cottageknits.com Blog

We’re gonna party….
September is the birthday for Cottage Knits. The shop opened on 7th Street September 19, 2005. The business was located in that tiny space for two years…and it became evident we had outgrown that space…but where to go?
Know how things sometimes just fall into place and you know that’s where you are meant to be? This exactly how it happened when Mark and i first came to see this place. Not only does it look like a cottage, the location was just what i had in mind. With the help of some great friends the shop was moved over the Labor Day weekend, without missing a beat. That was two years ago.
It only seems fitting that we celebrate and enjoy the opportunities that you have given to us..and the growth we have seen, despite the recession. You have created quite a little community at Cottage Knits and Mark and I would like to thank you. What better way to do that than bring food, friends. knitting and a bit of music together? And you are invited…

Knit Fest 2009@ Mead Village

who: you are invited

what: to enjoy an afternoon in the park

when: Sunday, September 27 2-6PM

rain date~ Sunday October 4 2-6PM

where: Mead Village Park located on Locust Drive

Bring a chair or blanket and spend an afternoon with fellow fiber artists …and of course, bring your knitting/crocheting! Plan to hear a variety of music, provided by local acoustic guitarists.

Cottage Knits will provide hot dogs and trimmings as well as drinks for this celebration…and of course, a birthday cake too!

Guests are invited to bring your favorite dish to share…and our fest will become a feast!

Feel free to invite a friend and plan to spend some time with your knitting community!

Mark your calendars…we’d love to see you there!

~cathi

Yesterday i was once again reminded of how Cottage Knits has become so much more than a retail yarn shop. It is a place of refuge to those who grieve, to those who have concerns over health, families and friends. It is a place to celebrate victories and blessings.
Harry Wilson, the husband of Inge passed yesterday morning after suffering a massive heart attack. Harry and Inge were on a weekend trip to Kentucky.
I noticed that many of Inge’s friends gathered here yesterday…to comfort each other and to stand in wait for what might be done to help her and the kids. As one of her buddies said “I just had to come…I’m so sad.” I also took note that it was a day of tribute to Harry and Inge. Those who knew Harry know what a hard working man he was. He had a easy smile and a zest for life. Harry and Inge Wilson were a great team. They raised three terrific kids, owned a successful business, were proud grandparents, and built a good life together.
Inge’s faith and friends will bring her through the coming days, weeks and months ahead. She will find comfort in knowing that she can count on her knitting buddies to be there for her.
It’s been nearly four years since the doors to Cottage Knits opened for business. I remember that day fondly. I anticipated sharing my love of the craft with others…and while i knew relationships and trust are a foundation for building a business i underestimated the sense of family that would develop.
So as we continue on this journey…sales will be made, bills and taxes will be paid, losses will be mourned and life will go on.
We celebrate with Janet Poe and family at the birth of Zoe…after a very complicated and often seemingly hopeless pregnancy, Janet’s daughter Carla delivered Zoe early August. Even when things looked dim, we watched Janet diligently working on a blanket she was knitting for her first grandchild. It was her prayer blanket for Zoe…finished just in time…for a tiny little girl who came into this world to be cherished and loved.
Full circle and knitted together…and stronger together than we could ever be by ourselves.

They are here! The first grouping of Flat Feet Sock of the Month flats. Let me explain….when i was at market in June i met up with the owner of Conjoined Creations. She gave me a bit of history of the company and told me about their sock of the month program. Since this is a relatively small business, only 50 retail yarn shops qualify to enroll in the program…and here’s how it works…Every month each shop would receive 8 flats of a unique theme and color scheme. (Collecting unique sock yarn is what we sock knitters love to do…so i was hooked immediately and have been looking forward to the first shipment.)

Here is the challenge, how to offer these 8 flats giving all an opportunity to purchase them. I was told that some shops conduct a lottery…some have their folks pre-pay for the upcoming month, some have a drawing and some simply leave it to chance.
Well, I decided that until supply and demand become a problem I would place them on the shelf and see what happened. That’s what i did on Saturday afternoon…and 5 sold within an hour.
There are 3 left and if you want to get in on this months collection you might want to pop in today!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Conjoined Creations Flat Feet you may want to check it out at www.conjoinedcreations.com.
I’ll be back tomorrow to let you know of some coming events around Cottage Knits…so stay tuned! (and have a good one)
cathi

I am impressed by all the of Holiday knitting i see in progress! Your season is sure to be a bit merrier knowing you don’t have to race around looking for “that perfect gift” if you plan ahead…and even i have the bug to get some things tucked away to gift in a few months. (You don’t even want me to tell you how many knitting days until Christmas.)
There is a nice selection of the ever popular Mini Mochi on the shelves once again. This is a wonderful self striping yarn…and the colors are as wonderful as the touch.to work with it. There is a class in the works for a scarf to “Knit One Below”…a new technique that you will want to learn. Or, you might want to use the Simple Scarf Pattern” using any sock yarn…free to you with purchase of your yarn…and then there are socks..always socks!
All kinds of projects are on needles and in the process of becoming brand new shop models…they will be arriving all throughout the next couple of months…so if you need inspiration you know where to come!
Speaking of inspiration, i love the knitting magazines that have arrived for the Fall Season! They just keep getting better and better and offer a wide variety of projects for folks of all skill levels and budgets.
I’m signing off for now and hoping this finds you healthy, happy and ready to greet another day with a smile in your heart!

August! The “dog days of summer”, “back to school”, time to think Fall Knitting!
I am so excited about the Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride on the shelves at Cottage Knits that i couldn’t help myself, i had to get some of it on my needles! I knitted up a quick little project that i can’t wait to share with you. A great little felted hat, and that got me thinking.

Felting is not an exact science, but there are some tips that have proven make a huge difference in the outcome of my many felted projects and what better way to share them with you… than to show you. Therefore, you will want to read about the Felt It Session on the August class list and sign up early.

Now about that hat…..felted hats are not only stylish, they are warm. I have to confess that i have knitted a couple that have not turned out quite as planned…and let’s just say i went looking for somebody to gift with my “experiments”. So i want to share my experiences with you so you won’t have any surprises and will benefit from my “oops!”.

First of all…choose your pattern wisely. Be careful when substituting yarns for these projects! Fibers do felt differently….and the pattern writers know this and have given you their best outcome. Secondly, follow the pattern exactly…don’t assume you can “fudge a little” (well you can, but then…who knows what you may end up with). Use the needle size recommended. In otherwords…in this case your pattern is not a guideline. It is your tool for success.
Finally, hover over your washing machine while shrinking your hat…and shaping at the end is vital…and that’s what makes for a masterpiece! I think you will agree, the end result is terrific!

And here’s more good news for you. I have a felted hat pattern…to give to you when you purchase Lamb’s Pride Yarn for your project. This pattern is compliments of Cottage Knits and Brown Sheep Yarn. And isn’t that a great way to begin to introduce a new yarn to you?

Have a great day….and stop in soon…there’s always something happening at the cottage!

Have you heard? There is a Summer Sale at Cottage Knits this week! Select yarns are on sale this week. Stock up on fiber and lighten up the shelves to make way for fall/winter yarns! 20% off everything on the far west wall! You will find a variety of yarn ….many cottons and even some notions! In stock, only.

There are some great classes at Cottage Knits this summer and we are excited to see so many new faces. New knitters! The excitement they bring is contagious…
The July Knit Clinics are about to wrap up…but there are still seats available for a free clinic and knit a Mini-Bear! Join Linda this Wednesday from 1-3PM and learn how to knit these little creatures…great for baby showers, little friends and for the ER at Columbus Regional Hospital!
While these knit clinics are free for you, the instructors are paid to offer them. Therefore, you are required to purchase your materials at Cottage Knits. This enables us to pay for their services.

One more housekeeping note…If you wish to schedule a tutor session with one of the Cottage Knits instructors please call ahead to reserve your time, keeping my mind that they are not employees of Cottage Knits. These ladies will charge you by the hour. In order to get the most for your money you might bring notes to get all of your questions answered in a timely manner.

It’s a balance running a business such as a yarn shop, built on relationships. But i have a commitment to you to be here for the long haul. While some decisions are made with the heart, others have to be made using my head…keeping in mind that Cottage Knits is a small business and i can’t lose sight of that piece of it…after all, that’s my investment in the future for all of us!

Looks like a great day today…wishing you laughter and joy…and of course, a few minutes of knitting!
~cathi

It is July…and i can’t wait to visit the county fair and check out the entries for knitting and crochet. Rumor has it that many of the Cottage Knits family have done well in the competition…which got us to thinking. How many times have we started that “perfect project” and something went amiss? Whether it be a lost pattern (leaving it only to our imagination how to proceed), wrong yarn, wrong gauge, or it simply didn’t turn out as wonderful as you had imagined. There’s not a knitter i know (and a few of you crocheters too) who don’t have a story. Flashbulb! A contest! Let’s make it a contest!
It’s designed to include all skill levels of knitters and to show you that a masterpiece just might be around the corner for that project that drove you to your knees and made you wonder why you love to knit! You know, the one you stuffed in a closet and vowed to come back to it…and it’s been there for years. Dig it out..we have a deal for you!
Here’s our challenge: Bring in your worst knitting disaster and leave it with us. Of course you will want to bring in yarn and the original pattern (if you can find them). Your entry will be “judged” by all who dare and the “winning piece” will be our challenge…to turn it into a masterpiece and return something to you that you can be proud of! Before you get too excited remember that we are not offering to finish something as you had planned…that cabled sweater might just turn into a felted bag…If you have an open mind…you’ll love the results. It’s about being open -minded to the endless possibilities.
So today we celebrate all those brave souls who will admit to despair and together we will overcome! If you are game, we are!
And if you haven’t been by lately, you will want to make a Cottage Knits stop. Great stuff is arriving that was ordered from the trade show. This week Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride made it to our shelves (great yarn…can’t wait to get some on my needles). New patterns from Gardiner Yarn Works, more Mini-Mochi sock yarn, a nice assortment of colors of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and organic cotton from the Sublime fibers. Yes, things are looking good at the Cottage and i’d love to show you some of the great shop models the instructors have been working on.
Hope you have a good day…thanks for checking in!
~cathi

When the Abilene Project took off I never would have thought that I would be there with Abilene when she took “her bears” to share with friends at Riley Children’s Hospital. However, that is just what took place yesterday afternoon. We loaded them up in two boxes and left for Indianapolis. Once again, I was blessed to see the joy and gratitude from your generous gifts of time, resources and talents. I thank each and every one of you who participated in this effort. Those bears will give comfort to kids undergoing all kinds of unpleasant tests.
Abilene was scheduled for a difficult test yesterday. Due to all kinds of conflicts it was not possible for her Daddy, nor her Grandma Joy, (who is a nurse and most qualified to handle these kind of situations) to go for support. I offered to go with Katie (daughter-in-law) and Abilene, knowing I was most likely not the ideal one to help but a pair of hands to help comfort and calm. A nurse I am not, just ask my children.
After what seemed like eternity to all of us, through a grueling test procedure, tears and fears, the urologist came to give us her opinion of the results. I am happy to report to all of you who have shown us so much concern (and of course the prayers) that she was fairly positive about Abilene’s condition. Yes, there are some issues, but things have not deteriorated and Abilene is showing such great strides that it just might be that surgery may not be required to correct her condition. (For those of you who do not know Abilene, she is one year old and the thought of spinal surgery is really scary for us.)
So all in all it was a good day for all of us…the bears all have been delivered for adoption, Abilene is home and putting yesterday behind her, and we are back to work with a smile on our faces to be blessed by such a wonderful little girl in our lives and such great and caring friends who carry us through.
And lastly thanks to Mark…who taxied us all and carried those bears all over the hospital and took it all in stride.
More tests on the 15th and i will keep you posted…

Could it be that an entire week has passed since my yarn market trip? Yes, and it has nearly taken me that long to recover from the frenzy!
In fact, things are beginning to show up at the door that i ordered and i just want to give you a heads up on what’s to come. Great yarn!
You all loved the Crystal Palace Mini Mochi so much that you almost gobbled it all up just days after it’s arrival. I ordered more last weekend and some of that order is scheduled to arrive later in the week. Sadly, some of the new colors are on back order. Not to worry, i will stay on top of this situation and will attempt to keep some of this wonderful yarn on the shelves. For those of you who haven’t seen it, go to www.straw.com and check it out.
Watch for a special announcement about the Conjoined Creations Flat Feet Sock Club! Only 50 yarn shops qualify to offer this unique and exclusive yarns…and i am happy to inform you that Cottage Knits is included in the 50. Here’s the thing, each shop will receive only 8 flats of the yarn of the month. Our challenge is a fair way to distribute. I have a couple of ideas that i will share when i know more details and how soon we should expect the first shipment. I did see the June 2009 colorway and it was awesome!
I have also added a new line to Cottage Knits. Kraemer Yarn will be arriving any day. I am so impressed with this company. Kraemer is located in a small town in Nazareth, Pennsylvania where they have been spinning yarn for over a 100 years. It is a small mill, domestically owned and operated. They offer a wide variety of yarn, including a line of Natural Skeins of all weights…perfect for those of you who are interested in hand dyeing your own colors.
I have to tell you that my very favorite thing i saw knitted at the show was a fairly simple white sweater knitted in their newest yarn…Sterling Silk and Silver. Yep, that’s right…a silk blend with 2% real silver. You really have to see it to appreciate it’s beauty.
There’s so much more…and i have been summoned to update the class list for July…so i will close for now…stay tuned! Lots more to tell!