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!



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!

IT'S SUPER, WE HAVE A BOWL....AND IT'S ON SUNDAY!

In order to do things in the proper way, we have decided to call our annual sale our Super Sunday Sale!  We don't want to step on anyone's toes, you know!  But you've guessed it.  It's that time of year again! 

EVERYTHING IN OUR SHOP IS ON SALE!! 

This is our way of saying thank you to all of our amazing patrons, and great time for knitters and crocheters of all ages and skill levels to get some yarn, pick a project, and go, go, go!

The game plan is simple! All you have to do is pick a football from the bowl on our front counter at time of checkout, and crack it open to see what your savings will be for the day! It doesn't get any easier than that! You can get anywhere from 20 to 50% off! Now's the time to peruse your patterns, books, magazines and favorite websites and plan your next few projects.

Just to entice you further, we have some new Jojoland that works up like a dream!  Look at how sweet little Eveline looks in the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket that Jen whipped up in one weekend!

Simply adorable!

So, here it is one more time:

WHAT: SUPER SUNDAY SALE

WHEN: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

TIME: 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM

DO NOT MISS THIS FUN, FUN, TIME!  SEE YOU THEN!

Spinning!

Spinning, spinning, spinning, just keep spinning spinning spinning! Like little Nemo and his friends we just keep going. We love spinning. We have a new group meeting at the Belding Mill on Providence St. in Putnam, Ct. home of the Fibers 4 Eve Mill. Liz Conway, owner of  Fibers 4 Ewe has graciously invited anyone who wants to spin, to the conference room in the mill every other Sunday. We meet around 5:30 til 7 ish. Anyone is welcome, no level of experience neccessary as long as you have your own wheel or drop spindle. We can assist with some teaching though we mostly like to enjoy the time to spin ourselves since it's usually the only time we can do it.We talk about fiber, spinning techniques, plying techniques, laugh, and sometimes we have a snack. Baked goods are always welcome! We do go on field trips down the hall to the mill to pick out our next fiber to feed to our trusty wheels. We would love to welcome anyone else who is interested. We are meeting next on Sunday the 28 of January. Hope to see you there!

I guess it's really winter...sort of.

Well 50 degree days and no snow are not quite what we think of here in New England as normal for January. I guess we should be happy but there is something about snow that makes me want to knit. I have seen a little decline, after Christmas, in my urges to create. I have a feeling it might be more common than just with me. I am in a funk. Are you? Don't get me wrong, I love 50 degree days, I love not spending my entire paycheck on oil or snow removal but hey, my season is 'cold season'. We need cold to keep knitters and crocheters inspired to create those toasty warm items for their loved ones. We need to have those lovely warm socks and cowls and even big cozy sweaters! We here at  Woolworks we will continue to inspire your creativity with the wonderful selection of fibers and patterns even if mother nature in not cooperating. Though I feel as though I  am not producing anything, I have a few things to show you...
    Here on the right is the lovely 'Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos.
I found the pattern in a booth at the Vermont Sheep
and wool. The yarn is from Dirty Water Dye
works, a very nice silk and wool blend. The pattern is available from www.nevernotknitting.com.
Loved it so much I made two. The second in 100% silk from Blue Ridge Yarns. It was so nice to work with.
    If you want to try something new like the leaf edging on this shawl, I would encourage you. It is great fun. I get many compliments on this, I wear it as a scarf.