Selena of Sweater Sisters has two new shawl kits up on the website and they’re both on sale through July 14.
In honor of the Tour de Fleece, Monica of Gothfarm Yarn is offering buy one get one 30% off on all rovings. Just enter code SPINIT at checkout.
Stitch Stuff Yarn is offering a Tea Time Mystery Club inspired by antique and modern cups/mugs. This is a month-to-month preorder.
Plies & Hellhounds Yarn has opened preorders for the Dark Academia Yarn Count Down.
Eve of Holly Dyeworks, who majored in musical theater, has opened sign-ups for the Backstage Lights Yarn Club. For this club, she’s picked personal favorites, including some she’s acted in and some she’s seen on Broadway or professionally. Eve will be creating sock sets, with one full skein and two minis, inspired by the setting and characters of each musical.
Today’s the last day to preorder Mitchell’s Creations’ Alaska-inspired colorway, Camping Under the Lights! It’s available on both Lagniappe Sock (75/25 Superwash Merino/nylon) and Ça c’est bon Superwash Merino DK. The yarn will ship at the beginning of August, in time for end-of-summer trips.
Speaking of summer fun, Jill of Jilly & Kiddles is shipping out some summer fiber fun on Monday! The box will include beach-themed minis and goodies with a bit of “sassy flair.”
We are just one week away from the latest Indie Untangled virtual show and I’m so excited about it — there are so many new vendors I’m looking forward to meeting and shopping with. Have you checked out our list of dyers, podcasters and designers who are part of this event?
Haven’t purchased your ticket yet? You’re in luck, since we’re have having a 72-hour flash sale on Indie Untangled Spotlight admission tickets. Save 25% off by using this special link to register by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
Need a last-minute gift for the special crafter in your life? bring them to Indie Spotlight! The two of you can hang out in lounge, attend virtual shopping sessions and play bingo and trivia together.
Giulia and Stefania of Lanivendole are opening sign-ups on Sunday for their latest yarn club, which is inspired by the enchanted woods and the paintings of Gustav Klimt. Each club box will include 200g of their A Stormy Blend – Perla, a blend of Italian Wool and alpaca in a colorway hand-dyed exclusively for the club, and two accessories from Italian makers.
Preorders are open for Queen City Yarn’s Home Alone-themed Advent calendar that will leave you screaming like Kevin McAllister with aftershave. Boxes include 24 92-yard mini skeins and on full skein, along with three patterns.
Mother/daughter team Holly and Erin of Stitch Stuff Yarn have new spring colors on fingering-weight 100% Superwash Merino wool. You can also learn more about the Stuff family (yes, that’s really their name!) in their intro post.
Aside from the list of more than 20 indie dyers and makers we’ve lined up for Indie Spotlight — our next virtual show taking place from May 14-16 — we’re making the Spotlight virtual lounge a destination where you can meet and hang out with your fellow crafters and special guests. We’re excited to announce that Gigi and Jasmin from the Knitmore Girls podcast will be joining us for a meetup during the show!
Your $7 ticket includes access to our Spotlight lounge, where the Knitmores will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday. In case you miss it, the session will be recorded and available only to registered attendees through the end of June.
Dana of Un Besito Fiber is dreaming of the days that she can throw some clothes in a backpack and taking off. Her Dreaming of Paris Snack Pack helps scratch that travel itch. The bakery box of a dozen 10-gram minis in 75/25 Superwash Merino/nylon fingering are inspired by the soft, dreamlike colors of a springtime in Paris image. And they’re all wound up into balls and ready to knit or crochet on your next adventure.
Liz of Yarns by the Bay is a dyer based in Melbourne, Australia, who creates fun, often bright colorways on Superwash Merino/nylon fingering and DK. If you happen to live Down Under, Liz offers free shipping within Australia.
The new Bridgerton-inspired knitting, crochet and cross stitch mystery box from Leann of Forbidden Fiber Co. is causing quite the stir. Lady Whistledown recommends that you make haste and purchase your mystery box today before they sell out.
Orders close this Monday, April 26, for the Summer Sock of the Season Club, a collaboration between Jilly & Kiddles Yarn and BritStitchery Design. Club installments include one full skein of an exclusive colorway, a club exclusive sock pattern and two surprise extras.
Megan of Megs & Co has finally found the luxury yarn of her dreams. Her Bluefaced Leicester Lux Fingering, or BFL Lux for short, is a blend of 70% Certified English Bluefaced Leicester Superwash wool, 20% silk, and 10% Cashmere. It’s ideal for sweaters and special garments.
7th Floor Yarn is ready for spring and summer with their new 50% Cotton 50% Superwash Merino base, which they’ve dyed up on bright colors.
Emily of Kitty With a Cupcake has published her first garment pattern! The Sucker Punch Shrug uses two colors of yarn to create a bold garment. Save $1 through April 28 to celebrate the release.
The April installment of the Teton Yarn Company’s full moon colorway series celebrates the Pink Moon, named after one of the first wildflowers to bloom after the snow melts. Featured on 100% Superwash Merino Mountain Sock, it goes live today at 6 p.m. MDT.
The MAB Elements Alice in Wonderland-themed, limited-edition stitch markers come with 11 handcrafted stitch markers made with real stones, plus 11 bulb removable stitch markers that fit up to size US 10.5 knitting needles.
Ashleigh’s new design, La Bandanita, is a lightweight mosaic cowl that reflects her and her 4-year-old daughter’s love of horses and rodeos.
Knitting After Midnight is inspired by heavy metal music and a goth aesthetic. She’s having a 15% off sale on her Superwash Merino Direful DK base.
When Terri of AT Haynes House Yarns chose the above photo, of a lightning storm at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, for her Knitting Our National Parks installment, I knew there was something familiar about it. Then when she sent me the photos of the yarn and told me the colorway name, I remembered its role in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Terri’s striking colorway, called I Got One Just Like It In My Living Room (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), is now available to preorder on Indie Untangled through February 19. You can order it on Bare Feet Sock and Community DK for your next close (knit) encounters.
Kate of McMullin Fiber Co is preparing for Valentine’s Day with a shop update full of new colorways and has opened just a few spots in her February Fiber Gallery Club, which will be inspired by the very cupid-day colors of John Singer Sargent’s painting Mrs. Hugh Hammersly.
Jillian of WooOnes’ conversation heart stitch markers look good enough to eat, but they’re more appropriate for keeping track of your project’s instructions.
The Yarnover Truck’s Super Nerdy Yarn Club is once again open to new members until next Friday. This club, which includes yarn from Forbidden Fiber Co., takes inspiration from strong female nerdy characters across a variety of different fandoms. New members can also access previous club colors if they wish.
You will be “constantly cozy” in Debra Gerhard’s latest sweater, which she knit up in Fully Spun’s colorful Postscript Aran yarn. This top-down oversized pullover has gentle waist shaping and Fair Isle patterning adorning the yoke and sleeves.
Dawn of Fairy Tale Yarn Co has mini skein sets with a new twist: tweed! These tweedy DK-weight mini sets come with five minis — one tie-dyed, one speckle-dyed and three tonals — totaling 230 yards to add stripes of color to your next project.
Attention Buffy fans: Jilly & Kiddles has opened sign-ups for her Buffy the Vampire Slayer Mystery Yarn Club. This three-month club includes a skein of fingering weight yarn, a set of custom Buffy/Yarn-themed goodies by DKGraham and some other fun extras. Sign-ups close February 22.
Erika of Liverpool Yarns has put together 100% Shetland wool yarn packs for Sarah Thornton’s Vaunt Shawl, featured in the Winter 2020 issue of Knitty.
Preorders are open for the Fiber Coven Full Moon Club, a witchy knitting kit from Lauren of Valkyrie Fibers and Emily of Kitty With A Cupcake themed to each month’s Full Moon for all of 2021.
Monica of Gothfarm Yarn often uses alpaca fleece to add a pop of color to her natural yarns. Current blends include Arkose, a Cinnamon red alpaca and White Rambouillet Merino wool pictured above.
Amy has a line of Valentine’s trinkets up in her shop! Grab them and add some love to your knitting.
Sandy of A Flame of Color creates designer buttons, closures and beads for fiber artists with copper and enamel.
Take a road trip with the Sedona Sunrise shawl from Ashleigh Wempe Designs.
Peperomia is a new sweater design from Abbye and Selena of Wool & Pine that is inspired by walks through the beautiful deciduous forests of the Pacific Northwest, where they’re based. The colorwork motif starts at the hem and depicts the leaves that cover the forest trail, breaking apart before returning to the soil. You can preorder Peperomia and receive a digital ”Pattern Prep Pack,” which includes charted and written instructions for the colorwork motif so you can start swatching, and then get the pattern in your inbox when it goes live on February 25.
And then, there’s the yarn… Karen of Miss La Motte has created two color combinations: Celadonite and Blue Spruce, pictured in the stunning photo above, captured at Alouette Lake in Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, and Spruceforest and Evening Sunglow, a bolder look. Both color combos are available to preorder on Indie Untangled through this Sunday.
Because I had so much fun chatting with Abbye and Selena in October, we’re going to get together again on Sunday, February 28 at noon Eastern, along with Karen, to celebrate the official release of Pepperomia! You can add the session to your shopping cart when purchasing your yarn or register separately here.
Janis and Christen of Queen City Yarn have created a new colorway, Madam Vice President, MVP, inspired by Kamala Harris. They recommend combining it with the rereleased Fair Fight and Stand, two of their charity colorways. $10 from each skein sold of the former colorway is donated to Fair Fight, an organization founded in 2018 by Stacey Abrams to address voter suppression in Georgia and Texas, and $10 from the each skein of Stand sold is donated to Heal Charlotte, a community engagement organization in North Carolina.
Giulia and Stefania of Lanivendole are starting off the new year with a sale. Select bases and colorways, such as A Chic Blend and The Twisty Chic, as well as some kits, are available at a discount starting today at 7 p.m. Central European Time.
Heather of Sew Happy Jane has picked out some color combos for the the quick and cheerful Chain Link Hat and Cowl pattern by Marin Melchior (she used the colors Dusk and Sunday Morning for her project).
Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks has updated her shop with a small reserve of Nautilus BFL Aran, a Bluefaced Leicester Superwash that is only spun twice a year and is perfect for winter knits.
Bonnie of Yank Your Yarn is channeling Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders with her new Chain Knitting Row Counter, which features square markers and which you can also wear as a totally tubular bracelet.
Last year, while I was knitting with yarn from Rebecca of the sadly-closed Fuse Fiber Studio, I couldn’t stop smelling it. I had to ask her what wool wash she used, and she revealed that she stored her yarn with these lavender and cedar sachets. I recently went online to replenish my supply and discovered that I could buy them for my shop!
The company adheres to Fair Trade policies to create their products, including these sachets, which are formulated with natural essential oils and packaged in handmade paper. Get at least one of each scent for each of your yarn storage containers!
Victoria and Co. of Eden Cottage Yarn are unveiling their newest Milburn colorway today in their newsletter and on social media. They’re also updating the shop today with Oakworth DK, a Superwash Polwarth yarn.
If you missed out on My Mama Knits’ 2020 Surviving the Storm Advent you can grab one of the re-dye sets, available as 24 skeins, or split into the stormy and rainbow halves of 12 mini skeins each.
Missy of This Craft Or That has a new Color of the Month Club! Each club-exclusive color is themed around holidays. Packages include a skein of yarn on a choice of two different bases, a small gift and pattern suggestions.
Lisa The Knitting Artist has updated her shop with series of three new colors inspired by her “Tidepool” paintings. There are also a limited number of skeins of her Landscape Near Ampurdan colorway from the Salvador Dali yarn club.
Michele of Misfits Yarn has Bernie’s Mittens Kits available for preorder.
Signups for the Jilly & Kiddles Sock of the Season Club close Monday.
Augusta of adKnits has hoodies for knitters and nature lovers.
This list will be updated throughout the weekend with any new sales.
As you cozy up with your devices and browse gifts and personal treats, know that your purchases will also benefit people who could use a helping hand this year.
When you buy from the Indie Untangled shop or an Indie Untangled vendor this weekend, I will donate 5% of your purchase to Camba, an organization that provides programs in economic development, education and youth development, family support, health, housing and legal services to people in my hometown of Brooklyn. Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks will be providing an additional matching gift of 5%
Here’s what you need to do:
• Forward me the email confirmation from any purchase you made from an Indie Untangled vendor between 12:01 a.m. your time Thursday, November 26 and midnight your time Tuesday, December 1 to lisa at indieuntangled dot com.
• You can see the list of qualifying vendors here, either on the right side of the screen if you’re on a computer or at the bottom if you’re on your phone. Purchases from the Indie Untangled shop during this time automatically qualify!
• Forward the email before midnight your time on Friday, December 4 so it can qualify for the donation.
I’ve also made my holiday deals a little sweeter: If you purchase any physical item from the new and improved Indie Untangled shop, you’ll receive this Indie Untangled Sweater Fob, custom made by Katrinkles, for free! Simply add it to your cart and the discount will automatically apply. In addition, orders of $150+ will ship free in the U.S. and with flat rate shipping internationally. There are also a few new discounts scattered around, including on Fiber Friends Selfie enamel pins and the remaining two skeins of Field and Pasture self-striping yarn from Gauge Dye Works.
For the first installment of the 2021 Indie Untangled Where We Knit Yarn Club, Giulia and Stefania of Lanivendole, who create rustic, hand-dyed yarns in Italy, will partner with Soraya García, a native of Spain currently living in Amsterdam. Their inspiration is a photograph Soraya took in late winter 2020, showcasing the blooming of a new reality in a year filled with complex emotions.
This quarterly club, which will begin shipping in February, brings together four dyer/designer dream teams. Aside from Giulia, Stefanie and Soraya, there will be collaborations from Black Elephant and JimiKnits, Humble Knit and Camille Descoteaux, and Murky Depths Dyeworks and Bristol Ivy. Each pair will collaborate on an exclusive colorway and an accompanying accessory design inspired by their favorite spots to whip out their WIPs.
Sign-ups will be open through the end of the year. Make sure to grab your spot, or snag the perfect gift for a special indie yarn-loving person in your life.
In a nod to Thanksgiving, Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks has released her newest seasonal color, Cornbread and Cranberry, on BFL Sock and Neptune Merino DK. These colorways, and the rest of the yarn in her shop, are 20% off through Tuesday, no coupon code required.
Additionally, Debbie will be making a matching gift of 5% to Camba as part of Indie Untangled Giving Tuesday promotion.
Kate of McMullin Fiber Co has a special discount for Indie Untangled friends this month: use the code INDIEU at checkout for 20% off your entire order through the end of November. This includes the best price you’ll see all year on annual club subscriptions for 2021.
Save 20% on all of Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations’ handcrafted shawl pins, cuffs, patterns and notions — including her newest pins, the sparkling Czech glass and timeless Celtic knot — through November 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET, no code required.
Heather of Sew Happy Jane’s Black Friday sale begins today at 12 noon MT. Get 30-40% off Seconds Bundles, 20% off the soon-to-be-discontinued Dreamy MCN DK, 15% off DK Tweed Bundles and 15% off Perfect Pairings.
If you like surprises, treat yourself with a luxury mystery (alpaca or silk) or a standard mystery skein from Fairy Tale Yarn Co. You choose the weight and Dawn will choose a colorway and a base.
<img src="https://indieuntangled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/37B903D9-1441-4BE9-9180-A04874120A46_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg" alt="A pink bag with gold dots and a black and white striped pocket. ” width=”1920″ height=”2560″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-25728″ />
Shop small this weekend with Crista Jaeckel’s sparkly notion pouches and bags that are perfect for the holiday season. The front of these bags features sparkly hand-printed or block-printed fabric, while the backs have either waxed sparkly linen or sparkly cotton.
Emily’s newly-released Wicked Enchantress is on sale for 20% off through December 2. This top-down cowl uses just 150 yards of worsted-weight yarn, perfect for those single-skein purchases or for using up scrap yarn.
Just in time for the holiday season, Nancy of Tika Bags is offering a special Bag Club! There are tons of choices: you can choose from a two-bag club or three-bag club, choose the style of bag and choose from two colorways. Sign-ups run through December 23, making them perfect gifts.
Stardust Fiber Studio is having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, with 25% off everything and free shipping.
Doodle Dew Designs is offering 20% off all items and a free mystery marker with every order through Sunday.
There’s no doubt that 2020 upended all of our lives. However, one constant throughout the last several months has been the meaningful virtual connections that we’ve made through our beloved craft. Even though we’ve all been missing important in-person interaction and have been limiting travel, I feel like my world only continues to expand through knitting.
With that in mind, I’m thrilled to open sign-ups today for Where We Knit 2021. This quarterly club, which will begin shipping in February, brings together four dyer/designer dream teams: Lanivendole and Soraya García, Black Elephant and Jimenez Joseph, Humble Knit and Camille Descoteaux, and Murky Depths Dyeworks and Bristol Ivy.
Each pair will collaborate on an exclusive colorway and an accompanying accessory design inspired by their favorite spots to whip out their WIPs. Their inspiration photos are shown in the image above, clockwise from top left.
Aside from the yarn and pattern, each shipment will include a surprise gift from a third small business. This year, building on the spirit of virtual connection, there will also be an interactive Zoom interview with each team after their installment ships out.
The latest additions to the Crafty Flutterby menagerie of end minders — designed to keep your cast-on tails, color changes, and other loose ends out of the way as you knit or crochet — are Crafty Cats and Dependable Dogs.
Giulia and Stefania of Lanivendole are excited to share three new designs using their non-Superwash yarn: The Brogna Sweater by Rievive, which uses natural shades of A Stormy Blend fingering, the Trifari sweater by Paula Pereira, knitted in A Heavenly Blend as main color and A Chic Blend as contrast, and the Caloroso shawl by Aleks Byrd, which uses A Pure and Simple Wool.
To celebrate today’s release of Vanessa Smith’s Emberly hat, designed for the 2020 Where We Knit Yarn Club, I’m doing a limited preorder of Heather from Earl Grey Fiber Company’s lightly speckled semisolid, dyed on her Matcha Sport 80/20 Merino/nylon. It’s available through December 4 and will ship at the end of December.
Eve of Holly Dyeworks has new festive colorways and kits in her shop just in time for the holiday season. They include the Christmas Time is Here Kits, with one trio set of fingering minis, a matching project bag and a handmade progress keeper.
Jean of Midmitten Designs’ limited edition Peppermint Treat project bag features hot cocoa and peppermint-themed fabric featured on her Medium Vinyl Front project bag and on the coordinating Yarn Snuggler, which keeps your yarn cake clean and tidy in your project bag. You also get a peppermint candy zipper charm and surprise treats.
Jen of Porterness is celebrating the holidays with new jewels, sales and a discount code. She has a new perfect-for-gifting Sterling Silver Stockinette Stitch Motif Earrings & Stitch Marker Necklace set, a new sterling silver shawl ring with the stockinette stitch motif, gift cards and a wish list. Use the code IndieNOV20 for 10% off through November 30.
7th Floor Yarn has two new yarn bases, an 80% Superwash Merino/20% silk and a 100% Superwash Merino with black stripes. They’re also offering free shipping this holiday season AND 15% off with the code INDIE15.
Jo of JW Jewelry Studio is one of us — an obsessive knitter — and crafts jewelry, stitch markers, shawl pins and notion bowls that inspired by nature and modern forms. She creates molds from foraged plants, leaves and flowers and executes her pieces in enamel, bronze and precious metals.
Set an alert: Stephanie’s Yoke O’Clock Kits, along with her Knitter’s Book Case and Knitter’s Brief Case, are 30% off for Black Friday. And on Cyber Monday, get 25% off all of the knitting patterns available on her website.
Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarn has a shop updated with mohair/silk Eldwick Lace and Bowland Aran kits for Fiona Alice’s Woodbine sweater. There’s plenty of other news, including a list of gift ideas, so jump into her latest post.
Monica of Gothfarm has rustic yarn from Navajo-Churro sheep in four natural and undyed colors.
Lena’s latest, the Icelandia Hat, is 25% off on Ravelry and Etsy with code Icelandia through Sunday.
Sharon of Flora Adora Fibers specializes in naturally-dyed yarns using non-Superwash bases with colors foraged from nature or purchased raw materials.
Les laines Coco has a winter sock box.
Scarlet of Huckleberry Knits is helping us with the transition to fall through her stunning Knitting Our National Parks colorway. It’s called Going to the Sun after its inspiration photo of Lake McDonald, along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, taken by Colorado-based photographer Mallory Wilson. This colorway will be dyed on Scarlet’s Willow sock base, 80% Superwash Blue-Faced Leicester and 20% nylon, with 420 yards per skein, and available to preorder on Indie Untangled through Sunday, October 18.
Sara of La Cave à Laine is introducing Happy Knitting Boxes: four different boxes with a selection of handcrafted fiber accessories made in France or Europe, including hand-dyed or hand-printed project bags, stitch markers, wool soap and knitting patterns.
Sarah of Superfine Yarn has been playing around with one-of-a-kind dye batches. If you fall in love with any of her experiments, be sure to use code FALL10 to get 10% off and free shipping.
Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns had a shop update yesterday with Keld Fingering, a new-to-ECY blend of Superwash extrafine Merino with linen.
Marny’s Reversible Trellis Cowl is just what it sounds like, a fun accessory that can be made in any two colorways.
Kristen of KS Fiber Arts has a limited number of skeins of these colorways inspired by Jack Skellington and Ragdoll Sally of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Annie Dot Creative’s Fantastic Socks yarn club is inspired by Newt Scamander and his magical creatures. There’s still time to join in the fun.
Who says un-dyed yarn has to be boring? Monica of Gothfarm Yarn has four color palette ideas to make striking knits.
Travis, Jessica and Karen of Scratch Supply Co.
This is the first in a series of blog posts featuring the fabulous sponsors of Indie Untangled Everywhere, taking place from October 15-17, 2020.
Four years ago this month, Jessica Giordani and Karen Zook launched Scratch Supply Co., a craft store and inclusive home for makers in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Since then, they along with their partner Travis, have transformed the shop into a showcase for indie, women, POC/BIPOC, queer and otherwise underrepresented dyers and makers.
Scratch’s monthly Cast-On Club — I’ll be curating the October box! — celebrates the diversity of the fiber community with an exclusive colorway, and the shop features many indie brands that are familiar to Indie Untangled readers — Cat Sandwich Fibers, Fuzz Family, Julie Asselin — and some that may not be.
Since Petrina, Indie Untangled’s event producer, introduced me to the Scratch folks at Vogue Knitting Live NYC in January, I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and share in their enthusiasm for our amazing indie community (they’ll also be sponsoring the Bingo night that Petrina is hosting the Friday of Indie Untangled Everywhere, which means some great indie prizes!).
Tell me about the decision to open Scratch Supply Co. Did you ever think you’d own a yarn shop?
Not really! We didn’t even decide to open a yarn shop at first — we started as a multipurpose craft store with a handwork makerspace in the basement.
When we first opened the doors, we barely had any yarn at all. We had like two shelves with 40 skeins of yarn total and some hopeful shade card boxes — and we were SO proud of those two shelves. The best thing you could say about us was that we were scrappy. If you wanted to knit a sweater you could make something with stripes or wait for us to order a sweater’s quantity of one color. We were trying! Fortunately for us, our enthusiasm resonated with the knitting community, and they stuck with us through this awkward period while we found our footing, fine-tuned our offerings, and started stocking a full range of colorways in quantities large enough to make something bigger than a hat.
Over the last four years we’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to create a welcoming and inspiring space, and grow — with our amazing community of makers — into the LYS we were meant to be.
What you each of you do before you became yarn shop owners and how do you think it informs what you bring to the business?
The three of us met after Travis and Jessica moved to Connecticut after Travis left the Marine Corps. Jessica opened a small bakery and Travis and Karen met while they were enrolled in a PhD program in Comparative Literature.
We all have experience with research and working independently, and we’ve all been teachers in some capacity at some point. Jessica has previous experiencing running a retail shop, Karen has a background as a freelance writer, and Travis has government training in getting shit done.
We bring a lot of flexibility and a can-do, make-it-work spirit to Scratch. Since we all live together this is truly a family business. We’ve put our hearts into creating a space and a community that reflects who we are, and we like to make the members of our community part of that in any way we can. Our path from idea to execution is lightning-fast — our real area of expertise is in Doing The Thing. (Sometimes the thing is fixing your knitting, sometimes the thing is installing light fixtures, sometimes the thing is finding a way to keep our community connected during a pandemic.)
Why did you choose the dyers and brands that you carry?
First and foremost, we fill our shop with the yarns that we want to knit with! We have a carefully-curated selection that is constantly evolving. We are committed to supporting small makers and small mills, and providing our community access to with quality materials that they won’t find in just any LYS. We are enthusiastic about working with talented people in our industry whether they are established or just starting out. The fiber industry is diverse, and we believe that the dyers and makers that we work with should reflect that.
For us, there’s no value in filling our shop with yarn that you can get everywhere else. Our favorite thing is when people walk into the shop and announce “You have all the yarns that I follow on Instagram!”
Who are some of your favorite designers?
We love designers who are doing interesting things! It’s cold in New Hampshire so we’re sweater knitters at heart. We love Jessie Mae, Fatimah Hinds, Shay Johnson, Lavanya Patricella, Isabelle Kraemer, Maxim Cyr and Jacqueline Cieslak.
Crochet designers we’re following are Toni Lipsey, Vincent Williams, Twinkie Chan and Stephanie Erin.
Can you talk about any new products the shop is going to carry or special events in the works?
In September we just celebrated our fourth birthday, which is our biggest event of the year and kicks off a wildly-busy fall season!
We’ve been expanding our yarn selection since March to get ready for the long winter. We’ve recently brought in three bases by Julie Asselin, DK and bulky weight yarn from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers, fresh Spincycle, lace mohair, worsted and fingering-weight yarn from SweetGeorgia Yarns, the Nightshades from Harrisville Designs and two new fingering-weight bases from Junkyarn.
One of the best things about Cast-on Club (our monthly subscription box) is that we always have something amazing on its way to us — every month a different dyer sends us something new and exclusive! Indie Untangled is curating our October box, and in November our featured dyer is Doug Lopez of Knittinbro.
The Scratch family, including Violet and Scarlet.
When and how did you learn to knit?
Karen learned as a child from her mom, and knit/unknit/reknit a rectangle from the same skein of red Red Heart until she left for college. She couldn’t tell the difference between the right side and the wrong side of her fabric, so she had a strip of masking tape wrapped around the bottom of one of the horrendous plastic straight needles to help her keep it straight. After college she started a post-bacc program with an endless workload. She was living in Philadelphia and there was an amazing LYS right around the corner, so she started obsessively knitting just to hold a finished object in her hands once in a while. (Fortunately by then YouTube had been invented, which gave her the opportunity to increase her skills!)
Jessica learned to knit when she moved to Minnesota for grad school. There was a woman in her program who would knit through seminars, and since she didn’t know anyone and it was very cold, this seemed like a great hobby to take up. She didn’t know that LYSs existed, so she picked up a Susan Bates pamphlet and some bouclé yarn and taught herself how to knit while watching Pulp Fiction on repeat. She had been knitting for three years before she could read a pattern and learned a lot of problem-fixing techniques through trial and error.
Travis doesn’t knit (we’re wearing him down!), but has a lot of opinions about color, fiber content and design.
Tell me about each of your most memorable FOs.
The first sweater Karen ever knit for herself was bottom-up with seamed sleeves. She was very excited about knitting it and bought crazy-expensive alpaca yarn that wasn’t really suited to the pattern… it turned into such a fiasco that it’s currently stuffing a dog bed.
In 2011, Jessica promised her mom a sweater. She knit all but one sleeve, and that sweater lived in project bags until it was finally consigned to the bin in 2020. It just wasn’t meant to be… but don’t worry, mom will finally get her sweater this year.
Tell me the projects that are currently on your needles.
Jessica is knitting the Ghost Ranch hat using Dyed in the Wool in Payback and Street Light in Nightshades. It’s the squishy, Halloween-y hat of her dreams!
Karen is working on a gift knit that she’s going to try to keep a surprise so won’t spill the beans on that just yet. She just cast on a Pressed Flowers shawl by designer Amy Christoffers in Juicy DK from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers.
