Wool&more – November 2014 Newsletter
One more month to Christmas then 2015 will be ours to enjoy, be creative, love and laugh with abundance!
So welcome to our November 2014 newsletter with some really interesting information for you as well as our update on our Community Project Program and of course, our monthly Special! Sit back and enjoy it and please feel free to pass this onto any knitting/crocheting friends you may feel would enjoy and appreciate our communication.
It is all too often that we hear of ladies who, after many years, find knitting hurts their fingers and wrists. It’s their understanding that knitting has given them arthritis. I have asked two medically qualified people if this could be the case and have researched the matter via the internet as well … the finding is catagorically that knitting does NOT cause arthritis!!! What a relief. However, if one is genetically predisposed to arthritis, there are some exercises that can help to prevent or ease the pain. Below is an article with some really interesting and easy exercises for us all to do … whether arthritic or not:
“Knit Healthfully”
Knitting may not be a contact sport, but we are vulnerable to some mild injuries that can affect productivity and sanity in the short term. Most of these injuries are completely preventable with a few minutes of care every time you knit (or crochet).
Exercises:
Mind the Hands: Show your fingers some love and maintain dexterity with this Stretch:
Starting with your dominant hand, bend each finger backwards one at a time for about 20 seconds. Be sure to keep your wrist straight. Then bend all your fingers back together for another 20 seconds. Repeat with the fingers on your other hand.
It’s all in the Wrist: Your wrists do a lot of the heavy lifting during knitting. Keep them limber by bending your entire hand back at the wrist for 20 seconds, starting with your dominant hand. Breathe mindfully whilst you’re holding the stretches. Repeat with your other hand.
More exercises to follow in future newsletters. Try these in the meanwhile and please do let us know how you faired!
In July we gave you some information on the technicalities of yarn – here is something else to consider:
Types of manmade yarn:
- Synthetic polyamides are commonly used in some of our yarns as a component yarn and are referred to as Nylon. They can also be used in carpet and sportswear due to their extreme durability and strength.
- Acrylic fibres are synthetic fibres made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an average molecular weight. The polymer is formed by free-radical polymerization in aqueous suspension. The fibre is produced by dissolving the polymer in a solvent such as N,N-dimethylformamide or aqueous sodium thiocyanate, metering it through a multi-hole spinnerette and coagulating the resultant filaments in an aqueous solution of the same solvent (wet spinning) or evaporating the solvent in a stream of heated inert gas (dry spinning). Washing, stretching, drying and crimping complete the processing. Acrylic fibres are produced in a range of deniers. We use 3.0 den and for soft baby yarn 2.7 den, so in plain English it’s a copy of wool made from chemicals with longer fibre lengths to accommodate our spinning process and to reduce pilling.
- Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Depending on the chemical structure, polyester can be a thermoplastic or thermoset, there are also polyester resins cured by hardeners; however, the most common polyesters are thermoplastics. While synthetics are generally perceived by many as having a less natural feel compared to fabrics knitted from natural fibers (such as cotton and wool) polyester fabrics can provide specific advantages over natural fabrics, such as improved wrinkle resistance, durability and high colour retention.
- Courtelle is a synthetic acrylic fibre resembling wool with a very soft handle. We no longer use this fibre due to the supplier closing down so we will remove this “Courtelle” name from our ball bands shortly
Our latest Community Project Program has been rather challenging as the sashes for the Drill Marchers at the Masizame Drop-in centre have not poured in as quickly or as enthusiastically as we had hoped. With this in mind, we have delayed the handing over of the sashes to Masizame till 15th December so that we can hopefully get enough sashes in for each “Marcher” to wear whilst practicing. Once again, I must stress that this is as worth-while a project as blankets for babies and beanies for kids!! Having these kids and teens “buy into” their marching is going to give them a sense of pride, belonging and discipline (team-work) that most have never experienced before in their short lives as well as keeping them off the street, thus reducing their vulnerability and exposure to begging, drugs, prostitution, abuse, etc. The sashes will be their “Uniform” whilst marching and we will need approximately 40 sashes in all.
A huge thanks to all the ladies who have already done their bit (some 2 and 3 sashes each) – so appreciated by us!
The pattern (intructions) for the sashes is simple but we do need to keep uniformity in our knitting of these. See below:
Sash Pattern:
(Please do stick to the pattern as closely as possible to ensure uniformity for the Drill Marchers!)
Required: 2 x 100g Charity Black DK, 1 x 25gm Emerald green Mirage DK, 1 pr 4,5mm needles
Using Charity Black double knit, cast on 26 stitches.
Knit in Garter st (plain only for entire project) until work in black measures 29cm from the beginning
(When changing colours, please do not cut off the yarn each time but knit both colours for the first stitch every second row keeping the double knitted stitch on the same side of the work, thus carrying up the green yarn with the black, until you have done the fourth green stripe. Then cut off the green, sewing in the two green and two black ends when complete.)
Change yarn to Mirage Emerald DK and knit for 3,5cm* (12 rows)
Change back to Charity Black DK and knit for 4,5cm* (16 rows)
Repeat these two rows * twice more (giving you 3 green stripes and 3 black stripes)
Change back to green and knit for a final 3,5cm
Change to black and knit until complete work measures 150cm. Cast off.
NB: the “wrong” side (where the colour joins show) will be their right side so please note this when sewing in your ends!
And remember to write a short inspiring, positive message on a card and pin or lightly sew it to your sash for each recipient to enjoy! As our small thanks for your assistance, we will be giving you a R5-00 voucher when you bring in your sashes, to be used off any yarn purchased when you next come into wool&more!
Our Special begins on Wednesday 26th November and runs until Friday 16th December 2014.
This Special is our last for 2014 so please take full advantage of it….
Vinni’s Nikkum (100% cotton) only R27-50 per 50gm ball (limited to 10 balls per customer please). Assorted colours can be chosen and offer lasts only whilst stock lasts! As usual, our Loyalty card does not get filled in for this offer – sorry again!
Vinni’s Nikkum is hand spun and hand dyed in Cape Town and knits as a double knit. It is a delight to wear, washes well and her palette is extensive. Vinni’s also has a range of 100% Bamboo (Serena) and a mix of bamboo and cotton yarn (Bambi) which is my favourite! It’s great yarn but please do remember to buy enough for your project as the dye lots vary substantially, in some cases!
SEASON TRADING: We will be open every Saturday from 09h30 to 12h30 until 3rd January 2015 (whole of December) for your convenience. We will also be open on the 16th, 24th, 26th and 31st December and 2nd January from 09h30 to 12h30 so please do amble along to enjoy the festive season with us. All other days, except 25th December and 1st January (closed), we will be open for our normal trading from 10h00 to 16h00.
Whilst your men learn to accept the sign to the right, you please enjoy your knitting and crocheting, be creative, have fun and take care of your hands!
With love and warm, wonderful Plett wishes and huge thanks for your support.
Joy Sachs
wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett 044 533 3182
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