Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Details of our big week!

Next week is Thanksgiving in the US, which means it's a shorter work week and we all typically spend Thursday and Friday (and the weekend if you're lucky!) relaxing, eating great food, and enjoying time with our friends and family celebrating the things we are thankful for. Here in the shop, that means we'll have a super busy beginning of the week, a couple days off, and then we're having a special shop-open day that Saturday to participate in Small Business Saturday. We aren't typically open the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but this year we've decided to give it a try. If you shop in person with us at 1315 E State Blvd in Fort Wayne, Indiana, you'll receive an extra 13% (it's our 13th year!) off on our extensive sale section plus an organic cotton knitter's tote with each purchase.

The sale section in the storefront includes these items, but usually has triple the selection because it's also where we sell premium single skeins that we might have found a snag or knot, missing tag, was discontinued and we have just a few left.... basically all those awesome fiber misfits that we have one or two of or just don't put on the website. It's definitely worth spending some time looking through if you are in the mood for something awesome at a great deal.

Then, if you are going to shop with us online on Cyber Monday (Nov 26), you'll find a new batch of our exclusive Poste Yarn, Select Sock (the link is empty til then).... at the special price of just $16 a skein. This wool/nylon sock yarn is dyed in-house, and usually retails for the low price of $18 a skein (comparable sock yarns are $24+), but you'll get an even greater deal, online only, on Cyber Monday. We just introduced Select Sock this year, and we typically dye big batches and most of the colors are not repeated. There are a few colors we repeat like Werewolves of London, shown below in a Pavement Sweater and matching Sockhead hat. I know many of you have been waiting to snag this color for this purpose, and it will be back!

If you'd like to see colors we've done in the past, you can check out stashes on Ravelry. Or view some beautiful finished projects too. Below is Washed Out by Joji Locatelli in three colors of Select Sock- Girl from Ipanema, Malibu and MacArthur Park.

Then, the first week of December we will be releasing our two Holiday Knit Kits. These include a limited edition yarn, bag and goodies. Here's a little tease of those, with full previews the week following Thanksgiving.

Welcome to winter!

Does anyone else feel like winter arrived this weekend? We had tolerable temps in the 40s in NE Indiana last week, and then BANG! Saturday was windy and cold and way worse than "brisk." It seemed like everyone who came in the shop commented about finally needing to wear their winter knits, and boy do I agree. I guess that's why I'm working on two hats right now for the kids. Details on those later here and on Instagram for more timely updates.

What else arrived this weekend? The new Opal Yarn collection, Handwerk & Hobby 3. This collection celebrates hobbyists and craftspeople in the addictive self-patterning color that Opal is known for.

I'm always a sucker for bright colors like 9643-Artist and 9646-Bookworm, but I also really like the less-bold 9640-Tailor and 9642-Potter nearly as much. 

 

You might also have noticed that I snuck up our last two SSYC Winter Knit Sets this afternoon too! This pairing includes a huge skein of yarn and a tote for only $38. We like to offer a range of limited edition goodies so that all can find something in their price range. In these sets you receive a 250g skein of our own worsted weight Poste Yarn PLUS a tote for much less than you'd pay for just that amount of hand dyed yarn. By sourcing a great deal from the mill, dyeing the yarn in house and passing the savings onto you, we are able to give you a price much better than the $60 you could spend on this amount of artisan dyed yarn alone.

Waiting to hear news about our upcoming Holiday Knit Kits? I'll likely tease a few pictures on Instagram soon and do a full preview next week on the blog. Those will likely go up for sale late November or early December.

A new generation of knitters

Yesterday my littlest's Kindergarten class came to visit my shop! As you can imagine, it was adorable. 17 little ones touching the yarn, wearing the shop samples and seeing more color than they've seen in one place. They each got to pretend to pull and fill orders and had an election (it was Election Day, after all) to vote on their favorite yarn. They chose this one from Manos.

To top it off, we crossed the street and decorated and ate cookies at Zinnia's Bakehouse. All in all, a fab afternoon.

Hedgehog Fibres Potluck Fade Sets, part 2

Like I shared yesterday (and showed the Skinny Singles Fade options), later this week I'll have a unique opportunity for you to own something truly special, Hedgehog Fibres Potluck Fade Sets assembled by Beata Jezek herself. That's right, the owner and creative force behind one of the most successful hand dyeing operations has put together one-of-a-kind Fade sets using her Potluck colors. What are Potluck colors? Basically they are the misfits or outliers of a batch of yarn or club skein, or test skeins.... basically a skein where there is no recipe and it's the only one like it.

I have just one of each of these sets. And it's been haaaaard to give these up. I mean, each one seems more beautiful than the next and I just want to keep them in my own stash. But that's like the worst business plan ever, right?

Today on the blog I've previewed all the Sock Yarn (superwash merino/nylon) sets, and yesterday I showed off all the Skinny Singles collection. These will all go up for sale on Wednesday morning, EST at this link. No exact time, but we typically release our special offerings mid-morning.

Of course, you could separate these into multiple projects if you don't want to knit a Find your Fade. You could even use part to make into a faded Pavement Sweater, a Free Your Fade, What the Fade?!, Fading Point, Slow Curves or an In the Light shawl, and still have plenty leftover for an accessory project or two.

There's no person more qualified to put together a fade set of her own Potluck colors than Beata herself. Here's what she's created just for you.

An order of this size qualifies for free US shipping at check out. And if there's something else new that you'd like to add to your cart before you check out, it's wise to start lookin' and get that cart ready to add this too. Perhaps some of the new Madelinetosh? We have more Tosh than we've ever had in stock. I've just started knitting yet another winter hat in Tosh DK. So many gorgeous colors in stock, and over 200 alone in Tosh Sock!

Hedgehog Fibres Potluck Fade Sets

Later this week, I'll have a unique opportunity for you to own something truly special, Hedgehog Fibres Potluck Fade Sets assembled by Beata Jezek herself. That's right, the owner and creative force behind one of the most successful hand dyeing operations has put together one-of-a-kind Fade sets using her Potluck colors. What are Potluck colors? Basically they are the misfits or outliers of a batch of yarn or club skein, or test skeins.... basically a skein where there is no recipe and it's the only one like it.

I have just one of each of these sets. Today on the blog I've previewed all the Skinny Singles (fingering weight one ply) sets, and tomorrow I'll preview all the Sock Yarn sets. These will all go up for sale on Wednesday morning, EST at this link. No exact time, but we typically release our special offerings mid-morning.

Of course, you could separate these into multiple projects if you don't want to knit a Find your Fade. You could even use part to make into a faded Pavement Sweater, a Free Your Fade, What the Fade?!, Fading Point, Slow Curves or an In the Light shawl, and still have plenty leftover for an accessory project or two.

There's no person more qualified to put together a fade set of her own Potluck colors than Beata herself. Here's what she's created just for you.

An order of this size qualifies for free US shipping at check out. And if there's something else new that you'd like to add to your cart before you check out, it's wise to start lookin' and get that cart ready to add this too. Perhaps some of the new Madelinetosh? We have more Tosh than we've ever had in stock. I've just started knitting yet another winter hat in Tosh DK. So many gorgeous colors in stock, and over 200 alone in Tosh Sock!

Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light + Glitter

We have it! A slew of Madelinetosh's silver glittery version of Tosh Merino Light! Last month, we were able to get a large batch of the limited edition copper version (the one that may not be reproduced at all- we won't know til next fall), and now we have the silver glitter version, which will be more readily available. And it's stunning.

Glitter is sometimes hard to see in photos- especially on light colors. But looking at a dark/saturated color like new Beta Crucis above and Wino Forever below will give you an idea of how much glitter to expect in your skein. The question I get most often about glitter yarns is "Can you feel the glitter?" Nope, it feels just like regular Merino Light. Believe me, I handled hundreds of skeins over many hours when photographing this yarn, and to me, it feels wonderful just like the original.

I like the idea of knitting a large project that combines a couple skeins of glitter with an equal or greater amount of non-glitter Merino Light. I was thinking the Stephen West's new Textures Unite pattern would be particularly nice. Not only would you be mixing textures and color, but also a bit of sparkle. Of course, you could also go with the ever popular earlier version of this shawl, Vertices Unite.

We have nearly 200 colors of Merino Light right now (like Ayo above and Danger Will Robinson below), so there's plenty to choose from. Using the compare feature on our website can be helpful in seeing how colors look together. Other people choose to open several browsers to see things on one screen together. And if you would like eyes on your colors choices, or want a few more color ideas to make your selection pop, we are always happy to help. E-mail to service@simplysockyarn.com is best, because that way we can send you links to our color selections, and correspond back and forth to narrow things down together.

Happy Halloween from us to you!

Happy Halloween from us to you!

The lineup above shows Rachael, Heather, Me (Allison), and Diana. Not pictured is Angela. It just so happens that they way Halloween fell this year, we got to celebrate Halloween twice with you in person, on Saturday and Tuesday (as we are only open once day a week, which alternates Saturdays and Tuesdays), giving out treats and showing you all the goodies in the shop. Saturday's party was fun with contests and camaraderie too. I do hope you enjoy your day today, whether you are celebrating or not.

Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Super Sparkle in Samhain and Pond Scum

 

Miss Babs Estrellita in Clematis

Above, Diana has started a sweater in Spun Right Round Squish DK in Hayride.

And, of course, a shot of the kids in their costumes from two years ago because their mom didn't order their costumes in time for the Zoo halloween. But they did arrive for actual trick-or-treating, so I'll count that as a parenting win!

Ask the Knitters

Dear Knitters,

My son's school hosts fields trips to the workplace of every family in Kindergarten. Kids visit the workplace of the mom or dad, or the parent comes to the classroom for a presentation if the workplace is dangerous/too far away/not great for five year olds. So soon, my son's entire class will be coming to my yarn shop for a visit. Hi there, it's me, Allison!

Do you have any ideas for what would make a cool shop visit for little ones? Perhaps a particular yarny craft since we don't have time to teach everyone to knit in an hour? If so, which one? Showing them how we ship packages? I know there are many teachers and parents out there who support my shop and I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think kids would love to see.

Thanks for your ideas! You always offer the best guidance.

-Working Mama

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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 on to service@simplysockyarn.com . Your question could be chosen for this series.

Halloween Party at SSYC!

I love when Halloween falls close to one of our open Saturdays! We get to celebrate with you in person, and it's a fun day of candy and giveaways and contests and all the things that can make Halloween fun for adults. We spend so much time and effort making this holiday special for the little ones in our lives, don't we? We deserve someone to make it fun for us too!

Saturday (tomorrow) in the shop, we'll have some special goods to show off, including limited edition Hedgehog Fibres Potluck fade sets created by Beata herself. I'll share these online next week. We'll also give you a treat bag with purchase, a chance to win one of five contests, and three lucky shoppers will walk away with a $20 gift certificate in their treat bag!

If you want to join us, come see us from 10-4 on Saturday, October 27 at 1315 E State Blvd in Fort Wayne, Indiana. You can join or share the event here on Facebook too if you like- invite all your fiber friends, have some lunch together down the street at Acme Bar, and knit your day away! Sounds heavenly to me.

Can't make it to the party? Join us any another one of our open days, listed here.

Ask the Knitters

Dear Knitters,

I'm starting to knit sweaters for the first time in decades of knitting. I've been predominantly a baby gift knitter or sock knitter until now. I've knit one fingering weight sweater, but now that winter is looming, I'm pondering a sport weight sweater. I don't see much sport weight, hand dyed yarn in shops. I see more DK weight that I like. Can I use these interchangeably in garment knitting? Have you done so and with what results?

Can you also recommend a pattern that you found to be easy and flattering? I'm not petite.

Thank you to all the SSYC blog readers!

-Sporty-or-Not in Spokane

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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 on to service@simplysockyarn.com . Your question could be chosen for this series.

Poste Yarn Contest

It's Socktober, so of course we are celebrating all things sock related here in the shop this month. We've had giveaways for stitch markers and tote bags, contests here on the blog and Instagram, and two Halloween Knit Kits! Let's keep the fun going with another contest! Tell me which one of these Poste Yarn Striping Sock colors you like best today and why, and you could be one of two randomly chosen winners of your fave! Leave me your comment by noon EST on Sunday October 28. 

Today, my fave is our newest color, Coeur D'Alene. I imagine sitting in front of a roaring fire in a ski lodge in snowy Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, knitting all the things and drinking all the hot beverages while everyone else skis. I'm already halfway through my first sock, and I look forward to getting these done so I can have another pair of socks for myself this winter. We had our first frost here in Indiana two nights ago, so we are definitely into wool sock weather.

Free tote with purchase!

We're having a two-day Flash Tote Giveaway in the shop! As part of our continuing Socktober Celebration, if you place an order online October 15 or 16, we will include one of these organic cotton totes in your package. You don't need to do anything to get it, other than place an online order during these two days- no adding it to a cart, no e-mailing to request it- we will automatically tuck one into your package before we ship it to your doorstep. And if you are local and choose "in store pickup", we will hold it for you to pick up on one of our open days.

Why? Well, we want to celebrate Socktober in style. And who doesn't deserve an organic cotton knitter's tote? Yes, we are having awesome sales (with more from Mineville coming next week!). Yes, we are hosting contests here on the blog and on Instagram for gift certificates and beautiful yarn. Yes, we gave away adorable stitch markers earlier this month. But we like to celebrate with you in many ways so that there's something that everyone can appreciate. So totes for two days it is!

What might you like to purchase today in the shop to receive a free tote? Perhaps you want to go all out and preorder your fade set. Or perhaps you just need a skein or two of Hedgehog Fibres Sock or Skinny Singles to complete a project. What about getting all those fun socks completed early for Christmas? Opal Yarn and Regia are known to be fun knits and easy wash and wear- perfect for gifting! Are you like me and in a stripey mood and want to knit all the holiday stripes? We have lots of those too. Shown above is Jollyville and below is Frankenmuth.

How about trying a new-to-you indie dyer like Miss Babs or Spun Right Round?

Spun Right Round's Singles in Monster Mash

Or take an international knitting excursion with Qing Fibre of London or Life in the Long Grass of Ireland?

Qing Fibre's Super Sock Sock in Blackhare

We really do have a bit of something for everyone. Help us celebrate all things sock yarn during Socktober, whether your using your sock yarn for socks, shawls or garments. It's perfect for all!

Finding the Time... a contest

Now that both my sons are in school, I thought I would find a lot more knitting time. After all, they are both in school during the day for the first time in 11 years and I figured that would give me plenty of time to work during the day instead of late at night and on weekends or whenever they were otherwise occupied. Not so. Instead I'm working more than ever (hey it's our super busy season) and not knitting much at all! ACK!

"I wish you sold time as well as yarn!" This is a common lament. I hear this nearly every day from those I'm corresponding with. We all just want to find another hour in the day, another 10 minutes at lunch, just more time to knit.

I've found my time lately at soccer games and at school meetings. But that's about it. What about you? When you're super busy with all that makes up life, where do you carve out time to knit up a few rows? Do you stay up later than usual, sacrificing sleep? Do you force yourself to not work through lunch, instead sitting alone and knitting a few rows? Or do you go without your knitting and just hope for time in another week? 

Let's make it interesting and turn this into a Socktober contest! Share with me how and where you find time to knit and maybe you can inspire me and others to find time to do the same. Comment below before noon EST on Sunday, October 14 and I'll randomly choose one of you to win a skein of our newest Poste Yarn winter striping color, Coeur D'Alene. I'm hope to cast on my skein tonight.... that is, after the kids go to bed and I carve out some time for myself!

To me, this color screams SWEATER WEATHER! Wintery but modern.

Hey, lets make this even more interesting and do a similar contest on Instagram to win the fall-inspired color Bryce Canyon. Go there to enter that contest too!

Glittery Gourd Knit Kit now available!

Go here to get yours! If you want to add things to your cart to qualify for free US shipping, might I suggest getting one of the extra skeins of Lampyridae so you can make something larger than a one-skein project with your kit yarn. The yarn is only available as an add on to the kit, so please only order an extra skein of Lampyridae if you also ordered the kit in the same cart.

You might also consider something from the gorgeous new batch of Miss Babs? We have new Yowza DK, Hot Shot sock or Tarte sock (which has a little bit of tencel for a pretty sheen). Miss Babs is a fixture at fiber fairs and festivals, and this way you don't have to wait in her long lines to get some. I love that she made time for us during her busy time right before Rhinebeck.

 Yowza DK in Ziggy Stardust

You might have also noticed that I have the Opal Rainforest 14 6ply collection in stock right now too. It comes in a 50%-larger-than-normal 150g ball. So you have more than enough for a large pair of socks. just arrived and I just finished my 4ply socks in color 9622. We just got a restock of the popular 4ply Rainforest colors too, if that's your preference.

Glittery Gourd Knit Kit, a preview

Tomorrow, Wednesday Oct 10, our second/last Halloween Knit Kit of the year will become available!

This is the Glittery Gourd Knit Kit, and each of the three pieces is hand made just for this occasion. First, we have a skein of Madelinetosh's limited edition yarn, Tosh Merino Light + Copper, which is their popular Merino Light singles adorned with copper sparkles. This yarn was released first to us a month ago, and is already sold out at Madelinetosh (I ordered a lot and still have some left for you). I do hope they have their mill make more next fall, but it's still up in the air. The color is Lampyridae, which I named because the color reminds me of the first section of the body of a firefly with the oranges with black dots.

The adorably Halloweeny bag for this kit is embellished with gold thread detailed pumpkins, stars and moons and this little bit of dazzle perfectly ties in with the sparkled skein of yarn.

This kit is finished with three Halloween stitch markers from Katrinkles. Katy specially designed these pumpkins and then etched out the pumpkins and laser burned the accents. Aren't they perfect?

This kit will go up for sale Wednesday morning, usually somewhere 9-11 EST at the Kits & Club link. And I will have a few extra skeins of yarn to go with this kit, if you want to grab one or more of those for a larger project. But they will only be available to those who also purchase the kit at the same time in the same cart. Please don't add it to your cart if you don't also have the kit in your cart. Because I will take it out before we ship. Sorry, but I really will, even though it will make me a bit sad to do so.

For those who entered our Socktober contest, we now have the winners! Rebecca, Martha and Elaine each won a $25 gift certificate to the shop. Congrats! Check the blog and Instagram throughout the month as we continue with the Socktober celebratory contests.