Saturday, December 29, 2012

SHARPs...!

Well, once again, Hiya Hiya did it just right.  Their new release of 4" and 5" Interchangeable tips in Large SHARPs US 9-15 are fabulous.  They arrived here just in time to ship before Christmas holiday.  Currently, the only color the cases are available in are teal.  I am currently using a US 9 SHARPs and love love love them! 
I also had on order Large SHARPs Interchangeable tips as well but because of the shipping schedule, I had to put that order on hold.  I did not have time to put those items on The Yarn Grove.  I do expect all sizes that Hiya Hiya North America has in stock for the individual 4" and 5" tips sometime the first full week of January. 

I sent three of those quilt tops I had shown in a previous blog to my longarm quilter and they turned out wonderfully.  These 2 photos do not do them justice because I am not a good photographer.  The David Butler - Parson Gray - Curious Nature quilt was everyone's favorite.  It went to my son.  Even my husband commented that it was the best quilt I had ever done.  I have enough fabric left to make another one.  Love love love this one. 

The Batik quilt came out equally as well - just very bright. The Pickle dish, not shown, is already on my side of the bed!


In my knitting world, I have another Little Shells on the sticks. I'm using 2 different weight yarns, held together.  One is 100% alpaca and the other mohair/silk blend, both from Shibui yarns.  Scrumptious.  In a cream color. 

Wishing you and yours Peace. Love. Laughter in 2013.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Affliction, affection, attention, whatever its name...

I have finished my Color Affection shawl.  I have called it everything but its right name as have several in my Noble Knitters knitting group.  Love this shawl.  For anyone knitting one, I highly recommend a stretchy bindoff.  My bind off was too tight so I have to tink back, reknit a couple of rows and bind off with a stretchy one.  It worked like a charm.  This shawl has already seen lots of wear.  Great for wrapping around your shoulders and hitting the pavement. Mine was made with Miss Babs in 3 different colorways which I purchased at Stitches South.




In The Yarn Grove news, Hiya Hiya SHARPs continue to be a very hot seller in both fixed circulars and interchangeables.  Love love love them. I am currently fully stocked in all the interchangeable cables as well.  Time to be thinking of gifts for others as well as yourself.  I still have no updated news on when the Hiya Hiya LARGE interchangeable SHARP sets will be available.  I'll continue to keep you all posted as my list grows and grows of customers wanting these.
My sewing machine has been going full steam ahead. Last year I made each of my grandboys a Halloween quilt and this year decided to make them a Charlie Brown Christmas quilt.  Now that I have 3 grandboys, two, who are brothers, will have to share.  I bought these as a kit from my local quilt shop Intown Quilters and let me just say, the pattern was a challenge for me.  Lots of measuring and I even had to enlist hubby for his math skills.
Once the tops were assembled, I decided to stich in the ditch on the actual "film" strip and begin my jaunt into Free Motion Quilting.  Why?  Because I had just sent 3 rather large quilts to my longarm quilter and I know they will cost a small fortune.  2 are gifts and I will show when I get them back in 2 weeks.  Anyway, on to my first Free Motion quilting projects. I first watched a youtube video and read a lot of info from my machine workbooks.  Finally I just dove in it and while it took me a little while to try to get the stitches even, I was happy with the look.  I think my next one will be perhaps a pattern that I draw on the quilt and follow it.  I had virtually no puckering on the back because I used 505 spray to sandwich together.  Worked like a charm.  No gunk on my needle or fabric either.

The only thing left is to embroidery my quilt tags for my babies and I'll be done.  You know the holidays are creeping up on us rather rapidly...  Scary stuff....

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

So Sew...

While I have been busy knitting up a storm and sewing, I have failed terribly in the area of taking photos.  So I thought I would play catch up on a couple of quilt projects I have finished - although their next stop will be the longarmer.

This is David Butler's Curious Nature quilt, pattern free on Free Spirit Fabrics.  While it is free, you do have to enlarge it immensely but it was worth the cost for that.  The fabric is divine.  I LOVE this quilt.  So much so, that I have ordered fabric to do another one. This photo does not do the fabric justice.  While my local quilt shop, Intown Quilters has been sold out of this fabric, I did manage to find enough of the colorways I needed on line.  They should be here by Friday.  Did I tell you I love this quilt?  David is the husband of Amy Butler, just in case you were Curious...



The paper that is adhered to the bottom right here is a numbering system I developed to help my old brain when sewing this together!

And here is Pickle Dish top finished.  Love this one too.  Pickle Dish will be for me!  It was fun once I got the hang of putting these together on my new quilt wall.  Couldn't have accomplished it without the wall.



In knitting news, Hiya Hiya SHARPs continue to be extremely popular.  Anyone who tries them, loves them.  I am working on a Wingspan currently and am enjoying the heck out of it.

Other than that, life gets in the way of all the crafts I would rather be doing 24/7 !  Hope this finds you all happily crafting along...  More photos and projects finished soon...

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Here Kitty Kitty....

Lots of new items from Hiya Hiya at The Yarn Grove today!  The ever adorable Kitty Snips that join the Puppy snips.  These are ideal for your knitting bag - and ever so handy.


9" Sharps have arrived.  These are available in US 0- US 8 and have teal colored cables.  Try one if you haven't already.  Also in a replenish of 9" Circular cases.  These have handy pockets to put all your 9" neeedles.  Of course, needles are not included : )




New in are Hiya Hiya interchangeable cable connectors.  These can be used to join cables and make them longer.  Can also be used as stoppers.  Just remove your tips and screw in each end to the cables.
These are sold in sets of 2 with a needle grip included.  Small and large sizes are available.


New in also are Hiya Hiya interchangeable Tip Adapters. Using a large interchangeable tip and all you have is a small cable available? No problem now.  Get the Tip Adapter and connect your large tip to a small cable.  There you go!  Available at this time in the Large tip to small cable size. 


Lots of new sizes also available in all circular sizes of STEEL SHARPs.  Also, Hiya Hiya is beginning to migrate to teal colored cables, therefore your needle may be teal or clear in color.

I am also carrying empty Interchangeable cases now in assorted colors.  This is for all of you who have multiple tips and need extra room. 

Enjoy shopping around and as always, I appreciate each and every one of you!



Thursday, May 03, 2012

"baby", bags and blocks

I wanted to introduce you to my new "baby".  My lovely new BabyLock Ellisimo sewing/embroidery machine.  And I am in love...  Love love love this machine.  I have only had it for a couple of weeks - in fact have not even been to the new user's class - but I have already fallen hard for it. I know we will be friends for many years to come.  Best part?  I can just download embroidery designs right from the computer now.  Did I tell you I love it? 

Since this will be mainly a sewing post, I wanted to introduce you to The Bag Tree.  Michelle, of  The Bag Tree, is making these awesome, multi functional bags.  While I can see their purpose for holding lots of knitting projects, etc., they are gorgeous and fun to carry!  Stay tuned for more designs as Michelle completes each one with the quality and beauty that is seen in these bags.  You can find her on Etsy by clicking on the link above. LOVE!!  And just for The Yarn Grove readers, enjoy a 10 % discount on your first order by entering the code YARNGROVE10 upon checkout.  Please checkback as she add more and more bags.  More on The Bag Tree to come!

Now to my pickle dish.  I have had trouble with putting my pickle dish blocks together because, as you can see by the photo, you have to match up ends.  So I went on a mission of researching quilt walls and found one here at Sewingmachinesplus .  I had seen this Cheryl Ann's Design wall at a Sewing Expo a couple of years ago and loved the idea.  So I set out to order one.  Why not get the 72"x72" since the difference in price was about $9.00?  Ummm, when it arrived, it took my husband and I to assemble it.  Once I got it up, it was about the size of a drive-in movie screen.  I'm not kidding.  So I called them and they kindly said I could exchange it for the 54"x54", which is what you see in the photo here.  Love it.  I can assemble it myself and it fits into a very small bag, believe it or not.

The Yarn Grove is buzzing busy with Hiya Hiya Sharp needles - both circulars, DPNs and interchangeables.  If you haven't already tried them, you need to.  They are absolutely amazing.  More sizes in the SHARPs should arrive early summer.  Yay!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Shop update

I just wanted to tell ya'll about  The Yarn Grove update today.  It includes a replenish of the Hiya Hiya Interchangeable Sharps in both 5" and 4" US 2-8 sets.  These needles are wonderful! You can also just purchase the tips and a cable or two if you want to try them out. 

Also in are brand new SHARP circulars in the US 1/2.25mm size.  AND they have a teal/turquoise bright blue cable.

I have finally blocked a couple of shawls but since I am leaving in the morning to see Island Girl and Mini Island boy, I have already packed my camera.  I promise to take pictures of my latest projects...

And I will show you a picture of my new sewing machine - when it arrives - which should be next week sometime.  It is a Babylock Ellisimo sewing/embroidery machine and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  I have been looking and studying new sewing/embroidery machines for a while... My old machine was a Husqvarna Viking Designer I and I loved it.  However, it has a new home now and is in very good hands!

See ya'll soon!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Putzing along...

It's February and I am enjoying not having any deadlines to finish sewing or knitting projects.  In fact, I have finished another Summer Flies (actually about 3 weeks ago) and have yet to get it blocked.  Why?  Because it's for me and I'm not in a hurry.  Feels good too, I might add. Can't say enough about this pattern and it would be perfect for all of you who do not enjoy knitting from a chart (like me!)

I am finishing up today a quilt I started out of all Kaffe Fassett fabrics .  I have wanted to do this Plus Sign quilt for the longest ever since I saw it on one of my very favorite quilting blogs, Film in the Fridge. Why she does most of her own quilting, I will probably send this off.  Not sure just yet.  I only have 4 more rows and I'm done!  This one's for me...


In knitting news, I am working on a large cable wrap stole and I am enjoying every single stitch.  For the yarn, it's Blue Sky Alpaca's worsted Organic Cotton in natural, doubled.  So yes, the needles I am using (size 13) feel like broomsticks compared to my previous projects. This one is for me too.  I have been wanting to knit this for a very long time since I saw Susan knitting one at our knit group. 


And I found a picture of my mom holding up her Neck Down Summer Cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple.  I love Diane's patterns.  Love love love them.  I started this about 1-1/2 years ago - put it down and picked it back up this past December 1st to finish in time for my mom for Christmas.  I only had the sleeves to finish and I did make them a longer.  I just knit until I used up all my yarn.  I honestly can't remember the name of the yarn but I do remember it was an awesome twist, superwash 100% Merino and I had bought a bag of 10 skeins from my LYS during a huge sale they had.  I know I didn't pay over $3.00/skein for it.  And Mom loves it.  I added some great pewter buttons and there you have it.  I'll try to get a photo of her in it. 

The pin I made from a Felt Flower project on Pinterest.  I haven't been on Pinterest in a while because when I do, I am on there for a long time.  Love it though.  A very inspiring website and I made several gifts for the holidays from it.  And most will do again!

News from the Shop:  The Hiya Hiya SHARPs needles are extremely popular.  If you have not tried them, do your knitting a favor and do so.  The Yarn Grove carries all the sizes that are currently available in the SHARPs, including individual interchangeable tips in both 4" and 5".  LOVE them.  Especially for all those K3togs, etc...

Did I mention I love the new Hiya Hiya SHARP needles?