What a day! Very busy at Skein this afternoon. Well, it seemed like it anyway. The rep for Rowan and Jaeger yarns was in the shop all afternoon. I really wanted to sit in with Ann Mary and look at all the new stuff but I had three students and also kind of watched the floor so Ann Mary could get through the whole presentation. Ann Mary's husband, KC, was there to handle the register so that made it a little easier. Since I don't speak Chinese there were a couple of times that Ann Mary had to get involved. And then a few times when I couldn't break away because of the students. I did get a few chances to see some of the really incredible new Jaeger and S. Charles yarns.

We'll be getting lots more Rowan this fall. The new tweeds are so nice. Well, most of everything is nice. And the patterns are just fantastic. Lots of elaborate cables plus still plenty of "novelty" yarn patterns. I sure hope some of the scarf knitters are ready to move to a little more challenging stuff. Knitted coats are a hot item if the pattern books are any indication. Striped sleeves and fringed edges are still big. Color is more saturated and deeper, not quite as clear as it's been recently. Of course Rowan and Jaeger are English so that may have something to do with the muted tones. The S. Charles yarns are from Italy and are a tad brighter, especially in the novelty stuff.

The presentation took most of the afternoon so I didn't have a chance to do any knitting. Tonight I'm just going to sit quietly and work on the Clown Stripe socks.

I was sorry to read this morning that Kate is thinking of pulling out of the blog world, or at least is going to stop for a while. I've been reading her blog for over a year, since I first discovered blogging. It's been wonderful to watch her progress and to hear about her life with the two great kids and her husband. She's talented in the extreme. And helpful and supportive. I sure hope she doesn't leave for good. So, Kate, stay in touch.