Good News: Spring has been springing up all week long. The trees are blooming, the daffodils are up, and the weather has been warm.

Bad News: My summertime body has not arrived yet. I keep waiting for it to show up. What is the holdup? It’s a good thing that it is supposed to snow flurry tomorrow. I have the winter body down pat. (I think I’ll eat a cookie.)

Good News: The Spring Fling is only two weeks away - can you believe it? We’re slowly but surely getting ready for all of you.

Bad News: Well, it’s not ALL of you, by any means. But we wish you could all come!

Good News: Took both cats to the vet yesterday and both are healthy. I was sure they’d tell me that Gracie was too fat had her winter body on and needed to exercise more. She’s a mere 10 lbs and in perfect health. (Zoe is a petite 6 lbs, 4 oz - no wonder Gracie seems so big to me.)

Bad News: The vet bill. sigh. (Also bad news: two cat photos in two posts in a row. But she’s awfully darned cute.)

Good News: We did some major re-stocking today - did you catch it? Travel Mugs are back in stock, along with more Shibui Knits (and some of their new patterns), Araucania, Cherry Tree Hill, The Alpaca Yarn Co. Paca Peds, Bee Bars, knitting accessories, new Offhand Designs bags, Namaste Messenger Bags, Cotton Panda, and more.

Bad News: Still more boxes of yarn and things to go up next week. (Or is that good news?)

Good News: Starbucks still has good coffee.

Bad News: They made their cups brown. I miss the green. (Two new yarn lines in the photo, just to make you wonder…. They’re scheduled to arrive in a few weeks.)

Good News: The “Don’t Be Blue” sock kits are ready to ship! Click here if you’re eligible for one.

Bad News: They’re just available (while supplies last) to those who signed up for the sock club this year and didn’t get in. (What happens if you try to buy one and you weren’t really on the list? A hand comes out from your computer screen and pinches you on the nose.)

Good News: So many of you have emailed to tell us how much you like the special Loopy Groupie Appreciation Gift that we have been sending out this week.

Bad News: “LG Appreciation Time” runs through Tax Day and mostly there’s nothing good about Tax Day.

Good News: I found my perfect pair of shoes - they show off handknit socks and they make my size 11 feet look smaller. (No small feet feat.) It’s a Dansko Merrie. (Socks are Fiesta Boomerang. We do have a large order in with the - they’re just backordered on Boomerang at the moment. We’ll keep you posted.)

Bad News: With Spring here, sock-wearing weather is almost gone in Missouri until the fall.

Good News: My friend Monica gave me the DVD August Rush that I like so much. I think I’ll knit and watch it tonight.

Bad News: I have so much knitting that I want to do, that it’s gonna take more than one movie (or five) to knock it out.

Good News: I had time to knit last night.

Bad News: But I didn’t get one stitch done because Knitting Daughter and WH and I spent so much time laughing and going through the pages of photos on this website.

Good News: Possum Sock Yarn from Cherry Tree Hill. (80% Superwash Merino, 20% New Zealand Possum.) Wow.

Bad News: It won’t be available for awhile, but I have one of the sample skeins from Cheryl at Cherry Tree and it’s really a fun yarn base. Just thought I’d give you a sneak peak at a unique new sock yarn base that they will be offering for a limited time this summer.

Sheri anygoodnews/badnewsyouwanttosharewithus?

Good news: Today is my (our) 24th wedding anniversary! Twenty four years of being married to my best friend, 24 years he has had to put up with me, 24 years that he has been making me laugh.

Bad news: I managed to put myself in the doghouse with WH this week, as he has spent untold hours color-correcting 450+ photos for this week’s Sneak Up. That’s what happens when we take a couple of weeks off from Sneaking new stuff up for you.

Good news: Lots of fun things going up sometime this week for your shopping pleasure.

Bad news: Lots of fun things going up sometime this week for your shopping pleasure. (And more next week.)

Good news: I did some knitting this weekend and have the second Noro sock almost done. I’ll post it when it’s done and washed.

Bad news: I tired out my knitting fingers with one of my other favorite Christmas presents. (My kids rolled their eyes when I asked for Guitar Heroes for Christmas.) Jari - are you practicing for our eventual re-match??

Good news: We were named “Pusher of the Year” in these awards. How fun is that?

Bad news: The list also contained a lot of fun blogs and resources that I have had to add to my “must read” and “must check out” list. For my spare time.

Good news: I found these cute cupcakes while shopping this weekend. Don’t they look good enough to eat? They’re in my kitchen window, along with some other fun things for the season.

Bad news: Looking at them every day makes me want to eat cupcakes.

Good news: I’ve managed to set aside my spinning momentarily, while I figure out how to make the tension right with a Woolee Winder.

Bad news: We have such fun roving in-house that it’s making me nuts not to be spinning.

Good news: Zoe-the-cat is a mouser! (Don’t ask me how I know.)

Bad news: Gracie-the-cat is not. (Don’t ask me how I know.)

Good news: That was a month ago and she hasn’t had the opportunity to practice her mousing skills again.

Bad news: Casey-the-dog also thinks she’s a mouser. (Well - that was bad news for the mouse in this instance…..)

Sheri itwasaVentisizedLattedaytoday-somuchtodoFPS.Howaboutyou?

Bad News: The Loopy Ewe Anniversary Yarn sold out in a day.
Good News: That was only 150 skeins out of our 200 skein order. The last 50 skeins will be here from J.Knits in the next day or two and will go up on the website when they come in. And we’ll keep selling the Celebratory Chevrons pattern here after the yarn is gone, because it would look beautiful in any J.Knits colorway - or others.

Good News: A new Lorna’s Laces order has arrived and I have picked two colors of the sport weight that need to be knit into a Chevron Scarf.
Bad News: My first Chevron Scarf isn’t any further along than it was in Monday’s post. I hope this isn’t the beginning of SHCSS. (Second Half of Chevron Scarf Syndrome.)

Good News: Trekking, Sockina and Austermann Step have arrived.
Bad News: I may have also started a new sock with the Sockina.

Good News: I live on Route 56.
Bad News: Apparently that’s not a good thing. (Note conversation below that took place at the post office yesterday afternoon.)

Mail Person #1, walking out from the back room: “Oh my gosh - who brought all of this in?” (as she points to a corner full of boxes that I had just brought in.)
Mail Person #2, checking me out with the International Orders: “The Loopy Loo lady here.”
Mail Person #1: “Oh. Wow. OHHH! You’re Route 56! We talk about you all the time at the other branch!”
Me: “Um …. Really? You know about me?”
Mail Person #1: “Oh jeez yes - we all know about you. No one wants to do Route 56 because of the lady with all the boxes every day! Now tell me again what you sell? Socks?”
Me: Sock yarn and lace yarn.
Mail Person #1: “That’s right. And there really are people who buy it? Because we all just kind of stand around and scratch our heads on that one. Who buys sock yarn? There are really that many people out there interested in this stuff?”
Mail Person #2: “Well obviously. You see all these boxes in here all the time.”
Mail Person #1: “That’s true. It’s crazy though, isn’t it? We just have to wonder about it. Sock yarn.”
Me:

Bad News: There are boxes and boxes of yarn that came in this week and are waiting to be photographed and put up in the next Sneak Up. (At least WH considers that Bad News.)
Good News: And more on the way. (Here’s a news flash - a big order of ShibuiKnits shipped to us today, so for all of you who have been asking me for it, it will be here very soon and I know you will love it.)

Bad News: Knitting Daughter went back to school this week, and College Boy goes back next weekend.
Good News: That means chocolate chip cookies! (A first day of school tradition at our house since College Boy was in Kindergarten. That day, there were plenty of mom-tears mixed into the batter. Don’t you love coming home to the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies?) And yes, College Boy takes a plate of them to school to have after his first day of college classes, too.

Good News: Here is my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that I’ve been making all these years.
Bad News: They’re not non-caloric.

Best Ever Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. pck. chocolate chips

Beat shortening, both sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, soda and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Grease cookie sheets. (or bake on stone). Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes. Cool 1 minute on pan.

Any Good News/Bad News that you’d like to share today?

Sheri badnews:deskisburiedinpilesofpapersgoodnews:it’sonmyto-dolisttoday

Edited later for Anniebananie: Wollmeise, Yarn Pirate, Zen String, Yarntini, and more - all shipping to us between now and the end of August!

Good news: You all ordered enough yarn to tide you over for the 3 weeks between this Sneak Up and the next. Holy cow!!

Bad news: We’ve packed so many orders that we’re dreaming about them in our sleep.

Good news: We ought to be all finished up by tomorrow so that we can get a good night’s sleep again.

Bad news: The mailman is extremely annoyed.

Good news: He’s a sub. Our regular mailman will be back on Monday and still likes us.

Bad news: I’ll be leaving Monday morning, so no blogging for 2 weeks.

Good news: I may need to slip in a post sometime, if anything exciting is going on. I’ll miss you all too much.

Bad news: Or maybe not. Maybe I’ll be too busy knitting.

Good news: Our first case of Wollmeise arrived so I can take a skein to knit on vacation.

Bad news: It’s just one of several cases and the rest haven’t arrived yet.

Good news: You are going to LOVE this yarn, if you haven’t tried it before.

Bad news: I do, too. I had a hard time picking just one color.

Good news: Susan-the-awesome-assistant (who has put in so much overtime this week to help with all of these Sneak Up orders - we love her) will be here packing orders for you while we’re gone.

Bad news: That means that you can still get orders while I’m gone.

Good news: That means that you can still get orders while I’m gone.
(ahem - some will see this as good, some will see this as bad. Take your pick.)

Bad news: We already have some more really wonderful yarn in-house for the next Sneak Up. (Oh - wait - that’s good news!)

Good news: Using the Random Number Generator, the winner of this month’s “What was your first job” contest is Phyllis! She gets a $35 Loopy credit in her account, to buy some fun Loopy Loot. (I had so much fun reading all of your comments. I’m thinking that most teen-agers ought to read through them all. They’ll realize how nice they have it nowadays, don’t you think? Wow - there were some doozies in there.)

Have a great couple of weeks and get lots of knitting done. I’ll be asking about that when I get back! I’ll also share the Q3 Loopy Challenge with you when I return.

Hugs to you, Sheri (gotanygoodnews/badnewstosharewithmetoday?)

To my wonderful international Loopy Friends:

Good news: I did so much research (online and at my post office) before all of this postal rate update to figure out the new international postal prices. I just knew that all of you international Loopys would be ordering right away on Monday as usual, and I wanted to have everything in place for you in terms of the new postage.

Bad news: Wrong information from my postal ladies which led to wrong research on the usps.com website. Although I’m not sure the right information would’ve helped much. Have you tried to wade through the mumbo-jumbo on the usps.com website lately?

Good news: It means international rates won’t be QUITE as bad as I had feared.

Bad news: But they still went up.

Good news: I was right - you all ordered on Monday and Tuesday, so Tuesday morning I took several country/size/weight variations into the post office.

Bad news: I packed them in the regular Global Priority boxes. (Last week - The Week of Misinformation - they had assured me that I could still use them.) This week, The Week of Enlightenment, they assured me that I could not.

Good news: I can ship in reinforced envelopes which cuts down on the weight.

Bad news: I had to repackage the boxes right there in the post office with 5 other postal customers impatiently waiting their turn.

Good news: I didn’t mind.

Bad news: They did.

Good news: I had the clerks weigh everything, then gave them different scenarios. “Now if it was going to that country and weighed under a pound, how much? And then over two pounds to that country, how much? And now this country - how about this one? And the next?” etc. So I got a complete picture - the correct one, I believe - of the pricing. I’m just glad to know there are options.

Bad news: This made the five postal customers even more impatient with me. Bad news #2: some of you will be receiving your orders in envelopes that were very hastily written at the post office counter.

Good news: It didn’t cost you as much shipping as you and I thought it would. With the help of the postal ladies (who are now in the Week of Enlightment - aka, The Week of “Now that the updated postal program has been downloaded into our system, we can stop telling you information that we assume is right, and start giving you the cold hard facts directly from our computers”), I have been able to take our average sized international orders, and figure out the postage, and knock that down a bit, to come up with new international postal rates which will not drive either of us too batty. Although you know I would much rather be delivering all of these in person anyway. We have switched the website to the international prices that are the best low-average that we can come up with. When it costs more than that on some of your orders, we will cover it. So glad to have this settled.

To everyone else:

Bad news: I will be away from the computer Thursday through Sunday.

Good news: College Guy comes home on Thursday and we head up to see our friends in Iowa for the weekend on Friday! (They have llamas. I’ll take pictures.)

Bad news: no blog post on Friday, no order shipping on Saturday. (We will, however, be shipping Thursday and Friday. Although not too many on Thursday because the postman has already warned me that he intends to play golf on Thursday afternoon and does not want too many boxes on my porch to have to deal with. Well alrighty then.)

Good news: Susan-the-awesome-assistant and College Guy will both be helping me pack weekend orders for you on Monday so you shouldn’t have to wait any longer than usual.

Bad news: WH tells me I must stop buying yarn, as there are too many yarns waiting to be photographed so that we can put them up on the website for you.

Good news: I’m not listening to him. (but don’t tell him)

Sheri doyouhaveanygoodnews/badnews/badnews/goodnewsitemstoshare?

P.S. You “miter” want to check out Wendy’s gorgeous Miter Sweater made out of sock yarns, that she just posted to our “Sock Yarns but Not Socks” photo gallery. It’s amazing!