Happy New Year to all! For the first time ever Woolybutt has produced its own calendar so if you are in the area stop by and pick up one. The Zauberball ‘tree’ in the Shop window is featured. Many people have been enquiring about knitting and crchet classes in the two weeks since we’ve been open but only two people have actually put their names down for them. We will not be running the classes unless we have six people definitely starting as it doesn’t pay the teacher enough to teach less than that number!

The New Year has definitely started with a vengeance at Woolybutt. In a complete reversal Patons have gotten a number of their pattern books out early and they are in the Shop now. Too often in the past we’ve had the yarn arrive and then had to wait forever for the books. Also the size and cost of books have been reduced so it is worthwhile coming in and having a look. Zhivago is undergoing a revival and has a new book to prove it which features a very nice women’s jumper and some great slouchy berets and scarves. The earliest of the new seasons yarns wont start arriving until the latter part of this month and then the floodgates will open. We still have the hottest part of summer ahead of us so there is still time to knit up a cute sleeveless cool cotton top for those blistering days to come.

One of the Woolybutt team, Suzanne, will be missing over the next couple of weeks so Lana and I will be “holding the fort”. We wish her well and a speedy recovery!

Current projects: an Alpaca vest from Rare Yarns Alpaca for the Shop and finishing (at last) the Angora/Merino/ Silk jumper for my husband. I have to report that I did finish the green Sorrento jacket two weeks ago and I’m now waiting for a suitably hot day to wear it in the Shop!

Christmas is nearly here and we have been having fun decorating the shop. A lovely book from Panda yarns, Crafty Christmas arrived a few weeks ago which inspired all of us to go on a bit of a Christmas decoration “binge”. Panda have also brought out a new yarn for the holiday season called “Sparkles” which it does! It looks like tinsel but it is far softer and is actually really nice to knit/crochet with. The consequence is that the front windows of Woolybutt are decorated with snowflake garlands courtesy of Lana and Suzanne has contributed some gorgeous crocheted icicles and teapot cosies. I’m reponsible for the little Christmas tree which doesn’t require any knitting or crochet, just a ball of Sparkles, a styrene foam cone (yes we have them for sale) and some glue. This is a cute and fun project for the kids on a wet afternoon. Speaking of which, the other book (again Panda) that has appeared is Crafternoon. This book has 23 projects in it – knitting, felting, crochet and embroidery and the projects range across skill and age levels. A lovely book to give as a gift and a great solution for holiday boredom.

For many years Woolybutt has stocked a range of beautiful Alpaca yarns called Rare Yarns from New Zealand. Well Rare Yarns have truly outdone themselves in living up to their name with their latest product. They have designed a beautiful poncho pattern called “the Manta” which takes 5 balls of Alpaca Boucle and is trimmed with Tibetan Yak! The colours are lovely and the Yak is incredibly soft and luxurious. Unfortunately the Yak trim is in very short supply and I must confess to buying every bit they had as apparently the trim was “one off” and there is no more to be had. There are 5 Manta kits available plus the Sample product. The kits sell for $80.95 and the sample product for $170. It is worth visiting the Store just to see and feel the Yak! I’m seriously thinking of snaffling one of these for myself.

Current projects: this burst of hot weather has inspired me to haul those half-finished summer projects out from the Stash and see if I can finish at least one or two before the end of summer but such good intentions are getting sidetracked by Christmas decorations and Yak arrivals – sigh……

Have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year,

Lorraine

Only a few more weeks to Christmas and for those of you looking for gifts Woolybutt has a great selection of books and gifts for knitters, crocheters and textile enthusiasts. A shipment from Dublin arrived last week so lots of new bits and pieces. One of the big sellers is the Wacky Woollies PVC bags. These sturdy bags can hold all manner of things and are very well made as well as being bright and colourful, great for holding projects, shopping and I’ve been told they’re great beach bags! The tape yarn range continues to expand with some great holiday colours from Panda. For many of the Panda range you will need two balls whereas for CanCan and Katia yarns one ball is often sufficient to knit a scarf. If you really are having trouble getting the hang of knitting this yarn just pop into the shop and any of us will be happy to help! The scarves make pretty inexpensive gifts and for those of you who are knitting challenged there are a number of pre-knitted scarves available for sale.

We get a lot of requests at Woolybutt for “possum” wool from New Zealand. The processing costs for possum have been climbing steadily and even ‘though possums are a common pest in New Zealand the processing of the fur has become so expensive as to rocket the yarn into the super luxury category range. Woolybutt does carry yarn with possum blended with wool. It is called Waikiwi and is a 4ply. The addition of the possum fur makes any item knitted from this yarn warm and light and so this particular yarn is very popular for accessories such as socks, hats and gloves. We are trying to source thicker plys incorporating possum for next winter but the yarns currently available are just too expensive!

New colours of Rowan yarn and new books and magazines have recently arrived. The  ranges we currently carry are Cocoon, Felted Tweed, Lima and Kidsilk Aura. It may seem like winter is far away but now is the time to start planning a project for the colder months and the winter books from Rowan are a good starting place. The indications for next winter are that cables will continue to be very fashionable and muted jewel tones with earthy cred will be popular. For those of you who can’t wrap your minds around winter knitting Woolybutt has currently a huge range of summer yarn, lots of cottons, acrylics and silk.  Recycled cotton from Sirdar is one of the new summer ranges. The colours are lovely and it is one of the few summer yarns that knits as a 10ply (ideal for those cool summer days or to throw on over a t-shirt for a brisk walk along the beach when the wind is chilly). Being a 10ply it knits quickly as well so if you start now your garment should be ready for the summer holidays.

The Melbourne Cup is on this month and Woolybutt will be closed on Monday 5th and Tuesday the 6th of November. Things will be back to normal on Wednesday the 7th i.e. 10am until 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am until 1pm on Saturdays.

Current projects: A summer cardigan in emerald green Sorrento for me, yes I do treat myself occasionally!

Happy knitting

Lorraine

The first days of this month have helped remind us how summer feels and on that note Woolybutt is stocked to the gills with delicious new summer yarns. Naturally cottons are in the majority but there are also some lovely blends and the colours this year reflect the sherbet colours that are in the shops. Of course there are the more neutral, traditional colours as well. One exciting new arrival is Gemini. It is a cotton based tape yarn that can be knitted as a 10ply cotton. It is gloriously soft and comes in a wide variety of colours and is one of the few 10ply cottons on the market here in Australia. Talking of scarf yarns there are lots of new colours that have arrived and with Christmas not too far off now is the time to knit up some of these as gifts!

At Woolybutt we try our best to keep our prices low year ’round which is why we don’t have sales, in fact our prices are often what are listed as “specials” in other stores so check us out first before you plunge in buying at “end of season specials” and “closing down offers”. Don’t forget we also have a Bargain Room upstairs where discontinued lines go to live and prices are even lower. We also stock an extensive collection of  vintage patterns going back to the ’30’s and 40’s. They are not displayed in the front of the shop but inhabit the “nether” regions so if you have a hard to find pattern please give us a call, if we can’t help you we will find someone who can!

Happy knitting until next month

Lorraine

The last month of winter is here and spring and summer are fast approaching. It has been a fairly rigorous winter this year so I think many of us are looking forward to warmer days and lighter clothes! The new summer yarns and colours will start appearing in the next few weeks and the winter yarns will start their annual migration to the back of the store to be replaced with the summer cottons, bamboos and acrylics. There are a few new summer yarns but mostly there is an expansion of the colour range of true favourites like Heirloom Cotton, Sorrento and Baby Bamboo. The light bright tropical colours are going to be big over the warmer months and it will be nice to discard the blacks and greys of winter for some truly joyous hues. Two yarns are going on “Special” this coming week: Sublime Soy Cotton is marked down to $9.60 a ball and Heirloom Mohair Avignon is now $5.00 a ball (certainly worth stocking up for next winter)! Love them or loathe them scarves are still a big fashion item and the summer colours for the twirly tape yarns are now appearing. New colours of Sashay arrived last week including a glorious sunny yellow and the Katia Triana and Ondas will be in store in the next few weeks. They are incredibly easy to knit and we are happy to offer a short lesson in how-to knit them as long as the store isn’t too crowded. Instructions for most of the scarves can be found on Facebook but people often find it easier to see it in reality. They make great Christmas gifts!  Woolybutt now stocks both Addi and Knit Pro Knitting needles and crochet hooks as well as some of the kits (which do make lovely gifts).

Current Projects: nearing the end of the Cleckheaton Angora Silk cardigan and about half way through the Perfect Day jumper, then I’m planning something for me!

Happy Knitting until next month

Lorraine

Whew it’s been a cold start to the month and Woolybutt has been very busy. A big seller this winter has been Cleckheaton’s Perfect Day. Many people have knitted the lovely Boyfriend jumper which is knitted double in the Perfect Day yarn. For people who want to knit it as an ordinary 8ply there are some gorgeous pattern books around and the softness of this yarn makes it an absolute pleasure to knit. Another lovely yarn to debut this winter is again a Cleckheaton yarn, Merino Angora Silk and the name describes the contents. The pattern book that comes with it has been a best seller as it combines the Retro aesthetic with modern techniques to produce some really stunning garments.

A reminder that Woolybutt now stocks Knit Pro as well as Addi needles. The range is gradually expanding but we do now have the interchangeable Knit Pro needles for sale individualy as well as the kits. The Noro range has also been expanded to include the Noro Silk/Wool 8ply as well as the traditional sock yarns by them.

From now on whenever any Naturally/ Filatura de Crosa yarns are purchased a free pattern will come with the yarn. These patterns have been available to members on the website but permission has recently been given to offer them as part of  the yarn purchase.

One of Woolybutt’s customers ,Leonie, who is a keen sock knitter has found a great way to show off the gorgeous socks she knits – clear boots! I have often thought it a great pity that the gorgeous colour and patterns of so many sock wools are hidden by heavy dull shoes. These boots solve that problem! I dont have the Internet address but if you Google “Transparent boots” the Australian website should pop up.

Happy Knitting until next month and stay warm!

Current projects: A Perfect Day dark brown jumper for my husband and a Merino Angora Vintage blend cardigan for a friend, enough to keep me busy for a while yet…..

The third day of winter and it is now quite cold and the mist doesn’t seem to clear from the nearby hills at all. On these winter days I try to do outside chores through the middle of the day and then by mid afternoon when it starts getting colder I retire inside to a nice cuppa and a bit of knitting before dinner. The winter yarns are well and truly here and are better than ever. Lana knitted a gorgeous slouchy hat in Cleckheaton’s Merino/Silk and was wearing it yesterday in the shop because it was too cold (she said) to take off. It certainly is one of those yarns that feels much warmer than it’s thickness would allow and it is light too which is an added bonus.  Another yarn which has been a roaring success so far this season is Perfect Day also by Cleckheaton. There is a pattern available called “the Boyfriend” and it uses Perfect Day doubled so it is a quick knit despite it’s Aran-style pattern and this has been particularly popular. Despite it being knitted as a 16ply it is very light because of the Alpaca content of the yarn. There is a new pattern book coming soon for this yarn which will feature knits for the whole family.

There has been new shipments of  ribbon Scarf yarn arrive in the past week as well as more colours in the Noro Sock Wool and the Noro Silk Sock wool and some new books from Noro and Debbie Bliss. Our knitters are booked solid now until September although finishing of garments is still available for those people who hate knitting neckbands and sewing up. If you need help with a garment the best time to come in is during the week after 2pm as at the moment this seems to be the quietest time of the day. All those people who adore Knit Pro needles will be pleased to know that an extensive range of those needles is now available and last week a large quantity of Art Viva needles arrived so there are plenty of gorgeous needles to choose from. For those “hard to buy for” people Woolybutt has a Gift Card service and we are happy to send gift cards through the mail to people as well. If you live in the country or interstate we also offer a mail order service as long as the amount is over $10 so if you know what you want give the shop a call and we will post it out to you as quickly as possible.

Current Projects: a 12ply jumper for Granddaughter (pink of course), and a dark brown jumper in Perfect Day for Husband, I’ve been waiting on the Perfect Day Family Pattern Book but I’m about to give up and knit it in a Cleckheaton Merino Silk pattern instead, note to self: must check the tension to see if it’s the same before starting otherwise I’ll just have to wait – sigh…….

Happy Winter Kntting

Lorraine

It seems winter has arrived a month early, a switch was thrown yesterday and suddenly we’re plunged into cold temparatures and snow flurries on the nearby hills, ideal knitting weather! Woolybutt is currently drowning in tons of woolly stuff and Lana is doing her “Henny Penny” routine of  “Too much wool, where are we going to put it all, this is ridiculous” as she somehow magically finds room and puts box after box of it away. She still found time to make me out a list of “stuff we really need” at the end of the day! There is some seriously gorgeous yarns around this winter season so if you get the chance pop into the shop and have a look. Amongst the new arrivals this week was some fun scarf yarn from Panda. Pom Pom is a chenille yarn with furry pom poms scattered through it. It is a one off and I believe we can’t get anymore once this is gone but it is quite different. Other fun yarns are Ribbon and Coco. Ribbon is similar to Katia’s ribbon yarn but there are some really amazing colours in the Panda range and Coco is a nobbly, blobby yarn in various multi-colours to brighten up a dull winters day.

Don’t forget that classes are now in full swing at Woolybutt. There are no vacancies in Saturday’s class but we have vacancies in Tuesday’s class. Suzanne is now taking both classes as Christine decided to end her long association with Woolybutt due to health reasons. She contributed much and she will be sorely missed.

Currently there is a waiting list on knitted garments as all our knitters are fully booked for the foreseeable future. If you are a good, quick knitter and would like to earn a bit extra please contact the shop and have a chat.

On a knitting note, don’t be locked into knitting a garment specifically in the yarn specified. Always check the tension. These days each ball of wool will specify the tension it knits to on the ball band, you then compare that to the tension specified in the pattern. I recently knitted the cute Aran Tweed children’s dress in Filatura di Crosa’s Charli and it came out lovely. The major reason for changing yarns was that the Aran Tweed didn’t come in “purple” and a certain young lady wanted a purple dress. She was very pleased with the result. Another thing to watch is that scarf and blanket patterns often specify needles bigger than one normally uses to knit that ply yarn, for example an 8ply(dk) yarn using a 5mm needle. The reason for this is simple, a scarf or blanket needs to have some “movement” in it, it can’t be as dense as a garment and by knitting it on bigger needles you achieve greater suppleness. If you are using an American pattern they often specify length rather than number of balls of wool or alternatively they talk about skeins. Mercifully most now specify meters as well as yards and from there it is easy to work out how many 5og balls of wool you will need as all balls have their meterage on them ( I always knew Maths would come in handy eventually)!

Current projects: a large drape in Inca from last month’s Better Homes and Gardens supplement (for a customer) and a funky Pom Pom scarf for myself which is a really quick knit.

Happy Knitting

Lorraine

The last of the winter yarns have now arrived and the shop is full to overflowing with lots of lovely things to knit and crochet. We’ve had to redo the layout in the shop a little to squeeze everything in but please ask if you can’t find something. Two of the new yarns that are very popular already are the Freedom Spirit Chunky and the new Drift from Naturally. The Freedom Chunky knits to a 12/14 ply and comes in the beautiful colours of the Freedom Spirit Dk. It is also a slightly felted yarn with the slubby stripes that has made Freedom Dk so popular. Drift is a 10ply in a subdued tweedy colour range, quite different from other 10plys currently available. It reminds me of cool overcast wintry days, the type of garment to snuggle into and go for an amble down a country lane…..

Baby yarns, as ever are very popular but something that is worth considering knitting (or crocheting) is a Baby Cocoon. Rather than a blanket these little capsules keep baby snuggly warm without ends coming loose and flapping in the breeze. They are literally made in the shape of a cocoon and can be made with a hood or without. The one’s without the hood usually come with a pattern for a matching hat. There are some booklets with multiple patterns available plus single patterns in other baby books and they certainly make a change from the traditional blankets and shawls. Until last week we had one in the shop for sale made in 4ply Bamboo which is ideal for summer but now with the colder weather fast approaching wool would be a better option.

At Woolybutt we not only have traditional knittng and crochet patterns but a very large range of knitting and crochet books for sale from all over the world.  A new and interesting arrival on the book scene is Toni Carr who has done some really cute books – we stock two of hers: Knitting for Nerds (for Sci Fi enthusiasts and Gamers) and Knockdown Knits. As the mother of a Roller Derby competitor this last book is particularly appealing. I especially like the Packet of Peas (a knitted holder for frozen packets of peas). As any of us know who has ministered frozen packets of peas to various bruises throughout the years frostbite can be a bit of a hazard – this cute little holder takes away all the pain! There are of course lots of other great patterns in this book as well.

Just a reminder that Woolybutt has both Knitting and Crochet classes. They run on Saturday and Tuesday mornings from 10.30am until 12.30 and all skill levels are welcome. We keep the class sizes small so that individuals are catered for so if you haven’t crocheted/knitted for years and want to brush up your skills or if you are a beginner give the shop a call and book in!

Current projects: another 10ply Aran tunic dress for granddaughter as she grew out of the last one and loved it to bits so another one has been ordered. This time I’m experimenting by knitting it in Charly by Filatura di Crosa rather than the Aran Tweed. There are two reasons for this: she wanted it in “purple” and Aran Tweed doesn’t come in purple and Charly has the added bonus in that it is machine washable. I’m also trying to complete an afghan rug which I’ve been cobbling together from the “stash” and which will go to the local Aged Care home when it is finished to brighten up someone’s bed.

Happy Knitting

Lorraine

Autumn has arrived  and new colours and yarns are arriving at Woolybutt almost daily.

This coming season sees a consolidation of yarns that were introduced last year rather than completely different yarns as such. Patons has increased the colour choices for both Bluebell and Totem. Totem has a new range of “marle” wools which look good as whole garments or just knitted as a feature into plain garments. Similarly their popular baby range Dreamtime has new colours which move well away from the traditional baby colours. Heirloom has introduced a Baby 8ply which has the same softness and quality as their famous Baby 4ply but takes advantage of all the great 8ply baby patterns that are now available.

There is some confusion about the term Dk. Dk is “double knitting”. For years the standard yarn was 4ply so Dk or “double knitting” was double 4ply i.e 8ply. Whenever you are in doubt always check the ball band for the size needles required and this will indicate the ply of the yarn i.e. 4mm (old size 8) is always Dk or 8ply yarn. Many English Dk’s feel a lot thinner than Totem for example and they have a lot more meterage on the ball, this is because they are Acrylic or a blend of yarns. Some people knit them quite happily on 4mm needles although I find with some that I need to drop down one size to a 3.75mm needle to get the correct tension.

Just to confuse the issue many laceweight (1 and 2 ply) yarns specify large needles (4.5mm/5mm). This is because a light airy effect is needed not a solid material that suits a garment!

Occasionally items arrive at Woolybutt that prove to be very popular. One of these is the Embellisher. This is a modern version of  the old “Knitting Nancye”. You thread your yarn around the top then use the handle on the side to “knit” for you. A knitted I-cord is made in minutes! I have used it for 8plys but customers tell me they have used other plys on it with great success. We are currently out of stock of these but will have more by mid-March. Another item that is proving popular is fur lined leather soles for sock tops. They come in a kit form and include a pattern for either knitted or crocheted “tops” ( you supply your own yarn). I recently completed a pair in Sirdar’s Crofter which gave them a lovely Fairisle look. They are currently featured in Yarn magazine in their “Yarn Related Yummies” on page 50.

Current projects: a mid-green cardigan for granddaughter Zoe in Zara 8ply (a beautiful knitting yarn). It is to have “frog” buttons as it is going to be her “froggy” cardigan! Also two tape yarn scarves, one in bright multi-coloured Can Can for a customer and the other in delicious Park Avenue (the only tape yarn with kid mohair), for the shop.

Happy Knitting until next month,

Lorraine