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