Helmet Liners -- we will be knitting helmet liners for soldiers being deployed from the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst base. Come to the shop on Tuesday evening at 7 pm. We'll have pizza and drinks -- the pattern is free and any yarn purchased for the helmet liners is 20% off. The helmet liners must be made out of 100% wool and they need to be black. Give me a call or drop me a line to let me know if you will be there.

We've had a busy fall --- lots of interesting classes. Nelda Davis, the master spinner came for a workshop last weekend. Her students were so impressed that they have asked me to bring her back for another workshop.

Here Nelda is showing everyone how to use wool combs and the other picture she is demonstrating the proper technique for hand carding. We will definitely have Nelda back sometime in 2010.

Kathleen was so excited to show me more of her beautiful spinning -- she bought some of Woolbearers hand dyed merino and went to town. These skeins are just perfect.

Lucky for me, while Nelda was here teaching, Wendy came in to the shop -- all the way from Las Vegas and wanted to buy a drop spindle. I am a terrible drop spindler, but Nelda had a few moments and got her going. Wendy just couldn't stop spinning. I know we will be seeing her when she is in town again.

Here is the result of Jill's dyeing workshop with yours truly. It's a little hard to see the lace pattern, but it came out beautifully.

Karen's Knit to Fit class has always been a big hit with our customers. She'll be doing it again (right-Karen?) and we're hoping to have her do another class as well. Keep you posted on that.

Our beginning weaving class have finished their scarves. We'll be offering beginning and advanced beginning weaving in our next class list.

Sharon is working on her Einstein Jacket and Margie is working on another square for her Learn to Knit Afghan. Only 50 more to go!

Kris finished one of her Christmas stockings. Very cute!

And Gwen is crocheting another shawl -- this time out of Zauerball.

Donna is showing off her mystery purse from She Knits for Knitters. It will be felted -- can't wait to see the results.

Jane's shawl out of Punta's Merisock and a scarf made out of The Fibre Company's Road to China Light. She used a pattern from Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns

Looks good from either side.

Anita stopped by for buttons for her new Mission Falls sweater. Great colors!

Phyllis felted her bags. The top one is knitted out of Woolbearers' Delaware Valley Yarn and the blue one is out of Cascade 220

Community -- that's what it's all about. Saturday and Sunday were such busy days with all the different classes and groups of knitters that came in and stayed. Some folks met each other for the first time, and of course, they are no strangers to each other because knitting is their common language.

Our new knit to fit class is coming along. Everyone is diligently working on their sweaters, discussing necklines and ripping out that shoulder once again -- but this time it will fit perfectly.

The weavers are warping their looms and weaving their chenille scarves for the first time. Megan is little bit further ahead of the other gals. Love her color choices and design.

Judy came in looking for yarn for another project. I immediately recognized the sweater she was wearing as the one she just bought yarn for a few weeks ago. She said that there were a few mistakes in the pattern and that she and the designer emailed each other so much that he asked her to do some sample knitting for him! It's the Cecile Pullover from Knitscene Fall 2009.

Saturday was another dyeing class. Can't wait to see the results.

This is the dyed "scarf" that I finished on Saturday. I hope to turn it into another pair of socks. This time, I dyed the scarf more symmetically.

Last time I had the dye class the scarf was just dyed with one color after another and this is the result. Great socks, but they are completely different.

Linda came in to show off her finished and almost finished projects. She needed another skein of Mission Falls 136 wool for the baby sweater.

Here's a scarf she knit out of Jitterbug sock yarn.

Linda knit the Malabrigo Lace beautifully - it was hard to get a good picture.

And -- ta dum! She finished her Rambling Rows afghan. I think it took longer to pick out the colors than it did to knit it up!

Teri is in my Learn to Knit afghan class. She keeps picking up other projects to do and fell in love with the Afghan Shawl from Vogue Knitting on the Go Shawls 2. We read and reread and then read the instructions again and couldn't figure out how to do the stitch. I went home with the pattern and Voila! the lightbulb went on. Like I tell my students -- do exactly what the pattern says -- don't overthink it. You had to work elongated stitches by wrapping the yarn and then on the next row you knit 4 of the elongated stitches together, then purl the same stitches together (twice). Clear as mud, right? But it did finally work and I expect Teri to have the shawl done by next week --- working on Size 15 needles with Cascade Magnum. Yes, I may have to succumb to making one too!

Gwen is showing off yet another tam. This one is an Ysolda Teague pattern called Rose Red

Phyllis loves to make felted bags. She's doing this one out of our own Delaware Valley Worsted weight yarn and I have to say that I love those colors.

Jane just finished this ruffled scarf made out of Artful Yarns' Shakespeare

And Rachel made this great shawl, Laminaria. It is made out of OPY.

Rhinebeck

I love going up to Rhinebeck. I remember when it was a much smaller show and you didn't have to fight the crowds every minute. There is so much to see - you get on sensory overload and everything looks the same after a while. I did run into some old friends -- sorry don't have pictures of anyone. I got a big hug from Mr. Otto from Strauch Fibers, where we get the finest drum carders and ball winders; Heidi from Woodstock Knits --- we have her kits and yummy alpaca yarn; Sharyn from Punta Yarns -- Punta's Merisoft has been a big hit and signing books was Mary Beth Temple, who will be teaching a crochet class at Woolbearers on Nov 1. If you haven't signed up already, do so quickly!

Socks -- OK, so I finally succumbed. I had a dye class a few weeks ago and was trying to figure out what to knit with the sock yarn I dyed. So, socks seemed reasonable. I didn't realize how meditative knitting socks could be. I couldn't put this one down and am actually knitting the second sock!

Sydney came in today to show off her new Shibuiknit socks. The pattern is from the latest issue of Knitty.com

Kris couldn't wait to come in and show me her just finished White Lies Design "Evangeline" made from Rowan Silk/Wool. Isn't is just gorgeous?

Deb came in with a dilemma. She is knitting the Every Way Wrap from Interweave Knits Fall 2009. She had missed doing the cable quite a few rows down and didn't want to rip out the knitting she had already done. So, I told her to drop down to where the problem was and pick up the stitches, remembering to cross at every other row as she was picking up the stitches. And she did so successfully!

It's been a weird week. One gal asked me how much a normal skein of yarn weighs. I didn't quite know how to answer. When pressed, she said, you know, like the one at Michael's or Joann's. Ah yes, the normal skein of yarn. Now I get it. She must have meant those pound skeins. Or the gal who came in and asked if it would be tacky if she put up a sign in my window for her yard sale featuring fiber and yarn. I told her that it would be tacky and she ran out of the store before I could blink. Yesterday a gentleman came into the shop looking for yarn he could wind around spools for table he just refinished. While I was contemplating some inexpensive yarn, he picked up some 1836 Mission Falls wool and said it would be perfect. He wanted red, white and blue and I just happened to have those colors. Then, he asked if I'd seen a customer who used to work for him. Well, then I put two and two together and figured out it was none other than Jim Saxton, our former congressman. It's not everyday that y0u can say your congressman was in your store shopping for yarn. I thought it was pretty cool. So, it came as no surprise that Donna had to share her latest knitted creation with us.

Yep. You guessed it. It's a chapstick cover.

Gwen finished crocheting her Provincial Fall Scarf out of Woolbearers Seacell sock yarn. The border is out of Shibuiknits sock yarn.

She's still working on those tams. These are crocheted.

and this one is knit.

Stephanie stopped by to show us her latest crocheted creations. She'll be teaching a crochet class at Woolbearers emphasizing textures.

I couldn't resist this pattern in the new Knitters' Magazine out of Mission Falls 1824 wool. I just have to embroider some hearts and I'm done.

Speaking of Mission Falls -- Woolbearers has a Trunk Show featuring all the beautiful garments from all of their earlier books. Come and see for yourself.

We started a new KAL at the shop for the Jojoland Halo kimono.

I got my first seven hexagons done and started working on the in-between triangles. I just love the way the colors change ever so subtly. I stopped working on it because I was wondering about the directions. The pattern says to pick up for the triangles on the wrong side and then make your color changes on right side. I'm not sure this is correct, but will look carefully at the model we have in the shop, when I get back tomorrow. I may have to rip out the triangle. Some words of advice to anyone who wants to knit this. Use the cable cast-on method - it makes a cleaner edge and is easier after casting on to transfer stitches to the other needles. I did try doing this magic loop, but I just must be an old-fashioned knitter and prefer my double points. I am going to try and use some shorter needles, though. When you get down to 4 stitches -- there's a lot of needle in the way!

How do you get this -

to turn into this?

By doing this, of course and plenty of knitting. Gwen spun my hand dyed Merino/Bamboo blend and made a tam from a doily pattern. Another great knit by Gwen.

I think she got the doily-tam idea from knitting the Hemlock Flower Tam pattern by Robyn Wade

And she made another that she calls the "Pink Doily Tam". They must be like eating potato chips.

We had a lot of fun in my dye class on Saturday. Not too many spills and everyone made great looking sock yarn. I can't wait to see them knitted up. Stay tuned!

Jane knit this baby afghan out of Jil Eaton Minnowmerino -- two strands held together. It's hard to see, but in the closeup there is an outline of a bear that is knitted through0ut the afghan. Great job.

Sabra finished this gorgeous mitered square vest out of several colors of K1C2's Paintbox. We're having a class to get y0u started on making your own.

Rachel has been diligently working on her Dr. Who scarf. How long is it going to be?

Lots of classes going on at Woolbearers. Thursday night we were excited to host Sharon Silverman, author of Tunisian Crochet, for a class on Tunisian Crochet. Here she is showing the class some of the projects from the book. It was a great class and everyone can't wait for the next one. Thank you for coming Sharon!

Our spinning classes have begun again with Barb Johns -- our spinning guru.

Ruby and Mary Lou are working on finishing their Wrap me up Shawls. Almost done!

Our Orenburg Lace Knitting class.

There are lots more classes coming up -- our "Bead up your Knitting" Class is Oct 10th --- there's some homework, so sign up now.. Here's a preview of some other classes.

Two more botanicas done -- I finished mine and Debra is wearing hers. It's just perfect.

Meghan is working on her Pi Shawl knit out of Mini Mochi. Love the colorway.

Brynn knit these socks out of Opal Hunderwasser. I just love the way they turned out.

Bonnies knit this scarf for the store. It's made out of Isager Alpaca 2 -- free pattern with yarn purchase.

Kris is showing off her Tunisian Crocheted scarf with beads made out of Blue Heron Rayon Metallic yarn. Gorgeous!

Ann took my beginner class last November and hasn't stopped knitting. Here is her Ulmus made out of Jojoland Superwash Melody.

Kathleen buys lots of yarn -- now she says that her son is competing with her to see whose stash is biggest. Here he is with his first hat project.

The Wrap Me Up Shawl is a project that is never ending. I've seen so many of them made -- each one looks unique. Here is Susan's. She has used Woolbearer's hand dyed yarns in this project. I was so tickled to see yarn that I dyed when we first opened the store! I had to get a shot of each of all the squares.

Louise is making another one -- this time she's using cottons.

Donna finished hers out of Plymouth Boku. Very striking colors.

NEW BEGINNINGS. I took my son to college for the first time -- my alma mater, so at least I had some familiarity. Here they are setting up for the parent orientation. Of course, he would not let me take a picture of him, like I had each and every first day of school since kindergarten. Time to let go.

It's almost fall and time for some sheep and wool festivals. Woolbearer's had a booth at the Garden State Sheep Breeder's 2009 festival. It was lots of fun, even though it rained all day Saturday -- all the fiber junkies were still there.

Joanna is showing off her lastest lace project out of Kauni. Will try for a better pix next time.

Louise and Donna love working on their Wrap me up Shawls made out of Boku. They like it so much that they bought cotton yarns to do another one. Donna bought Ty-Dy Cotton and Louise got lots of Woolbearers hand dyed Cotton worsted. Can't wait to see those!

Finished my shrug made out of Imperial Stock Ranch pencil roving. It knit up in no time. Pattern is by Leigh Radford.

Gwen is working on the Nordique Swing cardigan by Veronik Avery -- made out of her new yarn, appropriately named Nordique. Woolbearers will be getting the trunk show from her new book in February 2010.

Jojoland keeps pumping out these great patterns. Here is her latest -- Hidden Squares scarf. It uses 4 different superwash melody colorways -- isn't it beautiful? I made up some kits, so you don't have to hunt down all the colors.