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725 Gardiners Rd, Kingston ON                     613-384-3951 

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December 2010
The newsletter that knits us together.

WARMEST WISHES TO ALL! Giant knitted rug

As the days here get shorter and colder, I went looking for a few cozy quick knit projects for last minute gifts. Does this giant knitted rug not just suit our need?

 

 Unfortunately for those who want to whip one up for the Holidays, it's part of an original art display by Christien Meindertsma.

 

But discovering Christien's work on the internet in a 2 minute Google search leads me to the other theme that has been going around in my head: how via the internet we make alliances that can so easily be translated to the real world. In the past month or so I've had visits at the store from newsletter subscribers from Britain and Mobile, Alabama. The members of the WOOL-TYME Kingston Ravelry Group include friends from across Canada, in Hong Kong, the US, and Brazil. We have subscribers to the WOOL-TYME Kingston newsletter on all continents, and according to the counter on the blog, we're nearly up to  20 000 hits in less than 3 months.

 

To strengthen the virtual fibre bonds that bind us and encourage those who live afar but who would like to be more part of the WOOL-TYME Kingston knitting community, we are offering a way to participate on-line with our first ever Knit-Along (see below). And in this newsletter there is also a link to the pattern that probably represent the WOOL-TYME Kingston store most around the world: The Diagonal Scarf.

 

 To all of you, whether you live in Kingston's suburban Bayridge (which is where the WOOL-TYME Kingston store is located) or in South Africa, New Zealand, Holland, Florida or Calgary, our warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas and/or Holiday season.

 February Lady SweaterCOME KNIT WITH US

Isn't this the loveliest sweater? It's described by the pattern's adapter, Pam Wynne   as "A swingy lace cardigan, made to fit a grown-ass woman, lovingly based on Elizabeth Zimmermann's classic "Baby Sweater on Two Needles," from Knitter's Almanac". 

  

This could very well be the most popular knitted sweater of the decade, with 9915 versions of this project listed on Ravelry alone. With printed sizes ranging from size 32 to 52 inches, it is truly a design made to flatter and fit all women, with the added feature that it is also adaptable to pregnant tummies.  

  The knitter of the version pictured here, writing at earthchicknits says this: "Could I love this sweater any more than I already do? No, I could not. It is perfect. A perfect knit, a perfect finished object. I love everything about it. " 

 

 What could be a better design for 
WOOL-TYME Kingston's very first Knit-Along?
How to join us and create your very own
 February Lady Sweater in February 2011:

Step 1 - Come and see our sample sweater and get help selecting your yarn for the project.

Step 2 - Register at time of purchase for the Knit-Along (by the way, the knit along is FREE!!) and you will receive the schedule of 3 workshop get-togethers which will take place at the store including a wind up party when you're all done.

Step 3 - Download your free pattern and get ready for the kick-off get together on Tuesday Feb. 1st at 6:30pm. There will also be a Ravelry group set up and email address exchanges so you can follow the progress of other participants and chat about different aspect of the process.

Do you live too far away from our store but would like to join in the fun and participate on-line? 
 We are offering free shipping for this project
anywhere in North America to Knit-Along participants. 
Check out the blog page or EMAIL Alana and she will be glad to fill you in on the cyberspace coordinates so that you can be part of the fun too.
 
Kits for our most popular quick knits.
Fingerless glovesJust in time for the Holidays, we have assembled kits featuring some of the most popular WOOL-TYME Kingston patterns. Everything you need but the needles is included. Feather and Fan Scarf

Each kit features high quality fashion yarns and our tried and true patterns And as most kits sell for under $20, they make great gifts for the knitters on your list.
KINGSTON DESIGNERS
HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.
Maria Leigh design  Kingston's own Maria Leigh's CHARVET PULLOVER is featured in the winter 2010 edition of Interweave KNITS.
It's a true classic, but much more interestingly designed than its simple lines might suggest.  Check out Marie's other designs on her Ravelry page. We're so pleased to have her among us. Elizabeth McCarten

Elizabeth McCarten is another published designer who has come to live in Kingston. She has donated to the WOOL-TYME Kingston store copies of her gorgeous MacKay lace shawl pattern, suitable as an introduction to lace knitting, Wakefield by Elizabeth McCarten

and Wakefield, a seamless women's cardigan as stylish as it is practical to knit. Both of these patterns are available at the store for you to examine  when looking for yarn. We also have easy to follow directions for downloading them when you get home (or use the links in this article).
 
And see the feature below for details on the sweater that Jan is making from Elizabeth's newest pattern in The Twist Collective: Sandridge.

HERE THEY ARE!

The list of

  Winter classes

coming eventsIt's here, the new schedule of classes for the winter months.

We're thrilled to welcome back Carolyn Barnett, knitwear designer who is offering Fabulous Fimo, a class to help us design shawl pins and sticks and buttons in polymer clay.

Deb White

 

Are you one of the vast majority who doesn't exactly fit standard sizes? Well we're so pleased to be able to offer a much requested class with Deb White offering tips and tricks to Make Your Knits Fit.

Fulled Diagonal Purse

 

Another request we get so often is a class on FELTING YOUR KNITS which we are offering in a 2 evening workshop where you will learn to knit and "full" (shrink) your knitted purse then return to class 3 weeks later to get the finer points of shaping and finishing your gorgeous Noro Diagonal Purse.

 

We are also offering a class to convert traditional patterns to seamless, "in-the-round" designs, thrumming with tufts of carded fleece in your hats, mitts, slippers, etc; the ever popular finishing workshop and  sock-in-a-day class, and Intarsia: the technique of knitting blocks of colour or pictures into your knitted fabric.

 

Link here to the class page on our blog and get all the details.  Sign up soon as many of these classes sell out quickly.

  WHAT'S ON JAN'S NEEDLES? Sandridge - feminine versionJan
Jan is probably the most advernturesome in her knitting among the staff as her  popular display garments can confirm. She has most recently  taken on the Sandridge Sweater pattern by Kingston's own Elizabeth McCarten,  available for download  through the Twist Collective.
 
Jan is using  Cascade's Ecological Wool , one of our most pooular chunky yarns for a beautiful finish and fine stitch definition.
This beautiful design which started out its life as a gorgeous man's zippered jacket was reworked into this stunning A-line cardi that would flatter any woman. Both versions are available on the pattern.
One of the interesting things about having access to designer's notes, as the internet allows us, is that we can link directly to a post on Elizabeth's blog about Helpful Hints in completing this feminine version of the sweater.

Knitting on the  NetKNITTING ON THE NET

 CHRISTMAS KNITTINGVIntage Christmas Stocking

When scouting out fun things on the internet, I like to go to Google Images. In looking up "Christmas Knitting" I got over 70 million possibilities in less than a second.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by that response, I turned to Ravelry where I typed Christmas in the Ravelry Pattern search box and came up with 3700 patterns .  I guess we just aren't as politically correct as we would think we are, probably because so many of our traditions come from a time when the world was much less cosmopolitain.

 

Here, from the "Olden Days" of 1951 from the American Thread Company is a pattern for a knitted Christmas stocking that looks like it could hold a fair amount of loot .  

Partners In Mission Food BankBAGS FOR BUCKS-
The Partners in Mission Food Bank is a busy place all year but after the Christmas rush the need must be even greater.
During the month of December we will be asking for contributions for the bags that you require for your WOOL-TYME Kingston purchases to donate to this great Kingston resource.

Diagonal scarfdiagonal scarf

Our Most Requested Pattern - FREE!
I was shocked when a customer emailed me with a question about this insanely popular WOOL-TYME Kingston original pattern and she mentioned that she wasn't able to find it on our pattern website.
Needless to say, that has now been rectified and it is there for all to enjoy.
For our store customers, this is also one of the patterns that is available in kit form, and for those of you who have a bit of yarn stashed away (LOL) this could be the answer to your stashbusting dreams. Just 100g- 200g of any heavy worsted to Chunky yarn works beautifully, showing off the stockinette texture of the stitches while avoiding the frustrating curl. Try it. You'll like it!