August Means Sweater Weather is Coming

I know. The temperatures are way too high to be thinking about sweaters - unless you knit or crochet - then you know how long it is going to take to make the sweater you are going to want to wear or give to someone else once the cooler weather arrives.

That's why the pop up store is filled with Berroco Vintage this week. A couple of weeks ago I was featuring Estelle Worsted and Cozy Alpaca which are the drapier worsted blends. I like to call the Vintage family of yarns the workhorses of the wool/acrylic blends I carry. They are perfect for the sweaters that you wear over other layers, or the blanket that you want to snuggle under on those cool fall and winter nights. I can just imagine the warmth of a toque, scarf and mitts made from one of the three different weights available.

To go along with the Vintage (dk, worsted and chunky), I also have some other blends that will play nicely with it. Melilla is a worsted silk/wool blend that resembles Noro Silk Garden. Baby Azteca will work nicely with the dk weight Vintage. And Lakeland and Drifter Chunky will play well with Vintage Chunky. I also have Viva, which is a light worsted self-striping Merino that would make lovely Faux Isle projects with either the dk or worsted versions of Vintage.

And, of course, you can't make sweaters without proper buttons. Gone (for now) are the cute Dress It Up buttons which were a real hit this past month in the pop up store. (Don't worry, you can still order them online and have them delivered to the market nearest you. Free shipping, YAY!) I'm sorry the buttons look a little haphazard in the photo. It was close to suppertime and it was sweltering in the rv. They will look a little more organized by the time they get to your market.

written by Lori, TCL owner, who is happy to be out of the heat, at least for the night anyway.

Drifting...

By now, perhaps you've figured out that when it's my turn to write the weekly blog post for The Crafty Lady, I try to come up with a topic that ties in with the yarn we're featuring for our Super Special Sale.

This week, our yarn selection inspires me to ask you:

How do you shop?

Are you a Purposeful Purchaser?

• You shop with a list;
• You know what you're looking for and won't go for a substitute unless it's a) close to what you need; or b) is on sale at a great discount.
• You make your buying decision, pay for the item(s) and GO!

OR

Are you a Browser?

• You wander into the store without specific purchase plans;
• You browse the wares, observing colours; touching textures; pausing to check prices and sizes.
• You circle the space once, twice, maybe three times, returning to hover closely over the item(s) that have grabbed most of your attention.
• Time to decide...so you either make note of what you've seen for a later visit (to buy) or you decide to buy then and there, pay for the item, linger...
• You leave, happy, only to return for another look...

In reality, I think shoppers are "six of a dozen, assorted", as my maternal grandfather was wont to say.  That is, we're all "a bit o' this and a bit o' that".  Sometimes we go shopping with a list, with focus, and with limited resources.  Other times?  Well...perhaps we have a gift card to spend, or a bonus for work well done, an income tax refund or...just more money at the end of the month than we expected.

That means that we can (for at least a short time) abandon Purpose and Practicality in favour of a bit of Whimsy, Spontaneity or Impulsiveness.

For one sweet shining moment we can live in Camelot...and be drifters in the Land of Creativity...

So who are we at The Crafty Lady to stop you in this process?!  

This week we offer you a yarn for those moments when you just want to go with the flow...

Drifter Chunky

from King Cole

100 grams = 155 metres (170 yards)

69% Acrylic

25% Cotton

6% Wool

Regular Price: $9.00

Sale Price: $2.25!

"Don't let it be forgot that once there was a spot
for one brief shining moment
that was known as...
Camelot."

*Written by Margaret, who -- despite best efforts to Stick To Her List -- finds herself drifting toward Camelot every so often...