Bella Knitting has revamped the concept of 'project', carefully balancing selection and convenience.

The Bella Project
While a traditional 'kit' is easy to buy, it limits your choices. Each Bella knitting Project begins with a carefully conceived design idea to which we add options -- yarn, color, sleeves, necklines, handles, fabric, etc -- allowing you to create a project that's right for you.

Complete Project Materials
Bella Knitting is not just a yarn store -- we've done all the shopping for you and have included just about everything you need for your project. Each Bella Knitting project includes a detailed pattern, project specific tips and techniques, yarn, and any required notions such as fabric, buttons, purse straps, magnetic snaps, etc. We'll even color match sewing thread to your yarn when needed. If a project just needs a bit of yarn in a certain color we'll include that too. It's all about convenience - yours.

Support
We want you to successfully complete your project and to grow as a knitter. That's why Bella supports our customers after the sale. Use the Bella web site any time of day or night as an on-going resource to learn about your project. See our Project Help section for more details.

While most knitting stores focus on yarn we focus on the finished product. Bella designers start with a style idea, develop a core shape, add multiple options and then select yarn and notions that work. We want knitters to successfully complete their projects so we include well written instructions, designer tips, photographs and commentary as part of our design process.

Not really. To us a kit implies a preassembled project based on criteria decided by others. Bella allows you to decide which components best match your style. Not just color and size but sleeve length, trim, stitch pattern or handles and fabric for purses. We do have a few kits, like the Viking Hats, but we will still allow you to customize yours the way you want.

We are adding our yarns right now. So in the mean time send a note to orders@bellaknitting.com with your request and we'll get that yarn right out to you. If you really see something you have to have send us a note and I'm sure we will be able to help.

We work very hard on our patterns. They include detailed instructions, schematics and project-specific tips. The cost of these patterns is included in our projects. However, as knitters we understand the knitting stash so if you want the pattern you can download it. If you would like a paper pattern mailed to you please send us a note. Patterns are not returnable. Send requests to bella@bellaknitting.com.

We use our blog as the main way to communicate with knitters. We will also be launching an e-zine on the web site that has information on what's new. We do have a mailing list but we promise to use it sparingly! Just send us a note using the Contact Form in the Customer Services section.

We'd love to hear from you and share a photo of your finished project on our site. Just send your finished photo to bella@bellaknitting.com and we'll add it to our Customer Gallery.

We accept photos in .jpg format (and prefer them at 72 ppi but we can do that for you).

Make sure we can see the details of what makes your project special. You can show us how you look wearing the project or send a close up of a specific detail you want to share. If you have a blog, please include a link to your blog or blog entry and we'll include that with your photo.

We have tested all of our patterns but no one is perfect. First check out the Customer Service tab under Corrections. It connects you to all the information we have on your project.

Look for additional hints and clarifications. If you still think you have an issue please send a note to bella@bellaknitting.com with details on the project you are knitting and we will get right back to you.

Absolutely! Bella Knitting is designed to take advantage of the vast amount of creativity and talent available from you online knitters and designers. Examples of projects knit under this program are the Viking Hats, Brioche hat, Vestee Kids Sweater and Shell.

Send a note to bella@bellaknitting.com for more information about our Independent Designers Program.

We are located just north of San Diego. Since we are an online store we are just a warehouse site. We don't have a retail store but have been known to hand deliver orders in North County.

We do sell some of our products wholesale. These include purse parts and most patterns.

If you have a resale tax ID and are interested you can send a note to laura@bellaknitting.com.

What a great question! There are two answers...

1. The name Bella -- which means beautiful in Italian -- was influenced by one of our founder's husband. He is from Sardinia, Italy and is the Executive Chef at one of our most popular restaurants in Coronado (Il Fornio). If you ate at his restaurant you would be thinking in Italian too!

2. There is also 'Bella' the designer. Many Bella Knitting patterns are designed internally. It's a team effort: we meet to discuss current trends, optional design elements, skill levels and the needs of our knitting customers. Knitting the sample is just the beginning, writing a good pattern takes almost as long and is edited by several people. For us, Bella represents the fun and creativity of our collaborative effort.

Bella Knitting is a designer on Ravelry. Just search on us and Ravelry members will be redirected to a special Ravelry only page!