Friends are Everywhere!!!

I feel like I am always apologizing to all of you these days ... I haven't posted in too long but I suppose that this is better than I have been in the past and I will continue to strive to blog regularly --- I promise!

I had a marvelous trip to the North Carolina mountains a couple of weeks ago to visit a little treasure of a yarn shop nestled in a small town full of personality, Burnsville, NC.  Yummi Yarns is currently housed together with The Design Gallery which was so much fun to see.  I was busy with Pastiche workshops for much of the time there but I did get the chance to wander around to see the fabulous artwork, pottery, jewelry and woodwork that owner Wendy Reid has gathered for all to appreciate.  Wendy will be moving Yummi Yarns to its own location just across from the local cafe - perfect!!!  It's hard to believe that the shop will be even better than it is but I can't wait to see.

Back to the original theme of this post... I met Wendy last year at SAFF in Asheville and immediately felt that I had a new best friend!  I made more best friends this weekend ... The ladies in my workshops were all so much fun (once again, was I really working?) Thanks to Katherine, Linda, Ruth and Laura for being such great students!...And one even graciously invited me into her lovely mountain home.  Myrna and I had a fun sleepover and I got to wake up to this...

And here is the view from the Myrna's living room!  We got to enjoy this while knitting and sipping coffee... I wonder if Myrna still appreciates the mountain beauty after seeing it every day!  I'll bet she does :)

I keep finding new friends everywhere!  Thanks to Yummi Yarns and its customers for being such a welcoming bunch :)

Does it count as procrastination?

If I delay doing one business task with another, does it count as procrastination?  I just have a teeny bit of work to do to finish the pattern for Collared Greens and for some reason I keep finding some excuse to do something else...oh, the human psyche...

MFSB Graciously Modeling the first Collared Greens (Berroco Vintage)

Collared Greens (Cascade Venezia)

Could there be a better "JOB"?

Good Morning World!  I was just thinking this morning how incredibly lucky I am to have the opportunity to be doing what I am doing... last week I "had" to go to a shop I haven't been to in a while, "Knit N Knacks", and "had" to meet a whole bunch of really nice new friends and knit with them while chatting and getting to know them.  Saturday I taught at Only Ewe and Cotton Too in Alpharetta where I "had" to "work" with some great friends on a really fun project - one of my designs - Pastiche!  Sunday back to Only Ewe for regular knit group.  Then "work", "work", "work" Monday on patterns, social media...  Tuesday I went to a regular knit group at The Yarn Garden Knit Shop in Lawrenceville where I "had" to, you guessed it, sit and knit and chat with some great friends ... oh I just thought of something, I can call it "networking" to sound more official and "jobby"!  Today I go back to The Yarn Garden to "work", teach the first in a series of workshops also for "Pastiche"and "have" to go to The Atlanta Knitting Guild tonight to "network" ;)  Next Tuesday I have to go to Lovin' Knit because I haven't made it there to the knitting group to "network" and it goes on and on.  What did I do to be so incredibly fortunate that I "have" to do all this "networking"???  I remember hearing something at least several times before, "if you work in what you love and are passionate about, you will never work a day in your life" - Wow! How lucky I am :)  Thank you all!!!

This is "Kudzu" - pattern coming soon ... it's taking over Atlanta!

One of My Favorite Things

It's been a while and I don't want to fall into my old habit of stopping blogging...so here I am to tell you about one of my absolutely favorite apps for iPhone and iPad.  It's called Knit Evenly  and it does a very limited, simple task that is INCREDIBLY helpful for knitters.  You plug in the number of stitches that are on your needles currently, the number of stitches you want to increase or decrease, and touch a button to indicated whether you want to increase or decrease and VOILA!  The stitches you should make are spelled out in 2 ways:  the easiest to remember and the more evenly spaced.  THe app will even walk you through step by step if you want.   Absolutely incredible.  I am immersed in "Pastiche" right now and it takes the guesswork and inevitable rework out when you need to change the number of stitches you are working with.  I give Knit Evenly a hearty "thumbs up"!!!  Here are some pictures of Pastiche Take 2.

A Fibery Corner of the World

As y'all can tell, I must have had a wonderful time in Asheville, NC last week!  I visited a couple of yarn shops in the area and had a blast.  Got to stop in at Paradise Fibers (downtown Asheville) while the driving rain kept their regular knitting group away -- boo hoo --- but on the positive side I got to have a nice visit with Renee and her buds!

Friends and Fiberworks in the Biltmore Square Mall got the majority of my time during my hasty visit --definitely stop in if you are in the area!  It is rare that I get to feel so completely welcomed and I was tired and bedraggled after a long drive so I am certain that I didn't really do my part :)  Thanks to Lisa and her crew - I had a blast and was only sorry that I couldn't stay for the Winter Retreat!  As you can see they got it all (including More Than Knotz Patterns!) - I did take a picture of their store front but my iphone ate it!

Asheville LOVE

I love living in Atlanta, I really do, but...there is a city about 4 hours by car away that captured my heart several years ago.  Asheville, North Carolina - A small city at under 100,000 in population was ranked several years ago as #1 for fall foliage, #1 in top 25 small cities, Beer City USA ( I am not sure whether that matters to me :)), #6 for business and career, #2 arts destination (:)), and was included in the top 11 for baby boomers active retirement destinations.

Now, I do truly understand that statistics can be manipulated to reflect whatever the statistician or marketeer desires.  Here's why I tend to believe most of this propaganda...First off, I do need to say that I am in disagreement about the #1 ranking for fall foliage!  I am from the northeast originally and have to contend that New England beats Asheville hands down in this regard - sorry!  Not everyone is as dogged as I am in getting up to New England soooooo for those living in the South who want to get some good leaf peeping in, Asheville is arguably a marvelous choice!

Now on to to my own brand of Asheville edification.  Upon arriving in Asheville, I get the happy homey feeling that used to only be reserved for Boston and my childhood home in Pennsylvania.  I immediately and consistently feel wholeheartedly welcomed by all those I come across in my travels.  Asheville is artsy with a capital A - down to earth and people actually wear their art on the sleeves ( literally) - love it! It is a visually stimulating place to be - makes me happy!

Lastly ( and this list is most certainly not all-inclusive but this post is quickly becoming a book) --- SNOW!!! Being a Yankee transplant to the South, I miss the snow.  Not the everyday, gotta get to work, scrape off the car and shovel the driveway variety but the wonder and beauty of new falling snow that actually leaves evidence on the grass, rooftops etc!  In Atlanta, this happens very rarely, a little too rarely for my tastes.   Well...Today (we are due for some snow even in Atlanta) in Asheville, they might get 4 inches!  I will put this aside for now and hopefully will have some pictures of a winter wonderland to share with you.... I'm baaaack, can't wait any longer for pictures...maybe I will wake up to snow in the morning :)

Social Media

My 2013 all-encompassing goal is to dive into all (maybe not all ) the different social media venues out there for fun, learning and to give me something to do other than writing, editing and posting my knitting patterns during my "office hours".  Yes - office hours are another major goal of mine...I can design and knit (especially knit) til the cows come home but getting truly organized and intentional in my business is a little trickier.  I need to force myself for a while until it becomes a habit.

The sites I am starting out with and will be focusing on are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, a little bit of Instagram, YouTube.  Here are links to my profiles / pages / whatever (Guess I need to learn the lingo too :))


I have learned a few things about social media so far

1. There are a lot of people that are pretty into it
2. I have a LOT to learn
3. It's FUN and One can spend too much fun time looking around aka it can be a time suck 
4. I have a LOT to learn....
5. I need to learn how to make those icons above be links.... :) For now, you will just have to search for me ...

Anyway, I hope that y'all enjoy, "like", "follow", and mostly just be my friend. Oh, and join my Ravelry group (More Than Knotz) to be sure to hear about special promotions in my Ravelry store... Check soon - there is one coming up!

Talk to you soon :)