AN EVENING WITH ANN HOOD

It's always nice when you can curl up with your knitting, a cup of tea and a really good book.  Now imagine how great it would be if you could nestle in with your knitting and listen to the author of that really good book!  Well, that's what we did last night, and it was absolutely delightful!

Some of the ladies waiting for the yummy dinner before the presentation.

Being the bold and sassy women that we are, our knitting troup took the auditorium by storm and we quickly filled up the first two rows, front and center, and promptly started knitting on our socks, sweaters and shawls, which truly pleased Ann Hood,  She squealed with joy, clapping her hands as she said, "Look at the knitters!!  I love it!" And with that, she came to our group and spoke to us for about ten minutes before the presentation began.  It just reinforces the notion that knitting is a medium that binds us together.

Ann was witty and funny and she spoke with eloquence and ease.  In about forty-five minutes she strolled with us through poignant stages of her life, giving us a glimpse of her moments of joy and moments of grief and desperation.  She shared stories about her daughter and how that great loss impacted her life.  Mostly,Ann insprired me with her ability to be hopeful even when things seem like they can't get any worse.  It truly was a night to remember.

Of course, we all gathered at the end of the presentation to get our books signed and chat some more with this fabulous woman.

What a wonderful way to spend the evening!  We would definitely go see her again, and we look forward to reading her next book.  Please treat yourselves and get any one of  her books!  You won't be disappointed! Bravo, Ann!!

Have a wonderful day, my fiber friends!

LETTING YOUR IMAGINATION TAKE YOU ONE STEP FURTHER

Good morning my knitting and crocheting friends!  Hope you are all doing well this fine spring morning!  Before I start, please remember that the shop will not be open tonight for our Knit In.  We are all heading over to the Brackken Memorial  Library to see Ann Hood!  We are so excited!  But WE ARE CLOSED!  OK.  Moving on!

Let's talk about our imaginations, shall we?  How many times have you found yourself flipping through magazines and books looking for the perfect project, and finding it........well, kind of?  You know the ones - the projects where you find yourself saying, "This sweater would be perfect if didn't have that weird ruffle on the edges", or, "What a gorgeous afghan, but I really don't want to have to buy 25 skeins of yarn to make it!".  With that said, your plans are thwarted and the search continues.

Well, it doesn't have to be that way!  This is when your creative juices and imagination kick it into high gear!  Find what you like about the pattern, and see what you can do to make it just right for you!  Here are some examples of us doing just that! (You do know that I would never tell you to use your imagination if I wasn't ready to prove that we do it ourselves, right?)!

Jen loved the Ramona Cowl from Knitscene, Winter 2011, but she knew that she would never wear it as a cowl.....

so she turned it into a bag!

What a great way to make something beautiful personally useful!

Raverly memebers have been buzzing about "Wingspan", and our knitters have been on a knitting frenzy after Jen made the first one. She used one skein of Taiyo Sock yarn.

It reminds me of seaglass!

 

She liked the pattern enough to do it again using four skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite...

but this time she incorporated some eylets, just to give it a special feminine touch!

Jess found a cute little hat pattern on Ravelry by the name of Purple Delight, which was made in purple and features a large, matching purple flower motif.

Jess left the purple behind, and decided to make the flower in a contrasting color, and used a handmade button to give it a little pizazz!

And everyone loves the bold statement made in the Lizard Ridge afghan, but I decided that I wasn't in the mood to knit an afghan....at least not in the summer.

 

So with a little math and short rows for a smooth, rounded collar, The Lizard Ridge Afghan is now a striking shawl!   

So, there you have it!  It IS possible to get exactly what you want, even if it means changing things up here or there.  So, flip through your books and magazines, browse all of the great sites available to us, and make something special and all your own!

Happy knitting and crocheting!!

AN EVENING WITH ANN HOOD

We are so excited! The talented author of The Knitting Circle, Ann Hood is the featured author at the Bracken Memorial Library in Woodstock, CT!  Of course being the avid fiber enthusiasts that we are, we jumped at the chance to go. Tickets to this fun evening are still available here at Woolworks. The evening begins with a nice dinner (we've been informed that Ann Hood will be meandering from table to table, so make sure you have your books with you, ready to sign!), and will be followed by her presentation.   If you have read The Knitting Circle . The RedThread, or any of her heartwarming novels, this will certainly be a night to remember. 

Here are the details as seen on the tickets:

Woodstock Academy's Bracken Memorial Library presents "Author Series" Ann Hood Dinner.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Dinner is at 5:30 p.m. followed by a presentation.
Tickets are $15.00 Per Person

Call to reserve your tickets.  Supplies are limited, so no dilly-dallying!
Hope to see you there!
Happy Knitting and Crocheting, my fiber friends!

BUILDING BLOCKS CLUB!

Good morning, my knitting club lovers!  Our Monday Night Knitting Club with Brenda and our Christmas Club are in full swing and both are a HUGE success!  For that reason, we have decided to add yet another club to our repertoire!  We present to you Building Blocks!

To quote the Michelle Hunter, the author of this series, directly: "Building Blocks was created to move the new knitter beyond the basics by introducing the major knitting techniques in a systematic approach.  Each block builds upon the skills of the previous block, allowing the knitter to gain confidence and knowledge while working toward a beautiful sampler afghan".

I coud not have said it better myself, (which is why I cheated and just quoted the designer!).

There are twelve beatiful blocks in this great book, and every one of those blocks puts a new skill under your belt.  Never again will you be scared off by a bobble! 

And even though we have an exquisite and bountiful selection of yarn to choose from, Jen jumped on the crazy train yet again and has now stocked the store with 21 (yup, I said it, TWENTY ONE) new colors in simpliworsted by HiKoo. 

I would show you more pictures, but I'm going to be mean and force you to come and see the rest of the goodness for yourselves with your own twinkling eyes! 

This heavy worsted is composed of 50% Merino Superwash, 28% Acryllic and 17% Nylon.  Your stitches will be well defined, your colors will be bold and vibrant, and because it's superwash, it will be a breeze to take care of! 

So, my friends, here is how this works!

**We will be meeting every other Sunday (the specific dates wll be posted at the end of this entry).
**The fee for the club is 5 dollars per class.  Please pay the instructor at the beginning of class.
**Yarn MUST be purchased at Woolworks for this class. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS.
**Sign up for the Building Block Club begins immediately.  The limit for this club is 8. Do not wait. Our classes fill up very, very quickly.
**And most importantly, bring a good attitude and prepare for a lot of fun! 

I can't wait to get this started!

Here are the specifics!  Happy Knitting and Crocheting to you all!

BUILDING BLOCKS CLUB
INSTRUCTOR: TASHA
CLASSES ARE HELD ON SUNDAYS, BEGINNING AT 2:00 pm and ENDS AT 4:00 pm

APRIL 29TH
MAY 27TH
JUNE 10TH
JUNE 24TH
JULY 8TH
JULY 22ND
AUGUST 5TH
AUGUST 19TH
SEPTEMBER 2ND
SEPTEMBER 16TH
SEPTEMBER 30TH
OCTOBER 14TH
OCTOBER 28TH (FINISHING CLASS)

UPCOMING CLUB NEWS

The moment many of you have been waiting for is finally here! Brenda is back and ready to get Monday Knit Club on the road again. After a brief hiatus, we know you ladies are excited to have some Brenda knitting time!

The grand reuinion takes place on March 16th, starting at 6:30. The kick-off project is the holder in the Accessories magazine (insert month/year).  Don't miss it! So glad you're back, Miss Brenda!  Here are the details!

MONDAY NIGHT KNIT CLUB

COST IS $5.00 PER CLASS (WHETHER YOU KNIT THE PROJECT OR NOT)

CLASS LIMIT IS TEN (10) MEMBERS


OUR PROJECT IS FROM THE SPRING/SUMMER 2012 DEBBIE BLISS MAGAZINE

WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THE KNITTING ACCESSORIES HOLDER SHOWN ON PAGE 59

A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR A KNITTER FRIEND OR KEEP FOR YOURSELF AND ORGANIZE YOUR OWN KNITTING ACCESSORIES.

MATERIALS:  3 balls of Debbie Bliss Eco Aran or equivalent (19st and 27 rows and 4 inches square)

Size US 7 needles

1 yard fabric for lining (not necessary for first class)

The sign up sheet is available at the front desk at the shop.  Please ask for assistance if you have any questions.

Also, I would like to thank everyone for making the Christmas Club a success. We all had a great time and I can't wait to see what wonderful gifts are made in the upcoming months!  See you next week!

Happy knitting and crocheting!

JUST A REMINDER

This is just a quick reminder that Woolworks will be closed this Friday, February 24th. Thankfully, Shelby has agreed to open up shop on Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00 and Miss Brenda is running the shop on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00. We are so thankul that we have these beautiful ladies to keep the ball rolling!

Have a fabulous weekend and we will see you all next week!

PAMPERING OUR HANDS AND FEET

We have to admit that winter has been pretty kind to us. Here we are halfway through February and Spring is on the horizon. But no matter how mild our winter was, it still did a number on our hands.

To keep our hands supple and ready to do some serious knitting and crocheting, we use Milk and Honey Lotion Bars.


Made with beeswax, coconut oil and almond oil, this lovely lotion pampers your hands without the inconvenience or messiness of a tube or bottle.  Milk and Honey Lotion Bars are available in lavender and citrus scents. Come and try one out. Your hands will thank you for it!

Now that our hands are nice and soft, let's move on down to our feet! Granted, they've been hiding out in socks for the last few months, but we do need to get ready for sandal season!

Just in at Woolworks is Heel, a divine foot lotion created by the makers of Soak.

This soothing lotion comes in four varieties: spearmint, peppermint, cucumber, and scentless. And let's be honest. Whether you go barefoot or wear shoes all year round, it's just nice to treat your feet!

A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT !

Woolworks will be closed on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th. We are finally treating ourselves to a well deserved vacation. We will keep you posted on Sunday's schedule. Stay tuned!

CALLING ALL SPINNERS!

Due to Superbowl Sunday our spinning nights became offset. We will be meeting this Sunday, February 19th at the mill at 5:00 pm. After that we will resume our original schedule of every first and third Sunday of the month.  We are very excited to see our spinning group grow! Hope to see all of you there!