Lambikin's Happenings Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2004

Spring has finally arrived in the greater Cincinnati area. I was beginning to wonder if it would ever get here. The bulbs we planted last fall are now starting to sprout. I am looking forward to a garden full of beautiful pink, yellow, blue and red flowers. Spring is my favorite time of year. The trees are coming alive, the birds begin to chirp, and lighter weight yarn fills my knitting bag. Scarves are still as popular as ever. We have tons of yarn to choose from and we are now carrying lots of patterns for those of you who want to add some creative designs to your scarves. We are fully stocked up on Crystal Palace Splash. We are carrying every available color, including the 4 new spring colors.

Looking for some easy, fun projects to work on this spring and summer? Here are a few ideas of projects to work on while you are on vacation, or sitting in the air conditioning on those hot summer days. Socks are a perfect summer-time project. They are small and easy to pick up, knit a few rows, and put it away. Once you get the hang of turning the heal and closing the toe, socks are a breeze to knit up. We have tons of sock yarn and classes to help you through your first pair. Check out our class section for days and times. We have not forgotten about those of you that love to felt. Even though its spring, we are still stocking tons of Galway, Cascade 220, Lamb's Pride Worsted, Manos and Lopi. We have lots of patterns for felted bags, including the widely popular KnitKits.

Store News
As we head into the summer months, we are planning on having a couple of closures for several occasions, and for a 1 week vacation. We will be closed Saturday, May 29th and Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day. We will be heading up to Columbus for TNNA June 11th-14th. While the store might not be closed all those days, we will let you know the exact days as we get closer to June. Lastly, we have plans to be closed for one week around the beginning of July. Again, we will be posting notices and sending out an e-mail so everyone is informed of the exact days we will be closed.

New Arrivals for Spring/Summer

Trendsetter Yarn
Our first order of Trendsetter finally arrived in early March. There are a number of lines that we ordered that did not arrive in our first shipment. Expect several new lines Trendsetter to arrive over the next several months. We are currently stocking: Aura, Aura Antique, Aura Print, Aquarius, Chic, and Dune. We are still expecting to receive Crisantemo, Flora Metal, Metal, Shadow and others that were not part of our original order.

Noro Lily Multi
Even though Noro is hard to get in, we think it's worth it for the amazing color ways from this Japanese company. Lily Multi is a prefect addition to the Kureyon and Silk Garden lines. It is 70% Cotton, 30% Silk and has 119 yards.

Adrienne Vittadini Celia
Celia is the wonderful new yarn from Adrienne Vittadini. We are carrying all the available colors. It is 100% Silk and 109 yards for only $10.00. The pattern support for this yarn is wonderful. There are so many great things you can do with it. I highly recommend checking it out!

Manos del Uruguay Stria
This brand new yarn from Manos has everything you love about their wool yarn, but in 100% crimped cotton. The color selection is perfect for spring. We are stocking all available colors. Stria has 116 yards for only $8.00.

Artful Yarns
We have added three new lines from Artful Yarns: Celebrity, Cinema and Portrait. There is a beautiful spring top knitted with the Celebrity and Portrait on the cover of Knitter's magazine Spring issue. Celebrity is 40% Polyester, 38% Acrylic and 22% Nylon multi-colored ribbon yarn with 109 yards. Cinema is 78% Nylon, 22% Cotton ribbon yarn with 110 yards. Portrait is a really pretty variegated mohair yarn that knits wonderfully with Celebrity.

Plymouth Novelty
We have really gone all out with Plymouth novelty yarns for spring. Here is a quick rundown of what we are now carrying: Electra, Eros Glitz, Firenze, Odyssey, 24K and Paradise.

Mango Moon
I am very excited about this yarn for several reasons. Mango Moon brings us a 100% Recycled Silk yarn from Nepal. First of all, no two skeins are alike. The silk is gathered from scrapes left by the silk factories and spun into truly unique skeins of yarn. More importantly, Mango Moon is supporting the women of Nepal by providing them with jobs they are able to do from home while caring for their children. I would encourage you to check out their Web site for more information about their cause. The first order we received sold out in a couple short days.

Customer Favorites

Kertzer Fizz
Fizz has quickly become one of our most popular novelty yarns. Fizz is an eyelash yarn from Italy available in solid and multi-colored. Fizz keeps flying off the shelf for scarves and accents to projects. Don't worry; we have plenty of both Fizz and Multi Fizz to keep up with the demand.

Felting Yarns
There is no clear favorite, so we had to include all of our wonderful selection of felting yarns. Cascade 220, Galway and Lopi are extremely popular choices for felting. If you are looking for something a little different, Noro Kureyon and Manos del Uruguay are excellent choices. If you like a little fuzz in your felted project, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted and Bulky have 15% Mohair to add a slightly different texture to your project. Finally, what will be sure to be a customer favorite very soon, Dale of Norway Ara. Ara is a bulky yarn spun from 100% Virgin Wool. It is roughly spun to include thick and thin spots throughout.

Frog Tree Alpaca
Frog Tree Alpaca has been a long-time customer favorite. The beautiful purple sweater we have is knitted with the sport weight. We are now carrying more colors than ever. We still have plenty of fingering weight as well.

Classes

Here is our class schedule for January through April.

If you have a small group that would like to take a class at a different time, or that is not listed, please contact the store and we will do our best to accommodate you.

• Sign-up sheets for all classes are in a binder at the store.
• Class times and days are firm. Please verify you will be able to make it to all class times and days.
• A 50% deposit is required with registration. The balance of the class fee is due at the time of the first class. We will accept cancellations up to 5 days prior to class. Refunds will be given in store credit only.
• You can either register by phone or in person at the store. If you register by phone, we will accept a credit card over the phone, or you can mail a check.
• Class cancellations due to insufficient students will be announced 3 days before the first class date, and fees or deposits will be refunded.

To make sure you will not be bored or in over your head, we are putting a scale in place to rate the difficulty of each class.

	Level 1 - Beginner
	Level 2 - Advanced beginner
	Level 3 - Intermediate
	Level 4 - Advanced

Beginning Knitting  
We are still offering beginning knitting as a one-on-one class. We want to make sure you get the individual attention you need when first learning how to knit. Please call or stop by the store to arrange a class.

Felted Bag  
Session 1: May 5th 5-7 PM
Session 2: May 26th 5-7 PM
Session 3: June 1st 9-11 AM
Session 4: June 2nd 5-7 PM
Session 5: July 8th 9-11 AM
Session 6: July 28th 5-7 PM
Session 7: August 25th 5-7 PM
Cost: $15
Description: Felted bags are so easy and fun to knit. This is just a one-time class. You can make your bag as simple or elegant as you want.

Felted Clogs  
Session 1: May 6th, 13th, 20th 5-7 PM
Session 2: July 23rd, 30th, August 6th 9-11 AM
Cost: $40
Description: Clogs are perfect for something to put on your feet to keep you warm during those cold winter nights. Clogs might be a little challenging for beginner knitters.

Socks on Double Point Needles  
Session 1: May 3rd, 10th, 17th 5-7 PM
Session 2: June 4th, 18th, 25th 9-11 AM
Cost: $40
Description: For those that have never made a pair of socks, this class will teach you all the techniques needed to knit a pair of socks. Socks can be made from any number of yarns, including: Opal, Sockotta, Fixation, Wildfoote, or even Galway for thicker socks.

Hats  
Session 1: June 21st 9-11 AM
Session 2: August 13th 9-11 AM
Cost: $20
Description: Hats are fun and simple to knit. We have plenty of novelty yarns to add fun accents to your project. You will learn how to knit in the round and decreasing.

Christmas Stocking  
Session 1: July 12th, 19th, 26th 5-7 PM
Cost: $40
Description: Looking for a unique stocking to hang on your mantle? We will have several choices of stocking patterns to make. Get started early this year so you won't be in a rush come next fall.

Christmas Ornaments  
Session 1: July 15th 9-11 AM
Session 2: July 21st 5-7 PM
Cost: $20
Description: Come in and get a start on your homemade Christmas ornaments. From tiny socks to tiny sweaters, this is a perfect class to use up your spare yarn, and make a gift more personalized.

Sweaters for Beginners  
Session 1: June 8th, 22nd, July 13th, 27th 5-7 PM
Cost: $45 (Includes choice of pattern; materials extra)
Description: When you are ready to tackle your first sweater, this is the perfect place to start. You will learn all the basics of knitting a garment as you knit a basic sweater.

Entrelac Sweater  
Please contact the store about setting up times to take this class.
Cost: $65
Description: This is an intermediate sweater class. A finished example of this sweater is available at the store. We highly recommend Noro Kureyon or Silk Garden for this project. Entrelac is a wonderful technique that is visually striking and really shows off the colors of the yarn.

Introduction to Loom Knitting  
Session 1: May 15th 9:30-10:30 AM
Cost: FREE
Description: This is a free demonstration for anyone who would like to learn more about loom knitting. At the conclusion of this demonstration, we will be taking signups for the loom sock class.

Loom Knitting - Sock Class  
Session 1: June 5th, 19th, 26th 9-11 AM
Cost: $80 (Everything you need is included: loom, pick, and we even throw in the sock yarn!)
Description: We will teach you how to knit a pair of socks on a loom. In order to take this class, you must attend the Introduction Loom class. We will require payment in full when you sign up for this class as we will be special ordering the looms.

Monk's Travel Satchel  
Session 1: August 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd 5-7 PM
Cost: $60 (Price includes Folk Bags, materials extra)
Description: This bag comes from the wonderful Folk Bags book by Vicki Square. It is a great project for those of you who are bag lovers.

Felted Laptop Bag  
Session 1: August 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th 5-7 PM
Cost: $50
Description: This bag is for those of you who either tote around your laptop, or know someone who does. It fits all laptops, and what better way to make you case come to life but to design one for yourself?

Square of the Month  
2nd Wednesday of each month 5-7 PM
Cost: $10 each, or $100 for the whole year (Sampler Afghans by Leisure Arts Required)
Description: Each month you will learn a different technique to create a design on each square. Once you have enough squares, they can be joined to create an afghan.

Technique Classes

Technique classes are short, focused classes that only meet once. They are normally 2 - 2 1/2 hours long and teach a specific technique.

Finishing Techniques  
Session 1: May 21st 9-11:30 AM
Session 2: June 14th 9-11:30 AM
Session 3: July 17th 9-11:30 AM
Session 4: August 21st 9-11:30 AM
Cost: $40
Description: Come and learn tricks to make this part of your knitting more enjoyable. Seams, picking up stitches and buttonholes will be covered.

Fixing Mistakes  
Session 1: May 14th 9-10 AM
Session 2: July 9th 9-10 AM
Session 3: August 14th 9-10 AM
Cost: $25
Description: Are you a new knitter, or even an experienced beginner? Come learn what to do when all of a sudden you see a mistake. No more frustration and ripping out. After this class you will be able to spot mistakes, and fix them too.