Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Kollage needle WINNERS

Congrats to the six winners of a set of Kollage double points!  Those who entered the contest told us all about their favorite or least favorite Halloween decorations.  And the randomly chosen comments/ers are:

My all time favorite decoration is the jack-o-lanterns I carve to set along the walkway to my front door. Most are done with patterns so the flying witch is usually placed closest to the door so it goes with my witch costume! - Kay L

My favorite Halloween Decorations were the huge balloons that Mom hung from the overhang near the front door --part of the "TREAT" was to be able to take a whack at one balloon with the stick. If you were lucky, there'd be some change amidst the candy and confetti -- not so luck would be finding the one that hid the water balloon! Our house was a hit for many years. - Leslie Fehr

Carving pumpkins. Now that my kids are older, we don't do it anymore. Miss decorating.- Suzan Tiemroth-Zavala

My favorite Halloween decorations are leaves on the ground that trick-or-treaters shuffle through on their way from house to house!- Teresa

i'd egg the spider/spider web decor put up, if i could stand to look at them to aim. i'd like to win a set of square needles and give them a try; thanx for the chance to do so. - Rita in Alaska

Worst decorations ever: plastic blow ups. - Allise

The winners have all received an e-mail, so if you think one of these is you, check your Inbox!  Get your prize!  Woo hoo!

It's going to be a busy week here- I swear, when I was a kid Halloween was a one-day event.  MAYBE two, if there was a school costume parade in the hallways.  Now?  NOW?  Three to four evenings.  And we aren't even going to the Zoo Halloween anymore b/c they have it just during the day and SOME OF US WORK WEEKEND DAYS, mean zoo event planners.  Now, I'm not complaining about the candy, really, as James is much too young to eat 4 days worth of candy and it has to be eaten by someone.  Or sometwo.  Joe and I have an unspoken deal that he gets the peanutbutter/peanut candy and I get the cookie/wafer type candy.  Think Reese's vs. Twix.  But by the end of the week, I'm going to need an evening just to sit on the couch and veg out with my knitting.  And likely a new project as I'm closing the toe today on my Halloween socks made from this.

What's happening to trick-or-treating for those of you on the east coast?  Has the bad weather hit yet and are you hoping that its gone by the 31st?  I hope everyone stays safe!

Halloween Deal on Lorna's Laces

If you haven't yet tried this special fiber blend from Lorna's Laces, now is a chance to give it a go at a discounted price.  The sale counts for orders placed Friday and Saturday (or come in the store on Saturday 10-4 for our weekly shopping hours), and not for holds or special orders.

And since online orders received free gifts last week, in-person shoppers will receive a Soak Wash sample with each purchase this Saturday when shopping at our shop at 1315 E. State Blvd in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Hope to see you Saturday!

SSYC Sample Knits- Prism Wrap

A gorgeous new piece on display in the store, knit by SSYC's shop manager Heather.

The oh-so-lovely Prism Wrap, knit using one ball of Zauberball Crazy in color 2100 (that's the black white and gray in the shawl) along with one ball of Madelinetosh's Tosh Sock in Candlewick (that's the gold).

I highly recommend this project.  When Heather suggested it as a store sample, we both liked the idea of using black/white combo with a yellow of some sort.  We also considered using a chartreuse with it, and I think a red would look nice as well.  Or, you could use any combination of a semi-solid with a gradually changing skein like Mini Mochi, Sausalito, Zauberball/ 100/ Crazy, Lang's Jawoll Degrade.  Some of the coolest ones I saw on Ravelry were onces that included a variation of a rainbow color. 

What about this? Crystal Palace's Sausalito with Madelinetosh Merino Light in Fathom:

Or this?  Zauberball 100 in color 2165 along with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Multicolor Farwell or Satsuma.  OMG LOVE.

Or, OR... Mini Mochi color 316 and Simply Sock Yarn Solid in Black (you can get to all these colors from this page).

I could do this all day... or night.  There really are so many awesome combos for this project, so if you have questions, you know how you get us for second opinions!

No Tricks, Just Treats! 50g skeins at 40% off!

Last year, Lorna's Laces switched over their production of Shepherd Sock from 50 gram skeins (made one sock) to 100 gram skeins (makes two socks).  We're getting low on the 50 gram skeins, so I'm selling the rest of them to you for 40% off!  While we can all agree that the 100 grams skeins are much easier for knitting most projects (then you don't have to search for two 50g skeins in the same dyelot, or you don't have to weave in ends when you use them for a larger project), the 50g skeins were nice for small projects like baby socks, hats and those oh-so-popular hexipuffs.  50g is the perfect size for small sock projects or booties like these, or this adorable hat, or for making many hexipuffs for the awesome Beekeeper's Quilt (if you haven't started this project yet and don't want a new one- don't click on the link!  I hear it's an addictive knit and that's why I haven't started one myself yet!)

I have quite an array of colors available, and while the deal is for Potluck, meaning that we choose for you... you are welcome to e-mail me after your order and indicate if there is something particular we can include for you.  There are, of course, no promises- if you order this deal you might get one (or 10, if that's what you order) of any of Lorna's Laces colors.  But if you e-mail me and say "Hey, I'm going to try and knit a citrus-y colored Bee Keeper's Quilt"  or "I'd like to knit boys booties", then I'll do my best to accomodate you.  Again, no promises though b/c once we get quite low on colors there may not be what you want afterall.  So please only order the deal if you are fine with a surprise.

You're welcome to order as many skeins as you like.  Heck, at this price, I don't blame you!  I'm going to keep a few dozen stashed for small baby projects... when I have time to knit again.  Lately I'm realizing that I might never have time to knit for my own children and that all my knitting might end up being for friends and family in a couple years when I have more time to knit.  It makes me kind of sad to think that I don't even have the time right now to knit little Henry a hat, or James a pair of socks that he has asked for, but then I also think that my kids would prefer that I spend time with them than knitting away.  When I have so little extra time right now (and I know it will get better once Henry gets to be 6 months or so), I'm telling myself it's good to just spend it with them.  At least I get a few rows done a week with my knitting group on Sundays.

So here's how I spent my spare time this weekend- pumpkin picking.

Picture Post

James "helped" me photo the new Lorna's Laces colors earlier this week. Which really means he set up an obstacle course for me to throw the yarn over and into a basket.  Needless to say, it took forever to actually get anything done. Oh, the things we do to occupy our kids when trying to get work done.

And, yes, that's a James Brown duckie guarding the obstacle course.

Doesn't he look like a big boy (you might have to click on the above picture to see James at right)??  It's hard to believe he's five years old when I still think of him like this:

Free Treats in orders through Oct. 19

Want a free knitting treat during October's No Tricks, Just Treats promotion?  Place an order on Oct. 16, 17, 18 or 19 and you'll get a free treat in your package!  We have a fun assortmet of surprises to include- Soak wash, patterns, and various accessories.  We knitters should have some fun this Halloween too, right?  And it doesn't always have to be a sweet- we love fibery treats too!

 

 

Poste Yarn, Striping Sock in Sports Team Colors

If you've ben hoping for more sports tem colors in Poste Yarn, I have more for you!  These are super fun knits, especially for that sport lover who you aren't sure what to gift them.  Take a look also at the Wizard Series colors, as all of them also correspond to sports teams too.

I do have a few other sport tem colors planned, but if yo have others in mind, you're welcome to leave comments below.

Happy Monday!

Flash Contest- Kollage Needles

If you're like me, you were getting mighty impatient waiting for Kollage to have their square needles available again.  But I guess that's what happens when a company moves their production facility from overseas back to the US- it takes time to retool a factory and make sure that the product is just so before releasing it.  I now have Kollage's needles back in stock, so take a look!

Want a chance at winning a set of 6" US 1 double points?  Six lucky winners will be chosen from the comments below.  Simply tell me about your favorite halloween decorations.  Or, heck, tell me about your least favorite decoration- the kind that your neighbor puts up and you want to egg by the time the season is over.  Leave me a comment below by mid day on Friday, October 12 and you could be one of SIX winners!

If you're thinking of shopping in person this weekend, I highly recommend it as an amazing array of Madelinetosh is in stock.  I have the Merino Light and Tosh DK up on the website now, and Pashmina and Tosh Sock hopefully up by tomorrow.  There are restocks of your faves like Tart, Calligraphy and Mansfield Garden Party, and new colors like Stephen Loves Tosh, Wilted Rose and Steamer Trunk.  And if you can't make it to the store in person, I've post a short video of it on the SSYC Facebook page.... and that's just half of it!

Also check out the restocks and new colors of Malabrigo Sock and (sport weight) Arroyo.  These colors are so wonderful that we're considering a Malabrigo KAL for the near future. 

Manly Colors, part 2

SO much yarn has come into the store in the past week and even more will be here shortly.  For those of you who adore Madelinetosh, there's a crazy amount that dropped in late last week and I'm still trying to get all the photos done to put it up for you.  Hopefully by the end of the week.

Looking for more options for men's gifts for the holidays?  Here are a few more ideas for those of you who are knitting for people who might be affraid of color.  My husband, Joe, seems to be one of those people- he prefers grays and deep blues, and I would have thought that as an artist he would appreciate more bold color.  Not so!  So if you are like me and looking for interesting but safe options, here are a few more to consider.  Go here to see all that I post about this topic.

Tanis Fiber Arts has some really nice safe-yet-dynamic colors in both the Purple Label (cashmere blend) and Blue Label (merino/nylon).  And if you want something thicker, try the Yellow Label.  Check out Charcoal, Shadow, Atlantic, Chestnut, Sand and Spruce.  Shown below are Chacoal, Sand and Spruce.

Alchemy is a great way to go too.  It's a wonderful knit and the finshed product holds up really, really well.  Check out colors like Fig, Ocean Floor and Two Rock in their semi-solid Elements color line.  Or, if you're looking for heathered colors, you really should give a try to Shelridge Farms.  Very wearable colors. 

Looking for a slightly dressy silk blend?  Shibui's Staccato is a good choice, available in very nice solid colors like Chrome, Silk Stocking and Suit, shown below.  Perfect for a special knit.

Want some ideas for sports team colors?  I think I'll post about that next.  I've had some requests for Poste Yarn sports team colors, and more of those will be available soon.

Contest Winners

Here are the luck winners of recent contests!  For the Red Hot Mama crocheted purse contest, the five lucky winners and comments are:

Lisa L
I like Sweet Georgia Yarns in Coal Harbor with Summer Skin!

Kathy in KS
I have been crocheting for, ahem, a while. I counted the rounds, and it looks like there's 8. So, I would choose one of those Gradience sets, and do 2 rounds of each color. I'm especially fond of the Jack Frost, November, and the Luau colorways, but really, they're all awesome.

Fgee
Oh so hard to choose colors but I'd go with onyx and baltic , the colors of my local hockey team - hopefully if I knit it they'll resolve their lockout! Great Pattern.

StarSongKY
Madeline Tosh Sock in Tomato with Onyx borders would make an incredible trick-or-treat bag for Halloween parties! (Or a great everyday purse for an orange nut like me.)

SavannaGal
There are so many great options from which to choose. But I've been eager to try Sweet Georgia yarns, and I love bright colors. So I think I'd choose TL Sock in Peashoot and Pomegranite, or maybe Lettuce Wrap. All lovely.

Congrats to all five!  I'll pass your information onto the pattern designer, so if you don't hear from her in a week or so, please let me know b/c I want to make sure I got your e-mail addresses right.  For one of you I have no e-mail, so if you hear nothing soon, please e-mail me at service@simplysockyarn.com - same for the winner below!

And the winner/comment of the two balls of Saualito is

LauraB, who says:

I always wear my Symphony V Moebius shawl/cowl made out of the black, gray & white Zauberball on Halloween, as well as around the holiday. It can be drawn up into a hood for when you're outside which comes in handy when it's snowing Halloween night.

Swiss Mountain Silk- Sea Sock

Oh my.  Silk. Merino. Seacell.  In that order.  Sea Sock.

This is the awesome free pattern, the Stormwater Shawl, that comes with purchase.  I've knit this myself and it's on display at the store.  You can knit a scarf with one skein, or a shawl with two.  Gorgeous.

No Tricks, Just Treats - Flash Contest!

It's a No Tricks, Just Treats month- October!  Why should kids have all the fun this time of year?  Let's have some fun too!  Throughout October I'll have contests on the blog for you to win fibery goodness, special treats in orders during one week, and other fun things happening.  Don't miss out on all the awesomeness- just check the blog regularly to find out if something super special is happening.

Want a chance at winning two balls of Crystal Palace's Sausalito yarn in the Toast & Jam colorway?  Sure you do!  Leave me a comment telling me if you have a special handknit item you wear for Halloween time- before mid day tomoroww (Wednesday, October 3) and you could win. 

This yarn is a super fun knit- I've knit the Monet color, which is on display at the store.  It does all the work for you, turning a basic sock into something eyecatching and cool.  Plus, scarves and shawls using this yarn are really neat because they change in color as you go.  Give something like the Prism Wrap a try using Sausalito for the multi and Simply Sock Yarn for the solid.

Dream Club, October 2012

OK, so I really, really try not to buy things out from under anyone when something special comes in the store.  I figure that if there's a limited amount of something then the nice thing to do is offer it to one's friends before taking any for yourself.  Heck, I didn't even get a Halloween Kit for myself this year (or last) before it sold out.  But I really couldn't help myself in this case.  The October Dream Club color is just so perfect that I couldn't resist.  And I snagged two skeins just in case I want to make something larger than the provided free pattern.

If this wonderfully realistic autumn colorway is for you, then I don't recommend waiting.  There is a limited amount available.  It's even dyed on a wool/silk base that is new for Dream in Color, so it would make a luxurious gift for yourself or someone special.

The pictures of this pattern provided by Dream in Color shown here aren't true to the bags of yarn I received.  The skeins I received look much deeper in color than this pictured scarf, which I'm thinking the light reflected off too much off the silk b/c perhaps the photos were taken outdoors on a sunny day.  The colorway looks just like the single skein pictured at the top, but like all hand dyed yarn, your skein may have a tad more green/gold/mahogany/rust or any of the colors shown in the picture.  But they are all similar, so if you are ordering multiples you will be able to use them in the same project, provided you smartly alternate skeins while knitting/crocheting.

October's color is now available, though if the link stops working then it's gone.  After your order, e-mail service@simplysockyarn.com to be e-mailed back your copy of the pattern.  Again, this is a special edition color so it could sell out quickly.  I'll post again here or in the e-newsletter if there are some extras later in the month.