Spinning Class at Woodland Woolworks

Our next introductory spinning class will be held February 6th and 20th!  For the full write-up, please see our website.  You can take one, or both sessions, depending on where you are on the spinning journey.

Hope to see you there!

Knitting Along

A couple of weeks ago I was enchanted by a pattern from Classic Elite, sent out in their email newsletter, for the Fresco Basket Whip Cowl (free pattern here).  I printed it out, thinking it would be fun to do "sometime"...  I must have queued it in Ravelry too...  Then the very next day, I received an invitation on Ravelry to join a Knit Along (KAL) for the very same pattern!  Queue the Twilight Zone music! (do do do do, do do do doo).  Oh yeah, I queued it - she's not reading my mind, right?  (do they know about the felted double knit trivet-y thingeys I'm thinking of trying? - no pattern, just want to try out double knitting... is there a Knit Along for that too??)

Anyway, I joined and found a lovely shade of blue and am enjoying making this!  It's a quick knit (I'm NOT a quick knitter, alas), it only takes 2 skeins of Fresco from Classic Elite.  I ADORE this yarn!  It has 60% wool, 30% baby alpaca and 10% angora so it's wonderfully soft.  In the skein it's not overly remarkable, but once you start knitting it, it softens up and the angora halo introduces itself and is as charming as it can be.  ("Hi, I'm Angora, and I will be caressing your neck, and keeping you warm").

The Ravelry KAL is ongoing, so feel free to join in!  I put Fresco on sale to make it even easier.  I put a couple of Dale of Norway yarns on sale too - check it out!

Miniatures

One of our lovely customers recently gifted us with a beautiful spinning wheel and loom - miniatures!  The detail is amazing on these, and you can even actually weave on the loom.  Paper clip added for perspective...

 

Would you just look at that little reed!  I think it's threaded with sewing thread. 

Thank you so much, Mary!!

Moving the furniture

We recently rearranged a good portion of the main showroom at Woodland Woolworks. 

I don't know how I got the camera set into panomara view, but I did...  this is the in-progress group of shots that got smushed together...

And here is a shot at the final version:

It's a lot more open, and easy to see things when you first come in the room.  We hope you like it!

Thought for the Day

Why do golfers wear two pair of socks?

In case they get a hole-in-one....


Courtesy of my dad!

Natural Dye Workshop with Cheryl Kolander

I got a flier that there's going to be a natural dye workshop for THREE DAYS! in Portland in November. If you're interested in natural dyes, you should look into this! Cheryl Kolander is the author of "A Silkworker's Notebook", "Hemp! for Textile Artists" and "Brilliant Colours with Natural Dyes". The workshop is November 20-22 and will include indigo and surface design as well as immersion dyeing. Check out all the information at www.aurorasilk.com or email her at dyer @ aurorasilk.com .

Looks like a great opportunity!

(no affiliation, just spreading the word)

Rabbit rabbit!

A million years ago, I knew someone who would always say "rabbit rabbit!" on the first day of the month. According to her, doing this would get her good luck for the rest of the month if she said it to you before you said it to her. Anybody know where this bit of lore comes from? Anybody else every heard it? Ever said it to everyone you meet on the 1st day of the month?

Funny things we do.... Can I just wish good luck to everyone, every day?

And would saying "knit knit" mean we get happy knitting all month?