Guilt Free Shopping

One of the biggest issues facing many yarn shoppers now is the ethics pertaining to being a consumer of beautiful fiber. I have noticed that knitters are especially particular about seeking out "organic" fibers or looking for labels that work towards "fair trade." It took me a while to see it, but The Yarn Garden truly works to carry a number yarns as well as accessories that somehow support the smaller home-grown businesses as well as natural, sustainable textiles.

I would first like to mention the company Lantern Moon. This is a company based in Vietnam, where the women use natural products and handcrafting skills that have been passed down through generations. The proceeds from these products go to support the women who create them in their own homes. The store carries many products from this brand including bags, cases, and (as seen in the pictures above) wonderful tape measures made to look like cake, lady bugs and bees. I am a happy owner of one of these tape measures and I can guarantee that they are not only functional, but also such a delight to use as a knitter.

The next picture in the lot is of one of my favorite yarns in the shop. The brand is called Frog Tree, and the fiber content is 100% alpaca. The store carries multiple weights in beautiful solid colors for very reasonable prices. I love this yarn not only for its dangerously soft feel, but also for the mission of the company that produces it. Frog Tree is distributed under T&C Imports, a non-profit and fair trade organization that works with artisans in Mexico, Bolivia, and the United States. This specific yarn is made by women in Bolivia who raise the alpacas and create the yarn and dyes one their own. The result is a truly wonderful fiber. I love it so much I am going to obtain enough to make a sweater out of it, mark my words.

The two pictures to follow are of two types of organic cotton kept within the store. Cotton is great for summer due to its lightness and its durability. Organic simply means that the cotton is grown, harvested, and processed in such a way that it is safer for the environment and a more sustainable product to boot. 

Finally, another one of my favorite brands, Misti Alpaca. (If you are noticing that I have a fondness for alpaca then I want you to know that I am completely aware of it.) This is actually a US based fair trade, home grown, family business where part of the family raises the alpacas in Peru, sends them to another family member to be dyed, and then is sent to the family in the USA for distribution. Though slightly expensive, this stuff is obnoxiously gorgeous and soft enough to melt in you hands like butter.

I have only touched on a couple of the products kept in the store that promote healthy global trade as well as a healthy earth. I am glad to know I am a consumer who is contributing less to a market that gives little back to those who make it possible. Rather, I have the ability to buy a product that gives back to the people who worked so hard to bring it to my needles. 

Sharon or ewelady

I'd like to introduce myself. I'm one of the Yarnettes at the Yarn Garden. I started out as a casual visitor last summer, first coming for a sale. The owner, Denise, recognized me as a neighbor who she would see knitting on my front patio when she drove by. It took a couple of invits from her before I got up the courage to come and knit at the shop. But am I glad I did. I felt at home immediately and came every chance I could. I was still working as a Real Estate Appraiser so I would show up whenever I had some spare time. I retired in March and am now a fixture at the shop helping Denise keep the yarn in order. I'm one of those people who likes to keep everything neat and tidy. Denise is the creative type so I think we compliment each other. I have made some great new friends, and have the pleasure of being surrounded by fabulous fibers as I knit and socialize to my hearts content. What a great retirement!!

Some Original Knitting Essentials From the Owner

All of the above products are handmade by the owner of the Yarn Garden, Denise. All are available in her shop and will soon be available via the internet.

The first set of pictures belongs to a pattern stand. Note with all of Denise's creations that she has a variety of fabrics to choose from in making her products so if you prefer something different from what is displayed you can ask!

The second set of pictures is a very handy case for your circular knitting needles. The pouches are sewn into the lining so you will not lost anything.

The final set of pictures portray an example of her wonderful yarn caddy. In case you failed to notice, the sides are indeed made out of rulers! (Very handy if one is in need of a quick gauge check!)

More updates on Denise's designs will be added as more become available, but I am personally thinking about saving up for one of those caddies.....

Kristen (KP) Writes: My First Time in the Store

I was very much a newbie to knitting when I first heard of the store. My art teacher told me of a wonderful yarn shop just up the street. I was nervous to seek it out at first, already recognizing that I had a fiber addiction which was difficult to quell at such institutions as Michaels. How much more difficult would a store dedicated to beautiful fiber test my self-control? I also had another fear. Leslie had said there were often multiple women in there knitting all the time. Though I had managed to successfully complete some socks and a couple scarves, I was still very new. I worried that I would look like an ignorant inexperienced child next to these testaments of knitting brilliance. Still, my curiosity was too strong. I drove over, parked my car, and walked to the door. The place looked like a mixture between a house and a hobbit hovel. Upon stepping inside, I was overcome with awe. I was in a cave of wonders that far outweighed Aladdin's. For he could only touch a lamp, I could touch everything in my sight. Oh what sights! Small though the store was it housed more yarn and knitting accessories then I could even think to handle. There were indeed a group of women knitting in the back, but after a brief exchange of greetings I was lost in fiber. I had not intended on buying (this was back before I accepted that I would never be able to walk into a yarn store and not buy something) but I was drawn to a hank of sock yarn that sang in vibrant yellow, magenta, and deep orange. I left the store cuddling my hank, and a sense that no matter how far I roamed or how many LYSs I visited, none would equal the surprise and awe of walking into the Yarn Garden in Meriden for the first time.

And so it begins....

Welcome to the blog for the Yarn Garden! Here you can read the small grains of knitterly wisdom that will be provided by the women you see in our podcast (theyarngarden on itunes) as well as some others thrown in between.