Moments

Announcements | January 15, 2009
By Tina

This will take 5 minutes and is worth every minute.

So grab your knitting, have a seat and maybe some tea or a beer.

and go here: Blue Train

Happy New Year NSKs!!!

Announcements | January 01, 2009
By Tina

I hope you all have a Peace and Knit filled New Year.

I certainly plan on doing my part making sure that it is knit filled at least with socks.

Time sure does fly when you are knitting socks eh?

I have put a post on the BMFA blog about knitting Peace for those that are interested.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

tina

RSC 2009 registration

Announcements | December 15, 2008
By Tina

IMPORTANT UPDATE 12/16/08

One day when I try to streamline a process in order to make all of our lives easier  please just hit me over the head it will actually succeed in doing this.

As of today there are still declines for some of you. We are still trying to figure out why this is happening. Please bear with us and know that you will get in so no worries on that front.

The system is bogged down. Please do not hit submit over and over.

This system is pre-authorizing your cards. We were told this meant just validating them in fact it means it is holding those funds. Since I told you that we were not charging the cards this is leading to some confusion and problems in relation to available funds for the holidays.

I cannot apologize enough for this, it is not what we thought was happening. If this is a problem for you and you have not registered please wait and do so after the holidays. If you have already registered and this is a problem please contact me; tina@bluemoonfiberarts.com and we will take the preauth on your card off. It does take a few days to release those funds back to you please keep this in mind.

What we do know is that there are browser issues. We think we have addressed this issue. You will need to clear your cache before trying again because it does have the old script stored there. and that is what it keeps pulling up.

I think that covers it and again I am very sorry for any inconvenience this is causing you. It certainly was not our intention.

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Yes, today is the day to sign up for the Notorious Sock Knitters World Domination Tour. Later in the day towards afternoon. We are tweaking the system so it works exactly how I want it to.

Hang in there! I will post here and the BMFA blog when it is up and running.

WE ARE LIVE NOW!!!!

Camp KnittyHaha

Announcements, Camp KnittyhaHA | December 09, 2008
By Tina

Anouncements, Anouncements…. AnOUncements!   ( thank you cockeye the sockateer)

Because there are truly only so many hours in the day and no matter how hard I try to push the boundaries of time it just is not working out for me. So my sock knitting lovelies, here are the Camp dates. More to follow very, very soon I promise!

The dates Are March 3oth to April4th.   Arrival and check in with evening meet and greet on the 30th and departure on the 4th.

I am still working the details out with the resort. I will post as soon as they are final. For those of you who needed the dates in order to plan your vacations there they are.

Hi ho, Hi ho, its off to Camp we go with knitting needles and our yarn.

Hi ho, Hi ho, Hi ho

Hi ho….

Ha ha ha ha!

RSC 2009

Announcements | December 04, 2008
By Tina

 

Notorious Sock Knitters the club information for next year is up on the Blue Moon site. I am really, really excited about  this year, like little kid jump up and down kind of excited.  Also a little unable to sleep at night excited, so go look and you will see why.  So very cool!

If you have any questions you can put them here in the comments or email us at the usual place.

I tried my very best to keep the pricing down. We had yarns prices go up and postage this year and the USPS is going to raise it again in January so… .  I think we might need to invest in a Blue Moon delivery service of some sort, maybe we can call it the sock express.

Anyway it is there and the purchase part will be active on the 15th of December and there is plenty of room so no worries ok?

I have this sneaking suspicion that it is going to be an over the top year sock wise.

CocoaComa

Announcements | November 18, 2008
By Tina

It is the last shipment of the year. Hard to believe that a whole year has gone by. Where has the time gone? I love the fact that we can count time in the socks. We can remember seasons by what we have knit to wear on our feet or to give others to wear on their feet. We have the colors of that season and time in the club we have our patterns and designers and how we were inspired by them. This year was marked for me by dragons in January, a lucky March, May, a not so shrinking queen, July was sooo good-y, September cloned itself to distraction and November…well, we will see soon enough.

Yesterday we shipped the International kits and I have to say it is no small miracle that these have left the building. It was all looking well and good. Everything was flowing along no kinks or quirks in our way. Then a very innocent looking package arrived in the mail from that lovely notorious sock knitter, Just Jen.

click to enlargen

This is what was inside. Eeeevil Caramel Pecan Brownies

The most decadent chocolate experience most of us have ever had. You will see from the following pics that they wrought havoc here in blue moon land.

It takes a lot to bring this woman down!

What’s a dyer to do against this kind of temptation?

Oh no! They’re down. Team Blue Moon taken down and out by chocolate.

Would you like another brownie my pretty ?

Who me?

Mwwaaahaaha evil wicked brownie strikes again!

thanks Jen

Sock Knitting Survey Results

Announcements | November 10, 2008
By Tina

Finally, here are the results of the survey we started quite a while ago.They are pretty interesting. Thank you for taking the time to give us this information. We will put it to good use.

Q1 Which kinds of needles do you prefer to use when knitting socks?

And our survey said: 52% of you use circulars and 48% of you use DPNs.

Q2: What needle brand do you prefer and why?

Top 3 were Knit Picks, (circs and dpns) for their pointyness, sturdiness and unkinky cables, Addi Turbos for the smooth joins and Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN’s for their smoothness and sturdiness.

Q3: What method do you like to use?

46% use Traditional, 26% 2 circulars, 23% Magic Loop and 5% a combination.

Q4: How would you describe your knitting style/technique?

We had a lot of different answers to this question, but in the main it seems to be equally divided between Continental and English (variously described as English, American or Throwing).

Q5: What kind of pattern do you prefer?

Simple with a small bit of patterning: 18%, Complex, more challenging patterns and technique 12% and Both 70%

Q6: Toe up or Cuff down?

Toe up 34% and Cuff down 66%

Q7: What is your preferable heel type?

Heel Flap 65% and Short Row 35%

Q8: When it comes to color, do you prefer….

A small amount of color challenge 51%

Lots and lots of color changes 49%

Q9: How do you feel about pooling?

Love it! 14%

Hate it! 16%

Do not mind a bit here and there 70%

Q10: What Socks that Rock yarn weight do you prefer to use?

Lightweight 69%

Mediumweight 31%

Q11: When do you do your best knitting? (Example: on the bus on the way home from work)

Top Answers: Evening (In front of TV mostly), Weekends and Long Trips (car, plane, train)

Q12: To get the gauge that a pattern calls for do you usually have to….

use the suggested needle size: 57%

go up a needle size: 14%

go down a needle size: 29%

Q13: Would you say that it is easy for you to maintain gauge over a small project, say from sock to sock?

Overwhelmingly Yes! (almost all yes answers)

Q14: Do you know your basic gauge for socks on your favorite yarns? The theory is that if you use the yarn a lot and have a basic pattern, needle type, and size, then you should have a pretty good idea of the gauge you are going to get.

Yes: 82%

No: 18%

Q15: Why do you knit socks?

Most of you knit socks because they are “fast, fun, portable, comfy and pretty”, also because they are a quick knit, are practical and make great gifts. Many of you with big (or little) feet are liking finally having socks that fit!

Q16: What is your favorite part of sock knitting? Example: I have two favorite parts; 1. matching color to pattern. 2. The heel. I like the magic of both of these aspects of knitting socks.

Top answers to this one are: Turning the Heel and Watching the Colors Knit Up.

Q17: Do you knit the sock kits as they come?

Yes, right away: 28%

No, not ever: 14%

Depends on the yarn color: 12%

Depends on the pattern: 46%

Q18: If you are a returning sock club member, how many years have you been a member? Each year, how many of the club kits did you knit?

Many different answers to this one! Most seem to have knit an average of 2 kits per year.

Q19: What has been your favorite shipment theme-wise to date? Favorite colorway? Favorite pattern?

Colorways: Lucky, The Incredible Shrinking Violet, Lenore, Dragon Dance, Bella Coola and Firebird

Patterns: Leafling, Lenore, Serendipity, Salish Sea, Summer of Lovelace, Solstice Slip

Camp News!

Announcements, Camp KnittyhaHA | November 02, 2008
By Tina

Cockeye and I are leaving today for Whidbey Island to scope out a place there to hold Camp this year.

Rosario has closed for two years while they do massive renovations.  I know, it is sad for those of us who have been there both years. It has a very special place in our little camper hearts.

I think this place we are checking out today will also.

I will keep you posted on what we find.