Demonic Progress

Mother's Day Sale (Secret Heads-Up for Blog Readers)

I am doing something pretty unique this year, mostly because I rather urgently need cash, and I am going to tell you, my faithful blog readers, about it FIRST -- before the papers even come out!

I am having a massive Mother's Day Sale: 20% OFF STOREWIDE, May 8, 9, 10, & 11. Unique One has never had this kind of a sale before except at Christmas by the Sea weekend, and even that is only 3 days. This Mother's Day Sale is a whole four days of 20% off anything in stock. I need to get rid of some stuff and get some money in the bank!

So, the sale covers yarn, needles, books, kits, patterns, clothing, sweaters, socks, gifts, notecards, you name it. About the only thing not 20% off is stuff I already have marked down more than 20%, like Dale of Norway sweaters (50% off) and last year's summer clothing (70% off). So if you were thinking of coming to Camden sometime soon, this would be the time. Get something nice for your Mom for Mother's Day, and grab a few items for yourself too! Bring your friends! Pass the word!

Happy knitting and sale shopping :)

Important Notice

The Unique One website will be moved to a new server with a new hosting service on April 30. Hopefully, the Unique One website itself will not be down for very long, if at all; however, the online shopping part of the website will be down for an undetermined amount of time; perhaps several weeks. The shopping cart software I am currently using (Cold Fusion Webstore) is now obsolete, so I need to rebuild my entire online store, and this could take me a while.

I hope to get all the photos and descriptions of our sweaters and some of the knitting supplies available to view online, however. You will not be able to click them and buy online, but you may call my toll free number (1-888-691-8358) and order them over the phone; if you call when I am closed, please leave a message and I will call you back!!

I am very sorry for the inconvenience of all this, and I am very sorry too for the short notice. If you have placed an order with Unique One and have not received it yet, or want to know the status of your order, please call so I can make sure I have the hard copy of your order printed out.

Please call me with any questions, concerns, or comments, toll free, at 1-888-691-8358. Unique One is still very much in business and doing mail orders! We just have to take care of this little web site bump in the road. Thank you very much!!

Beth Collins, Owner
Unique One Sweaters and Yarn, Inc.
Camden, Maine
1-888-691-8358

Knitting Weekend March 28, 29, and 30!

I just completed a fabulous knitting weekend at the Lord Camden Inn March 14 - 16, and the next one is coming up soon!!

If you are registered for my knitting weekend March 28, 29, and 30, you can expect to get a letter in the mail in the next day or so... I am popping letters in the mail, including supplies you need for the classes, directions to the Lord Camden Inn, and a schedule of events. Get excited 'cuz we are gonna have a pile o' fun! Woohoo! I can't wait to see you all!

Happy Knitting :) :)

Update: My Knitting, Spa, Spinning, and My Knitting Weekends

I need to get caught up on my blog postings! I *think* about writing on my blog a lot.... I don't get to it as much as I should, though. But here goes:

My knitting: I am starting down the backside of the Hanne Falkenberg Ballerina's first sleeve. I love working on this project, but I got distracted by other things. I have not worked on my white shawl at all because I have mentally "put it away" until I finish something else. Neither have I worked on my Hedgerow Socks because they are kind of boring and I am beginning to realize if I am going to put the effort into putting even the simplest texture stitch into socks, I would like it to show at least a little, and it really doesn't. So I have it circling in a hold pattern because I am pretty sure I am going to rip them out and do a different sock; I just don't know what yet. I love this Classic Elite Alpaca Socks yarn, though! It is wonderful to feel and to work with. Lastly, I *ahem* started a new project. It is the Portuguese Fisherwoman's shawl, designed by Shelagh Smith. I am almost half done it and I will soon post more information and pictures... but I am kinda waiting until I get my next shipment of patterns from Shelagh because as soon as you see this shawl you are going to want to make one. I had 29 copies of it for sale at the spa, and Shelagh lent me a model to wear, which I wore Friday night and Saturday. I kept one copy of the pattern for myself, and sold all the other 28 copies at the Spa. I am using a strand of laceweight Douceur et Soie held together with a strand of French Hill Farm's fabulous "French Twist" hand dyed fingering weight merino (the two together make a worsted weight). I am using utterly wonderful glass circular needles... this is my ultimate happy project! I love working on it so much!

The SPAAAAAAAAAAAA (New England Textile Arts group's annual get together in Freeport, Maine) was fabulous and I love Freeport as a venue for this event. It was relaxed, comfortable, and I hope they keep it there. True, I didn't make as much money at it as I usually do, but only a part of that was due to the fact that people are spread out over 3 hotels. For one thing, because it was new, people spent this year exploring and enjoying their hotel; next year or the year after, their hotel will be more familiar and they will venture out more readily. Also, there was bad weather on Friday, and the economy in general held people back. There is also more shopping competition within walking distance in Freeport than there was in Portland. There is more to see and do, so people didn't tend to hang out in the vending area. So as a vendor, I guess I should be unhappy that I made about half of what I usually make at this show, but since I went into it expecting that, and was correct in my assessment, I am pretty happy. And as a participant, I would be crazy not to love having it in Freeport. It is more open, more comfortable, the service was great, there is a ton of stuff to see and do, and it is closer for me to get to.

Spinning. Ahh yes. I haven't spun much since the Fiber Frolic in the summer, and then only for about a week. At the Spa I bought a lovely new Bosworth Spindle, some soft and fluffy blue fiber (can't remember what is in it -- silk? merino? angora? it is yummy, anyway), some great sock yarns from Dye Dreams, a fabulous NEW enterprise who had their debut at the Spa, at the booth next to us. I also got from them some fiber for making striped socks, and some gorgeous cashmere/silk fiber. So once again, I came home with fiber and a new spindle. Pretty good for someone who doesn't spin. I have decided to do "meditation" spinning every morning for 20 minutes..... for twenty minutes, I spin (currently the cashmere/silk blend on my new Bosworth spindle) and do nothing but focus on the spinning itself. I don't think about my worries or make plans and mental lists for the day ahead or think about anything at all. The point is, to think of nothing... and just spin. Focus on the fiber, on the moment, how the fiber feels in my hand, how the spindle looks. I have always heard that meditation is good for you, and I never was much of a person for simple "just-sitting" meditation. I need something to focus on. Spinning is my answer. With only a couple exceptions, I have successfully kept up my meditation spinning every morning. I have a nice kop of fiber on my spindle and something to look forward to every morning. It is a good thing.

In another spinning note, I am finally spinning on my marvelous Merlin Tree creation, the reproduction antique Quebec production wheel that David Paul made for me. It is fabulous and it makes me want to spin forever! I love it! I am spinning the blue fiber I got from the Spinning Bunny at the Spa. My life is now filled with wonderful spinning. :)

Lastly, I have two fabulous knitting weekends coming up: March 14, 15, & 16 and March 28, 29, & 30. This will be my third year! Hard to believe. There is still plenty of room available at both weekends and I hope you can come! We are going to relax, laugh, knit, spin, eat good food, learn a little, and HAVE FUN! If you have signed up for one of the weekends, please note that I am sending a letter to participants this week, as I did the last two years, explaining any items you might need to bring with you for classes and giving directions to the Lord Camden Inn and Unique One. I am really looking forward to these knitting weekends! It will be great to see you there! Many of the participants have now become my friends and I am always happy to see my circle of knitting friends growing :) (Oh by the way, they got a new waffle machine in the breakfast room at the LCI and it is even more fabulous than before! Yummy!)

I guess that is enough for now.... have a great day, and happy knitting! :)

Yarn Sale!!!!!

Yes, it's our Unique One Winter Yarn Sale! 20% off all yarn! If I have it in stock, it's up for grabs at 20% off!!!

Sale ends February 10 at 4 p.m...... Unique One is open Monday through Saturday, 10 to 5, and Sunday 12 to 4!

Are You Ready?

Hi!

So many of you have been asking about the upcoming March Knitting Weekends at Unique One (thank you for being so interested!) that it finally got me to actually update that section of my store website. You can click HERE to read all about it!

Everything is pretty much the same as it has been the last two years: wonderful opening reception (wine, cheese, chocolate, goodie bag); classes (Knitting Weekend #1 is Rudy Amann, How to Spin on a Hand Spindle; and me, Shaping with Short Rows; Knitting Weekend #2 is Mary Jane Mucklestone, Design a Fair Isle Tam; and me again, short rows.); a wonderful luncheon; gathering to knit and talk together on Saturday night .... I am toying with the idea of setting up a knitting machine at the Inn and doing a demonstration of how such a contraption works. When people see me knitting sweaters on the machine at the store, they are always fascinated. The biggest comment I get is "I have never actally seen one of those in operation before!" I think people *know* of a lot of people who own knitting machines, but they haven't ever seen anyone actually successfully use one before.

Anyway... back to the Knitting Weekend schedule. On Sunday morning Linda Cortright of Wild Fibers Magazine will fill us in on her fantastic fiber adventures around the world.... believe me, Linda is one of the most interesting people I have ever met! I could listen to her talk for days and days..... love ya, Linda :)

So...... I am taking reservations anytime, of course. The best thing to do is to call the store and sign up, and then call the Lord Camden Inn to make reservations. Although I personally feel the Inn is the most wonderful place to stay, there are many other lodging opportunities in and around Camden, if you feel you would like to stay elsewhere :) The Lord Camden Inn is offering a special rate of $200 for one person for two nights, which includes a fabulous breakfast; or, you can pay $300 for two people for two nights (same fab breakfast), which would be a good deal since you would each pay $150 if you split it, saving you $50. :)

The fee for the knitting part of the weekend is $125 payable to Unique One. You can pay a $50 deposit when you sign up, and pay the rest when you arrive. This fee covers my cost for the food and materials for the weekend, plus a little profit (well I *am* in business, after all). If you want to stay somewhere other than the Lord Camden Inn, you would arrange that and then just pay Unique One the fee for the knitting weekend. Perhaps you have friends or family in Camden? Hmmmm?

I urge you to get your reservations in soon, because I have decided to limit the weekend participants to 30 people per weekend instead of 40, and also because.... I am famous! And the cause of it might just create a rush to get in on the knitting weekends in March:

Do you read Cooking Light magazine? Well if you do, or if you pick it up in line at the grocery store, look on page 76 of the January/February 2008 issue, you will find a short article about the knitting cruises on the Isaac H. Evans that I participate in twice a year. There is a picture of me and I am quoted, talking about how fun the knitting cruises are! It's pretty cool... and that little blurb is responsible for the fact that the 2008 Knitting Cruises on the Isaac Evans are already FULL! Woohoo! And... people are on a waiting list for 2009! And....... Capt. Brenda Walker and I have even talked about a *third* knitting cruise each year! That last part is really tentative, so don't get all excited, but the fact that we're both even thinking about it is pretty amazing. I mean geez, neither of us would have ever thought that knitting and sailing would be so tremendously popular, but the word is out! Knitting and sailing totally rocks! Sailing knitters are adventurous and fun and they let the melted butter at the lobster bake fall where it may, baby!

Therefore, if you're thinking about signing up for the March Knitting Weekends, you might want to do it soon, because it won't take long for those Cooking Light readers to Google Unique One, and find the updated info about the knitting weekends... and filling them up. I can only hope :)

More posts soon... I have so many new things to tell you.... take care & happy knitting!

Onward & Upward!

Ha, I finally am getting around to my blog again! It’s been pretty busy here the last two weeks.

We had our two Unique One knitting weekends over March 23-25 and March 28-April 1. Wow, we had so much fun! I loved every minute of it! I think I soak up a whole year’s worth of laughter and inspiration and smiling and friendship over those two knitting weekends. It was so much fun! In both weekends we had terrific people who really loved knitting and the fiber crafts, and they were so inspirational to me. Really, it is my customers who keep me going!

We have already started work on next year’s two knitting weekends, because I wanted to get a head start on them for next year. Plus I was so excited and happy from this year’s knitting weekends, I can’t wait to get to next year’s! We are starting right out this year with two weekends that people can sign up for, March 14,15, & 16, and then March 28, 29 , & 30. These are the two weekends each side of Easter weekend next year. For us, it was easier to do the knitting weekends close together like that, instead of doing the second one a month or more later.... we seem to be able to keep the momentum better this way. Next year, the cost for the Knitting Weekend is the same -- $125.00. You can pay a $50 deposit, and then pay the rest later, which is what most people did. This fee is paid directly to us at Unique One; this is the money that keeps us going, heh heh.The cost for the Lord Camden Inn rooms for the whole weekend (2 nights’ stay) is $200 for an individual or $300 for two people. So, if you get another knitter to come participate and stay at the Inn and you split the cost with them, it’s a little cheaper than swinging the whole thing by yourself.You can call the shop (1-888-691-8358) if you want to sign up for one of the weekends, or if you want more information, or if you have a good recipe for chocolate anything. :)

Next year I am hoping to get guest teachers for each of the knitting weekends, too; so far I know we will have Nancy McGlynn, editor of Knitting Now, to teach a class on tips and tricks for knitting, and Rudy Amann, long-time spinning and nalbinding instructor, to teach how to spin on a hand spindle. I am still looking into options for the second weekend, but I will let you all know as soon as I find the right people! I also am hoping to have a wonderful lady (Hi Conny!) who is from Nebraska, who *might* be able to come to the second knitting weekend and so a slide show from her tour of the Brown Sheep Company operation in Mitchell, Nebraska. I hope we can do it.... I have dealt with Brown Sheep so much over the years, and met several of their employees at the TNNA shows, but have never seen their mill, so I would love love love to be able to make this happen. I really loved my tour of Bartlettyarn’s mill a year or so ago. I love woollen mills!

So.... now the excitement is over.... it is like Christmas, but the day after. Summer madness and activity is approaching, but right now we’re in the lull between winter activities and summer’s carnival atmosphere. I have three fabulous classes that Unique One is offering in April: Learn to Knit Socks, April 14; Rainbow Dyeing on April 21 (I plan to take this class myself, as Tracy Murphy is the instructor... I can’t wait! It is going to be a super fun class!); and Finishing Techniques on April 28 to finish up my classes for the year, until next winter. We don’t do classes during the late spring, summer, and through Christmas because it’s just crazy around here then. Fun crazy, yes, but crazy nonetheless. I do have a knitting cruise (note to self: YAYYYYYY!) in June, and the TNNA show to go to in Ohio in June, and the Fiber Frolic to frolic at in June, so I guess I will still be busy.

Speaking of the cruise, I started designing a sweater (At the knitting cruises, I hand out patterns for things I have designed ... and I haven’t designed a sweater for a while. It is time.) It’s kind of a whole story in itself, so I will leave it for a further blog post, maybe *gasp* tomorrow! Wooot! Two blog posts in a row! Be still my heart... :D The story of my next sweater design adventure will show you how much of a by-the-seat-of-my-pants designer I am... other designers will cluck their tongues loudly to see the simpleton-like methods I use. But, when it goes right, it works pretty well! And at least *I* am having fun! Keep your eyes peeled for the Fabulous Fantastic Yet Simple Nautical Sweater story. :D

Crochet for Knitters Class

I am teaching a class at Cappy's Chowder House this coming Saturday, Jan. 27, and it still has five openings ..... in the off chance anyone wants to sign up because you're local or would like an excuse for a weekend trip to Camden, Maine.... here is the information:

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Ever been frustrated by a wonderful pattern for a sweater or other project because it calls for a crochet trim, and you don't know how to crochet? Have you ever been prevented from completing something because of unexpected crochet finishing? Is there a project languishing in your closet, complete but for a crochet edging that blocked your progress??? Fear no longer! This class will give you the crochet knowledge you need to complete any knitting project you wish!

Who -- your instructor is Beth Collins
Where -- Cappy's Crow's Nest (right next door to Unique One!)
When -- Jan. 27, 10 am to 4 pm
How Much -- $36 plus materials
What You Need to Bring -- crochet hook, size F or G; sport or DK weight yarn to play with. Knitted swatches will be provided for you to crochet onto. Also, feel free to bring along any project you would like help on, if you have specific needs or questions about how to apply a crochet trim on a project of your own.

In this class you will learn:
1. the basic tools required for crochet
2. basic crochet stitches often used in edgings: chain, single crochet, double crochet, half-double crochet, picot. You will also learn to do crab stitch and shell stitches, other popular crochet trims used in knitting patterns.

The $36 fee for the class covers not only the instruction and entertainment by Beth Collins of Unique One, but it also includes an utterly fabulous luncheon iin Cappy's Crow's Nest! And Cappys is right next door to Unique One, so should you need anything before, during or after the class, it will be convenient to run over and get what you want!

This class is for knitters who have never crocheted before at all. If you already know how to crochet a little, you will find some of the class remedial, but you'll still get good information from it. If you can crochet as well as you can knit, or nearly as well, don't bother taking this class; you could probably teach it. :)

After taking this class, you will be able to :
1. Work basic crochet stitches
2. read and understand directions for trims and edgings that use basic crocheted stitches
3 face crochet directions in knitting patterns without fear, knowing that you can do this and knowing where to turn to if you need help.

Please Note: This in NOT a "learn to crochet" class. You will not learn to crochet any form of a garment; this is a class that will teach you how to apply crochet to knitted garments, and how to read the directions for this.

Sign Up Now!

Come to the store, call (236-8717 local or 1-888-691-8358) or email (info@uniqueone.com) to sign up for the class. Pre-payment in full is required. You may cancel up to three days before the class for a full refund; after that, no refund will be given. In case of inclement weather, the class will be rescheduled and you will be notified.