One of our favorite “perennials” is now fully stocked, thanks to the lovely folks at CASCADE. SIERRA is almost the perfect yarn. Machine wash/dry, huge color palette, great price and yardage ($9.99/190 yards) and a wonderful blend of pima cotton and merino. Great for kids and grownups, blankets and garments!Come and get it!

In today—books from INTERWEAVE PRESS and yarn from BLUE SKY ALPACA. We have KNIT FIX and KNITTERS COMPANION back in stock, two indispensable books for all knitters. And we have replenished our supply of BLUE SKY ORGANIC COTTON in the WORSTED WEIGHT—the new “skinny cotton” is backordered, so stay tuned.

And that means just TWO MORE DAYS of “SHOW ME THE DISCOUNT.” We still have one 100% off coupon—that means the lucky winner will receive his/her purchase FOR FREE!!!! And there are still 30, 40 and even 50% off coupons in the felted basket. So hurry in to try your luck!

And this weekend at WoolWinders features two exciting events. First, our SONNET SWEATER KAL starts on SATURDAY from 2-4 PM. The free program is filled. We know that participants will really enjoy making this flattering, easy, and quick sweater. Marietta will do an expert job guiding through the process.

And on SUNDAY, join us for our most popular SUNDAY IN THE SALON: the REVERSIBLE CABLE SCARF. We only have ONE SPOT LEFT!!! This scarf is a great way to learn cables and create a lovely drapey scarf that can serve as a lovely accessory. As always, the program is free of charge and will run from 2- 4 PM. You will be taught by the immensely talented FLO, who will undoubtedly be wearing her own creation. You will need about 300 yards of DK weight yarn and size 7 needles. If you wish to make a wider scarf, please bring worsted weight yarn and size 9s.

Stay tuned for information about next week’s activities. The BLOG will be maintained in our absence by our wonderful staff, but we will make sure to have advanced postings about weekend activities.

We promise we’ll repeat it, but next month’s KAL is filled. For those who signed up, please make sure you bring a GARTER STITCH GAUGE SWATCH to the group next Saturday. That way, we can help you with the math of the pattern and have you happily knitting before too long! Remember for the KAL you don’t have to attend every week, but we appreciate your letting us know when you will be here so we know how many chairs to put out and how much wine to buy!!!!

they produce beautiful and generous gifts. Take a look at the wonderful hat that big sister ATALYA HA made for little brother NATHANIEL. What a beautiful job. And it was her first effort. We see a lot of fiber in her future!

Good thing this was Javier the UPS Guy’s day off. The sub struggled into the shop with massive boxes filled with CASCADE YARNS, NONI PATTERNS, and ROWAN/RYC BOOKS!

Lots more CASCADE 220, which is a good thing, since everyone seems to be scooping up the NONI BAG PATTERNS, which uses that wonderful yarn. We have reorders of the NONI patterns too.

And ROWAN came through with reorders of popular RYC PATTERN BOOKS including AM/PM (come and get it Gale!). But they have widened their distribution of regular books as well so we have in stock STITCH AND BITCH and 50 BABY BOOTEES as well as new books from KRISTEN NICHOLAS and MARTIN STOREY:

Those should keep you inspired for a while. And we will begin getting SPRING yarns in earnest beginning EARLY FEBRUARY!

Alas, we come to the end of our LACY SHAWL KNIT ALONG this Saturday from 2-4 PM. We’ve been making wonderful progress on this intense project and we have committed to taking it with us when we leave next Saturday for a week long vacation. But as we said, we expect to have this finished by July, and there is something reassuring about a long-term project!! To those intrepid and fearless KALers—THANK YOU !!!! We look forward to the day when we all model our beautiful shawls together. Join us on SATURDAY for the last session. And don’t forget to sign up for the next KAL—the SONNET SWEATER. Much quicker. Much easier.

And on Sunday, we knit selflessly for those who add so much to our lives while asking so little—our beloved pets. Join us from 2-4 as we knit a FELTED PET BED. It’s a quick project that is really fun! And we suspect that you could extend the bed upwards to create a basket if you are pet-less. Just give us a call to sign up. Both programs are free of charge. Come for the wine if nothing else!!!!

As for the aforementioned vacation, stay tuned. We will be gone from SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2-SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 to celebrate mom’s 80th birthday!! Our amazing staff will keep things humming, but may not write as many blog entries, so we will be sure to fill you in on anything going on in our absence before we depart.

You didn’t believe us, did you? Well, every bag is gone. That’s right, eight bags sold in two days. We have plenty of needle and accessory cases left and we sent an emergency SOS email to the owner today, so more bags will be in within a few weeks. But next time, believe us when we tell you things won’t last long!!!!!

We are coming to the end of our January Lace Knitalong and are looking forward to our FEBRUARY program: THE SONNET SWEATER. This is one of our favorite projects and is perfect for any level of knitter Advanced Beginner and beyond. What makes this sweater so special? The pattern is designed for ANY YARN IN THE STORE and is knit in practically ONE PIECE—the only finishing required is to set in sleeves. And best of all, the boxy shape is flattering on just about anyone!! This is a great first sweater….or fortieth.

We will begin the SONNET on Saturday, Feb. 2 with everyone doing a gauge swatch and receiving assistance with the math of the pattern. You can find a copy of the pattern at www.knitty.com. (If you want to work ahead, just do a 4” garter stitch swatch and bring it to the first session). The lovely and talented MARIETTA will review the entire pattern and then everyone will happily knit away. Remember the pictures of the stern expressions of those tackling lace knitting on laceweight yarn? Yeah, not so much with the SONNET. Whether you pick a SPORT, DK, WORSTED, or CHUNKY yarn, you will have a blast with this sweater. We’ve seen it made up in yarns as different as ROWAN TAPESTRY, MANOS, and SIERRA among others. Come have fun with us in February. Just give us a call to let us know that you will be at the first session. And we respectfully ask that you work with materials purchased at the shop. As always, the program is free of charge, runs from 2-4 PM, and will feature wine and snacks!

And if you would like to make a version of this sweater for a child, you could do that. Go to www.knitty.com and print the HAIKU pattern, which is the baby version. We have made several of these and can attest to their total cuteness and ease.

Miriam’s husband Larry is always kind enough to forward pics to us. He is just so proud of her accomplishments, as are we. Aren’t her grandchildren JAKE and LILY gorgeous? And aren’t the sweaters fabulous? Miriam has mastered every act of color knitting that exists!!!

A few years ago, we came upon wonderful KNITTING BAGS, NEEDLE CASES and ACCESSORY BAGS from a charming company called HOUSE ON BUTTERMILK ROAD . We loved their hand-sewn designs, gorgeous fabrics, and practical construction. And just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared. POOF! No more website, disconnected phone. But did we give up? Heck no!!! We’ve googled (but never contacted) every ex-boyfriend we’ve ever had!!! So we continued to try every possible combination and finally found them, now under the monniker BUTTERMILK COTTAGE DESIGNS. Whew!! We are so glad that we have access to these wonderful products again. Each bag and case is hand-sewn with beautiful fabric inside and out. These make perfect gifts if you are feeling generous, or the ultimate treat for yourself—come on, you are worth it. Since our staff is already sniffing about, we promise these won’t last long!

We know that we’ve been remiss in displaying photos lately, so we hope to make it up to you today. First
up, one of our happy customers who received 40% off at the start of our SHOW ME THE DISCOUNT PROMOTION:

Next, our kick-off SUNDAY IN THE SALON for 2008 where we learned to make a MITERED FELTED BAG. Though much less intense than the lace knitalong, we still brought out the wine for all to enjoy!

And DIANE shows off her 30% coupon after declaring “I NEVER WIN ANYTHING!”

MAX was kind enough to model the baby hat knit in the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER CLASS. Marietta’s wonder child will be one soon, and we predict a lucrative future modeling knitwear:

FINALLY, our friend SARAH was kind enough to forward photos of LOLA and NINA modeling their HAIKU sweaters we knit as Christmas gifts. If you haven’t made one of these yet (or the adult version SONNET), you are missing a truly fun experience!!!

We promise to stay current with photos from now on. But it’s nice to play catch up on a beautiful winter day!

JAMIE, who stunned herself by picking the 100% off coupon yesterday! We woke up suspecting that someone would do it (don’t ask…) but STILL left our memory card on the computer table, so we are without a picture of the lucky winner. But she promised to return this week with her purchases and stunned expression, so stay tuned. She is a good sport As was our next customer, ELLEN, who received 40% off!!!

But we are having so much fun with the promotion that we have put ANOTHER 100% coupon in the basket!!! And we still have lots of 40 and 50% off ones too. So if the latter part of January finds you feeling lucky (or just curious) come on in!!! Everyone wins in our “SHOW ME THE DISCOUNT” promotion!

And are we excited!!! We have ogled their yarns and patterns for quite some time and are just delighted to add them to the shop’s repetoire. We find their designs inspiring and their yarns exquisite as well as reasonably priced. You just can’t ask for more than that, can you?

We are starting off slowly with three yarns: MANIPUR, a laceweight ribbon that can be worked singly, doubly, or held with another yarn; VINTAGE COTTON, the softest sportweight cotton we have ever felt; and LACEMERINO, a laceweight solid merino yarn in gorgeous colors. Not into shawls? We think this yarn would be great for socks.

As for patterns, we have started with a few basic baby blanket patterns as well as some lovely spring/summer tops. And we are awaiting a reorder of RUNWAY KNITS, the book of Karabella designs.

We will close at 3:00 PM today so that no one has to drive on the slick and icy roads. Take care and happy knitting! We will miss our Thursday night folks—see you next week!

is that you can’t work on any existing project. Really. You have to start a new one. Come see what we’re doing at the shop—FLO is working up the MOUNTAIN COLORS TWIZZLE and HALF CREPE into a REVERSIBLE CABLE SCARF and we succumbed to the charms of the NECK RUFFLE in the new PRIMERA book using MANOS WOOL/SILK. (Oh heck, someone has to take one for the team!). Both are pretty quick projects.

The snow does appear to be sticking and they are promising yucky icy weather tonight. So before heading out to the shop for our late hours, give us a call or check back on the site. If we are closing early, we will be sure to let you know!

And yes, the 100% coupon is STILL in the bowl. It’s there. We promise.

All of our CRYSTAL PALACE NEEDLES (yay!) as well as SWIFTS and WINDERS. So treat yourselves to the tools that make knitting so much easier!

And four popular colors of MANOS, our best-selling yarn since the day we have opened. Finally, the long-awaited pattern book for their wonderful new SILK/WOOL blend yarn. We confess, we would have had this blog done sooner but we HAD to check out the book, PRIMERA. Fabulous. Accessories like gloves and handwarmers and hats, sweaters in various stitch patterns and directions, and wonderful mufflers. Check it out!

We have just a few spots left for the FELTED MITTENS program on Sunday, and just in time since it promises to be REALLY COLD this weekend!!! Come join us as we knit mittens for toddlers, children or adults out of pure wool that will then be felted. Materials you will need will vary depending on which mittens you are knitting. For toddlers/children you will need one skein of DK weight wool (we recommend the Patricia Roberts or the Baby Alpaca DK) and size 7-8 DPNs, for adults 160-270 yards of Worsted Wool (try Cascade 220 or Wooly Stripes) and Size 10-10.5 dpns. We are hoping to get a shipment of DPNS in this week but if you have your own, bring them along! As always, the program is free of charge and runs from 2-4 PM. Knowing how to work on dpns is helpful, but you don’t need to have made mittens prior to the program. And we’ll even explain the ins and outs of felting!

And our intrepid lace knitters continue their Saturday KAL. We were SO gratified to see nearly everyone return (and the ones who didn’t called to explain schedule conflicts), and are also pleased to report that the 10” we have knit is just beautiful and well worth the time to knit on that tiny exquisite lace merino!

We continue our MONTH OF FELTING with next week’s SUNDAY IN THE SALON: FELTED MITTENS. You can make these for kids, adults, women or men; we have a pattern for each size. They are quick and fun, and there is nothing better for keeping out the cold. Which we are assured will get to the mid-Atlantic eventually and stick around for a while. Come join us! We will teach you to knit on dpns and we have a variety of yarns you can use including MANOS, CASCADE 220, CASCADE 109 or WOOLY STRIPES! Just give us a call at 240.632.9276 to register for this FREE program next Sunday from 2-4 PM:

So the shop was PACKED yesterday. Did anyone pick the 100% coupon?

NO. It’s still there. We checked.

(But several folks got 40 and 50% off yesterday. And there are a LOT more of those coupons.)

Has anyone picked the 100% off coupon yet?

NO.

So if you need an incentive to check out our wonderful inventory, you still have the chance to get your total purchase for 100% off. That’s free. And if the reaction of the several customers who have won 40% and 50% off is any indication, we better have balloons and cameras ready!

Thanks to all of our customers who have been so patient. We are now restocked with LANTERN MOON products including DESTINY CIRCULAR NEEDLES (in both Ebony and Rosewood), SOXSTIX (in all sizes) and the wonderful RICE BASKETS (both large and small). So before those credit card bills come in this month, treat yourself to the “first class” of needles and baskets from LANTERN MOON. Fair warning. Once you have used their circs, it’s hard to return to “coach.”

Our friend MARLA was kind enough to send us this adorable photo of grandson JOSH in his sweater. We’ve made this as well and can attest to its total cuteness!! The yarn is WOOL COTTON and the pattern is from one of our JAEGER baby books. He likes it so much that she is knitting another in a bigger size so it will fit him as he grows:

Get ready for some fun stuff at the shop this weekend. Our January promotion continues which guarantees every shopper a discount of AT LEAST 10% and possibly one of 100%! The grand prize coupon has NOT been picked yet. Last weekend saw a lot of 50% discounts when Lew was working the register. Alas, he will NOT be here this weekend!

Our SATURDAY KAL continues with the Prism Lacy Shawl. We learned last weekend that this was NOT a beginner project but after some wine everyone got pretty comfortable with the yarn and pattern. It will be interesting to see who returns this Saturday from 2-4. Please come back. Please.

And on SUNDAY, our SUNDAY IN THE SALON features a triangle felted bag made from two contrasting skeins of CASCADE 220. We have a sample at the shop—it is really cute and very practical and we will try to get a photo up on the site tonight (new computer, new program issues!). As always, the program is free of charge and will run from 2-4 PM. In addition to the yarn, please have size 8 needles including dpns. We will demonstrate how to do the really cool I-Cord strap during the program. Just call us to reserve your spot at the table or on the couch: 240.632.9276. You can also email us at jacqui@woolwinders.com

Well, for a while this morning our floor looked like a giant afghan! We received two huge boxes from Cascade Yarns and within were bags and bags of our favorite SUPERWASH yarn, CASCADE 220. This yarn is unbelievable. Great yardage (220), great price ($11.99), great hand (soft and yummy) and great care (throw it in the washing machine. Oh and great colors:

And for those who have been waiting patiently for the notions that make one’s knitting or crocheting life so much easier, we are now retocked with them. Stitch markers, stitch holders, chibi needles….they are all here.

Leave it to us to start the Saturday KNITALONGS (KAL) with an incredibly complex project. Eight brave souls began the gorgeous PRISM LACY SHAWL. Although the pattern repeat isn’t that tough, most had never worked with laceweight yarn, which resembles thread. But they soldiered on:

And then we brought out the wine, and everyone was MUCH HAPPIER and promised to show up again next week:

We were also lucky enough to have LEW at the shop all day (OK he was waiting for his car to be serviced); he worked on the NONI GREEN GROCERY BAG, which he completed and photographed in its pre-felted state. Stay tuned for the FELTED final picture. It is drying upside down on a box at home!

Proud grandmother MIRIAM had excellent timing in completing hats for twin grandsons SOREL and SANDERS. She has become an FAIR ISLE marvel, hasn’t she????

Because today we received the hardware for the increasingly popular GREEN EARTH GROCERY NONI BAG (even Lew is doing this one!) as well as 25 colors of MANOS DEL URUGUAY!!! Isn’t it lucky that we have deemed January the month of felting??????

Also in, thanks to a late arriving FEDEX Guy, the Winter 08 Vogue:

for this weekend’s activities at WoolWinders. Join either our SATURDAY KNITALONG featuring the Prism Lacy Shawl or our SUNDAY IN THE SALON, which teaches you to knit a MITERED BAG that will later be felted. Both programs are from 2-4 and are free of charge. We respectfully ask that you work with materials purchased at the shop.

We are out of stock on the Prism yarn (boy did those two orders sell out quickly) so we are assuming that anyone who wants to participate already has their yarn; you will also need Size 5 needles either straight or circ. For Sunday’s program, you will need two contrasting colors of MANOS or CASCADE 109 plus size 9 needles; short straights are just fine. This bag is a great way to learn modular or mitered knitting!

You’ll be getting the email tomorrow, but here is a preview of our new class: MOM (or DAD) and ME SAFARI. We have had many requests from new parents for a daytime class that would allow them to bring their small babies. Join PAIGE on WEDNESDAYS beginning FEBRUARY 6 from 9-11 AM. Like other safaris, you will pick your own project (make it a challenging one!) and benefit from the input of an instructor and the rest of the group. Babies up to 18 months are welcome and of course you will be able to keep an eye on them during class. What a great way to get out of the house for a little while and meet other like-minded knitters. We will help you pick a project (and if you do so in January you can get 10-100% off your materials!) and get you ready to go. Just give us a call at 240.632.9276 to register. Class participation is limited to six and cost is $95 for the four weeks.

This will replace the COLOR SAFARI we had scheduled.

We wish all of our customers a Happy 2008. May the year bring you lots of new yarns, patterns, ideas and other fiber related goodies. Please note that we are beginning the year with our favorite promotion: SHOW ME THE DISCOUNT!! We did this last year and everyone had a blast. We have sent the info to our lovely webmistress, but until she is able to update the left side of the home page, here is the lowdown:

Our 2007 promotion was so much fun that customers began asking us to repeat it back in September! So once again, we start the year with our SHOW ME THE DISCOUNT promotion. Join us during the entire month of January for big savings at WoolWinders: A Knitting Salon. Every purchase, every visit.*

Our Price: 10-100% DISCOUNT

Show Me the Discount

*Limited to one visit/day. Classes/lessons/finishing not included.

We bid farewell to 2007 and welcome in 2008! Stay ahead of the trends with this handly list of INS and OUTS in the knitting world. And have a Happy and Healthy New Year!