When you first walk through WEBS’s doors, you might be overwhelmed by the wide array of colorful yarns and sample garments on view. Sample garments are the first impression you’ll get of a yarn and we try to offer as many samples as we can for you to enjoy. You’ll find the garments and accessories located throughout the store; often you’ll have to look up to see samples on the tops of bookcases!

From now on, we’re making our sample sweaters in the medium size, rather than the typical small size, to accommodate a more realistic range of body types and sizes. If you’re interested in a particular design, please feel free to try on the sample and ask questions about it. Our associates are always happy to help you.

We try to keep our store samples updated and fresh for each new season. This month we’ve added several garments and accessories that show off some of our new spring yarns and familiar yarns as well.

When Katia Big Ribbon arrived for spring, I was bowled over by the variety of colors and knew this yarn was made for a fun, summer-y accessory. This free crocheted slipper pattern, modeled by Mary Anne, is available free of charge on the Knitting Fever website. One ball of this super bulky yarn is sufficient for a pair of solid color slippers. But if you buy two colors, you can mix and match them as we’ve done and have enough yarn for two pair!

We’ve carried Freia Fine Handpaints Ombre Lace for several months and, as gorgeous as it was in the ball, it needed to be knit to truly illustrate its’ beauty. I chose KnitWhits “Sonoma Scarf” which is available as a PDF on our website. Our laceweight sample was knit in the Grapevine colorway but please check out the other beautiful colorways we carry.

Our next store sample was knit in one of the most sumptuous yarns we carry—Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere which comes in over 20 solid and variegated colorways. I chose Ravelry pattern, “Boxy” by Joji Locatelli, for a few reasons: it’s a contemporary design that can be casually worn with jeans or dressed up when paired with your favorite skirt; it can be knit with a variety of fine gauge yarns; and most important, many women of all shapes and sizes have knit this pattern and they look fantastic! Mary Anne is sporting our sassy version of the pattern in Silk Cashmere color #201, aptly named “Seeing Red.”

“Surf,” designed by Martin Storey and featured in the newest Rowan magazine 55, is an explosion of spring and summer color! Knit in Rowan’s mercerized Cotton Glace in 11 glorious shades, this slightly cropped pullover is classic but stylish and looks perfect on our model, Bonnie.

We’re excited about these new store samples and we hope you do too—please visit the store soon and check them out!

This week the staff is buzzing about…

1. Valley Yarns Silver Lining Hat – I just knit this hat for my Dad’s birthday, and it’s perfect! I used Valley Yarns Huntington in black and grey and I love how the hat is reversible. He can wear it as a grey hat with black brim, or black hat with grey brim. It’s a great summer knit but a nice warm and cozy hat. > Grace H.

2. Atenti Betty – These purses are fabulous and I got one as soon as they came in! They are colorful, roomy, and stylish. > Stephanie G.

3. Freia Fine Handpaints yarns – With the flood of new yarns coming in for fall, sometimes it’s all just a blur. But this new yarn stood out immediately as something unique. Freia’s sport and lace weight yarns come in an Ombré color range that is hand painted to create a really long color run. I can’t wait to see what folks make with these yarns. > Dena C.

4. Milk and Honey Lotion Bar – Wonderful fragrance, would be a great foot lotion too! Amazing packaging. I love the “employee of the month”. > Gail C.

5. Shetland Lace Knitting from Charts by Hazel Carter – Even though it looks humble, this is one of my favorite lace books. It lists a large number of traditional garter-stitch based Shetland lace patterns, along with giving you the tools to rearrange those elements into fans, diamonds and chevrons, and it has some very interesting construction methods for shawls and other objects. > Kirsten H.