Goodness, I always want to find a moment to write a bit on the blog then things get busy and I never seem to catch that moment. However, that being said, if you really want to keep current with all things Zen Yarn Garden, may I suggest you follow us on Facebook? I post all the current items on our page as it's easiest to do so and you'll be "in the know" if you click on over and "like" our page too!
So, what's new? Lots has been going on since I last posted about TNNA - mainly shows and more shows but recently we just released the first in a series of worsted weight patterns that will become available over the coming months as we approach TNNA in February 2013. First up is Bamboo designed by Elizabeth Fallone of Eliza's Buttons & Yarns. Elizabeth has a long history of designing garments for Sheldridge Farms and also has been a teacher at the various Stitches events. She now runs her own yarn shop and we were delighted when she offered to design us a cardigan in our bouncy worsted weight yarn!
Isn't it gorgeous? This design is seamless and is knit using a variation in the contiguous method developed by Susie Myers. The lace panels adorn the front panels, sleeves and the back. Enough lace to keep your interest and your fingers happy! We love how this has turned out and we hope you do too! The pattern is available in kit form where you can order the colourway as shown (Black Pearl) or are welcome to order from any of the 50+ standard colourways we have in the dyed to order section of our website. Mr. Zen is ready to dye your own colourway in dye lots that will allow you to knit from one skein to the next - we dye as the orders come in so you don't have to worry about alternating every few rows!
Since TNNA we have been to Chicago for Stitches Midwest, Quebec for Twist Festival and Kitchener for Knitters' Fair. All these shows have taken up a large amount of our time to prep for as we just returned from TNNA with wholesale orders to fill. With Stitches East now approaching, that will be our final show for the year and then the new year will bring more of the same or Mr. Zen and I may pare down our show choices to our favourites. This year has been rather strenuous with feeling like we're on the go non-stop. Personally I'm hoping for a wee break around Christmas but if it was up to Mr. Zen he'd be working all year through...LOL
Here's a few photos of our booth and we hope to see you at Stitches East - we'll be in booths 825/827 this year - look for us! We're excited to see Connecticut for the first time as well as rub elbows with east coast knitters.
It was a treat for us to have Michelle Miller of Fickle Knitter Design in our booth showing her wares for Stitches Midwest! Pictured from left to right is: Mr. Zen's sister Charmaine, Mr. Zen's cousin Lisa, me and Michelle.
And a rare photo of Mr. Zen - he's up there in the left side making a funny face as he watches his sister and cousin hug the dress form...suppose he thought they were crazy, yes? LOL
And we had a good time at the Twist Festival in Quebec as well - this is their first year having this festival and it should be happening again next year too! This was my first time to Quebec so we had a chance to quickly scoot into Montreal for lunch then back for the festival and along the way there, we stopped in Ganonoque, Ontario overnight - beautiful waterfront!
Knitters' Fair was another busy show and this year we spread out into a triple booth - it was fantastic to have all the room that's for sure! Yummy yarn tasting too!
And that's it for now but watch for a store update coming soon! We have lots of stock to update the store with prior to heading to Stitches East.
And we've been extra busy filling wholesale orders around our shows...if you are looking for a store in your area that stocks our yarns, don't forget to visit our retailer page - it's updated regularly!
It seems like we just got back but it also seems like it was awhile ago. This June's TNNA show was our second time having a booth at the show and we were pleasantly busy the entire time. I am always humbled by just how many of us are in love with what we do. It's a lot of fun to see each and every show!
TNNA is always an enjoyable experience for us as we get a chance to meet and see all the other business folks in our industry. I've only been to the summer show twice but it seems that this year was busier than last. We will be in Long Beach, CA for the winter show in 2013 and hope to see a lot of you again! For now here's a few shots of our booth...
It's good to see Mr. Zen getting into the zone too. Everyone loves his dyeing which keeps him motivated in the dye studio. For me it's like watching my favourite student excel so I couldn't be more happy for him. After all this time the colours and creation of colours are our inspiration!
And Suzanne was also on hand to help us this time which was fantastic! It was really great to have an extra set of hands in the booth when it was busy and Miss Suzanne has picked up on all that we offer in a very short period of time. I couldn't ask for more and am grateful for the help.
And Michelle Miller of Fickle Knitter Designs...what can I say about her? Michelle is not only a lovely person but also a stellar designer and a professional business woman to boot! Her and I share a lot in common when it comes to how we run our businesses so our relationship has really blossomed from just being show buddies to sharing and exchanging lots of business ideas. If you haven't checked her out, you must go visit her website...you will not be disappointed! Michelle says I said a bad word here but I don't recall doing that but then again, maybe I did? We are always laughing about something!
And last but not least, a trip to Columbus must include a visit to Jeni's Ice Cream! I finally made it this time and oh yes, it definitely is all that it's cracked up to be - nommy nommy!
We are now taking pre-orders on our next offering for our Quasi Yarn Club. Every 2-3 months we offer a semi-solid colourway for pre-order that's unique from all our other offerings in this club and within the store. We also offer the option to purchase on several different bases so you can use the colourway for any project you might have in mind from a shawl to socks to sweaters. The possibilities are endless as the base yarns cover a myriad of projects to knit.
We are taking pre-orders on the yarn until July 15, 2012 and then we'll be dyeing them up following and shipping. All multi-skein orders are dyed at the same time to ensure dye lot consistency so if you're considering a sweater project, we will ensure that the dye lots match which means you can knit from one skein to the next without having to worry about alternating for dye lot inconsistency. Now isn't that a lovely feature of ordering from the same dye lot? We thought so!
And now onto the colourway...introducing Sage...to explain the colourway in words, it is a frosted golden green and you may even run into hints of purple here and there as the colourway uses purple to achieve the golden green colour. Enjoy!
In other news, we are getting ready to attend the summer show of TNNA in Columbus, Ohio next week and are really looking forward to seeing what will be new for the coming season. If you're coming, please drop by and see us in Booths 356/358. If you are a customer wanting to see our yarns in your store, let your LYS owner know we will be there and happy to see them!
What a lovely time in Toronto this year! We enjoyed the day a lot and the best part, as usual, was interacting with knitters. I always have such a lovely time doing so at each and every fibre show. The show was well attended this year and apparently numbers are up since last year which is a great sign that things are slowly but surely recovering. Very exciting!
In knitting news, I managed to finish my Vodka Lemonade sample for the booth by binding off in the car on the way to Toronto and steam blocking the sweater the night before. Needless to say, my wrists were tired but gosh, the cardigan sure turned out cute!
If you'd like your own kit for this sweet cardigan, we do have 13 colourways available in it on pre-order - we will custom dye your yarns for you upon order and get them out to you within 2 weeks. This ensures dye lot consistency for your multi-skein project as the yarns will be dyed together at the same time.
Franklin Habit was also in Toronto teaching classes and inspiring the knitters. I didn't get a chance to see him but I heard great reviews from his classes and everyone said he was a delight.
We're planning to be back next year! This show falls in April which is a great time of the year for us - TNNA happens in late January/early February so come April we're itching to get back out there again!
Hope to see you next year if I didn't see you this year! For those I met this year, thank you for dropping by our booth - your support is much appreciated.
