All You Need Is Love

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you
in time - It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

- Lennon / McCartney

Outside the bleak mid winter persists. Half the country is either encased in ice or swaddled in snow.

So how are you keeping warm?

Out here on the sunflower farm,we are surrounding ourselves with warmth:

• blankets
• hot coffee
• lap cat
• hand knit socks
• heating pad
• home made chili

All of these are good for warming the body, but how do we warm the heart?

Love. Love. Love.

And after blocking Hearts, I am really feeling the love...

The silk rhapsody blocks out well; it opens up nicely and really shows the pattern to its best advantage.

The silk component lends a lovely sheen to the finished piece.

The depth of color is extraordinary.

And the mohair component adds a lovely haze and warmth to the finished stole. She blocked out to 16 inches wide - light enough to wrap round your neck like a scarf, yet enough body and pattern interest to lay beautifully on your shoulders like a stole.

Did I mention how soft it is? The blocking process does nothing to the "pet-able" factor. Thank goodness!

The pattern goes on sale on February 1st, along with its counterpart, Flowers, which is coming along nicely.

I haven't blocked her yet but she will be ready for her February 1 debut.

Flowers is thinner - firmly in scarf territory, although I expect her to grow a bit in blocking.

Both patterns are intermediate level and a lot of fun to do. Enough pattern to keep things interesting, but not so much you get lost.

You may recall my "sweetheart of a deal", announced here earlier this month.

Each pattern will retail for $6 separately. But, during the month of February, you can get BOTH patterns for $10. Originally I was going to end the deal on the 15th, after Valentine's Day. But I've decided to run it for the entire month.

But wait!

There's Ginsu knives!

Wait a minute...

Those don't LOOK like Ginsu knives...

OK, you got me. I found these darling little stitch marker sets on line at Crazy4Dyeing.

At the end of February, I will draw three names at random from all the people who have purchased the dynamic duo. These three people will each get a set of heart stitch markers, free of charge.

That's free, people...

Because I'm a saint?

No...

Because I have so much money I don't know what to do with all of it?

No...

Because I'm just a little nuts?

Well...yeah...but that's a side effect rather than an impetus...

Because I thought it would be FUN?

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner...

Hey, I'll do whatever it takes to brighten up these dismal days. After all, love isn't love till you give it away.

*****

A couple announcements of general interest:

I am now selling all my patterns on Ravelry. wOOt! Thanks Casey!

Thank you to all my S7 sock yarn buyers. I wasn't sure how this thing would go, but I was sold out within hours. You guys rock!

Shipping is flat rate Priority Mail - $9.85, unless specified otherwise. All yarns have been shipped. Look for more on Saturday.

*****

I am looking out the window at over 12 inches of snow. Now I know that isn't a lot to all you hardy folks up in Maine and Canada. But for the Indianapolis area, that is the fourth largest snowfall in our history. (Or so Baby Boy/Family Man tells me.)

Actually, it looks a lot like this:

But it doesn't have pretty lace ends...

Crystal Palace - not the yarn - the name of the pattern. Who knew that last week's poor rejected ball of Rowan felted tweed would become this week's lacy delight?

Not me...

More yarn on order from Webs. Good thing you guys bought all that sock yarn, huh?

I mean...would you rather I have big heaps of ignored sock yarn and no money to buy the yarn needed to produce new patterns?

Or would you rather get the yarn into the hands of industrious knitters everywhere, and give me the money I need to get the "knitonomy" rolling again?

Now that's what I call a stimulus package!