HRYC

 Way back a year ago, I started the Queue Project. The idea was to limit my knitting attention to things I really, really wanted to knit. I have this tendency to flail around after finishing big garments and get distracted with silly little play around things of no consequence. Which is fine, except it leaves me feeling as if i've achieved a sum total of nothing.

Of the two updates I did last year, one covered some actual finished objects and the other wandered down a dangerous path of getting distracted.  Really, I should have two queues: Shop knitting (as in, samples for the shop) and Me knitting (as in, stuff I really desperately want for my own out of yarn we don't stock).

Looking back, I didn't do too badly:

The last project on that top row of pics, Marlene, was frogged as it was too small! Boo! But I put it there anyway. 6 of 12 projects from the queue done in amongst all the distractions and shop knitting and designing...and now i'm determined to knock some more off so fresh patterns can be added. 

This month must see Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring blanket started and finished, as it was promised to friends as a one year wedding anniversary gift. However, there is the small problem in that I don' t have the yarn for it yet. Oops. 

Seeing as I've got yarn for the Hooray Cardigan, i'm going to wind that up and get started. 

So, after that random slightly stream-of-consciousness New Year post, what are your knitting goals for the year? Do you plan ahead and try to be organised so that you achieve lots of productive knitting?

It's that time of year again...to let you know our Summer hours. A good time to step back, breathe, eat lots of food, enjoy the company of friends and family, and shut the shop doors for a few weeks.

The last day we can guarantee NZ Christmas delivery for online orders is Wednesday 19 December - orders placed 19 - 21 Dec will be couriered. 

Christmas Hours:

CLOSED: Mon 24 Dec to Wed 16 January

RE-OPEN: Thursday 17 January

Any orders placed online between 24 Dec and 5 January will be shipped 7 January 2013

Open by appointment from 5 January

Email shop@hollandroadyarn.co.nz to arrange in advance

Summer hours:

Thursday 10 – 5

Friday 10 – 5

Saturday 10 – 4

Closed:

Sunday – Wednesday

Normal hours resume Wednesday 20 February:

Sat 10am - 4pm

Sun 11am - 3pm

And for your Christmas pleasure: Ryan Gosling in Funny or Die's 'Drunk NIght Before Christmas'

 Anyone following me on Twitter a couple of weekends ago will already know that I've fallen head over heels in love. With a weaving loom. As I warped up the new Ashford Sample It Loom, my Tweets all read much like this:

I'd put off warping this baby up for too long. I was nervous, worried about my first ever foray into adding the warp threads - something i'd not done before. 

'This will be tricky!' I mused, and procrastinated. The assembly wasn't so hard, helped along with a handy philips screwdriver. 

'But surely, the warping will be a challenge! I shall put it off, and do it someday that i'm not terribly busy with other (less important) tasks.'

I'm not sure why that morning struck as the perfect time to give it a go, but try I did. 

True and honest surprise, half an hour later, when the job was mostly done. All that was required to finish up was a hand from my flat mate to tie everything off. 

Not only was it much, much easier than anticipated, it proved worthy of a photo shoot:

Now we have a fully assembled and warped loom in the shop for you to play with - and it's already attracting a lot of attention. Ours has Knitsch Sock in Kelly and Georgina & the Jellyfish on the go. The instruction booklet has a very guide to assembling, warping and weaving, with loads of photos. We're also happy to lend a hand with warping up if it's needed. 

If you happen to order online (or even in store), we'll ship within NZ for free! Hooray! 

 It was super super lovely to have Just Jussi in store with us on the weekend! It would seem everyone was a little busy to take any photos, but our new corner of Just Jussi samples and patterns is the cutest thing ever.

We'll have this wee suitcase of samples until early next year, and the printed patterns will be a permanent fixture. They've been flying out the door already this week - hooray! It's so wonderful to share the work of a talented local designer.

Going through all our sales for the year is an interesting task. I'm plotting and planning for next year's purchases and it's curious to see, time and again, the most popular colourway in every one of the ranges we hold.

It's grey. 

We have a shop filled with colour and yet we sell more grey than anything else. Surprise! I suppose if all the colours were added together it would far, far outweigh the amount of grey we sell.  If I had my way the top seller would be yellow. I'm curious - do you have a favourite colour to knit with? Do you naturally tend towards grey because it's easy to wear?