Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Birthday, Maureen.

A few weeks ago, I received a call from a new customer, Maureen. She lives in Buffalo -- which is just a stone's throw from my old home town. As I was helping Maureen with her order, we got to chat about all sorts of wonderful things, like Goldie who used to do the fund raising for the local PBS channel. Everyone knows Goldie!

For Maureen's birthday, I thought I'd remind her of a few other things that she might remember:

Dave Thomas as Commander Tom on Rocketship 7
Friday Night Fright Night at 11:30 that showed those terrific old horror movies
"Talkin' Proud"
Fire in Tonawonda! Details at ll.
"It's eleven o'clock. Do you know where your children are?"
"Fun? Wow!" at Marineland
Treasure Island
Irv Weinstein

Have a wonderful birthday, Maureen. We're glad you received your yarn today.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Last days to enter! You could win a Kristen Nicholas gift package!

If you love the vivid colors of Julia yarn and the fantastic patterns by Kristin Nicholas, you'll want to enter the Knitch Magazine contest. The winner will receive an autographed copy of Kristin Knits plus enough Julia yarn to complete a project (12 skeins).

How? It's easy! Just read our article about Kristen Nicholas on KnitchMagazine.com and then follow the instructions at the bottom of the page.

Entries must be received before midnight, October 31, 2010. A random drawing from all the correct answers will take place on November 3, 2010 and be announced here on Shear Bagatelle.

Be sure to visit Kristin Nicholas' website and her blog, Getting Stitched on the Farm to learn more about the designer and her yarns.

You're invited to our Open House!

Yarnmarket will be open on Saturday, November 13 from 11 to 3. Please drop by and say hello...and check out our new autumn/winter yarns. We've got new ones arriving every day and I'm especially excited that we're adding more from Anny Blatt, the French yarn company. Check out the patterns because they're really top-line fashion.

We've also got some absolutely gorgeous Artyarns that would be fantastic for Holiday wear.

I like to suggest that if you're coming to shop you check us out online first because the selection is so enormous (800 yarns!) that some knitters are absolutely shocked when they come in and they find it hard to choose.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Chunky yarns are big this season! Learn all about them in Yarnmarket's newest issue of Just My Type


We've just sent out our newest Just My Type newsletter. This is the monthly email that deals with a specific yarn -- teaching you all about it and introducing some fantastic new fashions you can create with it.

In this month's issue we feature some terrific yarns from Crystal Palace; Karabella; Caledon Hills; Knit One, Crochet Too; Debbie Bliss; Rowan;Misti Alpaca; Malabrigo; Tahki; Rozetti; Stacy Charles; Gedifra; Berroco and Classic Elite.

You'll want to see the gorgeous chunky yarns and patterns we've got in stock for fast delivery. Some shoppers have told us they're surprised that our prices are so low every day on new yarns and colors -- without having to purchase a minimum amount.

Remember, shipping is free in the contiguous US if your order is over $100.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Something to make you laugh on a Monday morning. Marriage -- A Survival Guide

As many of you know, I work here at Yarnmarket with my beloved, Alex. This is maybe the fifth time in our careers we've worked together, and we've been married 29 years now...which means we've pretty much become immune to one another.

I wrote this piece when we'd been married 25 years. My intent was to give it to the kids, but for some reason I tucked it away and never pulled it out again until last week.

So, here's something that should make you laugh. And maybe it'll help put it all into perspective. (Someday I should get Alex to write his advice.)

Oh...you might not agree with some of this stuff, but it's worked for me.


How to Stay Married for 25 Years Without Killing One Another


Never pay attention to what your husband says. If you do, you’ll have to kill him.

Don’t worry if he says something that you didn’t hear. There are only two things he could say that would make a difference in your life. “I’m leaving you.” Or, “I just won the lottery.” So, if your ears don’t catch either “lottery” or “leaving” just go about your business and don’t worry about it.

Don’t say anything about his mother. Ever. Okay, maybe you can say, “Gee, I do wish your mother wouldn’t nag you so much.” But don’t even say that very often or else he’ll accuse you of calling his mother a nag.

Never fight with him when he’s angry. You’ll only make it worse. Fight with him nicely, when he’s in a good mood.

Never say anything really bad. Sure, you can think it. But don’t ever say it. Because once you do, it’s there for life and you’ll never be able to get rid of it. They might not be able to remember your favourite colour or perfume, but men have remarkably long memories for some things.

Get over yourself. You aren’t so hot that he won’t leave you for someone else. Hot lasts seven years maximum (proved by science!). Try being a hot, sexy bitch in that eighth year, and you might as well make eHarmony.com your home page.

Also, get over him. Not every woman in the world wants to jump him. If you think he’s going to cheat on you every time he leaves the house, find someone you trust. And if you don’t trust anyone, see a shrink. You need one.

Cook him food he likes even if it makes you barf. You don’t have to eat it.

Don’t get fatter than he gets. Or, if you do, always be on a diet but have lots of the food he likes to eat around the house. When he doesn’t want to eat alone, he’ll give you special dispensation for being a lard-butt.

Give him a lot of candy and sweet things until he develops a craving for them. Then, when you want to eat some, you can offer them to him and he won’t be able to resist…and as long as he’s eating them with you, they don’t count.

Don’t keep secrets. If he finds out you’ve kept a secret from him, he’ll start to wonder what other secrets he doesn’t know about. And what he can imagine is probably a whole lot worse than anything you’ve ever wanted to keep secret.

Don’t nag. If he’s not going to do whatever it is you’re nagging about, just do it yourself. Sure…he’s supposed to do it. But if it’s so important to you that you’re going to make your lives a living hell over it, get up off your own bum and get it done!

Don’t expect him to tell you that you’re pretty all the time. He married you, didn’t he?

Don’t expect him to tell you that he loves you all the time. He married you, didn’t he?

Have separate bathrooms.

Make one another laugh. If you don’t, find someone else. In the course of your life, you’ll want to spend a lot more time laughing than kissing.

Don’t expect him to gaze longingly into your eyes -- unless he’s longing to find the ripped contact lens you’ve asked for his help to remove.

Don’t tell everyone that he’s stupid or inept. Remember, most of the people you know will judge him only by what you’ve said about him. If you tell them he’s stupid, they’ll believe you. And then they’ll wonder why you want to be with an idiot. They’ll assume it’s because nobody else wanted you.

If you have a big fight, don’t get everyone involved. You’ll convince them of what a dirty rat he is. Then, when you forgive him and have returned to thinking he’s wonderful, they’ll be wondering why you want to be with such a loser.

If you get him drunk enough to let you put make-up on him, don’t take a photo.

If you get him drunk enough to let you put bright pink temporary hair colour on him, don’t take a photo.

If you get him drunk enough to put on one of your negligees, don’t take a photo.

If he’s really drunk and wants to fight that pi equals 2.783, don’t bother correcting him. Say, “Yes, that’s right, sweety.”

And if he’s really drunk but still sober enough to realize you’re patronizing him, correct him and tell him it’s 2.784. Then divert his attention with a shiny object.

Don’t be boring.

Don’t use his razor.

Share your money. If you have “your” bank account and he has “his” bank account, it’s pretty obvious that you don’t trust one another with the finances. In that case, you should probably be with someone else.

Don’t be selfish. You’re a couple. If you only care about you, and he’s supposed to care only about you, there’s no one to care for him. Chances are, someone will eventually come along and fill that gap. Remember, nature abhors a vacuum.

If a pork chop falls onto the floor, put it on your own plate after you pick it up.

Let him let you eat the last chocolate cream puff. (In other words, offer to let him have it, and then squeal with delight when he says it’s yours.)

Don’t be lazy. If you see he needs help with something, get up off your bum and help him.

Don’t be ready for a fight all the time. You don’t always have to have the last word. You don’t have to always get your own way. Relationships are about compromise. If you aren’t ready to compromise, you aren’t ready for an adult relationship. Grow up a bit and then give it another try. (This is often the lesson learned during your “Starter marriage.”)

Do things together. Go places. Take courses. Read the same books. Have things you can talk about and memories you can share as you get older. If you’re doing your things and he’s doing his, you won’t have those memories to share.

Be kind to one another. It can be a mean, rotten world out there. And the one person who’s supposed to be your friend is your spouse. If your spouse isn’t the one you run to when you’re feeling desolate – surprise! -- you’ve got one more thing to feel desolate about.

Accept that you’re going to be blamed for anything that’s broken or missing. Your job is to fix it or find it.

Don’t expect him to agree with everything you say. You aren’t infallible. Well, unless you’re the Pope. And if you are the Pope, good going! We didn’t even know you were Catholic.

If you’re not happy when you’re with him, he’s probably not happy when he’s with you. Breaking up is hard to do…but sometimes not as hard as staying together.

If he’s dressing like a dork, tell him. But not when he’s dressed like a dork. All you’ll do then is make him embarrassed. And when he’s embarrassed, he’s mad. Wait until he’s dressed nicely and then mention that one of his outfits isn’t quite as flattering as the one he’s currently wearing.

Make sure he has a drawer full of clean underwear. Yeah…I know…I know…fem lib and all that stuff. Go on out, earn as much as a man --or, preferably, more! -- and be the bread winner. But still make sure your husband has a drawer full of clean underwear.

It’s not his fault that life isn’t fair. So don’t punish him for it.

Appreciate that he’s letting you keep your cats even though they’re causing him respiratory failure. It’s not your fault he developed allergies…and it’s not his fault, either. Be thankful he’s making the sacrifice.

Never hate each other at the same time.

Don’t expect him to think your family is normal.

If he comes home from work really grouchy and upset, try to be pleasant. Something is upsetting him, and he may not want to talk about it. Maybe he screwed something up. Maybe somebody blamed him for something he didn’t do. Whatever it was, don’t add to it by being bitchy. And don’t expect him to want to talk about it. Women talk about their problems. Men get grouchy and/or drunk.

Lighten up. Don’t take everything so seriously. If he calls you a dumb name, laugh about it.

Don’t spend your life trying to be cool. It’s more fun to have your husband pretend he’s Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent while you ride him around the pool than it is to make him fake coolness at some stupid pretentious bar.

Share the same values. If you don’t have the same underlying foundation you’re going to have problems. Find a partner who agrees with you politically, ethically and religiously.

Don’t believe that money will solve your problems. If you’re not happy together when you’re poor, you won’t be happy together when you’re not poor.

Don’t think having children will solve your problems, either. Or buying a new house. Or taking a vacation. The only thing that will solve your problems is – well – solving your problems! Figure out what they are and fix them.

Accept that you’re middle-middle class Canadian/American. You’re not poor. You’re not rich. You’re average…and in the course of civilization you’re doing better than 99.999% of all the people who ever lived on this planet. Be happy about it.

Don’t compare yourself to the rich people or you’ll end up feeling unaccomplished or cheated. Those people have problems, too. They have marriage break-ups, illness, tragedy. Their friends use them. The media trashes them. Most of them would give up a lot to have the anonymous peace and quiet you take for granted.

Don’t be sucked into pretentious consumption. It’s foolish and wasteful.

Have goals, but don’t make money your goal. Make accomplishments your goals and the money will come.

Be real.

Be honest. But not so honest that you hurt feelings. There’s never a good reason to hurt anyone’s feelings. If you find it necessary to do so, see a shrink.

Have depth. Beauty is only skin deep. But stupid goes right to the core.

Allow others their differences. Everyone in the world isn’t like you. They don’t even want to be like you. This is another variation of, “Get over yourself!”

Be quiet. Don’t feel it necessary to talk all the time or be surrounded by noise. It won’t hurt you to spend some time quietly thinking.

Do the right thing. It’s not always the easy thing. Or the fast thing. Or the thing that will make you the most popular. Do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Accept blame for your own life. You’re an adult now. You’re making your own decisions. So, if you aren’t happy with your life, it’s your own damned fault.

Think about all the good advice you never listened to. Really think about it. And then think about the advice you’re getting now. And if you aren’t going to take good advice, be sure to kick yourself when things don’t turn out well. It’s your own fault. You were warned.

Also, along the same lines, think about every time you’ve been wrong. If you don’t think you’ve ever been wrong, see a shrink. There’s something wrong with you.

Realize that your parents did the best job they could under the circumstances. Everyone on the planet is convinced their parents didn’t do enough for them. If you think your parents sucked, you need to understand it wasn’t because they didn’t try. They did their best. Prove that you can do a better job when it’s your turn to screw up your kids.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

My step-son-in-law the baseball producer.

Yesterday I introduced you to Matt the Geek who's creating software for Eloqua in Toronto. So today I'd like you to meet Mike the Baseball Producer in New York. Actually it's Mike, the Executive Producer of MLB Advanced Media. I forgot to find out if he's THE Executive Producer or AN Executive Producer. I'm sure there's a difference...and that difference may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that could support me in my old age.

Mike married our middle daughter (which, as you know, means "the kid who was ignored entirely while the eldest got all the attention and the youngest remained the baby"). Laura met him while he was in Toronto producing something, and the next thing you know, I was grilling the guy about all those things that are oh, so important to me.

"Which of your uncles is a pilot for Alitalia?" Answer: None
"Which of your cousins has a villa in Italy?" Answer: Don't know any of the cousins
"Which of your relatives can get me a great deal on Italian shoes?" None.

Despite his obvious shortcomings, we liked the guy and before we knew it Laura was fleeing her Canadian homeland to become Mrs. Furno of New Jersey. She got married at a university campus in Virginia with, Shorty, the star of Mike's first documentary as her best man. (The photo at the top is Mike with Shorty. Mike's the one who needs a shave.)

This past summer we took Mike and Laura to Italy so Mike could find his long lost relatives (hopefully, a pilot for Alitalia, a cousin with a villa in Amalfi, and a nice aunt with a shoe store in Florence). The best he could do was a lady in a bakery in his Mom's hometown of Priverno who recognized his mother's last name and said she knew members of the family. Not well enough, it turns out, to give him a free piece of pizza bread.

Ah, well...

It was a wonderful trip and we had great fun watching Mike get in touch with his Italian roots. He became particularly adept at reading road signs with a thick Italian accent, and he bought a nice linen suit. Maybe if he keeps traveling to Italy he'll find an uncle with a tailor shop and a long lost cousin who owns a Ferrari dealership. A girl can dream, can't she?

A couple of weeks ago Laura sent me this link to a video Mike put together for MLB because she's so very proud of his production talents.

You know, I don't recall Laura referring to me as a "trailblazer" in 1989 when I put together that Wollensak presentation commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Imperial Optical -- to the tune of "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, a song that was popular the year Imperial Optical opened.

Yeah...kids today. They've got all the luxuries of computer editing. I had 300 dusty photographs that had to be made into slides, two carousels, a projector, a tape player and a Wollensak unit. And, more than that, I had the false impression that I knew how to operate a Wollensak unit. (After I'd completed the project Alex informed me that I'd never done it before. He had. I'd forgotten and thought it was me. Yes, even in my 30s I had no memory whatsoever.)

Ah, well... Time to stop whining and feeling sorry for myself because in my day we edited with strips of film cut into pieces, audio reels, a grease pencil, a razor blade and Scotch tape.

I hope you enjoy Mike's video. I'm very proud of his work. I'll also be very proud of his work when he decides to become a film producer in Italy and take his step-mother-in-law along to work with Ennio Morricone on the soundtrack.

Oh, yeah...yesterday was Mike's birthday. If you happen to be in New York, I'm sure Mike would love it if you stopped by his office in the meat packing district and sang a chorus of Happy Birthday to him.



Note to Mike: I promise to take this post down if you'll drop by Fr. Jonathan Morris' church to say hi for me. He's at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Soho.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Great News from Anny Blatt. New, lower prices. C'est magnifique!

We're delighted to let you know that our good friend, Jean-Christophe, has informed us that Anny Blatt and Bouton d'Or have made some significant changes in Europe that allow him to reduce our prices in the United States. Qu'elle surprise!

We really love this line because it is of so extraordinary quality. It's very, very popular in Europe but has been an expensive option for the North American market so it hasn't caught on quite the same way. Now, these yarns are going to be affordable to a lot more people.

I'm thrilled that both Anny Blatt Angora Silver and Anny Blatt Super are being reduced because these yarns are used in so many fantastic patterns. Angora Silver has been reduced by 26% so you can buy it for $16.85 a ball.

Anny Blatt Angora Super has been reduced by 20% so you can now get it from Yarnmarket for only $17.85 per ball. This yarn comes in 25 gorgeous colors so you're certain to find one you love.

Gyps d'Anny, which I always recommend when knitters are looking for a really glitzy, glamorous yarn would be perfect for holiday season party wear or really pretty accessories. It's now just $11.95 per ball. That's a reduction of almost 20%.

Muguet by Anny Blatt has been reduced almost 27%. It's a pretty, sparkly eyelash yarn that works well when combined with others. It's now $10.85 per ball.

If you love Bouton d'Or you probably already love Selene yarn, one of the most popular in this line. Yarnmarket is able to reduce it to $9.85 per ball -- a 20% saving!

We're really delighted that we can reduce our prices on these exquisite yarns from France. Please take a look at all the Anny Blatt and Bouton d'Or yarns we sell because I know you'll love them as much as we do. To us, they're the leading edge of fashion and quality and we're delighted to be able to offer them at these new reduced rates.

Look! My son-in-law the geek.

Some of you may remember that Alex and I went up to Canada last month for the wedding of our youngest daughter. It was a great wedding and everything went off smooth as silk. Alex danced beautifully with the bride (after taking dance lessons with Fred Astaire Dance Studio), he gave a brilliant speech (that I wrote and he edited) and then everything turned into a big blur because the step-mother-of-the-bride had that second glass of wine.

Deidre married a terrific young guy named Matt who told us he works for a company called Eloqua. I'm not sure what Eloqua does, but I do know that whatever it is, it'll increase my leads by 31% and get me an average click-through rate of 7.3%. WOW!!!

How do I know this? They send me nice emails telling me.

Anyway, I forwarded today's email to Matt who is in San Francisco at a conference. He sent back a note telling me that they just finished launching their new product. He gave me a link to their web site and, whaddya know, there's Matt in the video.

The kid really does have a job!

As his wicked-step-mother-in-law, I'm pretty proud to see Matt sharing the stage with some guy in a suit. Probably some guy who could affect his career. Maybe the guy who could give him a big promotion. In which case, I must re-write that sentence so it reads: I'm pretty proud to see Matt sharing the stage with a brilliant man whose vision, passion for excellence, and unparalleled understanding of information technology and consumer behaviour have made Eloqua the successful and growing company it is today.

Whatever the heck it is.

You can see Matt on the stage at :045.



Hey! Matt's in their "How We Did It" video, too!

Boy, I'll bet that if I knew what he was talking about, I'd be really impressed.

Yarnmarket's October bulletin has lots of great ideas for autumn.

Have you received your copy of Jan's latest bulletin? She sent it out earlier this morning so you'll want to check your mailbox.

There are a couple of items I'd like to draw your attention to. First of all is the lovely Natalie Redding in the Sushi hat she created using Berroco yarn and her Namaste Farms Sushi yarn. It's adorable! And it looks really warm, too. Natalie's yarns are proving to be very popular amongst our knitters so we keep adding more to our inventory. Yesterday I received a shipment of Ohm and Long Locks. Long Locks is the gorgeously soft yarn that requires an 8" fleece of Pygora kid mohair. Natalie is working away on some black Long Locks for us right now.

Secondly, as you well know it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We're featuring the Della Q Pink Items for Breast Cancer Research collection. $5 is donated for each pink item in the series purchased from Yarnmarket ($3 from Della Q & $2 from Yarnmarket). Special solid pink & striped combinations are available so you can coordinate a complete set for all your bag and needle case needs while you donate to breast cancer awareness.

Monday, October 18, 2010

See CAT's interview with Louisa Harding

I found this interview fascinating -- not only because I enjoyed seeing Louisa's designs and learning more about her, but also because I learned something I didn't know about viscose.

Did you know that viscose was particularly popular in the 1930s? I didn't! Be sure to watch this video to learn about Louisa's designs, career...and something you may not know about banana, milk and corn fibers!

Basil the Bunny is in Intensive Care. Please pray for his recovery!


If you read this blog regularly you already know I'm a loon. I'm particularly loony when it comes to animals. Last week, our good friend Kathy Blumenstock (who writes for our KnitchMagazine) let us know about Basil the Bunny in Edinburgh.

Poor Basil was not treated well by his original owners and was rescued by a local animal protection group. He's now in a foster home where he's being treated with loving care. You can see that he needs to wear bunny socks. That's because his paws were so badly injured as a result of mistreatment.

Unfortunately, over the weekend, Basil took a turn for the worst. So he needs our prayers. If any of you have a special prayer line to St. Francis of Assisi, please let him know that Basil needs his help.

Yarnmarket has contributed a gift certificate to help with fund-raising. We sure do hope that Basil gets better. He looks like a very sweet bunny and Alex and I are hoping to meet him if we make it to Edinburgh next summer.

You can click here to learn more about Basil.

Amazing world we live in, isn't it? Who would have thought that a sick bunny in Edinburgh would get worldwide attention?

Just in! Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca

Alex has just informed me that our Royal Alpaca yarn has arrived from Aslan Trends, and we've got 13 fantastic colors -- everything from neutrals to a periwinkle blue that I think is absolutely gorgeous.

This is genuinely royal alpaca, a term used to identify only 1% of all alpaca fiber production. It's a rare and unique fiber that is completely de-haired and ultra soft.

At 19.0 to 19.5 microns Royal Alpaca is lighter and warmer than cashmere.

The price for this luxury? Only $13.85 for a 100 gram ball -- 220 yards. That's a terrific value.

You'll want to surround yourself is something soft and cosy made from Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca. Be sure to order yours now from Yarnmarket.com


Oh! An update!

There's an Aslan Trends contest on Ravelry that you might want to enter.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Win a Rowan Gift Package worth over $150

Every month Yarnmarket creates a special newsletter that highlights one of our partners. This month we turn the Spotlight on Rowan, the yarn company that is known for their classic but contemporary designs with British appeal.

This issue features a great article about Stephen Sheard, founder of the company, and presents several renowned designers who got their start there. Additionally, we have a contest you can enter to win a Rowan prize package that includes three Rowan books, Crystal Palace knitting needles, and some new Rowan yarn.

Be sure to read Yarnmarket's Spotlight on Rowan...and don't forget to enter our contest!

Get your FREE download of the Namaste Farms Sushi Hat Pattern

Natalie's pattern for the Sushi Hat in her gorgeous Namaste Farms yarns is now available for FREE on Yarnmarket.com. Be sure to download your copy so you can make this terrific topper in time for cold weather.

Namaste Farms yarns are hand-crafted in the USA by Natalie Redding, a shepherdess in California who has won numerous awards for the quality of her animals and their fleeces. We are proud to carry her Wensleydale wools and Pygora kid mohair yarns exclusively at Yarnmarket.com

Monday, October 11, 2010

See Debbie Bliss speak about her magazine, her work and her very busy life!

In this episode of Let's Knit2Gether, CAT completes her riveting interview with Debbie Bliss. It's a fascinating video that will be of particular appeal to Fair Isle knitters who'd like to see fantastic new work from a young designer who is now working with Debbie.

How many of us wouldn't love to be mentored by this luminary of the knitting industry?!

CAT also asks about the newest Bliss book, Design It, Knit It: Babies and Debbie speaks about her love of classics for babies and children.

Help Betsy help her community through the KnitLit Club. If you vote, they could win an award from Clorox!

We just received this very nice note forwarded by our friends from KFI and I thought our Yarnmarket fans might want to vote online to help this group of industrious kids:


My name is Betsy Rodman, and I run a knitting/book club called "KnitLit" at Haverstraw Middle School, in Haverstraw, NY (Rockland County). Kids knit blankets for charity and we read and discuss a book together. This is an impoverished community (more than 50% of our students have free or reduced lunch), where knitting has caught on. KnitLit is extremely popular, and I even had to turn students away last year due to budget constraints. Sadly, the club is facing elimination this year due to a dire budget situation.

How you can help: we have been nominated for a "Power a Bright Future" award from the Clorox company. Winners are determined by vote (people can vote once a day through Nov. 1), and amazingly, after 5 days of voting we are in the TOP 5% NATIONWIDE among all of the nominees! BUT we have a long way to go to get to the top, with some serious competition from lots of sports activities and marching bands. Wouldn't it be wonderful for handcrafts and the knitting world to see a group of young knitters win this award?

Is there any way that you could help us spread the word to a larger audience? Perhaps a blurb to your e-mail list? We need to move quickly, as voting ends Nov. 1st.

To read our award application, go to this link:
http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery?id=3048&cid=p1core-tbx05.f.1800/ae890/3b6/ef55c07c.e5c302e3793a9e1688da21fc91c1a7b4&page=1

For more info, go to http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/ and search on "KnitLit". You can read our award application there. We also have a KnitLit Facebook page. You can reach me at the e-mail above, or find me on FB under "Betsy Rodman" or call me: 845-269-5252.

What a wonderful opportunity to help a worthy cause without donating a penny, and to spread the word of the power of knitting with young people! I thank you for any support you could lend us!

Sincerely,
Betsy Rodman
Haverstraw Middle School KnitLit Club
Phone: 845-269-5252
Email: makelemonade@optonline.net

Thursday, October 7, 2010

I want to be a turkey.

It's been an unbelievably busy week. We launched the autumn issue of Knitch Magazine (hurray for Jenny!) and we're almost ready to send out next week's Spotlight. It's another great one, and you're going to learn a lot about the company we're spotlighting. You'll also have the chance to win a prize package worth over $150 if you enter our skill-testing contest.

While I've been working my tail off to get all these projects completed, my Mom's been busy planting tulip bulbs and photographing her yard. It's very pretty in Caledon Hills in the autumn.

Yesterday she sent me this shot. I'll bet there aren't a lot of people in the world who look out their window and see this sight. She told me that earlier, while she was having her coffee and reading the morning newspaper, the turkeys came right up to her window to demand breakfast.

When I was a teenager, the worst thing you could call a person was a "turkey." Having observed my Mom's gobblers over the past couple of years, I'd say that turkeys have got it made. They sit around all day sunning themselves, and they get fed whenever they're hungry.

Tell me, what animal would you rather be?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

And the winner of the Spotlight on Debbie Bliss prize package is...

Sally Silver of East Lansing, Michigan. (And you've got to admit that it's awfully sporting of us, in the home of the Buckeyes, to draw a name from the rival state of Michigan.)

Sally has won for herself a prize package of:
• Glen pattern book
• Fez pattern book
• Folk Chic pattern book
• 12 balls of Debbie Bliss Glen yarn
• Size 10.5 US, 26" Crystal Palace Bamboo circular needles

That's over $150 worth of goodies!

Be sure to enter our Spotlight contests when you receive your next issue of Spotlight from Yarnmarket. We know that next week's edition is going to be one you won't want to miss.

Also, don't forget to check out our latest issue of Knitch Magazine. We launched it yesterday and it's loaded with great articles, interviews and -- yes -- some free patterns for you to enjoy, including the winner of the TKGA 2010 Design Contest.

Monday, October 4, 2010

See Knitch Magazine for new interviews and articles PLUS free patterns.

I'm elated to announce that our newest edition of Knitch Magazine has just gone live...and you'll want to read it!

This season we interview the talented and accomplished designer Maggie Jackson of Maggiknits and Cathy Carron, author of "Cowl Girls." We also get Tanis Gray's take on the season's fashions.

Jan gives us a great view of the new trends, plus lots of FREE patterns to add to your collection.

We also speak with Iris Schreier of Artyarns, Angelo Fernandez of Jacques Cartier, and Natalie Redding of Namaste Farms who answer the age old question, "Why is this yarn so expensive?!" Anyone who's ever wondered about the high cost of luxury will want to read this informative piece.

Knitch Magazine also presents its usual round-up of yarn and book reviews by the tireless Barbara Rottman who puts every yarn through its paces. (We're now keeping all our reviews live so they'll be easier to find. New ones are marked with the heading -- get this -- NEW!)

We really hope you like this newest issue of Knitch Magazine. Let us know what you think about it...and what other articles you'd like us to add.

Whew! I'm glad it's done. Thanks Jan, Jenny, Stef, Michele and everyone else who works so hard to produce our fashion magazine for knitters.

New Autumn Patterns and Yarns from our friends at Rowan!

At Yarnmarket, we all love the Rowan yarns and patterns even though we have very different styles. Jan appreciates the classics. Stef goes for the avante garde and I'm somewhere in between. It's a real tribute to the Rowan designers that they manage to keep each of us happy!

And they do the same thing with their yarns. Jan goes for the real wool fibers. Stef is partial to anything eco so she likes the Purelife yarns. And I guess I really like both. One minute I'll be knitting with bamboo and the next minute with a really nice chunky tweed.

When I received the new autumn books from Rowan I have to say that I was absolutely knocked out with the Russian doll series in Rowan Magazine 48. Is that because I'm married to a Russian, or is it because I admire the classics that Jan loves, but I lust after the au courant styles that Stefanie adores? I'm not sure. But I didn't hesitate to use the pretty Valentina pattern in some Yarnmarket print ads this season because I want everyone to see the Rowan creations. This gorgeous garment is created entirely in Kid Classic, so imagine how soft and warm it will be.

I've been ooohing and aaaahing over the new Rowan yarns that have been introduced this season. Silk Twist is luxurious blend of silk, mohair and wool/nylon that has tone-on-tone marled colors.

Purelife Renew is a wise combination of recycled wool, silk and nylon that is great for pullovers, cardigans and jackets.

Drift is terrific classic tweed in super chunky 100% merino wool.

Purlife British Sheep Breeds Boucle is a naturally soft yarn, super chunky in winter white. That's because it's 100% British undyed wool from the Blue Face Leicester Sheep. It would be great in cozy sweaters.

We've got all the new fibers and colors for autumn in stock at Yarnmarket, so be sure to have a look. I'm sure you'll find a Rowan book or pattern with something beautiful you'll want to create for the season.