Stitches South - April 2009

I went to the newly established Stitches South in Atlanta last weekend. For the first year of a show, it was well attended and well supported. No one said how many folks were there, but at registration there was a big fat list of classes which had not filled up. But, not so, with those that I took ... Tradition- a series of old-fashioned decorative stitches, taught by Candace Eisner Strick. (You might know her Merging Colors kits and patterns, which we are going to carry on the new website.) That was fun -- knitting swatches of fancy patterns --and, not so fancy as to be out of the reach of the average knitter, but challenging all the same. Somehow I invented a knit stitch during one exercise! I think, though, that it was double knitting ... where one side is one color and the other side is another color? (It was supposed to be striped ribbing but it was beautiful!)

The other class was with Laura Bryant of Prism Yarns. It was called Fake Short Rows, but we asked her to rename it because the end-result fabric is so lovely that it shouldn't have an ugly word like 'fake' attached to it. Very powerful stitch, and her samples were really lovely. I scoured the Market floor and finally bought some Italian (yea!) yarn and some special glass knitting needles (must haves!) and started my own filagree shoulder shawl. Somehow, though, it is not progressing to be quite as lovely as the samples we did under Laura Bryant's nose. I will have to rip and start over again, I guess, and maybe be less adventurous in my design. This one, by the way, could make an average garment into something spectacular!

The Market floor was a little disappointing in that there were not many vendors. Or, perhaps a better way to say it is that there was an adequate number of vendors, but not that shockingly huge display of must-haves at every corner, one vendor better than the next, etc. There just were not that many of them there, and I totally understand and want to make that clear. It was, after all, the first year of the show, and it had to have been hard to make the decision to attend both a new show and a show that would draw on financial resources in these strange economic times. But, I must say, that most vendors seemed to be busy most of the time.

There were a few, as always, who seemed not to be very welcoming to customers, and it really makes you wonder why they made the effort to come to the show, unload all their stuff, fill the booth, and then sit and read or knit and not pay attention to the crowd. Next weekend is the weekend for Maryland Sheep & Wool, one of the largest fiber shows on the East Coast, and several vendors from the west were going to drive up to MD and set up this week, making the most of the two shows being schedules so closely together. The folks who had the glass needles, for instance, (Michael and Sheila Ernst from Oregon) were going up to Maryland. I invited them to stop in Virginia if they had the time, but they haven't called me yet. I'd love to show them my Laura Bryant Fake Short Row capelet on their stunning glass needles.

I made some good contacts for the new website: Kim Dolce, a knitwear designer. Boy, I do love her sense of style. Casual yet elegant. You can see her designs on her website: Dolcehandknits.com ... We'll carry her patterns on Uptown Stitches. Also, looked closely at the Hiya-Hiya Needles. You know what I'm referring to ... the very lightweight ones from China. I ordered complete sets of both the smaller and the larger ones, but they are out of stock for a while. I am thinking of carrying those two kits only, plus the replaceable cables, but want to work with them a bit before deciding. And talked to the man with the American Buffalo yarn. That is sort of iffy at this point. It is wonderfully soft, but on the pricey side, and I am not sure if my customer base will take it to heart!

My next post will be about three new sock yarns we are adding to the Wool2Dye4 lineup. One is so much like an old one I used to carry, which I got from a distributor, but which never came in looking like the previous batch. Now, I've got my own finger in the pie, and a little control over the milling process and we have come up with a really wonderful Superwash Merino in a firmly twisted 2-Ply. But, more on that later.

By the way, if you want samples of the three new sock yarns, eMail me with your request (and address!) ... Yarnie@wool2dye4.com.

Later!

W2D4 Merino DK - Superwash ... a change

I admit to a goof. It was in choosing a new size skein for one yarn, the Merino DK in Superwash. Last month we went from the universally accepted skein size of 100 grams in the DK-SW to a 175 gr skein, or -- if you think in ounces -- from a 3.8 oz to a 6 oz skein. I did take advice from customers in both camps, and decided to try the large skein. Reasons were good: knitters of heavy socks couldn't get a pair out of 100 grams (231 yds) so they had to buy two skeins; baby garment knitters couldn't get quite enough yarn to make a full garment; dyers for sweaters and large garments worried that dyeing many small skeins were hard to match in one dye lot.
All good thoughts, right? HOWEVER, the typical measurement of 100-grams is the expected weight in our industry, from the local yarn shop to the booth of the fiber artist at the fiber festival.
To fix this, we are going back to the 100-gr skein. As of yesterday, the larger 175-gr skeins of Merino DK-SW were discounted 15% on the website to all customer types, and we have ordered the 100-gr skeins to be returned to permanent stock.
Below is a schedule of upcoming Merino shipments expected in the next two months ...
Mid-April: Platinum Sock on 100-gr skeins. Ultra Merino 3Ply on skeins and cones. Merino Worsted on skeins.
End of April/Early May: ... Platinum Sock and Ultra Merino 3Ply on skeins and cones. Merino DK-Superwash on cones.
Mid-to-Late May: Platinum Sock and Ultra Merino 3Ply on skeins and cones. Merino DK-SW on 100-gr skeins
................We have a new sock yarn coming up on trial: 100% superwash BFL in a nice 4-ply yarn at 1984 yards/lb (436 yards per 100-gr skeins). This could be a nice fresh yarn for your lineup. Our customers keep telling me and telling me that when they set out Bluefaced Leicester yarns at their booths, the BFL is the first to go! I see it myself, so I am very happy to bring in this great new yarn.
This yarn just has such wonderful sheen to it that gives it immediate impact, and of course, the long staple makes it a strong yarn.The typical American sock knitter goes into yarn shops and buys sock yarn with nylon in the blend. Of course there are major opinions on both sides of the story, but I think we can satisfy all doubters with a good strong BFL superwash yarn with a good twist.
If you would like a sample of the new trial BFL sock, please eMail me. What shall we call it? I woke up in the night and thought, 'BFL Socking.' Is this the new name?
I am boosting stock of the major sock yarns in the next months to accommodate upcoming fiber festivals. If you have specific needs, please eMail me and tell me about them so that I can work on having enough of your yarn available.

The Uptown Sweater

The lovely sweater design from designer Shawn Glidden has finally been named. Since it is the first design for Uptown Stitches, and she hit the nail on the head in the comfy yet elegant design, it shall henceforth be known as The Uptown Sweater! Thank you, Shawn. and, thank you, Kraemer Yarns, for that terrific Belfast yarn. The combination of linen, cotton and that touch of silk make for a fabric that you just want to cover your body.

Yesterday I packed it up, along with the Summit Hill sweater knit in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Adult Ladies Sweater (aka February Sweater from Knitter's Almanac, but in adult size), and a shawl knit from Laura Schickli's Luxury Lace. Then we shipped them to a photographer friend in New York -- Rick Stockwell -- is going to shoot pictures for the pattern and website against an urban background. Urban backgrounds are hard to come by in my little corner of Virginia! AND he is an artist at work, so I know already that the pictures will be interesting and engaging. (Check out his website ... www.stockwellphotography.com.) He is using a professional model, Lesley Collis, who is an actress and a beautiful woman.

I will post these wonderful pictures as soon as they are in!

Uptown Stitches - New yarn company

This week some of the new yarn started to arrive for Uptown Stitches, the new website. Bright colors from PolarKnit arrived yesterday, and I can see why folks like to make ski hats out of this yarn! You cannot be missed in one of these colors! Have already had inquiries about this yarn, and am glad to see it in person. If you do not recognize this name, it is the copyrighted name of Polar Knit Fleece, that wonderul warm fabric, but cut into yarn for us knitters.

Speaking of the website, it looks as though WebGuy is on the move, and there are definite changes at Uptown Stitches! He uploaded the new program (from X-Cart.com, if anyone is looking for a fantastic eCommerce program that does what the seller really needs doing), and has now uploaded the new logo and color scheme, and he has just deleted all the extraneous stuff I asked to have removed. It is looking good, and I am hopeful.

Operating under the assumption that The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease, I admit to calling him three or four times last week. Boy, I do feel sorry for him when I am in one of these must-have moods! BUT, it's all about getting business done, and he is a good sport about my persistance... probably a better sport than I am while I wait for him to get to my work. Unimaginable that he actually has other things to do in life, like move to a new house, for example. Here is a picture of the new logo and colorway.

Barb Brown's pattern in Multi and White

At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that I wanted to knit my own samples for the new website, UptownStitches.com and so I launched into Barb Brown's pattern, Blue Willow, with enthusiasm. Using Necessary Sock, a lovely dyed yarn from Handwerks Textiles (Laura Schickli), my sock has a complete different look than the original in classic blue-and-white. Laura's yarn, used alternately with white BFL Ultra!, almost has the look of Fair Isle.

For ages folks have been doing this trick, but I'm doing it now, and am here to say that it works! And, it is so much fun to knit. Remember, I consider myself an intermediate knitter with slight prejudices against cable needles, picking up stitches from the row below, double yarn-overs ... hmmm. What else? I know, I know that it sounds like I am eliminating lots of knitting fun, but there are so many other stitches out there, aren't there? For instance, my idea of a good time -- and I mean a really good time! -- is the double increase. Whew! I love that stuff.

Here is my version of Barb Brown's lovely pattern ...

Working with Designer Barb Brown

Blue Willow Socks by Barb Brown

I thought that I would start to write about the progress of the new website, as there actually does seem to be a little light on the horizon. As usual, I am waiting for web work. That is the very worst part of having an Internet business, for me, and I mean waiting for the WebGuy to do his thing. BUT, that seems to be a part of how I am doing this website work, and I depend on him, and that means I have to wait sometimes. Too often. Too long ...

Today, though, I want to share some of the work of a delightful designer I have been working with. Actually, just as I start to work with the new designers for Uptown Stitches, I immediately cast on one of their patterns to see if I can do it easily. I suppose I will classify myself as an intermediate knitter, and may be a little generous in this compliment to myself, but I am fairly competent. Anyway, this lady has struck my imagination and my attention. We've been writing back and forth, almost like immediate friends and find that we share the same sort of aesthetic. I love her designs! They are bold and use color in ways which make a knitted fabric seem more complicated than it actually is.

Her name is Barb Brown, and her website is Wild Geese Fibers. She is a Canadian and a prolific knitter as well as designer. I first met her work in Carol Jean Sulcoski's new book Kniting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. She has a pattern in this wonderful book. (Hey! handdyers, here is a book written just for us! Do you have it yet?) I will post here a picture of an example of one design, which I happen to be knitting now. It's called Blue Willow, named after the china patterns, a pattern which reminds me of my mother's sense of taste and summertime meals outside as a child.

Here is the address of her website. Go and check out her sense of color and design. She told a wonderful story about helping her mother decorate Ukranian eggs, as a child, and in her work I can see the influence of that early color theory. Be sure to take a look at the Pieces of Eight Socks, and Digeridoo, and Magic Triangle Socks.

http://wildgeesefibres.com/?page_id=3&category=11

Final Sock Club Mailing

We are gearing up to mail the final installment of Wool2Dye4's White Sock Sampler Club. This time I am finally getting it right and sending along an original pattern written for a specific colorway. This month's mailing will be the tencel/merino 50/50 blend of tencel with our springy superwash merino. The colorway is called Dogwood in Blossom. And, our talented friend, Emily Miller, will create a pattern especially for this yarn in this colorway.

See the theme? It's about wood this time. Yes, tencel is actually a byproduct of the timber industry. It's made from a slurry of wood chips, simmering along and extruded through tiny holes in piping, then the fibers are caught by big fans and bundled up to be spun into yarn. This yarn is blended in a 50/50 ratio with superwash merino, giving us a unique blend of a cellulose fiber (the tencel) with a protein fiber (the wool).

Whenever we have such a blend, we know that there will be some dropping out of dyes in the rinse. As acid dyes are positioned to dye protein fibers, and fiber reactive dyes will dye cellulose fibers, some fiber will obviously not take color in the dyebath. This is especially true if you use a very strong dye bath; but, if you use a moderate amount of dye, you will achieve a subtle and lovely blending of tones. I think that is one of the very special things about dyeing the W2D4 Tencel/Merino blend, the subtle colorations. Too, tencel has a lovely sheen, very much like silk.

Here is a picture of Dogwood in Blossom...

Got that Tax ID number yet?

In the past month or so there has been a rash of inquiries from would-be entrepreneurs about the requirements to open a wholesale account with Wool2Dye4. I thought I would list them, and then see if I can interest the right people into securing a Federal Tax ID number. First, to the requirements:
-Business Name
-Tax ID Number
-Committment to ten pound minimum weight on order

Now, this ten pounds may be spread out among several yarns, and the ten pounds does not have to be of each individual yarn or spinning fiber. That is, the entire order must weigh ten pounds.

That question, though, of the tax id number is the one which stumps folks. It is free and easy to get a tax id number for your home-based business (or any business, of course), and it can be done over the internet at www.irs.gov. Just fill out the application for the SS-4 form, Employer ID. Even though you may not intend to maintain a payroll, this is where you get a Federal Tax ID number.

Just having a Federal Tax ID number will not affect your income taxes. Most of my customers are part-time dyers, or work-at-home clients and operate as a sole proprietor. That is, they do not have a registered corporation or limited partnership, but are operating the most simple form of business, the sole proprietorship. There is only one owner in this form of business ... the sole proprietor. What it immediately lends to your business is the sense of permanence. You gain credibility when you are more organized and look more like a business, even though you may be working in space borrowed from the family living quarters. If you have a Federal Tax ID when you apply for discounts with your suppliers, you are more credible. Period.

Most people do not realize that simply having this Tax ID number (also called EIN, or Employer's Identification Number), will not affect the taxes you pay on your income tax. You probably will not make a profit for several years anyway, so keep track of your business expenses (cost of goods sold, shipping, materials, assistants, advertising, etc.) and of your income (sales) and you will get a quick picture of where you stand. Take a count of the value of the inventory expressed in your cost, and also any outstanding invoices at the end of the year to get a complete picture of profit/loss.

The value of having the number is the perceived credibility it lends to your business.

If in doubt, then go find a business advisor and ask them. There is a federal small business assistance program in every state, and it's called the Small Business Assistance Center. (I used to direct one here in Virginia!) Another place to go for advice is the local chapter of SCORE, the US Small Business Administration's office of retired executives. Both are free, and both are great places to go and talk about the structure, operation, forecasts, trends, future growth, profit, etc. of your business. Don't forget that many, many businesses began in someone's spare room and grew into viable and profitable enterprises. And, it could be yours, next!

That Progressive Ins. Grey Sweater!

If you've seen Progressive's '08 fall ad campaign, I am sure you will have noticed the chunky grey sweater that a customer is wearing. Every time I see that ad, I want that sweater!

Seems like other knitters share this interest also. A Google search yields quite a few mentions of this sweater, but no results. I decided to write to the Progressive folks and ask about it. Here is the reply I received, straight from the folks themselves...

Dear Sheila Mahone,
Thank you for contacting Progressive.
We’re thrilled that you’re enjoying our new commercials and are interested in the gray sweater. However, we’re unable to provide you with a pastern for that sweater. At this time, we're also unable to provide any information about the manufacturer of the specific sweater.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Inconvenience? Hmmm. I have to think about that one. Maybe the inconvenience of disappointment? That could be what he refers to.

I wrote back and said that if he could contact the ad agency they used for that ad, then I would be happy to sell the pattern on my website! Think of it, I proposed ... all those knitters out there who are anxious to make that sweater!

So far, no response from the corporate guys.

New Year of Knitting

I remember when I was a kid and people asked me what my New Year's Resolutions were, I was always at a loss. Somehow I couldn't think far enough ahead to think of something I wouldn't jump in and do at a moment's notice, or of anything I needed to get accomplished. Life was simple then, and I was never bored because my mind would seize on a project and before I knew it, I was in the middle of figuring it out.

Not much as really changed since those simple days when I lived in the country and invented my own entertainment. I'm just a little older and, well, some bigger. Now that 'bigger' part does come to mind for needing resolutions, and actually, this year when I had my annual heart checkup, I asked my doctor if there was anything he could prescribe which would make me get up and start moving around. Before I knew it, a nurse had me on the phone asking if I liked to swim or do Pilates, and before the conversation was over, I had committed to three months of exercise, whether I liked it or not. He's pretty good, isn't he? He acted swiftly and with determination, and I could hardly say 'no, I don't like to swim in the winter time!' because too many people already knew that I need to get up and move, so I would just shame myself, really, if I acted churlish about swimming in the winter time. And, I knew it. I heard my own voice starting to protest, and then just shut up. Nope. I am going to do the program and come out of it in three months' time having done more exercise than knit and type!

So, an improvement in health was not on my resolution list at all. What I like to think up as a sort of resolution is a new skill or hobby. Like the year I decided I was going to learn to weave. I went into it full throttle, just as I have always done with a new game/toy/hobby, and signed up for a weeklong class and bought one of the studio's used looms at the end of the week. For at least a year I tried to be a weaver. I loved the actual weaving part where you toss the shuttle back and forth and stomp on the pedals and watch the fabric form in front of your eyes, thread by thread, literally. What I hated was warping the loom. To me it was tedious and boring. I just never got the art of warping down, and I gave it a good try. One day last year, I woke up and with great clarity declared, 'I am not a weaver.' For a week I tried to sell my loom, and then had it moved upstairs to the attic, half-dressed with a warp. The decision was made, but I decided to keep my membership in the weaving guild because I had met some very interesting people there. Admitting that I am not a weaver, did not dampen my enthusiasm for hand-woven fabric at all. All my life I have been a collector of hand-woven fabric. The only regret about leaving the loom behind is that I never achieved my goal of creating a stack of dishtowels to serve me for years into the future. I'll just have to buy them and appreciate the hand work of others.

Last year I declared openly on the Internet that 2008 would be the year of the cable for me. I didn't do many cables, I admit. OK, I did some but never an intricate Aran sweater, or a sidewise hat band, or even cabled wristwarmers. I did a couple of sweaters with a cable running the sleeves and down the front. Cables fall close to warping the loom in my mind. Moving stitches to that tiny needle and then balancing that little thing while you do something else ... well, that's just irritating to me. But, I did some cables here and there, and they were nice looking and even, too. So, in a sense, I did cables. I am just not emerging from 2008 with a pile of intricate sweaters.

For the coming year, I've got several projects going already. For one thing, I want to knit the samples for my new website, using the beautiful handdyed yarns which are beginning to come into stock. Maybe I won't knit all of them. Well, OK, I know I will not knit all of the samples for the site because I've already farmed out one lovely silk shawl and it's finished and lying just where I can see it as I type today. And, yesterday I doled out pattern, yarn, needles to a mother-and-daughter team of test knitters. There will be lots and lots more samples to be knit, and I want to be right in there knitting my share of them. So, I declare that sample knitting is on my 2009 resolution list.

Actually, that sounds like a lot of work, now that I think of it, so I am going to quit here and not add a thing to my list. Yes, this feels right. Besides, I know there will be more projects to come up, trips .. like the one to the new Stitches South in late April, and maybe to TNNA this year ... and there will also be those small events I put on for Virginia knitters on the Circular Sock Machines, and then I've got the baby hat project going for the new social services baby clinic. So, I think I'll limit my list to one item, Sample Knitting for new website, so that I can have time left over to play!

What's on your resolution list?

Squigglies and all!

On the largest of the three sample baby hats, I decided to add a little color in the form of squigglies. I don't know if there is an actual name for these little exclamation points rendered in yarn, but everyone seems to understand when you say 'squigglies.' I couldn't remember, though, how to make them and two folks gave me directions. I tried their directions, and then came up with my own version.

#1 Squigglie: Do you crochet? Chain 20 and work two single crochet stitches in each chain.

#2 Squigglie: Cast on 20 stitches. Knit front and back of each (40 st). Bind off tightly.

#3 Squigglie: Cast on 30 stitches (longtail method). Bind off. Run 'other' end of longtail through all stitches and pull to curl.

Numbers 1 and 2 made broader, flatter squigglies than I wanted, and when I got started on the crochet version I suddenly remembered what it is about crochet that I don't really like, and that is the first row. So, to make many squigglies at one time, all working on the first row, then the first row again, well ... I couldn't face it. The knit version was OK, but not inspiring, so I came up with my own (#3). I must give somebody credit somewhere, I admit, because this idea was rumbling around in the back of my mind ... one of those things you know you have seen somewhere but just cannot recall where, and cannot recall the details. Not really very complicated, after all.

Here is the first little hat going out today to someone who will be thrilled. She is a struggling young mother who works at the convenience store where my husband buys coffee during the day. She often comments on his different handknit hats, and recently wished out loud for one for her new baby. 'She had a sorta big head,' she told him. This is a great place to start my little hat campaign!

First CSM Baby Hat samples

OK, am posting my first efforts of the baby hat project. My plan was to venture out of the studio -- no small feat, as I seem to live like a mole these days! -- and buy the yarn that Ron T recommended for his baby hats on Ravelry's Circular Sock Machine group. BUT there were only two places in town which carry it, and our local JoAnn's has slim pickings indeed on their yarn shelves. Wonder if they're purposely running low in that department. At any rate, the choices were old and tired looking, and I could not find the Bernat Baby Jacquard. The other choice was Walmart, and I had no intention of joining the December 26th mob.

So, back to my stash. Good thing, too, because I found a great yarn for this purpose ... Kraemer's Saucon Sock. I have been gathering several of the Kraemer yarns in lots of different colors, as I start to create stock for my new website. (That's UptownStitches.com, in case you missed my many hints and shameless self-promotion!) The Saucon Sock (pronounced 'SAW-con' after some Pennsylvania mountains, I think) is a blend of cotton/acrylic and nylon, so it will wash and wear well, and it has enough stretch to it to make a nice hat, and to be comfortable.

I attach a picture of the first efforts. Here are the basics: cranked on my circular sock machine, a LeGare 400, using the 72 needle cylinder, with all needles. The different sizes are the result of changing tension as I knit. Not bad for the first effort, but I wish I could make those cute little curly que squigglies for the top! Wouldn't that be cute in lots of different colors? If anyone knows how to make these squigglies, please let me know!

Giving Back in small ways

I've been thinking about how I could create a small charity project, something that I would work on in my spare time and which would benefit some folks who might need something warm and wooly. One of the knitters on the Ravelry group for Circular Sock Machines wrote about knitting baby hats on his CSM, and that idea stuck with me. So, for several days before Christmas, I made calls around town, trying to find out where the best place to donate some baby hats would be. I thought of the obvious place, the hospital, but our hospital is well funded and there are many charity groups which knit for newborns and cancer victims, and I've knitted for those groups before, myself. Thinking of where a new mother would go for help turned me towards a new health clinic which is somehow tied into social services, so I called them up. One person passed me on to another person, until finally I was able to leave a message for the director of the new pediatrics care department of the clinic.

This morning she called back, the day after Christmas -- pretty good timing as I think about making gifts -- and she was thrilled with the idea. I am their first donor! She told me that they have just opened up a pre-natal care clinic and my baby hats will be very welcome, but could I make them in bright colors, and also, bigger than many of the hospital caps that fit a child only for a short time? This set me to stuttering, as I have not actually made any of these caps yet! But, my sock machine does have three different sized cylinders, and I have oiled up that tension screw where it now makes a difference, so I gamely promised that sure! I'd be glad to make up some samples and drop them by.

So, today I am off to JoAnn's Fabric where I will get some acrylic blend suitable for baby hats. My Ravelry friend recommended Baby Jacquart by Bernat, so I'll begin my samples with that yarn. I will definitely take pictures of the samples before I deliver them.

There are so many people who could use a nice baby hat right now, or a wool cap or scarf or an old sweater or some shoes. Yesterday afternoon we gathered sweaters and shoes up and today my husband is taking them to GoodWill, here in our town. Unbelievably, they are laying off some workers because donations have become scarce. When I think about how lucky I am to be safe and comfortable, then I feel this need to give a little more. I am sure my knitting customers have done this many times over the years, and know that tranquility that comes when you are knitting for a purpose.

So, I will keep my readers posted on the progress of my new private charity project. Maybe you can come up with one of your own, and make a small difference for someone near you.

Peace of Mind and Website Calm

Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are the most pleasurable. You know what I mean. Say, you've been feeling caught in a situation and somehow got into a mental zone where you just waited to see how things were going to turn out. We'll call it the Wait-and-See Mode. Yeah. That's good. But, here's the problem when we Wait-and-See: we are not participating. We are willfully becoming passive and allowing others to shape the situation.

I've experienced Wait-and-See many times in my lifetime, though friends and family would be surprised to hear me admit it. My personality is fairly strong, and my mind is always going, going, going. I am never bored. I am a good friend and listener. I am able to weigh pros and cons well, and I can read a person's character like a book very soon after meeting them. This last talent does not always serve me well, as I then have to bite my tongue and refuse to allow the words 'Uh, huh, didn't I warn you?' pass my lips.

Luckily, over the years I have learned exactly that there is a good time to Wait-and-See, and it's when others need to learn a lesson. Like the guy who sounds too good to be true? Yes, it did sound too good, and it wasn't true.

I may be able to spot trouble for others with a clear mind, but when it comes to predicting my own pitfalls, I'm not so good there. Part of my problem, I do believe, is that I am from the South. Hold on, hold on. I know it sounds like a cop-out, but if you are not from the South, you may not realize that we are taught from birth not to present difficulties for others, which explains why we are well-known for our gracious Southern manners and generosity. Don't get me wrong. We do mean to be generous and to make life easier for others, but sometimes that translates into the private conviction that we really should not speak up when another part of our self-preservation impulse is telling us to not only speak up, but be counted.

So, here is the problem. When we speak up, are we going to make another person uncomfortable? After all, this is at the heart of being a gentleman or a gentlewoman, isn't it? Who said that? Aldous Huxley? Maybe, or maybe one of his colleagues, but the idea of a code of conduct to guide our behaviour is an ideal fostered by Southern mammas across a wide geographical area, and not necessarily stopping at the Mason-Dixon line. Techincally, then, Southern manners wouldn't be attributed to folks who live in the South, but we will be gracious here and extend the definition, though we might come up with a better name for it. How about just plain ole good manners? So, the definition of good manners, then, might become behavior which does not hurt others or make them uncomfortable. I declare it so.

Plain ole good manners, then, apply in all of our relationships. Family, of course, and that's a place to employ good manners as we grow up and recognize the differences in family members. Friendships, too, deserve the very best of our good intentions, especially as we cultivate friendships to span our lifetime based on similar personalities, talents or believes in common. I have one or two friends whom I have known since pre-school days, and while we are so very different, I cherish those differences and am flattered to hear from them. I guess that's why I like Christmas cards so much.

Romantic relationships can thrive or crash because of manners and how we monitor our behavior, giving the best to our closest relationships and allowing ourselves to trust our partner. And business relationships are absolutely the place for plain ole good manners, and in every single dealing between buyers and sellers, and are just as important as personal friendships. The act of doing business should spring from the honest exchange of offer and acceptance. Someone wants something and someone else has it to offer. No need to turn away and project rejection towards the person who has something to sell, or to leave a hint of an unclear message. No need to leave a lingering negative impression in a sales situation, or even the offer. No need to tell them that you don't like their product or service. Instead, tell them it is not what you need. That's it, really. Not what you are looking for.

So, that friend who is not really a friend? They're not what you need. And that lover who betrays you? Whew! That's not what you need. Thank-you, I-wish-you-well, but, it-is-not-what-I-need-right-now. Hmmm. A good mantra!

I made a decision, and it will simplify by business and immediately it calmed my mind. I am leaving my new web design folks and going back to my old web guy. I feel so calm with this decision. No, thank you. I wish you well, but I need something else just now. Southern, yes. Plain ole good manners, I believe so.

Waiting for the Postman ...

Well, not quite, but we are in a holding pattern right now and cannot launch the new website program for Wool2Dye4 because we cannot get to the shipping module on the USPS site. They must have some kind of big and bad server issues going on, and it looks like there could be quite a delay. Who would think that I would get a letter from the folks at USPS? They actually wrote all account holders a letter this morning, telling us that there are server problems (well, we knew that!), and suggesting we take advantage of one month free accounts at endicia.com or stamps.com.

If you've read my blog before, you know that stamps.com is definitely not one of my favorite service providers. I almost went to war with them over unnecessary charges and their refusal to issue a refund for something like $40. So, I won't be trying their service, I can assure you. Maybe we'll launch without a postal service component in the beginning, and just go with FedEx. I don't know, I don't know what to do.

Changing your program from one you are used to, which may not be anywhere near perfect, but is familiar, is tough. The whole process of even choosing a program for your website is huge. I have often told my husband -- in answer to 'what is taking so long with the new program?' -- that if I knew more about what to look for in a program, I could install the thing myself.

That's really the problem, isn't it? Website businesses are not experts in the technical side of what program fits the needs of their individual business. If we knew more, we could shop better for the right program. I have some customers who write to me and show sympathy for my plight, and then toss in phrases like cascading style sheets, Wordpress modules, iFrames, hard code, etc. My eyes begin to glaze over.

You see, I have learned over the years to delegate the stuff that I do not understand and do not have the time to learn. And computer programming, being an entirely separate career itself, is one of those things I have been delegating since computer screens were 6-inches square and there was no such thing as Windows. Back in another life, when I started a little text-book distribution business in Los Angeles, the personal computer came into existance, and I started on my journey of searching out programs when there was very little to be found. It was the upstart, entrepreneurial phase of the personal computer, and I met lots of really fascinating computer geeks! Think of it -- nothing like directories, so all files were lumped together in one big, huge, long, never ending file. I remember the first time I had a computer -- a rented one, actually -- and I didn't even have a printer, because I couldn't figure out why I would need one! Of course, I found out quickly that I certainly did need a printer, so off to the local computer store I went to rent a printer. But, I couldn't figure out how to make the darn thing print! I looked, read the heavy manual, and did everything I could think of, until I finally made a call to someone masquerading as my first computer service guy. (He was really just a computer techie I met in the aisles of EggHead Software, a company which has since gone out of existence, but which was the playground of all of us who had purchased the first personal computers.) Anyway, for the sum of $30 he came to my tiny apartment in L.A., and punched a button and the darn thing sprang to life. That button had the word 'PRINT' on it, too! How did I miss it? I still think about that day!

Anyway, ever since that expensive lesson -- and thirty dollars was a lot of money to me -- I have hired consultants to take me beyond my own level of achievement. I've written bibliographies which were distributed by the U.S. Department of Education on my first computers. I've bought the first color printer on the market and tried my best to install it. Shoot, for that matter, I've installed the very first Sony model of an answering machine and navigated my way through 75 pages of terribly twisted English written by speakers of Japanese! I've done some computer stuff in my time! And the biggest thing I've done, is to hire others when I know I've reached my level of incompetence.

Hmmm. Who was the really smart guy who had a whole theory about what happens when we reach our level of incompetence? I cannot remember right now. I need someone to tell me.

But, back to the Post Office. So, their server must have blown up. Or something huge. I mentioned it to a customer this morning, and she must have an account with them too, because she said she'd also gotten the same letter which I received.

So, here I sit with my new program (it's Comersus, by the way) all ready and shiny new and waiting for the launch into cyberspace, and what am I waiting for? Waiting for the mail. Wow. How many times have we waited for the mail in our lives? Too many to count, and this seems like a great subject for another blog entry.

Must say that I miss writing in the blog! Checking Ravelry every day has sort of taken up what was my blog time in former days. I need to moderate that, I do believe.

The picture below is of my new line of colored yarns, which will be the signature yarn on my new website venture: UpTown Stitches. Yes, I'm launching a second website, hopefully in January, but we'll see. This yarn is called Scrumptious by FyberSpates, and is receiving rave reviews all over Europe. I'll be the U.S. distributor and cannot wait to receive stock and start getting it out there! Any pattern calling for Malibrigo or even Lion and the Lamb will be good patterns to use Scrumptious. More on that soon!

BFL Ultra! ... 100 gr skeins (new)

Over the past year, I have slowly been changing the skein size on my sock yarns. Knitters and dyers have written that they don't like to spend lots of time skeining up enough yarn for one pair of socks, and that they are willing to pay for a more usable presentation. Too, beginning dyers are anxious to get to the dyepot! And, let's face it, newbies usually do not have all that winding equipment that begins to collect around the workspace as you get more proficient in your dye practices, and need to change from one presentation to another. I have lost count of the different winding devices I have in my own studio!

Just today, someone wrote to me about having to choose whether to spend her money on more yarn or on an electric skein winder. Well, of course, I always want folks to buy yarn! But, I know that we all have stash which would probably serve use for quite a while to come, and then some. A skein winder, on the other hand, is a major step in the right direction of handling your yarn, and I recommend checking out the nice folks at Strauch. Here's their website address:
http://www.strauchfiber.com Tell them that Sheila of Wool2Dye4 sent you. It won't get you a discount, but I like the sounds of that phrase! Reminds me of the commercials many years ago when a famous actor would look straight into the camera's eye, and say, 'Tell them that 'Johnny' sent you!' Who did those commercials, anyway?

But, back to BFL Ultra! and the new size of skeins. Yes. We already have the 100 gram skein in W2D4 Socks 2DYE4 (formerly known as Wool2Dye4 SuperSock, but you know that story ...), and in Platinum Sock, Bamboo Two-Step, and Tencel/Merino. So, when the time came to order in more BFL Ultra! skeins, I decided to toss my old idea of the 8 oz skein being the standard for handdyers, and to move into the new age! Somehow, I had gotten stuck in the 8 oz skein mode, and thought that most customers were used to that format as well. Cost is always a factor, and especially in recent times, and since the more a yarn is handled, the higher the cost goes up, I had stuck to my larger presentation skeins.

The 100 gram skein, as it turns out, is really not that much more expensive, so I went with it, and happy that I did! The 100 gram of sock yarn -- usually anybody's sock yarn -- is just about the right size to look for when you're in that uncontrollable mood to knit or dye a pair of socks.

Additional eMail address

Seems that a spammer has picked up one of my eMail addresses -- info@wool2dye4.com -- and is using it as return address in some spam going around the country. I have dropped this address, and added: Yarnie@wool2dye4.com.
Most eMails are addressed to SheilaMahone@wool2Dye4.com, anyway, but if you have the old info@... address in your address book, please do change it to Yarnie@wool2dye4.com.

Thank you!

The Spirit of Christmas ... in Elizabeth Zimmerman's words

Meg Swansen, daughter of Elizabeth Zimmerman and owner of Schoolhouse Press, has allowed me to quote her mother. This the introduction to Elizabeth Zimmerman's December chapter in her book, Knitter's Almanac: Projects for Each Month of the Year.

She writes: "Is an exciting new improved Christmas every year really necessary? Is it in the spirit of the Solstice? The human heart hankers after stability and tradition. The feeling and atmosphere of Christmases past, the anticipation of those to come, and the magic presence of Christmas now should all blend and blur, to give the distraught soul something to hang on to in a year bedeviled by new improved machines, soaps, music, spectator sports and recipes, many of which will prove to be dull, destructive, and sometimes downright damnable. let us try to keep at least Christmas the way it has been for generations, and infiltrate novelty delicately and with caution. As a good start why not try to abide by the comforting tradition of handmade and homemade presents?"

If you do not own at least own of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books, please treat yourself immediately! Go to www.schoolhousepress.com to find them all.
Thank you, Meg, for permission to quote your lovely mother!

Shipping Your Order

Today I have removed UPS from the shipping options on the Wool2Dye4 website. I tried it out for two months this time, and have gone back to the US Postal System, once again. USPS has excellent service, for the msot part, and they are on a new campaign to improve both their service and their image.

We will be adding FedEx as an option next month, but for now have gone back to USPS.

Over the past few years, some customers have become my regular correspondents, and probably know that I am very concerned aout customer service. My decision today is actually based on customer service issues. I heartily maintain that just because a business represents a small part of the larger economic picture, that there should be any less attention to customer service. Each of us has the right to choose our business partners, and today I am choosing the US Postal Service once again, and will soon choose to add FedEx as a shipping option.

Customer service is what makes business strong. I firmly believe it, and practice it myself.

Sheila's Basic Sock Pattern ... revamped!

Wool2Dye4 Basic Sock with Variations
By Sheila Trunzo Mahone


Overview: Basic cuff-to-toe sock pattern on 12” circular needle, size 2. One-piece heel. Double decrease toe finished on two 24” circular needles. Use any stitch pattern for leg and front of foot to personalize pattern. Heel is knit in two parts: increases at markers as we knit around the foot, then decreases on the heel only, using short rows to decrease back and forth on the heel while the front of foot stays on the needles, untouched. When you’ve decreased back to the original number of stitches (30 for this example) for heel, continue knitting in-the-round until you reach the toe. Divide stitches evenly onto the two 24” circular needles with markers now positioned in the middle of these two needles, and decrease on either side of the markers, every other row, to form the toe. Weave final stitches together to close.

This pattern example is built on 60 stitches with a 2x2 rib. Size up or down to fit your foot and leg, and feel free to experiment on cuff, leg and foot. Once you find the right number of stitches to cast onto the size needle that you prefer, you have the basis for designing your own socks.

Yarn: Wool2Dye4 Sock yarns … Platinum Sock, BFL Ultra!, Socks2DYE4, Bamboo Two-Step, and Tencel Merino Sock…. 400-425 yards (about 100 grams)
Needles: 12” circular Addi Turbo, Size 1 or 2 for sock, and two 24” circular needles, same size for toe
Stitch Markers: 2


Cuff & Leg:
Cast on 60, loosely. * Place colored (not green) marker at half-way point to divide work in half. At beginning of next row, place a green marker (for ‘Go!’). As you knit the leg and before you reach the heel, mark the first half of the row with knotted scrap of yarn or safety pin. This identifies the first half of the row between the green and colored markers, and will later become the back of the heel.
· Knit 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) for 1.5 to 2 inches
· Knit leg for desired length **

One-Piece Heel:
Increases ……. (You will increase 1 stitch at side markers and knit entire row in-the-round)
Row 1:
-Slip Marker, k1, M1^ and knit to within 2 stitches of next marker. M1, K1, slip marker. Knit to beginning of row.
Row 2: - Knit all stitches, completely around the sock until you come back to the green marker.
Repeat Rows 1& 2 until you have added 30 stitches to heel’s back.^^ (15 increases at both markers, making 60 stitches between markers)
End with knit row.
Decreases ... (short-row decreases from center towards markers, working on heel stitches only)
(There are 60 stitches on heel back. Front sts will sit untouched until we decrease down to 30 heel sts.)
Row A: Knit to center stitch, knit 2 more stitches, K2Tog, K1 turn.
Row B: Slip first stitch, purl 1, purl 2, purl 2 more stitches, P2tog, Purl 1, and turn

… now the Short Row Pattern repeats itself until you reach the original number of stitches …
Row 1: Slip 1, knit across to last stitch before gap, Knit 2 Tog, K1, turn
Row 2: Slip 1, purl across to last stitch before gap, Purl 21 Tog, P1, turn
Continue short rows, picking up one more stitch on each end (where you K2Tog, closing the gap created where you turned on the previous row) until you reach the side markers and there are 30 stitches on heel half. If you have a stitch or two too many, knit one row in the round and decrease that stitch at the proper side.

Foot:
Continue knitting in-the-round until foot is about 1.5 inches shorter than desired total length of sock. (You may choose to continue the leg pattern on the top half of the foot, if you like.)

Toe:
· Knit 15 stitches and transfer the next 30 stitches (and marker) to one of the 24” circular needles.
· Transfer the last 30 stitches (and marker) to the second 24” circular needle. The markers are now positioned in the center: 30 stitches on each needle, markers in the middle.
- Row 1: Knit to within 3 stitches of marker, K2Tog, K1, slip marker, K1, K2Tog … knit to within 3 stitches of second marker, K2Tog, K1, slip marker, K1, K2Tog (use any decrease you prefer)
- Row 2: Knit completely around both needles back to beginning position.
Repeat these two rows until there are 8 to 12 stitches left on each needle.
Using Kitchener stitch, or any weaving stitch, weave these remaining stitches closed. Weave in ends.


*Long-tail or knitted cast-on will give you a strong, yet stretchy, edge on cuff.
**Leg variations are endless. Pattern should be divisible by 4 to fit nicely with 2x2 rib at cuff.
^M1=Make one. Use increase method of your choice. I like ‘Knit in Front and Back’ of same stitch, then slip stitch to right needle. This increase gives a uniform and pretty line of stitches with no holes.
^^You may choose to make your heel deeper or more shallow by increasing either more or fewer times at the heel markers.
-On Heel back, you might add slip stitches on centered 12 stitches between the side increases.
-Knit the Short-Rows and Toe in different colors of yarn for a different effect.