We're done! New Look and Feel on the Website... and the start of fancy socks

It's done! It took us a little longer than we thought, but we put up the website makeover yesterday evening... and we think it looks fantastic! There are bound to be a few bugs here and there - and some of the areas still need a bit of finishing work - but the bulk of it is ready for public consumption (if you do notice bugs or problems, please email us or comment on the blog).


What is different, you ask? The color and fonts, of course, but one of the biggest changes shows up on each of the product homepages (e.g., yarn, needles, buttons, etc.): each homepage now prominently displays a featured item. We've written a few sentences about why that item is our favorite at the moment - and have included links to reviews & more information. We hope that it's helpful - and that you enjoy reading about what excites us! In addition, if you scroll to the bottom of each page, you'll see a section titled "Looking For..." which then leads you to other areas on the website. We'll be adding a bit more to this footer section soon, but this is a good start - and it's organized.


You'll also notice that we have links to video reviews on most of the product homepages - as we continue to film reviews, they will show up under these "recent video reviews" headings.

Again, the site is a work in progress - and we have lots more to do- but we definitely welcome your comments... just be gentle when making them -doug has been working 12-14 hours a day/7 days per week for over a month and is a wee bit tired. :)

Ok - enough about the website... i wanted to show you guys my most recent project - as of friday. I have been wanting to knit with the Indie Dyer SuperSock Select Yarn even since we received it, but was just never motivated enough to get started. On the way out of the store Friday night, i stopped and picked up Cat Bordhi's New Pathways For Sock Knitters Book and started scrolling through. To be honest, i picked up the book because i was trying to find written instructions for a flexible sock cast on - my long tail cast on has just been too tight lately... If i cast on with bigger needles, it helps, but i still figured there had to be a better way. Anyway, i started thumbing through the book and stumbled upon her Coralis sock (pictured here)... it's beautiful! I don't like to knit socks with too many fancy patterns, cause i feel like it just takes forever, but this looked simple enough that i could zone out - but still have something unique. So, i bought the book and brought it home.

Well, needless to say i didn't realize i was about to learn a bunch of new techniques (not just cast on!). And for once, i decided to actually read the directions, instead of skimming through them and then getting started. Ok, Ok, i'm not being entirely honest.... at first, i did decide to just start knitting without reading. I had found a section called "Judy's Magic Cast On" and just started going... didn't bother to read about the cast on - or when it was used. I followed the directions to put on about 30 stitches, and then knit the first row. Um, the stitches were all connected - and had formed an impenetrable fabric. Dangit! What did i do wrong? So... i tried it again - surely i must have done something wrong... After ending up with the same result again, i finally gave in and did a bit of reading. Oh. This cast on is perfect for toe-up socks... and the "cast on" is creating the closed toe. Geez... didn't Cat realize that i wasn't going to actually read - couldn't she have named the cast on something a little more specific like "Judy's Magic Cast On - to be used only for Toe-Up Socks because the Cast-On Creates a Closed Toe?" LOL...



Let's just say I was a bit humbled after that. alright, alright, Cat, i'll follow the directions from now on... and will even knit the first little learning sock that you suggest - the Little Sky Sock. A friend of mine just told me she is pregnant, so these little buggers should be perfect for the baby (knit out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted Yarn in Tuscany - i had a rogue hank at home that someone had returned). So here's my sample... i think it took about 2 hours total - including "blocking" with Soak. I know the photos are goofy - but we had fun taking them this morning - and that's all that matters. haha.


After knitting my learning sock, i felt ready to embark on a Coralis sock of my own (even though i skipped knitting the Coralis Learning Sock - i know, i know).

So... here's where i am with the Nesting Blue color of the Supersock Select Yarn - and size 0 40" Addi Circular Needles. As Cat suggested (and i'm doing everything she suggests now), i measured doug's foot from all different directions - and have come up with a formula for knitting socks that will fit him. Obviously, i started with the sock on the right, but realized that i better start a 2nd one - or i'll never finish the pair. Once i get the 2nd one to the same length as the first, i'll throw them both on the same needle. I've never knit socks from the toe-up, so i'm pretty excited.

On a 3rd - and final - note, i wanted to say thank you sooo much for all the support with regards to my grandfather. i can't tell you how much it means to me. My flight leaves at 6am tomorrow, so we'll be leaving tomorrow morning at about 3 (the sacramento airport is 1:45 away). The memorial service is Tuesday morning and then i'll return Wednesday night. I'm so thankful to be able to go and visit with a group of people that loved him as much as i did.