Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have a fun featured shop to share today. The shop is called Angelfire Studios and I’ll let the owner, Justine, explain a little about the shop in her own words:

Angelfire Studios opened its doors in 2004 in Basking Ridge NJ, shortly after finding out I was expecting my first baby, a whole whopping 2 weeks later as a matter of fact!  I plugged along through a multitude of obstacles, from morning sickness to being the new kid on the block.  My goal was, and still is today, to influence people to be creative and to try something new. You never know; you may fall in love with a new technique, a new texture, or a new craft. Sure enough, the knitters who we taught six years ago are still knitting in here and are just as excited to start their next project as they were with their first scarf. My dream was to create a place where people could indulge in a variety of different mediums, such a fiber and clay.  I teach all ages how to throw on the wheel, the pottery wheel that is, which is fantastic!  I love my students and the crossover between mediums is a blast!  Knitters want to try pottery, and the potters often grab a skein of this or that on the way out the door.  It’s a beautiful warm environment in this shop, we welcome all who want to learn and share their ideas with open arms.  We also offer a gorgeous selection of wool top for spinners and felters and host felting workshops with Carol Cypher, who is an incredible inspiration to all of us who felt and even to those who don’t!

We carry yarns all sorts of yarns here but mainly there is an entire wall of Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud & Chloë!!!  There are hand blown glass buttons from Moving Mud and tons of handmade buttons from One World Buttons as well and even yarn bells made by yours truly. If only there were more hours in the day, I would be able to stock the yarn bells a bit more.  They sell out rather quickly, and I intend on offering them on the new online store, so I better get crackin’!

We launched our new online store two months ago, and so far it’s been great!  It’s been so nice to meet customers across the country, down south, and even three towns over.  Six years, and two kids later, I’m so happy and proud of this shop.  If you’re in the neighborhood please drop by, if not, visit us online!

Sincerely,

Justine

It’s me again! Thanks to Justine for the great write-up about her shop. Hey, can you believe this gorgeous crocheted blanket made out of our fantastic Sweater yarn? I want one stat! Please? I can’t get over how much I love that blanket. I’ll have to pull out my Crochet Motifs stitch dictionary and see if I can find something like this one. Justine didn’t say if they are selling a pattern for this blanket so you will have to contact her to find out more about it. Let me know if you find anything out!

The shop’s email address is: angelfirestudios@verizon.net

The buttons alone are to die for. I love the little flower buttons. Yes to that! Of course we always love our little Spud & Chloë pencil bags.

Not only does the shop have tons of Spud & Chloë, they have tons of Blue Sky Alpacas yarns. This sweater photo was sent to me with the title, Scarlett’s Blue Sky Skinny Cotton Summer Tee. I think it is adorable. Again, please contact the shop for more information about this sweater.

I have always had the urge to learn how to throw pots. I will be doing this some day in the future, no question. I love it when shops successfully combine creative mediums like this. It reaches such a broad audience. I would be at this shop all of the time if it were near me. Yarn and clay and spinning and throwing pots. It is too much and too good to be true!

Here is some shop information for you!

Angelfire Studios

403 King George Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Phone: 908.604.4294

Hours: Tues 10:30 - 5:00, Wed & Th 10:30 - 6:00, Fri 10:30 - 7:30, Sat 11:00 - 5:30

For the online shop and general information look here:

Click for Angelfire Studios!

Orders over $100 get free shipping!

I want one of these yarn bells in the worst way. I think it is beautiful in its simplicity. I may have to put an order in for one of these as Justine says she doesn’t have enough hours in the day to keep up with the demand for the yarn bells. Lovely.

Here are a couple more links for you if you are interested in Angelfire Studios:

Facebook page link!

Ravelry Group link!

Thanks so much, Justine, for sharing your wonderful shop with all of us. It looks like a cool and fun place to be. If only I lived a little closer….. I hope you have endless years of success ahead!

On a sidenote, any of you who are interested in owning our limited edition Spud & Chloë Tote Bag you will have to act fast. I know that Webs, Loop and Jessica Knits are all receiving a small number of totes, maybe even today! Move fast because Loop sold out their first shipment really fast. The totes are locally made (in Wisconsin!) and the fabric is a one of a kind small run from Spoonflower. The bag shape is unique and it is completely reversible with a sturdy snap closure.

Okay, I’ll be back soon with lots more!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Last December I had the privilege of visiting a fantastic yarn shop while I was on my book tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The shop is called Loops. I was so impressed that I want to make sure to share this knitting hotspot with all of you. The shop is nestled in an upscale outdoor shopping center. There are restaurants and bakeries and beautiful shops surrounding the knit shop which makes Loops a real destination for knitters from all over. You can really make a day of it when coming to Loops but on the other hand it is completely accessible for a quick run in and out as well. The shop is a bubbling hub of yarn-induced excitement from both the staff and customers alike.

One of the main reasons I want to feature Loops is that they are a strong supporter of Spud & Chloë and Blue Sky Alpacas. The owner, Shelley, told me that when Spud & Chloë first came on the market she already had such a trust in the Blue Sky brand that she ordered everything available sight unseen. That is some good faith! Shelley’s enthusiasm for Spud & Chloë is apparent throughout the shop.

Loops is a beautifully organized and huge shop. It is an experience kind of place. It is comfortable, easy and is staffed with some of the friendliest and smartest knitters around. The staff is positive and extremely helpful.

I love the way the shop is laid out with cubbies of yarn, samples and patterns all right together which makes for some of the easiest project shopping I’ve ever seen. It’s all right there in front of you. Together. The online shop is organized in the friendliest way as well. Be sure to check out the Spud & Chloë section of Loops’ online shop.

Loops is laden with samples at every turn. I like the way the samples the staff knits are done up in different colorways of Spud & Chloë yarn so the knitter can see the project in a variety of options. The Sidecar Jacket is gorgeous in the Carbon #7203 Outer colorway.

The Spud & Chloë pattern boxes filled with our patterns are always set right above or next to the yarn in the displays for easy access. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without my pattern box at home. It helps so much to keep my patterns organized and in perfect condition. If you don’t have a pattern box yet to store your S & C pattern collection you should really look into getting one. It is an inexpensive and good investment. Any yarn shop carrying Spud & Chloë can easily get you a pattern box if they don’t have it on hand in the shop.

Loops has their Spud & Chloë Fine alongside their other sock yarns which is a smart move. I think sock knitters like to see their sock yarn selections all in one spot. Fine is such a standout for its vibrant saturated solid colors and subtle sheen (due to the silk). There is nothing else like it.

I love this version of the Camp Hoodie I designed out of Sweater for the Spud & Chloë pattern line. At some point soon I have to make a Camp Hoodie for myself. I would wear it night and day. I might just make it using these colors I like it so much.

I can’t recommend Loops in Tulsa and their online shop highly enough. The online shop is all organized and broken down for easy, simple access to all of our products. Loops is carrying the complete yarn and pattern line for Spud & Chloë. I get asked all of the time where to find Spud & Chloë yarn and patterns. Loops has it all at your fingertips in person and online. Here you go!

Click here to visit Loops’ online Spud & Chloë shop!

Click here to visit the Loops website!

Here is the general information about the shop:

Loops, a yarn store

2042 Utica Square
Tulsa, OK 74114
phone: 918.742.YARN
toll free: 1-877-LOOPSOK
1-877-566-7765
fax: 918.742.2993
e-mail:info@loopsknitting.com

I wouldn’t hesitate to call (toll free number) or email Loops for personal assistance of any sort. They are so helpful and patient and kind to their customers. I saw this firsthand! They will help you with yarn questions, pattern concerns, sending gifts, customizing an order. Anything!

I hope you can all take advantage of this topnotch retail spot for Spud & Chloë! Thank you, Loops!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am pleased to bring you the shop I consider my own local yarn and fabric shop because it is so close to my house. Stitcher’s Crossing is a long-time Madison, Wisconsin quilting and yarn shop that has an incredible following and the reputation for stocking top-notch textile supplies. Most of all the shop is known for their excellent customer service. I can personally attest that all of the above is true! I love this shop and I am in there all of the time.

Recently, Stitcher’s Crossing brought in the entire line of Spud & Chloë to the shop! This is so exciting to the Madison and surrounding area knitting and crocheting crowd because Stitcher’s is the first Madison area shop to carry the Spud & Chloë yarn and products. They have already been selling lots and lots of yarn and have re-ordered! Gael, the yarn buyer for the shop, told me they were selling the yarn before they even got it out of the bags and on display, straight out of the box! That’s a good sign. I can’t tell you the number of emails I get asking where Spud & Chloë is sold in Madison and it is so great to be able to direct people straight over to  Stitcher’s Crossing.

The shop is currently hosting a Spud & Chloë Trunk Show and it will be in the shop through the weekend and leaving March 1st. Be sure to pop in to see the pattern and blog items knit up in person.

There is a large free-standing display at the front of the yarn section in the shop that houses all three yarn lines, Fine, Sweater and Outer. When I took this photo the Outer was almost gone but there was lots more on order including the newest colorways! The shop is also carrying the Spud & Chloë pattern line.

Stitcher’s also has the 3 Brrrr Bears on display from the trunk show. If there is something you don’t see when you visit the shop they will get you whatever you need in a jiffy, be sure to ask. They are super efficient and organized. It is a well-run shop with customer service as the highest priority. I have special ordered patterns and other things at Stitcher’s and have gotten my order so fast. I was impressed.

Everything looks so delicious in Stitcher’s Crossing. I wish I had this huge bin of Fine in my house. It makes you want to dive right in and stay for a long time, maybe forever.

Here is the website for Stitcher’s Crossing!

There isn’t an online shop but here is another example of fantastic phone service at a local yarn shop. Give them a call at 608.232.1500 and they will get you anything you need.

Gael knitted up these samples from a few of the free blog patterns. They look so springy and cheerful in the shop. These items are not part of the trunk show so you can check them out any time, they live at the shop.

Hop on over to Stitcher’s Crossing and be sure to tell them I say hi when you do! If you see me in there be sure to say hello, as well. I pop in there all of the time and last fall my sister and I took a quilting class there. They have excellent classes for quilting and knitting and crochet so be sure to check that out as well. The shop has a newsletter that you can subscribe to and it is packed full of information about classes and new products and events at the shop. I love getting my newsletter from Stitcher’s. I always read it front to back.

Here are the store hours and street address:

Stitcher’s Crossing, Ltd.
6122 Mineral Point Road
Madison, WI 53705
608.232.1500 tel

Stitcher’s Crossing just started a Ravelry forum group, which I joined immediately! Hop over and join us. Here is the link to the Stitcher’s Crossing Fans Ravelry Group.

Just another quick fyi, the shop is now carrying the Multi Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas. The Blue Sky Cotton is one of my all-time favorite yarns and especially for baby knitting. There is no other cotton yarn that can even come close in comparison. These new multi-shades are like candy. I can’t even believe how much I love them. This is worth a stop into Stitcher’s in itself.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Stitcher’s Crossing! They are friendly, warm, helpful but never overbearing if you want to just browse around. I love popping in whenever I get the chance. The Collector loves this shop more than I do, if that’s possible. We never leave empty handed. If you love fabrics, too, here is your place to go. The shop has won national honors and is part of quilt shop tours around the city. There are restaurants in the same adorable shopping area. The shop location is ideal and easy to get to.

Hope to see you there!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Finally, I am getting the chance to share a gem of a knit shop called, The Wool Cabin! This great spacious yarn shop is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. I have had the privilege of visiting The Wool Cabin on my last two book tours so I know personally what a special place this shop really is.

The shop is owned and run by two sisters, pictured above. On the left is Alison Barlow and on the right is Suzette Cannon. These two gorgeous, vibrant sisters are moms and even grandmas. Can you believe it? You can’t find a nicer pair anywhere and I mean that. Their shop was originally owned by their mother and after she passed away they carried on her dream by keeping The Wool Cabin going. It is a successfully active knit shop.

As soon as Spud & Chloë came on the market, Suzette and Alison jumped on board. They absolutely love the Spud & Chloë yarn and patterns. They carry the entire line of Spud & Chloë at The Wool Cabin.  It is the perfect yarn and pattern line for the family-oriented knitters that their shop caters to. The Wool Cabin knitters are eating Spud & Chloë up! They also carry the Blue Sky Alpacas line. There is hardly a week that goes by where someone doesn’t ask me where to get the Blue Sky Alpacas Knit Chicken pattern I designed about a year ago. I always direct these questions to contact The Wool Cabin. Suzette will send you the Knit Chicken pattern so fast you won’t believe it! She’ll send you the yarn, too.

The shop doesn’t have an online store but I think sometimes it is nicer to talk to someone on the phone to place your order. I know there are lots of people out there who don’t like to order anything online. Here is the place to go if you want to talk to someone personally when you place your order. I highly recommend The Wool Cabin for personal and speedy customer service. You will love the staff and service at this shop! Guaranteed!

You can look up the colors, yarns, patterns on the Spud & Chloë site and give them a call to place your order! The phone number for The Wool Cabin is:

801-466-1811

Call them!!!

There is also a website for the shop with updates on classes, new yarns and products and event schedules. Check out the site at www.thewoolcabin.com.

If you are in the area be sure to stop by the shop. You won’t be disappointed. Here is the address:

The Wool Cabin
is located at:
2020 East 3300 South
Suite 11
(at East Ivy Place)
Salt Lake City, UT
84109

They have samples knit up and they follow Spud says! very closely. I am sure they have more of the free pattern samples knit up. As soon as the patterns are released their needles are flying. When I was at the shop in November 2009 they were so anxious for the Modern Rib Hat free pattern that I hadn’t even posted yet. They were casting on before the pattern was even available. It’s ski country around their neck of the woods.

Suzette and Alison are fun and supportive and enthusiastic! Mainly, they are good, good people and you can trust them to no end.

Give them a call. Stop on by.

The Wool Cabin feels like home. That is the best way to describe it. The sisters have created a knitting community that is so fantastic and supportive. Plus, they are fun, funny and both of the sisters have a GREAT sense of humor. You don’t always find that. You just feel good when you walk in the door.

The shop is carrying the complete line including the brand new colorways for all three Spud & Chloë yarn lines. They also have the complete Spud & Chloë pattern line, the pattern boxes and the brand new Spud & Chloë pencil bags!!! These are now available for purchase by the way! They can get you anything Spud & Chloë that your heart desires.

Thank you, Wool Cabin, for the ongoing support. We are proud to have you carrying our line.

Edited to Add: Danielle told me that the shop is moving away from Knit-a-Gogo’s Fibre Space to just Fibre Space! Duly noted:)

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Well, I have been out on the road a bit recently for my book tour and I am happy to report that I am seeing and meeting a ton of Spud & Chloë fans and devoted knitters out there. Nothing could be more satisfying to see how people have absolutely fallen in love with this yarn and pattern line and blog. Keep the love coming our way! My mind is on this blog and Spud & Chloë for most of my waking hours every single day so it sure is fun to hear how much people are enjoying the adventure right along with me. If there isn’t a shop locally selling our line, please ask the owner about it. You can easily order online from many, many shops around the country and beyond and they will gladly send you Spud & Chloë products in a jiffy. Check out the stockists page for more store information. Thank you for the support!

A short while ago I received an email from Danielle Romanetti, the owner of Knit-a-Gogo’s Fibre Space, a yarn shop located in Alexandria, Virginia. This shop is a perfect candidate to be a featured shop on Spud says! for lots of reasons but when we saw the shop’s bathroom painted in our own Spud & Chloë colors we couldn’t believe it. Bravo!

(That’s the Uptown Downtown Coat displayed in the shop photo above.)

The Spud & Chloë bathroom is awesome! I love this photo of everyone in the bathroom, including the shop dog, and the abundance of Spud & Chloë yarn in everyone’s arms. Fantastique!

Without further ado, here is the letter I received from Danielle:

Dear Spud says!

My shop is a dream come true. I had this little teaching business for  years (under the name Knit-a-Gogo). We taught at coffee shops around the DC metro area and took registrations online. It just kept growing and finally my customers absolutely insisted that I open a shop. We had an enormous database of names when we opened because my teaching business had been so big in our area. I was so excited when I saw the new Spud & Chloë website on the Blue Sky Alpacas site. It is a perfect fit for what we are doing here! All retro and mod, affordable and practical.

We were so excited about the new line that we painted our bathroom spud and chloe colors! (photo above) While at the paint store picking out the colors for our shop, we were stuck on what to paint the bathroom. I happened to have a hank of Spud and Chloe in my purse and the colors from the label just seemed to fit for the what may be the world’s tiniest bathroom. One of our shop dogs is also in this photo - Skip!

Spud and Chloe has been a wonderful addition to our shop and was one of the first yarns that we purchased for our new store when we opened in July. (In fact, my husband and I used our wedding money to get our first order paid for while we waited on the finalizing of our start up loan!)  Having the luxury of BSA yarns in a machine washable version is very attractive. Our customers love the patterns and the “mod” colors of the yarns, which fit well in our retro styled shop.

(Lovey Dovey is featured in the photo above.)

Friend of the shop, Buraya-Kefelian designed the Trifecta Scarf in Fine and it was a huge hit at our grand opening. We sold out of the pattern our first weekend. After that, the Hoot Hat (pictured above) and the Candy Stripe Jacket (pictured before the Hoot Hat in Lake and Grass Sweater colorways) have been by far the most popular patterns.

We have a fibre space shop pattern that features the Outer (beanie hat photo above). It is a quick one night project that folks have been loving for holiday gifts.

This is a beautiful shawl knit in Spud & Chloë Sweater in Toast.

What a treat Danielle! Here is the shop’s information:
Danielle Romanetti
Knit-a-gogo’s fibre space
102 N. Fayette St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
www.fibrespace.com
703-664-0344

Thanks for the fun photos and for sharing your amazing yarn shop with us! Congratulations!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have been getting so many emails from people sharing their Spud & Chloë projects. I have one more quick shop share for you this week. Courtney wrote me to tell me about some of the fun ways her customers are using Spud & Chloë. Here is her email (I added the pattern and yarn links in her note for your convenience):

Susan,

I hope this message finds you well.  I’m loving what you’re doing with the Spud and Chloe blog.  It’s fantastic inspiration.  I wanted to share with you some of the exciting things our team is doing with S&C at our yarn shop, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, in Salem, MA.

One of our teachers has been knitting and crocheting everything she can with Spud & Chloë and we’ve proudly featured the Candy Stripe Jacket and Aztec scarf as part of our center store display.

You’ll recognize a few of the projects in the photos.  The green scarf (crocheted in Spud & Chloë Sweater in Grass) is the Bubble Scarf from the new book, Crochet in Color, and was crocheted by, Rhonda Culbert, who is an amazing teacher of ours.

The mitts are truly amazing and are the Bella mittens from SubliminalRabbit and knit in Spud & Chloë Outer.  Seriously amazing.

We also feature the Spud & Chloë line on our shop website.

Best,
Courtney Heath (owner)

Here is the Bubble Scarf (see the link above).

Love this shot of the Bella mittens (see the link above).

Thanks for sharing Courtney. What gorgeous knits! I’m glad you are enjoying the yarn.

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am so excited to bring to you our first featured shop! Without further ado the following is a note from the Tinsmith’s Wife yarn shop in Comfort, Texas, from owner Wendy Solberg:

Thanks for the wonderful update, Wendy. The Tinsmith’s Wife is coming up on its one year anniversary in October. Congratulations. The shop sounds like a fantastic family affair with Wendy’s mom working as a buyer and shop manager. Wendy’s dad is also involved as he is an expert knitter. He is the go-to guy when a knitting question, pattern question or a knitting fix is needed. He has been helping to fix Wendy’s and her mom’s knitting for 40 years. I love that.

Click onto  The Tinsmith’s Wife to get more information. I love their Spud & Chloë yarn rack sitting in the front of the shop.

Again, thanks for sharing and for the support!

Any other shops out there wanting to be a featured shop on Spud says…?  Come on, send some pics to me. I would love to share all of the Spud & Chloë goodness going on out there.

Have a great weekend, Knitters!