Sheepish holiday update

For those of you not on our email list, here is the message Carrie sent out yesterday: 

Greetings Sheepish fans! It's been a long time since we've sent an update and a lot has been going on at the shop. We are in the midst of our busiest time of year, and to complicate matters Sheepish has learned that we are being forced out of our current location. It is not our choice to leave, but regardless we are going to find ourselves without a home come the middle of January.

Sheepish is at a crossroads and we need you to help us determine our next steps. 

Is having a local yarn store something that is important to you?

We know more and more people are buying their yarn online . These days you can even find yarn supplies on Amazon. We'd like to think that buying yarn is a tactile experience—the colors, softness, and even the smell is just not something you can substitute.

Sometimes yarn may cost less online, but it's usually less than a 50¢ difference. That extra 50¢ goes to put a roof over our head, to pay employees that wind your yarn and answer your questions, and to provide a place for knitters to come and find a sense of community. We'd like to think that these tangible things are important to everyone and not just us. 

We would like to know how YOU feel about having a local yarn store to help us to make this important decision concerning the future of Sheepish. It may seem like we're fishing for compliments, but we honestly need to know if you support us to determine whether or not it's worthwhile for us to move and start over. Please take a minute to give us some feedback—call, email, come by—we WANT to hear from you! 

No matter what happens, we WILL be here through the holidays and we hope to see you! Come visit us and let us help you pick out your next project—we've got gift ideas that knit up quick and easy. It's also the perfect time to learn a new skill—book a class on anything you want for only $25 for an hour of one-on-one.

Catch us on TV tonight

Hey, everybody--just wanted to make sure you all know that our Wednesday's Child segment will air on Fox 5 news during the 6pm broadcast tonight.  If you can't tune in then, set your DVRs!  The segment will also be available to view online here after it airs on television.

Nancy's Knit Knacks

Today we're happy to announce that Sheepish is now a retailer for Nancy's Knit Knacks.  Many of you have been asking for these handy gadgets, and now they're here!  Here's what we currently have in stock:

Perfect Notion Case™:  Available in three colors, in either solid or sparkly.

 

 

DP Wip Tubes™: Protect the stitches and needle tips on your works in progress.

Needle Gauge™: Includes US and metric sizes for a wide range of knitting needles and crochet hooks

Circular Needle ID Tags™: Snap easily on and off to identify circular needle sizes at a glance.

Knit-Kards™: Set of 14 portable knitting info reference cards.

WPI Tool Kit™: Measures wraps per inch to determine the thickness of yarn (perfect for handspun!).

DP Needle Tubes™: Store and protect all sizes of double-pointed needles.

(All photos via nancysknitknacks.com)

Next time you're in the shop, be sure to pick up some of these goodies to add your knitting bag!

Shop Hop winners!

The Shop Hop prize drawing was held today and we're excited to announce the winners of our three prize packs.

• Deanne Barr - sock knitting basket
• Carol Hassell - spinning basket
• Sheri Klumb - needle felting basket

And the Grand Prize winner, who receives $900 in yarn shop gift certificates ($100 from each participating shop) is...Lois Mitchell!  And thanks to everybody who made this year’s Shop Hop another great one.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!

Dream Club: October

October's installment from Dream in Color's Dream Club is available now, and it's another lovely one.

This month's yarn is Merino/Silk Sock, a deliciously squishy blend of 75% U.S. domestic merino and 25% silk. The colorway is a beautiful autumnal mix of rusty golds and greens.  A 440-yard skein retails for $30.00. 

October 2012 Dream Club yarn

In case you're just joining us, here's how the Dream Club works: each month we get a shipment of ten skeins of yarn from Dream in Color in an exclusive colorway.  With the purchase of the Dream Club yarn, you get the PDF of the pattern of the month.  This month, it's the Autumn Fern Mobius, designed by Jessica Correa.

Autumn Fern Mobius

Remember, both the yarn and the pattern are Dream Club exclusives, and you must buy the yarn to get the pattern. Don't miss out--get yours soon!

P.S. In case you missed it, we still have a few skeins left of September's Dream Club yarn, too!

More Shop Hopping

Here we go--the home stretch of Shop Hop 2012!  Just a reminder that we have extended hours this weekend, so we're open 10:00AM - 7:00PM Saturday and 11:00AM - 6:00PM Sunday.  Make sure you turn your passport in at any participating shop by the end of business Sunday.  And if you haven't already, don't forget to fill out your name and contact info on your passport!  How sad would it be if we drew yours for a prize, but had no idea who you were?

For those who haven't seen it yet, here's the complimentary pattern we're giving away during Shop Hop.

Heart? Four-leaf clover? Both!

This square would make a lovely pillow, don't you think?  How about a security blanket for a baby or toddler?  Or you could make a bunch of them and sew them together as an afghan.  One customer told us she wanted to make it out of a fine linen and use it as a washcloth.  So many possibilities!  Carrie worked really hard on writing this pattern, so we're glad to see that it's gotten such a positive response.

Thanks for making the sixth annual Shop Hop a success.  We hope you all have been having as much fun as we have!