Today we welcome Kim Schneibolk to the WoolWinders family. Like our other employees, Kim began as a customer, became a friend, and now works with us! Kim will be working Tuesdays and Fridays, and will be happy to help knitters move beyond their comfort zones. Since we have known her, we have referred to Kim as a "Fearless Knitter!." Come see her fabulous creations.

Walter the UPS Guy brought us more goodies today. The new Lang Magazine Fatto a Mano is just amazing, along with their new yarn, Tosca. We have five colors of this chunky wool/acrylic blend that forms a blocky tweed when knit. Just gorgeous.

Also in, Ginger Luters new book, Module Magic. For those easily bored, this method of knitting one block at a time to create amazing sweaters, jackets and the like, will keep you interested and creative!

One of our favorite yarns last winter was Elsebeth Lavold' Silky Wool. This DK weight silk/wool blend knits like a dream and has fabulous pattern support. We were left with about two skeins at the end of the season! This year, she produced new colors and a new yarn, Silky Tweed. And today we received many skeins of both! We now have nine colors of Silky Wool and seven colors of Silky Tweed. Come and see this gorgeous yarn!

Hot off the presses, our Fall Newsletter is posted on the website. Click on the appropriate button on the left side of the page, and you will receive all the latest news, class schedules, patterns and the like. But want a better way of getting the newsletter, as well as announcements about special events and sales? Register on the site! Just go to the lower left section of the home page, and register your email address. You will receive an email back asking you to confirm. This protects your privacy! That way, you won't miss ANYTHING happening at WoolWinders.

Lew came upon a fabulous website yesterday filled with poncho patterns. We are trying to keep up with this craze, and this site is a HUGE help. Visit http.//faerycrafty.blogdrive.com. Many styles, both knit and crocheted, and tons of pictures! Have fun.

If you haven't noticed the left side of our home page, please be aware that store hours are changing beginning WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. We are responding to many requests to stay open past 5:30 PM:

MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY 11 AM-6 PM
THURSDAY 11 AM-8 PM
SATURDAY 10 AM-5 PM
SUNDAY 12 PM-5 PM

What a day! We thought we had seen the last of Walter the UPS Guy, but oh no! He appeared at our door with a later shipment that blew us away! Unicorn Books has come out with the must-have gift of 2004- THE 2005 KNITTING PATTERN A DAY CALENDAR. And best of all, our pal LAURIE GONYEA is featured on October 25 with her clever TURTLENECK TURTLE TOP! . Take a look yourself:

We were so excited, but not as excited as Laurie, who whooped with delight when we called to tell her. So congratulations, Laurie. And thanks for letting us submit the pattern. We received a nice mention. This clever calendar can be paired with the perpetual 365 KNITTING STITCHES A YEAR for a perfect gift. Unicorn also sent the much anticipated Simply Knit 2 featuring Lana Grossa yarns.

And Berroco came through as quickly as Knitting Fever! We called just on Monday for reinforcements of pink, green and taupe SUEDE and received it today!

Yesterday we realized that we had no white, creme, or camel DK weight merino yarn. Horrors! So we called upon our fabulous pal Jay at Knitting Fever and today BEFORE WE OPENED, Walter the UPS Guy brought us a box containing three bags of each color in the wonderfully soft Debbie Bliss Merino DK. We see many Aran sweaters/blankets/pillows out of this!

We have always regarding the approach of Labor Day as a time of cleaning house. Perhaps it goes back to our days as a high school English teacher, when the new year was really in September, not January. Yesterday we attacked the store with a vengeance. In addition to our storerooms being immaculate and well ordered, we rotated our samples around the store to reflect the approach of Fall. Gone are the summer shells (sigh). You will now see fabulous selections from Cotton Fleece, Colinette Zanziba, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, Aran Tweed, and Superchunky. In addition we have whipped up several Ponchos on display for both adults and children. And of course scarves abound.

We also sell samples on occasion, normally when we are no longer selling the yarn. We have these displayed on a rolling rack outside, with prices and sizes clearly marked. Please don't hesitate to ask us questions about these models!

Today we received new colors of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, one of our new favorite yarns for sweaters and afghans, as well as a gorgeous feltable Charcoal Grey from their worsted weight Lamb's Pride. These are wonderfully priced yarns that knit and wear well.

Finally, we have installed XM Radio in our continuing quest to be the Sports Bar of the Knitting World. So email us with your favorite stations, come in and hang with us and knit to the music!

We love when the new Fall yarns arrive. Boxes and boxes are delivered, ripped open and we fondle the new yarns. But once they are entered into inventory and placed in our bins, our true fun starts: walking our customers over to the bins of our new yarns so they can pet the yarn too!

While we have lots of new yarns to touch, this season the "early favorite" for yarn of the year is Debbie Bliss' Baby Alpaca Silk. It is 80% Alpaca and 20% Silk and knits up at 4.5 stitches to the inch on a size 8 or 9 US needle. Each ball is 75 yards. We carry it in every color. Click on this colorchart to see a larger picture:

What makes this yarn so appealing is not only does it feel unbelievably soft, Debbie has created some terrific patterns for the yarn. Here are just a few (click on the thumbnails for a larger picture):

And there are other pattern to drool over as well. So, if you want a break between trips to buy back to school supplies and clothers, drop by WoolWinders and fondle some yarn!

Knitting Fever just keeps 'em coming! We came in to the store late on our day off to find that Jessica, Adrian, and Allison (our ace helper/Jessica's daughter) had received and shelved GORGEOUS new Noro yarns. We received the ultra-luxurious HANA SILK in teal, taupe, mauve, and slate blue; and doesn't EVERYONE deserve a silk sweater? We think so.

Also in, two re-orders of Silk Garden (we are expecting eight new Fall colors by the end of September) in blacks/greys/browns and purples; as well as a new Fall color of Kureyon in luscious aqua/green/grey. Stay tuned. We ordered BUCKETS of Noro Yarns including Blossom, Iro, Transition, Kureyon and Silk Garden and should receive the Fall line within a month.

This time last week, we were happily driving through Anchorage on our last day in Alaska. With no firm plans, we decided to explore the fiber world! Our first stop was the Native Alaskan Co-op which sells the ultra-luxurious quiviat, or yarn spun from the underbelly of the musk ox. This stuff makes cashmere feel like sand paper! But the production and sale process is heavily regulated and the final product is not wholesaled to stores. So we passed. But if you ever get a chance to see/feel/use this yarn, do so!

Next stop was Knitting Frenzy, a well known shop. We introduced ourselves to the staff and explored the offerings of the store. Very nice selection. Lots of Debbie Bliss, Noro, Manos and Colinette among others.

Finally, we proceeded to Far North Yarns, a fairly new shop. Owner Kay used to be in Homer, AK, but moved to Anchorage about two years ago. We arrived to a scene similar to WoolWinders-customers sitting around a table chatting, knitting, and snacking. We were intrigued by two major differences: very few novelty yarns (function over form rules in the Far North), and no ponchos on display. Instead, they focus on the very warm, very practical heavy Icelandic Lopi designs. We need to revisit in Winter to get the true sense of knitting in Alaska!

Many thanks to all in Anchorage who made us feel so welcome in their shops!

We have had Colinette yarns since we opened, and feature them each season. And we also love to feature our fabulous staff. Lisa, who has been with us ALMOST since the beginning, whipped up these two garments in no time. She is draped first in a Poncho from Journey to America done in Point Five, and her oh-so-casually draped shawl is done in Zanziba and Mohair from the Comforts Book. Isn't she gorgeous? And talented? Lisa is an amazing designer and will be giving a class this fall on incorporating existing pattern stitches into your original designs. Called "Something Borrowed," it is scheduled in November and is filling up fast! Click on the "classes" button for more information!

Emily just started knitting late this summer and became a pro before our eyes! She did the Berroco Zen shawl in less than two weeks and the Colinette Tagliatelli bag over a weekend. Not pictured is a fabulous skirt that matches the bag; Marietta is seaming and lining it so that mom Anne can take it to Madison, where Emily is a senior! Isn't her work fabulous? We wish her the best during her senior year at Wisconsin!

Well, they said it couldn't be done, but we were able to reorder the Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca colors that flew out of here while we were gone. One can only imagine the scene of our wonderful customers seizing the black, denim, and sage out of the boxes (yes, we heard!). But we called our wonderful pal Susan at Knitting Fever who sent us reinforcements within TWO DAYS!!!! We now have plenty of the aforementioned colors. We were able to review the pattern book, and all we can say is WOW! We have found about four things we are desperate to knit, but we are being considerate and letting our customers come first. OK, truth be told we have four sweaters going now and must complete at least two of them first!

Also in, FINALLY, Noro Pattern Book 16 which contains the pattern for the gorgeous Hana Silk pullover we have displayed at the shop. We have been promised the rest of the yarn colors within the month.

The Ann Norling gods also smiled on us, and we are fully restocked with her patterns, including the popular Adult Socks.

It is getting toward the end of our first day back at work, and we have had a chance to unpack the few boxes that remained from the staff's great efforts. How wonderful to see the Lana Grossa yarn, a new line for us, that we ordered at the TNNA Show. We received their fabulous self-patterning sock yarn in myriad colors; Fumo, an exquisite mohair/merino blend in white and pink; and their softer-than-soft merino Cool Wool and Cool Wool Print. We predict this yarn to fly out of here! It knits at 5.5-6 stitches to the inch (think those gorgeous sport/DK patterns!) and we received many colors in both solid and variegated tones.

Also waiting for us, a huge box from Berroco. We oohed and aahed over the chunky weight Medley yarn, and spent much time touching the new colors of the lightweight mohair blend, Venezia. Venezia has proven to be a very popular yarn for sweaters and ponchos-as a mohair/acrylic blend it is soft to the skin. Come see the new print colors-they are just luscious!

We also received two new novelty yarns-Shimmer and Vanessa. Fun, funky and fabulous!

While in Alaska, we visited yarn shops (of course)! Lew has promised to upload pictures within the next few days-we appreciated the Far Northern hospitality shown to us by the folks in Anchorage.

We have jumped right in after our day of flying from Anchorage. Even though our body clocks were four hours behind, we couldn't wait to get to the store this morning! And what sights greeted us!!! We could NOT have a better staff! Jessica, Marietta, Karina, Tori, Lisa, Adrian, Jackie, Lynne and Kim were just phenomenal at holding down the fort, ringing up sales, and receiving new merchandise, even with our technologically-challenged computer system. We are forever grateful. We know that you have kept up with their blogs and know what is new at the store; today Walter the UPS Guy (who looked a bit shorter after carrying in all the goodies over the past ten days) wheeled in four boxes of fabulous books from Unicorn Press. We were intrigued at many of the titles: Beginners Guide to Knitting, Dazzling Knits, 1000 Great Knitting Motifs, Big Book of Knitting Stitches, Cable Needle Freedom, Easy Plus Size Knits, Knit it Now!, Knitted Toys, Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, Knitting the Easy Way,
The Pattern Companion, Textured Knits, Treasury of Magical Knits, Baby Knits 2 and Vogue Knits Chunky Scarves. We promise that as soon as we are caught up we will check these out and give our reviews!

And an apology. Though Jessica promised a sample of the Knit Witts hat, we confess that we didn't do it. Instead we knit the front and part of the back of a GORGEOUS Kirstan Cowan sweater "Siobhan" from her Irresistable Knits. It is a TREASURE, if we say so ourself! Beautifully cabled and bobbled and probably among the clearest pattern directions we have encountered. We will be happy to share that project!

We are back and post this one photo in front of Portage Glacier in Alaska. Unfortunately, the shot was into the sun so it is a bit hazy.... but it was spectacular!

The computer gremlin came back to visit on Sunday, so many thanks to our very patient customers. The gremlin only seems to show up on weekends, so all is running smoothly today. We are eagerly awaiting the return of our fearless, hiking, traveling the wilds of Alaska leader Jacqui who is due back in the store tomorrow. If you haven't been in for a while, tomorrow would be a good day. Jacqui is sure to have stories to tell and photos to show, and we can turn the tables and show her the new stock. She will be bringing back a newly knit up hat from the Knitwhits collection because it may have been a vacation but that doesn't mean the knitting stops. And by the way, we have donuts today as my young assistant is eager to let you know.

The UPS delivery came early today and we have good news for those who have been waiting for the Manos of Uruguay Poncho pattern. We received 15 copies of Design Collection #5 which includes patterns for the poncho, handwarmers, hats and some beautiful sweaters. We also received more Bramble and Wildflower colorways if you've been waiting for them.

Crystal Palace sent us some of their lovely bamboo needles in size 13 and size 3, the two extremes.

Karina and Tori worked hard to get it all priced and out on the floor, ready for you.

Before the store is open, all is quiet, so there is just enough time to blog about some recent arrivals. Yesterday was pattern book day, as UPS brought a box of Debbie Bliss and Noro pattern books.

We restocked both Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton for Noro pattern books as well as the popular Noro Knits. The Noro patterns all take tremendous advantage of the glorious colors of the yarns. The emphasis is on color, color, color.

We received the beautiful Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino book and the Cashmere Collection. Baby Cashmerino includes 11 patterns for babies using, you guessed it Baby Cashmerino yarn while the Cashmere Collection has 13 designs for Adults and Children using everything from Baby Cashmerino to the Cashmerino Super Chunky.

Not to forget the yarns, we have a box of Plume FX waiting to go out on the floor and some new sock yarn from Skacel. Trekking XXL is 75% superwash wool and 25%nylon, and at 495 yds per skein, one skein is enough for a pair of socks.

Day 5 of Jacqui's fabulous Alaskan Vacation and all is well, so please come in to visit, look over the new arrivals and keep us company until Lew and Jacqui come back.

The store isn't yet open for the day, the computer is working and the Alpaca Silk is all stocked up. So now is the time to seize the moment and report on what else Woolwinders has for the avid knitter. We received Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed, a 100% wool, 4.5 to the inch yarn that comes in four colorways: off white, burgundy, green and charcoal. Definitely a classic fall sweater to be found in that yarn.

The Alpaca Silk has been moving off the shelves briskly but for those who must have the right pattern for the yarn, we have the newest Debbie Bliss book, aptly entitled Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca. Inside are twelve designs for adults. Sweaters, wraps, cables and fine stitch work, there is something for every knitter.

Almost time to open, the UPS truck is approaching, hope to see you in the store soon!

the mice will play. Except when the computer acts up and then the mice run around in great disarray. After being rescued by one's tech savvy spouse, the rest of Sunday was spent knitting and admiring our customers' many projects: Faith's Manos of Uruguay Poncho (in progress), a variety of "in progress" purses from the kits by Bag Smith; and hoo-ing and ha-ing with Varda as she paged through "Knitting on the Edge". Overall, the first day of Jacqui's Alaskan vacation was very exciting here at Woolwinders.

Monday was almost as exciting: UPS brought us 14 (fourteen!) boxes. Lantern Moon came through with a large selection of their beautiful totes, bags, stands and project boxes. They sell quickly so if you have had your eye on one, come in soon to see us. Sorry, none of those lovely rosewood needles yet.

The Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca has arrived! The luscious, soft yarn of 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk will knit up a wonderful something to keep you warm on even the coldest night. Most of it should be on the shelves tomorrow.

Day 2 of Jacqui's vacation and one can only hope for more days like this one and less like the unmentionable Sunday.

We just received Interweave Press' newest mandatory yarn gear: a nicely laminated pamphlet containing yarn yardage requirements for basic mittens, gloves, scarves, socks, hats, tams, vests, and sweaters at multiple gauges and sizes. This neato pamphlet will ensure that you buy enough of that yarn that speaks to you even when you don't have a pattern in mind. Only $5.95.

Also delivered by Walter, the lovely UPS Guy, reorders of Nikki Epstein's Knitting on the Edge and Debbie Bliss Baby Knits.

While at the TNNA show in June, we were on the prowl for new and clever products and immediately seized upon KnitWhits. These beautifully designed hat and purse kits include a pattern in Adult, Teen and Infant sizes and sufficient yarn for the largest size item. They are colorful and crazy just like us! We grabbed one to take on our visit to Alaska.

We had quite a crowd last night! Doesn't Kristina look so proud of her felted bag? She is a brand new knitter; this is only her SECOND project! She is on to a sweater and we can't wait to see the results.

And we imposed on her to model a really trendy "capelet" from Vogue Knitting. This is an unbelievably fast and easy knit made from Bulky Chinchilla and Plume FX. Though we did it in black for a dressy look, imagine the possibilities for a colorful one....

And just look at the beautiful sampler afghan made from Baby Cashmerino. It is from the Vogue Baby Blankets 2 book and we think it is just fabulous!

We love Colinette's new Enigma yarn; a thick and thin ribbon that shines with exquisite colors. Adrian is currently making a gorgeous shawl/capelet/poncho (we aren't really sure what it will be!) by mixing the yarn with Colinette Mohair. Today we received the pattern book for this unusual yarn. Check out the possibilities of T-shirts, sweaters, and jackets! Fabulous. We are also fully stocked with the popular Comforts book. Just like its name, the book features comfy shawls, throws and scarves. Ask Lisa Twomey to show you the Sahara shawl she made! It is heavenly. And many customers have enquired about our sweater in the window made from the Jay colourway of Zanziba. Of course it was the first color we ran out of; now we have it back in stock.

When we returned late last night to close out a class, imagine our surprise to see John, yet another substitute UPS guy, waiting patiently at the door with our Skacel needles! For those of you who also patiently waited, please note that we are now stocked with Skacels in the following sizes: 24-3;24-5;32-5;32-15;24-8;24-11;and 32-15. Some of these are the new Natura bamboo Addis which we hear are just the bee's knees!!! So enjoy!

We had an interesting day off yesterday. It began at the Emergency Room of Shady Grove Hospital, where we learned that the mishap we had on our stairs Monday resulted in a broken foot. Hobbling along, we had better news from the Orthopedic specialist, who fitted us with a special shoe, sent us on our way, and advised us to take it easy for the next few weeks. No cast, which was a relief since we are of to Alaska for vacation Sunday! (Yes, the store will remain open, thanks to our wonderful staff!)

We pride ourself on our toughness, so off we went to the store to check in with staff(driven by the wonderful Lew who came home from work to provide care and support). We found Adrian, Jessica and Karina literally SURROUNDED by boxes of fabulous Debbie Bliss yarns!

What had arrived? All the new colors of Cashmerino Aran. The tones are deeper this year, and just gorgeous. Yummy new colors of the 3 to the inch Superchunky Cashmerino. This 100 gram ball of wonderful wool is about the softest chunky yarn we have seen. We envision a fabulous scarf/hat set which we may take with us on vacation for a quick knit. And fall colors of her washable Merino DK, for those who like to work on a size 6 needle. We also received a few new colors of Baby Cashmerino, although more have been promised in about a month. We love one that can only be described as "melon." Finally, we received a "manly" colorway of Noro Kureyon in lovely browns/tans/greys, along with the new Jane Ellison Noro book.

Once we got through those boxes, we also discovered an additional shipment from Bagsmith. We love the little bag kits (come see the model Karina created) tha knit up a perfect accessory in no time at all. All materials, save the needles, are included in the kit. We received new black, taupe and red kits yesterday, along with a "tool" kit that fits beautifully into their working totes.

So as we limp along until our foot mends, we are committed to providing you with the best Fall yarns offered!

Yes,knitters, it is that time of year again! The new Rowan 36 Fall book arrived today, chock full of 30+ patterns from such notables as Kaffe Fassett, Louisa Harding, and Kim Hargreaves!

We LOVE receiving the twice-a-year pattern book from Rowan for many reasons including the fact that it usually means the yarns are not far behind. Keep reading the blogs. We expect our Fall shipment from Rowan within about two weeks. And it is HUGE this year!!!

And Walter the UPS Guy brough us other goodies. A new color of Lang Tonga in vibrant reds, two more colors of the yummy Tahoma ( a bulky weight alpaca blend that is just incredibly luxurious), and a new Lang book "Men and Accessories" (hmmmm.....we always thought men WERE the perfect accessories). He also brought in reshipments of the popular Dale Learn to Knit Kit for Kids as well as patterns we desperately needed. Finally, two more colors of Elsebeth Lavold's fabulous Silky Wool.

Our August began in the most pleasurable way possible; with the invitation to Jessi's birthday party. We taught mom Lisa to knit a while back, and always loved having her visit the shop with Jessi, who turned 3 today. We made her a ladybug hat (Fiber Trends pattern/Cotton Classic yarn) in two days. Isn't she cute?

So kids seemed to be the theme of the day. Next came Jade, who entered the store with brother Tyree and grandmom Varda. Jade was wearing a fabulous dress from Debbie Bliss Cotton DK. Tyree seems to approve!

And we are SO proud of this photo. Aunt Lisa took the Knitting Safari class as a rank beginner, and made this adorable Tiny Tots poncho for her niece! It's just great, and we are ecstatic that she finished it, learning how to follow a pattern, pick up stitches, and work with a unique yarn along the way. How happy does she look?

Finally, it can be argued that Karina is still a "kid," though her maturity and talents belie that fact. She whipped up this Point Five hat from the ArtyFacts book in about three hours. Perfect for those kids going back to school in COOOOLLLLLLLDDDDDD climates!