Yes, it was indeed a fun weekend. 🙂 Our favorite friends came down to visit from Iowa for the weekend. These are OLD friends. I have been friends with Steve since 7th grade! Then he and Wonder Husband became good buddies in high school, roommates in college, etc. They have aged grown up a bit since then. (Steve on left, WH on right) Janice came into the picture in college, when she and Steve started dating and we hit it off immediately. Janice and I haven’t aged a bit since then. 
(Here we are enjoying knitting time with Knitting Daughter. Actually, Janice has a Knitting Daughter, too, and our daughters also happen to be favorite friends. However, my KD had to play Starbucks Barista almost the entire weekend, so Kirstin didn’t come down. We were sad to miss out on time with her. I’m not sure why she didn’t think it would be fun to just hang out with the moms all weekend. Go figure.)
We visited two LYS’s (neither of which has websites, or I’d link them and show you). Actually, we tried to visit a third but it was closed because of ice. (No ice on the roads, no ice on the sidewalks, just ice on trees, but it was closed. We weren’t happy to have driven 25 miles to find that out. But I digress.) I bought some yarn to make felted bowls. 
You see, I usually am pretty dedicated to sock knitting. I’m still working on making a Log Cabin Quilt that I love, but have little desire to knit sweaters and such. (I have a great desire to own them and wear them – just little desire to knit the whole thing up. My knitting time is limited. You know what they say – don’t expect to have a lot of time to knit when you own a yarn shop. It’s very true.) At any rate, I frequently see fun yarns that I like, but don’t have a use for. I bought some fun yarn to felt this weekend. Janice is the Felting Queen. Here is a photo of the bag she gave me for Christmas. Do you love it? I do. (Check out her felted wonders on her blog, here.) So when I’m with her, she gets me thinking about felting, and I get her thinking about socks. It’s a good trade.
Besides shopping, Janice had fun helping me pack Loopy orders. I wish she was here all the time to help, as it went sooo fast. We had a whole stack of them Friday night, and between Janice pulling the yarn, me writing notes and wrapping them up, and Knitting Daughter packing them into boxes, we were done in no time and had more time for knitting and movies. 
Look who else likes Janice. Zoe loves sitting on laps of knitters. She does a good job of staying out of the way of the fast-moving needles. I think she just likes Janice because Janice has promised to make her a felted kitty bed. 🙂 She’s a smart cat.
I have new yarn in that we are in the midst of photographing. Hoping to update the website with new things on Wednesday (solid colors of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, new Yarn Pirate, more clear tote bags in, including a new size), and then again next week with more (hopefully sKNITches and Fiber Euphoria, possibly one more new one). It sure is fun around here! (psssst – a new flock of stitchmarkers might have arrived and they might be going up on the website on Wednesday, too. Right now they might be all bundled in a ziploc bag, waiting to be attached to cards. Might. So don’t quote me on any of that.)
I hope you had a great weekend. Did any of you start your Martha or Frank socks? I think my first Frank will be done by Wednesday, ready to start on the second one. With this pair, I’m knitting the second one right away. I promise. I’ll keep you posted……
Sheri alsocomingdownwithabadcoldandwhohastimeforthat,forpete’ssake??
Feel better soon! I started my Fleece Artist Seashore Martha socks last night. I am using the pattern from the FA label. The yarn is yummy, the colors are beautiful and as you know since you have talked to me a million times already….I had to order another skein of FA yarn in a rather Martha-ish color.
Sheri–
Janice is the one that introduced me to you. I thought about you when she said on her blog that she was going to St. Louis. I am so jealous. I would have loved to sit and knit with the two of you this weekend. Is she making any progress on her socks??????? I can’t wait to see the new stuff. I haven’t started my Martha yet. I am waiting for a sock book to show up first.
I started my socks this weekend and love the jaywalker pattern and the colors of the socks.
I started my Martha socks last week–a cable pattern from Simply Sensational Socks in gray. I have finished the ribbing and two pattern repeats on the first sock. Also finishing up the second sock from Fiber Trends’ Leaf Lace pattern in FA Bronze. I spent the morning at the salon getting my hair highlighted, so most of my knitting time for today is used up. Here in Houston, we’re waiting for what is predicted to be the first ice storm in 10 years. We’ll see what happens. Now I have to go to the grocery store just in case they get the forecast right for once. Ha! I’m excited to see the new yarns.
I have started my socks. Actually, I frogged the socks and restarted them. I decided that I had better do these as a toe up instead of a top down. And you are definitely a true enabler. I need to knit up some of my sock yarns first. 😉
And are you sure that WH and Steve have grown up? Men just seem to grow up slower than females.
Ohh, hope you feel better! It can’t possibly help that it’s currently 20 degrees outside…
You have some talented knitting friends! Which shops did you go to? The one where the owners know me has been closed since the storm hit because the power’s been out. My power just came back on this afternoon. How did you fare?
Oh yes, I forgot to say that I’m a Martha. However, the last two pairs of socks have been very Frank-like. You might’ve seen them on my blog–first HOT pink Lorna’s Laces and now flourescent green Yarntini. Next, it’ll be back to Marthas, though. I’ve had my eye on the Concertina Lace socks for a while. I think they’d be wonderful in the blue Regia Silk that I bought from you a while ago. Will you save a copy of the pattern for me? I think I’ll come by next Tuesday (not tomorrow, since you ought to get rest while you’re sick).
oh my gosh, i’m so excited!!! is the new yarn you’re photographing the one i think it is? from my buddy? oooooooh!!!!
Sheri,
Hope you feel better…..nice that you have such a long time, long-term friendship with Janice…..and she knits!
Can’t wait to see the new yarns etc on the website….I also love socks, but did make a felted purse last year, and I LOVE IT! Sweaters are time consuming, but I made my 1st one in 20 yrs for College Grad Sons GF for Xmas and it came out great – inspiration to do another one for myself soon…….
Unfortunately…Peppermint Mocha Lattes are not approved by my diet for the new year…..LOL
Diane
Oooohhh – I LOVE that bag that Janice made you! Hopefully some day I’ll be brave enough to try to make one – although felting scares me!
Tell Zoe I think her twin brother is living with my parents – they look SO much alike! I’ll have to send you a picture – it’s uncanny!
Hope you feel better soon!
I have begun my Martha Q1 challenge socks in Intelacements Tiny Toes ‘Woodland’. It is really nice but I Just got some pretty, pretty pinky things in the mail from Sheri and so I may have to do a Frank too. True to my split personality form. Anyway one Martha foot done … cuff tonight. Go team go!
One Martha well underway. Well, Martha-ish for me, anyway. This is a traveling sock, so it will be slow going, but that’s okay. More time for me to learn to appreciate the Martha side of things.
Zinc. Take some zinc now. Because you’re absolutely right: nobodyhastimeforacoldrightnowforpete’ssake.
Well, I am back in Iowa, but in my mind I am back in St. Louis helping you pack Loopy orders; knitting with Zoe on my lap and convincing myself that I will someday be a proficient sock knitter instead of just a felted bag knitter !!! (Oh, I did forget to mention that your knitting daughter confessed to ME her desire to knit a felted bag…. sounds like a trip to Iowa in the near future???)
I am blessed to call you my good friend!!
Good luck with the felted bowls. I just ordered a bunch of Cascade 220 for that very purpose. I can’t wait to get started on them. 🙂
shannon