WOOLBEARERS FALL 2009 NEWSLETTER

Hard to believe, but summer is almost over. In a way, this is my favorite time of year. All that new yarn! It’s been coming in great big boxes – even though we have a big space now, I hardly know where to put it all.
YARNS
Lots of new sock yarn. The big news is that I finally brought in Koigu. Ten beautiful colors to start out with. Shibuiknits is another company I’ve been wanting to have for a long time --- great semi-solids in all the colors of the rainbow. Crystal Palace Mini Mochi has lots of new colors. Fame Trends from Marks & Katten is a self-striping yarn that comes in lots of different colors. Skacel has imported yarns called Zauerball and Zauerball Crazy – self-striping and marled colored sock weight yarn. Nashua has Best Foot Forward, a self-striping sock yarn from Kristin Nichols.

Classic Elite has great new patterns and new yarns. Kumara is a 85% merino/15% camel worsted weight yarn. Shiri Mor has a new sweater pattern in the latest Vogue in Kumara. Ariosa is a bulky 90% merino/10% cashmere blend – great for hats and scarves. Classic Elite is distributing Veronik Avery’s St Denis yarns and pattern magazine. The yarn is called Nordique and can be used as fingering through DK weight. It is spun in the US and is 150 yards. Great pattern support. For one of her patterns using this yarn, see the latest Interweave. Saving the best for last – Jared Flood’s new pattern book “Made in Brooklyn” is available, but going fast. He uses all the new yarns from Classic Elite.

Crystal Palaces’ Mini Mochi was such a big hit that they came out with Mochi Plus, a self-striping Aran weight yarn in the same gorgeous colors.

From Berroco we have their new Vintage Wool, a wool/acrylic/nylon blend, worsted weight – 217 yards for $5.95 and it’s machine washable. Great for kids! Norah Gaughan has a great new pattern book for women and one for men. Blackstone Tweed is a worsted weight wool/mohair/angora blend in great tweedy color; Jasper is an Aran weight merino that self-stripes and looks great felted. Peruvia Quick has been a big hit with the Einstein Jacket knitters. Great colors and great price.
The Fibre Company’s Road to China Light is a blend of cashmere, camel, silk and alpaca. It is so yummy -- you have to squeeze it. It’s a sport weight yarn, great for shawls, scarves and cowls. There is a beautiful sweater pattern in the latest Interweave Knits that uses this yarn.
Finally brought in Takhi yarn. Starting out with Montana, a bulky weight eco-friendly yarn that comes in natural colors; Presto, a super bulky mohair/wool/nylon/acrylic blend in beautiful colors – I’m already reordering the yarn and pattern book, Folklorica; and Sedona a silk/merino Aran weight yarn that I just had to have after I fondled it at TNNA.

Claudia Handpaints has new scarf kits made with their mohair boucle. Come check out all the colorways.
Imperial Stock Ranch in Oregon has a pencil roving that I just couldn’t pass up. Great colors that are reminiscent of the farmland.

Swedish Yarns has a 100% alpaca that is superwash. It’s DK weight with 120 yards.
Rowan came out with an Aran Felted Tweed yarn and Woolbearers has all the colors. Knit One, Crochet Too came out with a wool version of Ty-Dy in worsted weight yarn. Great new colors.

Plymouth has new undyed yarn that I am dyeing up for you – merino/cashmere/silk laceweight; llama/strellina worsted and an alpaca/superwash merino/nylon fingering weight. Come in and see all the gorgeous colors. I also bought their Baby Alpaca Lace yarn and Mushishi, a self-striping wool/silk blend worsted weight yarn that comes in 491 yard hanks. SWTC’s Yang yarn has been a big hit; a wool/silk/bamboo blend with sequins.
Of course, I’m always dyeing new yarn – Woolbearers own Ringspun Romney/alpaca blend has been a big hit as well as Seacell sock yarn.
Lots of new chachkas. I’m now stocking knitting accoutrements from Nancy’s Knit Knacks. Got in some beautiful new shawl pins from Plymouth, Lantern Moon and Creative Designs. Namaste has a great new bag – I’m almost out and will be happy to reorder. Just let me know which bag you‘d like. New buttons from Blue Moon and Dill.
In mid-September we are having a trunk show from Mission Falls. Don’t miss seeing all the beautiful garments made out of 1824 wool.

CLASSES
I brought in beads from the Beadsmith and we will be having a class with Judith Durant, author of Knit One, Bead Too (among other titles) on Oct 10th. She will be teaching 5 different beading techniques while you knit a small beaded bag.

Sharon Silverman, author of Tunisian Crochet, will be teaching a class in Tunisian Crochet on Thursday eve, Sept 24 at 7 pm.
Mary Beth Temple will be teaching “From Stitch to Shawl” crochet project on Nov 1 @ 1 pm.
Our ever-popular Knit to Fit wll begin on Sept 26 with a consultation with Karen Jenkins. Anne Hulsizer will be once again teaching our Finishing Techniques class. If you haven’t already taken it, it is not to be missed. Sabra is teaching the Swirl Shawl, Inside Outside Scarf, Knit one Below Beret, Harlequin Vest, socks on dpns’ and socks via magic loop, toe-up style. She will also be leading sessions on the Tech Square Afghan. Teri Lindstron is teaching an intro to Orenburg Lace and Moebius lace scarf class. Mary Erhard will be teaching Extreme Knitting II – double knitting making a mitten or handwarmer with colorwork. Stephanie Charrington is teaching beginning crochet and an advanced techniques class. We have a new weaving instructor, Dawn McCarthy. Beginning weaving starts on Sept 27. Trish Goodstein is teaching another session on te Knitters Loom. Barb Johns, our spinning guru will teach several sessions of beginning spinnning and I’m especially pleased to announce that Nelda Davis, the spinning goddess, will be doing a workshop on Fiber Preparation on Nov 8th. There is also a dyeing workshop to be held for 2 different sessions. Space is limited, so sign up early. We are always adding new classes and events, so check our website for updates.

We will be having a KAL on the Jojoland Halo jacket pattern. Dates TBA. In September we will begin our TKGA Master Knitters study group again. Information for the program can be found at www.tkga.com/mastersprogram.shtm.

SALE – Sept 3rd – Sept 8th -- all Cotton and Cotton blends (except Woolbearers hand dyed) are on sale – 25%-30% off. Check out our ongoing sale bin in the back of the store for more bargains.
The Garden State Sheep Breeders show is September 12-13. Woolbearers will have a booth there. More info can be found at http://www.njsheep.com.

Remember – the first Friday of every month, is our knitting meet-up group meeting, starting at 6 pm. Folks come to knit on Thursday afternoons, Sunday afternoons – come anytime. There’s always a pot of coffee brewing.

Myra
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Last week was like Christmas. We got so many boxes I was losing track.

Shibuiknits sock yarn -- a nice selection of color for this soft merino fingering weight yarn. Comes in 175 yard skeins.

The Fibre Company's Road to China Light, a sport-weight blend of alpaca, cashmere, camel and silk. It is so yummy. There's a free cowl pattern available if you buy the yarn.

One of Takhi's new yarn is called Presto - a super bulky weight yarn with mohair, wool, nylon and acrylic. The pattern booklet that goes with it is a big hit.

Crystal Palace's Mini Mochi was such a big hit that they came out with Mochi Plus -- an Aran weight version of this yummy self-striping merino/nylon superwash yarn

Can you LIMBO?? This dk weight yarn comes in self-patterning, self-striping and solid superwash. Great for kids and I saw the cutest legwarmers on Ravelry out of Limbo.

The new Ty-Dy wool is in. There are great patterns for this yarn from Knit One, Crochet Too. I also ordered Magnum from Cascade -- 1.5 stitches to the inch on this supersoft wool and beautiful heathered tones. The price has come down too!

One word -- Koigu -- is finally here. Need I say more? Ten gorgeous colorways to start.

Fame Trends sock yarn from Marks & Katten. Barbara is making a Swirl Shawl out of hers.

The Imperial Stock Ranch from Oregeon is a great believer in sustainable land use. To quote from their website " Our belief is that an ever improving landscape leads to a healthy ranch economy which in turn directly contributes to the vitality of our local community." I brought in their pencil roving -- the colors reflecting the desert landscape of the ranch. Here is a picture of the pencil roving which can be knit or spun into wonderful garments.

Rowan came out with the Aran weight version of Felted Tweed. I have all of the colors.

Berroco's Blackstone Tweed is sure to be a big hit. It has a touch of angora and is very soft.

Got some new colors of Plymouth Baby Grande Alpaca. It doesn't get much softer than this.

Sabra's Entrelac Shawl class was a big hit. Here is Sandy's, Judy's, Jane's and Teena's. All made out of Jojoland's Rhythm.

Janet is always working on socks. Here are socks made from Woolbearers' hand dyed in the Dark Summer colorway.

She also knit a slip stitch pattern with Brown Sheep sport weight sock yarn.










Jane is knitting a beautiful scarf out of Malabrigo Lace weight.

Gwen crocheted this lovely scarf out of Woolbearers' hand dyed Seacell fingering weight.

Deb made this gorgeous shawl out of Blue Heron Rayon Metalic. You must see it in person to really appreciate it.

Amy made this great shrug by double stranding Woolbearers' hand dyed Ringspun and Woolie Bears sock yarn. What a great idea!