Ever since I moved from Manhattan to Maine three years ago, I promised myself that I would finally make a trip to WEBS, in Northampton, Massachusetts. Given that it is rather equidistant from my former and current homes, I can't explain why I waited so long.
I have to be honest--the store's exterior doesn't at all belie the fun to be had inside, so I'll just skip to a pic I snapped inside of just one small portion of WEBS' own commercial "stash".
I know, right?!
I immediately had the sense that pretty much any yarn I fell in love with could go home with me right then in a sweater's quantity. (I was all about garment knitting that day.) And there are lots of swatches and sample knits to help you evaluate the drape and gauge of most any yarn you're considering.
It's clear that WEBS has thought a lot about its customer--starting with the quite comfy "significant-other" chairs situated right inside the entrance. On the day I was there, I walked through the door to the sound of two men contentedly snoring in tandem. I wondered whether they had been there ten minutes or ten hours. But who was I to talk? I was just beginning my own two-and-half-hour--albeit wide-eyed and wide-awake--visit.
Boutique and hand-dyed yarns like Artyarns' cashmere Ensemble Light and various Lorna's Laces draw you in within the first five feet. And my hunch about sweater quantities--true! Even more true when I happened on the warehouse portion behind the store--shelves and shelves and shelves of yarns on sale. There I found and immediately tossed into my basket 12 skeins of "Tinka" Collezione by Stacy Charles (design to come!), and a skein each of SMC Select's "Rosas" accent yarn in blue/gray and tan/green/purple (more designs to come!). I also picked up some Noro Ayatori (delicious!) and Berroco Vintage, both of which are in the midst of design production and so I can't share the FOs quite yet.
Full disclosure: Until I was actually in the store, I had completely forgotten that April and May are the months that WEBS holds its annual warehouse sale--and I call myself a knitty!