The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Once again, join us for the Twelve (weekend) Days of Christmas! From now until the day Saint Nick dons his red scarf, Patricia's Yarns will be celebrating! Every Saturday and Sunday will be like receiving a new gift in your hand-knit stocking. One Saturday might bring a sale on your favorite yarn and the next might be that perfect project you've been hoping to make. Some days we might offer sweet treats and others offer a glass of bubbly. So join us for some holiday cheer!

To sign up for our Twelve (weekend) Days of Christmas, simply "like" us onFacebook and/or follow us on twitter. We will make announcements each weekend day. We can't promise you a Partridge in a pear tree, but we can promise you purls.

Riley is ready for the holidays (above, on a hand-knit blanket) - are you?  Happy Holidays!

Love,

Patricia

From One Generation to the Next...

If you are a regular reader to our blog, I do not have to tell you all of the wonderful reasons people knit.  What I do want to tell you is that our knitters are starting younger and younger every year and this year is no exception. Plain and simple, kids want to knit!  And we think it is great!   Not only does it teach kids how to create with their hands (a lost art in many respects) – it also has been proven to help with following directions, fine motor skills, and even mathematics.

Over the summer, we launched an initiative to sponsor Hoboken Elementary and Middle School educators who were interested in offering knitting clubs at their schools.  Many teachers took us up on the deal – which offered free knitting lessons to the educators themselves, and a sponsorship of supplies to the schools where they teach.  

Well, I am happy to report that there are many new local knitting clubs under-way!

Below are a few pictures from one such club – taken by Hoboken Charter School Educator Courtney Leahy.  Thanks for all of your hard work, Courtney.  Your students are doing great - and we are happy to see so many smiling faces!

If you're a local teacher and would like to get involved, please contact the shop for more details.  Happy Knitting!

Millamia

Millamia has been a shop staple for almost a year now. It is an extra fine merino wool that is machine washable. Many people love it for a variety of projects from fair isle sweaters to baby blankets. The blanket below was knit by Jackie for her newest niece and it is absolutely gorgeous. The stitch definition is wonderful. 

It makes great children's fall/winter accessories as there are so many options with their color palette.  

The pattern books that support the yarn have numerous wonderful designs that are sized generously - many from 3 months to 7 years. A useful range of sizes and the styles are timeless. 

The Uno Cowl is a wonderful knit accessory for a boy or a girl.  We have one on display at the shop and it is a beautiful knit and the color combinations are endless. It is a super soft yarn that is sure to please every child. 

The books have something for all levels and the yarn is fantastic to work with. Did I mention machine washable? Perfect for everyone.

Helping Hoboken

Help us help Hoboken!

Starting in December, Patricia's Yarns will be raffling off a blanket made by loyal shop customers to benefit the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.  What could be better than our shop's knitting community helping our Hoboken community?  Stop by Patricia's for details or to purchase your ticket (this blanket is gorgeous!). 

Also, thank you for all of your purchases during our Shop Patricia's Yarns Event benefiting the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club!  Once the sheep purchases are tallied (see below), we will be making a large donation soon!

To aid recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy, Patricia's Yarns will also be selling sheep - not real sheep, of course, but paper sheep.  Stop in the  shop and get a cute little sheep with your name on it.  Each sheep is $1 (special sheep will be selling for $5) and all proceeds will benefit the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club which suffered extensive damage from the storm.

For more information about the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club, please visit: http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/hoboken-boys-girls-club-ravaged-by-sandy

More ways to help:

The Rebuild Hoboken Fund: To donate to this charity founded in the wake of Hurricane Sandy by a group of local organization and charities in partnership with the City of Hoboken, please visit www.rebuildhoboken.org. Monetary donations are welcome; please do not donate supplies.

Heal Hoboken: Buy customized apparel from HealHoboken, an organization founded in the wake of Hurricane Sandy by the New Jersey Tech Meetup community. All proceeds go to the Rebuild Hoboken Relief Fund. Visit www.healhoboken.org for more information. 

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey: To donate to the Community Foodbank of NJ’s Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, please visithttp://www.njfoodbank.org/, call (908) 355-3663 ext. 243, or text FEEDNJ to 80888 to make a $10 donation. You may also drop off canned food and other non-perishables to the organization's location in Hillside. Visit the website for more details.

NY Sheep and Wool, 2012

We had an amazing time at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY!  On October 20th, twenty four of us boarded a chartered bus on a beautiful day.  The annual Rhinebeck trip was filled with good friends, good wines, and, of course, beautiful fibers.  I am posting a few of the photos I took on my phone, but I assure you, they do not do this trip justice - it was so fun!  If you missed this year's trip, be sure to sign up next year.  This is an annual Patricia's Yarns Event!