July 2006 Newsletter

What’s New...


If you received this month’s newsletter twice – we apologize. We are setting up a new computer system for the store and we don’t have it complete yet – so rather than leave anyone out, we merged our address files to get a more comprehensive list. In this newsletter we are offering Special Discounts in July for Frequent Buyers. You know those points we’ve been tracking for you? Cash them in and receive an additional 5% off your purchase…..And for all customers in July - buy $50 worth of regular priced yarn and receive 5 patterns free (a $10.00 retail value)

Confetti has come out with a new sock yarn – Superwash Cotton. Made up of 49% superwash wool, 35% cotton and 16% polyamide nylon with 50grams and 90 meters at only $4.99 per ball, this combination brings out the best in knitted socks – the lightness of cotton, the warmth of wool and the durability of nylon! Packed with fabulous summer colours, this new yarn will look great with Birkenstocks! We also recommend trying this yarn in Holly Yeoh’s Bee’s Knees Sweater patterns.


This summer it’s all about color – whether it's used in our wardrobes, our home decor, or our knitting and crocheting projects. And new colors inspire great new ideas! Check out Rowan’s new Cotton Rope, a softly twisted rope-like yarn which comes in 8 fashion colors - lemonade, limeade, squash, calypso blue, fruit gum pink, parma and black & white. Falling between an aran and a chunky weight, the yarn is easy and quick to knit, to wash and to dry and suitable for both knit and crochet designs. A combination of cotton (55%) and acrylic (45%) makes it ideal for summer tops, ponchos, sweaters, or hats and bags.

We have Rowan’s Cotton Rope Collection book – containing 16 patterns for knit and crochet by Martin Storey. These garments and accessories are inspired by North Africa. You will find a crocheted poncho reminiscent of the mosaic tiles of Morocco and another dedicated to the Kilim (carpet) style. You can make Rowan’s Marakesh bag – perfect for running errands or shopping the markets. The cotton rope is a versatile fibre that is easy to wear in the heat of day and warm enough for a cool summer evening.



We’ve been busy bagging up colorful yarn and great patterns so that you have something to do on those long car/plane trips this summer or at the lake or cabin! Here is a beautiful example below.



Lotus Blossom Shawl Kit from Fiddlesticks Knitting – the Lotus Blossom Shawl uses two traditional Shetland lace patterns: Razor Shell and Madeira Wave, which together create the suggestion of graceful lotus blossoms on long stems. This pattern features instructions with large, easy to use charts, recommended for advanced beginners or intermediate knitters. Yarn requirements: one skein of Fiddlesticks, hand-dyed, country silk yarn, 250g/800m. This kit normally retails at $79.98 - we currently have it on sale for $63.98.

Book Review by Marcene Makovee: Mason-Dixon Knitting is a collection of unbelievable patterns, a how-to manual, and a crazy quilt of hilarious narrative, all in one. In this book, Kay and Ann chitchat their way through a series of more than thirty incredible patterns. Drawing creative inspiration from their surroundings, they present colorful blankets, sassy nightgowns, a delicate curtain, and much more to reveal that knitting can weave its way into just about every aspect of life. Most of these projects are the epitome of ease, but you can make them as simple or complicated as you prefer. I was most inspired by Chapter 6: “Community Knitting”. Included in this chapter are gifts for others such as Baby Bibs, handknit handtowels, and the “Afghanalong” – knitting afghans for Afghans. Remember: no project is too ambitious if you crave the result enough.


July Workshops

The Holli Yeoh workshop scheduled for Thursday, July 6th is sold out! Due to the great response we will be canceling “Drop-In Knitting” on this evening – and will resume knitting circle July 13th.

There are only 2 spaces left in our July Sock Workshop (two consecutive Sundays) scheduled for July 9th and 16th from 9 – 12 (noon). We are booking our second Sock Workshop for August (two consecutive Wednesdays) - Aug 2nd and 9th from 4:30 – 6:30 PM. Call us now to book 1-780-474-9276.

Customer Projects

Here’s a picture of a baby outfit called “Grape Baby” that Nancy made for a friend who is in the wine business. It was made from the softest baby cashmerino from Debbie Bliss – one of our favorite yarns.



Web Worthy Sites by Cynthia Hyslop

Want to try something fun? Check out some of the podcasts (audio files) available on the web. Depending on your internet access and the type of media program you’re using, you may find the download and audio streaming (listening to it from the website) is frustrating. You can download the podcast onto your computer by right-clicking on the link and selecting “Save Target As”. Downloading it onto my computer allows me to save it to my MP3 player to listen to while I’m on the road.

Secret Knitting:

- http://secret-knitting.podspot.de This website specializes in posting digital audio instructions for knitting a garment that is a “secret” – you know what it is supposed to be (a hat, a sock, a flower, etc.) but no pictures are provided. You follow the audio instructions to create the garment. Instructions are given verbally, along with guidance on how to create some of the stitches as well as what yarn to use, size of needles, etc.

KnitCast:

- a podcast about knitting by Marie Irshat http://scifiville.typepad.com/knitcast. Many of these audio casts are interviews with knitters and designers, including: Amy Singer and Denny McMillian, Ann Budd, Debbie Bliss, and Claire Garland – many of the interviewed are British designers.

KnitTunes:

- http://www.knittunes.net brings you music to knit by, introduced by a few words on knitting and some information about the artists brought to you by this site. The music will “keep your ears happy and fingers flying!”

Incompetech.com

brings a different kind of (free) resource for those who like to try their hands at designs. This website generates graph paper for your printer that accommodates a number of activities: knitting (asymmetrical graph paper), beading (brick layout), celtic knots, and much more. The graph paper list is available at: http://incompetech.com/beta/plainGraphPaper and a direct link for the knitting graph paper is: http://incompetech.com/beta/linedGraphPaper/asymmetric.html.


Have a good Summer!


Barb, Cynthia, Marcene, Sheila and Vivian
River City Yarns
www.rivercityyarns.com
1-780-477-YARN (9276)