Wool&More – January 2016 Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Normality returns – Welcome 2016
- Winter cometh – some new products on order (good news and bad news)
- And some other stock news
- Community Project Programs / pattern for kid’s jersey
- Trading hours
- Previous newsletters
- A new look at being “Busy”
Welcome 2016:
Season has been and Season has gone – just like that! For us, it was really a great one and whilst many of our local, regular customers hibernated at home and did not feel inclined to brave the traffic chaos, short tempers nor the extreme heat of Plett, many delighted visiting customers found us or returned from previous visits. The feedback from those ladies was hugely positive and encouraging (some even awestruck!) – thank you SO much, one and all, for your support and encouragement … it really gives us the “oomph” to keep going and is a great barometer showing that we are, indeed, on the right track. One lady said (quoted): “This shop can stand proud anywhere in the world, and I travel and knit a lot”. Another said, “I hope the local women know how lucky they are to have you and your shop on their doorstep!”. Others also had really great comments … thanks again. Appreciated.
New Products:
In the midst of the December mayhem and heat, we received the Katia catalogue … bulging at the seams with some amazing winter yarns from Spain. Needless to say, we had the arduous task, again, of deciding which yarns to order and which to leave by the wayside – and then which colours of those “chosen ones” to have in stock. Whew … quite a job – truly! So, a sneak preview of a couple of definites, depending on their landed cost: as you well know, our exchange rate is going to play havoc with prices … so biting the bullet is the order of the day.
- Imagine the almost airless, weightless feel of soft, gentle Silk and Alpaca blend… just so luxurious, warm and exquisite.
- Not before have we seen a blend of Cotton and Merino – soft and chunky. What an amazing and different yarn.
- Some velvety, soft and cuddly yarn in incredible colours will also be in stock …
We will be letting you know, in a future newsletter, when our Katia Winter Range will actually be arriving.
Also on the subject of Winter yarns: We will only be hearing from Elle (Saprotex) what they will be doing for this winter: it is my guess that they will be launching very few brand new lines, but will be consolidating their current lines, and perhaps adding some new colours … watch this space, as they say. The bad news is that we have just had word of price increases, unseasonally effective from 1st February (normally only in August) due to exchange rate increases. The confirmed increases include Elle Gold, Charity, Premier Cotton and needles …. Right across those ranges at around 10%. Apologies for that bad news – no doubt many more products will be affected as time goes by. Naturally, we will try to hold stock at the current prices for as long as possible for your convenience.
Other Stock items:
- A reminder that we keep a beautiful range of buttons, including the hand made, hand painted ceramic ones.
- We also have, just to be different, some beautiful hand painted large pebbles, as original art works, by Cape Town artist, Jeni Oliver. Beautiful paper weights, door stops and even framed.
- The factory which made the best biscotti have moved from Knysna to Cape Town – this means that the transport charges will undoubtedly increase the price of the biscotti too much for comfort. We are still considering a way around this … will let you know in future newsletters.
- The kiddies kits from Brackenburn Crew (conservation centre in Crags) are going well – they make great gifts and help toward funding the centre.
- Another popular line is the Crochet square tension board… such a clever concept and works really well in standardising your square sizes.
- There are still some small packaging boxes and bags available at 50% off (to clear) – these are ideal for jewellery packaging, etc. And we are also clearing our organza bags: there are 4 sizes, all packed in bags of 10 at very reduced prices … lovely colours still available.
- The kid’s books, “Welcome, Tommy Toad” and “The Boy who flew higher than the moon” are still in stock and proved very popular for Christmas gifts for primary school children, both in South Africa and abroad.
- The blanket kits (Blanket-in-a-Bag) are doing really well – I am still addicted to working on mine (and have had similar feedback from ladies who have bought theirs)!
Community Project Programs:
We will be collecting baby beanies for the new-borns in our local clinics – please keep those rolling in. And if you have the will to knit or crochet baby blankets (approximately 90cm x 100cm) either in single pieces, squares or strips, those would really be hugely beneficial in Winter. Please bring these blankies into us, already made up – it will assist so much!
Should you wish to knit some warm, cuddly scarves – please do so … these will be earmarked for the elderly of our local communities. You are welcome to add adult size beanies to these scarves, should you wish.
Below is a copy of Gill Brown’s thank you note for all the gorgeous toys knitted and crocheted for the crèche …. It was such a worthwhile project. Thanks to all those who contributed and we looking forward to visiting the crèche in 2016, Gill!
Dear Joy,
Many ,many thanks for the generous donations of soft toys and knitted balls to the Kranshoek Kleuterskool.
With your help and donations from some others I was able to give every child( 53) a teddy, a ball and some sweets at their end of the year party.
I can’t tell you how thrilled they were and how grateful I am for your support.
Here are a couple of photos, but I do hope I will be able to take you to the crèche sometime next year to show you in person what a difference has been made in the lives of these preschool children.
All the best for this holiday season and especially for 2016.
Gill Brown
Below is a pattern of a very simple, basic toddler jersey: please knit us as many as you are willing to do – you are able to use any yarn, including your stash, put in stripes, cables, whatever you feel like doing: these will be going to the local crèches at the beginning of Winter … keep up with your wonderful donations: they will all be distributed locally and given with love. Many thanks in advance.
SIMPLE TODDLER JERSEY
Using DK yarn and 5mm needles: Front and back worked the same (2 pieces)
Cast on 50/70 st
Knit 8 rows garter st (or single rib)
Knit 48/60 rows stocking stitch
Cast on 30/35 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows.
Knit 28/40 rows stocking stitch
Cast off 35 st at beginning of next 2 rows
Knit 8 – 12 rows single rib on remaining stitches
Cast off
Join seams.
Pick up 30/40 stitches at each wrist and work 10 – 14 rows single rib.
Cast off and work in loose yarn.
Trading Hours:
Our trading hours have reverted to “normal” being Mondays to Fridays from 10h00 to 16h00 and every first and last Saturday of each month. This will remain so until approximately April when our hours will be extended, as in last winter. Whilst we were open for trade on Christmas morning and New Year’s Day, it was a pointless exercise … please remind us that this year, we will be closed on those days!!
Previous Newsletters:
Please be reminded that all past newsletters are available to be perused on our website www.woolandmore.co.za – please don’t hesitate to use them as a resource and also, to pass our newsletters onto others whom you feel may be interested and enjoy them.
Below is an email (blog article) I received late last year, which I really felt I would like to share with you. It speaks volumes about life today (and how we fall into traps) and the last couple of lines have been highlighted and put into italics by me – therein lies the message, methinks. It was very relevant for the holiday season but no less so for our everyday lives. Enjoy the article – I did! (Permission kindly granted by the author, Sarah, to share with you – thanks Sarah! Her details are below the article.)
How To Stop Being Busy
I walked into a Starbucks the other day to meet a friend. All the holiday swag was displayed in red boxes and holiday menus were up featuring gingerbread and peppermint everything. It was 2:00 in the afternoon, and it wasn’t too busy, so I was a little surprised by all the commotion behind the counter.
There were 7 people bustling around looking busy. Two were handling the drive-thru, it looked like a couple were being trained, others were cleaning, stocking, and organizing.
The strange part was that it took a really long time to get my chai latte. There were several people waiting by the pick-up counter for their drinks, and it wasn’t clear for a while if anyone was even making them.
My friend ended up waiting by the cash register for a long time before anyone even came to take her order.
Something was off here.
A lot of stuff was happening, but not the one thing the business is actually supposed to do – serve coffee drinks to its customers!
All the Starbucks employees were busy, but none of them were paying attention to the bigger picture.
Busy As A Way Of Being
In our culture, we talk about being busy a lot. It’s often part of our answer to the question, “How are you?”
“Oh, good but busy. I have a lot of stuff going on.”
Right? You hear it all the time. Maybe you even say it yourself.
I have a problem with this.
First of all, busy isn’t how you ARE. When you say “I’m busy,” it doesn’t actually say anything about you. Rather it focuses on the stuff you are DOing. It’s actually a sort of cover-up for being stressed, or tired, or overwhelmed, or out of balance.
The thing is, we all know that!
It’s like “busy” is a code word that draws empathy from another person, because we’ve all been there. BEING busy means you are so wrapped up in the stuff you are doing, that you aren’t really being anything.
Busy As An Excuse
People also use it as an excuse.
When asked, “Did you do X?” People will say, “No, I’ve been really busy.”
In my world, one of the most common reasons that people don’t keep up with creating content is because they are busy.
But does that mean you chose to accomplish something else? Do you have something to show for the things you’ve been doing? Or have you just been busy?
Being busy doesn’t necessarily mean that you are accomplishing anything. In fact, it seems more like you are running in circles without really getting anywhere. It conjures an image of chaos and disorganization – like the scene behind the Starbucks counter.
What Else Can You Be?
We all have a lot going on. And with the holidays coming up, it’s even more prevalent. There are about to be a bunch of things added to your calendar and your list of things to do.
A lot of people complain about being busy at this time of year. Is that really how you want to experience your holidays?
Now, I can’t magically shrink your to-do list. But just because you have a lot going on, doesn’t mean you have to BE BUSY.
You could choose to be something else… like present, or focused, or connected to people rather than to your to-dos.
Even in the midst of a lot of things going on, you don’t have to be busy. In fact I recommend that you try to banish that word from your vocabulary. And ask yourself, “What do I really want to BE?”
That choice is yours.
Sarah Schwab is the Founder and President of Content Creation Coach. She helps small businesses and entrepreneurs to create consistent, compelling content they need to market their business online. She believes in the power of self-expression and creativity to transform her clients’ businesses and lives. Find out more about her approach to online marketing and content creation in her F.R.E.E. report: “Create Content That Connects: Three Mistakes That Are Making Your Content Fall Flat.” Get your report today and find more blog articles like this one at www.contentcreationcoach.com
Hem your blessings with Gratitude so they don’t unravel!
With much love, gratitude and blessings for a truly special and creative 2016 – please know that your support is very appreciated. Thank you!
Joy Sachs
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wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett 044 533 3182
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