Vintage Knits Update

Just a quick note, our 20% off sale ends on Saturday. If you are looking for a Christmas gift, or are going to be doing any holiday knitting, now is the time to stock up on these yarns:

They are all 20% off, and qualify for additional discounts depending on the order total. Prices will go back to our normal retail price on Sunday.

Thanks to Kim, our computer genius, our on-line store is up and running. Switching web hosting companies turned out to be almost as much of a chore as moving from one house to another. But, we survived, and are here ready to take your orders.

We ran into a few unexpected complications in moving to a new web host. Our store is still off-line, but we hope to have everything back to normal as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you would like to purchase something, contact us, and we will take your order.

We are moving to a new hosting company. Our store will be off-line until the move is finished. We expect everything to be back to normal tomorrow.

Vintage Knits Wool Shoppe LLC is having a clearance sale on most products distributed by KFI, and a few other lines that we may not stock in the future. Yarns from the Following companies are now marked 20% off: Noro, Sublime Araucania, Ella Rae, Jo Sharp, Manos, and Panda Cotton sock yarn.

In addition to the 20% off, you can get additional discounts for purchases over 100.00. The coupon codes at our online store

OK. This is not a post about yarn or knitting. I was one of the many people who waited until the last minute and did nothing about converting to digital TV. Last Friday at 9:00 a.m., my TV screen went black. So, I thought it was about time to go buy a new TV, and a new antenna. Off to Costco I went, and purchased a TV. Then, I went to Target to buy an antenna. Well, I let the TV sit in the box for a few days before deciding to put it together. Apparently lack of television was not all that bad.

I got everything set up, and scanned for channels, only to find out that I could only get three channels, and they were public broadcast channels. No network local channels could be received, no matter how much I manipulated the antenna. So, I thought I needed a better antenna. Back to target I went, and to my surprise, the lady behind me was returning the more expensive antenna. That one did not work for her. I thought the more expensive antenna might work for me, so I bought it. I get home, and still cannot receive any network channels. Now, off to Radio Shack; the very nice gentleman working there asks me where I live. I tell him my suburb, and he says “there is no antenna that I can sell you that will get you digital channels.”

Apparently, this digital system has a lot of flaws. It is much like cell phone service, if you live in certain areas or around trees, you cannot get service.

I then call the FCC. They put my address in the computer, and confirm that there is very weak (or no) service in my area. The FCC says “call your local TV station and see if they are working on the problem.” When I called the local TV station, they tell me to call the FCC. This is really crazy! At least with analog, I got the channels; not always clearly, but I could watch TV. It looks as if they are forcing people to have to sign up for cable or satellite service. Do I see a conspiracy here?

Why did I feel the need to write this rant? Because every day, I stop working for ½ an hour, and go and watch the Bold and the Beautiful. I guess I must be going through withdrawal from that soap. It is the one thing that I miss from not having TV service!

We just found an unopened box of yarn dyes that somehow was placed in the back of a storage closet and forgot about for over a year. These are yarn dyes that we received in 2008, and are just now getting them online. The dyes are fine. We are just a bit embarrassed that we neglected this shipment for so long.

Dyeing your own yarn is a great way to put your creative side in action. Not just knitting the sock or sweater, but creating your one of a kind color-way, and seeing how it knits up. Vintage Knits recommends the Gaywool Original Dyes. These dyes are high quality and have a vibrant color range, which can be strengthened or diluted to suit your taste. Everything is included with these dyes. There are no extra solvents or stabilizers that need to be purchased. Best of all, your fiber will be color fast in 30 minutes.

Here is the Gaywool Original Yarn Dyes color-card (click the photo for a larger view):

We stock 19 colors of the Gaywool Original Dyes. The dyes are priced at $16.00 each. These dyes are manufactured in Australia, and are sold in 100 gram (3.5 ounce) containers, which can dye up to 2.2 pounds of natural fibers.

If you want to start dyeing with a complete kit, check out our Louet Yarn Dyeing Kits. These kits come complete with the dyes, and enough yarn to make a pair of socks. You might also be interested in books on yarn dyeing. We carry several titles on dyeing yarn. Check out our book department for the current yarn dyeing books available.

Here are some quick links to our online store if you are ready shop for yarn dyeing products:

Make sure that you check out our latest sales and promotions before you complete your purchase. You can find our coupons codes at our main website, on our specials page and on the first page of our online store. The coupon code needs to be entered prior to finalizing your purchase. For a number of reasons, once an order is placed, we do not make price adjustments for coupons that were not entered at the time of the sale.

What a great time to knit a purse for the upcoming season! The snow is finally gone, and it’s time to turn to some spring and summer knitting. Small projects are always appealing, and we now have some new additions to our online store. We’ve added quite a few bag/purse handles. Although, they have been in stock for quite some time, we are just now getting them online.

The bag handles are sold in sets of two. They range in price from $7.25 to $14.75 per pair. Most handle styles come in at least two colors, giving you a choice to match your bag with the perfect bag handle. We anticipate adding more bag handles to our online store this summer. They are made from plastic or synthetic materials, and have wonderful finishes to resemble bamboo, marble, and others. Here are a few of the bag handles that we have in stock. Click the images for a larger view.

Clover Bag Handle
U Shaped Marble Ivory Design

Clover Bag Handle
U Shaped Marble Dark Brown Design

Clover Bag Handle
Round Bamboo Design

Clover Bag Handle
Lady Hair Bamboo Design

Clover Bag Handle
D Shaped Crystal Design

Clover Bag Handle
D Shaped Black Design

Clover Bag Handle
D Shaped Amber Design

If you are looking for project ideas to use with our bag handles, check out Ella Rae Book 8. Ella Rae Book 8 is devoted entirely to bags. There are 14 exquisite bags to knit and felt using Ella Rae Classic yarn. Patterns are suitable for all knitters, whether you’re a just venturing into felting, or are a “veteran” knitter. The bags range from simple knit & purl stitches to intarsia patterns. Here is a sampling of the patterns included in this book (click on the image for a larger view):

You might be interested in a felting pattern to accompany our bag handles. Nora Bellows’ Noni patterns are innovative, fun, and the perfect project for the felting enthusiasts. Here are a few of the Noni patterns that we stock (click the image for a larger view):

We are getting a bit low on our bag handles. So, if you need them immediately, place your order soon. To purchase the bag handles, or any of our other products, visit our online store.

We are always changing things here at Vintage Knits, and that includes our specials. Right now, we are trying something new. Awarding medium and large purchases with discounts based on order total. Here are the new specials:

Since we are talking money, check out our newest specials from Southwest Trading Company. These selected yarns are on sale for 25% off the regular sales price. Click the images for a larger view.

Oasis:

This is a wonderful yarn that consists of 100% soysilk. Oasis knits at 5 stitches per inch on size 6 needles. It retails for $12.50, and is currently on sale for $9.38.

A-Maizing:

This innovative yarn consists of 100% corn fiber. A-Maizing knits at 6 stitches per inch on size 7 needles. It retails for $9:00, and is currently on sale for $6.75.

Bamboo:

Just like its name, this yarn is 100% bamboo. Bamboo knits at 5 stitches per inch on size 6 needles. It retails for $13.50, and is currently on sale for $10.13.

These specials are good for the immediate future. What that means is that one day you will check our website, and the specials will be gone. We have not set any end date at this time. To purchase our products, visit our online store.