Fun
Shop Notes, Tidbits, and Such
First of all, a hearty hello to everybody who’s come our way via the Knit Stars online seminar. Our class launched last Friday, so it’s been a lot of fun to meet knitters who are just finding out about MDK. So glad you’re here!
One thing we’ve noticed is that our Field Guides are heading out the door in a new pattern: people ordering all nine of them at once.
This obviously makes our day, because as longtime collectors of Rowan Magazine (now up to 64 issues), we really like a series. We don’t collect much—Kay is outright brutal up there in her apartment that contains four balls of yarn and a dog—but we do have our Rowans.
That notion was very much in mind as we developed the idea of the Field Guide series. Melanie Falick, our editor and creative director for the Field Guides, has built a team of talented people to create each edition.
At the moment, the MDK Holiday Shop has a special offer of trios of Field Guides at a great price. Fill out your collection, give them to your knitting buddies. When you buy all three trios, you’ll be getting all nine Field Guides for the price of seven.
You’ll be set to add to your collection in the new year, when we have new Field Guides in the works that have us sideways with excitement.
And the designers whose patterns are featured in each Field Guide? It’s pretty much a bucket list of people we admire:
Véronik Avery. Ann Budd. Cecelia Campochiaro. Amy Christoffers. Thea Colman. Julia Farwell-Clay. Norah Gaughan. Kirsten Kapur. Mary Jane Mucklestone. Michèle Rose Orne. Antonia Shankland. Dianna Walla. Ann Weaver.
My own collection is dog eared at this point, and that’s our hope for yours: that you’ll knit from each Field Guide, carry it around, and use the heck out of it. The more worn mine become, the more I can see the time spent with these little books. I’m not done knitting from any of them, that’s for sure.
Kermit and Olive Update
We are sad/happy to report that yarn-happy knitters have gobbled up all the Olive and Kermit Tote Bags we were offering as a Promotional Item. The Kermit and Olive Needle Sizers are likewise being adopted at a gratifying rate, so if you’re craving small pets with absolutely zero maintenance required, we suggest you get on it.
Please note that Kermit tells me—in his wordless way, which looks exactly the same as when he’s begging for treats or staring at the carpet—that he is working on a special present for everybody.
As for Olive, we’ll just see. She lives for spontaneity.
In General
It’s only December 7, and I don’t even have a tree up yet, but I’d like to give a little heads up about The MDK Holiday Shop.
We already ran out of our DoorBusterTM! We thought we’d predicted that one perfectly.
We’ve tried our best to anticipate interest, but we’re going to sell out of some items soon. Our Holiday Shop offers notions, gifts, and luxuries that are often made by hand and very definitely finite in quantity. So if there’s something you’re thinking about, there’s no time like the present to order it up.
And you might want to go ahead and print out the MDK Holiday Shop Wish List (get the PDF download here) to drop a hint for something you’d like.
It warms the cockles of our hearts to have the chance to send you the things from the Holiday Shop. [Runs off to find out what cockles of hearts actually are.]
Here you go: “The cockles of the heart are its ventricles, named by some in Latin as ‘cochleae cordis.’ from ‘cochlea’ (snail), alluding to their shape. The saying means to warm and gratify one’s deepest feelings.”
Exactly! Thank you all so much for all the cheer you bring.
I have enjoyed you here for a long time. When I saw you on Knit Stars 3.0 last week I loved your segments, Great job!
I love the investigation of the word, “cockles,” Y’all are nerds of the first order-my tribe. Don’t worry about the tree. It’ll get there. That’s the plan for our house.
You guys are great on Knit Stars, loved it! Also loving the Knit Stars Facebook group watching all your newfound fan girls talk you up! You should pair up with the ‘Mythbusters’ dudes for an epic knitting experiment!
IT IS US KNITTERS WHO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR ALL YOUR KNITTING INSIGHT, NEWSLETTERS OF USEFUL INFORMATION AND JUST FEEL GOOD CHATTING AND OF COURSE ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS IN THAT SHOP!!! WE SHOULD ALL WIN THE LOTTERY AND YOU WOULD SELL OUT REAL FAST. THANK YOU AGAIN AND KEEP IT UP!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM SOMEONE WHO DOESNT BUY A LOT BUT FAITHFULLY READS THIS EVERYDAY AND SO LOOKS FORWARD TO EACH NEW POST!
Double Ditto to what Debra said (shouted out in all CAPS!!) Thank you Ann and Kay
Ditto all that Debra said!
I ordered 2 Akerworks Swatch Gauges: one, a Hanukkah present for me, and the other, an early Christmas gift for my KBFF. This gadget is truly fabulous. Thanks for including it in the Gift Idea Guide. You nailed it.
I did not know about the heart cockles, but I’m sure you know that the cochlea is a part of the inner ear, shaped like a snail, or course!
Happy Holidays…….you two bring me so much joy every single morning! You two are my Rowans!
I want to tell you how much I like the Field Guides. I don’t like to make the same pattern twice, thinking life is too short for that. But I find myself repeating the ones if the Field Guides – they’re so clever and addictive!
Thanks for them and for the daily inspiration.
Thanks so much, Dianne! This Chalice Cowl from Field Guide No. 8 has got me bad. I finished No. 2 last night and immediately went for No. 3.
Wishing the happiest of holidays to you, too! I have already received my Special Present from the MDK shop. It is still in its mailing envelope, and will stay there until Christmas morning. And about Kermit’s gift: doesn’t “working on a special present” mean “getting ready to throw up a hairball” in cat-speak? Ellie-the-cat thinks it does…
It’s like an Advent Calendar of throw-up around here. WHAT IS WITH HIM?
I have been visiting the site for nearly a year now, but even so your Knit Stars segment was full of interesting information, funny, and best of all inspiring! I now really want to knit a blanket with Rowan Denim full of textured stitches…maybe make my best guess at that lovely gray log cabin sequence knit blanket visible in Field Guide #5!
It never even crossed my mind that heart cockles are an actual thing. I am staggered. It’s like I’ve just been sleepwalking through life.
I love this time of the year and now want to see what’s new in your yarnie shop. Thanks you for that.
Christmas, by birthday and our anniversary, 25 Dec, 3 January and 5 January = my Chris-a-birth-a-‘versary. I used to make a craft run…..to Hobby Lobby…..and snag a 50 pounder…..huh?….. Well, just a bunch of stuff to adjunct my yarnie hobbies; @@ (Age 70; 34th anniversary; he’s so lucky! @@,./’;,./’)
So, I’m more sedentary these years…..and online shopping has replaced most road trips…..you guys are now my new Hobby Lobby! LOL!! I do like the tangible experiences more, however.
What should I peek at first? The haberdashery pouch? Ya!!