Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can. That's what I was always told. Not that it worked for me, because I'm about the least patient person I know.

But I'm hoping that you are all more patient than me. Because the next couple of weeks are going to be hellish at Chez Posh Yarn. And try as I might to restrict the disruption to my customers, the fact remains that when you are moving house and business premises all at the same time (because that's a good idea), something has to give.

I was considering closing the website down for a couple of weeks, but I'm not going to do that. I like to window shop, even after the shops have closed, don't you? But what I am doing is this: no orders will be processed from Monday, 31st July until Monday, August 14th (although sock & lace club will go out as usual). And after that there may still be some small delay, as we work through the backlog of orders. This sounds grimmer than it will be; your orders won't be dispatched more than three weeks after your order date, no matter what. But still, be prepared to wait.

Because you know what they say, everything good comes to she who waits.......

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July 24th 2006

That was a good weekend.

There was knitting. Reading. Iced coffee. Swimming in the sea. Champagne with friends. Napping. And a new resolution.

To do more napping......well, that too. No, I have decided to be an Altruistic Knitter. For the time being, anyway. An Altruistic Knitter knits for other people, rather than themselves. First on the list is this Fair Isle sleeveless pullover for Mr Posh. In nice Autumnal colours.

After that there will be a cable knit sweater, also for the Mr. And a pair of socks (of which I have knitted one). And if I'm still feeling altruistic, there's a baby jacket that needs knitting (not, I hastily add, for me). After that, well, we'll see. My motives aren't entirely unselfish. I enjoy knitting for others far more than I do for myself, and I'm more likely to finish things too. Plus I adore Fair Isle, cables, socks.

Would anyone care to join me? Altruistic Knitters United.

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July 20th 2006

I am looking on the bright side today. Yes, I am.

Even though it turns out that the latest consignment of Cecilia (our cobweb weight cashmere/silk) was in fact, not Cecilia at all. That instead of being a cobweb laceweight yarn, it's actually a double knit weight yarn. And of course, I didn't spot this until after several of you had already placed orders, so that now you have to wait for a new shipment/choose an alternative/ get a refund. But we're looking on the bright side, aren't we? Ok then, this is a good thing because now we have a new yarn in the cashmere/silk range, and a double knit weight is ideal for summer knits.

And the socks that I had knitted up in a new pattern arrived, and they are wide enough, baggy enough, to fit both feet in at once. Sadly, my lovely knitter didn't tell me that, but faithfully followed my (wrong) instructions. But lets not focus on that, lets just look at how pretty the lacey pattern is. And how nice the yarn looks. And how it doesn't take long to reknit socks.

Happy days.

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July 19th 2006

We. Have. Silk.

!!!

Look how pretty they are. I keep going into the stock room and staring at them. These are the first yarns in a new range of pure silk, and silk blend yarns that we're delighted to be carrying.

The yarn at the front is a lace weight pure silk yarn, with incredible sheen and (surprisingly) strength. The skein at the back is a 4ply yarn, made from a blend of 50% silk, 50% hemp. It will make for an interestingly textured knit, and is softer than you expect it to be. Both were dyed in the shade Raspberry (one of our best sellers) and I'm delighted by how they came out. The pure silk is the nicest yarn I've ever dyed. It sucks the dye up and gives an intense luminous colour. As you can see, the silk/hemp came out a little lighter which I expected, because of the hemp content. Something to keep in mind if you order any.

For more details and to order, visit our silk page. Now then, now then, form an ordely queue, please!

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July 18th 2006

I had a whole post planned about my knitting rules, but the heat has addled my brain and I find myself unable to be either funny or clever. Is there anywhere I can live that's cold all year round? And do they have a good postal service?

A huge shipment of yarn came in yesterday, including new stock of Octavia and Cecilia, as well as a brand new yarn that will launch later this week.......

And the sale page has been updated with more bargains, including this funky new yarn that we're trying out, a 50% silk / 50% hemp 4ply yarn.

The jury is still out on whether we will start carrying it in our hand dyed range, but I'll let you know later in the week. It's an unusual yarn, slightly hairy but not in an unpleasant way. The silk gives it a beautiful sheen, and it looks very rustic and summery.

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July 14th 2006

It's amazing. I think that I just can't get any busier. And then I do. I have a precious little caravan sitting outside my house (yes, I got one!) and I'm thinking longingly of a weekend away. No, the wedding week does not count. Can someone stop the clock so I can get away for a bit?

I need to stop moaning. It's the heat, I think. Positive thoughts! Raindrops and roses!

Thank you, everyone, for your enthusiastic response to the lace club. It's going to be so much fun. I thought I'd share with you a photo that one of our customers sent in this week. It's the Icarus shawl from Interweave Knits, knitted in Cecilia (which will be back in stock by the end of the week), in the shade Bluebell Wood. I think it's just gorgeous, don't you? Well done Judith, you've inspired us all.

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July 10th 2006

Did you miss me? Last week flew by in a blur of wedding celebrations, family visits, and all sorts of fun. It wasn't very restful, although they say that a change is as good as a rest. But if you could see the pile of work I've come back to, you'd think I'd been away for a month! Still, it's nice to be back in the saddle.

Especially nice because of what I'm about to announce. I'm delighted to tell you that the Posh Yarn Lace Club is now open! If you love to knit lace, or if you've always wanted to have a go at lace, but never got round to it, this club is for you.

Full details are on the Lace Club page, but in summary this is how it works. On a quarterly basis, you will receive 100g lace weight yarn and an exclusive pattern designed for that yarn. The first pattern (only available to members, sorry!) is pictured above. The yarn will be dyed in a one off colourway, also exclusive to the Club. Annual membership costs £50 (£60 for international customers). The patterns are fun, but not too challenging, so even beginners should be enjoy knitting them. And we've set up a discussion group specifically for club members to discuss the patterns and display photos of their finished work.

Doesn't that all sound good? Well what are you waiting for - come join our club! And that's not all; more exciting news later in the week....

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July 3rd 2006

Phew, what a crazy few days. I really didn't think we were going to get everything done in time, but we did. Sock club went out on Friday, so a lot of you will have yours by now. The rest of the current orders are going out today. And the biggy, the order that has been keeping me awake at night, is also being dispatched today. At least, part of it.

This is the first half of the wholesale order for Lettuce Knit, that funky store in Toronto where knitting icons Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Amy from knitty.com are regulars. Megan placed a wholesale order with us in May, and has been patienly waiting for the first consignment. Megan, it's on its way! A huge box of Victoria, our aran weight cashmere/silk/cotton, in a range of yummy shades.

Next on the to do list is the rest of this wholesale order (lots and lots of sock yarn), as well as another big wholesale order for a British store. It's a delicate balance, doing wholesale and retail at the same time. The wholesale orders are time consuming, and we try and process them as quickly as possible, but at the same time making sure that they don't push our regular customer's orders to the back of the queue.

We are only a small team at the moment, and I tend to play all the bases at once, so sometimes I think it might be better if I just gave up sleeping altogether. Think what I could accomplish! Or maybe we should just take on more staff. That will be the next step. Can't wait to have more people to boss around....

But for now, it's holiday time! We're off to the family wedding tomorrow, and will be gone for the rest of the week. I will still be checking in on emails every day, but orders will be slightly delayed. But when we get back, oh boy do we have some great stuff lined up. New yarns, new club, new patterns, and so many goodies I can't wait to share them! So, until next week, au revoir.

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