We continue our wildly popular SUNDAYS IN THE SALON this spring with a combination of gift ideas for grads, moms, and dads, along with some whimsical ideas for your favorite gift recipient—YOU!
Missing the larger projects? We have moved those to SATURDAY KNITALONGS. Check out that schedule as well. We begin each project the first Saturday of the Month and work on the project from 2-4 each successive Saturday.
March 2:Blanket Squares: Curious about cables? Longing to do lace? Planning an afghan for a graduation gift? Join us as we demonstrate several afghan patterns that can be sewn or crocheted together to make a gorgeous finished product. And we’ll even order the yarn you’ll need!
March 9:Self Fringed Shawl: Smell spring in the air? Get a jump on it with the perfect wrap for the cool weather. And wait until you create the fringe by dropping a bunch of stitches (deep breaths, everyone……)
March 16:Lace Anklet: Get ready for tennis (or at least tennis shoes) with these adorable lace anklets. Again, there is prep work for these, so be sure to check with the shop. This is a great way to learn lace knitting.
March 30:Coronet Hat (rescheduled from February): A lovely hat that will teach you to cable, kitchener stitch, and pick up stitches. One skein of Cascade 220 does the entire hat!
April 6:Reversible Lace Shawl: What a great way to learn lace—a nine stitch/two row repeat that creates a gorgeous lightweight shawl perfect for warmer days and evenings
April 13/20:Lacy Bamboo Shrug: Easy, quick and lovely. Can you ask for anything more? Five skeins of bamboo yarn and size 11 needles will make this lacy, openwork shrug perfect for spring and summer evenings.
April 27:Linen Stitch Tie: Is is knit? Is it woven? Find out while making this fantastic tie perfect for Father’s Day or your favorite grad! We made ours from one skein of Koigu but you can use any fingering weight yarn!
May 4:Easy Baby Booties: Looking for an inexpensive and charming baby gift? Check out these booties made from one skein of Koigu yarn. And they actually stay on the baby’s feet!
May 11:Closed for Mother's Day
May 18:Silk Ruffle Scarf: The perfect spring accessory—a simple neckwarmer done in the round that creates an eyecatching ruffle.
May 25:No program due to Memorial Day Weekend (the store WILL be open, though)
June 1:Place Mats: Tired of afghans but don’t want to worry about fitted garments? Knit these cotton placemats. Perfect for your beach house or deck table!
June 8:Lace Anklets: Get ready for tennis (or at least tennis shoes) with these adorable lace anklets. Again, there is prep work for these, so be sure to check with the shop. This is a great way to learn lace knitting.
June 15:Store Closed for Noni Bag Program
Our Saturday KALS have taken on a life of their own! Join the group for wine, snacks, and knitting your project each Saturday of the month. You don’t need to attend every session,but we do recommend that you attend the first week to get some basic instruction and guidance.
MARCH:CABLED SHELL. Get ready for spring. This DK weight shell is a blast to knit, and is far easier than it looks. Created from two cable patterns, it has a flattering line and is the perfect weight for wearing alone or under a jacket.
APRIL:LACE SAMPLER. If you have been eager to try lace, April is the month for you! We will give you the patterns for 12 lace squares that can then be sewn into a gorgeous sampler. Recommended yarn is CASCADE SIERRA—please come to the shop ahead of time to check out our stock—we can show you color cards and special order the yarn for you! This 42 X56” afghan will run you less than $150!
MAY:DIAGONAL TRIANGLE TANK. We call this the Miracle Tank—it looks good on everyone! Unravel the mystery of modular knitting while you knit this lovely sleevelee or short sleeve top. We recommend either the ARTYARNS Regal Silk yarn, Patricia Roberts DK, or Karabella Vintage Cotton. And we’ll spend a lot of time on gauge at the first session—in modular knitting you must get row and stitch gauge!
JUNE:BEACH BAG. Knit yourself a Beach Bag that will carry you and all your gear through the summer! The perfect stressless knitting—no shaping or fit!
We have always loved the store EILEEN FISHER for its clean and simple designs. Imagine our surprise when opening our mail last night and discovering their featured fiber for spring--ORGANIC COTTON!!! We have carried BLUE SKY ORGANIC COTTON for two seasons and our customers just can't get enough of it! Fabulous to knit with, easy to care for, and lovely to touch. Think baby blanket or summer T (like the one in the Eileen Fisher promo!).
So let us help you to the fashion forefront with ORGANIC COTTON!
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 06:05 PM | permalink |
Thursday, April 27, 2006
BABES IN SWEATERLAND
We were so excited to receive two emails this week from good friends. First, Amanda sent us a pic of baby Reed in his Rowan Wool Cotton sweater, proudly worn for the Easter holiday:
And then proud parents Molly and Ivan sent a photo of baby Joey in her Crocus Cardigan made from Koigu yarn:
Hope these give you some ideas for baby projects! Is there anything cuter than knitting for the wee ones?????
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 10:40 AM | permalink |
Monday, April 24, 2006
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
A really BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Martha's Madness Sale this past weekend. The store was rocking all weekend and we are staring at some really empty bins today. Now we have room for new stuff; we are busy at work deciding what goodies to order. But the talk today was really about the appreciation for our wonderful customers who gave us such terrific support during the sale.
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 05:24 PM | permalink |
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
MARTHA'S MADNESS SALE
Our new Store Manager, Martha, is a treasure. So when she decreed a SPRING SALE, a SPRING SALE it is! From tomorrow, Thursday April 20 through Sunday, April 23 we are offering 15-50% off EVERYTHING IN THE STORE! Sample discounts are below:
50% off: Hana Silk, Silky Chic, Ladder and Eyelash Yarns, Cotton Fleece, Karat. Full bags of yarn in the back of the store.
40% off: Berroco, Lang, Lana Grossa, Judi and Company, Elsebeth Lavold-all yarns! Debbie Bliss Merino DK and Merino Chunky
30% off: Louisa Harding, Cotton Comfort, Zara, Harris Tweed, Big Wool, Colinette Zanziba
20% off: Debbie Bliss Cotton DK and Silk/Alpaca DK; Colinette Isis
And there's more: Patterns and Pattern Leaflets are two for one or 50% off!Everything else in the store? 15% off. Please don't buy the staff. They are not for sale.
And of course, Lew the lawyer likes the fine print. So all sales are final; no returns/exchanges. In stock items only; no special orders. And the sale prices can't be combined with any other discount, including our frequent buyer cards.
Come join us for a fabulous weekend! We will have plenty of snacks and good times as well as deep discounts.
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 04:52 PM | permalink |
SKACEL NEEDLES BACK IN STOCK
What can we say? Thank you for your patience? Then we will. Thank you for your patience regarding the Skacel Addi circular needles in both metal and bamboo. We know they were a long time coming. But they are now here!
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 02:01 PM | permalink |
Friday, April 14, 2006
ROWAN CASHSOFT DK
One of the smartest purchases we made this year is the incredible ROWAN CASHSOFT DK yarn. This machine-washable cashmere blend is just plain yummy. We literally can't keep it in stock; our lovely customers are scooping it up to make everything from booties to blankets to easy-care sweaters. And we have the full color range back in stock (though not for long, we are sure). Yippee!!!
And to all, a happy and healthy Easter weekend. We will be closed on Sunday. Enjoy.
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 01:58 PM | permalink |
Thursday, April 13, 2006
GREETINGS FROM COLINETTE
We opened the store in 2002 with Colinette Yarns and Patterns and they remain favorites. If you want a wonderful spring/summer ribbon with which to crochet or knit the perfect top or shawl, look no further than their GIOTTO yarn. Gorgeous drape, wonderful colors, and excellent yardage (154/skein). And if you are seeking inspiration for any of their yarns, we are now fully stocked with their pattern books including ROCK GODS and MOVIE STARS, LA BELLA VITA, and ARTY-FACTS.
And if you are pressed for a unique and amazing wedding/graduation present, check out the ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AFGHAN KIT (no, really, that's the name!). Eight skeins of hand-dyed yarns worked on a size 11 needle; these kits produce nothing short of works of art. We have some extraordinary colors in stock, and we can also share Colinette Color Cards with you; any kit can be ordered and drop-shipped directly to your door!
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 12:51 PM | permalink |
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
NEW FROM CASCADE YARN
We have been scratching our heads for a while now in search of good, practical, pretty, and moderately priced natural fiber yarn. Enter our friends at CASCADE YARN with the wonderfully soft and yet durable SIERRA yarn. What makes this so special? The blend of PIMA COTTON and MERINO WOOL, the 191 YARDS/SKEIN, the price of $8.99 AND THE FACT THAT THE YARN IS MACHINE WASHABLE! Think of all those sweaters and blankets for kids, teens, new moms, college-bound young adults and the like! We are so in love with this yarn that we ordered over 20 colors as well as some variegated. And we promise to knit a sample as fast as we can! We seem to have mastered most of our new software, so the yarn is entered, priced and will be on the shelves by late today!
And also from Cascade, KATHY THE SOCK TEACHER's favorite yarn-FIXATION. This cotton/nylon blend makes wonderfully strong, soft, and of course wash/dryable socks. Again, good yardage and price (2 balls make a pair at $5.99/a skein). And Kathy, the light pink Sierra is all yours!
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 12:08 PM | permalink |
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
NEW SOFTWARE/NEW STUFF!
If you notice a change in our temperment over the next few days, we apologize in advance. We have upgraded our software system and all of us have to learn the nuances of the new system. Yes, we COULD read the manual, yes we COULD pay an exorbitant training fee, but quite frankly, we all prefer to muddle through this together! So as we catalog new items in a completely different way, print labels that don't quite match up to the inventory, or create non-existent purchase orders to recreate a shipment, please be patient, OK? We promise we will get up to speed as quickly as we can. The good news is that a credit card transaction now takes about four seconds and our receipts hide all the numbers. Yay!
We DID receive some things correctly (with the wonderfully patient Lew looking over our shoulder). Just in time for Mother's Day, check out the GORGEOUS Lantern Moon needle cases and embroidered knitting bags that arrived today. Sheer elegance.
Also a great gift idea, Martingale Publishing's KNITTING COASTERS. How perfect for those summer drinks on the patio! At only $12.95 for a pack of eight, these are fabulous! And to accompany, their new book EVERYDAY STYLE. Great summer and fall sweaters.
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 01:29 PM | permalink |
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
ARTYARNS SUPERMERINO
It seems that everyone searches for the perfect baby blanket yarn. Soft, washable, brightly colored, fun to knit. Search no more. The popular ARTYARNS SUPERMERINO is back at the store, after a total blowout this past winter. Thanks, Iris! We love this yarn, as did all of you, judging by how quickly you scooped it up! The yarn is put up in 100 yard skeins for $9.99; a worsted weight crib blanket can be made with seven.
Not interested in blankets? This yarn would make a great WASHABLE (did we mention it is machine washable) sweater, scarf or shawl! Have at it.
posted by WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon at 10:41 AM | permalink |