Greetings,

October is birthday month amongst many of my acquaintances and both Debi and I have birthdays this month. So we've been partying at the shop for a good part of the month enjoying tasty birthday treats - both edible and otherwise. In between work and stitching I'm still enjoying my "getting back to baking" kick. For Debi's birthday I made a flourless chocolate torte and some ginger shortbread - baked in the lovely tea themed pan I got for my birthday. Next on the baking spree were gingersnaps which I brought in today. In days gone by I used to take continuing education classes at the California Culinary Academy and one of my teachers has a wonderful baking book - The Professional Pasty Chef (Bo Friberg). My husband gave me the 4th edition for my birthday and the gingersnaps are from this book. If you have a serious love to baking and pasty this is a great book to add to your collection.

Halloween is coming!

Our business district has special events for kids on Halloween. A Halloween carnival, pumpkin giveaway and costume contest are from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday Oct. 31, in the parking lot near the corner of Webster and Taylor Ave. Trick or Treating will be along Webster Street during that time and most of the business participate. We can give out an amazing amount of candy when Halloween falls on a Saturday. Come by and enjoy the kids. Or come dressed up yourself and get a surprise treat from us.

Weekly Special

We're back with a new Weekly Special. We have a number of threads we are no longer planning to inventory and we'd like what we have in the store to find good homes elsewhere. These threads are ~30% off until November 1st.

• Just Cotton (Reg. $2.70 - Sale $1.89) - approx 50 skeins
• Hand-Dyed Impressions - not the solid colors (Reg. $5.25 - Sale $3.68) - approx 150 skeins
• Confetti (Reg. $3.50 - Sale $2.45) - approx 80 skeins
• Rachel (Reg. $3.45 - Sale $2.42) - approx 50 skeins
• Rachelette (Reg. $5.00 - Sale $3.50) - approx 130 skeins
• Double Dipped Rachel (Reg. $3.00 - Sale $2.10) - approx 60 skeins
• Antica (Reg. $5.50 - Sale $3.85) - 9 skeins
• DMC Cordonnet (Reg. $3.50 - $4.15 - Sale $2.50) - approx 40 balls
• DMC Cebelia (Reg. $4.50 - Sale $3.15) - approx 300 balls
• Thread Gatherer Sheep's Silk (Reg. $5.00 - Sale $3.50) - approx 400 skeins
• Thread Gatherer Shepherd's Silk (Reg. $5.75 - Sale $4.00) - approx 80 skeins
• Thread Gatherer Flax 'n Colors 16/2 (Reg. $3.75 - Sale $2.63) - approx 20 skeins
• Thread Gatherer Flax 'n Colors 20/2 (Reg. $4.50 - Sale $3.15) - approx 130 skeins
• Thread Gatherer Oriental Linen (Reg. $6.00 - Sale $4.20) - approx 60 skeins

Not all of these are listed in our on-line catalog but I have added a place on the Sales page where you can enter your request for those we don't have listed elsewhere. Or feel free to call or e-mail us with your wish list.

Many of these threads we will still special order for you, but we would like to no longer keep them in stock all the time. Right now, we them to generate some much needed revenue!

The Weekly Special is limited to stock on hand only for the items listed above and these items do not earn Rewards points. Sale threads are exempt from our usual policy of allowing thread to be exchanged.

What's New & Updates

Here are some new items in the past couple of weeks:

• Zweigart - At Home with Needlework Magazine September/October 2009 Issue
• Blackbird Designs - Halloween Greetings, Midnight Witch, Raise a Glass of Cheer ($10/ea)
• Country Cottage Needleworks - Winter Wonderland; Frosty Pink House ($15)
• Little House Needleworks - The Library ($15.00), Once Upon A Time; Dream
• Just Nan - Noella's Christmas Berry (Ltd. Ed. Kit - $63), Pink Christmas Slide, Christmas Cheer ($12) & Frame ($34)
• Raise The Roof - Christmasland; Home for Christmas & Trees for Sale ($20/ea)
• Teresa Layman Designs - Teresa has done french knot designs for years, which are just amazing. Her new ones are A Tall Ship, Hogwash! and Leave A Light On. But she's been asked for just as long, if she would turn her designs into cross-stitch. Teresa released 7 new charts at St. Charles and we picked up 6 of them; Bunny Run Around, EEE!, English Cottage, My Cottage By The Sea, Sweet Dreams and The Singing Tree. Charts are $18.00 - the French Knot designs are $19.00.

You can find quite a few newly released charts through the Hoffman Merchant Mall and you can place orders for anything in the Hoffman on-line catalog. You're also welcome to check out our other 2 main distributors, Norden Crafts and Wichelt Imports to see what's new or what other fun things are available we've not mentioned.

Society of Soie Surfine
...when only the finest will do!

We received more of our first color (Carmine Rose) this week and it's been packaged up for those waiting for this shipment. We didn't quite have enough for everyone so there will be a third dye run for the Society in a bit. The thread for the second color is in the states now so hopefully color #2 will be ready in a few weeks. With the thread coming from France and the fabric from Germany and Italy supply issues can take over our scheduled releases.

The response to our Society of Soie Surfine. has been absolutely amazing and I'm really glad we're able to make so many stitchers who love fine count stitching happy. Visit the Society News blog to keep up with general information on us and you can Follow Us on Twitter so as we get new shipments, release the next color, etc. you can be up-to-date!

You can sign-up for the Society through us by calling the shop or through the on-line catalog. Be sure to specify which count fabric you want as part of your Subscription.

Society Member shops are: Needle In A Haystack, Acorns and Threads, Attic Needlework, Stitchville USA and Traditional Stitches and any one of us can handle your subscription to the Society of Soie Surfine.

Lots of people have been asking lately how we're doing given the state of retail these days. We're hanging in there but this has been our most challenging year. I know we're not the only small business still seeing the economic impact of reduced consumer spending. While I was in St. Charles I came across a great program the local craft businesses were promoting - The 3 / 50 Project - Saving The Brick and Mortars Our Nation Is Built On. It's a program to encourage people to shop in their local B&M stores to keep them alive. If you're able to shop in our store in person, please do come in so we know you appreciate our having a physical store. If you don't have a LNS and primarily shop on-line, whether it's with us or one of our many shop friends, try first to use a store that is also a B&M store. I heard the tale recently of a designer who said shops are the weakest link these days - meaning she didn't think we were needed any more given that stitchers can buy everything on-line. I strongly disagree with that premise - if needlework stores go by the wayside, so will the craft. But we do need your continued support to stay in business. As the economic times continue to be more than little challenging I hope you will consider supporting programs like the 3 / 50 Project or others of its kind and support Brick and Mortar stores.

I am continuing stitching on my lovely bird bag and have the background about 60% complete. My husband wonders why I'm having so much fun with the background but I think I'm finding it meditative. After a month of computer and power problems (we had to have the guts of one of our power panels completely replaced) I need something soothing and I find stitching something repetitive does that for me. It's not always what I want to do but mixing it in with the stitches I have to give brain power to is a nice change of pace.

Happy Stitching,

Cathe
...and Debi, Leila, Jennifer, Mary, Ali, Caroline, Sherry, Susan and Margaret

510-522-0404 *  877-HAYSTAC *  877-429-7822
1533 Webster Street  *  Alameda, CA 94501

Shop Hours: Tuesday 11am - 8pm, Wed - Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sun 1pm - 4pm
Monday By Appointment

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Sign-up for one of our new Stitching Has Its Rewards cards next time you're in the shop or with your next mail order.