Has the prom dress been chosen yet? Have the shoes been ordered and dyed to match the color of the dress? Does your daughter spend hours in front of the mirror thinking about hairstyles and make-up for the big night?

If there is a prom in your future then think about a little prom shawl to chase the chill away and finish off the prom look with just the right amount of glitz. There are three quick and easy designs now on display in the window and we are happy to be offering the pattern for all three of them free! Just ask for the pattern on your next visit.

Each shawl is done in a different yarn. The first is knit with a yarn called Gossamer. This is a lightweight mohair blend with little bits of shiny stuff mixed in every once in a while. It makes a beautiful cover up and adds dramatic sexiness to those bare shoulders!!

A cute little ruffle sets off the color and glitz of the second shawl done in Gioiello. This yarn has gorgeous colors and the ruffle along one edge makes a statement without being overpowering.

I chose Rowan’s Calmer for the last little shawl. This tiny top will actually be put into service all year, not just on Prom night. It is a little plainer than the other two, but fits the body closely. Sneak a little knitting in before the garden takes over every waking moment.

See you with knitting needles, Linda

How many times have you tried to make a sock? How many pairs of hand knit socks do you have finished? How many sks of sock yarn do you have in your stash? Don’t we all have yarn that shouted at us when we walked by, yarn that made our feet shiver with glee at the thought of being cuddled by it, yarn that pleaded to be taken home and stroked, stared at and eventually knit with?  Spring is definetly the time to start knitting with these little hanks from heaven. In the hopes of getting you started on your new or next sock project, Northampton Wools is offering classes in the latest sock knitting technique. Join Decker as she shows you how to wind your way around sock knitting with one circular needle. Your sock knitting will never be the same once you learn the secrets of this technique.  Just imagine the ease of transporting your sock knitting to the beach, or the mountains, taking it on the train or in a plane. No more worries about dropping a double pointed needle and watching in horror as it rolls away under the seat in front of you.  No more jabbing yourself ( or the person next to you) with those nasty little points. Sock knitting will become the most transportable, most comfortable and most amazing type of knitting that you will carry around this summer. Sign up soon because this workshop will fill in anticipation of summer hours filled with knitting socks. Mon  April 21(6-7); April 28(6-8) and May 5 (6-7).

When you stroll by Northampton Wools take a look at all the socks in the window. Knitter’s magazine and several yarn companies have joined together with Local Yarn Stores to celebrate knitters love of socks by sponsoring a sock design contest. If you have ever created a sock then you should think about entering the contest, you could win $6000! That’a a lot of moola for a little pair of socks. Northampton Wools is the official site for Colinette Yarns sock entries. We carry every color of  JITTERBUG, the Colinette sock yarn. The type of socks that you can enter using the Jitterbug are children’s socks and adult fair isle patterns. Think of the fun you can have working with different colors of one of the most colorful sock yarns our there. You can pick up contest details at the shop or find them online at www.knittinguniverse.com. Some of the Thursday night Knotty Knitters gang are already planning their entries, don’ t let them be the only ones from the Northampton area to do so.
Okay, so the reality is that very few of you will actually design and knit a pair of socks to enter in the Knitter’s contest. In  recognition of that Northampton Wools is sponsoring our own sock contest. ONE-OF-A-SOCK is the name of this little happy stab at getting you to knit socks. All you have to do is knit one sock, don’t worry about making the dreaded OTHER SOCK, just have fun making one. We will collect and display the entries in September and the winners will be chosen by popular vote. So come on and join in the fun of sock knitting and you just might be a big winner is our little contest.

Just a quick reminder- this year’s fashion show will be on September 21st. Mark your calendars and check the events page for more info starting next week. Here is a baby sock done in Jelly Beenz. Surely you can knit socks more exciting than this!