Ewe & Company

Nope. Jane brought me this lovely skein of sock yarn from A GOOD YARN SARASOTA … this is one of their exclusive shop colorways (‘Gulf of Mexico). It is a gorgeous yarn and as I’m told, Three Irish Girls dyes for their shop.  Awesome.  And Jane had no way of knowing that when my daughter Sarah was living in Sarasota and finally decided she wanted to learn to knit, this is the shop I guided her to.  It is a small world, isn’t it!

We e-subscribe to a free small business newsletter from ‘Small Business Survival’. Sometimes I read it, sometimes I don’t. This one really hit home …

‘From outside, you may think I’m all success. But if you got up close you’d realize that I fail, too.

Development is a bit like that, too.

Whenever I hear someone talk about how amazing my hometown’s Value Added Products plant that is taking local wheat flour and producing pizza dough is, I think, “It’s really not all that.” Because I’m close to it.

But when I hear about the lavender farm in Ontario that is expanding into a winery, I think it’s terrific. Because I’m not too close to it.

When you know too much about the situation, you discount it. You focus on the other parts, the not-so-successful parts.

That’s why you think what you do doesn’t really matter that much. Because you’re too close and see all the false starts, the failures and the things you wish you could do but haven’t.

Those are exactly the things that add up to something significant. It’s because you try that you make a difference. Even when you don’t see it.

So before you dismiss what you’re doing for your town as “not that much,” remember what I said. You’re doing it. You’re making a difference.’

I certainly hope so, because my heart and soul is in this shop. And we thank you each and every day. It’s all that.

As we say in the South, ‘Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?’ This has been a mixed bag kind of a year. We’ve seen new babies, marriages, steamy romances, folks struggling financially, horrific medical diagnoses, deaths of loved ones ….

And such is the fabric of this shop. It is such a privilege to smile, laugh and cry with each of you. Thank you for being the heart and soul of this shop and including us in your life, we love you each and every one. And thanks to you for holding us up when we need it, also.

We’re having a Cast-On Party tomorrow, January 1, 2014 (YAY!) from noon until 4 … bring your new project or shop for one, just come. We’ll make coffee, we may bake something(or not), but we’d just love to see you!

We’re ending this post with the last thing off the needles totally completed in 2013 … it’s Stephen West’s Metalouse (free pattern from http://www.knitty.com), added a picot bind off to make it a bit more girlie.

Happy New Year to all, and thank you!

It was quick, it was simply friend to friend, and it was delightful … it’s your loss if you missed this little intimate vignette.  Frankly, I’d forgotten how much Nicky can offer up in such a short time … everyone has commented on something they gained from her. Thanks, Nicky … let’s do it again soon!

One of our much loved ladies here in Kingston Springs shared this find from her garden and graciously agreed to let us share with you … love the thought, her posing, clothes pin rocking chair, crocheted towel, vintage table top … most of all we love this little town and jewels like Mama Jayne!

Here’s what she posted with the photo: ‘Here’s a baby we found in our cucumber patch today. It’s Momma is rocking it to sleep.’

We found this pattern on Ravelry if you’d like to crochet up that hand towel … http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hanging-towel-and-matching-dishcloth

Regina and I have been friends for probably 15 or so years.  Only a couple of years ago did I pick up on the subtle fact that her close friends called her Gina.  I’m sometimes slow that way.  She just didn’t want to correct me.  Hence, she’s been Gina Regina to me.

I love this girl.  She came to the yarn shop to learn to knit, after following me for years with my photography classes.  I appreciated her support, but knew she was a lefty (and a red-head) so kinda walked gently around this.  But I taught her.  Her first piece was a washcloth … and Picasso worthy.  It zigged, zagged, here a hole, there a hole … and then she sent it on to her future son-in-law as a ‘welcome to the family’ gift! (sorry, do wish we had a pic of that … and that’s a whole other story!)

Gina Regina kept at it … and has become a very astute knitter (she’ll say not, but she is).  She is not a random knitter, she knits only for her loved ones, and she will tell you that.  If she doesn’t feel the love, she won’t knit it.   And I sometimes try to call her Gina.   So that maybe she’ll knit something for me.

This pic is Gina Regina loving her first grandchild, Owen Thomas.  In a blanket she knitted.  For months.  With a boatload of love for all.  Well done, girlfriend!

The pic is Gina Regina with her first grandchild bundled up in that baby blanket she knit with love in every stitch … (some of them several times!)

On Sunday, August 11 from noon until 2, Nicky Epstein will be at Ewe & Company signing her most recent books!  We are asking that you RSVP if you are coming … you can reply here, or on our Ravelry thread, send us a message or call the shop ~ 615.952.0110 (we need to know how many cookies to bake … and how many books to have available!)

This is an opportunity to meet one of the rock stars of knitting, don’t miss out!  We’ll have copies of Nicky’s latest books on hand for purchase, including Knitting in Circles, Knitting Block by Block, Knitted Flowers, and her newest book, Knits for Dolls. (I’m thinking I’ll get her to sign my Vogue Knitting mag … you know, the one with her wedding dress on the cover!)