I Made It In the Newspaper

Ok -- so it is just a relatively small town newspaper, but it is always good to be quoted with some level of authority! As with many things, we are a little behind the trend curve, but here is the Merced Sun Star's take on the popularity of knitting. Unfortunately, I am not quite sure if we are going to be able to have the class that is mentioned. Hopefully the article will generate a few more sign ups. Right now, we just have too few.

Of course Spring has really sprung around here, so the "knitting season" is being taken over by gardening season. Sometimes things pick up again in the summer when the temperatures get warm enough that it makes more sense to stay inside in the air conditioning!

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Time Flies

I can't believe a month has passed since my last post. Now, last week was a complete loss as I had a MAJOR cold that pretty much knocked me out and the weekend prior was Stitches, but where did the three weeks prior go?!?!

I know that I have been busy filling orders -- which is a good thing! And I am already aware of how quickly June is going to be upon me (the next TNNA show). Spring is popping up in my neck of the weeds (oops - I meant woods). And still my hope is to become more regular about posting on the internet.

Why is that so hard? I could blame the extrovert in me -- that thinking is more of a verbal process for me. And it would be true, but I am not sure it is sufficient. Maybe I am just not sure what I want to share with the world and more importantly what the world might possibly be interested in reading from me. Of course, it is probably more basic -- like I place other activities as a higher priority.

Well, it continues to be an ongoing question for me -- and probably will remain so. In the mean time, I will acknowledge that time flies -- especially when you are having a good time -- and I am!

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Being Too Busy is GOOD!

I have been so busy over the past few weeks since returning from the TNNA show in San Diego. The good news is that it has been both a mix of work and of fun!

It is so easy to get caught up in just working -- especially when working out of your home -- that you forget to take time for yourself. With the addition of part-time ski instructing at Sierra Summit into my schedule, I am "forced" to head up to the mountain on a regular basis. And when it is not busy, I am able to just go out and ski.

But work has been good too. Although orders were generally down at the show, reorders from shops and internet orders have picked up some. I am also focusing more this year on supplemental marketing efforts to maximize my teaching schedule. Now I just need to get my teaching schedule updated on the Knitability web site and I will be good to go!

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The Kimono That Could

The Sample Stitch Kimono knit a long was just a quick idea. I had used the construction technique in other classes before, maybe it would work for an "online/offline" class of sorts. But what if no one was interested -- or worse yet -- only a few were interested. It would be a lot of work!

But instead over 50 people have signed up so far. Most of which without ever seeing a finished product because I started working on my sample as soon as I posted the idea. But now that the sample is done, it is getting rave reviews. And the biggest fan is probably ME! I love the comfort of wearing it in any number of situations. Just enough to keep the chill off, loose like a wrap or shrug, but enough structure to stay put. I love it when a plan comes together -- and this one really did!

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Cabled Bag - Version 2

Whenever I have a really GREAT idea -- or least it seems so at the time -- I immediately pick up my needles and start knitting. This is not actually typical for me, since most of the time I write out a fairly detailed plan before I get started to reduce the pattern writing time on the back end.
This cabled bag was one of the exceptions -- no formal plan. I made up the cables as I went, and when I was done, I had to go back and figure out what I did and write up a chart for each one. This actually wasn't too hard since I have started using the software I purchased from Nancy at the Knit Foundry. Now I am knitting it again -- this time while teaching the class to a group of "test students". The good news is I continue to believe that it is a really great idea! Now we will just have to wait and see what the shop owners think when they see it on the PreView Promenade page or in person at my booth #732 the TNNA show next week.

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