Knitting in Massachusetts

Spark Craft sale reductions down to 50%

The storewide sale discount for Spark Craft Studios' store closing sale has gone from 30% down to 50%. Got this email from Spark Craft last night:

50% Off or More - All Inventory

All store inventory is now 50% off through Sunday, November 30th.  Certain items are even lower-priced; see store for details.

Bags of Beads - $10 & $20
Get grab bags of assorted Swarovski crystals for $20 and grab bags of assorted loose beads for $10.  These great deals won't last!

Limited Store Hours
Hours this week: Tuesday, 12:30 - 8:30 pm; Wednesday, 4:30 - 8:30 pm; closed Thursday; Friday, 4:30 - 8:30 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday, 12:00 - 5:00 pm.  The store will officially close November 30, 2008 or as soon as all inventory has been liquidated.

Furnishings & Retail Fixtures
We still have an assortment of store furnishings and retail fixtures for sale - stop by the store for details - Ikea furniture, retail displays, home decor and various odds and ends.  EVERYTHING MUST GO THIS WEEK, SO STOP BY AND MAKE US AN OFFER!

Ribbon Spools & Button Tubes
Get a whole spool of ribbon or a tube of buttons at a fabulous price!  Price per spool depends on size and amount of ribbon or buttons remaining.

Knit & Crochet Patterns - 10 for $10

Get all single knit & crochet patterns 50% off or 10 for $10!

Spark Craft Studios
1963 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-441-5200
hello@sparkcrafts.com

30% off store-closing sale at Spark Craft Studios now through Nov. 23

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Update, Nov. 25, 2008: The reductions are now down to 50%, and bags of beads are as low as $10. See updated email from Spark Craft.

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Spark Craft Studios sent out this notice to email newsletter subscribers:

Spark Craft Studios, Inc. will be closed by the current management on or before November 30, 2008.  Following is important information about final store inventory sales, classes & events, and store hours.  Thank you for your business and best wishes to everyone!

30% Off Inventory

All store inventory is now 30% off through Sunday, November 23rd.

Loose Beads - Fill a Bag for $20
Get 30-50% off loose beads with our "Fill a Bag for $20" offer now through store closing.  Shop early for the best selection.

Classes & Events

November classes with students enrolled will proceed as scheduled.  December classes and classes with no enrollment have been canceled.  Private parties scheduled past November 30 have been canceled. Please call the store at 617.441.5200 if you have a question about a class or event.

Limited Store Hours

Starting Wednesday, November 19, Spark will be open limited hours as follows: Tuesday - Friday, 4:30 - 8:30 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday, 12:00 - 5:00 pm.  The store will officially close November 30, 2008 or as soon as all inventory has been liquidated.

Furnishings & Fixtures for Sale

There is an assortment of store furnishings and fixtures for sale - stop by the store for details - Ikea furniture, retail displays, home decor and various odds and ends.

Spark Craft Studios
Porter Square
1963 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
617.441.5200

One(?) Last Post: Porter Square Books Knitting Group and Book, Yarn Discounts

I meant to post this before I decided to stop this blog, so here it is.

Porter Square Books has a knitting group that meets one Sunday a month, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. It's called Knit One, Read Too, and the next one meets this coming Sunday, Dec. 11. According to the store's web site, the group is for knitters, crocheters, quilters, and "other handwork enthusiasts."

The store will offer selected craft books at 10 percent off, and Mind's Eye Yarns, which is right across the street, offers 10 percent off all yarn for session participants on days that the group meets.

I'll try to make a few updates to the yarn store list and knitting group list in the next few weeks, and post one or two reviews people sent in over the last several months, but will not be posting any new information that's sent in. I'm also considering archiving the contents of this blog (along with the store and group lists) and posting them somewhere else (on space that I won't be paying extra for, that is).

Thanks to everyone who's written or left messages about the site.

Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 491-2220
info@portersquarebooks.com

Mind's Eye Yarns
22 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 354-7253
lucy@mindseyeyarns.com

Creative Warehouse 15th Anniversary Sale July 29 and 30

I got this email from the folks at Creative Warehouse:

Creative Warehouse in Needham will be celebrating 15 years with a two-day, 15%-off-almost-everything tent sale July 29 & 30. 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., rain or shine. Come early for best buys, stay late for fun and surprises. Door prizes and more.

Creative Warehouse
220 Reservoir Street, #10
Needham, MA 02494-3133
(781) 444-9341

July Yarn Closeouts at Putting on the Knitz

Got this e-mail from Janet at Putting on the Knitz in Newton:

PUTTING ON THE KNITZ is closing out a number of really great yarns at great sale prices. We are including such yarns as PLEASURE, TWO TWO, BEATRICE, and others too numerous to mention. The sale will run July 1 to 31 and the prices are great.

Putting on the Knitz
1282 Washington St
West Newton, MA 02465
(617) 969-8070

June Yarn Sales, Update 3: Dee's Nimble Needles

Latest update:

Dee's Nimble Needles in Walpole is having a sale.

Someone passed along to me that Dee's is currently having a Big Spring Cleaning Sale from now through June 18, all cottons, cotton blends and novelty yarns in stock are 20% off. And they are taking 50% off "selected top-quality yarns."

Plus, for the entire month of June: 10%-20% off all bound books.

Also, Dee's has moved down the street, from 21 West Street to 15 West Street, and now has a web site:

Dee's Nimble Needles
15 West Street
Walpole, MA
(508) 668-8499

Update 2:

The Knitting Room in Arlington is having a sale this Saturday, June 11. All yarn and needles will be 20% off, and some patterns and books will be on sale. Yarn brands carried include Lamb's Pride, Manos del Uruguay, GGH/Muench, Reynolds,and others. There are needles and accessories from Lantern Moon and Skacel (maker of Addi Turbo needles). A list of all the companies whose merchandise the store carries is on its web site. Stores hours on Saturday are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Knitting Room
2 Lake Street
Arlington, MA 02474
(781) 483-3442

More Yarns Put on Sale at A Good Yarn

These yarns will be 30% off. Sale lasts until yarns are gone.

• Debbie Bliss Merino Aran
• Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed
• Jo Sharp DK Wool
• Velourine
• Cascade
• Artful Yarns Fable
• Artful Yarns Cartoon
• Samarcanda
• Reynolds Morocco
• Jamieson's Soft Shetland (discontinued colors only)

A Good Yarn
4 Station Street
Brookline, MA
(617) 731-4900
info@agoodyarn.biz

Update No. 1:

A couple of people have posted comments to announce other sales. I'm adding them to the main body of the post to make sure people know about them, even if they don't read the comments. Stores having sales are:

The Snow Goose, Milton
Through June 18

Here's what the first comment, from Michelle, said:

Snow Goose in Milton is having a sale through June 18th — EVERYTHING in the stores (they said "everything except the fixtures and the sales help") is 20% off. They have a lot of stuff in there, and a very complete selection os patterns/books/tools etc.

The Snow Goose Yarns
Milton Marketplace, 2nd level
10 Bassett Street
Milton, MA 02186-5507
(617) 698-1190

Nantasket Fabric-N-Yarn, Hull (and Online)
Through July 9

And the owner of Nantasket Fabric-N-Yarn posted this:

Nantasket Fabric-N-Yarn Second Anniversary Sale. ... Thank You to everyone who made our second Year in our store a success. We are going to offer our website customers the same specials as our store until July 9, 2005. All cotton fabric 30% off all flannel and fleece excluding Oh So Soft 40% off. All books and patterns 40% off. Lots of our designer yarns 30% off. $2.00/skein baskets ... there are lots of yarns to choose from, but these go fast. Don't forget customer embroidery items: We can make up almost anything for individual use, company use, and promos, etc.

Nantasket Fabric-N-Yarn
667 Nantasket Ave.
Hull, MA 02045
(781) 925-1078
sindyebellecreat@aol.com

Original Post:

Here are three sales I know of. Know of any other sales coming up? Leave a comment below to tell us about it — or send me an email with details.

A Good Yarn, Brookline
Starts June 1 — open-ended
A Good Yarn is having a Memorial Day Sale. Selected Rowan, Debbie Bliss, and Berroco yarns will be on sale at 30% off.

A Good Yarn
4 Station Street
Brookline, MA
(617) 731-4900
info@agoodyarn.biz

Mind's Eye Yarns, Cambridge
June 1-5
Mind's Eye Yarn is having its Eighth Anniversary Sale. All yarn and spinning fiber will be 25% off. Yarns that are already in the sale basket will be 35% off — an additional 10%. Fibers the store carries include Cascade 220 and other Cascade yarns, as well yarns by Elsebeth Lavold, Marks & Kattens, Madil, Steadfast Fibers, and other manufacturers, plus hand-spun and -dyed yarns, and unspun fleece.

Mind's Eye Yarns
22 White Street
Cambridge, MA
(617) 354-7253
lucy@mindseyeyarns.com

Wild & Woolly, Lexington
June 2-20
Wild & Woolly is having its Semi-Annual Clearance Sale. Bingo, Baby Alpaca Grande, Cartoon, Donegal Tweed are a few of the brands that will be on sale, as well as selected kits, sample sweaters, scarves, and books. New items will put on discount daily as the sale progresses. There will also be free patterns.
Early bird hours (when you'll have a chance to win door prizes) are tomorrow, Thursday June 2, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The store will have special hours for the first four days of the sale, June 2-5:

Thursday, June 2: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 3: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 4: 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 5: 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

During the other sale days, June 6-20, normal hours will be in effect:

Monday-Friday: 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
(The store is closed Sundays until after Labor Day.)

Wild & Woolly
7A Meriam Street
Lexington, MA
(781) 861-7717
wwoolly@aol.com

Porter Square Shopping

Several members of my regular Sunday knitting group in Somerville have noted that Porter Square Books (in the Porter Square Shopping Center, right next to Tag's Hardware) has a good selection of knitting books. It's not a giant store, and the knitting-book section takes up only a shelf or two, but it's a nice assortment. Just a few of the titles I've seen there are

• Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman,
• Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti,
• the Knitting Experience Books (The Knit Stitch and The Purl Stitch) by Sally Melville,
• Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein,
• Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick,
• The Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss,
• Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush,
• Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson,
• Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley,
• the Knit Lit books of short knitting-themed fiction, and of course
• the ubiquitous Stitch 'n Bitch books by Debbie Stoller.

Recently I found out why the selection is so good: Lucy, the owner of Mind's Eye Yarns, which is right across the street, helped them choose their knitting books.

I like the bookstore for a lot of other reasons, too. It's roomy, laid back, provides chairs and tables, and the staff is helpful and friendly. They'll order anything they don't have, and usually get it in within a few days. I also like their selection of magazines. It’s not huge, and while they carry many of the mainstream titles, others weren't represented. (Example: they carry Vogue, Cosmo, Allure, and Marie Claire, but not Glamour). Nevertheless, I thought they offered a nice choice, including some less-common titles like the fashion magazine Nylon and the feminist magazine Bitch.

The store offers a monthly selection of Staff Picks, has frequent author readings, and offers a story hour for children on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

There's also a 20% discount on current top 20 adult Book Sense Picks and a 10% discount for teachers on classroom purchases, if they show a teacher I.D. Plus, Porter Square Books offers a customer appreciation program whereby, for every $150 you spend, you get a coupon good for $7.50 worth of store merchandise. (There's no time limit in which you have to spend the $150 in order to get the coupon, either.) Even if you're pinching pennies, it's definitely a nice place to buy some of those books that Amazon doesn't discount anyway, or where the discount is so slight/shipping is so much (read: your order doesn't qualify for Super Saver Shipping) that you wouldn't save much, if anything, online.

If you go on a day when Mind's Eye Yarns is open (Wednesday through Sunday most of the year; closed Sundays in the summer), you can shop for yarn or spinning fleece and then troll both stores for books and magazines, knitting and otherwise. Mind's Eye will have spinning books and magazines as well as knitting.

June 1-5, when Mind's Eye Yarns is having its anniversary sale would be a good time to go. There'll be 25% off all yarn and spinning fibers, with some items 35% off.

Mind's Eye Yarns
22 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 354-7253
lucy@mindseyeyarns.com

Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 491-2220
info@portersquarebooks.com

Webs Tent Sale and Fairs May 21-22; Anniversary Sale Now Through May 27

Webs in Northampton is having a two-day sale this weekend.

This store normally has some good deals, and they are promising "phenomenal prices" this weekend.

Webs is already having an anniversary sale, now through Friday, May 27, and during the tent sale additional yarns will be discounted. Some of the specials may be added to Webs' online store, depending on quanitites, but they say going to the store is your best bet to find the greatest selection.

Spinning wheels and equipment will also be on special for 20% off this weekend. There will be spinning wheels on hand to try out.

On Saturday only, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the store will be holding its annual fleece market. Some local sheep farmers will be offering fleeces and handspun yarns for sale.

On Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the store will hold a Fiber Art Fair. Employees and customers will be displaying and selling handknit, crocheted, and woven items.

More about the tent sale, the anniversary sale, and the fairs is here.

Webs
75 Service Center Road
Northampton, MA
(413) 584-2225
webs@yarn.com
Directions

Storewide 40% Off Sale At Norwell Yarn Store

Someone posted about this on the BostonKnitOut Yahoo Group:

Knitting Needs & Crochet Cravings:
We are having a Spring Clearance Sale — everything in the store is 40% off through the end of May!!! This includes all yarn, needles, notions, books, patterns, etc. This does not include special orders or other discounts.

Knitting Needs & Crochet Cravings
293 Washington Street
Norwell, MA 02061
(781) 659-0200

35% Off Sale at Woolcott & Co.This Weekend

Woolcott & Co. in Harvard Square is having an overstock sale this weekend, April 9 and 10. Everything in the store will be 35% off, with an extra discount applied to everything that was already on sale.