|
|
|
YOU NEED THE WARMTH OF SOME GREAT WINTER SAVINGS ! ! !
WOOL-TYME Kingston's
6th annual
Midwinter Sweetheart SALE
-Monday Feb 11th to Saturday Feb. 16th
buy 4 balls of any of our regularly priced in-stock yarns
and get a 5th ball for FREE!!!
and
If you bring a friend, you will both get an extra 5% OFF!
Do your bit for the earth, and we'll do ours:
Bring your own bag for your purchases during the MIDWINTER SALE and get a FREE stamp on your Customer Savings Card. | |
NEW YARNS for winter and spring!! 
|
|
BOOKS to read (and knit from) by the February fire.
Finally, it has arrived...a book that teaches female knitters that if they don't want to have their knitted gifts become moth food, they should learn what guys really want (and don't want.) SON OF STITCH 'N BITCH is the latest in Debbie Stoller's ridiculously popular series and it's worth a good look to all who enjoyed the first two books. Beanies, sweaters, mitts, scarves, beer pillows? and best yet, a sensible pattern for an updated version of argyle socks for those of us who don't have 10 months and the patience of Job to make the former style. I was really impressed with the variety and excellent instructions.
We have noticed that never does a customer come in looking for a "really complicated baby pattern". Let's face it, the little ones will grow out of their knitted garments as fast as they can sneeze. EAZY BABY KNITS, clothes and accessories for 1-3years old, is just the thing for new grandmothers or moms-to-be. Classic ideas mesh with trendy colours and styles to create fantastic toys, bonnets, sweaters and blankets. I know that I'll be re-ordering this one often.
 Every yarn shop knows that customers love to make little projects that are unique to their LYS (Local yarn shop) We've had so much enthusiasm for our own store-designed patterns that we had to put them on the net in blog format.
ONE SKEIN WONDERS, 101 Yarn-Shop Favorites, brings these great patterns together in one great book. Mitts, hats, bags, scarves in abundance but the Bamboo Baby pattern on p. 133 (the little pink one on the cover with the buttons on the bias) makes me wish that I had a baby to knit for. |
Here are a few little ideas to make your Valentine's Day more special. The Lion Brand link above offers free knitting-themed designs and e-cards to send to your knitting friends.
|
WHAT'S NEW AT WOOL-TYME Kingston?
No, we're not selling yaks along with the new cotton & bamboo yarns, but we do have some lovely yak, alpaca, and bamboo fibres in natural colours and locally hand dyed. These fibres are prized by needle felters and fibre artists who enjoy blending their textures. Also a great way for those who spin to try out a variety of fibres.
Are you sick of hand made socks that thin out before their time? Try adding a strand of "FLEECY NYLON" 100% nylon thread that can be added to heels and toes to give them more durability. We have 3 basic colours and will be adding more as demand increases. 1500m/spool would cover the feet in about 8 pairs of socks, all for just $5.99.
Knitters everywhere: REJOICE! My very favourite needles are now available at the store in a whole new range of sizes. The Addi Turbo circular LACE needles are now in-stock in sizes up to 5.5mm, making them suitable for almost all of your everyday knitting needs. They truly are the best there is for their beautiful finish and the slender points on the ends that make grasping stitches of the finest lace weight yarn or of a good sturdy Aran wool a pure pleasure.
You may have noticed that the MERMAID yarn mentioned above contains "seacell". To broaden your knowledge, Seacell is a fabric made out of Lyocell (a 100% wood pulp fiber) and seaweed according to Treehugger.com.
Although not exactly new,  I just wanted to remind people of the LoRan Line Magnifier. I'm in the middle of a graph pattern and was glad that I had come across my line magnifier at home. It gently magnifies and identifies the line that you are working from in a chart. It's okay by itself if you have a flat table and no one to disturb your work but it's even more handy when used with the LoRan Magnet board to keep everything in place.
And although it would be fun to have them around, we can't welcome the  sheep at right from Topsy Farms on Amherst Island, but we do have their fleece roving in a great selection of glorious colours as another way to enhance your thrumming pleasure or for needle felting. |
 Sirdar introduces ECO WOOLECO WOOL is a DK weight, 100% undyed wool that comes in 5 natural colours and brings simple lamb's wool to a whole new level. And better still is their BOOK 336 shown above. Despite the collection of exquisite hats shown here, this book is also one of the finest collections of adult DK sweaters that I've ever seen. I would knit and/or wear every single item in it!
We plan on having lots of this yarn and it's accompanying book on hand. Don't miss it. |
Time to clean out the old to bring in the new... This Valentine's Day PROJECT LINUS needs your heart, your yarn and your money!!!
During our 6th Annual MIDWINTER Sale at the WOOL-TYME Kingston store, we will be collecting for PROJECT LINUS who makes and distributes comfort "blankies" to kids who are going through a difficult time in their lives.
They need new handmade, washable blankets -any size, any style.
They can also use your unwanted yarn (preferably washable worsted or sporweight.)
And always appreciated is your cash to provide crafters who have the time but not the supplies to create these beautiful blankets:
-$5. will purchase the materials for a baby blanket and $10 will provide a blanket for an older child who needs the comfort of a handmade blanket.
Warm your heart and theirs with a donation this month. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Knit this glorious jacket in February and SAVE!
If we could, we would knit up sample garments for every yarn in the store but this pattern for Patons RUMOR demanded to be shown off. Come in and see it in real life.
Now you can make it too -SAVE 15% this month when you buy the materials to make this car coat in Patons wonderful new yarn: RUMOR. |
|
 FEBRUARY 29TH, 2008 IS WORLD KNITTING/CRAFTING DAY...
AS DECLARED BY MEMBERS OF Stitchlinks, a global friendship network researching the therapeutic benefits of knitting and stitching.
I'll be spending the day with my family on Feb. 29th as we will be celebrating my Dad's 80th birthday. And I plan to knit through as much of it as I can in solidarity with the many others who will be doing the same thing, and to honour my Dad who still wears the vest that I knit for him 25 years ago from yarn that I bought at the Safeway Grocery store in Duncan B.C.
WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING OF FEBRUARY 29th to recognize the importance of knitting and stitching in your life? Email your thoughts
and plans to betsan@stitchlinks.com to let them know that we're with them too. |
What we're hearing from you.
One of the great things about an e-newsletter is that it's speedy to send out and is not too binding in what can be incorporated. SO...we're happy to add suggestions, ideas, and discoveries that come from you our customers. Please send us your blog addresses, thoughts, suggestions, anything so that we can share it with the rest of the WOOL-TYME Kingston community.
Here are 2 links from Deb to sites that offer great free patterns: Tread Lightly Herbals have 3 patterns that she finds "interesting and challenging". Hello Yarn is another great one, which features a top-down baby hat and a pair of squirrel mittens.
And speaking of FREE patterns, click on this Scandinavian cutie above to find a great selectiton of better than average free pattern from the Garnstudio website. |
 Spring is on it's way...
The Spring Schedule of classes and workshops at WOOL-TYME Kingston will be out before Feb. 15th so be sure to pick up your copy at the store or Link here to our blog after that date for more information.
But I wanted to let you know that there are still a few spots left for :
- The finishing class in Traditional Rug Hooking on Sat. Feb 23rd,
-The Drop Spindle for Beginners class on Sat. March 29th,
- An introduction to the Knitter's Loom with Roberta McKinney on Saturday, March 15th.
Click on the Link above for more information (under Coming Events) for these classes.
|
 ALPACA BITS...In the most recent edition of VOGUE KNITTING MAGAZINE, they featured a great section on alpacas, complete with patterns and descriptions of a good selection of alpaca yarns. What I liked most was the information that they shared with us...
"Andean mythology associates the alpaca with the godess Pachamana, the Earth Mother. According to legend, she lent alpacas to the Quechua, the indegenous people of the Andes, under the condition that the animals be well fed and cared for or she would call them back."
Only 10% of commercially produced alpaca yarn comes from Suri alpaca whose long, ultra-soft fibre hangs down in curly ringlets along their body, resembling dreadlocks.
Because it contains no lanolin, it's hypoallergenic but it is a treat to moths, so must be protected in the off season. | |
WOOL-TYME Kingston Newsletter
