This cat has nothing to do with the really BIG sale going on at the Eastport Fabric Emporium, but studies have shown that people will pay attention if they are shown a picture of a crazy cat and this is the best we could find. 

Sale on Everything
Why?
Because SALES are fun.
How much of a sale?
 18% off 
Everything?
Yup. 
Even stuff already marked down. 
Yup. 
Can we combine discounts we've earned by signing up for the newsletter?
That's the idea.
When?
10am Wednesday, January 10th
through
2pm ​Saturday, January 13th

That's fantastic!
Yeah, we think so too. 

This morning, the sky is an exquisite shade of blue and the sun shining though the living room windows is Mother Nature’s way of soothing bruised everything, wrapping up a week of treacherous winds, snow, ice and plummeting temperatures.  It’s a sign.  A sign that reminds us that we are going to survive this mess called winter. Yes Annie, the sun really will come out tomorrow. Or, as it is, today.

It was a particularly challenging week at the fabric shop and I have to admit more then once I asked myself how my promise to be open during the winter in Eastport was going to be met.  

Wednesday, I spent the entire day thawing frozen water pipes.  After several trips home to gather the proper supplies i.e.  a hair dryer and various electric heaters, water was flowing from the faucets at around four in the afternoon. The septic drains however, have proven to be a bigger challenge.  

Note to anyone interested…. ‘When applying insulation of any kind remember to include the exposed pipes within the insulation.’

Thursday was spent mostly in prayer. Praying the nor’easter was not going to blow the roof off my house. Or, anyone else’s house for that matter.  Praying the electricity would not go off.  Praying my friends would all be safe and because one can only pray so much…. I knit.

My dear friend Kendall and her husband Pierre gave me a wonderful book for Christmas called Knitting Yarns. It’s a compellation by Ann Hood of short stories written by writers who knit and it’s no surprise how many of them fall into knitting or crochet when faced with challenging times.

 That’s how I took up knitting.  When my husband soldiered on fighting the good fight in a battle he would not win. When the stress seemed to be insurmountable; I knit.

Friday morning, I received an early call from Elaine the city manager telling me that during the previous stormy night a city snowplow had slid on the icy road and hit one of the shop windows. It was shattered. A blue tarp had been stapled to the window to keep out the elements, but inside was left to me to take care of.  Luckily, the shattered double pane window had not yet collapsed, so I did my best to seal it with extra- large bubble wrap and DUCT TAPE!

Again, note to anyone interested….’ No matter the emergency a roll of duct tape will fix anything.’

Once the windows were sufficiently secured it was time again to thaw frozen bathroom pipes. And, so on and so forth into Saturday.

We all have ways to self-medicate when stress has built a firm armament around our senses and we are clearly unable to break through. I knit.

I’ve been working on a sweater in which the yoke has a fancy leaf pattern, played off a background of simple garter stitch. Finished, it will be beautiful, but now I’ve come to the hard part. I have to follow a chart to complete the vining leaves and I’ve never done that before.  I get the general premise of charts however, I’m kind of stuck on what to do with the ‘no stitch’ square.  I google how to knit a no stitch for guidance. Got it.  Thank you google.
​
One stitch at a time. Thaw one pipe at a time. Face one challenge at a time. One day at a time, one hour, one minute.
That’s how you eat an elephant.


 
 
 
 
 
 

-We are reducing our hours at the fabric shop for the winter - closing Tuesdays.  We will be back to work on Wednesday, January 3rd. Our hours will be the same 10am to 5pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Saturday's hours will be 10am to 4pm.   
 With weather temperatures so cold it takes quite an effort for the heating system to keep up.  Never the less, this is Maine and we're tough and we are still going to sew!!  And quilt, and spin and knit and.....
LEARN how to do all these things with lessons. 

Stay informed about classes through the calendar page. Click on an event and all the particulars will show up including pricing and materials needed.  

Signup  for the newsletter even if you've submitted your contact information before.  This is a new website and some of the data didn't transfer as well as I would have liked.  I hate to think I've left anyone out.   Thank you to those of you who've already signed up.  I have a coupon on its' way to you.. yaaaa, who doesn't like a coupon.  Yes, coupons can be used when placing an order through the on-line shop. 

Please feel free to email us with any questions.  And, if you read something you like, go ahead and leave a comment.  Comments are kinda fun.
​My next posting will be  about our BIG SALE happening next week..... just in time to use those gift cards!!
Take care and happy stitching,
​Karen Benn