Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog: Breathe and Hope pattern from Casapinka

I adore working with designer Casapinka. Not only online, but in person. Next month for Simply Socks Yarn Company's 15th anniversary we had big plans for her to come here to Indiana and do some special events to help us celebrate. But that was all canceled due to the current health crisis. Thankfully, Bronwyn (Casapinka) is still making this time special for knitters as always because this coming Saturday was supposed to be national LYS Day (Local Yarn Shop Day) and as she has done in the past she has designed an awesome shawl for us yarn shops to give away with the purchase of the two skeins of yarn for the shawl. So even though we can't celebrate LYS Day in person with you my friends, my shop and others are still able to offer it to you with your online orders. All you need to do is purchase the two skeins of yarn for the shawl now through Sunday, and I'll e-mail you the Ravelry coupon code after the pattern goes live this weekend. And if you already have a stash you want to use and don't need two skeins, no worries. She will sell the pattern to you on Ravelry starting next week. But this is the way to support a yarn shop like SSYC during this tough time and get the pattern for free.

What do you need to make this awesome shawl? It calls for two skeins of contrasting colors of fingering weight yarn, and a US 4 and 6 circular needle (at least 24"). You'll get the pattern coupon code and direct link e-mailed to you this weekend by me. The pattern doesn't even go live until Friday, April 24 and the coupon codes won't be activated and e-mailed to you until starting this weekend. So please be patient with getting yours, as this is supposed to be a weekend event, but Casapinka is allowing us all to start showing this off this week since most shops are currently only working weekdays (if at all). Please do not send her Ravelry messages or e-mails about wanting the pattern. The woman and her husband are doctors, for Pete's sake, and she posted that she had COVID19 weeks ago. Send her good vibes or go to her pattern store to show her support and buy a pattern or eight.

Want some color ideas for your shawl? I'll be blogging here all week about color ideas for this, so please come back here to the blog every day to see more. And if there's a color you like and you don't know what to pair with it, you can always e-mail me, Allison, at [email protected]

Here are the color ideas that Heather (my shop manager) and I have come up with so far, and some tips/advice at the bottom of the page. It's an asymmetrical boomerang shaped shawl with nothing more complicated than a "knit one below" or slipped stitch. The yarn does most of the work. This could be my longest ever blog post, but it's totally worth it, I swear!

Two limited edition colors. Besamé from Stitch Together Studios and Obsession from Qing Fibers of London. Also consider Besamé with Rose Garnet from LITLG.

How about a combo reminiscent of spring crocus with Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles (try Sock too if you want) in Sangria (a SSYC exclusive color) and Velvet

Above I've combined Qing Sock in Gelateria with Stitch Together Studios in Wicked. Below you see Tosh Sock in Hydroponic with Neon Pink.

Above is Tosh Sock (also look at Twist Light Sock and Tosh Merino Light) in The Uncola with Neon Pink. Below is Hedgehog Fibres Sock in Bubble and Egg Yolk. To me, this combo sings "vintage Hawaii."

Want something springy with a little bit of tang? How about Hedgehog Fibres Sock in Poppy with Melon above. Or Piggy Bank with either Melon or Skinny Dip. Anime would also be nice with these solids if you like a grey with speckles.

One of Hedgehog Fibres new colors is Bijou and it looks epic with Egg Yolk.

We have over 200 colors right now in Tosh Merino Light, and we really like Coquette Deux with Surf. Also Surf with Hedgehog Fibres in Velvet (above). Below you'll see Surf paired with Hedgehog Fibres in Glacier. That's a heavenly combo, right?

Want some sparkle? You can do one or both skeins with sparkle from Madelinetosh. Above is Wetever with Iron out the Details - also look at Time to Pretend. Such dreamy, calming combos. Below is Cherry with Dirty Harry.

Again, more sparkle. But this time Copper Glitter in Onyx with Found Pottery with no sparkle.

Next is one of our exclusive Hedgehog Fibres colors, Potluck 2y with UFO.

Above is another new hue from Hedgehog Fibres called Comeback with Jelly. Below is one of our exclusive Hedgehog Fibres colors, Potluck 1v with Melon.

Some tips/advice:
- Don't search for the pattern link on Ravelry or expect your coupon code to work before 9pm on Friday (perhaps give Casapinka even more time). She isn't even activating the coupon codes until the weekend. Please also don't expect an e-mail from me with your code until Saturday, April 25 at the earliest. Tuesday at the latest if you wait to order over the weekend. Make sure you add [email protected] to your Contacts so it doesn't go in your spam folder. Please don't expect the pattern code if you don't purchase two skeins. It doesn't have to be yarn I'm linking to of course, as you can choose your own two skeins to purchase. But Casapinka requires two skeins be sold for us to give it for free.
- Don't be afraid to combine yarns from different dyers like I've shown here. Many of them use the same mills, so it could be you're using the same yarn anyway. Or just ask us via e-mail and we're happy to tell you if it works or doesn't work together.
- Be adventurous if you want, or be safe if you want in your color options. Knitting is what we need it to be. If you want to take a risk with your color choices, just do it! And if you want to play it safe and choose two colors that are your safe choices, do that. Just make sure they aren't too similar or the stitch pattern won't show up. We are happy to wind your yarn for you if you want. Just put that request in the note/comment section on our Check Out page.
- Know that we will help you however we can. We love being your personal shoppers/shippers and living vicariously through your ideas. Please don't call the shop, just e-mail me, Allison at [email protected] That's how we can best serve you while spreading our time out and social distancing (our team of four) during this time.
- Please know though that your first or second choices could sell out fast, so if you really want something, just take the plunge and order it b/c if you wait hours or a day to hear back, that particular yarn could sell out. And if something you love sells out, it's likely that we have something similar. We have over 16 tons of yarn, after all.
- We are still shipping 6 days a week, so we will get your order out the door likely within a day and you'll get tracking via e-mail. You might get a tracking confirmation at 8pm or e-mail returned at 5am- it's just the nature of how we are doing things right now to social distance ourselves and be as safe as possible. - While we are fast on getting orders out the door, USPS is taking a lot of time right now delivering (perhaps temp staff or quarantining packages, I don't know) but packages are taking triple or quadruple the time and not often even being scanned during that time. I've seen no packages go missing at all (which is amazing) but don't be concerned if you see your package go toward you, and then be sent four states away, then show up with no warning 8 days later. It's odd, but it's happening a lot. But things are not going missing. Just well-traveled packages for us and all shipping right now.
- Please let me know how I can best serve you during this time and feel free to come back to the blog every day to see what we're up to. For 15 years, the blog has been a wonderful way for me to connect with others, and I'm happy to help you make the most of your down time during all this. Just e-mail me at [email protected]
- We will continue doing special giveaways of stitch markers, totes, contests and more to keep us all going during this tough time, and to start celebrating our 15th anniversary, so consider bookmarking us here on the blog and signing up for the e-newsletter at the bottom of our website if you want to get info on what's new and coming at the shop.