Tuesday, February 9, 2010

KNIT IN NEW DATE!!!!!

The Knit In scheduled for Feb. 13th at St. Georges Church in Trenton has been changed to Feb. 20th at St. Georges Church Parish House at the rear of the church.
This event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sorry about the mix up in the date.

Mary Anne

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Computers petui petui (pronounced pet ooo eee)

This comes from Betty, one of my knitters,stitcher, hooker friends.
The only way to express yourself when it is something you don't like or shouldn't say. ie:the F word (Fabricland) .Ha Ha. I had you guys going for a minute.
or
the W word (Walmart) or the M word (Michaels).
Now having said that I think Fabricland has been sending us button sales, the girls at Walmart have been sending me quilters and the Michaels lady was in the other day for a copy of the helmet for the troops pattern and she has a customer card. gggg

There has been some speculation about knitting the helmet liners for the troops so I decided to let everyone know on the blog. I spoke with the M.F.R.C. representative (Millitary Family Resource Centre) and these people think it's great. I also spoke with one of my fellow parishioners today about whether he thought it was a good idea and he told me it was great!
Some people don't receive anything from home and he expressed to me that it would be very well received. That's good enough for me. So put away your doubts and start knitting!
As I said to someone else. You don't stop doing comfort quilts because they have enough blankets in the house. It is an expression of support. Support our troops!
Don't forget there will be a knit in at St. Georges Church Saturday Feb. 13th from 10-3p.m. in the Parish House behind the church.
Mary Anne

Friday, February 5, 2010

Off to the Salt Mines

Off to work on this gray Friday morning. It's a bit of a joke about the Salt Mines because I don't think to many people are fortunate enough to work at something they love every day.
I love to stitch, knit, sew and rug hook and do I have it made in my job. It is a joy to go to work everyday and I have great customers who are really more like friends.
St. Georges Church in Trenton in hosting a Knit In for the "Helmet Liners for the Troops" on Saturday February 13th from 10-3 and I hope as many of you can be there as possible. I will be unable to attend that day as I will be at Lottie Jones Florist helping with flowers for all you lovers out there. We will host a "Knit In" on a smaller scale in the shop at a later date and I will encourage the knitting guilds and shops in the area to do the same thing.
I have spoken to the Knitting Nimrod in Belleville, Knitting in a Haystack in Picton, the Robins Nest in Brighton, Pine Ridge Knit and Sew in Trenton and Happenstance in Peterborough. All of these shops are involved as well as Northumberland Needles and Pins. Hope I got the name of the Guild correct. Any of these places are drop off locations or you can pick up your patterns and yarn at their shops. This has been a great success so far and I love to see Canadians coming together for such a wonderful cause.
Several of my sons friends signed up and it was a real awakening for me. They are 19 and 20 year old men and they are off serving their country. I'm glad we can do something for them.
Off to work
Mary Anne

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Hookers Meet

Wednesday is Hookers Day at Andjareenas
Beginners meet in the morning and the advanced classs meet in the afternoon.
They are learning sculpting and everytime I go to the back room I see a beautiful new flower develop or a thistle and I know this is leading to a new rug.
Cliff can't seem to stay out of the shop on the days that there are classes. Very nosy and has to drop the one liners "I heard there were a bunch of hookers in here". Everyone giggles and I roll my eyes as we've heard the joke a million times. It's funny how those little things still make you smile.
Thursday morning we stitch . Everyone is welcome . We stitch anything from cross stitch to brazillian embroidery to Hardanger. I love this group as there is a vast array of stitching going on and it is at all levels . I must confess that I need to stay away from the cross stitchers because if I don't I'll be starting another project and I really need to finish some things.
The Shop Hop Quilt is going well and I hope to hang it shortly.
I will be off to the flower shop for Valentines Day so that will put a little cramp in my style but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
The knitters have really been out in full force this week. I think it's the sunny weather and the need to get out of the house. It's February after all and although it's been a great winter it's still winter.
An update on Canada Blast
At our meeting at city hall the sound analyst asked what the noise sounded like. Have you ever tried to answer a question like that? Do you want me to do a verbal demonstration of the noise?
Or do you want some kind of description in words? One of the gentlemen that walks his dog in Hannah Park stood up and yelled "it sounds like a Herc". A Herc? What do you mean?
You're kidding me. The sound anyalist is in Trenton . Doesn't he know what a Herc sounds like.
I'd like you all to do a verbal of what a Herc sounds like.
ya right!
Anyway, I digress. Tonight when I came home I said to Cliff, "sounds like a Herc". His reply,
that's right.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

What a day!

What a day. Couldn't sleep this morning so I was up at 3 a.m. and I was wide awake.
Nothing better to do at 3 a.m. than cook so after the coffee was on I decided to make a big pot of soup. After awhile I wasn't worried that the noise would wake them up but the smell of the soup. lol
Off to work at 8 a.m. with half my day already put it. It was a very busy day with about eight knitters out today. What a great group and a new learning experience every week. I think I have finished more knitting since this group has started to meet than I have in years.
New fabric arrivals today. Some beautiful songbird prints, pillow panels as well as wolf panels.
Lots of new things arriving daily.
I'm getting ready for the Rug Hooking Annual in Cobourg the first weekend in May and our Quilters Shop Hop on April 7,8 and 9th. lots to do and time is marching on.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

They're Home

The boys are finally home from hockey at 530 a.m. after having the bus break down on the side of the 400 for over 2 hours. Travis sprained his ankle five minutes into the game so was not a good night all around. He'll tape it up and be back on skates before we know it. Loves the game!
They have just now gone to bed so I will knit on my second Noro sock and perhaps go into the store later to sew on the Shop Hop Quilt. It's nice when the phones aren't ringing and I'm not getting up and down to wait on customers and can actually sew without making mistakes because I forgot where I was. I got caught ripping something out the other day with the rotary cutter and Cecile just about went balistic when she saw me. I'll have to be careful not to get caught next time.
It is slightly quieter in our neighbourhood this weekend as Canada Blast doesn't seem to be running as many reefers. This has been a bone of contention with our neighbourhood as they are doing outside storage and running reefers from Friday night until Sunday sometime when they are picked up. We had over 22 neighbours at the city hall meeting the other night and I think everyone is going to apply for a reduction in taxes. One thing I know for sure , this has been going on for over three years and we have contacted ever member of parliament, environment representative and if you think something can be done, thing again. Wow! Who would have thought. We aren't going down easy as a neighbourhood that's for sure. I was surprised that the men were far more vocal at the meeting than anyone. Good for them.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Saturday nights alright

Ahhh
Another day done and the knitters, quilters and stitchers were out in full force.
We are knitting helmet liners for the troops and our knitters and well as those in the surrounding area are rising to the challenge. 4000 is the goal so we have sent it out to any and all knitting guilds that we know of as well as other stores in the area and beyond.
A SARTECH's wife mentioned that they only wear orange so why not. We now have some knitting in the brightest orange I could find.
The hottest thing lately is the two ball Marble Chunky shrug. I have to admit it's easy and quick and the knitters love that. Make it, wear it and move on to the next project. It is a nice, soft, cosy little shrug that would be nice for hospitals and nursing homes or anyone who is bedridden and needs a little extra warmth.
I have just finished knitting one sock( yes, I know I have to many single socks) out of the Noro sock yarn. Now, I wasn't sure I was going to like working with it because it is a soft twist and very fine but I was surprised at how fast it worked up and there was only one time that I pulled a little to tightly and broke the yarn. Not to worry, I felted it back together quite quickly.
I've been sewing on our Shop Hop Quilt all day today when I didn't have customers. It's coming together quite nicely and we are doing a scrappy one again so that you can use all your stash up.
haha.
This is the year for using up. The whole world is doing without and we're sitting on tons of fabric and yarn, besides if I don't make you use it up you just feel guilty and can't possibly buy another thing. There is a method to the madness.
I've sent three of my scrappy quilts out to the quilter and I was amazed at how much space I freed up in my storeroom. I felt quite happy (and relieved) to see them go.
Hubby and son are out of town playing hockey and I though I might catch a hockey game downtown at the rink. I think I have been in the arena to much if I'm now going to watch someone elses kids play.