Registration for the Retreat

I have had a lot of interest and a lot of people are registered. This is going to be such a great retreat. I have made it easier to register. The link and all the information is on the front of my web page. There is a form you can print out and mail with a check if prefer to pay that way. Checks can be postdated but no later than March 1. If you need any help or information don't hesitate to call the store 250-285-2751 leave a message if we aren't open and we will call you back during business hours or just email me at shelmack@telus.net.

Spring Knittng Retreat

This is probably the most fun thing I have blogged about in a long time. Check this out and then sign in quickly as this will fill up fast. Fun Knits Spring Knitting Retreat March 23-25. 2007. It only costs $150. Canadian for the entire weekend. All your food, all your workshops and your accommodations. Look at the place we get to stay in. This is a 20,000 sq ft place called Rivendell. It has a huge fireplace to sit in front of and knit, large deck overlooking the ocean etc...

I have been to 2 retreats at Camp Homewood at the Machine Knitters Camp. The food was great. I am very excited we were able to get this place for our Retreat. Check out the web site for more details and to sign up. Then get knitting as we are having a fashion show on the Sat. Night. It would be fun to meet some bloggers in person. So gather your friends and make a weekend of this. I can't wait!!

Canadian contest - Win some Opal sock yarn

Here is a great chance to win yourself some Opal sock yarn and show off your socks or other knit garments from sock yarn at the same time. This draw is open to Canadian residents only - sorry U.S. and International readers. Win Sock yarn Send your pictures of anything you have knit using OPAL YARN to info@ladybugyarns.ca and good luck. The draw will be Feb 1/07. I will be watching to see if I recognize any of the winners.

New Stuff

Here is what I was going to post before we were so rudely interupted by Norwalk Virus. We are all feeling much better now.

I got a wonderful new sweater from my Mom for Christmas. It was finished a little after Christmas but that is OK. It is a little tight so now it fits better since I was sick. I don't recommend Norwalk as weight loss method but it does work. The sweater is knit with Cherry Tree Hill Potluck Bulky. Mom used 5 of the 6 skeins to knit this. It is her own design and I love it. I love the way the front patterned. I also got in some new sock yarn to the store. Wow is it ever nice. I only got 2 balls of each colour so far and I am not offering it for sale on the web site yet. It is SWTC TOFUtsie selling for $17.50 Canadian. If anyone wants some just email me and we can work out a sale. I only have 30 balls well less now as some have sold. This yarn is wonderful . I took a ball to the hospital with me and started some socks to match my new sweater. It is really nice to knit with. I am knitting my socks with #727 the colour on my new sweater above. I will post a picture of my sock once I get more done on it. Here is a picture of my little Beanie Bunny in his new sweater. I decided to make store sample sweaters to show the yarn and put them on Teddy Bears and Bunnies. This little bunny is wearing patons Soy Wool blend. It is really nice yarn so soft and warm.

When will I ever learn !!!!!!!

When will I ever learn not to brag when my special needs son is doing well. I jinxed that poor guy so bad by saying he hadn't been in hospital for the entire year of 2006. Literally New Years eve we all got Norwalk Virus. By the 2nd Megan and Meika were sick and then by the 4th the boys were sick. My poor special needs boy had to go into hospital for a few days. He was really sick. Do you think I will ever learn not to tempt fate like that. When he goes in hospital I always stay with him to help out - his needs are quite complex. Well I got it too - talk about sick. I was too sick to knit. I bought simple socks to the hospital with me and sat there the first day too sick to knit at all. I have never been to sick to knit before. The next day I could knit and I designed a sock pattern and called it Norwalk. I cast on 64 sts. and did a tight cable all the way around. It was too tight to even fit Meika so I had to rip it out. I spent the rest of the time knitting plain socks that I can actually wear. We finally got home tonight and I guess we will all live. Hopefully we never get that again and I will never blog about my sons good health again.
Anyone who came by the store on Friday and it was closed due to illness well that was why. Be glad you didn't come into contact with me and get this. I am in hiding now until Thursday then I will be back in the store. No risk of catching it from me by then.
Anyways on to some interesting news.
I was published in the local Newspaper this month here is the link to the article. You may need binoculars to read it. I found it hard to read - very small print(or maybe I am still too sick to read small print). It was a good article thanks to Tanya. It was a fun interview.
Well here is hoping the rest of 2007 will be better than this first week.

Noro Cashmere Island

This is my New Years offering at the Web Store. Wonderful Noro Cashmere Island in 4 colours. It is 60% wool, 30% cashmere and 10% nylon.

I made these socks for my daughter and they are so soft and warm - she loves them.

They are knit on 3mm needles and are a nice dense fabric so should wear very well with the 10% nylon.

The free sock pattern is on the web site under the Cashmere Island at the Web Store.

I think I will make myself a pair of these now. Wow are they nice.

Welcome to 2007

2006 was a good year in many ways. My family was all healthy and well including my special needs son who is unwell a lot.This is the first year since he has lived with us, ( nearly 17 years now) that he didn't have any hospital stays. Cool eh!

My store was great. Here are a few knitting highlights of 2006

Had the store 1st anniversary

Won the Gold prize at elann for my Pinwheel sweater design

Got my Web Store up and running

Got a pattern published in Magknits

Got another pattern published in Knitty

Moved to my new and bigger store with a huge back room

Met lots of great knitters this year. Went to a few shows with the yarn.

Gibson's Fibrefest

Victoria Knitout

Campbell River Sew and craft show

This year I am going to

Campbell River Sewing and Craft show Feb.23-24

Victoria Sewing and Craft show March 1-3

International fibrefest in Abbotsford in May

and Gibson's Fibrefest in Aug

It should be a fun year.

Plans for the store this year

I am going to contuinue to organize the new store.

I am going to get Web Cam shopping happening very soon. It will be available on Thursday, Fridays and Saturday. This will be a really fun feature in the store. No matter where you live you can come into the store real time via web Camera and get help with your purchases. For example. I had a customer the other day wanting to match colours for a Bees Knees pattern and it would be so easy for her to make choices of colour combinations over the web cam in real time instead of e-mailing back and forth. I am excited about this and it will be coming soon. Internet shopping with customer service.

I am going to rearrange the Web Store and organinize my web site a bit better.

I am going to design lots more patterns.

I am going to set up our gift section of the store to sell the items we make, Socks, sweaters Toe Kozies etc also set up my special needs son's day program and get his items selling in the Gift section also.

It looks like it will be another busy year. I like to keep busy so this should be a great year.

Lastly but certainly not least. I am going to really enjoy having my daughter Megan and Gran daughter Meika living here on Quadra. Megan and I are doing a great trade on Fridays. She is working in the store and I get to play with Meika all day. I will leave with some very cute pictures I took last night at out family New Years party. This my cousin's 2 year old dancing with Mieka ( very cute) and Meika saying Hi to everyone.