Wool&more – July 2015 Newsletter

In this Issue:

1. Recent Community Project Programs – update
2. Workshop update and new Doortjie Gersbach’s crochet workshop
3. Price increase
4. Summer yarns
5. Trading hours
6. Last call for Tommy Toad competition
7. Housekeeping issues (and Vulnerability)
8. Madman knitting

It’s cold, wet and windy – welcome Winter!  And with winter, comes your July newsletter with just a few “housekeeping” points, some updates on our recent projects and a little news…

Let’s begin with our Knitted Knocker project – it’s been really successful and so many ladies have bought “knocker kits” (for those who don’t know what they are:  they are knitted prostheses for ladies who have had mastectomies and not had reconstructive surgery, knitted with pure cotton to a specific design and size and stuffed with pure wool) and many “knockers” have been delivered to our shop to be gifted to anyone who needs one (or two).

We will also be supplying Reach for Recovery whenever they have need for the knitted “knockers”.  If you know of anyone who would like some, please do get in touch with us (just needing the patient’s cup size) and we will arrange for the correct size for you.

Thanks to all the ladies who attended the Knit in Public day at Mug & Bean and for the great awareness that was created.  Please note that this is an on-going project so please continue to knit “knockers”!

The best Community Project Program we have run, to date, has been the latest Big B project …

The response for beanies, blankies, booties, etc has been phenomenal … thank you hugely to ALL the ladies who went the extra mile in providing some warmth and comfort for the little ones at Siyakulu in Qolweni.  Ann has already collected two large bags of cuddly goodies for the kids and there is another bag waiting her return from abroad …Your commitment and generosity has rendered me speechless … thanking you individually is impossible – you know who you are and all the kind work you have put into this project …

Thank you, thank you again – on behalf of the babies and kids who received your donations.

Workshops:
We had Linda Tacke here presenting her Wild Knitting workshop which was enthralling then hot on her heels, the well-known Crochet fundi, Doortje Gersbach was here for three days teaching all things Crochet.  She is a wonderful teacher, great fun and hugely skilled.  Her blankets and jackets are legendary and we are delighted that we managed to collar her into committing to come back in September this year.

For anyone who has not done her course before, please do book early for Monday 28^th September 2015, 09h00 to 16h00.  Cost to be confirmed soon but in the region of R400-00 (incl refreshments and a light lunch) per person.  Her last visit was hugely over-subscribed so don’t delay.  And for anyone who had done her workshop before, she will be presenting her “Peppermint blanket” knowledge run over two days, being Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30^th September.

Get your name down asap!!

Below is the copy (verbatim) of a letter received from Brenda Wall who heads the Masizame Children’s home – just so that all who contributed to the blankets which the children received can truly know how worthy and special your efforts were … (Brenda has given her permission for this letter to be published in this newsletter – thanks Brenda and everyone for the wonderful work you do with the children of our community).

“Dear Joy and Ladies

I just wanted to email you to give you an authentic sense of the nature of our work at Masizame CYCC, and how such good timing of your blankies handover.

You are free to share the story verbally to your knitting group but please do not go to print or use the children’s names.

There is much love and laughter at Masizame. You witnessed the joy of the children first hand  when they received their individual blanket.

 The children have learnt to wait patiently for their turn, and  do appreciate things. Their response was priceless and it’s at moments like these that reinforce that our work is all about the welfare of the children.

All the children at Masizame have been placed into statutory care for their own protection by the children’s court. All the children have behavioural challenges and need to learn resilience in developing new ways of coping with life’s adversities.

Sadly there are also time for tears at Masizame. On Tuesday evening we were informed that B’s biological mother passed away suddenly. Within hours  the Masizame team mobilized into action, grief counselling with our trauma counsellor arranged , and a circle of care by our social worker and the other the children. It was agreed that we would treat the funeral service as an outing and all children would attend.

Prayers were answered when we received flowers in our Woolworths weekly donation, so that Rhoda can make wreaths for the funeral. One for B and the other from the children. B is quiet and withdrawn and just huddles up the comfort of in his blanket.

Last night, a 10 year old child and an ex resident of Masizame, called to speak to her cousin Isabella. L’s  newly  adopted father passed away unexpectedly following a successful operation and recovery. I was absolutely distraught and our poor care workers could do nothing but

I started this email 3 weeks ago, and did not finish, but it is important that I share our feelings of appreciation.

Thank you joy and your team of ladies xxx bless you Brenda and all at Masizame “

And now, some good news and some bad news:  bad news first … There will be quite a hefty price increase in yarn effective 1^st August 2015.

We have just had word from Elle to this effect.  The good news is that they have committed to keep their Charity yarn prices unchanged (for now)!!  So please stock up at current prices – we will hold our old prices on all existing stock.

Katia have sent their Summer catalogue, requesting our order be in by end July.  The Summer range is quite incredible and as always, choosing will be challenging.  We will be presenting a really lovely Summer Promotion in the next newsletter – there is the mind-set that one only knits / crochets in Winter!  Not so … the range of gorgeous Summer yarns is fantastic and working with cotton in Summer is a pleasure.  So watch this space and let go of the old, dated mind-set meanwhile!

Talking of Summer – Please Note that our trading hours will be reverting to their normal ones from 1^st August.

Monday to Friday from 10h00 to 16h00 (unchanged) and every FIRST AND LAST Saturday of each month from 09h30 to 12h30.

We will be trading on all public holidays from 09h30 to 12h30 too, for your convenience.  Please make a note of these times, to avoid inconvenience and frustration.  Thanks so much.

Excerpt from our April newsletter – as a reminder:

For years, I wanted to write a children’s book about the toads who came to live in our pet dog’s water bowl and some of the adventures that ensued.  A couple of years ago, I finally did write the book and it is selling really well.  It deals mainly with Love, Trust and especially Gratitude (in simple terms) and is aimed at children ages from about 5 years old to 80!!  It’s in full colour, printed on recycled paper (because it’s good for our environment) and has a number of interactive pages.  The book is called “Welcome, Tommy Toad”.

So you may be wondering what this has to do with yarn/knitting/crocheting, etc. 

We are holding a competition to determine who can knit or crochet the main characters (Badger the dog, or Tommy Toad) the best!

We will have a panel of judges who will determine the best articles and prizes will be awarded.  Some criteria:  finished article size between 15 and 35cm tall;  to be received by us by no later than 30^th August 2015 and each piece to have your name, email address and contact telephone number firmly attached.

You may submit as many “toys” as you wish. 

Once judging has taken place, the winner will receive a voucher from wool&more to the value of R250-00 and the toys will be handed to a local nursery school with a donation of a free book for their reading corner.

Books are available from us at R99-00 each (excluding postage) but purchasing a book is not a criteria for entering (however, seeing the gorgeous illustrations will certainly assist you in your design of the toy/s!).  It also makes a great gift!”

And now to show some vulnerability!!  Here are some “housekeeping” issues which I feel need to be discussed:

• I am normally great at remembering faces but pretty useless when it comes to names … please don’t take it personally if we have a great chat then I ask you for your name!!  There is also a good chance I do not recall the “blue jersey” you knitted last winter (or even your current project) –  please help by reminding me of the details!  And the same goes for the yarn you bought “ten days ago” (as in “remember that variegated yarn I bought”) – again, please help with specifics and better still, bring in the band of the yarn to which you are referring.
• All the items in the shop are marked and coded.  Please use this information to your benefit
• Please make matching dye lots (when topping up on yarn) your responsibility.  If you need assistance with this, please do ask
• Children eating ice cream, “slap chips”, chocolate bars and drinking milk shakes are welcome to enjoy their fare but please, not in a yarn shop!  Sticky / greasy fingers play havoc with the stock.  We have a lovely seating area – please insist that the kids sit there quietly while you do your shopping.  We would appreciate that so much!
• Your doggie is your family, your “child” – I get that because my dog is very special too.  But bringing him/her shopping in the yarn shop (and lifting his leg as has happened before!) is really not appropriate.  Sorry but please leave your furry friends at home for this shopping spree!
• Please be kind enough to wait your turn … when the shop is full, I do acknowledge everyone but can only serve one person at a time!  Please allow those ahead of you (or ladies with very impatient husbands waiting for them) to be served first.  Your time will come, I promise!  Another suggestion:  leave the very impatient husband at home while you shop for yarn … it should be a relaxing, inspiring time and not to be rushed or pressured!

Thanks for hearing me out and if you want to know more about vulnerability, I heartily suggest you watch Brene Brown giving her TED talk on Vulnerability – she is fantastic (I wonder if she knits?!).  Make a time to watch this – just google Brene Brown on Vulnerability.

And to end this edition of our July Newsletter, may I remind you that all previous copies of our newsletter are on our website (under the Newsletter tab) www.woolandmore.co.za  and should you no longer wish to receive this communication, please just drop us an email with your email address and we will remove your details (though sadly!).

I saw this recently and thought you would enjoy it … please let me know what you think about it!

https://madmanknitting.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/advice-for-the-novice-knitter/

Take care of yourself, keep creating – it’s good for you in so many aspects and hope to see you soon.

With love and thanks for your connection.

Joy Sachs

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wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett  044 533 3182

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