Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

We interupt this otherwise blah day...

... with donuts and special store hours!

Well, the donuts were for James and I (and of course, the "brother"), but the special store hours are for those of you who want to some some after-work shopping today.  I host special hours by appointment for groups, and one of those groups is coming this afternoon.  So if anyone else wanted to come later in the day when we usually aren't open, this time being Friday April 20 from 4-5:30, you're welcome to stop in.  James will be working with me, or at least playing Pirates, which seems to be the thing he does at the store right now. 

The weather here is downright perfect, which means sunny and not hotter than 70.  As is common in Indiana, now that I've complimented Mother Nature, the weather is sure to change.  It's not even 10am and James and I have already played on the swingset, gone out for donuts, looked at the blueberry bushes, peas and garlic in the garden, and washed windows (he actually likes washing windows, weirdo).  I'm taking the morning off to be with him and only him, and of course that also means that right now he has absolutely no interest in me, which is why I'm blogging!

Hope you all have a fab weekend!

Win some MadelineTosh!

Thanks for your name suggestions!  You guys touched on a couple I already like... Henry is one of them.  But then I think that I don't know any Henrys.  Which can be a good thing b/c then you don't have any preconceived notions on whether that's a mean person's name, or a nice person, or whatever comes to mind when we think of certain names.... I think a lot of that for me comes from school- the names of the kids that might have picked on me or might have excluded me.  But back to Henry... I like the nickname Hank too.  One of you also mentioned Walker, which I really like.  And it also makes me think of Wyatt, which I think is a great name, though someone in Joe's family named her son Wyatt a few years ago and I don't know the etiquette on child naming in families.  I also like Jackson and William, but those seem to be very popular right now and I'm trying to stay away from the super popular names simply to avoid confusion in school.  In James' preschool there seem to be several Jacobs and Keegans, Olivias and Graces, and I have a hard time keeping them straight in his stories.

So let's make this otherwise mundane Wednesday a little more interesting, shall we?  So many of you have found colors of MadelineTosh's Merino Light that you like, and I've enjoyed being your personal shopper when packing up your orders, or helping your choose colors in person.  Which has inspired me to have this contest today.

Take a look at this link, and come up with a color combination of at least TWO colors of Merino Light that you'd like to combine in a project.  Tell us in the comments below what those two or more colors are that you'd like to combine, and you could win two skeins of your choosing!  To enter, leave your comment by Friday, April 20 at midnight EST in the comments below this blog (not on Facebook).  If you want to double your chances, also leave in that same comment a link to the pattern your considering.  A link to a Ravelry pattern page is fine, or the direct link to the pattern itself is fine if its on the designer's website or blog.  I'll post next week who won, and I'll also e-mail you if you were the winner.

Thanks for inspiring me and others with your ideas!  For me, it's sometimes hard to look outside my color-safety-zone, and seeing what combos you come up with shows me what other options I might not have considered.  It's what makes knitting more interesting!

Naming the little guy

As I enter my seventh month of pregnancy, my belly is more prominent and I get questions more often about what we will be naming this one.  Joe and I have barely discussed names as neither of us has had too much spare time to even think about it.  Amidst the painting and decorating of James' big boy room, the update of our kitchen (am I nuts to take that on at this point in my pregnancy... I felt like if I didn't make a few changes now I would never have a chance to do it, and they are cheap and will take just a week), rolling out something new and special for the store (details to come in a month or so), and life as we know it.... well, we barely have a chance to discuss our days, let alone naming the newest member of our family.

So what do you think?  Want to give me the kick in the butt I need and give me and Joe some ideas for boy names?  Please? James thinks we should name the baby James and then have "a million James-es"... oh, the ego of a four year old. 

Below, James on vacation a week ago with chocolate-ice-cream-mouth.

Mmmmmm. Merino Light.

There's little more inspiring than opening new boxes from Madelinetosh- it's like breathing in color.  I have many new colors to share with you in Merino Light and Tosh Sock.  All colors shown below are in Merino Light.  And you'll find that there are some new bold color combos in Tosh Sock, and those are only available on that yarn base.

Want something hot and somewhat flashy?  Flashdance, Dahlia, Ruby Slippers, Molly Ringwald.

Or sub out the purple of Flashdance for ruby red Tart, and you have this romantic combo.  Dahlia, Tart, Ruby Slippers and Molly Ringwald

More of an autumnal person?  you might like this combo of (I featured this a few months ago which made these quickly sell out): William Morris, Copper Penny, Nutmeg and Plaid Blanket

Like the cool tones of a summer sky? Cobalt, Betty Draper's Blues, Denim, Opaline

Jewels? Oxblood, Ruby Slippers, Filigree and Nutmeg

There are so many color combinations of Merino Light you could use for this pattern alone, but these are just the ones that caught my eye when I took a moment to imagine and dream.  When Lara brought in the prototype of that linked design, it was the first instance that I literally peeled the clothing off her back.  Since then, it's happened more than once and I think she now realizes that she had better be fully clothed underneath the knitted garment she's wearing because I (or some of YOU too) have no shame.  We know an awesome design when we see (or snatch) it.  Oooh, and if you want a one color project (takes two skeins), check out this one- designed by Lara and knit by Heather (who is part of the SSYC Crew), it's a stunner in the Alizarin colorway.

If you happen to be in the store this coming Saturday (April 14) or Tuesday (April 17), you can choose yours in person and make your own combo with the whole slew of them in front of you.  Or, if you are ordering on the website, I took the best pictures I could so that you could compare and contrast for the look you're going for.  And of course, you are always welcome to e-mail and ask for our opinion on a color combo you're thinking of.  We love to give our opinions around here!

Sunrise Fiber's Classic Sock: A Review

A few months back, I received a promising package of samples from Wren of Sunrise Fiber Co., a small dyer in Utah.  When the new batch of test knitters was chosen, Wren's yarn was among the first skeins I sent out.  One skein was a variegated Chocolate Cherry skein, and the other a semi-solid Fresh Mint.  Both colors were smart choice for Wren to send me, as the Chocolate Cherry reminded me of the SSYC logo colors, and we all know I'm a sucker for a good green.

I sent the Chocolate Cherry off to Marianne (here in the US) and the Fresh Mint off to Deirdre (up in Canada) and here's what they had to say about the skeins.  First, Marianne's review of the Chocolate Cherry- and please do note that she does include her particular opinion of the colorway itself (and doesn't like that white is one of the colors of the skein- would prefer just pink and brown), which isn't one she would typically choose, as her preference is for semi-solids or striping yarn over variegated.  Knitters don't get a color choice of what I send to them- they don't even know the dyer as they are knitting and are just learning who it is today, just as you are.  Also please note that the images shown on SSYC website are the correct colors, and that these shown on the review were taken by the knitters are may not be completely accurate for this dyelot.  Always refer to SSYC's photos for correct dyelot colors.

So here you go- the review of Classic Sock by Sunrise Fiber Company, and you'll now even see a few colors in the store.

Presentation - The skein was very nicely wound and easy to unwind, with no tangles or apparent knots.

Texture - The yarn felt very smooth and deliciously soft to work with--no splitting or catching on the needles. I especially liked the bounciness, and the stitch definition was great, even before blocking.
After washing, the fabric felt firm yet elastic on my foot, like a warm cozy hug. This is exactly why I love knitting and wearing handknit socks!

Fabric -  The colors did pool/swirl in an unpredictable way, but this wasn't a surprise to me based on how the colors looked in the hank. It did turn out to be the thing that I liked the least, though. I thought the effect that the white spots gave was distracting. I would have preferred that the pink and the brown overlapped each other (resulting in no white areas) or that the white areas had been as long as the pink and brown areas and formed swirling stripes instead of random little splotches. I had considered frogging the plain stockinette sock and trying out a stitch pattern that would help break up the colors some more, but I figured that the result would be even more random and splotchy, and I preferred to continue with plain stockinette. I do think the variegation would be much too busy and random for a stitch pattern which is meant to be the focal point. I would be interested in how the colors would look if striped in plain stockinette with a white yarn--I think this might be the most agreeable look for my tastes.
As I was knitting, I noticed that the yarn at the cast-on end had already started to look a little fuzzier, and I thought I will have to pay special attention to how the finished socks hold up. I wouldn't expect them to be as sturdy as my socks with more plies and nylon, but I would hope they'd hold up as well as my other socks made with similar yarn.
I haven't had problems with my usual sock pattern being saggy at the ankle, and after wearing the one sock around the house for a few hours (the weather is getting too warm for wool socks), I don't anticipate this one becoming saggy after being worn all day.

Misc.- My overall opinion of the yarn is that, for a 100% merino sock yarn, I do like the look and feel of the base and would certainly use it again if the yarn were dyed in a way that is more to my tastes (self-striping or semi-solid). Even if I were looking for a variegated yarn that will pool in an unpredictable way, I would want to avoid colorways dyed with the short white/undyed part in between the main colors.
I didn't notice any odors in the yarn, and there wasn't any bleeding at all, either when I was knitting or when the sock was being washed--in fact, the wash water was completely clear. (Since I'm not particularly fond of the white areas, I had kind of hoped that the pink and brown would bleed into it!)
I did find an irregular place in the yarn where the individual plies were slightly messed up. One ply was longer than the other and scrunched up from being wrapped more times around the other ply, and the only thing to do was to cut the yarn. Not the dyer's fault or a big deal, though.

After knitting the second sock and washing and wearing the finished socks around a bit, Marianne followed up with this:

Follow up:  Above is the photo of the finished pair of socks! With the second pair I did a bit of experimenting just to see how the stripes would look if alternated with white yarn. (I was too lazy to knit a separate swatch and figured I'd just knit it on the sock itself and rip it out when my curiosity was satisfied.) I ended up liking this look a lot--it made me think of chocolate raspberry ripple ice cream. (shown below with a little bit of white yarn added in with the variegated color).

The finished socks feel very soft and comfortable to wear, and they do stay up as expected. The finished pair weighs 73 grams, and there's 37 grams of yarn left. I'm happy about having this amount left to play with and want to try a zigzag or wavy pattern and see how it looks.

And here's what Deirdre has to add about the semi-solid skein of Fresh Mint:

Texture -like buttah. The yarn was lovely to knit with, and using a 2.25mm needle, made a beautiful fabric - solid, firm and soft all at the same time. The sock is extremely comfortable on my foot, and became even softer after washing. It still feels durable, too.
 
Knitted fabric - I thought by looking at the skein that it would be more variegated, less striped, but I don't find the striping takes away from the pattern (Francie). And I LOVE the colours, just love them. Now that I know that it has a tendency to stripe, I would probably choose a pattern that would highlight that fact.
 
My overall impression is that I love this yarn for socks - I almost feel like I've used it, or something with a similar base, before, but not in these colours, which are fabulous! Soft, sturdy, substantial socks – I would definitely use this yarn again.

Tempting fibers

The new group of test knitters for the store has been working away to knit up samples that dyers send and write thorough reviews of their thoughts.  In just a month, we've already narrowed down several must-haves and even weeded out more than one defintely-not-worth-the-time samples.  SSYC carries a wide array of sock yarn, but each one is tested and given a definite thumbs up before it gets space in our 3500 sq ft store.

Below is a sampling of the first order SSYC just received from one of the small dyers that got great reviews from two separate test knitters.  I'll reveal those reviews next week and you'll also find the yarn in the store.

I also have a glimpse of a super secret skein that we adore.  This one was so previous to me that I left it to Heather (on the SSYC team) to test knit.  Yum.  And because you may be wondering why I'm not knitting this special skein myself.... I AM.  Just in another color!

Expanding to serve you better...

Much like the big expansion Simply Socks Yarn Company's 3500 sq ft restored-post office underwent this past summer, your continued loyalty and support is now allowing our website to expand as well!  The first part of this is a day or two expansion of our server capabilities, which begins later today, Wednesday April 4.  It will likely take just one day to complete, but during this time, the website will be "Closed."  There will actually be a closed sign on every page of the website.  You will not be able to place orders on the website, and I'm not quite sure if the e-mail server will be down as well. 

This server expansion will relieve some of the growth-related glitches I've noticed over the past year (Valentine Kit's popularity anyone?!?) and will make way for even more sock yarn to come into the store and onto the website.  This update will also allow some convenient and fun features to be added that many of you have requested over the years.

Thank you so much for your continued support of my small, but ever growing, yarn store.  My family and the families of the SSYC Team think you all are awesome, and we will miss packing up your orders over the next few days.  It's fun to see what you all are ordering, and imagining what you are knitting, or where you are going to store all the lovely stuff, or what you're going to put on the needles first. 

I just realized that everything in my life seems to be expanding- the store, the website, my ever growing baby bump.  Is there anything in my life that is getting smaller?  My brain's capacity seems to be one of the shrinking things today...

What 5000 cast-on stitches looks like

Judy bought six balls of Mini Mochi (color 101 shown here) in the store a couple months ago, and she told me she was going to be knitting a Swirl baby blanket out of it.  I remember thinking back then how that sounded nice, but nice doesn't even begin to describe what this blanket turned out to be, does it?  If you had to describe this project in one word, what would you use?

This blanket will be gifted shortly to a wee one due in a week, and that little guy or gal will likely have no comprehension of the love or thought that went into this blanket.  The inside has 4400 cast on stitches, and over 800 for the border.  And with each stitch that went along with those, I know that Judy was thinking about how this would warm that precious baby, and how this blanket was just a small fraction of the amount of love that would be heaped on him or her in his/her lifetime.  How the change and brightness in colors will in no way compare with the change and life that will be brought to the parents lives because of this child.

When knitting for others backfires

We knit for others with the best of intentions.  We knit a pattern that we think they will enjoy wearing, in colors that suit them, and with fibers that we think will be soft or durable- whatever the situation calls for.  But sometimes that unselfish endeavor backfires.  What if you took a bit of a chance and they don't like what you've knit?  What if the colors are too bold or if it turns out they think they are allergic to wool?  What if you end up liking the project so much that the whole time you are knitting it, you are cursing yourself b/c you want to keep it for yourself??

That's the situation I find myself in this morning.  I started new project yesterday afternoon, and continued late (at least for me) into the night.  And this morning I've even picked it up again.  I'm three-quarters done with this sock that I'm knitting for someone else, and all I want to do is keep it for myself.  I think it's that awesome.

Now, I don't know that the person I'm knitting it for will think it's awesome.  I don't know this person very well yet.  But I chose the project based on what I think she will like, and now I adore it too.  I can't share pictures here, because it's supposed to be secret and I don't want her seeing this project or hearing about it.  But here's a glimpse of the first inch.

Not exciting at all, I know.  Just an inch or so of black.  And you know how I feel about knitting black- it's awful on the eyes at night, knitting all those tiny stitches.  I rarely knit dark socks.  But there's lots of black in this sock (along with five other colors) and I don't even mind, it's that awesome.  But I'm not going to keep this project, which I can't even reveal to you til late this summer when it's gifted.  I'm going to give it up to a good home and I might knit myself a pair too!

I'm knitting this sock using Simply Sock Yarn, Solids.  I needed very specific colors, and my yarn line happened to have them all.  And it's been a year or so since I've knit my own yarn line, and I have to admit that it's a fabulous yarn.  None of the balls had knots when winding, no breaks, no snags, no white spots in the super-saturated colors I'm using.  And I forgot how soft and squishy the fiber is when it's knit.  I do get e-mails on a regular basis saying how much you enjoy knitting the yarn- the reasonable price and the large color selection make it very popular.  And I agree with you- it's very, very nice stuff!!

*By the way, the server upgrade has been moved, so I'll post here again when the website is closed for a day or so for the upgrade.

 

Ask the Knitters

Dear Knitters,

I'm going on vacation soon, and I'm looking forward to knitting during the car trip and while relaxing on the porch at our destination.  When you take a trip, how many projects do you pack?  Do you pack a large one that occupies you the entire time?  Or smaller ones that are easily transportable and can be stopped and started easily?
What about needles and accessories? Do you pack extras or just enough?  Am worried that I'll forget something crucial that I'll need to cast off/finish/ free the current needles.

Sincerely,

A-certain-sock-yarn-store-owner, selfishly-using-this-series-to-figure-out-how-to-pack-for-vacation

*                    *                    *

Help a knitter out and leave your advice in the comments section below.  Have a question you'd like to see answered here?  Simply title an e-mail Ask the Knitters and send it to service@simplysockyarn.com.  Your question could be chosen for this series.

Past week in pictures

A perfectly inpsiring Wingspan Shawl knit by Jan in Zauberball Crazy 2085.  While variegated shawls look lovely in this free pattern too, I think it's the striping ones that make it really sing. Like Zauberball, Zauberball Crazy, Lang Jawoll Magic and Lang Jawoll Magic Degrade.

Socks enjoying the sunny day.  A test knit that turned out lovely.

James enjoying a nice view of the pond with his perfect desk setup: sticker mosaics, 'toons on the iPad, and a fly swatter (apparently he finds flies intolerable).

A first time event: the ice cream truck actually came to our Amish 'hood!  James and I both got something tasty.

The perfect knitting spot- the porch on our upcoming vacation rental.  I booked our getaway- close enough to travel comfortably for me and James, and plenty of fishing for Joe.  I think I did well.

Taking a moment to breathe and thank

You all know a great sale when you see it, and you definitely know how to spread the word.  What started out as pallet amounts of the retired collections of Opal sock yarn has now dwindled down to just a few boxes.  You've kept us on our toes the past couple weeks- all three of us have worked extra hours packing up all your orders, and we greatly appreciate your continued support of SSYC.

Afterall, it's not just my family and the family of dyers and yarn companies you have supported these past nearly-seven years. SSYC now employs more people and our families thank you too!  With each purchase you make at my small (but ever-growing) sock yarn store, you affect the lives of myself, the ladies who work for me, our husbands and young kids, all the small dyers who send us fiber and the workers from larger companies, delivery people and their families, and even the small businesses and neighborhood around SSYC who are affected by the influx of shoppers and of the restoration of a previously unused but worthy building.

You allow us all the flexibility to care for our wee ones and also be home in time for the bus or the pre-school pick up.  We make a living wage doing something that we really like.  Those that phone the store, stop in the store or e-mail are pleasant and gracious and I feel that we see the best of the best in people.  You all are the best bosses ever!

Enough gushing.  I'm in a good mood (much better than last week), even though I've been up since 4am (ugh, this baby won't stop dancing).  Now take a look at the awesome new spring bags from Bird Leg Bags!

I'm still learning

While I learned to knit nearly 30 years ago, I've been knitting consistently and nearly obsessively, for over 10 years now and I'm still learning about myself and my style of knitting.  This week, what I already knew about myself was reinforced.  I'm a process knitter who enjoys small projects.  I don't have the attention span to complete large projects in a timely manner- perhaps it's the hectic pace of my life, perhaps I'm easily distracted, perhaps I just don't appreciate bigger projects.  Whatever the reason, my current preference is solidified, and I have absolutely no guilt about it!

This Sunday I tore out my Creekbed Scarf.  Above shows the remnants of what I had knit- just those tiny little balls, shown compared with the large unknit green color to show you how much I actually had done- only a few inches of the 441-stitches-across scarf.  Since I started this project on November 2nd, I knit just a few rows here and there, mostly when I had finished a sock or something at knitting group and needed something to work on for an hour before starting something else.  But yesterday, surrounded by a dozen of my knitting friends, I said that I really wasn't enjoying the project because knitting the project lengthwise made me feel like I wasn't getting anything done- I'm the type of knitter who needs to see progress, or I get impatient and bored.  It was suggested that I tear it out- afterall, why continue knitting something that wasn't doing it for me right now?  I had thought I would just keep it on the needles and knit it here or there when I decided to get it out, but after I thought more I realized that knitting is my time for relaxation, meditation and enjoyment and why should I knit something I'm not loving?  Especially when the yarn itself is so wonderful and I'd much more appreciate knitting it into something else- perhaps a few smaller, more manageable projects.

Have you done this before?  Just torn out a project originally you were so excited about and that you planned the perfect yarn to match the perfect jacket?  I really thought I would enjoy this one, and in reality it reinforced why I am a sock knitter.  After nearly 10 years of knitting mostly socks(peppered with a few mitts, lacy shawlettes, and baby blankets) I know that one-skein projects are still the ones that make me the most satisfied.

So here's what I did finish- my first started and completed project of 2012, my Van GoghSunflower socks.  I used my basic stockinette sock pattern, which is very similar to this one, and they fit perfectly.  Now I think I might cast on a baby onesie!

Insert Dispicable Me Soudtrack Here

I think this is the perfect song for my frame of mind.  I can't pin point anything particular, but I'm just having a crap week.  I'm in a bad mood, I'm short tempered, and of course my solution was to go to Target and buy lots of much-needed pregnancy clothes.  Which is good in a sense, but also makes me think "Why should I buy cute things that I can only wear for another three months?!"  See?  I'm in a no-win state of mind.

What do you do when you want to get out of a funk?  Do you knit?  Do you eat?  Do you drink?  What always seems to catapult you out of a poopy state of mind into a fair one?

The weather here is lovely- a perfect 75, which is unheard of this early in March in Indiana.  But every time I go outside I just think "Ugh, it's just too bright out here."

I will say that one thing that made me feel a bit better was a lovliness that Schaefer Yarns sent, restocking our Anne, Heather and Nichole yarns.  I particularly like Elizabeth Zimmerman this time.

Tomorrow I think will be a good day to take off and spend with James.  Look at my Mr. Bed Head:

Can't. Stop. Clicking.

Can someone please come over here and tape all my fingers together so that I can't use my index finger to click "Place Order"?  I spent most of last week buying things, and now it has started arriving.  So far, a new computer, outdoor rugs from One Kings Lane (warning: awesome stuff at cheap prices, and yes you have to sign up to get access, but you won't get spammed at all), new bedding for James' Big Boy Room (using gift cards I got for Christmas), and now I'm trying not to buy accessories off Etsy for James' room.

I think I've officially hit the nesting stage of my pregnancy.

You'd think that with all the Sale Opal orders being shipped around the world to all of you right now, I wouldn't have time to shop online.  But showing things to Mary and Heather in the store just makes it worse.  Last week, I didn't even have to convince Mary to buy a rug from One Kings Lane after I showed her what I bought.  But the orders are still flying out the door to you all, even though I'm taking frequent shopping breaks!

I've also ordered an obscene amount of yarn for the store recently, so you know my extravagant purchases aren't purely selfish!  More on that later... 

Arrived...

Here sits Mary, perching on one box to inventory another.  I think she could easliy fit into one of these.  Only a few dozen left to inventory, Mary!  Take a look at the Sale Section if you want to snag some of the great deals from Opal.

Take a look at this awesomeness.  Lara, who knit the new baby his first garment recently, was just published in Knitty!  Using Simply Sock Yarn!  If you come to the store in person, you've seen Lara in here- and usually she's in some state of disarray b/c we've taken off whatever knitted garment she's wearing to fondle and admire it.  If she wears in a shawl, she's lucky to leave the store without 20 people touching it.  If you want to knit more of Lara's patterns, check out this one (knit by Heather, one of the SSYC Crew who helps pack up your orders) or this one.  I have more Madelinetosh Merino Light coming soon if you need yarn for either pattern.  CONGRATS, LARA!

Woah

When the warehouse manager of the yarn company calls and asks you if you'd prefer your yarn in boxes or ON PALLETS, you know you're getting a lot of yarn.  Holy moly.

For this never-done-before 50% off sale on retired Opal collections, check the store's Sale Section in a few days.  Here's a tease of what's due to arrive.

It's a...

Boy!

James will have a baby brother in a few months, and I will be the only female in a house full of testosterone.  We are all very happy about having another little guy in the house, and James already has plans to "build a long tent so we can all snuggle!"  So now's the time to come up with some name ideas for the little dude.  Do you have suggestions?  I have one I really like, but Joe says NO, so we are at a standstill.  Regardless of his name, he's already on his way to a hand knit wardrobe, as my friend Lara gifted him this little sweater she knit and designed on the fly.  Talent.

Try and pay no attention to the messy play room.  Just focus on the awesome sweater please.

Opal Yarn, Fairies & Elves

Another anticipated collection from Opal has arrived, and when we opened the boxes of this yesterday, we agreed that the colors of this one were some of the nicest we'd seen.  Yes, the colors in the Van Gogh collection were awesome, but I can say that I'd be happy to knit any of the colors of this newest collection.  They are all quite nice.

Now, the pictures of the fairies above are quite another thing.  I imagine a 14-year-old anime addict dreamt up the images that are strewn throughout this poster.  If you were to see the full sized poster in person like we have on display in the store, you'd likely tell that fairie in the upper left to cover her bum. No one needs to see that much of your rear when selling sock yarn!  If you're coming to the store tomorrow or this Tuesday for showroom hours, you can tell me if you agree.

Dream Club, March 2012

This month brings the last installment of the Dream Club by Dream in Color.  This 50/50 silk/wool blend is dyed to a beautiful silver which shows of this stunning shawl perfectly.  Can't you just imagine wearing this to a summer wedding or special affair?  To snag this 1100 yard laceweight skein and the free pattern, just go here.  And for those of you who missed out on the February color (it sold very quickly), Dream in Color is sending me just 10 more skeins that they found, so e-mail me at service@simplysockyarn.com if you want one.

A new Dream Club won't begin til later this year, so if you want to get yourself something special from Dream in Color for your summer knitting, don't miss out on this one.  I also have a restock of Smooshy colors, so if there's one you're waiting for, check it out.