December's "Give Away"

During the year 2012, at the first of each month you have received an email from us featuring a designer or artist. We have had a wonderful year full of talented designers and crafters and all the inspiring things that they create. We hope you enjoyed learning more about them, as well as getting the free goodies in your packages with qualifying orders.

We have decided to do something a little  different to wrap up the year. Philanthropy is such an important part of who we are, that this month we are featuring two of our favorite charities- one for Kelly and one for Laura. Instead of including a free goody with your order, we will be making a small donation to these charities for every order* placed in December.

Kelly's Pick: Ruff Love Rescue

Lovey

Sam

Shep

Our 3 dogs are all “rescue” dogs. Our oldest and youngest were picked up off the street, and I had no luck tracking down their former owners, so Bradley and Shep became adopted members of our family. We could not ask for more gentle and appreciative dogs. 

That is why my choice for the December charity is Ruff Love Rescue. Our middle boy, Sammy was adopted from this wonderful organization. The people that run this rescue are always looking for help, and I always wish I could give more, so I thought that this would be a great opportunity to be able to send a few more dollars their way. 

 Laura's Pick: One Parent Scholar House

 I believe that education is one of the best ways to solve many of the problems our world faces. Education gives individuals the tools to improve their own lives rather than being dependent on the help of others. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to education or the ability to fit classes and study into their lives. One Parent Scholar House allows single parents to pursue education by providing housing, mentorship and childcare.

*donations will be made for each non-club order placed in December for $30 or more. 

Holiday Knitting

It seems that the closer we get to Christmas the more likely I am to remember someone else on my gift-list who would appreciate a hand knitted gift, so I'm always on the lookout for projects that are relatively quick but will make a bit impact when they are unwrapped. Here are a couple of beautiful patterns that only require a single Gradiance sock set. 100g of fingering weight yarn will fly off your needles! And, we have an assortment of sock sets already dyed up and ready to be shipped, just pick from this list! The links with the patterns below will take you to Ravelry where you can purchase a PDF for immediate download.


Eggnog by Valentina Cosciani
Shown in Luxe "One Ring"

Speranza by Emma Fassio
Shown in Luxe, "You Zig, I Zag"

Phoenix Cowl by Janine le Cras
Shown in Tinsel Toes "Daneism"

Bashful Butterflies by Julia Temiseva

Need yarn NOW?

If you have ordered from us before, you know that it can take several weeks for us to fill your order. That is because we dye to order which means that when your order comes in we have to wind off the correct size and number of skeins in the yarn you want, dye it the specific color you want, let it dry, twist it and label it and finally ship it. Combine that with our on-going clubs, wholesale orders and the occasional show, taking into account that there are only two of us (Kelly and Laura), and you can see why it takes us so long to fill orders. Thankfully most of you know about this so you order your yarn well ahead of when you need it. But sometimes you need yarn NOW. Whether its for a project with a looming deadline or a KAL that starts in a few days or simply because a pattern is calling to you so strongly that you must cast on immediately- sometimes you just can't wait. For immediate shipping you can order from our Available Now inventory. We normally ship first class or priority mail but if you need a faster shipping option, please leave us a comment in your order!

Wovember

This November I've been eagerly checking the Wovember blog each day to see their new posts. All month they are posting the most beautiful photos and wonderful stories all about WOOL! The month started with articles about, well, the start of the wool growing process-- breeding season and has now progressed to stories and photos about raising sheep. Soon they'll move on to shearing, processing the wool and finally making finished items out of it!

I love this quote from a few days ago:

“Without a thorough knowledge of his raw material, a craftsman cannot do good work because he understands only imperfectly the reasons for his actions. Few craftsmen have the privilege of using a more interesting material than wool; few are so intimately concerned with living creatures. Even the wood carver seldom enjoys the pleasure of seeing the living tree wherein he is to find his finished work. It is by no means an unusual experience for a spinner to visualise the yarn, and even the fabric which will grow from it, while his fingers explore the living wool on the back of the sheep.”

-Elsie G. Davenport, Your Handspinning, 1971, Select Books, Mountain View, MO, USA

November's Artisan of the Month

Bill Mullins is our featured artisan for November. Bill is a beekeeper and sells his honey products at the Greensboro, NC farmer's market where Kelly does her weekly shopping. Learn a bit more about Bill by reading this article and the interview below! We'll be including free samples of Bill's yummy honey treats with orders placed in November!*

Part 1:

1-        Have you been raising bees all of your life?

No- Just the last 42 years. (read the article linked to above to find out more about how he got started!)

2-        Who taught you how to be a beekeeper?

University of Alabama, plus the Ag extension service and Dr John Ambrose of NC State and the NC state beekeepers association, and master beekeepers program and international bee research association.

3-        What other hobbies do you enjoy? 

Ham Radio, woodworking, travel and reading.

Part 2:

1-        What is your favorite word?

Yes

2-        What is your least favorite word?

No

3-        What turns you on?

Women

4-        What turns you off?

Women

5-        What sound do you love?  

Songs from the 40’s and 50’s

6-        What sound do you hate?

Rap music

7-        What is your favorite curse word?

None

8-        What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?  

Archaeology

9-        What profession would you not like to?

Surgeon

.  

10-    If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? 

  

Welcome

*free gifts will be included in non-club purchases for $30 or more placed in November while supplies last!

Artisan of the Month for November

This month our Artisan of the Month is Bill Mullins. He provides our house with all of our honey needs. Some of you have seen his products in your club shipments in form of honey straws, honey candies, or beeswax candles.

I give his honey to our dogs with each of their meals. Honey is a natural antibacterial and has helped one of my dogs in a very big way with summer and springtime allergies. Our dog, Sam, had very bad allergies the 1st year we had him. He would scratch at his eyes until they were red and almost bleeding, but after giving him Bill's honey for several months, twice a day, there was no sign of anymore allergy symptoms!

Bill will be answering our Artisan of the Month questions next week. Meantime you can read the beginning of this article to see how he got his start with beekeeping.

Kelly