Waking up just like Rip Van Winkle

It's been ages since my last post. We finally invested in a new laptop before the holidays. Thought  to it would be easier to get out newsletters and blog posts regularly. Nope! Customers are coming in happy relieved to see we are still here because they'd feared something happened.  I better get a newsletter out pronto!

Spring Highlights

Noro Magazine

I'm a Noro nut and get ridiculously excited when the new issue arrives. This edition is chock full of great patterns. I'm loving the cover shawl. There's also fun blanket that is variation on the log cabin style: you knit a small square then pick up stitches on all 4 edges and work in round. I'm experimenting with a combo of Silk Garden and it's solid cousin, Silk Garden Solo. First tried using the sock weight version but that meant using double points. Now I've pulled out my worsted weight scrapes to see if that's easier & faster. Any excuse to play with Noro! 

 Warm Weather Yarns

Spring was reluctant to arrive and now the Summer heat is on the horizon. That calls for switching up projects and yarns. I'm a fickle knitter greatly influenced by the temperatures. As soon as it turns the teeniest bit warm I abandon all current projects in favor of lighter, brighter more heat-friendly projects.

Looking for pure 100% cotton? Berroco's Pima 100 is a amazingly soft sport weight cotton. The color palette is stunning with a soft, washed look. As cottons it's super soft to the touch so perfect for babies. Suggest to wash delicate and lie flat to dry approach to pure cotton.

Modern Cotton or Modern Cotton DK I grab for any and all garments. It's cotton/rayon blend is drapey, cool to the touch and feels refreshing against the skin on a hot day. It's washable and tumble dry low so perfect for babies, kids and blankets. It has a slight sheen that imparts a touch of elegance and swish-factor (thank you rayon)!

Speaking of great yarns for Baby projects: New this season is Cumulus Dappled - softly variegated colors that match it's big sister solids in Cumulus - a go to favorite in the shop. Generous yardage, super soft to the touch = perfect baby blankets. It's also perfect for accessories and garments with many wonderful patterns available. It's 93% mako cotton/6% nylon (helps keep its shape) and excellent choice for people not wanting wool.

Mother's Day Ideas

New adorable Tea Mugs: Sweet glass tea mugs with pretty ceramic infusers. A lovely gift with a few ounces of  tea for your favorite Mom. For the coffee drinkers there's generous and pretty porcelain mugs.

Bye-bye Bee House: With heavy heart we bid adieu to a beloved vendor. For 36 years Bee House has imported some of the best Japanese teapots. "Mr. Bee House" is retiring and we'll miss him terribly. Of course upon hearing I immediately went into hoarding mode and stocked up big time.

If ever you've wanted a Bee House teapot now is the time. At moment we've a variety of colors and sizes but eventually they'll be a distant memory. This is a tough one to see go. I so adore my Bee House teapots. (yes....I do get a touch sentimental about certain inanimate objects....)

On the Bookshelf: 

A few favorite books this spring 

Alice Network An interesting look at two stories and two wars interwoven together. I so enjoy a novel steeped in factual events deftly brought to life with blend of fiction. Makes for a great book-group selection with its rich basis in history not often highlighted in the history books.

It opens post-WW2 but looks back to events and a mysterious disappearance during WW1 and the Belgian resistance movements, majority of which were women. Historically it sheds light on a these little-known elements of the resistance efforts. The Alice Network refers to Louise de Bettignies, aka Alice Dubois, who was a French secret agent/spy for the British during WWI. She ran a vast intelligence network (The Alice Network) from her home in the North of France. Her network of a hundred members was so effective that she earned the nickname "the queen of spies." A second group, Dame Blanche was also very active, with an estimated 30% of the participants women. These two groups alone supplied as much as 70% of all military intelligence collected by Allies. At war's end 1,300 agents covered all of occupied Belgium, northern France. Truly a remarkable war-time achievement. Gotta love books that send me to Google to learn more about history or people.

Shadow Sister Lucinda Riley's popular Seven Sisters series #3 is out in paperback. This is probably our most popular selling book lately and customers can't wait to get next installment. #4 Pearl Sister is just out in hardback.

The author designed each book as a stand-alone but thematically linked to the others. Her hook is the Greek myth of the Seven Weeping Sisters. The Pleiads, or "doves" were the seven daughters of Atlas, and Pleione. Each of Riley's books devoted to a sister and different location. Great for those needing engaging series to binge read! Ideal for fans of Kate Morton and Kristin Hannah.

In This Grave Hour The thirteenth installment of Maisie Dobbs opens Sep 3, 1939 as Britain declares war against Germany. As the country prepares for war, Maisie investigates a possible serial murderer targeting Belgian refugees who fled the previous "Great War" decades ago.

As always a consistent, gentle mystery that unfolds carefully, yielding up new insight historical moments: plight of Belgian refugees in the first war and the new flood of refugees in form of London children sent to live in the countryside away from the expected bombs. Jacqueline Winspear consistently delivers-a rarity with such a lengthy series.  I'm enjoying a return to Maisie's world, that is sadly on the brink of the next great upheaval that's is WW2.

In the Kitchen 

Cookbooks make great gifts anytime but especially for Mom's Day 

Magnolia Table Joanna Gaines has a new cookbook and it's great. Great classics but not fussy. Good homey cozy recipes. Makes a great gift for any fan of delicious easy meals that also perfect for casual gatherings. 

Dish of the Day New addition to this favorite Williams and Sonoma "Dish" series. As with other there's 365 recipes, one for each day. I love how it's based on calendar so you can pick based on the season or whatever sounds good. Covers variety from soups to meals to desserts. A great all-round extensively illustrated cookbook for the shelf. 

Time to stop here or I'll be talking non-stop about Instant Pot cookbooks and recipes....don't want to totally bore everyone! (But if you ever want to talk Instant Pot...I'm your gal!)

Happy Late Spring and Early Summer!