The past couple of days have been crazy busy and although we’re finally getting some serious summer weather, it’s been all about Fall.

Yesterday we had the pleasure to welcome Betsy Perry from Classic Elite Yarns to WEBS for the day.  She spent time with our store staff in the morning, reviewing all of the new fall yarns and designs.

There’s nothing better than seeing the designs in person and getting to try them on.  Here’s Pixie trying out one of the designs from Veronik Avery which is knit in her debut yarn Nordique in her new St. Denis line:

Marion fell in love with this cardigan:

Ashley proved that trying on a garment can sometimes really make all the difference.  I was not a fan of the sleeve detail until I saw the sweater on her:

Plus, it really helps to have Betsy explain the inspiration and construction behind some of the key pieces.  There’s always more to the story than what you see in the pattern book.  While we had her in Northampton, we took the opportunity to interview her for next week’s podcast!

Today was our photoshoot for our fall catalog.  The weather was questionable at best when I woke up this morning, but Mother Nature was on our side and gave us a beautiful day.  A little warm and humid to be modeling sweaters outside, but our model was a trooper!  Small world, inside story – she was at a shoot for Berroco yesterday! 

Choosing a location for our shoots is something we think long and hard about.  We try not to be too seasonal with our shots since they are often used in more than one catalog, on the web, in ads, etc.  I always want them to appear timeless.  Mary in Marketing suggested a local vineyard, which just so happens to be owned by our Customer Service Manager.  Although we had been there previously, we went with our photographer to scout it out.  It was perfect and so we spent today here:

Look at the beautiful vineyard:

It was simply stunning.  The grapes they grow, along with fruit they purchase from local farmers is processed here into wine:

Not quite as simple as I am making it out to be, that I can guarantee you.  After a year-long process, this is the end result:

Trust me when I say – Linda and her family make a fine wine.  Pioneer Valley Vineyards was also the perfect back drop for our shoot:

I cannot wait to see the shots from our photographer tomorrow.  I know they are going to be great!

Kathy

A couple of weeks ago we had our photoshoot for our next catalog.  The June edition is always dedicated to just our own line, Valley Yarns.  For the rest of the industry it’s sort of an in between time – spring yarns have been out and about for awhile and fall is not quite ready yet.  The new catalog has a ton of new designs, a new yarn and new colors in many of our existing yarns.  You should be seeing it in your mailbox in mid-June.

For this shoot, we decided to showcase the beautiful downtown right in Northampton.  We are fortunate to have a vibrant downtown full of great shops, restaurants, theaters and more.  The architecture is so pretty and the character of our town really shines through.

Doing a shoot in a bustling area, moving locations, etc., presents it’s own set of challenges.  Often we’re in a park or other less busy location.  Since we’re celebrating 35 years in business this year, I felt showcasing the community where we’re based was important.  We did talk about also doing part of the shoot in Amherst, where WEBS was founded, but that became very complicated.   Let me share a little bit from behind the scenes.

Here is our model Jessica getting primped for a shot:

Trying to get the perfect shot:

I am so in love with this crochet scarf:

Even though Jessica isn’t a knitter, we got her channeling her inner fiber artist:

Finally, my camera did not do this last shot justice.  We were fortunate that this dogwood was in bloom with the most delicate pink petals and the sun was shining through its branches in a way that took my breath away.  The color worked beautifully with the color of our wrap.:

One of those magical photoshoot moments that you just can’t plan for.

I can’t wait for the catalog to be printed!  Thanks to David, Penny, Bradley, Mary, Angie and Jessica for making all of the garments come to life so beautifully.  A big thanks to Kirsten for all of her hardwork and to all of our knitters too!

Kathy

I am very excited that author Kristen Rengren will be here at WEBS tomorrow evening from 6-7:30pm for a book signing of her new book Vintage Baby Knits and trunk show! 

For those of you who listen to our podcast, Ready, Set, Knit (Show #125)!, I had the opportunity to interview Kristen a few weeks back.  I also was able to meet Kristen in person at the last taping of Knitting Daily TV and see some of the pieces from her book.  I cannot wait to see the rest of the pieces.  The book is adorable so be sure to come by WEBS tomorrow night to meet Kristen, pick-up a signed copy of her book and enjoy some yummy treats!  You know we always have yummy treats. 

WEBS is always opened on Thursday evenings until 8pm and our Thursday night drop-in will be in full swing until 8pm so plan to stay, meet some new friends and work on your latest project!

For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, listen to Ready, Set, Knit or especially visit the shop, you know Steve & I have had an insane travel schedule since January.  The fact that we don’t get on a plane for the entire month of May is awesome.  I know, most of you are giving me little sympathy because traveling is fun – it is – but it’s also work, literally and figuratively.  Plus, when you travel as much as we have been, it puts day to day life in a weird time warp.  Let me give you an example.

This morning I went out to the store and spied these waiting to be put out on display:

Steve & I bought these from Della Q back in January at TNNA.  I said “Oh, these great bags are finallly in, I love these!”.  The store staff smiled and agreed that they are darling, etc.  I grabbed one for myself and continued on “I love the Marrimekko prints and I love the cobalt blue. . . . “  They smiled and nodded politely and then someone casually stated “It’s great to have them back in stock.”.  Operative word in that statement would be. . . . BACK – as in, they were out of stock which means they are not new, but in fact a RE-ORDER.  They had been in the store previously and I didn’t know that.  See, this is what happens when you are operating at a million miles an hour and 32,000 feet up.  You miss things.  Now, is the fact that I missed a simple project bag’s arrival a huge deal, no not really, but it is one of those moments that sort of pings me and I think to myself what else have I missed?  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not in worrisome sort of way – we have the greatest staff on the planet and they can manage anything and everything – it’s more my own personal “what’s passing me by” concern.  I mean, how can I live without this bag in my life:

For the record, the cost on the bag is $8.00 and comes in two other adorable prints, but this one is my favorite.

One last item for today.  I spent some time over at the bead store this afternoon.  One of our suppliers was in town and I had not previously had a chance to meet him (Surprise!  I’ve been out of town the last two times he’s come to visit.)  He brought tons of beads for us to look at – Barbara, Janet and I had fun picking out some new items for the bead store:

I am particularly fond of these:

We’re not on-line yet (sorry, sorry, sorry!) but be sure to visit WEBS – America’s Bead Store when you come to visit yarn!

Kathy

P.S.  A huge thank you to Gail – the Kangaroo Dyer and woman of unlimited talents.  The beautiful planters outside the store feature not only gorgeous flowers, but are packed with fresh herbs.  Gail took the time to clean out the mess from the winter months and get all of the new plantings in.  Thank you Gail!!!  The store front looks beautiful.  I know Freddie is particularly appreciative of the fresh catnip

I’m glad you all liked the video I did last week featuring a couple of our newest Valley Yarns Designs.  The feedback was pretty clear about wanting to see the garments on a model, so a garments on a model is what you will get!

Before you watch the video, I do want to point out a couple of things.  This is the first time we’ve tried this format and yes, there are definitely areas for improvement.  Be kind in your comments and bear with me, okay?

Secondly, it’s obvious that my video equipment needs an upgrade.  One of the things I am unhappy with in this video is how difficult it is to see the detail, especially on the Space Heater sweater.  It’s partially due to the color of the garment – those darker colors are always a challenge to photograph and it’s no different on video.  I think sound quality also continues to be an issue.  It’s not awful, but not as clear as I’d like it to be.  Yeah, I know, I’m fussy.

So, I hope you enjoy this.  This clip features three designs from our Spring catalog, the Space Heater Pullover knit in Northampton, the Hanging Garden Cardigan knit in Colrain Lace (2/10 Merino/Tencel) and the Tanglewood Cascading Cardigan which was originally knit in Lenox, but we’ve given it new life as a spring garment in Southwick.

Let me know what you think.  Do you feel that three garments makes the video too long?  Would you prefer seeing two garments at a time  or would you prefer to see each garment done as a separate video?  I really want to make these videos what you want them to be so let me know your thoughts!

Kathy

Our new spring catalog has begun arriving to all of you.  This is always an exciting time for us back at the shop – wondering what you’re going to like, not like, etc.  We are always particularly anxious about the new Valley Yarns designs that we debut.  These are our babies and we love them and always hope that you do too. 

Our local customers have the advantage of seeing the garments in person.  No matter how great a job we do with our photography, seeing the design in person is simply the best.  So I thought we should try something new – try to give those of you who shop on-line with us a better feel for the garments.  I’ve taped a short video describing two of our new spring designs, the inspiration behind it, the construction, etc.  For those of you who read this blog regularly, you know I’ve been fooling around with video off and on for a few months now.  I’ve still got a lot to learn about shooting video, etc. so bear with me.  This first one isn’t bad, but there are already things I know I want to do differently next time.

First up, I discuss the Trumpet Flower Cardigan knit in Valley Yarns Goshen, then it’s onto the Closed Bud Lace Coat in Valley Yarns Sheffield.

What do you think?  Like the idea?  Want to see more of these?  What else would you like us to do via video?

Kathy

Well, it appears that 2009 is going to be similar to 2008 in at least one way.  Speed of Time.  Despite my determination to slow the pace down a bit, 2009 just doesn’t appear to want to cooperate.  Rather than fight a losing battle all year long, I’ve decided to make peace with 2009 and it’s Speed Racer tendencies.  I will gladly zip along the days and weeks with you, on one condition.  I  have the right to shift us into first gear every now and again.  I might even slam the breaks on once or twice.   I’m hopeful that 2009 will be agreeable to my requests.  Wouldn’t want to get into a tussle with an entire year.  Only time will tell.

Last week was a crazy week (I know, you are all surprised beyond belief).  We got the kids back to school (Hurray!) only to have a snow day on Wednesday (Boo!).  Worst part of that was not only was Wednesday a snow day, it was the day of our Kate Jacobs event.

We’re hearty here in New England and Kate, well, consummate professional and trooper are terms that come to mind.  Despite our lower than expected turn out, she was gracious and engaging.  I always get a wee bit nervous at these events.  We plan, we advertise, we spiffy up the place and then all we can do is hope.  Yes, we take pre-registrations so we always have an idea of the numbers, but in reality, until folks are in the door and sitting down, nothing is definite.

We have some signed books still available and another 20 or so with signed bookplates.  If you are interested, please stop in and pick up a copy.  Or if you are ordering on-line, specify you want a signed copy.  When they’re gone, they’re gone.

Next day was our catalog shoot.  The shoots take a ton of prep and organization to make sure we are using our time efficiently. 

I think we got some great shots and I’m so excited about the new designs we have coming.  Our team did a great job.

I cannot wait to get the catalog printed and in the mail to all of you.  I am particularly interested in your response to the cover.  I will say this publicly, it was 100% my choice and Steve and the other folks who’s opinions matter to me were not very supportive.  Personally, I love it.   I hope you do too.

So, it’s going to be a crazy week (again, shocker of all shockers).  We have new spring yarns rolling in, Steve has been buying closeouts like a drunken sailor and we’re off to TNNA, the industry buying show.  I’m hoping to capture some cool videos at the show and maybe give you a few sneak peeks along the way.

Oh, and for those who are interested, here’s Jonathan at his first full-ice scrimmage:

Stay tuned! 

Kathy

P.S.  So how is 2009 treating you so far?

Sorry for not posting sooner. The weekend was crazy with Twist and I took off yesterday for a business trip.

Alrighty now! I have my new camera and I have to say – I love it! It’s small and lightweight and sleek and oh so pretty! It’s not as fancy as my last camera, but it did so much more than I needed it to do.

Let’s toss up a test picture and see what we think:

Now that’s a mighty fine looking picture, if I do say so myself. Look at the Blue Sky Alpaca – the cotton is in the foreground and the alpaca/silk is towards the back. Colors look good!

I was running out, so I only had a few moments to snap a couple of shots.

It was my turn for the baseball camp carpool – 4 sweaty, filthy boys, exhausted, boys. All four talked the entire way home – all at the same time. To have that energy after 6 1/2 hours of baseball camp in the 90 degree/high humidity weather. . . . . . .

Let’s test another shot:

Ah, the Artyarns display looks JUST like that! Woohoo!

Okay, one last test shot:

This is the display at the front of the store. It is currently featuring several of our new Valley Yarns designs from our latest catalog. The color on the felted bags is a bit muddy, but dark colors are always tough without really good lighting. The store lighting is great, but it’s certainly not meant for photography.

Kathy

Have you received yours yet? Our June 2008 catalogs mailed about 10 days ago, so if yours hasn’t arrived yet, keep checking your mail! For those of you who have received the catalog, I think you like it! Customer Service and Shipping have been crazy and I hear many customers are coming into the store, catalog in-hand and already dog-earred and notated for project selection!

Here’s the cover:

What I love about our June catalog, is that it features just our Valley Yarns line. They are always included in our other catalogs, when we also highlight the best from all of our favorite yarn distributors. I just love having this one issue where we can really showcase our yarns and our fabulous designs!

The early favorites seem to be the Firmaments Lace Shawl, knit in 2/14 Alpaca/Silk, the Diagonal Mesh Shawl, knit in Goshen and the Quilted Diamond Vest knit in Berkshire. I’m pretty tickled about the Diamond Vest. It has been a general design concept that I’ve had in my head for sometime. Linda, our Customer Service Manager finally got tired enough of listening blab on about wanting a chunky, outdoorsy vest and finally figured it out!

One of my personal favorites is the Staghorn Cable Tunic which is knit in Northampton. This garment will be featured on the podcast as our next knitalong. I have it with me on this trip and although I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock, I am still loving the pattern and cannot wait to wear it!

There are plenty of adorable designs for summer knitting such as the Striped Pullover designed by Mary Beth Temple and knit in Southwick and also in Southwick, the stunning cover sweater – the Ladder and Vine Cardi.

There are also two adorable baby items knit in Longmeadow – the Eyelet and Garter Baby Blanket and the Sweet Sabina Cardigan.

What’s your favorite?

If you haven’t yet received the Valley Yarns Catalog, be patient. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive a catalog, just email customerservice@yarn.com all of your pertinent mailing info and we’ll be happy to send one out to you!

Kathy