Raise those windshield wipers

Today we are getting a nasty, wintry mix. We are closing the shop at 2pm, and will not be shipping any outgoing packages, since UPS doesn't come until later in the afternoon. The girls had a half day at school so I just picked them up and they're coloring in the classroom. Our Knitting on 2 Circulars workshop, that was scheduled today at 1pm, has been rescheduled to next Friday at 1pm. We called it yesterday, as we knew the weather was going to be iffy. It turned out to be a good call. And two people couldn't make next week, so we now have some openings. Give us a call to sign up.

So big Superbowl day on Sunday! I am excited to get some knitting done! I am currently swatching some Tilli Tomas yarns. Last night I swatched the Plie and it is really gorgeous. Same gauge as the Pure & Simple, but plied, so it is not going to pill. It would be wonderful in a sweater! I used Jade - one of my favorite colors. I photographed 27 colors of Plie yesterday, so they are now online.
Then I started swatching the Beaded Plie, which is the same yarn, strung with gorgeous beads. I'm not quite finished this swatch - but I used Ruby Wine, another one of my favorite colors. These colors are SO rich. The beads make it a little more difficult to keep an even tension, but with blocking it will be fine.
Tonight I will swatch the regular Pure & Simple, in Leaf Peepers. This is a custom color that Tracy made for our shop. It's really beautiful.

Last weekend after skiing at Stowe, I stopped in the ski shop at the base lodge to check out the offerings. In my early years, I worked in Stowe as a manager and buyer for one of their top shops, so I'm always interested to see the latest products. I picked up this hat, because I thought it was really cute. It has a nice fleece liner, since the wool is a bit scratchy. I wore it on the ride home, and unfortunately, by Waterbury Center, I had to take it off because it was still itching me. Bummer - I really liked the hat. No worries! On Monday I grabbed a skein of Malabrigo Chunky, and whipped up my own version of the hat.
I made it about 1/2 inch taller so it fits better. And white, so I could have fun with embellishing. Now it just needs a little artwork... I'm thinking of using the Cherry Tree Hill Powderpuffs and doing some funky needle felting. So stay tuned!
This morning was mandatory computer time for Michele, Barb and Kalen. We always come in and do a mini show and tell each morning. We bring in our latest projects, and show our progress. Well, now you're going to get to see what they are doing, too. I told each one to grab a computer and write for 15 minutes. I'll be posting their entries on the blog over the next few days.