I have lots to tell you.
Monday, May 24, 2010 at 11:19AM 1. I like numbered lists.
2. I have this on my banged up filing cabinet here at the studio. And I like you. Thank you for being here.
3. We have a new retailer to welcome to the fold. If y'all are ever down Texas Way, be sure and check out The Sassy Spinster in Lancaster, on Historic Town Square. You can also reach them via telephone at 972-218-5335. Welcome, welcome!
4. This colorway is like a little piece of heaven peeking through the clouds. Not unlike a silver lining.
When you see it initially, you may think, "Wow, I love that!" or you may think, "Hmmm... I'm not a bright yellow person." Yellow tends to have that effect on people. But I'll tell you what: this colorway knits up like nobody's business.
It has very short color repeats, with multiple shades of yellow, ranging from butter to daffodil, ivory, and several shades of grey. If you get a skein of it, your feet will thank you.
This colorway is available exclusively at The Backwards Loop, another one of our Awesome Retailers. (You can request it from them on other yarn bases: I love this as a gender neutral baby option -- it's delightful on Springvale!)
5. Speaking of awesome, The Backwards Loop has our new spring rainbow instock on Kells, and a big selection of instock fabulosity Wexford Merino Silk.
6. Last week it was 86 degrees. Today it is 52. (For you Celsiophiles, it went from hot to cold.) There was so much fog this morning that you couldn't even see Lake Superior. The biggest lake in the world. Couldn't see it.
7. Minnesotans love to talk about the weather. Especially Duluthians. Lake Superior causes the weather to change quickly -- rarely do we get a long stretch of the same thing. I think the meteorologists earn their living here.
8. The Minnesota state bird is the Common Loon.
If you're from Canada or Alaska, you don't need me to tell you any more about this bird, as it lives nearly everywhere in your fair land. But it only lives in a few places here in the contiguous US, and even then, you don't see them that often. Last night I went to dinner with a friend and we saw two loons on Lake Superior -- my first sighting since returning to my hometown.
Loons can dive 250 feet and stay underwater for five minutes, and they can fly 75 miles an hour. (For you kilomophiles, that's fast.) They have red eyes because it helps them see underwater, not because they're scary.
I think you should click on this link and listen to the loon call. (Right underneath the appearance information.) It's very unique.
But hey, I'm just a yarnista, don't listen to me if you don't want to.
Don't click the link, that's fine. It's your choice, really.
Click it or don't. It's no skin off my back.
But you should click it.
9. Remember this colorway, the one I loved so much? Gulf of Mexico?
It was created before the horrible oil spill in the Gulf. But rather than just wring our hands, we've teamed up with A Good Yarn Sarasota to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sales of this colorway to the National Wildlife Federation, which will help rescue animals impacted by the spill and assist in cleanup efforts. It feels good to do something instead of just reading news stories about who's to blame and how horrible it is. If you buy Gulf of Mexico, the benefits will be threefold:
- You'll get an awesome colorway (It's currently instock on a huge variety of bases, including Springvale Bulky, Adorn Sock, fabulosity Wexford Merino Silk, Galenas Merino, Springvale DK, and Springvale Worsted.)
- You'll be supporting two small businesses: Three Irish Girls and A Good Yarn. Our businesses in turn support our families, our employees, and their families.
- You'll be doing something to help the wildlife that's been so terribly affected by the oil spill.
You can order it by emailing info@agoodyarnsarasota, calling 941.487.7914, or by visiting the store in person. Directions are on their website.
10. Don't forget about our open call for original knitting and crochet designs! Submissions are due June 13th, and more information can be found here.
11. And just for good measure:
The end.
Reader Comments (21)
I was going to resist Gulf of Mexico for now because I've just bought soo much yarn lately. But now I'm going to have to find a way to place an order. This oil spill is truly tragic. :'o(
And I like you too! :D
purdy!!
Ditto what Lori said! ;0)
My dog's day was quite entranced by the loon call! Woke her up out of a dog nap and everything. :-)
Darn--I meant to say my dog was entranced--not her day. Note to self--preview the post next time.
Soooo excited about the new retailer in Lancaster, TX. Thats just a hop, skip and a jump away from me.
Both colorways are beautiful.
So what is with the strike through of fabulosity before the Wexford???
and now I hear Katharine Hepburn in my head saying... "Come here, Norman. Hurry up. The loons! The loons! They're welcoming us back."
I love your blog posts! I love the picture of the loons (scary eyes and all!)! I love the new colorways! Thanks!!
Thank you for the snippets of Minnesota!! I was raised in Minnesota and love the sound of the loon. Reminds me of canoeing on the Boundry Waters Canoe Wilderness. I am driving up from Texas to Duluth in a few weeks to do a 150 mile bike ride from Duluth to Minneapolis - I hope I get to hear some loons!!! Keep sharing your Minnesota stories!!
I forced myself to strike out fabulosity because that's how I refer to Wexford in my mind. Then I remembered that the rest of y'all can't see what's in my head, and I had to call it by its real name. ;P
A Good Yarn is MY yarn shop the six months I live in Sarasota. I live just five minutes away. The shop is fabulosity as well as your yarn. The owner previewed my pattern for me and gave me a thumbs up to order Gulf of Mexico in Wexford Merino Silk--she has my order ready, waiting for my call today with the magic credit card. I have thoroughly researched Wexford Merino Silk on Ravelry and discovered many comments of "I love working with this yarn."
So, I hope in a few months to have a FO --will send you a photo.
OMG! That new yarn store is just an hour away from me! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!
I love the Backwards Loop! And I adore that colorway!!
Ahhh, the call of the loon. Brings me back to summers at Grandma's cottage on the lake in Northern WI!
We like you too!
♥ the entire post as usual!
1. Love Love LOVE that colorway! Alas, I'm broke. :-(
2. What a gorgeous bird! Most importantly, I want to THANK YOU for the awesome link! It was exactly what I was needing, as I had been wanting to identify some of the birds that visit my feeder every day as well as identify what bird makes a certain sing-song call from the trees (turned out to be my cute little Black-capped Chickadee). I have saved the link and will be spending ridiculous amounts of time browsing there when I'm not browsing to feed my my yarn p*rn eye candy habit...
3. Yet another gorgeous colorway, and a great cause, but again Alas, nuttin' but lint in my pockets (not even from yarn, huh!). I will see if I can squeeze the budget when my next SS check comes in, if this deal is still in play (about 3 weeks from now), maybe I can swing it to get my first piece of heaven - er, 3IG yarn. Or maybe second, if that luscious little mini-set happens to come my way...
4. I like you too!
I like you too :D
And that Loon is so pretty!! Loved hearing the call!! So neat :)
Even though I know how a loon sounds (as I live in Northern Lower Michigan), I still "clicked." It's always great to hear a loon!
P.S.---I love the Gulf and I love the Gulf colorway. Have to get me some!
My husband thinks that your new colorway looks like Pittsburgh Steeler colors, maybe you could market it there for the next football season that you sooooo enjoy! Maybe your husband can tell you when the season starts. Maybe you should create a colorway for your old teaching alma mater???? Never mind we could have use that for cords for graduation and that is Tuesday. To think I will be 103 soon.
That loon is totally gorgeous; you need to dye a yarn those colors! Really.