Merry Christmas! and Happy Knitting New Year!

We have so enjoyed getting to know so many fine folks in just the few years we’ve known at Lamb Shoppe! We are grateful for the gift of being part of your lives. We are honored to help make your knitting projects – and dreams – a reality. It has been a blast watching friendships develop even as many of your skills have developed.

And today, we are hoping you having a happy and peaceful Christmas with friends and family – and that all the recipients of your knitted gifts appreciate the love and care that you put into each work.

We’ll be open and knitting on Saturday, the 26th! Stop by and pick out a project for the cold mid-winter – maybe something for yourself! You deserve it!!!

New Year Knit-A-Long: Are you in?

Yarn is flowing into LambShoppe. Okay, there’s nothing new in that! But this yarn is special – it has been special ordered for all the knitters who plan to make the Great American Aran Afghan in 2010.

2 squares each month for 12 months = Great American Aran Afghan

Knitters are ordering yarn for the entire afghan – so as to have all they need of one dye lot – and it all needs to be in and ready to work when the KAL (Knit A Long) starts in January.  Starting January 9 and 23 at 11 am to 1 pm, we’ll meet the First and Third Saturdays of each following month throughout 2010.  We’re also planning a weekday daytime session and an evening session – and if you sign up for Saturdays (or any other session) and have to miss one, you can make it up at another session.  Stop by LambShoppe and talk with Anita or Mary Carol to learn more about this year-long free class. And order your yarn right away! January 9 is only 3 weeks away!

P.S. – Tomorrow night is Pajama Jam! If you haven’t made your reservation to come knit with us from 6 – ?, call LambShoppe right away – 303-322-2223. See you there!

Santa Claus at LambShoppe!

That’s right! Santa took time out of his busiest season to stop by LambShoppe last Saturday!

Lots of children got to tell him their wishes for the coming Christmas – and even Andy stopped by to say “Hi!”

As Santa held court, knitters were busily working in hopes of becoming his elves by finishing their Christmas projects.  Bronwen finished her very first pair of socks!

Why does finishing our first pair of socks make so many knitters’ hearts soar? I think it is because we learn so many useful techniques knitting socks: decreases, picking up stitches, and of course the magic of turning a heel! Every single pair of socks I knit make me feel accomplished.

As you work on your Christmas gifts, remember to take time to appreciate the gift we give ourselves when we pick up our knitting.  The best gifts (anything knit!) gives the giver as much as they give the recipient. Enjoy your holiday knitting! And, if you can squeeze in the time, bring a favorite project by LambShoppe to show and tell – we’ll gladly oow  and aah!

Andy’s a Star!

Well, we always knew he was – but now Animal Planet agrees!

You’ve probably seen Andy around LambShoppe, but you might’ve thought he was a particularly large and somewhat tangled skein of white yarn.  If you haven’t met him, allow me to introduce you: Andrew is a champion puli, a show dog who was invited to Westminster but who claims he prefers our yarn to the show ring.  Andy may not have won his class at Westminster (surely a momentary lapse on the part of the judge!), but he certainly attracted the attention of the media. Not only will he star on Dogs 101 this Saturday (7 pm on Comcast channel 30), he will also be featured in an upcoming ‘coffee table’ book of dogs in action by noted photographer Tim Flach.  Make sure to plan your weekend around Andy’s television debut. Should be wonderful to knit along with, eh?

P.S. How are you doing on your Christmas knitting? I’d be halfway through my list of projects, if I didn’t keep adding to it! Only 21 more days (& nights) to go!

Andy's ready for Christmas - are you?

Next Best Thing to Pajama Jam!

This lucky blogger was one of only 40 knitters who got to attend a retreat last weekend with the amazing Yarn Harlot and Depraved Dyer in Port Ludlow WA!

Stephanie & Tina keep knitters in stitches!

It was the most fun I’ve had since Pajama Jam – which happens again TONIGHT! (See you at LambShoppe from 5 pm to midnight!)

I learned at ton at Port Ludlow – new way to knit more efficiently! hand painting 6 skeins of rockin’ Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn! baby steps into spinning! I’m still absorbing it all – and will blog more about it in the next week.

But first – we have some REALLY EXCITING events and classes coming up at Lamb Shoppe!

• First, tonight is Pajama Jam – call Lamb Shoppe (303-322-2223 ) to let them know you are coming, then grab your yarn, food and drink to share and meet us there!
• Join us at Bovine Metropolis Theater (on Champa at 15th in Denver) to “Improv Your Life” with our own Johanna (she does more than stock the shelves…;-). We’ve got a group discount (2 for $10) to this hilarous improv show. Talk with Anita if you’d like to join us!
• Noni Happy Stripe Oven Mitts class Nov. 23 & 30, Mondays, at 1-2 with Mary Carol. These make terrific gifts and will provide an opportunity to learn a few techniques that might be new to advanced beginner and even some intermediate knitters.

Meanwhile, I owe y’all an apology.  I’ve been neglecting this blog for far too long – taken by wanderlust and then by trying to  catch up with responsibilities that suffered while wandering. I’ll try to make it up to you by blogging 3x/week, every week.  Now, who’s taking bets whether I can keep to it or not?

Finally – I heard so many knitters at the retreat complaining about “cold”, “unfriendly” and even “mean” LYS (local yarn shops)… I felt extrememly fortunate to have found Lamb Shoppe – where not only the staff but other knitters are friendly and helpful, and where I can settle in and knit awhile with a fresh made latte, too!!!

Sweet William is the place!

Have you been to the Sweet William Market in Denver yet?  Well, put it on your calendar for TOMORROW!   Mary Carol will be there from 9 am to 2 pm with yarns and all sorts of your favorite supplies from LambShoppe.  She’ll also be giving knitting demonstrations and will have sign up sheets for fall classes.  And, knowing Mary Carol, she’ll have a few jokes and plenty of creative ideas too!

Sweet William is a different kind of market – artisans and collector’s gather in the open air of Stapleton’s Founders Green at 29th and Syracuse once a month during the spring and summer – and tomorrow is the last scheduled market for 2009.  Sweet William Market promises uncommon treasures: “nostalgic, antique, retro, handmade, re-purposed, and upcycled… anything but mainstream” is how they describe it.  Join us tomorrow and see for yourself!

Need a new hat?

It’s beginning to feel like fall…

 

And we’ve got lots of new autumn colors and weights of yarn…

 

So it must be time to knit hats!!!

 

Join Mary Carol at Lamb Shoppe this Sat., Sept. 5 for FREE  hat classes!  Learn to make a rolled or ribbed hat from the bottom up at 11 – 12:30, or the Top Down Hat from Hip Knit Hats at 12:30 – 2. To make the Top Down Hat, you must be comfortable knitting on dpns (double-pointed needles). 

Once you take these classes, you can get started on your Christmas presents! – oops, did I say that out loud?!  Well, it is September….

Good Works for Good Knitters

 

Knitters gathered at Lamb Shoppe this morning not only to hone their knitting skills – but also to benefit the Children’s Museum in Denver!  Most were first-time knitters, and Mary Carol and Anita had their hands full – as did the knitters…

 This is just one of the many PlayDate events hosted by many different people around Denver to benefit the Children’s Museum at 2121 Children’s Museum Drive.  You don’t need to have mountains of colorful yarn to host a PlayDate… you just need to know how to have fun and friends to invite along.

 Just ask MaryCarol, or contact Tara Pologar at tarap@cmdenver.org.

Don’t you just love doing good work and having fun at the same time?!

Your Vote Counts!

No, you didn’t miss Sept. and Oct.!  It’s not November already – but it is time to vote!  Denver’s Channel 7 is holding its annual A-List campaign to name the best of everything in Denver. So…

We all know that LambShoppe is the best local yarn store in Denver, don’t we?  Yes, there are many wonderful yarn and craft stores in our fair city – but how many offer monthy Pajama Jams - staying open until midnight to accommodate us crazy knitters?  Check out all the other community building events here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And how many bring in masseuses for a spa/knitting extravaganza? (Look for the next one on Sept. 19. We’ll have massages, reiki, and pedicures.  And knitting, of course.)

LambShoppe is a place where our children are welcome – and often learn to knit, too! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a place where we bond together to knit helmet liners for the troops, support Girl Scouts in knitting chemo caps, and enjoy creative fundraisers like Next Saturday’s PlayDate (breakfast & knitting w/professional assistance for beginners and for special projects) to raise funds for the Children’s Museum!  Did you know you can also drop off excess yarn, needles, hooks, notions that are no longer needed by the knitters in your life?  These supplies go to non-profits like The Gathering Place to be used in their programs and for fundraisers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why wouldn’t you vote for LambShoppe as the Best Yarn Store in Denver???

Go to The Denver Channel, scroll down to the A list under Marketplace, and vote today!  Or just click on this link: http://kmgh.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-denver-s-7-a-list/4744/shopping/arts-and-crafts

Touchy Feely

The Yarn Harlot has pronounced today Love Your LYS Day!  (For those new to knitting and knitting blogs, LYS stands for Local Yarn Store)  It’s in her 2009 Never Not Knitting page-a-day calendar, so it must be true!  And, as wonderful as this internet is… there’s nothing like walking into your favorite LYS:

 

 

 

 

 

Suddenly, the world is full of possibilities…

Old friends to greet, new friends to meet, someone to commiserate over your dropped stitch or stubborn pattern, or maybe to help you fix that mistake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when you are looking for a new project – there’s no better place than your LYS!  Wander around and look at all the sample projects…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fondle the yarns… it’s okay, we’ll never tell!  Consider how different yarns behave differently…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let yourself wallow in the colors, the textures, the project ideas…  and let your creativity shine!  See you ’round LambShoppe sometime soon!