Let's Get Ready!!!

Good Morning Everyone!

We are officially half way through 2026, how did that happen? You know what this means? Here's your reminder that Christmas will be here before you know it (177 days, FYI). Many of you have already started your holiday knitting, I have too!!! The Hat of the Month Club has provided the perfect opportunity to start addressing your gift giving needs. I have already started stocking the shelves with new yarn for the upcoming season, just in time for the 11th ANNUAL GREAT NORTHERN YARN HAUL! I have received a limited quantity of this year's bags, they are FREE with a purchase of $25 or available for $10. Here is the link for the Passport, along with a map of the participating shops/farms file:///C:/Users/whata/Downloads/2026%20GNYH%20PASSPORT_FINAL%20062826.pdf

file:///C:/Users/whata/Downloads/Locations%20Map_2026.pdf

This is always a lot of fun, I love getting out and visiting other shops, it's a wonderful opportunity to support local businesses throughout VT, NH and ME. Stop by if you have any questions and of course, get your passport stamped!

We had a wonderful time on Saturday for KAL, Sandy's Quiltstar Shawl is still my absolute favorite, not to mention, she's doing a beautiful job. Oddly, I still haven't swatched my Thistlewood despite having wound up the yarn, I am completely addicted to this MKAL. I find myself unable to put it down without finishing one more section. I have Clue #4 almost finished, I should be done before #5 drops tomorrow. It's been pretty easy to sit on my porch and knit the afternoons away (I've been catching up on my yard work while the mornings are cool). I've also been unable to stop listening to The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Paula handed me the book last Wednesday at Stitch and Bitch and highly recommended it. My plan was to "read" it, but it was available on Libby, so I tuned in. I'd never read anything by Wally Lamb, he is an incredible author, this story is heartbreaking and emotionally raw, but I find myself completely immersed.

I finally watched The Sheep Detectives, it's on Prime, in case you want to watch it. Kay had mentioned it was very entertaining, it even appealed to both her boys. I was skeptical, it was just in the theaters, I thought perhaps it had bombed (ever the optimist, lol). It's definitely a "feel good" movie, I loved the sheep, of course. There are always lessons to be learned, kindness presents itself in strange ways (George) and it's important to be inclusive (Sebastian). I did witness this first hand when I visited a friend's little sheep farm on Sunday. I've been dying to meet his newest addition, a black lamb, OMG, she was just adorable. Addie and I went down and saw two of the ewes were having a battle over dominance. One had been reintroduced to the flock and was having an issue with the order of things, they were literally head butting. Brad assured us it was temporary and harmony would be restored once the "new" sheep understood her place. We had a great time, they are food motivated, kind of like Bernie when I open the cupboard door. Brad shook the feed pail and they all ran towards us, we were instant friends, it was fun to hand feed them. Now Addie wants sheep, not a sheep, sheep...they are pretty cute.

We will be meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday 6-7:30 for Stitch and Bitch, I'll have the A/C on in the shop, I think it's going to be a hot one. If not, we can certainly sit outside. Make it a great day and I hope to see you soon!

Katy