Featured seller on 100 Mile Finds today!

Pretty exciting! Many thanks to the good folk at 100 Mile Finds for a great writeup. However, I feel one point needs elaboration.

I'm pretty sure yarn diva Diane Crawford from Georgetown Yarn & Crafts would agree that it's never too warm for knits!

If you're a knitter/crocheted, summertime when you're lifeguarding by the pool or beach and the glare off your lakeside paperback has become too strong for your eyes, you want your fave project bag around.

As for the warmth of the projects, there are so many fun things to knit from cotton yarn. I'm just blocking out a really cool fishing hat for a small boy - better post pic when it's done - in off white cotton worsted. I love doing hybrid dresses for little girls. If you knit the bodice in cotton, it's more stretchy and forgiving than sewing about expanding to fit sweaty little bodies. Whip off a skirt in remaindered cotton gingham, a quick few hand stitches to the bodice, and you've got a lovely light sundress. Bernat online, I believe, has a free sun top in cotton with adjustable tie straps - just start it at the waist, and this is your basic dress bodice. You can top with a frilly ruffle hat in yarn ends if you want to go for the matched ensemble.

Even if the project requires a warmer fibre, like wool or alpaca, summer can be a great time for dashing off small items that aren't heavy in your lap. I think this time last year I was making a mountain of natural fibre earflap hats and mittens to take with us on a humanitarian trip with Winnipeg Inner City Missions. The director had suggested natural neutrals that men or women could wear during the cold Winnipeg winter.

And summer time is a great time for scrounging for deals on heavier weight fibres at aforementioned GT Yarns & Crafts. Diane has a fabulous discount wall where I find great naturals at fab prices right now.

As for HP and Canadiana knitwear in summer, I can tell you that in the 'heat' of the moment, as it were, when people are looking for an HP or maple leaf accessory - ie scarf or cap - to fly their colours, they never care if it's an acrylic knit - they just gotta have it!

So there you have it - the myth of summer knits summarily busted.

Thanks 100 Mile Finds for prompting this little tidbit of food for thought!

Vendor Opportunity

Now here's something interesting. My friend Lisa, who lives in lovely Blyth in southwestern Ont., has been pitching me on going in as a vendor to an artist co-op in town, called Maple and Moose. (Is it 100 miles from GT - I don't know. But with family on Blue Mountain and the inlaws history with Sauble Beach, it's within 100 miles of my heart!) The co-op is housed in a lovely historic building, and gets lots of traffic due to the Blyth Theatre Festival. And the rates seem do-able. For the 9 months that the shop is open, rental rates for 1 vendor average out to $27 a week. That's a bit stiff if you don't have a strong sense of how much you would sell. But to team up on a space would cost half of that, so $13 and change, and that looks more in striking range. Hubby and I are going over to see a play at the end of the month, and will scope out the shop. Definitely food for thought....