Hook In a Huge Success!

First I want to thank everyone who came to todays Hook In . You made it a huge success.
You came, ate, drank and never complained even once. Thank you.
We were a little stressed out leading up to this day as we knew there was going to be a large group and we wanted you all to be comfortable. No one complained about lack of space and that made us giddy enough to do it all over again next month. It was good for the soul.
I'm very excited about my Deanne Fitzpatrick piece that I am working on and made great headway today.
A special thank you to Janice Daniels for moral support and Bad Betty and Joan McCulloch for the treats . Cecile did a great veggie tray along with her pumpkin bread so we were all well fed.
To the ladies from Brighton, thank you for coming out. I don't see you often enough and to the girls from the County it was nice to see you too. Campbellford was well represented as well as well as Belleville.
We didn't have space for John this month but we have a chair reserved for him for the next hook in and I look forward to it.
Don't forget The Gathering next month in Port Hope on the 17th of April.

Thanks again
Mary Anne

New Classroom

Well, Cecile and I have decided that we are definately to old to be moving anything as heavy as the fat quarter shelves and it is also not a good idea to be laughing when you do it. Drop one of those babies on your feet and you'll know it . We survived the ordeal unscathed but we are definately out of our league when it comes to moving heavy furniture.
We have it all set up for tomorrows Hook In for 20 people and have decided with a few adjustments that we will be able to leave it that way. That does mean however, that there will be no more storage of fabric under the cutting table. That will keep me out of trouble. I'll have to put my money where my mouth is , either use it up or clear it out.
I'm not sure we will be able to get the Thursday afternoon girls to make another crazy quilt block but they humored Cecile this afternoon and tried it. It seems to me that it took a little getting used to when I did my first block and it did have to grow on me a bit. I actually like the crazy quilting and with all the new threads for embellishing and the machines that can do the work it makes the task alot easier. If you don't want to embellish it's a great way to use up scraps.
Frank, from Breakfast Television tells me this morning that Environment Canada has officially said that winter is over. Yippeee! What a great winter. Not much snow, no freezing rain to speak of and very few ploughing bills. My kind of winter.
I have got the front and back of the Crofter dk sweater done and am going to knit the sleeves at the same time and hope that I can match the yarn fairly closely. My socks will have to wait.
Project Helmet Liner is growing by the day. I don't think that there is a day that goes by that we don't have someone in to pick up the pattern or the yarn.
I have got enough of my Deanne Fitzpatrick piece hooked that I feel I can sit in tomorrow with the rest of the hookers. Can't wait!
Mary Anne

Hook In

Fridays Hook In is full up. We have 20 hookers registered to be at the shop on Friday and we have been moving the back room around to make room. I think the fabric cutting table is going to have to go for one day. That is not a big deal but the trouble is the stuff under the table.
Now, I should know better but when someone asks the answer is always "put it under the cutting table". You can only imagine what can emerge from under the table. Good thing I cleaned up the store room on Saturday. Cliff thinks the shelf is going to fall off the wall and doesn't like the way it bows in the centre but I keep checking the brackets in the wall and so far so good. Keep your fingers crossed.
Bad Betty showed up with cookies again today but they were on sale she says and this is the last time. Want to bet?
I power walked home tonight. Not that far but every little bit helps right?
Travis is off to Elliot Lake to play hockey for the next three days. They've arrived in one piece and all is well. Cliff's having separation anxiety and I'm putting my feet up and enjoying the holiday. lol
Mary Anne

How sweet it is.

Bad Betty didn't let me down. Today we had cookies and miniature butter tarts.
Did anyone notice that I had sneakers on today? I'm warming those puppies up for a big walk 'cause if I keep eating like this I'm going to need it. Don't worry Betty your secret is safe with me. Linda doesn't need to know that we aren't eating healthy all week. We'll eat carrots on Thursday. yum
New arrivals
I had new quilt books arrive today. After counting the books on the weekend I don't know how I had the nerve to buy more books but I did. There are some interesting, just released titles and I only bought one of each so hurry in and check them out.
I think only one colour of Marble Chunky arrived today so be patient as the girls bought up all the purple jewel before it was out of the box. I will order it again in the morning.
Friday is our Hook In and it is booked solid so for those of you who didn't book early I apologize.
This is going to become a regular thing for us so I will keep everyone informed as to when the next Hook In will be.
Cheers
Mary Anne

Another great day!

Wow! That says it all. It is early March we have very little snow and the sun is shining. I love it.
I spoke with a lovely 80plus lady today from Vancouver and her knitting group are joining in on Project Helmet Liner. What a great country we live in and what great citizens we have. She also gave me a few suggestions for a provisional cast on after the ribbing is done and when I hesitated for a moment she said " you sew don't you "? I was caught! I love to knit and I'm a pretty nice knitter but I would never say that I am the "Shop Knitter". That would be Cecile or would have been Sharon if she was still working. Know your place I always say. Don't try to BS your way out of anything because you know they're going to see right through you.
I knit socks and am proud of it.!
I left the Stitchers alone briefly this morning and Bad Betty and Linda decided that we are going off treats and starting next week it's going to be raw vegetables and fruit. Now I like both of the latter but is there going to be no more cookies, butter tarts or pumpkin bread ? Oh girls, say it isn't so. I figure we will all lose twenty pounds by the first of May at this rate. lol
Franny where are you ? You have been noticeably absent and I hope your tooth isn't giving you any problems.
Olive has a new great grandson and she was very excited on the phone today. Mother and baby are doing well as far as she knows.
Anyone out there that has any larger cardboard boxes Geri is looking to pack the clothes for Hatii in them. If you take them apart we will store them at the shop and Tom will put them back together as they need them. Thanks. If anyone has any ideas as to where to go and ask for boxes email me and we'll go after them.
You know you're in trouble when you're going over the inventory sheets and you don't recognize the names of some of the yarn. Not a good sign.
The boys are at hockey until after 8 so the Mom is in charge of the dinner tonight. Travs off to a birthday party at Kelseys so that just leaves Rico to feed and he is no problem at all. I''ve made some homemade chicken noodle soup and he can take it from there. They're a pretty good pair.
Most of the time.........
M.

What a beautiful day...

I can't believe I'm doing it again but my goodness it was a beautiful day today. Having said that we'll probably get hit with a blizzard for my punishment.
We had a great turnout for knitting today. Everyone came to try out the new chairs and they were a huge success. lol
I left my knitting at home so I had to start a new pair of socks. I had a good excuse and a customer asked just the other day "what does this colour look like knit up"? So I'm just making everyone happy and knitting it up. There are so many knitting projects that I would like to do so I had better get it in gear. Cecile says she came to work to lose weight and after a year has lost only one pound. The Dr. told me that as you get older you gain two to three a year so I figure if she's only lost one she's really down three cause she refrained from gaining the other two right?
Bad Betty brought biscotti (say that three times) for our treat today. I think we're going to have to put some kind of treadmill in the storeroom soon.
The boys won their hockey game in Innissville last night so they have a week off (that means alot of laying around and playing video games) before heading off to Elliott Lake for the next round of the playoffs. Playing in this league we have seen a different part of Ontario. Living here in Trenton Travis has always played in what they refer to as the Lakeshore League and I don't remember going any farther north than Port Parry but with the Jr. Club he is playing for now we have been to Sturgeon Falls, Nippissing, Elliott Lake and others. The north is a beautiful place. You have to like snow and it wouldn't hurt to speak a little French when you get that far north.
M.

Getting ready..........

The Hook In is not far away and I'm not going to leave everything to the last minute so I've gone out and purchased a few comfy chairs. After the boys leave for Innisville today I am going to take my measuring tape and do a little surveying of the back room in order to make space.
Nobody make space like we do. Cecile and I are to short to move anything so I will be calling in the big guns to help. aka Cliff and Travis. They will wine and have a better idea but the whip is out and I'm not afraid to use it and they know it. lol
It was a pretty exciting night last night with the Canadian Hockey team winning gold and the spectacular closing ceremonies. I think we can give ourselves a big pat on the back and be very Proud to be Canadian. I think we did " Own the Podium" and if my tax dollars are going there then I would rather that than into some politicians pocket. What a great investment in our youth! As Travis pointed out to me last night, " Mom you win the gold in hockey the silver is what they give to the losers, it's the consolation prize". Out of the mouths of babes............
Back to work tomorrow
M.