Della Q Items: Back in Stock

We carried Della Q bags and needle cases a number of years ago and now we've got 4 our favorite new Della Q products back in the shop.

First up is "The Que". This is a great circular needle case that's available in two fun fabrics. We chose the cotton prints, because we think they're gorgeous and durable. 

The pockets that hold each needle are actually large enough to hold more than one set - which we all know is important, since who just has one of each size? Also, there's a great little flap on each pocket. This flap is actually sized perfectly to tuck into each pocket, holding the needles securely inside. If you've ever picked up your needle case and it was upside down, and all of your circulars spilled out all over the floor, you'll appreciate this tiny - yet super smart - detail.

We also carry two interchangeable kits (by Denise) in gorgeous Della Q silk cases. There's a knitting needle set and a crochet hook set, and these were both really popular gift items this winter. It's so smart that these two companies teamed up together with their incredible products!

Denise Crochet Hook Interchangeable Set in a Della Q case

And just last week we received some really fun Della Q project bags. These are perfect for small knitting or crochet projects, and make great gifts - they're under $10!

These bags come in assorted colors and you can choose from three funny sayings. SO much better than a plastic baggie for your project!

It All Started with a Rice Basket

I wanted to share this awesome article about Lantern Moon with all of you. It's from the August 2011 issue of Yarn Market News, and even though that was 6 months ago, it's worth a read (or re-read).

Grab your coffee and take 5 minutes to read about a great company with a feel-good mission and kick-you-know-what products.

We LOVE the Lantern Moon products we sell. From the whimsical tape measures and fun stitch markers to the gorgeous and functional baskets and silk needle cases and high quality knitting needle sets, they're all great!

Rescued and Recycled

We always love opening a box from Susan Todd... when we place an order for new needle cases and it arrives, it's always so exciting to see what they look like!

They're always beautiful, but that's not the best part. They all come from "forgotten sweaters" (I love that term) that were rescued from a salvage house. They were washed, dried, and given a wonderful new life as either a straight, circular or combo needle case.

These just arrived in our latest shipment. It's always so hard to pick a favorite! What's yours?

Manic-In Monday

Doesn't our mannequin look smart this week? She's got some dinner plans for this Thursday and wanted to look nice without seeming too gussied up (after all, things are a little more "casual" here in Vermont).

This tie front sweater with beautiful stitch patterning is just perfect for her holiday meal on Thursday. She's also got her knitting needles at the ready - she's not a big football fan, and is obviously planning on knitting in front of the big screen, while politely cheering for one of the teams.Sweater: Cape Waves Cardigan Sweater - tie front option (pattern includes option for 3 button closure too!) from the Adventure in Knitting Cape Waves pattern knit in Frog Tree Alpaca Sportweight yarn
Needle Case: Tilli Tomas Bollywood Straight Needle Case (there is also a circular option!)

Fun New Stuff

Seems my pile of "to do" had grown recently - I have a spot in our office where Barb puts all the new items that need to be photographed and/or put online. The other day, I realized that it really needed some attention!

So yesterday, I started with some of the new items that just needed to be photographed. We got a couple of new colors of Noro Kochoran (we're still waiting for 4 more new ones - they are very late, if you ask me...) and 6 gorgeous colors of Louisa Harding Willow Tweed. This is one of my absolute favorite yarns. I just love the color palette, especially with the addition of these 6 new shades

We have some new shades of the Lantern Moon Silk Needlecases, and 2 brand new cases from Tilli Tomas. One is for circular needles and one is for straights.

These cases are so well done - we are all very impressed with the quality. They're made with different shades of silk and batik - and each style is available in four shades. The insides are great - 14 pockets for circs or 24 for straights. There's nothing flimsy about these cases - they are well worth the price.

We also have a new yarn from Tilli Tomas called Carousel. It's a loopy kid mohair, with a hint of iridescence and a whole lotta bows. The colors are lovely and I really see this as a fun novelty yarn that will be popular for special gifts this gifting season.

That's all I got done yesterday... but the pile of new stuff is still there, and doesn't seem to have gotten any smaller. What's up with that?

Eye Candy

Here are just a few things that we've been oohing and aahing at over the past few days!

Michele has been cranking out the Eli Hats for friends and family. This hat is AWESOME and the Nashua Handknits Paradise is a great yarn. Her latest is a gorgeous colorway (Spruce, Dusty Teal & Spring Leaf):Yesterday we received a new shipment of Susan Todd needlecases. This is my favorite shipment yet! The colors are so gorgeous and we have straights, circulars, and combos all in stock. What a great gift!

People are in the holiday spirit, and have been admiring our "trees"! I found these last month and just love them. Especially when the heat turns on and the feathers start to gently blow.

Hot off the UPS truck is Madeline Tosh Lace... not online yet, but will be in a few days.

Also, 4 super new colors of Berroco Sox.

Aren't these colors happy? And you'll be happy to know, that we've discontinued some oldie (but goodie!) colors of Berroco Sox, because we had to make room for these beauties (and a few others to come.) So check out the sale page to get a great deal.

New recycled needle cases

As promised, the Susan Todd needle cases have arrived! We were all in a bit of a swoon yesterday when we opened the box. They are so beautiful - it's hard to pick a favorite. We have circular cases and straight cases, and a combo case for those of you who are switch-hitters with your needles.

Today is Kalen's 29th birthday - can you believe it!? She is getting old, like the rest of us. We'll celebrate with our traditional sushi birthday lunch one day next week when Michele is in, too.

A customer and friend of ours - Barb R. - came in the other day. Her son was a friend of Kalen's growing up, and she brought in a GREAT picture of Kalen dressed us as Pippi Longstocking many, many years ago. Kalen was mortified, but you know, it's always fun to laugh at each other's childhood pictures - I know I have a million awful ones. But this is actually a cute picture and she looks EXACTLY the same, so I told her I'd put it on the blog. Sorry Kalen!She didn't really have a good answer though, when asked why she blacked out one of her front teeth... Pippi Longstocking meets Captain Hook?

Look what's coming next week!

We had such heat and humidity here this weekend. Yesterday I had to run 9 miles for my training program, and I almost died. I ran on the Burlington Bike Path with a friend, and it was so hot and humid that I could barely see through the fog on my sunglasses. I was also not quite hydrated enough, and though I planned to run by North Beach and use the water fountains there midway through my run, I found out that they apparently turn OFF the water fountains when they close for the season. LAME. But yes, I should have planned better. Thankfully we had some FIERCE winds last night that have cooled things off. This week looks perfect for running... and knitting!

The cool weather has brought out the rug hookers, and in the past couple of days our rug hooking wools have been picked over... to say the least! Tomorrow I will be spending some time in the kitchen playing with dyes and wools. I've been meaning to do it for months, but summer just isn't the easiest time to stand over a hot stove. So tomorrow it is...

This weekend I went to Middlebury College - my old stomping grounds - as my niece was up for a visit. She is applying for admission next year, and wouldn't it be nice to have her up here in Vermont? Well, I didn't actually get to the campus - I just hit some shops in downtown Middlebury. Hey, I like to visit yarn shops too! Anyway, I saw one or two things that I got so excited about! So this morning I made some phone calls, and by next week we will be stocking a couple of new items...

The first is Susan Todd Recycled Needlecases. These cases are cool - they're made from recycled sweaters. NO NEW SWEATERS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF OUR BAGS! - that's directly from her website. And we love her even more because she used to live in Vermont! We have three needlecases coming - one for straights, one for circulars, and one for all needles (both!) They're really cute and very different than what we currently stock, so a great addition to our offering.

Then two new YARNS... yum yum. Next week we are getting Ozark Handspun and Ozark Opulent. These are SO sweet! They will be very popular. The textures and colors are just incredible. The best part is that we have NOTHING like this yarn. I'm all for unique things, and this fits the bill. From my quick conversation with Terri at Ozark this morning, it seems as if they are going to be wonderful to do business with - good inventory levels, pretty quick turnaround, drop shipping, WOW. I look forward to getting these two yarns and sharing them with all of you knitters!

New Offhand Designs Fabrics!

We received a heavy box from Offhand Designs today - full of bags and needle cases made with their great new Spring 2008 fabrics!

We were completely sold out of the Deluxe Needle Clutch and the Circular Needle Clutch, but these are both back in stock now in all 6 awesome new fabrics!




We also received a few Zhivago Weekenders - the largest bag in their line and our BEST selling bag:
and a few Zelda Grandes - our next best selling one:They are gorgeous. Come on in and see!