's a bit of a stretch, but you gotta get the money in the door whatever way you can! It was a delightful experience, if not a little warm. Believe it or not, it's hard to get excited about knitting when it's 89 degrees!

Love to knit and want to meet more knitters who share your passion? Wednesday's at 1:30 have been set aside for a drop-in guild. Just bring your project and your scintillating personality and watch the room sizzle!

Classes are always running - we have a sock class for beginner sock knitters starting on April 1, through 11, & 22, a Bohemian scarf on April 8 & 18 and a Baby Kimono (so cute for beginner knitters) on April 9, 16 & 23. A new class schedule will be out shortly so stay tuned. Want something specific that you haven't heard me offer? Let me know and i'll do my best to incorporate it into the schedule.

We have lots and lots of exciting plans for all of us here at Tin Mill - watch for our Country Fair in June in conjunction with Lucy Maude Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables celebration. We also want to start the UCS - the Undistinguished Croquet Society! Sunday afternoons on the back lawn here at Tin Mill; be here with your croquet mallet and your white hat (or something kinda British!)

There is a new tenant in Tin Mill - Spa at Tin Mill has relocated to the second floor - yes, it's my old stomping grounds and don't think i didn't have a little sniffle about it. But the spa will be beautiful and a wonderful complement to Studio 53, Jeffrey Ross Jewellery, Tin Mill Restaurant and ME!

The winter (oops, there's that 'W' word) has been conspiring against us! Just when you think the weather is conducive to curling up with a great and challenging knitting project, you can't get out of the house. Have no fear; we're still here and we miss you. Drop in soon.

Website update - it's coming. Apparently. Soon. Whatever.

And we simply will not say the 'W' word anymore - after all, Spring comes on Friday! so here's a little warm weather sentiment - all the way from Hawai'i!

Ohhhhh, the weather outside is frightful...

It's not snowing, it's not snowing, it's not snowing.
Yes, it is.

Here in Uxbridge, Ontario, we have been shovelling constantly since December! We need an escape from this nonsense! We need to knit!

I have to tell you about a fabulous book just released; i've already sold 3 and have 3 more on order. Kristin Knits by Kristin Nicholas. The colours and patterns she choses for garments are truly inspiring! I made these socks for Resident Genius Daughter for Christmas. The colour combinations are unexpected and pop like you wouldn't believe. This sock is knit with Julia, from Nashua. Nicholas' inspiration comes from nature and different cultures; some of her designs are easy enough for novices to take on. If the idea makes you nervous, we are holding a class for Kristin Socks in March - contact me for enrollment. They will challenge you, but you will be so satisfied.
It's time to step it up a notch!

You all need to know about Ravelry - it's like Facebook, but for knitters. Just google Ravelry and complete the information for application. It may take a week or two for your application to be processed, but you will be accepted. And inside, you will find all the current and upcoming trends, news and issues in knitting. A very exciting place to be.

The "Eldest Male Heir" is returning from his 'lettuce picking' phase in Hawai'i and promises to tackle my website as soon as he lands. I know we have been promising this development for some time, but it's finally happening, i promise. Once we are up and running, you will be able to sign up for lessons, buy online and contact us for further information. I'm very excited about this new phase in On The Lamb.

Come and visit soon - we are your thoroughly delightful knitting store!

~ellen

new stuff ... all the time!

AAAARRRGGGGG - we're heading into those dreary, dull days of January. It's cold and snowy and it hurts just to walk through the snow drifts. You need a pick-me-up! Wouldn't it be lovely to curl up in your favourite chair (with good lighting, of course), set a fire (in the fireplace) and stay at home and knit? My family always feign surprise when they see me with knitting needles in my hand - "oh" they say, "what a surprise … you're knitting." Smart Alecs.

Got some new stuff - we have wonderful Rosewood Needles for the ultimate in a wood knitting needle experience; the double pointed needles are fab for socks (nice points on the ends!) and the single points are so beautiful, you will want to display them on your coffee table! And have you seen our Arequipa Sock yarn? It contains Alpaca for that warm and cozy feeling! And it's also so beautiful, you'll also want to display it!

New colours of Segue have arrived; that wonderful, wide ribbon that adds such an elegant touch to your project. And, for the die-hard arcylic lovers, i have brought in double knit and worsted weight acrylic that will keep you content and knitting up a storm for ... children? messy hubby's? dog blankets? bazaars?

Have you seen our new Noni patterns for felting? We are also carrying Cascade 220, 100%wool that felts like a dream and designed for Noni.

AND we're getting famous. Look at www.wish.ca (the magazine). In the search field, type blog. The third article from the top is on "Hot Socks" and On The Lamb! And i took the picture, and it's Susie's sock. How did Susie (a member of KnitWits) learn to make a sock? Naturally, she took lessons at On The Lamb. We have several lessons planned from now until April (thus far.)

And just so that you know that Spring is not too far off, i have brought in lovely springy looking knitting bags at terrific price points. They won't last long, i can guarantee it!

To close, i thought i would share a picture of Purl, the store pug. The reason why she is not in the store on a regular basis should be self evident! But she does love her wool (i think she gets it from me!)

~ ellen

the very first one!

So, who among you are not too sure what a blog is? i had to ask Taryn (the resident genius daughter!) and here's the scoop - blogs are verbal (written, but they sound verbal) diaries. They often have pics and almost never, recipes.

So, we won't do recipes (unless you want my family's recipe for Spaghetti???)

Really, you want to know about knitting, new yarns and wools and new trends. Maybe even sales at the shop? Classes? The colour of the floor? Right? So that's what i'll do here. Try and report new and exciting stuff as it relates to knitting. (Have you tried Socks yet - you must! - they truly are very easy!)

Here's a little fact for you - did you know that knitting has increased in popularity in the states by 150% within the last 4 years? Me either. But sounds good. And i'm going with it. And Tyra Banks and Julia Roberts and fancy people like that there are addicted ... they can't be all wrong?

And the population is graying (i know; not you and me, but some other people are ....!) and as they gray, they move just a little bit slower (sometimes, again not you and me) and are looking for an activity that can occupy them during downtime. Hey! i wonder if they thought about knitting???

AND, you know the whole 'eco' or 'green' thing? What's more green than knitting? Re-using a naturally renewable product, using new and exciting 'green' products such as bamboo and corn and soy? Com'on! It's a no brainer.

So stay tuned - we'll update every couple of weeks, newsletters will continue to flow (as often as Christopher, the eldest male heir apparent can get it done from Hawaii!) and a website is in the offing. The tone will be irreverant and silly, and i hope that you will respond in kind. However, return comments will be scrutinized so we don't offend (too) many people. (and i apologize for the lower case, but i'm lazy!!!)

ellen
On The Lamb