April's news

Phew! It's been busy here at the K&S offices in Swansea this month. We're constantly adding new items to our stores, both online and in our real store in the city centre, adding to existing ranges and bringing in new ones.

To keep it brief, here's a list of what is new:

• SALE needlework kits are now available online at http://www.needle-work.co.uk/
• Popcorn the Bear and friends range comntinues to expand, now available as cushion & rug kits http://www.needle-work.co.uk/Popcorn_Bear.htm
• We continue to expand our online networking with pages on Twitter and Facebook. Do find us and follow us! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159279&id=83939721313&saved#!/pages/Swansea-United-Kingdom/Knit-and-Sew/83939721313?ref=nf and http://twitter.com/KnitandSewcouk
• Our original site http://www.knitandsew.co.uk/index.html has had a slight facelift with an easy to navigate front page and links to the needlework site.
• We have introduced a testimonial page, so you can log in and leave comments about the service you have received http://knitandsew.co.uk/comments/gbook.php
• We continue to modernise our storage solutions, with new knitting and sewing bags and boxes being added regularly.

Do call soon and see for yourselves!

We're on Twitter

Find us on Twitter... http:www.twitter/knitandsewcouk

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The Times 'Credit Crunch Chic' excerpt

The Times recently published an article by India Knight, entitled 'Credit Crunch Chic' which covered all manner of ways to save money in the home, via home cooking, beauty on a budget, clothing, shopping and more.
Among the very valid pointers was a couple of paragraphs on the virtue of craft work (see below). It illustrates the current trend for all things hand-made and might be an inspiration to those of you selling your handmade items online...
For the full article, please click here.


"CRAFT WORKS"

"If you’re under 30 and fairly with it, you’ll understand what I’m talking about when I say the craft movement is huge and super-cool.

I could write an entire book about all of this, and about what it means for so many young women to be redefining domesticity in such empowering, self-sufficient ways. For our current purposes, though, all you need to know is that there’s never been a better time to get into crafting. Make craftster.org your first port of call. The site contains everything about everything to do with crafts, as well as being a giant online community.

Then move on to etsy.com. It’s like a huge crafts mall, containing tens of thousands of individual stalls run by people selling the stuff they make. It sells absolutely everything you could possibly imagine: handmade clothes, accessories, jewellery, bath goods, wedding- cake figurines, frames, ceramics, knitted stuff, art (some of it fantastic), toys — and that is the merest tip of the world’s biggest iceberg. It’s marvellous and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Etsy is the first site I visit if I want to buy someone an original (as in, often, literally one of a kind), lovely, bargainous present. Plus, obviously, you’re not lining the pockets of some giant greedy-guts corporation; you’re (gently) lining the pockets of a fashion student in Brooklyn, or a mother of four from Dorset who crafts in her spare time. Every item you buy from such a person strikes a blow against mass production. Everything about Etsy rocks.

If you are any good at making anything at all, I strongly urge you to set yourself up with an Etsy boutique; as some of the craft bloggers who have Etsy shops will tell you, you can start earning serious pocket money — after which, of course, the sky’s the limit."

Knit and Sew joins Facebook

Knit and Sew has joined the online network 'Facebook'. Please drop by our page soon and become a fan...

WOOL SALE CONTINUES - New lines added

More yarns have been added to our Spring Sale - make sure you don't miss out!

Sirdar Ocean is on offer in stunning colours for summer including Scallop Pink, Oyster, Black Pearl and Echo Blue, plus we're offering Ocean patterns for summery fashion so there's plenty to inspire you!

At less than half price, Sirdar Vegas (pictured left) is not to be missed! A glamourous yarn with metallic strands for a hint of luxury and glitz, Vegas is only £1.99 a ball.

A popular yarn, Sirdar Confetti is back for a limited period in Playtime Blue. A soft and cuddly yarn in speckled shades of blue, ideal for many projects and machine washable.

We are also offering the ever popular Wendy Chic on sale at the moment - usually £4.29 and now only £1.75 a ball - an amazing saving! Chic is a gorgeous and luxurious version of the extremely popular eyelash yarns, and it has a highlight of glitter running through it with the long eyelashes interwoven with metallics, perfect for scarves and hats, ponchos and shrugs. An extremely soft long-haired yarn, very much like a fur, which when knitted is gloriously soft and light - like an angora rabbit!

Sirdar Surfer is still a popular choice during our sale, with the summery feel and look of the yarn it is making everyone think of the summer and holidays to come!
Make sure you act fast and order your sale wools while stocks last - some colours and yarns have already sold out!

Knit and Sew - a Brief History

About us: The business was first established in 1972. Back then, the store was a tiny traditional knitting and sewing shop based in Neath, South Wales. In those days knitting was a pastime enjoyed by a largely older customer base and was not being taken up as a hobby by the younger generation.
To increase trade, the Neath shop founders ran sales in local church halls and expanded sales through local clubs and groups.

In 1974 the store amalgamated with a Swansea firm and became Knitters and Sewers World. By the 1980s the firm had also established a strong wholesale arm to the company, supplying all wool, haberdaashery and sewing stores within a 50 mile radius of Swansea. In 1985 the some of the proceeds were invested in a second store.

By the 1990s, knitting and sewing were becoming dwindling minority crafts, despite this the company was turning over a six figure sum, but margins were becoming increasingly squeezed. It became obvious that the company would have to make some changes in order to survive. The obvious choice was internet sales as the items we sell are mainly light and unbreakable, making them ideal for mail order. This seemed a daunting undertaking for the company as the range of items for sale is huge, but with the help of 'Shopfitter' a risk-free, pay-as-you go solution, Knit and Sew was established online.

By December 2005, the turnover was 30 times more than the preceding December and a colossal 112 times the monthly turnover from eighteen months ago.

Together with the strength of the online shopping market and also with the increase lately in crafts the store goes from strength to strength. Knitting has become more popular in the younger generation, celebrity knitters have been spotted and photographed and more and more knitting clubs and classes are starting across the country.

Our store, often nicknamed 'Aladdin's Cave', is full of interesting and unusual ideas and is visited by over 20,000 customers who enjoy browsing our vast product range.

Our extensive stock provides all materials and accessories to complete any project large or small relating to knitting and sewing, as well as other crafts such as jewellery making, rug making, cross stitch, tapestry etc.

We hope you will find browsing our site as fascinating and interesting as our customers who visit us regularly.

We hope to see you soon! Do let us know if we can help you with your project.