The Boys

Everyone is always asking about my boys and "How Is Mr Lukey doing??" My Dog in "Training"...always in Training!! Here are some pics...you look at that face....how can he be so crazy!!!
Angus is still the Best Dog in the World...getting alittle grey!! He is so sweet and HE love Luke! They are the best of friends!
To get back to Luke...He has his days...he is a very lovable dog to his Core Family and that is about it!!! He has acquired many nicknames...Cujo comes to mind first and Psycho Dog is another top contender. He is very nervous, shy, timid and NASTY! He makes noises I have never heard a dog make...I have seen two different Dog Psychologists, I didn't know how to care for him.....he has made us so crazy with his unnatural behavior. Good thing we love him so much...No ordinary family would put up with is temperment/behavior. Julia, Sarah and I were making great strides, we took a break over the summer, my being sick and all. I am hoping to start working with Julia again soon.

Hello and Happy Almost New Year!!!

I am going to make a New Years resolution....to be a better Blogger this year!!!
I know I should but I can never find the time to sit and type all my important info...So here goes...Better late than not at all...
The Pictures at the top are my students from Salem HS Cont. Ed Class I taught in September...We accomplished quite a bit...Started with Dish Cloth, onto a scarf then a Sampler Afghan. Everyones project was a little different but boy.....they did great!! I can't wait to start up again in February...I hope the girls sign up for the class again, they were a great group. Half was from my previous class...we met through the summer too. What fun!!

Field Trip

So here we are...Purling Petals visiting Sallie's Fen in Barrington...Our first "Group Field Trip"
Pic...The Babies..Angel is 7 days old!...Inside the Shop, Cheryl, Pam, Nichole, Cheryl, Marlana, Nicola and Sallie...I am behind the camera!
Missing from our trip were Marlene, Sylvia, Mary Ann and Alice...who will be sorry when they see what they missed!!!!

...We had a ball, saw brand new Babies, lots of Awesome yarn and roving, Sallie gave us a personal tour of the yarn mill...AND...
...I picked up my Girls Spun YARN...OMG...It is SO AWESOME...Sallie did an incredable job of spinning my fiber into lucious 3 ply dk wt yarn. The Jacob/Angora, once washed, is heavier than the Shetland. What a halo!! I started knitting with it that night!! The class I teach in Salem started a sampler scarf on Tuesday, I had no intensions of making one...Guess what?! That is exactly what I am making...with alternating stripes...Blend(Josie,Bonnie,Gracie) for 4" then switch off to Harriett for 4" then back to the Blend and so on. It looks great but FEELS...can't be described, you HAVE to feel it for yourself!!! Stop by the shop and I'll let you "Fondle" my scarf and yarn!!

For those interested...The skeins are 250yds @ $25 each, there are 6 skeins of each color available as we speak. This Saturday/Sunday, Oct 11 and 12, I am vending at Fiber Studio and intend to bring my yarns with me...I do not know what I will come home with...if you really want any, I would suggest stopping by this week...Or seek me out at Fiber Studio during the Wool Arts Tour this weekend...Until next time...Keep Those Needles Clicking!!

My Autumn Sock or Scarf Swap package...

Look at all the goodies my friend Kim sent me...There is Yummy Yarn that reminds me of a pumpkin sitting in a patch with leaves laying near it,a lovely Leaf Motif Scarf Pattern, Leaf Stitch Markers, two wonderful Candles, Choco. Peep Cats, Coconut Chai Tea (the best ever!!), Ceramic Pumpkin, a soft Door Knob Pillow, Soup Mix for our crisp New England evenings...I know I left out something...there was just so much!! This was the best swap I have even participated in. Kim, Thank You for all your thoughtful gifts!!

International Scarf Exchange Gifts...

I am ashammed of myself for not posting this picture sooner but....life has a way of getting IN THE WAY!!!

Do not be too jealous of my beautiful Mohair Scarf with Beaded Fringe...It is so soft and yummy!! I know come fall, I will have to fight off my two daughters to wear it myself!!! Along with my scarf, Dorothy sent three different bottles of Crabtree and Evelyn oils that you place on a clay bib over a light bulb, when it heats up...the fragrances are intoxicating!!! The Maple Leaf shaped candies are heavenly and the lip gloss is GONE!!! Thanks girls!!! Dorothy, they enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness...

Thank you ladies, your hard work at coordinating this and past swaps is so very much appreciated!!!! When do we do it again??!!

KAL Shawl AKA Kitchen Curtain

Now...Here are pictures of my KAL Shawl that turned into a Curtain when it fell off my needles,lost the edge stitches and I could not retrieve them!!! Actually, I started over with Cotton that matches my newly painted Kitchen walls...I just love it...provides just the right amount of privacy from the farmers porch entry.

I am going to try to post this on the AKG at Ravalry but I do not know how sucessful I will be....please just bear with me!!

New Yarns, Needles and Stuff...

Hello...A few new additions here at A Knitter's Garden...
POLAR KNIT YARN has finally arrived.
Available in four colors, free patterns on the website, printed out here and yours when you purchase Polar Knit Yarn...55yd balls @ $8.95...I have knitted a sample of the Cable Cap...Very nice, warm and soft!!

Now carrying KA Japanese Bamboo Needles...Circular and Double Pointed...Wonderfully Smooth, nicely pointed...Greatest feature...The Needle rotates on the connector!!! You have to check them out!! I love them better than ----, still carry them, too!!

Many new colors of Seacoast Handpaints added to our inventory...sport and worsted weight, Superwash merino, angora...lucious yarns and colors...yes, I do allow fondling of my yarns!!

Buttons you may ask...Antler Buttons...very interesting...very individual in style. Sets of 2 and 4 and 6...reasonably priced.

A Knitter's Garden Ravelry KAL....

For those who do not know, we started a KAL on Ravelry but will also be starting the same KAL on Weds Night Purling Petal's Guild.

Here is a pic of one of the Ravelry Gal's KAL already in progress....How awesome is that??!! So, everyone interested, choose your yarn and let's get started...Remember...Keep Those Needles Clicking!!!

New Items...

Here are some pics of a few new items available at AKG. The first is a Caron Yarn...SPA...it is a lovely Silky Bamboo, 250 yds lite yarn. Also another new Caron is Country, the softest Merino Wool ever, a ww at 185 yds. Both yarns are Washable and Dryable. Next up is a fabulous Silk and Merino Blend by Yarns Northwest, a lite ww skein with 120 yds, handwash only. Check out Mona the Moose's AKG Designed Cowl. Pattern or Kits available. Lastly...Due in this month...Polar Knit...Knitting with Polar Fleece Yarn!!...Extra warm, soft, washable and cuddly...Chunky 55yd balls available in 6 colors.

There will be many more as Autumn approaches so check back offen. I do give my word, I will update more often than in the past...Again, Thanks for your loyality...It is very appreciated!

And remember...KEEP THOSE NEEDLES CLICKING.....

Ravelry...

I do not know how many of you are involved with Ravelry. I joined last year but didn't do anything with it until recently. It is pretty darn cool, I must say. I have joined a few different groups and we actually started our own...A Knitter's Garden...and we are planning a Knit-Along. Stop by www.ravelry.com for those of you who may be interested.

The buttons above are the groups I have joined, again, check 'em out.

Happy July...

Hello All, Sorry to have been away so long...lots going on. The Blow-Out Summer Sale was a huge Success...Thank You all who took advantage of the savings. Here are a few snaps of the shop before and after the sale day. Thanks always to my PR Gal Friday!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS...

AND HERE THEY ARE...BETSY, KELLY, TERRY, VICKIE AND CHERYL



NH SHEEP AND WOOL ENTREE...for the SHEEP TO SHAWL CONTEST...
AND THE WINNERS ARE OUR VERY OWN ISLAND POND SPINNERS!!!!!!!!!
We are all so proud of you gals. Great job done by all!!!!

Look who's living in our Dining Room...

Here's a look at our 12 baby chicks...they are 4 weeks old this Saturday. Can you see the difference in their size?? They are growing like crazy and noisey as all get out!! But we are loving them...Angus and Luke included!!

ISE6...Gift from Swapee...

Look at the beautiful gifts my International Scarf Exchange Swapee sent to me from Taiwan!! I was so blown away yesterday when I received a package from her. I had this horrid thought..."She hates my Alpaca scarf and is returning it!!!!!" Couldn't be farther from the truth! Pheew...May received her package last week and loved the scarf and all the goodies I sent along with it.
Back to her gift to me...
The beautiful blouse is on display in my shop,as are all her gifts, the color is so amazing. May also included a lovely card, postcard, a tatted Doily, a "Good Luck" charm and bookmark. And what my family loved the most, Collectable Cards from 7 Eleven in Taiwan!!! My husband thought that was so terrific...Thanks again and again to you May...you made us all smile!!!!!!

On the otherside...I am waiting for my scarf to arrive. I am sure it is on it's way...another surprise for another day...I will keep you posted!!! This is so exciting...you should all experience a SWAP atleast once...there are plenty out there, just google...swaps...I am sure something will pop up to interest you.

Shearing Done...

Oh My God...Wait till you see the girls...they were shorn yesterday. As soon as one of my girls comes home, I will snap a few pics and post them...What a hoot...Harriet is so tiny...she looks like a little Lamb! Nothing like the pic above!
As the time approached, Josie, the horned and fresh one, was such a lady!! Took me totally by surprise. Just stayed put and let James shear her completely. And I think enjoyed every minute!
Now, Harriet on the other hand, who is such a LADY, calm, friendly, never jumpy...Would not stay still, tried to jump up and thrash around. I ended up on the ground with her to hold her head and whisper sweet nothings in her ear! She still wouldn't stay still, jumped and got a nasty nick! That's why I pay someone to shear them for me...I have no strength or stamina to stay crouched down on the ground for more than say...10 to 15 minutes...Poor James was in that position for -2 hours! Youth!!
Well I have some beautiful fleece...I am trying to decide whether to make a trip to Friend's Folly again or bring fleece to a mill here in NH...I'd like to keep the business here...we'll see. Bye for now until pics are ready...

NABY Specials...

We are into our 3rd Rotation of my NABY Weekly Specials...Things are going great!Try to stop by and take advantage of a 15% discount on specific items each week...Hope to see you here...Doesn't this sheep look like Harriet?? In my spare time I have taught Her how to knit!! What a winter...Can you say..."Cabin Fever?"

ROTATING WEEKLY SPECIALS.......NABY

You ask...What the heck is NABY...Needles...Accessories...Books...Yarn...
The same week each month, the same group of items are on special...
FIRST WEEK OF EACH MONTH...Needles... when you purchase any in stock needles, you will recieve a 15% discount.
SECOND WEEK OF EACH MONTH...Accessories...All instock accessories, 15% discount.
THIRD WEEK OF EACH MONTH...Books...My books are already discounted but I will deduct an additional 15%.
and lastly...
FOURTH WEEK OF EACH MONTH...Yarn...This is where it gets tricky...NO SPECIALTY YARNS are included in this special. By Specialty Yarns I mean, Handspun (Sarah or Nancy's), Local (Sallie's Fen or Riverslea) or My Flock's Yarn. All other yarns instock will recieve a 15% discount off the retail price of that particular yarn. All yarns at the "Out The Door Sale" are already discounted to the MAX...

To start...we are going into the third week of February...so this week's Special is "B"...books...From February 20th thru 23rd...15% off any instock book...

Hope you take advantage of these savings...Stop by and Look around...

Happy February...

I know, it's been forever since I posted anything...Shame on me...Between holidays, work, animal care and just the holiday blues...it's been rough...But we are all back on track...Everyone is Healthy, Happy and tired of Shoveling...How 'bout you!?!

Let's see...updates...My WebPages should be up and working sometime next week...I do promise to keep you informed! It took 3 1/2 hours and a super technician, Mike, but I think we have things on the right road, finally.

At Christmas, the Historical Society of Chester sponsored a "Front Door Contest". Of course, you know I had to enter...Well, low and behold...I won 3rd Place! I already have some great ideas for next year's door.

The most exciting and newest to the shop...I have finished processing my girls wool and I decided to share...I have put up 100 yard skeins of both yarns. Harriet, our Brown/Black Shetland, her wool is so soft, I am pleasantly pleased. Josie, our Jacob sheep, Bonnie and Gracie, our Angora bunnies, have been blended into the most wonderful yarn. It is a 80/20 blend, the "Halo" blooms as you work it. So far my own socks and mittens are "Wonderous". I hope Mary and Raven are loving theirs, too.

Right now I have 3 skeins of each with more to come, they are a steal at $15. I just have to share the wealth!

The Sheep will be shorn again this March/April...so there will be more to come.

Well, it's great to be back...I hope to find the time to be here more often...please, stay tuned...J