woolcottandcompany.com

Many of you may be familiar with the yarns from South West Trading Company. For a long time we’ve carried Tofutsies, but recently we’ve expanded our selection.

We’ve searched long and hard for a bulky machine-washable wool and found Saphira. This 3.5 to the inch on a US 10, 100% pure wool, 132 yards per 100 grams and retails for just $10.00

I know you’ve been waiting patiently for Kureyon and Silk Garden…it’s coming, it’s coming. But let me introduce you to Karaoke, a 50/50 soy/wool blend with a long color repeat and in amazing color combinations. I’ll resist comparisons, but this yarn is SOFT and felts wonderfully. Skeins are 50 grams, 110 yards, knit up to 4.5 stitches to the inch on a aUS 7 and retail for just $9.00

Then there is Therapi, an interesting blend of 30% Bowlder (a fiber made from jade dust…yes jade the semi-precious stone. They’re making fiber out of jade dust. It adds an amazing sheen to the yarn), 50% fine wool and 20% silk. Skins contain 110 yards per 50 grams, knit up at 5 stitches to the inch on a US 7 and retails for $10.00 each, however, for now, this yarn is kitted into 5-skein kits up with a spectacular shrug pattern. You only pay for the yarn, the pattern and tote are free…$50.00 for the kit.

So, stop by when you can and get out of this cold/damp weather and fondle our yarns! As always seeing colors in person is a must.

Hope to see you soon…best stitches

The UPS man delivered a box to us this morning. I am a little tired today so I was annoyed at the work I had to do =0). That was until I opened the box. I would gladly be buried in this yarn!

Plymouth Yarns has a new division called Plymouth Earth based on all natural fibers using environmentally friendly sorting, scouring, carding, combing, spinning and labeling. The colors are all natural, no dyes. One of it’s yarns is Ecco Cashmere, a minimally processed, earth-friendly cashmere lace-weight. You can almost feel how soft this yarn is from the pictures, can’t you? Being cautious, I did a little test order of this, with just 15 skeins of each color to see how it “goes.” Stop by and pet the yarn, but be warned…it is hard to resist! Ecco Cashmere comes in two colors, the natural and the fawn, has 354 yarns in a 50 gram hand and retails for $30.00.

The gauge is up to you…this is a lace-weight yarn.

One of the most anticipated yarns of the fall has arrived. Mojito from Alpaca with a Twist,

inspired by its festive look both in color and twist, Mojito, is well suited for any occasion. One of the market’s first true 100% baby alpaca, worsted weight, yarns. This yarn will be perfect for almost any project.

It’s gorgeous, amazingly soft and the twist is just perfect to show off stitch definition! Knitting up at 4-5 stitches to the inch on US 6-7 needles, this yarn has 145 yards per skein and retails for $20.00. Perfect for hats, scarves…really anything!

So, why not stop in and check it out. (pictures below but the standard caution about trusting colors on your computer screen apply!)

Hot out of the boxes is our latest shipment of Schaefer Yarns! Color is the hallmark of Schefer Yarns. And the color is, in a word, amazing. This yarn line has its fans and those of you who aren’t yet seduced by its siren song…beware. You will quickly fall in love. Come by and check it out!

Heather is an terrific sock yarn - 55% merino wool SUPERWASH, 30% cultivated silk, 15% nylon, with 400 yards and knits up at 7 - 8 St/in. on US #1. Retail price is $30.00

Anne has always been a favorite of our customers and they tend to horde it! Made up of 60% merino wool SUPERWASH, 25% mohair, 15% nylon, contains 560 yards and knits up at 8 - 9 st/in on a US #1. Retail price is $28.00.

Judith was new to the shop last year and quickly became a staff favorite. Made of 100% prime alpaca, Judith comes in 4 oz. skein with 330 yards (sweater quantity is 6 skeins) knits up at 5.5 St/in. on a US #7 and retails for $38.00 — truly a special, special yarn.

As always, colors don’t always represent perfectly on computer screens, so it’s best to see them in person. Why not stop by and check them out? Hope to see you soon!

What is “reclaimed cashmere” you ask? Well, let me tell you. I met Ellen of Ellie’s Reclaimed Cashmere and just fell in love with what she’s doing. Ellen hunts for and rescues abandoned cashmere garments where ever she goes. She takes the rescues and gently washes them in a fiber-friendly, natural soap. Then she unravels them, oh so carefully. THEN, this is where the magic happens, Ellen pairs colors and replies them for hand knitting gauges! Then gently re-washes the yarn again. What results are these amazing skeins of lofty, OH-so-soft cashmere yarns. You can read more about Ellen and her cashmere on her site.

Because of the nature of this yarn and how it’s reclaimed and respun yardage varies from skein to skein, but the yarn retails for $13.00 per ounce…for cashmere…and cashmere like this, it’s almost illegal!

Woolcott is the only Boston-area yarn shop to carry this yarn and we’re honored to be able to do so. Ellen’s product fits in perfectly with ours in that this yarn is recycled and in a way, sustainable. What better way to harvest yarn than to recycle it from abandoned garments? Plus Ellen’s company is a small, local business. If you’re looking for affordable, eco-friendly, delicious cashmere come on in. Supplies are limited as this is our first foray into this line. But do try to stop by and see it…it’s so gorgeous!

Hello all. I wanted to tell you all about a newly formed fiber guild for the Boston Area. Through the hard work of Guido Stein, from It’s a Purl Man, the Boston area has a new guild and they’ve got a great line-up of guests and meetings coming up. For information visit the Common Cod web site.

Specifically, this Friday, September 12th, Franklin Habit will be the featured guest. Franklin is the author of the Panopticon Blog, a soon-to-be-published book, It Itches and a personal friend of mine. I’m sure it’ll be a great meeting and I urge you all to join and, hopefully attend.

I hope to see you there!

The age of the internet is a wonderful thing. But it can also be an everlasting thorn. Are you familiar with yelp.com? It is a customer feedback forum that other’s can read to see what peoples’ experiences are at that establishment. I use it as a tool to see if our customers are being treated in the way we hope. Sometimes we fall short, often times the review reflects the kind of experience we intend here at Woolcott.

The everlasting thorn…sigh. It is a shame that there are time when we fall short and those reviews, unfortunately remain listed even when we try to contact the reviewer to rectify the situation. But, when people use the forum as some kind of vindictive response I have to fight back.

I am asking you, our customers, to write of your own experiences (good, I hope and if not so good, to let me know so I can correct them) so that the over all read represents the experiences of our customers.

The review in question a fabrication of what actually was said during our interaction. How silly it would be for me to deny a special order. If I’m not always warm and fuzzy, I certainly am not stupid. But, I won’t be abused and sworn at (something deceptively left out of the review). I am, after all, only human.

So, if you have the chance, please wander over to yelp.com (you may have to sign up to write a review), search for Woolcott and let people know what Woolcott is really about. As always I appreciate your patronage and loyalty!

Sean

It’s not even fall and the Yarn Harvest has begun. What a great time to be in the industry. You see, it was during the heat of the summer that I saw a lot of these yarns. And as the hours passed at the convention and all the yarns became a blur, I would wonder if I was making good decisions. I love what’s been coming in!

The newest deliver is from Alpaca with a Twist. Highlander is a an Alpaca (45%) and Merino (45%) blend (8 percent microfiber and 2% viscose fill in the rest) that was a huge favorite among our customers. The twist allows this yarn to demonstrate a wonderful stitch definition, while being wonderfully soft. I love it. Highlander has 145 yards and knits up to about 4 stitches to the inch on a US 9 and retails for $13.00.

And…are you ready for this? Our Plymouth order is on UPS trucks bound for Cambridge at this very moment. The scheduled delivery is for Friday, August 22nd. In these boxes is our #1 selling yarn, Baby Alpaca Grande, Baby Alpaca Grande Paint and two new yarns for them this fall, Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed and the sensational Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dyed. Details to come…so stay tuned!

UPDATE: Wow, I share a little information with you guys and you freak…The yarn is coming in tomorrow, Friday, August 22nd. BUT, please note, UPS shows up around 11am and then we still need to unpack and “receive” the yarn. So, keep that in mind if you’re planning on showing up at 10. Yarn should be available for purchase near around 12:30…thanks for your enthusiasm, though!

Every season or so, I get to discover a new and unique fiber that is so wonderful it makes me realize anew why I love this industry. This year that product is a line of uniquely wonderful yarns from Rowan Purelife — the British Sheep Breeds yarn.

Feel like a quick story? OK, here goes. (Portions of this are paraphrased from the article in the newest Rowan Magazine, #44 out now and in stock here at Woolcott.)

Back in the early 21st century the area of Yorkshire, England was the hub of wool production. As a matter of fact, England’s pedigree of wool production goes back much further than that. Over the centuries the unique climate of the area allows the UK to support more breads of sheep than any other climate — over 60, in fact. But as times have changed, so have the time-honored traditions and markets for the resulting wools and fibers. As many of these traditions go, the economy and lack of demand have endangered the industry.Rowan yarns has made the decision to buck the trend for oversees production — yes costs tend to be lower overseas, but the quality just doesn’t match up. The result is this line of amazing fibers from 4 of Britain’s sheep breeds; The Bluefaced Leicester, the Suffolk, the Welsh and the Jacob.

These yarns are the epitome of what has made British-made wool the best in the world with all the unequaled qualities wool provides. Wool is an excellent insulator, even when wet, highly resilient and hard-wearing and with a high natural lanolin content meaning it resists water naturally. These are just the qualities looked for in winter garments! What better way to stave off the high oil prices this winter than wearing a wonderful hand-crafted sweater, reminding you of the joy of working with these fibers, while lowering the thermostat?

When you buy this line of yarn, you’ll be buying a top-quality, completely natural and sustainable yarn from unique breeds. You’ll become an important part of a cycle helping to keep alive the traditional skills that go into producing some of the finest yarns in the world. AND, you’ll be supporting the sheep farmers who are completely dedicated to their work and these sheep breeds.

Supporting the line is a wonderful book filled with 12 designs for men and women, by Marie Wallin for $17.95

I hope you’ll love this yarn as much as I do! Pictures and details below. But come in and touch and feel these terrific fibers. I think you’ll be amazed and remember that this is what wool is supposed to be!
Rowan British Sheep Breeds

Contents: 100% wool from Welsh, Bluefaced Leicester, Jacob or Suffolk sheep, undyed natural colors
Gauge: 3 - 3.5 stitches to 1 inch using a US 10 - 10.5
Yardage: 120 yards/100 grams
Our Price: $14.00 per skein

Please note that these represent some of the colors available

I’ve only got a few seconds to shoot off a quick email to you all, letting you know that I just signed the UPS receipt for 27 boxes chock full of Rowan and Nashua Handknits yarn…everything from Big Wool and the new British Sheep Breeds to your favorites like Rowan Pure Wool DK, and Felted Tweed…and many, many more.

Also, Rowan magazine #44 is in and the designs in it are amazing.

Now the paperwork and putting this stuff on the shelves…or the other way around!

Stop by when you can! We’ll see you soon!

Sean and the staff at Woolcott