We here at Sweatergirls want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and happy new year! We appreciate your support this passed year and look forward to offering more fun-filled knitting in the new year.
Knitting Club
Just so you know we have started a knitting club that meets the second Tuesday of the month at the beautiful Los Poblanos Inn and you can check it out here.
It felt like fall yesterday and my knitting needles were clicking happily on the Cladonia shawl. We are having a Jane Eyre knit-a-long at the park (Robinson Park, 8th and Central) on September 24th and I have been on a shawl knitting frenzy this past summer. I can hardly wait to wear them even though that means summer is over and the cold temperatures have arrived. Honestly though, this past summer for me will not be mourned – it was far too hot.
Anyway, that is what we are up too and we are at the Downtown Grower’s Market for the rest of the month and some of October so stop by and visit.
Chris
Grower's Market 2011
It’s summer time and the Downtown Grower’s Market is up and running again. We are there alternate Saturdays and the schedule for June and July is posted on our Class Page. We will be offering mini- classes (our Knitting A La Carte series) that require you to just show up one Saturday for an hour. At $10.00 per class, it’s a bargain to learn a new skill, get help finishing a project or maybe learn the basics of knitting if you are not already in the know. Our longer session classes will resume once again in August. We will keep you posted.
We have some new products as well so you need to stop by and have a look (or just visit; it can get old just talking to each other.)
Hope to see you there. We are happy the trailer is out and about again.
In honor of Mother’s Day we are having a little contest called “Guess the Baby”. Guess which baby is Chris and guess which baby is Ramona. Here’s a hint: The older girl in picture #2 is not Chris or Ramona. Please email your name and answer to ramona@sweatergirlsknit.com. If your answer is correct your name will be put into a drawing for a fabulous knitting prize. The contest ends on May 14th and the winner will be contacted by email on May 16th. We will post the winner and correct answer on Facebook and our blog. Don’t forget our Mother and Child Knitting Tea at Cravin’ Cookies next Saturday. It’s a great way to start knitting with your child!
UPDATE: We think everyone got the answer right, so everyone’s name went into the drawing, and Phyllis was our lucky winner! In case you are still wondering, Chris is picture #1 and Ramona is picture #2.
Happy Knit Year! It’s a new year and time to make time to learn to knit, learn a new technique or finish those abandoned projects. We are all busy and making room in an already full schedule isn’t easy but you will be glad you did because knitting is fun, relaxing and you can make stylish custom things for yourself and others. (Although, I rarely knit for others, a big project can take a lot of hours so very few people deserve it!) You may be motivated to learn as a way to give more personal and thoughtful gifts. Just realize most people don’t appreciate it if they don’t knit. Anyway, whatever it takes for you to finally pick up some needles and create some magic, we are here to help you. We also do private parties. A great way to entertain your friends (more info here) and we are not weird to have over. We promise! It is just like Tupperware parties but you are not required to buy things that burp, you just learn a new skill. How wonderful is that?
Being that it is a new year, we have a few commitments of our own. We promise to blog more, knit more and laugh more. Two out of the three will probably happen. We look forward to our second year of crazy trailer and knitting adventures.
Testimonial from Ms. M.L.B.*
“Results are Wonderful”
…I finished a ‘creation’ today made from beautiful wool and alpaca yarn. I plan to wear it this evening at an opening. I cannot exactly put my finger on all you are doing for me, but the overall results are wonderful. Everyone is talking about me.
I want to tell you again that I appreciate your informative and thorough classes and hope you will endure me until I have completed all your courses.
Most sincerely,
Ms. M.L.B.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
*In publishing this testimonial, SweaterGirls do not imply that every student will be as successful as Ms. M.L.B. or that she even exists.
Chris
All the trailers were decked out to the nines.
This past weekend was the 7th annual Trailer Trash Bash at the Turquoise Trail Campground in Cedar Crest, a nice little spot of nature not too far from Albuquerque. It was going to be the first time we actually used our trailer for its original purpose; camping. We were going to bond with our little bit of heaven, Dottie (the name we christened her) and have a sleepover.
We pulled into the campsite while the annual Bash was in full swing. Other vintage trailer owners had arrived the day before and were happily settled into the surroundings. We were able to back in (a major feat; still learning) and quickly run around meeting everyone and checking out their beautifully restored trailers during the open house. Some came from as far away as South Dakota. What a treat! The people were friendly and easily accepted us at our first Bash even though we arrived in the middle of it. This was going to be a fun weekend with old friends and meeting new ones. They even took the time to teach us proper hand signals to use when backing up the trailer and shared information on trailer restoration.
The Bash had a full itinerary of events. We had missed the Meet and Greet Movie Night the day before but we still had the cocktail hour, potluck dinner and the not- to- be- missed crowning of the new Trailer Trash Queen ahead of us. We thought it would still be fun to participate in the competition. I had to hurry and create a persona, Lovey Dubois.
Just call me Lovey Dubois.
She was a French party girl dressed for the wrong party in a really bad dress. The dress was a lucky find at Savers, the hair piece came from Walgreens and shoes, can’t remember. I walked around the campsite introducing my new self, hoping there was enough time to win some votes. Sara Trailin’ and Sonia Sonavitch were going to be tough competitors. Not only did Sonia, (with full on Russian accent) read fortunes for everyone, she gave out free vodka shots. Sara Trailin’ carried around a nude photo of Levi Johnson. It was as plain as the dress I was wearing: this was not going to be easy. At the potluck dinner we met more interesting folks, some have sold everything to live a nomadic life. They had amazing stories to tell about their travels and the people they met along the way. The former Trailer Trash Queens mingled proudly wearing their sashes. SweaterGirls’ hopes and dreams all to win the coveted title were in vain. This year it didn’t matter, the weekend was full of fun and good times. Maybe next year, Trailer Trash Queen 2011?
The Russian gypsy, Sonia won the title. Lovey tried to put on a brave face.
Go to our Gallery Page to see more photos of the Bash!
We had a wonderful time at the Lavender Festival this year, and we want to thank all the people who came by to say, “Hi”. However, much to our surprise we quickly realized that we were not the main attraction at our little spot on the field. People lined up, but not for us. What they really wanted was a look inside the trailer, or to quiz Chris on how much she really knows about her old Chevy truck.
The most asked question of the day: How old is your trailer?
Answer: Our trailer is a 1955, Terry Trailer. Yes, we were lucky enough to buy it in really great condition, and no she is not for sale.
Second most asked question: How old is the truck?
Answer: Chris’ truck is a 1954 Chevy, and it is painted green, and no it is not for sale. (These are the only three facts I know for sure about Chris’ truck. Sorry, but I’m completely clueless about the type of engine, the electrical, the tires, the grill thingy and the whatchamacallit that should go with the dipptydo on this particular truck.)
Since buying a proper canopy didn’t fit into the budget this year, Chris whipped one up out of recycled bed sheets. It’s amazing what you can do with a lot of talent, paper clips, and some chewed up gum.
Ramona
I saw my children’s future today. It looks bleak for them finalizing my estate deciding what to do with all my stuff. The only solution for those two would be to open a store and sell it all because I’m quite sure this collecting has to be worth something. They will run my postmortem yarn and everything else store.
Let me explain, as this idea is based on real facts of a true life experience. Today I visited the most incredible store, a store that only my dreams are made of and that I sometimes even fantasize about in moments of boredom. It was a store overflowing with treasures from years and years of hoarding what I would consider the best thing to die under – fabric.
The place can hardly be described. It was like a sepia toned Saturday I remembered shopping with my grandma in the local fabric store. It’s that nostalgic, but with a twist: a time machine of past sewing trends. The colors, patterns and material, all displayed in their wonderful randomness of era; the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s etc. You get the picture. The 4H projects hang proudly on the wall and demonstrate the sewing talents of the proprietors. I’m not sure an inflatable pool filled with fabric remnants and fun would have looked so right anywhere else. Above it all, Mother’s picture hangs charmingly in a festive wreath; a reminder of where all this comes from, lest you forget.
How has this store escaped my notice? It has been open for two years! Something is up because nobody is talking. I don’t like to think of crafters as a greedy bunch, but what else could explain this well kept secret? Everything has been laundered and pressed and put back on the original bolts and when you look around at all the work it took to wash and iron you can only imagine a hell like no other. But the bounty is ours to reap as it all looks as fresh and happy as the day it premiered in its native store before being purchased by Mother X.
I actually wasn’t sure what to do. I was feeding off a disease I probably have a touch of as well. I just kept happily piling and piling the fabric to be cut and brought home to use for whatever future project.
Alas, it was time to go. Tragically, they don’t take credit cards. I don’t even know what town I’m in, I’m so far away from home. They could sense my desperation and utter panic, and pointed me to the tire place next door where they can run credit cards when you’re in a pinch. Perfect! Not only am I allowed to go home with this large stash of goodies, it will show up on the statement as a tire. This day couldn’t have worked better if I had planned it.
Well, I am in a sharing mood so I’ll come out and tell you. Visit Carrie’s Sew and Sews. Embrace your inner happy-hoarder and pay it a visit. You’ll be doing yourself, and my children, a favor.
Chris
Sometimes the first blog post can be the hardest, but we always knew it would be about thanking all those people who have helped us bring this small dream to a reality.
We were truly amazed by people’s generosity, their willingness to give of their time, knowledge and talent and ask nothing in return. We are deeply indebted to all of you, and we realize the best way to say thank you, is to pass on that helping hand to someone else in need.
What follows now is a long list of names that we know most readers (if we have any yet) will find boring, but it’s important to us to put their names in print. So here it goes………
Thank you to Margo for buying the canned ham without asking, Donna and Len from Ripe Inc. for the whole look, Norman from WebDesignProz for putting the whole website together and making it work, Gaelle McConnell for the great legal advice, Stump from The Service Station for the paint, Cynthia Frenette from Green Couch Designs for her wonderful design skills, The National Hispanic Cultural Center for hosting our first classes, Molly for her inspiration, Beverly for her editing advice, and all our knitter and non-knitter friends who gave their advice when we asked, and sometimes when we didn’t.
Last, but never least a big thank you to our husbands and family for their endless support and patience.
Sincerely,
Ramona and Chris
