Experience this!

A week or so ago we enjoyed a little preview of what Fiesta Yarns has to offer. Yesterday, we received our shipment of Rayon Boucle and La Boheme. We had no idea what exactly we'd be in store for when the box opened. Dazzling, sparkling, amazing, hand-dyed color! The preview sample was great, but you'll be amazed at these colors! Vibrant, bold, creative, fresh. Spring! Just take a look at this La Boheme wrap. What a stunner! We have this pattern and many others that will have you looking smart for spring. Quick projects, instant fashion! Stop in and select your favorite colors for a bright, new spring look!

About playing the cello and knitting argyles...

I had mentioned before that my grandmother was a cellist. She played in the local women's orchestra in Stassfurt, Germany. Through an odd turn of events, my grandmother volunteered my mother (who played the piano) to play a solo on the cello at a social function she was attending. To prepare, my grandmother gave my mother crash lessons on the simple piece she was expected to play. A task daunting to any adult, no less a child! When the day arrived for the cello debut, the family readied and departed for the hall. Upon arrival, my mother announced that she had forgotten her music at home. By then, it was too late to return to the house to retrieve the forgotten score. "You'll just have to play from memory," my grandmother told her, "you've practiced it enough." A hard directive. But what choice did she have? At the appointed time, my mother sat with the cello and played her solo -- flawlessly and from memory. I've heard this story told time and again,usually when I was facing a difficult task, or something I really didn't want to do but need to. I had often asked how it was that my mom could have done it, taken an instrument that wasn't hers, an instrument that requires particular nuance and skill to produce any pleasing sounds at all, and perform a solo in public. Her answer was the same each time: "Sometimes you just have to do things. Just put your mind to it." We've all been in similar situations, faced with tasks that we would rather leave to others, because we simply can't. Have you ever seen a fantastic and fabulous knit or crochet design that you absolutely loved, but that you subconsciously removed from your options list by thinking, "I could never do that. It's far too difficult!"? The song from the Broadway show "Avenue Q" reminds us, "There's a whole world outside your apartment!" My adivce is this: if you like it, make it. Turn the can't into can, and just start in! Make the project an adventure, a learning experience. In the class list on page 3 of the newsletter, I have purposely selected a few knitting topics that are designed to break down the barriers we set up for ourselves when it comes to what projects we select. We've admired colorwork in books and on other folks' needles, and now it's time to admire your own colorwork. How to shape garment pieces? After you've made the little baby shrug and learned the tricks to keeping track of several counts at once, you'll be ready to knit anything! This year, explore outside your comfort zone. You can do it! New challenges and discoveries for the new year! Happy New Year, everyone!

New Class Schedule!

Take note of the class schedule that is published here at the blog and in the newsletter! The first scheduled technique class on the list is coming up this Saturday, January 28th at 1:30pm: Fixing Mistakes. It's a popular class to learn how to correct common mistakes that we all experience in our work from time to time. Over the next few months our goal is to try stepping outside our comfort zone a little and challenge ourselves to experience and learn some new things, new techniques, and different projects. The class list contains some good, healthy challenges to help us meet this goal. You'll find colorwork, garment shaping, project planning/pattern reading, and more. Turn that "Can't" into a "Can"! Sign up for these classes and be amazed at the awesome things you CAN accomplish!

Newsletter!

The Vermilion Bay Light for January/February is being mailed out today! Most of you have already received your own copies, but there are still a few that will be going out through the day. If you have not been receiving your copy of the Light, it may be that you've changed your email, or because your email program redirects the Light to some other folder besides your inbox. Please do let me know if you've changed your email!

Today we welcome Fiesta Yarns to the VBYC family. The first time I had come across Fiesta was on the knitting cruise year before last when we shopped at the fabulous Knit Wits yarn shop in Key West, whose sock bins were jam packed with fantastic colorful sock yarns from Fiesta. You can imagine how excited I was to receive a call from company owner Brad Duncan a few days ago that he wanted to stop off at VBYC on his way to New Orleans. The company is based in New Mexico and features many amazing hand-dyed yarns and blends. It was exciting to experience the complete Fiesta line, and to discover yarns with pizazz and splash, glitz and glamor that are both elegant and classy. Since the bulk of the spring order will not start arriving until later this month, Brad offered a good selection of cash and carry yarns. So, as a fashion preview of what will start arriving in a few weeks, browse the bins of Fiesta Rayon Boucle and Fiesta La Boheme.

New New New New New!

The post Christmas rush has begun, and that means loads of new yarns and such! Nine colors of Kidsilk Haze arrived today and are ready for your projects, as well as new colorways of Schaefer Anne for you sock knitters looking for the unique and one-of-a-kind (some hanks are regular colorways, some are one-of-a-kind)! A boatload of new colors in Lana Bambu is scheduled to arrive January 13th, and today, a whole box of adorable Puppy Snips in assorted colors (including some new colors we've not seen before) landed in our mailbox! Hurry on in!