Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all.  
Here is my Christmas present to you:

One-Skein Bulky Merino Scarf

Materials: 1 skein Woolbearers Bulky Merino Superwash

                 Size 13 24" circular neeedles

Begin:

Cast on 6 stitches

Row 1:  k 1, yo, knit until 3 stitches remain, k2tog , k1

Row 2:  slip 1  wyif, knit until 1 stitch remains, yo, slip 1 wyif

Row 3:  k 1, yo, knit until 3 stitches remain, k2tog , k1

Row 4:  slip 1  wyif, purl until 1 stitch remains, yo,  slip 1 wyif

Repeat Rows 3 and 4  until approximately 28 inches are complete on long side (or until you have enough yarn for bind-off)

Bind off on Wrong Side using this stretchy bind off:

Step 1: Knit the first 2 stitches together through the back loops. 

Step 2:Slip the stich on the right-hand needle back to the left hand needle purlwise

Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you have 1 stitch left.  cut yarn and pull yarn through last stitch.

Abbreviations:

K1- Knit one stitch

YO - Yarnover

K2tog- Knit 2 stitches together

WYIF-with yarn in front

Yarn available at http://woolbearers.net/storename/woolbearers/ViewDept-278845.aspx

Fall 2016 Newsletter

IT'S ALMOST FALL My favorite time of year..  We're starting new classes and I have lots of new yarn for you!   In This Issue It's almost Fall Workshops Knitting Retreat Classes Yarns GSSB Meet Up WORK- SHOPS I   am very pleased to announce that Lars Rains, author of Modern Lopi, will be holding a workshop at Woolbearers on Sept 24 at 1 pm "Design Your Own Fair Isle Hat".  Check our website for more info. On Oct 1, knitwear designer, Cynthia Spencer, will have a trunk show and class at Woolbearers.  She will be teaching Entrelac with or without beads.  You can find her patterns at Really Clear Designs or on Ravelry. KNITTING RETREAT with  Knitwear Designer, XANDY PETERS  at the Northwood Inn Bed & Breakfast, Ocean City NJ Nov 4-6 2016 Xandy will be teaching her new "faux crochet" technique. Sign up early-- space is limited.  For more info click here CLASSES   (check Website for more info) BEGINNING KNITTING  PROJECT NIGHT/DAYDESIGN YOUR OWN FAIR ISLE HAT MY FIRST CUSTOMFIT SWEATER WORKSHOP ENTRELAC WORKSHOP & TRUNK SHOW LINIENTREU SHAWL KAL TWO-COLOR BRIOCHE COWL BRIOCHE 102  GREATAMERICAN, GREAT NORTH AMERICAN AFGHAN  & AMERICAN ARAN AFGHAN  FIX-IT CLINIC  DO THE CONTINENTAL  FAIR ISLE TAM  SOCKS ON DPN's MAGIC LOOP TWO-AT-A-TIME SOCKS BEGINNING RIGID HEDDLE LOOM WEAVING INTERMEDIATE RIGID HEDDLE LOOM WEAVING BEGINNING SPINNING SPINNING 102 CROCHET CLASSES -- COMING SOON! YARN Got in lots of new sock yarn.  Biscotte & Cie is a company you may have seen at shows like Vogue Knitting.  They are known for their self-striping yarns. Ancient Fibre Arts is a fairly new Canadian company, whose yarn graced the cover of Early Fall Vogue Knitting with a design by Xandy Peters -- I had to get in all the yarn for this wonderful design and lots of other colors as well.   Xandy is publishing her new pattern book, Jersey Shore Knits 2 and her designs use yarn by Appletree Knits, which I just had to get in for the Sunrise Cardigan (as well as a good selection of her other gradients)  Nooch Fibers for the Lime Nut Cowl,  (we have a good selection of their sock yarn) and yarn dyed by yours truly (Woolbearers Bamberino) for the Boardwalk Top and the Saltwater Taffy Shawl in Woolbearers Fingering.  Picture of the kit is above. Book should be available soon, or you can find the patterns on Ravelry.   Our order for Meadowcroft Dyeworks yarn has come in and it is going fast --- very saturated deep colors.  Berroco's new yarns include Macro, a Superbulky wool/alpaca/acrylic yarn -- great for quick projects; Cotolana  is a wool/cotton blend in a chainette construction.  At 4.5 stitches to the inch it is a very versatile yarn.  Millefiori is a colorful soft wool/acrylic blend -- great patterns to go with this yarn.   They are also distributing Amano's Warmi, which is a yummy aran weight alpaca/merino blend.    Classic Elite brought in Adelaide a 5 stitches to the inch 100%  merino with great pattern support.  Debbie Bliss  has a new sock yarn -- Rialto Luxury Sock 437  yards of striated color yarn -- we have her new mugs as well.  Katia's Cotton/Merino is light and airy and will make great accessories as well as sweaters. Rainbow Beach from Queensland  is a sport weight striated superwash yarn, similar to it's heavier cousin, Brisbane, which will be coming in bold solid colors.  Babe Softcotton Chunky is a cotton acrylic yarn, designed especially for babies.  You can knit up a soft, cushy blanket in no time. I couldn't resist the 100% silk cone (317 yards) from Ito   called Serishin-- I've seen some beautiful shawls knit in this yarn. Sirdar brought in Hayfield Baby Blossom Chunky --  a self patterning acrylic/nylon blend that knits up the cutest  outfits.    West Yorkshire Spinners is a new company from  England.  Their Blue-Faced Leicester DK is a pleasure to knit. I also couldn't resist 100% cashmere from Trendsetter    -- Cardiff Cashmere in a DK weight,  as well as their new Transitions yarn -- 660 yards of gradient Cotton/Acrylic in a DK weight. Free shawl pattern with purchase of yarn.  Come in and check out all the colors.   Lana Grossa brought in Alta Moda Super Color. an aran weight alpaca/wool/nylon blend -- tons of yardage. From Mirasol we have Umina -- the softest alpaca/merino blend at 5 stiches to the inch. Tahki brings us Alden, a merino/alpaca/nylon blend, DK weight with 250 yards in soft heathery colors and Vermont, a 4 stitches to the inch eco-friendly yarn in 5 natural marled shades -- 50% superfine alpaca, 50% merino. Here is my favorite pattern of the season, the Magnolia Tabard using 6-9 skeins of Vermont. Plymouth has Tuscan Aire -- a light, airy chunky yarn in soft heathered colors. I brought in some kits from Appalachian Baby -- organic cotton baby blanket, sweater and hat and bootie kits. We just got our order from Blue Sky Fibers -- the entire palette of Woolstok, the latest offering from Blue Sky.  It's a a worsted-weight yarn,  gently plied to give it loft, lightness and a soft hand.                                          Lots of great pattern support. Cromwell Pullover in Woolstock Trimont Snood in Woolstock.   I'm expecting yarn from a brand new company called Sugar Bush Yarns and new yarn from Juniper Moon/  I'll let you know when they come in.

GARDEN STATE SHEEP BREEDERS SHOW -- Sept 10-11 more info Our next Friday Night Meet-up is on Sept 2nd at 6 pm.  Everyone is welcome.  For more info click

Here is my June Newsletter, in case you missed getting it.

I went to TNNA in Washington DC last weekend and am excited about all the new Fall yarns that will be coming in. 

I  met with and scheduled two designers (Lars Rains, author of Modern Lopi and Cynthia Spencer)  to come to Woolbearers this fall.  Here is Lars' Hildur which won first prize in the Indie Designers Contest.


The highlight of the weekend was the fashion show. Xandy Peters' "Seashell Shawl" 

	Seashells Shawl (on left)

(yarn dyed by yours truly)  was in the Independent Designers contest  It was very exciting -- one of her designs will grace the cover of the Early Fall edition of Vogue Knitting in yarn by Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts and of course, I ordered all the colors for the shawl, as well as a good assortment of other colors. Since I ordered before the show, I expect shipment in a few weeks.




Indie Dyers

	MollyGirl yarns

There are so many indie dyers -- so I decided to bring in some of the best.  I already received my shipment from MollyGirl Yarns - all Fingering/sock weights in 3 different bases.

Gradient yarns are hot right now -- Appletree Knits is one of the best for gradients and we will have her yarn here soon.

Biscotte and Cie are known for their self-striping yarn, The yarn should be here in July.

 I already mentioned Ancient Arts Fibre - getting in their 8-ply cable heavy fingering/sport weight.

Meadowcroft Dyeworks is a fairly new company. I chose a lot of their semi-solid colors that are deeply saturated.  Can't wait till this comes in,

My Madelinetosh order just came in - new colorways in Tosh Merino LIght.

And of course, Woolbearers has their own line of hand dyed yarns.  I've dyed lots of gradient kits and have a section of the store dedicated to patterns that use gradient kits.  I also dyed kits for the "On the Spice Market" shawl for a KAL starting June 26th. Click here for more info

Kate Davies new book 

I am excited to be getting in the first copies of Kate Davies new book, "The Bookof Haps".  Shipping is sometime next week.  The book has 13 shawl designs by some of the top designers.  We will definitely have to do a KAL for this book.

Comfy Cardigan KAL

We will be starting our Comfy Cardigan KAL on Saturday, July 9th. Sarah Punderson, the designer, was kind enough to send me 3 different samples of the cardigan made out of 3 different yarns.  Come in and see which one you like best. The cardigan has a top-down construction -- great for beginners and experienced knitters too. For more info, or info on any class click here.

                   SWOON MAINE TRUNK SHOW COMING IN JULY

Meet-up

Our next meet-up is scheduled for Friday, July 8th at 6 pm.  Click  for more info

Lots of finished projects at Woolbearers. Adrian and Candy took my Custom Fit class and voila -- sweaters that actually fit.    Candy made hers out of Cascade 220 and used Amy's Acorn Trail pattern. 

Adrian used Berroco Vintage DK with some Jojoland Splatterdash for the collar using Amy Herzog's Trimmings pattern. 

 We also did a Hitofude KAL and got some amazing results. Here is mine, made out of  Woolbearers'  Woolie Bears with Cashmere yarn.   Pat's is made out of Wolbearers' Sterling Sock yarn  (pink) and Tanya used  MadTosh Merino Light (red).

 





















 Kelly has been on a roll with Fair Isle.  The sweater on the left is from Kate Davies Yokes Book out of Lett Lopi and the sweater on the right is from Ann Kingstone's book Stranded.  Absolutely stunning!

I am so glad that Louise brought in her shawl today.  Just  two weeks ago she picked up 5 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim DK and knit up this amazing shawl. It's the Everyday Shawl,  designed by Jenny F.  Louise said she used almost every bit of yarn. I can't wait to start mine.
 

 The pattern was written for fingering weight, so I was thinking that it would look great in one of my gradients packs.  Here's a new colorway that I just dyed.

 We had a lot of fun in the Baby Sweater -- Steeking class.  Using the pattern Gilipeysa designed by Helen Magnussen, everyone learned how to do two-handed fair isle and we did either crochet steeks or zig-zagged the steeks with a sewing machine.

 Then, carefully cut between the steeks and picked up stitches for a button band and finished the sweater -- all without a glass of wine.

Sarah Punderson is a designer who comes to the shop frequently. Her latest creation is the Comfy Cardigan, (modeled by Kat)  which she brought with her the other day.  It's got a top down raglan construction and looks good on everyone.  I think a KAL is in order -- stay tuned.

As you probably have seen, I've been dyeing up gradient kits in fingering weight.  I saw the Bounce pattern from Tin Can Knits and knew I had to do some DK weight gradients.  So here is my first foray into gradient DK's  -- I've even kitted up the pattern and yarn and am working on some "boy" colors too.