We are Excited to welcome back Gayle Roehm - who is coming to WoolWinders Rockville right after she completes a full set of teaching courses at the famous Vogue Knitting Live! in NYC. Gayle will be joining us for a Japanese lace knitting class and a book signing! 

Description: Knitters who love beautiful stitch patterns are delighted with the "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible: 260 Exquisite Designs by Hitomi Shida," recently published in English. This class will give you an exclusive preview of one of the designs - Hitomi Shida's Exquisite Scarf! Join the translator to knit the scarf project from this book, and gain experience and insight into the complex charts and symbols. We'll start the body of the scarf in the first class, practicing chart-reading and some of the more complex maneuvers, to be sure you can work on the project later at home. In the second class, we’ll complete the “frill” at one end. The pattern will be provided; you don't need to purchase the book ahead of time.

Class Dates/Times:

Saturdays, January 27 & February 10

2PM - 4PM 

Materials Needed for Class: Approximately 350 yards of DK-weight wool or wool-blend yarn, preferably in a light color. A set of straight or circular needles in US size 6 (4.0mm); you may want to have a couple of additional sizes to get gauge, especially if you're a tight or loose knitter.

Cable needle.

Small amounts of smooth waste yarn. 

Location: WoolWinders Rockville

MORE ABOUT GAYLE

Gayle teaches knitting classes around the country with a focus on using Japanese patterns. She loves to introduce knitters to the pleasures of Japanese designs, and her knowledge of the subject is unmatched. She majored in Japanese studies, speaks Japanese, and lived in Japan during and after her college years.

She went on to business school and worked as a management consultant all over the world, including many visits to Japan. She is an avid knitter and has been incorporating Japanese patterns for many years.

With the rise of the internet, anyone anywhere can find a wide range of Japanese books and patterns but many have found the translating difficult. Enter Gayle, who has been able to provide instruction on how to translate these beautiful patterns. Her classes have been VERY popular at events such as Vogue Knitting LIVE, Stitches, Interweave Knitting Lab, Yarnover, Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat, Sock Summit and more. Gayle’s designs have been published in Knitter’s Magazine, Interweave Knits, A Gathering of Lace, and by yarn companies. For several years she translated Japanese patterns for Dancing Fibers (now Sunrise Yarns/Diakeito), and she prepared the Japanese section for the book Knitting Languages. She also sells original work at a local fiber arts gallery. 

We are very excited to welcome her back to WoolWinders! Come meet Gayle at her book signing and her class! 

Whatever your fiber-crafting goals are, WoolWinders is here to help. We have a full list of classes scheduled for the 2018 Winter season at both Annapolis and Rockville for Safari and Project classes. Below you'll find the classes schedule for January - including a special class and book signing with our friend, best selling author Gayle Roehm!

Please take a look at the classes and make 2018 the year you invest in something that brings you joy, satisfaction, and peace! We hope to see you soon at WoolWinders Yarn Shop! 

Today we continue our feature of June Cashmere, the luxury cashmere yarn company that will be featured at the WoolWinders Annapolis Open House on Saturday, October 14th and Sunday, October 15th. 

We hope you've enjoyed learning a little about June Cashmere over the past few blog posts. June Cashmere is an extraordinary company, with extraordinary yarns and an extraordinary story. WoolWinders Yarn shop is very excited to bring June Cashmere to you!

We hope to see you at our Annapolis shop on Saturday, October 14th (11am - 6pm) and Sunday, October 15th (12pm - 5pm). Amy Swanson, of June Cashmere, will be here on Saturday to tell you about the company and show you the beautiful yarns.

We are also giving away door prizes to lucky customers. AND, we're offering 10% off storewide* all weekend! More details about June Cashmere and the Open House can be found on our Facebook Events page. We hope to see you there!

*Discount excludes June Cashmere, patterns, and classes and only pertains to WoolWinders Annapolis during the weekend of October 14-15, 2017.

Today we continue our feature of June Cashmere, the luxury cashmere yarn company that will be featured at the WoolWinders Annapolis Open House on Saturday, October 14th and Sunday, October 15th. 

June Cashmere yarn has only been on the market for a year, expanding from a few colors to now offering a dozen naturally dyed hues. There are two weights of yarn (DK and lace) in plies of three and six strands. This allows for incredible stitch definition in knitting. The stitches bloom upon washing, showing off the softness of the fiber. This is a luxury yarn that any fiber artist would love to work with and anyone would love to receive as a gift, either as a skein or knit up in a scarf and hat set. Simply, it's warm and beautiful!

Today we continue our feature of June Cashmere, the luxury cashmere yarn company that will be featured at the WoolWinders Annapolis Open House on Saturday, October 14th and Sunday, October 15th. 

June Cashmere actively invests in the communities where cashmere is gathered. They promote village-to-village training sessions teaching best practices for increasing the quantity and quality of cashmere fiber production.

This textile company truly cares about producing a luxury yarn that in turn provides betterment for Kyrgyz families. June Cashmere prides itself on restoring cashmere to its most pure and luxurious form with a process that ensures Kyrgyz traditions are not lost. Such an investment in people and resources shows that June Cashmere is a gem of a company that we are thrilled to help support. 

June Cashmere started with the vision of J.C. Christensen and his family, owners of Morning Star Fiber, located in North Carolina. In 2007, they met a group of Kyrgyz artisans and became aware of the need for revitalization in the Kyrgyz fiber industry. Shortly thereafter, Christensen connected with Sy Belohlavek from Ohio, who had previously worked in Kyrgyzstan. Belohlavek was drawn toward the idea of working with the Kyrgyz people and revitalizing their fiber industry. In 2010 Belohlavek, with his wife and children, moved to Kyrgyzstan to begin working toward making the the vision of June Cashmere a reality.

Over the next few days check back here, on our blog, to learn more about this amazing company! 

Look at the gorgeous shawl that customer Jo just completed! This slinky, sexy shawl is Shinkan-Zen by Susan Ashcroft, and is made with one skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk. The unusual pattern name comes from the speedy Japanese bullet trains, but calls to mind the zen-like state you feel when knitting this speedy, but relaxing pattern.

At the shop, we’re often asked to recommend patterns for TV-knitting or travel knitting, and with summer vacations coming up, Shinkan-Zen would be great to take along on car trips (no driving and knitting, please!) or wherever your summer plans take you.

The pattern is written for any size (gauge) yarn, and I particularly love the yarn Jo selected - Handmaiden Sea Silk. Made from 70% silk and 30% seacell (fiber made from seaweed!), I’ve never seen a yarn quite like this. It beckons to you from across the shop, and just asks to be touched. The colors are stunning and the silk gives each skein a wondrous sheen. Finished projects have incredible drape and lightness that are perfect for summer shawls or year-round black-tie events.

We have a brand new shipment of Handmaiden Sea Silk in blues, greens, purples and lovely natural colors coming in any day now - the last time we got a shipment, the yarn was barely out of the box before customers were picking out their favorite skein to take home! Get yours today!

Wonderful job, Jo - enjoy your stunning shawl!

Are you looking for a great 1 skein project for spring knitting?

...And, with the spring cleaning and organizing bug still flitting about my house, I decided it would be a great time to build up a supply of wash and dishcloths. It has been so much fun! I've always taken to heart something I read in Mason Dixon Knitting - that it's important to get over the "precious knits" early - knit things that you'll use, wear, and love.