Metaphor yarn in Shelburne Falls, MA

Meta Nesbitt is the proprietor of Metaphor yarns located on Route 2 West of 91 in Shelburne, MA. (623 Mohawk Trail,; Shelburne, MA 01370; 413-625-9191 or 888-876-9191; mnisbet@metaphoryarns.com) This is a great destination on a yarn crawl at any time of year, but Summer and Fall are the BEST as it is located on the Mohawk Trail and just a skip from the Bridge of Flowers in Shelbmurne Village. Shelburne is surrounded by hill farms with sheep, goats, alpaca and llamas. Spinners, dyers, knitters, felters and crocheters also populate the area, many of renown! Fiber is a large part of the landscape.

Metaphor shares a building with a Quilting store which is a wonderful compliment of supplies and hobbies. These are separate stores but they also share an incredible work space for classes. This is a great combination here.

Now, let's focus on what Meta has put together. This is her third shop in as many years and this one is gorgeous and spacious. Walking in the front door, you could be in a New York Boutique, not a yarn store in Western MA.

The simple, crisp elegance is welcoming and inspiring. The front table introduces the next event to come to Metaphore. On my visit she is looking forward to showcasing glamorous pieces from shops all over the country. She was featuring the Luxury Yarn - One Skein Wonders edited by Judith Durant. On here table she features the Baby bunny crocheted cap designed by Renee Barnes done here in Baby Ull (Dale of Norway).



As one wanders back through the store you will find three more rooms full of yarns and supplies. One has a living room setting and the OTTLITES help customers work without eye strain and note true colors for their fibers. Here you can see my friend Claudia taking advantage of the situation!










In another room O-Wool' Balance and Classic yarns (Organic wool and organically dyed from the Vermont Organic Fiber Company) Graces one wall. This 9 square baby blanket has been a very popular item for knitters to create a sampler as well as a beautiful, organically grown and dyed article in the wool/cotton fiber called BALANCE. A truly thoughtful Baby gift.


Meta is a big fan of the Louet company and well she should be. She carries Mooi, a fabulous high end fiber in gorgeous colors. Here she has begun to knit a patterned scarf with Mooi. Note the halo of bison hair that gives it an amazing glow. The Bamboo and Cashmere blended with the bison give and incredibly delicious fiber combination that feel wonderful in the hand.

Classes and conversations have lead many Metaphor customers to appreciate the Euroflax linen from Louet. This fiber is both machine washable and machine dryable. It gets softer over time and washing. It is one of the original GREEN fibers before GREEN was in. Used for Face clothes, as pictured here, they make great gifts for girl friends as the fiber is a bit of a loofah affect - I like to package mine with a wonderfully creamie soap. Look at the variety of colors you can choose from - and a single skein will make TWO face clothes. Start the Christmas projects early!

Also, check out these crocheted hot pads, plant pads, doilies - whatever. I have personally started crocheting some of these finding that they make excellent doilies to put under plants to protect wooden furniture. And I am finding the crocheting very relaxing!





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Gems merino - in beautiful solid colors is a great choice for the discerning knitter and Meta shows it here used for socks, for which it has been used successfully for years. Even though it has no nylon the tight twist offers it good strength. If, in fact, you require a stronger option you should try the MERLIN from LOUET which is a blend of the gems and the linen - the linen giving it all the strength and more than what the nylon would do







JOJOLAND Melody superwash is available at Metaphore - and the spiral scarf, socks, scarves... whatever is your pleasure can be made out of this wonderful, long color variations, sock weight yarn.

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Finally - another great find at Metaphor is the new HIYA HIYA needles. These Circulars and double points come in bamboo or steel in a wide range of sizes including 9 inch circulars. The price and the product will turn you into a believer. Make sure you take a close look.

The Bridge of Flowers in downtown Shelburne is NOT to be missed. This old Trolley bridge was converted into a garden walkway in 1929. Below I will share a few shot of my visit. Enjoy.

Knitting Experience - Knitted Knockers

Chesley Flotten and the Knitting Experience 14 Middle Street in Brunswick, Maine have been involved in a unique charity knit program called "knitted Knockers". You can read all about it at her website. Born out of personal experience and the realization of a specific need, Chesley's program has provides soft, comfortable, and FREE prosthetic breasts to breast cancer survivors.

Louet Company is promoting the use of SOAK to maintain the beauty and comfort of these prosthetic breasts. The Knitting Experience sends a sample of SOAK directly to each survivor who requests a knitted knocker. They are also takng SOAK samples to the local breast health centers along with every delivery of knitted knockers. SOAK . SOAK and Louet are proud to supprt Chesley and her staff, knitters and neighbors in this Knitted Knockers program.




Chesley's story is a sensative story of womens support and understanding. Born from personal experience, Chesley has led the way for many women to give and recieve inexpensive, comfortable prosthetic breasts. Teaming up with Soak has allowed them to maintain the quality of these breasts without causing irritation to the skin for those who wear them.

Soak is sold only in fine knitting stores or lingere stores.

The Knitting Experience is a charming knitting store and CAFE offering the latest yarns, a warm cozy environment and specialty teas, coffees and treats. The inviting atmosphere offers cozy seating to work on your projects and receive help and advice from friendly staff as well as visitors. In my visits to this shop I have found it hopping with customers and conversation that supports the knitting, spinning and dying community. Spunky eclectic yarns are also sold here discerning buyers. Be sure to experience The Knitting Experience if you are ever traveling in the Brunswick, Maine area. Truly a fine destination yarn store.





Here's Chesley modeling the Swirl Shawl from JoJoLand - also available at this fine store.

Extreme Sheep and Wool

May is a big month for Sheep and wool festivals throughout New England. Maryland Sheep and Wool the first weekend in May kicks it off, and although this is outside of my New England “territory” many customers and shop owners migrated to this event. Add to that the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival on Mother’s Day weekend, The Jamailca Village Fiber Festival in Vermont, and The Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcrafts in Cummington, Ma. On the 23rd and 24th. There are a lot of woolie fun things to do. Opportunities to vertically integrate ones knowledge of the wool and fiber industry. Between that and gardening, many have looked away from their knitting – the sticks may be quiet but the fascination with fiber and yarn continues.

For all you fiber folks who are becoming enamoured with the cute little shabby sheep that are a source for our knitting pleasure, here’s a video I happened upon. I hope you will enjoy it. This is a 2.45 minute clip of extreme sheep herding byIthe “Baaa Studs” If you haven’t seen this. No fleece fakery…well not much. Stay for the pong game. Don’t miss the fire works. Pick up your knitting and watch it again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw or search for "extreme sheep" in youtube

I welcome your comments.

Stay tuned for another LYS store story.

thanks for taking the time.

Are knitters also Gardeners?

This one surely is. Marion Hobart has been knitting all her life, following in the footsteps of a mother who was never without her needles. Mariam and her husband have lived her for 20 years, and perfected the flower gardens with donations of perenials from friends across New England. The Yarn shop was born 6 years ago, the culmination of a life long dream. LLamas also grace this property. This picturesque site is a welcoming destination at the intersection of Rt 28 and 495 in Middleboro, MA. Come to knit and admire.


The Shop is behind the house and just as pristine as the rest of the place. It's a small, well organized and cozy shop where women meet to knit, share, learn, support and develop long friendships. Every Thursday night she has a sit and knit night open to the public. Feel free to join.

Marion has always loved the Dale yarns and patterns - standards for any well respected yarn shop. She will be scheduling a baby sweater class soon for all the new mothers and grandmothers. Baby sweaters are fun and fast to knit. Even if you don't have a baby to knit for today, baby things are always fun to knit and can be added to you gift stash/cache ready for the next baby to come along.


You won't find a prettier setting for a yarn store or a more personnal store for a feeling of friendship and connections.

Mariam can be reached at thewoolpatch@aol.com. Add this stop to your yarn crawl to enrich your appreciation for the variety of local yarn shop experiences. She can also be found on Ravelry as THREELLAMAS

Inspire 2 Knit in Plymouth, NH

Happy One Year Anniversay! Inspire 2 Knit and Tea is growing strong after only one year. Attracting locals and visitors, this store presents quality fibers for the discerning buyer. It is the place to be in Plymouth NH to gather with knitters and fiber folks. Sharing inspiration and respect for fibers, Ursula's store is a riot of color, fibers and inspiration. It can be found at 12 Yeaton Road, B5, Plymouth, NH 03264 - 603-536-KNIT (5648). Visit her website at www.inspire2knit.com.



The shop is welcoming a new customer coming in for the first time as well as those who are familiar with the setting. Fibers are easy to find and suggested usages abound in models throughout the store.

Quality yarns and incredible patterns exemplify the Bergere de France line of fibers and is a great fit for Inspire 2 knit and tea. Bergere de France is a French fiber company that has been in business over 50 years in France. Like Inspire 2 Knit, it is a newcomer on the fiber scene in the USA. It's patterns and fibers have achieved great recognition and acceptance in French and throughout Europe. A natural next move was to introduct them to the States.

Ursula chose to introduce The Bergerine fiber, a cotton wool blend, perfect for the cool summer evenings in New England. The Bergerine pattern below is an incredibly beautiful and unique sweater that was created by the clever designers of Bergere.This sweater flatters many body shapes and sizes and gets positive comments wherever it is worn. It isn't for the beginner as it uses short rows to make the gracefully curved cable, but is well worth the effort.





The fiber is so wonderful to work with, another customer created her own design from the Bergerine, giving great credance to the adaptability of this fiber. Again - this cardigan is perfect for a cool summer evening.


Ursula, the owner herself, is showing off this creation. Make sure you get a chance to visit with her when you go to the store. Below is a detail of the pattern.



This is truly a versatile fiber whose advantages can be seen at Inspire 2 knit and tea. The soft color pallet is flattering to all complexions.




Classes and individualized assistance are ongoing at Inspire 2 Knit. Add this to you travels for a great New England Yarn Crawl. And don't miss the great views of the surrounding mountains - maybe even go for a picnic hike. Take your knitting for an excuse to rest!

Happy trails.

NENA - Stores and Vendors Unite

Sunday and Monday were hectic days in the world of the yarn trade in New England. Sturbridge, MA was the setting for the New England Needle Arts Trade Show. This annual event unites retail stores and vendors to exchange product news for the upcoming Fall season. As a sales representative to the industry, I participated again this year on behalf of many of the companies I represent. My Booth was chuck full of samples and products from all over the world. With each company I offer the yarn stores various opportunities to enhance the knitting experience of the consumers. I personally spoke with 64 store owners!

After weeks of preparation, Saturday brought the day of set up and final organization of my labors. With the help of many friends and coworkers the booth took shape and each vendor's wares were carefully positioned and made ready for the store owners to review.


Judy, Jan and Eileen in a photo op in the booth


Eileen Petre from Bulls eye Buttons and Soup to Knits, Diana Mennig Smith from Dale of Norway, and Judy Tollefson from Judy's Colors worked closely with me to organize and add order to the presentation. My friend Bob Belley provided needed strength, height, and patience to the mix.





Later in the afternoon Vincent Glorion and Joanne Fauchon from Bergere de France arrived from Montreal with their significant others. They proceeded to add the finishing touches to the Booth.


Vincent Glorion and his wife discuss where to display the Bergere de France signage!

It was finally ready. We retreated to our evening preparations to arrive early Sunday morning to great the line of customers waiting in the halls.

Sunday was the busier day at the event as over 100 stores were represented in the aisles to survey all the booths in the convention center. With six people in our booth, we were swamped all day. Each of us hardly had time for a break and 5 o'clock came quickly. Store owners were positive about the market having, experienced a steady flow of business through out the winter. The economic situation has had an effect but certainly not curtailed the knitting excitement across the country. Cautious optimism is abundant. Sales continue but the end customer is more discerning on the products they are buying. Quality and value are key concerns. Gathering fibers for "stash" (a technical term in the knitting world) is not so encouraged. Likewise, shops are not accummulating inventory without a plan to move it. A sign of the times for consumers and stores.

Activity and traffic was high. This show occurs during a slow period of knitting sales in New England as Spring is in full bloom, and many knitters are also avid gardeners. It is a time to reflect on the passed busy months of winter and look forward to summer knitting which need not be an oxymoron. And then, farther to the future of next Fall and Winter when new fibers, colors, classes, patterns and other encouragements will be introduced to entice and amuse the winter knitters. As such, there is much discussion of trends and analysis of the past.

It is not a time many local yarn shops want to increase their inventory investment but do want to offer a few new things to keep their knitters involved in the experience of playing with fibers. Summer fibers of cotton and linen are looked at in a more positive light. Louet euroflax linen, Sassy Skein's Cotton knit kits for kids, Fiesta's La Boheme and Blue Heron's Rayon and Rayon metallic are strong contenders for filling this need. Lerke from Dale of Norway is a newer contentder in this market and growing the Dale line from it's classic base in of Baby ULL, Falk and Heilo which is consistently in demand for baby items as well as the ever popular nordic and olympic sweater patterns


Accessories know no season and Della Q needle cases offer new options of silk needle and crochet cases, especially ones for Circular needles and interchangable needles which are becoming a necessity for the discerning knitter. Hiya Hiya needles offer an economic and incredibly light functional needle in steel or bamboo which many store owners took the time to experience and rave about. Stitch markers from Goose Pond offer a bit of bling as well as functionality. Note cards from Itty Bitty Witty Knitties gave everyone a welcome giggle.

Eileen of Bulls eye buttons offers just the right selection of polymer buttons to set off that one of a kind knitted creation. Her calendar was filling up for her "Finding Closure" event she will be presenting at stores throughout New England. Watch for a feature story in a future blog!

With an eye toward the Fall season, everyone couldn't help but stop and admire Judy's Colors Christmas stockings and her neo-nordic designs. A preview of her new collection which will be formally introduced in June at TNNA was like eye candy to all. Karabella's exceptional Italian fibers and blends renewed excitement in high end traditional and a longing for more Aurora 8 and Gossamer. O-wool's new DK weight and bulky organic offerings brought visions of more knitted hat gifts for growing population of the organically concerned. Ironstone's Color changes and Harmony offer great value in soft wools for the winter.

Bergere de France, a relatively new contender, offers a wide variety for summer and winter, showcasing their new Aromalaine fiber - "a wool for wellness." A pure wool yarn embedded with microcapsules containing essential oil of Niaouli which must be experienced to appreciate. Many got a first hand first look on Sunday!

Phew - we were busy! Educating the stores so they can educate the consumer and all can experience the wonderful world of fibers all year long!

If you were lucky enough to have been at NENA - you may want to share your thoughts here. As New England hosts one of the first showcases for what's coming in the world of fibers for crafters, we get a headstart in the newest of the new. There is lots of promise and fun things to look forward to. I look forward to sharing this with you more through the eyes of shop owners and knitters in my area.

Stay tuned.

TED and NENA - a knitting and yarn paradigm

A Paradigm change!

Ever heard of TED TALKS? I am always intellectually charged from these. Here's one for Store Stories - a story for anyone involved in Sales and certainly applicable to Yarn selling and knitting stores. AS Yarnies, we might feel our market is "hand made" "crafters" and creative people. We know there is more to it. This talk by Joseph Pine will open your eyes to a new approach to marketing and presenting your wares. My focus in watching it is the yarn business - it fits beautifully as Joseph moves through history explaining what it is that constitutes trade and selling from the agrarian society to today. Actually knitting still goes from the aggrarian and today - all at the same time. We are wonderully unique. Briefly, Mr Pine will take you through the paradigm of viewing your "product" as a commodity such as "yarn" to the actual "experience" that playing with yarn can bring you. When you think of selling an "experience" you are selling the therapy aspects, the connectedness to other knitters, the joy of completion, the spirit of creativity using your own adaptation, the joy of working with your hands... it goes on and on. Your challenge is to sell this experience in the most affective way to YOUR market. I encourage you to follow this through for 17 minutes. Have a cup of tea and pick up your simplest knitting project, relax and enjoy.

I encourage you to, then, reflect and write about your own personal take-away and share that in the comments below.



A practical application to the TED talk is NENA (New England Needleworks Association) - the experience of a trade show in your fields of expertise. What is the Experience YOU wish to take from NENA which is coming next weekend? As Shop owners from New England, I plan to share the excitement of new products and the "buzz" that is encouraging knitters around the world. I will have freebies to hand out, product samples to try. I will have my Victoria Spinning Wheel for you to "experience". I will also have show specials so you can take some of these experiences back to your customers in a timely and economic manner.


As a Manufacturer's sales rep in the industry, this is a great opportunity for me to network in the industry. I can have all my samples, color cards, swatches, patterns etc , all out in the open for you to view altogether. I have been planning for months and working with my vendors to give you the best experience that I can. I will have more "show and tell" than I could possibly fit in my car! Seriously, look at that car! (The picture above is what I look like unloading for a hotel show... with Gracie)


The Paradigm of Joseph Pine has helped me look at the sales cycle in an different way. I believe there is a lot of merit to it as we apply it to the knitting industry today.

I would love to hear your comments, don't be shy!

The little yarn shop that could - Northampton Wool

11 Pleasant St
Northampton Ma. 01060
413-586-4331
nohowool@yahoo.com

Linda Daniels and Northampton Wool is my choice for a first example of the greatness of yarn shops in New England. I am starting our "crawl" here because Linda should be an inspiration to all. Linda combines the old fashion comfie knitting store ambience, wood floors, piles of beautiful fibers, a big table in the middle to sit, knit, share and learn, with the contemporary classes, styling, helpfulness of today.

Northampton Wool in Northampton Mass is often overshadowed by a nearby neighbor of much larger size. Her customers, however, are loyal and still a growing population. That's the beauty of each individual yarn store - you each have an individual "character" and people choose you because of that.



Linda has written a book - The Northampton Wools knitting book. Great projects big and small. I especially recommend the Reversible cabled scarf on page 5 done with Karabella Aurora 8. Have you tried this fiber? 100%wool worsted weight, cool water washable, just beautiful to work with.


Linda has designed sweaters for Movie stars. she has knit garments for Charlize Theron and Michael Caine for Cider House Rules and for Halle Berry in Perfect Stranger.

But here's the tip for today from Northampton wools - it's BLUE HERON RAYON METALLIC. Linda has designed a scarf - or a series of scarfs out of this fiber. they are pretty simple and truly show off the fiber to it's fullest. this Rayon Metallic is a great fiber for summer knitting, is washable, and has just a bit of sparkle to brighten up a summer evening - and your mood! And here's the shop trick that I found sooo brilliant. LInda knits up a swatch of the fiber in the pattern for a scarf and displays it with the pattern that she has written. Customers can see how beautifully the yarn knits in that pattern, how simple and stunning the fiber works into the glitz.



A little bling goes a long way. A lacey scarf, a tight patterned scarf, turn it into a stole. it's a great fiber for drapey t-shirt, sleevelesss shirt... A great fiber for summer knitting. And did you know Rayon is NOT a synthetic fiber. It is also called "viscose" and "art silk". It is a manufactures, regenerated cellulosic fiber - according to wikipedia (4/23/2009). AND it's MACHINE WACHABLE! Check it out on Ravelry or at www.blueheronyarns.com or call Linda at the shop.

Northampton Wools has a strong group on Ravelry at northampton wools ma !

Yarn Yarns and Store Stories

Coming soon, stories of yarn stores and yarns that relate mostly in the New England States. In my job as a Manufacturers rep for yarn suppliers and knitting paraphenalia, I get to experience and share with many different shops and yarnies, including spinning and weaving. It is my intention to present stories from these knitting stores, samples of some of the wonderful projects they are successfully offering their customers, as well as information about some of the events that they are host(ess)ing. All this is to increase enthusiasm and interest in knitting, spinning, weaving and general fiber awareness that is occurring across the country (world).



The experience of Fiber is multifaceted, the more we know, the richer our experience. Combining my experience with certain Yarn lines and suppliers to the world of knitting with the associations I have in the field with the yarn stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island, I plan to offer a travelogue of information and diversity in the fiber business.



If you are interested in being featured in this blog, let me know and we will begin work on it. I intend to include only features and stores with the approval of the owner. I believe this will enhance the knitting experience and that Yarn solutions we can bring to our busy lives.



This is a busy season of trade shows and new offerings from the suppliers end. It is also a busy season for knitters to switch hats for the gardening season. As such I will be gathering data and information and intend to begin these "yarns" mid to end of May. Meanwhile, I await comments and suggestions from readers and potential readers.



Thanks for stopping by



Jan