Ted, our substitute UPS Guy (more about him later) brought us two boxes today filled with the necessary (but not necessarily exciting) needles and notions. We are now fully stocked with Chibi tapestry needles, row counters, stitch holders and the like!!! And as far as needles, we received a PARTIAL order from Skacel. So if there is a particular size you are looking for, please call before you head out; we HATE disappointing our customers. More needles are soon to follow.

Today Ted, the substitute UPS Guy, brought us a GORGEOUS new color of Noro's popular chunky yarn Iro. Bold reds, plums, blacks adorn this bulky version of Silk Garden. We have had several requests for chunky winter weight yarn, and this would make a beautiful scarf, sweater or the like.

Yes, we are open normal hours today, 12-5. Once you get out of your neighborhood, most roads and clear and dry. Our sidewalks and parking spots have been cleared. Come on by and knit with us!

Ted, our substitute UPS Guy strolled in today with two BIG boxes from Dale of Norway. We are now fully restocked with the popular Baby Ull, a fingering weight washable merino that knits like a dream. Even if you don't knit baby things, try this yarn as a "carry along" with novelty yarns for scarves!!!

And he also brought two new Dale books for children and adults as well as Learn to Knit Kits for children. We have never found better tools to teach children!

Mom Flo is one of our most prolific knitters (and a good friend to boot!). She and dad David are always so good about forwarding pictures of Benjamin and Hannah in the latest creations. Isn't Benjamin impish in this one?

We watched our first snowstorm of the season as we tore through the fabulous Berroco Spring 05 pattern books 231-234 that Walter the UPS Guy brought us! We love Berroco designs for their clean lines, clear directions, and dramatic results. For those fearful of moving on as knitters, these books are perfect. Only knit scarves? Try a shawl or poncho! Never shaped a garment? Berroco directions will get through every hurdle. We will start to put out the new spring yarns tomorrow as we get more snow. Can't wait to finish that last winter sweater!!!!

While the bone chilling air sent everyone scurrying into the store today to knit bulky hats and scarves, we happily greeted Walter the UPS Guy as he brought in....SPRING YARNS! Yes, some of us are just compulsive enough to be working on light weight projects already and we have two fabulous offerings.

Maggi Knits,who brought you Maggi's Ireland last year, has produced what we believe to be the finest linen/cotton blend we have seen. We can't wait to knit with this worsted weight blend. The mix of the two fibers assures memory, crispness, and ease of care. We were so taken with the yarn that we bought the entire color range. If you are itching to get started on spring projects, or if you are planning a resort getaway, this is the yarn for you.

And Green Mountain Spinnery has given us one of our favorites-the wool/cotton blend Cotton Comfort. We have made two sweaters with this yarn, one a cool summer shell and one a three-season aran pullover. Not only did we love working with the yarn, we noticed that every time we washed it (in the machine on delicate!) it became softer and yummier. Again, we loved the colors so we bought every one. This is truly a four-season yarn; work it on a size 6 needle for 5 stitches to the inch. And ask to see the models!

We returned late last night from our long weekend getaway and just couldn't wait to get into the store this morning to check out the new stock! Our fabulous staff kept things humming over a very busy and very cold weekend and kept us apprised of the packages that Walter the UPS Guy brought in during our absence.

First, the practical-we now have Crystal Palace needles back in stock! Thanks for all your patience.

We are also restocked in Colinette beauties like Isis, Zanziba, Giotto and Enigma.

And now the new! We like to keep our novelty yarns new and fresh and so ordered dramatic selections from Crystal Palace and Stacy Charles! Come see the new offerings: Dragonfly and Little Flowers from CP Yarns and Bravo, Galaxy, and Rialto from Stacy Charles. Let your imagination run wild! Scarves, shells, trims on hats, wrist warmers, handbags....what can you do with these unusual and beautiful yarns????

And back by popular demand the deliciously soft and yummy ZARA from Filatura di Crosa. We plan on stocking this yarn again in the fall as our standard DK merino. Its lushness is unparalleled. You requested it; we listened.

Hey, it is great to be back. We got a kick out of boarding our plane last night and noticed a woman knitting out of a WoolWinders bag! And we are, of course, eternally grateful for our wonderful staff: Jessica, Lisa, Lynne, Martha, Pat, Kim, Adrian, Karina and Marietta (who rose to the challenge of being weekend manager). Their talents, passion, and work ethic allowed us to escape for a long weekend to take in some sun and fun.

is the arrival of spring yarns! Today we received every color of the most popular new entry last year--Manos Cotton Stria. We confess that we weren't expecting it quite this early, but in light of yesterday's news of the discontinuation of Mission Falls Cotton we thought the timing was exquisite! And we are fully stocked with the accompanying pattern book: Cotton Collection 1. So if you are yearning for Spring, make a vest or sweater from this wonderful yarn!

We are off for a few days vacation. No blogs for a few days, but our wonderful staff will keep the store humming. See you next week!

We spent time today taking inventory of our Skacel needles so that we could put in an accurate order. Please be aware that these needles will go up in price when we get the new stock in, so if you need some circular needles,in either metal or bamboo, come get them NOW! Remember that although Skacel needles may seem pricey, they come with a lifetime guarantee. If they EVER split or break, we will replace them for free. Again, prices will go up in about two weeks.

And we received word today that Mission Falls 1824 Cotton is being discontinued; Mission Falls could not find a manufacturer suitable to their needs. We still have some left, but cannot get any more in. We are expecting the full color range of Manos Stria Cotton which is a good substitute, and are expecting lots of cotton within the next few weeks.

Finally, we appreciate everyone's patience regarding our supply of short bamboo needles. Many of our vendors were closed during the holidays, and are just beginning to ship now. We received notice that Crystal Palace HAS shipped our order and we are expecting it any day. Stay tuned to the blog!

Lew has returnd from another business trip and was kind enough to load these pictures for us. We snapped folks who participated in December's Knitting Safari! Darlene happily works on her Schaefer Afghan:

While Mary tackles socks:

And Marietta stopped by to work on her hat:

While Elizabeth, our youngest participant, proudy shows off!

Our safaris are incredibly popular and fill up fast! There is still space in the March session on Wednesday nights; fear not, we WILL have them throughout the spring and summer.

Finally back in stock, the extremely useful and popular Companion books from Interweave Press. Written for both knitters and crocheters, these portable reference books cover myriad subjects from the raw basics to more advanced techniques. A must have for every knitting/crochet bag!

And we are pleased to present a book we heard so much about from our customer that we just had to stock it-SCARFSTYLE! Unique, fun, funky-we actually know people working their way through all 31 patterns!

Many of our customers have taken advantage of the phenomenal skills of our finisher, Marina (otherwise known as Marina the Miracle Worker). Marina can put your sweaters or blankets together, crochet or knit edges around your projects, and perform otherwise miraculous feats that will make anything you have made look fabulous. She will NOT, however, repair garments. If you have things to go to Marina, please have them at the store by close of business each Wednesday, as we go to her on Thursday mornings. We find her fees reasonable, given the amount of work she does. Blankets run from $30-$45, and sweaters run from $30 for a baby sweater to about $50-60 for an adult garment. If you love knitting but hate the thought of edging or sewing, Marina is the woman for you!

Walter the UPS Guy brought us two of our winter favorites today: Manos and Blue Sky Bulky Alpaca. We believe that his load will get lighter in the coming weeks as the spring/summer yarns will start arriving (and they weigh less!). So come knit the winter away with two exquisite yarns!

It has been cool and drizzly the past few days; our customers have sallied forth to fortify their knitting stash in order to ensure that they have sufficient projects to keep them indoors and cozy. One brought us the most gorgeous finished project-an afghan for her sister made from Debbie Bliss' luxurious silk/alpaca. We seriously discussed a familial relationship with her! And then, on the heels of her display, a large box arrived from Knitting Fever filled with....reinforcements of this amazing yarn! We have a full range of colors now. And even if you aren't going to make an afghan, come see the colors and feel the hand....there is nothing quite like the combination of these two fibers.

And the weather promises to clear up later today. A little sunshine would be nice.

Want to try felting? Knit a bag, hat, pair of clogs, vest or even a jacket in real wool, then throw it in the washing machine with hot water and lots of agitation. Think you are boiling the wool? You are exactly right.....it is great fun and creates some fabulous things! And today we received terrific bulky yarn for such projects: Brown Sheep Bulky weight! A quick knit on size 10-13, we have gorgeous jewel tones that felt well. And we have fun patterns for all sorts of things. And finally, we have a class coming up on February 6 and 13 to learn the techniques. Felting is the perfect winter project!