A regal shawl, a wacky hat, and some colorful felting

I swear I was going to post this yesterday until I realised that we had a staff workshop in 10 minutes... so it got delayed. But we do have more photos for it!

First and foremost, prepare yourself to be amazed, with Duffy's (a.k.a. fiberqat) Queen Anne's Lace shawl:

Over 6 feet across and simply gorgeous. She was so (rightfully) proud of herself she brought it in to show off. A big 'thank you' to Tsipa (right) for helping Duffy hold it up during our impromptu photoshoot. And here's a center detail:

And the lovely edging that makes me think of peacock feathers:

Duffy said that it was an easy and very enjoyable knit. In fact, her ravelry notes compare it to "crack" (see link above). Hmm, sounds dangerous. Here's the pattern info on ravelry.

All in all, I think the best description is "wow".

Next, something completely different, is another amazing project that you have to see to believe... Wendy's most awesome self-designed EAT hat (okay, that's not what she's calling it):

Made with Kauni W-EM & W-EN for a friend who's a chef. Note the fork & knife motif as well as the inverted wine glass detail. Wendy is clearly crazy. In a good way, of course, but it must be said.

With those two projects, I bet I'm not the only one feeling like an underachiever right now. Oy.

In other, slightly smaller, FO news... we have NINE more cranes! Giving us 138. Almost half-way there. Keep 'em coming, guys!

And, finally, the reason this post was postponed last night... our staff Artfelt workshop. Here's us getting started with our base layers of wool laid down:

And here's the felting demonstration as best could be approximated (without a dryer on premises):

(with a peek at Lindsay's & Marjorie's unfelted pieces)

If you want to see more of the process, or pictures from our workshop, see our flickr page. I'll try and nag everyone to finished their projects over the weekend and bring them in next week for photos. Look for them in a week or two.

And that's everything, for yesterday today. Check back tomorrow for a sneak peek at our upcoming Mother's Day Special!

Quickie

Today has been on the hectic side, so unfortunately blogging (which involves sitting at a computer undisturbed for some time) has been pushed off so many times that now it's 10 minutes to 6 o'clock and this post still isn't finished. Which means brevity is definitely the better part of valor right now.

First. Have you see our Easter basket? You know, the one in the eCard we sent out a week ago? This one, in fact:

Well, if you haven't and are in need of some Easter Basket Inspiration, drop by to see it in person. The eggs (painted, hand-felted, and hand-knit), bunnies and chickens are worth a visit...

Or so we're told.

Two. Since I have no customer projects from the past two days immediately available (alas), I am afraid I only have one FO to show off:

Which is, incidentally, a store sample in case you want to touch it or try it on.

Anyway. It's Porom*, by Jared Flood, knit up with Habu Textiles Bamboo XS-32 in "Green", which is not up on the website right now (it's a new color) but will be soon. I can tell you, quite honestly, that it is just scrumptious to knit with and the finished hat is lovely. You can also see more photos here.

Third, finally, the Josh Jakus UM bags are on display!

You may have seen our excited tweet when they arrived. Seriously, there are no words to describe how awesome these bags are. And, it's obvious from the admiration they receive from visitors, that we're not alone in our appreciation. We also have, by Josh Jakus, their line of felt accessories. Everything from a wine bottle cozy to the coolest eggflat you'll ever see:

It also makes a great yarn storage device/ centerpiece.

All of the Josh Jakus pieces are made with recylced industrial felt excess and are made in Berkeley. The designs are entirely modern, unique and perfect for a variety of purposes. We're certain that these will be very popular among knitters as they're both practical and stylish.

And that is everything I could cover in 15 minutes. Toodles until next Tuesday. Look for a Newsletter in your inbox tomorrow!


*We like the pattern, what can I say?