YarnWest

Awwww

2012-01-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our world, little one. This is Zenna and her dad, Mike. Zenna is sporting the wonderful whimsical hat her mother Annie made the other day in Baby Alpaca Grande Glow. Annie is a new knitter!

End of Year Sale!

2011-12-27T06:43:00.001-08:00

This week only, buy any 3 balls of yarn and get the 4th ball (of same yarn) FREE!

Knit something special for yourself.

Sweaters, Sox & Kicked-Off Booties!

2011-09-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here we have Logan, who is wearing his brand-new sweater, hat & booties courtesy of Grandma Gene. Isn't he lucky to have a loving grandma who knits? He seems intent on kicking off those booties, and it looks like he eventually succeeded.

Chris' first pair of socks. She did a superb job, doncha think?We do!

Barb H.'s Baby Surprise Jacket with ladybug buttons is SOOO cute we can't stand it. She worked hard on this and it came out great. She's making another baby sweater right now but not a BSJ. I think she's done with that one!

Barb W.'s little baby sweater with pockets is adorable. She picked up that front band and sewed the whole thing together like a pro. She comes most Friday mornings with the Knit Clickers -- our newest knit group -- and is a hoot. We love you, Barb.

What's On Our Needles

2011-07-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

We have a dachshund for our friend Jill. Easy to knit, kind of complicated to sew up and stuff!

Karen's BSJ -- Baby Surprise Jacket, in Encore Colorspun; Dee's beautiful baby sweater with added colorwork, in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino; Gail's gorgeous vest in Berroco Borealis; and a first pair of socks in Mountain Colors.

YarnWest Celebrates First Birthday!

2011-05-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

One full year in business and -- whew!-- we are going strong. Having fun and knitting/crocheting up a storm. Meeting wonderful people and having a great time. Thanks to you all. It's been an extraordinary first year. Our supporters have made it all possible.

We threw a little party today, with cake & ukulele/banjo playing and many laughs.

Royalty's gone to the dogs!

2011-04-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

And here's Tori with Gabby, royalists for a day.

Hats Off to the Yarn Floozies!

2011-04-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

Our very own Yarn Floozies got into the royal spirit of things on Royal Wedding Day by wearing their best chapeaus into the store. Liz, in her enormous white-feathered concoction, was perhaps the most likely to be invited to Westminster Abbey.

Hats off to you, ladies!

Troop hats on the troops!

2011-04-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

Remember Knit For Our Troops? Of course you do. A few years ago, the USO teamed up with many entities across the country, including the Denver Public Library, to collect hand-knitted hats -- helmet liners, really -- for soldiers to wear.

They had to be made of 100% wool, and to certain specs. Knitters across the land responded with zillions of hats!

Then the program ended. But it didn't. Even though the military said thanks, but we've now got our own deal, many knitters continued to knit the pattern and send 'em off.

Like our own Vicki Shepit, who comes into YarnWest to get the yarn and then knits up a storm. She found that the USO in Palm Springs, Calif., is still eager for troop hats. They hand them out at the Marine base at nearby Twentynine Palms.

And the Marines wear them, and love them. Vicki sent us this picture.

Thank you to those Marines and all military personnel for doing a very tough job. And yes, if you want to knit a troop hat, come on in and we'll set you up with yarn + pattern.

2011-02-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

READY FOR ANYTHING!

It may look and feel like spring, but this is Colorado. We have to be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us. Is it time to finish that beautiful, cabled wool sweater or think about the cool, comforting cotton blends of warmer weather?

We're here to help.

Yarns that say "spring" have arrived at YarnWest with all the expectations of a brilliant yellow crocus bursting through brown earth. Wait until you see you the colors! You’ll want some of everything.

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New to the shop, in the Ber roco family of yarns, is Linsey (right), a cotton-linen blend perfect for sun-bleached days among the pines. The worsted-weight yarn comes in hanks of 104 yards.

Patterms include some interesting jackets and shells including

this textural piece - called Vives (below) - with a self belt.

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Glint is a cotton chain of yarn shot through with a subtle metallic thread. It’s a perfect pick-me-up for recession-weary knitters. The worsted yarn comes in balls of 141 yards and is perfect for casual summer sweaters and wraps.

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The multi-colored strands in Origami - linen, cotton, nylon, acrylic - knit into a light, crisp fabric, perfect for the upcoming warm-weather months. Patterns include a breezy jacket - Kirra - with directions for both the knitter and crocheter. Everyone who has seen it wants to make it. See more patterns in this Origami slideshow.

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We’ve also added new, pastel colors of Weekend into our already generous mix of shades. These colors remind us of beautifully tinted Easter eggs. The yarn, a washable blend of acrylic and cotton, works for all types of easy-come, easy-go projects. Peruse the new pattern book for Weekend, too.

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Panda Silk is a delightful mix of bamboo, washable Merino wool and silk. The soft, fingering-weight yarn from Crystal Palace has a soft drape for rich-looking garments. Each ball contains 205 yards. We're making a lace shawl out of this delicate yarn. You can, too.

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And there's more.

Soon to arrive are more colors of Tahki Cotton Classic, a double knitting weight, 100 percent mercerized yarn great for year-round wear. The machine-washable yarn comes in 108-yard skeins.

For those who love to crochet, the new spring/summer pattern book - City Crochet - contains directions for smart tunics, a flowery shawl and an airy vest pattern.

You'll want to make several of these lovely summer wardrobe staples.

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Of course there's still plenty of time to finish a cool-weather project, too.

We love Liberty Wool, with it's vibrant solid and swirly varigated colors and fun patterns. This washable wool is an extremely versatile worsted weight yarn. One of our favorites is the side-to-side jacket, below.

Finally, lots of new patterns are arriving at the store. One is a collection of wraps that go from the traditional to the funky.

Wraps have come a long way since Martha Stewart’s poncho. They’re whimsical, functional during cool evenings, gloriously delicate and ever so beautiful.

In A Knitting Wrapsody: Innovative Designs to Wrap, Drape, and Tie (Interweave), designer Kristin Omdahl incorporates her signature motifs and experimental construction in 18 designs that include shrugs, shawls, capes, skirts, and of course, the versatile wrap.

Omdahl is known for her crochet designs. Her previous book, Crochet So Fine: Exquisite Designs with Fine Yarns (Interweave), breathed new life into crocheted clothing, offering stunning designs that are both fashionable and flattering.

Many of the patterns in Wrapsody, the designer’s first knitting book, are influenced by her love of crochet. “Warrior Wings” is a lacy shawl that resembles layers of feathers; Lelani, a shawl, is worked with connected motifs that form that back. Omdahl also incorporates knitted edgings that mimic those often found in crochet patterns.

The designs range from the more classic-shaped shawls and scarves to an openwork sarong that is easily converted to a halter top or wrap to a cape joined with leather ribbons.

A DVD helps the knitter through some unusual techniques such as pleating and cinching.

Happy knitting!

Three cool knit things for kids

2011-02-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here we have a delicate and adorable baby sweater, knit by Sue in Baby Cashmerino by Debbie Bliss. Lucky mom - and baby Emma! Congratulations, Sue, on a beautiful piece.

Also a kid-size hoodie in worsted weight wool and (below) a child's sweater in Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK, knit by Christy.

What's On Our Needles

2011-02-25T19:48:00.001-08:00

Thought you'd like to see what some of our customers are knitting.

Here is Maud wearing her new scarf in Glen -- a very soft, cuddly wool blend from Debbie Bliss.

We think she looks quite dashing.

Let It Snow, But ...

2010-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Well, our big Let It Snow Sale is ending its second week, and still no white stuff. What gives? A friend said it was La Nina. December and we prop the door open!

Puff 'N Stuff Blanket

2010-12-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Gene -- yes, she spells it that way -- has her first grandchild on the way, so her first project had to be a baby blanket.

She decided on knitting it with Puffin, a really fun, soft, washable and somewhat whimsical yarn from Crystal Palace. Gene used a basketweave stitch, which showed off the Puffin just perfectly, don't you think?

Aunt Marjorie's red hat

2010-12-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished knitting Aunt Marjorie's red hat for Christmas. Aunt Marjorie is 96 years old and lives in Presbyterian Manor in Fulton, Missouri, but she spent 60 years raising her family in Coffeyville, Kansas. She is my favorite -- and only -- aunt, and was always a great person. We'd walk "to town," which was only about six blocks from her house, and visit lots of people. Small towns are fun.

She's still sharp as a tack, and talking to her now is just as easy and natural as talking to her when I was a child. She is up on everything.

The hat is a cabled one made from Debbie Bliss Rialto DK. Soft, of course, with great stitch definition, and I think it will be just the thing to stay warm through the Missouri winter.

Girls' Day Out

2010-09-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

These girls are learning to knit with Cynthia, and all we heard was laughter and fun all afternoon. They've had two classes and it's clear the whole thing is getting out of hand.

Snowy cone hat

2010-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Becca knit this one out of Brown Sheep Burly Spun in creamy white. She's on to the next!

Sue's Fabulous Sweater

2010-09-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Taa daa!

Sue knits with us on Thursday morning with the Yarn Floozies, and recently she finished this incredible Fair Isle sweater. Everything, from the fit to the finish, is just about flawless. We all loved it. Congrats, Sue, on bringing this beautiful project to fruition.

YarnWest Goes to Stitch 'N Pitch

2010-08-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

YarnWest had 29 people -- count 'em! -- at this year's Stitch 'N Pitch at Coors Field, and there was a huge outbreak of public knitting. We saw shawls, scarves, mittens, Wallabies, socks and all manner of yarn thingies in progress. Wonderful.

The Rox had tough sledding for many innings until Tulo blasted a three-run homer in the 8th to put us over the top. Yay. So that was icing on the cake.

A small contingent left from the store and made our way down to the stadium; the rest got there on their own.

Here's some pix, and also some of Store Ambassador Lindsey in her finished scarf & hat. Way to go, girl!

Mama! (We thought it was Papa)

2010-07-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

A tiny little girl came in the other evening and immediately spotted our baby lambs in the cribs in our baby area, and carried them both up front to bond with our big baaaad sheep in the window. We always kind of thought it was a he, but now we know better.

Our happy front window

2010-07-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Two knitting groups have adopted us on Thursdays -- the Yarn Floozies in the morning and the Purls in the afternoon. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours, sitting with good friends and knitting. Laughter and stories flow, and that's what a good knitting group is really all about, isn't it?

Now that's a shawl!

2010-07-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Jill, modeling her beautiful new shawl, knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Jill took a pattern from a lacy sweater -- yes, we have this pattern -- and adapted it to a gorgeous shawl.

Isn't this fabulous?

Summer Knitting

2010-06-30T07:02:00.001-07:00

What are you working on? Is it too hot to knit? Never! Well, sometimes you don't really want a mound of yarn covering your lap. That's the time to take up something small, such as socks, a baby sweater, a light summer shawl. Now there's an idea.

YarnWest has some really delicious cotton and other lightweight yarns for a warm-weather project. Several people are making little scarves and/or shawls from Aimee by Louisa Harding. Also take a look at the gorgeous cottons just inside the front door on your right.

I am currently making a little tank top out of Berocco Weekend, a cotton/acrylic blend. Washable. The pattern is for flat knitting but I am doing it in the round, because something in me just loves to knit/knit/knit instead of knit/purl my stockinette. Lazy, perhaps? I can admit to that.

Knitting is really the perfect summertime activity.

Open House

2010-06-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Copperbelle and Celeste were perfect ladies at our Open House. Jim from Soda Creek Llamas brought them by. Liz from Yarn Floozies, it turns out, is an expert llama tender. Who knew? She took charge of Copperbelle with nary a misstep.

The girls grew tired after a few hours (the four-footed ones, not us!) and returned home to rest up for whatever it is llamas do. Munch hay and bask, I suppose. Not a bad life!

Lemonade and cookies went fast, though someone who shall remain nameless (it was Jim) asked when the kegger started. After hours, Jim, after hours!

Yes, we have llama yarn

2010-06-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

We were helping a customer the other day, when who should happen in, but ... uh, excuse me, is that a llama? A suri llama, in fact.

A local girl just checkin' out the neighborhood.

Thanks for stopping in!

Ready, set, knit!

2010-06-19T06:45:00.001-07:00

Hello, FOYW (Friends of YarnWest)! After three months of preparation and sweat equity, the store's up and running, and what a crazy, fulfilling adventure it's been. (Check out our hailstorm! Were you caught in it?)

We're learning as we go, and everyone's been incredibly understanding. Classes have started, more are cranking up. Books have arrived. Yay. More yarn has arrived. More on the way.

This is a partnership, between you, the knitting community, and us. Tell us what you want/need/think and we'll do our best to make it happen.

We want to make this last, be loads of fun, and provide a haven for people who simply like to sit and knit. Come on in.