Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend! We are closed today, Sunday, April 5, but will reopen on Tuesday, April 7 at 11 AM!

Did someone say Spring Sale?! That's right - this Saturday, March 28, 2015 through Friday, April 3, 2015 we're having a sale on select winter yarns! This is a fabulous opportunity to bring home yarns you may have been lusting over, but weren't quite sure what to make.  We'll offer 20%, 25% and even 30% off a variety of stunning yarns including Jade Sapphire Cashmere, Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace, baa ram ewe Titus and lots more! We've got a huge order of madelinetosh arriving any day and we need to make room. Of course, there is some fine print: All sales of sale merchandise are final and may not be combined with any other discounts (i.e., class or preferred customer discount), no special orders, no holding yarn, winding may be limited depending on traffic. See you in the shop!

Our spring class schedule is now available! Check out our latest class schedule for April, May and June. We’ve got new safaris, including beginner’s safaris, if you want to learn to knit or know someone who does. Open Safaris Our safaris are so popular that they often sell out, but we do have a few with openings: -Safari Lite/Beginner’s Knitting, Mondays, 6-8 PM with Jessica -NEW! Safari Knitting Group/Beginner’s Knitting, Wednesdays, noon-2 PM with Flo -Safari Lite/Beginner’s Knitting, Thursdays, 6-8 PM with Karen -Safari Lite/Beginner’s Knitting, Saturdays, 11-1 PM with Suzy -Safari Lite, Sundays, 2-4 PM with Terry We're often asked, “What’s a safari?” Safari classes are a great way to work on any project of your choosing with the help of an instructor in case you make a mistake, want to learn a new skill or need help choosing yarn. Safaris meet several times throughout the month for dedicated knitting time with old and new friends. If you want to work on a specific project or skill, check out our Project & Technique Classes!

We're honored to participate in the bi-annual hat and shawl drive benefiting area families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss in collaboration with DC PAIL Net, the DC/DMV Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network, the Solace Foundation and Stephen's Heart. From now until April 15, please consider making and donating prayer shawls, baby hats, touch blankets or baby buntings. Donations will be made to at least 10 local area hospitals throughout VA, DC, and MD, including INOVA and MedStar hospitals and will be received by families that have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and/or neonatal loss. Details on donations: For those volunteers that choose to knit a baby hat, small touch blanket, or "baby burrito"/bunting (see more details below), your item will be received by a family that has experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and/or neonatal loss. Your item may be kept by the family as one of their precious keepsakes from their baby's short life, or the item may be used by the family for their baby in memorial picture-taking, visitation, cremation, or burial. Your donation is *extremely important* to these families, and will serve in a lifetime of memories. For those volunteers who may choose to make a "prayer shawl", these will be used to support the mission of The Solace Foundation to provide comfort to bereaved mothers experiencing perinatal or neonatal loss. Project Parameters Items - Hats, Prayer Shawls, Touch Blankets, Buntings (for miscarriage) Styles - Traditional baby hats, may include hearts, animals, etc.; not flamboyant. Keep in mind that parents want things that are very much indicative of a baby, but also in accordance with the circumstance. Suggestion of soft yarns for all items. For the comfort shawls, The Solace Foundation suggests to not use pastels/"baby colors". Colors - all traditional baby colors, plus any pretty but not overly-flamboyant hats for Valentine's Day, Easter, Fall colors, Winter theme/snowflakes, Christmas, Hannukah Yarn - Any fiber may be used/no fiber restrictions, typically DK or worsted weight. In DK, cast on 60 stitches for preemie, 72 for newborn, smaller for smaller circumference. Sizes - Please calculate a stitch count for cast on for your project based on yarn gauge. Newborn 36cm/12-14 inches 30 weeks 26 cm/10 in (preemie size 10-11 inches) 20 weeks 17 cm/6.6 in (small/micro preemie 7-9 inch hat size) 16 weeks: 13 cm/6 in and smaller With the focus of greatest need on the last two - 6 inches and 7-9 inches. Pattern Examples- Hats: http://stitcheryprojects.com/2011/03/21/basic-baby-hat/ http://www.fiberfluxblog.com/2011/02/free-pattern.html http://www.carissaknits.com/2007/07/preemie-hats-for-charity.html http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiny-knitted-bonnet-with-eyelet-brim http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/poppys-premie-hat http://prayingwithmyfeet.blogspot.com/2013/03/baby-bear-hat-pattern.html http://pregnancy.about.com/od/pregnancyloss/tp/Hats-for-Babies-Who-Are-Stillborn.htm And The Solace Foundation has a page of ideas on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/solacefound/comfort-shawl-pattern-ideas/ "Burritos"/pouch/bunting: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fetal-demise-pouch http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-burial-bunting http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/angels-pocket http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/micro-bunting-for-early-losses http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wrapping-cloth-for-stillborn-infants If, as a volunteer, you would like to tag your work with a small note saying something such as, "Made with Love for you By _____", you are welcome to. We will keep the tags on and pass them on to the families. These tags can be very meaningful to show someone cares about the loss they are experiencing.

We are so incredibly excited to welcome Maggie Jackson, the award-winning, international designer of MaggiKnits from Ireland for her first visit to Rockville. Far from what might be considered 'typical' knitting, Maggie's unique creations incorporate everything from home decor, shawls that can be draped and pinned in a variety of ways to create different looks, sweaters and more. View her collections. We'd love for you to join us February 27-March 1 for an enchanting weekend with Maggie! Sign up for the full weekend and receive a special discount! Fashion Show: Friday, February 27 from 6-8 PM; $15 (includes wine and nibbles) Start your evening with wine and nibbles followed by a fashion show of approximately 40 garments. Maggie will give tips on drape and hang with styles that make you look taller and slimmer. Have fun trying on the samples afterward and enjoy Maggie's Irish sense of humor! Sign up! Oh No! Not Another Scarf!: Saturday, February 28 from 11:30 AM-5:30 PM; $155 (includes lunch and $20 materials fee) Spend all day creating Maggie's signature stitches like rag knots, tubes, splits and the ladder stitch. You will create a sampler piece that can be turned into a scarf, purse or table runner. This project will be your special creation and design, with the guidance of Maggie and her unique ideas. Plus, you'll learn additional finishing techniques necessary to make your project an amazing success. Sign up! Wearable Art: Sunday, March 1 from 9 AM-3 PM; $155 (includes lunch and $20 materials fee) Learn new stitches that take you beyond the previous workshop! Maggie takes you several steps further and teaches you even more of her interesting textures, stitches and techniques with great ideas on using up your stash and mixing it with new yarns. Ramping things up a notch, you'll learn how to incorporate other materials to expand your creativity with 2-colored frilled tubes, bows, 2-colored picot tubes and much more. Maggie will help you broaden your horizon and create a whole new style of knitting! Sign up! Sign up for the full weekend and receive an 18% discount off the price of each event. *You will need #7 or #8 needles, a darning needle and scissors. If planning to use circular needles, please bring 32" or longer.

Is one of your New Year's knitting resolutions to learn how to make socks? Join Terry Cammack and learn how to knit cuff-down socks. Terry will cover cuffs, legs, heel flaps and turns, gussets and toes in this series of three classes. You'll finish your first pair of socks in no time! Saturday, January 17, 24 & February 14 from 9-11 AM Sign up: http://store.woolwinders.com/my-first-socks/dp/4243

We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season with friends, family and lots of knitting time! WoolWinders Yarn Shop's holiday hours are: December 24: 12-5 PM December 25: Closed December 26: 11-6 PM December 31: Closed January 1: Closed Good luck finishing your holiday gifts and if you're not sure what to get that special knitter in your life, we have gift cards! We'll see you in 2015!

Our Evening Bag class with Flo Meit was a huge hit! Check out these stunning bags customers Sheila, Mary Francis, Beth and Sue knit with gorgeous ArtYarns. Not only did they learn how to knit their bags, but Flo taught them how to line the bags with coordinating fabric and to attach the hardware. Nice job, ladies!

Knitting for speed and efficiency! Beginner or not, this is an opportunity to add speed and consistency to your gauge. Continental style knitting (left-handed) is sometimes considered a more efficient method of knitting and many knitters find it less stressful on their hands than the traditional English (right-handed) "throwing" method. This class is perfect for "throwers" who've always wanted to learn continental knitting as well as for continental knitters, "pickers," who have struggled with the continental purl stitch. Join Suzy Roy on December 6th and master the knit and purl stitches using the continental method! Details: December 6 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM Instructor: Suzy Roy Cost: $55 Register!

We're excited to announce our Black Friday sale beginning today, November 28, 2014 at 11 AM. Join us for these incredible discounts: -30% from 11 AM - noon -20% from noon - 1 PM -15% from 1 PM - 6 PM You must be in the store before noon to receive the 30% discount. Discounts apply to all regularly priced merchandise. Special orders, classes, private lessons and gift cards are excluded. See you at 11!