Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

New yarn for the new year

New yarn for 2009 is starting to trickle in here, and I even have a bit at a special price!  I also have an interview to share at the end of this lengthy blog post...

First off, I'm busy packing up your sock yarn club orders, and I hope to get them out early next week.  The first special edition solid color is from Seacoast Handpainted Yarns, and I have to admit that I'm having a hard time not showing it to you now.  But it's one of those colors that just has to been seen up close to be really appreciated- the way the light hits the merino/tencel combination slightly changes the color.... and that's all I'm going to tell you b/c you sock yarn club members deserve to be surprised when your package arrives.  I'm casting on tonight.  I just can't wait.  But I wish I had a few more skeins of it b/c it would make lovely lace.  Usually have a a skein or two extra, as you may know if you've been able to snag them.  This time, I oversold my numbers a bit and I have no extra!  Drats!

Along with the sock yarn club shipment from Seacoast came a few new colors of Merino/Tencel Sock and Panda Sock.  The new Merino/Tencel colors include Retro, Night Sky, Silver Leaf, Verdigris, Blacklight & Chocolate Cherry (bolded shown below)

 

The new Panda Sock colors include Antique, Forget-Me-Not, Harbor, Easter, Retro and Black and Tan(bolded shown below)

 

And for a limited time, I'm having a sale on ALL Seacoast Handpainted Yarn- 20% off!  Regularly $24 a skein, it's now $19.20! 

Also new is the Winter's Tale (Wintermarchen) collection from Opal.  This new collection features 8 self-patterning color combos- Check 'em out below.

 

A really large shipment has arrived from Nova Scotia, bringing the popular and brand new colors from Fleece Artist.  The new colors are mostly ones that many of you have requested.  These include:

Trail Sock: Aurora, Autumn, Glacier, Ireland and Blackberry

BFL Sock: Aurora, Peridot and Vintage

Casbah: Ireland, Sugar Plum, Foliage and Aurora (Ireland and Aurora shown here)

And last, but definitely not least, Dream in Color has sent a bunch of Classy (worsted weight) yarn in their new semi-solid colors, labelled 01-11.  Boy are they lovely.  Baby (lace) and Smooshy (sock) will arrive as soon as Dream in Color gets a shipment of their base yarns in to dye.  It could be a few weeks.

Aaaaand if you made it through all the new sock yarn announcements without clicking away yet to purchase what's calling to you, I have an interview with Jen of Seacoast Handpainted Yarns.  She has dyed the special color for the first installment of the Specially Solid sock yarn club, and I thought you all might want to know a bit more about her.

Allison: So Holly tells me that you recently took over Seacoast Handpainted Yarns.  Congrats!  What made you decide to take over her dyeing business?

Jen: I'd been working part-time for Holly for a few years and loved her colors.  I've been a knitter to quite a few years now and thought it would be interesting and fun to make hand dyeing my business.

Allison: Well, Holly's had some wonderful things so say about you, FYI.  So is Seacoast a full-time gig for you?  Or, like many hand dyers, do you have another non-fiber job?

Jen: Hand dyeing is my main focus (and my fun and creative job), and I also work as a chemist

Allison: I would think that being a chemist would go hand in hand with dyeing yarn.  Have you used your training as a chemist to develop new colors for Seacoast?

Jen:  All of the standard colors that are currently available were created by Holly when I started.  I have done some custom colors, like your sock yarn club's Lagoon, and am in the process of working up few new colorways to add to the standard list, too.

Allison: What inspires you colorwise?

Jen: Nature is probably my biggest inspiration for colors.  Although I never know what I will see that sparks a new idea!

Allison:  I think that many dyers find nature to make a big impact on what colors they dye their fibers.  What is your favorite fiber base to work with?

Jen:  My favorite fiber base to dye is superwash wool (Superwash Sock and Kona Superwash).  They colors come out so vibrant and beautiful!  The Superwash Sock is also my favorite to knit with.  I like to use two strands, and am making a sweater with it right now.  I've made socks with double strands (you can get a pair of socks knit with two strands out of just one skein) and they hold up so well and are super warm.  Plus, I can throw them in the washing machine!

Allison:  I'll have to add the Superwash Sock to the Simply Socks lineup!  So, which colors sell like crazy for you?

Jen:  It's hard to say which colorway is the most popular.  Right now, Bee Balm, Coal and Fire and Retro seem to be leaving quickly.

Allison:  How do you spend your spare time, other than knitting of course?

Jen:  Yes, I do love to knit in my spare time (as you have guessed).  I also have horses and like to go riding.  And I love camping and hiking with my husband and our dogs.

Allison:  If you had to share one thing that sets Seacoast apart from other sock yarns, what would that be?

Jen:  The wide variety of colors to choose from and the consistency which they are dyed; it's the quality that really sets Seacoast Handpainted yarns apart from the rest!

Allison:  Is there anything else that you want to share with the millions (heh.) of blog readers?

Jen:  I love to see pictures of projects knit/crocheted/woven with my yarns.  If you want to send a picture to be included on my website, please e-mail it to me at [email protected] along with your permission to use it.

Allison:  Thanks, Jen, for taking the time to let us get to know you.  I hope you are recovering from all the bad weather seen across the US in the past few weeks!  And I hope you and those horses are staying warm!

And we're back!

The Van Zandt's had quite a Merry Christmas this year, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday as well (or just some nice knitting time)!  I received the tea kettle I've been wanting (the Caribbean blue Le Cruset that I mentioned months ago) and a really nice cookbook called Pie.  Joe gets to learn glassblowing in Kalamazoo (maybe he'll TP your house, Jill.... heheheh) and James got himself a kitchen set which has provided me with MANY hours of knitting.  It ROCKS.

I finished the Strangling Vine lace scarf just in time to give wash and block it before gifting it to my mom.  And I gifted two lace ribbon scarves that I knit before and during the knitalong that I started on Ravelry.  Check it out if you are thinking of knitting the scarf, as there are a bunch of great questions asked and answered there- plus lots of gorgeous scarves to motivate you if you are a beginning lace knitter or want to use your sock yarn for another purpose.

I'm really pleased with how myStrangling Vine scarf turned out- it only took one skein of Casbah sock yarn, and it's soft and has a wonderful drape. But I don't think I would knit this pattern a second time, as the lace pattern never quite caught on with me.  While it was somewhat simple, I just kept making stupid mistakes like forgetting a yarn over, and it would completely mess me up and I kept having to tear back.  It was not a relaxing knit for me.

This was my second time knitting a scarf out of Casbah (the other one was the Ivory Lace Ribbon Scarf) and I'll likely use it again soon- though maybe for socks instead, as my sister has asked for a pair.

Have a wonderful holiday!!!

No matter what holiday you are celebrating this time of year, or if you are not celebrating anything in particular (other than sitting on your butt and knitting, of course- that's always worth a celebration).... I hope you all have a perfectly lovely week!  I won't be working any more this week... well I may be working on Friday depending on how many of you get some orders in.  Knowing me, I will be!

Joe has already assembled James' present, a little kitchen set, and it's covered in the study- a room James doesn't go in.  I know he's going to love it and I can't wait to see him tinkering with all the doors and knobs and pretending to make things.  He's already a fan of his tea set and fake food, so I know he'll enjoy this as well.  I'm really looking forward to Christmas morning!!!

Oh, the cold......

...the horrible, icy cold.  In Indiana, it gets cold and a bit snowy in the winter, but usually not like it's been for the past few days.  First the ice storm that left taking 40% of the area's power with it.  Then the ridiculous wind, which again took down power likes and ice covered trees.  Then the bitter, nose-snot freezing cold.  It's been a triple threat of winter horror here in NE Indiana, and it makes my frozen brain scream "White Christmas?  Who the hell wants a WHITE CHRISTMAS?!?  Bring on the global warming, dammit!!"

But seriously, it's been horrible.  I think there are still people without power here.  And I just got my internet back.  When you live out where I do, the only way to get high speed internet is by a signal that's bounced off a fricken water tower in another small town, then beamed magically by tiny elves to a tiny, square satellite dish on my house.  When one TINY portion of that system is down, say an elf is out with a hangover, that network ceases to work, thus wrecking my world.  Try running an internet business on an iPhone, and you may start to understand my frustration.  Perhaps it was a signal from the Gods of Relaxation and Rest that I should be taking a weekend off!

So because I couldn't work this weekend (or Friday), it was a rather relaxing weekend.  Plus I had a little space heater on my lap for most of it, as James was quite sick and wouldn't move.  And can't say that I enjoyed his illness, I have to say that I did enjoy all the cuddles and snuggle time on the comfy chair with my little bear.  Of course, he's all fine today and tearing around the house like a maniac, so my snuggle bear is gone.  Which means that the scarf I eluded to in my last post will remain 4 inches from being finished until James goes to bed tonight.

Anyone else still trying to finish up gift knitting?  I'm hoping to get mine done while watching a re-watching White Christmas, my favorite Christmas flick.  Anyone else have a favorite that you recommend?

Over analyzing EVERYTHING

I really appreciate all your supportive comments about how you carve out a little time for yourself- it's nice to know that many (or all) moms (and dads) have similar guilt-ridding feelings about getting out of the house and away from the little people that we love.  I hope that with time I find a balance of "me time" and "kid time" that alleviates some of the motherhood guilt.  Or perhaps I'll find a balance, but never really realize it?  Maybe I have my balance but don't see it?  Or maybe I'm just going insane analyzing myself over and over and over.... ARGH!

So let's analyze someone else instead- how about James!  He's had a runny nose/cough for about a week now.  He hasn't been acting like he's too uncomfortable- he's easier to frustrate, but doesn't seem to be in bad shape other than that.  So I took him to the doc yesterday b/c it had been a week and I didn't see him improving.  Turns out, the little guy has a double ear infection and bronchitis!  Now, if I had those, you'll bet that there would be a lot more whining than he's been giving me.  I asked the doc if there were certain signs I should be looking for to know if he does have an ear infection (this is his second double ear infection), b/c I'm just not seeing any.  He basically said that it all depends on the kid.  So I'm wondering how you all know if your kid (one who can't tell you yet) is sick when he really isn't acting much different than usual.  It's not like he's pulling on his ears or crying or anything.  *sigh*

And in case you think I've stopping knitting, I have a project to share!  Well, no pics yet, but I'm knitting the Strangling Vine Scarf (this is the Ravely page)with Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden's Casbah yarn in Ruby Red.  I love the color SO much, and while the pattern is lovely it's giving me a bit of a headache.  I'm about 2 feet into it and am consistently making stupid mistakes like miscounting my stitches.  I'm actually considering using stitch markers.

And another thing, isn't the name of the scarf somewhat morbid?  I mean, it just seems weird to have the term "strangling" when naming a scarf.... and of course, to add to that I'm using a blood red color.  Perhaps I shouldn't gift it to my mother in law after all!

The Holiday Frenzy

I finally have some pictures of the cool Ty-Dy sock yarn knit up (1631 and 1289)!  Whoo hoo!  I'm almost sold out of most of the colors, so if you see some disappear from the website soon, I do have more on order.

I've been in a "mood" for the past several months.  I'm not depressed or sad, but I feel the need to get out more, which I hear is a common situtaion for moms.  I don't get out (or have carefree fun- what's that?!) nearly as much as I used to, and I'm attributing it to two things: being a mom, and living outside the city.  So in my effort just do something about it already, I've effectively overextended myself this holiday season.  I'm cranky, my feet hurt, and I haven't been able to work out and have gone off the losing-the-baby-weight wagon.  But I'm loving it. Why, you ask?

Not only is the store busy-busy-busy (THANK YOU!), I phoned friends who own a local coffee shop and asked if they needed help this holiday season... of course, I got a resounding YES, so I'm going there a few nights a week to help out and get out of the house.  I rarely think before I act, thus the frenzy.

It's really nice to have a reason to get out more- a reason that doesn't make me feel guilty (and gets me free coffee).  I don't know about other moms, but I often feel guilty when I'm not with James and Joe.  I feel bad leaving James with Joe after Joe has worked a long day, but I really do need to get out of the house and have "alone time." Even if that alone time is helping hundreds of people with their coffee and tea purchases...

How do you reconcile being a mom with being your own person?  How do you/did you carve out time for yourself so you don't become a snotty nose wiping/constantly working zombie?

Lorna's Laces Color Commentary: Roadside Gerry

The next selection in Lorna's Laces Color Commentary is available!  Roadside Gerry, the 3rd selection in the series, was created by Annie Modesitt and honors her husband, Gerry. She has written a lovely post on her blog about the color she designed, and you should definitely go there and see it.  Then come back and snag some before it sells out.  If you see it disappear, I'll get more in a few days.

I also have a bit more of Amy's Vintage Office and Franklin's Panopticon, the 2nd and 1st in the series, respectively.

It's likely that I won't be updating any more this week, as your voracious sock yarn appetites are keeping me WAY busy.  Seriously, you guys rock with the snagging of the sale yarn.  It's a good thing that I ordered alot.

Now, if only I could teach James to put yarn in boxes...

Araucania Sock Yarn SALE

A few months ago, Vickie test knit a skein of Araucania's Ranco sock yarn and wrote the review below.  I just didn't have room to add this yarn to the Simply Socks line up, but after getting a great price on it, I'm offering it in the sale section for 40% off.  I'm constantly on the lookout for great deals, and I pass the savings right on to you.  The colors of Ranco are fabulous, as they are inspired by the landscape around Lake Ranco in Chile.  But the deal you can get on this yarn is even more fabulous- only $9 a skein for the semi-solids, and $10.20 a skein for the Multy's.

But before I get to the review, I have a brand new yarn to share with you, and it's called Ty-Dy Socks.  Each ball knits up into a pair of varied-width striped socks, and the colors are super cool.  I hope to have a knit up sample to show you in the near future, but til then go to Ravelry if you want to see several pairs knit up.

Araucania Ranco Review from Vickie,  Color used: Solid 111

The skein put-up was nice- not remarkable, but fine.  Winding the yarn was remarkable though- a breeze!  I did not find one single snag, knot, tangle or otherwise funky bit.  The yardage seemed fairly generous, since it made a huge yarn cake.

The yarn was lovely to work with.  It did not split or catch at all.  It is not a smooth yarn, but has a bit of a fuzzy halo to it and touch of sticky wooliness about it that made lace maneuvers quite easy- if I dropped a stitch, it stayed put.  I think it would be wonderful in a cabled pattern.  I really enjoyed knitting the yarn.

The color variations in this semi-solid yarn is extremely subtle.  It has a slight striping effect, but because of the subtlety of the color changes, it did not interfere with the pattern at all.  The yarn knitted into a nice, dense fabric at a prewash gauge of 9 stitches per inch on US 1 (2.25mm) needles.  The fabric feels substantial, as if it would hold up over time and retain its shape well.  The finished sock has a slight sheen to it that really sets off the pattern.  Stitch definition is excellent.

Before washing, the sock was snug in all the right places on my foot.  After washing (hand washed with a no-rinse wool soak), the fabric was very soft yet maintained its density and elasticity.  The fabric developed a slight halo, similar to that of an alpaca blend yarn, but not as fuzzy. The sock still fit very well after washing with no bagging at all.

Overall, I am very pleased with this yarn.  It handles well and the finished fabric is soft and attractive.  The yarn did not bleed at all during knitting or washing, but admittedly this is a very light color and one not prone to bleeding.  I would definitely be interested in working with this yarn again.  I cannot think of anything I would change about it.  I look forward to learning what this yarn is and how to get more!  And I love that Allison sent me such a delightful springy color.  It's about the only green thing I'll see for months!

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A big thanks to Vickie for such a thorough review!  Vickie, what pattern is this?  Can you leave in the comments below?  Cuz it's beautiful!

Do reviews like this help you knitters to decide on your yarn?  Or do you find that you would prefer to jump right in and be surprised with your knitting experience?  I'll be taking on new test knitters in a month or so (I'll announce the call for knitters here), so it's good to know your likes and dislikes in a review.

Opal Hundertwasser 6 Ply

Opal's newest 6 ply/ DK weight collection mimics one of their most successful 4-ply (the regular fingering weight) collections, bringing the works of artist Friedenreich Hundertwasser to a self-patterning sock yarn.  The 6-ply collection just arrived, as well as more 4-ply in all colors.

The 6 ply collection is a very generous 150 gram skein, so it's likely that you can get two size 9 pairs of socks, or one very large pair and one pair of footies or kids socks.  And b/c it's a 6-ply, it will knit into very warm winter socks- perfect for this time of year.

I'm offering a 20% discount on the new Hundertwasser 6-ply collection for just one week only.  The retail price of the yarn is higher than Opal usually is, b/c the yarn is a special collection and because the ball includes 50% more yarn than 4-ply collections.  Retail is $31, but for the next week you'll find it for only $24.80!

For those of you who missed out on Schaefer Yarn's special Sock the Vote colorways, I was able to snag a few dozen more of the Michelle colorway before they stopped dyeing it on Election Day.  Check it out, if you haven't already!

In news completely unrelated to yarn, my family and I had a relaxing and lovely Thanksgiving!   We drove to PA to be with Joe's family, and OH MY THE SNOW.  There is no snow accumulation here in NE Indiana right now, but if you just go across Ohio you find feet of it.  James was not a fan.  Likely because we stuffed him into a snowsuit and he could barely move.  It was very Christmas Story, if you get my meaning.

Usually when we drive long distances, James is a complete bear.  He's bored, hates the car, and there's only so long you can keep a kid from screaming by stuffing him full of Goldfish crackers.  So we decided to start letting him watch a DVD when we drive.  And had we remembered to pack a DVD for him to watch on the way there, he likely would have blessed us with the same peace and quiet that we got while driving home.  We played Dora the Exlorer and James was an angel the whole 6-hour drive home.  It was the first time that I didn't want to pull my hair out with him in the car and it was wonderful.  It was so nice that we even made a detour to Tony Packo's in Toledo and crammed our post-holiday expanded tummies with chili dogs and fries.  Even James, the hater of all things meat, enjoyed several bits of a chicken corn dog.

Of course, he also tried to eat the crayons.