The wonderful world of Noro color.

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

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...

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

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.

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

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!

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

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

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?

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!

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!

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

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!

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.

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...

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?

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!

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!

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.

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!