Coffee, a Kiln, and a Whole Lot of Crafting

This morning started at 6:45 A.M., when I jumped out of bed and headed straight to the kitchen for the coffee my husband brings me every morning. Yes, I am spoiled. And yes, I appreciate it. ;-)

I grabbed some water and sat down at the kitchen table, where my crafting has now taken up residence. Apparently, there aren’t enough rooms in this house for all my playing!

There sat the little watercolor painting I had worked on until 11:00 last night. I looked at it, added a few more touches, and finally decided I was happy with it. Sometimes you just need to sleep on something—and then introduce it to your morning coffee.

Next stop: the pottery room, where I finished loading the kiln for a bisque firing.

And somewhere between arranging pottery pieces and making sure everything fit, I remembered, “Oh! Julie asked me to write about our big weekend!”

Funny how our minds work while our hands are busy doing something we love. And there was my lead-in, already written into my morning: pottery, watercolor, and a house full of crafts!

You’ll find some of that same creative fun at our Makers Fair at Yarn Store Boutique on October 9 and 10, 2026.

I’ll have some of my pottery available; hence, the early-morning kiln loading and we’ll also have some of Pat Alford's pieces. I must say, her work is pretty awesome!

Donna Snover will be joining us with her unique jewelry designs featuring various precious stones. Julie and I have already purchased ours, so consider that your warning: come early! Her pieces are limited, and you know how quickly something special can catch your eye.

I’ll also have a special place for my niece, aka daughter, Tara, with her handmade mini journal covers, stickers, paints, and big clips. I love all her stuff. She’s the one who got me involved in junk journaling, so I suppose we can blame her for at least one of the crafts taking over my kitchen table!

And the maker my brain temporarily misplaced? Pat Crosland! She’ll have her cute crochet earrings, dumpling bags, stitch markers, wreaths, and more. We love Pat’s creativity and are so grateful to have her as both a teacher and a vendor at our store. How could I forget someone with that many wonderful things? Apparently, my brain needed a second cup of coffee! ;-)

Now, Saturday, October 10, is an especially big day as we celebrate National Yarn Day.

The ladies from the Knit at Night Guild will be here offering free knitting lessons from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. We’ll have supplies on hand for anyone who would like to give knitting a try.

Have a friend who keeps saying, “I wish I knew how to do that”? Bring them along! We would love to welcome some new knitters. Between our makers, shoppers, and soon-to-be knitters, we could have a very full house!

I’ll also be teaching a watercolor class, with all supplies included. Just bring yourself and no expectations. We’re going to play with paint and see what happens. That’s how my little painting started last night and apparently, I wasn’t quite finished playing when I woke up this morning.

Phew! Pottery, jewelry, journaling goodies, knitting, and watercolor. That sounds like my kind of weekend!

Come visit, meet our makers, and enjoy a little creative time with us. I can’t wait for it all to happen.

Until then… I’d better go check on that kiln.

Love from your very crazy, and very creative, group at YSB! Passionate Hobbies