It's a Square! It's a Bunny! It's a Contest!

Sunday, 08 February 2009 18:23

Remember our window full of preemie hats in December? We had such a good time with that, and so did many of you -- that we decided it would be great fun to have another small project that could be open to anybody who wants to do it. We decided to make little bunnies, and to have a contest in which all of our knitters, all of our neighbors and all of our visitors can vote for the winners!

This adorable bunny is made from a 6" square of knitting! Any knitter can make one!  You can find the pattern here, at HeartStrings Fiber Arts. You can even print the pattern in Spanish!

Can't you just see one in sock yarn, or with frou-frou ears? Everybody can participate in this contest -- new knitters, young knitters, everybody who can cast on, knit, purl and bind off! and you can be sure we'll have a category for crocheters, too -- just make sure your fabric holds the stuffing in!

Details are still being worked out, but the deadline for submission will be toward the end of March, and our plan is to donate the bunnies to a worthy cause. Let your creativity run wild!

Looking Forward to a Great Year!

Monday, 12 January 2009 20:28

Lately, we've been talking a lot at Fibers about classes we want to teach this year. We're developing quite a long list -- lace, cables, socks, Continental knitting, knitting from the top down, a wonderful Mountain Colors vest, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket, a seamless version of the Baby Yeti sweater, the Clara dress, Bavarian slippers, a Newsboy Cap... so many fun projects! Stay tuned -- it's going to be a fun year!

Meanwhile, on the web store front, things are bogging down. Max and I have reached the point at which the store runs slower and slower as we put more items up... not a good sign. We're looking for a new server, or maybe a new program... anyhow, the store is a bit set back at the moment. 

I went to have my Vitamin D level tested today and I had brought the current sweater I'm working on, because you never know how many people will have gotten there ahead of you. The sweater is a simple  top-down pullover from Cascade Eco wool. I started it just after the first of the year, and I last night I realized  that I don't know how long I want to make it, so I'm working on the sleeves for a while to give myself time to figure it out. Max and his friend had brought home Schindler's List and I was able to knit without watching what i was doing. I love having an easy project like this on the needles -- watch a movie, talk with a friend, take it along for the ride or the wait -- I'm never bored. What do people do to avoid twiddling their thumbs when they don't knit??

A woman in the waiting room recognized me from the store and it made me realize that Fibers has created a whole world for me, populated by wonderful people I wouldn't otherwise know. I'm so grateful for it and at the same time, I realize that when I go out now, there's a chance someone I know will see me out of context... Makes me think I need to remember lipstick more often!

Season's Greetings

Tuesday, 23 December 2008 23:10

Wow, it's hard to believe the year is almost over, but at least the cold weather is finally here and everybody seems happy to be knitting, crocheting... and weaving! I hope you have all the yarn you need to make your holidays happy!

Thanks to everyone who participated in all of our Karmic Knitting events in the last year -- Knit One, Save One, helmet liners for the Marines of Nevada County, Project Linus, Chemo Caps for the hospital, garments for the Foster Kids of Nevada County, and to everyone who donated yarn and needles to the Kids Who Knit in Oregon House.

As I think about the last year, I'm so grateful to have such wonderful customers who inspire me with your generosity, awe me with your creativity, and make me realize that you usually give me more credit than I deserve when your knitting skills improve! I love fiber in all forms, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support, because without it, there wouldn't be a Fibers in Grass Valley!

As I think about the year to come, I see our new web store up and running, a year of lace classes with Birdsong, new Manos students, classes on hats and sweaters and socks, Moebius knitting, Monica's next cable adventure, weaving workshops, and Madame de Farge's brilliance. I dream about new yarns, new designers, new adventures -- like a Fiber Retreat -- and new fiber friends in the store and on line.  

Best wishes for Happy Holidays to all our wonderful customers, and for a healthy and prosperous New Year to all of us, everywhere. I hope that what comes to each and every one us exceeds our expectations and fulfills our dreams... even the ones we've almost forgotten.

Allison

We're making progress

Monday, 24 November 2008 15:42

Well, I know that sometimes you see a note on a web site that says, "We're working on this page, so check back often!" and you go back and look several days later, and nothing's happened. Three months later... nothing.

If you've been looking around here, though, you can see that things ARE happening! We've fixed some glitches, added new links to many of our yarn companies, cleaned up some stray filters and clutter on many of the pages, and we're working on the web store.

Max is doing a super job of keeping me on track and he has a real knack for solving the problems that keep popping up!