If you've been wondering what is happening at the shop, well, we're closing. Sad days all around, and not an easy decision to make. Basically, the economy is not our friend and the stress of trying to make it a go, plus my family responsibilities is putting a cramp in my immunity system. I seem to actually be falling apart. I find little bits everywhere I go.
My sanity had already fled, so it was unaffected.
I wanted to thank all of the commandos, and all of the customers that didn't think of themselves thusly, but none the less were an integral part of making KnitWicks a inviting and warm place for knitters of all stripes to come and knit awhile. I have nothing but joyous memories of my time at Knitwicks, and my only regret is the generous and loving yarnies that will no longer be such a large part of my day. I will miss the questions, both easy and the real stumpers. I will miss the easy joy people had feeling up the yarns, I will miss the new knitters and the old.
Did I say old? I meant experienced. Wise. Expert. Ahem...
I will miss KnitWicks.
But fear not, I will be around, and knitting. The commandos will still meet, the when and where will be posted at this site. I have talked with Mary over at The Rabbit's Lair, and she said I could teach classes and such. I also would like to have a shop on Etsy. However, if I manage to get anything finished, parting with it may be difficult.
The plans I have are many, and most are fiber related. No big surprises there. I am in negotiations with my husband about going back to school. It is a very careful dance, but probably I will be going to NWACC in the fall.
In short, I will miss everyone, except for those that won't let me, and I will continue in my fiber journey, not straight, but in rather jerky movements with many stops and starts. Rather like I go through life.
I love you guys.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
We were on T.V.!
While doing a story that had NOTHING to do knitting, Kyle Cabodi of 40/29 news stopped by to get some on the street feedback, and I was more than willing to talk. Surprising no one. Except maybe poor Kyle. Who was lovely, btw.
The Camera Man, lovely and nameless, did a wonderful job capturing the shop from many angles, capturing the spinning wheels and some of the knitted items. He even managed to get Monica on tape, and she had been running all over the store trying stay away from him. Tricksy camera man.
Kyle was nice enough to allow me a few minutes to put my face on, although he and the camera guy seemed amused by the fuss. A girl needs be prettified if she's going to be on T.V.!
Upside of the attention, I've had a number of people come in and call about the spot, not knowing there was a Knitting Shop in the area. Downside, I have seen myself on teevee, and have come to the dream ending realization that I am NOT going to be a movie star in my near ( or distant) future. I had put soooo many of my eggs in that basket, too! Dream killer, that.
***********************************************
Momma has been helping me get organized and whatnot, and she has mentioned my "stash" a couple (thousand) times. Having your mom going through your pretties can be a humiliating experience because now she KNOWS the depth of my sickness. Granted, it is a sickness she has (with fabric), so stones she can't be a throwing, but still. It's a sickness. She was bringing up stuff I didn't even remember I had, and the projects started and not finished... Holy cow. I have only been open a year, and I the number of times I said "Oh, yah, that...." was, um, I think pathetic is the word. Frightening is another. Mommaoften finally just took to giving me the 'look' every time "stash" was my answer to her question. You know the look. Mom's everywhere have the look. It is a look that is usually saved for skirts she thinks are too short, and books that are too trashy. The look is a combination between ' I raised you better than this, you know you are wrong, and I love you too much NOT to give you this look' - with a little dash of 'been there-stashed that'....
I love my mother. That is all.
***********************************************
We are coming up with a new schedule for Leilani and I. The store hours will remain the same, but Leilani will now be working full time, and I will be hiding part time. I want to be able to concentrate on writing patterns and instuctions as well as keep the store running more smoothly. So far, it is looking like Leilani will be in on M-W, and Sat, while I will be in charge Thurs, Fri, and Sunday. Hopefully, this will allow me some down time and who knows, I may even socialize with my husband and children!
The Camera Man, lovely and nameless, did a wonderful job capturing the shop from many angles, capturing the spinning wheels and some of the knitted items. He even managed to get Monica on tape, and she had been running all over the store trying stay away from him. Tricksy camera man.
Kyle was nice enough to allow me a few minutes to put my face on, although he and the camera guy seemed amused by the fuss. A girl needs be prettified if she's going to be on T.V.!
Upside of the attention, I've had a number of people come in and call about the spot, not knowing there was a Knitting Shop in the area. Downside, I have seen myself on teevee, and have come to the dream ending realization that I am NOT going to be a movie star in my near ( or distant) future. I had put soooo many of my eggs in that basket, too! Dream killer, that.
***********************************************
Momma has been helping me get organized and whatnot, and she has mentioned my "stash" a couple (thousand) times. Having your mom going through your pretties can be a humiliating experience because now she KNOWS the depth of my sickness. Granted, it is a sickness she has (with fabric), so stones she can't be a throwing, but still. It's a sickness. She was bringing up stuff I didn't even remember I had, and the projects started and not finished... Holy cow. I have only been open a year, and I the number of times I said "Oh, yah, that...." was, um, I think pathetic is the word. Frightening is another. Mommaoften finally just took to giving me the 'look' every time "stash" was my answer to her question. You know the look. Mom's everywhere have the look. It is a look that is usually saved for skirts she thinks are too short, and books that are too trashy. The look is a combination between ' I raised you better than this, you know you are wrong, and I love you too much NOT to give you this look' - with a little dash of 'been there-stashed that'....
I love my mother. That is all.
***********************************************
We are coming up with a new schedule for Leilani and I. The store hours will remain the same, but Leilani will now be working full time, and I will be hiding part time. I want to be able to concentrate on writing patterns and instuctions as well as keep the store running more smoothly. So far, it is looking like Leilani will be in on M-W, and Sat, while I will be in charge Thurs, Fri, and Sunday. Hopefully, this will allow me some down time and who knows, I may even socialize with my husband and children!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mommaoften is in town, trying to help me get organized. Let's all wish her the amount of luck she's going to need to get that task accomplished!
Vyvyan Neel, commando orignale, stopped by after a two month hiatus, with some beautiful projects in tow. Some are going to be featured on her website, some will be entered for publication, all were fun, funky, and "outside the box" designs which she alone could come up with. It was wonderful to see her again, and I am looking forward to knitting some of those designs! She is brilliant. That is all.
I am currently spinning up some black Alpaca roving I purchased at Fiberfest 2008 from Ozark Mountain Alpacas , a local Alpaca farm in Fayeteville, Arkansas. If everything goes as planned, they will be knitted into Ladylike Mesh Gloves by Eunny Jang, for my daughter's graduation. I'll be adding pictures to this post, of the yarn, not the gloves. As I get started on those, I will post some pics... stop laughing, it might actually happen...
I finally saw Twilight, Dani and Jen's current, ahem, favorite movie. It was a pretty good flick, but I won't be joining the fan club anytime soon. Although, ala another commando... "I like his daddy!"
David is showing off with his Navajo plying, and doing a lovely job, btw. He is teaching the two socks on two circulars class for me, and is trying to master the two socks on DPN technique featured in the current Piecework... I will get to trying it, although I'm thinking the only way I could keep them straight is to knit two different colors as shown in the instructions, requiring me to either wear mismatched socks, or make two pair, one of each at a time. We'll see.
Vyvyan Neel, commando orignale, stopped by after a two month hiatus, with some beautiful projects in tow. Some are going to be featured on her website, some will be entered for publication, all were fun, funky, and "outside the box" designs which she alone could come up with. It was wonderful to see her again, and I am looking forward to knitting some of those designs! She is brilliant. That is all.
I am currently spinning up some black Alpaca roving I purchased at Fiberfest 2008 from Ozark Mountain Alpacas , a local Alpaca farm in Fayeteville, Arkansas. If everything goes as planned, they will be knitted into Ladylike Mesh Gloves by Eunny Jang, for my daughter's graduation. I'll be adding pictures to this post, of the yarn, not the gloves. As I get started on those, I will post some pics... stop laughing, it might actually happen...
I finally saw Twilight, Dani and Jen's current, ahem, favorite movie. It was a pretty good flick, but I won't be joining the fan club anytime soon. Although, ala another commando... "I like his daddy!"
David is showing off with his Navajo plying, and doing a lovely job, btw. He is teaching the two socks on two circulars class for me, and is trying to master the two socks on DPN technique featured in the current Piecework... I will get to trying it, although I'm thinking the only way I could keep them straight is to knit two different colors as shown in the instructions, requiring me to either wear mismatched socks, or make two pair, one of each at a time. We'll see.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Love is in the air
VALENTINE'S DAY SALE!!!
In honor of the holiday, KnitWicks will be having a sale on all things pink, red, and fuzzy....
25% off everything pink or red
25% off everything fuzzy
50% off everything pink or red and fuzzy
So that red silk/mohair blend you have been looking at? 50% off, my knitterly friend!
We will be open from 10-6 on Valentine's Day and hope to see you there!
We also will have a 2 socks on 2 circulars class starting on Valentine's Day, to be taught by our very own Excel Guru, David Howard. Class cost is $30, lasts 3 weeks, and starts at 1pm.
In other news, we have needles on the way, Dianna's had to put off our hot date to dye some yarns in a crock pot (something about the electrical wiring, I have no further details), and I am still trying to cut out fabric for aprons. Don't ask.
I am very excited I finally figured out the blogging thing, and will be posting some more links, free patterns and basic knitting instructions. It is a work in progress... Not unlike my vast array of knitting projects...
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Finally!
Introduction of self, I am Elizabeth and I run KnitWicks, a knitting and spinning shop in Rogers, Arkansas. I am thirty and something, have a passel of red-headed chitlins, and love to knit. I also crochet, spin, quilt, sew, crosstitch and embroider things. Soon I will be weaving and dyeing fibers, and will post on those travails...
The shop has been up and running a little over a year, now, and I have come to some basic conclusions about a few things...
The shop has been up and running a little over a year, now, and I have come to some basic conclusions about a few things...
- I am not a business type, so much as a knitting type. Not really a problem, unless you happen to be in charge of running a business. Which I am. That is not to say that I don't enjoy what I do, cause, seriously, it is teh awesome. It is just that the nuts and bolts of actually making money that is so very important in a business just kind of, um, bores me to tears. It also cuts WAAAAY down on the knitting time. I am working on this.
- I like people. This should not have come as a major surprise, but as a former waitress, disliking people became kind of a hobby. Turns out, I enjoy helping people with their knitting. I like getting projects together for people, I like making sure people are enjoying their knitting or crochet projects.
- Knitters are kind of insane. Maybe that's what I like about them. I can relate so well.
- If all I did was knit, I could never get through my Ravelry cue. Ever.
- I am not that great a knitter. Seriously. I have ladies that have been knitting for 50- 60 years come in and ask me questions, and their work is PERFECT. It is humbling. Maybe one day I'll be there, but I doubt it. I understand knitting pretty well. I can read a pattern, and configure the WHY of it, even when long time knitters get confoozled, but my actual knitting leaves something to be desired.
- I won't be able to knit a grand lace project until I am no longer in charge of day to day running of the shop, and my kids leave my nest. I am thinking 10-15 years, at least.
- Acrylic isn't evil, it has it's uses. No, really.
I will be posting reviews, comments, advice and *hopefully* instructional videos. I am a neophyte blogger, but David Howard, a friend and fellow commando has offered to help... Thanks David!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What we're about
Halloo!
This is the blog for KnitWicks, a little knitting/spinning/weaving? shop in Rogers, Arkansas. We are the home of the Knitting Commando(s), a group of intrepid knitters and spinners that meet... well, whenever we have a free moment, usually Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
We are a fairly diverse group, including crocheters, knitters of all levels (including some wonderful designers), spinners, SAHM's, accountants, conspiracy theorists, business proffesionals, gay Frenchmen and even closet Republicans.
Some prefer silks, some prefer wools, some look for color, some look for texture, some of us LOVE Norah Gaughn (me), some of us think she's overated (you know who you are), but we ALL love fiber and knitting and laughing... so its all good.
The shop motto is knit happy, knit often, and that pretty well sums up my yarn selection... most of what I carry is stuff you can afford to knit with every day, with a few have to have its! laying about for fun. I like to encourage people to enjoy their knitting, it doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to make you "grow" as a knitter. It has to be something you ENJOY.
This is the blog for KnitWicks, a little knitting/spinning/weaving? shop in Rogers, Arkansas. We are the home of the Knitting Commando(s), a group of intrepid knitters and spinners that meet... well, whenever we have a free moment, usually Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
We are a fairly diverse group, including crocheters, knitters of all levels (including some wonderful designers), spinners, SAHM's, accountants, conspiracy theorists, business proffesionals, gay Frenchmen and even closet Republicans.
Some prefer silks, some prefer wools, some look for color, some look for texture, some of us LOVE Norah Gaughn (me), some of us think she's overated (you know who you are), but we ALL love fiber and knitting and laughing... so its all good.
The shop motto is knit happy, knit often, and that pretty well sums up my yarn selection... most of what I carry is stuff you can afford to knit with every day, with a few have to have its! laying about for fun. I like to encourage people to enjoy their knitting, it doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to make you "grow" as a knitter. It has to be something you ENJOY.
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