Saturday, August 29, 2009

Soooooo ..... did you want to know what huge amounts of wool look like!

It came.
From Berroco.
133 pounds.
Beautiful.
Sock wool.
Vintage Wool.
Peruvia.
Ultra Alpaca.
I have no room.
Where will it go?

Friday, August 28, 2009

Teeexxxture! Funnnn! and WWOOOWWW!


Remember i told you yesterday that this fall is all about texture? I just unpacked some amazingggggg wools/acrylics. We're talking large needles, easy patterns and projects finished in one night! These wool/arylic blends are wonderful and they're from Italy, my home town, in case you didn't know! The pattern support is really cool and funky and the scarves you can whip up - i'm not even kidding! Gor-geee-ous.

Spazzola, by Naturally, is a very elegant wool/acrylic/poly blend that has exciting, unexpected and rapid changes in volume. Remember those scarves from a couple of years ago? Eyelash yarn, polyester junk? Think those scarves "all-grown-up-and-moved-to-New York!" The colours of black, taupe, cream and silver are everything the well-dressed woman would want in a scarf. Knit on 12 mm needles, you'll do one a night. I know, because i did. Took about 3.5 hours and i stopped for dinner. It was just a burger, but i stopped! Please come and see the sample in the shop.


Now, Bocciolo, by Filature Di Crosa (very well respected name in yarn) is Fun, Fun, Fun! It's a bit wild and woolly with rapid increases in volume as well, in popular and also wild and funky colours: black/grey, cream/taupe, teal/navy and my fav, purple/hot pink with just a little lime green! Wohoooooo! Scarves, hats, touques, mitts! Funky oversized vests. Wild felted slippers! Go for it!

And for those who want the youngest ones in our lives, or ourselves, to be wrapped in super soft organic cotton - LOOK at the wonderful shades: peapod, rice pudding, maize, laundry, bone and scrumble. So soft, so gentle, so laid back. Can't you just see a baby blanket made out of squares with each of these colours? I can and i don't even have babies. (Well i do, but they are 23 and 27... unless you count Purl, but she ain't gettin' ahold of this stuff!) Just wondering, what colour do YOU think scrumble is?

Come see. And try not to get bowled over by the 133 lbs of wool arriving shortly from Berroco ... wonder what's coming? Oh, my goodness! guess what just came in? ....... Help! i've been overcome, surrounded and drowning in wool! But ooooooh, isn't it all just so lovely? I need MORE space!!!!!!

PS ummmm, did anyone notice the lovely pictures, and the beautiful backgrounds? Yup. I just thought that up. Just went outside and set up piles and wool and took pictures. Just came to me. Just like that. Hmmmmmmm...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

... it's been so long!!!!!

Hey! I've missed you guys - it's been awhile since an update! Sorry 'bout that ...

What have i been doing? Buying wool. Putting away wool. Moving cabinets to make room for wool. Buying wool. Canceling wool 'cause i bought too much. Putting wool away in tiny, tiny places 'cause there's no room for wool. And while i have been blogging, this arrived! More wool! And 133 pounds is arriving tomorrow from Uxbridge, MASS. Ay yi yi!


Our regular KnitWits, who meet each Thursday, spent today in a special endeavour. One of my wonderful customers, Cynthia, knits up 12" blocks for me. By the dozens. And dozens. And my Mumma (god bless her!) stitches them together into either baby blankets or lap throws. We ultimately give them to the IODE ladies (Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Emire - hardly British, huh?) who make sure that the blankets and throws get where they are needed.

Today, Mumma brought the blocks in, and she and Carol stitched a baby's blanket together. Now, Carol doesn't know it, but while she was stitching with Mumma, i snuck about 35 squares into her car. Now she's going to be making the blankets! (just kidding, but i think we'll make this a monthly endeavour - take some of the heat off of Mumma!) Those are Donna's hands in the lower right of the picture - she was helping too!


I told you last week about Isis, the wonderfully soft drapey yarn that arrived. I've been sloughing away at the Pomegranate Cardigan in the Isis Book and thought you'd like to see a little progress. Aren't those chevrons at the waist to dye-for? They also appear on the cuffs and the collar. And all you need are 4 skeins! I know!

This year ladies, and gents ... it's all about texture, here at On The Lamb! Stay tuned to 'feel' good. You're really going to know all about tactile sensations. It'll be a bumpy ride.

Ok - that's enough texture metaphors - watch this blog for more!






Wednesday, August 19, 2009

oops... i did it again ...

ooops ... i did it again ... What you ask? Re-ordered (for the third time!) Namaste Knitting Bags. And moved-everything-around-the-shop! (If you say it fast, it doesn't hurt as much!)

Why? Welllll, i had to.

You see, i don't think i left enough room in the corner for the fireplace (yes! Fireplace!), and we KNOW how wonderful a fireplace would be and we DON'T want the fireplace man to get here and say "There's not enough room."

So i had to move a cabinet. I moved it over near the teaching table and then i put the all the socks yarn in it. In order to put the sock cabinet there, i needed to move a library cabinet, which for awhile was hanging around in the middle of the floor. (i haven't yet found a home for it ... ) At the same time, we moved the DK weight over to where the Chunky was and the Chunky and the Worsted to where the socks were, and then the Lopi cupboard from up-high to down-low, beside where the fireplace is going to be. Where there is now enough room.

AND now i have to find room for 4 more Zuma bags and Buddy cases. Which are selling like hotcakes. And a place for the Library cabinet ...

See. oops ... i did it again ... just not like Britney ...


Saturday, August 15, 2009

And i'm winding, and winding and winding...

Isis. Iona. Giotto.

I love these yarns from Colinette. Really i do. I think the colours are amazing and the textures are terrific. It has great pattern support and the patterns are forward thinking with modern details like Chevron borders and feminine shaping.

But i hate how they ship it - the "put up" as they say in the biz. They tie 9 hanks together with the 10th and stuff it in to a plastic bag. Then i shake them out, undo them and wind them up into skeins.

I know. You don't feel sorry for me at all. Afterall, i'm doing what i love and like i said, the fibers are amazing.

It's just that i have 145 to do. (sniff) And it's nice out. (sniff) And i want to go and play in the pool. (sniff) (what a whiner!)

Come and see them - once i get them wound, they will be works of art - i just wish the 'put up' was different.

Friday, August 14, 2009

It's new - it's Isis!

Isis was a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshiped as the ideal mother, wife, matron of nature and magic.

It's called Isis; this stuff is like magic and will keep you warm, just like your mother's arms. (get it? See how i did that? Little segue for you ... that stuff's not easy to do, you know ... as my previous blog clearly illustrated ... sorry 'bout that one!)

I love the watercolour transparency of this yarn. It's 100% Viscose so it has a wonderful drape. It feels like Chenille and knits up on 7mm needles. I'm knitting a romantic looking cardigan with Chevron borders that only takes 4 hanks. It's knit in the round and divides for sleeves. Very easy, 2 row repeat patten on the border of cuffs, waist and collar.
Won't be long before
it's in the shop!

There is very good pattern support for ISIS, especially for those fans of shawls (gotta remember that this little heat wave won't last - won't be long before we're into fall weather!) Lots of flowy, showy shawls.

I even love the names: Raphael, Toscana, Gauguin, Sahara. How romantic, eh?

Well, judge for yourself ... huh? huh?

beautiful ... (sigh)


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Boobies, boobies everywhere!


See Lynn.
See Lynn knit.
See Lynn knit for charity.
See Lynn knit SEVEN Knitted Knockers in one week!

See Lynn going to a good place!

Yeah Lynn!