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725 Gardiners Rd, Kingston ON 613-384-3951
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December 2011 | The newsletter that knits us together. | |
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(Don't you love the knitted ornaments on the deer head here? Find the pattern to make them, offered as a Free Ravelry download. )
 It's that time of year again...I must be getting old(ish). At least that was when my Dad started mentioning about how the past year seemed to just fly by. But indeed we are wonderfully busy at the store, helping folks choose yarns for projects, and pick out possible gift suggestions for themselves. I'm always so grateful for this chance as the year winds down to thank each of you, our faithful customers. I also wanted to remind you of the many ways that we welcome you to the WOOL-TYME Kingston community: through your participation in our Customer Savings Card program, by making blankets for Project Linus, in signing up for our regular classes or knit-alongs, by following our activities through the monthly e-newsletter and through the blog, by coming to our regular Knit and Chat evenings, and most recently - by joining the WOOL-TYME Kingston knitting Tour of Ireland (either in person, or vicariously through the reports on the blog), you have all become part of what keeps the store vibrant, and makes it such a great place to work and be. If any of these activities is of interest to you and/or you haven't had an opportunity to join in, please ask our staff about it.
And for those of you who would like to connect with other knitters who are scrambling to finish up the Christmas projects that they had planned last summer but haven't quite completed, you might consider joining the Christmas Knitting 911 , a Holiday Crafting Support Group, which is also connecting through this Ravelry Discussion page.
All the best to each of you for a very Happy Holiday Season. May you cherish each day that you shop, each batch of cookies that you bake, each sock that you knit, each present that you wrap as a sign of how blessed we all are. |
MY NEW FAVOURITE BOOK
If I didn't own a yarn store that sold knitting books, and was looking for a suggestion for a great present for me, it would be The Knitter's Life List. This great new book by Gwen Steege has "1001 INSPIRATIONS" for every knitter who is interes ted in knitting as more than just thrusting yarn and needles together to make something useful.
Techniques, styles, traditions, activities, personalities, new fibres and where they come from, fascinating photographs. Every time I open the book, it falls to a new page that I want to stop and read.
At right is an example of an Orenburg shawl, described on p.169, which is knit of yarn so fine that it is supposed to be able to be drawn through one's wedding band. I had heard of these "shawls" and always assumed that they were small scarf-sized pieces but was amazed to see that they can be the size of a tablecloth, yet are still delicate enough to pass the pull-through test. It is truly humbling.
We have several copies of this book in stock, but tell Santa not too wait to long. I'd feel terrible if he or the elves came to pick up a copy for you and we were sold out. |
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The year of the gift certificate?
 Every year we find that the popularity of our Gift Certificates is rising. Mainly because family members recognize that knitting is such a personal expression of who you are, it's often quite difficult to judge what will be the most appropriate knitting gift to choose.
Well, don't worry. We have you covered for every eventuality. If Santa brings you a Gift Certificate from WOOL-TYME Kingston, then you're all set. But if he decides to go out on a limb and choose something that he thought was just right, but you recognize that it may not be your style...No problem. We are more than happy to accept gift exchanges before January 9th, so that you can put the proceeds towards some other knitting treasure that you need or want. |
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The Library Roll Call of Great New Books.
 | | Rowan's KNITTING FOR HIM |
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Do you love to knit, and want to make some cash from your hobby?
WOOL-TYME Kingston is no longer able to accept commissions for custom knitting orders or repairs and finishing jobs. But our customers are still looking for knitters in the Kingston area who would be willing to work on such projects.
Are you a confident knitter, who is able to adjust patterns to fit the person for whom it's intended?
Do you enjoy working on projects that can offer a challenge and improve your skills?
Are you a resourceful problem solver?
We are compiling a list of knitters and knitting project finishers who would be willing to accept commissions from individuals with custom knitting requests, or customers who need help completing their projects (sewing seams, putting in zippers.)
If you are interested in being on this list, which we would share with interested customers, please email us describing what types of knitting projects or finishing work that you prefer and (if possible) a few photos of finished projects.
Those folks who are looking for your skills will thank you. |
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Knit Knacks for Christmas.
I'm sure that I could use up a whole lot of space here chatting about the wonderful gift ideas that we have brought in for you lately, but to simplify matters, I'll just list a few. Come by and see for yourself - to make informed suggestions to your loved ones.
-Blocking wires for lace projects and garments.
-Lantern Moon Stitch Markers, repair tools and ebony cable needles.
-Knitter's Pride Sock Blockers and Shawl Pins.
-Drop Spindle kits.
-Needlefelting accessories and exquisite fleece from Turtlepurl.
-Locally made fabric knitting bags.
-Knit Happy products, including Mugs, bags and notepads.
-Nancy's Knit Knacks - including WIP tubes, Electronic Row Counters.
AND SO MUCH MORE. |
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WINTER LINE UP OF CLASSES at
We're all ready with a full line up of classes for everyone in the new year.
for more details on each of these classes.
-Drop Spindle for Beginners.
-Buttons and More with Carolyn Barnett
-2 dates for our ever popular "Sock-In-A-Day" class.
-Tackling Steeks as a next step in your Fairisle Knitting adventure with Elizabeth McCarten.
-An introduction to needlefelting, using Wendo's wonderful kits.
-Other Sock Techniques, focusing on simplest Toe-Up sock techniques and the Magic Loop.
-Intarsia style of knitting, teaching chart reading and giving you tips and tricks to make your colour knitting a brilliant success.
Sign up for any of our classes by calling the store 613-384-3951
or by email
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DECEMBER'S GET TOGETHER FOR THE
 Mark your calendars for Tues. Dec. 20th, 6:30-8:30pm to meet for our FREE knit-along workshop to learn all you need to know to finish your blocks AND your afghan with that professional touch.
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 WHAT'S ON Nancy'S NEEDLES ? This is Nancy's first time being featured in this segment. Nancy began with us in September and is quickly learning about the fun and demands of working in an LYS. And she is, however, still managing to find time to do some knitting.
To the right is a picture of the scarf that she's making for her Dad. It's a pattern based on our ever popular: 365 Knit Stitches perpetual calendar. For those of you who own this handy collection of inspiration, you can find it as the Farrow Ridge, the featured stitch for June 26th. For those of you who don't own the calendar...put it on your Christmas list. It's a mountain of ideas just waiting to be tapped.
And keeping on the ridge theme, Nancy's on-going project is the beautiful Lizard Ridge blanket. Here she has shared some of the squares that she has completed. Isn't it glorious how this pattern works so beautifully with Noro's self striping yarns.
Laura Aylor, who first published the pattern in Knitty, 2006, explains how she based this block pattern on Barbara G. Walker's Short-Row Stripes square in her Learn to Knit - Aghan book (available at WOOL-TYME Kingston.)
Laura explains that she had planned to knit this as an afghan for her daughter to take with her to University, but that the squares were so addictive, her daughter received the blanket for her 15th birthday. Now that's a pleasurable project - and a great way to indulge your on-going passion for playing with colours. Look it up on Ravelry! |
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 KNITTING ON THE NET
This picture might remind you of what many of us look l ike on Dec. 23rd/24th, as we try to accomplish the impossible task of getting the last 30% of the knitting completed on a project that we've had in our work-in-progress pile for a few months. But it's actually a picture of Hermione Grainger knitting. This portrait of Hermione, of Harry Potter fame, is but one of the 100 million designs to be found on Deviantart.com, which is easily browsable if you want to seek out art projects on every subject you could possibly imagine (including knitting). But it's also free to join for those of you who have an artistic bent in the visual media and would like to share your work. What a pile of fun, wandering through their offerings.
And for you Harry Potter fans, here's a little quote from our beloved Headmaster:
"I was merely reading the Muggle magazines," said Dumbledore. "I do love knitting patterns."
Okay, so we're a little behind the times on this next story, but following a recent oil spill in New Zealand, penguins were suffering from contamination and were in need of some help. The call went out to knitters around the world to contribute woolen sweaters (pattern here) to keep them warm as they recovered enough to be able to tolerate the cleaning process. The LYS in New Zealand that put the call out were hoping for 100 sweaters. Once they received 10 times that number, they had to put the brakes on for lack of space to stockpile them. Link here to see some of the creative ways that they've come up with to make use of the surplus.
(By the way, I learned something that I'd never heard before, but sometimes wondered about: Spring in the southern hemisphere runs from September to December. Now that would take me some time to get my head around.) |
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LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS.
  Some of you were clever and far seeing enough to recognize that Christmas comes every year, and that we do enjoy giving gifts to our loved ones that we've made ourselves. You were the ones that we saw in the store last winter and spring, stocking up on sock yarn or sweater patterns for your family's requests. Let me tell you smart people something ...you are not in the majority.
For the rest of us who get the bright idea on Dec. 3rd that we'd like to make something warm and cozy, or who get a late-breaking knitting request from someone that just can't be refused, here are my 2 favourite Go-To patterns that are easily completed in a week and are sure to please.
Above is what used to be known as the WOOLY BULLY COWL, but because that yarn is no longer available to us, it's been redesigned as the BULKY COWL pattern, available on our Free Pattern site, or at the store with the purchase of yarn for the project. Last year I managed to make 3 of them in the last 3 days before Christmas, so believe me when I say that it is FAST.
To the right is a slightly more time and effort requiring scarf pattern, it is well within the ability of most knitters and the effect is lovely. THE DOUBLE CABLE MOHAIR SCARF is not just for ladies, and doesn't have to be done in mohair. Any light chunky or Aran weight yarn would do to give it a more relaxed look. And while your there, you may want to check out some of the other patterns available on our Free Pattern website. We specialize in simple designs with big appeal. |
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