Wool&More – November 2016 Newsletter
In this issue:
- Good to be back!
- Knitted cotton cloths
- Flip Flop lacy covers
- New Yarns & pricing tickets
- Yarn Fraud (yes, really!)
- Knit-a-Long – all 9 squares
- December trading hours
- Gift Vouchers from wool&more
- Previous newsletters & unsubscribe
Good to be back!
It was really great to have a break – my kids and I spent a week in Johannesburg and the bush (Pilansberg, North West). Having a different rhythm to life was very healing and recharging but it was equally good to get back to beautiful Plett and the delightful environment of wool&more!! It’s my intention to have more regular breaks (than once every four years) so it may be that we have an annual break every October or so. Watch this space…. Thanks to all for your support and bearing with us whilst we rested. Appreciated!
Knitted Cotton Cloths:
So many ladies are knitting cotton cloths so, being small and easy, I took some cotton yarn on my holiday and knitted a whole lot of cloths, of different colours and sizes. My son and son-in-law particularly liked theirs and used them as body cloths in the shower. I am using mine at home to wipe down surfaces in the kitchen … at first, it felt like a real waste of cotton and / or energy but truly, it does make lighter of kitchen work. Some ladies even use them to wash the dishes! Very much the rage in England and America at the moment!
A cloth takes just less than 50gm of pure cotton (I enjoyed using Eco Cotton and also used my Vinni’s bits and pieces). Cast on 52st, using 3,75mm (or 3,5mm) needles, knit 7 rows of moss st then on each end of the next number of rows (until just less than a square), knit 6st of moss at the beginning and end of every row. The other 40st between the moss border would be garter or any other stitch you wish. End with 7 rows of moss again. Cast off, leaving the last stitch which you can slip onto a crochet hook and do around 14 chains to make a loop then join to the corner of the cloth. Naturally, the size, colour mixes and stitches used can vary to your own taste.
The cloths make a delightful gift – for Christmas, birthdays, whenever….
A stitch we haven’t used before (until the holiday) is really easy and looks fantastic (and it’s reversible!) …
Cast on an even number of stitches.
Row 1: k1, p1 to last two stitches, k2
Row 2 & 3: knit
Repeat three rows and enjoy
Flip Flop Lacy covers:
These work out so well and get sewn onto normal plastic flip flops …. making them pretty, comfortable and fun to do. Here is the pattern for you: (so sorry I am not able to download the pic)
Flip Flop lacy “covers”
Materials: 50gm pure cotton; 4mm needles (three)
Make two:
Cast on 30st
Work 5 rows in stocking stitch*
Leave these stitches on a spare needle
Repeat from * – *
Joining two pieces:
Knit to last st on first piece, k2tog with first st of second piece (59 st)
Next row: k1; (yf, k2tog) to end
Next row: (k1, p1) 14 times, slip 1, k2tog; psso, (p1, k1) to end (57 st)
Next row: (p1,k1) 13 times, p1, slip 1, k2tog; psso, (p1, k1) to last st, k1
Next row (picot / lacy edge): (Cast on 2 st, cast of 4 st) 13 times, slip 1, k2tog, psso, put last st from right needle back to left, (cast on 2 st, cast off 4 st) to end.
Make up: place pieces on top of flip flop straps so that the flaps cover the straps with the split wrapping around the T where the straps meet.
Sew cast on edge to base of eyelet row over the straps of the flip flops.
So pretty and very comfortable!
New yarns and price tickets:
Pure Gold printed DK arrived and it is just gorgeous … we have four of the six colours – slightly more expensive than the plain colours but already doing well. They have also brought out a new plain colour called Custard which is the most beautiful, calm shade of yellow we have ever seen!
Also from the Elle stable comes some new colours in the Cotton On double knit and seriously chunky ranges … they are fresh and clean colours and just perfect for your projects for summer.
Our range of colours in Nurturing Fibre Eco Cotton and Eco Fusion is growing weekly – their range is truly fabulous and a delight to use.
Charity’s two new DK colours arrived and are great: Crocus (light mauve) and Aqua (lovely clean light turquoise). We have had to reorder these a few times as they are selling so well.
It took us three years to realise that our white price stickers on the bands of yarn were not visible enough … we changed to a very bright green sticker which, a month after the change, still gives me a jolt to see!! Visibility is the name of the game …. so don’t be jolted! I can’t believe it took so long to realise such a simple concept!
Yarn Fraud:
When Mark, the Elle rep (Saprotex being the manufacturer name) came to visit recently, I complained (maybe with a little more passion than was appropriate!) that Saprotex are selling Mirage 25gm balls to the Chinese shops and that they had undertaken not to supply anyone who is not a legitimate yarn shop. He said “Just wait” and dashed off to our local Chinese shop and came back with a ball of bright purple Mirage 25gm yarn. On it is clearly printed that it is manufactured by Saprotex, with their address and telephone number …. guess what? It’s a rip off! Mark then told me that China has sent tons of this fraud yarn to South Africa and that they keep moving their warehouses and meanwhile are keeping all the Chinese shops well stocked! Saprotex are very frustrated, as one can imagine and are in regular contact with the Fraud Squad. When you next pass, please do stop to look at the copy … it is awful yarn and not even 25gm in weight!!
This is only one product … imagine how many products are ripped off, thus denying our local manufacturers from earning a fair living.
Knit-a-Long (by Elle):
The links for the nine squares are below. There have been some issues with some patterns not downloading. Should you have this problem, please contact us or email taldred@bertrand.co.za for assistance (Tanja is the Elle designer). Some are rather challenging to do, so enjoy them and rise to the challenge, if you dare!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16048%20KALsquare1.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16049%20KALsquare2.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16050%20KALsquare3.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16051%20KALsquare4.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16052%20KALsquare5.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16053%20KALsquare6.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16054%20KALsquare7.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16055%20KALsquare8.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5227222/16056%20KALsquare9.pdf
December Trading Hours:
From the beginning of December until the 7th January 2017, we will be open every Saturday AND public holiday from 09H30 to 12H30. Our normal hours apply for Mondays to Fridays being 10h00 to 16h00 (unless it is a public holiday in which case we will close at 12h30). Hope to see you all soon.
Gift Vouchers:
Our wool&more gift vouchers, available in any denomination, make a fabulous gift for anyone who enjoys working with yarn. We have a really excellent range of yarns and accessories so consider our gift vouchers for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries … any occasion would suit a wool&more gift voucher.
Previous newsletters & unsubscribe:
Should you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, please just send us an email with your name and we will (sadly) remove your details. Also, all past newsletters are on our website – please do have a look.
That’s all for today … this newsletter is sent with love and wishes for you all to keep creating and enjoy each day. See you again in December…
See you soon and sent with love.
Joy Sachs
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wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett 044 533 3182
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