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So if you’re trying to contact us and are unsuccessful this is why.  We are working on fixing this right now.

Please stand by and knit.

Meetings

So it turns out that it’s the meetings that make the world go around. This week is a whirlwind of Sock Summit meetings. Steph and I are meeting with everyone remotely associated with anything we do Summitwise.  So far we’ve charmed and worried the folks at the convention center. It was the sheep that did it for them this time.  We’ve challenged DWA to look come up with some more creative ways to showcase while having fun, not killing our feet, being environmentally friendly and again not hurting our feet. All while staying within our budget. 

I love this part of the process the brainstorming ( I know a little scary) and dreaming of possibilities.  It’s a very different process this time because we don’t have to sell any of these people on us. They get it, well most of it anyway, And even if they don’t there is the proof of what they saw with their own eyes and experienced and now they are really willing to work with us to help us manifest our vision.  A refreshing change that I have to say if I’m being completely honest has me just a little worried.  I think it’s about having the wall taken down.  When you’re constantly pushing against a something and then the wall is taken down or maybe even just come loose. Well it’s just a little disconcerting.

It’s a good change and one both Steph and I have been working towards. I’m sure my unease will pass. I just hope I still get to negotiate. I love the spice trader aspect of all of this so much. I know it should worry me but it doesn’t.

Today we start the day with our legal team and move on to the accounting and the books.  While they are still a few brain cells left we’ll head to the filemaker folks in the afternoon.  Luckily ( wicked planning on my part0 we end the day with our graphic team. 

Hey Steph have you seen my sock?

Welcome Paytan Patricia Cook

On Thursday August 12th our Cockeyed the sockateer aka Debbi Stone became a grandmother for the very first time. A role that she has been coveting, wishing, hope-chesting, praying and knitting for.  As you can imagine she is over the moon with joy and love for the newest addition to the lovely Stone clan.

You can go here goddessknitters to read about the play by play and see pictures of the vision that is Paytan Patricia.

It has been the most interesting experience to witness this coming of age as a grandmother in two of my closest and dearest.  I remember so clearly that broken-open-heart feeling from having my own children. I thought I knew love before that but no, I truly did not.  There is just no mistaking that radiance.  As blessed as I know that Debra And Debbi feel to have Patricia And Dylan in their lives and they are. I think that this is a two way street and that their daughters and their children are so lucky to have these two open hearted strong, powerful, vibrant women as mother and grandmother.

I feel very blessed to be a just the smallest part of this circle.

My own grandmother always said this poem whenever their was a new babe among us.

Dylan Ray and Paytan Patricia

May you always walk in sunshine.

May you never want for more.

May Irish angels rest their wings

beside your nursery door.

And for the proud parents:

May God grant you

a wee bit of heaven

to cradle in your arms –

a sweet bonny baby

to hold close to your heart

A newborn babe

brings light to the house

warmth to the hearth

and joy to the soul

for wealth is family

family is wealth.

Welcome!

ps. for all of those waiting ever so patiently for Moonstruck guess who the test knitter is?

I’m sorry but this is just one of those life stepping in moments that says stop, just stop.

Pattern next week.

Moonstruck

You know those moments that life likes to present us with? The ones where we have to do a complete 180, change our idea or plan or heaven help us, both?

Yup those moments.

And you know after I get over my usual initial knee jerk, “are you flippin’ kidding me?” or my current fav, “ I don’t believe it.” which is really funny after all of this time and experience that I get still gobsmacked over this kind of thing going down. Nonetheless here I am. I mostly appreciate these quirky gifts life gives us, especially as a creative sort of person.  I feel that they usually push me to expand my boundaries, challenging the way I see or think about a colour, a design, a yarn, a fiber type, really all kinds of little parts of my process.

Thanks to the mill and my own unwillingness to believe that they don’t think as I do, that we’re a team, the design Moonstruck has given us such an opportunity.  The yarn ( Flopsy a lovely wool/angora blend) that we designed Moonstruck for has been discontinued. It was not a yarn I designed but one offered so this kind of thing can and does happen. Usually we’re notified when this sort of thing happens. Not the case this time.

What to do? Well, after a big ol’ hissy fit. I’m not proud but I do find that if I don’t get rid of this energy it impedes the creative problem solving process.  So we just make more right? No.  Now of course, it is too cost prohibitive, at least for this mill. So I check out other mills I work with and find that I can have it made and to my specs this time. The only drawback is it won’t be here until October at the earliest.  So that is a good long term solution but right now I also need a short term one.

Here I am in full steam ahead problem solving mode and I have one of those well… duh, moments. 

Isn’t it a good thing to have a design that can be implemented in more than one yarn? Well… of course it is. So I take myself out to the barn and snagged every yarn we had and we played one of my favourite games, fabric design by yarn combining second only to fabric design by colour combining and right up there with fabric design by yarn making.  We came up with some really wonderful fabrics. The one we like the best for Moonstruck is Woobu/Peru .  This dynamic duo make a lofty, kinda silky, warm fabric with a lovely light halo much like the original fabric. 

See

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Opening the door to this problem gave us a whole realm of possibilities. We have a great fabric for this design we love by the ever charming and talented Karen Alfke. We have a new yarn due in October that we can also use for this and many other design and projects. In our search we discovered a lovely organic bulky wool we are probably going to add to our line up. I just love it when it does all come together.

The only thing I would change about this scenario is my waiting knitters and for that I’m truly sorry.

So dearest knitters, Debbi is almost done with this new sample. If we stay on track the pattern will be here next week.

I’ll keep you posted.

While you’re waitng here are the specs:

materials |

* yarn will be Woobu and Peru and those are the specs we’re waiting for.

* US size 9 (5.5 mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge

* 5 buttons, 1” (2.5cm) in diameter

* Tapestry needle

gauge | 16 sts and 23 rows = 4” (10cm) over k4, p2 rib pattern after blocking

20 sts and 22 rows = 4” (10cm) over k4, p2 rib pattern unstretched and before blocked)

sizes | women’s small (medium, large, extra large)

finished measurements |

37 (41, 45, 49)” [94 (104, 114.5, 124.5)cm] bust, buttoned

22 (22½, 23, 23½)” [56 (57, 58.5, 59.5)cm] length

Thanks for your patience!

Oh and the colourway is Downpour.

Going to go make some lemonade now!

Do you know what today is?

Today is one of those days that has after burners. I’ve had this sneaking suspicion all morning that I’m forgetting something really important. I know one thing I haven’t forgotten though. Today is August 6 and on this day one year ago Steph and our team of awesomeness ( Debbi, Rachel, Joann, Debra, Lisa …) were on our way to the Oregon Convention Center to get the Sock Summit show up and running.

In some ways it feels like it has been more than a year ago and in others it seems like it was just yesterday.  I think this is true for big life moments and this most certainly was a very big life moment for me. The whole thing was from the first tiny spark of thought to signing the last check and mailing it off.

I remember that ride from Scappoose to PDX like it was yesterday. So much excitement laced with a healthy amount of terror.  What a ride.

I wish I had time this morning to list all the ways this changed my life, all the ways I feel I grew. I wish I had time to honor all the people that showed up and gave all they had to give. I think I just might wish there was more time, which is really quite hysterical since we’re on the this journey again.

I’m just so excited to be able to do this again with the best partner anyone could hope to have and just the best rock star team.

Stay tuned… for so much more.

ohh no, look at the clock. Gotta run. A wee bit late for a very important date.

Here are just a few of my favourite moments:

Anna Z and Barbara W. chatting for the first time ever.

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Team shenanigans set-up.

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“You will too wear this walkie talkie Newton. Don’t even.”

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All those knitters strolling. Alice and Denny strolling.

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The hand jive and poodle skirts and RachelH’s spirit.

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Knitters all lines up for our marketplace and Debbi, Steph and I leading them with 99 skeins of yarn.

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Being in the same place as all of these amazing women/knitters.

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Breaking records.

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and that’s all. Are we done? Can we go to sleep now?

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Cake. How could I forget the cake?

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Just a few moments. For every one here, there are at least 20 more.

Happy Birthday Rabia

I love you, every single little part of you.  I think the magic part of today, your 18th birthday, is you are spending it doing what you love.

I hope you have the best day!

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You are one of the 3 best things that ever happened to me.

love you,

mom

Dear Marcy

I’m so sorry. I know that I promised you that the new fibers would be up on Friday. Obviously I didn’y have it together enough to make that happen. I wasn’t really happy with the photo work so I redid them and then when I was all ready Paula had too much orders to get out and then we were short a person because of that whole I want a vacation thing. I still don’t understand what the hell that’s about.

Anyway Marcy the fibers are all going up on the site today.  In a hope to apologize and appease there are also a few new colours.

I finally came up with a Bumbleberry that I really really love. Although I have to say my current absolute this colourway makes me weak in the knees is CopperTree.

It will probably take all day to get this all up on the site so wait until this evening to peruse at your hearts content.

I hope you forgive me.

yours in yarn,

tina