Knitting On The Net



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Author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To
Knitting & Crocheting Illustrated (3rd ed.)



               

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Yarn Shop Reviews
Nebraska

Brown Sheep Wool Co.
100662 County Rd. 16
Mitchell, NE 69357
308-635-2198

Reviewed by Marie Greene

In Mitchell, NE (just 6 miles W. of Scottsbluff) we have the home of Brown Sheep Wool Co. They have a little store attached to their offices where you can go and stock up on their richly colored wool. They have a mill ends bin that has great bargains ($9 a pound for any type of yarn in the bin--including their hand dyed yarns and silk blends). The discount you get from purchasing your yarn at their office is remarkable. They seem very small town and friendly, and one can be waited on by Mr. Brown himself. Their yarn sells all over the country, but here we have the advantage. For folks in or around the Scottsbluff area (or just travelling through--we are on the Oregon trail!) Brown Sheep is a great place to stock up on some terrific yarn at terrific prices.

This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Ruth Provance

I live in Virginia, but I am from Scottsbluff. I visited the Brown Sheep Wool Company probably about the time they started making yarn, 24 years ago, at an open house they had at the mill. It was fascinating, and I bought quite a bit of yarn from them back then. Then, as now, they supplied the Navajo with a lot of wool which they wove into beautiful blankets and rugs. My life moved on, and so did I. Only in the last few years did I discover that Brown Sheep Yarn has become a boutique brand, available in fine yarn shops across the country.

I was recently back home, and visited the mill again. A tour was about to start, and I joined in. The tour starting was one person, so don't be afraid to ask for a tour! The lady running the yarn shop was the tour guide, so I kind of had to go along. It was fun. Quite a difference from two decades back.

The shop on the premises sells mostly seconds, which are still of good quality, but the price has gone up. It is now $11 per pound, or something like $25 per pound for the hand painted yarn seconds. I found that there was no discount from the retail price for the first quality yarn (I think they don't want to undersell their retailers), but they have it all, in all the colors. I bought six skeins of Burley Spun and four skeins of Nature Spun seconds.

I may be slightly biased, but I think that a visit to Brown Sheep yarns is worth the trip off the interstate. It is about 50 miles from I-80, and Scottsbluff is a comfortable town with several national chain motels, less than 200 miles from Denver. It is also on a good route from the East to Yellowstone National Park. There are several local attractions for the Western History buff, especially the landmarks on the Oregon trail, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Chimney Rock, not far away in Bayard. Combine an educational history tour with a stash expansion expedition!

ImagiKnit Yarn Shop
223 N. Lincoln
Hastings, NE 68901
402-462-yarn

Reviewed by by Beth Kollars

I was very pleased to find the great selection of high end yarns.

It is a small shop, but Karla the owner has some really great items. She has pretty much anything you could want from wool to novelty yarns. She also offers classes and times to just come and sit and knit.

Her store is very child friendly, she even has toys for kids to play with while you enjoy her shop. Karla is willing to help with projects and questions and will even special order if needed.

It is by far my favorite yarn store that I have been in. It is a great asset to the area.

The Plum Nelly
113 North Hastings Avenue
Hastings, NE, 68901
402-462-2490
Owner Iris Nunley

Reviewed by Beth Kollars

This is a nice store, with plenty of room to move around. They have an okay selection of yarns, but it isn't huge. They also sell fiber of spinning and weaving. They have a wide selection of books and other thinks related to knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving.

I don't think this store to be child friendly. There are lots of things that can be broken and touched that a small child just couldn't help not touching. They also had many candy dishes full of candy around. That I didn't care for due to the fact I would usually have a child with me. I also felt that it wasn't ok to touch the yarn. When I would go in, they would put the yarn back that I had taken down if I stepped away from it, not asking if I wanted it. In most cases I would looking for something to go with it.

They are willing to help with a project if you need it. They are all around nice, but with a limited brand selections and the lack of child friendly shopping this isn't my first choice for shopping.

Prairie Threads
627 Main Street
Clearwater, NE 68726
402-485-2155

Reviewed by Faydra Jones

This great little shop just opened Summer 2009. MareLee Thorneberry is the owner. The evidence of almost 40 years of fiber art experience abounds there. She loves teaching and has classes in just about all areas of fiber arts. My 17 year old daughter and myself have been taking spinning lessons the last 6 weeks and absolutely love it! From MareLee's knowledge in evaluating raw fleece (from a local Icelandic sheep producer), her skilled hands showing us how to separate, wash & spin the fleece, along with her patience while we struggle through something, our knowledge and confidence has just skyrocketed! We have learned so much and look forward to learning as much as we possibly can in the future. (I would love to learn to weave, as well.) MareLee is a rare gem in the fiber world. Prairie Threads stocks a good selection of Brown Sheep Co., along with other natural yarns and fibers. You can also see and experience weaving, spinning, knitting & crocheting supplies and tools. Many of the tools are ones of her own design made by a local craftsman. (I like my niddy noddy made from Nebraska wood!) She carries some quilting kits, as well. There are also some really nice & unique gift items, such as jewelry and pottery from local Nebraska artists. It's a beautiful shop and well worth your time to drop in. I know this may sound like a commercial for Prairie Threads, but I'm not affiliated with this business. My only connection is the great respect I have for MareLee Thorneberry as one of her students. 11/09

Threads
Sutter Place Mall
5221 South 48th Street
Lincoln, NE 68516
402-489-9550

Reviewed by Shawn Stoner

So much more than a yarn shop, Threads is truly a treasure. Gladys and her staff (Sandra and Nancy) strive to supply the community and region with the highest quality merchandise and equipment available.

Unsurpassed service is the word that comes to mind, if they don't have what you are looking for they will gladly order it for you. In addition to supplying the Lincoln area with hand and machine knitting yarns, Threads carries an extensive line of tatting and bobbin lace supplies; threads in a wide variety of sizes and materials; beading supplies; books, videos and design software; knitting machines, and the list goes on.

Threads also offers classes in tatting, bobbin lace, beading, braiding, machine and hand knitting and crocheting. Threads also sponsors machine knitting clubs and graciously allows the Lincoln Lacemakers to use the store as a meeting spot for their monthly meetings.

This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Rachel Suntop

This is a great store. I lived in Lincoln for 2 years and visited the store often. Each time i went, I was made to feel welcome. There's a pretty good selection of knitting yarns as well as weaving yarn, white wool fleece for spinning and felting, lacemaking and beadmaking supplies. I went here for knitting machine lessons with Shawn and always had a good time.

This shop was reviewed by a third knitter.
Reviewed by Ruth Provance

I visited this shop in June, 2007. The new owner, Salli Sternberg, is phasing out the beads and machine knitting, and is focusing more on hand-knitting yarns. At the time I visited, she was introducing a new yarn every week, and planning to offer knitting and crochet classes. She had a good selection of books, and was very welcoming and friendly.

The shop is located in the Sutter Place Mall, which looks like a strip mall at first glance, but Threads is inside. There was no sign on the outside of the mall, but don't let that discourage you. The other shops in the mall seem to focus on home decor, which did not interest my poor brother, who brought me to the shop at my request. I didn't stay as long as I might have, as he was standing there shuffling his feet with his hands in his pockets! 9/07

Touche
6053 Maple St.
Omaha, NE 68104
402-502-2586

Reviewed by Ricky Snell

I visit Touche on a regular basis. Glinda, the owner, is so down to earth, friendly and extremely helpful. Each time I have frequented I was made to feel right at home. Even the customers seem just as friendly. Many classes from Knitting to Basket Weaving are offered. If the class you want is not listed in her monthly newsletter, I'm almost certain she would find a way to teach you! There are several yarns to choose from ranging from novelty yarns, wools, wool blends, cottons, and sock yarns. For those that would like to get together and share this beloved craft of knitting, there is a Stitch-n-Bitch that meets regularly on the last monday of the month in the shop. If I had to choose from the three LYS's in the Omaha area, this would, without a doubt, be my favorite.

Wooly Mammoth Yarn Shop
8 West 23rd Street
Kearney, NE 68847
308-224-3824

Reviewed by Kristin Gebhardt

What a wonderful store! Lovingly referred to as The Wooly by its patrons, the shop has been a part the downtown Kearney scene for two years now. A somewhat recent move has enabled the Wooly to expand its line of merchandise and to offer more exciting classes for newbies and old hands alike.The yarns...extraordinary. New yarn seems to appear weekly in a variety of colors and natural fiber combinations. The proprietress, Jeanne Noyes, is very knowledgeable about the products and can help you select just what you need for your project. If you can't knit yet, Jeanne can teach you with great patience! She offers group classes and individual one-on-one instruction for those who desire it. The Wooly offers classes in hooking, weaving, and felting as well. A variety of tools and materials are available for these arts too. Proprietor Kirk Noyes, a former educator, offers private art instruction in a separate classroom. Obviously I'm in love with this store. I've learned to knit, and have taken several other classes there as well. The prices are more than fair--I bought some yarn in Chicago but found the same product here for nearly half the price. The store is a welcoming place to spend an afternoon in pleasant company, and Jeanne is happy to help you with those little problems that you encounter with your projects. It's a treat to visit, and well worth a drive. 2/11

Yarn Shop Review Index