Day in the life of Knitwise

We return to our favourite yarn shop to find out more about life in Angie's Store.

By Angie Dalton

Winter has been and gone and spring is here. The Knitwise shop is looking much brighter with the afternoon sun pouring into the shop, making the colours of the yarns even more vibrant than usual.

I am still having dilemmas about which new yarns to stock. The yarn manufacturers bring out lot's of new ranges every season. As much as I would like to take everything on offer, space (and financial) restraints mean I have to choose! Some choices are very easy. Wendy's new Mode DK which is a 50/50 merino wool and acrylic mix comes in a lovely palette of 20 shades and is excellent value at just £1.99 for a 50g ball. Bridging the gap between the 100% wool yarns and 100% acrylic yarns it offers excellent quality at a very affordable price.

Bamboo yarn is big this season. Almost all the major spinners in the UK, Europe and USA, have brought out their own bamboo yarn and many articles have been written about this yarn in knitting magazines. This is a great quality natural fibre with a beautiful drape and sheen similar to silk yarn. Almost all of the bamboo yarn on offer comes in soft, sophisticated, muted shades with similarly modern, sophisticated pattern support. The big question is 'Which brand will I stock?'

I'll also be stocking up on more sock yarn and will be ordering some plain shades, and some hand dyed yarn, for anyone who's wants a change from the self-patterning sock yarns. (Anyone who has met me will know that this sock yarn is really for me - I am currently completely sock-obsessed.) There are also new summer yarns due in including cotton yarns from Jo Sharp, Debbie Bliss and Sirdar, and 4 new shades of Twilleys Freedom Spirit.

All these will be in stock around the second week in April and I am planning a special 'new yarn' evening for those who would like a preview.

That's enough yarn talk. What else has been going on in the Knitwise world? Customers of the shop have been knitting squares for the Knit A River campaign since September last year. Between us we managed to knit and crochet around 230 squares. So thanks to everyone who made a square for such a good cause.

Another change is the relocation (again) of the Stitch 'n Bitch Liverpool knitting group. We had been meeting in the shop for around 8 months but the numbers attending were increasing each week. Eventually the shop could no longer cope and the group is now meeting at the White Room coffee shop just a couple of streets away. This has affected my opening hours as I am now shutting up on a Tuesday between 5pm and 7pm (when I used to be open) as I can't miss my Tuesday evening knitting fix. I'm still opening between 7pm and 7.30pm for anyone who 'needs' more yarn.

Finally, we will be running workshops in the shop starting at the end of April. These will include 'Professional Finishing Techniques - Handmade not Homemade', 'Design Workshop', 'Steeks and Knitting with Circular Needles' and 'Creative Design workshop' with designer Susan Crawford, editor of knitonthenet magazine. These will all run monthly on Sundays. There will also be 'Knitting for Beginners' and 'Crochet for Beginners' classes which will run on Thursday evenings from April 12th. Full details of all these courses are on the Knitwise website.

Happy knitting to you all!

What's hot in the Shop

Jo Sharp Classic DK - Spun from premium grade, long fibre fleece, this yarn knits into a hard-wearing item of clothing that is beautifully warm and soft. There's great stitch definition with this yarn which makes it very enjoyable to knit with. It's 100% wool content has also made it very popular for felting. It felts into a soft, firm fabric at just 40 degrees.

Sirdar Firefly Mobeous Scarf - everyone wants one of these right now. Made from just one ball of Firefly this scarf is more like a necklace with little jewels of colour catching the light.

Pony Rosewood Knitting Needles - Yes, these are still on our list. More luxurious than our favourite bamboo needles Pony Rosewoods are fabulous to knit with.

Twilleys Silky Scarf Crochet Kit - a gorgeous scarf kit which, although it requires a little prior crochet knowledge, is great for those fairly new to the technique.

Shellz Buttons - these natural river shell buttons and embellishments are perfect for finishing a garment. Available in a variety of styles, sizes and colours Knitwise customers have been using them for everything from baby jackets, scarf decorations and necklaces.