No, we didn't bring back samples of Pinot Noir, but we did arrive to several boxes containing great stuff! So greeting you at the store will be: REORDERS OF CASHSOFT ARAN (including white), TWO NEW JAEGER BOOKS, THE NEW DEBBIE BLISS BOOK "OUT OF TOWN" and plenty of KNITTER'S COMPANIONS.

And we are very excited about this coming weekend. Join us Sunday from 2-4 for the first of a three week knitalong to make FELTED CLOGS. These may be the ultimate holiday gift! We made ours four years ago and still wear them each morning to retrieve the morning paper (we're sure our neighbors have noticed!). Very fun, and a great beginner project. These aren't difficult, just a lot of counting and working in the round. So join us from 2-4 (maybe we will bring a bottle of Pinot to that program!) for felted clogs. As always, the program is free of charge.

We are off for a few days to pursue our other passion, wine. So to make sure you are sufficiently informed before our trip (we will be back in the store Wednesday, November 1), please note:

1. We have received our fall order of Schaefer Yarns, including Cheryl's fabulous loop mohair BLOSSOM, her lush chunky alpaca ESPERANZA, and her brand new thick and thin worsted weight NANCY. If you don't know Schaefer's fabulous colorways, come check these out. They are gorgeous! Unfortuately, Cheryl has had to cancel her visit to WoolWinders on Nov. 3 due to a family illness-please contact us if you registered.

2. Also in, our notions from BRYSON. All the stuff you need like stitch holders, markers, scissors etc.

3. We have a new selection of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS afghan kits from COLINETTE. These make truly special holiday, wedding, birthday, and graduation presents. And they are quick (and easy) knits done on size 11 needles.

Our SUNDAY IN THE SALON PROGRAM completes our TWELVE WEEKS OF CHRISHANUKWANZAA with the knitting of the uber-cute PEDICURE SOCKS from www.knitty.com. If you have size 6 DPNs, bring them in--we are very low on needles. And you will need just 200 yards of worsted weight yarn to make these great gifts. Join Marietta, the sock knitter extraordinaire, as she leads this SUNDAY in the SALON Program.

That's it! We will resume our blog next week. Enjoy this great knitting weather, and we will toast a pinot to our fabulous customers while away.

Hot off the press and into WoolWinders: CABLES UNTANGLED by Melissa Leapman. What a book! Beautiful designs(sweaters, coats, capes, bags and even a skirt!) as well as a charted and written stitch dictionary for just about every cable imaginable. And just to think we had ALL our fall knitting planned! As we all know, there is always room for another project!

Calling all color knitters-we have three precious copies of the specatcular BRANDON MABLY book KNITTING COLOR. Gorgeous designs. The book is filled with Fair Isle and Intarsia patterns that will delight and inspire. If you can't get here, just give us a call (240.632.9276) and we will hold a copy for you.

Also, a postscript to the SUNDAY in the SALON. This week's project ends with a KITCHENER STITCH. So for those of you who find this technique difficult, we will de-mystify it for you with a demonstration, and make sure you know how to do it before you leave! So join us Sunday 2-4 PM.

Join us this Sunday as we make a FELTED PET BED/BASKET/BAG. Why do we call it that? Because trial and error showed us that the FRENCH MARKET BAG pattern from www.knitty.com made a swell pet bed if you left off the handles and did it from chunky yarn; and it made a beautiful basket with handles AND chunky yarn! And of course the bag itself, made from worsted weight yarn, is fabulous. So whether you want a pet bed*, a basket, or a felted bag, some join us! We have plenty of felting yarn, worsted and chunky, and if you have 24" circular needles (size 11 for chunky, size 8 for worsted) bring them along. And if you want to get a head start on the project, cast on 50 stitches and knit until you have a square. We will show you how to do the rest!

As always, the program is free of charge and runs from 2-4 PM. And we have snacks! See you then.

*our friend Ian, who owns PAWLITICS next door, is offering a 10% discount on natural pet food/toys/supplies if you are making the pet bed! So give him a visit after you leave us on Sunday.

and we'll have a blast. Occassionally we do something at WoolWinders that is NOT fiber related. Join us tomorrow night from 6-8 PM for a SILPADA party! Our friend Barbara is hosting, and will be on hand to show off the gorgeous (and reasonably priced) SILPADA jewelry collection. You can preview the cataog at www.mysilpada.com/barbara.hornstein. If you are in the mood for treating yourself or a friend or family member to a lovely gift, please join us. But call or email me (jacqui@woolwinders.com) to let me know you will be attending, ok? We want to make sure there are enough spaces for everyone to sit and admire the beautiful collection.

That's THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 from 6-8 PM at the shop. And yes, the store will be open as usual for fiber shopping!

We scored some fabulous hard-to-find books thanks to our pals at Rowan Yarn. Limited copies are available, so hurry in: IRRESTIBLE KNITS, JEAN MOSS SCULPTURED KNITS, TODAY'S CROCHET, RIBBON KNITS, and CROCHETED AFGHANS.

Don't forget about our SUNDAY in the SALON. Meet Kim Werker and Shannon Okey who will be signing books and teaching us how to make crocheted flowers! 2-4 PM and it's free of charge!

We were taken aback at the COLINETTE booth at TNNA this summer. Along with their gorgeous yarns that have become staff and customer favorites, they hit the jackpot with a HAND-DYED, MACHINE WASH, DK weight yarn. Trust us, it was worth waiting for! This yarn, CADENZA, will be a hit, we predict. 120 yards for $10.99 (yes, you saw that correctly), it is the perfect yarn for light weight sweaters, shawls and the like for ALL AGES. New baby in the family? Any new mom will appreciate the machine washability of the yarn. Child going off to college? This yarn can be mistreated! And the colors? The usualy COLINETTE fabulosity (yes, we made up that word).

So come take a peek at the latest addition to the WoolWinders family: COLINETTE CADENZA.

And to knit a scarf from it? We have new stock of CRYSTAL PALACE needles as well.

We will be hosting a very special program this Sunday, one that addresses two groups we don't often emphasize here at WoolWinders: TEENS and CROCHETERS! Join us as we welcome SHANNON OKEY, author of knitgrrl; and KIM WERKER, of get hooked fame. They will be signing their awesome books and helping us make CROCHETED FLOWERS. Everyone, no matter what your age and skill level, is welcome. If you are the parent, friend, relative, or even acquaintance of a teen eager to knit and crochet, please bring them! The books are geared to them, with an emphasis on quick, easy, cool stuff. But even us oldies will be crocheting with the best of 'em!

As always, the program is free of charge and will be held from 2-4 PM. See you on Sunday.

Join us this Sunday as we knit THE fashion handbag of the season! We saw these beauties at Nordstrom's and Macy's for way more than it cost to knit them, so we worked up a pattern and made a sample. The bag is a great way to learn cables and is a quick knit on a size 9 needle with about 150 yards of chunky yarn. We bought the handles for around $5.00 at Hancock Fabrics!

As always, the program is free and will run from 2-4. See you there!