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 Believe! The true gift that we receive at this time of year is the opportunity to rise from our normal routines and make way for each other. No matter what you believe in, celebrate it with joy and gusto - and with each other. (I, for my part, think that it's not such a bad idea to believe that Santa's sleigh is led by a flying sheep. Why not?)
OUR VERY BEST WISHES TO YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY,
From Anne, Jan, Janette, Maureen, Hillary and Alana at  |
 
It's beginning to look a lot like
CRAFTING
Also, on my last trip to Starbuck's at Chapters, I noticed that this year's Christmas decorations featured a lovely selection of ornaments wrapped with green yarn to look like balls of wool. How comforting, and a great inspiration for those who might be considering returning to or joining the wonderfully supportive fold of knitters that exists here in Kingston.
It's a great message to give to society at large at this time of year: Crafting is good for the soul! |
QUICK IDEAS for Christmas giving:
-Behold this relatively boring looking ball of yarn! But if you look closely you will notice the words Seta/Cashmere, which is Lana Grossa's most luxurious sock yarn, and there's still time to give yourself the pleasure of knitting a glorious pair of socks in this luxury yarn, (especially if you double it to create a DK sock that will keep any feet cozy and warm.)
Felted Mittens or felted anything for that matter, is one of the quickest and most appreciated hand made gifts. And with a bit of fleece and a needle you too can customize your mitts with any design you can imagine. FREE FELTED MITTEN PATTERN available with yarn purchase.
For those of you who haven't been in to the store lately, you'll be amazed at the wonderful selection of fashion yarns on special. Let us help you pair them to create you're own personally designed scarf to suit every personality on you gift list.
For your pet-loving friends, here is a link to a whole selection of free patterns for gifts for Poochie. (Dog sweaters don't have sleeves = less to knit with twice the fun). Finally, there's nothing like a dishcloth to make your friends and family appreciate you every time they use it. We have a great selection of colours for every decor and this FREE pattern too. |
NEW BOOKS AT
Kingston
I probably don't have to tell you much about the most awaited lace knitting book, as we've been getting calls since September from knitters anxiously awaiting the arrival of Nancy Bush's KNITTED LACE OF ESTONIA. But I will tell you that we now have a good supply in and fans of lace knitting should feel free to put it on their wish list for Santa. BONUS - but just until Dec. 11th. Link here to download your own copy of Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace Scarf for FREE from Knitting Daily e-zine.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: It's never too early to plan for the .jpg) 2010 (Knitting) OLYMPICS, and Dale of Norway has just the thing for you Nordic Fairisle fans: The Commemorative Collection BOOK #8501, features 5 new designs for men and women to celebrate the beauty of our Canadian symbols. The Whistler, The Lake Louise, Notre Dame, Mt Robson & Le Massif are photographed in different colourways to help in visualizing the beauty of these models.
Jane Ellison celebrates the opening of the Mirasol Centre dedicated to the education of the children of shepherds in a remote area of Peru with her first children's collection of patterns (Mirasol BOOK 4) featuring 14 garment and 4 accessories for children from 1-18 years old. Beautifully photographed and thoughtfully designed, each of these projects is worth your time and effort.
In the month of November, at WOOL-TYME Kingston we featured our wonderful selection of eco friendly animal fibre yarns and to continue in that vein, we're so please to have the latest Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton EARTHWORKS collection. Designed in pure wools, cashmere, organic cotton, baby camel and baby alpaca, these patterns work beautifully with the natural colours of the fibres. |
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR KNITTERS & CRAFTERS
Based on Santa's requests in previous years, we have brought in a good selection of the most asked for Christmas gifts for knitters and other crafters, including: Full spectrum table and floor lamps, knitting baskets and stands, jeweled stitch markers, shawl pins, gifts sets of needles and crochet hooks, sewing boxes, sheep themed gifts including beautiful x-stitch Christmas cards, Learn-to-Knit kits for children and adults, and a wonderful selection of instructional books for all levels and interests. Best Selling Books to give(yourself or knitting friends):
 Get it while you can! The Yarn Harlot's latest book is a hot one, but we do have a few copies left. FREE RANGE KNITTER, although I have not yet read all of it, has the potential of becoming my favourite Harlot book as Stephanie is doing what she does best...she writes stories, not patterns, or designs, or tips, but stories. And this collection of stories is about knitters, my favourite kind of people. Get a copy for your best knitting friend, then read it before you have to hand it over at Christmas. (Then buy yourself one with the gift certificate that Santa is bringing you). 
DIVAS DON'T KNIT is a novel about Jo Mackenzie who is newly widowed with two sons and a perilous bank balance who must leave London to take over her grandmother's wool shop. A great Holiday read! |
THERE'S STILL TIME TO PICK UP
 Andy Fund Christmas Cards
Send a little bit of Kingston to friends and family in another city. Please support the Andy Fund Christmas Card Campaign by purchasing these beautiful cards at WOOL-TYME Kingston. |
 KNITTING ON THE NET I don't get nearly the time that I would like to dawdle on the internet to see what the rest of the knitting world is up to, but sometimes, cyberspace comes knocking at my (gmail) door and
I'm smart enough not to delete it by reflex action. This was the case with an email message that I received from KNITTING IN STYLE, which describes itself as an on-line knitting newsletter, written and produced by Caroline Block from Colorado.
I still don't know what posessed me to actually put out $15 to subscribe to this "newsletter" but something in her presentation must have caught my eye. And Fellow Knitters, this piece of information is my Holiday Gift to you. It is truly a fabulous publication and worth every penny of the subscription price for the 6 editions/year.
Her editorials are insightful, looking closely at the fashion community and society in general to connect knitters with the "non-Muggles" (to quote the Harlot).
But what I find most appealing is that she seems to be willing to do the scouring of the internet for me to find an amazing collection of podcast interviews, tricks (how to line a knitted hat with Polarfleece), tips, articles, and the most amazing collection of free patterns you can imagine from a knitted snowflake pattern by Norah Gaughan, to the hottest trend: the Slouch Hat (see article in this newsletter), to an amazing "Braided Cable Scarf" that looks so easy and fun that I can't wait to try it.
Truly, if you would rather be knitting than surfing the net for interesting things to read about knitting, but still don't want to miss out on what the great community of knitters out there are doing, KNITTING IN STYLE is exactly where you want to go to get your information. |
 JO SHARP FOR A SONG!!! (or nearly)Alright, customers of WOOL-TYME Kingston, here's a little treat just for you.
Jo Sharp is one of the planets most beautiful knitwear designers, and we have just purchased a good quantity of her most recent books at a great price, and are able to let you have them at just $4.99 ea. (regular $19.99). Now that's a deal that even Mr Scrooge would be proud of! Get them while supplies last. | |
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WE WANT TO SHARE
YOUR GIFTS!!
To show our appreciation for all that the fibre world has done for us, WOOL-TYME Kingston is pledging 10% of all gift certificates sold during the month of December to the fibre-livelihood projects offered through the Gifts of Hope at Plan Canada.These projects include sponsoring the purchase of goats in Bangladesh where their milk will provide nourishment and a stable source of income for families, and Weaving in Peru, where our gift will help equip a craftsperson with the knowledge and resources needed to start selling traditional alpaca wool and woven handicrafts.
When making out your Christmas wish list this year, let Santa know that a gift certificate from WOOL-TYME Kingston is a great idea for you, and for others dependant on fibre producing animals around the world.
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SATURDAY
WEEKLY KNIT & CHAT in December at
- Are you afraid that there just won't be enough knitting alone time to get all of your projects done before Christmas?
- Looking for an excuse to get out of the house for some quiet knitting with others?
- Need a bit of help and/or suggestions from other knitters?
Why not join us on Dec. 6th, 13th and 20th from 1-4pm for some quiet time to make some real headway towards your Christmas knitting goals, or just to relax and enjoy the season with others. |
 When FREE really is a bargain!
For many years, as the internet was in its infancy, I was very concerned about refering customers to "free" on-line patterns as they were often worth exactly what you paid for them. Then yarn producers and manufacturers started understanding the value of absorbing the cost and offering reliable and beautiful downloadable patterns that their customers would want to work with.
Misti Alpaca has a great selection of such patterns at their site: www.mistialpaca.com, including the pattern for socks for the whole family, offering a mock cable rib for the kids, an eyelet lacy rib for the ladies, and a regular rib for the guys. (although I'm sure that you can interchange the cuffs for each of the sizes.) Knit on 2.25 dp needles for a firmer fabric that helps the socks last longer, the pattern also offers a wonderful selection of very specific sizes for every foot from size 6 children's to size 11.5 men's. Try it ! |
"There is a great hunger in our culture right now for meaning, for things that connect us with the world and other people, things that nurture the soul. Knitting is one way of taking time to appreciate life, to find that meaning, and make those connections."
Bernadette Murphy
"Zen and the Art of Knitting." |
 FASHION NEWS FLASH!!THE SLOUCH HAT IS THIS YEAR'S HOTTEST KNITTED FASHION ACCESSORY.
And at WOOL-TYME Kingston, we have everything that you need to create these beautiful designer statements. Come and see our ribbed beret in light weight Eco Wool DK, and a cabled one in cozy Aran weight HOMESTEAD, pure eco friendly wool. Don't be left behind. Get your pattern today (and you'll probably be able to whip up a couple before the holidays for your fashion conscious friends and family.) | |
Kingston Newsletter
NEW YARNS: 
Again, don't let the mild mannered, classic look of ALFA from SandnesGarn fool you. This gorgeous chunky blend of 85% wool and 15% mohair offers the softness without the fuzz, and turns the most simple pullover into a work of caressable beauty. 
of MARBLE DK yarn will be thrilled to discover a similarly beautiful product in NORTHERN CHUNKY from SRK. The fine quality of this new family yarn again proves that not all acrylics are created equal. With its gentle striping effect, you will want to make every one of the patterns in BOOK 414 including this man's cabled pullover, 2 ladies' sweaters and a great little hoodie for the kids. You'll also love the 200g big ball format and the colour range.
