Sock Club Time...

Updated at 10.00 pm: Sock Club is now closed!

Some things I'm looking forward to this weekend: a gingerbread latte from Starbucks; long lie ins; reading / knitting in my favorite fireside chair; Scrabble with friends; a movie; wine; succulent roast chicken; mooching round a bookshop; a walk on the beach. Whatever you've got planned, have a wonderful weekend too.

New & Exciting...

Ah, there's nothing quite like casting on for a new project. Sorry to those of you who were misled into thinking that I was casting on for the Gerda stole. Sadly I don't have the time, patience, or talent to knit something this fine. I'm a dk girl, all the way.

In the end I decided to knit the Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene (which is getting better every issue, by the way). I hear that it's a great pattern to knit, and it's just my style. As is the yarn I've chosen to knit it in: pillar box red organic merino, or as I like to call it, heaven in a skein. I have it in 4ply and dk weight, and it's now available on the site here.

I can highly recommend it for knitability. It's squishy and soft, with good stitch definition. And it dyes beautifully. We've done lots for next week's OOW, and I foresee it becoming a favourite.

As will this red hoodie, I suspect.

November 30th, 2006 | |

So! Much! Work! So! Little! Time!

More information on Sock Club:

Speaking of Sock Club, we've been busy this week getting December's yarn ready to send out tomorrow. I love this colourway, it's called Very Berry. We did a few extra skeins, for the next OOW.

And speaking of that (I hope you are admiring my seamless transitions today), the next OOW will be next Wednesday, December 6th, at 5pm.

Yes, I know, I know, that's the whole reason why you are here today. Not out of love for me, but out of sheer avarice. Bad luck. Sock Club and a mountain of orders have kept us too busy the last few days to get everything together for OOW.

Of course, the good news is that next week's is going to be a humdinger. We have an enormous stash of yarn for it, especially sock yarn. So, hang on to that credit card, the wait will definitely be worthwhile.

And apropos of nothing (and in the interests of not having yet another pictureless post), here are my new shoes, acquired courtesy of eBay this week. Irregular Choice. Green suede, with a diamente frog on the front. Love 'em.

November 29th, 2006 | |

The Return...

Well, what do you know, Sock Club is back.

And it opens on Friday, for a (very) limited time only.

Start begging/bribing/stealing.

November 28th, 2006 | |

Quick Question...

If I have on my needles at the moment, a half finished shawl, and a glove that has been abandoned after the first finger (fingers are boring, did you know?), and if I have promised to knit Mr P a pair of gloves (and no, he won't accept mittens as a substitute), is it completely immoral of me to be planning to start a completely different project, which will almost guarantee that I don't finish any of these this year?

And is the temptation of pillar box red squishy organic merino yarn, dyed especially to knit Rogue, a mitigating factor?

PS. Let me spread the temptation. Wouldn't you like to abandon your current knitting projects, and knit this wonderful lace stole, designed by Kendra? If I'm going down, I'm taking everyone with me....

November 27th, 2006 | |

Buttoned Up...

Remember these?

Our fabulous range of solid silver buttons, from Twisted Lily Designs. These are so luxurious and special, perfect to give as gifts (even to yourself!). But they aren't cheap.

Unless I mark them down to half price......... Go get 'em, before they all go!

November 24th, 2006 | |

Where's My White Flag...

Ok, sock yarn junkies, you win.

Now you'll have to excuse me - I have just a few parcels to pack up......

November 23rd, 2006 | |

How Many Synonyms for 'Big' Are There?

Every week it's the same. We dye piles of sock yarn for OOW and every week it vanishes faster than the speed of light. Every week we think that this week we've done enough, that maybe we'll even have a little left over. And then it all gets gobbled up in five minutes, and we sigh, and shake our heads, and say 'Next week....'.

So, this week we have dyed an enormous amount of sock yarn for OOW. Enormous. Huge. Gigantic. Immense. The pile of skeins is so large that I could dive head first into it and never be seen again. Well, almost. So this week, have we done enough? I guess we'll find out at 4pm........

In the meantime, here are some sneak peeks into what's to come.......

PS. Sock Club News coming really, really soon......

November 22nd, 2006 | |

It's All About Meme...

In line with this week's narcissistic theme, here's a meme filched from Kerrie.

1. FIRST NAME? Trudie, yuck, but Dee is much preferred.
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? That dreadful Wednesday. You know the one.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes!
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Corned beef. With ketchup.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I'd want to be.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Only this.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes. Worse luck.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Nooooo.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't do cereal.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Always.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not in the least.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Anything chocolately.
14. SHOE SIZE? Honking great size 8's (UK).
15. RED OR PINK? Red, red, red.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My perfectionism.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad.
18. WHAT FOOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? Are you crazy?
19. WHAT COLOUR TROUSERS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Pink pj's and socks.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A banana.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A cat purring.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Black.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Thyme.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mother.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their shoes.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU STOLE THIS FROM? Love her.
27. FAVOURITE DRINK? Martini.
28. FAVOURITE SPORT? Ha, ha, you're funny.
29. EYE COLOUR? Bluey-green.
30. HAT SIZE? I have no idea.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, glasses.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Leftovers of any description.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Definitely winter.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Who's offering?
37. FAVOURITE DESSERT? Apple pie. With custard.
38. WHAT SIDE OF THE BED DO YOU SLEEP ON? The side furthest from the door.
39. IF YOU WASN'T MARRIED, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING TODAY? That is impossible to imagine.
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? An Angela Thirkell novel, Happy Returns. I like old books.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have one.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Gilmore Girls. On DVD. I hate real TV.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Rain pattering on the window. A fire crackling. The pop of a cork.
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Why isn't Sinatra an option?
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Portland, Oregon.
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Ah, there's too many to mention....
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Haverfordwest, in West Wales.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I pinched it from Kerrie.

November 21st, 2006 | |

The Weekend Starts Here...

There are some advantages to dark winter mornings; the excuse they give you to have large indulgent breakfasts, and waking up to a sunrise without having to wake up at some ungodly hour.

This morning I woke and looked out of the bedroom window, and the whole sky was crimson. It looked glorious, but didn't last long enough for the camera to capture it properly.....

Five minutes later it started to rain. Ah well, it was lovely while it lasted.

So, all of this week's OOW packages went out yesterday. I cannot wait to hear what you all think of the new yarns - I was getting all excited all over again as we were packing them up. We're adding a new feature to the website, a feedback page. If you've bought yarn from us, send us your comments so we can share them with other shoppers.

Lots to do today. Yarn to be dyed, skeins to be labelled, parcels to be wrapped, paperwork to be ploughed through. But who cares: it's Friday! Have a wonderful weekend, I'll see you next week.

PS. Was that a boring post? It seems like a boring post to me. But I haven't had my breakfast yet, and even Dorothy Parker must have been dull before breakfast.

November 17th, 2006 | |

Grinning From Ear to Ear...

I get no kick from champagne. Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all. So tell me why should it be true, that I get a kick out of selling one off shades of yarn at a discounted price on a Wednesday to you?

Ahem, we're a little punch drunk today. Yesterday was.....stressful? exciting? crazy? The software worked beautifully. Not one duplicated order. It had a little bug that needs straightening out, but nothing terrible. Thank goodness.

No, thank Peter!

And thank you all for sticking with us throughout this whole saga. Next week's OOW will be a bumper crop, as a reward. Lots of sock yarn (which apparently you have an insatiable craving for).

And speaking of sock yarn....details of the new Sock Club will be announced in the last week of November. Stay tuned.

November 16th, 2006 | |

Later...

WOO-HOO..............it worked like a dream!!!

One Off Wednesday Take 3...

Oh boy, W day has rolled around again. But this time it will all be good, yes it will. Won't it?

We've tested and tested and tested the new e-commerce software. In fact, it's running throughout the website now, so all your orders come through it. I like it, it's more flexible than the Paypal shopping cart, especially for those who don't want to pay with Paypal. And dear Peter, who has installed it for me, has assured me until he must be sick to death of doing so that it can definitely cope with the madness that is OOW. So, let the good times roll again.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind: the stock control database knows exactly how much of each yarn is left in stock, and is more up to date than the website may be. If an item says '2 skeins in stock' but the software says there is only 1, then the software is correct. Also, you may find that when you get to checkout, the items in your basket may not include everything you put in as you shopped. Don't panic - this just means that someone else has checked out before you and bought those items, so that they are now out of stock. In this game, the fastest fingers win!

Everything should run nice and smoothly - right, Peter? tell me again, will you? - so just enjoy your shopping and let us take care of the rest. The party starts at 5pm!

November 15th, 2006 | |

The Sweater Curse...

There's a different kind of sweater curse at work in this household. Whenever I try and make a sweater for the Mr, it goes wrong. Horribly wrong. In 2004 I made him a Fair Isle tank top. Made it from a 1930's pattern. It didn't fit. Not even close. It fitted one of our cushions nicely though, so I turned it into a chic little cushion cover. It looked splendid against the leather sofa.

Last year I knitted him a chunky merino cable knit jacket, from a Rowan pattern. I made it in the largest size possible, to prevent the same thing happening. I thought it might even be too big for him. But that would be better than it being too small.

As I finished each section, I held it up against him. All seemed well. All seemed well, in fact, until it was sewed up. And behold, the Sweater Curse sprang to life. It was too small. Much too small. My size, too small.

This year, I started a new Fair Isle tanktop for him. Hope springs eternal in the knitter's breast. I swatched, matched the pattern gauge. I checked the finished garment measurements in the pattern against one of his favourite sweaters. Again, I made the largest size possible, just to make sure. Mr Posh has something of the build of Winnie the Pooh, but the XL seemed to be an ample size. I knitted, faithfully, trusting that this time would be a happily ever after moment. But this time, I checked it as I went along.

Too small. Too small, too small, too small.

So, Knitting Gods, you win. For some reason only known to yourselves, you don't want me to knit a sweater for my beloved. Socks are ok, gloves and hats you'll allow, but a sweater, no. If I defy this ruling yet again, you will punish me with another shrunken ruin, whose only function is to remind me of all the wasted hours I spent on it.

That's ok. He wanted some gloves anyway.

November 13th, 2006 | |

Hit Me, Baby, One More Time...

Well, we have a potential solution to the OOW problem. And it doesn't involve cyanide or emigration. Hurrah!

More details next week, when it's all set up. I really wanted to bring you a temporary sale page for this week, but it's just not practical.

In the meantime, don't forget that a lot of the new yarn is now available through our regular shop (silk, cashmere, and cashmere/silk), so you can go ahead and order these from our regular colour range.

I'm planning a peaceful weekend convalescing from this week's stress. See you next week, bright eyed and bushy tailed (I hope!).

November 10th, 2006 | |

The next day...

So, apparently the new (and did I mention expensive?) shopping cart software has more bugs than a rainforest. The main issues are:

The result? Fiasco on a grand scale! After many, many tears, a stiff drink, and a midnight pow-wow, we concluded that the fairest thing to do was to refund everyone for their purchases and start afresh with a new sale once we get everything straightened out.

I really can't apologise enough to you all for this situation. I am so disappointed and a little discouraged too. But thank you from my heart for all your supportive messages. We will get this resolved, and you'll have a chance at all this lovely yarn again, very soon. I promise.

PS. In the meantime, I've uploaded many of the new yarns available ( silk, cashmere, and cashmere/silk) , so you can go ahead and order these scrumptious yarns from our regular range.

November 9th, 2006 | |

Meltdown...

Wow, that really couldn't have gone any worse. The software failed on a spectacular level. Spectacular. We're talking the apocalypse here. I have a ton of orders, many of which are duplicate purchases, and no quick way of seeing who bought what. I have refunds to process, apologies to make, and then I have to sort out what yarn was still unsold when I pulled the sale page in despair, so that we can try again (on Friday, I hope).

But before I do any of that, I need to go and have a really thorough sob. I'm really breaking my heart over tonight's fiasco. So sorry everyone - I'll try and get everything fixed tomorrow, I promise....

Deliciousness...

When you work with luxury yarn every day, you might be excused for getting a little complacent. Yes, it's soft, yes, it has a beautiful sheen, yes, it is luxurious. Then along comes some yarn that jolts you out of your complacency. This yarn is more than luxurious, and saying that it is soft is like describing a supermodel as 'attractive'.

There are no superlatives to describe this yarn to you. No similes, no word pictures. You have to touch it. Again, and again. And again.

The new yarns should be available on the website by the end of the week, all being well. But I simply couldn't wait another day to share them with you, so they make their premiere on today's OOW. And look, oh just look, at how gloriously, stunningly, beautiful they are.

PS. OOW is at 5pm today. Be there.

November 8th, 2006 | |

NEWSFLASH...

It's official: prolonged exposure to cashmere fumes can permanently alter brain chemistry. Today Mr Posh announced that he wanted to learn how to knit. More on this breaking story later this week.......

Bookworm...

Well, I may have to move home. There really isn't enough room here now, what with the three giant egos living with me...... Yes, they are rather a cute trio, aren't they? And they know it.

Yesterday was a marathon - long, hard, and exhausting. Somebody give me a medal though, because we dyed 10kg of yarn. Most of which is destined for this week's OOW. Teasers coming tomorrow.....

Last night all I was fit for was a bowl of soup, a book, and a cushion in front of the fire. So comforting when you're worn out in body and mind.

I have always been a bookworm. I was taught to read long before I went to school, and a love of books is a gift that I bless my parents for every day. My house is full - FULL - of books. When we moved in, we built bookshelves all around the living room. I wondered how I would ever fill them. Then I started unpacking the many boxes of books, and discovered that not only was I going to fill them, but that I would need more shelves. A lot more.

I prefer old books, so the majority of my collection are secondhand or antique. Thanks to ABE and eBay, I've been able to hunt down many wonderful books that have been long out of print, and to collect all the published works by favourite authors. Angela Thirkell, Georgette Heyer, Margery Sharp, A.A.Milne, Beverley Nichols......oh, too many to number.

I will read and re-read a favourite book innumerable times. My absolute favourite, The Flowering Thorn by Margery Sharp, is one that I turn to whenever I need comfort, cheer, my spirits lifting. I picked it up last night, and read with as much enjoyment as the very first time I read it.

Books never let you down. I love them for that.

November 7th, 2006 | |

Good Things...

I've got nothing but good news for you today. Let's see, where shall I start? First of all, everyone's parcels are on their way. I think our Post Office staff, as helpful as they are in person, must have a little voodoo doll of me in the back room. But never mind.

Next, something (one of the many things) I've been waiting to share with you. Fabulous hand crafted swifts, now available to order. These really are superb, and invaluable when you have lots of skeins to wind.

What else.... Ooh, the new shopping cart software will be up and running early next week, well in time for the next OOW! Yay!! No more disappointments or mix ups. I'm so delighted. Now I just have to resolve our labelling issue (if any of you bright sparks out there can figure out a clever label that won't cost a fortune to print and will include all necessary information, considering we have about 30 lines of yarn, then do let me know. I'm still stumped).

And oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, I wish you could see the new yarns I have piled up in the store room. Think angel's feathers, think kitten's paws, think puffy clouds. Think heaven in a skein. They should be on by the end of next week, but there will be lots in OOW too. I can't wait to get your feedback. These yarns are truly sublime. Must. Stop. Gushing.

Finally, Sock Club. I have caved to pressure. Yes, you all win,nagging really does work. Sock Club will be back. I repeat, Sock Club will be back. More details soon.

And ah, the weekend beckons. I'm already in weekend mood, and I hope you are too. Have a fabulous one, and see you next week!

November 3rd, 2006 | |

Later...

Ok, if you missed out on the scrumptious alpaca in the sale, now's your chance to make up for it! This is the first addition in many new yarns to launch over the next week or two, as well as some other additions, which eagle eyed visitors will spot right away. Soon, my dears, soon!

I feel limp...

Well, that was quite an evening. If last week's OOW provoked a feeding frenzy, what about this one? Think piranhas, think hungry lions, think Jaws.

This morning, I feel something like an old dishrag. But in a good way! At one point you crazy shoppers crashed the website. Crashed it! Madness.

One thing became abundantly clear last night, however. We need to set up proper shopping cart software that automatically updates as items sell. There was no way I could keep up, and I know lots of you were disappointed to miss out on items that had already been purchased. So I'm going to try and organise that before next week's sale.

I also want to get all the new yarn on the site over the next week. I'm pretty snowed under, but I'm going to do my best.

Send coffee!

November 2nd, 2006 | |

Later...

.....................

Somebody get me a drink. And make it strong.

Teasers...

Some of today's OOW yarn....

I managed to squeeze in some of the new alpaca yarn we've just got in - it isn't even on the website yet, it's that hot out of the packet!

And ooooooh, our much anticipated shipment of cashmere and silk yarns came in yesterday, and all I can say is:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. I cannot wait to show you all. We're both doing a happy dance over this new supplier!

But now, back to today's business: 5pm. Are ya ready?!

November 1st, 2006 | |