Wool&More – November 2017 Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Trading days/times, for your convenience
- Community Project Program – Amazing response with Gratitude & a reminder
- New Yarns
- Crochet Corner: Stylecraft Persian Tile – Eastern Jewel blanket
- Knitting: Boomerang Shawl
- Bring Your Own Bags (please)!
- Wright Thoughts
- Newsletters
It’s crazy to realise that for months, there were preparations to travel to finally meet little Mia – and that’s all history now! What an interesting trip and what a cutie pie Mia is! Being with her was wonderful but leaving was horrid …!
The huge yarn show at Alexandra Palace was a highlight – thanks again, Nicki, for arranging and meeting me there and for the incredible “High Tea”. Got lots of new ideas, saw so much yarn and learned a lot – the main thoughts I brought back are that our local yarns, namely from Saprotex (Elle, Charity, etc) are incredible! They are of a really high standard in both, variety and quality. We ought to fully support them (yes, there certainly is a place for imported yarns too) and Saprotex ought to hold their heads up very high indeed.
After visiting a number of yarn shops, my overall impression is that they are not very exciting (certainly the ones I visited).
Here are some pics for you…
Days/times for trading:
Saturdays: Between September and March each year, our Saturday trading is shortened to First and Last Saturday of each month (except for December month, where we trade Every Saturday) from 09h30 to 12h30.
Public Holidays: We will be OPEN from 09h30 to 12h30 on the following Public Holidays:
Saturday 16th December (Reconciliation Day)
Tuesday 26th December (Goodwill Day)
We will be CLOSED on two Mondays – 25th December (Christmas Day) and 1st January (New Year’s Day)
Community Project Programs:
Your response to our call for blankets has been incredible – whilst there is always a need for blankets, we now have a decent start, come March, for the dire need in Winter. So, so many of you contributed – it’s impossible to name everyone …. however, here are some examples of contributors: Jenny Moran in Cape Town (with the help of Bev) brought in a big pile of crocheted blankets. Joan was given a big batch of squares and kindly constructed them into five blankets (a very frustrating task and one which most ladies hate to do – Joan swore it was her last batch!). Jean, also from Cape Town, brought in a lovely big batch of beanies and some blankets and Lalie brought in ten beautifully knitted baby jerseys. Julie donated her very first knitted blanket to us for someone special – thank you to Everyone for contributing. Keep those knitting needles and crochet hooks sharpened – Winter Cometh!
The knitted balls have really only been dribbling in – Averil brought in a bag full, using all her scraps – thank you, Averil. We do need so many more … Please will you help the kids at various local creches and clinics by knitting balls for them for Christmas – these are easy, colourful, safe toys and a great stash-buster! A true win-win project!
There are two patterns from which to choose and both are available on our Resources Tab on the wool&more website. This segment one is easiest and fun and attached below for your convenience.
Stuff the balls (for the Segment pattern) with stuffing or old pantyhose and if you would like to put a bell into the centre, this adds a new dimension. Any bright and varied colours of any yarn thickness would be fabulous. We would like to try and get at least 100 balls in before 7th December …. let’s see if we can do it!!! Thanks again.
KNITTED MULTI COLOURED BALL
Yarn in approx. 4 different colours (if using DK, use 3,5mm needles)
Cast on 36 st
Knit 1 row to end
Next 2 rows: knit to last stitch, turn
Next 2 rows: knit to last 2 stitches, turn
Next 2 rows: knit to last 3 stitches, turn
Continue in this manner, leaving one more stitch at each end until 8 st are left at each end.
Next 2 rows: knit to end, taking in last 8 st.
Break off yarn and join in another colour repeating all the above for 8 segments, total.
Cast off. Stuff and sew up.
New Yarns:
The new yarns by Elle are now in store and are all lovely – as is the Katia range. When the Katia yarn arrived, there were 9 large boxes to be unpacked so for a few days, the yarn, in their bags, just lay on the floor. It was amazing how many ladies were wowed by the yarn on the floor and bought some immediately! Maybe a new “merchandising ploy”?!!
The two new Elle yarns called Sun Crush and Alula are acrylic DK yarns in 200gm balls with numerous colours in each ball and are doing very well. Makes up a lovely triangular shawl, the pattern provided, which is very popular now. Their 4ply Cotton On 100gm balls are new and fill a gap in the market very well.
Crochet Corner:
It’s almost here … the magnificent Persian Tiles – Eastern Jewels crochet blanket kit from Stylecraft. Whilst visiting the Stylecraft stand at the yarn show in London, I met and chatted to Annabelle (Sales Manager) and Lucia Dunn (designer of the kit colourway for this blanket) and saw the actual blanket, completed there. It really is stunning. The kits ought to be at wool&more early December, will cost R849 (for a kilo of yarn) and will include the pattern and colour chart. Only a limited number of kits will be available so please book yours early. We are very happy to exchange colours if required, but only of the Special DK (and not of the Life DK colours included in the kit).
Nicki Rae and Lucia Dunn at Stylecraft stand, London with the beautiful Persian Tiles – Eastern Jewels crochet blanket – soon available in kit form from wool&more.
Knitting:
So many ladies have tried and are delighted with the self-bordering blanket we featured in September – that’s great to know.
Before London, I knitted a Boomerang Shawl using all my scrap pieces of cotton from my Vinni and Nurturing Fibres stash – only one shawl/scarf went with me, was worn daily and was hugely admired and a pleasure to wear! Thanks so much for sharing the pattern with us Judy – just try it ladies – you will love it! Judy used a variegated yarn (double knit) and I used “whatever”. Cotton shawls and scarves (triangular, especially ) are very IN for summer and great for a slightly cooler day or evening!! We have a number of yarns & patterns from which to choose.
BOOMERANG SHAWL
Uses approximately 200gm of double knit yarn (acrylic, cotton, bamboo, plain colour or variegated)
Using 5mm needles, cast on 2 st leaving a tail of around 12cm
Knit these 2 st, then cast on into first st and knit to end.
Continue this way until you have 5 st on needle.
Next row: K1, k2tog, incr into next st, k1
Pattern rows:
1st row: k1, incr into next st, knit to end
2nd row*: k1, slip 1, k1, psso, knit to last 2 st, incr into second last st, k1.
Repeat the two pattern rows until you have approx. 130 st on the needle.
Cast off loosely, leave a tail of around 12cm.
Thread beads onto two tails (optional), secure and enjoy wearing.
*On row 2, you can also k1, k2tog then knit to last 2 st, as above.
Elle have shared their “stitch of the month” – see the link. Looks great!
http://elleyarns.com/october-17-stitch-of-the-month-connected-cables/
B Y O B:
Please remember that we are working to get less plastic into the environment – we ask that you please remember to Bring Your Own Bags when shopping at wool&more (and everywhere)…. lovely re-usable fabric bags are the answer and help so much. Or, crochet / knit your very own bags!
Wright Thoughts:
Here are some thoughts to ponder as you have a moment …..(thank you, Robyn)
If you’re not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he’s the famous Erudite (comic) scientist who once said: “I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates.”
His mind sees things differently than most of us do. . . here are some of his gems:
1 – I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 – Borrow money from pessimists-they don’t expect it back.
3 – Half the people you know are below average.
4 – 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 – 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 – A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 – A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 – If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.
9 – All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
10 – The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 – I almost had a psychic girlfriend, …… But she left me before we met.
12 – OK, so what’s the speed of dark?
13 – How do you tell when you’re out of invisible ink?
14 – If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 – Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 – When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
17 – Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
18 – Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
19 – I intend to live forever… So far, so good.
20 – If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 – Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.
22 – What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
23 – My mechanic told me, “I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.”
24 – Why do psychics have to ask you for your name.
25 – If at first, you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 – A conclusion is a place where you got tired of thinking.
27 – Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
28 – The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
29 – To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 – The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
31 – The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.
32 – The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.
33 – Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don’t have film.
34 – If at first, you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
35 – If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
Newsletters:
All past newsletters are on our website www.woolandmore.co.za – please do have a look. Your comments are always welcome.
“Season” will soon be upon us and thus some madness in coastal towns, not least Plett! Do take care, one and all, as we cruise into 2018.
Have a blessed Christmas and a truly wonderful 2018. See you soon …..
Joy Sachs
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wool&more, 7 Gibb St, Plett 044 533 3182
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