9/15/14

yes i survived my 60th birthday pretty much unscathed.  i did not do the promised 60th birthday cartwheel due to an inner ear problem i was having yesterday, but i promise to do it this week some time and post a photo.  its sure to get a good laugh.  i am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends in my life.  i do not deserve all of you but i DO appreciate you!  thanks again for making my day so happy.

dinner at lupi and leo's with zach and tom

my BIG sale month continues and i will list the following specials on the following dates:

friday, september 19
25% off ALL cascade, mt meadow, imperial, kauni, blue heron, and knit collage yarns

saturday, september 20
25% off JUL handles and accessories, Homestead Heirloom handles, jesse james beads, shawl pins, buttons, and handmade needles.

tuesday, september 23
25% off patterns, books,  Ella Rae yarns, handspun hanks and by the yard, and wooden swifts.

friday, september 26
25% off all brown sheep, crystal palace, knit one crochet too, dream, and tee shirt yarns.

saturday, september 27
25% off individual needles and knitting accessories, lopi, nightfall, unplanned peacock, and blue herron yarns AND 15% off hiya hiya interchangeable sets.

one lucky winner who made a purchase in september will win a handmade wooden swift!

and remember:  spend $20 and get punched!  lets see who is the first customer to fill his or her card.  there will be a little sumthin-sumthin for that person as well!

thanks to all of you who have come to the shop during the new saturday hours to give Thea something to do!  much appreciated - we don't want her to be lonely.

i was lucky enough to get to visit the Mother Earth News Fair on sunday and found a wonderful yarn vendor from north carolina.  i am working with her to begin to carry her hand dyed yarns.  the color ways are absolutely beautiful.  she works in wool and super wash only.

Happy birthday wishes go out to katy d (9/20), jana k (9/26), dotty w (9/29), and lynda sue (9/30) --  get over here to the shop for your $5 off birthday certificate!

my origami owl book party continues for another week or so.  please check out their life lockets and charms - perfect for a christmas gift or birthday gift.  i plan on buying a couple myself for gifts.

dates to remember 

tuesday 9/16  crochet mandala class at raggz 1-4 (room for two more)*
tuesday 9/16  close knit girls meet at panera 7-9
thursday 9/18 purlin girls meet at the bean at noon
thursday 9/18 naughty knotty knitters meet at raggz 12:30 - 4
friday 9/19 shop open 10-6
saturday 9/20 shop open 10-2
saturday 9/20 craftique fiber art club meets at craftique 10-12
tuesday 9/23  shop open 1-6
wednesday 9/24 felt flower class at raggz - 10-12 and 1-3 (room for one or two more)*
thursday 9/25 purlin girls meet at monte's
friday 9/26 shop open 10-6
saturday 9/27 shop open 10-2
saturday 9/27 craftique fiber art club meets at craftique 10-12
monday 9/29 knit chic meet
tuesday 9/30 ceramic button class at raggz 1-3 (room for a couple more)*
wednesday 10/1  broomstick crochet class at raggz 1-3 *
thursday 10/2 beaded wheel class at dotty westerveld's 10-4*
*check website for complete details

ALSO:  the shenandoah valley fiber festival in berryville, virginia is sat/sun sept 27 and 28.  this is a small festival but well worth the trip.  Berryville is about 3 hours from here.

upcoming classes*

colorful crochet mandala tuesday 9/16 from 1-4
felt flower wednesday 9/24  morning class is 10-12 and afternoon class is 1-3
tuesday 9/30 clay buttons (our first clay class!)
saturday 10/18 from 2-5 i will be offering a class on homeopathy.  i have a homeopathic practitioner whom i have known and used for many years and since it is cold and flu season, this is a good time to learn how to avoid these the homeopathic way.

*see website for details


last week's felt landscape class proved successful.  i will be posting photos below.  i am teaching an evening version of this class tonight and will post photos in the next blog.  these photos are all of the work in progress.  the students have taken their wonderful scenes home to be embellished and have promised to share photos.  it will make all the difference!

thea's colorado scene in progress

deb's pansies before felting

cathy's winter scene before felting

just getting started

don't forget to visit me and the other wonderful vendors at Ligonier Country Market every saturday from 8 to noon through October 4th!  hurry!  it's going fast!

and if you're wondering, critter and noodle have finally become friends (i think partially due to the catnip deb brought)

other random photos:

how am i supposed to get my things packed up for market????

kim's amazing friendly witch pumpkin with felted hat!!!

9/1/14

hola everyone!  i know you have heard this a hundred times, but where did the summer go????  i know mine flew with the farm issues we have had in addition to painting my back porch and cleaning and painting my basement to get my feltLOOM up and running as well as my kiln.  well, i have a little more painting to do but basically i am ready.

BIG NEWS!  raggz will now have SATURDAY HOURS!  WOOOHOOO!  the shop will now be open on saturday from 10 to 2 through the end of the year at least.  i want to try it and see how it goes.  

Thea McCurry has agreed to work for me on saturdays while i am at country market through october 4 and again at various times during the rest of the year.  thanks Thea!  now all of you who say you cant get here because you work - no more excuses!  you WONT be sorry!  and thea has her own ideas about saturdays.  she will be demonstrating different stitches with a yarn purchase!  kudos thea!  and thea is a very experienced knitter, crocheter, quilter, seamstress, etc etc, so there's not much she wont be able to help you with!

everyone else does christmas in july but in lieu of september being my birthday month ( the Big one), i am going to have sixty specials this month.  (sale yarns not included) it's not going to be easy, but i am going to make it happen!  different specials on different days.  THIS IS YOUR TIME TO STOCK UP FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND PROJECTS!  here goes:

friday, september 5 - 25% off the following:
cascade yarns
JUL handles
jesse james beads
all sock yarn
kauni yarn
handmade wooden swifts
pagewood yarns
all fibers on the porch
all noni kits- accessories,
all mountain meadow yarns

saturday, september 6 - 25% off the following items:
all handspun yarn - hanks and by the yard
all feza yarns
all buttons
brown sheep yarns
blue heron yarns
knit collage yarns
crystal palace yarns
knit one crochet two yarns
all dream yarns
all imperial yarns

tuesday, september 9 - 25% off the following items:
nightfall yarns
lopi
handmade needles
hiya hiya singles and accessories
unplanned peacock
handmade needles
tee shirt yarn
ella rae yarn
my world of yarns
ice yarn

friday, september 12 - 25% off the following:
JUL accessories (pins, buttons, closures)
noro
purseketts
shawl pins
ruffle yarns
patterns
books
fibers on the porch
wooden swifts
sock yarn

saturday, september 13 - 25%off all but *
feza yarns
noni kits, accessories
brown sheep
buttons
crystal palace
patterns
pagewood
books
handmade needles
*hiya hiya interchangeable sets will be 10% off today

then....at the end of september, after the hullabaloo is over, i will be giving away a wooden yarn swift to one lucky customer who shopped during september!

WHAT'S NEW?  

since we all know fiber is so good for us and integral to good health, i am now giving out high fiber diet cards - you will be given a card and i will stamp it for every $20 of yarn or fiber purchased.  After you fill the card, you will get a gift certificate worth $20 on anything in the shop, including towards any class i may be teaching.  to your health!!

Happy birthday wishes go out to...  wow here we go - another popular birthday time:
6th - Donna
7th - sherry and mayra
10th - beth and katie
13th - ali
14 - moi
get over here to the shop for your $5 off birthday certificate!  and to those of you who havent signed up for the birthday club, get over here and do it!

dates to remember 

tuesday 9/1:  chubby knitters club (former fridays - now the 1st tuesday of the month) meet at the
                     shop from 1 to 4.  JOIN US!  always a lot of laughs.  (shop not open)
thursday 9/4:  purlin girls meet at the bean at noon
friday 9/5: shop open 10-6
saturday 9/6:  shop open 10-2
saturday 9/6: craftique fiber art group meet at craftique 10-12
tuesday 9/9: shop open 1-6
friday 9/12:  shop open 10-6
saturday 9/13:  shop open 10-2
saturday 9/13: craftique fiber art group meet at craftique 10-12
monday 9/15: knit chix meet at the bean at noon

REMINDER:  friday, november 7, the work of our hands will be having a craft show at the lamplighter restaurant in delmont on route 22 from 10-7.  this event was formerly held at the mock residence in murrysville but has outgrown the house.  this is a juried show and we are looking for vendors, so if you are interested or you know anyone, please contact me.  we are being very selective about what will be on display here and everything MUST be handmade.  more details soon.

upcoming classes*

felt landscapes 

wednesday , 9/10 at the shop from 1-4.  $50 includes all

materials.  this daytime class is full but i am adding an
evening class on monday 9/15 at 6.  there is room for
two more in the evening class.

colorful crochet mandala 

tuesday, 9/16 at the shop from 1-3.  $30 includes
all materials (bring a crochet hook).

wet felt slippers 

monday 9/22 at the shop from

10-2.  $50 includes all materials but bring your
own lunch, as we will be taking a break.

felt flowers 

wednesday 9/24 at the shop from 1-3.

$20 includes all materials - bring sharp scissors.
the afternoon class is full but i am trying to get
chris to add a morning class.  i have a waitlist
right now so if you're interested, let me know.

ceramic buttons - my FIRST clay class!

tuesday, 9/30 at the shop from 1-3
instructor:  brigita vingelis
cost will be $30 and includes all materials
each student will make 10-12 medium handmade buttons or 8 large buttons.  after they are dry enough to fire, students will come back a second time to glaze their creations.  the second class will be scheduled later.

*see website for complete details, space is limited, and registration and payment is required prior to the class.  also remember if you have a group of at least 4 who want to take the same class, we can schedule a private class at your convenience!

UPCOMING CLASSES include beaded beads, felt snowman purse, arm knitting, and MORE!


my feltLOOM has arrived!  i've been doing a lot of experimenting, as time allows and i must say i have made quite a few things.  unfortunately most of them have been duds but yesterday while tom was working on the electric in the 'LAB' (that's what i'm calling my basement loom and kiln studio - THE LAB!), i played on the loom and made two nice scarves, some fabric for leaves and flowers, and a landscape!!!  i could burst i'm so excited!  this machine is pretty amazing and i have gotten my wool wound around the rollers and had to back every thing out twice and broke three needles yesterday, but hey i'm learning!  i am still debating whether to attend the feltLOOM conference in kentucky september 12-14.  if my plans change and i decide to attend, the shop will remain open - i will find someone to man it friday and thea will be here saturday.

cathy rosensteel, thea mccurry, and i attended the creative arts festival.  we had a good time and lots of laughs.  so many talented people out there.  did anyone else we know attend?  what did you think?
jenny harned tabrum makes these FAB knitted, beaded beads.  she had a beautiful set up at the show and has agreed to teach a class here at raggz.  as soon as i get the details, i will post the class.  here's a picture of them so you can see how beautiful they are!

have you ever heard of origami owl?  its a company who does custom jewelry.  two random unrelated customers were at the shop with these unique life-lockets with glass faces that you can put different charms in customized to your life.  so many styles and charms to choose from.  my friend andrea gosnicki sells origami owl and i agreed to have a book party which will run through september.  please check out the catalogue at the shop or you can go online and order through my booking at
http://dreamoflockets.origamiowl.com/parties/ToniRitchey444726/collections.ashx

thanks for your support.  i cant wait to order one for myself and gifts.  by the way, andrea and her mother bobbi crochet the most adorable baby hats and outfits.  i dont believe they have a website but their facebook page is Darn Cute Yarn  check out their amazing things - and just in time for Christmas!

don't forget to visit me and the other wonderful vendors at Ligonier Country Market every saturday from 8 to noon through October 4th!  hurry!  it's going fast!

random photos i wanted to share

tom finishing up some electrical work in THE LAB

making a scarf on my feltLOOM while critter keeps me company

some fabric i was laying out for a jacket

sneak peak photo of dotty's beaded wheel class october 2nd

bye bye!