Wool&more – September 2015 Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Closed on Wednesday 23rd September (and normal trading hours)
- Parking Issue
- Summer yarns and new products
- Latest Community Project Programs
- Doortjie Gersbach’s crochet workshop – Hurry … still a place or two
- Linda Jones workshop in October
- Winner of Tommy Toad competition
- Birthday in October – Knit Knockers on Saturday 31st and enjoy some snacks
- Different knitting pattern for you
- Yuli website for crochet projects
Plett is dressed in beautiful greens (forests), beiges (beaches) and blues (sea and mountains) after all the rain we have had so it’s my guess that Summer will be spectacular here!
To begin with, for those not on facebook and who have not seen the local papers, we will be CLOSED on Wednesday 23rd September but OPEN from 09.30 – 12.30 on Thursday 24th despite it being Heritage Day.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Jewish customers Shana Tova and well over the Fast. To everyone else, enjoy your braai on Heritage Day, after you have shopped at wool&more!!
And just to remind you: our normal trading hours are Monday to Friday 10.00 to 16.00 and we are open every first and last Saturday of each month from 09.30 to 12.30.
Parking right outside the shop still remains a challenge due to the number of municipal employees who insist on parking right outside, some for the entire day!
Just to remind you: we have negotiated with the Bay View Hotel for our customers to park, free of charge, on their roof (and PLEASE not in their guest parking on street level!).
We have had a stair case especially built for you to get onto the drive way which leads to wool&more.
We have been furiously unpacking the beautiful summer yarns … naturally, mostly cotton (or cotton blends). The stripe yarn from Katia, called Bari, is a chunky cotton and is just gorgeous. Stripes are fun, happy and very “in” this summer.
There are also new colors in the Mali range (also Katia) which is an aran knit. Some additional colors have come in in the Cotton Jeans and Degrade Sun ranges which were very popular last year so the additions should do very well.
The Monaco Baby 4ply variegated 100% cotton is gorgeous … for baby clothes and blankies. Then my favourite of the new Katia cottons is the Creta range. Wow, to knit a summer top in this yarn is a goal of mine – spectacular, in my view! All of the new yarns need to be seen to be believed!
Vinni has also launched her chunky cotton / bamboo blend called Tori. A customer brought in a sweater knitted in Tori and it looked wonderful … just saying!
The rep from Elle was in to show the new Family Knit 4ply printed range which I really like … it’s a wonder that they never developed this before. And the Premier cotton with new prints is very exciting … already ordered and just waiting for its arrival (see Special below).
Couple of new products are in … some really lovely glass beads with some beading wire and wax cord, some beautiful satin and organza ribbons with bling strands and for those wanting a healthier snack than the delicious biscotti, we have received some yummy, natural health bars in three delicious flavours (coffee and cocoa; cranberry and almond and rooibos with cinnamon, all in a date base)… perfect for keeping the munchies away while you work on your projects!
Our latest Community Project Program will be to provide the elderly in Kurland Village with beanies (we require about 50 of those) for Christmas and we are finalising the logistics of giving the newborn babies at the local clinics, beanies and booties – even blankies, if you are up for it.
They will be handed to the mothers, either through the care workers who visit the babies soon after they are born, via the clinic sisters, or we will hand them to the newly established Lion’s Club in Plett for distribution in the clinics. But they will all find needy homes and hopefully will bring some cheer and warmth to the folk who receive them.
So please carry on with your great work in bringing the items for those elderly or newborns, this latter project being an ongoing one.
Doortjie Gersbach will be joining us again at the end of September – she is such a wiz at all things crochet and an outstanding and motivating teacher.
Monday 28th September (Day 1) is for beginner and intermediate levels and you will learn all the correct techniques, patterns and tons of tips to perfect your crochet work. Tuesday and Wednesday will be more advanced and run over the two days, for anyone who can crochet or has done her workshop (Day 1) before, whether it is here or elsewhere.
She will be working with you on her “Peppermint Blanket” which involves using the patterns for six blocks and being able to adjust them to fit into one blanket (or garment). This knowledge will be invaluable to use in the future for your own projects.
All three days are run from 09.00 to 16.00 and will include refreshments, light lunch and tuition but will exclude all materials.
You don’t pay anything for the excitement, fun and huge burst of enthusiasm!! That’s Free! Otherwise the costs are: Day 1: R400-00 per person and Days 2 & 3 will be R750-00 per person (for both days). There are still a couple of places left (at this moment) so please hurry and book your spot … we won’t see her again until at least next winter.
It’s just under a month till Linda Jones spends the day with us on October 7th (Wednesday) infusing us with her passion for yarn, creativity, knitting, colour and so much more!
Her knowledge as a Fibre Artist is just incredible and she has some hugely creative and different ideas to share with us for the day that will inspire you and take your knitting to the next level…including using beads in knitting, mixing various yarns and fibres, textures and so much more.
It’s a full day of creative input and activity, only a small number of delegates can be accommodated and it runs from 09.00 to 16.00. Lunch, refreshments and all fibre materials are included (except knitting needles). Cost: R460-00 for the day.
She has called the day “Stash Buster” as you will find her knowledge invaluable when you next want to clear your stash (or knit something really different and unique)!
This will be a very practical workshop and you will be making a funky, unique Shoulder Wrap to enjoy and have admired!
Book soon to avoid disappointment … Linda travels a lot and we are not sure when we will be able to collar her again for a day like this!
The Tommy Toad competition was pretty good, considering it was a challenging project!
We had a number of delightful entries and found it really difficult to award just one single prize! So ….. the overall winner (judged on appearance, creativity and durability) is …. Drum roll….. Ann Pfister!!
Well done Ann on your “fly catching Tommy Toad”!! And because Andrea Barron did such a sterling job of Tommy and Badger, we just couldn’t ignore you!
So BOTH ladies tied and each won themselves a R250-00 wool&more voucher to spend as you wish! Thanks to all the other ladies for their submissions … all the toys will be donated to various Grade R and Grade 1 classes along with a copy of “Welcome Tommy Toad”, the book, for the kids to enjoy! Thank you all entrants and judges – hugely appreciated! Now that was fun!!
October is our birthday month and we will be TWO YEARS OLD!
It’s been a wonderful time of learning and experimenting and getting to know the “regulars” and I really want to thank you ALL for your support over the years. As our gift to you, we are running a great Special on Elle Premier Cotton, not to be repeated….
COTTON SPECIAL!!
From 9th to 23rd October
Elle Premier Cotton 50gm plain or printed
R27-50 each
Please note that Loyalty Cards do not qualify for any specials or reduced yarn.
Next month, October, is very important in our calendar: not only is it Breast Cancer Awareness month, but also our Birthday, as mentioned above!
So to celebrate our birthday and to create awareness of Breast Cancer, we have decided to have a jol on Saturday 31st October, at wool&more in Plett, from 10.30 to 12.30.
There will be refreshments to say Happy Birthday and thanks for supporting wool&more and we will be asking that you buy a Knitted Knocker kit or two (for those who don’t know what Knockers 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 in your own time, knit some knockers and return to us – these will be gifted to ladies who need and want them.
They normally find a welcome “home” through individual requests and through Cancer Association (Tersia Fourie is the clinic manager at Cancer Care in George and she is very happy to have these “knockers” for their patients). Our local Cancer Care also source from us. Really a very worthwhile initiative – please help to support it. Kits are R59-00 each, excluding the knitting needles.
Last month, we gave the pattern for a stitch whose name we didn’t “officially” know (and called it Marg-Ing).
Thanks Averil…we now know that it’s real name is Texture Stitch. And Claire showed us Broken Rib … when we tried it, the results were lovely … thanks Claire! Both stitches are below, for you to try, use and enjoy!
TEXTURE STITCH
Cast on an uneven number of stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: (K1, yarn forward and slip the next stitch purlwise, yarn back again) … repeat to end of row.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 to form your pattern.
BROKEN RIB
Cast on in multiple of 4 stitches, plus 2
Row 1: (K3, P1) to last 2 st, K2
Row 2: P1 (K3, P1) to last st, K1
Repeat above two rows.
Ideal for decorative rib or entire garment.
For those dedicated to crochet and who have not already done so, have a look at the website www.yulihandmade.co.za … she has some beautiful ideas and patterns.
And for those of you dedicated to knitting …
That’s all from me for this month … take care, be well and enjoy all your creative endeavours.
With love and thanks for your continued support (always appreciated!)
Joy Sachs
PS All previous newsletters can be accessed off our website (newsletter tab). www.woolandmore.co.za
______________________________________________________________________________
wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett 044 533 3182
More information about wool&more.