Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Twelfth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Twelfth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeee......

a $100 gift certificate to the shop for THREE people!

To have a chance to win one of three gift certificates to SSYC, simply answer the following question

What's one of the best pieces of advice you've been given? Perhaps you read something that really resonated in a book, or want to share a funny saying from your Grandmother. Or maybe it's a piece of knitting advice? Do share!

“If you want to know how important you are to the world, stick your finger in a pond and pull it out. Will the hole remain?” Woah, right? Maya Angelou's words found me at the right time in my life, and they forever changed me for the better.

And then there's another one from my friend Jodie, who said "Don't pick up that s*!t" As in, don't ask questions you don't want the answer to, or don't take on someone else's drama. Leave that poo on the ground and walk right around it.

That's a wrap, folks! It's been a joy to read your comments and learn more about you in our yarny celebration. Thank you for sharing your lives with all of us, and I hope you'll continue coming back to the blog a few times a week to connect, see what we're up to in the shop, or just say Hi. That is, after we are back from holiday break.... b/c there won't be any new posts until after Jan 4 because we're closed til then!

I'll randomly choose the winners and e-mail them and do a blog post here sometime in January. Since we are closed for the holidays until Jan 4, it's likely to be later in January. Some years I don't find time til February, but I always announce the winners here in a blog post.

Full details of the 12 Days of Sock Yarn contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Eleventh Day of Sock Yarn

On the Eleventh Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeee.......

a $100 gift certificate to the shop!

To have a chance at $100 to spend at SSYC, please answer the following question in the comments below.

What is your favorite holiday of the year and why? 

I do think that Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. When I was a kid, it was all about the presents. But what I love about Christmas now is that it's a time when I get to see all my family. My siblings and I don't all live close together, and it's pretty much the one time of year that we are sure we will all see each other for at least a couple days. I spend a lot of time with my family that's within a couple hours, but at Christmas we all get together, play games like Euchre and Cards Against Humanity and eat and drink and enjoy each others' company for hours and days. There's lots of great food, some gifts to share, and maybe a movie or two to watch. James and I spent some time this week getting some of the food ready - Chex Mix and Christmas Crack are done! Chili, Texas Chocolate Cake, pecan pie and rolls are happening today. Even though it's -10 here and cars won't start, so much of my family will likely not be driving hours to get here tomorrow. Sigh.

4th of July is a close second for me on the holiday enjoyment list. Especially if it involves being at the lake or watching fireworks over the water like we sometimes do if we are visiting friends in Northport, MI.

We have one more Day of Sock Yarn tomorrow, and it's a good one b/c we're giving away $100 gift certificates to three different people! It's worth noting that I'm writing this day and tomorrow's day early b/c the shop closed mid day on the 22nd and we won't be reopening until January 4th. It's been a few years since I've taken real time off and my staff and I are all looking forward to a refresh. Details of our closure are here.

Full details of the 12 Days of Sock Yarn contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Closed for Holiday Break

Hello, yarny friends! If you're reading this, we are on our previously announced holiday break! It's been quite awhile since we've closed up shop for a stretch of time, and we are all happy to be taking a long week to spend time with our families, reenergize, and come back refreshed and ready to serve you in our 17th winter at SSYC.

What does this mean for you? If you'd like to place an order online today, please do! Orders will be shipped in the order they are received starting on January 4. If you order during our break, you are charged at the time of Check Out to hold your place. We'll do our best to get through all our shipments quickly (likely a couple days - we ship fast, as you know) once we are back at it on January 4. And if you place an order online while we are closed, I'll include a free shipping coupon code in your package (check inside your plastic bags of yarn for the code printed on bold colored paper) as a thanks for your wait. If you are local and want to pick up your package using our contactless pickup, please know that this won't be an option until Jan 5. 

Have questions? You're welcome to e-mail me, Allison, at [email protected] as usual, but e-mails won't be answered until Jan 4 or after.

Obviously, we aren't open to the public either, as is detailed on our shop-in-person page. Our next day we are open to shoppers is Saturday, Jan. 14 b/c we ship 6 days a week and are open to the public just one day each week.

I don't think I've closed up the shop this long since I had had my last son 10 years ago, so this is new for us. So thank you for your understanding as we take time to take care of ourselves. We look forward to 2023 and hopefully another busy year filled with yarny color! If you want to see some of the yarny goodness that we have for you, our Instagram is a great place for inspiration! See ya again soon!

Tenth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Tenth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeeee.....

Madelinetosh's 12 Days of Tosh advent set!

To have a chance at this box of goodies that we sold out of months ago (next year should go up for sale end of summer again), simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What's a one or two skein project that you really like? Perhaps it's a sock pattern that you can't get enough of? Or a two-color shawl that you've made again and again? And if you don't have one that you want to share, perhaps tell us a pattern that you can't wait to knit?

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dassau

I love the Phi Shawl, shown above. I've knit it a few times in both fingering weight (which is what's called for in the pattern) and also DK weight (I just went up two needle sizes and then followed the pattern). My DK weight version is shown below in LITLG DK. I like it because it combines two colors in way that is wearable and eye catching, and it's an easy, intuitive pattern. It's easily transportable b/c it's not too big too.

A one-skein pattern that I haven't knit yet but am looking forward to is Saint Lawrence Socks. I like the little wave-like-ripples in the leg - I think they would show off solid, variegated or speckled yarns nicely. And I like that the ribbing goes down the foot - that makes for a nicer, more forgiving, fit.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Misegades

The 12 Days of Tosh set that we're giving out is full of little skeins of yarn, pattern ideas and accessories. It retailed for $135. See a little video of it here.

And for those of you who love Madelinetosh, we literally have tons in stock and ready to ship today (at least until we close up for our 10 day holiday break on Friday). I post a video about it awhile back if you want to see. And while we started out 17 years ago selling only sock yarn, we've expanded so much since then that we now carry all sorts of easy care wool blends like Madelinetosh's Pashmina (sport weight merino/cashmere/silk), Tosh DK and Tosh Vintage (worsted weight). And hundreds of colors too. This is in addition to fingering weight Tosh Sock (100% superwash merino sock). Twist Light Sock (merino/nylon) and Tosh Merino Light (singles for garments and shawls). Shown below is one of the holiday colors that is from the Tosh vault - Mint Condition. I hadn't even seen several of the holiday hues from years ago that we ordered for our holiday yarny event. We have a lot of them still available here too.

We have 2 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners in January. I'll post all the winners here and e-mail them as always.

Ninth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Ninth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeee......

A gift certificate and donation of your choice!

To have a chance at a $50 SSYC gift certificate for you and a $100 donation made by SSYC to the non-profit of your choice, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What is something kind that you did for others in the past year? I know many of us like to do nice things and not talk about it or get recognition, but I also know that talking about it can inspire others to do the same. So how about it? Please share something that you did this year to help others. Or share lots of things!

This year, I tried to put my money where my mouth is. My purpose is to be of service to others. Sometimes that's by actions, and sometimes it's writing a check. And I bought a lot less "things" this year and instead gave a lot more money. I donated to the Boys and Girls Club and several small organizations. But we gave mostly to The Carriage House. It was a sacrifice to give as much as we did this year, but I trust that it made a difference to others, even if I will never know exactly how. There seems to be so much need this year.

I think small things are also a great way to help others - buying the Starbucks for the person behind you in line, telling the school bus driver how amazing they are, shoveling the neighbor's drive.... it all adds up to others wanting to help others. I think that's a concept that knitters really understand. Just like tiny stitches add up over time and make a garment, little donations made by many over time really do make a very big impact. Knitters get that donating $5 is really better than nothing, even if it seems like a drop in a bucket. That bucket fills up over time.

Yesterday, the blog was down for a bit and so I'm going to leave yesterday's contest open today too. So if you didn't get to comment on yesterday's post, please do.

We have 3 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Eighth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Eighth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeeee.....

a $75 gift certificate to SSYC!

To have a chance at winning $75 to spend however you like, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What's your weather/view from your home today? Is there a lot of snow? Or perhaps you're somewhere warmer with an ocean nearby? Please feel free to describe or share as much as you like so we can live vicariously through your view.

Well, I'm currently sitting on my couch at home as I type this, so this is my exact view. My kids are off school this week already for break, so it's a balance of being home for them and then going into the shop late to finish up shipments. We are going to continue shipping through the 22nd, then take some time off for the rest of the year to hang with our families. I'm fortunate that I can get a lot done at home though. I love our Christmas tree, which I wrote about on an earlier post, but the view outside is definitely not a winter wonderland. As much of the country has gotten a lot of snow, so far here in NE Indiana we have received just a dusting, which leaves us with brown grass and gray skies. Not my fave. But I also don't like to deal with lots of snow either, so I guess I'll call it a wash.

You may also notice that my view doesn't include any wrapped presents. Well, I'm quite a bit behind on all that, so it's likely those won't get wrapped until Christmas Eve. Such is the life of holiday retail work, am I right?

What might you like to buy for yourself if you win the $75 to the shop? We have a stunning array of Malabrigo and Madelinetosh right now. Literally tons of them. It's the kind of array that makes visitors stop in their tracks as soon as they enter the doors on our open days.

Shown above the shop picture is one of the newer colors on Tosh Merino Light, it's called You Do You. I think it would make a lovely Sockhead Hat or Cowl. There's so much color in it that watching the fabric develop would be addictive. Shown below is Sur on Malabrigo's newest sock yarn Ultimate Sock. Finally, they added some nylon to their normal sock yarn and it's just wonderful. Don't worry, they are keeping the original Sock (which is 100% superwash merino, no nylon) as well. They'll have two different sock yarns now.

In the mood for a new project bag? We have a gorgeous array of Magner totes in the Original Knitty Gritty bag or the Itty Bitty, shown below. The Itty Bitty is a new option from Casey at Magner Co. It's a sock sized project bag and comes in all his beautiful waxed canvas options.

Be sure to check back for the last remaining days of our holiday contest, because we'll be giving out another larger gift certificate too, and other great prizes.

We have 4 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Seventh Day of Sock Yarn

On the Seventh Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeee..... 

three project packs from Cascade Yarns!

To have a chance to be one of THREE winners to each win three "project packs" (yarn+pattern) from Cascade Yarns, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

How many projects have you finished this year? Was this year more or less than other years? Did you make smaller projects like socks? Or larger like sweaters and blankets? Do tell!

I haven't completed many projects this year, I've finished several pairs of socks - mostly Opal collections because those are the ones that really get me going - even when I don't pay attention and drops stitches. There's something about the self patterning nature that compels me to continue row after row after row. I did finished a cool hat using Hedgehog Fibres Tweedy DK and even wrote up the pattern and gave it out free here. if you'd like it. It's shown above.

Heritage 6 color 5603

Cascade Yarns sent us yarn+pattern combos to give winners this year - many of them are Heritage 6 (their new sport weight fingering weight yarn), and there are also other ones that include our other lines from them. Heritage 6 is a great yarn to use if you want heavier weight socks or shawls.

Heritage 6 color 5630

We have 5 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Sixth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Sixth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeeee....

a 5 balls of Berroco Vintage Sock Yarn!

To have a chance to win five balls of your choice, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What your fave project that you've started this year? It doesn't have to be finished yet, but do tell us what the project is that you've enjoyed the most so far this year. Perhaps is a blanket for a special baby, a hat for your mom, or socks for yourself (because you know sock knitters often have empty sock drawers!). Do tell! We'd love a link to the pattern page and as much detail as you'd like to share.

My favorite project this year is a pair of socks for me that I started back in September and haven't cast off yet. I chose 5 colors of Berroco Vintage Sock and used them to make striped socks. And it didn't break the bank to use five skeins of yarn for one pair b/c a) it's less than $10 a ball and b) I'll have a lot left over for toes and heels or color details in other projects. It won't go to waste. Colors I used were 12018, 12075, 12072, 12026, 12076. I used my normal sock pattern and changed colors every 10 rows to make a striped sock.

We have 6 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Fifth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Fifth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeee....

three skeins of Emma's Yarn of my choice!

To have a chance you win three skeins of Emma's Yarn in whatever colors/bases you'd like (three full sized skeins or 10 mini skeins), just answer the following question in the comments:

Coffee or tea? What's your preference? And if you'd like to be more specific, is there a particular coffee you like or a tea that you can't live without?

I'm a coffee girl, all the way. I drink two cups (usually from this roaster) in the morning, and often switch to their decaf in the afternoon. Black. And sometimes I do have tea in the afternoons (I'm drinking this one now). I like a nice green tea with mint, or a black tea with a bit of a flavor. So I'd love to know what ones you have found that are special to you, or that you enjoy on a vacation, etc. I love to try new things.

Have you tried Emma's Yarn lately? Emma and Aspen grew up in their mom's yarn shop in Florida and then opened a dye studio. They create such beautiful colors and their color names are super fun, like Yarn Husband above or Tropic Like It's Hot below. 

Monster Knits creates a slew of cool patterns that use their minis and Sock and Mohair, and as a "thank you" she's giving the Free Falling cowl pattern below for free using code THANKYOU on Ravelry at Check Out. Just add the pattern to your Ravelry cart, click on the coupon code button, add the code and Check Out. Done and done! (I did it. It works.) I think it would looks great in the cashmere blend Hella Hanks we have. And you could even hold a strand of Marvelous Mohair with it for a fuzzy halo.

Flamingle, below, is one that we've helped you find just the right colors of yarn for - it uses Hella Hanks and Mohair.

And Sunshine State of Mind is a great way to use two colors. We helped many of you choose your colors of Sock and Mohair.

And Love Your Store is a great pattern to use one skein of Sock or any 100g fingering weight yarn that you've purchased somewhere, couldn't live without, but were unsure what you'd make with it.

And for those who are thinking "hey, I thought you were "simply socks" and you have lace weight MOHAIR??" Yep, we started out 17 years ago selling just sock yarn but over the years have evolved to carry a wide array of weights from our favorite companies. We still focus on sock yarn, but we also carry every color of worsted weight Malabrigo Rios and Cascade 220 Superwash, and even a super bulky in Malabrigo Rasta. You all have guided us over the past decade+ into carrying SO MUCH yarn that we just keep expanding and expanding to serve you. We still focus on easy care wool blends, but we do a lot in that range, overall.

We have 7 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Fourth Day of Sock Yarn

On the Fourth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeee.....

three skeins of Dream in Color yarn!

To have a chance at winning three skeins of your choice from this amazing Arizona dye studio, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What is something that a kid in your life doesn't or wouldn't understand the concept of. Like a simple device or a word - nothing heavy or existential please. Let's keep it light.

I recently had to explain to my 15 year old son what a handkerchief is. My mom pulled one out of her purse, and it had a hand made lace edges and embroidery on it, and she said to him "this was probably made by your great great uncle Willy's mom".... Willard died 15 years ago in his 90s, so that would make this handkerchief at least 100 years old? And I had to explain to James that a century ago there weren't all these disposable things like toilet paper and paper towels and Kleenex... much to his horror. It seems like an odd thing to try and describe, how all the toiletries we use several times day weren't even a thing, and instead were replaced by things like handkerchiefs that were little works of art.

Microbatch Color 18 - Jolene by Dolly Parton

So, back to yarn! If you win, you can choose three of any skeins of Dream in Color yarn, and that includes the 50% larger skeins we keep in our Sale Section. Colossal Sock is our exclusive yarn dyed by Dream in Color, and it's such a wonderful yarn. It's a slightly "rustic" or "toothy" sock yarn - so not the ultra smooth ones that come from other hand dyers. It's slightly on the heavier side of fingering weight, and it comes in 150g skeins so you have plenty for a pair of socks. We've offered it for several years now and it's widely used for sweaters too. And if comes in all of Dream in Color's delicious colorways.

Microbatch No. 7 - Moody's Mood for Love

For this batch that we just listed yesterday, we have some super special colors - 20 of them, to be exact. Veronica and her team at DIC came up with 5 pieces of art and 5 pieces of music to inspire colorways, and we at SSYC did the same. So you'll see 20 different "microbatch" colors based on our faves. Here are the details so you can perhaps find one based on your favorite music or painting.

Microbatch No. 1 - Convergence by Jackson Pollock

Simply Socks Yarn Co's inspirations:

Art
Microbatch No. 1: Jackson Pollock’s “Convergence”
Microbatch No. 2: Michelangelo’s “David”
Microbatch No. 3: Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”
Microbatch No. 4: Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”
Microbatch No. 5: HOTTEA’s “Atlas”

Music
Microbatch No. 6: Blue in Green- Miles Davis
Microbatch No. 7: Moody’s Mood for Love- George Benson
Microbatch No. 8: Feelin’ Good- Nina Simone
Microbatch No. 9: Vogue - Madonna
Microbatch No. 10: Can’t Help Falling in Love With You- Elvis Presley

Dream in Color's inspirations

Art
Microbatch No. 11: Basquiat’s “Bird on Money”
Microbatch No. 12: Van Gogh’s “Postman”
Microbatch No. 13: Escher’s “Hand With Reflecting Sphere”
Microbatch No. 14: Chagall’s “La Mariée”
Microbatch No. 15: Filipp Malyavin’s “A Peasant Girl”

Music
Microbatch No. 16: Mad World- Michael Andrews
Microbatch No. 17: Bitter Sweet Symphony- The Verve
Microbatch No. 18: Jolene- Dolly Parton
Microbatch No. 19: Right Down the Line- Gerry Rafferty
Microbatch No. 20: S.O.S. - ABBA

We all had a really great time coming up with inspiration and then seeing what Veronica and her team came up with for these 20 brand new colorways. Veronica says that she thinks she saved the detailed recipes, so we're hoping that we can do these on Dream in Color's other base yarns too. I mean, who wouldn't want a cashmere Starry Night scarf? Or a Bitter Sweet Symphony cashmere hat??

Microbatch No. 17 - Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

I hope you enjoy our thinking-outside-the-box and that you connect with our collaboration. If you really like any of the above 20 microbatch colors, they are currently available in the sale yarn section til they sell out and hopefully I can get more in a couple months. 

We have 8 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

Third Day of Sock Yarn

On the Third Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeeeee....

three balls of Opal Sock Yarn!

To have a chance at winning three balls of your choice of the most addictive knit that is Opal, simply answer the following questions in the comments below:

Are you going to have a resolution for the New Year? Perhaps it's knitting related? Like, you want to get good and brioche, or you want to knit half of your projects from stash? Do tell!

I have a non-knitting and a knitting resolution. I'm not one who usually enjoys resolutions, but I'm keeping it light and easy. This past year I've tried to focus on self care and more balance and better health. And I feel very good about my progress this year. I haven't injured myself (I was in a boot many months in 2021), and my sand volleyball team even won the tournament this summer (and we're twice the age of most of our opponents)! I haven't gotten injured again, and I'm feeling pretty good about my health overall.

This is my most recent finished sock, color 9425 from the new Regia Celebrations collection- FESTIVE!

As far as knitting goes, I want to make more time for my knitting. It brings me such relaxation and joy, yet it's been relegated to the back of the queue of things that I do. I knit every week, usually while watching my son's basketball games, but I know I would feel better overall if I made daily time for stitches. But one of the things that I love about knitting is that it is what I want, when I want. It is always there for me when I need it and I know that if I leave it alone for awhile, it's still there for me and I get right back in. I can knit complicated things when I want a challenge, but for the most part knitting is my calm, so I knit easy things- simple socks, hats and cowls. Things that make me feel great, but that I can do while watching games, TV, etc. And I feel great about it. Life is challenging enough right now, so I like that knitting is the opposite for me.

What Opal Yarn might you want to choose? Well this color from the Schafpate collection shown below is currently sitting next to me, waiting to be cast on. Rainbow+aqua? Yes, please.

There's also the new Cats & Dogs collection, which gives me all the 80's/90's Lisa Frank feels.

Then there's the new Rainforest 6ply if you want socks that will knit up faster and give you a warmer, thicker finished sock.

And then the Van Gogh collection is back this year too! At least while supplies last.

But then we have all these too. I just finished this one and it was such an addictive knit.

We have 9 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

 

Second Day of Sock Yarn

On the Second Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeee......

A $50 Gift Certificate to the shop!

To have a chance at winning $50 to spend however you like, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

Please share a food/recipe that you can't live without this time of year or on Christmas day. If you don't celebrate a holiday, perhaps a hot beverage you enjoy or a special spiced cookie that makes it feel like winter. Snickerdoodles are our winter-cookie-of-choice. The kids can even help with them (pic from a couple years back).

I make homemade cinnamon rolls for every Christmas morning. This is something I started doing 10 or so years ago. Mostly because I had kids and they love a special something on Christmas morning. Our Christmas morning breakfast consists of fruit, cinnamon rolls and bacon. The rolls can be made the night before, or even earlier and frozen. And I make several pans and sometimes trade cinnamon rolls for crock pot egg casserole with my neighbor.

This year on Christmas Eve, my siblings and their fam are coming over and we're doing chili, soup and hot snacks and little noshy things all day while we open gifts and play games and watch a movie or two, so I'd love your ideas on special finger foods that you might have to share. I found this one and I think it looks festive and super delish. I love the ideas you've shared with me over the years and I've added a lot of recipes to my traditions!

If have family who wants to treat you to something special, but they don't know what you get you, our gift certificates are a great choice. If they want to have it immediately e-mailed to you, they can do that. Or they can put their e-mail address as the recipient and have it e-mailed to them to print out the gift certificate and put in a card. It's easy peasy and then you can browse for lovely yarn Christmas evening!

We have 10 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here. If you have any trouble entering the contest, just e-mail [email protected] with your comments and I'll add you to the contests when it's time to randomly choose the winners.

First Day of Sock Yarn

On the First Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to meeeeeeeee......

Five skeins of Life in the Long Grass yarn!

To have a chance at winning five skeins of your choice from this stunner of an Irish dyer, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

What's a holiday tradition that starts the season for you? Is it shopping for a gift from the Angel Tree?  What about your kids' Christmas concert? Perhaps the first snow?

For me, it's putting up our tree. We don't do a themed tree or anything, but instead a 12 foot tall tree in the middle of our family room that holds all the family ornaments we've collected over the years. We each get a Hallmark ornament every year, plus there are dozens and dozens of ornaments the kids have made and all sorts of things we have made together over the years. We can't even fit them all on the tree each year even though the tree is HUGE. I have thought of getting another tree, but I just don't have the time to put up another one.

Another decoration that we really like putting up are paper chains that we make out of those inexpensive holiday paper packs you can get from places like Hobby Lobby. We string the paper chains across the windows each year and we write little notes on the inside of some so that each year we can read them - things like "My family is awesome!" and "I want a dog!" or "Mom made me write something". You can see the pile of them on the floor here that we are getting ready to string up. Scroll through these pics if you want to see the paper we use and how it started.

LITLG Singles in Firefly

What five skeins might you like to choose for your prize? Perhaps you're like our shop friend Diana and you want to knit a Pavement sweater in the Moonbow color of Zebra Sock.

Or maybe you want to choose five skeins of your own in Singles to join in the new Stephen West KAL. Whatever you choose, we have oh so much Life in the Long Grass yarn for you to choose from. I really don't think you'll find more of this yarn anywhere else in the US. We have A LOT.

We have 11 more Days of Sock Yarn coming up, so do stop here at the SSYC blog (the shop journal - I've been writing/sharing shop and life stuff here for over 17 years) every day until Christmas Eve so you can win. Full details of the contest can be found here.

12 Days of Sock Yarn Starts Tomorrow!

For the 13th year, we're celebrating our exclusive holiday at Simply Socks Yarn Company starting this Monday!  From Dec. 13 through Dec. 24 you have a chance on this blog to win a special knitterly gift each day.  Could be yarn, could be knitterly goodies, and it will definitely be awesome. There's a wide variety of things to be won, from special skeins, entire Advent sets..... even some gift certificates. We're making it a celebration to remember, as usual! 

How can you join in? Simply visit the SSYC Blog every day from Dec. 13 through the 24th and answer the question in the comments section before the following day's question is revealed (the comments will be closed on the previous post once the next day is up). You'll automatically be entered to win the gift shown for that day. If you participate each day, you'll have a dozen chances to win (one chance each day). And yes, you can win more than one day! It has happened before.

You don't have to participate in any particular holiday to win anything- you just have to want some awesome free yarn or goodies. Over the years because of this event, I've incorporated new traditions, recipes and projects into my life that I wouldn't have learned of otherwise. And I've read some heart warming stories and gotten to know a lot of you better than I did before (it was especially nice in 2020 when we were still distancing b/c of COVID). I'll post the randomly chosen winners in January, and you'll also get an e-mail if you've won a prize.

Thanks for sharing this with your fiber friends and joining us for another year of fun! This really is a great time of year for me, and from the e-mails I get, you all enjoy it a lot too. It really is worth it to read through the comments if you want pattern or holiday inspiration. I like reading the comments while I'm enjoying my lunch break.

Aurora Cabin Shawl - KAL Starts Dec 26

Want to participate in Stephen West's newest Hiberknitalong? The Aurora Cabin Shawl is the pattern for the upcoming event which casts on on December 26. We just got in kits using the same Life in the Long Grass yarn used in the pattern from the popular Irish dyer that is being featured in the pattern!

Above is the fingering weight singles option in warm, below the fingering weight singles options in cool.

Stephen West featured two color options in his shawl pictures, a cool and a warm option, and I have both those for you. The pattern uses Singles, but I also ordered them for you in Sock. The Singles and Sock can be used interchangeably - it won't make a difference to the needle size you use or how it knits up at all. But the Sock is a plied yarn with a bit of nylon, which I know many of you like. So I ordered both for you. Again, it doesn't make any difference in how you follow the pattern -same weight yarn and colors and same price.

Above is the fingering weight sock in the warm option, below in the cool color option.

FYI, in his pattern, he chose other color names for the colors than what LITLG uses, so you'll noticed that the color names on our skeins are of the actual LITLG colors, as they aren't renamed something else. Also keep in mind that each dyelot is slightly different and the images you see on our website are accurate for the dyelots and skeins you'll get from us.

If you'd like to see pictures of the finished shawl, they are all available on the Ravelry pattern page. And if you would like a different color combo, you know where to find me - just email me, Allison, at [email protected].

Quick Holiday Gift Idea - Saratoga Beanie

Need to get a last minute project done? Rasta is definitely the way to go, as this Malabrigo yarn is super bulky and comes in dozens of Malabrigo's beautiful hues. Heather, our shop manager, recently pointed us in the direction of the Saratoga Beanie and we all agree it's fab.

You just need one skein of Rasta and you could get this done in an evening. 

The stitch pattern of the hat seems to make the most of the wildly variegated hues of Rasta too, which is a bonus. And, come on, look at the top of this hat. I'd be sitting down all day just so people can see the top of it! I think I'd like it a lot in Trompo, shown below.

Want other Rasta pattern options? Aspen Leaf Knits has a slew of other cute patterns that use Rasta too.

 

Happy Holiday Open House, Y'all! + A Contest!

Today's the first day of our in-person yarn party! Instead of a one day party, we're spreading out the Christmas Cheer to five days. This allows us to better serve you (rather than having 200 people in the shop on one day), and offer more goodies, sales and gifts. Five days is better than one - at least, that's my math!

Here's the full blog post about it, and here's what we're featuring each day. I do hope you'll come say Ho Ho Ho if you're local, or grab a carload of friends if you're not and drive in to see us. We're at 1315 E State Blvd in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Plenty of parking in our lot and side street.

Monday through Friday, December 5-9 10am-2pm - Free cotton tote with purchases each day, shown below. We'll have our "fishbowl contest" that you can enter to win each day, meaning if you put your name in the fishbowl all five days, you have five chances to win the prizes. In addition, each day we'll be offering the following:

Monday, 12/5 - Free hand made stitch markers with purchase

Tuesday, 12/6 - Free hand made stitch markers with purchase

Wednesday, 12/7 - Cookie Cottage cookies for all!

Thursday, 12/8 10am-2pm - 15% off three US dyers Urth Yarn, Laneras Yarn Co. and Miss Babs. (regular stock, not sale items)

Friday 12/9 10am-2pm - 15% off three imports from three different countries - Hedgehog Fibres of Ireland, Uschitita of the Netherlands and Qing of London

The discounts are only available in person and not before or after the day offered.

I recruited Terry onto the last-minute Party Decorating Committee.Thank goodness for tall people who can put up the garland in the windows. But, oh man, I do love these windows and all the natural light they let in! When I said to Terry "Thank you so much for helping me decorate last minute- I completely forgot about it." His response was "Hey, I'm Team Allison." That guy deserves a new hand knit hat, am I right?

I thought it would be nice to do some online contest this week since we're also doing in person ones. So let's do one today on the blog and do check Instagram and Facebook for another one later this week. Just answer the following question in the comments: Have you been to shop at SSYC in person? If so, tell us (a sentence or two) what your experience was or what you thought. And if you haven't seen us in person, tell me what yarn line you might like most to see in person? Please answer by Friday at noon EST and I'll chose two people to win a $30 gift certificate to the shop!

Oh, and if there's someone in your life who wants to treat you to something you really want, our online gift certificates are always a huge hit this time of year.

Yarn, Yarn & More Yarn

As if it wasn't already busy enough around here filling all the awesome holiday orders coming in, we are also unpacking, photographing and organizing another three-quarter-ton of yarn this week. It's like a yarny Christmas morning times 500. OK, maybe times 1000.

What else has arrived? Well, many of you have already found the two imported holiday yarn restocks we were waiting on - the holiday colors from West Yorkshire Spinners in UK, including more of the 2022 Gingerbread color. 

Then we got a restock of the popular holiday skeins and sock sets from Flock Fibres of Canada. We have had these before too, but not yet this holiday season. Shown below are Gingerbread Party and Yule Ball. You'll find other options and single skeins in the Kits & Clubs section too. I love that these are certainly cheerful but not red/green Christmasy.

Then we received a few more Madelinetosh holiday colors. Those are Dancing on Ice, Norway Spruce, Light Show and Cindy Lou Who. All in the Kits & Clubs section.

Want minis? We have OVER 100 different colors of Emma's Smalls, which are 81 yards of their sock yarn. Shown below is Cosmos.

We also have restocks of Emma's mini sets like On the Vine shown below.

Then we have beautiful restocks of Hedgehog Fibres sock yarn, which brought back the original 7 skein fade set used in the super popular Find your Fade shawl. Ooooooh, we also have the 30-mini skein set back too. That would be an awesome Christmas gift.

Want the new Opal Yarn collections? Those got here too! We have the Schafpate 14 collection, Rainforest 6 ply, and Cats & Dogs.

I've already snagged a ball of Schafpate color 11194 for myself. Aqua and rainbow? Yes, please! And I love each of the Cats & Dogs collections. It looks like it's inspired by the vivid colors used by Lisa Frank, right? I had that Trapper Keeper in elementary school, so you know I'm gonna snag these. And I like that each one focuses on an individual color story. For those who have been asking for more 6ply self patterning options, we're finally starting to get the winter collections like Rainforest 6ply in stock from Europe. We have the fingering weight collection too.

Whew. That's a lot of yarn, right? What's coming next week? Well, I'll have a fresh batch of Life in the Long Grass from Ireland, including five skeins sets like the two in the Aurora Cabin Shawl, which is the Hiberknitalong 3 pattern from Stephen West. Both the warm and the cool color options, but in limited supply.

For those of you who are coming to the shop next week to celebrate our week long Holiday Open House, I can't wait to see you! Full details of days, times and happenings are here. Hope to see you!