Yellowbird Yarn Room

Only 10 days left!

For those of you who have been following along, you may remember that there's a benefit going on in the shop that is very near and dear to my heart. 

If you're new here, let me give you a brief synopsis.

Each school year I teach an after-school knitting program for first through fourth graders.  We meet once a week for the whole year, and they learn how to knit squares for a blanket which is pieced together at the end of the year.  Last year's blanket is currently on display and raffle tickets are being sold at the register.  All proceeds will benefit the Copley Police Department's Share-A-Christmas program which provides presents for children in the area who are in need.

It seems to me that when I wrote about it before, I neglected to mention exactly how long this raffle would continue or when the winner would be chosen.  As I realize that this can be very helpful information, please allow me to correct this omission forthwith! 

Tickets will be sold through Thursday, December 10th, with the drawing being held the morning of the 11th.  You need not be present to win, I will call the number on the ticket to notify the winner.  However, someone must be able to come to the shop to collect the bounty!

I do ask one favor.  If you or anyone you know live in the Akron area, or are planning to visit (it happens), please stop in for a chance at this one-of-a-kind piece.  And spread the word!  Our ticket-selling time is a little over halway done, but we're not quite halfway to our goal.  Remember, every penny goes to this wonderful program.  The more tickets we sell, the more families can be helped to have a Merry Christmas this year.

And who couldn't use a little good karma like that?

Be there Black Friday!

Do you suppose it's because I have a wonderful family that understands the demands of a new retail business based upon a passionate love of yarn?  Or is it simply because they want the grandkids to themselves?

I imagine it's best not to question your mother when she tells you to go to work the day after Thanksgiving.  Especially when going to work involves five hours of knitting!

Yes, I will be in the shop from 10 - 3, probably working on a couple more hot pads.  I thought about working on this year's Christmas scarf (the recipient of which must obviously remain anonymous until after the holidays), but it involves my first true lace pattern.  I have found that lace patterns, regardless of yarn weight, require a bit more concentration than I may be able to provide on such a day!

If you stop by, make sure you say something.  Like "ishkabible".  That's always funny.  I'll be the one slaving away because my mother told me to.

They have arrived!

Yes, it's that time of year.  There was a lot af talk.  Anticipation grew.  Preparations were made.  At last, they arrived, and now that I see them I am reminded of why I love them so very dearly.

Those Interweave Knits magazines just slay me!

If you haven't seen the Winter IK, I recommend you check it out.  There are some very interesting articles.  I was particularly fascinated by the article on Sharon Kallis, who crochets vines for both artistic and environmental purposes.  It got me thinking about some invasive vines I've got going around my yard and what I could do with them! 

And I've been wondering what to do about some more lighting in the shop, and how wonderful would those dressed up "Paper" Lanterns be!  Then there's Rosemary Hill's Lacy Ribbons pullover, which just might inspire me to work with a nice laceweight yarn.  Acually, I wonder if Tahki's Baby Kid Extra would work for that.....

Where was I?  Oh, yes.  So, the new mags are priced and in the shop.  There were still a few Fall IK's left, which means that you can score one at 30% off! 

I'll be in when I can this week, but the 'rents arrived yesterday themselves and now is the time to be thankful.  In case I don't post again beforehand...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Introductions

Woman cannot live by yarn alone.  There's also things made with yarn.  And things made for the sole purpose of helping you make things with yarn.

In recognition of these facts, as well as the fact that there are a handful or two non-knitters out there, I have been working at bringing in more handmade items to the Room.  Please allow me to introduce you to the three artists currently stocking the shelves and bins.  (Pictures of their work can be seen in the "Artist Spotlight" album to the left, as I am still having a bit of trouble getting the pictures into the post.)

First up, we have Judy of Jewelry - One of a Kind.  Judy is one of those infamous non-knitters, so when I tried to explain the Row Counter Bracelet to her she looked a bit dubious.  Apparently my explanation of "See, it's like an abacus you wear on your wrist.  With beads, you know?" was not quite creating the vivid mental imagary necessary.  However, after a bit of research Judy graciously agreed to work up a few bracelets for the shop.

Now, I have admired this concept online for quite some time.  For me, knitting brings with it a connection to the past and a romantic notion of Jane Austin characters sitting in settees with tea and scones by their side.  Standard plastic row counters, no matter how practical in nature, just don't seem to fit the image. 

Don't get me wrong, I do use these tools frequently and they are invaluable.  It's just that sometimes, you want to evoke  those romantic notions.  You want a tool that is both functional and attractive.  Something you could wear in public and which would bring compliments from some and smiles from those who know your functional secret.  Judy's Row Counter Bracelets have brought that smile for me.

Moving on to our second artist, what other function could use a smile more than washing dishes by hand? 

Trust me.  I have no dishwasher. 

Enter Kathy and her handmade dishcloths.  In the interest of full disclosure I must confess that I have not previously been a fan of the knit dishcloth.  They always seemed too bulky and my fingers slipped through the holes to where I felt I was washing the dishes with my fingertips. 

I do believe Kathy has made me a full convert, however, with her crocheted cloths.  I am well on my way to tossing the old, thin, store-bought rags and replacing them all with Kathy's!  And as luck would have it, she would be happy to whip up a few in other colors if what we have in the shop doesn't suit.  Just let me know what color you're looking for, and we'll see what we can do!

Last but not least, we have Tori.  Tori has a fantastic Etsy shop of her own but was willing to add a few of her neckwarmers to the brick-and-morter cause.  They really are wonderful, and while I love them all I would appreciate it if someone would remove the two pictured from temptation for me.  Please. 

I mean, come on!  That one is brown!  The color of coffee beans and chocolate!  Yummm...

If you made it through this entire post, I thank you.  If you live in the area or are planning a visit, stop in and see what we have to offer.  I plan to be there for a while in the morning (Monday), so maybe I'll see you there! 

Sooooo Close, a Benefit, and a Sale

Please, mom, just five more minutes???

Oh, wait.  That's me.

I was in the shop yesterday for three hours.  I talked, I felted, I stitched, I talked some more.  All I needed was another five minutes and those coasters would be done and ready to go!  Alas, my time grew short and my stomach grew hungry.  Time waits for no crafter, so off I went in search of food.  And to let the dog out.

While I was there, however, I did manage to add the blanket to the shop, and the raffle is officially up and running! 

For those of you who do not know, I teach elementary school students how to knit in an after-school program.  We meet once a week throughout the school year and they knit squares which are then pieced into a blanket.  Last year, I was grateful to receive help from one of the other mothers who crocheted the blanket together for me (thanks again!). 

This blanket is currently displayed in the shop and raffle tickets can be purchased at the register at a cost of $1 for one or six for $5 (cash only).  All of the proceeds will benefit the Copley Police Department's Share-A-Christmas program which provides Christmas presents for less fortunate children who live in Copley or attend Copley-Fairlawn Schools.  This is a wonderful program, and the children worked so hard on the blanket!  Please, show them how proud you are of their efforts with a ticket or six!

And, hey!  Why not buy those tickets with the money you save by shopping this weekend at the Holiday Open House?  (Wink, wink.  Nudge, nudge.)

This weekend, November 13th through the 15th, River City is offering 10% off all regular priced merchandise.  That includes everything in the Yellowbird Yarn Room, don'cha know!  If you missed either Jane Snow or Ann Roher during the Fall Festival, they will both be back to sign more of their respective books Saturday afternoon.  I, myself, snuck away from my room during the Fall Festival just in time snag a copy of Jane's cookbook before they were gone and now understand why everyone always raves about Lou & Hy's cheesecake!  I did not make it in time for Ann's book, Mr. Picky and Me, but it sounds like a delightful gift for the bird and book lover in your life.

In the meantime, I will be in sometime tomorrow to finish up the coasters.  I can't say just yet if I will be there for the Open House, but I'll keep you posted! 

Monday, Monday (la la.....)

Fevers are gone, kids are back in routine, and I'm getting caught up on a few much-neglected items on my To Do List.

So, Monday!  From 10:00 until 1:00!  I will be in the shop!  Yay!

I will be working on the coasters that have been waiting so patiently for my return.  Also, I will be bringing in the blanket that my elementary students made last year for the Copley Share-A-Christmas program.  I do not have all of the details at the moment, but I can say that I will be selling the raffle tickets myself and all of the money will benefit the program.  Anyone interested in a ticket must contact me personally.  I'll post again in the next couple of days, when I have all of the details worked out.

How to learn how to _______

I do believe my extreme flexibility in instructional options has been cause for some confusion.  Let me now clarify as best I can.

I will teach you what you want.   When you want. For as long as you want.

Prices may vary.

Okay.  Beginning knitting is easiest to clarify, so let's start there.  Classes are scheduled based on store hours, school hours, your schedule, and mine.  The cost per hour is $10 for one person, $9 per person for two people, or $8 per person for three.  That's about all the room I have at my table, but if you have a larger group we can work something out.  Judy's more than happy to let us use the tables at her Ice Cream and Coffee Shop!  For someone just starting I recommend at least one hour one week and at least one hour the next week, depending on skill level.  Supplies for beginners must be purchased at Yellowbird, but I do offer a 30% discount.

Now.  Beyond the basics.  What would you like to know?  What knitting challange are you striving to tackle?  Maybe you would like a quick tutorial on cabling.  Or perhaps you're ready to take on your first sweater but would like a little hand-holding through the process.  Or you've found the ultimate pattern that haunts you day and night, calling you to your needles, but you just don't understand how to do it.  You name the class.  The same regulations of scheduling and cost per hour are in place for this type of instruction.  Supplies do not have to come from Yellowbird, but the 30% offer does stand.

I'll be honest with you, though.  I have challenges to tackle, too.  I have knit a number of baby booties, but nary a sock.  I have tried intarsia, but the backside is a mess and the stitches pull.  My mind knows what I am supposed to do for crochet, but my hands don't like it.

In these instances I will gladly arrange a time to meet with you and we can figure it out together.  Obviously, I will not charge you for instruction I am not qualified to give!  But I promise to always be honest and let you know if this is the case.  I promise, too, that I am always eager to learn more about fiber techniques, and am rarely incapable of mastering them!

Except intarsia.  Give me the duplicate stitch or self-patterning yarn please.

In this spirit of fiber-skill-improvement, I will be forever working on something new and keeping you posted on my progress.  For instance, during the Fall Festival I did my first needle felting.  (Did I mention how much I loved that?)  The picture of the coasters I am working on can still be seen in the sidebar under "Project Pictures".  Unfortunately, now that my oldest is past the flu, my youngest is presently suffering.  This means that I cannot say for certain the next time I will be in to work on my current challenge.  I will post as soon as I know, however, and invite you all to come sit with me.  With or without a project of your own.