Did you join Natalie and Linda last year in the "shop swap"?

Linda and Natalie had fun putting together kits for our knitters, both near and far, last year. Some non-knitters even purchased the kit as a gift for a knitter in their life which we thought was a thoughtful idea! Last year Natalie's kit had 3 skeins of Koigu to make the Contorno scarf, an adorable mini- nail file, a stitch marker, and a mini DeBrands candy bar. Everyone had a great time knitting this project, and we got to see many of them finished throughout the coming year. We continue to have a large selection of Koigu in the shop, so if you would like yarn for this project, click here and let Natalie pick out some colors for you!

Linda's kit last year had an autographed copy of her book, tea from Northampton, and a skein of cashmere blend tweed yarn to knit either the hat or the socks from her book.
Massachusetts is where Natalie learned to love the business side of a yarn store, and where she honed her knitting and finishing skills under the tutelage of long- time shop owner and designer Linda Daniels, while going to Smith College. The idea behind the shop swap was for Linda and Natalie's customers to be able to get a taste of another great yarn shop, and to learn a little about the history of how Natalie came to opening up a yarn shop in Ft. Wayne back in December of 2007. December 26th is always a special day for her, since it was the first day Knitting off Broadway was open to the public. Don't forget there are only two more Saturdays that we are open in December: the 4th and the 18th from 11:00-3:00. We also have our regular hours of Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00-4:00, including Christmas Eve day! We do have gift cards available in our online store here.

Once upon a time, Natalie learned the basics of knitting from her French teacher, Kimberly Summers, during May Term in High School. Kimberly recommended that Natalie check out the Cass Street Yarn Depot (that is now the Urban Bike Shop). Jan used to drive Natalie to her knitting classes, and loved all the beautiful yarns, so she returned to knitting once Natalie was in College. Natalie took all the classes she could at the Depot, and worked there part-time on Holiday breaks, as well as in the summer. The hours would pass so quickly at the yarn shop;  there is always a new yarn; or, a new project to try.

Natalie was a student at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and one day during her Sophomore year, she wandered into Northampton Wools, a downtown yarn shop. The colors and textures of all the yarn on the walls filled Natalie with happiness and ideas. Natalie signed up to take classes at Northampton Wools. Every time Natalie came to class, she couldnâ€™t resist sorting and rearranging the yarn. Linda Daniels, the owner of the store asked Natalie to work part -time.( Linda knew a good thing when she saw it!.)
Linda and Natalie have become good friends, and Linda was so proud when Natalie and Jan opened Knitting Off Broadway. Natalie calls Linda her mentor, and Linda thinks of Natalie as a protÃ©gÃ©.

In years past, Natalie and Linda would get to collaborate with shop owners at The National Needle Arts Convention, but this year, it was cancelled. This fall, over 250 yarn shops from North America signed up to join in on a seminar called, "Knit together Apart". It was great to be virtually reunited with other shops, and surprisingly, the energy felt the same as that we all loved from the trade show. The next day Natalie called Linda to ask if we could share a taste of our shops with the other's customers! We all love to visit yarn shops whenever we go on trips since each on has its own personality. This year we are so happy to present our customers, yet again, with the Knitting Off Broadway/Northampton Wools Mystery Shop Swap Boxes!

You can purchase a box on either website for $65 plus shipping; your surprise box will be sent right to your door. Knitting Off Broadway customers will receive a box of special items that reflect what Northampton Wools is like, and Northampton Wools customers will get a box of very special items that represent the feel and flavor of Knitting Off Broadway. Natalie had a hard time keeping this project secret! She chose it several months ago when she saw this project knit up; she instantly knew it would be a perfect project. Relatively quick, not too hard, uses great yarn and could make a great gift!
We hope you will join us again in our Shop Swap, and help Linda and Natalie celebrate the friendship, respect, and love for the craft of knitting that they share.
To see more details, and purchase the Knitting off Broadway Box click here. To see more details, and purchase the Northampton Wools Box click here.

In the Flow Cowl- the perfect last minute gift!
We have two samples knit up, one in the rustic lore, and one in the luscious silk blend Acadia.

We have the kits on the left in both our online store and shop in Lore, from the Fibre Co as pictured here. In the shop we have Acadia in stock, ready for you to choose your colors! The Acadia cowl is $70 vs the $40 Lore version. Why the difference? Lore is a traditional wool that may feel scratchy to non-wool aficionados, whereas Acadia has a high silk content making it super soft and shiny for those with more sensitive skin. Stop in and give them both a feel and decide for yourself!

Atenti Bags are in stock; our last shipment before the holidays! Check them out here.

So long to Spud and Chloe and Fine and Outer
Shop them in our sale section for 25% off
There are many free patterns for Fine here, and here are two of our past favorites.

The Best Buddies hat is knit in Fine doubled and it is a great project for a new knitter! The Little Stripey Hands has endless options. Click the images for more information.

The Crystal Cowl is a perfect beginner project, or last minute gift knit with two hanks of Outer. The Sunday Morning Slippers have a large range of sizes for everyone on your list!

PLUS we have many of our past samples out. Our sample hat sale is going on in the shop! Most hats are for sale with just the cost of materials. Almost all of them were knit by Natalie and she loves it when they go to good homes!
Happy Holidays, and we hope to see you soon off Broadway!

One thing that I've always loved about Indiana...

There is something about having four distinct seasons that makes me happy. Is it the vast array of clothing one needs? Is it the fact that we can always talk about the weather? Or is it the fact that we always have a new season to look forward to? Whatever your reasons are for loving the Midwest, or choosing to live in a different climate; we are celebrating the arrival of fall here in North East Indiana.

This is an exciting time at the yarn shop when we start to see the UPS driver very frequently, and unpack the latest offerings from our favorite companies.
We have two trunk shows you need to stop in and see, plus lots of new fall publications and yarns from Rowan. The Spring 2021 Shibui show offers inspiration of projects to cast on now, so you can have something new in the spring, or plant fibers are great to work on on the hot days we have left. On the other end of the spectrum are the cozy Woolfolk pieces that make us think about cozy evenings at home while the snow falls. This is a great opportunity to try on garments so you can get an idea for the collection's fit to make sure you are knitting the correct size.

Starting in October we are going to be open every other Saturday in addition to our regular hours of every Wednesday and Friday from 10:00-4:00.

Saturdays we will be open:
October 9th & 23rd
November 6th & 20th
December 4th & 18th
from 11:00-3:00

If you have been missing us on the weekend, please stop in. If we are not busy on these dates, we will not extend them into 2022.

Shibui Trunk Show
Stop in and see the gorgeous drape of these pieces through October 1st

The Renew wrap has a lovely reversible texture. We have the sample knit in the summer yarn Twig, but the pattern is also written for the sumptuous Pebble yarn.
Daybreak is a great layering piece for cooler weather, or wear it alone on a hot day. It is also written for both a summer, and three season weight yarn. It is easy to knit, and easy to customize since it is just 4 rectangles joined with crochet! Both of these samples are knit with yarn held single stranded, and we have many colors in stock to choose from.

Elate is a timeless silhouette, with a slipstitch pattern and chic mock-neck. Arise is very luxurious pullover with saddle shoulders and an I-cord trim. Both of these sweaters use two yarns held together for luxurious sheen and texture.

Woolfolk Flette II trunk show
and other favorite pieces
These will be in the store through October 30th

The Skal pullover takes drop-shoulder cozy to a whole new level! The Havaendring cardigan gives you an opportunity to play with color, neutrals, or include a pop of color to make this project your own. Both of these sweaters make the most of the 100% textured wool yarn flette, and they are both cozy, yet hard-wearing.

The Skala wrap is knit in a lovely textured pattern that is shockingly simple to make. Click on the image to see the stitches! The Bygge wrap is another deceptively simple knit; the horizontal stripes are later added with crochet!

The Ribbe pullover is a timeless and simple knit with just enough texture to make it a stunning handknit. Skygge has always been on Natalie's knit list. Knit with two strands of buttery soft Tynd, this project will go relatively quickly, and you can play with your favorite Woolfolk colors!

Dal is a classic textured pullover in Far and looks stunning on. You need to click the image to see just how lovely it is.

Stige is such a versatile sweater... see the one on display knit in Flette and compare it to Natalie's in Stra. They don't even seem like the same sweater! Stige is a fun and quick knit from cuff to cuff.
Shop our Far here, Tynd here, and Flette here.

New Felted Tweed Color, and a new Lisa Richardson Collection

We have the original version of Corinthian on display now, but we are captivated by the completely different look with the new color changing yarn! Click the image above to shop the kit. See our version here.
Talk about a fun new take on an old favorite, this yarn is the same composition as a longtime shop favorite, but it features a slow gradient color change that makes even the most simple patterns look very impressive! Inspired by natureâ€™s landscapes, the varying shades of Felted Tweed Colour are truly captivating to knit and crochet. From subtle moorland russets and browns, to vibrant sunset pinks and fresh, grassy greens, the tweedy hues gradually evolve along the fibres at a gentle and unhurried pace. A stunning fair isle effect is created by simply working with two shades, while the perfect combination of 50% lightly-felted wool, 25% viscose and 25% alpaca

The Jade Scarf uses only two different colors of Felted Tweed Color. You get a good idea of how colorful this yarn is!

The Savoy poncho shows off just one color of this yarn, while highlighting a simple slip stitch pattern.

Ask any Rowan fan for their favorite yarn and there's a good chance it'll be Felted Tweed. This is also one of the few yarns that we have continuously stocked since we opened in 2007. Spun in a light DK weight, with a beautiful tweed effect and an amazing 50+ colors to choose from, it's a Fair Isle knitter's dream. But that's not all; the magical combination of 50% lightly-felted wool, 25% viscose and 25% alpaca makes it supremely blockable and a gorgeous option for both lacework, and textured knits. If you knit it in garter stitch, or stockinette, it will have great drape, get softer with wear, and last a lifetime.

This was Natalie's first foray into major Fair Isle knitting in 2015. Before this she had done a few small projects, but nothing as big as a sweater. Sadly, this pattern is no longer readily available, but it made her fall in love with traditional colorwork.

The Churchmouse Easy Folded Poncho is a shop favorite and you can knit it with or without the cowl. Denise knit up the cozy Color Block Wrap which features just enough intarsia to get you familiar with the technique. It is almost time to get these samples out again!

To see all of the patterns in the new Lisa Richardson Collection, click here, and to shop the kits we have click here.
We hope to see you this fall off Broadway and get you set up with your next project! Thank you to all of our customers both new and old who have supported us during this unprecedented time.

Fall is on the horizon!

The kids are back in school, and the evenings are getting a little bit cooler. Kick your knitting into high gear and get your projects started for sweater weather! Pick up a new knitting project for the holiday weekend.
We wanted to remind you of our regular hours:
Wednesday and Friday
10:00-4:00

Follow us on Instagram for weekly updates by clicking here.

What is more fun than 14 colors and simple knitting? Or what better to go with Netflix binge watching...

Click the image above to shop the 14 color wrap! It will go with everything!

If that is too long for you, you could use the same kit and knit the cowl and the hat.

Are sweaters more your thing? The Harrisburg Pullover is knit using three colors of Woolstok Light. This striped v-neck pullover is a classic to add to your wardrobe. This intermediate piece knit in stockinette stitch looks great over a collared shirt or blouse. We have the colors as shown available as a kit, or stop in and pick out your own colors!
The Richmond Hill pullover moves the colorwork to the sleeves for a new twist on an old classic. Using seven of your favorite Woolstok Light colors, this intermediate piece is designed for the perfect fit; find your kit here.

We also have kits in the colors as shown above, or let us help you pick out your own version in the store. Click the images above to see all of the accessory kits.

New from Cocoknits!
We are also restocked on your favorite Cocoknits stitch markers and other notions.

Loving the new tape measures that look like colorful river stones. They are also made from 100% biodegradable plant fiber, and have no plastic locking mechanism making them as plastic free as possible. Each comes in a cute muslin bag.

New triangle pastel stitch markers, and new kraft caddy. The caddy is loaded with pockets, and the triangle markers are great for you fast knitters who may breeze by the round markers. The trangles stick up from the work so you won't miss them as you go around.

Woolfolk Stra

Three new colors in the neutral palette from Woolfolk.

Did you get a chance to see the new colors of our favorite year-round yarn? You can stop in and see Natalie's Stige Pullover anytime. This yarn is soft, springy, works for a variety of gauges, and is a linen and wool blend. There are also new patterns for this season.

We ask that if you are not fully vaccinated to please wear a mask. Our staff will continue to wear masks.

Noncho Poncho by Casapinka

For the last few years, Casapinka has come out with a new pattern to support local yarn stores nation wide. Some of you have knit them every year, whereas some of you have never heard of this before! May of you joined in the fun last year with the Breathe and Hope Shawl, or Magical Thinking swancho before that! We still never get tired of seeing completed projects; they all really turn out great! This poncho has Natalie excited and she is casting on tonight! This looks like a pretty simple pattern (suitable for an advanced beginner with gusto) that will pair well with kicking back after gardening (and binge watching Secret City on Netflix). Natalie hasn't done a poncho in many years, a swancho is not the same thing! She also hasn't started anything new in 5 days... *GASP*
This Noncho pattern is a free download code sent to you with purchase of a kit. This pattern is written for both DK and Fingering weight. To see what Natalie put together, and join in the fun; click here.

This pattern is sized, and you can customize your length. Natalie is making the 44" which will allow for extra insurance incase her gauge is tight (she is just starting, and not checking gauge. If it looks bad she will start again). Both weights are knit on size 6 needles, so the DK version will be a more solid fabric, and the fingering weight will be more fluid breezy one. You will need size 16" needles to start (or magic loop your longer needle) and then you will eventually need a 32" needle to be comfortable at the end. Click the above images to go the project page and see what other LYS owners did!

The latest from Kelbourne Woolens; Camper

This soft fingering weight heathered wool is the kid brother to the beloved yarn Scout. It is, if anything a bit softer than the worsted weight Scout, and comes in the same range of colors making it perfect for both stranded and striped colorwork. To celebrate the launch of this yarn and LYS day, Kelbourne is giving a free Camper Collection pattern with your yarn purchase to knit that pattern. We have made shopping for the accessories easy, and you can see all of the colors for this new yarn on our website. When you purchase your yarn, you will get a download code emailed to you, and a printed card with the code in your order. This offer is good ONLY on April 16th and 17th.

We love the Ridley hat and scarf set; a traditional pattern with some pizzazz! This is nice and easy traditional colorwork. Yoke sweaters are all the rage right now! You get some fun colorwork, and then get to relax with mindless knitting. The Presque Isle pullover uses 5 contrasting yoke colors in harmony.

Start Shopping

Sisterhood in 3 weights

Many of you have met this Canadian Yarn Dyer at our shop, we are sad he isn't able to join us this year, but he was sure to send us something fun and special! Click the image for more details.

Wonderland Yarns

Click the image above to see the kits and colors dyed up to celebrate your local yarn store! The bundles come with a free pattern.

We still have some Knit, Tosh, Love kits in stock which would be a great gift for mom. You could gift the finished project, or if she is a knitter, it is ready to gift! This kit includes both a knit and crochet pattern, canvas bag, two skeins of Tosh Yarn, and some little goodies!

Spring Blue Sky Spring Cowl Kits

We apologize, but we are closed until further notice. Please sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about when we will re-open. We hope you will show your support for our store by participating in our Ravelry group contest to finish up some UFOS!

You know its real when your LYS closes temporarily...

Is this the time we all have joked about? Natalie instantly remembered the excerpt from The Yarn Harlot about why knitters have such a big stash: "Then, after the yarn shop riots, when we struggled to defend our meager rations against the crochet marauders, because they ran out a yarn first because crochet is so fast. There's all of us, a whole generation of knitters just ripping and re-knitting and ripping and re- knitting, struggling somehow to make knitting possible in a mad maxesque, wool free, post apocalyptic world. But I think everybody worries about that..."

In years past, whenever there was a threat of a blizzard, we have been swarmed with knitters preparing for a few days at home. For most, the LYS is just as essential as, dare we say it.. toilet paper. This time things has been different; , there has been no mad rush to the yarn shop over the past 10 days.
This morning, Natalie thought about arriving early to steel herself for hoards of knitters who needed to beef up their yarn stash, but instead it was a very low-key day. After reading countless posts and emails about shops closing, we are too, but DON'T PANIC not for good! Rest assured we will be here once things get back to normal!

Financially, after being in business for almost 14 years, we are in a good spot. What can you do NOW while we are closed to ensure we are here for many more years? We have a plan! We have a contest with prizes! Of course, if you would like to order something from our online store you can here, or if you see something cool in a magazine in a yarn you know we carry, send us an email at knittingoffbroadway@hotmail.com or message us on facebook and we can make your yarn dreams come true. We hope to try something new and feature two digital trunk shows next week AND we will announce a new Rowan Blanket KAL that we have decided to participate in.

When we heard many businesses going to online ordering only, we thought, hmmmm our customers love to come in and be inspired by whatever is new, or whatever the staff is knitting now. You love to be absorbed by the shop and you never know what project or yarn will grab your attention next. You love seeing what other customers are working on, you love showing the staff how much knitting you got done over the weekend, you may need a quick fix on your project... these are the reasons why we came up with a contest each and everyone of you can do from home! We all say, "I have so much stash I can't buy anymore yarn till I knit some of it up" or "I have too many UFOs so I can't start something new". We challenge you to finish at least one project (or heck start and finish) and with each project you finish made out of yarn from our store, you can enter to win one of 3 prizes. Not all finished projects will be awarded the same number of entries (now is a great time to finish a Marie Wallin project or another old KAL project like this sweater). The deadline for the entries is April 6th, as of this date; however, it may be pushed back depending on when the store re-opens. If the deadline is April 6, we will have the drawing on the 7th. Entries must be submitted through our Ravelry group here, which is also where you can find details about the contest.
Stay safe, stay sane, stay healthy. Thank you for your continued support! We can't wait to see all of your finished projects! Put your money where your stash is and KNIT IT!!!!

We also hear on a weekly basis, "I can never knit things that look as good as your samples". Our response is, "yes, you can!!" Number one: use the recommended yarn(s), We do not recommend using cheap yarn for practice. The bad thing with lesser quality or synthetic yarns,is that they will not block out (become more even and smooth once washed as the final step), and the process of knitting isn't as enjoyable, so you may never even finish, or when you do, it may not look it's best. Your time is limited, and good yarn can be ripped out several times without compromising the quality. Besides, knitting is all about enjoying how every stitch feels.

One of our regular customers, who loves Churchmouse patterns, knit  this sweater as soon as she saw it. A few years later, we found the "perfect" yarn for it (QIng Melted Suri); now we have two of these pullovers on display. The Riverine Scarf has been so popular all year long, yet Donna knit hers several years ago. Sometimes things really need to sink in before we are ready to knit!

  We provide knitting classes (both private and group), and all of our staff love to knit. They can answer quick questions, and help you select your next project. If you purchase your supplies from us, our motto is 5-10 minutes of help is free (time permitting), but if you need more than that, please schedule a private lesson for $15 per half hour. Most people improve by popping in and asking a few quick questions. The more you knit, the better you will become. It is like reading:  challenging at first, but in a year or so, it will be so easy that you will hardly remember what it was like before. We also love "show and tell". Not only is this is a great way to spotcheck your knitting, but it really does inspire us. We can't knit everything, and it's fun and helpful to see what others are making.

We are amazed at how well the Mistral wrap fits, and we love the over-sized pockets that hold modern day cell phones! Denise (a long time customer who recently has become a sample knitter) knit this for the shop in one of the newest colors of Shibui, in their newest yarn, Nest. If you are more inspired by wild knits, then the Jigshawl Brenda is letting us borrow is one for you to stop in and see!

The trend is for simpler projects with amazing yarns. Most people knit to relax! We encourage you to try one or two new techniques per project, and in no time, you will be a proficient knitter!

Sometimes Natalie just wants to knit up something new and fun, like the Ms. Royalty and Stardust hat. We have known Pam Powers for years, and we are thrilled with her new yarn line, Ikigai (Icky-guy). We are thrilled with our biggest selection ever of both real and faux fur pom poms which complete your project!

We are in love with all the new Atenti knitting fabrics, bags, and baskets!
Stop in often to see our rotating selection! We have 3 more fall shipments to come! You never know which fabric will call out to you!

The Bonnie shown on the left is a cute taller, narrower version of the classic overnighter shown on the right.

Shawl Cuffs

Stop in and see our large selection of scarf/shawl cuffs! We have many different metal and leather color combinations in four styles.

Find our store online here ! We now have about 75% of our brick and mortar store online. We do not update e-commerce items more than once a week unless it is a hugely popular yarn. Email: knittingoffbroadway@hotmail.com, or call 260.422.9276 if you have questions, and phone orders are always welcome. $3 shipping on single skeins of yarn.

Regular Business Hours

Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

we are open the following Saturdays:

January 22nd

February 5th and 12th

March 5th and 19th

and that is all until fall!

Fort Wayne's oldest yarn store & the only place for Natural and Luxury Fibers

If there is a snow emergency, we will be closed.

If the weather is bad (snow, or ice) please call first to make sure we are open. We make sure to change the answering machine accordingly if we are closed due to bad weather.

Click the link below to join our mailing list!
http://eepurl.com/ib3ag

Want to know if others are knitting what you are knitting? Then check out the knitting community at Ravelry.com. It is free to join, and well worth it! You can search groups and projects. See what all Natalie and the staff at Knitting Off Broadway have been knitting. Natalie's user- name is knittily, Tami's is knittler, and don't forget to join the Knitting off Broadway group!

Do you have knitting questions? Check out our You tube channel at www.youtube/knittingoffbroadway.com

We are conveniently located just west of downtown at:

1309 Broadway [ map & directions ]
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
260-422-YARN (9276)
yarn@knittingoffbroadway.com

If you are a sock knitter, you must stop in! We have an incredible selection of sock yarn, wooden sock needles, and all the latest sock knitting books.

We now have a group on Ravelry! What is Ravelry you ask? It is a website for knitters, by knitters. It's a great place to get inspiration, see what everyone is knitting, check for pattern errors or send/view questions to someone who has knitted a project already! You do need to sign up, but it's free and worth it! (http://www.ravelry.com)

In case you missed it...

We try to post bi-weekly on our Facebook page, and Instagram.