The look.

There is a look. A universal look. Sometimes, I can sense the look even without looking. Maybe it's the slightly timid way a customer opens the door to the store. Maybe it's the hesitation in your step as you approach the desk. Whatever it is, my sixth sense tells me what is coming. I'm tempted to jump in ahead, relieve your stress and guilt, say what I already know you're thinking. The look tells me the words before you even say them.

"I really messed up this time."
"I knew I shouldn't have had that second glass of wine."
"My kids were running around like maniacs and I lost my concentration."
Or, my favorite, simple and straightforward...
"HELP!!!!!!!"

Does this look ring a bell?


Bruni is a talented and engaging knitter who was leaving for Colorado and wanted very much to bring two lovely pair of handwarmers to her hosts, but she had momentarily forgotten how to create a thumb gusset. She was hesitant to "bother" me for help. This is a common sentiment.

So let me take a moment, please, to put your mind at ease. We WANT to help. We're here to help. We love to see you, even when you're dragging a project that the cat got into, hanging off needles that the dog chewed on. I am not making this up. And most of the time, the boo-boo's aren't really that bad. It's just you've dropped a stitch or twisted something and that horrible mental block has popped up, you know, oh-boy-I've-really-done-it-now-I'd-better-BACK-AWAY-from-the-yarn. We actually take pleasure in correcting this for you. It feels good to help and after all, a blocked knitter is a frustrated knitter and frustrated knitters are not all that interested in buying more yarn ;-)

If you still think your boo-boo's are tremendous, consider this: one of our most stylish, creative, fantastic knitters once came in with a sweater made of $300-400 worth of bulky-weight, 100% silk. This sweater was gorgeous...until she decided she didn't like the hem, wanted to add a decorative border...and took scissors to it. All the way across. Imagine dozens of silky pink tendrils hanging off the bottom, like worms ready to unravel. Now this was an oops worthy of Sherry's attention. And yet, I was impressed! The sheer chutzpah of taking scissors to silk, all in the pursuit of a one-of-a-kind piece, knowing that somehow, it would come out ok.

See? The purl row that's supposed to be a knit row on your felted bag suddenly doesn't look so insurmountable, no?

So I say, bring it on! Bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of mohair yearning to be free.

And while you're here, check out these new arrivals. First, Hempathy from Elsebeth Lavold. I've searched for a soft hemp blend and finally landed on this one. The blend of eco-friendly hemp, cotton and modal is yummy, and the patterns in this book are stunning:


This next one, I just want to open up all the bags and roll around in it. Seriously. This is Rialto, 100% merino sport weight, new from Debbie Bliss. Supported by a positively bliss-full pattern book. Proving that merino wool actually can and in fact, should be worn in Oklahoma in the spring and summer. If you don't believe me, stop in and flip through the book:


And alongside the Rialto, you'll find Debbie's two other yarns for Spring/Summer: Pure Cotton, a lovely worsted-weight in luscious colors...and Stella, a silk blend in vibrant hues. The book for this is two books in one. All fantastic designs and very do-able. Start one now, while we have a very generous selection of colors:



And if you get off track, we'll be here. Just give us the look.

- Shelley