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HAPPY 2009 TO ALL OF YOU!
And seriously, what would they have to pay you to pose for such a picture as this?
I believe that 2009 should be the year when we begin a movement to ban all the pictures and stories from the internet that perpetuate knitting's outdated image of the outrageously unfashionable (as in this picture here), the pseudo silly or the frumpy as suggested in the representation below of St Chenille Velour, Our Lady of the frumpy Christmas sweater.
But to be honest about it, we can get a good laugh from any of these ludicrous things that can be dug up from cyberspace, and perhaps they even give us a chance to reflect with a touch of fondness on times when we too have been subjected to Mrs Weasley style Christmas sweaters, or when we may have thought that a knitted dress was just the coolest thing in our closet.
May 2009 bring you many happy giggles at your memories, your mishaps and your knitting misdemeanors. May your joys be abundant and your burdens insignificant, and may you "knit on with confidence and hope through all crises" in the wise words of Elizabeth Zimmerman. |
 New Year, New Yarns!
On the heels of the ridiculously wonderful success of Cascade Yarns "220" wool, we are thrilled to present "LUNA" a wonderful aran weight cotton that is just the thing for year-round sweaters, especially for those ladies who have their own internal furnace.
Don't miss this month's opportunity to save 15% on LUNA with our featured pattern of the month promotion.
 How could this digital reproduction of a shade card possibly convey the beauty of Estelle's new "painted colours" in their CADENZA yarn. A wool and silk blend that is strong enough for gorgeous socks and yet has the body for a light DK garment, I've fallen in love with each of these gorgeous new colourways.  And equally beautiful is the new family of painted colours in AREQUIPA fine 4ply blend of alpaca, wool and nylon.
WOOL-TYME Kingston's newest addition to our line of glorious natural fibres is Fibra Natura's OAK, a rich DK weight yarn of merino wool, linen and silk that is just the thing for a bold man's pullover or a blazer style jacket for women. Don't forget, January is the month when you get to indulge your knitting pleasures, and don't you deserve the best? |
MANOS del URUGUAY BOOKS
We've just received a great selection of new books from Manos del Uruguay, including Book #9 (at the right), and their newest,  METROPOLITAN DIARY, featuring this swirl jacket and over a dozen other sweaters and accessories.
This jacket shows how the designers at Manos have brought their creativity and style to define this new age of knitting. |
RUG HOOKING DESIGNS  In addition to our other traditional rug hooking products offered at WOOL-TYME Kingston, we're so pleased to have a wonderful selection of designs drawn on high grade Scottish burlap, to help you make your entrance into the world of rug hooking seem much less daunting.
And if traditional rug hooking is something that interests you, don't miss out on being introduced to this rich craft by one of the best: Rhonda Kellett is offering a beginners' class at the store on Saturday, Feb. 14th. Sign up soon as there is often a waiting list for this class. |
These are the classes scheduled for the month of January, but please link here to see the complete list of up-coming events right through until April. Register soon as classes can fill quickly. Saturday, Jan. 17th:  Learn to make a SOCK-IN-A-DAY
Go through all of the step in knitting a sock in just one day. Also great for sock knitters who want to learn to adapt to any yarn/ foot size.
 Saturday, Jan. 31st Embellishing your Knitting with Deb WhiteAnyone can take knitted or crafted project and turn it into a work of art. Embroidery, needle felting, borders, finishing touches are all covered in this wonderful class that lets you explore the artist within.
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 Thrumming all the way! Some knitting trends come and go, but since the store opened over 12 years ago thrum mitts and other thrummed knitting accessories have been as popular as ever. This is a picture of the thrum mitts made by one of our customers for her gradchildren this Christmas. The bits of colour that you can see are tufts of unspun fleece that are worked into a sequence of stitches which lie fluffed up on the inside of the mitten, creating a soft layer of warmth.
Traditionally the "thrums" are in the natural sheep's white but many of our customers have discovered the beauty of our multicoloured dyed roving to add a bit of pizzazz to their thrumming. Link here to the WOOL-TYME Nepean store's web site and look up your free pattern for mitts on 2 needles or come into our store and ask for your copy of our free patterns for mitts on 4 needles, thrum hat, boot slippers and slipper socks all using the thrumming method. Patterns are free with project purchase.
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Knitting tip of the month:
 Does this diagram make you go cross eyed? Over and over I hear people complaining that although they have had success in working an invisible "kitchener stitch" at the toe of a sock in the past, it's so darn confusing to decipher the instructions that they have pretty much given up on using it. Well from the war years comes a little ditty that might help:
For the front needle: "As if to knit, take off
As if to purl, leave on."
For the back needle: "As if to purl, take off
As if to knit, leave on."
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KNITTING ON THE NET
WOMEN 4 WOMEN -
KNITTING 4 PEACE
is a non-profit network of individuals dedicated to crafting peace one simple stitch at a time by creating Peace Shawls for women, and knit toys for children, in areas of conflict around the world. For more information, link to women 4 women - knitting 4 peace
e-HOW
I'm always baffled by the unbelievable volume of "stuff" out there in cyberspace, much of which can be found on eHow, a site dedicated to teaching how to do just about everything including How to host a knitting party. Sounds like fun! | |
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It's time to treat yourself by making JANUARY'S FEATURED PATTERN
Estelle Designs has made it a priority to develop lovely patterns that show off their yarns and make these patterns available to all of their customers for FREE. This month we are applauding their creative generosity by offering 15% off when you buy the materials to make any of these sweaters in Estelle's CLOUD (organic) COTTON or Cascade's LUNA COTTON. A great way to start your spring knitting with any of these wonderfully wearable sweaters.
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NEEDLE FELTING
In the past year, the rise in interest in needle felting has been astounding. Because it's so easy and allows for creative expression, no matter how "uncreative" you may think that you are, it's the perfect medium for embellishing an infinite number of craft projects. Come into the store and see our felted tea cozy which uses this simple technique and watch a demonstration on youtube to see how simple it can be for adults and children alike.
Link to youtube demo |
ATTENTION DIABETICS
SHEEP'S FLEECE FOR FOOT CARE
Who knew that a knitting store would become a main supplier to the medical industry?
Responding to requests from customers and foot care specialists, we have been able to make available soft pure undyed wool fleece batting in affordable and reasonable quantities for those who require the natural cushioning of the beautiful product for foot care. |
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KNITTING IN JAPAN 
I wonder how many of you know that there has been a long and rich tradition of knitting in Japan, and they, along with the French in the 1970's & '80's, were leaders in bringing knitting into the world of high fashion.
Well for any of you who are travelling to Japan in the near future and feel that you'd like to search out some knitting buddies, here are a few important words to add to you portable dictionary:
- knitting=amimono
- Is there a yarn store nearby?=Gokinjo ni keito ya amimonono omise ga arimasuka?
- yarn=keito
and interestingly enough the words: pattern, buttons, ribbon and beads translate as pataan, botan, ribon, biizu respectively.
Sayonara! | |
WOOL-TYME Kingston Newsletter
