November 15, 2013

In Transition

I've mentioned before that I am going to be changing the name of my yarn company to be in line with our new farm company in January, and I'm glad that we've decided to wait until then to make it official.  I didn't realize when I said, "Sure, Honey, no problem" that there would be so many things to do.  Over three years, I've just done things a little at a time as my business has grown, so I guess that is why I misled myself into thinking this would be no trouble at all.  Over the course of a few days, I've built a website for the farm (Cedar Hill Farm Company), and on it is a link to my yarns in my Etsy shop for the time being.  The Etsy shop is still Zibeline Knits, and that won't change before the end of the year so don't panic. We have a FB page for the farm, also, but that is under construction, as well.  You are, of course, welcome to transfer your "like" from my Zibeline Knits page to my Cedar Hill Farm Company page if you like.  Actually, it would be appreciated.  We have a Twitter account, too: @cedarhillfarmco, and yesterday we got our first follower and he's a farmer in Germany. (That's not weird at all.)

And I tell you all of this because, well, when you come to the fiber festivals at which I will be A) vending or B) vending and teaching, Zibeline Knits won't be there; Cedar Hill Farm Company Hand Painted Yarn & Fiber will be there instead.

I was thrilled to be contacted out of the blue  this week by the organizer for the Festival of Alabama Fiber Arts in Montgomery, Alabama.  She invited me to teach a knitting class, and I cannot wait!  I'll be teaching Mastering Magic Loop, with a project option of 2-at-a-time socks, 2-at-a-time fingerless gloves, or a beret.  Yes, all of the patterns for the class will be mine.  You're welcome to sign up NOW because I only have a 2-hour block of time for a 9-person class. This is a new transition for me, as well, as my teaching has never really gone on the road like this.

I also have a confession to make. I'm working my way through a very large pair of man socks (Christmas pair #1) in Malabrigo Chocolate Amargo using my Ribbed Socks for Impatient Knitters pattern (see Free Stuff in the side bar for the pattern).


and a pair of fingerless gloves in Zibeline Knits Mission Sock Lakeside using my Sportswoman pattern (there will be few modifications),


and I have 3 more pair of man socks to make in the next 42 days, plus a sweater that I ripped back that I wanted to be done with by now but which will have to wait until after Christmas, and a semi-circular shawl design in the initial test-knit phase that I have half-way knit through on the needles and stares at me expectantly from the end table next to my knitting chair, and a SLEW of unfinished projects hibernating in the closet under the stairs, some almost a year old. That said, I desperately want to cast on for a new shawl that, truth be told, I probably won't even wear and a new pair of socks for me.  I've even been shopping for the yarn …for a week I have closed the cart every time before I've pulled out a credit card … but I couldn't hold out forever and I just broke down and ordered a new hank last night for that elusive pair of socks for me.  I think I have a disorder. It's a very self-defeating disorder common to all hard-core knitters and crocheters.  I have a feeling that you know what I'm talking about and are right there with me. I'm going to feel guilty about it for about 3 days--that's how long it will take for the yarn to arrive--and then I will, of course, forget all about how I probably shouldn't have ordered it.  It will be too awesome for regrets.

I haven't cast on for any of these new projects for me, but that doesn't mean that I haven't had moments of total distraction from my planned projects.  As a matter of a fact, there will be a new free pattern for your last minute (Holy Cow I forget to a get a gift for the bus driver!  What do you mean we're exchanging gifts at knitting club tomorrow?!) Christmas gift giving desperation.  It will be a cute surprise so check back.  Oh, and I'm starting that Knit Picks Bulky Collection print copy giveaway next week, too.  You will definitely want to get in on that!

And now I must go and knit in circles some more by the fire. It's in the low 40s and rainy this morning, which is a definite improvement from the 19 and 21 degrees F. mornings we've had all week, and who can think of house work on a day like this--though I did throw in a load of laundry earlier and that's my big accomplishment on the home front so far.  I think I am going to need to order more yarn to finish these man socks …

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