Connecticut Yarn & Wool And Colors Galore

Connecticut Yarn & Wool Company (CYWC) is home to the complete palette of Farmhouse Yarns - bumpy, subtle, soft, wools (and other types) - dyed in color so beautiful to look edible (luscious).

CYWC has two locations - 85 Bridge Rd., before the swing bridge that leads to the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, and an outlet location at 25 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Both stores are brimful of tactile delights for anyone who loves to knit, crochet, felting, or related fiber arts. Artists will revel in the paintbox effect - wall-to-wall pure color and textures.

A good selection of quality yarns (other than Farmhouse) is offered, too, along with knitting needles, quality buttons, designer totes, and other must-haves. Twist of Fate Spinnery of Portland yarns (such as the half alpaca/wool) is among the delights made in Connecticut, available at the store.



Suzanna Mayhugh was working and knitting up a hot pink variegated toddler jacket at the Madison outlet location. Inside the shop there was a 40 percent off all yarn (Sunday) sale going on.

Sales vary at each location, so be sure to pick up a free brochure calendar listing goodies such as 50 percent off fill-a-bag yarns and free Mardi Gras beads. And the outlet store (Madison) is not open on Monday and Tuesday; call ahead to verify hours.



More about the free workshops, knitting help, great teachers, and the entrepreneur (and passionate knitter) behind the creation of Farmhouse Yarns, in an upcoming profile story. (She knows her sheep by name and yes, she has her own Connecticut flock.)

Worth a drive to spend time inside with all the colors, especially in late winter, going into spring.

'Ace is The Place', Climbs to 6th

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 is an annual ranking of the best small business franchise opportunities for individual entrepreneurs and potential investors.

Here are the top 10:

Subway
McDonald's
Liberty Tax Service
Sonic Drive-In Restaurants
InterContinental Hotels Group
Ace Hardware Corp.
Pizza Hut
UPS Store, The/Mail Boxes Etc.
Circle K
Papa John's Int'l. Inc

Ace Hardware climbs to the sixth slot on the list.

Ace is the only home improvement retailer in the top 50 on the 2009 list, published online and in the January 2009 issue of the magazine. The company moved from 18th in 2007 to 12th in 2008 and is now nearing the top five.

According to the magazine, all companies are judged on quantifiable measures of its franchise operations. Researchers consider, among other criteria, the financial strength and stability of companies, along with their growth rate, years in business, start-up costs and opportunity for company-backed financing.

With 4,600 hardware, home center and building materials stores that generate annual retail sales of more than $12 billion, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and one in Shanghai, China, and its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states and 60 countries.