Progress Can Be Painful

Things have been extremely busy around here.  We are in the midst of implementing a point of sale system.  Of course this process is good in many ways.  While putting items in the program, we have run across a few things that you may not know about, or maybe you’ve seen before, but just forgotten.  So I thought I’d share a few with you.  Maybe this will become a regular feature as we progress in the POS (that’s Point Of Sale) adventure.

First up let me show you these Counted Thread Patterns.

Next up, a little reminder of all the tools and accessories we keep behind the checkout desk.  Needles, scissors, lanyards, magnifiers, thimbles, storage, highlighter tape, scroll frames, stretcher bars, lights, grime stoppers.  I think that about covers it.

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On the left below you will see our selection of Lavishea Yarn Bars.  These are lotion bars and we have a wide variety of fragrances, including unscented.

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And on the right is a sampling of Gadget Bags.  As you can see in the picture there are lots of colors to choose from.  We also have a variety of sizes.

 

Now for some new stuff.  I know you enjoy seeing new things as much as we do.  Of course, you won’t have any trouble finding something new in here any time you stop by.  There is sure to be something you haven’t noticed before.  This week’s new stuff is all from Appalachian Baby.  We have Organic Baby Cotton, lots of kits, and some new patterns.

 

 

And now, last but not least, we have some finished objects.  If you have one you would like to share with our friends, bring it in and we will take a picture.

 

 

This ‘n That

For Needlepointers…

 

Fun Fact

If you use decorative stitches on your canvas, the work goes faster, giving you more variety and the opportunity to do more of those great canvases you see when you come in.

…Like some of these new canvases

New Doggie Canvases...Doctor Doggie not available.
New Doggie Canvases…Doctor Doggie already gone.

 

New Dragonfly Canvases
New Dragonfly Canvases

 

Black and White Dragonfly Canvas

 

New Honeybee Canvas
New Honeybee Canvas

 

Or you can browse for canvases here on our website.  When you find one you like, give us a call and we will ship it to you.  We will even send you the thread you need.

When you are finished stitching the canvas and need it sewn up, you can send it to a finisher through us.  But remember, there are deadlines you should know about.  You can see the deadlines on this page.  The deadline for large items by Christmas is this Saturday.

You can get to any needlepoint information from the menu at the top of the page.  Hover your mouse over “Needlepoint” and you can choose Canvases, Threads or Finishing.

 

For Knitters

Upcoming Classes

October 12 & 26 … Socks … $40

This is a two session class.  During the first session we will cover cuff and leg.  The next session will be on turning the heel and the foot.  Call the shop to sign up.

 

New Bags

New Chic-a Project Bags...$28
New Chic-a Project Bags…$28

 

New Messenger Project Bags...$70 There is a divider on the inside, and several holes to run your yarn through.
New Messenger Project Bags…$70
There is a divider on the inside, and several holes to run your yarn through.

 

 

For Everyone

Needle Felting Class this Saturday … $25 plus kit.

You will learn how to use one of these needle felting kits to make the cutest little wool animals you’ve ever seen.

Needle-felting Kits

 

Finished Objects

Leona knit this for her granddaughter.
Leona knit this for her granddaughter.

 

Georgie knitted this for her daughter.
Georgie knitted this for her daughter.

 

Deanne's Socks
Deanne’s Socks

 

Sarah's Socks
Sarah’s Socks

 

Fingerless Gloves Knit by Leona for Terry
Terry loves the fingerless gloves Leona knit for her.

 

A little reminder that bad behavior will not be tolerated.

A Knotty Needlepointer on Knit Night
A Knotty Needlepointer on Knit Night

 

Some Special Recognition.

Special Commendation…

Today, I’d like to introduce you to our friend Terry.  She goes to church at Christ Episcopal in Bay St. Louis.  The building was leveled by Hurricane Katrina.  When it came time for kneelers for the new building she gathered an army of about 20 stitchers to get the job done.  The kneelers were designed by her sister, Sandra, who lives in New Orleans.

The kneelers, have been blessed by the Bishop and are used every week during church services.  Nicely done, Terry and all who helped!

 

Special Event Reminders.

Book Signing….

Remember that Terri DuLong, author of Postcards From Cedar Key will be in the shop on August 21st from 1-3 pm to sign her books.  You can pick up your copy here anytime and then come back to meet Ms. DuLong.

 

Saturday Snack and Skills

Stranded Knitting, August 17th – $20 plus supplies.  There is pre-work necessary, so come pick out your yarn.

801 Deanne's Lusekofte-sque Mitts

Finishing A Garment, August 31 – $25.  Bring that sweater in pieces and we will teach you how to sew it up.  No more excuses.

Reading Your Canvas, September 7 – $40

Setting Up A Project in knitCompanion, September 14 – $25

 

Special Arrivals.

 

Special Opportunities…

Remember that you can buy Ravelry patterns through the shop.  If you have seen a pattern you like, and would like an easy way to purchase it, we may be able to get it through Ravelry.  There are thousands of patterns available through Ravelry.  It’s a great option for those patterns.

 

knitCompanion.

We are a kClub affiliate.  Go here to see what that means…

 

Special Projects…

Georgie’s Amanda Lawford Santa is coming along nicely.  You can stop in when she’s here to see it in person.

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He’s almost done!!,Which eyes should the frog get?
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That’s it for today.  I hope your day is super special!!

 

Some Stuff to Celebrate!

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Happy 4th of July.

 

We have a few exciting announcements…

 

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The French Knot is now a knitCompanion Affiliate.

“What is knitCompanion?” you ask.  knitCompanion is an amazing iPad app that transforms your PDF patterns into highly interactive knitting instructions (iPhone and iPod Touch too). It is a complex app that allows you to easily read charts, count rows, and make notes.  Check it out here.  Since we’ve discovered it, we have been singing its praises to all who will listen.

Well now it gets even better.  knitCompanion has expanded their offerings to the new kClub.  kClub is an annual club where members can interact with designers, fiber artists and crafters.  There are Designer Spotlights, KALs, Special Events and special knitCompanion training sessions.  Read more about it here.

The French Knot is now a knitCompanion affiliate.  We are very excited about this partnership and hope to soon be knitCompanion instructors, and offer formal, detailed classes on the many features of knitCompanion.

Check out knitCompanion if you haven’t already.  If you already have knitCompanion, consider joining kClub.  Stop by for a chat (or email, or call) if you have any questions.

 

Another exciting announcement is… drumroll please…

Ravelry pattern sales

You can now purchase patterns available on Ravelry through The French Knot.  If you don’t know about Ravelry, you should check it out.  Take a moment, we can wait for you…

… Ravelry has a huge database of patterns by thousands of designers.  Many are free, some are not.  For various reasons someone may not be able to purchase directly through Ravelry.  Now a large number of those patterns are available to purchase through The French Knot.  This is a great service and we are very excited to be able to offer it.

 

Remember how I told you about Meg, Leona and Georgie going to market?

 

It wasn’t all work and no play…

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Here are some of the suppliers they ordered from.   I know I’m excited.  You should be, too.

 

New needlepoint canvases from…

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Lee

Rebecca Wood

Elizabeth Turner

Susan Roberts

JP Needlepoint

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Leigh

Little Shoppe of Stitches

The Princess and Me

Strictly Christmas

Raymond Crawford Designs

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A Collection of Designs

Associated Talents

Labors of Love

Kirk & Bradley

 

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New for Knitters

Karribean Kotton new kits and restocking

Needle Felting kits from Lorna’s Wool

Scrumptious 4-ply

Appalachian Baby Design kits and organic cotton

Aurora Yarns

Madelinetosh

Sweet Georgia

 

Accessories for everyone.

Baskets from Honeycomb Enterprises

Bags from Chica

Books from Unicorn Books

Yarn Bowls from Pawley Studios

 

A few things have already started showing up… watch our little slideshow to see a few of the goodies that have already arrived.

 

Of course we mustn’t forget about the book signing on August 21st or the Saturday Snacks and Skills classes coming up.  Needlepoint Santa on July 20 and Stranded Knitting on August 17.   See more details here.

 

Finished Objects

Another slideshow for you…

 

You Need Some Sunshine Today…

Since it’s raining and feels like it will never stop, I have a few new things to share with you that should brighten up your day.

 

 

 

Now don’t you feel better?  Those are happy and bright, aren’t they?  The top picture is a bunch of tape measures.  From the top and going clockwise you see an owl, a chicken, a turtle, a black sheep, a brown sheep, a sock monkey, a bunny, a queen bee (she has crown even!).  In the middle is a pig, and a bear.

And those stitch markers… OMG, right?  From left to right you see sheep, lady bugs, bees and Scotty dogs.

You’re welcome.

 

We also have some little stuff keepers.  The bags on the left come in a set of three.  On the right you see a collection of ort containers.  Leona tells me that ort means scraps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now how about some yarn?   This is Scrumptious DK/Worsted.  It is 45% silk and 55% merino, and a 241 yard skein costs $22.  It feels so good, you want to snuggle with it.  I was imagining the feel of it on my head as a hat…mmmmm.  I may have to cast one on with apologies to my darling husband for another excuse to neglect his sweater.

 

 

And here we have some special yarn hand dyed by Ann K.  You can take home some of this beautiful yarn for yourself.  Come in and see the colors in person.

 

 

Some new books and patterns came in this week as well…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Saturday Snacks and Skills Classes…

This weekend, May 4 is the Cable Without a Cable Needle class.  We will be making a washcloth.  You don’t need to know how to knit cables to take this class. $20 (includes yarn)

June 15 will be a needlepoint class.  Dealing With Borders.  Bring a project you are already working on. $20

 

 

It’s time for some finished objects…

 

Margie is one prolific knitter, and she designs some of what she knits herself.  Here Deanne models a few of her most recent accomplishments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leona did some knitting this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And she managed to finish these owls, too.  She hasn’t decided yet how they will be finished, but she has eight more to finish before she has to make a decision.

 

 

Georgie finished this sweater for her grandson.

 

What did you finish recently?

New This Week!

Ernie stopped by this week and brought us some goodies.  We made him stop for a moment to take his picture.  Then we got busy.

 

Look what we got…

Some new patterns

 

Some more new patterns

 

Some pattern books to help you decide what to make with…

 

…all this new yarn.

What you see here is Mohair Mountain, Cotton Supreme Splash, Poems Chunky, Poems Silk, Poems Puzzle, Poems Socks, Poems, Classic Shades, Saki Silk, Deluxe Worsted, and Bamboo Bloom.

 

Don’t forget about the Snacks and Skills on Saturday.

April 20 (Needlepoint), Voodoo Doll Class, $150, includes canvas, threads and stitch guide.

 

May 4 (Knitting), Cable Without a Cable Needle, $20, includes pattern and yarn.

June 15 (Needlepoint), Dealing with Borders, $20, bring a work in progress that needs a border.

 Mark your calendar.

 

Now for some finished objects.

Sarah finished these two pillows.

 

 

Eileen stitched this one.

 

Georgie made this sweet sweater for her soon to be born granddaughter.  The pattern, along with lots of other adorable patterns is in this book.

 

Leona made this blanket for Georgie’s soon to be born granddaughter.  The pattern is Diagonal Eyelet Baby Blanket from Lion Brand.

 

These pods were knit by Eileen to have her grandbaby’s picture taken in.