Friday, October 31, 2008

Boo!

Since it's Halloween, (we thought we'd better tell you that, just in case you think this is the way we normally dress for casual Friday),
the Devil made us do it! We put every- 
thing in the store on sale at prices guaran-teed to scare the pants off Celia, but
put a great, big, jack-o-lantern grin on your face.


With the entire shop at 30% off today, your budget will definitely not need rescuing like a damsel-in-distress. And the savings have oozed over to the other side of the building, because the deep discount also applies at Snippets, next door. Rosa (aka, Miss December 1972, gone to seed) will be glad to ring up some Amy Butler fabric for you after you've made a big haul at the Purl.

Remember: Don't wait for your treats! If you come in tomorrow, you'll feel tricked, cuz we'll be closed over the weekend to move those 10 skeins of yarn that don't get sold today. But we'll be back open on Monday with more yarn and more fabric -- and a whole new look.



Friday, October 24, 2008

Jane, Unhand That Baby!

No can do. Jane obviously left her mark on our cutie-pie model, Sebastian, when she popped him into this sweater and hat set appropriately named "Hand." 

After Mission Falls sent us a big box of their 136 Merino Superwash, Jane went a little nuts, grabbed the Wee Knits booklet, and whipped out this fall ensemble almost before the UPS guy got back in his truck.

Ever since it arrived, we've been playing touchy-feely with this yarn. It is so soft you'll be surprised it's wool. As you can see from Sebastian's face, he's a little surprised, too.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Celia Goes to the Dark Side

No surprise: Celia is going to the dark side. But it is a surprise that she's taking us and all the yarn with her. Next month The Purl District is crossing the great divide(r) to be roomies with Snippets.

Yes, even though we're moving, you won't have to go far to find us: we will have moved about 10 feet. No matter whether you knit, sew, crochet or just make yo-yos, you'll be in a one-stop fiber paradise.

And don't worry, we're keeping the couch and the big red table. True, the little red table will have to go. (Any buyers? Contact Celia.) But the important thing (YARN!) will be there in abundance.

Those of you who know and love us will realize that we don't want to go to all the trouble of moving aaalll that yarn aaalll the way over to the other side of the building. So being clever and devious, we've developed a cunning plan. On October 31st we are having a moving sale! That way you can haul the yarn to your house instead of making us stagger the incredible distance of less than five yards under the weight of tons of wool. And since the Snippets employees are just as lazy as we are -- probably because we're the same people -- Snippets will have a big staying-in-the-same-place sale on the same day. You won't want to miss it.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Meet the Family


Last week we were graced with the arrival of an entire family of dolls from the country of Kyrgyzstan, all wearing their traditional garb. (We can now cross "use the word 'garb' in a published format" off our bucket list.)

They are cute; no, they are charming; no, they are beyond words. You have to come in and see them to experience how exquisite these little people are.

This tall lady in the top photo is wearing elechek, the traditional headdress for married women, and the smaller girl below her has on the cone-shaped hat worn by brides.

The detail on all the work is painstaking and fascinating. When we pick them up to take a closer look, we just have to smile in wonder.

The bottom grouping is a roly-poly family of mother, father, and daughter, who are all looking for a permanent home here in the states.

And if only we could get iphoto to cooperate, we could show you the cat slippers -- the colors and the embroidery are amazing. When you put them on your feet, you'll just want to hug them, which starts to look a lot like yoga but might feel better.

A co-op of women in Kyrgyzstan makes all of the items by hand. Each member has her own specialty -- one woman creates the dolls, another makes the slippers, another works her felt into bags, etc. Each one of them is a master of what can be done with wool and hard work. What makes all of this even more mind-boggling is that the wool is felted in a very low-tech way by rolling and beating it in their driveways! And it comes out in rich, bright colors, often subtly shaded or shot through with contrasting streaks. Wow!

We've got to stop now before we start using regrettable words like fabulicious and cutesy-wootsey, but when you stop by to look at them, feel free to use any adjectives you like. 



























Friday, October 3, 2008

We're Classier Than You Thought


The kids have been back to school for a month now, and their minds are picking up speed after their cranium-softening vacation. But how about you? If you're still suffering from a bit of summer brain rot, don't take a pill -- take a class! That's right, it's not too late to sign up for fall classes at The Purl District.

Bunny Gail has skills to spare and share, whether she's teaching you the basic knit stitch or helping you figure out why all your decreases won't slant the same way. Come to her class, Beginning Knitting and Beyond; it restarts every month on the first three Tuesday evenings, 6-8 p.m.

Now, if you're ready to amaze your friends and confound your enemies, it's time to learn how to knit in the round at Jane's Socks! class. Can't you just hear Aunt Tilly, who always told your mother you were a klutz, say, "However do you knit with four needles? I could never do that!" You don't need to tell her it's a CINCH -- and we won't say a word.

Jane will also help you get a jump on those Christmas presents with our Felted Clogs class. After three Monday evenings, you'll be cranking those puppies out for every member of your family -- Aunt Tilly excluded.

Perhaps you suspect crochet may be your "thang." Our fearless leader, Celia, can teach you how in three sessions custom fitted to your schedule. Once you've got the basics under your crocheted belt, Celia has a couple of other classes for you to try: Crocheted Flower class, where you can grow your own garden with just yarn and a hook, and Crocheted Felted Bucket Bag class, not guaranteed to hold water, but absolutely guaranteed to hold your interest.

Did we mention that there's a 10% materials discount on whatever you buy for any class? No? Well, we'll mention it now. All classes start this week, so join us and save your brain!