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725 Gardiners Rd, Kingston ON                     613-384-3951 

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August 2011

The newsletter that knits us together.

August

August - a month for you to cherish

You've gotten into the swing of the warmth of summer and you're looking forward to many more weeks of lovely weather to help you relax.  

 

Meanwhile, at the yarn store we're crazy busy bringing in the new line-up for fall, meeting customers from away who are vacationing in the area, or those of you who have a bit of time to luxuriate in among the yarn fumes here

at WOOL-TYME Kingston.  

  

Read on about new yarns, books, upcoming events and classes all awaiting you when you come and visit us. 

 

Block Afghan

Don't forget!    If you pre-book and pay for your  

 

Block Afghan Project

  

 

 

 

 

by AUGUST 10th and you'll save 15%

Read all about it on our blog site and be inspired to make

2011-2012 the "Year of the Heirloom Afghan".

 

 

 Fall Colours Arrive early: 

Noro HITSUJI Noro HITSUJI

The things one learns on the internet! When I Googled an image for Noro HITSUJI I got a whole series of pictures of sheep and astrological rams which lead me to believe that hitsuji must mean sheep/ram in Japanese.

 

Whatever else it means, in our estimation, it's absolutely gorgeous yarn. Those of you who are fans of Noro's most popular Kureyon will be pleased to see it here in a bulky/chunky weight. Same great colour work, same great quality. Just faster and cozier to knit. Check out the 2 fast and easy patterns below, both made just for HITSUJI. They're selling like hotcakes.  Briggs & LIttle SOFTSPUN Handpaint

 

Briggs & Little SOFTSPUN Handpaint. 

Briggs & Little yarns are not just for socks anymore!  Known for their durable, firmly plied wools, this long-standing Canadian yarn producer has come out with the most amazing yarn in its history (in my humble opinion). SOFTSPUN was an innovation last season: a classic softer wool Aran weight yarn. This year they have added these glorious handpainted colourways. Come and check out the knitted sample on display at the store. I have a garment for a family member already planned out.

 
Misti Alpaca Sock YarnMisti Alpaca Sock Yarn

 Back by popular demand: Misti Alpaca's magnificent sock yarn blends alpaca with wool, silk and nylon to create a durable yet luxurious feel for everything from regular beginners' socks to your most exquisite shawl patterns. This picture shows one of their handpaint colour selections, but you can link her to the Tonos Carnival colours also in stock, showing off a beautifully subtle tone on tone.    

Riot Chunky from King Cole

 Last fall we introduced our customers to King Cole's RIOT DK, and it was one of our best sellers all year. This year, they have done it again, with an incredibly versatile heavier weight, RIOT Chunky, which  will adapt to so many of your classic chunky patterns and some up to the minute styles too, like the WOOL-TYME Kingston Shoulder Wrap.

Cascade PACIFICAfghan in Cascade PACIFIC

Last month we told you about Cascade's new PACIFIC worsted yarn which is now in stock at WOOL-TYME Kingston in 36 stunning colours, and it is every bit as beautiful and practical as we were led to believe. (We sold out of 2 colours before we could even get it on the shelves.)

And the Cascade Company, always ready to make knitting more pleasant and practical, has a wonderful webpage within their on-line free patterns for some truly great projects using PACIFIC - including this stunning Aran style afghan.

Link here to see them all:  Patterns for Cascade PACIFIC  

And don't forget, Cascade PACIFIC is one of the featured yarns for our BLOCK AFGHAN PROJECT. It's a winner!

PICK UP YOUR FREE SAMPLE CARDS OF Cascade PACIFIC  and Misti Alpaca SOCK YARNS, available at WOOL-TYME Kingston.

The Best Gadgets Going

Nancy's Knit Knacks

Any of you who are subscribers and/or regular readers of knitting magazines will be familiar with Nancy's Knit Knacks, a fabulously innovative company that makes it their business to provide knitters with practical and affordable "stuff" that we really do need.

This picture below is of a WIP Tube,

a cleverly designed, light weight

 holder for your double pointed needle projects to keep them tidy and secure. Also included in each pack is a seperate tube for your DP needles when not in use. 

 

 These clever little Circular Needle Circular needle ID tags.ID  Tags mean an end to the guess work when it comes to circular needle sizes. 

It's about time that someone came up with such a simple and uselful product.

 Electronic Row Counter

And you'll love their

Electronic Row Counter. It lets you keep track of your pattern progress with the flick of a button.

 

These are only 3 of the many products that we are now proudly stocking from Nancy's Knit Knacks. Come and see the rest.

The VOLATILE WORLD WOOL MARKET

 Expensive Sheep

  Deveronvale Perfection,  this fine young fellow pictured here, is considered to be the world's most expensive sheep ever sold. But he's not the reason that you'll be paying more for your wool in the future.

 

 

 Spinrite, Canadian  manufacturers of Patons, Bernat and other yarns, sent a letter to all their customers, explaining the reasons for upcoming price increases.  Simply, the price of their raw materials  has risen 50% to 100% over the past two years. 

Some companies have opted to blend in small quantities of acrylics and other fibres to keep prices down but this provides an unpredictable product when it comes to "felting", an often extremely important factor for customers purchasing pure wool yarns.

 

 Spinrite has announced that as of Sept. 1st a significant increase in their product prices . It's a necessary evil but understandable, and we really appreciate the fact that they have taken to time to inform us, their direct customers, and you the consumers of their products, as to why these increases are necessary.

 

And considering that Decor came on the market about 10 years ago at $4.99 and will be priced at $6.99 as of Sept 1st, it probably is not an unreasonable increase over that period. Think of the price of other petrochemical  based products (like the acrylics) over that same time frame, and knitting yarns are still a great bargain for all that they offer us.

 NEW IN BOOKS

Seamless (or nearly seamless) Knits  

 

If there is one style that we have people specifically requesting more than any other, it's the seamless garment. And now it's all here in Andra Knight- Bowman's classic and classy offering Seamless (or nearly seamless) Knits.

Chapters on "bottom up", "top down", and sideways constructions make it easy to see the value of each of these methods for designs that are right up to the minute fashion-wise, yet well within the ability of most knitters.   

 

Knit One, Knit AllKnit One, Knit All

 Elizabeth Zimmermann fans are rejoicing over the latest collection of her ever popular and cleverly garter stitch designs: Knit One, Knit All.

Original designs and photographs have been updated to allow us to see the lasting genius that was Elizabeth's perception of knitting. From the Ambidextrous Mittens , through  the Bias-Sleeve Sweater,  Chambered Nautilus Tam on the cover , Flared Baby Jacket, all the way to the ZigZag Jacket, these classics will delight and astonish you. Check out the Ravelry Page featuring already over 75 works-in-progress from this new book.

List of Fall Classes 

Here's your chance to see our complete  list of fall workshops and classes just published on our blog site .

 

 Here's a quick list of what you'll find:   

 coming events

Traditional Rug Hooking 

 

 

with Rhonda Kellett

 

 BEGINNERS: Sat. Oct. 22nd,

 

 

 

FINISHING TECHNIQUES: Sat. Nov. 19th. 

 

 Successful Lace Knitting

 Successful Lace Knitting,

Wed. Nov. 23rd.

 

helping you to keep your sanity while working with lace. 

 

ALSO  

-2 dates for our ever popular Finishing Workshop.

-2 dates for SOCK- IN-A-DAY.

-DARN THOSE SOCKS!

-Knits that fit YOU! with Deb White.

-Fairisle Techniques with Elizabeth McCarten.

-Thrum Mitts and More.

-Blocking 101.

-"Magic Loop" circular knitting.

 

 

 

and back by popular demand:

Carolyn Barnett

 Carolyn Barnett with her FABULOUS FIMO Workshop to create your very own amazing buttons and accessories.

 

 

 

 

 So check out the blog page and call the store at 613 384 3951 to register.

CARRYING INDEPENDANTS

artisanal yarns

Let me say right up front: I LOVE THE INTERNET!

But sometimes the downside of having the world at your fingertips, is that we can fall in love with products that would have been almost inaccessible to us a mere decade ago, and are still hard to source except by mail order. The difference is that  now we know what we're missing.
Never a week goes by that we don't receive a query from customers asking if we carry specialty or artisanal yarns from micro suppliers that they've been introduced to on-line.
The reality is that while we would love to be able to support all of these wonderful companies that you see advertised on the net or in international knitting magazines, it simply isn't possible for us to have it all, no matter how worthy or beautiful their yarns and their advertising  might be.

But don't despair, and don't stop asking. If you find a yarn that you absolutely fall in love with, please bring in the article or the location of the product on the net and we'd love to look it up and see if we can come up with a sensible alternative for you that is available in our store . Meanwhile, it will introduce us to some wonderful new products out there that might be worthy of consideration.

KNITTING TO MAKE YOU

(and children in Africa) FEEL GOOD.

 Random Stripes pullover Careforce International will be sending a group of volunteers  to the Mully Children's Family in Kenya in June of 2012 for 2 weeks. They're hoping to bring a hand knitted sweater for each child at the centre under the age of  12 and consequently will require 150 sweaters.

Obviously, they need help.

 The Random Stripes Pullover pictured above is an example of the type of sweater (single colour or multi) that they're looking for, knit of acrylic or cotton, to keep the kids warm during the cold nights at Ndalani and Yatta. For more information on how you can participate, contact Elizabeth Wray at 613-962-5851 or Elizabeth Rolston at 613-968-3063.

BOOKS FOR THE SOCK LOVERS 

 

Knit. Sock. LoveKNIT. SOCK. LOVE. by Cookie A.

 Here is how Cookie describes her sumptuously romantic sock book:

"Knit. Sock. Love. is my ode to sock knitting. I wanted to compile some of my individual pattern into an inspirational coffee-table-type book that really showcased how beautiful hand-knitted socks can be..."

 

It's the kind of knitting book that makes you want to curl up with a pot of tea and take the phone off the hook.

Definitely not for beginners, yet she pays exquisite detail to the structure of each sock, making many of these patterns accesible to most sock knitters who want to enjoy their passion on another level.

 

Read the  Reviews for Knit. Sock. Love. by linking through Cookie's blog.

 Sock Knitting, Master Class

Okay, so you've fallen in love with Cookie A's socks but still aren't feeling up to the challenge?

 

SOCK KNITTING MASTER CLASS is just the thing for you. Ann Budd has assembled "the supreme signature elements and techniques of 15 top knitwear designers into one ideal sock knitting resource."

Complete with instructional DVD, Ann Budd gives extra tips for mastering socks and ingenious way to integrate beautiful techniques.

Link here to Ann Budd's interview as she shares more about the development and contents of the book.

iKnitting on the  NetKNITTING ON THE NET (and in the movies) 

SKATE magazine Ravelry 

 A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY- Why Facebook Can't Match It.

SLATE is an on-line magazine of news, politics, and culture that combines humor and insight in their view of current events and political news. And they've made their pronouncement on the on-line  home of all knitters: RAVELRY.

The best social network you've (probably) never heard of is one-five-hundredth the size of Facebook.

 This statement opens the article, which goes on to identify that having something to do turns out to make an enormous difference in the way people interact with one another on the Web.

Not on Ravelry yet? Link here and be amazed at how generous and welcoming  knitters are with each other.

  

Last Knitter StandingThe Last Knitter Standing : Talk about the sociability of knitters, this board game embodies the essence of bringing us together to knit. The spinner directs players to answer questions then act accordingly, knitting on their swatch or ripping out as the case may be.   
Click on the link above to watch the fun.
 
 

Kathrine Heigl

We've all been anxiously awaiting news of the progress of Julia Roberts other knitting project: the film version of The Friday Night Knitting Club (which is now listing a  2013 release date) but Kathrine Heigl (at left, of Grey's Anatomy), will star in The Knitting Circle , an HBO production based on Ann Hood's best seller.

 

The Little Red Plane

For further cinematic fun, check out The Little Red Plane  knitted adventure about a boy and his cat who travel far and wide to deliver parcels in their little red plane.

 Kanga and Roo

 Finally, Barbara Pushies, knitting coach on the recent animated box office hit, TANGLED,  announced on Ravelry that kindly Kanga would be knitting in Winnine the Pooh and his friends' latest return to the big screen, "though her knitting isn't correct. But that is mainly because she has no fingers, just paws," explains Barbara.

 

Oh well, whatever slips your stitches - I always say!

 

Okay, so this doesn't look like a typical pattern with which to entice knitters to pick up their needles in August, but it's still a great pattern.  

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Bulky Earflap Hat. THE BULKY EAR-FLAP HAT

   
 Made of Noro's newest bulky yarn HITSUJI, this popular style  whips up in no  time. So fast and easy you can make one in each of the 8 magnificent colourways.

 

Elizabeth's Hat

 Or you might prefer Elizabeth McCarten's Simple Hat , a bulky version of a great beginner's hat. You can catch up with Elizabeth at her blog and see what she's been up to.

 

Don't forget to check out WOOL-TYME Kingston's pattern site  for other great free patterns.