Shop Hopping Atlanta Style

Hello my blog readers! I apologize for the delay in bringing you the news from the Planet Gale but I have been busy, busy, busy. I had 2 classes full of wonderful students over the weekend and we dyed our little brains out. I am happy to say that a few of them have emailed me to say the roving and yarn looks great- makes a teacher proud. I have also been getting wholesale orders for Knitch, Whole Nine yarns and Loopy Ewe too so my plate runnith over!
But everyone needs a day off so I went out yesterday and did the Shop Hop.
If you haven’t heard of it, here is the web site. http://www.shophopatlanta.blogspot.com/ Kermit (my green Honda Element) cruised down the road to the first shop with myself, Sassy Nancy and Eve B. In fact, Kermit was sooooooo excited to go to a yarn store that we got pulled over by Officer P on Highway 78. Bad Kermit, going 67 in a 55 mph zone, bad Kermit!!! But nice Officer P let me off with a warning when I explained about the shop hop and all. Who wouldda thunk, a police man with yarn sympathy? Thanks Officer P! Of course after that we went all around Atlanta and environs in a frantic dash (but still in the speed limit) for all 8 shops and we did it! We started at 9am and finished at 7pm. A total 10 hour blast with lots of laughter, a few junk food stops and many cups of star bucks coffee (for GALE!).
I came home with some sweet stuff, including the new Noro “catwalk” Book 1 which has many neat patterns. Unfortunately, the sweater I really want to try (Matilda) is made in a yarn that Noro has discontinued. Why do they do that? -sigh- The other interesting thing was a yarn from Rowan called Colourscape. (color is spelled funny ’cause it’s furin yarn from England) Cool yarn that appealed to the dyer in me as it was designed by the king of color, Kaffe Fassett. Let me take a moment here to say that here in Atlanta, we do have some awesome LYS and LYS owners! And I am not just saying that in a shameless brown nosing effort to influence them in that $800 prize drawing ..........really............. Gale

Ruby,my sweet

Guess what I got over the weekend? That is right, sports fans, Gale got a BICYCLE!!! I have wanted one forever. It all started last year with those insipid Regions Bank commercials on TV. Do you know the ones I mean?
Well, if you didn’t see them, then let me explain that it is all about these people riding around on these green bicycles. I am thinking the green is supposed to represent money(?). Of course the wind is blowing in their hair (even though they are wearing politically correct helmets) and they are smiling in the sun shine as they ride down streets with names like “RETIREMENT” or “ FINANCIAL SECURITY”. In the back ground, most insidious of it all, is this really catchy little tune that, once you hear it, stays in you head and does not go away for HOURS!!! Anyway, the commercial failed to have the desired effect on me as I didn’t want to rush out and get an account with Regions Bank, but rather I really wanted to get a bicycle.
So after much hemming and hawing, (9 months is not too long to procrastinate, is it?) I got Ruby on Sunday . Did I mention the extra motivation of stepping on the scales on Sat? Below are pics of her and she is sweet!

My good friend, Laura T, helped me out by dragging me to the local sporting goods store and just as we walked in they announced “we have a special this week on Youth and Adult bicycles.....” I kid you not! So not only did I get a cooooooweeellll bike but I got a killer deal too. I think Laura T has good shopping Karma as I always seem to find real deals when I go out with her.

I did stop to wonder ,though, that if the green bike represented money, what would a red bicycle represent? Well, if I see streets named “FIRE” or “BRIMSTONE” I’ll be sure to ride the other way. Don't want to go there...:>) gale

Potluck

Oh, I had fun last weekend. I got a “pot luck” Day! As a professional dyer, I pride myself on being able to reproduce most of the colors that are in my hand painted roving. I have a recipe card for all of the colors I use so I can create them over and over. I spent about 3 years perfecting my dye technique and recipes before I ever started selling them. It makes me happy to be able to predict, with confidence, what will happen when I mix this red with that blue. Having said that, sometimes I have to go CRAZY and slap on what ever is at hand in the studio. I often have a leftover color from a color run and I just can not bear to throw it away. So it all goes on to “pot luck”. It is a fun day for me with lots of color surprises. Sometimes I guess we all need a day to be outta control! up top is a picture......