Socksational July!

July is all about sock knitting at Rosie's Yarn Cellar. Socks are perfect summer knitting: they aren't heavy, they pack easily, and they’re a breeze to whip out on a plane, on the beach or while waiting for the kids to get on the Super-Dooper-Looper. So here are the special events we’ve planned to help you fall in step:

July 1st, 12-5 Socksational July Kick-off Party!
All sock yarn and patterns are on sale. How much on sale? You tell us: the percentage off is double your shoe size. Wear an 8? Get 16% off your sock purchases. Find your largest-footed friend and drop in for refreshments, sales and prizes. Everyone wearing handknit socks will be entered into a drawing for a basket of sock-making goodies, including a gift certificate for a pedicure.

July Project of the Month:
Each week there will be a free sock pattern on Rosie's Knitting Circle Blog. Shipping is free on the sock projects and the free patterns will only be available during the month of July so download them while you can!

Yarn of the Week:
Each week a new sock yarn will be marked 25% off with free shipping. Check the website every Friday to see what's new!

Rosie's Sock Race:
Go to rosiesknittingcircle.blogspot.com to join the Rosie's Sock Race anytime during the month (although the earlier the better). Join the blog, grab a button, and post your sock-knitting goal for the month. Some ideas: Create a team and race each other to finish the same project. Bet yourself that you can actually finish both socks. Cast on for one of those "Oh, one day I would love to make those" patterns that you never thought you'd have the time for. Everyone who reaches their goal by July 31st is entered to win a fabulous socky prize!!

Knitting Shop Archaeology

Yesterday Kate spent much of the day up to her elbows in patterns. We have a room in the back which is called "the dressing room," not because anyone changes their clothes there, although Lisa tells me that was the original intent--that people would want to try on sweaters and there would be a room designated for the purpose. The room we call the dressing room is more where knitting projects and patterns go to die. It's also the room where we put everything we can't figure out where else to put. Some of the items we pulled out yesterday included:

*2 rolls of toilet paper, not brand new but half rolls, in two seperate places.

*A box of vacuum cleaner attachments to a vacuum I have never seen (and I've worked here for nearly 6 years!)

*A box of floppy disks (none of our computers have floppy disk drives.)

*A box with broken Christmas tree ornaments (owner? Jewish.)

*Two rubber band balls that were exactly the same size, which amazed Kate more than it should of.

*Knitting magazines from before the store opened, so where did they come from?

And, here's the best part, these are all things we couldn't bring ourselves to throw away!
Some of the better finds from yesterdays dig:

This is an actual issue of Knitter's Magazine from 1990. Inside there is a baby wearing the bunting, which seems to make much more sense to me. My question is: Did they know it was hilarious to put a cat in a baby bunting or were they being serious? Did they think, "You know, lots of knitters have cats. Women knit, and they love cats. This is a good marketing plan." or was it more, "That is the funniest thing I have ever seen! Oh my god! We have to put that on the cover! People will think we are soooo funny!"

Keeping with the kitty theme, and not to make Knitter's magazine feel alone in their crazy cat-ness we have this lovely pattern from Vogue:

Poor kid, where is he now?

And similar to cats, I guess, is babies:

So this is not such a bad pattern, it's really just the title that Kate cracked up over. For one, we were all remarkably impressed at the proper grammer used in the title. I feel like apostrophe usage has gone a bit haywire lately. No one seems to be sure where exactly they go (and if mine are screwy sometimes, it's okay, I know. I am guilty of it too). Really you have to hear Kate read the title, it's hilarious. Even funnier was when Max came in while we were marvelling over the pattern and the baby's skeptical look and pointed out that it had been published in Big Sandy, Texas. Having grown up in Texas nearby Big Sandy Max pointed out to us that Big Sandy was in fact a place where babies would indeed dress fancy. And, even better than Kate finding one copy of Baby's Dressin' Fancy? She found two.

And in case you were wishing you had something to lounge around in this summer, feel free to drop in a take a look at

This is an actual book, 120 pages, on how to make many different kinds of hammocks including a Twin Oaks hammock. And it's full of pictures of sexy men like the one on the cover. He's laid back, he's relaxin', he made that hammock! Don't we wish we had that guy around the house, or communal living area?

While in the dressing room, though, Kate also discovered some of the more wonderful sides of yarn shop hoarding:

*The fact that we have every single Rowan magazine and color card from the beginning of time.

*We have a wonderful stash of vintage knitting patterns and magazines from the 20's forward.

*We have every issue of Vogue Knitting (almost!) from the 60's forward and lots of Knitter's magazines.

*We have an extensive collection of Classic Elite patterns from the Kristin Nicholas heyday.

*And lots and lots of yarn. Old yarn, new yarn, discontinued yarn--we have lots.

*And this, over which I think we both totally freaked out:

One of the original owl cardigan patterns like the new one we have from Penny Straker.
Kate's going to try this version out and see if the armhole shaping is any different. We'll keep you posted.

And, the dressing room looks great now!

Saturday is International Knit in Public Day!

Who knew?

Well putting aside the fact that I feel horribly out of the loop about it, we ought to do something to further the visibility of our craft. How about meeting up in Rittenhouse Square tomorrow afternoon? Bring a blanket and some knitting, a thermos of iced tea (or something stronger?) and some treats and we'll have a Rosie's knitting circle in the out-of-doors! Whoo-hoo!

Maybe we'll have some give-a-ways...

How psyched am I?

So some of you may know that we here at Rosie's are in the midst of a flurry of planning for the first annual "Socksational July." What is socksational July you may ask? We aren't entirely sure yet, BUT! I do know that there will be mad sales on all existing sock yarn (to make way for the INSANE amounts of sock yarn we are getting for fall), new patterns, a sock race on our Knitting Circle blog, sock workshops all month long and other fun and games. I am thinking of sock picnics in Rittenhouse Square, a design contest...you got any ideas? I have always thought that socks were the best summer knitting ever, and what better time to get a jump start on Holiday gift knitting? Everyone likes getting handknit socks, even people who live in Florida (and I know that from personal experience, wool and kneesocks no less!).

Today the first Socksational item arrived in the shop, COOKIE A PATTERNS!

Kate and I made googly eyes at Cookie at TNNA last weekend and then schemed in the bathroom about how we were going to invite her to dinner and then we wussed out at the last minute. She is so super cool and we were intimidated. But who wouldn't be? Look at these awesome patterns:

We have all nine of her patterns available in the shop, come 'n' get 'em!

PS, my personal July sock goal? Knit a second sock for once.

The Daily Candy

How neat is this?
http://www.dailycandy.com/article.jsp?ArticleId=30919&city=13
The bags are up at our website here.