Many of you know Marthe – one of our store team members.  Last summer, she decided to knit a sweater as a gift for her daughter, Lilah.  Standing nearly 6 feet tall, Lilah can never find garments, particularly sweaters, that account for her height and long arms, so Marthe took up the challenge to knit a sweater that fit her daughter’s shape.  Marthe chose to knit a cardigan in Sweet Georgia Superwash DK in the Cranberry colorway.  After lots of knitting to accommodate the 29 year old’s frame, Lilah’s beautiful sweater was shipped off to her. She was thrilled but found the upper arms to be a bit too loose which made her feel frumpy (photo).  There was too much ease in the upper arms. She asked her mother if anything could be done without reworking the sweater altogether.

Marthe’s solution was a three-step process. She began by removing the mattress stitched seam from the forearm to the armpit,  folding over the excess fabric, and pinning it to create a new line for seaming.  She then re-seamed the sleeve to the more accurate dimension, along the folded edge, using mattress stitch.  Finally, Marthe used her serger to remove the excess fabric and secure the yarn ends. She did say, however, that a serger is not essential. The same result may be achieved by using a sewing machine to straight stitch, and then trimming the excess knitted material – just like doing a steek.

The alteration was successful!  Lilah was thrilled and immediately asked her mother for another handknit sweater. Her next request?  Could Marthe knit the sleeves a half inch shorter next time!

Even though the summer is just beginning to heat up, our fall yarns have begun to arrive. If you’ve been to the store, you’ve probably noticed swatches of most of the yarns on offer, Store staff knit these to provide you with an example of how the yarn looks, not only in stockinette stitch, but also in a stitch pattern.  The swatches are labeled with all pertinent yarn information in addition to suggestions for use.  Knitting swatches also gives staff an opportunity to get to know new yarns so we can help you even knowledgeably.

The newest from Valley Yarns, Pocomtuck, is a dk weight cashmere. Karen knit a decorative swatch to show this yarn to its best advantage.  She found it to be a luxurious knit, and states that “it lends itself to a wide variety of garments and accessories.”

Marthe’s swatch of Plymouth’s Tuscan Aire  shows this bulky yarn’s adaptability to stockinette and textured stitches.  Comprised of 90% merino wool and 10% nylon,  “this light and lofty fiber is just perfect for lightweight yet warm ponchos, cowls and scarves.”

Mary M. chose another new Plymouth yarn, Cannoli, to try out.  She thought it was an exciting, fast knit and would use it for accessories and gifts. The construction (it’s a single) makes it bouncy and the colorways are very tempting.

Berroco Cotolano has become a new staff favorite and Maryanne knit the swatch.  This wool, cotton and nylon blend is remarkably soft and would make a fine three season garment. Cables and other textures are really enhanced in this yarn.

This is just the beginning.  Stay tuned for more as fall yarns continue to roll in.  Happy knitting!

Do you have a knitter in your life who consistently amazes and inspires you? Someone who tackles challenging projects and actually finishes them on a timely basis? As Store Manager, I’m fortunate to get to know lots of WEBS customers and their work. Sometimes I’m so impressed that I ask them to be sample knitters for the store. I’d like to introduce you to one of these ladies today. Her name is Susan Drew and if you’ve been in the store and admired one of our samples, there’s a good chance that she knit it.

Susan and I have had many occasions to talk and when I hit on the idea of featuring some of our customers and their beautiful work as an occasional feature of my blog posts, I immediately thought of her. Susan is one of the smartest, accomplished and conscientious knitters I know. We sat down a couple of weeks ago to talk about her knitting life.

Clockwise from top left: Russian Medallion Shawl by Inna Voltchkova(Piecework Sept/Oct 2015) in JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18, Curry. Kowhai and Fern Shawl by Margaret Stove from Wrapped in Lace in Juniper Moon Farm Findley, White. Daydreams in Lace by Brooke Nico(Knitter’s Magazine 100, Fall 2010) in Jojoland Ballad, Coffee Beaded Diamond Shawl by Catherine Devine in Schaefer Yarn Company Andrea Beaded Wedding Purse by Susan Rainey in Red Heart Fashion Crochet Thread (size 5), Silver This shawl was knit by my mother in the early 1960’s. I do not know the name of the pattern or yarn.

Like many of us, Susan’s mother taught her to knit at the age of eight. After a 20 year hiatus (during which she worked and raised a family), Susan picked up the craft again, exploring a new world of fibers, teaching herself new techniques, attending Stitches conventions, and enrolling in our WEKP program five years ago. After some initial difficulty with a complicated lace shawl using 100% silk yarn, she realized two things: she was intrigued by lace knitting and, lace was not the type of knitting she’d be able to do for the rest of her life (fine yarn and tiny charts!). Susan wanted to create a collection of exquisite knits to pass on to future generations who would wear them and appreciate the art and craft of knitting.

Susan has built her Heirloom Collection around projects that she loves the most. A stole that her mother knit was the piece that launched her Collection. She is drawn to traditional lace from around the world and is intrigued by the stories behind the designs, particularly Estonian and Russian creations. She’s even made her peace with nupps using bamboo needles that she sharpens herself! Susan credits Ravelry as a research tool for upcoming projects and as a means of communication with other knitters and designers world-wide. A portion of Susan’s Heirloom pieces are featured in the photos here. All knit with luxurious fibers, being able to appreciate them in person was a real treat.

I join Susan in her belief that knitting is one of the most rewarding things that we do. Knowing that we’ve used our own hands to make something unique is a pleasure that all crafts people share. We are all very privileged in perpetuating a centuries-long art and making it our own.

If you know of knitters or crocheters who inspire you, drop me a note.  I’d love to share their work here.

Knit away!

I’m happy to introduce you to three new items in the store that are sure to please. The first is a nifty felted, zippered pouch by one of my favorite vendors, Frabjous Fibers. Made by hand in Nepal, they are fully lined and are slim enough to slip into a knitting bag or tote bag. Perfect for notions and other small items that need safe-keeping, these pouches are easy on the wallet, making them perfect for gift-giving. Although we carry four different colors, the pink one is my favorite. This might sound a little crazy, but it looks to me like each sheep has a slightly different facial expression!

Tired of the same old shawl pin styles? JUL Designs has created some innovative leather closures for your cardigans, shawls and scarves. This clever design features screws that safely and securely keep your garments stylishly in place.

Although we have an extensive button collection in the store, I’m always looking for new and interesting additions. Martha Sunderland, the owner of Favour Valley Woodworking in New Hampshire, hand crafts buttons in varying shapes and size from locally-sourced woods like American Beech, Dawn Redwood, Purple Lilac, cherry, pear and blueberry. These are store-only items so you must come visit to appreciate them. When Martha delivered our order a few weeks ago, there was much excitement and enthusiasm from staff. When you see them, you’ll understand why. These buttons are truly special items and worthy of your hand knit creations.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We wouldn’t be here without you!

You’ve all benefited from the expertise of our knowledgeable, highly-skilled staff when shopping in the store, but you rarely have the opportunity to see some of the work we do in our free time. It’s been several months since I’ve shown off our staff’s work and we’ve been quite productive lately.

Ashley is one of our spinning teachers and often combines fibers in unusual and pleasing ways. WEBS carries a few varieties of cashmere mill ends and Ashley has used them to their best advantage in her hand spun yarn.  The maroon hank is a marled, 2 ply crepe with singles spun from Frabjous Fibers’ BFL Sparkle and plied with a heather-y black and maroon strand of our 2/45 mill end. The lighter hank began as individual singles spun from Sweet Georgia Superwash BFL and Kraemer’s Sterling, then plied with a teal strand of the 1/45 mill spun. This is a great way for spinners to enjoy these luxury cashmere mill ends.  Weavers can’t have all the fun!

If you’ve been to the store this season, you know that our Assistant Store Manager Bonnie loves her ponchos.  She probably has about a dozen of them and has just finished her third Briza Breeze in Berroco’s Briza.  Bonnie loves a portable, easy project that she can knit anywhere.  The yarn is lightweight but warm and works up into a great poncho for cool evenings, and even better–the pattern is FREE.

In addition to being an accomplished seamstress, Marthe is also a terrific knitter. She’s recently amped up her skills in Erin’s Fearless Finishing class, in which finishing techniques are taught by knitting and assembling a baby sweater using Valley Superwash DK.  Marthe learned many finishing details in the class and plans to use them in making her daughter a cardigan using the Custom Fit program. This program, developed by Amy Herzog, and administered here in the store by Marthe and Assistant Store Manager, Beth Decker, creates individual knitting patterns to fit any body type. Marthe’s daughter Lilah is tall with very long arms and now she’ll have a cardigan that fits her just right!

Beth is working on a mitered square blanket in one of her favorite brands, Noro. She started the Kureyon blanket five years ago and she says, “the project is off the back burner now.” If you’re playing around with mitered squares, Noro’s the perfect yarn to show off the technique.  Beth states, “This is my second afghan design – only 9.5 squares to go before I can write up the pattern and share it!” We can’t wait to see the finished project!

Meg and her husband Dan are sheep farmers, raising a small flock of Tunis in the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. She’s a terrific spinner and is now teaching Dan to spin. He’s clearly been learning to spin by watching Meg because his first hank of handspun is really impressive! Meg’s also a talented knitter, either improvising existing patterns or designing her own garments. She was inspired enough by Madelinetosh Sock in the Cousteau colorway to design this hand warmer for herself (the second one’s in progress).

Knitting socks is a passion for Maryanne and the yarn she loves most for this is Classic Elite’s Liberty Wool. Using two sets of#2 Knitter’s Pride Nova Platinas and the Magic Loop technique, Maryanne knits both socks at the same time to produce dense, warm pair. The lucky recipient of most of these beauties—Maryanne’s husband Bill—lucky guy!

Carreen and I are both taking Erin’s Fair Isle Mitten class.  The pattern is from Alice Starmore’s Fair Isle Knitting and calls for eight colors of fingering weight yarn. Both of us agonized for several weeks (I’m not exaggerating—ask the rest of the staff) over the all the colors of Cascade 220 Fingering. Carreen decided to play it safe with the one of the recommended colorways for the project.  I picked my own colorways with much-appreciated assistance from more folks than I can count on one hand.  Carreen and I are really excited to finish our mittens!

Are you inspired? I hope your knitting is giving you joy. Happy Spring!

You’ve been reading about some of our new Spring yarns in previous blog posts and our staff has been busily swatching them to find out what they’re like. We make a determined effort to provide you with knitted and crocheted examples of all of our yarns, either through samples or swatches. Often a yarn knits or crochets much differently than you’d imagine from its appearance in the skein. And all of our swatches are washed (which can change the yarn’s appearance even more) to provide an idea of how your garment or accessory will hold up according to its care instructions.

This season, we present an array of weights and fibers! You’re bound to find a summer yarn that pleases you, even if you’re partial to animal fibers. The prize for most unusual fiber combination goes to Rowan’s Softyak DK, a blend of cotton, yak and nylon. Mary M. loved the chainette construction, and said the yarn has “excellent stitch definition,”  making it “perfect for lace, cables or any other texture work. The yak transforms this summery yarn into a three season favorite.” Mary is thinking of using Softyak DK for one of the season’s popular t-shirts, tank tops or lightweight cardis.

Ashley F. chose to swatch Plymouth’s Cashmere de Cotone and she describes it as “soft cotton and dreamy cashmere coming together in a cable-plied construction that offers durability and amazing stitch definition.”  Ashley declares that the yarn “was pure pleasure, and after blocking, the sample draped beautifully.”  She would suggest using Cashmere de Cotone for a “year-round top or a sumptuous wrap, ideal for the changing seasons.”

Marthe Y. experimented with two very different yarns. Pima Splash from Mirasol is a “terrific choice for summer garments such t-shirts, tanks and beach cover-ups.” A colorful, worsted weight cotton, the chainette construction creates a lighter, more flexible fabric than other cottons in its weight class.  Marthe’s swatch is 4.5 stitches to the inch on a US 8 needles and she  suggests working the yarn on a slighter bigger needle for loose, springy fabric.

Marthe’s second swatch was knit in Euro Baby Maypole DK, a machine washable, 100% polyester yarn with a “self-striping effect, suitable for babies and children, due to its hypo-allergenic quality.” At 262 yards per skein, it wouldn’t take many balls to knit or crochet a baby blanket or child’s garment.

Beth D. opted for Juniper Moon Farm’s spring offering, Cumulus. She states, “Cumulus  is everything its name implies – soft and fluffy like a puffy, white cloud on a summer day! This 100% cotton yarn is perfect for a cool, lightweight tank or tee, and because it is a heavy worsted weight, it’ll knit up in no time.”  The vibrant color palette provides lots of options for the perfect warm weather project.

Although not a spring yarn, Malabrigo Rueca is a handspun dream.  Beth says that “Rueca is a delight to knit with. In spite of the variations in yardage and gauge from skein to skein, its softness and stitch definition make this yarn a treat to use for a special gift or a little pick-me-up. And…it is dyed in some of Malabrigo’s most luscious colorways.   Rueca is only available in the store so you must come visit to experience it!

As always, I invite you to spend a little time with us in Northampton this season.  In addition to new seasonal yarns, we have an ever-changing variety of accessories, tools, buttons, patterns and sample garments to tempt you.  Let WEBS be your LYS, wherever you call home. Thank you for your continued support of, and loyalty to, our store.  We wouldn’t be here without you!

2015 was a terrific year for us in the store! In addition to our daily activities, we coordinated trunk shows and yarn tastings with Shibui, Blue Sky Alpacas, Classic Elite, Louet, Cascade; accommodated frequent visits from knitting and crochet groups (one summer Saturday we had over 150 visitors from three different groups in the store!); coordinated annual events such as our 9th annual Big Game Day Escape, our 3 bus-load trip to Rhinebeck, the I-91 Shop Hop, our 13th annual Tent Sale, Ravelry’s Tour de Fleece, TNNA’s Spinzilla, and Weaving and Spinning Week, just to name a few.  None of these events could have been possible without your enthusiasm and support.

I’m proud of the outstanding service you’ve received from our welcoming, knowledgeable staff throughout the year. Whether you knit, crochet, spin, weave or felt, there’s something here at WEBS to inspire you. We’ve helped thousands of visitors from around the globe find the perfect project or yarn, tool or accessory. Please plan to spend some time with us in 2016.

Happy Holidays!

Last week we started putting up some holiday decorations in the store and displaying our new items for holiday shopping. We’re featuring a wide range of gift-giving ideas sure to please your crafting friends and some nice things for you to include on your own holiday wish list.

We continue to carry old favorites like Kristin Nicholas’s ever-popular lamb cards, the best travel knitting light around, and hand moisturizer that should be in every knitter’s bag, particularly during the cold winter months. Laura Nelkin offers two new holiday ornament kits featuring a beaded star and beaded lights called Adornments. And don’t miss the adorable selection of Mochimochi toy kits in styles ranging from tiny ballet dancers to miniature Santas.

If you’re looking for one large item to splurge on, don’t miss the Knitter’s Pride Royale Interchangeable Needle set containing 9 sets of birch wood needles (sizes #4-#11) with smooth metal tips, color-coded cables, and a carrying pouch. This is the perfect gift for the special knitter in your life.

Please stop by and see what’s on offer–you’re sure to find something for the crafters in your life.  Don’t forget that we’re open four more Sundays this year: November 29, December 6, 13 and 20 from 12-5.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Although ponchos are the go-to garments for this season, we haven’t forgotten the tried-and-true favorites–shawls, cowls, and sweaters. At the moment, we have a broad array of styles and shapes for you to try on next time you’re in the store.

Our first featured project is an asymmetrical shoulder wrap, worked on the bias with a distinctive texture, appropriately named Pleat Up. Our version is worked in Madelinetosh Merino Silk, in one of our favorite colors, Tart. It’s modeled by Marthe. The pleats create a fabric with lots of character, the yarn simply glows with the 50% silk content, and the colorway makes this a go-to piece for the coming holiday season.

One of our customers, Mary A., was visiting the store a few weeks ago wearing one of the prettiest wraps I’ve seen in a long time. I had to stop her to get the details.  Turns out the pattern is called Greystone from Twist Collective and is available on Ravelry. Mary chose to knit her version in Valley Yarns Charlemont. The lace and cable details really pop and Charlemont’s  silk content contributes to the beautiful drape. Mary was gracious enough to let us take a few photos for this post–thanks again!

Months and months ago, Bonnie suggested that we have this sample knit up. I couldn’t find just the right yarn to show off the the texture and unusual shape until we started carrying Mirasol Sisa. This wool/alpaca blend comes in eleven heathered tones, giving it the depth to transform even the most basic stitch pattern. This cowl is worked in strips of 2×2 ribbing and moss stitch and braided together as you proceed to create an intriguing, attractive piece. Bonnie’s modeling the cowl doubled, but wearing it as a single loop shows off the texture and braiding technique in a different way.

Suzanne is sporting one of our most popular fall garments, Cirrus designed by Nancy O’Connell for Shibui Knits.  This not-quite-a-sweater, not-quite-a-poncho is knit with two Shibui yarns held together throughout–Pebble and Silk Cloud. If you’re familiar with Silk Cloud, you know that it does indeed feel like a cloud (and a warm one at that) while providing a subtle halo effect. The best part? The Shibui pattern is free with the yarn purchase!

Who doesn’t need a grey cardigan? Our comfy version is knit in Yarn and Soul’s Superfine 400 in the Pewter colorway. Alyssa is wearing the perfect layering piece for colder days and chillier nights. The rolled edges keep it casual and stylish. This pattern is free with the yarn purchase as well.

And finally, Meg is wearing our newest cardigan sample, Stranger Cardigan, knit in one of our favorite new yarns for fall, Swan’s Island All American Worsted Collection. We decided that a store sample was needed immediately! The yarns shows off all types of stitch work beautifully and comes in a wide palette of inspiring colors. Please come see us and try on our newest samples–you won’t be disappointed!

And now we have a gift for you! The store is offering you the chance to win one of our weekly prizes.  From now until December 14, simply visit the store and fill out a ticket to be eligible to win. You don’t have to buy anything to participate in the give-away–it’s one simple way to say thank you for supporting WEBS.

As always, please introduce your self when you’re here–we love to get to know our customers and we especially love greeting first-timers.

Hope to see you soon.

Although it’s not quite Hallowe’en, it’s time for us crafters to start working on our holiday gifts.  We all know that starting early gives us time to plan the perfect present for the perfect person. So why don’t most of us actually do this? I can only speak for myself but procrastination is my middle name. I convince myself that I have way more time than I do, rarely taking into account that life is full of surprises and uncontrollable events.  Not keeping this fact in mind derails a fair number of plans I make with the best of intentions.  If you’re even a teeny bit like me, this tendency makes holiday knitting even more stressful than it needs to be.  To assist you with this issue, I’d like to show you a few new yarns that have arrived at the store within the past couple of weeks. Best news: they’re beautiful and bulky.  At 2-3 stitches to the inch, these yarns provide us with a fair chance of finishing our gift knitting in time to actually relax over the holidays.  All of these yarns contain enough yardage to work up some fast gifts in no time.  Think warm hats, toasty cowls and colorful arm warmers.

First up is my new winter favorite, Noro Kureyon Air, available in six smashing colors. This yarn will perform like other Noro yarns you love, striping in glorious and unexpected color combinations. 110 yards is plenty to whip up a quick hat or a pair of mittens for the person who loves accessories with a splash of color.  

And while we’re talking about Noro, Transitions is another late fall addition with lots of interesting possibilities. The fiber content surely has something for everybody to love: wool, silk, cashmere, angora, mohair and camel hair.  The resulting one-ply yarn is soft to the touch and the colors shift in a more muted range than the Kureyon Air, mentioned above. How about a cowl?

Funky Chunky from The Third Piece, in thirteen solid colors, offers more possibilities for our friends and family members with more traditional tastes.  This yarn is so soft that a next-to-skin cowl would work just fine.  Throw in a cable or two and you’ve got a classic gift that’s sure to please. At two stitches to the inch, you could knit or crochet a few pairs of fingerless mitts in no time at all.  

The last item I want to mention is a new collaboration between Rowan yarns and Swarovski beads.  And crystals!  This is not for gift-giving–you owe it to yourself to indulge in something special after all that knitting and crocheting for other people.   The projects range in size from tiny wrist and hair accessories and small shawls to sweaters and even an evening dress.  We’ve got a display in the front of the store to give you lots of inspiration.

I hope you’re inspired to work up a few quick projects before the first snow falls! Let us help you find just the right yarns and patterns for your holiday presents. And don’t forget, we’re open five Sundays this year, November 22, 29, December 6, 13 and 20 from 12-5, to help you find everything you need for those last minute gift projects!