Happy Holidays from JST

There are so many more things I would like to get into this newsletter but Charlotte is going on holidays in about 2 hours.  Can you believe that!  Without Charlotte none of this computer stuff would ever happen, so I would like to publicly thank Charlotte for being at the keyboard, multitasking, staying late and coming in early and so much more.  I would also like to thank Susan Brown who has been by my side in this business for over 20 years offering her sage counsel, Cheryl Wiebe our multi-talented dyer, spinning teacher and sample card maker, Sandra Crompton who brilliantly manages Jane’s Helpline and Ravelry, Scott Kavanaugh who gives us endless tech support with a smile and last but certainly not least Rosemary Harbrecht who has made our retreats this year just so much better with her wonderful culinary creations.

I would also like to thank all of you who read The Old Ladies with String Digest from top to bottom.  We are honoured that you choose to support us and we look forward to helping you all in the coming year. Wishing you PEACE, HAPPINESS and the Strength to deal with what ever life tosses your way.

Happy Holidays,

Jane

Please Note:  the studio will be closed after Friday December 21 and will reopen Wednesday January 2, 2013!

The Countdown Begins

There is still over a week left to participate in our Win An Awesome Christmas Present Contest.  All you have to do is a make a purchase between now and December 21 and your name will be entered in our draw for a $500 Gift Certificate to JST!  AND, we’ve decided to add a 2nd prize ~ a two day workshop including farmstay.  The winner of this prize gets to attend Cheryl Huseby Weibe’s Know Your Fibre, Know Your Wheel slated for January 27 & 27th, 2013.

Thoughts on Good Selvedges

There are many different ways to handle your selvedges.  We employ special threadings, floating selvedges, denser edges,  all in an attempt to get that perfect straight edge.   You can use regular shuttles, open bottom shuttles, end feed shuttles or temples to aid you in your journey.   I have trained a lot of weavers over the years and I have come to feel that some of the thoughts below are quite important so I’m sharing them with you.  To read the full article click HERE.

Deluxe Weaver’s Holidays

We’ve had such an overwhelming response to our Deluxe Weaver’s Retreats that we’ve decided to add another one.  It will run Sept. 30 – Oct. 5  2013 and is already half full from our wait lists!  If you’d like the opportunity to spend a week weaving  beautiful projects and cooking delicious food, give us a call soon!

Win Yourself an Awesome Christmas Present.

I mean, totally awesome!  For every purchase you make in the month of November and until December 21 when we close for the year, we will put your name in a box to win a $500 gift certificate at JST.  We will draw the name on Friday December 21 at 4pm.  For all our customers who have already made purchases in November, be assured we have put your name in the box.  Every single one of ya!

Finishing Up 2012

Thank you for a wonderful year of workshops.  Here is our last class for 2012 – Pushing the Boundaries of Plainweave.  Thank you so much to all of the amazing weavers who have joined us for a fabulous year of learning, laughter, delectable food, great friendships and so much fun.   We just can’t thank you enough for being part of our lives.

What’s Cookin’

It really has been a special year.  Adding Rosemary to our retreat team has certainly been one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made.  She delights in the garden and she brings everything that is fresh and so alive to the table. Rosemary has gone off to Italy to hunt down more wonderful recipes for our 2013 retreats but just to keep us happy she left you all her Chard Gratin recipe ~ perfect for this time of year, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

Weaving Workshops for 2013

We still have a few spots available in our Twills on Four workshops running April 8-12 and April 29 – May 3 and two spots left in our June 3-7 Lacey Places workshop.

If you were disappointed to see the retreats fill so quickly, we encourage you to sign up for the wait list.  Every workshop seems to get a few cancellations so it never hurts to be on the list.  You never know, if we have enough people on the list, we might add another workshop.

Spinning and Basketry Workshops for 2013

Farmstay is available for up to five people during our January spinning and basketry workshops, so grab a friend and come for a wonderful creative weekend filled with great food & great people.

Cheryl Huseby Wiebe, our favourite spinning teacher is offering her fun and fascinating workshop Know Your Fibre, Know Your Wheel on January 26 & 27 (Sat & Sun).

A great course for spinners who want to take an in depth look at all the functions and options of their spinning wheel and then try a vast array of fibres discussing and trying the best settings for each one.  Last year we had many spinners who had been working their wheels for years that left feeling like they’d finally got a handle on their equipment and how to use it.

Joan Carrigan will be teaching Wicker with Nature’s Bounty this winter on January 19 & 20 (Sat & Sun).  Last year we had such an excellent time and the baskets that everyone produced in just two days under her expert direction were so impressive, we had to bring her back.  She is an incredible teacher!

Fibre

Our Louet fibre collection continues to grow.  We are lucky to be able to choose from one of the largest selections of natural fibers for handspinning and felting available. Over 150 different types and colors ranging from exotic fibers such as Cashmere and Yak to Wool, Silk and Vegetable fiber. We are always looking for new fibers that will be of interest to the Spinning market.

We strive to maintain the highest and most consistent quality of each type of fiber.

Coming in the New Year

Over the years we have had many requests for our Henry’s Attic yarn collection to be available in colours.  We have taken the leap and employed Cheryl Huseby Wiebe to create a small line of colours that you will be able to special order in our Henry’s Attic protein based yarns. Cheryl brought some of the samples over yesterday and we thought we’d give you a sneak preview.  We expect to have them available by special order in 30 colours by January 1st.  Once we get the proteins up and running, we’ll start working on the cellulose.

Don’t forget about our Group Discounts

If you’re a member of a guild, have a group of weaver friends or are just a prolific weaver yourself, remember our discount policy on yarn orders.  If you purchase $300 or more of yarn we will take 10% off your total before taxes.  If you buy $500 or more of yarn we’ll take off 10% and pay for your shipping costs.