Good morning, my favorite knitters and crocheters!  As promised, here is a list of the classes Woolworks will be running in the month of February. In the spirit of the new year, we have geared most of our classes those of you who are new to the exciting world of fiber!  We can't tell you how pleased we are to see all the new faces coming into our shop.  We can't wait to help you through this wonderful journey of knitting and crocheting.

STYLISH SLOUCH HAT

Hats are a fantastic way to learn how to knit. They are a fun accessory that jazz up any outfit as well as keeping you warm.  This pattern will teach you how to knit, purl, and decrease, all important skills that will open up the doors to a long knitting career.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 13th and 20th
TIME: 12:30 pm - 2:00pm
FEE: 5 dollars a class
INSTRUCTOR: Tasha

THE SEAFARER'S CROCHETED RIB HAT

This extremely versatile, stretch hat is very popular with our crocheters who do a lot for charity.  Because they work up so quickly, this hat is a great way for the community to get together to make cherished pieces for babies, children and adults alike.  Woolworks has a strong affiliation with Day Kimball Hospital.  Together, we try to collect as many hats, mittens and scarves to help people in need during the cold winter months.  If you want to learn to crochet, this is the perfect class to sign up for.

WHEN: Thursday, February 21st and 28th
TIME: 12:30 pm - 2:00pm
FEE: 5 dollars per class
INSTRUCTOR: Tasha

MOSAIC HAT

Even though this hat looks complicated to new knitters, it's actually a very easy hat to make!  This is a great way for beginner knitters to move into colorwork without having to worry about twisting the yarn.  The great thing about Mosaic knitting is that you are only working with one color at a time, so you don't ever have to concern yourself with your yarn getting tangled up as you work.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 12th and 19th
TIME: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
FEE: 5 dollars a class
INSTRUCTOR: Jen

BROOMSTICK LACE BUTTON-UP COWL

I always loved the look of broomstick lace and I love buttons, so I started designing this little cowl just so I could teach the class!  Broomstick lace is an art form that  is over a century old.  Women used to sit by the fire after a long day of work and caring for their families and crochet gorgeous heirlooms.  The open look came from looping stitches on a broom handle and crocheting them off. Come and learn this whimsical form of crochet with me.

WHEN: Sunday, February 17th and 24th
TIME: 2:00pm - 4:00 pm
FEE: 5 dollars a class
INSTRUCTOR: Tasha

That's what's in store for you for the month of February! We hope to see you all soon!

In the meantime, happy knitting and crocheting to all of you!

STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH A NEW GENERATION OF CROCHETERS!

Happy New Year to all of our Woolworks friends! The year 2012 has come and gone and 2013 is a year that we hope will be filled with joy, prosperity, and of course, lots and lots of YARN! I want to take this time to say thank you to all of our patrons.  We would not be here without you and we really do appreciate each and every one of you.

We are still in the process of finishing up our class schedules for the months of February and March.  Again, we are doing our best to incorporate both knitting and crochet classes because we believe that many incredibly beautiful things come from both art forms.  We hope that the classes we have to offer inspire you and give you something to look forward to.

Speaking of things to look forward to, we are absolutely thrilled with our current project with the students at Marianopolis Prepatory School. Thanks to Rebecca Patenaude  last year, I had the pleasure of giving a workshop about fiber.  The students were introduced to yarn and where yarn comes from.  Sitting in the midst of spinning wheels, roving, drop spindles and looms, I was definitely pleased to see that spark of interest come alive.  I knew that I would have to go back and see if we could turn that spark into a passion for creating things with yarn.

Well, today was the day, and what a day it was!  In a span of two hours, ten students went from not know how to make a stitch, to nimble little crocheters zipping along on hats.  What was the motivation?

The giving tree.

I made a deal with the students.  I would offer my time, donate needles, and Woolworks would provide yarn IF they promised  that they would dedicate time during the year to make hats and scarves to donate to the Day Kimball Giving Tree, a tree that provides hundreds of hats, mittens, socks and scarves to children in need.  To sweeten the deal, I offered an addition prize:  the two students who hand made and donated the most hats by the end of November gets taken out with their teacher for a fancy dinner.

Boy, did those hooks fly!!  I was impressed with how willing these students were to donate their time and skills to helping those in need, and I assure you, they were willing to learn way before the promise of the dinner.  I'm so proud of them and I can't wait to see what the new year brings for these bright, young people.

Happy Knitting and Crocheting to you all!  Hope to see all of you soon.

Columbus Day the shop will be open

Hi everybody, just in case you were wondering if we would be open today, we are. I will be here with my little mascot until 5. If no one comes in I will close early so call first. I know it's unexpected so people make other plans but it was a spur of the moment decision. I will have some sale items today only!

MONDAY NIGHT WITH KNITTING WITH BRENDA RETURNS!!

Sheeeeeeee's baaaaack! After spending the last several months getting healthy, losing weight and looking fabulous, Brenda is ready to get her beloved Monday Night Knitting Club back to knitting! She got a lot of requests for a felted project, so that's what she's got in store for you!

SERIAL KNITTER'S YARN TOTE

This awesome bag got the shop's approval the minute we all laid eyes on it!!  It's the perfect bag to carry your latest knitted or crocheted projects in AND look fantastically stylish while you do it!  The added appeal to making a bag like the Serial Knitter's Yarn Tote is that you're done in three classes!  Yup!  Knit, Knit, Felt.....FINITO!!  (See, I'm so excited, I threw a little Italian in there!)

Here is what you need to know:

GUIDELINES FOR SERIAL KNITTER'S YARN TOTE CLASS

1) Class starts on October 1st, which a Monday, of course!

2) Classes are from 6:30 - 8:00 pm.  

3)  You must go to www.ravelry.com to purchase the pattern.  The pattern is five dollars.  Please be fair to the designer and purchase each of your patterns.

4) PLEASE BRING YOUR PATTERN TO CLASS.

5)  The suggested yarn for this pattern is Cascade Ecological Wool or Eco+.  This project takes only one skein.  It might be a good idea to come in ahead of time and purchase your yarn. 

6)  Suggested needles:

                    US Size 11/32 inch circular needle

                    US Size 13/32 inch circlar needle

                    Cable needle

                    Eight (8) stitch markers

7) There is a five dollar fee per class.

That's all there is to it!  There is a sign up sheet on the front counter here at the shop.  If for some reason you can't make it into the shop to sign up, just give us a call, or leave a comment on our facebook page and we will reserve a spot for you!  Remember, seats are limited, so do not dawdle!!

CALLING ALL DESIGNERS!

All right, knitters and crocheters; the fall has cometh and we at Woolworks are presenting you with a challege and we really hope you choose to accept it!

We are calling it the Outstanding Hat Challenge and this is why:
    
We want you to design an outstanding hat that will knock our knitted socks off!  Adult hats, baby hats, fitted hats, floppy hats, fair isled hats, traditional hats, funky hats.......get the idea?  We want hats!!  Let your imagination soar and see what you come up with!  Here's an example of what Jen's nimble fingers created when she put her creativity to the test!

THE BABY CORN HAT

 

Cutest little hat, ever, isn't it?  Have we spiked your interest yet?  Good!  Here are the rules!

 

OFFICIAL RULES FOR THE OUTSTANDING HAT CHALLENGE

 

1) The yarn used for the challenge must be purchased at Woolworks.  You will receive a 10% discount on the yarn purchased for the challenge.

 

2) There are two (2) categories in which you can enter your hat(s): Adult and Children

You are allowed to enter in both categories and you are also encouraged to submit more than one entry.

 

3)  Designs MUST BE ORIGINAL! 

 

4) Pattern must be written out in standard pattern form.  Please include what yarn was used, how much was used, recommended needle size, gauge requirement, and please include detailed explanations for special stitches.  It is important that the pattern is easily understood so that the hat can be recreated.

 

5)  Hats will be judged by your peers- meaning the other lovely people who come into Woolworks because they too are addicted to yarny goodness!

 

6) There will be two (2) winners, one in each category.  Winners will be judged on technical ability, appearance, finish work, fiber choice, and the more original the concept is, the better!

 

7)  Winners will each recieve a $50.00 gift certificate to Woolworks.  Also, the winning design will be featured at Woolworks for the month of November and the pattern will be available for purchase by our customers.  All profits from the pattern for the month of November will go to the designer.  After that, the pattern becomes the property of Woolworks, to distribute as we choose.

 

8) The winners will have the opportunity to teach a class using their hat pattern.  They will recieve 15% of sales for their class.

 

9)  Hats are due in our shop by October 1st, 2012. 

 

10) All votes are due by October 15th, 2012 by 5:00pm.  The winners will be announced here on our blog by midnight.

 

 

OK!  That's it!  Designers.........on your mark............get set.............GO!







Our knitting family

So I've been thinking...I have noticed we have a wonderful group of people that frequent the shop. Anyone who has spent any time the can attest to that. Of late we have had many of our friends starting to be more active, take more control of their health and make better choices. It's so exciting to see everyone supporting each other in so many ways! For instance, our lovely Natasha has become one of the "models for heart health" when she joined the NDDH's Follow The Fifty. There are over 175 women in our area that have taken on the challenge to be more healthy and will be sharing their results in a big red dress gala at the end of the year. We are so proud of what Natasha has accomplished so far, taking on a not so gentle yoga,Zumba,personal trainer, couch to 5k routines and new changes in her diet.It is amazing to see all the wonderful positive and encouraging words and offers of walking and work out partners that she gets. I won't reveal her but there will be a before and after picture later. We also have our good friends Brenda and Don, they have together taken on better health and wellness. Don is a great support for Brenda, being her constant companion,cheerleader and chef. All this support and hard work on her part has paid off, we are so proud of her accomplishments, she looks fabulous! Congratulations on loosing 100 pounds, Brenda! We are so inspired by you! Then we have Kim, also a Follow the Fifty model. She has become mostly pain free from changing her diet. Fibromyalgia is very debilitating and affects every aspect of your life. It's hard to get out of bed never mind exercise. She has worked hard and feels great wearing a few sizes smaller and looking great in her new body! Nice work Kim! Our whole Thursday KnitNite group has transformed in some way. Michelle and Adrienne have been training. Michelle plans on doing the DKH triathalon! You look great Michelle! Lauren has been also doing some 5k's and hanging out with Brenda and Don. I don't want to forget anyone, sorry if I have. I want to thank Dr. Sherry Kroll for her unrelenting efforts to keep us motivated and moving. Not an easy task for a bunch of sit down in the comfy chair knitters. We no longer order cheeseburgers on Thursday nights. The Court House is going to miss us but the ARC will be getting some nice clothes! Keep up the good work ladies. You inspire me.

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY!

The Woolworks Anniversary Sale is finally here!!  The event you have all been waiting for begins on Friday, June 8th and runs all week, ending on Friday, June 15th!!  Everything in the shop is on sale so now is definiely the time to buy, buy, buy!!

Do you have some summer projects in mind and need some yummy cottons to work with? Buy it now!

Have you noticed that your winter stash has diminished and you need to build it back up again?  Buy it now!

Did Hurricane Irene bing a new bundle of joy to your family or your circle of friends and you need to make some cute baby goodies?  Buy it now!!

OK, you get the picture!!  Get here bright and early while the gettin' is really good and make your yarn dreams come true.

If the sale isn't enough of a perk, we will be raffling off one of our very stylish Amy Butler bags, stuffed with fabulous fiber goodness and other little surprises!  Now if that doesn't intice you, we don't know what will!

REMINDER

Don't forget that we are now closed on Sundays for the summer.  This includes Sunday, June 10th.  Also, starting on July 2nd, we will also be closed on Mondays.  We finally decided that we could use some respite time to take in the sun and enjoy our families this summer!  Hope to see you soon!

Happy Knitting and Crocheting to you all!