Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Wooly Wonka Gradients

Want to try something unique? Wooly Wonka's Arianrhod yarn is the only silk blend I have with sparkles and it's also offered in GRADIENTS. This stuff is so awesome. It would be wonderful in a Kallara shawl, perhaps paired with a solid of Tosh Sock. You'd have the solid stripe of the Tosh, and then the rest of the stripes would gradually change in color from one end of the shawl to the other. I mean, come on. That sounds like one of the coolest shawls ever.

Or just choose any shawl pattern like the one above (for the life of me I can't recall the pattern name, photo used with permission of Wooly Wonka) and let the gradient yarn do the work for you. Shown above in Rainforest. And if gradients aren't your thing, this silky sparkle blend also comes in a wide array of variegated and tonal colors.

Shown below in Beach Cove

Shown below in Fireworks on the Beach

Did you join in our Kallara KAL? We've seen so many cool projects on Ravelry and Instagram (tagging with #SSYCkallaralong. I'm seriously considering knitting another one once I'm done with my Sockhead Cowl phase.

Next week on the blog we are celebrating Spring Break with a contest every day! Visit here Monday through Friday to enter to win yarny prizes.

Spring Knit Kits now available!

Come one, come all! Get your Spring Knit Kits now!

You have your choice of two springy yet modern Knit Kits- the Black Sheep Knit Kit and the Curly Q Knit Kit. Each features limited edition hand dyed yarn, a beautifully hand made bag, an extra large pom pom and small and pretty scissors. I couldn't even resist getting a head start on knitting the Black Sheep kit yarn over the weekend!

Our Knit Kits do tend to sell out within a day, so please do not hesitate if you'd love one. If you do miss out, please know that we have some awesome things planned for our summer long 13th anniversary celebration. Special Knit Kits, Sip and Knit Kits and more.

Thanks for looking!

Kelsey & Crew of Primrose Yarn Co

Primrose Yarn Company has seen really beautiful growth over the past few years. When I first started working with Kelsey, she had a small dyeing operation out of her home. We would have long conversations about growing pains, difficult business relationships, and all that comes with wanting to grow your small business in the right way. I've really enjoyed seeing the changes she's made in Primrose over the past two years, taking a leap to expand in space and staff, and I love seeing it pay off.

You may have noticed here on the blog or on Instagram, I've been loving on Primrose over the past few months.I just wound a skein of Black Magic in Sophia MCN yesterday, and I'll be casting on and sharing my progress on Instagram throughout this coming week. And over the past few months I've knit her Ultimate Sock twice in Grumpy Jello and Forbidden Forest. So far, Primrose seems to be my 2018 go-to! Since we have such a stunning collection of yarn right now from Kelsey and crew, I thought this would be a great time to learn more about her. So here's 10 Questions with Primrose Yarn Co.

Allison @ SSYC: What brought you to dyeing yarn, and therefore creating Primrose Yarn Co?

Kelsey @ Primrose: I graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2012 with a BFA in Fibers and Material Studies. A few months later I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, Paige, and when my nesting instincts kicked in I wanted to learn how to knit to make things for her. My mother-in-law is an avid sock knitter, so she was happy to teach me everything she knew. That fall we attended the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck and I was blown away by the number of vendors and the variety of their wares. That trip convinced me that I wanted to become a part of the knitting community as more than just a consumer - I wanted to dye yarn. And so I began dyeing at home in my kitchen… and the rest, as they say, is history!

Allison @ SSYC: Sounds like your education really set you up nicely on the path to this success. Tell us about the growth you've seen in the past few years since we started carrying your yarn- going from one employee (yourself) to how many employees? Moving from your home to a studio? How has your role changed from the beginning to now?

Kelsey: We have grown a lot in the past few years! We grew out of my kitchen into a 3800 sq ft warehouse space, from dyeing in 2 pots to 10, and from just me to having 2 full time employees. We also transitioned from using Etsy for online sales to our own website. My role has changed for sure - I am now an employer, so I’ve taken on that role as well as delegating some tasks other than dyeing so that I can remain focused on that aspect of the business.

Allison: What are your current fave colors to dye? What about to knit?

Shown above is Bohemian in Adelaide Singles

Kelsey: My “current” favorite colors are always changing as I’m always creating new ones! But right now I’m really enjoying dyeing Bohemian, Dark Caster, Bramble, Skateboards & Snowcones, and Istanbul. As far as knitting is concerned, I’m currently obsessed with Mercury in Retrograde and Where Is My Mind.

Shown below is Where is my Mind in Ultimate Sock

Allison: I've seen you work with several well-known pattern designers. They seem to connect with your aesthetic. Tell me three patterns you think are totally on trend right now.

Kelsey: Right now there are so many fantastic patterns being released! Top three for me, that all use fingering weight, are Joji Locatelli’s Suburban Wrap, the Zweig Sweater by Caitlin Hunter, and True Colors by Melanie Berg - which is perfect for mini skeins by the way!

Allison: Those are all great designs that would show off your colors beautifully! Where do you find your color and name inspiration? Are all the ideas yours or do you now trust a team to imagine new hues?

Kelsey: A lot of the color names I come up with are references to music we listen to in the studio, pop culture, television, and other daily influences. We try to tie well known things in everyday life that people can relate to into our yarn.

Shown below, Dark Caster in Adelaide Singles

Allison: It sounds like you and your team are really in sync- bringing in influences from your lives and culture to create a cohesive line. Tell me more about your staff and what their roles are in Primrose.

Kelsey: My team is made up of two full time employees that I rely on heavily for the running of everyday studio activities like breaking down or labeling yarn, as well as keeping the website up to date and shipping products. Lauren - my studio manager - takes care of all of our customer service communications, wholesale orders, shipping, website maintenance, newsletters, and a variety of other tasks. She keeps us all organized and on track! Tiffany - my studio assistant - only has one speed and it's 100 miles per hour! She breaks down all incoming raw yarn, counts and organizes finished product for sale in the shop, skeins and labels, helps with photography, and does most of the heavy lifting. These two ladies are the perfect support team to keep everything running smoothly and allow me to focus on dyeing gorgeous yarn!

Allison: Finding the right people is a cornerstone in growth and sustaining a small business. Without the amazing ladies at SSYC, I wouldn't have any balance in my life. And it's still a constant struggle. How do you find balance in your work/life?

Kelsey: I do my best to keep weekends for family time, and aside from knitting on personal projects I don’t do anything work related between 5pm on Friday and 8am on Monday. This work/life balance was a major goal when we moved out of my house. By literally removing my workspace from my home, as well as hiring staff and setting studio hours, I’ve been able to spend more time with my family friends on evenings and weekends.

Allison: Other than knitting (obviously), what fun things does your downtime include? Me, I spend my time playing volleyball, eating great food, playing cards with friends, exploring with my kids. You?

Kelsey: I love attending baseball games at Camden yards with my family, Taco Thursdays with friends at a local pub, and finding time to travel and explore new places. I also love watching horror movies and Live PD on Friday and Saturday nights with my husband.

Allison: Now that we are entering the busy fiber fair and festival season, is that something you'll spend off-time doing?

Kelsey: The only festival we currently vend at is the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, where you will again be able to find us this October! We occasionally attend other festivals, but not as vendors.

Allison: What's the biggest thing to happen for you in 2017? What do you hope for in 2018?

Kelsey: The biggest change for my company in 2017 was moving into a dedicated space and hiring employees in order to grow as a company. In 2018 we hope to continue that trend of growth, as well as partnering with fabulous designers, and pushing the creative envelope to come up with new and exciting colorways.

Allison: With so much change in the past two years alone, where do you see Primrose going in the next 5 years?

Kelsey: We have experienced so much change and growth in just the last 12 months, that we put no limits on our future possibilities and where we might be in 5 years. We are constantly looking towards what could be next for our company, staying on the cutting edge of color and design trends and keeping an open mind about the new and unknown. We are so excited to continue our journey and see what the future holds!

Allison: Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your life with us. An even bigger thank you for keeping us well stocked with your beautiful colors!

Have questions for Kelsey and crew? Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Or just kind words and encouragement, if you like! If you would like to keep up with Kelsey and the adventures at Primrose Yarn Company, their Instagram is a great place to start.

Can't get enough of Miss Babs

Every time a shipment arrives from Miss Babs and her team, I think "Dang, I wish I could get more of this stuff." Babs and her team are always busy dyeing for fiber fairs and festivals and we are lucky that she fits us in a few times a year when she can. But in my stash-building mind it's never enough. I'm a selfish stasher!

This week, she sent us dozens of colors of beautiful Yowza DK. This is the DK weight yarn that comes in a double sized skein.

Fired Up - Light

Zombie Prom

Deep Sea Jellyfish

Across the Universe

The names are nearly as inventive as the colors, right? I have more Hot Sock and Tarte sock yarn coming very soon too. Can't wait to share!

Free Tote with purchase, today only!

We're having a Flash Tote Giveaway! If you place an order online today only, we will include one of these canvas totes in your package. If you are local, and choose "in store pickup", we will hold a tote for you for one of our open days.

Why? Well, just because we like and appreciate you! We like to give you fun things when we can. You don't have to e-mail us to request it and you don't have to add it to your cart. If you place an order on March 22, it will be in automatically included in your package.

Each time you shop with us online or in person, share us with your friends, leave reviews on our Facebook page, show love on our Instagram photos, or comment on the SSYC Blog, you are helping us thrive and grow and we greatly appreciate it!

What might you want to purchase today? Take a look at more colors of the double-sized DK skeins of Yowza from Miss Babs, fresh colors of Trekking XXL, a new Regia Atelier collection (we sold a lot of this in the shop this weekend- it's great to gift to people who might be afraid of bold color) new Zing needles from Knitters Pride, beautiful cashmere skeins from Zen Yarn Garden, a complete restock of wonderful Malabrigo and Manos, and wonderful deals in the Sale Section.

SSYC's Spring Knit Kits, a preview

I love spring. It brings so much promise. With it comes new color, new weather, a whole slew of things we can do outdoors, and a whole change of life here in the Midwest. I especially love how dyers and artisans in the shop seem to come out with more inventive, vivid colorways, as if they too feel the seasons change and want to play along. You can definitely see that in the yarn dyed for our two SSYC Spring Knit Kits, so lets take a look!

First the Curly Q Sheep Knit Kit. This kit features a new-to-us-dyer, Qing Fibers. Layla and her team dye highly sought after yarn in the UK, and I'm happy to introduce her to the SSYC family in this kit with her Donegal Tweed Sock. I'll have a wide array of her colors later this spring in the shop and I'm just so pleased that she decided to share her skeins with us. I've been loving her skeins from afar, and I know many of you have too and have been asking us to get her wares to you. 

The medium wedge bag from DnA Designs features fabric with grazing, curly haired sheep, coordinating interior, a beaded zipper pull and fits a 3-4 skein project. It's a beautifully made bag that's not season-specific and can be used year round.

I'm also happy to announce that we are starting our own line of faux fur pom poms and we're introducing them in these kits! These are extra large, as you can see from the comparison photo with the yarn, and would be adorable on a winter hat, don't you think?

The tool in these kits is a pretty set of scissors. They are small in size, fit easily in any project bag, and come packaged with a tip protector and their own case.

Then I have the Black Sheep Knit Kit, inspired by the little black sheep on this fabric. This bag is the large Tall Skinny size, which means it will fit a 5-6 skein project. Look how it dwarfs everything else in the picture! This one is also made by Angie at DnA Designs and features coordinating interior fabric and a beaded zipper pull.

The stand out of this kit is the expertly dyed striping yarn from Knitterly Things. The extra special thing about this yarn is that not only does it stripe, but it speckles. The white stripe has green speckles and the other colors have black and grey speckles. I mean, how cool is that?! That's a lot of extra time and work for each individual skein. 

The Black Sheep Knit Kit also comes with a pom pom and a pair of scissors. Same extra large size, but gives a faux husky look.

I'm really proud of these kits. I love the large size and the extra detail put into the bags, and the dyers created truly imaginative colorways for us. Qing Fibre used a tweed sock base with flecks in a multitude of colors instead of the neutral colored neps typically found in tweed sock bases. And Julia at Knitterly Things really went the extra mile in creating a colorway that has that extra umph with stripes and speckles (I think I might have to cast on my skein tonight). The pom poms are high quality and big and all around awesome. If you're able to snag the kit you like, I think you're going to be super pleased when it hits your doorstep.

I do hope that one or both of these kits speak (or shout) to you, and if so you'll have a chance to grab them this coming Tuesday, March 27. Typically we post the kits mid-morning EST. Our kits tend to sell out within a day, especially ones like these that have large hand made bags and extra special yarn. So please don't hesitate if you think you'd like one or more. They will be priced a bit over $70 and worth every penny, as three of the four items are hand made by talented craftspeople who made these just for us.  And as usual, you're welcome to order more than one of each kit- many of you purchase several so you have gifts for friends, or so you have extra yarn (and then give away the extra bag as a gift to a knitting friend). We don't put limits on what you'd like to purchase- it's a first come first served kind of thing. We think that's the most fair way to do it- everyone knows when the kits will be available and can order however they like.

If you've made it to the end of today's blog, I'll share a secret... we are planning on giving away free canvas totes with your purchase in the shop tomorrow, March 22. I'll post about it here on the blog and send out the newsletter too, but I wanted to give you a heads up if you want to start filling your online cart with goodies now, and check out tomorrow the 22nd.

Weekend Cowl

So I basically spent every spare moment I had this weekend knitting. After knitting on Friday and Saturday, I had this.

Then on Sunday, I was down to the final ribbing

And today I took this photo.

I was inspired by our recent batch of Serenity 20 from Zen Yarn Garden, and I just couldn't stop knitting. I chose the Sockhead Cowl because I wanted a mindless knit that wouldn't compete with the colors in the Notebook skein. Sorry, this color quickly sold out but we have many other lovely ones available. I love how it turned out, and I'm hoping I'll have the willpower to be able to give this up as a Christmas gift late this year.

After such a nice, three day knit, of course I wanted to start another one. So I just wound some Madelinetosh Twist Light in Texas Bama into a cake and I look forward to making another one! Perhaps everyone's getting a cowl for Christmas....

St Patrick's Day Giveaway in the shop

If you're coming to the shop tomorrow, it's your lucky day! On Saturday the 17th, come in the shop and spend $17 and you can get this free book: Neck Effects- 30 Scarves, Wraps and Coals to Knit for Now

I have 30 books to give away tomorrow in the shop, one per person/family, per $17 purchase. So come see us from 10-4 at 1315 E. State Blvd in Fort Wayne, Indiana. You know you want to!

Not able to come see us tomorrow? Plan a trip this spring or summer and let us show you what 16 tons of yarn looks like in person!

Zen Yarn Garden

So, there's not one color from our new batch of Zen Yarn Garden's Serenity 20 that I don't really like. Each one of these I'd knit, and I'm having a hard time not stashing eight of them right now. I like them so much that I seriously considered featuring each one with a pattern idea, but that's pure craziness, as I don't have time for that in my busy child-rearing-business-running life! What I will share is a few of my faves and that these are inspiring me to knit my friends and family each a cashmere cowl for Christmas. No, I'm serious. Wouldn't a cashmere cowl make everyone happy? Even if it's something as simple as this. Your thoughts? Are there any simple gifting pattern's you'd love to share with me?

Above in Notebook, below in Acrobatic

 

Shown above in Earthy, below in Jolly

Mineville's 100g Sock is Back!

A couple months ago, we introduced a short run (limited availability) of Mineville Wool Project's 100g Sock in the Sale Section. Mineville Wool Project is an offshoot of Fleece Artist- after 35+ years in the business, Fleece Artist has great connections and is able to buy end runs from mills at a discount and pass the savings along to us and you. The 100g Sock sold out fast and now we have more. I pretty much bought them out this time, which means we have a lot of colors in the Sale Section like Arctic Fox and Blue Jeans (shown below) that sell out really fast. We have lots more colors coming, but it all trickles through Customs.

I have just 16 colors to start with, and double that coming. I'm told this is the last of the 100g Sock, but of course we'll carry more from Mineville as lines become available and as I test it.

I especially like how much aqua there is in Beach Walk this time (shown above) and Canadian Rockies (shown below) is darker, which turned out stunning.

Cascades looks particularly festive, right?

Trekking XXL

Trekking XXL has long been a staple for sock knitters, and Zitron is always keeping things fresh with new colors and patterns. We just received restocks and the newest self patterns (starting at 676) and this just screams GIFT KNITTING to me. Not only are these going to be fun knits, but the finished socks hold up really well to washing and wearing, even for the recipient who might not know how to take care of hand knit socks. Heck, I've been known to accidentally throw my Opal and Trekking XXL socks in the wash and dryer with towels with no repercussions! (I usually put my own hand knit socks in a lingerie bag with other color water items and don't machine dry ever.)

Here are a few of the newbies, 681, 680 and 684.

A few years ago, I knit up this color of Trekking XXL and it was loved by all. It was gone for a few years and now is back as color number 686, for those who want to snag it. The striping is pretty random in the width of each stripe- your socks will not be matchy matchy, but they will be awesome.

Winner winner!

I've announced the Instagram contest winner on Instagram, and the winner of last week's Poste Yarn contest was Deb J who commented:

My first two favorites are Viva Las Vegas and Electric Avenue Multi...in fact, I immediately went off to purchase them before they ran out! Viva Las Vegas was a no brainer--given that I still, after all these years, immediately start dancin' if I hear Elvis beltin' it out!

Shown below in Camelot Speckle

I love the comments we received about the names we chose for the Select Sock. Since we name our Poste Yarn colors after destinations (real or fictional) we thought it was fun that we named all these colors after songs about destinations, and you seemed to find it fun too! We have just eight colors left from the original 44, and the special price of $16 ends after today. Then the price goes up to $18 and we hope to have a new batch of Select Sock for you in April. We have a pretty darn busy dye schedule, but this yarn was really popular and we'll make room to offer colors here and there, much like we do our Patina and Stripe Sock.

What can you expect this week from us? We have a huge restock of Zauberball if you want something box that changes color while you knit.

Below in Zauberball color 2310

I'll also have some new needles to share and new yarn from Primrose Yarn Company. I'm betting there's a lot more too, but apparently I'm not fully caffeinated this Monday morning!

Select Sock Sale... THANK YOU!

Woah, you all really know a good deal when you see one! As part of our Week Long Release Party for our new Poste Yarn collection, Select Sock, we offered an introductory price of $16 and it has nearly cleared us out of yarn in just a couple days! Most of the speckles and multicolors are gone, and while we do have some tonal colors left, most of those just have a couple skeins available. We do have this yarn on the dye schedule again for April, but keep in mind that the price goes up to the original price of $18 in a few days. Yeah, that's still a really great deal though, I know. We keep the price low by seeking out great deals on fiber, and then dyeing it all in house. Then we pass the savings right onto you!

I was going to post today with color combo for patterns, but all of my ideas won't help you now because the colors are gone! We originally had 44 colors, and now have a third of that, and every combo I was going to share had at least one of the sold out colors included. So I think I'll share all those project ideas when the colors are available again.

I will share another combo I'm obsessed with right now. Life in the Long Grass in Rose Gold, Weathered and Barefoot. I mean, look at these together! Are they not totally Fade-worthy? Not only would they be awesome for Free Your Fade ,but can't you also see this in the new Joji pattern, Washed out? WOW. These are all shown on Singles but I have them on DK and Sock too. You could totally add a color at either side of this fade and make this DK So Faded sweater.

Should you want to fade something else in Life in the Long Grass, we have an amazingly beautiful array of colors right now and we are always happy to help if you want to e-mail us with your fave color or two, or give us a color to start from or build around. Ocean Flight (shown above) is one of their new colors, and I think it looks particularly super on DK. I could really use a hat in this..... so I think a skein will now be stashed.

Finally, Caroline dyed up a color that isn't in her dye schedule right now, but we've had so many requests for it that she did us the favor of dyeing up a batch just for us (and you). You might remember Garden Party, shown here on Sock (available on Skinny and DK too). You should really grab some now if it's one you've been waiting for.

I'm betting Caroline wanted to dye up Garden Party just because the weather in Cork Co, Ireland is so bleak and oddly snowy right now that she needed some color in her life! Take a look at this picture- this definitely isn't what I think of when I think of Ireland, right? 

How's the weather where you are? We had a really bad winter here in NE Indiana- so much snow and ice, but the low temps are what really got to me. Finally we are in the 40's here, so it's definitely cold and windy, but the sun has been out all week, which is a really welcome change. I'm SO looking forward to spring. You?