Knitting

It Looks Like Fall is Finally on the Way

It’s been hot and dry for awhile but it looks like fall is finally on the way to Nashville! I have some knitting, festival and yarn dyeing to talk about. I’ll also briefly update what I have been and am currently reading. Let’s get into it.

Let’s start this update with some knitting content, shall we? Now, it’s not anything new. It’s the Bensusan that I showed you last time. I haven’t had a lot of time to knit lately, but I do try to get in a few rows a day at least. I am currently on the last of five repeats on the main body chart. So, I’m getting close to the finish line. It is my only knitting project at the moment. I haven’t touched my sock in progress since I cast on the shawl. I’ll get back to it at some point.

I am really fond of how the new color, Black Cherry in my Classic Merino Superwash DK is working up. The color is proving to be very popular in the booth in all four bases. I’ve already had to do two re-stock dyes of it.

Yarn Dyeing

It seems appropriate to move next to yarn dyeing. We have been doing quite a bit more than usual this year. Since my last post, before Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, we have had to do a quick and dirty into the late-night dye session. We’ll be doing one when I return home the first week of October also. It’s been a great year but it sure is keeping us busy.

Fiber Festivals/Travel

Speaking of festivals, we have had such a great second half of the season. We are blown away by all the lovely people who come out and support small businesses like ourselves. We thank you all for your amazing patronage!

So, we were in Jefferson, WI the first weekend, as I already talked about. The next festival on our schedule we the 30th annual Wool Gathering at Young’s Jersey Dairy. The weather was sketchy at times but the folks at Young’s did such a fantastic job to keep everything dry and as safe as possible. We had a great time.

There were only a couple of days to get the trailer restocked and repack for my trip to Winchester, VA, which is where I still am currently. I was in Berryville, VA for the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival this past weekend. It is under new management this year and boy did they do a wonderful job. I am so happy that it is still around. Thanks to the new committee and to everyone who showed up in a big way.

I’m currently enjoying a bit of a well earned break while I wait to head over to Orange, Va for the Fall Fiber Festival. I did some work here at the hotel yesterday, I did some book shopping at a wonderful local used book store. It’s called Blue Plate Books and if you’re in the area I highly recommend checking them out.

Reading

Which segues nicely into my current and recent reading update.

As I said above, I found a few gems in the book store. I also brought a few with me from home. The three in the top of the pile are ones I am planning to read soon which I already had in my library.

These are what I am currently reading. Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel and The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood. I am enjoying both of these books.

My recent reads are:

Country People by Daniel Mason – Loved this! *****
Revival by Stephen King – Re-read and also good ****
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab – new author for me, and I liked it. ****
The Singer’s Gun by Emily St. John Mandel – re-read because Exit Party is a tie-in to the main character. ****

Closing

Okay, I think that will do for now. Thanks so much for reading! Take care until next time.

Posted on September 29, 2026September 29, 2026 by yarnmama — 3 Comments

It Doesn’t Feel Much Like Fall Yet

I am going to try again to get myself back into the blogging habit. No promises, but here goes. I’ll show you some of the end of summer stuff we’ve been up to and what’s coming this fall. I have some knitting, travels, reading and other life updates.

Life Updates

We have had two new grand-babies this summer. I haven’t been able to see one of them yet but I have seen the other a couple of times. She’s the one which I was knitting the sweater, bonnet and booties for earlier this year.

baby knitting hourglass blanket — Nouveau ne

I also traded in my beloved ’22 F-150 for a pretty new red ’26 in July. I call her Ruby and I love her too.

We, and by that I mean mostly Jerry, have been doing some improvements to the workshop and grounds around it. I only have this one picture of the shop after re-doing the siding and painting. He has done some other repairs to the foundation and concrete patio and driveway. I’ll maybe get photos of that for next time.

Dyeing

We have done two more dye sessions since my last post. These are just re-stocking sessions. I already showed you the new color in my last post. It has been selling very well, so I’ve needed to re-stock it too.

There’s still a good amount of the discontinued color Oregano available on the website. We are at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend, however, which may wipe that out. If you want to get some before it’s gone, select a base and then select the color Oregano. They are still $20 a skein while supplies last.

Knitting Notions hand dyed yarn color oregano

Travel/Festivals

In August I was in Charlotte, NC for the Southern Comforts Fiber Market the second weekend. We had a good show this year!

Next I was in Allegan, MI for the Michigan Fiber Festival and it was amazing as always. The weather was cool this year, which cannot be said for that same weekend in Nashville. It has been a beastly end of summer this year.

I went straight from Michigan to Cranberry TWP, PA for the new version of the Pittsburgh’s fiber festival, StitchburgPA. I was so happy that it moved back to Cranberry! The show was fantastic and I am excited for next year.

Upcoming Festivals for the rest of September are:

Wool Gathering at Young’s Jersey Dairy, September 19-20.

Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival in Berryville, VA, September 26-27

Knitting

My one and only project since July is a re-knit of Dee O’Keefe’s design, Bensusan. I am using my newest yarn color, Black Cherry, and I love how it’s coming out. I am on the 4th pattern repeat of 5 for the main section, so about 60% I think. Maybe a bit more but the rows are getting longer and they are 36 row repeats.

The Westknits MKAL is coming up soon. I want to participate again because they are fun, but it’s 8 colors, which gives me pause. I’ll let you know more when I consider my possible choices later this month.

Reading

In July and August I read 10 books, and most were 4 or 5 star reads for me.

Mansfield Park – Jane Austen ****
Monsters in the Archives – Caroline Bick ***
The Last One at the Wedding – Jason Rekulak *****
The Correspondent – Virginia Evans *****
Summer – Edith Wharton ****
It Could Have Been Her – Lisa Jewell ****
Brideshead Rveisited – Evelyn Waugh ****
The River is Waiting – Wally Lamb ** (this one annoyed me at times)
Land – Maggie O’Farrell ****
The Little Friend – Donna Tartt (re-read) ****

What I am Currently reading:

Revival – Stephen King (re-read)
Country People – Daniel Mason ( I just started this last night and it is utterly delightful!)

Closing

That’s all for now. I have some downtime today and I intend to get in some knitting and reading. The rest of the weekend will be very busy with long days. I hope to talk to you again soon and thanks for reading!

Posted on September 10, 2026September 10, 2026 by yarnmama — 4 Comments

Wow! How is it July Already?

Knitting Notions hand dyed yarn color black cherry

Dear Readers, how is it July already? I have a lot of catching up to do but I’ll make this post a brief summary. Let’s get to the particulars of travels, knitting, yarn dyeing and reading.

Travels

In June, I was at the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival for the 20ᵗʰ anniversary celebration of the event. I was in attendance for 18 of those years and I am proud to have been a part of this lovely festival.

The following weekend I was in Fisherville, VA for a brand new festival called the Virginia Fiber Fest. It was a great first year of the show, and I am looking forward to watching this gain an audience. In 2027 it will be moving up in the calendar a few weeks to the last weekend in June.

Waynesboro, Virginia Shenandoah Mountains view

Knitting Notions booth Virginia Fiber Fest 2026

On the way home from Virginia, I made a one day stop in Crossville, TN at Heather’s lovely yarn shop, The Yarn Patch, for a trunk show. I had a wonderful day there hanging out in her shop and even did a little stash enhancing myself while I was there. I couldn’t resist this lovely color (Burgundy) of Cascade Yarns Pandamonium, for a summer top.

I am enjoying some time at home at the moment. We are in production mode on new Shawl/Hair sticks, Nostepinnes and of course Yarn.

Yarn Dyeing

While I am waiting for my yarn order from the mill, I dyed up a new color from stock I already had on hand. I toyed with the ideas of adding a new light blue or maybe a dark espresso brown. I wasn’t very excited by any of the formulas that I sampled. Out of nowhere I tried a formula that I loved immediately. It is different to anything in my current palette and it plays well with the other colors. The name that came to mind and stuck is Black Cherry. I am thrilled with it and can’t wait to knit a sample with it. It is available on our website in all four of our bases.

Due to the addition of the new color, we have discontinued the color Oregano. It is available on the website in all four of our bases, for $20 a skein until it is gone. In case you aren’t familiar with those bases, we have two fingering weights; Classic Merino Bamboo and Classic Merino Superwash Sock. Our two heavier yarns are Classic Merino Superwash Sport and Classic Merino Superwash DK. These will also be in our booth next month while supply lasts.

After getting the new color dyed, and labeled, I began dye preparations to restock my other 31 colors. I got part of that dyeing completed with what yarn I still had on hand, but now I am waiting for my remaining order to arrive in order to finish the job.

Knitting

I finished the baby knitting I was working on in May and June. I actually gifted it to the mom and baby yesterday since she(the baby) was born this week. We are excited and glad that they are doing well.

After I finished that project, I cast on for some socks as an interim knit. I am still working on them. I finished the first sock and have progressed to just past the cuff on sock# 2.

I’m currently ruminating on what to cast on for a booth sample. I know I want to use my new color Black Cherry, but that is as far as I have gotten yet. I’ll let you know as soon as I know.

Reading

I have done a lot of reading in the time since my last post, but instead of listing it all, I’ll just share my favorites and what I am currently reading.

My absolute favorite recent read was the new release from Ann Patchett, Whistler. I love everything that she writes and this was no exception. It was fantastic! If you haven’t read her work, this is a great one to start with. It is a 5 star read for me.

Honorable mentions from my recent reads are: Flashlight by Susan Choi and Venetian Vespers by John Banville I gave them both 4 stars, and both were nominated for literary prizes this year. I have read a lot of John Banville before and he is always good. This was my first book by Susan Choi and I am open to reading other books by her too.

My current reads are just two:

Monsters in the Archives by Caroline Bicks; This is a delving into the writing process of five of Stephen King’s early works by looking at his archives of first drafts and other edits. It’s a fun little read for fans of his work.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austin; It’s Jane Austen in July time again and I am enjoying a re-read of this book. I look forward to this every year. I am working my way through her novels again, usually reading one each summer. They are all amazing, of course, it’s Jane Austen!

Closing

I’ll leave you with that note and try to be back in touch sooner this time. Thank you for being here!

Posted on July 11, 2026July 10, 2026 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Three May Fiber Festivals, Some Baby Knitting and Reading

Since my last post, I have been to two Fiber Festivals. I am also continuing on some baby knitting. There is some reading, of course, so let’s get to the details.

FIBER FESTIVALS

On Mother’s Day weekend I was vending in Lake Elmo, MN at the Shepherd’s Harvest Festival It is a long trek, 860 miles each way, but worth the drive. I get lots of audio-book listening time while driving ( more on that later), and the show is great. The only downside is that the internet access in the buildings is bad to non-existent. We manage but I am really hoping they come through with getting WiFi installed at the fairgrounds, for the vendors next year. The weather wasn’t bad but it was rather chilly this year. Fortunately, I had lots of wool knitting to keep out the chill.

Knitting Notions booth Shepherd's Harvest Festival

I got home on Tuesday and had two nights there before repacking and setting out for Lexington, KY on Thursday. This was for the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival. This show is mainly outdoors, which can be challenging, especially this time of year, with the spring storms and rain. Our booth is under the pavilion, but it is exposed on the sides so it’s necessary to bring our own tents. The weather was fine on Friday for set up and on Sunday. Some storms did roll through late Saturday morning but thankfully they were short lived and not too bad.

Knitting Notions booth Shepherd's Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival

I’m sitting at the Ford dealership as I write this, getting an oil change before leaving on Thursday for Wooster, OH for the Great Lakes Fiber Show. Of the three festivals discussed here, this is the one I have been attending for the longest. This will be my twentieth year. It’s a great show! It is pretty large and still expanding. There are lots of animals and I don’t even know how many vendors. The weather forecast predicts it to be a little cool and rainy but I don’t mind that since I’m in a building. We’re in Building 39 in the same spot I’ve had since I started this festival in 2007.

KNITTING

I will move on from festivals to my current knitting project. As you may imagine, my knitting time has been limited. I only have one thing on the needles. It’s the baby blanket, Hourglass Throw, that I showed you a few weeks ago. I have made some progress on it. I am just past the halfway point in both the pattern and in my yarn supply. I should have just enough, but I can leave out a row or two at the end if I have to without it being obvious. So, it should be fine. I bet this would make a popular knit sample in the booth, maybe in my Classic Merino DK?

READING

While my knitting has been more limited, reading is easier to fit into busy schedule. I always have something to read with me. It’s easy to fit reading into all those little idle moments with audio-books and e-readers. I enjoy reading from physical books when I can, but I am also happy to use my e-readers and Audible when those are more convenient. I would not enjoy long drives nearly as much without my audio-books to keep me entertained.

Recent Reads:

The Keeper by Tana French – 4 stars – Hardcover – This was a very good finish to a very good mystery series. I look forward to every Tana French release.
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage-by Belle Burdon-4 stars – Audiobook
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney-4 stars – Audiobook and paperback
The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier- 4 stars Audiobook
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke-3 stars – Hardcover- This was an impulse purchase based on the book summary. I didn’t know it was popular until after I bought it. It was okay, but to be honest, I felt like the book plot summary was a bit of a cheat. It would be a spoiler to explain why, but if you are considering it, be advised. I am not suggesting that you avoid it, it’s interesting, but in my opinion it’s hype is a bit misleading.

Currently Reading:

Kin by Tayari Jones – Audiobook – I am listening to this one and enjoying it. If I like it as much after I finish it, I may have to purchase a physical copy at some point.
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray – paperback – I am reading this based on several 5 star reviews. I am not very far in yet since I just started it on Saturday. I’m interested in the premise and I think it’s one of those books with lots to observe, think about, and puzzle over.

I’ve gone on for quite a bit so I’ll close for now. As always thanks for reading!

Posted on May 19, 2026May 19, 2026 by yarnmama — 5 Comments

Highlights From April and What’s Coming in May

Custom Dye Order Knitting Notions hand-dyed yarn

Highlights from April include some yarn dyeing, two fiber festivals and some baby knitting. We’ve got several events coming up in May, and I will also discuss what I’ve been reading this month.

Yarn Dyeing

I took advantage of a break in the festival schedule to do some yarn dyeing. I had two custom orders to fulfill. Since I was doing that, it seemed sensible to work on some restocking of our yarn too. We got all of that done in between two fiber festivals; The Greencastle Wool Show and the Midwest Fiber Festival.

Fiber Festivals

The Greencastle Wool Show is in Greencastle, Indiana. We have been a long time vendor here. It’s a smaller, quieter festival a bit west of Indianapolis. It takes place the second weekend in April on Friday and Saturday.

Midwest Fiber Festival 2026 Knitting Notions booth — Knitting notions knitting tools

The Midwest Fiber Festival is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a newer show, this was the 5th year, and we are one of the founding vendors. I am excited to see how it grows in the coming years.

Upcoming festivals in May are :

Shepherd’s Harvest Festival in St. Elmo, MN – May 9-10
Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival in Lexington, KY – May 16-17
The Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster, OH – May 23-24

Knitting

I finished knitting the baby sweater set I was making for new baby due in July. I knew the yardage of the yarn I was using was going to be close, and it was. I literally used every inch of it, but I made it.

I decided to stash dive again into my cotton yarns and make a little blanket to go with the set. I have eight balls of Rowan Handknit DK yarn in a dark rose color, I have had for least 20 years. It should be plenty for the size I am making. The pattern is Hourglass Throw by Anne Hanson. It is currently satisfying my lace knitting itch.

Reading

Recently Completed:

Twist by Collum McCann – 4 stars
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – 4 stars
The Searcher and The Hunter by Tana French – both 4 stars

Currently Reading:

The Keeper by Tana French – This the third book in the Cal Hooper Trilogy. This is a recent release and I just started it today. I wanted to re-read the first two books (above) before reading this one.

I have several other books in my pile of possibilities for May. I’m a bit of a mood reader, so we’ll see what happens there. I have a lot of driving coming up next week as I travel to Minnesota for the Shepherd’s Harvest Festival, so I should get through a couple of audio books during the trip. I’ll let you know.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on May 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by yarnmama — 2 Comments

Month of March: Knitting, Fiber Festivals and Reading

It’s the end of March already and I have some knitting, fiber festival and reading to talk about with you.

Knitting

The Summershine Top, that I was knitting, is complete. I am happy with the fit. It should be a nice addition to my wardrobe this spring and summer. I think that I will wear it this Sunday. We’re having some of the family over for dinner.

There is one new project on my needles but it’s not something lacy. We have another granddaughter due in the summer and I decided to knit some little things. At the moment, I’m knitting a sweater set called Nouveau-né designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I am using some yarn that has been in my stash for at least 20 years. It’s Brown Sheep Cotton Fine, which is an 80% Cotton/20% Wool blend fingering weight yarn. I’ll make the sweater and if I have enough yarn, I’ll make the bonnet and booties. A “Something Lacy” will have to wait a bit.

Fiber Festivals

The Carolina Fiber Festival was very good, as it always is. When I returned home, I had a weekend off. The next weekend was our “home” festival in Dickson, TN, the Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival. I had a blast doing this one as well. We were busy and the weather was busy too. We had upper 80’s on Thursday for set up. On Friday it turned cold and rain came later, but it was not too bad. Saturday was sunny again and a bit chilly but pleasant. Overall it was a great weekend!

Knitting Notions booth Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival 2026 — Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival 2026

This weekend is a holiday, of course, so no festivals. The weekend after Easter is Greencastle Wool Show in Greencastle, IN. It is happening Friday, April 10 – Saturday, April 11. The location is a bit west of Indianapolis, IN. Check out the website for more details. Hope to see you there! I also updated my Event Calendar. If you want to see my full schedule, check out the link.

Reading and Books

I did some spring cleaning in my office which includes my library. I got a new 6 shelf bookcase to replace my old 3 shelf unit. I needed some room to expand. The non-fiction got relocated to the small bookcase near the printer. The new bookcase contains cooking, art, and knitting stuff on the bottom. Right now, the top two shelves are my Stephen King and Cormoran Strike series. The remaining two 6 shelf bookcases are mainly fiction; my Classics take up half the space and contemporary fiction on the other half. I still have some space left for future acquisitions.

Bookcases — fiction – classics and contemporary

Currently Reading.

The Count of Monte Cristo-Alexandre Dumas

Thanks for reading and see you next time!

Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by yarnmama — 3 Comments

Fiber Festivals, Sweater Knitting & More

Knitting Notions booth Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival 2026

Since my previous post, I have been to my first festival of 2026. There is some knitting and reading to report and a new product to show you.

FIBER FESTIVALS

The Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival was awesome again this year. It’s nice to have a close to home festival for a change. This is not the only local show for us. Later this month, March 27-28, we will also be at the Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival in Dickson. I love this one too and it’s even closer. I get to go home each night.

The next fiber festival on my schedule, however, is coming up next weekend. The Carolina Fiber Festival in Raleigh, NC is March 13 -14 this year. I have been vending at this festival for a long time. I am not positive when I began, but I think it may have been 2008 or 2009. It is always a great show for us.

NEW PRODUCT

I mentioned that we are trying out a new mini-sized nostepinne. They aren’t on the website yet but we have them in the booth. They were well received at Scenic Stitches, so we are currently making more. As soon as I get time and more inventory, I will get them listed on the website.

KNITTING

I completed Elijah’s raglan sweater before leaving for Chattanooga. I haven’t gotten a modeled picture of it, so you will have to settle for what I have.

My knitting has resumed on my Linen blend Summershine Top. I am currently almost to the underarm bind off on the front body piece now. Since the back and both sleeves are complete, I will be seaming this up soon.

hand knitting sweater piece — Summershine Top front piece

The lacy project I want to make next is still undetermined. I am considering making a sport weight version of my Flames and Lace stole. I haven’t had a chance to explore any other possibilities yet.

READING

Since my last post I have read the two books which I listed there as current reads. They are:

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk – This was okay, so I rated it 2 stars. I liked it the least of the three books I have read by this author. The characters felt a bit flat to me.

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – This is exactly what you expect from Dan Brown. His writing style is not fancy or eloquent but it is entertaining. What’s fun about his Robert Langdon series is the discovery of the mystery. He is also a master of pacing. The short chapters and suspense make for a compelling read. I also appreciate the lack of explicit violence and spicy scenes, despite there being a romantic subplot. I rated it 4 stars for entertainment value.

Currently Reading:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – This is my 3rd time reading this well known classic. Everyone is reading this right now due to the recent adaptation. I have absolutely no plan or desire to see it, but all the discussion inspired me to revisit the book to refresh my memory of it. I am enjoying it a lot.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I have read this once before, probably about 30 years ago. I have had it in my list for a reread for a long time. It is my pick for March of the Mammoths this month. I am reading the Penguin Classics version which is the only one with the Robin Buss translation. I have heard it is superior to the anonymous version, which is what I read the first time. I am only on the second chapter so far.

CONCLUSION

That’s it for now and as always thank you so much for reading!

Posted on March 7, 2026March 7, 2026 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Yarn Dyeing Days and Other Production Updates

We have gotten the yarn dyeing done and are working on other production, specifically new Nostepinnes. I have some knitting and reading updates too.

YARN DYEING

You have many times been kind enough to indulge me while I rattle on about my yarn dyeing processes, and I thank you for your patience. I won’t bore you with great details, but I will briefly outline our timetable.

I spent a couple afternoons plus a couple of full days on the dye preparations. It took me another full day to get all the yarn prepared for it’s batches.

We spent three days at the dye pots getting the dyeing done and the yarn mostly dry.

It took me a day and a half to do the printing, cutting, and organizing of the labels. I got all the yarn labeled and stored over a period of 4 days. I also tackled and filed our income tax return on the following day. Yay! I was glad to have gotten that accomplished with a week to spare before our first festival of 2026.

FIBER FESTIVAL

I will be driving to Chattanooga, TN on Thursday for the Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival. I was pleasantly surprised, last year, with the attendance. It was the inaugural year and sometimes it takes a little time for a new show to gain traction. I am excited to see how this year goes. I am not sure what knitting I will be taking with me.

KNITTING

I have a couple unfinished projects that I should return to, and I probably will, for at least one of them. That project is the Summershine Top. I am nearly done with it. I just need to finish the back, seam it and knit the collar.

I have almost finished with Elijah’s raglan sweater. The only knitting that remains is the collar. I have the sleeves blocking and I will seam it together as soon as they are dry.

I feel the itch to begin a new lace project, but I don’t have anything definite picked out yet. I will try to be sensible and finish the other sweater first. It will be perfect for wearing soon as the weather warms up.

KNITTING TOOLS PRODUCTION

I mentioned in my last post that we were working on some more Nostepinnes. We added some to the inventory last week.

We are also currently trying out a new version for winding mini-skeins and remnants. These will be just slightly smaller overall than our regular Nostepinnes. I find them a handy size to carry in my knitting bag for re-winding those little leftover remnants. They are also great for winding mini- skeins, like you see with advent sets and such. We will try them out this spring and see how well they appeal.

READING

I’ve finished some books since the first of the month. The first three, I told you about in my last post:

Currently Reading:

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurcyzk – I started this one as my Audible read after finishing Heart the Lover. It’s okay so far but the characters are a bit flat. Plot is interesting enough to keep me listening to see what happens.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – my oldest son gave me this for Christmas. I read all but one of the previous volumes in the Robert Langdon series. These are always entertaining even if the prose isn’t spectacular. I am enjoying it and it is actually making me read past my bedtime. 🙂

CLOSING

As always, I appreciate your time. Until next time, take care!

Posted on February 22, 2026February 22, 2026 by yarnmama — 6 Comments

A Bit of Catching up

I owe you quite a bit of catching up. I did not intend such a long break between posts. The larger the gap got, the harder it became to start. There’s knitting, business, life, and reading to update you about, so let’s begin with knitting.

KNITTING

I have one project on the needles that I am currently working on. That is a sweater for my youngest son. He picked it as one of his Christmas presents.

He wanted a light-blue sweater. I had to purchase the yarn because, if you can believe it, I was lacking that in my stash. I ordered some Cascade 220 from Webs in mid- December and cast on around Christmas week.

Cascade 220 knitting A Bit of Catching UP

Cascade 220 sweater knitting A Bit of Catching Up

The pattern is a basic pieced raglan pullover knit with a waffle-weave stitch pattern. I have completed and blocked both of the body pieces. I am almost finished knitting the first sleeve. I have most of two skeins left from the six that I ordered, so I should have plenty to complete the project.

I also finished knitting the Mystery Musikal Shawl by Stephen West. I am quite happy with it. There was only a tiny bit of the yarns I used left. I used all of the Heather( the darker purple). More details can be found at the Ravelry link to my project page.

Mystery MusiKAL Shawl knitting Pre-blocking A Bit of Catching Up — Before blocking

I have one other project still partially completed and on hold since October, when I began knitting the Mystery Musikal Shawl. That is my Summershine Top. I plan to pick that back up, I think, when I finish my son’s sweater.

BUSINESS UPDATES

In December and January we finished working on two big batches of Cherry Yarn Swifts.

In mid-December we added a new polishing wheel to our shop. After seeing what a lovely job that did on our new batch of Darning Eggs, I couldn’t resist pulling out all the rest of the inventory, including all the Nostepinnes, and upgrading them. It took a couple of days, but it was worth the effort. They look even more amazing than they were before. I apologize that I neglected to get any pictures. Maybe next time.

We have some new Nostepinnes currently in production. During January, we received 17 boxes of yarn to dye. I am working on dye preparations right now. Dyeing will probably happen sometime in the next week, weather permitting.

LIFE UPDATES

Speaking of weather, the second half of January has certainly been interesting.
As you may have heard, Nashville got hit especially hard by Fern. At first, we were supposed to be getting all snow, maybe as much as one foot. The storm shifted and what began as 5- 6 inches of snow, turned to sleet, and then freezing rain for a whole day. That happened on Sunday, January 25th.

We lost power around 9 am that day. The temperatures plummeted and we didn’t get our electricity restored until Tuesday afternoon, around 2:30 pm. Many were without power for a lot longer.

My birthday was on Monday, so not a fun one, but it’s fine I got over it. We survived using our propane for heating a couple rooms and doing some rudimentary cooking. I made myself a carrot cake later that week and did a little books hopping the following Sunday.

We have also dealt with a couple rounds of minor illnesses in January and early February, but we are better now and will hopefully remain so.

READING

Since I mentioned books, let me update you on what I have been or am currently reading.

December/January Reads:

These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant ****
The Haunting Season – Various Authors***
The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons****
The Final Girl Support Group – Grady Hendrix***
The Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections – Eva Juczyk****
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (read this every December)*****
A tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens****
The Winter Spirits:-Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights – Various Authors****
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton****
Lessons – Ian McEwan***
Black Woods, Blue Sky – Eowyn Ivey****
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro*****
Mornings on Horseback – David McCulloch ( read with Elijah for school)***

Currently Reading:

After Midnight – Daphne Du Maurier
The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward
The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge – Calvin Coolidge ( reading with Elijah for school)

CLOSING

That seems like enough for now. I hope that this breaking of the ice will help to get me back to a more normal posting interval. Take care until next time and as always, thank you for reading.

Posted on February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by yarnmama — 4 Comments

Mystery MusiKAL Knitting and More

I have finished knitting Clue #3 on my Stephen West Mystery MusiKAL shawl. There is also a shop update and a reading discussion at the end.

Knitting

I am now preparing to embark on Clue #4, which involves very long rows. A lot of those rows are in brioche knitting. Pray for my fortitude. I love how it looks but it is time-consuming to knit.

I am knitting exclusively on this project until it is complete. I am fine doing that, but I may need a quick little project to work on after this as a palette cleanser. Maybe a pair of socks? Then maybe something lacy.

Shop Update

We have been working on that batch of Cherry Yarn Swifts as I mentioned recently. Those are now mostly finished and some are listed on the website. We tend to sell a lot of Yarn Swifts over the holiday shopping season. We bought more lumber yesterday to start another batch to get ahead for next year since we needed more wood anyway for dowels.

Reading Discussion

I have completed a few books in the last few weeks. I have been reading a lot of new releases lately and less interested in my classics.

Recently completed:

King Sorrow by Joe Hill – This book was amazing! I gave it ***** and I think it is maybe my favorite book of 2025. Highly recommend if you like slightly gritty but well told horror stories. The apple definitely didn’t fall too far from the tree in this case.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix – This was a first read by this author. I picked up the hardback at a clearance rack at an indie bookshop. I had heard good reviews and decided to give it a go. I quite enjoyed this and gave it ****. I then found the new release from him at the library, as you see below.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix- I was surprised that I liked this one. I had been leery of reading it because I didn’t think I would get on with it due to the subject matter. I found I was able to suspend my reservations enough to appreciate the positive elements. I gave it ****.

6:40 to Monteal by Eva Juscyzk – I picked this up in a recent book store browse as an impulse buy. It was one of the monthly staff picks. I liked it as a quick psychological thriller read. I sort of guessed the ending but not completely. It surprised me right at the end. I gave it *** I think.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan – I have this on Audible. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It was pretty good but it’s not in my top 10 of 2025 or anything. I did give it **** though so I guess I liked it.

Currently reading:

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant – I borrowed this on Libby after seeing a review on YouTube. I am only a few chapters in at the moment.

House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons – Same as above. I finally got the book today as there was a hold list. Have only read a few pages.

The Haunting Season – by Various Authors – I am listening to the audio book on Libby for this one. It is a collection of eight ghost stories for the long winter nights. It’s in the Victorian tradition of reading/telling ghost stories during the holidays. These are contemporary authors but so far they are written in Victorian settings and styles. I am on the second one.

I’ll see how these go and maybe I’ll start a classic soon too. I haven’t decided what I am in the mood for yet.

Closing

I’ll leave you with a bit of Christmas decorations that we put up on Monday. This is as far as I go in on decorations though. I like the lights but don’t care for the mess and bother of a tree anymore.

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas in case I don’t talk to you again before then.

Posted on December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Knitting

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