Net Loft News

Having had to overcome a big case of blog freeze, probably the best way to kindle a little flame is to just get started again. Sometimes I think I have so many thoughts, that there are too many to put down into one train of fluid thought, and other times it is just plain busy shop life that takes over.   With the holidays here and now, I am feeling a desire to write, especially since after our open house, I had so many unspoken thoughts that I had wanted to share.

First things first.

Shop happenings: NOW…

New yarn…

If you haven’t yet seen it, the new Snow Capped Yarns Olde Salt Collection is beautiful and perfect for those projects where you want slight color tone variation, but not so distracting that your textures don’t show up well. This is perfect for everything from straight stockinette to intricate lace or cables. We are loving the greyed out misty tones that perfectly suit our marine environment. The names reflect our salty sea neighborhood.

Blowing Forty

Bull Kelp

Low Tide

Morning Fog

Port Side Red (in limited quantity)

Rusty Anchor

Stormy Seas

We have been wanting a good navy tonal and Shelly hit this one spot on. Colleen, our yarn manager is knitting a sweater with it, and it is coming out BEAUTIFULLY.

We are very excited about this first release of our new permanent collection of in house yarns, dyed by local yarn artist Shelly Kocan and know you will love them. She has dyed fairly large batches, perfect for sweaters, blankets and larger project quantity needs.  There will be another set of colors released next year to fill out the pallette, but this is the range of colors so far.  We have specifically chosen some of the bases that are slightly more durable for good wearability.

There are three great new compatible patterns available, one of  which may be purchased online.

The ICELASKA HAT

 http://www.woolentravels.com/shop/icelaska-hat

Other patterns include

The ICELASKA VEST

and MOOSE MUNCH

All three are available as hard copies in our online store.

http://the-net-loft.myshopify.com/collections/snow-capped-yarns

Both the Icelaska Vest and Hat are knit in the Latouche Yarn Base.

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Shop Happenings:  FUTURE

 Just a reminder for those who have heard about the event coming next June, The Net Loft Fiber and Friends 2014 will be taking place in Cordova and is a one week fiber arts camp style retreat. We have some wonderful teachers lined up and a great week of classes and activities. We hope you will join us. Information to be found at www.rsvpbook.com/thenetloftfiberandfriends.   If you are interested in volunteeting in any capacity please email us at info@fiberandfriends.com.

It is going to be a fine time that you won’t want to miss and some of classes are near reaching full capacity, so register earlier rather than later and you will receive 10% off your class fees.

just a thought or two…

It is hard for me to not want to share some thoughts, especially this time of year. It can be such a mixed up set of feelings that happen during this time, old memories, new happenings, changes in life, changes in traditions. We are a store, yes, but we are also a facilitator. A facilitator, in a sense, of memory making. Or maybe, even just an encourager to making a memory.

There are these opportune times in life. As I get older, I realize more and more, just how many of these opportunities are brief and swift. How thankful I am for the times I stopped and just did something... Made something, painted something, sat with someone, set the table with a pretty cloth,  put the candles on the table, made a wreath, did a project with a loved one. It wasn’t always a big thing. But it always meant setting aside the time to do so, and making THAT be the most important thing I had to do at that moment.

Families and Holidays are generally so entangled, and sometimes there are situations where it is difficult to celebrate or engage in any type of festivity.  

At the open house, I talked a little about joy, and I have come to realize, sometimes reluctantly, that joy and celebration are not necessarily dependent on our circumstances, and about the value of festivity amidst whatever is happening in our lives.  I believe that to celebrate and to engage in festivity is a statement in our lives and to others that joy shall prevail, and that our source of joy is deep within and cannot be shaken.  

The other day, I was rereading about Tasha Tudor, someone I have always admired, and her comments about the holidays and the value of creating memories for children and families, and the importance of  impressing upon them during the holidays, a sense of "wonder".   I know that eventually her marriage fell apart, and I was thinking about the fractures that resulted because of that.  I am tempted to think sometimes when fractures of any kind form, whether or not it was worth it to have done whatever special things that I did.   Should I  have bothered to do this or that, or was it just a wasted effort?  

I do believe, however, that there will always be fractures and shakes and disappointments.  We don't always celebrate because everything is going great, or for some projected outcome.  We are not celebrating perfect lives. We have to remember that the focal point of our celebration is not us.  More than anything, it is a witness of our deep grounded belief that  

JOY SHALL PREVAIL

and that there is nothing that can keep us from that... That the lights we string, and the candles we burn represent the Light that overcomes darkness ...That the sparkle and the decorations are meant to stop us and break us away from our routines, both mental and physical... That family and friends hold the greatest value and are worth stopping everything for... That to simply come together and spend time (our most valuable asset) with one another, despite differences or beliefs, or even distances,  is one of the greatest investment opportunities we have.

So does this mean you get to take out the glitter  and have a big (or little) craft blitz? YES YES and YES.

For me, it means even if there are no kids at home,  I will still get out the glitter, and the ribbons, and the glue, my paints, and celebrate in the way I know best... to craft, and to make contact with loved ones in whatever way I can.  Now for others, it may by singing, cooking or entertaining,  all of which touch positively the lives of those surrounding and instill  the wonderment of the season.  

It is always worth it... no matter what.  We all need good memories, no matter what stage we are in life...it doesn't have to be spectacular.  It can just be simple.  I am looking forward to a little creative mess myself...

and... on that note... the fire has been kindled...

All the best to you ,

With love and friendship, 

Net Loft Dotty