These amazing images my look like oil paintings by a master but they are actually portraits done in yarn by Cayce Zavaglia. Seriously, yarn never ceases to amaze.

We love small business and and not just because we’re one.  Supporting small businesses gives you a wonderful opportunity to reinvest your money directly into the local economy. Most local business owners work to also support other local businesses and community activities, so by helping a local business you’re “paying it forward” so to speak. I find local businesses around Salem to be extremely knowledgeable about their product and offer an experience I don’t get in other environments.

American Express is working to help small businesses too this holiday season. Use your AMEX card on Saturday, November 26 at any small business/local shop and AMEX will give you a $25 statement credit (that’s FREE money!) Register your card and read details HERE: facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday and https://sync.americanexpress.com/sbs2011

So join our collective effort to support those small businesses that you love and maybe a few new ones that you’ve always wanted to check out.

I have to go. If you’re from the land down under or going to visit, hit up a place called Portman’s to see this amazing window display. Nikki Gabriel, a blogger, snapped this pic of their latest window display and it’s taken Pinterest by storm.

Portman's Window display

This has my creative juices going for a window display at the shop. Hmm whatcha think?

A little stylish knitting eye candy for your day.

Doris Day

Sophia Loren

Katherine Hepburn

I’ve never met a yarn I didn’t like from Blue Sky Alpacas. Techno their latest creation debuting this Fall does not disappoint.  It’s a marvel to work with and I’m sure to wear, but I haven’t whipped it up into a garment yet. I could however snuggle with our swatch for hours.

Techno is a “fish net stocking” of silk with beautiful baby alpaca and wool blown in. Why is this wonderful? Well it gives you a light weight, but warm finished piece at a bigger gauge. Ooh soft and snuggly and a quick knit or crochet. Awesome.

Each skein has 120 yard works up at 3-5 sts per inch on a size 10.5 needle.

We picked up all the colors and all the patterns this season.

Graphic Pullover

Come by and swish it or check out the colors on the yarns posted on our site.

Thea's Pullover

Did you know that one of the things that New England marine life is known for are our vibrant red colors in the aquatic life?  It’s true.  You may stumble upon a sand dollar on the beach and it’s white it’s because its been bleached out by the sun.  When our sand dollars are alive, they are a lovely rusty red color.

Image courtesy of Steve Borichevsky of Shooting my Universe

Found this beautiful photo of a sand dollar from Shooting my Universe.  What about whipping up a few sand dollars in a fuzzy red yarn for our marine exhibit?  Found this cute pattern below on Ravelry.  It’s knit with a worsted weight yarn to make a washcloth but if you worked it up in a sport or sock yarn on appropriate needles you’d have real sand dollar sized goodies!

Free pattern from Maryann Walsh

Click here to download the pattern

As my mom would say, “Can you stand it?!!” No I can not stand how cute these crochet Quahogs (pronounced ‘ko-hog’ for all of you that are not from ’round here) turned out. They are another part that will go into our Seed Stitch Sound:community art project celebrating New England Marine life.

Quahogs anyone?

I didn’t use a pattern for these, just free from single and double crochets where I increased to make the shells and then via single crochet increases and decreases to make the Quahog bellies. I almost want to eat them!

To keep your creative juices going, I’ll be posting projects a they are created and patterns for you. Stay tuned!

I’m kind of obsessed with Pinterest these days. Have you discovered this world yet?

These are some of my boards

Pinterest is kind of like a big cork board online where you can “pin” various photos from sites you visit and categorize them into topic areas.  I find it to be an amazing source of inspiration for me and a way to go back and remember where I saw something, etc.

Here's a quick peek at my knitting and crochet inspiration board