Slide Over Summer...

Good Morning Everyone!

What a glorious Labor Day Weekend, despite the soggy Saturday. True to form, I decided to give my gardens some much needed love. I had no idea what a total pain it is to divide peonies, (worse than irises) I thought I was hitting a rock. Like everything else I do, it's not planned and ultimately turns into a gigantic project. I pulled that thread just a tad and my quick little weeding project turned into a two day ordeal. I'm still not finished, but I managed to get (2) new shrubs planted along with (2) lovely perennials in my freshly weeded garden. I literally dug out a peony that was hiding underneath my bridal wreath, how in the world did that get there? Needless to say, it was serendipity, I'd cleared space and promptly filled it. I am absolutely amazed my arms aren't killing me, I guess there still is some muscle hiding, kind of like my abs.

My Florence sweater is almost finished, I can't believe it either. I am inches away from finishing sleeve #2, I have one more decrease to do and then the ribbing. What's even more exciting, my post was shared by Elenor!!! I had tagged her and she not only shared it to her story on Instagram, she wrote me a message. two as a matter of fact. I let her know that I had 20 women knitting this sweater and we were planning on wearing them to VT Sheep and Wool, she's very excited! I am very excited, I am already envisioning how fantastic that group picture is going to be. I absolutely love seeing everyone's progress, my favorite combination is Donna's (yes, I picked it). That is a bold statement, I'm not suggesting anything, everyone's is GORGEOUS, but Donna's is completely in my wheelhouse and I love it. Kathleen gave me a little boost, she reassured me how lovely the "pink" (my new favorite color, lol) and brown look together. I actually planned it that way, I wanted the pattern to be pink throughout the body of the sweater, DID IT, LOVE IT!! I am almost ready to cast on the next sweater, what will it be? I had (5) sweaters in my shop on Saturday, 2 were started, and 3 are just vying for my attention. I think I know what I'm going to do, stay tuned....

I do spend a bit of time on Socials checking out what everyone is doing, that's how I innocently fall down these rabbit holes. I saw something quite lovely, it was a Sophie scarf that was knit using mohair and paillettes, OMG!! It was absolutely stunning, what a beautiful gift!! I've been talking about getting your holiday projects started, it's September, you have 16 weeks and 1 day. I try to focus on the things that bring joy and make me happy, but in addition to seeing all the pretty things, I also hear about the struggles. I've received several emails from my Canadian vendors, it's enough to make your head swim. I am already feeling the sting of these recent changes, Chiaogoo prices have skyrocketed, the distributors are desperately trying to control prices as brokerage fees and tariffs continue to rise. Here's the letter I received from Thread and Maple, it's disheartening, I have no idea how small businesses will survive if these regulations remain in place.

https://www.threadandmaple.com/blogs/news/no-time-to-prepare-de-minimis-struggles?omnisendContactID=67733d6168117fb4462295e6&utm_campaign=campaign%3A+De+Minimis+Chaos+-+Personal+Note+%2868b44f09424c740cb313eb81%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=omnisend I hope you are able to open this, it is extremely well written and explains exactly the impact this is having. Am I worried? Absolutely, I've worked hard to build a viable business, but I'm at the mercy of the distributors.

On a much more positive note, Andra will be here this month!! She will be joining us on Wednesday, September 24th for an amazing TRUNK SHOW!! There will be garments to try on, samples of the new yarns, patterns, everything!!! This is always a lot of fun, an evening of inspiration for sure! I'm going to not think about the weather, last year we were forced into my parlor which now is the home of my gigantic floor loom and warping mill. No worries, we'll make it work out. So mark your calendar, we usually get the party started around 5:00.

We will be meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday 6-7:30 for Stitch and Bitch, I hope you can join in the fun. PLEASE REMEMBER TO PARK FACING DOWN THE STREET ON THE NORTH SIDE (same side as my house). Make it a great day and I'll see you soon!

Katy