WOOL-TYME KingstonWOOL-TYME Kingston Newsletter
725 Gardiners Rd, Kingston ON
for further information about products or to place an order - Call or e-mail us at
613-384-3951        [email protected]
September 2008
THE E-NEWSLETTER THAT KNITS US TOGETHER.
                                                      
12th birthdayIT'S OUR 12TH BIRTHDAY!!! 
It's hard to imagine that this month  we'll be celebrating 12 years in business. Yet my youngest daughter, who had just started Grade 1 when the store opened, is now at University to begin the next phase of her life. So I guess that it is true, and the calendar isn't playing tricks on me.
It's been a great 12 years with terrific customers/friends who come through our door daily, and chock full of wonderful yarns, projects, books and activities that we've enjoyed together.
To celebrate our decade+2 together, please print out the coupon at right and bring it in to the store to save on your favourite yarns or use it to try out some of the new and glorious fibres arriving daily through our door.
Anne 
What's new for fall?
SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS. 
Paton's Stretch Socks
Since Paton's introduced their STRETCH SOCK yarn last year, we've been getting questions and requests from customers. We tried it and we liked it. And now we carry all 7 colours in this great sock yarn blending cotton, wool, nylon and elastic for a comfortable, resillient sock.
 
Malibrigo Sock YarnHave you ever seen a sock yarn that actually makes you stand in awe of it's beauty? If not, then you have not yet met Malibrigo SOCK YARN. We have a few colours in now and will be ordering more according to customer request as the season progresses. Link to the colour chart and put your vote in for the most scrumptious colours that you would like to try. 
 
Silk Garden Okay, so I don't know everything!   After explaining last month that SILK GARDEN Lite from NORO was the greatest thing since the invention of the sock for keeping feet beautiful, I find out that there is in fact a new SILK GARDEN sock yarn with resilient nylon of similar weight as their KUREYON sock yarn. IN STOCK NOW IN ALL AVAILABLE COLOURS! 
 
  Other yarns on their way over the next few weeks are a laceweight cashmere, a chunky baby camel yarn, lots of eco friendly wools and blends in gorgeous natural colours.  
So pop in a few times in the coming weeks and see what's been delivered. 
cabin feverHate to sew???
Cabin Fever sisters, Deb & Linda Gemmell, have made a name for themselves designing great fitting knitted garments that are made in one piece, with little or no sewing required. The newest additions to their book collection are BABY "V" where they offer a wonderful array of cardigan patterns for premies to 18 month olds, and...  
cabin fever
BUTTON UP YOUR TOP DOWN, in which adults get the seamless cardigan treatment. Even for those who don't mind sewing their knitted pieces together, these books offer a creative way of piecing work and learning about the structure of knitted fabrics.
 
 Cabin Fever Cotton TweedAnd just because we're on the back end of the nice weather it's no reason to forget Cabin Fever's COTTON TWEED DK, which blends cotton and acrylic in an easy care tweedy effect that has been selling like hotcakes. We're sure to be carrying a good stock all winter.
JO SHARP for autumn
Jo Sharp GATHERINGJo Sharp is one of Australia's national treasures. Her knitting designs have caught my eye from the first time I saw them. She has just put out 2 new books: GATHERING and HOME.
GATHERING is a lovely collection with something for everyone - classic sweaters with cables or fairisle detail, kids hats, intricate intarsia designs. Whatever your mood, skill level and taste.
HOME, as the name suggests, is a grouping of patterns for projects generally destined to wrap and comfort you: Afghans, socks, pillows, even a hot water bottle cover. Again it's Jo's attention to detail and recognizing that knitters can appreciate a variety of simple and creatively challenging projects all in the same book. I also love the attention to colour detail that they offer in several projects like the ROSEUM pillow, showing the same flower design in a 2 tone negative style and a more conventional green leaf/ purple flower on white background version. It's amazing what you can learn from looking at options.
These are both books which are rich in detail and design power. Don't miss looking at them.
COMING KNITrug hookingTING EVENTS  at home and away. 
RUG HOOKING for beginners
 For fibre fans who are looking for other ways to feed their love of materials: Learn the wonderful traditional craft of hooking decorative rugs with wool. A full introduction to techniques and a sample project for you to bring home and complete are part of this day.
TEACHER: Rhonda Kellett
WHEN: Sat. Sept 27th 1-4pm
WHERE: At the WOOL-TYME Kingston store
COST: $45. for class + $45 material kit.
 
Lace knitting
LACE KNITTING Introduction
In an interesting turn of the tides, lace knitting has become extremely popular in recent years. In fact 4 of this fall's new yarns in our line-up at WOOL-TYME Kingston are considered lace weight. Although one of the most challenging, it's also one of the most rewarding forms of knitting and it is well within the capabilities of most knitters. Learn to read directions from written instructions and chart symbols, and work on a lace edging that will whet your appetite for more.    
TEACHER: Deb White
WHEN: Sat. Oct 4th, 1-4pm
WHERE: At the WOOL-TYME Kingston store.
COST: $45. A small material list will be provided upon registration.
 
Yarn HarlotCalling all fans of the Yarn Harlot: Here is the perfect excuse to take a little jaunt over the big pond to Britain for I Knit Day 060908 at the Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre in London England on Sept 6th from 11am-7pm. Isn't she a lucky girl. We're so proud of our many succesful Canadian Knitters. Way to go Steph!
 
 And for those of you who are proud to call yourselves "Spinsters":  The Gathering
WHEN: Last weekend in September 
WHERE: Academy of Spinsters, Encampment, Wyoming, USA
More info: http://www.thesheepshedstudio.com/Academyofspinsters.html
Elizabeth Zimmerman in September

 EZ Nether garmentsEZ would be so proud of me, or at least I would like to think so.
Here's the deal. I've been sharing bits of her Knitter's Almanac with you in each of these monthly newsletters. But since the last one, I've bought a new printer which scans very well, but refuses to divulge the secrets of "cropping" to me. So after a good hour of frustration and interesting language, both muttered and screamed, I decided to approach it from a different tack (as EZ probabaly would) and go on line to look for a picture of her September project: "Nether garments". I actually found the original picture from the book but it wasn't in a format that this program would recognize. So I continued...and found this site: A Bluestocking Knits where it appears that this knitter had been working her way through the Almanac but in a much more hands on manner than I would have the time to do.
 
This is a picture of leg #1 of a pair of tights, which are described meticulously in September's chapter of A Knitter's Almanac. The blogger said that she had hoped to wear them to yoga but found nothing very meditative about the color arrangement. That being said, this is what she has to say about the design:
  
 "...the garment itself is very comfortable so far.  It looks a bit bulgy at the top, but that's from the circular needles pulling it in...  It fits my leg perfectly, of course, being made to measure, and with Elizabeth's careful planning and simple formulas it all went together without a hitch."
But of course, I say. With Elizabeth's expert guidance, who can miss (especially knitters who have the time, patience and courage to knit custom fit tights?) 
dress down dayOctober is breast cancer awareness month 
Dress Down Day is an annual event held on the first Friday in October to celebrate breast cancer awareness month.
To participate in this event, the staff at WOOL-TYME Kingston will be wearing our dress-down comfy knits and donating 15% of sales for that day to the Breast Cancer Action Kingston, for their wonderful "Knit a square" campaign to make blankets for patients receiving chemo at KGH.
We will also be accepting donations all day and selling pink cupcakes to aid in the event so please mark your calendars and plan to join us.
birthday cake
Come celebrate our 12th Birthday with us.
For the month of September you get to save:
For every  DOZEN BUCKS you spend - get a LOONIE BACK
 
ON YOU ORDER.
 
Just print and fill out this coupon and bring it into the store during the month of September.
Name:_______________
 
e-mail:_______________
 
_____________________
 
1 coupon per customer. Not to be combined with any other promotion.
 
intarsia knitting
 FALL SCHEDULE OF Classes
& WORKSHOPS
 
There's still time to register for most of our great selection of workshops and classes.
Lace knitting, socks, bead knitting,  drop-spindle, rug hooking, and colour knitting, all are included in our list of fall happenings.
See the "COMING EVENTS" section of this newsletter for a further description of the earliest classes or
CLick here to link to the list on the blog, or email us at [email protected] for a pdf version. Or pick up a paper copy at the store. Sign up soon as many of these classes will fill up quickly.
 
Hugh Ewe
MEET Hugh Ewe
This little guy and his pals were a big seller for us in our booth at  this year's SHEEP DOG TRIALS. We have a lovely selection of stuffed lambs and also x-stitch all occasion cards for the sheep fan in your life.
knitting on the net           
KNITTING ON THE NET
 The TWIST COLLECTIVE
"The idea of Twist Collective came from our shared desire to bring talented designers and writers together, to give them a beautiful showcase for their work, and pay them fairly." 
From this ideal was born a wonderful on-line knitting magazine, which is creative, innovative, beautiful and Canadian (to the extent that an on-line magazine can be of a nation.)
Reach them at www.twistcollective.com or click on Harry Houdini below for an example of one of their truly interesting patterns.
 
houdini"The inserted heel sock is probably the oldest and simplest of all sock architectures. For centuries, individuals have knit a tube with a toe at one end, then snipped a stitch and unraveled sideways to open a space to knit the missing heel."
 The HOUDINI SOCKS by Cat Bordhi offer a new way of looking at this  fascinating sock structure. Download the pattern for free, it's worth a browse.
THANKS TO LOUISE for bringing these socks to our attention. 
WONDER WOMAN 
 Alright Ladies!
If you get started now, you'll just about have enough time to knit this costume for Halloween.
Visit chris_wass  on line for details about how she achieved this knitting Wonder Feat.
Thanks to Janette for finding this.
 
Do you come across interesting knitting/fibre tidbits while web surfing?
Pass them on to me at [email protected] and I'll be glad to share them with our readers.
DID YOU KNOW...?
knitted heart
 
...that just as it's traditional to celebrate the first wedding anniversary with a gift of paper, and the 25th anniversary is "silver", and the 40th is "ruby", the 7th anniversary is WOOL!
 Hooray for all knitters who have been married 7 years or more - perhaps you can finagle a retroactive anniversary present with this information!!!
-Thanks to Danielle for this important piece of information. 
Reversible cable scarf.
  
 reversible cable scarfI once knit a beautiful cabled scarf for myself and felt compelled to turn it constantly so that the world could see the "nice side". That experience was disappointing and made me more choosy about my cabled projects. Now, decades later, I've learned the Reversible Cable technique and am thrilled to pass it on.
 Many of you saw me knitting this scarf earlier in the summer and were as intrigued as I was with how beautiful it was. Well here is the pattern, all ready for you to try it for yourselves.
Click here to find it and all of our other free patterns at http://www.wtkpatterns.blogspot.com
 
 
Click here for WOOL-TYME Kingston's ever popular website of free patterns