Help fibre space get votes for “Best New Retail Shop” in the Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2010 Reader’s Poll!

We are open today, 11-5. Old Town is slowly digging out from all the snow, but we got a head start on all our shoveling yesterday! Come and see us – we’re still trying to finish up all that holiday knitting – but be safe getting here.

Edited to add: Fayette Street has not been plowed but King Street is clear. It apppears they’re allowing parking on King Street today.

I did finish this Malabrigo Sock scarf last week. It is a modified version of the Juno Regina. I worked only one repeat of the increase so that I could get one out of a single hank of sock yarn. I ended up with lots of leftovers. We did get lots of Malabrigo in today but no more sock. There appears to a run on Malabrigo sock these days.

Someone talked me out of making the vest for my dad by TODAY so now I am going to make it for the holidays. I don’t remember who talked that sense into me, but thank you, whoever it was. Since he will be here in a week or so for Thanksgiving, I am going to make him something else out of Shokay Yak yarn…yum, yak. It will be the first time he has seen my shop, and I am super excited and nervous. My dad is sorta a grumpy guy, and he personally helped out a great deal with the opening of the store, so I hope he is impressed and proud. It will probably be expressed in some sort of grumpy dad way, but I will know.  Those of you who have been in the shop when we have been on the phone have overheard our very Italian way of communicating. It involves a lot of sarcasm, some yelling and plenty of hand gesturing. When I broke my arm while in grad school, I called him from the hospital to tell him that i was having emergency surgery to put my arm back together and he said, “So wait, you are telling me that you did this to yourself by flying down a ski slope on a snowboard? And you want me to feel sorry for you?” So yeah, not imagining a warm response to the yarn shop But he is an entrepreneur himself and I know that he is proud, even if he thinks it was a huge waste of college tuition. (Does anyone really use their college degree?)

Vacation fibre school has been going on all week. Here is the amazing yarn that the girls made on Monday. They dyed it themselves! Didn’t they do an awesome job…so exciting to see a new generation of knitters starting up.

Then we got a small package from Funky Beads, who makes glass stitch markers by hand. How adorable are these things?! We have sheep, giraffes, turtles, and so much more. They make adorable zipper pulls for children’s sweaters or just cute stitch markers.

THEN the mailman brought me a box of Miss Babs!! She agreed to pull out some multi sock yarn before she headed to Sock Summit so we now have 14 new multi colors as well as new colors in lace and some merino bamboo roving. How cool is that? I wish I was a spinner…might have to pick up a new hobby. But the most exciting part about this box was that it included the colorway “black & gold.” Well, because they are Steeler colors! and just in time for the new season of football.

So, needless to say, I haven’t knitted yet today or even eaten. Have to get this new stuff out asap!

So…Molly of Molly Miller by Appointment just dropped of TWELVE hanks of her hand spun art yarns! Twelve…and only twelve. So if you want some…come and get it fast!! We are getting it into our inventory system right now.

For those who don’t know, this is the local artist who hosted our “Fall in Love with Fiber” retreat this winter. One hank of her amazing fibers can make a quick and beautiful scarf, wrist warmers or a cowl. Here is a scarf knitted up in her fab yarn:

Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille arrived today! This is 100% cotton chenille and is fab for wash and face cloths. With one ball, you can whip up a face cloth or two, pair it with a nice bar of soap from our neighbor Bellacara and have a cute and fast gift! Free pattern available here.

This stuff is also great for baby things, and we got an entire range of baby colors to add to our “babyland” section of the shop.

If you haven’t heard, the new Blue Sky Alpaca’s line, Spud and Chloe, was all the rage at the latest trade show. We are very excited to be one of the first stores to carry it and to also have their trunk show! The yarn is arriving on Wednesday and will be available at the grand opening of fibre space on July 24th!

We will also have their amazing pattern line:

This one is by our friend Olga:

Kathy M. won her choice of a free class in the winter session, for taking a few seconds to fill out the Winter Semester survey.

Thank you to everyone who participated. I am using this very valuable information to better plan the winter semester. If you expressed interest in Dupont Circle area classes and have ideas for a good location, please let me know. I am struggling for a good spot!