Spooky (and not Spooky) Stuff and KAL/CAL Schedule
Thanks to everyone who responded to the survey I posted last week to gauge interest in a Plaid-themed KAL/CAL. The results were conclusively encouraging, so here's the schedule:
- Tuesday, October 18 - Patterns and kits will be announced in our weekly email & blog post
- Saturday, October 29 - Cast on! We will be hosting Social Stitching from 2-4pm at the shop if you'd like company!
- November 5, 12, & 19 - Social Stitching from 2-4pm
- November 21-24 - Stop by or email a photo of your in-progress or completed KAL/CAL project for a chance to win a $25 gift card.
- November 25 - We will draw for the gift card as part of our Plaid Friday activities!
Current open hours are Monday - Thursday, 7am-3:30pm, Friday 8:30am - 5pm and Saturdays, 9am-4pm.
In-store shopping: masks are optional (but welcome and appreciated). 
…to learn (and do)
CURRENT CLASSES & EVENTS
Social Stitching
Wednesday, October 19
5-8 pm Final Wednesday evening of the season!
Saturdays, October 29, November 5, 12, 19, 26
Beginning October 29, we will be hosting Social Stitching every Saturday afternoon, 2-4pm.
Trilogy Yarns Trunk Show
Saturday, October 22
Save the date! (The Social Stitching that would normally fall on this date will be moved to the 29th.)
Holiday Hours
Friday, October 28 We'll be open until 6 pm for downtown Trick or Treating.
Friday, November 11 We will be open regular Friday hours on Veterans' Day, 8:30am-5pm.
Thursday, November 24 Closed for Thanksgiving.
...to anticipate
Today, we're highlighting a few spooky items for your seasonal crafting delight, plus a few more with everyday utility and appeal!
The October Stitch Markers of the Month from Katrinkles are Halloween Sweaters--and the acrylic marker in these sets are made from glow-in-the-dark acrylic. We also ordered a few of this month's limited edition notion, which is a transparent orange acrylic pumpkin engraved with instructions for doing kitchener stitch. AND there's a bonus set of limited edition markers, the Halloween cats--a set of six where three are sparkly, one glows in the dark, and all are charming. There are some additional new tools in stock--you can find all our goodies from Katrinkles here.
We also added some seasonal options to our selection of silicone Stitch Stoppers--these point protectors fit needles from size US 2/2.75mm to US 11/8mm. (Bonus, if you need a short straight needle, you can pop a Stitch Stopper on the end of a DPN, and you're good to go!
And in the non-seasonal realm, we have the Kraft Caddy from Cocoknits, available in olive or grey, and you can add a set of No-sew Leather Handles for on-the-go portability. Also from Cocoknits is the Super-Absorbent Towel. It's lightweight and made from a felt-like cloth, and is generously sized at 39" x 63". I tested it out after soaking my completed Zurie cowl (see below), and as promised, it did soak up as much as several conventional towels. And it comes with a drawstring linen bag for convenient storage.
Other new items include sheep-themed tea towels and Swedish dishcloths from Corvidae Drawings & Designs, Splash Fabrics bags and aprons, and Kelmscott Designs Scissors!
…to inspire
We've seen so many beautiful versions of Amy Christoffers' Pressed Flowers shawl, and we very nearly cast on a Pressed Flowers Hat last month. (Still might.) However, the Pressed Flowers Cardigan pattern was released last week, and I couldn't swatch fast enough. I was fairly certain I wanted to use Berroco Lanas Light for the main color, but wanted to see both Edition 3 (a great stand-in for Spincycle Dyed in the Wool) and Berroco Dulce as contrast colors.
Swatching (which we are rebranding as "auditioning") told me what I wanted to know--both contrasting colors played nicely with the main color, and I was able to match the pattern gauge with the suggested needles. And while I liked them both, I loved the soft haze of Dulce. The swatch isn't big enough to get the full effect, but several colors of Dulce shift hue. (You can see this in the Dulce pattern collection.) What I didn't anticipate was that I'd want to dial back the contrast between the main color and the contrast--so the Lagoon Lanas Light will get repurposed to a different project, and I'll use one of the softer colors for the Pressed Flowers Cardi. Extremely soon!
...to stitch
