The Sassy Spinster

I was overwhelmed the first time I walked through the yarn and needlework section of Michael's, but yesterday when I walked into The Sassy Spinster (or the Sassy Sheep as I like to call it because of the logo).  I was completely speechless.  My mom and I decided to take a  little field trip to explore the Town Square and historic homes of Lancaster, TX (pronounced more like Link-aster and said really fast).  And that is where we found the ultimate yarn store.  All the yarns are made of natural fibers from bamboo, alpaca, yak, and even recycled material like Indian saris.  The colors and textures were absolutely amazing and feed the need to knit.

But the yarn was only half of the experience.  We then met Susan, the owner, who took us on a personal tour of the shop and the sample projects she had about the store.  I learned so many new tricks that are easy and fun to incorporate even for me as a beginner.  For example, using two different size needles in a project.  With a simple knit stitch, knit three rows on the smaller size needles, and on the fourth row trade for the bigger needles for three rows and back and forth.  I apologize if this explanation doesn't make sense.  I am still working on learning knitting terms.  Another project I am going to try is knitting a fun feathery yarn on size 15 needles so it is nice and lacy.  I know these are probably pretty simple techniques, but for a beginner it is hard to think outside of the written pattern, so it is nice to see that even at this level there is some freedom to have fun and experiment. 


For more on The Sassy Spinster, visit their website at:  http://www.thesassyspinster.com/

Unexpected lessons

Well, I have made it through my first skein of yarn, and I have learned in that time. 

My first surprise lesson came in the form of fellowship.  It seems that everywhere I turn these days I meet a fellow knitter.  One day I simply walked into work, and there in the waiting area was a fellow knitter working on a tam with her basket of supplies beside her.  Some of the best fellowship has been in learning from others.  I asked my mom to teach me the knit stitch after casting on.   It felt good to have another area of knowledge and skill that she can pass on to me.  I have a feeling she is still hoping that knitting will somehow turn into a minivan full of grandchildren though.

I was warned about this, but I didn't believe it until I was fully hooked.  Knitting is addictive.  At first, I wondered if I would ever complete one project.  In fact, I have not finished that first project, but I have already thought of four more that I want to do once this one is complete.  I need to get busy!