About Judith Shangold

Hello and welcome to my site. I've been in the yarn business for over 30 years. I started out as a weaver, and in 1975, I opened a shop in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, N.Y. called The Weaver's Studio. Knitting quickly became a part of the business and I started designing for the leading magazines of the time - Vogue Knitting, McCall's Needlework, Family Circle and Women's Day.

After 10 years in retail, I moved to Boston and became the New England sales rep for several yarn companies. Trying to combine volunteer work and business, I developed the concept of A Bear in Sheep's Clothing. I published some booklets with designs to knit for Boyds bears, sold the bare bears, and invited knitters to donate garments. Dressed bears were sold at craft shows and all of the proceeds were donated to charity.

In 1999, I bought the distributorship for Manos del Uruguay yarn, a product I had loved since I owned my yarn shop. It was a great pleasure developing a relationship with the women's cooperative that produces this yarn and designing patterns for it. These designs comprise the Design Source Collections for sweaters and home decor that are available through yarn shops across the country.

In 2007 I sold the distributorship to Fairmount Fibers and embarked on the next chapter of my life. I continue to design patterns under the name Designs by Judith, a collection of patterns that answer the need for basic designs in multiple gauges. My newest endeavor brings me full circle to my first fiber love of weaving and to my new love of beads. Judithwares features this collection. With a continued interest in trying to do something useful, I will be donating 10% of these sales to Heifer, an organization I truly admire.

I am weaving mostly on a rigid heddle loom and am interested in introducing people to this simple, low tech craft. If you are interested in learning or run a program and need an instructor, please contact me.