The Adventures of Woolgirl and Abby

Dream in Colorvision

We're having another Dream in Color update this Sunday - this time it's all laceweight baby! :) So stop on by to get your laceweight fill. We'll have lots of colors available, thus the "Dream in Colorvision" we're experiencing around here these days. I just can't seem to get enough!

We also have a few other yarns which are making their debut - some new Farmhouse Yarn colorways, some Madelinetosh colorways that you will only see here at Woolgirl and which will be available in very limited quantities, more colorways and weights from The Unique Sheep (along with patterns from The Unique Sheep), and did I mention that we received a few new semi-solid Yarn Love colorways? Check these out...

Blackberry

Blueberry

Cucumber

The gals at Yarn Love are color geniuses, aren't they?

And some exciting news...Union Center Knits will be coming back to Woolgirl, and we're so excited about this! For those of you who have knit with Union Center Knits yarn in the past, you can understand why we're so excited. For those of you who haven't knit with Union Center Knits previously, you need to get some! Joni's yarn is so soft and luscious - with a wonderful selection of colors. And these colors are usually one-time only colors. If we receive our package of Union Center Knits in tomorrow, it will be included in the shop update this Sunday - if not, then it will be in next week's update. Either way, be sure to check it out when it comes in.

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the Peeps Easter contest this week! WOW! I just love reading your comments, and there were some excellent guesses, but for inquiring minds that want to know, basic sugar molecules are ring shaped. Yep, it's true!

Out of all of the correct answers, we randomly chose a winner, and that winner is Jill! Congrats Jill! I will be sending you a package sometime in the next week and have contacted you via email. :)

Hope you each have a wonderful weekend!

Peeps

Peeps
noun. 

1. A short, soft, high-pitched sound or utterance, like that of a baby bird.
2. A slight sound or utterance: I don't want to hear a peep out of you.
3. Any of various small North American sandpipers. (huh?)
4. Alteration of people. I'm so happy you are all my peeps!
5. A sweet, delectable, highly intoxicating candy created from pure sugar. My favorite!

I guess you mix #1 and #5 to get "Peeps" candy, right? And with only 32 calories and ZERO fat for each, what a delectable treat they are!

 

Just mention the word "Peeps" and Easter candy comes to mind, doesn't it? Of course, Just Born is in the market of producing sugar candied "Peeps" for all occasions now...Valentine's Day, Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July...they even have their own fan club! Yes, you too can now sign up for the Peeps Fan Club! Did you know that? Well, now you do!

Peeps now come in all sorts of flavors and colors, and in fact, take up a giant section of the candy isle at the grocery store now. When did Peeps become so popular? Well, as it turns out, Peeps were born over 50 years ago, and have been popular ever since. In fact, they've been the most popular candy (other than chocolate candy) at Easter for the last 10 years! Where have I been?

The Peeps website lists some fun facts about Peeps, including the fact that loyal Peeps fans love their Peeps fresh, frozen, stale, and even on pizza. Yuck! (I need to try that frozen option, though, as that may not be half bad). I admit that Peeps are equally as good stale as fresh - why do you think that is? Since when do we like something stale? Some people even like them at least 6 months stale!

Peeps apparently are great for all sorts of things, including covering your office. What's that you say? Well, check out this poor guy's office - he was unfortunate to have his co-workers cover his entire office with Peeps for his Birthday.

They covered the desk...

The windows...

 

And even the ceiling!

Poor guy! I can't imagine the cleanup on that one!

And apparently, much to my dismay, there are people who regularly cook with Peeps. A note: Please proceed with caution while looking at this next photo.

Peeps and green peppers? That's just WRONG!

Now, decorating with Peeps for Easter? I can do that...

Using Peeps for an edible necklace? Sure, I could do that too...

Yep, Peeps seem to be good for just about anything these days, don't they! :)

So, what are Peeps made out of anyway? Well, let's just say that the main ingredient is sugar - yep, good old fashioned sugar. And so, we thought it only fitting to base this week's contest question on sugar. You all know how much I LOVE sugar. :) And all the science buffs will really love this question...

What shapes are the basic structure of sugar molecules?

A. Squares

B. Triangles

C. Helixes

D. Rings

Get this question correct, and you could win a fun package with, you guessed it, lots of Peeps! But not only that, you'll win some gorgeous Peep colored sock yarn (could it be yellow, pink, blue, green???? A mix of all of these????), and some other fun Peep related things I've picked up along the way.

A random winner will be chosen out of all of the correct answers, and will be announced on the blog this Friday.

Best of luck, and Happy Wednesday!

Abby gets a haircut and info about Hello Kitty

Abby got a haircut this weekend, and this was the best shot I could get of her. She knows the camera all too well and turns her head each time I aim it even remotely in her direction. So, this is Abby from the side - with a new haircut. :) Doesn't she look so cute? I think a new haircut always makes her look so much younger, and thinner. Now if only I could get a haircut to make me look thinner. :)

On Wednesday of this week I am opening the sign-ups for the Hello Kitty Sock Kits, which I promised some of you we would definitely put together. So, here are the details:

• There are only 35 spots available - that's it, so once these are filled, they are filled.
• The yarn is White Oak Studio. You know it's going to be gorgeous. :)
• The kits will include the yarn (in your choice of fingering or sport weight), a simple stitch pattern, a stitch marker, and lots of fun Hello Kitty extras.
• The cost for each kit is $50 and this includes shipping.
• Payments will be due in early April.
• Kits will ship out in late April.
• On Wednesday you can email me with your request for a spot and spaces will be filled on a first come/first serve basis.

Also on Wednesday of this week we are holding our 2nd Easter contest. Hope to see you then!

Happy Monday!

Have you ever?

Have you ever dreamed of Chocolate Kisses









Sunstones....

and Peanut Butter and Jam sandwhiches?

All while traveling with your honey to Colorado Springs...

Have you ever dreamed of afternoons filled with Black Eyed Susans...

Mystic Purple moments...

and magical Froggy Feet?

Explore your dreams by visiting Unique Sheep yarns in the shop today! We have lots and lots of new colorways in availble in Verve fingering weight sock yarn, Leili fingering weight sock yarn, and Footprints sport weight sock yarn.

In addition, we've updated Yarn Love this morning, so be sure to check out some of the gorgeous colorways we have available,  including Plum Cake...

Bayfield Apple...

and  a variety of others!

Due to the shop update we are having today, the shop update this Sunday will be much smaller and will include Farmhouse Yarns and accessories.

The winner of the Easter contest this week is Glyn! Congrats Glyn! I will be in contact with you via email regarding your winning loot from the shop!

And stay tuned for more information about the Hello Kitty Sock Kit we will be introducing next week!

Happy Weekend!

Meet Umoja + Do I Hear talk of an Easter Contest?

Meet Umoja! Umoja is blue and orange and

purple and turquoise and

completely and utterly gorgeous!

Isn't she? Don't forget to order your Umoja colorway today. So far you have all raised over $800 for the Umoja Usao Women’s Group in Kenya!

We are certain they are very thankful for your support.

And a big THANK YOU to our wonderful test knitter Trish for knitting these gorgeous Umoja socks. Thank you Trish!

A SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT: Breaking news! We will be holding a last minute shop update this Friday, which will include lots and lots of new Unique Sheep colorways, Farmhouse Yarns, and Yarn Love. I'll provide a sneak peak on the blog tomorrow.

And we just wouldn't be Woolgirl if we didn't hold an Easter contest, right? I just love showing appreciation for you all, our customers, and this is a fun way to be able to do that! So, starting today and every Wednesday for the next 4 weeks, we will have a series of contests which will follow along with the Easter theme. Up for an Easter Egg hunt anyone? And as you know, with our contests there are always fun yarny prizes and almost always include other little goodies, and this time it's no exception!

So, let's get started, shall we?

Everybody knows Peter Cottontail, right? And as the story goes," Here comes Peter Cottontail, Hoppin' down the bunny trail, Hippity Hoppity, Easter's on its way."

"Brigin' ev'ry girl and boy, a basket full of Easter joy, things to make your Easter, bright and gay."

"He's got _________ for Tommy and _______ for sister Sue."

Can you fill in the blanks? 

If you can, leave us a comment here and on Friday of this week we'll choose a random winner out of the correct answers. The winner of this week's contest gets their pick of a skein of sock yarn from the shop, as well as some Easter chocolates sure to make your sweet tooth hoppy (er, happy). :) 

Best of luck and Happy Wednesday!

Winners + Shop News

Today we have several winners to announce!

First off, the winner of the Valentine's Day Contest this week is Martha from DC! Congratulations Martha! I have sent you an email regarding your winnings!

Thanks to everyone for entering and for leaving such fun comments! I love reading these each week! I hope you each had a fantastic Valentine's Day yesterday!

Secondly, I would like to announce our "Fall" sock contest winners. Yes, I know, it's a bit late, as we're full on into "Winter"; however, I had a very difficult time choosing and ended up choosing 2 winners based on pure randomosity. Not a word, I know, but the best way to describe how I ended up choosing the winners. :) All of the sock photos were lovely - just gorgeous! So, if you didn't win, please note that it's not because you didn't knit a pair of lovely socks! We just had lots of entries and ended up picking the 2 winners randomly out of all of those entries.

A reminder...each winner receives a fun gift basket from Woolgirl!

Winner #1 - Terri

Winner #2 - Shannan

Congrats to each of you and thanks for entering!


Some shop news worth noting...

We will have a shop update this Sunday, which will include the following...

Sheepaints in lots of new colorways (including Frosty, Starry Night, Fairy Feet, Wizard Cookies, Kitty Spell, Ginger Cookies, Mistique, and much more!)

Chameleon Colorworks in Footsie Sock Yarn (75% Superwash Wool/25% Nylon) and Bambino (30% Bamboo/60% Merino/10% Nylon). With colorways like Purple Rain and Sea Monster it's hard to resist!

Cherry Blossom Fibers in fingering and sport weight...
(shown in my favorite colorway called "In the Woods")

Yarn Love. We are supposed to be receiving our Yarn Love order in today, so if we do, it will be included in the shop update this Sunday. If we don't, it will be included in the shop update next weekend. Just some teasers though...

Bayfield Apple

Cantaloupe

Turtle

And we will also be including in this shop update more Knit Klips, Biggs & Featherbelle soaps and body butters, and some new sock project bags!

Hope to see you Sunday!

Marriage Proposals - the final Valentine's Day Contest

What makes marriage proposals seem so romantic on Valentine's Day? I mean, we've already seen one on this blog this week (ha!) and if I had to guess, I would bet money that the majority of marriage proposals happen on Valentine's Day each year. Or do they?

What do you think? Do most marriage proposals happen in the month of February - or more specifically, on Valentine's Day? Or is some other month considered a more "romantic" time of year?

Out of all of the correct guesses, we will randomly choose a winner and announce the winner this Friday on the blog. What does the winner win, you ask?

A cute heart accessory bag, with one of my favorite Zen String colors in Lotus Toes sock yarn.


 








Oh, and did I mention one of these would be included?











This is a GIANT Reese's Peanut Butter Heart. Bigger than the king-sized ones I've found - about 4 times that big. Big enough to almost put you into a chocolate and peanut butter coma my friends. Pure heaven!

Best of luck to each of you and Happy Valentine's Day!

The Marriage of Damask Rose & Cuarzo

You are invited to witness the joining of two soulmates...

Damask Rose Malabrigo Lace Weight

and

Cuarzo Malabrigo Lace Weight

Took their hand in marriage this weekend and made something beautiful together...

Isn't love grand?

Malabrigo Weekend + A Question

It's a Malabrigo weekend here at Woolgirl, along with lots of additional new yarns, so be sure to visit us this Sunday in the shop!

Some of what we will be posting...

Malabrigo lace weight, of course! We have 33 colorways being added! Not sure I can handle all of this color in one place (but I'll try my hardest.) :)

Blue Ridge Yarns. If you haven't tried Blue Ridge Yarns, now is your chance! Brilliant colorways in both fingering and sport weight yarn. Some of my favorites include...

Mountain Mist, Sunset, Evening Jewel and Mangoe Blue

Whimzy Pinzy Valentine colorways. I must warn you, there is only one skein of each of these Valentine colorways - that's it! So, get 'em while you can! Some are in fingering, some are in sport/DK.

Whimzy Pinzy new colorways and Tender Toes. Gorgeous new colorways from Whimzy Pinzy, and fun Tender Toes for those infant socks or for use as toes/heels on your socks.

More Pigeon Roof Studios in both fingering, sport weight, and Kalypso sock yarn.

Miss Babs. We have more Miss Babs in the house. I know I can't resist these color combinations she keeps tempting us with...

Curious Creek Fraternal Twin Socklet kits are back!

Except now we have them available in some new colors (as well as the original colorways). Maybe you'd like to try this color combo...

or possibly this one?

There will be a variety to peak your curiosity! :)

Oh, and Turquoise and Olivia will be here from Madtosh. These are 2 of her new creations and we have welcomed them into Woolgirl with open arms...

We are also adding lots of little knitting accessories this weekend, including Eucalan wool wash in a variety of scents, along with needle knitting tubes, needle gauges, Kritter cases, and much more!

A couple of announcements:

Thank you to everyone who entered our Valentine contest this week! The winning answer was the Aster - even though there are lots and lots of flowers which carry the "love" symbol, the Aster is considered the true "symbol of love" and is the photo I had shown on the blog. Pam is the winner of this week's contest! Pam, I have emailed you, so you will know if you are the winner if you've received an email from me! Congrats! 
Be sure to check out our final Valentine's Day contest next week...it'll be a doozy!

Today is also the last day to sign up for the Seven Deadly Spins knitting club! Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to try out some new yarns and patterns! Email me at jennifer@woolgirl.com if you are interested!

And to finalize, I have a question for you all. I am a huge fan of "Hello Kitty" and  have been thinking "wouldn't it be fun to put together a "Hello Kitty" sock kit for those of you who are fans of "Hello Kitty" also?" Maybe there are not that many fans out there and I am the only one? Well, let me know! If you might be interested in a Hello Kitty theme, either leave a comment here or drop me an email at jennifer@woolgirl.com. We would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Friday and we hope to see you Sunday!

Roses are red, violets are blue...

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you!

Yes, it's true, the red rose is the ultimate symbol of romantic love. You know, the dreamy, gooshy, "just can't stand to be away from one another" sort of love. If you want to profess your undying love to your sweetheart, red roses are probably your best bet. Violets too are a good Valentine's Day choice - representing "faithfulness". But what about the other colors of roses? Can you say "I love you" just as well with, say, a white, pink or yellow rose?

Well, as it turns out, it's best to stick with red roses if love is first and foremost on your mind. Yellow roses signify friendship, while dark pink roses express gratitude. White roses are a sign of purity and reverence.

But roses and violets aren't the only flowers which represent love. The forget-me-not flower means true love and good memories.

The daisy signifies loyal love and innocence.

The agapanthis means "secret love".

 

But there is one other flower besides the red rose which is considered an actual "symbol of love". Do you know which flower it is?

Guess correctly and you could win a gorgeous bouquet of yarn from Woolgirl, along with a gigantic chocolate peanut butter heart - 3 times as big as the king sized version, courtesy of Reese's. The winner will be announced this Friday. We will also be introducing a new yarn to the shop this weekend, so watch for updates on that as well this Friday.

Happy Wednesday and happy guessing!