The YBD Big Gift Guide

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you still have not checked the fiber lovers in your life off of your gift list, we have a few ideas for you!

Scarf kits by Mihaela's Signature Designs or Hand Painted Knitting Yarns - The Mihaela's kit (shown below) includes a pattern and the two skeins of yarn needed to make this flirty scarf. The flower accents can be made with scrap yarns from your (or your giftee's) stash. The Hand Painted Knitting Yarns kit includes four skeins of soft-as-butter yarn in a 60% silk, 40% fine Merino blend, as well as a handpainted silk scarf that's been dyed to match. Knit the included pattern, thread the silk scarf through your knitting, and you have a beautiful new accessory that can be worn in a number of ways!


Namaste Handbags, Totes and Accessories - Perfect to hold your knit and crochet gear, Namaste bags come in a wide array of colors and are made of extremely durable, animal friendly, easy to clean materials. Namaste believes that fashion and function can exist together.


Needle and Tool Kits - Choose from the ultra-popular Addi Click set (features more than five hundred combinations with 10 pairs of Addi Turbo needle tips, three blue cords and one connector), Clover Bamboo Knitting Needles (circular or single point), ChiaoGoo Bamboo Knitting Needles (packaged in an attractive bamboo case), or The Knit Kit (includes seven essential knitting tools).


Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash - Offered in four fragrances, Eucalan is something that no knitter or crocheter should be without! Choose from unscented, lavender, eucalyptus or grapefruit in the 500ml bottle size, or try them all in the sampler pack!


Debra's Garden Knitting Gauge Pendants - This 1.5" x 1.25" lightweight needle gauge is as beautiful as it is accurate. The pendants are available in US measurements from 0-17, and just in is a sock and lace gauge with US and metric measurements from 000000 to 6 and .75mm to 4mm, respectively. Use this handy gauge as a pendant on your favorite chain, as a key ring or bag charm, or as a useful zipper pull on your knitting notions bag. The numbers on the gauge are lasered in and will not wear off.


These are just a few of the wonderful products now in stock. How about some sweet-smelling soaps from local handmade soapmaker Jay Design? Or Sig'nits - beads that you can knit into your project to identify creations as your own? Or books from beginner to expert? Or a gift card? The list goes on and on. So, leave that crowded shopping mall behind and stop in at the boutique today!

Now on sale: AslanTrends and Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham!

Save 25% off selected fibers at Yarns By Design now through January 1, 2011!

AslanTrends Invernal - Fiber Content: 50% Rabbit Angora, 25% Merino Wool, 25% Polyamide; Weight: 100 g/3.5 oz, approx. 270 m/295 yd; Needle size: 4-5 mm/6–8 US; Gauge: 4-5 stitches per inch.

AslanTrends Del Sur - Fiber Content: 100% Merino Wool; Weight: 100 g/3.5 oz, approx.: 80 m/87 yd; Needle size: 9-10 mm/13–15 US; Gauge: 2-3 stitches per inch.

Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham Moss - Fiber Content: 85% Extrafine Merino Wool, 15% Nylon; Weight: 50 g/1.76 oz, approx. 149 m/163 yd; Needle size: 3.75-4.5 mm/5-7 US; Gauge: 5-5.5 stitches per inch.

Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham Fern - Fiber Content: 70% Wool, 30% Nylon; Weight: 50 g/1.76 oz, approx. 74 m/81 yd; Needle size: 9 mm/13 US; Gauge: 3 stitches per inch.

Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham Shale - Fiber Content: 35% Mohair, 30% Acrylic, 20% Nylon, 15% Viscose; Weight: 50 g/1.76 oz, approx. 67 m/73 yd; Needle size: 8 mm/11 US; Gauge: 3 stitches per inch.

All sales are final and cannot be combined with any other offer. Sale prices apply only to in-stock items.

Latest YBD news!

Happy Holidays and Holiday Hours
Yarns By Design would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and hopes that you have an enjoyable holiday with your family and friends (and your yarn!). We want to let you know how thankful we are to have you as a valued customer. Each and every one of our customers make us thankful for what we do every day at the boutique. Thank you.

The holiday season is here. To get you started on your holiday gifts, YBD would like to invite you to the boutique on Black Friday, November 26, from 10am-4pm, for great savings. Come select from the wonderful fibers YBD offers that will compliment any project that you are working on. We also offer gift cards and great stocking stuffers for the special fiber artist in your life.

Our holiday hours are in effect beginning Sunday, November 28 through December 19. In addition to our regular hours, the boutique will be open on Sundays from 1-4pm. Please note that the boutique will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 25; Christmas Eve, December 24; Christmas Day, December 25; New Year's Eve, December 31 and New Year's Day, January 1.

2010 Fall Fashion Show
Yarns By Design hosted their inaugural Fall Fashion Show on Sunday, November 14 in Oakmont, presenting the newest and hottest lines in the knitting and crocheting industry. Dancers from Sandra Lynn's School of Dance modeled garments from 12 different lines that YBD showcases.

"This is the time of year when all of our new autumn and winter inventory has arrived," said Tamara Hayes, manager of Yarns By Design. "We value our customers and want to give them the opportunity to see what amazing handmade garments and patterns are available. Hosting this free fashion show gives us the chance to spoil our customers with a fun afternoon of fashion, hors d'oeuvre and door prizes."

"The fashion show introduced the styles of today and provided our customers with a broader view of what they can make," said Sandra Donatelli, owner of YBD. "We had a blast."

Fall Fashion Show to be held this Sunday - spaces still available!

You are cordially invited to join YBD for our First Annual Fall Fashion Show. Fashion, garments, hors d’oeuvre, door prizes and tons of fun guaranteed!

Who: Yarns By Design

What: Fall Fashion Show

Where: Call for details.

When: Sunday, November 14th, 1:30 - 4:30pm

Reservation required / Free event / Space is limited.

Deadline to register is Wednesday, November 10th.

Call 412-832-0657 today to reserve your seat.

Note: Business casual attire is the mode for all areas at the country club. Denim and hats are not permitted. The facility is a smoke-free environment. Use of electronic devices (cell phone/PDA/etc.) is strictly prohibited on the grounds.

Meet Shirley Paden!

Join us this Sunday, October 31st, for a book signing with internationally recognized knitwear designer Shirley Paden! The book signing will be held from 2-3pm and is free and open to the public. Shirley's book, Knitwear Design Workshop: The Comprehensive Guide to Handknits, will be available for purchase at the boutique.

Shirley is the founder and owner of Shirley Paden Custom Knits in New York City, where she designs an exclusive line of custom-knit clothing. She teaches master knitting classes for the fashion industry and conducts seminars on lace, entrelac, cables, color knitting and finishing techniques. Her designs have appeared in magazines such as Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, Vogue Knitting, Knitter's, Family Circle, and Knit It! Shirley has also been featured on HGTV and Knitting Daily TV.

Yarns By Design's hours this Sunday only will be from 10am-4pm. Hope to see you then!

This just in: Louet Mooi!

Yarns By Design is pleased to announce that we have recently expanded our Louet North America offerings! One of the fine yarns that we are now featuring is Mooi Lace Weight. Mooi (pronounced moy) is a unique blend of fibers that combines rayon made from bamboo fiber with the luxury of natural bison and cashmere. The rayon is dyed, while the cashmere and bison content remain natural, producing a stunning and vibrant visual effect. The fibers are blended prior to spinning. Mooi (which means "pretty" in Dutch) is simply a pleasure to knit and it adds rich lustrous color to any project.



Also on offer are patterns using this fabulous yarn: the Cable & Lace Shawl, Faith (a hat and scarf set that uses only one skein of Mooi!), Katara (a feminine sleeveless top) and Brianna (a dressy t-shirt with an all-over lace pattern).

Stop in today to see and feel this beautiful yarn for yourself!

Join us this Saturday, October 2nd, for the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival Yarn Tasting!

Yarns By Design is pleased to be participating in the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival's first Yarn Tasting on Saturday, October 2nd! The Yarn Tasting will be held at the Churchill Valley Country Club from 1-4pm and will feature products from Louet North America, Feza Yarns and Blue Heron Yarns.

You will have the opportunity to sample hundreds of yarns from each company, make swatches and test the differences among wools, bamboo, cottons, cashmere, mohair, silk and novelties. Hand dyed, variegated, solids, sport weights, lace weights, bulky, chunky, roving, and so much more. Refreshments, desserts, prizes, trunk shows and giveaways are all part of this new event. All you need to bring are your needles and/or crochet hooks. Spinning wheels and drop spindles will be available to test fibers, but you may bring your own.

Tickets will be sold at the door, but space is limited for this very special event. Click here for more information.

Because we will be attending this event, our boutique hours on Saturday, October 2nd will be 10am-1pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but hope to see you at the Yarn Tasting!

Stahman's Shawl Collaboration starts this Wednesday!

Join us for our Stahman’s Shawl Collaboration, beginning this Wednesday, September 22nd at 1:30pm. The Collaboration is a free workshop led by our customer and friend, Amy, who has been very busy working on her latest shawl to show all of you (shown above, on Tamara). The Collaboration will be held on Wednesdays, from September 22nd through October 13th, from 1:30-3:30pm. Purchase your yarn and the book Stahman's Shawls & Scarves from Yarns By Design and the collaboration is free!

Stahman's Shawls and Scarves, by Myrna A. I. Stahman, focuses on seaman's scarves and Faroese-style shawls. A Faroese shawl is a traditional piece of clothing from the Faroe Islands, often with the distinguishing characteristic of center back gusset shaping. The shawls have two triangular side panels, a trapezoid-shaped back gusset, an edge treatment, and usually shoulder shaping, which allows these shawls to drape over the shoulders and remain in place as the wearer moves, even if the shawl is not pinned in place.

"In 2008 I bought the book on shawls that Myrna wrote and fell in love," says Amy. "I am working on my tenth shawl from the book. I love them!"

Amy also offers the following reasons why you should take the collaboration:

1. Every technique that you need to know to make these shawls is included in the book. I have learned the easiest way to make those techniques work. I understand what the author meant by those instructions. I have some little tricks that I use to make the pattern go more smoothly and therefore easier/faster for you.
2. When you knit for a class, you tend to get things completed so that you can learn the next step, and will therefore end up with a completed project.
3. Knitting with friends allows us to share our progress and encourage each other.

So, stop by the boutique today to try on a few of these beautiful shawls, and join us starting this Wednesday for the Collaboration!

Shirley Paden Design Master Class Reminder

Go back to school with internationally recognized hand knitwear designer Shirley Paden, who will teach her Sweater Design Master Class on Sunday, October 31 from 11:00am-6:00pm (with a one-hour lunch break). The class is based on her new book, Knitwear Design Workshop: The Comprehensive Guide to Handknits. Spots for this class are still available!

Shirley is the founder and owner of Shirley Paden Custom Knits in New York City, where she designs an exclusive line of custom-knit clothing. She teaches master knitting classes for the fashion industry and conducts seminars on lace, entrelac, cables, color knitting and finishing techniques. Her designs have appeared in magazines such as Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, Vogue Knitting, Knitter's, Family Circle, and Knit It! Shirley has also been featured on HGTV and Knitting Daily TV.

Learn to design knitwear with a perfect individual fit! From the initial spark of inspiration to the sewing of the last seam, Shirley will guide you through the knitwear design process. Based on the successful workshops that she teaches to the fashion industry in New York, Knitwear Design Workshop will give you the foundation to take your knitwear designs to the next level with confidence. The class fee is $150 (lunch included). Call the boutique at 412-832-0657 to reserve your spot!

Thursday, on a Tuesday.

Sandy recently completed the Thursday pattern from Kirsten Johnstone's Assemblage line. Knit out of one strand each of Habu Textiles' A-166 2/30 Ramie and A-177 Super Fine Merino, this lovely top, with a delicate pleated ruffle running down the front, is ideal for layering. Interested in making your own? Both the pattern and a wonderful selection of the yarns await you at the boutique!

Have a finished project made with fiber or a pattern from Yarns By Design that you'd like to show off? Email your name, photos and the project details (yarn and pattern info) to info@YBDoakmont.com, and we'll feature your items on the blog!

Hand Painted Knitting Yarns "Scarf-in-a-Scarf" Knitting Kits have arrived!

Many of you have asked about the beautiful scarf sample that's been on view at the boutique for months, and now the kits are here! The Hand Painted Knitting Yarns "Scarf-in-a-Scarf" Knitting Kits include four skeins of soft-as-butter yarn in a 60% silk, 40% fine Merino blend, as well as a handpainted silk scarf that's been dyed to match. Knit the included pattern, thread the silk scarf through your knitting, and you have a beautiful new accessory for fall that can be worn in a number of ways! Stop by the boutique to pick up your kit today!

Come on in and see our new fibers!

The new yarns from TNNA keep rolling on in, and what better reason to plan a trip to the boutique than to come in and check them all out? Here's what's arrived in the past few weeks:

• Schoppel-Wolle Cashmere Queen (shown above), Crazy Zauberball (shown below) and Flying Saucer, a uniquely hand-dyed fingering weight yarn that allows for two nearly identical socks
• Kertzer On Your Toes Bamboo, a sock yarn in generous 328 yard balls and beautiful colors
• Trendsetter Soleil, a yarn with cute leaves and beads interspersed throughout the skein, and Cha-Cha, a wide ribbon yarn that creates rich layers of ruffles as you knit with it
• Schulana Mosco, an elegant blend of rayon, mohair and viscose, and Cortina Nuvole, a light-as-air nylon and Merino wool blend
• New colors of Spud and Chloe Sweater and Outer
• New colors of Habu Cotton Gima

Habu is here!

We're so excited to announce that our latest Habu order has arrived and hit the shelves! Among the fibers that we now carry are:

• A-32, silk mohair
• N-68, 1/3.5 linen wool roving
• XS-21 and XS-55, L25/3 linen
• A-1, 2/17 tsumugi silk
• A-166, 2/30 ramie 100
• N-67B, 2mm. linen paper
• A-20 and A-21, 1/20 silk stainless
• N-75, 2/48 fine merino
• A-177, 2/48 super fine merino
• A-174, 1/8.5 cotton gima

In addition to these wonderful fibers, we've also received several new patterns using Habu yarns, and two books that feature Habu yarns - Haiku Knits and Ori Ami Knits - are on their way to the boutique. Stop in today to see these unique fibers in person!

Shirley Paden Design Master Class

Please join us in welcoming internationally recognized hand knitwear designer, Shirley Paden, to Yarns By Design on Sunday, October 31! Shirley will teach her Sweater Design Master Class from 11:00am-6:00pm (with a one-hour lunch break) which is based on her new book, Knitwear Design Workshop: The Comprehensive Guide to Handknits.

Today, Shirley is the founder and owner of Shirley Paden Custom Knits in New York City, where she designs an exclusive line of custom-knit clothing. She teaches master knitting classes for the fashion industry and conducts seminars on lace, entrelac, cables, color knitting and finishing techniques. Her designs have appeared in magazines such as Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, Vogue Knitting, Knitter's, Family Circle, and Knit It! Shirley has also been featured on HGTV and Knitting Daily TV.

Learn to design knitwear with a perfect individual fit! From the initial spark of inspiration to the sewing of the last seam, Shirley will guide you through the knitwear design process. Based on the successful workshops that she teaches to the fashion industry in New York, Knitwear Design Workshop will give you the foundation to take your knitwear designs to the next level with confidence. The class fee is $150 (lunch included). Call the boutique at 412-832-0657 to reserve your spot!

Call Today to Sign Up for YBD's Children's Summer Camp!

It's not too late to sign up for YBD's Children's Summer Camp, which will be held July 21 through August 18! The camp is for children ages 9-12 years and will run every Wednesday from 10:30am-12:00pm for five consecutive weeks. Each week the children will have a new project to work on, including learn to knit, kid's notebook, all-together bag, bean-bugs and hand felting. The cost is $30 per week or $140 for five weeks, which includes needles, yarn and accessories. Call the boutique today to register!

TNNA Update!

Sandy and Tamara have returned from the whirlwind that is The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) NeedleArts Market in Columbus with good news to share - lots of new products are on their way to the boutique!

We are excited to expand our Habu product line and will now offer every color of Cotton Gima as well as all of the Habu yarns featured in the new book Ori Ami Knits, which we will also carry. We will also offer all of the Habu textiles featured in Kirsten Johnstone's Assemblage patterns and Julie Weisenberger's CocoKnits patterns. Also on order are new products from Trendsetter (including the yarn used to make the scarf pictured at right, Soleil), Hand Painted Knitting Yarns, Interweave Books, Gedifra, Rowan, Berroco, Namaste, Authentic Knitting Board and Annie Adams Adornment, Inc.

Unfortunately, with the good news always comes the bad. In this case, the bad is the sobering reality that many local yarn shops across the nation are being forced to close as they lose business to online retailers and big-box stores, and it showed at TNNA. Sandy and Tamara were surprised to find that participation at the show was reduced compared to past years. "The most shocking thing for me at the show was how empty it was," Tamara noted. In an article published on the blog "The Crafty Retailer", a Toledo yarn shop owner explained the situation that so many LYS's find themselves in. With that in mind, we would like to encourage everyone to support their LYS and participate in The 3/50 Project.

We hope to see you soon at the boutique!

Stop in for 25% Off on O-Wool Classic and Balance and Rowan Bamboo Soft!

We are so sad to hear of the news, but Vermont Organic Fiber Co. will be going out of business. We have enjoyed carrying both the Classic and Balance yarns from the O-Wool line in our boutique. However, this is not the end of O-Wool. The O-Wool line of hand knitting yarns will continue under new ownership. Yarns By Design will be offering 25% off all O-Wool fibers while supplies last. For the Rowan fans out there, YBD will also be offering 25% off the price of the now-discontinued Rowan Bamboo Soft, while supplies last.

Off the needles!

Sandy recently completed this cute summer sweater, Romi, knit in Berroco Weekend. Romi is a henley placket t-shirt featuring short sleeves and tabbed cuffs from Berroco booklet #296. Berroco Weekend is a machine washable blend of 75% acrylic and 25% cotton that comes in a wide range of colors. The yarn is available by special order at the boutique.

Have a finished project made with fiber or a pattern from Yarns By Design that you'd like to show off? Email your name, photos and the project details (yarn and pattern info) to info@YBDoakmont.com, and we'll feature your items on the blog!

Rowan Purelife Revive: Think Clean, Knit Green!

Avid recyclers will love Rowan Purelife Revive, a DK weight yarn made up of 36% recycled silk, 36% recycled cotton and 28% recycled viscose. According to Rowan:

Recycling is becoming increasingly important in a world coming to terms with the challenges of environmental, economic and climactic change. We are therefore really excited at the introduction of the new Revive yarn into the Rowan Purelife range.

Revive is completely recycled and recyclable. The first stage of the recycling process is to sort the garments. These garments can be old and used, faulty or even new. They are then sorted out by colour and quality. After being sterilised, the garments are sorted by skilled sorters who divide the garments by fibre composition, i.e., put all the 100% cotton ones together, all the 100% silk garments together, etc. It is at this stage that superfluous parts such as any linings, buttons, ribbons, seams and trims are removed. These sorted garments are then cut into pieces and introduced into a fabric grinder that reduces them to loose fibre. These fibres are then carded to make regenerated fibre, which is then spun into the cotton, silk and viscose composition of this beautiful, high-quality yarn. Revive gives new life to handknitting designs out of once discarded knitted garments.

Yarns By Design is pleased to offer this unique, summer-friendly fiber in seven colors. The accompanying pattern booklet features 15 designs for women and men, including the pattern shown below, Shallot (knit in Pink Granite).

The perfect summer cardigan!

What do you get when you pair a light and lacy pattern with a linen and cotton blend yarn? Why, you get the perfect summer cardigan for those cool ocean breezes or just that chilly office air conditioning!



The Eyelet Cardigan (from Nashua Handknits Linen Collection booklet) is knit in Nashua Creative Focus Linen, a blend of 50% linen and 50% cotton. With a dozen colors to choose from here at the boutique, you're sure to find your perfect match!

Join us on Saturday for the "mother" of all yarn sales!

YBD will be hosting a Mother’s Day Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, May 8th from 10-4pm. Come to YBD and save BIG this Mother’s Day! We will have selected fibers priced at only $3 each. And what a wonderful selection of fibers it will be. We need to make space for new inventory. So come and help us out. Also, we will have selected patterns, books and accessories discounted. Hope to see you on Saturday!

A fresh look at Eden

Using KFI's King Tut yarn, Cathy O. updated Eden (from the ever-popular Ella Rae Book Thirteen: Studio Collection) by knitting this fall pattern in a cool summer cotton. King Tut is a 100% Egyptian cotton yarn featuring a beautiful twist and subtle sheen with great stitch definition. More than 15 colors of this easy care yarn are available at the boutique. Stop by to pick yours up today!

Berroco Origami and Kiama

If you're a follower of the Yarn Harlot's blog, you probably saw her April 15th post about Berroco Origami and the Kiama pattern. If her post piqued your interest in this unique yarn, stop by Yarns By Design today to see it in person!



With eight gorgeous colors ranging from brights to neutrals to choose from, and a pattern booklet featuring Kiama and seven other patterns to knit and crochet, you're sure to find a welcome addition to your spring and summer wardrobe.

Windansea hat: the perfect summer topper!

Designed by Kristi Porter and knit in Berroco Seduce, this sunhat provides enough cover to keep the sun off your face, but never feels hot or heavy. The free pattern calls for just two skeins of Seduce (Sandy used color 4436), millinery wire (available at the boutique) for the brim of the hat and elastic for the crown. We have 11 gorgeous colors of Seduce here at the boutique for you to choose from!

Debra's Garden Knitting Gauge Pendants

Looking for the perfect new accessory? How about a needle gauge that's pretty enough to wear?



This 1.5" x 1.25" lightweight needle gauge is as beautiful as it is accurate. The pendants are available in US measurements from 0-17, and just in is a sock and lace gauge with US and metric measurements from 000000 to 6 and .75mm to 4mm, respectively. Use this handy gauge as a pendant on your favorite chain, as a key ring or bag charm, or as a useful zipper pull on your knitting notions bag. The numbers on the gauge are lasered in and will not wear off. Stop by the boutique to pick up yours today!

Just in at YBD: the Gretel Tank Pattern!

Stop by the boutique today to pick up the pattern that is sure to be a staple of your summer wardrobe - the Gretel tank! Designed by Julie Weisenberger of cocoknits, this easy and flattering tank uses just two to four skeins of Habu Cotton Gima, making it an excellent value as well.



Habu Cotton Gima is a unique cotton yarn that feels like paper. "Gima" literally means "fake linen" in Japanese, and it feels like linen paper if you do not know it! Currently, we have Oak, Sepia, Cafe, Violet, Olive and Smoke in stock, but more colors are on their way from Habu.

A tisket, a tasket...

A basket filled with spinning supplies!



Want to spin? We can help! Visit the boutique to shop our fine selection of spinning supplies. We stock Louet fibers including BFL, Merino wool, baby llama, angora, yak, cashmere and silk, as well as drop spindles. Our selection of spinning books includes Spin Control by Amy King, Start Spinning by Maggie Casey and Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont. Just in are instructional DVDs including Popular Wheel Mechanics with Judith MacKenzie, Respect the Spindle with Abby Franquemont and Start Spinning with Maggie Casey and Eunny Jang.

This week at Yarns By Design!

In just a few days, Sandy whipped up this great little spring/summer sweater from one of the boutique's newest yarns, Nashua Daylily! The pattern is the "Scoop Neck Cardigan," which can be found in Nashua's Daylily pattern booklet.



Coming up this weekend is a double-header of cardigan classes — one knit, and one crochet. On Saturday, March 20 from 10:00am-12:00pm, join us as we knit Stefanie Japel's "Cardigan With Ribbing," from her book, Fitted Knits. This top-down sweater is knitted with Cascade 128 — a bulky yarn — and requires no seaming, so you'll be wearing your finished sweater in no time! Bring your hooks for the second class of the day, when we'll be crocheting Robyn Chachula's "Comfy Cardi" from the book Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution by Kim Werker. The suggested yarn for this pattern is Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, and we have a wonderful selection of colors for you to choose from. The class will be held from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Both the knit class and the crochet class will have a second session at the same times on Saturday, March 27. Pre-registration is required for classes, and each student will receive 10% off class materials. Call ahead at 412 832 0657 for more details and to register.

Also, don't forget to stop by the boutique this Thursday, March 18 from 10:00am-7:00pm for Customer Appreciation Day!

Cabled Mitts Class - March 12!

Photo © Blue Sky Alpacas

Sign up today for our Cabled Mitts class at YBD! This elegant and easy first cable project, knit in Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, will be a blast. You will have so much fun that you will not want to stop! The pattern requires either a set of US size 3 double pointed needles or two US 3 24” circulars, and one hank of Alpaca Silk. We have more than 20 colors of Alpaca Silk here at the boutique for you to choose from!



The class will take place on Friday, March 12 from 11:00am - 12:30pm. Pre-registration is required for classes. Each student will receive 10% off class materials. Call ahead for details at 412 832 0657.

Spring is coming!

Although it seems difficult to believe when you look out your window, spring will be here before you know it. We are excited to offer some new fibers and patterns that will be sure to freshen up your spring and summer wardrobe!



Rowan Purelife Revive is a DK weight yarn made up of 36% recycled silk, 36% recycled cotton and 28% recycled viscose. The yarn is completely recycled and recyclable. We have seven beautiful colors for you to choose from, and the accompanying pattern booklet featuring 15 designs for men and women.



Nashua Handknits Daylily (46% cotton, 31% acrylic, 23% nylon) is a colorful cotton blend for quick and easy to knit garments. The accompanying pattern booklet includes ten patterns that are sure to be knit up in a jiffy in this worsted weight yarn.



Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Linen is a worsted weight yarn made up of 50% linen and 50% cotton and put up in generous 220 yard (100g) skeins. We have 11 fantastic colors and the pattern booklet features nine patterns for women and the home.



Berroco Origami (58% acrylic, 16% linen, 15% nylon, 11% cotton) is an exciting new yarn for warm weather months. Many multicolored strands run parallel to each other, wrapped by a black binder and it knits into a remarkably light and crisp finished fabric. The pattern booklet features nine designs for knit and crochet.

YBD at the 6th Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival

Thank you to everyone who stopped by Yarns By Design's booth at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival on February 13 and 14 at the Four Points Sheraton in Mars, PA. We had a great time at the festival and hope that you did also.

Among the wonderful products that the boutique offered that day were fibers from Gedifra, Rowan, Berroco, Blue Sky Alpacas, Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham, Habu Textiles, Art Yarns, Louet, Claudia Hand Painted Yarns and more. Also on offer were kits for the "Heart on a String" hat knit in Spud and Chloe Sweater (one kit makes two hats!) and the "Olympic Hat" knit in Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca Sport Weight. Both kits are still available - stop in at the boutique to pick yours up today!

Check out our newest fibers!

Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns (80% superwash wool, 20% nylon) is a very soft self-striping fingering weight yarn that's perfect for socks, lace, garments, or anything else that you can come up with!



Opal Antonia aus Tirol (75% superwash wool, 25% polyamid) is a sock yarn collection from Tyrolean pop singer and knitter Antonia in warm and vibrant colors inspired by the magnificent scenery of the Alps.



Jasmine by Louisa Harding (48% cotton, 39% bamboo, 10% silk, and 3% polyester) is a soft and silky DK weight yarn with just a touch of sparkle.



Rustic Tweed from Queensland Collection (63% wool, 27% alpaca, 10% Donegal) is a subtly shaded DK weight yarn put up in generous 278 yard skeins.

Show us your stuff!

We love to see our customers' finished objects! Jen knit this lace cowl, designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a., the Yarn Harlot), out of less than one-half of a skein of Plymouth Earth Ecco Cashmere:





Have a finished project made with fiber or a pattern from Yarns By Design that you'd like to show off? Email your name, photos and the project details (yarn and pattern info) to info@YBDoakmont.com, and we'll feature your items on the blog!