We realized we had under-ordered Iris Schreier's amazing REGAL SILK yarn when we sold out one color in a day and were left with only two skeins of one other! So we got on the phone and ordered five more of each color. Why? Because the first THREE SUNDAYS in JULY will be dedicated to knitting the DIAGONAL TRIANGLE TANK in this yarn. If you have wondered about modular knitting, come join us! You will need from 3-7 skeins of the silk depending on size (she gives a wonderful size range from 32" to 56" bust) and we will all work on it together! But best to get (and wind) your yarn early!

Today we close the door on May, and with a great flourish. Our new UPS Guy, Javier, arrived with five of the fabulous AMERICANA AFGHANS from Wool in the Woods. If you haven't knit these up, you are missing out on a quick, fabulous, and inexpensive knit! Beautiful hand-dyed colors, three strands held together on size 17 needles, and voila! A gorgeous work of art for under $100.

And back in after a LONG wait, Rowan's gorgeous NATURAL SILK ARAN. This is the perfect three season yarn for sweaters and wraps.

Hot off the presses, we have the Summer Class Schedule at the store. (It will be up on the website next week after the holiday). Check out new offerings: SNAZZY SUMMER BAG, SELF FRINGING CLAPOTIS, SHADOW KNTTING, KNITTED FLOWERS, TWO HANDS/TWO COLORS. And old favorites abound: ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS, ADVANCED BEGINNERS (now three sessions to include finishing), SAFARI (Wed. PM and Fri. AM), INTRO TO ARAN AND LACE, BEGINNING CROCHET, and so much more!!!!

Our classes, which begin July 1, are small and fill quickly! So come on in, grab a schedule, and have a creative summer at WoolWinders.

And don't forget our SUNDAY IN THE SALON. This week? Learn how to make a fabulous DROP STITCH SCARF OR SHAWL. 2-4 PM.

It promises to be a beautiful weekend in the Mid-Atlantic! So before heading to the beach, pick up a summer project to brighten up those crisp new outfits!! Check out our sale bin, where oddballs and ends of dye lots are 30% off, our full bag sale, where bags of HANA SILK, EYELASH, UMA, EROS, and BERROCO CHINCHILLA are 50% off, and the novelty yarns in our front window which are 30% off!!! We are discontinuing BERROCO, JUDY AND COMPANY, LOUISA HARDING ANGORA and RIBBON, and COTTON TAPE/LINEN PRINT. There are some real bargains! FInally, take 50% off (yes, 50%) off novelty yarns such as EROS, FIZZ, PLUM FX, and MOSAIC FX. These are perfect for snazzy summer scarves!

We will be open regular hours Saturday and Sunday, closed for the holiday Monday. Stay safe and Happy Knitting!

We marvel at the sheer quantity of needles we sell. While we suspect it is because all of you are working on multiple projects and just HAVE to start the new one immediately, we still scan crowds to see them used as hair ornaments or writing implements! Whatever your need, we are now restocked with SKACEL CIRCULAR NEEDLES in both wood and metal. So let the knitting, or hair adornment, begin!

We had SO much fun yesterday during our first Sunday in the Salon! How much fun? Well, we would show you, except that we left BOTH our cell phone and digital camera at home. So you will have to take our word for it. About 11 people showed up to indulge in wine and snacks, meet each other, and begin knitting a fabulous ribbon shawl that self fringes. Our friend Ellen had started her shawl WAY before yesterday, so actually got to the end, and Lynne graciously agreed to unravel the stitches that formed the fringe. Let's just say it was waaaayyyyy cool!

So join us, won't you? Next Sunday we will demonstrate how to knit a DROP STITCH scarf or shawl. If you are an ABSOLUTE BEGINNER you can do this! We promise. And if you are more experienced knitter and are looking for a quick and elegant project, this will provide inspiration!

No need to pre-register. The program is free of charge and will be held from 2-4 PM on Sunday. See you then!

Please be aware that the City of Rockville will be doing road work on King Farm Blvd. next week, Monday May 22-Friday May 26. We don't have a lot of specifics, we were told only that portions of the road will be closed to traffic and parking on certain days. They have assured us that there will be signage showing detours and alternate routes. However, to be on the safe side, come to the shop on REDLAND ROAD off 355 and park at the Safeway around the corner. Call us if you need more details. Thanks.

We are really excited about our new program that begins this Sunday. Join us from 2-4 PM for SUNDAYS IN THE SALON!!! Each week we will host a fiber-related event! Most will be free of charge (the exception will be if we have a speaker or guest), and all will feature wine and cheese. We have listed a tentative schedule on the left side of this home page...if you have an idea, don't hesitate to let us know!

This week? We will be knitting a simple and jazzy summer ribbon shawl that self-fringes. It requires about 350 yards of ribbon yarn (2 skeins of Giotto, 4 skeins of Louisa Harding ribbon or Berroco Zen) and works up on size 13-17 needle! This is a great way to learn how to work with ribbon yarn. So come on over to WoolWinders on Sunday to make friends, drink some wine, and create a shawl!

We feel confident in saying that whether you want to knit a spring cardigan, summer shell, baby blanket, or shawl; or whether you want to start your felting projects or begin that fall coat, we have the yarn for you. Why? Because today Javier, our new UPS Guy (who is, by the way, a doll. What is it about the UPS hiring practices??? They have the nicest drivers!) wheeled in four ENORMOUS boxes from Knitting Fever. The contents? New NORO AURORA, a fabulous metallic yarn which we have already knitted up into a teddy bear sweater thanks to the fabulous KARINA; some NORO IRO, KUREYON, BLOSSOM and SILK GARDEN (new and existing colors). And new LAINES DU NORD yarns, which is a new line for us. We open with their unbelievable MULBERY SILK. Come check out these rich vibrant colors! DK weight, 137 gorgeous yards of pure silk (that DOES NOT pill, believe us!) for $14.99. Think shells and shawls. And books galore! We are now restocked with NORO, DEBBIE BLISS and CORNELIA TUTTLE HAMILTON books.

And as we stepped over piles of yarn and boxes, shoppers were oohing, aaahing, and buying! Thanks to our amazing manager MARTHA, most of the bounty is already unpacked, priced and shelved.

Spring knitting? Summer knitting? Fall knitting? We have it all at WoolWinders.

The summer issue of Interweave Knits is in the store. We LOVE IT!!! Perhaps it is because the issue features lace knitting, one of our passions. Whatever the reason, if you are looking to knit the perfect summer top, the inspiration is here!

OK. You know the way we at WoolWinders feel about most silk yarns. They look great but are difficult to work with, and fall prey to pilling and stretching. So you KNOW that we have to just love a silk to carry it at the store. Well, our friend IRIS SCHRIER at ARTYARNS, for whom we have unconditional respect, produces a REGAL SILK that we just had to have. It arrived today, and boy, did it NOT disappoint. Those fabulous ARTYARNS colors in a fiber that feels yummy, is great to knit with, and produces some amazing results. One of Iris' most popular designs, a DIAGONAL TRIANGLE TOP is just gorgeous! It is made by knitting in a modular manner; if you have been knitting for a while and feel ready for a new challenge, this may just be the project for you.

And we are here to help! So we have assigned our first three Sundays in July: JULY 2, 9, and 16 as ARTYARNS days in our SUNDAYS IN THE SALON series. We will host a knitalong to produce the TRIANGLE TOP. Come join us! But hurry! You might want to purchase the pattern and yarn now, as we are predicting this will not last long at the shop.

If you have left your shopping until the last minute (if you suspect your family has!), consider WoolWinders! We have an ample supply of popular gifts including: BALL WINDERS/SWIFTS, KNITTING BAGS (some on sale!), NEEDLE CASES (including two hand sewn pink/green lovelies!), ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AFGHAN KITS (check ou the unique one for MAY 2006), and CASHMERE YARN (on sale for 20% off)!!!

And don't forget we will be closed on Sunday so our entire staff can relax and be pampered!

No, we are not referring to the weather, although it is GORGEOUS here! We are talking about the Colinette Afghan Kit for May 06! Think deep teals accented by greens, roses, and periwinkle. A little known fact: teal is a color that looks good on EVERYONE!!! So no matter who cuddles up under this amazing afghan, they will look mahvelous!

And what a perfect Mother's Day Gift!

Patricia Roberts Cotton. We fell in love with this yarn last year in London, where Patricia has a shop. We are one of very few stores carrying her yarn in the United States, and we continue our love affair. How great is her cotton? We are working on her 4 ply now, making a Fiona Ellis shell on a size 2 needle. And that is NOT a baby or children's shell!!!! Every stitch is a pleasure.

We carry her 4 Ply as well as her DK weight yarn, and today received two new colors of the 4 Ply: VIOLET and NATURAL. Come check them out. They are just beautiful.

One of the staff's favorite spring yarns is GIOTTO by Colinette. This amazing ribbon works up on anything from a size 8 to 13 needle and comes in the extraordinary colorways you have come to know and love from Colinette. We stared at some pretty empty bins last week after our sale, called our pal Christy at the Colinette distributor, and lo and behold today received an enormous box of yarn. In addition to the Giotto, we have 5 ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS afghan kits back in stock, as well at the new pattern collection FEMME FATALE. If you are a new knitter and want to take the plunge to a sweater, check out this book. The designs are perfect for beginners, and no one will guess that you are new to the craft! Just let the yarn do the work.

Not into spring/summer knitting? Holding your breath till the fall yarns arrive? Well, believe it or not, we met with our Rowan rep today and the new yarns will start arriving late next month! We added the extraordinary NASHUA line to our offerings and we think you will be pleased. Keep reading the blog to check out the new yarn ETAs!

Ah, May. The time of celebrations: Mother's Day, Graduations; and the time of that often-asked question WHAT THE HECK CAN I GIVE AS A GIFT???? Well, we have the perfect solution. WOOL IN THE WOODS AFGHAN KITS are amazing. Hold five strands of yarn together on a size 17 or even 19 needle and knit away on an easy yet gorgeous pattern, and voila! Before you know it, a gorgeous afghan is ready for mom, that grad going off to college, or even a springtime baby (or two or three!). And all this for under $100.00!!!

While the kit makes an afghan, our friend Mary Anne came up with another use. She is knitting baby blankets and gets three, yes three, out of one kit! So if you are pressed for time or ideas, consider the Wool in the Woods kit. We just got six in: three in natural colors, one in shades of blue, one in shades of pink, and one in mixed pastels. These never last long.