After weeks of frantically knitting gifts, it's time to rekindle your love for your craft. Take some time to slow down, relax, find warm fibers, and sign up for a class with a project or technique you want to learn. Go ahead -- you deserve it! Have a look at our upcoming February & March classes, featured below. Register for the one that is right for you -- go to www.woolwinders.com or call the shop today!
It's no secret that WoolWinders is a huge fan of June Cashmere. If you missed out on the Annapolis or Rockville trunk shows don't worry because we now carry June Cashmere DK yarns at both shops! This luxurious yarn is perfect for heirloom knits. Textured stitches, such as the cables found on this cabled cowl, stand out beautifully. With feature articles on June Cashmere in the recent Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits magazines, we know this yarn is a hot trend in the making!
As seen in the current Vogue Knitting Magazine and this past weekend at Vogue Knitting LIVE! - Yoke Sweaters!
Yoke sweaters are currently a HOT knitting project - but these beautiful sweaters have a rich history. For example, the iconic Icelandic sweater was created to keep you warm during cold, winter months.
There are many yoke sweater patterns - and we encourage you to check out Ravelry for some ideas.
Need help with your sweater? The WoolWinders Safari Classes - a monthly class where you bring in the project you want, is a perfect class where you can get help with your yoke sweater knitting. We also have Sweater Academy, a monthly class in Rockville, where you can work on the sweater of your choice.
Maybe you would like some ideas for yarn for your yoke sweater? Malabrigo Rios, Shepherd's Wool, and BlueFaced Leicester are yarns that come to mind. Stop by Annapolis or Rockville to see our full selection of worsted weight yarns!
We are excited to carry a brand new yarn that is getting rave reviews from knitters around the country. Stolen Stitches Nua is a yarn developed in collaboration by Jeni Hewlett of Fyberspates and Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches.The blend of different fibers creates an amazing yarn. The merino wool gives it an incredible softness, the yak provides a wonderful (and unique!) silkiness, while the linen gives the stitches striking visual texture and provides strength to the fabric
The blend of fibers also creates rich and interesting colorways. The linen absorbs dye in a way which allows the yarn to have a natural tweed effect, and the yak is the key to the subtle color palette. It adds a natural light brown to the base yarn so all the colors are just that little bit darker in the finished yarn.
Nua is a lighter yarn with a bit more bounce, making blocking easier and helping projects (especially garments) to hold their shape nicely. This yarn will be nice for a poncho or sweater that can be used in many different seasons. Stop by Annapolis or Rockville to see this unique yarn in person!
Come meet Gayle and get your Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible signed in person! That's right, in addition to the Japanese Lace Scarf class, we're having a book signing with Gayle!
We will have books for sale or you can bring your own.
For more info about the Japanese Lace Scarf class, please see the class page. For more information about Gayle, please see our previous blog post. And if you have any questions please call or email us.
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!
For the past several years WoolWinders Yarn shop has helped The Original Pancake House restaurants by donating handmade knits for their annual Christmas Day breakfast and giving to the less fortunate. We are blessed to continue this tradition.
We are currently accepting donations of handmade hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, and socks. They also ask:
Knit or Crochet scarves -
Length: 4 feet – 6 feet
Width: at least 6''
Yarn: Acrylic or washable wool preferred, for ease of care
Color: We are asking that most of the items be made in neutral colors, if possible, because many of the recipients are men who prefer plain dark colors, but we had a lot of families last year, too, so don't forget children's items. If you are contributing multiple items, it would be nice to have a tag for each indicating whether the item is intended for a woman, man, or child to help the volunteers sort the gifts.
If you have items you would like to donate, please drop off your knitted goods to WoolWinders Annapolis or Rockville by Thursday, December 15th.
Thank you in advance for all of your help and kindness! <3
The most wonderful shopping day of the year is almost here, and we're celebrating Black Friday at WoolWinders Yarn Shop in a big way! We've got huge discounts all day in the Annapolis and Rockville shops!
WoolWinders Yarn Shop staff will hand out coupons good for either 30% off or 20% off upon entry to the shop. Customers must enter the store before noon to receive a 30% off coupon and before 2 PM to receive a 20% off coupon. Coupons are good all day on Friday, November 24, 2017, but must be surrendered at time of purchase.
*Black Friday Sales are only applicable to in-store purchases at WoolWinders Annapolis and Rockville shops on Friday, November 24, 2017. Discounts apply to in-stock items only and may not be used for online orders, special orders, classes, private lessons or gift cards. May not be combined with any other discount - no further discounts on yarns already on sale. No holds on items before the sale. No winding during the day (but you are welcome to leave your yarn for pick up the next week). All sales are FINAL.
