We have a winner!!

We do....I just sent an email out making sure she could be 007-stealthy about it 'cause remember....it's top secret. Mum, hush, zip....until the Holiday Party on December 7th!

I love the yarn so much I've plucked out another skein as a door prize for Sunday night. So there's hope yet for another FREE skein. Of course it will be available in the shop on Tuesday, Dec 9th if we don't sell out at the party! ;)

Thanks to all who emailed/blogged and submitted guesses on Ravelry. That was fun. And what a batch of terrific names for next year's yarn!!

The Big Hint for our Guess the Holiday Sock Yarn Contest

Our guessing game continues without a winner. You are to send in your guess for the name of the colorway for our Holiday Sock Yarn 2009. So far, some very close guesses but not the exact name!

As promised, with no correct answer by Thanksgiving, I'm giving you a big hint. The name is a holiday character.

Best way to guess is by email to knitpicky@bellsouth.net but a post here works, too!

Jo

Boxes and Boxes delivered today!

Guess what arrived today??!!?? Yup....our new tees. We've pulled the pre-orders so they are safely waiting on you. And we have lots more!! Red w/gray, Gray w/black, Gray w/pink, Brown w/pink and Pink w/brown.

If you want one in your size & color but can't get here this week, give us a call. We'll hook you up! These Bella design tees are the same ones from last year and are very comfortable!

Also arriving:

• New "Handmade" tags to attach to your holiday knitted gift. Soooooo cute! Why didn't we come up with this idea?
• Knitterella's precious knitting themed note cards.
• Books, books and more books.
• HPSY (code for Harry Potter Sock Yarn!!) Finally.....wheee....we love this yarn. You know the company had a flood in the summer and several shops were told "sorry" you won't be getting any HPSY. We got some, not 10 per colorway but 4 in each color...hey, we'll take it!

Last but not least:

BERROCO!!! New yarns for fall/winter 2008! We are planning to do a Yarn Tasting for this batch as they have several new yarns. We won't have these three boxes open for KN but all the others will be available. (we may be able to sneak a peek)

Happy Wednesday!

Jo

Holiday Sock Yarn '08....win a Free skein!

Once again, we have a wonderful Holiday Sock Yarn arriving in December. It will be unveiled (or unwrapped) at our Holiday Party on Dec 7th. After that, it will be available in the shop.

Each year as the weather cools, I think about a colorway, an Indie dyer, an idea and get input from others. And now….we have a terrific Holiday Sock Yarn 08 coming soon!
And again, we are having a guessing game! Do you feel lucky? Are you clever? Can you be impulsive?? If you’re the first to get it right, you win a free skein!!

Send your guesses to me at knitpicky@bellsouth.net. If we don’t have a winner by Thanksgiving, I’ll throw you a bone and send out a hint!

Gook Luck!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Lights

My mom is giving me an early Christmas gift. She is having the shop decorated with white twinkle lights! I'm as excited as a kid during the holidays.

The lights might be done by Tuesday night but I know they'll be ready for Wednesday's Knit Night!! Aaahhh....the thrill of the holidays....thinking with my kid mind (not my adult/recession mind). I close my eyes and I'm having visions of a magical gingerbread house filled with yarn shop sugarplum fairies! Then again....it may end up looking like The Griswold Family Yarn Shop.....we'll see! Maybe they'll see us from Stratford Road. Maybe from Hanes Mall. Wow....I can really relate to Clark!!

New! Undyed Baby Alpaca

Cascade has a new yarn out and it just arrived in the shop. Eco Alpaca is a great, soft yarn and for around $8 you get 220 yards! The gauge is 5/inch on US 7, hand wash, lay flat to dry.

A perfect yarn for Christmas scarves or shawls. And especially good for guys since it is undyed....right of the alpaca...in the colors they seem to like. Stop in and pet the yarn. We've sold several skeins as we opened the box!

Another new yarn in (which is dyed in beautiful colors) is Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Lace! 100% baby alpaca, comes in 437 yd skeins and feels like a dream. We have several shades in the shop ranging from the neutrals to beautiful navy, green & red!!

Halloween Knit Night!

Last night was so much fun!! We had our annual Halloween Knit Night at Knit Picky. We choose to stay inside this year because we are divas and hate to be cold.

So the few who dressed up..we thank you! You added spice to the night. The official vote for best costume was cast for one of three: the witch, the stitch and the bi*&h.

Sarah the witch won. Whoo Hooo! She was wearing black and white stripped stockings, dark smokey eye shadow, all black clothing and pointed witches shoes (which were actually covers for her black pumps.....clever). Her prize? A box of Dove Chocolate that she didn't have to share with others. Yeah Sarah.

The stitch was our very own Kim. She had multiple UFO's on her body....part of a sweater, a scarf, even a bit of a sock around her ankle. Also very clever. It was a close vote, Tiffany said. Maybe we should have voted for most creative, too!!

And the bi*&h....well Laurie is too funny. I guess as Halloween ghost and goblins and brides of Frankenstein go, the bi*&h would translate to the "Miss Congeniality" of the spooky night bunch! So Laurie...congrats to you....Miss Spooky Congeniality!

Of course we had more food than our usual knit nights. Mom made her yummy Taco Stew and Jalapeno Cornbread. Belva brought a pot of delicious Chicken Chili. Several ladies added more treats: cornbread muffins, wine, nuts, wine, Dewey's rolls, more wine, apple cider, chips & snacks & chocolate cupcakes, and wine.

Thank you all for being there!!

Mirasol is here and worth the wait...

We've loved Mirasol, and The Mirasol Project, every since we heard the story and felt the yarn.

Today, we got our fall shipment from KFI-Euro. New yarns from Mirasol: Chirapa, Qina, Tupa and new colors of Hacho, Miski and Sulka! New pattern books, too.

We also got a splash of refreshing colors in Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool, Hempathy, and Kathmandu Aran (a pretty pinky tweed is one of my favs).

Here are a few pictures, frantically snapped as we ripped thru boxes like it was Christmas morning. Now....here's a carrot for you! If you are the first to read this and post a reply, you'll get 10% off your Mirasol purchase!

Now...back to the red couch for more fondling.

Addi Click Sets on Order (Regular & Lace Addi's are in)

We don't have our Addi Click sets yet but we did get a box of Addi needles today. But both regular Addi's and Lace Addi's came in today.

We have 10 Addi Click sets ordered. We are taking pre-orders if you know you want a set. Skacel cannot give us an exact ship date but they predict Nov/Dec. Just in time for holiday knitting (fingers crossed).

Jo

We're getting a Make-Over!

What do you think about the make-over to our blog spot?? I thought the first version needed updating and with the assistance of Julianna (knitter, blogger, movie-geek extraordinaire and friend) we've got a whole new look!

The blog was getting a little dusty. I've been posting less and less and I apologize for that. I plan to post more stories about the shop, projects I'm starting and the few I'm finishing, as well as new items and events at KPYS.

So...THANK YOU Juli! And if you are the first one to post a comment about the new look, you'll receive a free gift from us! Even if you're not the first, we'd appreciate your input. Tell us what you'd like to see here. We have so many cute stories about happenings at the business, that I thought it would be fun to share them with you!

Have a wonderful Sunday! By the way....our first ever "Knit Your Fashion" Show was a huge hit yesterday at the Pink Ribbon Talks. I'm waiting on some pictures and I'll post more about it!


Jo

Trunk Show: Fitted Knits!

Fitted Knits, by Stefanie Japel, has been a favorite of mine since it was published. The cover is pretty, the designs are flattering, and the book is a best seller. I'm tickled pink to have the actual knitwear in the shop!! You gotta see these sweaters. From a short bolero to a long luscious sweater coat, these garments are unique and beautiful. Take a peek at your favorite design!

See photos of sweaters here and, of course, on Ravelry!

The Trunk Show is with us until Friday, Sept 5th, when we'll pack and ship to the next lucky LYS.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Jo

My Ozark in progress

Susan and I couldn't keep our paws out of the Ozark! So we picked up 2 skeins and we're each knitting this funky wrap. It knits up in less than 2 hours. I still have the ruffle to add around the edge. So many colors in this yarn that I can't decide on a color for the trim.

Classes starting this week....

Tiffany's knitted her Hemlock Ring Blanket as a wedding gift and it has been on display in the shop while being blocked. People who saw it stopped in their tracks and stared. It took their breath away. She joked that it looked like a jellyfish before we blocked it (and it kinda did)! But afterwards....wow!

Tiffany starts her class on the Hemlock this coming Tuesday, August 5th. Click for dates/times.

If you're up for something a little smaller, check out KnitPicky/Marette's Original Design ~ The Floating Gems necklace. This class also starts August 5th. Knitting with wire is fun and creates a unique piece of jewelry that looks like a million bucks! Perfect for a gift but you'll need two (one to give, one to keep)!

Our Friday night knitting class in August is on the 8th and features the Swallow Hill Beaded Scarf. Several of you have this kit and we're offering a 'how to get started' session with tips and tricks. As you know, this scarf is jewel-like and will be a beautiful accessory for any holiday party or special event.

Check out our list of August classes for your very own back to school fun! Click to see Knit Picky's class schedule.

To register, use the online form on the website, call us at 768-5599 and you may leave a message, email us at info@knitpickyyarns.com, or come by the shop.

Jo

Gardiner Yarn Works Designs

After meeting Chrissy at market and seeing her designs, I knew we should have her patterns in the shop. The patterns arrived and include lots of sock designs, lace patterns, sweater patterns in regular and plus sizes, and a cute "collegiate style" kid sweater!!

Oooohh...and we're the only NC shop listed as retailers for Chrissy's patterns. Whee!! Check out the whole pattern line here.

Come by the shop and check them out....

Christmas in July

We have a beautiful display of hand knit Christmas Stockings in the shop. The kits range from $40 to $88 and include a pattern, quality yarn and embelishments. Since opening the shop, I've heard excellent reviews about these kits and I'm very pleased with our first order. Plus, they are a North Carolina company!

I hope you'll stop in and see them. A few of you have expressed an interest in a project class for the stockings since they require colorwork or intarsia. We'd love to do this!