Felt Balls Holiday Garland

MySparkle has a great tutorial for making a garland out of felted balls.



Festive AND funky!  Picture courtesy of MySparkle.


What a bright, fun decoration!  You could totally pick and choose your colors to match your home decor or holiday theme.

FREE! Pendleton Tree Poncho Pattern

We are pleased to offer you a totally FREE pattern for a beautiful Pendleton Tree Poncho designed by Michelle from Design Camp PDX.



Isn't it awesome?


You can pick up a copy of the pattern in person at the Woolen Mill Store, or visit Design Camp to download the pattern in PDF form.  Pick out a yard of your favorite fabric, five yards of wool felt binding, and four snazzy buttons and you're ready to go!

Sir Wooliam Gets Herded

If you've been to the Woolen Mill Store, you've probably met our cuddly, friendly mascot at the front door, Sir Wooliam!


Check out the very satisfied expression on Roo!


Sir Wooliam got the sheepdog treatment recently when Roo hopped up onto his back for a ride.  This is apparently common behavior for sheep herding dogs -- if the flock is huddled too closely for the dog to get through, the dog can just hop up onto the backs of the sheep and take the high road!

Great Gift Ideas Under $100

Tis the season for giving... and the Woolen Mill Store is chock full of inspiration.  We put together a list of gift ideas under $100 to help you start your holiday shopping.

• Pendleton EcoWise Throw with Monogram.  A fringed EcoWise throw blanket is great to keep on the couch, in the car, or at your desk to ward off a sudden chill.  Add a personalized monogram for just $10.  (Suggested by Embroidery Elf Aimee)
• Franklin Horse.  Who wouldn't love a faithful steed done in colorful Pendleton jacquard fabric?  (Suggested by Education Elf Cally)
• Teepee Snow Globe.  A blizzard of glitter and stars is our type of snowstorm!  A great gift for snow globe collectors, Pendleton lovers, or nostalgia buffs.  (Suggested by Boss Elf Julie)
• One yard of our Four Directions jacquard fabric, five yards of felt binding, four buttons, and one free Tree Skirt Pattern.  You can make two tree skirts -- one for you and one for a friend!  (Suggested by Tree Skirt Sewing Elf Michelle)
• One yard of our Hawkeye jacquard fabric and a free downloadable Charlie bag pattern from BurdaStyle.  This bag is super easy to make!  (Suggested by Fabric Elf Bryanna)
• Muchacho (crib size) blanket.  Available in Pendleton's iconic Chief Joseph pattern (in a variety of colors) and other gorgeous designs.  (Suggested by Sales Elf Jessie)
• Motor Robe with Leather Carrier.  Stylish, portable, Pendleton!  (Suggested by Senior Sales Elf Mimi)
• Make Your Own Pendleton Throw -- one and half yards of your favorite solid, plaid, or print plus felt binding for the edges.  We've got a free handout at the store that will make adding the binding quick and easy.  (Suggested by Nana Elf Tawnya)

We're just a few days away from the start of our Third Annual Black Sheep Sale -- this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Woolen Mill Store.  Have a Happy Turkey Day!

Great Gift Ideas Under $50

It's not always easy to fill up that holiday shopping list.  Sure, some family members and friends are easy... and some are a real challenge.  We sat down and came up with some great gift ideas under $50 -- but you're welcome to come to the Woolen Mill Store and pick our brains in person.

• Pendleton Jacquard Spa Towel.  These super-sized, soft and cuddly towels have been a HUGE hit since they were introduced last year.  There are eight designs to choose from.  (Suggested by Education Elf Cally and Blog Babe Aimee and Sales Elf Jessie... we all LOVE the towels!)
• Fringed Plaid Pillow or Chimayo Throw Pillow.  Pendleton accent pillows are a great addition to any decor.  (Suggested by Senior Sales Elf Mimi)
• Bring the zoo home with a Carol's Zoo Animals pattern and some Pendleton fabric.  Dig through our scrap bins to find your materials or pick a pre-cut piece from the tables.  Most patterns require a half yard (or less) and are super easy.  (Suggested by ElfBay Coordinator Stacy)
• Baby Quilt Kit  by Portland crafty mama Susan Beal.  Kits come in a variety of colors and are easy for beginning sewers.  (Suggested by Cheerleader Elf Michelle)
• Pendleton jacquard apron kit.  Available in a variety of colors, great for cooks, crafters, and more!  (Suggested by ElfBay Coordinator Stacy)
• A Gift Certificate for a class at the Woolen Mill Store.  Choose from a variety of classes under $50 -- some under $25, too!  (Suggested by Nana Elf Tawnya, Newbie Elf Michelle, and Blog Elf Aimee)
• Books!  The Woolen Mill Store carries books on a variety of topics.  Fabric Elf Bryanna suggests Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.  Blanket fanatics might like Chasing Rainbows or Language of the Robe, two great books about the history of the trade blanket.  Marketing Elf Aimee and Boss Elf Julie love the new BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook.
• Lakota Glassware.  Tumblers or goblets in sets of four.  (Suggested by Shipping Elf Adam)

The biggest shopping day of the year is coming up soon, and we're getting ready.  Join us at the Woolen Mill Store for the Third Annual Black Sheep Sale this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Great Gift Ideas Under $25

With the holiday season fast approaching, the Woolen Mill Store staff has been making gift lists and checking them twice.  We wanted to share some of our gift ideas with you!

• WoolPets needle felting kits.  There's a zoo-full of animals to choose from!  The kits include lots of wool roving, two needles, and detailed step-by-step directions with pictures.  (Suggested by Cally, our Education Elf)
• Mara mugs.  These beautiful, handcrafted mugs are generously sized for your morning beverage.  Fill the mug with a sample of gourmet coffee or tea and you're ready for gift-giving.  (Suggested by Adam, our Shipping Elf)
• Handmade slippers.  It's fun and easy to make adorable slippers for the whole family!  Our ColorPlay carded wool is just $1.50 for a quarter-ounce bundle and comes in more than twenty different colors.  (Suggested by Stacy, our ElfBay Coordinator)
• Zip Pouches make great stocking stuffers!  Available in a variety of Pendleton wool fabrics.  (Suggested by Senior Sales Elf Mimi)
• Trinket Box and Lucy Liu jewelry.  We carry several different styles of trinket box -- and won't someone be surprised to find an adorable pair of earrings inside?  (Suggested by Gift-tastic Idea Elf, Cally)
• Sham-a-Rama!  We still have a few pillow shams and toss pillows from our summer Sham-A-Rama sale.  At just $12.99 each, it's a deal that's hard to beat!  (Suggested by our Marketing Elf, Aimee.)
• Travel Mugs.  Get your beverages to go in Pendleton style.  For the nature lovers, choose a Glacier Park travel mug or National Park thermal flask.  (Suggested by Sales Elf Jessie)
• Books, books, books.  We love books at the Woolen Mill Store.  Marketing Elf Aimee loves the Paul Goble folktale books, like How the Stars Fell into the Sky.  Fabric Elf Bryanna suggests 500 Felt Objects, which is chock full of gorgeous creations.  Embroidery Elf Michelle likes local author Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin Quilting.

We're getting ready for our Third Annual Black Sheep Sale -- this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Woolen Mill Store.  The store will be chock full of great gifts to fit any budget.  Will we see you there?

Truck Report 11/18/2011

Good morning, WoolFans!

How are we past the halfway point for November already?  The days are flying by... one week from today we'll be working off that Thanksgiving meal with some marathon shopping!  The Woolen Mill Store is planning some amazing deals for our Black Sheep Holiday Sale, so keep your eyes on the blog for awesome (and affordable!) gift ideas.

The Pendleton truck delivered right on schedule, and we've added another 500 pounds of fuzzy selvage to our bins.  Our bins of premium wool strips are full to bursting, too.

Have a lovely weekend!

An Ode to Those Old Pants We Love

I do love you, old raggedy jeans

But you show too much of my "behind" the scenes

The gaping holes leave my knees so cold

I fear that you have grown too old.

But the garbage can is not your fate

Crochet to the rescue with a project so great!

Pants Bowl in progress by Kanelstrand

For instructions and more pics of the sturdy, adorable end product, visit Kanelstrand Organic Living.  (But no more bad poetry, we promise!)

Creative Customers: Doug's Upcycled Bags

Around here, we love folks who get creative with old stuff -- giving new life to old materials.  We recently had a visit from creative customer Doug, who makes bags and other things using a combination of materials... including Pendleton fabric and scraps.  He rattled off a list of thrift store finds that have been made into useful new things:  car upholstery, pillowcases, prom dresses, and more!

Pendleton fabric plus an old seat belt makes a fantastic messenger-style bag!



Close-up on the seat belt buckle because it's so snazzy.




A "gravity bag" where the one handle loops through the other and gravity holds the bag closed.



Truck Report 11/11/2011

Goooooooooood morning, WoolFans!  (We wanted to make sure there were 11 Os in there since it's 11/11/11.)

The Pendleton truck delivered another 500 pounds of selvage this week -- so we've decided to keep the Super Selvage Sale going.  Selvage is still just $2.10 per pound, so it's a great time to stock up on all your favorite colors.

We also got a few boxes of large header pieces -- mostly the $5.00 per pound stuff.

What are you working on this weekend?

Berry Dye!

Thanks to the awesome craft site craftgawker, we found this awesome blog post by Brambleberries in the Rain about dyeing wool and silk with past-their-prime blackberries!

Picture from Brambleberries in the Rain

Makes us wonder what other berries would be fun to dye with... the tough part is managing to not EAT the berries first!

Thank You Portland Handweavers Guild!

We had a fantastic weekend with the Portland Handweavers Guild annual show and sale in our tapestry!

If you missed the fun, you can see some pictures of the gorgeous works on display by visiting our Facebook Page.

Truck Report 11/4/2011

Whoa, how did it get to be November already?  Fall is flying by... the holidays will be upon us before we know it.


But we've made it to another Friday, and it's time for the weekly truck report!  We got a great variety of scraps in this week so you can get a jump on your holiday crafting:

• 200 pounds of blanket header
• 200 pounds of wooly worms
• 500 pounds of fuzzy selvage

We're continuing our Super Selvage Sale -- all our selvage is 30% off the regular price.

Another great reason to visit the Woolen Mill Store this weekend:  the Portland Handweavers Guild Show and Sale starts today and runs all weekend during regular store hours.  There are some amazing, dazzling, gorgeous, touchable, lovable creations on display in our blanket and tapestry gallery.