Local Yarn Store Closing

Yesterday I received a notice in the mail from the one and only, somewhat local yarn store is closing. Today and tomorrow they are closed for inventory. Saturday begins the big closing sale. I plan to be there when they open on Saturday morning to try to get the best pick of things before their inventory is wiped completely out. Everything will priced at 40% off!!!! I have a list..... a long list of items I would LOVE to have. I am not sure what I may actually be able to buy from this list.... depends on what is still available.

This was the only store I have shopped in since I found it a year ago. It is about 45 minutes from my home. This store has been in business for many years and always very busy. The owner is retiring. Also.... this store is the ONLY store that had any supplies for spinning. This is a HUGE loss for me since I began spinning last year.

I contacted a friend about the closing of this store. She had just gone there last weekend and there was no mention of the store closing. So... this seems rather sudden for the store to be closing. But.... maybe the owner wanted to keep it a secret while having her after Christmas sale so that she could clear out some inventory at less of a discount and then announce the closing, larger discount with the closing sale. Who knows.... but it really is a HUGE loss to all in our area that would go to this store for all our knitting, spinning, crochet needs.

I think the one thing I really would love to buy when I visit this store...... Rosewood knitting needles. If that is the only thing I buy.... I would love a pair. Or Brittany Birch. A nice pair.... 10 inch..... size 13 for knitting scarves. I love the way these needles look. And for other things.....more 5" sock needles. Wool yarn (Cascade 220 is my favorite) and a variety of novelty yarns for my felting projects. Noro.... Silk Garden and Kureyon. Sock yarns also would be nice. Patterns, books and back issues of magazines for knitting and spinning. Anything for spinning (dyes, stretchy drive band for my spinning wheel, carders, Nostespine, mini niddy noddy, roving, raw fleece, dyed wools and other fibers..... also nice spindle would be wonderful to have. I don't have one.... yet. Oh and all the beautiful yarns they have.... oh my.... Manos and so many more gorgeous yarns. Handpainted yarns are my favorite. And all types of little knitting gadgets.... stitch markers, row counter.... various things. This is a long wish list..... probably won't get fortunate enough to find or buy much. But.... if I had to choose only one thing.... Rosewood knitting needles or Brittany Birch would be my purchase of choice.

I have recently heard while at a local knitting meeting that there is another store about an hour drive from where I live. I may have to go check this store out in the near future. I have been told this store is large.... has ALOT to choose from.

OK..... what have I been working on one may ask? I have almost completed the shawl I have been knitting for myself. I am almost to the bind off row. Then will either fringe or create a decorative edge. I am not sure yet.

I also have a pair of socks I am knitting. Using Lorna Laces sock yarn. I love this yarn. Nice to work with. I have to try to find more of this yarn.

A project I started on Tuesday night I finished working on yesterday morning. I used some of my very own dyed, handspun yarn to make myself a pair of slipper socks. These really turned out nice. The yarn I dyed in various shades of pink.... ranging from light pink to a darker reddish pink. The cuff around the ankle, stitches are picked up and knitted with handspun and pale pink eyelash yarn. I love how these turned out. So soft and very warm. I used a free pattern I found online to make these. The pattern is from Crystal Palace. I plan to make more of these.... for gifts and maybe sell a few.

I finally finished washing an entire Shetland wool fleece. It turned out beaufiful. So soft and fluffy once it is carded. The locks of wool are so long. Must be 6 inches in length. This fleece weighed almost 6 pounds prior to washing it. I am not sure yet how much the weight is after washing. Have not checked the weight yet. I have another fleece I am now working on. Put some in the washer to soak/wash this morning. It also looks lovely. I have contacted the person I bought these from to buy more from her. These were well skirted and not very dirty with vegetable matter. Very clean fleece compared to others I have seen.

My new drum carder.... it is wonderful! I can card wool so fast and easily with this. Last week it arrived here..... a Fricke Petite with brush attachment. If anyone ever wanted a recommendation for a drum carder.... I would recommend this one. Very nice and well made. Now I have been searching for a wool picker. I found a vendor that had her products on sales with free shipping until January 31st. I have ordered one. This will help me with picking wool to prepare for carding. I hope to have this arriving here soon. It will help speed things up with preparing wool for carding or creating "clouds" of dyed wool to be spun from directly. I think I am about set for all of my tools for my "fiber business". Now I just have to get busy working on things for the upcoming fiber shows and farmer market season.

I have been working on ideas of what to knit for my new grand-daughter. I have found a cute pattern for a sweater, hat and booties. These will match the blanket I made for Lyndsey and she was brought home in it. I need to get busy working on these things. Probably my weekend project. I have the yarns for this..... just need to get busy.

Well.... I need to get back to working on washing the raw fleece which is soaking in the washer. Have a great fiber filled day!