‘Shuttles Spindles and Skeins’ is a Real Knitting Experience

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”

George F. Burns quotes (American comedian 1896-1996)

Sally outside Shuttles and Spindles, Boulder, Colorado.
Sally outside Shuttles & Spindles, Boulder, Colorado

What kind of Yarn Shop takes up 8000 square feet of space? We were curious, so we traveled to Boulder, Colorado to find out.

Surrounded by the Rockies, “Shuttles Spindles and Skeins” is a real knitting experience, a meeting place for knitters and friends, with a 15-year history. Located in the Table Mesa Center, Boulder, Colorado, it is a beautiful location.

View outside Shuttles and Spindles.
View outside Shuttles and Spindles

The first interesting aspect of the shop we found was the book section. There is a short bench that seats four and a neat little wooden table with notepads and pencils, making for a comfortable inviting atmosphere. That’s where I sat, gathering my thoughts, and began to weave this story. While I was writing, Sally perused the shop, looking for that perfect knick-knack or rather, I should say knit-knack.

“I wanted to come here to look for things that my yarn shop (Filati at Rocklin, California) doesn’t carry,” said Sally.

While sitting on the bench, I heard two knitters meeting again after a long separation as well as others getting advice from Judy Steinkoenig and staff. Each member of staff is a well-qualified knitter, with their own style and specialized skills in multiple areas.

We watched while a mother, daughter and grandmother looked for just the right knitted hat in both the pattern and book sections while others found the yarn and needles they needed.

Knitting Class gets started.
Knitting Class gets started

Shuttles Spindles and Skeins offers many classes for knitters, with a complete classroom at the back of the shop, larger than some entire yarn shops that we have been to in the past. “Classes include various styles of knitting, crochet, tatting, basketry and felting, plus special classes by fiber teachers from around the country,” said Steinkoenig.

“Almost all of our employees teach classes and in the course of a regular day, a lot of extra teaching is done, showing a particular stitch or explaining a pattern. Our instructors take pride in what they do because when you enjoy what you do it doesn’t feel like work,” Steinkoenig said.

The button bar.
The button bar

Shuttles Spindles and Skeins also includes sections for weaving, basketry, buttons, spinning as well as equipment. Although Sally doesn’t weave, she liked the weaving shuttles section, which has such interesting and beautiful colored shuttles, made in Boulder by the Schacht Spindle Company.

Most of one wall contained a large range of knitting needles, including many we don’t see in California. For weavers, one area contains beautiful looms of various sizes and another area has a range of spinning wheels.

Action at the front counter, while Jack the Yarn Dog keeps order.
Action at the front counter, while Jack the Yarn Dog keeps order.

The whole shop is presided over by Jack the yarn dog. Jack loves everyone and if not all the yarn and friendly smiles can make you happy, then Jack will.

Of course, Sally wanted to stay longer, but eventually, we had to leave because lunch was calling my name.

Sally found all the things she was looking for and while Louise Bradley, staff employee was helping us check out, we discovered that she had lived in Adelaide, South Australia at the same time that we lived there.

“I lived right near the old Penfold Winery on Magill Road, a few miles away from you,” said Bradley.

It goes to show you, it’s a small world!

We loved our visit to Boulder and we hope you will too.

For More Information:

Contact J Z Steinkoenig

Shuttles Spindles and Skeins

635 S. Broadway, Unit E

Boulder, Colorado 80305

shuttlesspindlesandskeins.com

Alan Gray is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of NewsBlaze Daily News and other online newspapers. He prefers to edit, rather than write, but sometimes an issue rears it’s head and makes him start hammering away on the keyboard.

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Alan has been on the internet since it first started. He loves to use his expertise in content and digital marketing to help businesses grow, through managed content services. After living in the United States for 15 years, he is now in South Australia. To learn more about how Alan can help you with content marketing and managed content services, contact him by email.

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Alan is also a techie. His father was a British soldier in the 4th Indian Division in WWII, with Sikhs and Gurkhas. He was a sergeant in signals and after that, he was a printer who typeset magazines and books on his linotype machine. Those skills were passed on to Alan and his brothers, who all worked for Telecom Australia, on more advanced signals (communications). After studying electronics, communications, and computing at college, and building and repairing all kinds of electronics, Alan switched to programming and team building and management.

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