Wool & Honey

"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius."

-Pietro Aretino

Read more about...
New This Week!
Socks: A Love Story
Classes
Yarn Spotlight: Peace Fleece

Classes, Events and

New Yarn!

February 2011 

Greetings, knitfolk!  

 

 

February already?!?  I have to admit, as much as I love every season more than winter, I'm almost sad to see it go--what precious quiet time winter holds for the knitter.  I've spent the bulk of January swatching, testing, experimenting, contacting and planning for the seasons ahead--and having a blast doing it.  (I can't wait to show you some of the new goodies--in due time, that is.)  Samples are streaming in--to go with the new yarn, of course! 

 

What better way to experiment with new yarn than to take a class?  Our classes are small and focus on teaching you the skills you need to advance to the next level, whatever that might be.  Don't see anything that works for you?  Give the shop a call at (231) 228-2800--we're happy to schedule classes and private lessons around the times that work for you

  
 

Just so that you can become as familiar with the yarns here as we are, we'll be featuring yarn companies in mini-profiles every month, starting with one of our newest yarns, Peace Fleece Worsted.  (see more below)

 

Here's hoping you're keeping warm and cozy during this peaceful time of year.  (Don't worry--spring'll be here soon enough!)


Melissa

Wool & Honey

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Visit The Blog!

 

Find out about new projects, classes, knitting tips and tutorials and of course, new yarn arrivals!

Winter Hours

Monday-Friday:

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Saturday:

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Saturday Stitch

(Open Knitting):

9 to 11 a.m.

every Saturday

New This Week

Yarn, beautiful yarn!

 

 

*Malabrigo Lace

Laceweight

470 yds--50 g

$9.95

 

Malabrigo Lace

Malabrigo Lace Display 

 

*Peace Fleece

Worsted Weight

70% wool, 30% mohair

200 yds--100 g

$9.95 
 

Peace Fleece


 

Peace Fleece Swatch 

 

(Read more about Peace Fleece in the Yarn Spotlight article below.)

 

 

* * * * *

 

  

Also this week--more restocks in:

 

*Addi Turbo needles

 

*some of the shop's most popular patterns, including Daphne + Delilah, the Baby and Mama Monster, as well as designs from Ysolda Teague, Cosmicpluto, Stephen West and new this week--Grace Akhrem! 

 

Tangled Branches Cowl

(Tangled Branches Cowl from Grace Akhrem)

 

*Malabrigo Merino Worsted

(by far the most popular yarn in the shop!)

Worsted Weight

100% Merino wool

210 yds--100 g

$11.95

 

 

Malabrigo Worsted 

*Malabrigo Sock

Fingering Weight

100% superwash Merino wool

440 yds--100 g

$19.00

 

Malabrigo Sock 

 

Coming soon:

 

*Sachets filled with local Leelanau lavender, great for tucking in your lingerie drawer or your fiber stash to keep the moths away.  (Leelanau Lavender Breezes is now located in Cedar!)

 

*Two brand-new indie yarn companies--Wool & Honey is the only shop in Michigan carrying either of them!  Read more below....

 

Socks: A Love Story

Saturday, February 12th

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

 

BFF Socks (Finished) 

 

Join us for an entire day devoted to one of our favorite small projects--the sock!  On Saturday, February 12th, from 9 a.m to 6 p.m., we'll be showcasing new patterns, samples and two new yarns.

 

As you read in last month's newsletter, you know that one of my favorite things about this job is scouring the globe to find fabulous, hard-to-find yarns to put on the shelves at Wool & Honey.  So as you can imagine, we're super excited to introduce two more small companies this month--specifically, their sock yarn!  Each of these yarn purveyors stock their yarns at a limited number of yarn shops in North America--we're honored to be one of them.

 

You'll have to wait until next week when we reveal who these dyers actually are are--we want to make sure the orders have arrived before we go shouting from the mountaintops. We've been working on lots of samples around here so you can see how these yarns behave once they're knit--if you stop by in person to give our sample socks a squeeze between now and February 12th, we might just slip a few more hints about what's to come.

 Classes

February 2011

 

Knit 101: Learn to Knit

Saturday, February 5th

2-3 p.m.

 

Have you always wanted to learn how to knit for yourself or your friends?  Come see how relaxing (and exciting!) this popular craft can be.  No previous knowledge is required-just pull up a chair and we'll get you started.

One 2-hour session, $20.00.
Materials included. 

 

Knit 201: Beyond the Basics

Saturday, February 5th

3:30-5:30 p.m.


 

 Okay, so you can cast on, knit, purl and bind off.  What's next?  This session will be devoted to increasing, decreasing and learning to knit in the round.  After this session, knitting a hat or a pair of mittens would be the natural next step.


 

One 2-hour session, $25.00.

Materials included.
 
 

Mittens

Tuesdays, February 8th & 15th

6-8 p.m.

(only 1 spot left!)
 

Mittens make great beginning-level projects.  In this class, we'll learn how to knit in the round, increase, decrease and pick up stitches.  You may choose whether you'd like to knit these mittens with worsted or bulky weight yarn.


Two 2-hour sessions, $30.00.

Materials not included.*
 

 

Finishing Techniques

Friday, February 18th

4-6 p.m.

 


One of the most important aspects of knitting isn't the actual knitting-it's the sewing, seaming & wrestling that some cleverly call "finishing".  Knowing how to match up the proper techniques insures overall knitting success.  This session will put you at ease, leaving you to create pieces you're proud to call hand-knit. 
 
 
 

One 2-hour session, $25.00.

Materials included.
 

 

Socks!

Saturdays, February 19th, 26th & March 5th

3-5 p.m.


 

 Ever wonder why it is this project is so popular with knitters these days?  They're fun, they're portable, they're relatively inexpensive....in our minds, they're the perfect knitting project.  Once you've braved socks, there's nothing you can't knit!


 

Three 2-hour sessions, $45.00.

Materials not included.*
 

 
 

Magic Loop Socks

Mondays, February 21st & 28th

3-5 p.m.
 

The Magic Loop is a truly "magical" method of knitting in the round on one 40-inch circular needle.  Once you've mastered this technique, you can apply it to any project that requires knitting in the round.  This time, we're using the Magic Loop to knit socks.  Goodbye forever, double-pointed needles!   
 

Two 2-hour sessions, $30.00.

Materials not included.*
 
 

 

Thrummed Mittens

Fridays, February 25th & March 4th

2-4 p.m.

 Thrummed Mittens

 

Thrummed mittens are the perfect project for the fiber enthusiast--you get to incorporate both yarn and fiber into the same project!  Not unlike "plain" mittens, these hand warmers are made by tucking little tufts of spinning fiber into your knitting so that when you stick your hand inside, it's like a warm, puffy cloud! 
 
 

Two 2-hour sessions, $30.00.

Materials not included.*
 

 


 

 * * * * *

 

Please help us continue to offer classes and outstanding service by purchasing class materials at Wool & Honey.  When it is stated, "Materials Included," materials include yarn, needles, pattern and instruction for the allotted class time.  All materials needed for Socks!, Magic Loop Socks, Thrummed Mittens and Mittens (yarn, needles and patterns) will be available to students at 15% off.
 

Registration for classes is complete once all class fees are paid.  


 

Payments via credit card over the phone are always accepted.
 

To fully maximize class time for yourself and others, please pick out and purchase materials prior to the beginning of class.
 

 

Class size is limited to six (6) participants in order to give students the attention they deserve.   To secure your space, please sign up as early as possible.  If a class is full, or you have a larger group in mind, please feel free to call Wool & Honey--we love creating custom classes!    


 

Cancellations made three days before the beginning of a class will receive a full refund of class fees.  Refund of class materials will be based on Wool & Honey's return policy.  Sessions not attended will not receive partial refund.  No refund will be given once class has begun.   
 

To sign up, call Wool & Honey at (231) 228-2800.


 

Yarn Spotlight:

Peace Fleece 
 

Peace Fleece


 

Sturdy, crunchy, wooly, sheepy....all words that have been used to describe Peace Fleece worsted weight, one of the newest yarns this week at Wool & Honey.  This yarn is a great workhorse yarn--perfect for hats, mittens and sweaters, with an emphasis in lots of man-friendly colors.  Here's a little bit about the company:
 

"Peace Fleece offices are in a barn on a sheep and horse farm in the small, rural town of Porter in the foothills of southwestern Maine. Peter Hagerty and his wife Marty Tracy started buying wool from the Soviet Union back in 1985 in hopes that through trade they could help diffuse the threat of nuclear war. Since then Peter has journeyed through eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East in search of farmers and shepherds who are willing to set aside historic enmities in exchange for opportunities leading to mutual understanding and economic interdependence.

 

Peter feels grateful that he can work on the farm with his family and friends while at the same time having the opportunity to travel overseas. To him, agriculture is a medium to bring people closer together.  Marty believes that promoting crafts in our hectic society is important. By inspiring people to work with their hands, she hopes that they can find more time to discover their own inner solutions for peace."

  

Read more about the trade relations, farmers and thoughts behind this cottage industry on the Peace Fleece website here.  

 

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