CAT has just uploaded her most recent edition of Let's Knit2Gether. It's a very interesting interview and we learn all about Juliet and her career. But I think the best part is that CAT is so surprised to learn that the editor of this prestigious UK knitters' magazine really enjoys her videos!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Preparing for (a romantic) Valentine's Day
I know some of you ladies are thinking champagne, chocolate and romance. Not me! And this could explain why I don't have children. (Okay, this and several other factors...including the petition by my family.)
For Valentine's Day weekend, I've planned a romantic little getaway for Alex and me...and the monks of St. Meinrad Seminary. Yes, we're driving five hours to hear some monks sing Gregorian Chants (or Plainchant, for you purists out there) and we'll be staying overnight in the guest house. I'm pretty sure we won't have a king-size bed. And there won't be a heart-shaped tub.
St. Meinrad is known for their wonderful music and I've been wanting to go there for a long time. When I read that astrophysicist Bernard Haisch was once a student at the seminary college, well...my nerdy little heart almost skipped a beat. I couldn't think of a better place to spend a romantic weekend.
Once I'd booked time at St. Meinrad, I felt like I was cheating on my good friend, Brother John. He's the sweetest monk you'd ever want to meet, and I've been feeling guilty that I didn't get to spend any time with him this summer. So Alex and I will drive another few hours for a couple of days at Abbey of Gethsemani. Alex has already stocked up on some Canadian beer for our friend, so he'll be especially happy to see us.
You know...it's a darned good thing I married Alex. He's the only guy I know who'll follow me around the world, from monastery to monastery, while I continue my inner journey to peace, self-enlightenment, and monk-made fudge that's laced with a double dose of bourbon.
For Valentine's Day weekend, I've planned a romantic little getaway for Alex and me...and the monks of St. Meinrad Seminary. Yes, we're driving five hours to hear some monks sing Gregorian Chants (or Plainchant, for you purists out there) and we'll be staying overnight in the guest house. I'm pretty sure we won't have a king-size bed. And there won't be a heart-shaped tub.
St. Meinrad is known for their wonderful music and I've been wanting to go there for a long time. When I read that astrophysicist Bernard Haisch was once a student at the seminary college, well...my nerdy little heart almost skipped a beat. I couldn't think of a better place to spend a romantic weekend.
Once I'd booked time at St. Meinrad, I felt like I was cheating on my good friend, Brother John. He's the sweetest monk you'd ever want to meet, and I've been feeling guilty that I didn't get to spend any time with him this summer. So Alex and I will drive another few hours for a couple of days at Abbey of Gethsemani. Alex has already stocked up on some Canadian beer for our friend, so he'll be especially happy to see us.
You know...it's a darned good thing I married Alex. He's the only guy I know who'll follow me around the world, from monastery to monastery, while I continue my inner journey to peace, self-enlightenment, and monk-made fudge that's laced with a double dose of bourbon.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Want to learn about exotic and unusual fibers?
Jan sent out our "Just My Type" newsletter this morning and we can't believe all the great feedback we're getting. It seems that a lot of you are interested in learning about yarns made with all sorts of interesting fibers -- from shrimp shells to yak coatings. I think my favorite exotic yarn right is Anny Blatt Absolu which, by the way, is selling so quickly that I'm going to send those little French bunnies some aphrodisiac carrots so they'll keep on producing. Well, reproducing.If you want to know all about that yarns that make people stop and say, "Where on earth did you get that?!" you'll want to read our Just My Type newsletter. It's one of Yarnmarket's four exclusive newsletters...so you might want to subscribe and never miss a thing.
So, if you like Exotic & Unusual yarns, read about them online. And if you like Exotic & Unusual People, visit us at Yarnmarket.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Today's Yarnmarket bulletin features great new yarns and colors!
Jan sent out our newest bulletin this morning and it's loaded with great new yarns we've just added to our inventory.
I am a fanatic about Prism because the "Stuff" yarns make such gorgeous scarves, so I'm really glad that we've now got full skeins in addition to half skeins.
We've also got some new colors from Berroco, Anny Blatt, Frabjous Fibers, Noro, Cascade & Sirdar.
If you haven't yet subscribed to our newsletters, you can read our most recent bulletin online.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Looking for a great job? We need help at Yarnmarket!
With the continued growth of our company and the upcoming launch of our newest service, WhatToKnit.com, we need a little more help at YarnMartian headquarters in Pickerington, OH.
We're seeking a VERY friendly knitter or yarn enthusiast who is passionate about customer service.
The selected candidate will take care of customers who visit our showroom, answer telephone calls, help with our activities on Ravelry and other social media, and assist on our various web sites: Yarnmarket.com, Yarndex.com, BargainYARNS.com, YarnMerchant.com, KnitchMagazine.com and WhatToKnit.com
There will be a lot of variety in this position which could include any number of duties related to our stores and services.
If you're looking for a great part-time job (working 5 days a week), please send your resume to us at Staff at yarnmarket dot you-know-what. Please indicate salary requirements.
We're seeking a VERY friendly knitter or yarn enthusiast who is passionate about customer service.
The selected candidate will take care of customers who visit our showroom, answer telephone calls, help with our activities on Ravelry and other social media, and assist on our various web sites: Yarnmarket.com, Yarndex.com, BargainYARNS.com, YarnMerchant.com, KnitchMagazine.com and WhatToKnit.com
There will be a lot of variety in this position which could include any number of duties related to our stores and services.
If you're looking for a great part-time job (working 5 days a week), please send your resume to us at Staff at yarnmarket dot you-know-what. Please indicate salary requirements.
Yes...there really is a Stacy Charles. See CAT's interview with the man behind the company.
He's brilliant, creative, and an expert on yarns. Learn how Stacy got started in the yarn industry and find out about some of the yarns he's introduced to us.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What to knit...what to knit? WHAT TO KNIT! (And a chance to win a $250 Gift Certificate.)
For the past few months, YarnMartians have been working on a new site that we know is going to be a bit hit with our knitters. It's called, "What To Knit," and it's almost ready to launch. Over the next few days we'll be putting the finishing touches on it, testing the pants off it, and generally finding and squashing those nasty little bugs that creep around on websites.
We're really excited about our newest addition to the Yarnmarket family of services, and so are our colleagues in the industry. Over the past weekend we showed the new site to attendees of the TNNA and, to a man (er, woman) they exclaimed, "I love it!"
Okay...some just said, "It's fantastic! When can I use it?" but a lot of them expressed a deep and enduring emotion for the site they know will bring them love and inspiration for years to come.
What to Knit (or WTK) is a free service (of course!) that has thousands of projects that can be easily searched using a variety of criteria:
Size
Yarn Brand
Yarn Manufacturer
Skill Level
Gauge
Designer
Magazine it was in
Cost
It makes searching for a project really quick and easy. You'll never again be compelled to weep, "Oh, woe is me! I don't know what to knit!"
One of the best things about What To Knit is that once you've found a project you like you'll be able to order everything you need to complete it -- with just a single click. And, if there's something on the shopping list you don't need, you can just "unclick" it to remove it from the project.
We'll ship it out with the same super-fast service as all our other YarnMarket, BargainYARNS and YarnMerchant orders.
I can't wait to announce that it's open. But in the meantime, you'll want to visit our landing page at www.whattoknit.com and sign up for the premiere. Then, we'll let you know as soon as it's live.
Everyone who signs up is eligible to win a Gift Certificate of up to $250 to create the Project of their choice.
Please visit our new site, and be sure to "Like" us on Facebook!
We're really excited about our newest addition to the Yarnmarket family of services, and so are our colleagues in the industry. Over the past weekend we showed the new site to attendees of the TNNA and, to a man (er, woman) they exclaimed, "I love it!"
Okay...some just said, "It's fantastic! When can I use it?" but a lot of them expressed a deep and enduring emotion for the site they know will bring them love and inspiration for years to come.
What to Knit (or WTK) is a free service (of course!) that has thousands of projects that can be easily searched using a variety of criteria:
Size
Yarn Brand
Yarn Manufacturer
Skill Level
Gauge
Designer
Magazine it was in
Cost
It makes searching for a project really quick and easy. You'll never again be compelled to weep, "Oh, woe is me! I don't know what to knit!"
One of the best things about What To Knit is that once you've found a project you like you'll be able to order everything you need to complete it -- with just a single click. And, if there's something on the shopping list you don't need, you can just "unclick" it to remove it from the project.
We'll ship it out with the same super-fast service as all our other YarnMarket, BargainYARNS and YarnMerchant orders.
I can't wait to announce that it's open. But in the meantime, you'll want to visit our landing page at www.whattoknit.com and sign up for the premiere. Then, we'll let you know as soon as it's live.
Everyone who signs up is eligible to win a Gift Certificate of up to $250 to create the Project of their choice.
Please visit our new site, and be sure to "Like" us on Facebook!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Win a Knitting Needle Prize Package worth over $150!
This month's Spotlight is on Knitting Needles, and we're offering another great contest you'll want to enter. All you have to do is read our articles about the history and different types of knitting needles and answer a skill-testing question.
The package includes a Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles kit, Addi Turbo Circular Needles (24", Size 9 US), Lantern Moon Sox Stix (5", Size 5 US), a set of Lantern Moon Straight Needles (12" in Sizes 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 US) plus a della Q Lily Combo Needles case to store your new needles.
Be sure to read our Spotlight and enter the contest. It's a terrific prize package and you won't want to miss your chance to win it!
The package includes a Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles kit, Addi Turbo Circular Needles (24", Size 9 US), Lantern Moon Sox Stix (5", Size 5 US), a set of Lantern Moon Straight Needles (12" in Sizes 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 US) plus a della Q Lily Combo Needles case to store your new needles.
Be sure to read our Spotlight and enter the contest. It's a terrific prize package and you won't want to miss your chance to win it!
Monday, January 3, 2011
We're shopping for yarn in Long Beach, California this week!
On Wednesday, Alex and and I are flying to Long Beach so we can attend the TNNA Show where hundreds of yarn manufacturers present their new spring and summer lines to thousands of yarn retailers. We're going a little early so we can visit Namaste Farms. We've never been there before and we're excited to meet Natalie's wonderful critters who give their clothes to us so we can make our own.
I'm also excited about finally meeting Natalie. We've been working together about six months now and have never met so this is going to be fun. In "Deb's Visit to the Farm," Natalie will play the role of the tall, young and gorgeous shepherdess while I'll be the pint-sized troll scurrying after her. Maybe she'll let me kiss and hug some of her animals. (What can I say? I've been required by law to kiss only Alex for over 30 years now. It would be nice to kiss some other old goat every once in a while...and an angora goat would be fun to hug, too!)
Here's a bit of a preview of what I'm in for at Natalie's farm...
Jan will be joining us on Friday so she can attend the big fashion show that evening. Then the real work begins.
Alex and Jan will be meeting with the various companies and decide which new yarns to add to our inventory. We've already got 800 yarns now, but there are lots more out there to be examined and considered.
Since the last TNNA show, we picked up the superb Bergere de France line. We'd seen their yarns at shows in Columbus, Ohio; Florence, Italy; Cologne, Germany and Paris, France. Finally, we were able to add them to our shop and it appears our knitters are glad we did!
While Alex and Jan examine all the yarns, I get to meet with authors, designers, magazine editors and others who keep the yarn industry vibrant and changing all the time. It's fun to see what new patterns they've created, which styles they think are going to take off, and which trends they think are going to catch on. For the past few years, there's been a lot of buzz about eco yarns and we've seen new ones introduced from a variety of companies. They've brought us yarns in everything from bamboo and seaweed to milk! It will be interesting to see what they've come up with this time.
I'll be taking lots of photos so I can share my experiences with you in our Knitch Magazine. If any of you would like me to check out anything in particular, just let me know!
I'm also excited about finally meeting Natalie. We've been working together about six months now and have never met so this is going to be fun. In "Deb's Visit to the Farm," Natalie will play the role of the tall, young and gorgeous shepherdess while I'll be the pint-sized troll scurrying after her. Maybe she'll let me kiss and hug some of her animals. (What can I say? I've been required by law to kiss only Alex for over 30 years now. It would be nice to kiss some other old goat every once in a while...and an angora goat would be fun to hug, too!)
Here's a bit of a preview of what I'm in for at Natalie's farm...
Jan will be joining us on Friday so she can attend the big fashion show that evening. Then the real work begins.
Alex and Jan will be meeting with the various companies and decide which new yarns to add to our inventory. We've already got 800 yarns now, but there are lots more out there to be examined and considered.
Since the last TNNA show, we picked up the superb Bergere de France line. We'd seen their yarns at shows in Columbus, Ohio; Florence, Italy; Cologne, Germany and Paris, France. Finally, we were able to add them to our shop and it appears our knitters are glad we did!
While Alex and Jan examine all the yarns, I get to meet with authors, designers, magazine editors and others who keep the yarn industry vibrant and changing all the time. It's fun to see what new patterns they've created, which styles they think are going to take off, and which trends they think are going to catch on. For the past few years, there's been a lot of buzz about eco yarns and we've seen new ones introduced from a variety of companies. They've brought us yarns in everything from bamboo and seaweed to milk! It will be interesting to see what they've come up with this time.I'll be taking lots of photos so I can share my experiences with you in our Knitch Magazine. If any of you would like me to check out anything in particular, just let me know!
And the winner of the $125+ Knit One, Crochet Too Contest is...
Dusti G. of Langdon, Alberta! If you're like me, you're wondering, "Where on earth is that?" I checked. It's southeast of Calgary.
Brrrr....that's a cold, cold, cold, cold place. Of course, my Uncle who lives in Calgary assures me it's, "A dry cold." That means that minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit feels only like minus 12.
Congratulations, Dusti!
To all of you who didn't win, don't despair. We've got another Spotlight contest coming up next week. Grand prize will be a LOT of knitting needles, including the fantastic Denise Interchangeable Needles.
She left Corporate America to create her own pattern company. Meet Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer of HeartStrings FiberArts.
After years in high-tech and high-stress, this courageous woman left her IT job to start her own pattern company. Watch as CAT learns what it takes to take a risk...and become a terrific success!
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