knot another hat

knit night de mayo and other weird (non)traditions

So, everyone knows by now that the Cinco de Mayo holiday isn't a real thing, right? No, it's not Mexican Independence Day (that is September 16). And it's not a holiday that has long been celebrated in Mexico. It's about as real as Cinco de Quatro (and if you don't know that one - it's time for some Arrested Development!). Consequently, I skip right over that date on the calendar, in favor of this one....

May 31st. This is the day of our annual Knit Night de Mayo - the knit night where I bring a Barrel O'Fun (it's a real thing) of Sangria and unlimited Juanita's chips, and you all bring your best salsa or guacamole (or both) and try to win our contest. This funky tradition started back in 2013, and we had so much fun that first year we've had to do it ever since. 

The winner in each category gets a $25 gift card to the store. So what we're talking about here is this, folks: 

knit night + sangria + juanita's + salsa + guac + gift cards = the perfect excuse to show up! See you Wednesday! 

what summer means to me

This weekend is the Memorial Day Weekend holiday - traditionally called the official kick-off to summer. To celebrate the impending season, we're going to have a SALE! But first - here are 10 things that mean summer to me:

1. the "chtch chtch chtch chtch" of the sprinklers in the orchards (I don't really get to hear this one anymore. Sad face.)
2. planting flowers in beds and pots and watching them grow
3. rising early and being able to sit outside in the sun with my coffee
4. jason's mojitos
5. cherries, cherries, cherries 
6. summer rain storms
7. YMA camp and all it offers my girls
8. summer knitting (read: shawls) 
9. summer sunsets
10. 100 degree days when the air is so still you can swim through it - love it. 

I'd love to hear from you all about what means "summer" means to you. 

And on to the sale news! 

We want to help you welcome summer the right way, so we will behaving a Memorial Day Weekend Sale, May 27-29, online and in-store! Find warm-weather favorites at 25% off - yarns like Berroco Remix, Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, MondoFil Japon, Shibui Twig, Manos Serena, and more! 

 

These yarns are just begging to be made into these great summer projects:  

Ishbel in MondoFil Japon	Slope in Shibui Twig	Filtering Daylight in Manos Serena
Essex in Berroco Cotolana	Diamond Slouch in Berroco Modern Cotton	Eavesdrop in Classic Elite Fortuna

          

to serial knit, or not

I've been musing on the idea of serial knitting (knitting a certain project more than once, even over and over). I don't do it*. This must put me over into "product knitter" territory, because I almost never feel the urge to knit something more than one time. But I'll come back to this in a minute. 

Let's digress to that time I had to knit something four times. 

My mom is a twin. One day she and her twin are on vacation together. Separately, they each go to the knit store in town. They each phone me from the store, and ask if I would please make them socks if they bought the yarn. First time, I said, "sure!" Second time, I said, "wow, your sister just asked me that, but ok."

Then the twins came back from vacation and delivered their yarns to me, one at a time. And wouldn't you know it, they had bought the same exact yarn. Same yarn, same colorway, same everything. Oh yay. 

(kind of reminds me of the time they showed up to their birthday party in essentially the same shirt and then both closed their eyes for their picture - let's revisit that for a moment, shall we? 

They're going to be super happy with me for this one.

 So, I had to make the same sock four times. And you thought Second Sock Syndrome was hard to deal with. 

No, you're not seeing double. That's four of the same g*d*$# socks.

Even the things I have knitted and loved the most don't compel me to knit them again. Sometimes I think I might, or even say I might, but I never do. 

How about you all - do you serial knit? Even large projects like sweaters? 

*The Fine Print: there are a few things I have serial knit in my life - like 6 matching striped ski hats so my Six-Pack friends and I could look like dorks on the slopes (apparently there's no photographic evidence of these); or pussyhats for my whole family; or plain vanilla socks. I don't really feel these count. 

how about a little spring cleaning and some stash amnesty?

Spring is in the air! Well, maybe just the air in my head…But I am determined to make it Springtime here at the store. The great new cottons and DK weight yarns have me itching to start some warmer-weather tops and accessories (see last week's post). But the new yarns aren’t the only reason it feels like Spring around here—it’s the Spring cleaning! Or, rather, Spring organizing. I went after the chaos that is my office this week, and it feels like a much more productive space now. I'm going to do something really brave and share a picture of my workspace - all of you Type A peeps out there might want to look away. I swear to you it is controlled chaos. For reals. (Those of you brave enough can hop over to our Facebook page and flash your own controlled chaos!)

Are you thinking, gee, how tidy! No?

Spring cleaning isn’t just for my office - but for YOUR STASH as well!

I know - no one wants to really admit how much stash they may or may not have. Maybe it's a big Rubbermaid tote in the closet. Maybe it's 16 totes. Maybe it's entire rooms of your house. I DO NOT JUDGE (ahem, when your stash is so big you have a yarn store, cough cough). It's also high time to dig out those projects that have been languishing on the needles for too long. Take a good hard look and decide if it really is worth finishing, or not (and it’s OK to not finish something!). If you need help getting going again, bring it in! Please, please do not worry about bringing us something you didn’t buy from us—that is not why we’re here. We want to be a resource to our community of knitters and crocheters, and that means helping you all work on your projects! If you decide it’s not worth finishing a certain project, bring in those extra unused skeins for STASH AMNESTY. 

What on earth is STASH AMNESTY, you ask? We are willing to provide you the invaluable service of taking any unwanted stash off your hands - no matter what kind of yarn it is, how long ago you bought it, or if your aunt Mabel left it to you in her will. We will relieve you of the heavy burden of all that stash - just think of the hours of therapy we are saving you from!

In exchange for every 1 pound of stash you bring us on Saturday and Sunday, May 13/14, we'll give you $1 in KAH Cash*. 

That's right - we are going to PAY you to relieve you of that albatross around your neck. Got four pounds of acrylic sitting around? That's $4! That heavy cotton you thought was pretty 10 years ago? Turn it into new yarn with KAH Cash!

We'll take all of your newly liberated stash and use it for donations to Warming The Gorge and the local senior center crafters.

One final, important note: if you’re reading this and you are thinking, Gee, I don’t have a yarn stash, then get thee to the yarn store, and quick!!

 

*The inevitable fine print: only full skeins with intact ball bands will be accepted; KAH Cash not redeemable on sale yarn, classes, or events.

knitting for all seasons

Spring has sprung is trying to spring, and for so many of you folks that means less knitting time. I get it - the garden is calling, trails are begging to be biked and hiked, and the daylight hours just keep getting longer. But the arrival of Spring and warmer weather doesn't have to mean the end of knitting, which is why I want to talk to y'all about knitting for all seasons. Yes! Some people really do knit year round! It blows my mind when people walk into the store come September and they haven't knit since February. What? People stop knitting for the "off-season"? Surely not people I know, right? All joking aside, we do live in Oregon, and have our share of days when playing outside isn’t an option.  And don't forget all the other times we can be knitting (how much time do you spend waiting in doctor’s offices?).

If you don't know about some of your fair-weather knitting options, allow me to introduce you. Lightweight shawls, meet Knot Another Spring Knitter: 

claire de lune shawl in lavendersheep yakkity yak sock

Knot Another Spring Knitter, meet the 3-Color Cashmere Cowl in Lux Adorna Sport Cashmere: 

Or the lovely and lightweight Berroco Nebula, just begging to become a Dangling Conversation Shawl: 

berroco nebula

And what could be lighter than a mini skein? Try the Unicorn Parallelograms with 1 mini each of 20 colors tosh Unicorn Tails: 

So, you ask, what does my Spring knitting look like? I have just started Xanthe, in 3 colors of tosh Merino Light: 

 So - what are YOU going to cast on? For a little added incentive, Saturday is Double Rewards Day! That's right - every dollar spent earns twice the points, Saturday (May 6th) only! Or as my kids would say - it's X24U!