Best Knitter's Bumper Sticker!

Yesterday, while Sandy was beating up the East Coast, I went for a long walk at Torrey Pines State Beach. The sun was shining.  The sky was crystal clear and it was an ideal 80 degrees.  I couldn't waste a day like yesterday inside.  It just didn't seem right.

Along the way, I spotted this bumper sticker which made me laugh out loud.

That's one good reason to knit, alright!

CASH MOB!

When:  Saturday, November 3, 3:00 p.m.!
Where:  The Grove at Juniper & 30th
Why:  To Support Small Neighborhood Businesses
How:   http://www.tendofsandiego.com/events-3/

Cash mobs are grass root events where some caring souls decide to mob a local store at a particular time and place and spend $20 a piece to support the local economy.  Last year, December 7, to be exact, the locale of South Park's inaugural Cash Mob was a mystery.  Word spread quickly through the neighborhood to meet in the parking lot of Ray's Liquor (corner of Juniper & 30th) at 7:00 p.m.  An impressive "mob" gathered and chose to mob Make Good, an ideal target.  There was t.v. coverage.  Yours truly was interviewed (2 seconds of fame).  And several media picked up the story.  Afterwards, the mob descended upon the Whistle Stop for a few pops.  It was a terrific way to draw attention to the indie stores located in South Park.  

This year, Marianne Reiner, is the motivating force behind Saturday night's cash mob.  Marianne is the founder of the web site Tend of San Diego (The Entrepreneur Next Door) and a devotee of South Parks shops and eateries.  She is an example of the type of people in South Park that make our neighborhood the neighborly place it is.  Because of folks like Marianne, the Grove has survived 9 whole years during the worst of economic times.  We are so grateful for all who support us and make our being here, possible!  We'd love to see you Saturday as well, so if you've got the time....we've got the place!

Knitting the Blues!

It occurs to me as I write this that it is appropriate to be knitting the blues this week in the quiet we are left with without Scout. My yarn selection was not intentional but it's funny how we gravitate towards certain colors at certain times in our lives.  Aside from sadness, blue represents the calmness of blue skies and water.  It's a rather complex color that has been studied.  Check out the recent New York Times article, "True Blue Stands Out in an Earthly Crowd".

I have always gone for The Blues...music-wise, earth-wise, and feeling-wise.  I play the blues all day long when I'm in the shop and no one's complained yet.  In fact one customer asked "why do the blues make you feel so good?"  Don't know, but they do!

And speaking of feeling good, Smooshy with Cashmere by Dream in Color (pictured) is heaven to work with it.  I am knitting a sample of Piper's Journey, a class we're offering on November 7th and 21 from 6:30 to 8:30.   The body is all in garter stitch and only every other row is a pattern row.  Only the first and last 4 stitches form the pattern.  Easy schmeazy! (Of course, I haven't gotten to the lace edging yet!)  The only down-side to this beauty (and it is far outweighed by the positives) is that the dye does come off on your hands and wooden needles.  That's how you know it's dyed with natural dyes.  There are only 2 blue dyes in nature: indigo and woad.  Neither are colorfast.  I have never experienced it staining anything, though, so don't let it deter you from working with the soft beauty! 

Scoutie Rose

Scout, our beloved body surfer, ball chaser, scrabble coach, travel protester,  grandma lover, joy-giver, and David's constant companion of six years isn't with us anymore.  In my heart, I knew from day one that Scout wasn't a dog who would grow old.  She lived twice as fast as any other with inexhaustible energy.  We're not sure what happened, whether it was a poisonous snake bite, cancer or a heart infection.  None of the possibilities were curable.  And she wasn't one to live with restrictions of any sort (okay, that was a double-edged sword!).  So this is a farewell to the craziest little beagle mix to come out of Tijuana.  May she not rest in peace.  May she run wild and surf the clouds chasing a ball of stars forever.  

Jeweled Collar

This jeweled collar can be knit in an evening and makes a spectacular gift.  Luca Tape is a 3-strand yarn of rayon, cotton and a wee bit of polyester.  The sequins are so securely attached  that not a single one popped off as I re-knit the yarn.  Yes.  Re-knit. 3 times to get the right look!  I started out knitting a long cowl.  That wasn't right.  I ripped it out and knit a second shorter cowl and that wasn't right either.  As I was taking it off, I held it up around my neck as a collar and knew that was the right thing to do with the yarn.  So I ripped it out a second time, rewound it, and created the third and final pattern pictured here. I was amazed at how well the yarn held up...especially with the sequins.  I was prepared to sacrifice the first skein but it wasn't necessary.  So keep this beauty in mind for the holidays and for gift giving.  We've got about 7 handsome colors on the shelf and it retails for around $26.00.

Around the Table

We've got a wonderful class schedule this Fall and before a lace class last week, I decided it was imperative to have a table where we could rest our patterns and keep track of every row.  While I loved the comfort of our knitting circle in our cushy black chairs, balancing a lace pattern on your lap was never an optimal way to knit.  So in a flash, we removed the chairs to our very back room and placed an abandoned table in it's place.  A sheet of craft paper came in handy to cover the top, enabling us to write notes, draw diagrams, and sketch patterns with ease.  When Krista from the Daily Scoop saw the table, she remembered seeing a set of oak chairs outside a restaurant supply store in the 'hood.  So quick as a flash, we closed our shops and made an emergency run to get the chairs.  We were back in 15 minutes with the chairs.  They look perfect and are really comfortable.  The feedback has been great and I love the energy around the table.  Remember that you are always welcome to sit and knit at the Grove with yarn you've purchased from us!  My store hours are posted on our monthly newsletter (the link is the bird nest on the right-hand side of this blog) and I would love to see you!  Our newest and most exciting yarns are from Dream in Color...we've got Wisp, Classy, and Classy with cashmere is due to arrive on Friday.