I promise I’ll post with pictures by this weekend… The days tend to get away from me when I’m at the shop.

These quick projects really are getting me motivated to knit more again – exactly what I’ve been needing lately. And tonight was our store knit night, and it’s exciting to see new people picking up new skills, too… I don’t know why, but someone’s enthusiasm over learning a new technique somehow spills over and reminds me of why I love fiber crafts. Our little group, which was often just 3 people last winter, is now often over 10, sometimes more. While it’s not as relaxing as it used to be (since we’re also running the store at the same time), it is so much fun! The enthusiasm I see in this group and in our knitting 101 students has rekindled my love of knitting in the past few weeks, and I couldn’t be happier!

I went to put these on earlier this week, and noticed a problem:

These socks – my very first pair -

now look like this:

I’m kind of sad… I didn’t love the yarn as I knit it, and was only moderately happy with the socks when I completed them. I wore them once, and accidentally through them in the dryer, but then, suddenly, they were amazing. They didn’t shrink or felt, but they came out so soft and supple, it was like it was a completely different yarn. All of a sudden, these “meh” socks became “wow” socks! And with that first heel especially, there’s really no point in darning the holes, since the whole heel is thin and worn and about to go.

RIP old friends… you will be missed…

So yesterday afternoon, I headed off to B&T to find some worsted weight purple yarn. I did some gauge swatches when I got home, asked my sister for some measurements, and today I’m casting on. I think I’ll do it in 2 colours, since perian had a ball of the same yarn in light grey that she’s willing to let me have, kind soul that she is! So, I’m off! Am I crazy tackling another knit Christmas present at this late date? We’ll see!

The class was an absolute blast. It’s a larger class this time around, so I recruited perian to help, and it was a great success. I can’t wait for Monday to roll around again! I also got to rave about Ravelry as part of the class, which is awesome in all sorts of ways. I think the best part was how enthusiastic everyone was. We provided a 50 gram ball of yarn to start, and one student asked if she knit the whole thing between the first and second class, whether she should tear it all out or if she could get more yarn. Hmm… I sense a challenge! Actually, all the ladies caught on really well, and everyone was laughing all evening, so it was a really fun evening.

Some of our knitterly friends have also been listening to us drop hints about new things happening at the shop. Faking Sanity, which started as hand-dyed yarns and knitting accessories before it was a bookstore/cafe, is returning to its roots. We’re just waiting on our last shipments to arrive, and in the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out our new yarn and knitting section! We’ll have an assortment of sock and lace weight yarns to start, from pretty but basic Araucania Ranco, to luxurious Malabrigo, to yarns with a more modern twist, such as Tofutsies, or Austermann Step, which is infused with aloe and jojoba. And lots more to come, so stay tuned! We’ll also be carrying an assortment of interchangeable circular needle styles, dpns and crochet hooks. The most exciting addition to the needles for me, though, is the cubic circular needle. I just played with a sample one for a bit last night, and I think I might love it!

We’ll be posting an announcement once we launch this, but wanted to give our loyal readers the opportunity to hear it here first!

In somewhat related news, we’ll be starting a Ravelry group for the shop to discuss all things knitterly, so let us know if you would like an invite to the group once it’s up and running.