Announcements and special acknowledgements!

Only in Minnesota can we experience snow one day and balmy weather the next.  I am constantly kept guessing.  One thing I can count on is excitement when it comes to the Yarn Garage and StevenBe.  It is almost time when we will welcome Nadine from Be Sweet yarns, Julie from CocoKnits, and Nicky Epstein from, well, Nicky Epstein, into our midst. 

I am anxious with anticipation!  The staff and I are working hard to make sure both shops look fantastic for our amazing guests!  I also don't want to disappoint any of our fabulous customers that will be gathering for Fiber Fest 2011.  Before I launch into all things Fiber Fest, I need to take care of some business.

BREAKING EASTER NEWS..........
Both StevenBe and Yarn Garage will be CLOSED Sunday, April 24th.  I can't believe it, the Easter Bunny is working and Steven ISN'T!  Feel free to grill Steven about what he has planned for his day of rest.  He has been ordered to relax and not work, but you know Steven........oh, and don't be afraid to bring him ALL of the Easter candy you fail to consume.  His favorites are chocolate, so keep that in mind.

FASHION SHOW WRAP-UP.........
I would like to send out a BIG, BIG thanks to everyone who helped make our fashion show a tremendous success!  I have to do a few plugs here, so hang in there with me.

Hair and Makeup was done by the AMAZING Brett Dorian Artistry Studio.  They are located in the Semble Mansion in Minneapolis and they are true artists! Here is an example of their work on our model Stephanie.

 East 42nd St Salon also provided hair and makeup to our fabulous models.  Here is an example of their work on our model Ashley.

Music and lights were provided by Geoffrey M Blanton and associates.

Turtle Bread/Cafe Levain provided the food.  Vino 100 provided the champagne.

Dave, Thomas Andrs and Mad Dads provided security and valet parking.  Elliot and Nick were our outstanding waitstaff.

Tim and Jeremy were the production staff behind the entire event.  The program was a labor of love spearheaded by Jeremy.  Thanks to Stephanie and Lauren for making the shop look great for the show.  Thanks to all the staff at Yarn Garage for holding down the fort!

BIG, HUGE, couldn't have done it without you thanks go to Emily, my production assistant/intern. 
Thank you to Kathryn who helped dress the models and run errands. Thank you more than I can say to Sarah Burgduff for her unfailing guidance and support.  She helped secure beautiful, talented models and the Brett Dorian Salon.

Photography was provided by a number of sources including Tom Duevel.

We also had talented MN Fashion Week photographer Rhea Pappas.

Additional entertainment was provided by Mistress Ginger.

Of course, it couldn't have happened without all our designers....you know who you are.

All of this was done to benefit Guadalupe, who survived a shooting in November.  We were able to give her a sizable donation which we hope will help to make her home more handicap accessible.

To anyone I may have not mentioned, 
thank you and we couldn't have done it without everyone's support!

FIBER FEST NEWS......

Nadine from Be Sweet will be making a special apperance at Yarn Garage on Wednesday, April 27th for our Wine and Cheese preview party.  It will be really fun.  We will look at trunk show garments from Be Sweet, Coco Knits, and Nicky Epstein.  You can try them on and decide which look is the best for you.  Nadine will also be with Steven all day at StevenBe on Thursday, April 28th.  Thurday launches our class weekend with Annie Modesitt teaching colorwork.  Thursday night we will have another Wine and Cheese preview party for those of you who can't make it to the Yarn Garage on Wednesday night.  Friday brings Nicky to StevenBe and Julie to Yarn Garage.  Come early for the coffee clutch at 9:00am, get settled in, meet your teacher and classmates, and enjoy coffee, tea and snacks.  Saturday we hope to see you all at Yarnover.  Steven, Tim, Kathy and I will be at our booth.  You will know which booth is ours.  It is the biggest and most ostentatious.  I suppose we will also be wearing pink jumpsuits.........

In Ravelry news, Sarah and Mary Heather will be at Yarnover on Saturday.  Come to our booth to see them and get a photo!  Also, Saturday night we will be hosting a meet up at StevenBe.  We will have a Ravelry Red carpet with a special "Wall Bob" as a fun backdrop for you to pose with Sarah and Mary Heather.  Also, bring your favorite Ravelry project for more photo ops. 

Jeremy wants me to remind everyone to have their homework done for class.  "Study Hall" is in session Monday 6-8pm at Yarn Garage and Tuesday, 12-8pm at StevenBe.

Feels like Spring!!!!!!!!!!

With Spring arriving, we are reorganizing!  I mentioned it in a previous post, and I thought I would give you an update.  Neither Steven nor I are ever satisfied with the displays and we must rearrange constantly. I am sure you have noticed this trend. I promise we don't do it to confuse you......or our staff.

This time we are moving the wool wall to the back of the shop and bringing all the fabulous spring yarn to the front of the store.  It is amazing how much more bright and inviting it seems now.

Of course, we are still transitioning so please be forgiving if we can't locate your yarn immediately.  We still have all the same yarn we did before, it is just in a different place.  You now have to venture to the very back of the store by the button wall to find your felting wool.  We are pretty confident the felters will track down their wool no matter where it lives in the shop.  All the cotton, bamboo, silk and other spring/summer yarn will smack you in the face when you walk in the door!

I was excited to open a box of Misti Alpaca Pima Silk Handpaint yarn.  It is a Pima cotton and silk blend (yes, there is not one ounce of alpaca fiber in it) and it is PERFECT for a summer tank.  I can't decide which color.........can you?

 Another yarn that I am pretty excited about is Katia Temis.  It is a thick/thin cotton and acrylic blend that is so soft. 

I thought it would be a great summer substitute for the 5 Speed Shawl.  The pattern calls for Misti Alpaca Baby Me Boo. 

You know the sample that Steven infamously wore as pants to show the versatility of the garment?  If I only had a picture of that....

Shop Hop Redux...

I wanted to let you all know, that Steven has had such a successful shop hop today he sold out of the specially dyed Madelinetosh StevenBe Blue.  He is almost out of the Three Irish Girls limited editions as well.  Plan your route to make sure you get there early for the last of it!  Also, apparently our directions are wrong on the shop hop handout, so please double check your maps before venturing out.  We sell yarn here people, we don't work for Google Maps..........so please forgive us.  And, Steven has yanked ALL the MadTosh from Yarn Garage.  You will have to go to StevenBe this weekend to see any of it.  Please forgive me!!!  Those shop hoppers are driving all over so I just couldn't deny them Madelinetosh!  I promise to redeem myself.  I swear!   Alright, I know two blogs in one day is just TOO much! Good night everyone!

Shop Hop, MadTosh and other things....

Hello all!  BIG NEWS!  The shop hop has begun!  StevenBe is participating and there are big things happening there this weekend!  If you haven't already, you better get to Minneapolis to get your charm, your pattern, and a skein of the limited edition (only 50 skeins produced) Madelinetosh yarn called StevenBe Blue.  This is Steven with his namesake yarn. 

Yes, his shirt does coordinate with the yarn.  No, it wasn't planned.  At least, I don't think it was planned.  You never know with Steven. 

This morning, the UPS man brought me MORE Madelinetosh!  How lucky am I?

Did you see that?  If not.....here's a closer look.

To clarify, the limited edition colorway is at StevenBe in Minneapolis only.  The yarn pictured above is currently at Yarn Garage in Rosemount.  Feel free to stop by and visit me and see the latest MadTosh before Steven even gets to see it. 

In addition to the special Madelinetosh yarn, we also have a limited edition color from Three Irish Girls! Yes, you read that right!  THREE IRISH GIRLS!  We now carry Three Irish Girls!  I am so excited I can't stand it!  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the Three Irish Girls shipment.  It is all at StevenBe for the shop hop, so I guess you will have to go there to see what it looks like.  It is pretty fantastic, I'm not going to lie.  Steven did report to me this morning that it is flying out the door.  I don't mean to pressure you, but if you want to see it you better get there soon. 

And speaking of beautiful hand dyed yarn......we also received a box of Alisha Goes Around.  Steven also swiped this for the shop hop.

You want more hand-dyed yarn, you say?  How about some beautiful Malabrigo Sock yarn!

Keep in mind, we are still have Malabrigo Rasta and Twist.  However, I think most people's minds have turned from wooly and chunky to light and airy.  Which brings me to my latest cowl creation. 

It uses one skein of Gedifra Rosas and one skein of Gedifra Pertinio.  I cast on 100 stitches on a 10.5 needle.  Now, if you ever hear Steven say I don't finish anything.......

Defend me, because there is the finished cowl (without the ends woven in, but that's how we roll!) on display with our Lucatape cowl (on the left).  Ask Steven if he has finished his version of the Rosas/Pertinio cowl.  Go ahead, ask him.  See what he says.

Another reason to stop by the Yarn Garage, (besides saying hello to me and the other girls) is to see our renovations.  We got new rugs and we are moving all the spring/summer yarn to the front of the store.  It looks fantastic!  See you all soon!