are you curious?

i know you are. i get questions every day about what i'm up to and what my plan is for the shop.

1. are you closing? 
2. are you moving? 
3. when are you going to get more yarn? 
4. your inventory is low - are you not going to carry [insert yarn name/weight]? 
5. are you going to stop carrying needlepoint canvases?

the simple answers are

1. no
2. not this year
3. soon
4. yes, maybe, no (depending on the yarn)
5. no

but as we all know, answers are usually not that simple. over the past few years, the YARN mart has been going through some major and some minor changes. ownership has changed. technology has advanced (and continues to advance). and the yarn world is vastly different.

you are demanding more from your local yarn shop and from the yarn industry as a whole. you are smarter and savvier knitters, crocheters, and needlepointers. and after 50 years in business, we have a standard to maintain as well as a future to forge. i have a tons of ideas - more than i can accomplish in my lifetime but i'm excited about what is coming next. and i'm ready to meet whatever challenges you, our loyal customers, demand!

so...

1. no we are not closing.
2. not this year but in the near future to a location with much better parking.
3. after reducing down our inventory to a realistic number, it's time to build it back up. it will take a while (probably a year and a half). please bear with me.
4. we will continue to carry many of the high quality yarns that you have grown to expect from the YARN mart including blue sky alpacas, berroco, swans island, and lorna's laces. three irish girls had great YM unwinding and juniper moon farm's zooey is already sold out and reordered. sweet georgia tough sock love and cashmere lace arrived yesterday. i've got a plan and can't wait to unveil each and every new yarn.

stick with me cause I think you are going to LOVE the new and improved shop!

knittin' for baby

knittin' for baby is the perfect summer time knittin'!

check out these great new patterns from spud & chloe! fine and stripey fine are wonderful fingering weight yarns in yummy baby colors.

Pint-Size Pullover

roundabout romper and socks

boo boo bottoms

happy 4th of july!!!!

happy 4th of july for all of us at the YARN mart! i hope you all have a happy and safe holiday weekend. we will be closed on friday, july 3 and saturday, july 4.

i'll be at the shop till 8 pm on thursday, july 2 with special holiday punch (with and without a little something something). and i think i'll pull out the prize tub and have special gifts for everyone who arrives or stays after 5pm to keep me company.

so in honor of our nation's birthday and the signing of the declaration of independence, check out these patterns.

fireworks hat

fireworks

fireworks beret

 

the knit a long is back!

about three years ago, we started a knit a long on thursday nights. it was a huge success. so much that we added a wednesday daytime knit a log about two years later. but about a year ago it slowed down and we decided to give everyone a break.

well it's back!!!!!

starting the week of july 6, we will host a wednesday knit a long from 11:30 to 1:30 and a thursday night knit a long from 6 to 8. and the great thing is that we will feature two different projects so you can participate in both if you want to.

there are no fees to attend the knit a long. i just ask that you purchase your supplies for either KAL from us at the YARN mart.

on wednesdays we will be knitting this amazing felted bag from noni. using cascade 220, you can knit the small, medium or large size. (heather will be knitting the medium size). plus you will be able to order exquisite leather and metal purse handles to make your purse complete. learn all about felting and finishing with this cool hobo style bag.

on thursday nights we will be knitting rockefeller by stephen west. learn about color work and directional knitting with this spectacular shawl from one of knitting's top designers. using two colors of light fingering yarn, you will create a dramatic shawl and get rave reviews from all your friends. i'm using one solid color and one variegated for extra drama.

space is limited so call soon to reserve your spot. you must purchase your supplies to guarantee you have seat at the table. 

come and join me for both of these simple, yet elegant, projects.

and the winner is...

Suzette Keyser!!!! Great work Suzette! She wins a $50 gift certificate for being the first participant to finish the sweater. Thanks to everyone who participated. We'll do it again soon!

add a little needlepoint to your life! new trunk show has arrived.

and a great place to start is a needlepoint christmas ornament. they are small, reasonably priced and stitch up in no time at all.

now through june 20, the yarn mart is hosting a associated talents needlepoint trunk show with dozens of their small canvases. the pieces are mainly christmas in theme but we also have halloween, fall, and beach christmas. we have stocking cuffs (you don't have to stitch a whole stocking), ornaments, 3-d houses and signs.

plus many of the canvases come with complimentary stitch guides so you can break out of the basketweave rut and really flex your needlepoint muscle.

do you love the beach? do you spend christmas vacation on the sand? then this trunk show is for you. we have dozens of beach themed christmas canvases.

all trunk show canvases are 20% off. and if you drop by between 9am and 10am on Thursday morning, you will get an additional 5% off your whole purchase. plus we will have mimosa and pastries!

let's talk yarn stash!

the dowager is right. asking about a lady's yarn stash is like asking a lady her age. it is just not done - especially in the south.

well i'm here to tell you i am 40 years old and i have 181 items stashed in ravelry. that's not balls or skeins or hanks. that's items. now the last time i updated my stash in ravelry was july 4 of last year. great way to spend a holiday - organizing and cataloging my stash. but who knows how much i've bought since then. maybe i'll get around to adding my newest acquisitions over memorial day weekend!

we all have stuff in our stashes that we look at and scream (quietly or out loud so it scares the rest of the household) - what was i thinking????? you question yourself. you question your sense of taste. you question your sanity at the moment you made the purchase. is the color unfortunate? is the texture not doing it for you? is it one skein of 100 yard and you have no idea want to do with it?

well then it is time to destash!!!! your one-time treasure can be someone else's now treasure.

so join us for the 2nd annual yarn swap @ the YARN mart.  all the details on the website but know that you have to drop off your stuff between june 3 and june 6 and the actual swap is between june 13 (knit in public day) and june 20! a whole week to look through other folks stuff and find something you can't live without!