TNNA | Titus Love!!!

Last week we went to Indianapolis for TNNA's Summer Trade Show - it was a quick (and fabulous) 48 hour trip! I have a ton to share, but I'm in the mood to spill some beans today, so...

Mike and I met some amazing people, saw their amazing products, and ordered some amazing goodies for you! We'll share details as they arrive, but there's one that cannot be kept under wraps... Titus by Baa Ram Ewe! Maybe you've heard of this lovely yarn (Clara Parkes and Kate Davies have created quite a buzz), or maybe you haven't...

Either way, we hope you'll fall in love... just like we did. 

Titus

350 yards (320 metres) per 100g hank 50% Wensleydale | 20% Bluefaced Leicester | 30% UK Alpaca | 100% British

We've retained the delicious blend of Wensleydale and Bluefaced Leicester wool, combined with a touch of magical UK Alpaca in homage to philanthropist and Yorkshire mill owner Sir Titus Salt. This luxurious yet authentic combination is also reflected in the new shade range: deep, rich colours that evoke images and memories of a land which has such strong historic connections to wool and wool manufacturing.

For us, this is a dream come true: a luxurious local yarn with homely colours that supports our local industries. It makes us very happy. We hope it makes you happy too.

 We met Verity Britton of Baa Ram Ewe at TNNA and her passion for the yarn is contagious. As if she wasn't enough, she showed us a photo of this guy:

WensleydaleThis beauty is a Wensleydale sheep and his locks make up 50% of Titus - don't you want to hug him? 

Titus will be arriving at Firefly Fibers later this summer (July/August) and I did manage to come home with a skein for a shop sample. *squee* Once I get through this next round of classes and the awesomeness of launching CustomFit, I'll wind it up and share more!

Cheers!

Journey-along | Are you signed up?

I've been busy planning what seems like an overwhelming amount of awesome all at once and today it dawned on me... it's last day of April - where did the month go?! I assume I'm not alone here as spring seems to be flying by for everyone. The response to the Journey-along has been humbling - thank you everyone that is participating online and in the shop and for keeping the group motivated as we knit our way through Journey! Some knitters have completed several projects already and some have ALL six  projects on their needles - yes, it might sound like a lot, but all of the projects are fabulous and we are leisurely knitting through November so there's plenty of time to finish. I must say that I'm impressed with the number of sweaters that are being cast on AND finished - the two sweaters in the book are both simple in construction and beautifully executed, making them so very hard to resist!

I currently have 3 Journey projects on the needles - Climb (shop sample), Onward (shop sample) and Inland (for ME!). We have a 5-1/2 hour drive each way to TNNA this weekend and I plan to do my best to wrap up the 2 Firefly Fibers samples so I can get them out on display. Here' s a peek at the new Climb shop sample:

I'm using SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Lakeshore Drive for this pair and I love how the colorway is working up! Last night, I had my teaching had on for a two-at-a-time sock class featuring Climb - the knitters did a great job, their socks look great and it was fun to see how some of the other colorways knit up!

Just a reminder.... I'll be doing little giveaways from time-to-time throughout our Journey-along (one is coming up very soon) and we'll wrap up in November with something special. So...Are you asking what you need to do to enter? If you already joined the Journey-along by filling out the 'official' form and cast on a project, you're set - just keep knitting! If you cast on, but haven't filled out this form, you can still sign up to 'officially' join and be eligible for the giveaways (don't worry... your information is kept private).   

I guess I better get back to working on the ever-growing list of things to do: TNNA prep (it's this coming weekend), CustomFit launch, summer class schedule, putting away new arrivals, ordering more awesome, and then there's the bookkeeping. I think I'll be a rebel today and do the fun stuff first!

Cheers!

On the Needles | Inland & Big News!

I had grand hopes of finishing Inland within a week since some of the Knit Night ladies decided that knitting Inland was a contest - I always say that knitting isn't a race, but I guess a sweater race now and then is just fine. lol!  So, I've been trying to knit like the wind and posting snippets of my sweater progress on Facebook and Instagram along the way. Well, I'm not winning the Inland contest by any means, but I have managed to divide for and start the sleeves. Inland hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as it deserves since it's a personal project and my hope of completing it within a week has since passed. But, I'm totally okay with that, because...

A really exciting opportunity has come up for Firefly Fibers - like, really exciting - so I've been busy prepping the store launch of... drum roll please...

CustomFit by Amy Herzog Designs!

CustomFitBanner_FireflyLaunch

I was keeping things under wraps - shocking, right?! - but while I was prepping, the shop was spotted on the CustomFit LYS page and questions have been coming in, so the time has come to make the official announcement. I love the enthusiasm for CustomFit so far and I can't wait to share the fabulous shop offerings (and samples) I'm working on for you! Stay tuned...

In the meantime... I've been working with a couple really fabulous new yarn vendors to line up some great new yarn for the shop - sorry, I'm teasing, but it will be well worth the wait. Also, hubby and I are getting ready to head off for Firefly's biennial trip to TNNA next weekend in Indianapolis. This will be my third TNNA and Mike's first, so I'm super excited for him to see what this TNNA hullabaloo is all about. It's amazing, overwhelming, fabulous, exhausting, and so much more! I can't wait and will report back!

Cheers!