Millicent’s News

May 2006

 

Millicent’s Yarns & More

27 N. Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502

Shop Hours:  Tues – Sat, 10 –5,
Wed open late until 7

 

May is a month for flowers and gardening, babies, weddings, and The Maryland Sheep and Wool Show, not necessarily in that order.  So Millicent’s schedule for May will be unusual.  Please note the following:

Millicent’s will be closed from Tuesday, May 2 through May 10.

Mel will be taking classes on the Wednesday and Thursday before the Maryland Sheep and Wool Show opens on the weekend of May 6 and 7.  Hurrah!  Expect classes on Fair Isle Knitting this fall!  Then off to see the new grand-baby to be delivered by our daughter in Richmond in mid-April!  Hurrah again!  Then our weaving workshop will fill the shop on May 9 and 10.  See below!  We will reopen for business on Thursday, May 11.

 

THREE GREAT MAY WORKSHOPS

AT MILLICENT’S

 

WORKSHOP in TRIANGULAR LOOM WEAVING, May 9 & 10

A great opportunity has come to us.  Those of you who go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Show have probably seen the large display of triangular looms of all sizes up on the hill near the classroom building.  They are manufactured by Carol Leigh and her husband who travel to Maryland from Missouri.  At her shop – Hillcreek Fiber Studio -- Carol gives workshops and classes that explore the many possibilities for working with a triangular loom. I recently lamented to her how far away she was from us and how inaccessible her classes were.  And then, bingo! we both realized that she would be in our area in early May!

 

Carol Leigh has agreed to come to Cumberland to offer a two-day triangular loom workshop.   While the workshop is open for beginners, Carol will be taking us far from the “potholder loom” mentality and encourage us to explore various weaves, lace work, and color combinations as advanced techniques, thus making this workshop of interest to experienced triangular loom weavers as well.  Carol will bring a seven-foot loom for each of us to use during the workshop and will work us hard.  We will be at it from 9 AM to 7 PM on Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10.  The two-day workshop fee is $100.  You will need to purchase your yarn for your weaving, and I ask that folk pitch in with snacks etc for the group.   All participants will be responsible for their own lunches and dinners.   I can make arrangements at a local bed-and-breakfast for out-of-towners.   For more information and to register, call us at 301-722-8100.

 

We have only 4 more spots available in this class.  Please put your name in soon if you are interested.

 

EMBROIDERY WORKSHOPS – monthly from May through December

Karen Philips-Shwallon from Pennsylvania is a master of award-winning needlework.  She has offered several one day workshops at Millicent’s and now wants to make herself available for a long-term project  that she calls “You Have My Heart.” 

 

Karen has designed a large heart-shaped sampler for this nine-month series of workshops.  Students will learn new stitches each month, embroider them on their sampler between workshops, and then return to share their work and learn more!  While students are encouraged to attend on a monthly basis, Karen is happy to include any of you whose schedules make regular attendance more difficult.  The workshops will take place one Friday of each month, beginning May 19, from 10 am to 3 pm with a lunch break.  Fees are $30 per session.

The full schedule of dates are May 19, June 23, July 21, August 25, September 22, October 27, November 17 and December 15, just in time for a finished product for the holidays!

 

Want to see some of Karen’s work?  We have a beautiful sampler of hers hanging at the shop.  It is truly extraordinary – filled with simple lines of basic stitches as well as some of the most beautiful complex embroidery I’ve ever seen.  Come on in to take a careful look.  You’ll want to learn to do this too!

 

WEAVING ON A RIGID HEDDLE LOOM – intro and project

Love yarn?  Can’t help yourself when you see something new and exciting?  Just have to take it home with you?  Frustrated with knitting or crocheting?  Then your path may be as a weaver.  But, you say, that means investing in hugh expensive equipment and hours and hours of prep-work.  Not so!  Weaving on small table-top Rigid Heddle Looms can satisfy your needs for touching and working with beautiful yarns economically, and without having to pick up knitting needles at all!

 

Shirley Carnahan, resident weaver and maker of dolls with stuffed with humor, wants to help wannabee weavers become the real McCoy.   Her first round of weaving classes were a hit, and we look to helping more regional weavers develop their skills.

 

Shirley’s May Introduction to Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom will take place on Saturday, May 13 and 20 from 10 am to 3 pm with a lunch break.  Students will learn to warp the loom (ie get the loom set up so you can actually sit down to weave) and complete a basic weaving sampler exploring color, pattern, lace, and finishing work.  This 8 hour workshop fee is $80. 

 

The introductory classes will be followed by a project class on May 27, from 10 am to 3 pm.  Students will again warp their looms and create table runners of their own designs.  This 4-hour workshop fee is $40.

 

Rigid Heddle Looms in 16” and 24” widths are available for use during classes.  Students may rent looms on a weekly basis for $20 per week.  Millicent’s also offers a rent-to-purchase program on the looms:  all rental fees apply to the final purchase price of the loom if the student opts to buy at the end of the classes.

 

Please note:  May knitting and crochet classes will be by appointment only.

 

And now for a little aside:  If you’re ever in a yarn store full of knitters and decide (for reasons I can’t imagine) you’d like to start the knitting-shop equivalent of a bar fight, take a deep breath and make the following statement:  “Straight [or circular] knitting needles are stupid.”  Then stand back and watch the wool fly.  (From Knitting Rules! By Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

 

Call for Chemo Caps

We have a new challenge.  In the six months since Katrina, one Mississippi hospital has been able to open its department for cancer patients, and an  Oncology Center independent of any hospital has been able to re-open its doors.  The need for chemo caps is urgent.  I will have free chemo cap patterns at the shop for use with Chinchilla yarn.  I also have other chemo cap patterns or you can go on the net to search for chemo cap patterns.  Please use an especially soft yarn, like Chinchilla.   And here’s my challenge to you:  I have perhaps 80 to 100 balls of Chinchilla in the shop.  Let’s see if we can use them all for Chemo Caps for Mississippi.  Moreover, for every cap you knit and return to the shop, I’ll give you a 30% discount on your next ball of Chinchilla.

 

 

Join Our Knitting Community! 

Kids Knit takes place at Millicent’s on Tuesdays after school.  We have knitters ranging in age from 6 to 16.  This is instructional time – fees are $5.00 per hour.  Many Moms are learning to knit with us at the same time.

Knit-ins for adults are every Wednesday are from 12 noon to 2:00 and every Friday from 1:00 to 3:00.  Fee: $2.00

Hook-Ups with a crochet focus are on Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5:30.  Fee: $2.00

Knitter’s Night Out (otherwise known as Knitter’s Therapy Night) 5:00 to 7:00 on Wednesday evenings. $2.00

 

 

Happy Knitting and Crocheting

and Tatting and Weaving and Spinning

and Embroidery

from

Millicent’s Yarns & More!

 

 

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Millicent's Knits and Yarns • 49 North Centre Street • Cumberland, Maryland 21502
phone 301-722-8100 • mel@millicentsyarns.com