Today on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: the owners of Webs America’s Yarn Store, Kathy and Steve Elkins!

Kathy learned to crochet, along with several other crafts, when she was small from one of her neighbors, an older German lady.  She tried to learned to knit around the same time, but it just didn’t really click until much later in life.  Kathy can knit, but as she said, most of her staff could knit her into a corner and she might not be able to frog herself out ;).  Steve doesn’t knit or crochet but he can weave.  His parents founded Webs originally as a weaving store so knitting and crochet were not a large part of their business.  Kathy and Steve met when they were both sales analysts for a Budweiser distributor.  While they had a bit of friction at the beginning, they eventually found themselves in love.  After moving around several companies in the New England area, Steve was going to be moved again but not to anyplace that really appealed to both of them.  Steve’s parents were ready to move on from the store and asked them one last time if they would like to take over for them.  After talking it over, Kathy and Steve decided to do it.

A few particulars about the business.  Webs was founded in 1974 by Steve’s mother Barbara Elkins and her business partner, Donna Muller.  Originally based out of their basement, they moved to a store front several years later and Donna sold her share to Barbara.  Soon after Steve’s father retired from being a professor at UMass and joined his wife in the business.  After moving house several times, they ended up in their current location in Northampton Massachusetts in 1992.  Steve and Kathy took over 10 years later and they are still going strong!  They offer both their own line of yarns, Valley Yarns, as well as all of the big yarn lines in the knitting, crochet, and weaving industries.  Their brick and mortar store in Northampton offers a LYS experience in the front, with most of the yarns they sell displayed, and they also have the warehouse area in the back where they have their inventory.  One of their big draw points is their bulk discount.  If you order/buy enough in yarn and books, they will automatically give a percentage discount based on your original total, 20% off if you spend at least $6o and 25% off if you spend over $120!

Hope this has piqued your interest to hear more about Webs and everything going on with Kathy and Steve.  Listen in below to hear all the details about their blog, podcast and Stitches events!

Important links:

• Webs America’s Yarn Store website, yarn.com
• Webs podcast, Ready-Set-Knit
• Webs Facebook page
• Webs on Twitter
• Webs Ravelry page
• Webs blog page

Let’s give some love to our sponsors! 
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Indian  Lake Artisans
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Bijou Basin Ranch
Buffalo Wool Co.
Green Mountain Spinnery
KnitCrate

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Kathy and Steve Elkins end up running Webs America’s Yarn Store?

So here’s the thing… Steve’s parents were ready to move on from the store and asked them one last time if they would like to take over. After talking it over, Kathy and Steve decided to do it! They took over about 10 years after the store moved to its current location in Northampton, Massachusetts.

What kind of yarn selection does Webs have?

Honestly… Webs offers both their own line of yarns, Valley Yarns, as well as all the big yarn lines you can think of in the knitting, crochet, and weaving industries. They have a brick and mortar store that offers a LYS experience in the front with most of their yarns displayed, and a warehouse area in the back for inventory.

Does Webs offer any discounts?

Yes! One of their big draw points is their bulk discount. If you order or buy enough in yarn and books, they’ll automatically give you a percentage discount based on your original total… 20% off if you spend at least $60 and 25% off if you spend over $120!

When was Webs founded and by whom?

Well… Webs was founded way back in 1974 by Steve’s mother, Barbara Elkins, and her business partner, Donna Muller. It originally started out in their basement before moving to a storefront!

What’s the story behind Kathy and Steve meeting?

It’s kind of sweet, actually! Kathy and Steve met when they were both sales analysts for a Budweiser distributor. There was a bit of friction at first, but they eventually fell in love and here they are!

Today on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: Heather Zoppetti and Stitch Sprouts!

Heather learned to knit in college when she and her roommate decided they wanted to learn a craft.  Her roommate wanted to learn crochet but Heather had tried to learn already from her mother and it just hadn’t worked out.  Heather decided to learn how to knit instead of crochet.  They went to the craft store and bought the I Can’t Believe I’m Knitting and I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting books by Leisure Arts.  After learning how, Heather kept knitting, not letting so called difficult techniques stop her.  For several years knitting was just a part of her life.  She became a programmer after college and met and married her husband.  One day Heather came to the realization that she enjoyed knitting and designing more than her job as a programmer.  After talking with her husband, she decided to give designing as her full time job a try.  As we know now, that was a great decision and she is still going strong.

Heather’s first published pattern was the Tamarix Quilt in the Fall 2010 issue of Interweave Knits.  She has continued publishing with Interweave and been in Knitscene, Jane Austin Knits, Holiday Knit Gifts, and knit.wear.  Heather also worked for the Alpaca Yarn Company for a while and has several designs with them and has a pattern in the book Free Spirit Shawls 20 Eclectic Knits for Every Day from Lisa Shroyer.

Heather’s newest venture is Stitch Sprouts.  Part of Stitch Sprouts is a designer collective.  Because there are so many things involved in publishing and distributing patterns, working together can help designers be stronger.  Stitch Sprouts brings those people together and markets their patterns to yarns shops (the paper patterns you can get at a shop).  Stitch Sprouts also offers a wide range of services for designers including tech editing, logo design, pattern layouts, chart making, and many more.  In addition to the designer services, Stitch Sprouts also is the distributor for Crabapple Yarns and they just started offering stitch markers (both of these they distribute to yarn shops so check and see if your LYS carries them!).  Later this year they will also debut their own yarn line!

You can find Heather many places on the web:

• Her website Hzoppettidesigns.com, (she doesn’t update that often so check out her other sites)
• Her blog, Digital Nabi
• Ravelry designer page
• Facebook page
• Stitch Sprouts website

And we won’t forget the Giveaway!  Leave a comment on this post that includes Heather’s keyword for your chance to win 3 free patterns from her Ravelry store!

Let’s give some love to our sponsors! 
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Indian  Lake Artisans
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Bijou Basin Ranch
Buffalo Wool Co.
Green Mountain Spinnery
KnitCrate

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Heather Zoppetti get into designing?

So here’s the thing… Heather actually started knitting in college just for fun with her roommate. She ended up liking knitting more than crochet and kept at it. After college, she worked as a programmer but realized she enjoyed designing way more!

What is Stitch Sprouts all about?

Honestly… Stitch Sprouts is a really neat designer collective Heather started. It helps designers team up to get their patterns out there, especially to yarn shops. They also offer services like tech editing and pattern layouts, and they even distribute some yarns and stitch markers!

Does Heather still design?

Yes! She definitely does. She’s had patterns published in lots of magazines like Interweave Knits and Knitscene, and she’s worked with yarn companies too. Plus, she’s got Stitch Sprouts going strong, and they’re even launching their own yarn line soon!

I’m a bit scared of lace knitting… what’s the deal with yarn overs?

Oh, I hear you! A lot of people think lace is super complicated, but it really just comes down to yarn overs and decreases. Once you get the hang of those, lace knitting isn’t as intimidating as it looks… and it creates such beautiful fabric!

Where can I find more of Heather’s work online?

You can check out her website, Hzoppettidesigns.com, though she doesn’t update it too often. She’s also on Ravelry as a designer, and you can find her on Facebook. And don’t forget to look for the Stitch Sprouts website too!

Today on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: Red Barn Yarn’s Catherine!

Listen in below to hear Marly and Catherine talk about how Catherine started her business, Red Barn Yarn, choosing yarn colors, trade shows, getting her yarn in publications, and more!

Catherine Petitti; owner, operator, designer, and artist of Red Barn Yarn, learned to knit and sew when she was young.  As she was rather small for her age, she needed to be able to make age-appropriate clothing so learned out of necessity.  Catherine always wanted to own her own business and she did out of college, a fabric store.  After marriage, kids, other jobs, and moving around the country, Catherine got back into knitting.  She began hand dying yarn in 2008 which she pitched to yarn shops.  When they really started buying and selling her yarn, Catherine developed her website for Red Barn Yarn and began going to the TNNA trade shows.  Now, Red Barn does pattern development for the yarn and participates in the TNNA fashion shows.

Today, Red Barn Yarn works in 30 different base yarns and has about 75 production colors.  Catherine specializes in tonal solids and coordinating variegated combinations of color that truly delight the eye.  Some examples below!

You can find Catherine and Red Barn Yarn on: the website Redbarnyarn.com, Ravelry, Facebook, and Twitter.

And we can’t forget the Giveaway!!  As Marly said, the comment prize is one skein of Red Barn Yarn’s Llama Sparkle in the Amethyst colorway (shown above) as well as a pattern for a one-skein shawl!  Leave a comment below with Catherine’s keyword for your chance to win!!

Let’s give some love to our sponsors! 
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Indian  Lake Artisans
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Bijou Basin Ranch
Buffalo Wool Co.
Green Mountain Spinnery
KnitCrate

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Catherine get started with Red Barn Yarn?

So here’s the thing… Catherine learned to knit and sew when she was young because she needed to make her own clothes. She always wanted her own business, and after a few different ventures, she got back into knitting and started hand-dying yarn in 2008. Yarn shops loved it, so she created a website and started going to trade shows!

What kind of yarns does Red Barn Yarn offer?

Honestly… Red Barn Yarn works with 30 different base yarns and has about 75 colors! Catherine really specializes in tonal solids and coordinating variegated colors that are just a delight to the eyes. They’re so pretty!

Where can I find Red Barn Yarn and connect with them?

Yes! You can find Catherine and Red Barn Yarn on their website, redbarnyarn.com. They also have a presence on Ravelry, Facebook, and Twitter, so you have lots of ways to connect and see what they’re up to!

What was the giveaway prize mentioned in the podcast?

Oh, that was so fun! The comment prize was one skein of Red Barn Yarn’s Llama Sparkle in the Amethyst colorway… plus a pattern for a one-skein shawl! You had to leave a comment with Catherine’s keyword to enter.

Does Catherine have any advice for someone wanting to start their own yarn business?

Well, from listening to the podcast, it sounds like Catherine learned a lot through trial and error, and by attending trade shows like TNNA. Getting her yarn into shops and then developing patterns for it seemed to be key steps for her business growth.