Chickenlips Knitting

Dear friends, customers and anyone who is still interested in this blog...here it is the end of 2011 already!  When this year began, I had no idea that by its end I would not only become the owner of a fabulous yarn shop, but also that I'd be able to continue my dyeing in the store's basement, after four years of dyeing a metric ton of yarn in my kitchen.  It was great fun, but it's also nice to have most of the Stitchjones paraphernalia moved out of our house.  I've been very fortunate, and am very grateful to everyone who supported my indie dye work, from the wonderful Twisted  who sold my first few skeins on consignment, to my pampered preciousses who signed up for Yarnageddon 2012.  I'm in the midst of dyeing the first shipment, and am totally excited about it - and also the special gift I'm including in the packages!  I hope you're gonna love it. As soon as everything is ready, I'll announce it on the Stitchjones Mosh Pit Facebook page and also the Yarnageddon discussion board on Ravelry.  This is truly an interesting phase of life - sometimes it feels like all the challenges I face in getting my feet under me as a new LYSO are going to eat my brain, but I welcome it, too - being swamped is much better than being un - or under-employed. As may show from the photo above, the speed and quality of my knitting have improved somewhat.  This is the Evergreen shawl (free pattern on Ravelry) made with 1 hank of Cascade Heritage handpainted sock yarn in Rainforest. I finished it in just a week, and gave it a light blocking.  It looks much better worn than on a hanger!

If you'll allow me a bit of reflection...last December sucked in both my personal and professional lives.  But without re-hashing the past too much, I've got to say that I couldn't be happier about the way things have turned around on both fronts.  By last summer I was surprised at how depressed and despairing I felt.  Launching Yarnageddon did good things for my spirits, and the fact that my mother-in-law finally kicked Jason's brother out of the house improved our family life dramatically; we were able to have a peaceful visit with her over Labor Day.  I don't hate my BIL - we all have our demons to wrestle with, but as they say, enough is enough. Now that my MIL is stepping out from the shadows of the abuse she has had to live with, she's getting out and about, traveling, and still enjoying life at the age of 82.

My wish for you all, is that any dark clouds on your horizon dissipate.  May the sun come out and shine brightly for you in 2012!

Love,
Sharon