Happy July – and Happy 250th Birthday, USA!

What an exciting time for us all! Summer Blitz is in full swing with 28 participants so far – there is still plenty of time to join in the fun. Here's what's happening this month:

• Advanced Knit Companion – July 6 or 11
• 2nd Sunday Knit/Crochet-In – July 13
• Be A Yankee “Doodle” Dandy! – July 13 & 20
• Pivot Cowl class – July 15 or 16
• Ladies Night Out: Stars, Stripes, and Sparkles – July 16
• Rustic Lace Scarf class – July 18
• Water Bottle Holder class – July 19
• Heartland Yarn Adventure – July 24 – August 2

Read on for all the details!

2026 Summer Blitz: 250th Birthday of the USA!

Our annual Summer Blitz challenge is officially on – it began June 1, and we already have 28 participants! This year's theme celebrates the 250th Birthday of the USA. New to the challenge? It's a lot of fun – and there is still plenty of time to join in.

How it works: Complete three knit and/or crochet projects, started no sooner than June 1, 2026 and finished by midnight on August 31, 2026. Knit them all, crochet them all, or mix and match. Each finished project earns a loyalty stamp – finish all three and a special prize will be awarded after the end of August!

Project parameters:

• Three projects are required – no exceptions!
• Yarn must be newly purchased from Wooly Bully (no stash yarn and no half-price-room yarn). The Amsterdam Wrap, France Ave Tee, and “Origins” pre-orders are the only early yarn-purchase exceptions.
• Choose one project from each of the three categories below.

Two yardage options (choose one – they cannot be mixed and matched):

• Option #1 (historic): 800, 600, and 400 yards
• Option #2 (new this year): 1000, 600, and 200 yards

Share your makes with #wbsummerblitz2026 on Instagram, Facebook, and your Ravelry project page!

Category 1: Red, White, Blue & “Origins” Yarn

Use any or all of these colors – or the new Baah Wooly Bully Celebrates “Origins” yarn – in one pattern.

Pattern ideas:

• Show Your Colors Tee (600–1200 yards) – a cute tee for the July 4th celebrations in red, white & blue!
• Pivot Cowl (325 yards) – Vicky will be teaching this in July, knit in the new Baah “Origins” yarn.

Category 2: Cultural or Foreign Influences in Our 250-Year History

Select one pattern to celebrate the influence of other countries on our culture or our country – for example the Dutch (New Amsterdam = New York), France (the Statue of Liberty), Italy, Spain, Native Americans, Mexico, England, and more.

Pattern ideas:

• Amsterdam Wrap (1638 yards) – for the Dutch settling New Amsterdam (New York); any Stephen West pattern works too, since he lives in Amsterdam. Offered as a shop class with Lisa in June (an early yarn-purchase exception).
• France Avenue Tee (950–2000 yards) – for France; a Blue Sky Learn Along in June (an early yarn-purchase exception). Prefer crochet? Try the Statue of Liberty Amigurumi (364 yards).
• Vest Barcelona (656–820 yards) – celebrating Spain, who funded the original journey to the Americas.
• Magical Mystery Tour cowl (328–437 yards) – for the Beatles and England.

Category 3: Historic American Woman or Man

Select one pattern to celebrate the contribution(s) of a famous American – for example Betsy Ross, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, George M. Cohan, Francis Scott Key, Irving Berlin, or the Wright Brothers.

Pattern ideas:

• Night Lights by Andrea Mowry (754 yards) – honoring Thomas Edison lighting up our world.
• Doodle colorwork patterns (various yardage) – a nod to “Yankee Doodle Dandy” by George M. Cohan.
• Americana Pillow Set (1000–1500 yards) – stars and stripes for Betsy Ross and our flag.

Summer Blitz: Extra Credit & Good to Know

Extra Credit (optional): In honor of teachers – and in continued memory of Jennie – earn an extra loyalty-card punch when you purchase an item for Bethany Bowling's classroom from her Amazon wish list. Bring your purchase confirmation to the shop. This is optional and not one of the three required projects.

A few good things to know:

• No stash yarn and no half-price-room yarn – this is the time to try something new!
• Projects must be started June 1 or later, but you can buy your yarn as soon as now.
• You can buy yarn one project at a time – just let staff know which project it's for so you get credit.
• Need a yarn we don't have? Let us know and we'll work with you to order it (pre-paid).

Questions? Just ask the Wooly Bully staff – and most of all, have fun!

Advanced Knit Companion

The class will cover:

• Setting up text from the pattern
• Setting up charts to make them more manageable
• Linking videos to your pattern
• Magic Markers needed to color code your charts
• Additional features and resources

Instructor: David Osborne

Dates: Monday, July 6th, 5:00-7:00 or Saturday, July 11th, 10:00-Noon

Cost: $25 paid to David

Requirements: paid version of Knit Companion and login information for Ravelry.

2nd Sunday Knit/Crochet-In

PLEASE RSVP to be sure the event will be held. If no one RSVPs, the event may be cancelled.

July 13 – 12:00-4:00
August 9 – 12:00-4:00

These events correspond to the Historic Springboro Second Sunday events held 12:00-5:00 in Historic Springboro. Come and knit a while and then take a walk in Historic Springboro and enjoy the fun!

Be A Yankee “Doodle” Dandy!

If you are interested in stranded color work, the Doodle system is a fun way to learn. You can choose from several projects, including a headband, cowl, and hat. If you want this to count for Summer Blitz, you will need to make a hat or cowl to meet the yardage requirement.

Instructor: Lisa Loftin

Dates: two Monday evenings, July 13 and 20, from 5-7 PM

Cost: $45 paid to Lisa

Yarn: at least 2 colors of a DK yarn. You can use DK minis for the contrast color or colors. (Please use yarn from our shop.)

Needles: US 4-5 – according to gauge and pattern selected.

Pattern: Doodle patterns can be purchased individually on Ravelry; look for those by Jamie Lomax. Several of the Decks as well as The Doodle Book are available at the shop. The Doodle decks contain the pattern for a cowl, which can be adapted for a headband.

Skills required: Cast on, knit, purl, and bind off.

Pivot Cowl

The Pivot Cowl has a lovely drape that really shows off a beautiful yarn. In this class you will learn how to pick up stitches on the side, wrap and turn, and 3-needle bind off.

Instructor: Vicky Lee

Date/Time(s): July 15, 5:00-7:00 or July 16, 10:00-Noon

Cost: $25 paid to Vicky

Yarn: light worsted/DK yarn, 218-325 yard/100g

Needles: straight/circular needles, size US 5-7

Pattern: free on Ravelry – Pivot Cowl

Skills required: Cast on, knit, and bind off.

Ladies Night Out: “Stars, Stripes, and Sparkles”

Ladies Night Out in Historic Springboro is July 16, 5:00-8:00 PM – we'll be open until 7:00. This month's theme is “Stars, Stripes, and Sparkles,” so pop in the shop for a sparkling refreshment! And then enjoy all of the other charming local businesses along Main.

Rustic Lace Scarf

We have a special guest teacher this month teaching this lovely crocheted scarf! It's a great project for relatively new crocheters.

Instructor: Joni McDonald

Date/Time: July 18, 10:00-Noon

Cost: $25 (paid to Joni)

Yarn: About 1-1/2 skeins of Malabrigo Rios or 2 skeins of a fingering weight yarn. (Please use yarn from our shop.)

Hook: For hook size, refer to yarn label.

Pattern: both free or $2.99 on Ravelry – Rustic Lace Scarf

Skills required: Chain and double crochet stitches.

Third Sunday Small Gift Series: Water Bottle Holder

Our fifth small project is a fast and easy Water Bottle Holder to carry any size water bottle!

Instructor: Amy Reed

Date: July 19th, 2:00-4:00 PM

Cost: $25 paid to Amy

Yarn: 1 skein of Cascade Fixation Splash yarn. (Please use yarn from our shop.)

Hook: size F or G crochet hook

Other: Stitch markers, scissors, yarn needle. Also needed – 2 buttons and an optional hair tie for the top, that Amy will provide.

Skills required: magic circle, single crochet, chain, and double crochet.

Pattern: free on Ravelry – Diamond Water Bottle Cover

Wooly Bully Celebrates “Origins” – Restocked!

For those who may have missed it, we had an exciting and fun time in May announcing the special Wooly Bully exclusive colorway from Baah Yarn. It was so well received that we sold out almost in 24 hours!

We are now restocked!

Heartland Yarn Adventure

Heartland Yarn Adventure is happening in a few weeks! It runs July 24 – August 2.

We are selling passports ($5 each) that list the over 80 shops participating this year! These shops are located in the quad-state area: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Looking Ahead

Summer Blitz Finale Blowout: we are planning a Summer Blitz Finale party – watch for details!

Third Sunday Gift Series:

• August 16 – Wine Bottle Cowl (Robin)
• September 20 – Knitted Sachets (Karen)

Artfest on Main

Save the date – Saturday, August 29 – for a fun festival on Main Street in Historic Springboro!

Knit or Crochet Private Instruction

Private lessons are always available to learn something new or get help with a project!

Call the shop to arrange a time that works for you.

Instruction with David

Fathers, brothers, sons, boyfriends, significant others, and new knitters interested in private knitting lessons, please contact David at the shop. Projects could include hats, scarves, shawls, and more.

Each session lasts 1.5 hours and is $25 per lesson. These can be arranged to suit your schedule.

We are considering starting a Men's Knit Night this fall – please let us know if you or anyone you know might be interested!

Sit & Knit or Stay & Crochet

Did you know you are welcome any time to join us to Sit & Knit or Stay & Crochet with your projects?

This is also a time when you can likely get help on small snags you encounter, to keep your progress going.

We kindly ask that you work on projects with yarn from our shop when you Sit & Knit or Stay & Crochet.