Shear Bagatelle

The wonderful world of Noro color.

2012-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Next week's Spotlight newsletter will feature the magnificent yarns by Eisaku Noro, one of the world's most renowned fiber colorists. Using primarily hand-made processes to create his yarns, he has engineered a production process that minimizes energy consumption and is gentle on the environment. That's because it was the earth and the beauty of nature that first inspired him.

Be sure to sign up to our newsletter so you'll receive your own copy of Spotlight when it's released next Tuesday.

Featuring...Mickie's beautiful creation using one of Yarnmarket's exclusive patterns

2012-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

I love it when a group of people work together to create something truly beautiful. You know...the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Mickie is a Raveler (Mickieswall)who was interested in the Ladybugs for Lesa shawl design created by the very talented Annie Smith. Annie is not only a valued Yarnmarket customer, she's also a designer who won a prize in the TKGA Contest we sponsor. It was a surprise to us that she lived nearby -- and an even greater surprise that she shopped here -- when we contacted her about her achievement.

Mickie was intent on making the Ladybugs for Lesa design so she mentioned on Ravelry that she liked it, but was having trouble reading the charts. Onto the scene stepped Cheri, another Raveler (Dartfrog) who was wonderful enough to re-work the charts so they're a bit easier for everyone to use.

This is the result. Isn't it fantastic? We're thrilled that Mickie liked the pattern that Annie first developed. And we're so appreciative that Cheri stepped in to help us all out.

That's teamwork. And doesn't it look absolutely wonderful?

And the winners are...

2012-01-31T11:28:00.001-08:00

Announcing the winners of our Facebook "Like Us" contest!!! The following people will receive a $100 Yarnmarket Gift Certificate and one for a friend.
Marcy Stellfox
Judy Reichler
Gerry Hartsoe
Please contact me at deborah@yarnmarket.com right away to claim your prize!

Thanks to all of you for joining us on Facebook. Please let your friends know about Yarnmarket so they learn about all our wonderful yarns, patterns, needles...and the odd stray critter that happens to visit us.

Save 20% off your favorite brands including Madelintosh Special Order Colors

2012-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

Yarnmarket is having a special sale event where you can save a lot on your favorite brands.

20% off all Prism yarns. Sale ends on February 6.
20% off all Karabella yarns. Sale ends February 13.
20% off all James Brett yarns. Sale ends February 20.
20% off all Filatura di Crosa yarns. Sale ends February 20.
20% off all Sirdar yarns. Sale ends February 20.
20% off all Madelinetosh Special Order yarns. Sale ends February 20.

Be sure to shop today to take advantage of our sales...and be sure to subscribe to our newsletters so you'll be among the first to know about our special offers.

Universal Radio in Reynoldsburg has strengthened my faith in humanity.

2012-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Just when you're feeling like people don't care anymore, something happens to restore your faith in humanity. Today, Universal Radio in Reynoldsburg, OH has made me believe that there is a lot of unrewarded and unrecognized kindness out there in the world.

Here's the story:

About two weeks ago Alex spotted a pussycat on the side of the highway, near Highway 256 and Interstate 70. It's not a good place for a pussycat to be. As a matter of fact, I can't think of any place worse. Alex pointed out the cat to me, knowing full well what my response would be: we'd have to try to save it.

Well, he got across four lanes of traffic and pulled the car to the side, but when I got out to try to catch the pussycat, he ran away. I was upset...but I didn't want to risk chasing him into traffic.

About a week later, Susan our designer came into the office saying that the most beautiful cat in the world was on her deck and that her daughter, Caitlin, was trying to care for it. When she described it, I knew it was the cat we had seen near the roads. That poor pussycat had been outside in snow and rain for at least a week.

I drove over to Susan's house and got the cat. Soon, he was quite comfortable inside Yarnmarket where Stefanie and Michele fussed over him and made him feel welcome. We posted signs on all the doors so people would know we had a cat inside, and to please not let him out. He likes to sit at the window and watch the squirrels that come to eat the peanuts we leave out for them.

Stef and Michele named the pussycat "Zorro" and he's been very happy here while I was away for a few days. When I got back yesterday, I phoned the vet to make an appointment so he could have all his shots and be neutered. I know...it's not a nice thing to do to a guy, but he's reached the age where it's necessary.

While we've been caring for Zorro, I've been trying to find a home for him because he's really a gorgeous, and affectionate pussycat, and we can't keep him here at Yarnmarket. A lot of shoppers don't want a pussycat near their yarn (he's in the office section and the yarn is kept in closed bins in the warehouse), and some of our Yarn Martian staff aren't too thrilled with me keeping a cat around. I guess they haven't yet figured out that my goal in life is to become the person referred to as, "the crazy cat lady." The only thing between me and 47 housecats is an asthmatic husband.

I checked to see if he had a chip, but he didn't. And I've posted on all the local Lost Cat boards, but no one has claimed him. So if you're looking for a really nice pussycat and you live in the area, please let me know. (One person who expressed interest is in the Boston area, so I may have to spring for airfare.)

He's really healthy, according to Dr. Shields, and he's going to have all his shots and be neutered...so whomever is kind enough to adopt him won't be saddled with those expenses.

As I've been posting on Facebook about the pussycat, I received a note from Vinny Pinto, who is a friend of Katrinka (the Fabulous Feline). He mentioned a shop in Reynoldsburg -- about 1/2 mile from here -- that has all sorts of cats! I took a look at the site he directed me to and it's really something. They've got shots of cats from all over the world. I sent a photo of Zorro along with some info about our search for an owner.

I received the most wonderful email from Barbara at Universal Radio, who jokes that she's become a "cat addict." I thought I'd share it with you:

Thanks for sharing, Zorro is a beauty! I hope he finds a good home. How kind of you to take him to the vets and get him neutered.

We also do a good deal of "rescue" work with stray and feral cats and kittens. It seems that there is a never ending cycle of them. Poke around our website if you get a chance, there are many beautiful cats from all over the world.

We have our "office" cats, employee cats and customer cats on our site.

We have 5 full time resident cats at this time here at the office, I have 17 permanent resident cats at home ( all rescues), and we feed several feral (untamed) outdoors at work. The ferals have several shelters with heated mats and fresh food and fresh food and water.

Now, isn't that fantastic? These people are doing such wonderful work with cats!

You might want to visit their site and have a look. This is the sort of company I'd want to do business with...and I'm thinking that maybe Alex could use a new radio.

Like us on Facebook and you could win a $100 Yarnmarket Gift Certificate for yourself and a friend

2012-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

If you like us as much as we like you, you'll want to enter our Facebook contest. Here are the details:
It's easy! Just get your friends to "Like" us on Facebook. We'll award THREE prizes of two $100 Gift Certificates -- one for you and one for your friend who likes us.

Here's how it works:

* Tell your knitting and crocheting (and spinning!) friends to "Like Us."
* On January 31, we'll choose THREE friends of Yarnmarket on a random basis.
* Each person selected will win a $100 Yarnmarket Gift Certificate for themselves.
* Each person selected will be asked to give us the name of their friend who "Likes" us, and we'll send them a $100 Gift Certificate, too!

The more friends you get to "Like" us, the better your chance of winning! (Just be sure to tell them to give us YOUR name if they win.)

You can tell as many friends as you want. (The more, the better!) Contest ends at midnight Pacific Time on January 30. Three winning entries will be drawn on January 31.

Yarnmarket's Bulletin features 20% off all Prism and Bernat yarns!

2012-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Jan sent out another bulletin this morning and we're getting lots of response to our 20% off Prism sale. If you've never treated yourself to these wonderful yarns, now is the time to do so.

I used Prism shortly after I started knitting because I didn't have to use any clever stitchery to create a masterpiece. Just about everyone I knew received a gorgeous Prism yarn scarf for Christmas that year. When one of my friends lost hers, she insisted I create another because she loved it so much. (I suspect she didn't so much "lose it" as have it "borrowed without permission.")

What I love about the Prism Stuff yarns in particular is that you knit them really quickly because you can't wait to see what the next yarn is like! (Stuff is made of several complementary yarns tied together.) I think every knitter should give these yarns a try because they're so much fun and they make fantastic gifts.

Jan also presented lots of new yarns we've added since her Newsletter at the beginning of the month, and she announced we're now giving 20% off Bernat yarns.

These are great value-priced yarns that knitters and crocheters love -- especially for baby items. Be sure to check out the savings because they're a particularly great value right now.

Oh...another new item she introduced in the newsletter is Mary Ellen's Made By Hand Therapy Gel. It's a quick-drying gel that contains white willow bark used for thousands of years in Europe and China to relieve inflammation and pain. Made By Hand Therapy Gel soaks right into your hands so there's no greasy feeling, and many knitters say it makes the yarn flow like silk along their hands. If you've got dry, chapped hands or arthritis, you might want to give this new gel lotion a try because it's getting rave reviews.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters so you'll get all our releases delivered right to your mailbox each month. We promise we won't share or sell your email address.

Hope you're having a good Tuesday. We're waiting for one of customers to visit us with her pussycat. It's been like Critter Central here the past couple of days. Yesterday, Donnely brought Ms. Mercy (the pussycat Alex found in our garage in July) and then Tina, who makes sure all our orders are processed each morning, brought in the sweetest little puppy. She adopted him last Friday. I think this means that Lisa will be bringing in her new puppy, Leroy, that she picked up last night.

I don't have any pets to bring to the office with me. Well, unless you count Alex. But as pets go, he's not a good one. He's not obedient and he's always getting up on the furniture.

Learn how Susan Druding transformed Crystal Palace Yarns

2012-01-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

This month's Spotlight shines on Crystal Palace Yarns, and its founder, Susan Druding. You'll enjoy reading about her company and how she built it from a small yarn shop that catered to spinners and dyers.

You'll also enjoy reading about our huge 20% off sale on Crystal Palace yarns. For two weeks only, you can save 20% off all your favorites -- Tutu, Party Print, Splash, Fizz and many, many others!

If you don't subscribe to our newsletters, be sure to do so because they contain lots of helpful information about yarns, patterns, and designers.

Amanda and Stephen's Newest Addition

2012-01-10T10:16:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy to announce that Amanda and Stephen are the proud parents of Addison Wood. She was born this weekend and both Mom and baby are doing very well as you can see by the photo. Dad looks elated, too!

Addison is the baby sister of Lilly, who it seems just arrived the other day. Time sure flies.

It makes me laugh to see Amanda as a mommy. When I first met her, she was applying for an internship in my department at TWCITWWW. She barely said a word, but when she opened up her portfolio it spoke volumes! What an incredible talent. Both she and, Kim, the designer who'd selected her resume from all those we'd received, had won a very prestigious scholarship at OSU. I offered Amanda the position instantly.

She worked as an intern for us throughout the summer, and when it was time for her to go to back to college, none of us wanted to see her leave. We petitioned the HR department and then the CEO to let her remain part-time throughout her school year. The following summer she was back to full time internship. By the time she graduated from college, she had almost two years experience with our company, so we hired her as quickly as we could.

We've been very, very fortunate at Yarnmarket that Amanda decided to work freelance after having her first baby. And as soon as she's ready to come back to work, we'll inundate her!

Everyone at Yarnmarket sends their best wishes Amanda, Stephen, Lilly and Addison.

Who would you knit for if you had your choice of Crystal Palace yarns?

2012-01-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

In 1983, I worked feverishly on a gorgeous mohair sweater using yarn I bought at Simpson's in Toronto. After weeks of effort, I pieced it all together and made the horrible discovery that it had absolutely no give. I couldn't get it over my head! I was so discouraged, I confined myself to sewing.

It was two decades later that I learned what I'd done wrong. My Aunt Wilma visited from Calgary and when she mentioned she was in her local knitting guild, I ran out and bought some yarn and needles and demonstrated my (lousy) technique to her. I hoped that she could figure out where I was going wrong and -- sure enough -- she did.

Because I'm left-handed and was taught by right-handed people I didn't quite understand how to flip everything over. So I slipped my knitting needle into the front of the stitch instead of the back and gave every single stitch a little twist. (Or was it the back instead of the front? I'm so confused. But when I knit, my fingers now seem to know what to do.) The technique I used made for a nice sturdy fabric, but it had no stretch whatsoever. Not great when you're knitting a pullover.

With a little bit of guidance from Aunt Wilma, I was back in business and thrilled to discover a whole new variety of yarns that didn't even exist when I had last fired up the needles. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover Crystal Palace and all their wonderful, imaginative fibers. Because I love fluffy things (like pussycats and David Bowie), I stocked up on lots of balls of Crystal Palace Fizz and Crystal Palace Splash. That Christmas, my entire staff at The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World, Inc. (formerly a division of AT&T and now a division of IBM) received a nice, soft scarf to keep them warm when the office heating wasn't all that great. (Our Project Manager, Devra, used to wear her scarf and mittens in the office. Yes, it was that cold!)

Since that time, Crystal Palace has released a lot of really fantastic yarns that I absolutely love. The new Tutu is fabulous for those who like frills. I can't knit anything for Yarnmarket staff because they knit for themselves, so if I were knitting something dramatic and stylish for Graham Norton I'd use this one.

Graham wears some pretty outrageous outfits and I suspect his style icon is Elton John. Tutu would complement his shiny silk suits and shirts and maybe if I knit him one he'd be nicer to The Yarn Harlot the next time she's on his show. (I thought he was a little bit mean to her, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to sit in his big red chair to tell about the time I was attacked by a camel. In church. In Columbus, OH.)

If were knitting a new sweater for the absolutely adorable and talented Gareth Malone of The Choir, I think I'd use something from the Mochi line because he wears interesting sweaters and scarves and I think he'd love this yarn. There are several different weights available, and a gorgeous palette of dyed-in-the-wool colors. I've heard he's coming to America. Hmm...I wonder how I can lure him to Yarn Martian World headquarters?

Oh! That gives me an idea! If I were knitting for the sexy, alien-hunting Captain Jack of Torchwood, (John Barrowman), I'd probably use Panda Silk Solid for socks to wear with his kilt. They have so many colors that I'm certain I'd find something that matches, but I don't think I could knit plaid socks because, well, has anyone ever knit plaid socks? Successfully?

Anyway, the point is that Crystal Palace has a fantastic assortment of yarns to suit just about any style. They even have great choices for my sweetypie Alex who, I suspect, has every right to complain that I'm watching too much BBC America.

Today's newsletter is loaded with great ideas...and another fantastic sale!

2012-01-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

Jan sent out our January newsletter this morning and you're going to want to read it. She mentions lots of new patterns and yarns we've just added to our inventory, and tells you about our newest sale.

Right now, you'll save 20% off all Tahki yarns. That's a great discount on yarns you love -- like Cotton Classic, Big Montana and Donegal Tweed. We've got lots of colors in stock for quick delivery. And you get free shipping on any order over $59 in the US.

We've just added some fantastic new yarns, too. First is Tosh Chunky and Tosh DK from Madelinetosh. These are so popular that we had to get them. And we're offering EVERY color available. We have 30 colors of each in stock, and you can custom order any other color you like...no minimum quantity required.

Another new yarn you're going to love is Evita Merino. This yarn has gorgeous little tufts of faux fur.

Read all about these yarns and more in the newest edition of Yarnmarket's Newsletter.

Oh, the places I've been!

2011-12-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting little gadget I just discovered from a member in Ravelry...and it made me realize how much I've traveled! This summer I'll be adding Iceland to it and maybe I can toss in a couple more states or provinces before I embark on that voyage.

It would be wonderful to touch the soil of every continent at some time in my life. If you could visit just one place in the world, what would it be?

visited 34 states (68%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Like this? try: Vendian

visited 5 states (38.4%)
Create your own visited map of Canada or Like this? try: Auto Poster

visited 18 states (8%)
Create your own visited map of The World or Like this? try: Caerfai Chemical Simulation

Clothes from Outer Space

2011-12-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

For some reason I can't explain, I can't stop inventing clothes. Sure, they're totally goofy -- like Toe Cones, Faux Toes, Sleevettes and My L'il Joey -- but I like 'em even if everyone else thinks I'm...well...special.

For those who haven't had the privilege of a private viewing, Toe Cones were to be placed on the toes of your shoes when you (like all of us who worked at The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World Inc., now a division of IBM) weren't permitted to wear open-toe shoes. Executives feared that if the ladies' toes were exposed, the men would be in such a frenzy of passion, they wouldn't be able to concentrate on their work. Stop laughing. I'm not kidding!

For those of us who wanted to achieve the open-toe look without a painful and humiliating visit to the HR department, I created Faux Toes. These were attached to the tops of your shoes and they looked like real toes. Only the office foot fetishist would have known they were fake.

Sleevettes were short sleeves that predated the shrug. They were invented when The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World Inc. told us we couldn't wear sleeveless garments because "shoulders are sexy." (I wish I were making this up!) I wondered out loud, "The new Lexus is sexy but our CEO gets to drive his to the office...in broad daylight with everybody watching!"

The HR department told me to stop gawking and to hurry up and complete the mandatory "Sexual Harassment" online seminar for department managers. They were so surprised when I passed it that they called to say, "Hey, it turns out you actually know the rules. So, why do you break them all the time?"

My L'il Joeys were not designed to counter clothing regulations in Completely Crazy Corporate America, but were crafted to provide us middle-aged ladies with a darned good excuse for having a belly. These were underpants that featured the face of a baby kangaroo peeking out from the waistband. When you wore them you'd say, "I'm not fat. It's my l'il joey!"

Needless to say, these garments did not take off, although they did earn me a session with an HR counselor who looked at me suspiciously and said, "You're weird."

(The "Nude Look Bikini" I crocheted in flesh-tone fabric to which I added some shockingly human features was another abysmal fashion failure.)

This weekend I invented the Hubble Shirt. It required a bit more work than usual. First, I downloaded photos from the Hubble Telescope. Then I had them printed onto fabric. This one has multiple images of a supernova, or gaseous cloud, or something else equally unearthly and delightful. I bought a Vogue pattern and used the fabric to create this t-shirt.

It's a little too loud for me to wear. (I dress pretty conservatively most of the time.) But I kind of like the thought behind it.

What do you think? Is it creative genius? Or creative "just stepped over the line to crazy"? I won't be hurt if you don't like it, but I'll probably think twice before I present you with the brand new Ele-pants I've just designed for men.

20% off all Kollage Yarns now at Yarnmarket. No minimum purchase required!

2011-12-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jan just released another Yarnmarket sales letter and this time she's told our shoppers that they'll get 20% off all Kollage yarns until January 9th, 2012.

Be sure to read our newsletter, and sign up if you don't already subscribe, because they'll not only inspire you with great knitting and crocheting ideas, they'll also help you save a little money!

Alex is a hopeless romantic...but don't let anybody know.

2011-12-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

For thirty years now, Alex and I have loved each other for richer and for poorer, for better and for worse, and in sickness and in health. We moved to a new country together, bungee jumped off the Kawarua Bridge together, and I have no doubt that we'll both meet the end of our lives together. (It will be when he makes a left hand turn on a yellow light.)

For thirty years he's been putting up with my goofy sense of humor while I've ensured that the top drawer of his chest is replenished weekly with clean, neatly folded underpants.

He's been tolerating my love of David Bowie, Rupert Sheldrake and Bernard Haisch while I've cleaned soap scum from the shower stall, polished the bathroom mirrors, and scrubbed the toilet bowl until it sparkles like diamonds.

He's been putting up with my lunacy while I've been howling at the moon and scratching my ears with my hind feet.

When our 30th Anniversary was approaching we both promised one another that neither of us would buy a gift. We were both lying, of course. We simply had to negotiate how big a lie it would be.

We're planning to go away next summer, so we tried to pretend that would be our Anniversary trip. But summer's a long way off and we wanted to do something special. I thought dinner would be great. Alex had other ideas.

Before I knew it, he was plotting to take me somewhere and all he'd tell me is that I'd be leaving on December 8 and returning December 13th. Now, if you know me, you know I can think of all sorts of spectacular things that could happen in a period of five days. Like a really, really quick trip to Paris. A seminar with Eckhard Tolle in Vancouver. Five days at a monastery where they chant the Vespers in Latin.

There's no end of wonderful things I can imagine Alex would be planning. Weekend in Bermuda? Visit to Quebec City to practice our French? Up to Alaska to be enthralled by the Northern Lights?

Unfortunately for Alex, when I'm lacking information, I don't imagine the worst. I imagine stuff so unbelievably fantastic that no one could hope to deliver it.

As the trip drew nearer, I started questioning Alex about where it was we were going. Did I need to pack my 1850 watt 120 volt hairdryer, 120 volt flat iron, straightening serum and Frizz-Ease hairspray? Or did I need my 1850 watt 240 volt hairdryer with the three prong plug for Britain, 240 volt flat iron with three prong plug for Britain, straightening serum, Frizz-Ease hairspray and an umbrella? Or did I need my 1850 watt 240 volt hairdryer with the three prong plug for Europe, 240 volt flat iron with three prong plug for Europe, straightening serum, Frizz-Ease hairspray, umbrella and French-English dictionary?

He refused to say a word.

But as the day drew nearer, he showed up with three carry-on suitcases and said, "We've got to put everything in these.

Everything? My hair styling aids alone would fill up 1/3 of the space! Where on Earth were we going? On a donkey ride up to Macchu Pichcu? Taking a ride on the Space Shuttle? Not only would he not give me a clue, he was getting downright annoyed that I wouldn't stop asking. But he agreed to tell me the night before we left, just in case there were something special I needed to pack -- like rain boots, a blow torch and a Snuggie. It was then he informed me I needed to get up at 3:00 a.m.

Yup. Three in the morning. Three hours after midnight. It's not "up at the crack of dawn." It's up before dawn has even reached Portugal! And then he gave me the news; he told me we were going to Seattle.

Seattle in December.

Cold, gray, wet, windy, gray, more wet, and more bone-chilling, freezing cold, foggy, wet Seattle.

To say I was stunned is an understatement. I simply refused to believe it. There was no way my husband was taking me to Seattle in December to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. Absolutely no way. Seattle is a place you leave in December. I've been there many times on business trips and even the people who live there say they can't stand the constant clouds and rain. Sure it's a gorgeous, modern northwestern city. In the summer, it's a paradise on Earth. But December? Hideous. Hideous with a raincoat and frostbite.

(Now, I hope I haven't given the impression that I'm spoiled rotten and demand exotic and expensive destinations. That's not true. I'd rather have a romantic dinner at The Wine Guy in Pickerington, Ohio than go to someplace cold and wet and gray. And cloudy.)

I decided to set aside the idea of going to (gray, wet, cold) Seattle and gave Alex the gift I'd had made for him. It was a beautifully framed, typewritten letter on a piece of memo stationery from Saffer, Cravit and Freedman Advertising. Alex had typed it the first day we met -- in 1979 in Toronto -- when I'd come for an interview for a job. He offered me the position on the spot and I was so shocked by the offer, I asked that he put it into writing. I'd kept that letter for well over 30 years.

I'm sorry to say that he was as shocked (and disappointed) by the letter as I was with the trip to (gasp!) Seattle. But he thanked me and reminded me we had to get up early in the morning.

We said our goodnights, cool goodnights I might add, and it wasn't until my crying kept him awake that he finally confessed he was taking me to Victoria, BC.

Ahhh...Victoria. Pilots call it the "blue hole" because the sun is almost always shining. For Victoria, BC I could get up at 3:00. Hurray!

We flew out of Columbus, Ohio when most people are still saying goodnight to each other, and landed in Chicago an hour later. After a brief wait, we got on a plane to Seattle. I think I slept. I'm not sure. I was getting really excited about going to someplace nice and sunny.

After we got to SeaTac, we took a bus to a little airport operated by Kenmore Airline. It's a little operation that flies into Victoria, taking off and landing on water. Having never been on a seaplane before, this was something really exciting. And it explained why we could take so little luggage.

From the sea plane I could see sparsely populated, forested islands where very lucky people lived in small cottages, grand mansions and everything in between. I couldn't imagine living so remotely, and wondered if the rainwater were enough to fill their reservoirs. And then I remembered...cold, wet, rainy... Yes, they'd have plenty of water.

When we landed in sunny Victoria, Alex told me it would be a short walk to the hotel, so we grabbed our luggage and started our trek up a hill. Much to my surprise, it WAS a short walk. (Even our kids will attest to the fact that Alex's idea of a short stroll is a Roman Legionnaire's campaign march. That man can walk so far that our sons-in-law have warned one another, "If he asks you take a walk, don't do it!")

It had been a long day, and I was ready to rest. Little did I know that the night had just begun. Alex had made reservations for us to eat at Stages, a great little restaurant that serves the world's best french fries and duck confit. And then we went to see a play, Jitters. It was a Canadian-written production (of course!) and was funny...but after being up for 22 hours straight, I have to admit we were both relieved when it was over.

We were exhausted. I thought the bed in the Chateau Victoria was wonderfully comfortable for the 2.5 seconds I was conscious.

The next morning, after a breakfast that included gluten-free French Toast, Alex announced that I was going for a massage at a local spa. Ahhhh... It was heavenly. I had a steam bath, massage, and reflexology. It's amazing what they can tell you just by touching your feet. I couldn't help but think of all the money I've wasted on CAT scans, MRIs, EEGs, EKGs, and Myelograms when all I needed was a lady who could read my feet.

After the surprise visit to the spa, Alex met me at the hotel. He'd bought flowers for our room and gave me a card that was so sweet it made me cry. What a romantic he is!

Instead of going to lunch, as he'd originally planned, we decided we were still full from breakfast so we went on a tour of the city. Victoria's a great place, capital city of British Columbia, and it has a rich history that's celebrated on plaques throughout the area and in lots of local museums.

Our first stop was the Christ Church Cathedral where we were greeted by the nicest lady who gave us a private tour. She was a member of the congregation who volunteered a few hours a week, and she was only to happy to speak about the history of the building, pointing out particularly interesting features. My favorite was a stone carving of a robin and a nest perched at the top of a column. It turned out that when the cathedral was built, a robin had her nest there and she tormented the workers for fear they'd destroy her nest. They waited patiently for her fledglings to leave before they completed their work on the column, then immortalized the bird with a statue.

Isn't that great? Right there in this massive stone cathedral is a carving of a bird who protected her babies.

The pulpit was also very interesting. It was sponsored by the Hudson Bay Company, who paid for the wood used to make it. An enormous tree was felled and stored for 30 years before the carving began! The artist paid tribute to the company by decorating the altar with intricate carvings that included a beaver and a bear.

We stayed a couple of hours at the cathedral before wandering through the many interesting shops, boutiques and book stores. For dinner, Alex had made reservations at the city's most celebrated Italian restaurant. Fantastico!

The next day, and our last in Victoria, we were up and out of the hotel to see an IMAX movie about the proud and noble beaver. Unfortunately, Alex had accidentally purchased tickets for the previous day and instead of a movie, there was a private event. Oh, well... That gave us time to enjoy the city before a surprise at 4:00 in the afternoon.

TIME TRAVEL BACK TO JUNE 1975. I was engaged to a guy whose cousin was being ordained as a minister, so I went with him and his entire family to see the ordination in Depew, New York. It was the first and only time I met Craig Knight.

Since that time, Craig has left the Lutheran Ministry and ended up working with the Minister of Health in British Columbus. I reconnected with him sort of by accident through e-mail (thinking he was someone else) and when he realized who I was, we struck up a great long distance friendship. He's got a really sick and twisted sense of humor...just like mine! Alex met Craig last summer when he was attending a photography seminar in Victoria, so he'd arranged for Craig, his wife Diane, and us to have dinner together. What a delight!

Craig and Diane gave us a tour of the city and their neighborhood, blissfully close to the ocean, and then we went to their home. Their gardens would have been lovely if it were summer. I could tell by all fruit trees, lavender and rhododendrons that the blossoms would be spectacular. The four of us had dinner at an elegant French restaurant and while I don't recall what I ate, I do know that when I returned home from our 30th Anniversary trip I weighed six pounds more than when I left.

It was a wonderful trip. Alex, who NEVER plans our vacations, had organized everything entirely on his own and had done a fantastic job of it. (This makes me wonder how I ended up as our official Travel Agent. He says it's the same reason I was assigned the role of Official Wirer of Electronic Equipment: He doesn't want to be bothered. What I thought he'd couldn't do, he simply didn't want to do!)

I hope that everyone has a 30th Anniversary as wonderful as mine. I can't imagine how it could have been better.

And now...back to another 30 years of ensuring his drawer is filled with clean underpants, and his toilet is sparkling clean.

Chipmunks roasting on an open fire...

2011-12-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to write much this week, what with my whirlwind tour of Seattle and Victoria, BC. Victoria was a big surprise and we had a fantastic time. I'll write about it as soon as I can.

But in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you the words from a Christmas card I bought in Canada:

Chipmunks roasting on an open fire
Frostbite chewing on your nose
Yuletide carolers being thrown on a fire
And folks dressed up like buffaloes.

Everybody knows a turkey slaughtered in the snow
Helps to make the season right.
Tiny tots with their eyes all gouged out
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of guns and bullets on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really scream when they die.

ANd so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from 1 to 92.
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas,

...well, I won't type the last line.

I hope this makes you laugh as hard as I did when I read it! (The card is by NobleWorks, PO Box 1275, Hoboken, NJ 07030. I'd love to work for those guys.)

Seattle?

2011-12-07T15:54:00.001-08:00

Alex has finally told me where he's taking me for our 30th Anniversary. Seattle. Not only am I surprised, I'm not even sure I believe him. He presented me with three small suitcases and said, "This is all we can take with us." Since when does Seattle have luggage limitations?

Obviously, there's far more to this than meets the eye.

Fabulous fashions! The Kollage River Run Cowl and Mitts are yours at Yarnmarket!

2011-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Our good friends at Kollage are recommending this River Run Cowl and Mitts project for the holiday season, and we thinks it's a real winner. It's a fun pattern created with Sock-a-licious yarn, and we think this set makes a fantastic fashion accessory.

I love Sock-a-licious because it feels wonderful, the colors are spectacular and big skeins of 354 yards means fewer ends to weave in when you're finished. Right now, we have 20 Sock-a-licious colors in stock for $18.25 for 324 yards.

You can find the pattern and yarn at Yarnmarket, or you can buy the complete project with a single click. (If you've got some of the items included in the project, just un-click them!)

We've recently changed our shipping options, so if you spend over $59 you'll get free shipping in the continental U.S.

Save 20% off Berroco yarns...and see Norah Gaughan's video tips exclusively for friends of Yarnmarket!

2011-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

We're so delighted that our customers are taking advantage of the 20% savings off all our Berroco yarns.

We're also delighted to offer you this FREE video made especially for our customers by the designing genius, Norah Gaughan. She created this to accompany the variety of projects we featured in our Spotlight on Berroco.

I hope you enjoy it!

All Berroco yarns now on sale at 20% off! No minimum purchase required.

2011-12-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Every month, I have the great pleasure of writing about another one of our wonderful yarn companies and I'm always so flattered by the responses we get. It seems that our Yarnmarket friends really enjoy learning about the people behind the brands who bring us the fantastic fibers and patterns we all adore.

This month, I'm happy to present you with the Spotlight on Berroco where you'll learn all about the company, its sixth-generation owner, Norah Gaughan, Amanda Keep and the 20% off savings you'll get when you purchase Berroco yarns from now until December 31.

If you don't receive it via email, you can read it online. Be sure to enter our contest because you could win a valuable Berroco prize package!

Whining and complaining...and being an annoyance.

2011-12-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's been so busy at YarnMartian World Headquarters that I haven't had much time to write the blog. Sure, I've found time to post when I'm shamelessly hawking our yarn. But I haven't had much time to write about important things...like Thanksgiving, Vincent the Squirrel and whatever it is I can say to embarrass Alex.

Our Thanksgiving was very nice and peaceful. I hope yours was, too. Lisa B went home to Pennsylvania for the holiday and returned with her mother who has spent a couple of days here knitting while Lisa works. It's nice to have a Mom at the office to make sure Lisa eats all her veggies before she treats herself to dessert at lunch time. I remember once a few years ago my Mom came with me to work with me when I was at CompuServe. My boss popped his head into my office and said, "I'll be gone next week so you'll be in charge."

I swear to God, my Mom broke into a panic. She looked at him in terror and asked, "Are you sure you want to do that?" This is why NOBODY has a "Take Your Mom to Work Day."

I've think I've got bad news about Vincent the Squirrel. He seems to have disappeared despite the loads of peanuts we were feeding him everyday. We haven't seen him in about a week, so I'm going to pretend that he's found a better place (perhaps once that serves walnuts) because I cannot bear to think that he's...well...I can't even bear to type it.

I've got really, really good news about the Snow Leopard Trust that we support. Yesterday I received a letter from Marissa that Yarnmarket friends and shoppers helped the group win the grand prize in BBC's World Challenge. That means they're getting a $20,000 grant to continue their good works to save the enormous pussycats. Isn't that fantastic? You can read about them here, if you like. Those of you who want to buy the 2012 Snow Leopard Calendar to help contribute to the charity can find it at Yarnmarket. I think it would make a really nice gift. Don't you?

I have to admit I've been spending more time than I should on the Jack the Cat and American Airlines Facebook pages. I was so upset about Jack the Cat being lost at JFK...and then I was elated when he was found...and then I was devastated when he died. Throughout the incident I kept thinking that American Airlines wasn't handling the situation very well. I know that a lot of their employees were doing everything they could to find Jack, and they were very supportive of Karen (Jack's owner). But the executives seemed to think the situation wasn't deserving of their attention.

Boy, I tell you, if I'd been an executive at AA I would have pulled out all the stops to find that cat, ensure no other pussycat or dog is ever lost again, and then I'do whatever I had to do so people would know I'm not a heartless, uncaring, EBITDA-obsessed creep.

Unfortunately, Gerard Arpey, the former CEO of American Airlines, isn't like me.

So, I'm going to confess that I'm not a nice person at all because I leapt up from my computer and yelled "Wooohooo!" when I read that he'd "retired." That's Corp-Speak for, "They tossed his sorry backside out the door." The only part that bugs me about his departure is that his salary in 2009 was $5 million. (Heck, I could bankrupt an airline for 1/10th that amount!) If he made $5 million per year, he's going to get a really good severance package, isn't he? I'll bet he gets at least $10 million to hit the tarmac and never darken their jetway again.

Now, if it's worth about $10 million for a guy like Gerard Arpey to not work at American Airlines, how much do you think it would it be worth to not have me run the company? $20 million? $30 million? $40 million and a lifetime supply of peanuts? I would think so.

Oh, seeing as how I'm confessing to my dark, ugly side...there's something I need to get off my chest. I wrote something mean on American Airline's PR agency's Facebook page. I couldn't help it! A box popped up that said, "Recommend Weber Shandwick." So I did. I wrote, "This is the agency for you if you killed somebody's cat."

I see that they finally took my recommendation down...but it was up for at least a week.

The next time I fly I'm going to be carrying the Jack the Cat bag I bought from CafePress. Proceeds go to help other pussycats and dogs that need homes. Mary Beth, who started the Jack the Cat Facebook page, has done a fantastic job of helping other animals in the wake of Jack's tragic death. If I were Weber Shandwick I'd hire her because she knows how to get people to care, and then act on their feelings. I paid $18 for a canvas sack with a picture of a very sick cat on it. Imagine what Mary Beth could do for a company like American Airlines! She'd have people sending money to buy Gerard a new yacht for his retirement.

Big Announcement!!!

As of next Friday, Alex and I will have been married 30 years. This proves:
a. I don't know how to use a gun;
b. Alex hasn't yet found the right poison;
c. You eventually do build up an immunity to one another's germs;
d. Of the billions upon billions of people on this planet, I'm the only one who wants Alex and he's the only one who wants me;
e. Those people who made bets that our marriage wouldn't last a year have long lost their money;
f. My mother was wrong;
g. His mother was right;
h. Love not only means not having to say you're sorry, it also means not having to say, "I plead not guilty, your honor."

To be honest, we probably have a better marriage than most. This is for two reasons:
1. I don't listen to a word he says.
2. He doesn't pay attention to a thing I do.

Alex is going to surprise me with a trip on our 30th Anniversary. He won't tell me where we're going. So how am I supposed to pack? Do I bring SPF 900 or Chapstick? Walking shoes, running shoes, sandals or mukluks? My 120 volt hairdryer with two prongs or my 240 hairdryer with three prongs? (If it's the 240 with 3 prongs, which prongs are they? The ones for Europe or the ones for Britain?) Do I bring an umbrella and Pantene Anti-Frizz Shampoo, Pantene Smoothing Conditioner, John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Serum, Elnette hairspray and a flat iron or do I bring a toque?

Men don't understand how complicated it is to be a woman...with sensitive skin, tender feet and frizzy hair.

So far he has told me only this: I have to be up at 4:00 a.m. to catch the plane. That's four hours after midnight. To catch a plane. In the cold and dark. Not even knowing where I'm going. With, perhaps, the wrong hair dryer.

Sweet? Yes. Considerate. Maybe. Romantic? I hope not. I never feel sexy when my hair's a frizzy mess.

Save 15% off ALL Artyarns. No minimum purchase required. Free shipping on US orders over $59.

2011-11-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

Fans of the absolutely exquisite Artyarns will be thrilled to know we've just put all our Artyans yarns on sale at 15% off from now until midnight December 18th.

These are absolutely sumptuous yarns by Iris Schreier, and we've got a huge inventory of her most gorgeous creations, including:

Impressionist Beaded Mohair & Sequins

Impressionist Beaded Silk

Impressionist Cashmere Sock

Beaded Ensemble & Sequins

Beaded Mohair & Sequins

Beaded Silk & Sequins

Beaded Silk & Sequins Light

Beaded Silk Pearl & Sequins

Impressionist Regal Silk

Mohair Splash

Regal Silk

Silk Fur

Impressionist Supermerino

Silk Mohair

Silk Pearl

Silk Rhapsody

Silk Rhapsody Glitter

Impressionist Silk Mohair

Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light

Artyarns fibers are perfect for holiday garments and gifts!

Remember...you save 15% off at Yarnmarket with no minimum purchase required and you get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $59 (Continental U.S. only).

Be sure to visit Yarnmarket soon so you can stock up on these truly magnificent Artyarns fibers and save 15% off your order.

We've extended our Noro sale to midnight tonight! And we've also got 20% off Debbie Bliss and Rowan. Happy Cyber Monday!

2011-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Cyber Monday, Alex has agreed to extend our Noro Sale. Be sure to order today!

Yarnmarket has just extended the Noro sale to midnight on Cyber Monday. Save 20% on all Noro yarns. Here's a list of our sale prices:
Aya - $7.88
Cash Iroha - $9.48
Cotton Hill - $7.88
Chirimen - $7.88
Furisode - $14.28
Hana Silk - $19.88
Hitsuji - $14.28
Iro - $15.88
King - $11.08
Kirameki - $11.88
Kochoran - $15.88
Kogarashi - $15.88
Kureyon - $7.08
Kureyon Sock - $15.08
Maiko - $8.68
Nadeshiko - $19.88
Nobori - $15.88
Odori - $19.88
Retro - $7.88
Sekku - $11.88
Shirakaba - $7.88
Silk Garden Lite - $9.48
Silk Garden - $9.48
Silver Thaw - $17.48
Sumile - $8.68
Taiyo - $15.08
Taiyo Sock - $15.08
Tanabata - $9.48
Yuzen - $7.88
Wadaiko - $19.88

SHIPPING IS FREE on all orders over $59 in the continental U.S.

Please note that we are running low on some colors but if you place your order now we will honor the sale price and ship the yarn as soon as it arrives at Yarnmarket. You will not be charged until your order ships.

There has been a bit of a delay in receiving some of the yarns from Noro in Japan ever since the tsunami because not all of the ports are operating. But we're getting the yarns in and we're shipping them to our customers as quickly as we can.

Happy Cyber Monday!

Save 20% off ALL Noro yarns starting midnight tonight!

2011-11-24T18:05:00.001-08:00

We're putting every Noro yarn on sale tonight at midnight so you can save 20% off your favorite yarns. We have a huge inventory of current styles and colors...and no minimum purchase is required.

We've still got Rowan yarns and Debbie Bliss yarns at 20% off, so it's a great time to replenish your stash and save.

FREE SHIPPING ON CONTINENTAL U.S. ORDERS OVER $59.

Many thanks to our customers, staff and business partners.

2011-11-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we'd like to take a moment to thank all our customers for their support throughout the year. It's truly gratifying to help you enjoy your knitting and crocheting, and to see the wonderful projects you complete. We hope you take advantage of all the informational and inspirational materials we offer so you can enjoy your craft even more!

It's a real pleasure to get to know so many of our shoppers and it's especially nice to be able to meet them. We're always thrilled to have a visit from Donnely Barber or Jennifer Penny or Laura Luvs2Sing. Margie Karl and her friends from Nationwide often join us for events, LittleWit and members of the Clintonville Gang, Tracy Owlchick and her friends who came to see us all the way from Maryland!

We think Stef has adopted Jackie Awerman as her "Mom in Florida" and we've always appreciated Jackie's enthusiam for our shop. We wish her well on her upcoming surgery.

There are so many wonderful knitters and crocheters to whom we owe our livelihood. I wish I could name them all!

And then there are our friends in the yarn industry...and you know who you are! We thank you so much for helping us create a business that is in the business of making people happy.

As many of you already know, Yarnmarket is just a small group here in Pickerington, OH. Alex and I are very fortunate to have so many wonderful people helping us with our shop and online sales, and we hope they already know how much we appreciate everything they do. We're very proud of them because they work so hard that people sometimes think we're part of a big conglomerate! They're surprised when they find out it's only us Yarn Martians working as hard as we can to please customers we truly value.

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving with their family. Be thankful for your blessings...and remember that the things we own mean nothing compared to the people we love.

Yarnmarket will re-open on Friday morning.

Knit Simple presents a Fabulous Felines project in their December 2011 issue.

2011-11-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

When I told Alex about my idea for yarns in the same colors as cats, he thought I was nuts. And perhaps he was right. But eventually the idea grew on him so he gave in and let me have a little fun. To make the project more inclusive, I collected photos of cats from Yarnmarket shoppers all over the planet. Once I had hundreds of pictures, I selected a bunch to send to the hand-dyeing genius, Iris Schreier of Artyarns.

Iris chose the most gorgeous 100% chunky merino wool to use for the exclusive Yarnmarket line, and after a few experiments with colors, we launched Fabulous Felines yarn.

The line didn't just have the colors of the cats' fur, but also eye colors because you know how beautiful (and hypnotizing) a pussycat's eyes can be. Much to my delight, the yarn has become really popular. I guess people appreciate the beautiful colors, and the yarn is so soft and cushy you can't resist squishing it and saying, "Ahhh..."

You can't imagine how excited I was yesterday when I got a message from the lovely Renee at Soho Publishing to let me know that they'd used Fabulous Felines in the color, Evie's Eyes, to create some accessories for their December 2011 issue of Knit Simple. Boy, was I ever thrilled!

Renee sent a photo so I could see what they'd done...and don't you love the pattern? If you'd like to get it, and the yarn, you'll find it online as a Yarnmarket project called, "Fabulous Felines Hat & Mittens."

As I mentioned, this project uses the color, Evie's Eyes. Here's a nice shot of Evie so you can see how well Iris matched them with her dye. We've got 11 shades right now, and we're always looking for more!

(Photo credit: Knit Simple Winter 2011, photo by Paul Amato)

If you love Berroco like I love Berroco...

2011-11-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

You'll want to be sure to sign up for our newsletters right away. Our next Spotlight is going to feature the fantastic people at Berroco yarns.

We absolutely adore Norah Gaughan and her mathematically inspired designs. (She's a scientist at heart) and we know you're going to enjoy learning about her. You'll see lots of her newest patterns and all those fantastic yarns that go with them.

I have to tell you that I really enjoy working on the Spotlight newsletters because I get to speak to industry luminaries like Norah and Warren Wheelock (the owner of Berroco) and learn all about how they ended up doing what they love. Can you imagine having a job where you're doing your hobby everyday...for money?!

Be sure to visit Yarnmarket today to sign up so you'll receive your very own issue of Spotlight as soon as it's available.

Save 15% off selected yarns from S. Charles, Artyarns, Noro, Kollage, and Muench

2011-11-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today with Jan's Just My Type newsletter, we announced some fantastic 15% savings off S. Charles; Artyarns Beaded Ensemble & Sequins, Beaded Silk Pearls & Sequins and Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light; Noro Hana Silk; Kollage Glisten and Muench Touch Me yarns.

Jan also provides lots of information about holiday fibers and inspires you with patterns she's selected for the season.

Be sure to read your copy of Just My Type...and save on some fantastic holiday yarns from some of our favorite manufacturers.

If you aren't already a subscriber, you can click here
to read it online.

Doreen didn't want a cat. But she couldn't resist the lure of the purr.

2011-11-22T07:15:00.001-08:00

Doreen Connors of Vogue Knitting passed along to me a shot of the newest member of her household. She had no intention of owning a cat, but you know how it is: the universe conspires to place pussycats into homes where they'll be loved and pampered even if they're not formally invited.

This little kitty was lost or abandoned and would have been put down if not for Doreen and her husband (whose hearts are two sizes larger than the State Average).

Fortunately, the family dog also embraced the pussycat so she's now firmly ensconced in her new habitat.

While we so often see horrible things happening in the world, it's gratifying to be reminded that the kindness of human beings -- and animals -- is immeasurable. I thought it was something to be thankful for as we think about Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Doreen, you and your husband have done a wonderful thing for that pussycat. Give her some ear skritches and cattypats for me. And give yourselves a big hug from me!

This really made me laugh.

2011-11-22T06:48:00.001-08:00

My ex-cousin-in-law, Craig, sent me this joke from Victoria, BC. I haven't seen Craig since 1974 but we reconnected through the Internet and he sends me the funniest jokes. When Alex was out in BC this summer, he met Craig and his wife and had a wonderful time with them.(Geez...wouldn't it be nice if all ex-relatives got along this well?) Thanks for the Tuesday morning laugh, Craig!

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only
polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation,
threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I
may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

See our new Spotlight on Rowan and save 20% off ALL Rowan yarns!

2011-11-08T07:29:00.001-08:00

We've just sent out our Spotlight on Rowan, and if you don't subscribe, be sure to read it online!

This issue presents fascinating information about the people behind Rowan yarns, and teaches you about their products and patterns. Additionally, we're presenting a special sale with 20% off all Rowan yarns in stock at Yarnmarket. These are the most current and most popular yarns...not just the discontinued ones. And, best of all, no minimum purchase is required!

Be sure to read this fantastic issue of Spotlight, and then save on the wonderful Rowan yarns you'll find now at Yarnmarket.com.

Farewell to precious cargo.

2011-11-06T18:50:00.001-08:00

Tonight I read the heart-breaking news that Jack the Cat is no longer with us. His injuries and malnutrition were just too much, and despite every effort to save him, and the very best of intentions, his suffering was only being extended. How tragic to think that with so many prayers, so many people caring about him, a world full of love just wasn't enough to save one very sick little pussycat.

There are so many facets to this story that I hope someone with time and talent will write a book about Jack and his impact on our world. I'm hoping a lot of good eventually comes out of the tragedy and that this horrific incident will change the way that airlines transport pets. I hope that American Airlines will accept full responsibility for what has happened and allow all pets to ride safely in the cabin with their owners. Most of all, I hope that no one ever again has to suffer the way Karen Pascoe, Jack's owner, has suffered in the past couple of months as she worried about her cat.

I have little doubt that Jack received the best veterinary care in the world and I thank every one of those wonderful people at Blue Pearl who did their best to try to nurse him back to health. Having held onto my own very sick cats while they were being euthanized, I cannot imagine the pain everyone felt as Jack fell gently asleep...forever.

To those of you who haven't experienced this type of loss, I can only say you should be very thankful you've never had to make the gut-wrenching decision to end the suffering of a creature you have cared for and loved...and who depended upon you for everything. I lost both my cats in the past couple of years and my heart still aches when I think about them. For 14 years they shared my home, and each night for 14 years we all got into bed together with one cat on my left and another on my right snuggling against me for warmth, and purring until they fell asleep. Even now as I think about them I miss them so much that I begin to cry. I loved my cats. And I know that Karen loved Jack. My heart goes out to her tonight. I know the depths of her sadness, and it breaks my heart that anyone has to feel such pain.

Now, I know there will be those who say, "It's only a cat," or "Why is everyone so upset about an animal when people around the world are dying?" Obviously, you've never owned or cared for a pet. So instead of belittling those who do care about all of God's creatures, why don't you look at it this way: A human has just lost something very precious. That human is now suffering unbearable sadness.

It shouldn't matter whether that human -- Karen, in this case -- has lost an animal, a child, a limb, a cherished piece of jewelry or a home. That human has a broken heart and even if we don't care about the cat, we should care about the person who truly loved it. It's not what you love that makes something precious. It's simply the fact that you love it.

I write this with tears in my eyes because I think about the fear and injury the animal suffered. I think of the sleepless nights its owner has endured. I think about the thousands of people who were compelled to follow Jack's story on Facebook...and the millions more who learned about him through the news.

I think about all the prayers that he'd be found and when he was found, all the prayers that Jack would survive his ordeal. I think about how we had all wanted the happy ending. And, quite frankly, the ending sucks.

Tonight Karen will cry herself to sleep. So will Mary Beth, the woman who worked so hard to keep us up-to-date on Facebook, and who helped organize Friends of Jack. I'll cry myself to sleep, too. And so will thousands of others.

But as I lie there weeping I'm going to be very thankful that I was given a heart big enough to embrace lost pussycats, limping squirrels, injured bunnies and all the other creatures who happen to cross my path. I am going to be thankful that needy animals give humans everywhere the opportunity to care for more than ourselves. I am going to be grateful for the reminder that we are merely custodians of this Earth: the creatures we love are truly our planet's precious cargo.

Rest in peace, Jack. May my cats, Kim and Hannibal, greet you at heaven's gate.

Toni discovered Yarnmarket today!

2011-11-03T15:16:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, Toni took a break from her seminar in Dublin, Ohio to discover the Yarnmarket YarnMartian Headquarters just about 1/2 hour away. After spending hours in our showroom and warehouses, she went away a pretty happy lady.

She promises to return...with her good friend who taught her how to knit.

Thanks for visiting with us, Toni! We hope you have a safe trip back to Springfield.

Confessions of a Closet Introvert

2011-11-02T06:46:00.001-07:00

People who know me think I'm an extrovert. People who REALLY know me, know that I'm not. I'd rather be hiding in a monastery somewhere, in a quiet corner in the dark, than attending a party. Yes..even if David Bowie is there.

This is something that I like to keep secret for the most part. But a recent contact on Facebook by an old school friend has freaked me out so much that I want to run away to Abbey of Gethsemani right now and stay there until I stop hyperventilating. It's not that I don't like this old classmate. I do. But the last time I met with old friends -- which took more courage than I like to admit -- I realized that they could hardly wait for me to leave so they could start talking about me. Believe me, it was obvious. This thought upset me so much that I broke out into ick all over my body as I hurried away in my car. Even an emergency trip to the Abbey where no one's allowed to talk to me didn't cure it.

Within a week I'd seen three specialists to treat the symptoms brought on by my secret introversion and sensitivity. One side of my face had broken out into shingles, the other side lumped up with rosacea, and the doctors figured what was happening on my forehead must have been an allergic response. But the truth was that it was a simple, widespread immunological meltdown caused by stress. It's no wonder I surround myself with woodland creatures and monks.

I know that whenever I get upset about anything, my brain will conspire to kill me. I have subjected it to stress, so it sends a message to my immune system, "Destroy her!" My immune system kicks into action.

I've been this way all my life. When I was five, I got a fever each morning as soon as I arrived at school. You can imagine how thrilled my Mom was when they called to tell her I was on my way home. Again.

If someone invites me to a party, I'll be sick either the day before or the day after...depending upon whether or not I attend.

When people visit us at home, I'm often in bed with a flu the entire time, or at the emergency ward of the hospital. You think I'm kidding, don't you? Ask our good friends, Jerry and Laurie Towner. They're starting to think I don't like them. But I do. I love them! It's just that being with people makes me sick.

Over the years, I've become so good at it that hardly anyone realizes that I'm only pretending I'm almost normal. Beneath this facade of middle-aged looniness, I'm an overly sensitive, inwardly hysterical, shy person. I'm jealous of guys who get sentenced to life in isolation with no opportunity for parole. And the only people who really believe me and understand what's going on in my head are the HR people at a few corporations where I've worked. They're the ones who administer Meyers-Briggs.

"I see you're an INFP," they whisper to me as they hand back the results of the test. "I never would have guessed."

But when the questionnaire asked, "Would you rather receive an award at a company dinner or be curled up in the fetal position under your desk?" my true personality came out.

And when they inquired, "Who do you think you're most like: Aunt Bee or Emo Phillips?" I responded, "Some mornings it just isn't worth chewing through the leather straps."

I'm sure there are a lot of other people like me out there. Well, out there and hiding from other people like me. And I think I know who some of them are: that sweet nun at the convent I stayed in in Orvieto. The nice monk at the abbey in Kentucky who gave me a rosary. The wonderful tour guide at the remote monastery in France. They're all people who've found their calling as introverts. And if I were Catholic, I might have found that calling, too.

So if you invite me to a party or to dinner I hope you're not offended when I don't show up. It's not that I don't like you. I'm sure I do. It's just that my brain will try to kill me if I come.

Introducing...Fingerless Mitts made from handspun yarn from Blue Rose Fibers

2011-11-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

A while back, Alex called me at the office and told me to leave immediately to take care of a problem at home. The problem was a little pussycat who showed up in our yard, threw herself at his feet, and wouldn't leave. It turned out that she wouldn't leave because he kept filling up a bowl with tuna juice...and no cat can resist tuna juice.

The little pussycat was injured so we took her to a vet and got her all patched up before she was adopted by a wonderful lady who has provided the kitty with the best home possible. I named the kitty, "Mercedes" because she'd been hit by a car.

Her new owner (and now Mommy) Donnely calls the pussycat, "Ms. Mercy."

It turns out that Ms. Mercy's Mom spins yarns and creates her own knitting patterns. Well, what better way to repay her for her kindness than to offer her yarns and patterns on Yarnmarket.com?

Today, Donnely showed up at Yarnmarket with her friend, and presented us with kits she'd created for her fingerless mitts. We loved them, so Michele shot a photo and Stef got them online and for sale right away.

The mittens are created with Cotswold sheep and bamboo yarn that Donnely spins herself. It's soft and lovely in its natural color. The kit includes the yarn, pattern, and even the pretty beads that add a nice touch to the mitts.

I hope you'll purchase our Ms. Mercy's Beaded Fingerless Mitts Kit. Donnely is a lovely lady who has a heart the size of a Cadillac and we think her design is fantastic. We hope you do, too!

NEW FREE SHIPPING FROM YARNMARKET.COM!

2011-10-31T12:42:00.001-07:00

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve added several new shipping options to Yarnmarket that make it possible for us to offer free shipping on any order over $59 (in the continental US). These orders will be delivered via 3-8 day FedEx Economy Ground Shipping.

We are also now offering $5.99 flat rate for 3-8 day delivery on orders under $59.

We have many new options you’ll want to read about on our site -- each one giving you a choice in cost and length of time it takes to receive your knitting and crochet supplies.

IF YOU WANT YOUR ORDER MAILED TO YOU VIA UNITED STATES POST OFFICE, PLEASE CALL US AT 888-996-9276.

A lot of knitters order something very simple, like a single skein of yarn, one set of needles, or a pattern booklet. In these cases, we suggest that you consider low-cost United States Postal Service.

Please call us if that’s what you’d like to do. We’ll package up your order, weigh it and let you know the postage.

All other options are available easily online. If you want to read about everything we now have available you can see it on our site.

Oh…for knitters in the military we offer shipping to EVERY APO address.

Belated Happy Birthday to Maureen Moffat of Buffalo

2011-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was going to send a note to Dave Thomas so he could read her name this morning on Rocketship 7. But then I remembered that it went off the air about 40 years ago. And Commander Tom's not around anymore, either!

Happy Birthday from Yarnmarket, Maureen!

A Hallowe'en Poem from Jackie Awerman

2011-10-31T07:49:00.001-07:00

You may recognize Jackie's name from one of the many articles she's had published over the years. Jackie is a talented knitter and a writer who we're very happy is a loyal Yarnmarket customer. She sent us this poem to celebrate Hallowe'en and I thought I'd share it with you.

WONDER WITCH OF CANDY & YARN
By Jackie Awerman, October 2011

Out of the blackish haze
Of a swampy daze
Cuttin’ through vile green smoke
This ain’t a joke:
A frog cries warnings with a mighty croak
And you see the flash of purple britches
The orange petticoat
Then you hear the nuck, nuck of an old, old
Very old billy goat.

There’s a whir and a whistle
A screech and a click
You’re quite sure that it isn’t..it couldn’t be
St. Nick.
Nope not his kind of deed. Not at mach speed…
Not whoopin’ and hollerin’ “ I need…I need…”
So you look up in the trees…you look down by your knees..
It’s …OMG! Bats almighty!
She’s out in her nightie…
The Wonder Witch!

Yup. Here she comes…Varooming through…
Incantations blasting…
And so darn skinny she must’ve been fasting
…Getting ready…
Oh so hungry
For your treats.
Up to her amazing broomstick feats.
Oh! Oh! Say it isn't so
Wonder Witch
Has the candy 'n yarn itch!

Oy. Hold on to your treat & knitting bags
Don’t …please don’t let that greedy hag
Grab your candy, grope your stash…
There’s another solution—you can do in a flash!
I swear...Hallowe'en salvation is almost here!

Here’s what to do instead:
Wrap a skein of glorious yarn around your head
You know…from your special stash under the bed.
Then cast a spell so all will be well:
Wonder Witch will lose the itch for your yarn and candy
It's guaranteed. It's gonna be dandy.

C’mon. Get to it at full speed. Pick up your favorite knitting needles
And recite the Knitter's Moon spell with me:
Cats MEOW.
Monsters BOW.
Away WONDER WITCH.
Away Candy ‘n Yarn ITCH
Take this Gorgeous yarn instead
From my heart…off my head
And I’m giving you candy—plenty of that
Enough to stuff your knitted hat.

Now, pointing your knitting needles straight at
The Witch,
Take a deep breath and finish the rhyme:
Oopsie, loopsie glittery slime
Jittery cats sipping wine
My treats are mine.

Candy 'n yarn itch...Wonder Witch
You're outta here...outta here...
So there.
Amen! Whew! And hurray!
Now if I can knit in peace this Hallowe'en Day!

Smiles and laughter...Yarn Dancing aroudn the bonfire of old dilapidated knitting books and patterns gone awry.

The Miracle of Jack the Cat

2011-10-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

Today, the happiest guy in the world is a man named Gerard J. Arpey. He's the CEO of American Airlines, the airline that lost Jack the Cat. It was their fault, no question about it. An airline employee put Jack's cage on top of some other luggage, it fell off and must have broken open. Jack escaped; his devastated owner had to fly to her new home in California without him; and through very clever use of social media, Jack's plight became known around the world.

This is where all the miracles begin...and I think this is a great example of humanity at its best.

Miracle 1
Someone who loved the cat and its owner, Karen Pascoe, was brilliant enough to set up a Facebook page to tell the world about what happened to Jack. Through the miracle of social media, the problem with Jack became so well known that American Airlines, who'd initially bungled their response, was forced to man up.

Miracle 2
American Airlines created a page on Facebook so they could tell their side of the story and assure angry cat-lovers throughout the world that they were not a corporation of cold, heartless, animal-neglecting pigs.

Miracle 3
People were touched by the story. AA employees, JFK employees, travelers...anyone who ever loved a pussycat felt tremendous empathy for Karen and for Jack. They imagined how they'd feel if their own pussycat had been lost in an airport...right before a dreadful hurricane.

Miracle 4
People actually cared enough to show up. They put posters up around the airport and the local neighborhoods. They came to search the airport. They didn't just sit around and say, "Oh, how sad." People actually showed up to find the cat. As a result of their efforts, several other lost pussycats were recovered and given to animal shelters where -- we can only hope -- they'll be adopted.

Miracle 5
We didn't give up hope. People are pretty cynical these days, so it was very heartening to read stories on Jack's Facebook page about other pussycats who'd been found after an extended period. Every day, people were there to let Karen and whomever was behind the search in NY know that they cared and that they weren't going to give up hoping that Jack would be found.

Miracle 6
This is the best one. He was found. It sounds like a customs officer found him (I read that he'd fallen through a ceiling tile!) and Jack was taken immediately to a veterinarian's office in Queen's where he's now recovering from his adventure.

Miracle 7
This incident, that is now being reported around the world, has raised awareness of the dangers of flying your animal in the cargo bay of an airplane. Perhaps it will lead to a better system for transporting beloved family members who just happen to be covered in fur. I've heard that cats are lost all the time by airlines (like George who was recently lost by Air Canada on a flight in Alberta) and I remember a few years ago a woman in the US had to get the courts to force an airline to stop flying the plane her cat had been lost on so she could go in to look for it.

The big difference in this incident is that the owner's friend was very determined to use social media to keep AA's attention on the matter and to encourage others to help in the hunt.

I think it's a miracle that Jack that Cat has been found and that he'll soon be safe home with his brother, Barry, and his owner, Karen.

I can only think that it was the collective prayers and efforts by everyone who was touched by the story that kept this pussycat safe and alive for two months.

And I'll be that there's no one in the world happier about the outcome than the CEO of American Airlines who, I'm certain, never learned in business school what you do when you lose somebody's cat.

Jack the Cat has been found!

2011-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm elated to announce that Jack the Cat has been found in the Customs Area of JFK Airport. He's now at a vet and receiving an IV with fluids.

It's wonderful that this pussycat survived TWO MONTHS after being lost by American Airlines. Thank goodness no one gave up the search and Jack is being returned to his owner.

Hurry! Save 41% off Schulana Cortina and Cortina Nuvole

2011-10-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's Just My Type newsletter is going to be about chunky yarns so we thought we'd drastically reduce one of our favorites.

Schulana Cortina and Cortina Nuvole are light and lofty yarns of merino wool and nylon. They're regularly $9.95 but we're now selling them for only $5.88.

Order quickly because at these great prices they aren't going to last very long!

You'll want to knit Barbara's latest shawl

2011-10-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Readers of KnitchMagazine.com know Barbara Rottman from her wonderful reviews of yarns and patterns and her column, "Purls of Wisdom." Barbara's been knitting a very long time and is one of the most talented knitters I know. She really knocked me out with the gorgeous shawl she created for her son's bride. Shelli is of Indian descent, so Barbara made a magnificent lace shawl in the traditional bright red worn by Indian brides. I'll have to post a photo of it when I get one.

Today Barbara impressed me with her latest creation: a shawl for Shelli's birthday. It's a pretty piece called Tasha Tudor that was designed by Nancy Bush and can be created using any nice worsted weight yarn. It's available free online.

Barbara used a Paton's yarn in this version, but she suggests Caledon Hills worsted would be terrific. I think so, too, because Caledon Hills comes in so many gorgeous colors. We have 68 shades to choose from so you're bound to find one you love. I really like the Peacock because it's a shade that is really popular this autumn...and I always like teals and turquoises anyway. (Oh! I see we have more of the Peacock on the way. And the Slate, too. They're very popular this season.)

Another yarn Barbara suggests is Filatura Di Crosa's Zara Chine. She recently reviewed it in Knitch Magazine thought it was fabulous. It's a fingering weight yarn so Barbara suggests it be combined with a nice sock yarn. A variegated one would give a great effect.

If you want a really warm and pretty shawl that is youthful in style and not difficult to make, I suggest you follow Barbara's advice and give this one a try.

Meet Vincent Van Gogh, the Yarnmarket Squirrel

2011-10-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you'll know that we're all a little goofy when it comes to animals. I'm the worst. Injured ones find me. (Mercedes the Cat and Scarface the Cat both come to mind immediately.) Well, the other day I pulled up to the shop and I caught a glimpse of a little squirrel darting amongst the shrubs. Something about him just wasn't right so I thought I'd better investigate.

I can now tell you one thing you may someday find useful: Chasing a squirrel and calling, "Here, squirrel" doesn't work.

I hung around outside until I saw the little guy run up a tree. The poor little thing was missing an ear, had a little stump of a tail, and was slightly crippled. He sort of hobbled when he ran. It was really sad.

Not long after I saw this squirrel, Alex was on his way to The Anderson's to buy a big bag of peanuts to shut me up. He knows he won't have a minute's peace until I'm satisfied that the poor little squirrel has lots to eat so he can become healthy enough to survive.

Since then, Yarnmarket customers who come to our shop have been crunching over a pile of peanuts at our door as Michele, Stef, Lisa and I have been trying to attract the little guy so we can feed him. Yesterday, four perfectly good squirrels came for breakfast. That's nice...but they're not our top priority.

Today, in the pouring rain, the little crippled squirrel finally showed up.

I tossed out peanuts and Michele grabbed her camera. She got two pretty good shots of the guy, but complained that she needs to bring her other lens in to the office so she can get a better photo of him. I'll bet by tomorrow we have breath-taking portraits of him worthy of National Geographic. (I have no idea how Stef is going to do his make-up and hair...like she does for our other photo shoots.)

If you're coming to Yarnmarket over the next few days, please forgive the pile of peanut shells at the door to our showroom. And say hi to Vincent, the Yarnmarket squirrel who's missing an ear, because he'll be in a nearby tree to welcome you...before he returns to gather his nuts.

You could win 2 balls of Snow Leopard Camel Hair yarn

2011-10-13T08:02:00.001-07:00

Just vote for the Snow Leopard Trust in the BBC World Challenge by November 11 and then post here to say you've voted, and you could win some of this truly gorgeous Snow Leopard Yarn.

Please pass this along to your friends so they, too, can vote for this very good cause.

Please help Snow Leopard Trust save these endangered cats! All you need to do is click a button to vote.

2011-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Snow Leopard Trust is a wonderful organization that helps protect the endangered cat by encouraging locals not to hunt the animals. They work to retrain them so they can earn a living by other means, thus enabling the cats to live and breed in the wilds.

Yarnmarket is very proud to support this group through their yarn sales. We urge you to please help them, too, simply by voting for Snow Leopard Trust in the BBC World Challenge. It's fast. It's simple. And it could help save the life of a beautiful cat.

Really, it's not much effort to do so much good. Please show BBC that this very worthy cause deserves their support.

Anarchists of the world unite!

2011-10-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

For most of my life I've been looking forward to retirement. And to support my retirement, I've been looking for that one really big idea that'll make me rich enough to hand in my resignation and spend the rest of my life in leisure. Problem is that the cost of retirement has skyrocketed in recent years so the revenue I need to earn from my one big idea has increased exponentially. It's gotten to the point where I fear I may need to come up with TWO ideas.

Here's the way I'm seeing it:

Let's say you and your spouse want to retire at...oh...$50,000 per year. In a few years that will be just enough to pay for your taxes (unless you live in CA, NY, or NJ), and your car insurance (unless you live in CA, NY, or NJ), your food and maybe some heat in the winter, but probably not air conditioning in the summer. If you're smart, your retirement home will be a cave so you can save money on heat and air conditioning. (Don't worry...your cave is going to be a comfortable 55 degrees F all year round if you make sure it's at least 4 feet underground.)

With your $50K per year retirement money, you and your spouse will be able to buy clothes (if, like me, your wardrobe comes from Sam's Club) and maybe every few years you can save enough to go on a little trip. Plan on staying at a friend's house. Someone who'll feed you, if at all possible.

It won't be a difficult lifestyle to adopt as long as you haven't set your retirement expectations too high -- and you don't expect to do things like travel and explore new hobbies. You really won't have time for these little luxuries because you'll be busy drying peat moss so you can have a fire and making your own soap out of bacon grease...assuming you can steal your neighbor's pig.

Just think of what a happy, simple life you'll have! No worries about the cost of your cell phone service. No wondering which new movie you'll rent on Pay-Per-View. No fretting about who's saying what about you on Facebook. You'll be contentedly living out your Golden Years without a care in the world.

Except, maybe, whether the berries you foraged for breakfast were poisonous. But don't think about things like that. Be optimistic that you -- as a baby boomer -- are on the leading edge of another cultural shift.

That is, of course, if you've saved up enough money to earn you $50,000 per year in retirement.

By my calculations, with the current interest rate of about 1/2% on savings accounts, you'll need to have saved $10,000,000 for this frugal, but fulfilling, retirement. Ten million dollars. Ten million. Let me repeat that...TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!

I've calculated everything I've saved, and I'm afraid I'm a few million dollars short. To be honest, if you round off to the nearest million, I'm about $10 million short. It's not that I've spent my money foolishly. Oh, no! I saved. And saved and saved. I actually paid off my house mortgage! And my car. And everything else I've ever bought. And I put my savings into a 401K. And then something horrible happened and I had to look up the term "over-exhuberance" and people talked about bubbles and I said to myself, "I remember something about the South Sea Bubble in economics class." And then I thought about the Dutch Tulip Bubble and I said, "Boy, I should have paid a lot more attention in economics class." But our professor, John Hughes, was dreamy and who could think about money when he was standing there looking all cute and available to the seven dorky co-eds attending Ryerson's business college?

Anyway, I've come up with my big idea that'll make me millions of dollars so I can retire to a hole in the ground (but not in CA, NY, or NJ) where I'll eat stolen pigs and make soap out of their fat an then go to mooch off my...I mean...visit my friends every couple of years.

I'm going to design and sell what every anarchist needs: a balaclava. I mean, just about everyone these days needs their own balaclava. Who wants to be recognized when they're storming the Bastille? Not me! And not any of those folks who are protesting in Athens, Rome, Cairo, New York, or any where else in the world. (I understand that the protesters in Paris have the month of October off.)

With a balaclava, you can protest anything, anywhere, anytime without fear of being identified by people who may not like that you're ripping things up or burning things down or just hanging around hoping you meet someone nice at the protest march.

I'm going to decorate my balaclavas so there'll be a little bit of variety and people will really want them. You can order yours to look like a cat face or a Schnauzer face, or a lizard face...or you could get the ever-popular Pig Face and look like someone you're probably protesting against: a CEO, a politician, a lousy choreographer, a cruel make-up artist, a waitress who forgot to re-fill your water glass, a kid who annoyed you by talking in the theater, an ex-spouse, your boss, the greeter at Sam's Club who insisted you turn your card over so he could make sure the photo matched your face, that young girl who sat beside you on a recent US Airways flight and rolled her eyes when she looked at you because she thought you were such a dork and she wanted to sit beside a cute guy she could someday sue for child support.

So, there you go. I'm now in the business of selling, "Deb's Original Balaclavas." They're energy-efficient, biodegradable, gender non-specific, fit any size head (except maybe Michele Pfeiffer's head) and are non-denominational. Perfect for the modern marching protester!

If you'd like to obtain your "Deb's Original Balaclava" please send $1 million to me c/o Yarnmarket.com. Please indicate whether you want the cat face, dog face or pig face. All orders will be shipped via Federal Express with a hand-written thank you note and the promise of a free bar of pig fat soap as soon as I figure out how to make it.

Learn about Debbie Bliss...and save 20% off her yarns at Yarnmarket

2011-10-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Today we sent out our monthly Spotlight, and this issue is all about the fantastic Debbie Bliss. You'll want to read it to learn about Debbie's life and travels, and to see all her new yarns and patterns for the fall season. It's in your mailbox if you already subscribe, but if you don't receive our informative and inspirational monthly newsletters, you can also read it online.

Right now, Yarnmarket is offering 20% off all of Debbie's yarns WITH NO MINIMUM PURCHASE REQUIRED! You'll want to stock up because you know these are the yarns you always want to have in your stash.

To help you save even more, Yarnmarket has recently introduced lower priced shipping via FedEx Ground Economy. It's available to our US customers for just $5.99. We've also added several other options for our customers throughout the world so you can choose the price and delivery method that you prefer.

Be sure to see our Debbie Bliss Spotlight and don't forget to enter our contest. You could win over $200 in Debbie Bliss yarn and a pattern book.

Yarnmarket presents our first feature video...A Trip to Yarnmarket!

2011-10-10T06:42:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm not Steven Spielberg. But this is the first time I've ever tried to make a video by myself and I've learned a lot about editing, voice over and ambient sound. I filmed this when we had visitors to our shop in July and wanted to post it so you can see our showroom and warehouses.

Enjoy! (Note to Roger Ebert: I know...I know...two thumbs down for cinematography.)

What's in a name?

2011-10-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Alex and I were married about 25 years before he decided I ought to take on his last name. There were two reasons for this: first of all, we worked together and he didn't want people to think I got my job because of him. This made sense. Sometimes he'd go to a company and I'd follow him. Sometimes I'd be the first, and he'd follow me. We liked each other and have always enjoyed working together. Well, for the most part. When he phones me and says, "Come here," and hangs up, I'm not all that thrilled. Despite what he thinks, I am not sitting at my desk, staring off into space and contemplating the meaning of life. I'm not eagerly awaiting a call from him to say, "Come here," so I can obediently race right over to his office to find out whatever it is he wants.

More often than not, I'm dealing with some horrific time-sensitive issue -- like Amazon has just de-listed us because they think our photos have watermarks on them. They don't, but Amazon keeps thinking they do and they shut us down. More often than not it takes me three days to convince them that they're wrong. They apologize, of course, and turn us back on.

This has happened four times.

So, when I'm frantically trying to fix the problem with Amazon and Alex calls and says, "Come here," and hangs up, you can imagine what I'd like him to do with his telephone.

The second reason I don't use Alex's name is that no one can pronounce it. They look at it, get a quizzical expression on their face, and then begin to stumble.

"Nik...Niki...Nikif..." Invariably they'll decide the name is too long and that it's actually "Nicky Fortchuk" instead of "Nikifortchuk." I can't tell you how discomforting it is to be wheeled into surgery and the last thing you hear the doctor say as you start to go under is, "We'll take good care of you, Nicky."

I'm not Nicky! What if he has a "Nicky" patient who's going to have her nose bobbed or tummy tucked or boobs implanted? (Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't worry all that much.)

Oh! That reminds me of a third reason I don't use my husband's last name. I was once married to a fellow named "Knight" and if I ever turned out to be an ax murderess I figured it was better to disparage the name "Knight" than "Nikifortchuk." Any old "Knight" could deny being related to me. But a "Nikifortchuk"? Fat chance.

Oh, rats...that makes me think of a fourth reason why I've refused to use my husband's name. His father died while we were in the process of obtaining our US citizenship. When you become a citizen, you get to choose an entirely new name free of charge! Well, who could refuse an offer like that?

Alex's father had just died and we were all very sad about it. Once the old guy was gone, Alex's mother decided to tell us the truth: His father was Russian, not Ukrainian and his name was really "Nikifor." She said that his father had changed his name during the war because he'd gone MIA from the Russian army. Good story, eh?

Good enough that we swore to uphold the principles of the US Constitution with our brand new name, "Nikifor." I was transformed into "Deborah Knight-Nikifor" and I set about the task of changing my identity on credit cards, air miles cards, my driver's license...you name it.

Just as I was finishing this lengthy and cumbersome process, I decided to do a little research. And guess what I found out? "Nikifor" is not a last name. It's a first name. Like "Bob." There was no way his father's name was "Sergei Bob."

When I thought about it, I felt like an idiot. Nobody, but nobody would escape from the Russian Army with the name "Nikifor" and then change it to "Nikifortchuk" and think, "Whew! Now they'll never find me."

So I asked Alex's mother, "What's our real name?"

She wouldn't tell me. I pressed. Surely to heaven she knew what the real name was. To this day, she refuses to tell me.

"I forget," she says. "I'm old. I forget things."

I can remember the name of the dog we had when I was four years old. I can remember the name of the guy who lived across the street when I was three. I really cannot believe that anyone, anywhere can actually forget their name. But she's tight lipped and I'm married to a guy whose name I don't even know. Could be "Stalin." Could be "Kruschev." Could be "Rimsky Korsakov." But seeing as how he shows no sign of musical genius, I figure it's more than likely "Stalin."

I sleep with one eye open...just in case.

Why am I writing this? Because a few weeks ago our niece, Sasha, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her "Tatiana Irenya." "Irenya" is the name that Alex's mother uses, but I haven't a clue if it's real.

Already, this little baby who is only a few weeks old is being referred to as, "Tatiana," "Tatya," "Tasha," and several other variations I cannot remember. Alex's sister, Lucy (Ludmilla) said that she didn't think it was odd because she was called by EIGHT different names as she grew up. EIGHT!!!

I've decided that this is a strange Russian thing where the instant you're born, you start accumulating aliases. Throughout your life you have so many names that nobody really knows who you are. That way they'll never find you.

Who? Who knows?! But they're out there and they're looking to find all these Russian people who have eight or ten different first names and last names they can't remember.

Well, I've tricked those cagey "Stalin-Nikifortchuks" because I got their DNA and I submitted it to National Geographic and FTDNA. There's a big database out there searching to match up my husband and mother-in-law's DNA with some other person on the planet. Someday I know I'll receive notification of a match and I'll finally know what my last name is.

And do you know what? I have more than a hunch my name isn't going to be "Romanov."

Look what I made!

2011-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I love Rowan Kidsilk Haze. It's got everything I want in a yarn: softness, color, an ethereal halo. Ahhh...

When we were at VK Live working with Linda Pratt on our online fashion show she showed me how to knit the new Rowan Kidsilk Creation yarn. It took her about twelve seconds, so it's not very complicated.

I grabbed a ball before we left for the airport to come home and I started on my scarf while we waited to board the craft. By the time they announced our group could be seated, it was finished! When I got back to the office I gave it to Stef and Michele so they could take a photograph.

Isn't it beautiful? (Oh, that's not me in the photograph. That's someone who's professionally pretty.)

Imagine making this mohair and silk scarf for only $24.80 in about an hour! If you're starting to think of holiday wear or even holiday gifts, this is something you'll want to consider.

I love my twirly, twisty, pretty scarf. I think you'd love one, too. We've got six beautiful colors for you to choose from.

See the fashions, reviews, and interviews in the FREE Online Knitch Magazine!

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

The fall edition of Knitch Magazine, the online fashion magazine for knitters has just gone live and you won't want to miss it.

This season's issue features interviews with Benjamin Levisay of XRX and Jay Opperman of Knitting Fever. It also present fantastic articles about the autumn fashions, great reviews of yarns and books, and some of the highlights of the recent VK Live Event in Los Angeles.

Best of all, Knitch has lots of free patterns!

Be sure to read Knitch Magazine and subscribe to the Knitch Alert so you'll know whenever there are new articles and reviews to see.

October newsletter has just been released!

2011-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

If you want to know the styles and colors that will be big this autumn, be sure to read our new Yarnmarket Newsletter. In this month's issue, Jan presents yarns and patterns from many of our favorite brands: Anny Blatt, Artyarns, Debbie Bliss, Berroco, Rowan, Filatura Di Crosa and more!

If you don't subscribe, you can read it online.

We send out FREE newsletters to our subscribers every month...so be sure to subscribe today so you'll be among the first to receive our informational and inspirational publications. We promise we'll never sell or share your email address.

The Block n Roll from The BagSmith is perfect for my MaggiKnits project!

2011-09-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

I was sitting around the office minding my own business when Alex yelled out, "Hey, call Becca!" Being the very obedient wife I am, I did. Well, not really because I'm obedient -- because I only pretend to be obedient while I do exactly what I want to do (just like every other wife I know). But I wanted to call Becca because I really like her a lot...and I sure do wish I had that great pair of eyeglasses she bought for herself in Paris.

Anyway, Becca said she'll be in LA for the VK Live Event which is great because I'll have a chance to stop by her booth to say hi, and then she reminded me about her newest product The Block n Roll.

Now, if you're like me and you've been using your living room floor as a blocking surface, you're in for a big treat. (The answer is yes...I have been known to melt carpet with my iron. If you've done the same you MUST read on.)

The Block n Roll is a terrific new blocking tool that has a huge, soft, Teflon-coated surface that rolls up when you aren't using it. Isn't that great? You can stuff it anywhere out of sight.

But when you are using it, it's got grid lines to help you ensure your project is straight and a terrific surface for steaming or ironing.

Whether you're a knitter or a crocheter or a quilter or scrap-booker, you're going to really love this handy tool. I know that it's going to make a heck of a difference when I block my beautiful new MaggiKnits Trellis Tweed Scarf!

I think you ought to get one of these right away from Yarnmarket. Sure, I could recommend you buy it someplace else, but that's the one thing Alex tells me never to do...and I obey him just because he's the boss.

My MaggiKnits Kit is almost finished!

2011-09-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've been working away on my very first MaggiKnits Kit and am happy to report that I finished knitting it last night. I've been pretty pleased with how well it's worked out...even if I did make a few mistakes here and there. But in the inimitable words of Maggie Jackson, "The world will not stop if there is an extra stitch OR we are 1/2" over supposed length!!!"

I love that attitude.

Later today I'll be writing an article about Maggie for Knit 'n Style. Do any of you have questions you'd like to pose for her?

Sure...it's easy for Maggie Jackson!

2011-09-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

You know, when you ask a designer about any of her patterns, the immediate response is, "Oh! It's simple!"

It doesn't matter who you ask -- Nicky Epstein, Iris Schrier, Maggie Jackson. They all say the same thing. This is because they're the best in the industry and, to them, nothing is difficult.

As you know, I love Maggie Jackson's MaggiKnits kits and patterns. They can transform an extraordinarily dull person (me) into someone who looks like they might have a bit of style (everyone else on the planet).

A couple of weeks ago, when Alex and I were getting ready for our flight to Scotland, I decided the plane trip would be the ideal time to begin my MaggiKnits Trellis Tweed Scarf.

Alex was kind enough to be my yarn swift in the airport, much to the amusement of a little girl who had never seen anyone wind a ball of wool, and by the time we got onto our flight I was casting on.

Now, I'm happy to report that the pattern isn't at all as difficult as anyone would imagine. I'm sure it's relatively straightforward for a normal knitter. But I don't happen to be a normal knitter. I'm left-handed and have a heck of a time sorting out what's supposed to be right side or wrong side to a right-handed knitter. And, worst of all, I've become ambidextrous so if I've got to do a stocking stitch, I knit a row one way, and then knit a row the other way -- switching from left-handed to right-handed. But I'm not sure which one is which. (If I'm moving the stitches to the left needle, am I knitting left-handed or right-handed? I really don't know anymore.)

When you combine my goofy knitting method with my tiredness on the plane...well, so what if I was supposed to change yarns at a particular but forgot to do it? Maggie says anything goes!

Today when I brought my uncompleted project into the office, the ladies agreed that it really didn't matter. The piece looks terrific even if the part that's supposed to be in Linen is in Tweed. I'll make up for it later in the piece, I guess.

Anyway, I'm having a lot of fun with my MaggiKnits kit and I just know that when I complete it and put it on, I'm going to look just like the pretty little blonde who's wearing it in the photo!

Kollage Yarns are Riveting!

2011-08-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

Okay...I'm having fun with the name, but once you see this yarn you'll know why I say, "Riveting is riveting!" This eco-friendly yarn is made of recycled blue jean fibers. Isn't that neat? You know how comfy your worn in blue jeans are, so imagine a yarn made from those fibers.

It comes in nice, big skeins of 350 yards for $15.65...which is great for those of us who do not necessarily enjoy the art of weaving in ends. The fewer ends, the better, I say!

The colors are terrific, too. You've got your usual blue jeans colors and then colors like Charcoal, Forest and Lava.

Susan Moraca at Kollage is always coming up with something brilliant and new and I think this is one of her best ideas yet. (Although I've got to admit that the square knitting needles were pure genius...and a gift of knitting to those with arthritis in their hands!)

I've been trying to decide what to make with this soft, eco-friendly yarn. There are some terrific -- and quick -- cowl patterns that are awfully tempting. But then I'm reminded that our sweet designer, Amanda, has just announced that she and Stephen are expecting a baby girl. Their first baby, Lillian is about 1 1/2 now, so it's time for a little sister.

Maybe I need to start looking at baby patterns like this Tabitha top.

Oh...I've already come up with some names for the new baby. The last name is Wood so I've suggested:
Laurel Wood
Arden Wood
Heath Wood
and my favorite...Iwishu Wood.

I married a haggis-eating, hill climbing loony. He married a wolf-woman.

2011-08-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Alex and I were in Scotland last week and I'll write a bit more about our trip as soon as he's processed the photos. We traveled with our granddaughter and son-in-law (ex) and had a fantastic time with them. Kyle's grandmother lived in Edinburgh until she married his grandfather, after WWII, so we visited her house. It was a shock to see it for rent! I tried to talk Kyle into renting it, but he remembered he lives in Canada.

We also stayed at the fantastic Castle Stuart where we enjoyed the hospitality of Caroline, Mrs. M, some shetland ponies, angora bunnies, ducks and pigs named Bacon and Norbert. If you ever have a chance to get to Inverness, I cannot recommend Castle Stuart strongly enough. TripAdvisor members voted it the 2nd best castle in all of Europe -- which is quite a tribute when you consider it's a tiny castle that was restored by a Scottish couple and now managed by their daughter.

I learned a few interesting things on this trip:
1. My granddaughter will eat just about anything -- mussels, haggis, icky things -- but she won't touch olives. Alex ate haggis, too. Yuck.
2. My son-in-law (ex) is great for the environment. If you've got food left over from your dinner but the castle pig, Norbert, isn't available Kyle will happily consume whatever's on your plate.
3. Alex is nuts. He made us climb the hill in the photo, right. We'd gone to visit the palace at Holyrood but he saw the hill and we spent the morning walking up it.
4. I'm crazier than Alex. When I saw the hill, I knew he wanted to walk up it, so I suggested, "Would you like to climb up that hill?"
5. Our granddaughter really laughs when I howl like a wolf and sing, "Werewolves of London."
6. Basil the Bunny who was rescued by Paws Here is now living happily at home in Edinburgh.
7. My granddaughter is a very good traveler. She didn't whine or pout or complain at all -- even when we awoke her at 3:00 a.m. to get on the plane to come home.
8. Our son-in-law (ex)comes from the Cummin clan. We came upon the graves of two of his ancestors. To Kyle's utter shock, both were wood workers. Kyle, too, is a wood worker. Shows you there's something to all that genetics stuff, doesn't it?
9. Scottish people are very, very nice...and funny. When one tour guide learned that Kyle came from the Cummin clan, he spat and said, "They're nothing but liars, scoundrels, thieves and adulterers." Hmmm... I'd never suspected Kyle was a scoundrel.

Debbie Bliss yarns now on sale for 20% off!

2011-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

If you've been waiting for a HUGE sale on Debbie Bliss yarns, you'll want to check out our massive selection at Yarnmarket. We've got every one of our 27 Debbie Bliss yarns on sale at 20% off the regular price. That means you'll get some great values on many of your favorite yarns. We love the Debbie Bliss line because Debbie herself has so much input into the variety, quality and colors of fibers that are offered.

Check out these prices!

Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn for just $7.88
Debbie Bliss Amalfi yarn for $5.88
Debbie Bliss Andes Yarn for $11.08
Debbie Bliss Angel yarn for $10.28. SAVE $2.57 per ball!
Debbie Bliss Bella yarn for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan yarn for $7.08
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK yarn for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Como yarn for $7.08
Debbie Bliss Cathay yarn for $6.28
Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere yarn for $6.68
Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed Chunky yarn for $11.88. SAVE $2.97 per ball.
Debbie Bliss Eco Baby yarn for $6.28
Debbie Bliss Eco Cotton yarn for $6.28
Debbie Bliss Fez yarn for $7.08
Debbie Bliss Glen yarn for $7.08
Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed Aran yarn for $8.68
Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed Chunky yarn for $15.88. YOU SAVE $3.97 PER BALL!
Debbie Bliss Prima yarn for $5.88
Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere yarn for $13.88. YOU SAVE $3.47 PER BALL!
Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton yarn for Debbie Bliss Pure Silk yarn for $5.98
Debbie Bliss Pure Silk yarn for $11.88. YOU SAVE $2.97 PER BALL!
Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply yarn for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Rialto DK yarn for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran yarn for $7.88
Debbie Bliss Stella yarn for just $5.88

Be sure to buy all you need when you place your order because we're selling these yarns very quickly. Yes...we'll be getting lots more in stock, but you want to make sure that you've got the same dye lot. (Remember, if you order too much, you can always return yarn in its original condition with the label on.)

We're working hard to give you great values on your yarn purchases, so be sure to take advantage of this terrific sale on Debbie Bliss yarns today!

Catching up...and running away!

2011-08-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a really busy week at Yarnmarket...and it's only Tuesday!

This morning, Jan just sent our bulletin out to Yarnmarket shoppers throughout the world. This month, she's featuring new yarns and colors from Karabella, Stitch Nation, Crystal Palace, Fleece Artist, Jil Eaton & Classic Elite. She's also presenting fantastic ideas to help you keep up with the latest fashion trends and free patterns for knitters and crocheters. If you don't receive our newsletters, be sure to sign up today!

I've been very busy finishing up ads, writing articles for KnitchMagazine, speaking with customers and getting ready to leave for Scotland. Alex and I are taking off on Thursday morning for about 9 days in the beautifully rugged highlands.

Our flights start in Columbus. We wing our way to Toronto where we'll be picking up our son-in-law, Kyle, and our granddaughter, Madison. Then we head to London for a brief stopover, and we make a quick flight to Edinburgh. We're going to be exhausted after flying all night, but when we arrive we've got to drive three hours north to Inverness to see Castle Stuart.

I can't wait to cross the Firth of Forth on our way. I know that at some point in my life, "Firth of Forth" was the answer to an important history question, but I can't remember what the question might have been. I know that William the Conqueror arrived in 1066 but I think he was in Hastings or somewhere near there...certainly not the Firth of Forth. Maybe the Picts attacked someone there...or the Vikings invaded. If anyone out there knows, drop me a line, will you?

During our trip we're hoping to visit Basil the Bunny, a poor little fellow who was rescued by a terrific animal group in Edinburgh. And we're hoping to see Lindesfarne (where I'm convinced my monk ancestors created the Lindesfarne Gospels). Our son-in-law is hoping to meet some of his Scottish relatives in Edinburgh, and Alex is hoping to meet the haggis appetizer he enjoys at The Magnum restaurant. Ick. Haggis. He actually eats it. And, to make matters worse, he claims to like it!

Madi, our granddaughter has no particular plans because she's thrilled to go anywhere at any time.

If I can, I'll write from the Festival. We're not sure about our computer access from our location there but I'll do my best to write an update. I'm hoping to see some really wonderful woolens! And, I'm hoping to bring some of those woolens home with me.

We hope all our Yarnmarket friends are having a wonderful summer! Bye...until I'm online in the home of Rod Stewart, Glass Tiger, and really good butterscotch candies!

Attention people in Columbus!

2011-08-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Do you know these guys? Yesterday we had a shoot in front of Katzinger's Deli and these two guys happened to pass by. When they saw us, they insisted on having their photo taken. Isn't that a riot?

Any idea who they are? Spread the word and try to find them for us because we'd love to give them a copy of this photo.

For Alex Only

2011-08-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Introducing our newest model, Cassidy

2011-08-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Lynn (our customer service manager) showed up on my office with her very beautiful niece who thinks she might like to do some modeling. She's one of those tall, classic beauties with thick, flowing hair and and a knock 'em dead smile. I was thrilled to meet her because we're always looking for back-ups to the usual models we use.

Lately, we've been searching high and low for a very specific type. We wanted someone blond, perhaps a little elfin in appearance, who we could make up to look like a forest nymph for some interesting autumn shots. We didn't want your typical, everyday, run-of-the-mill knockout beauty...but someone who was just a little different. Beautiful, of course. But quirky. And interesting.

Well, standing behind the stunningly gorgeous Taylor was a tiny young lady who seemed a little bit different to me. She wasn't wearing much make-up and she didn't seem all that engaged in the discussion. She was just politely and quietly waiting for her friend. So imagine her surprise when I narrowed my eyes and stared right at her and asked, "How about you? You ever think of modeling?"

It was exactly what you'd expect. She looked around, confused and responded. "Me?"

"Yes."

A little taken aback, she shrugged and said, "Uh, sure...okay...I guess so."

The next day I asked Lynn to get me contact information for both girls. One of these days we'll need another tall, dark-haired beauty (because you can never tell when your regular one won't be available), and I knew I wanted to test a model who could pull off the look I was seeking.

It took a few days, and a quick note to Maggie Jackson of Maggie Knits, and we had our garments and a shoot set up. Michele, our fantastic photographer, and Stefanie, our in-house fashionista/hairstylist/makeup artist, agreed to shoot the lovely Cassidy at a location selected by our customer service rep/art teacher/potter, Lisa. (We're a small, multi-tasking group.)

They left this morning with loads of garments, buckets of makeup and tons of jewelry and when they came back to the office with the fruits of their labors, I was absolutely astounded.

That little Cassidy looked even more amazing than I'd imagined.

So here she is, folks...our newest Yarnmarket model. Isn't she terrific? (And be sure to keep your eye out for Taylor's debut when we've got the right garments for her.)

Those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer.

2011-08-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, call me an out-of-touch old crad*, but can anyone explain what the heck is going on in the world? I mean, this isn't exactly the summer of love, is it? The markets are tanking, people are rioting, and our politicians have taken off on vacation rather than deal with the problems in Washington.

Because I care so deeply about our planet and the creepy things that creep upon it, I've proposed some solutions to all the ills of the world. I've done my best to cover every base. Here's what we've got to do:

1. Take your business card out of your wallet. If you see under your name the word, "Congressman" or "Senator," go to your computer and start writing your resignation letter. Send it immediately to the President. Remember: Ask not what you won't do for your country. Ask what your country will no longer have to do for you.

2. If you notice your name is Bernanke or Geithner, get together with maybe a dozen really smart people (a few CEOs, an academic or two, some bankers and brokers and farmers and manufacturers) and figure out how to fix this mess. DO NOT INVITE POLITICIANS TO THIS MEETING. If you invite politicians, nothing will be accomplished except a lot of blamestorming and you'll be handed some hefty bills for transportation, food and Five Star lodging for them and members of their staff after they've created a stalemate or provoked chaos before slithering back under their rocks.

3. If you notice that your name is NOT Bernanke or Geithner, sit down and write letters to Bernanke and Geithner. Just chatty little notes to say hi and to ask, "Are you people completely insane?!" I'm no economics major, but I can tell you this: When the dollar is weak, interest rates are historically low, banks are hoarding cash, the stock market's bi-polar, and we're a bazillion trillion dollars in debt, somebody's made an error. It could be a math error. Or it could be that Keynesian economics are theoretically viable but practically unsound and we need to completely overhaul the global economic system. I don't know. I'm a yarn lady, not an accountant.(Don't worry. Misters Bernanke and Geithner won't respond to your letters. But you'll get to meet some of their nice friends when you're invited to the tax office during your audit.)

4. Go next door and ask the teenage kid, "Quick! What's 9 x 7?" If the kid can't answer it correctly on the first try, consider running for the school board. When you're elected to it, make sure you put math and science classes up at the top of the curriculum and Self-Esteem and The History of Angst at the bottom. (American kids score highest in self-esteem but are far below other western students for maths and sciences. This is what happens when you get a trophy just for showing up.)

5. Look down. If your trousers are sitting below your underpants, pull them up. Buy a belt and use it. Then slap yourself on the head and say, "What on earth was I thinking?!"

6. Go to your basement. If there are adult children living there, ask them, "So, what are your plans?" If they have no plans, put them to work doing all your chores -- cooking, cleaning, gardening, anything you can think of. This is the best way to help them think of some plans. You'll be surprised at how much planning your children can do when they're performing manual labor for their parents.

7. Look in a mirror. If you notice that you're wearing a mask to cover your face, please have the intelligence to put down that rock or stick you're carrying and go home. Just go home, sit there, and ask yourself, "Why am I such a moron?"

8. Go out into your street and look at your house. If you notice your house is in Greece, remind yourself that your country is broke and that it can't afford to have you retire 20 years before the people who go out onto their street and notice their house is in Germany.

9. If you're in the food manufacturing business, please ask yourself whether you're producing good, healthful foods that won't eventually cause humans to grow a third arm, an enormous head with antlers, an immune system that attacks and wipes itself out, or causes us to produce children that look like lizard people. Ask yourself if your strawberries taste like strawberries or if they're just strawberry shaped things that don't bruise during shipping and will last several weeks, unrefrigerated, before going soft and yucky. If you're a chicken farmer, ask yourself whether your chickens have nice little chicken lives before becoming somebody's dinner or if they're just chicken-shaped things that produce massive quantities of white meat and will cause men to grow boobs when they eat them.

10. If you're a lawyer, ask yourself if your client really does deserve $7 million in damages because the kid at Burger King accidentally put ketchup on her hamburger and she had an emotional breakdown because ketchup reminds her of the movie, Carrie. Ask yourself whether the money she's ready to give to you for the lawsuit would be better spent on therapy.

11. If you're a CEO earning 300 times what your workers are making, ask yourself how many more millions you'll need before you'll really be happy. Ten more million? Twenty? A hundred billion million kajillion? Write this number down. Then, once you've got that amount, give the rest of your income back to the people who worked so hard to earn it for you. It wouldn't hurt to include a little thank you note, would it?

12. If you're a CEO who just shut down your plant in America and moved all your production facilities to China, please call your real estate agent and put your house up for sale. Then move to China where you can be nearer the people who work for you. Live in a Chinese city. Pay Chinese taxes. Eat Chinese food. Just think, you can have REAL, authentic Szechuan every night!

13. If you're an IT person who can build web sites really quickly that do everything you'd like them to do and they never crash or respond in some weird way that causes you to say, "Gee, I've never seen that before!" give me a call. I will clone you and start an IT company and become one of those CEOs who needs to figure out how many billions of dollars it will take to make me happy.

14. If you suddenly remember that you run an airline that charges people extra for their baggage, their food on board, enough space to keep their legs from growing numb, and a head set so they can listen to your wonderful in-air programming it would be a swell idea if you'd do this: Figure out how many people can sit comfortably on your airplane. Figure out how much it costs to fly that airplane. Then divide the cost of flying that plane by the number of people you can fit in it, assuming maybe three don't show up. Then charge people that amount for their flight. No...don't give points that can never be used. Don't have seven price classifications depending upon when the ticket is purchased. Don't book 435 people when your airplane holds 382. You end up with a bunch of very angry people who yell at your staff who then treat your customers like crap and everyone hates your company and you eventually have to merge with your competitor before filing for Chapter 11.

14. If there's a cameraman following you, but you know you're not a news reporter, figure out what you're doing and whether you ought to be doing it. If the cameraman is wearing a T-shirt that says, "Bridezilla," hang your head in shame and leave. If the cameraman is wearing a T-shirt that says, "Jersey Shore," hang you head in shame and leave. If the cameraman is wearing a T-shirt that says, "Jerry Springer," hang your head in shame and leave. Come to think of it, unless the cameraman is wearing a shirt that says, "National Geographic," hang your head in shame and leave.

15. Ask yourself a few simple questions like, "Am I a good person?" and "Am I living within my means?" and "Am I an insatiably greedy egomaniac who doesn't care about anyone but myself and will destroy everything in my path to get what I want?"

16. Remember not to destroy anyone else's happiness, property, dreams, or life.

17. Be sure to knit. If you don't knit, I don't sell yarn. If I don't sell yarn, I'll have to go back to my previous career in corporate America and that would be a very, very bad thing -- for me and whichever corporation is dumb enough to hire me.

* I'm not sure what a "crad" is but it's a term my brother always used. It was never uttered without the word "old" in front of it.

Hey! We've just launched FREE new iPhone app for Knitters! Get yours today!

2011-08-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been ready to buy yarn and wondered, "Hmmm...how much should I get?"

Or have you ever looked at your stash and said, "What can I do with this?!"

If so, Yarnmarket has a FREE new solution for you. Announcing the arrival of our brand, spanking new iPhone app: The Yarn Genie

The Yarn Genie will tell you how much yarn you need according to the project you want to make, and it will also tell you what you can make when you tell it how much yarn you've got.

It gives recommendations based on the gauge of the yarn, too, so you know you'll be getting good results you can use.

The app is now free at iTunes so be sure to download it today.

Announcing the winners of the TKGA/Yarnmarket Design Contest

2011-08-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce the winners of the TKGA Design Contest. We had a lot of fantastic entries this year -- as always -- and are excited to show you the ones that were selected for prizes by our team of judges: Penny Sitler of TKGA, designer Nicky Epstein, and Jan Gratz of Yarnmarket.

We presented the awards last weekend in Minneapolis at the TKGA Event and the crowd was really impressed by the display of prize-winning designs.

We had two separate competitions: one for Masters and one for Members of TKGA. Masters were required to provide the pattern for their creation and we'll be offering those patterns free on Yarnmarket once we've photographed the items and uploaded all the information. For now, you can see larger photos simply by clicking on the ones I've posted here.

In the Masters Category we awarded three prizes:

First Prize - $500 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
The winner is Stephanie Hatfield for her absolutely stunning "Vineyard Cardigan." This cardigan not only has pretty decorative features on the front, back and sleeves, but inside is knitted a quote from Galileo: Wine is sunlight, held together by water. Isn't that brilliant?

Second Prize -- $350 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
The winner is Nancy Vandivert with her beautiful "Lilac Festival Bag." This bag is in mauve, purple, green, yellow -- a garden of glorious colors. It's big enough to hold a lot and so pretty that you'd want to carry it everywhere. We know this is going to be a popular download once we post it free on Yarnmarket for our shoppers. Nancy did a fantastic job and we congratulate her on her award.

Third Prize -- $200 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
Yes, baby buntings are all the rage. Arenda Holladay created this family heirloom piece that has the Nordic pattern treatment that's also very popular this year. I think Arenda's "Bye Bye Bunting" is going to be another very popular pattern for downloads because it will make a great shower gift to be handed down from generation to generation.

Regular TKGA Members were not required to produce patterns for their entries, but I'm hoping we can get them. I'll let you know once I've spoken to the winners.

First Prize -- $300 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
Susan Abed created this pretty "Cabled Vest" with a high neck zipper front. Imagine wearing this with your autumn wardrobe. Wouldn't it be perfect on crisp fall days? We thought she did a terrific job with the cabling and that it was a style everyone would want.

Second Prize -- $200 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
Emily Armstrong created this "Aran Sampler" afghan. We thought it was a clever design that could be recreated in any color to match virtually every decor. I'm hoping we can get this pattern from Emily because it would be great for any knitter who'd like to perfect her cabling skills.

Third Prize -- $100 Gift Certificate at Yarnmarket
It's become almost a tradition. Every year Britt Raubenheimer thrills us with her outstanding designs and each year she wins an award. This time, her prize-winning piece is a pretty summery pullover with bursts of beautiful colors. The "Searose Beach Pullover" is another pattern we're hoping to be able to offer our shoppers.

Please be sure to join TKGA if you'd like to learn more about the craft of knitting. It's a great organization with lots of benefits including the annual design contest with Yarnmarket.

2011-08-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you ever see these two people together in a bar, call the police. Sure, we might look benign but you can just bet that trouble is a brewin'!

This is me with the talented, hard-working, brilliant and hilarious Maggie Jackson of Maggiknits.

If I had to choose my cell mate, it would be Maggie Jackson. Together, we'd dig our escape tunnel in no time at all.

I love Classic Elite Provence.

2011-07-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me but there's nothing I love more than Egyptian cotton. I love the feel of it. I love the look of it. I love the way it grabs color. There's just something special about it. Whenever I can, I buy Egyptian sheets because nothing feels cooler, crisper and more luxurious when I crawl into bed after a long day.

Right now, I'm drooling over our Classic Elite Provence yarn. Not only does it come in 39 glorious colors with the sheen that screams quality, it's also available in Marls. The shades are rich and brilliant and just perfect for summer days or nights.

Classic Elite offers a collection of fantastic patterns for this yarn, too. Don't you love this pretty skirt with lace trim? Wouldn't it be perfect for evening events or garden parties? I saw that several knitters on Ravelry have created it and they refer to the project as "very satisfying" and "very easy." One knitter commented that it's the first skirt she ever made, and it really turned out beautifully.

Another very popular Provence pattern is for a Baby Cardi. It was featured in one of Classic Elite's fabulous Web Letters that provide information about their yarns and patterns. (If you don't subscribe, do so!) This adorable little sweater has been made hundreds of times by Ravelers who are thrilled with the results.

If you're looking for a superb yarn that glistens with color and feels simply wonderful, you'll want to consider Classic Elite Provence yarn. The patterns are always very clever and creative...and the look is always classically fashionable.

Learn about Sock Yarns in today's Just My Type

2011-07-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

We just sent out our Just My Type newsletter for the month, and if you're a sock knitter -- or you're thinking of giving socks a try -- you'll want to read this issue. It's got lots of information about sock yarns and books and patterns.

I know one little guy who ought to read it! This weekend when we were having our Open House at Yarnmarket, a woman brought in her son to see the yarns because he wants to learn to knit socks. I was so impressed! I mentioned to him that brain surgeons often knit to keep their hands agile, so if he learned to knit now he'd be ahead of the game if he should happen to become a brain surgeon some day. I think it's great that a young boy would have such an interest in creating something. Kudos to his Mom!

If you don't receive a copy of Just My Knit in your email, you can read it online.

I hope Alex is ashamed, embarrassed, and remorseful...and that he'll apologize with some Jeni's Lavender Berry ice cream.

2011-07-25T16:43:00.001-07:00

As you may recall, Alex (the man I refer to as "my husband") announced, "There is no Higgs boson" after giving the matter a great deal of thought...and maybe reading a few pages of Popular Mechanics or watching an episode of Star Trek.

I was mortified. And justifiably so.

Well, today The Telegraph reported that we are close to confirmation that THE GOD PARTICLE DOES EXIST.

I hope you'll join me in snickering at Alex for his lack of vision and generally bad attitude toward sub-atomic particles.

Thanks for making today so special for us!

2011-07-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to welcome visitors to YarnMartian Headquarters. I can't believe that one group drove all the way from Baltimore, MD. Isn't that fantastic? What lovely ladies they were and what a delight to meet them.

I've taken some video that I'll try to edit so I can share it with you. Wish me luck!

Thanks again to all of you who were with us...and those who were with us in spirit. We really do appreciate that you've chosen Yarnmarket to be your yarn shop.

It's Open House at Yarnmarket! Please join us today from 10 to 2.

2011-07-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

If you happen to be near the thriving megalopolis of Pickerington, OH please stop by at Yarnmarket for our Open House. It's going to be a lot of fun, and we can't wait to see all our friends!

Stef, Lisa, Michele, Mary and I are here to show you around the place and help everyone find what they're looking for.

Oh...I thought I'd share with you a photo I received last night of that sweet little kitty who wandered into our yard. Donnely of Lancaster, OH took her in and look at her now! She looks so happy, doesn't she? She's with Manny, another very sweet pussycat rescued by Donnely.

We can't thank Donnely enough for her kindness.

New Yarns & Color Choices from Berroco, Fiesta, Himalaya, Sirdar, Filatura Di Crosa & Karabella

2011-07-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't received your own personal copy of the Yarnmarket Bulletin, you can view it online. In this issue, Jan brings you lots of new yarns and patterns from some of our favorite manufacturers and designers.

I particularly love this bright red tank top from Sirdar in their Flirt yarn. It's perfect for these very, very hot days of summer!

I'm just an old fashioned girl

2011-07-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

How do you like my washboard? I bought it from Lehman's, the Amish store here in Ohio because I'm on a fast track to get to the past. Yes...I'm going back to the good old days. I've been saving grease so I can try to make my own soap. I've installed a clothesline. And I've got my eye on a nifty gas stove that has NO computer components. Not even a digital clock.

You see, something's been happening to me over the past couple of years as I've watched what's happening to the world. I've decided I want to go back in time to a time when things were simpler and people were much, much happier.

I want to go back to the good old days when kids could safely play outside (until the street lights went on). I want to go back to when you'd buy fresh berries in little wooden cartons that the fruit distributor down the road would pay us kids to collect for him. And I want to go back to the days when you'd buy a bottle of pop for twelve cents and return the empty to the store to get two cents back.

We recycled in those days without even thinking about it. We took our pop bottles back to the store so they could be washed and refilled and sold again!

When we shopped, we didn't have plastic bags, and we didn't drive to the store. We had a little cart for bringing our groceries home from the A&P store that was two blocks away, and the groceries came in paper bags that were later used for trash.

Everything seemed simpler then. The world was a quieter place. The most fun a little kid could have in the summer was watching the big machine the road workers would use to melt the pavement on Dennis Avenue and then smooth it out again. (Even the streets were re-cycled!)

I want to go back to whem we didn't expect to have something new to wear every week and we wore what we had until it wore out!

Sometimes when people say, "I'd like to go back to the 60s," cynics respond, "Oh, you want to go back to segregation and when women earned less than men?"

No. Of course not. Nobody wants that. But wouldn't it be nice if kids could run freely again and we hung our sheets out in the sun to dry and we took our pop bottles back to the store?

Maybe I'm romanticizing the past. But when I was a kid in Toronto in the 60s, we were free to go anywhere and everywhere we wanted and life was good and everyone was optimistic about the future. We knew the names of every astronaut. We all watched the Ed Sullivan show. And government officials were people who earned our respect.

There was a big middle class, and it was growing bigger all the time. We weren't assaulted with messages that we ought to be living in a mansion, spending $60,000 on our teenage daughter's 16th birthday party, and having plastic surgery because we weren't attractive enough.

We were thrilled to go to Heart Lake to swim and listen to music with our transistor radios. We loved the fireworks at Smythe Park on the first weekend in July. We looked forward to the opening of the big fair -- the CNE -- in August.

There were special times we celebrated because everything wasn't always available. It was a big deal when the strawberries were ripe and we could enjoy strawberry shortcake for a couple of weeks each year. (You didn't eat strawberries in February! And strawberries actually had flavor.)

It was a lot of fun to go to a different town for a visit because it would be so different from where you lived. It wouldn't have the same restaurants, the same stores, the same everything as where you'd just come from.

The world was not as busy, not as noisy, not as crowded or complicated or demanding. The world was a magical place to be and we were excited by discoveries and inventions that we didn't realize would someday propel us to where we are now: living in a jaded consumer society where everything is disposable, including our values and integrity.

I wonder if we'll ever change? I wonder if we'll ever return to the days when kids were free to play, everyone who wanted a job could find one, and we had a whole lot less but life was so much better?

Boy, I sure do hope so. Because when it comes I'll be ready for it...with my washboard, my clothesline and my old-fashioned stove.

You could win a free ticket to the VK Live event in California or New York!

2011-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

We just sent out today's Yarnmarket Spotlight. This issue features Vogue Knitting Magazine, one of the most popular knitting magazines in the world.

Be sure to have a look at it because it's loaded with great fashions for summer and Autumn 2011 and we have two very interesting articles. First, you'll learn the history of the magazine. The second article features the fantastic Trisha Malcolm and her rise to be Editor of the knitting magazine we all love.

Be sure to enter the contest so you have the chance to win a free ticket to the VK Live Event in California this September.

A kitty named Mercedes Bends

2011-07-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Even Dr. Shields commented, "This is a really nice cat." Yes, our little stray pussycat is adorable. She's docile, yet playful. Really the perfect little kitty.

After examining her he told me that she did have tail damage, but it would likely get better over time. He suspects she was dinged by a car. It hit her but didn't run over her. Just sort of bent her a bit.

That makes sense to me. There's a farm not far from our house that has a number of barn cats. Every once in a while, one of them will cross Highway 204 to our neighborhood. It appears that this little sweety must have decided to see if we have better quality mice on the north side of the street.

Tomorrow we'll pack her up and drive her to her new Mom in Lancaster, OH. Alex and I will cry because we really do adore her and we'd love to keep her. But I know her new family will welcome her with open arms and open paws and that she'll be very happy in a far safer place.

I can't thank Donnely enough for helping one more little kitty have a long and healthy life!

Stanley, Mousie, Ms Cleo, Manny, Mystic, and Ms Rosie await their new little sister

2011-07-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our precious little kitty spent a nice holiday weekend in bed while Alex and I plastered the neighborhood with signs and fretted over her future. She stayed there all day Saturday and most of Sunday. By Saturday afternoon we were a little worried and I called the vet but couldn't get her in for a visit. When she got up to eat and go to the bathroom, I noticed she was having trouble so I sent Alex (the guy who claims not to love pussycats) out to the pet shop for some kitty laxative. That seemed to do the trick but she still wanted to stay in bed.

When I lifted her up she let our a little squeal so I realized she was in pain. I examined her, and then the photos we had of her shortly after arrival, and I noticed that her tail was always hanging low behind her. She didn't have it up like a flagpole the way most little kitties do.

So...it appears we've got a cat with a broken tail. Today we're taking her to Dr. Shields, a very nice veterinarian here in Pickerington, OH.

And as soon as she's well, she'll be joining her new family in Lancaster, OH! Isn't that wonderful! Donnely, one of our long-time customers, offered to take her in. We're really relieved because Alex mustn't live with cats. (Allery-induced asthma.)

Donnely has several other pussycats who we know will make wonderful siblings to our sweet little broken-tailed pussycat. This is a photograph of them after a mouse had been flushed. Apparently, they thought it could be retrieved!

Many, many thanks to Donnely for doing such a wonderful thing for this little kitty. You're our hero!

Sweet little kitty needs a nice home!

2011-07-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

I was minding my own business at the office this morning -- you know, inputting new yarn data and watching what was supposed to be the Casey Anthony trial in the top corner of my screen -- when I got a call from Alex.

"Come home right now," he said, almost in a panic.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There's something here that won't stop following me. Come and do something about it."

Well, I know what a cat magnet Alex is, so it took me a nano-second to figure it out. As you may recall, it was two years ago on this very weekend that an injured cat we named "Scarface" appeared. Alex trapped him. We got him medical care. And then we found his owner. All was right with the world.

Well, another little pussycat has found us.

I rushed over to the grocery store to buy kitty litter, food and special cat milk (because Alex said he or she was too young to be out on its own) and I raced home to assess the problem.

Yup. It's a cat all right. It's a cute little kitty that loved the tuna Alex gave to it and then gobbled up the food I brought home.

You know how it goes. The cat is now sleeping happily in our house and Alex is outside so he won't have an allergy attack. He's very severely allergic to the cats who keep wanting him to adopt them.

So, my project this weekend will be finding the owner of this little kitty cat or finding someone who wants him.

If you'd like a lovable little kitty, please let me know. It comes complete with a supply of food and a catnip mouse.

Oh, yes...we'll even throw in some yarn.

Glad Matt Bartlett isn't my kid!

2011-06-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I've been glued to my computer for the past few days watching the Casey Anthony trial. That means that Michele and Stef have been constantly entertained as they hear me clicking away on my keyboard while I'm shouting at my monitor, "Oh, yeah?! You're a stinkin' liar!!!"

This is why I never followed my father's footsteps as a Defense Attorney. Where he sees only "alleged" crimes by "alleged" perpetrators I see dirty, rotten scoundrels who should do hard time for the rest of their miserable, criminal lives. And that's just for people caught jay-walking.

Yes...I know I can be a bit Draconian at times. But, on the other hand, I'm not the least bit Machiavellian -- unless you've got a marshmallow that I happen to want to eat. Then it's each man for himself and my treachery knows no bounds.

But back to the trial.

Imagine you're a 28-year old guy who gets into the courtroom to watch one of the most gut-wrenching trials of the decade. Are you riveted by the tension...the possibility of a young woman getting the death penalty for (allegedly) murdering her own child? Are you watching intensely as each side maneuvers to discredit the other's witnesses? Are you struggling in your own mind to draw a conclusion from all the contradictory data you're hearing from people of dubious credibility?

No.

You're sitting there like a dope giving a finger to the Prosecuting Attorney.

Now, why oh why would you do that?

"I dunno," he shrugged when confronted by a very angry judge.

He was just bright enough to reluctantly concede, "It was stupid."

Stupid? Just stupid?! Yeah...I'd have to say it was stupid. Six days in jail and $643 stupid.

The worst of it is that the guy has to admit that at 28 years of age he:
1. Earns about $14,000 per year
2. Has monthly bills of about $1500 per month
3. Has about $100 in his checking account
4. Has about $12 in his savings account

Okay...so let's do the math. He earns $14K. His bills each year are $18K. He's already on the road to financial ruin. And he's dopey enough to get himself sent to jail for doing something you wouldn't even expect from a 14-year old.

Holy cow!

Matt, I really hope you've learned a lesson. I hope that the people at TGI Friday's don't have to fire you for doing something so unbelievably stupid that the entire country hit itself on the forehead and gasped, "Huh?!!!" when they watched you in court.

But I do hope that your parents give you a much-needed kick in the backside and tell you to act your age. For heaven's sake...you're a 28-year old man.

(Note to TGI Friday's -- Yeah, everyone expects you to fire him.)

Learn all about cotton yarns in our newest issue of Just My Type

2011-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

If you don't already subscribe to our newsletters, you'll want to do so right away. Or you can view our most recent issue online.

In "Cool Cotton Yarns" we teach you about the wonders of cotton yarns and we introduce you to a few that you may not already know about.

If you like to learn about yarns and knitting, you'll want to be sure to read this issue of Just My Type.

See Natalie Redding in a video about spinning her yarn business

2011-06-22T04:22:00.000-07:00

You'll enjoy this video of Natalie. I sure did!

Audio slide show: Spinning her yarn business

I am not a Princess.

2011-06-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

There are about a gazillion knitters on Ravelry now. Recently, a thread started in the Namaste Farms group about ego...selfishness...narcissism. I was surprised by how many people agreed with me that we need to step back a bit from loving ourselves -- just for being us -- and maybe be a little bit more objective.

When I grew up, talking about how wonderful you (thought you) were was called bragging. It wasn't considered polite.

But things changed and my children's generation were taught that they were wonderful merely for existing. That's what prompts the lament by many exasperated HR people, "They expect a trophy just for showing up."

I don't know what started this excess of self-esteem. Maybe the hippy-dippy 60s when we all decided we were cool. But I do know where it's gotten us. Our kids are scoring low in maths and sciences compared to students in other Western countries. But when it comes to self-confidence, well, they're top of the chart.

There is a discrepancy between ability and self-esteem.

This is why you see moronic Reality TV shows that celebrate horrific behavior. Bridezilla immediately comes to mind. Sure, it might be funny to watch those girls/women/she monsters. But heck...how would you like to live with one? It would be a nightmare.

These are people who think they deserve everything. They don't have to actually earn it. They live lives of immediate self-gratification. In other words, they're hollow shells with only the facade of humanity. They are what they buy.

"I am my Prada shoes."
"I am my Louis Vuitton purse."
"I am my Cartier watch."

How about it if we started to recognize people for actually doing something?

Natalie Redding started Namaste Farms and developed her own line of yarns. Hurray for Natalie!!!

Iris Schreier wanted to spend more time with her family so she created Artyarns. Congratulations, Iris, on recognizing what really matters!!!

My young pal Evan Citron quit his job in media sales and went back to school to become a lawyer. Great job, Evan!!! Now you can realize your dream of helping people achieve justice.

These are all just regular people who have dedicated themselves to doing something good...something that really matters. You probably know a lot of people like I do. Silent heroes who do what's right and who never expect applause. These are the people who deserve it.

Please post your thanks to regular people who deserve to be recognized for something they've actually done. Maybe they created a beautiful painting. Or wrote a poem. Or took dinner to a sick friend. Something that was done from the heart.

I think it would do us all good to read about others who know there's more to life than shopping and drowning in self immersion.

Very, very bad news for our middle kid, Laura

2011-06-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Alex's Father's Day card arrived today. He was a little perplexed when he read it:

Father's Day is for more than just Dads, you know.
It's for all the men who make a difference in our lives.
It's for the guys who give you advice, encouragement, and help when you need it.
It's for the kind of person you've always been to me.
I can't imagine celebrating Father's Day without thinking of you.

He showed it to me, wondering what on earth it meant. I told him.

He just telephoned Laura to give her the terrible news.

"Laura, I am your REAL father."

Wow! The LA Times ran a great article about Namaste Yarns!

2011-06-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

A while back, Adam Tschorn of the LA Times visited Namaste Farms and interviewed Natalie Redding, the shepherdess and fiber artist who not only owns it, but who cares for the animals, sheers them, then spins and dyes their wool. Adam is one heck of a writer and he put together a truly wonderful feature story about Natalie. Today it ran in the Los Angeles Times with lots of photos showing her at work.

I was very surprised to see that Adam included some bits and pieces of a telephone conversation we had about Natalie and her venture. (Thanks, Adam!) He mentioned that Yarnmarket worked collaboratively with the burgeoning yarn producer to help her launch her products, the exquisite Namaste Farms yarns, to an entirely new market.

You cannot imagine how proud we are that Natalie gave us the opportunity to help her build her business. We know how hard it is to make it in this highly competitive field, so we were delighted to be able to help someone who we knew shared our work ethic and our values. She trusted us so much that she refused to accept money from us when she sent her first shipment of yarns. And we trusted her enough to insist we pay her before we'd even made a sale.

These days when we deal so much with multi-national corporations and very big, established businesses, it feels really good to see an American shepherdess and fiber artist from the hills of California succeed with a bit of help from a bunch of yarn-peddling YarnMartians here in Pickerington, Ohio.

Why I love Maggi Knits...but I'm going to have to fire Michele.

2011-06-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I hate having my picture taken. As a matter of fact, I didn't even have a photographer at my wedding(s). But when I tried on one of Maggie Jackson's creations at TNNA the other day I thought, "This is fantastic!" I couldn't believe how one piece completely transformed my look. And if anyone needs their look transformed, it's me.

The picture to the right is me on a good day. But, as you can see, I'm squinting because I'm out in the sun. And I'm fat because I like ice cream. And I'm wrinkly because our photographer, Michele, seems to have forgotten that we paid a LOT OF MONEY FOR HER TO HAVE PHOTOSHOP!!! which, apparently, she forgot to use to tighten my skin, unsquint my eyes, and thin out my thighs.

Michele is in her early 30s, unbearably thin, and gorgeous. Perhaps it didn't occur to her that some of us might need a little help.

Okay...enough about our former staff member, Michele...now back to me.

As I've gotten older (wider, wrinklier, saggier, grouchier) I've shunned the more creative styles in favor of fashions that scream, "Don't look at me!" If you've ever seen me in person, you'd know this is true. The minute you see me, a little voice in your head shouts, "Don't look! Turn away!" and, obediently, you do.

Alex is always after me to wear trendier clothes while I check out the patterns at Quaker Jane and consider whether Plain Dress is more up my alley. (I have to confess that I actually made this pattern because I thought a priest's cassock would make a really neat coat.)

Anyway, Maggie and her assistant at her TNNA booth put me into a variety of their gorgeous tops and I couldn't believe how nice they looked. On me! Really...I can wear them and not look:
a. immense
b. crazy
c. like my usual boring self.

This was quite a revelation. Now I'm hell bent on knitting myself up several of Maggie's "transformational" fashions. They're easy and they come as kits so you get everything you need including the gorgeous buttons that match perfectly.

There are a lot of fantastic styles and great colors that I might never have chosen because I'm...well...boring. The brilliantly un-boring Maggie has created some terrific modular designs that aren't complicated at all and that are very flattering for virtually every shape. (Even mine. I'm not exactly pear shaped. More like a tetrahedron with legs.)

If you're more creative than I am and you don't need to depend on the full-blown kits, I think you'd really love Maggi Knits patterns and yarns. Maggie is one heck of a fashion designer who made her name in ready to wear. She was the first Irish lady to become famous in this field, and she's a feisty little gal with a sense of humor and a taste for the irreverent that I absolutely love. Let me put it this way: If Maggie and I were together in Vegas, what happened in Vegas would stay on police blotters throughout the civilized world.

If you were lucky enough to attend her fashion show at VK Live in New York last January, you'd know exactly what I mean. She's dangerous. I love her. And I'm going to knit a bunch of her patterns -- like the one she lent to me for these photos.

With the help of Maggie Jackson and Maggi Knits, I can continue to be as boring as I want underneath, but I'll toss one of her fabulous styles over my head and voila! I'll be a fashion icon just like the model, Iman. (Oh...I've got to tell you. I was flicking my TV one Friday night when there she was: Iman. My nemesis. Sure, she might be married to the man I love, but I got to sit at home in my Clorox-stained night gown, gloating, while I watched her trying to sell harem pants on QVC. Yes. There is a God!)

Anyway, take a look at Yarnmarket's selection of Maggi Knits kits, yarns and patterns. I know you'll look great in them. If they can make boring old me look okay, imagine how fantastic they'll look on you!

Read our Spotlight on Anny Blatt and you could win an Anny Blatt prize package!

2011-06-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

We just sent out a Spotlight on Anny Blatt that tells you the history of the company and introduces you to their head designer, Anne Molineau. It's also filled with information about their books, patterns, yarns and projects you can find at Yarnmarket.

The company has an interesting history. And the designs are...well...exquisite!

We visited Paris for the Anny Blatt autumn 2011 fashion show, and if you'd like a preview of their styles, be sure to read our Spotlight and then check out our article in KnitchMagazine.com.

Freedom 55 no more?

2011-06-11T16:22:00.001-07:00

My Mom sent me a link to an article indicating that our generation would not be retiring at age 65. As a matter of fact, we may not be retiring at 75, either. How does 84 sound to you?

Aggggghhhhh!

If you're like me, you count the days until retirement...because retirement means you can sleep in until your cat (or dog) stands on top of you with its paws on your chest, staring at you until you wake up to feed it. Of course, as soon as it's fed, it leaps onto your bed for a snooze that lasts most of the day. (The plus side of this is that it gives you an excuse to not make your bed.)

Retirement means you can stay up late watching late, late shows...like the 11:00 o'clock news. And retirement means you never again have to attend one of those meetings where they use words like "EBITDA," "forced ranking" or "right-sizing."

Ever since I took my first full-time job 37 years ago, I have dreamed of the day I won't have to squeeze myself into The Pantyhose of Death, try to keep my naturally curly hair from naturally curling in the humidity, or slather my face with makeup that has never adequately covered my freckles, zits or wrinkles. Or, to be more accurate, freckles, zits AND wrinkles.

For 37 years I have dreamed of the time that I'll have time to read, write, and find out what color my hair really is.

Yes, there's a lot I've planned to do after they hand me a gold watch (or a Medicare card) and tell me, "Thanks so much for pretending to like working here while we pretended to like employing you. You owe us $842 for all the photocopies, pens, writing pads and sticky notes you've swiped over the years, and we're really sorry about losing your 401K back there in 2001...and again in 2008."

(Thank goodness I'm now at a place so small that my annual bonus is not a gazillion stock options at $42 when the stock is selling at $28.)

Anyway, my Mom tells me that my early retirement simply isn't going to happen.The article suggested that as a result of our trillions of dollars of debt, mortgage crisis, outsourcing of jobs to China and continuing increase in life expectancy, the "experienced" like me should seriously start thinking about planning their second career. Huh? Even recent grads are having a heck of a time finding work. But I'm to embark on something new?!

Being pragmatic people who want to be fiscally responsible, my mother and my step-father are currently reconsidering their own retirements...and thinking that perhaps they, too, should get themselves jobs.

My Mom says she's decided to be a doctor. Doctors make oodles of money.

My step-father's joining the NHL. He's always wanted to play hockey.

I'm a few years younger, they say, so they think my next career should be something that's physically demanding. Like maybe a Navy Seal or a fireman.

But if that doesn't work for me, I think I'll settle on rock star or ballerina.

Then, after I make my millions of dollars playing to sell out crowds around the world, I'm going to retire to the south of France in a small (but tasteful) chateau where I'll teach myself physics and chemistry and invent a new source of energy that tastes like marshmallows and completely covers freckles and wrinkles.

PS to the Foo Fighters
I will not be available to join you on tour until after the Knitting Guild conference in Minneapolis in July.

Noro, Stacy Charles and Filatura di Crosa are featured in our newest Yarnmarket newsletter

2011-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you subscribe to our newsletters, you likely received your copy of the June issue this morning when Jan sent it out. But if you don't subscribe, don't despair! You can read it online.

This issue features romantic new fashions and great ideas for warm weather wear. You'll love the new styles from Noro, Stacy Charles and Filatura di Crosa.

Be sure to read our Yarnmarket newsletter -- online or in your email today!

Advice you're never supposed to give.

2011-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

My step-daughter, Laura, is always asking for advice. She's very curious (hurray!) and loves to absorb knowledge -- from what to plant in her New Jersey garden to how to find spiritual enlightment. Currently, she's learning to navigate the stormy waters of corporate America so she now asks about the business world in addition to all her other questions. A while back I shared with Laura some little lessons I’ve learned along the way. She asked if I could write them down for her, so I thought maybe I'd share them with you. I'd really love it if you could add to them so Laura and I can learn from your experiences, as well.

Several years ago, I attended a seminar entitled, “Managing Stress.” It was taught by Michael Douglas, a psychologist who also worked with the Columbus city police. He’d been invited by my employer, CompuServe, to speak to us and it wasn’t until many years later that I realized how lucky I was to work for a company that invested in the education and betterment of their staff. I learned so much through the courses offered by CompuServe's HR department – thanks to people like Judy Reinhart, Berry Berkov and John Meier – that I will forever be grateful to them.

I was so impressed by what Dr. Michael Douglas told us sometime in the 1990s that I wrote down some key points that I carried with me in my binder from job to job. Here are my "Lessons learned from Michael Douglas" Many, many thanks to him for sharing his insights with a know-it-all thirty-something in the 90s.

1. Don’t accept stress. Dr. Douglas said that the course was mis-named. If you’re “managing stress” you’ve already let it in and you’re now trying to deal with it. Don’t let it in. You don’t have to accept all the crap that people unburden on you.
2. Be where you are. If you’re standing in a line up at the bank, don’t be worrying that you’ve got to go to the drug store, the grocery store and the cleaners. Be where you are. Accept it. Enjoy it. I think this has gained in importance as cell phone usage has increased. It seems that no one is content with being where they are. They want to be with someone…anyone…because they can’t stand the thought of simply being alone with only their own thoughts to keep them company. If you’re a fan of Eckhart Tolle, this will resonate with you. (Dr. Douglas told us this long before Tolle wrote his books.)
3. Lower your expectations. If you’re constantly being disappointed by people, you’re expecting too much of them. Make sure that your expectations are in alignment with what people can do. Don't set them up for failure.
Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.
4. Believe that everyone is doing their best. Nobody is intentionally trying to screw up. Everyone’s doing the best they can…under the circumstances. If you believe this about people, you’ll be far more understanding and charitable toward them. (Again, Tolle would likely agree.)

Those four little reminders have helped me more times than I can count. “Be where you are” is probably the one I refer to most often, and I’m surprised by how many self-help/spiritual authors also try to teach this message. Be where you are. Don’t be dredging up hurts from the past to torture yourself with guilt or feelings of diminishment. Be where you are. Look around. The world is beautiful. Enjoy it. Be where you are. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. If you’re in pain, learn from it. If you’re feeling ecstasy, be thankful for it.

Okay…now here are some of my own little bits of advice I’ve offered Laura in the past. Maybe you’ll want to share them with someone you love.

5. Be an adult. You’re now in charge of your life. Your childhood is over, so get over whatever disappointments it might have brought you. Stop blaming parents, teachers, siblings. Grow up and take charge of your own life.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people are very kind. Don’t be afraid to say, “I need help. Would you be able to help me?” You’ll be surprised that people will go out of their way to assist you.
7. Ask how. For years I sat in meeting after meeting making requests and being told, “No! We can't do that!” Then it finally hit me. Don’t ask, “Can we…?” Instead ask, “How can we…?” That one word “how” packs a lot of punch.
8. Say thanks. If you’re going to complain, learn to compliment. I’m the first person to write a letter when I think I’ve been mis-treated as a customer. And I’m also the first person to write a letter commending a staff member when I feel I’ve been treated well.
9. Make people smile. Be goofy, or complimentary, or helpful. Assume that everyone you see is carrying around an enormous sack of pain. Lighten it a bit. Go out of your way to be nice to people. You’ll feel good about yourself...and you just might do someone else a great deal of good.
10. Acknowledge and accept what you feel. If you’re sad, acknowledge it and embrace it. There are many, many times when you should feel sad. If you weren’t sad, you’d be a heartless monster. But make sure you know the difference between well-deserved sadness and clinical depression. Depression will consume you. It will convince you that you’ve never had a happy day in your life. Get help.
11. Accept that you’re not perfect. Admit your mistakes and apologize for them. Sincerely apologize! Don’t try to blame others or share responsibility for the mistake with them. If you expect yourself to be perfect, you’re going to spend a life of bitter disappointment. (See “Lower your expectations.”)
12. Don’t hurt people on purpose. This is just plain mean. And if you should happen to hear something ugly about someone, don’t feel compelled to pass it along to them. Instead, stop it from spreading to others. An insult is still an insult even if you preface it with, “I heard someone say that you’re a…”
13. Don’t think you’re all that hot. You need only enough ego to survive. Anything more than that can work against you. If you’re constantly telling yourself or others how great you are, you probably aren’t that wonderful.
14. Be you. You are not the brands you buy. You are not the car you drive. You are not the celebrity you worship. If you think you are, your sense of self is out of alignment. (Or, as St. Ignatius would say you have “inordinate affections.”) Get in touch with yourself or get therapy.
15. Be quiet. The world is a noisy place. Think of what it must have sounded like before the Industrial Revolution. Birds chirping. Wind blowing through the trees. These are the sounds of nature. Take out the earplugs. Turn off the TV. Enjoy the quiet. Ahhh… (Now you know why I take vacations at monasteries.)
16. Be curious. Read. Think. Ask questions. Explore. Learn. Act. Life is not about "having." It's about "doing."
17. Be courageous. I'm a scaredy cat. Really. And there's nothing I hate more than heights. But a couple of weeks before my 50th birthday I walked out onto a little platform, high above a river at the Kawarua Bridge in New Zealand where bungee jumping was invented. I was scared to death. Trembling. But I stood out on that platform, raised my arms and did a swan dive deep into the chasm below. I have never been so frightened in my life. And I've never felt so alive. I can't tell you how good it feels to overcome absolute terror.

Well, that's my list. I hope you'll add to it!

Fantastic news! Our fabulous Nicky Epstein pattern with Aslan Trends and Namaste Farms yarns is now available!

2011-05-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

We've been so excited about this project that we could hardly wait to get it online. And Stef has just told me that it's up and running and you can now obtain it for FREE on Yarnmarket.com.

It's the gorgeous "Andean Jacket" by Nicky Epstein. She used Aslan Trends Del Sur and Royal Alpaca yarns for the main body and then trimmed it with the exquisite Charmed yarn from Namaste Farms.

The jacket is big and cosy and unbelievably soft and warm. Sure, you might not be thinking about autumn this minute...but as soon as the nights begin to get cool again, you'll want to have this jacket. I think it's a great summer project to work on. Don't you?

I'd love to know your thoughts on this piece. It's the first time we've collaborated with Nicky, Aslan Trends and Namaste Farms. Should we do more together?

Yarn is More than Yarn. Guest Blog by Jackie Awerman

2011-05-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm delighted to share with you an article written by one of our very loyal, and extremely talented, Yarnmarket shoppers. Jackie Awerman is a very creative knitter who has been delighting us with her stories for years. When I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago, I suggested she might want to write a little blog item for us.

Jackie did more than that! She also sent me a pretty little purse she'd knit. She calls it the Kokoro No Te (which in Japanese is a thank you). For those who'd like to know more about her, Jackie calls herself a Knitting therapist & story teller (cantadora). She is the Creator of Knit2Quit© and Knit ‘n Nosh© fundraisers and A founding momma of Cactus Needles Knitting Guild, TKGA, Phoenix, Arizona. USA.

If you'd like to support Jackie's many, many efforts to help others through knitting, please contact her at yarndances at yahoo dot you-know-what.

I hope you enjoy Jackie's story as much as I'm enjoying her gift!

Yarn has always been more than yarn for me… it’s my paint…my delight in texture…my passion for color…my view of the world… my yarn fairy’s naughty sister’s challenging tangles …my material for sharing love and joy with family and friends. Then there come the times — and lately, they are coming all too frequently — when I turn to yarn to try to express comfort and compassion for our global family caught in sadness, in misfortune, in epic disasters.

Recently, it was tornadoes in the Carolinas; then it was the earthquake and tsunami in Japan followed by tornadoes in Alabama and other southern states. And Yikes! Floods! The Mississippi has gone over the top.

When I say that, “I turn to yarn,” that’s not just me… not just my heart. And thanks to Yarnmarket, it’s not just “my yarn!” There are people passionately knitting and crocheting their prayers into blankies and accessories for those hit hardest.

I want to share a secret with you: What thrills me the most is what recipients have had to say…the delivery angels have told me that the hear things like,“This is so special. The yarn is so soft,””I am overwhelmed that someone did so much work to give this to me,”or ”I feel so blessed to have something handmade after losing everything my mother and grandmother made for me." And that is KOKORO NO TE straight into my heart.

If you'd like to knit one of Jackie's Kokoro No Te change purses, you can find the pattern on Yarnmarket.

Learn all about our newest yarns in Jan's latest Yarnmarket Bulletin

2011-05-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

Jan just released her May Yarnmarket Bulletin featuring lots of new yarns plus new colors from Noro, Tahki, Fiesta, Debbie Bliss, Prism, Gedifra, Jojoland & Anny Blatt. She's also included the latest fashion trends in new warm-weather hues, and new projects for your summer wardrobe.

In this issue, you'll also want to learn about terrific new books, patterns, tools, magazines and more to inspire you! Be sure to read your copy, and if you don't subscribe you can read the bulletin online.

This is love.

2011-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our airplane was late arriving in Charlotte, NC on Saturday when we were on our way home from Paris so we missed our connection to Columbus. After some discussion with the clerk at US Airways, we were given a coupon to cover a night at a local hotel.

The discussion went like this:

Clerk: Here's a discount coupon for a hotel in Charlotte.
Me: I thought you would pay for our hotel.
Clerk: Why should we?
Me: Because it was your airline that made us miss our connection.
Clerk: What makes you think that?
Me: The fact that our flight was almost an hour late and we weren't even out of Customs by the time the gate to our connection had closed.
Clerk: I don't know why your flight was an hour late.
Me: Neither do I. But it's why we missed our connection. I think you're supposed to cover our hotel.
Clerk: I have to check on that.
MANY, MANY LONG MINUTES LATER...AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND LOTS OF LOOKING AT A COMPUTER MONITOR.
Clerk: We don't know why the flight was late.
Me: Neither do I. But it made us miss our connection.
Clerk: I have to speak to my manager.
MANY, MANY LONG MINUTES LATER.
Clerk: We don't know why your flight was late.
Me: Neither do I. But it made us miss our connection.
MANY, MANY MINUTES LATER.
Clerk: Here's a coupon for a hotel.
Me: Thanks.

Not riveting. But a good example of how airlines like to make you squirm a lot, and become a little bit stubborn, to get what they really do owe you.

Oh, yes...they gave us each a $10 voucher for dinner. I wonder if the CEO of US Airways can eat dinner at a hotel for $10?

Anyway, we got to the airport, ate a meal, and went to bed so we could be up at 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport by 6:00 a.m. for our 7:36 a.m. flight.

But before I went to bed, I had to wash out some underwear. I'd planned for 7 nights away. Not 8. And that meant I was short a pair...and you know how I am about underwear. Obsessed. I think it should be a Federal Law that everybody wear underpants...and there I was -- woefully, and almost criminally, short a pair.

I washed some out and hung them up to dry.

When I awoke in the morning, Alex had already showered and announced to me, "Your underpants aren't dry yet."

But knowing how I am about underpants, he added, "I'll take care of it."

Imagine how elated I was when I got out of my shower, and he was standing there holding a hairdryer in one hand, blasting hot air at the enormous underpants he held up in the other. They flapped madly as he diligently blasted ever inch of them.

Yes. That's love.

Any guy who'll dry your underpants with a hairdryer while you're in the shower is a keeper.

Enjoy the new fashions featured in Jan's May Yarnmarket Newsletter

2011-05-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jan sent out her May newsletter to Yarnmarket shoppers and we know you'll want to have a look at it if you don't already subscribe. She shows lots of fantastic patterns that are going to be big hits this season...and she gives a great rundown of what's happening on the fashion runways of the world.

You can read the Yarnmarket Newsletter here.

Jan also reminds everyone that Mother's Day is moving up quickly on us and if you haven't already ordered a gift you can still buy a Yarnmarket Gift Certificate online. The best part is that it can be delivered immediately! No muss, no fuss. Always the right size and perfect color!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day. Alex and I are off to Paris to see the new Anny Blatt collection. I'll be sure to write about it online when I return.

Weekend Wildlife Adventure

2011-05-01T14:08:00.001-07:00

Alex and I have been working in the yard this weekend to prepare it for summer. There's a lot of weeding and planting to do before mulch season begins. I hate mulch season. We typically buy about 90 bags of the stuff and I'm covered head-to-toe in mulch until we've finished all the beds. This will teach us for trying to grow our own Garden of Eden.

Alex got a couple of really great shots of critters living in our yard. Yesterday he caught a photo of the kit and today he got the Pileated Woodpecker. The kit is really sweet and playful. He has two siblings and they frolic together like puppies. There are two adult fox parents who guard over them. When you get close, they make a funny little yipping noise and then try to head you off in another direction away from their babies. I'm not crazy about having foxes because they're bad news for the squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks and groundhogs in the yard. (I saw two groundhogs climb trees on Friday. I didn't even knot they could do that!)

Mr. Pileated has been in our yard for a while and we can always tell when he's around by the rat-a-tat-a-tat in the forest. Isn't he beautiful? We put suet in the bird feeder for him. The other morning I filled up a few of the feeders closer to the house and I was shocked to see four different birds having breakfast together at the same time! There was a European Starling, Cardinal, sparrow and finch.

Gotta run. Alex has lost something and I have to find it. I think I spend most of my free time trying to find things he's lost. Anyone who's ever had a husband knows exactly what I mean.

In Memory of Mr. Cat 2002-2011

2011-04-29T05:52:00.001-07:00

This morning I was saddened to see an email from informing me that Mr. Cat, a stray that one of our shoppers took in, passed away. Jacki wrote to me about him a while back and I think you'll enjoy her story:

Mr. Cat, so he was named because I didn't want to get attached to him, was a street cat. He ran with a gang of eight other cats that had been abandoned in our neighborhood. We have a lot of rental property around our street and when people move they have a tendency to leave the cats behind. We would come home from work and find Mr. Cat sleeping on our front porch, the minute he would see us he would take off. This went on for about a month. One day when we were coming in he just lifted his head up and didn't move. I told him don't leave on our account because we are just stopping to get something and then we'll be gone. He looked at us and then went back to sleep.

I questioned the kids in the neighborhood about Mr. Cat and they all said that he was nobody's cat, but he sure ate good on trash day. So that night when we came home, Mr. Cat was sleeping on the porch, I asked him if he was hungry and would like something to eat. He sat up and looked at me like of course I would. The only thing that I had that was suitable was some left over shrimp from the restaurant that we ate at the night before. I never saw five pieces of shrimp eaten so fast. I sat down on the step while he was eating and when he finished he came over and sat down next to me. I explained to him that I knew he didn't have a home, and with winter coming did he have any plans, maybe a cousin or brother he could bunk in with, because if he didn't it was alright with me if he'd like to stay but he would need the big guy's permission: Big Guy being my husband. We sat for a while and when I got up to go in the house he scooted in between my legs and ran into the house, where he sat down right in front of my husband and just sat there looking at him. My husband asked him what he was doing in the house and he meowed at him. I told my husband he's asking permission to come and live with us. My husband said he had conditions and if they were agreed to then he could stay. Mr. Cat blinked, I guess that was okay.

The first thing we did was take him to our vet to be checked out. This man is no longer our vet because after he checked Mr. Cat out he wanted me to sign papers that he could put the cat down. Mr. Cat was testing positive for Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia. I wanted to know how old Mr. Cat was and he said almost two. My next question was, is the cat sick now? The vet was very evasive and continued to encourage me to have the cat put down. I told him NO, if the cat is not ill I see no reason for it. The vet then yelled at me that I better not bring the cat to his office again, and that I was taking the cat home against his advice. I picked up Mr. Cat and looked at the vet and said, "Just hope and pray that when you get old and sick no one insists on you being put down."

That was five years ago. It's five years of love, laughter and silly antics that I would have never enjoyed if I had listened to a very nasty vet.

I know that Mr. Cat's life might be cut short but until that time he will have the happiest and best life has to offer to him.

Each year thousands of cats develop Feline Leukemia. If you have a pussycat, please be sure to have it immunized so it will live a long and healthy life.

Fund-Raising Event!

2011-04-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

With gasoline sky-rocketing up to $4.15 per gallon here in the thriving megalopolis of Pickerington, Ohio I've decided to have a fund-raising event to help the needy.

Who's the needy, you ask?

I am! I've decided that I want to live like all those beautiful people on reality TV. I want a gazillion dollar house. I want to wear evening gowns in the morning. I want to sip champagne and eat gourmet marshmallows (I don't like caviar) all day. I want to be the sort of person who makes it onto a TV show just for being me. But a really good-looking, rich me. Not the middle-aged, middle-class, mid-West me who lives a life of obscurity and denial.

So, here's the deal.

Send me your money. Not all of it. You can keep some for yourself. But send me whatever you're not using in the next three days. Got a 401K? Clean it out and send it to me. Bonds? Sell 'em. I want 'em. Gold...real gold? I'll take Maple Leaf coins, Krugerrands, whatever you've got.

When I get your money, I promise that I'm going to have a heck of a good time spending it. I'll buy myself a face lift, bum lift, boobs, a tummy tuck and maybe even some hair extensions. I'll wear really nice clothes by Valentino. (That reminds me. The Target T-shirt I bought disintegrated after three washings. Do you think I can take it back?)

I'll have my teeth bleached, my eyes lazered, my toenails polished, my face derma-braded and my freckles permanently removed.

I'll even get eyelash implants!!!

You name it, I'll do it. And, boy, will I ever feel fulfilled and self-actualized.

So hurry while you can. Put all your money into an unmarked brown box and send it to me: Deborah at Yarnmarket, 12936 Stonecreek Drive, Pickerington, OH, 43147.

Be sure to include your return address so I can send you a chatty little postcard from one of the Greek Islands or maybe the Riviera. Well, that's if I'm not too busy with Armando.

Knit a Royal and you could win a High Tea for Two!

2011-04-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

One of our most beloved yarn reps sent us a note encouraging us to have our knitters enter her contest.

Cameron Taylor-Brown, who reps for Westminster Fibers, Tahki Stacy Charles, Knit One Crochet Too, Crystal Palace and Colinette is sponsoring the "High Tea for Two" contest.

She was inspired by the book by Fiona Goble.

Cameron said, "Knit Your Own Royal Wedding is a uniquely goofy way to commemorate the upcoming royal nuptials, so I'm sponsoring a wedding drawing for the pure fun of it!"

To enter, all you have to do is knit one or more members of the wedding party with yarns from any of her vendors. You'll be entered in a drawing for HIGH TEA FOR TWO at a local tea shop of your choosing.

If you'd like to enter the contest, send me a note at Yarnmarket along with a photo of the completed figure. Include the name of the yarn you used, too. I'll submit it to Cameron on your behalf. Be sure to enter before June 30, 2011.

You can use any yarn by: Rowan, Gedifra, Nashua, Kertzer, Regia, Tahki, Stacy Charles, Loop-d-Loop, Filatura di Crosa, Knit One Crochet Too, Crystal Palace, Manos del Uruguay,and Colinette.

Happy Knitting!

You'll want to know more about Aslan Trends

2011-04-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

It was a typically busy day at Yarnmarket. Alex and Jan were out of the office. The phones were ringing off the hook. When I picked up the receiver, the voice on the other end had a wonderful, South American accent.

"Hello," he said in a voice that makes you want to close up the shop and hop on a plane to Brazil. "My name is Angelo Fernandez. I have studied Yarnmarket and I've decided I would like to do business with you."

Now, if you knew how many calls I get each day offering me a "once in a lifetime opportunity to form a strategic alliance with synergistic benefits," you'd wonder why I didn't immediately hang up.

But something about Angelo was different. I instantly liked the guy. He told me that he was running a company called Aslan Trends, and he asked if I'd seen his advertisements. Sure, I had. They were plastered all over Vogue Knitting. How could anyone miss them? I knew the guy knew marketing.

Angelo told me about his wonderful yarns, his company and their ethics, and how much he wanted to work with us. Normally, I don't even speak to manufacturers because that's what Jan and Alex do. But they weren't there and Angelo had captured my interest. I let him know that I'm not the decision maker in that area, but he said he wanted to put together a box of yarns so I could look at his products, anyway. He assured me I'd be impressed.

Well, a few days later a box arrived in my office. When I opened it up, I have to say, I was really impressed. I examined all the materials that Angelo had thoughtfully put together, and I took the box to Alex and announced, "We've got to do business with this guy!"

Even he was impressed with the quality and softness of the fibers. The Royal Alpaca felt so amazingly wonderful, you would have sworn it was cashmere. Before you know it, Alex was on the phone and we were the proud purveyors of yarns from Aslan Trends.

I'm telling you this now because I want you to keep your eye out for our upcoming Spotlight on Aslan Trends. I've spent the past few days working on it (with lots of help from Michele, Stefanie and Jenny)and I think you're going to enjoy learning about this company and their designs.

The fibers are beautiful and lend themselves to some truly beautiful creations. I'm sure you've seen a lot of them in the knitting magazines and online.

Wouldn't you know that Angelo would have the smarts to hire the brilliantly talented Nicky Epstein to create a North American book of patterns? Her book, Enchanting Collection, is doing extremely well and we've just had the pleasure of working directly with Nicky to create a Yarnmarket exclusive pattern that uses Aslan Trends yarn and Namaste Farms yarns together. We'll have the pattern available for you anytime now, so keep watching.

If you aren't already a subscriber to Spotlight be sure to sign up today. Each month we present a different company and talk about their products, patterns, history and philosophy. We've posted past issue of Spotlights in Knitch Magazine's archives so if there are any you're curious to learn about, you might want to check them out there.

Learn about striping and tweedy yarns in Yarnmarket's newsletter, Just My Type

2011-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today we sent out our monthly bulletin, Just My Type. This month we present interesting information about Striping & Tweedy yarns.

If you don’t already subscribe to Just My Type, be sure to do so! You’ll learn a lot about the yarns you love!

Tune into Cat Radio

2011-04-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite knitters let us know that Cat Radio is celebrating its 10th Anniversary tomorrow. Gee...I didn't even know there WAS a radio station for cats.

You can read about it on the Animal Planet blog and go to the radio station to hear your favorite music for cats. (What a great idea when you're going to be leaving your pussycats alone for a while.)

I have to say the my own cats, Kim and Hannibal, never did anything important like select the play list for a radio station, but they were the inspiration behind Fabulous Felines yarn.