"He played knick-knack on my knee"

No, I didn't forget you... honest.  I've thought about you almost daily since my last post but "life" has been persistently getting in between me and the computer so that I could write.  It's been getting between me and the loom, too, which is also not good but it's part of the experience of living.  "Two steps forward, three steps back", indeed!  I had no idea how pertinent that was when I wrote it and am starting to wonder if I inadvertently jinxed myself!  The title for this blog comes from the "This Old Man" nursery rhyme and seems appropriate because I've found out since my last post that I have a torn ACL in my left knee.  (The whole nursery rhyme can be found at http://www.singingbabies.com/OldMan.html).  So, between visits to the doctor, an MRI, physical therapy, and other life commitments, I am moving pretty slow and haven't been back to the loom since my last post.  Bad weaver!  Seriously, though, I know if I don't take care of it I will have permanent problems, so I am doing my best.

In the meantime, I am knitting.  Treadling the loom aggravates the knee right now, so knitting has moved to the head of the pack.  What am I knitting?  Too many things at once!  Well, not really at once since I still only have two hands, but I always have multiple projects in the works at one time.  Two baby things, three pair of socks, a hat, and a shawl.  There are several others, but they are on the far, far back burner and will move forward as I finish these primary ones.  Crazy?  Yes.  In love with textiles?  Absolutely!  There's no telling what else life is going to throw at me but, regardless, I do seem to be able to engage in some form of textile art no matter what's going on.  It brings me peace and feeds my soul to work with beautiful fibers and colors so, even if life gets stressful, textiles have a way of tempering that for me.

I am in love with knitting needles from Lantern Moon.  I feel that, in working with (sometimes expensive) beautiful yarns, it is a joy to work with equally beautiful tools.  I would advocate purchasing them from your LYS, but if you can't or don't have one, they can be found on Amazon:   Lantern Moon knitting needles on Amazon

Since I do a LOT of driving and travelling, I have several yarn stores that I consider to be my "local" yarn stores, even if they aren't geographically local to me.  I've included them in my links.  It's really, really hard to choose a "favorite" between them and, since they all have their own personalities, I really don't think I can.  Obviously, Webs (Northampton, MA) http://www.yarn.com/ is huge and has a fabulous selection.  They also do a wonderful job with mail order.  In my mind, they are sort of a "big box" type yarn store with a great staff and a hometown, LYS feel.  Hard to explain, but I think that sort of captures it.   On the other hand, there are some smaller stores that I am in love with and visit semi-regularly ~ anywhere from once or twice a year to once or twice a month.  In the once or twice a year category, there is A Likely Yarn (Abingdon, VA) http://www.alikelyyarn.com/.  They have a fabulous selection of yarns, books, and patterns with a wonderfully helpful and friendly staff.  I had a great experience there last September and look forward to returning this year.  The also have an interesting program they call "Yarn Amnesty" - check out their website to find out about it!  Moving along, there is a great shop in Greensboro, NC called Gate City Yarns http://www.gatecityyarns.com/.  Beautiful shop, very well organized displays of equally beautiful yarns.   My yarn "home" however, is near the Folk School in Murphy, NC.  http://www.yarncircle.com/  Yarn Circle is the creation of my friends Pam and Martha.  I absolutely cannot say enough about this shop!  Great selection for everything from spinning, to weaving, to felting, to...?  It's a "must visit" yarn store if you are anywhere near, or even just in the region.  Both Pam and Martha are Resident Artists at the Folk School, are tremendously helpful, knowledgeable, talented folks who also happen to be just plain wonderful people and dear friends.   Another dear friend is behind Peace Weavers http://stores.ebay.com/peaceweavers.  Even though the shop is on line, the yarns are fabulous and should not be missed.  They have a great selection of Fleece Artist and Hand Maiden yarns that are just gorgeous!

In the once or twice a month category, in Pineville, NC there is The Yarn Shop by Rainy Day Creations http://www.rainydaycreationsinc.com/.  My dear friend Linda is there and, wow, what a shop!  Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff!  Wonderful, friendly people! And not just yarn - patterns & books galore, weaving and spinning supplies, too.  Check out their website or, if you are anywhere near, it's also a "must visit" yarn store!   In Bedford, VA there is Yarn Theory http://yarntheory.com/.  I've always had good experiences with these folks, too.  Fantastic selection of sock yarns ~ I LOVE to knit socks, so I go there as often as I can.  Very friendly, helpful folks.  They have an program called "Warm Up Bedford" that is a wonderful, generous, caring community oriented program - please see their website to find out about it.

I've probably gone on enough for now.  I know there are other shops but these are the ones that I visit with any regularity and that come immediately to mind.  If I've left out anyone please know you have my sincere apologies and that it was probably because that "old man" is playing on my knee and distracting me!

Until next time ~ be safe and God bless!