The days are getting longer and brighter, and there is an abundance of green, white, and pinks everywhere you look! It makes it easier to get inspired and motivated whether it is with a new knitting, garden, and/or house project.

We are asking that the number of shoppers at any one time be kept to a maximum of 6; masks are still required for entry. If you poke your head in the shop, see that there are 8 people moving about the retail space (6 shoppers plus two staff), please come back later, or hang out in your car and knit until someone leaves. We also ask that you continue to not bring extra people with you who do not knit or crochet. We will only be able to wind yarn while you wait if time permits. Knitting help without an appointment will be if time is available, just as before. The online store will remain open, and Natalie will continue to fill orders in a speedy fashion.

We chose the new regular hours based on when appointments were scheduled over the past year. These are only temporary hours, and we will amend them as needed to suit our customer's needs. Before Covid, we considered drastically amending our hours to reflect the changing retail world. We also wanted to inform you now that the retail store will be closed the entire month of July due to scheduling conflicts. We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding and continued support!

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!

We will have a Ravely group to ask questions from fellow KOB knitters, and to see how others are progressing on the project. Natalie will be hosting a virtual KAL via ZOOM on May 15, and 29 from 3:00-4:00. Once you purchase your kit from us, Natalie will add you to the Zoom invite list, and send you your download code ASAP! Julia and Natalie will be at the shop tomorrow, Saturday May 1st from 11:30-3:00 if you would like to pick up your kit (enter PICKUP at checkout). or you can get it next week during our new regular hours!
Thank you again for your support over the last year and we look forward to getting back to our new normal.

Yes it has been a while...

Happy Spring to you all! Natalie loves this time of year at Knitting Off Broadway; the lighting is fabulous, and she loves her warm weather plant fiber knits. It feels good to have the windows open, and do some much needed spring cleaning, and reorganizing! She and Julia have been working hard the last month reorganizing the back half of the store, and freshening up the front! If you would like to see more frequent postings about what we are up to, be sure to follow us on Instagram by clicking here.

It has been over a year since we quit being open 5 days a week. We have really learned a lot about the way you shop for yarn; both online and in store. When you come in your local yarn store, it isn't like shopping for groceries, clothes, or even gifts. It is more like visiting a friends house, admiring all of their finished projects, and asking them for advice on what to knit or crochet next. The average appointment lasts 45 minutes, and involves lots of back and fourth between the customer and the sales person. We need to ask all kinds of questions, and generally show you a few different yarn options before a decision is made. You rely on us to have knowledge of both knitting and the yarns we carry, plus support you when you need help or have questions. This does work pretty well via email or facebook messenger, but we understand that it just isn't the same as in store shopping, and sometimes impossible! Sometimes we can't fix your knitting without getting our hands on it! We have been so overly cautious that we would hate to let our guard down a little too soon, and for someone to get sick. The appointments have been working well, but we know everyone is ready for something a bit more normal. This past year of appointments has shown Natalie what shopping times seem to be most popular, so the last week of April we hope to send out another newsletter with our new summer hours, and will of course feature some new yarns and project ideas. The shut down has given us a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our hours and craft a new normal that we hope will suit both us, and you!

That being said, this year will be another virtual Local Yarn Shop day. We will not be open to the public this Saturday, April 17. We have some features we would like to share with you, and the debut of the new yarn Camper from Kelbourne Woolens. We have an assortment of special colorways from Wonderland Yarns, and a custom spring color "Sisterhood" from The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze. We can't thank you enough for your support over this last year that has made it possible for us to continue to get in new merchandise, and start serving you in person again soon. A big thank you to loyal customers for taking the time to book your appointments, and thank you to all of you who have shopped in our new and improving online store. Your feed-back about your virtual shopping experience is appreciated.

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.

Mother's Day Ideas:

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

Love all of these quick knitting cowls! Click the image above to see pattern details, and yarn info! Adding a pop of fingering weight yarn to a bulky really defines your stitches.

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 for May & June

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

In store shopping will be suspended July 1st-August 3rd

Online store will continue to be open

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 daily on our Facebook page, and Instagram.

This color couldn't possibly be more saturated and stunning on most skin tones! We think it would be wonderful for either of these free with yarn purchase patterns.

Lyon is a versatile wrap or poncho. We think pebble, luar, or even Tweed Cloud would make a stylish warm layer. Stanza is a great project to gift knit with just two skeins of Drift.

More "toys" for knitters

New knitting notions, and Chiagoo interchangeable needle sets.