Yarns International

Spring 2004

• Knitting a Community • New for Spring —New! •

Knitting a Community

As we get ready for our tenth fall season, we at Yarns International have been thinking about you, our customers. One of the driving forces behind our dream of starting a knitting store was to create a place that would nurture the knitting community. We believe that knitting has lasted as long as it has not just because of its practical uses, but also because it is a communal and community activity. Knitting skills are passed from generation to generation and from neighbor to neighbor. We wanted Yarns International to be a place of community in an increasingly splintered world.

We are also part of a community of suppliers who, true to our name, bring us (and you) yarns from many nations. As they conduct business, some of these companies are consciously trying to maintain connections and sustain people. For example, Shetland 2000 comes from an island community whose traditional natural wool was losing ground due to the demand for more processed, dyeable fiber. Yarns International worked with Jamieson and Smith, who developed Shetland 2000, and created a market for this natural yarn, grown by shepherds in a centuries old tradition.

Other yarns in our store offer connections to communities beyond our own. Peace Fleece was begun as a way to combine U.S. and Soviet wools into one yarn, and continues to connect with the people of Russia, Israel, the West Bank and the U.S. Anne and Eugene Bourgeois, owners of Philosopher's Wool, created a cooperative to help Canadian farmers get a fair price for their wool. Manos del Uruguay was founded in 1968 to develop economic opportunities for women in rural Uruguay and continues today. Most of the yarn makes its way onto the shelves of knitting stores and from there into your projects. There is a direct connection between your buying these yarns and the quality of the lives of those who produce it.

See Instruction page for new Spring classes Back to the Top

New For Spring

* Fun and elegant novelty yarns from Stacy Charles. Glitz, fuzz and fluff the way only the Italians can do them! Try a summer scarf or shawl or choose one of the great sweaters from the new pattern books.

* From Manos del Uruguy, a new kettle-dyed striated cotton yarn.

* Laurel, from the inimitable colorist Cheryl Schaefer, a beautiful mercerized pima cotton.

* Hand-knit DK, All Seasons Cotton, Summer Tweed, and a new Denim book and yarn, all from Rowan.

* Trinity and Aqua from Jaeger, in fresh spring and summer colors, plus a fresh supply of Baby Merino DK, the best yarn around for baby knits.

* Mission Falls cotton is back for more summer knitting adventures.

See Instruction page for new Spring classes Back to the Top