Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Malabrigo Shawl KAL

Want to join the latest Malabrigo Knitalong (KAL)? A KAL is a great way to get access to a great pattern, get help along the way from the team at Malabrigo and the people joining online, and perhaps win some goodies! This edition of the malabrigo KAL features a beautiful two-yarn shawl with striking chevron details, designed by Lora Marin.

The pattern takes 2 Ultimate Sock skeins and 3 Mohair skeins. You can do it using the same color for both yarns or combine two different shades. The sample shown in these photos is Aniversario in both yarns.

The KAL starts tomorrow, Sept 1. Want to sign up? You do that through Malabrigo on this page. Super simple. More info can be found on Malabrigo's blog here.

Shop Manager Heather and I are both participating. She started knitting hers last month to test out the pattern, and in true Heather fashion supplied several suggestions for making the pattern more clear. If you know Heather, you know she's the tops. I'll share our progress here on the blog and on social media as we go along. Here's a bit of hers so far.

I'll share some of our color ideas tomorrow. Heather's used Pocion in Ultimate Sock and Tiger's Eye in Mohair. I still haven't decided what I'm going to use..... wish me making that decision today.

Malabrigo has shared the color combos that some of their team likes. Take a look above. You'll find Ultimate Sock here and Mohair here. And if we're out of the Ultimate Sock color you want (right now we have all the colors), most of them are also available on Sock and can be used as a sub. The only difference between the two is that Ultimate Sock has nylon and Sock does not. Same weight and feel.

Here's a Ravelry thread for more info.

KAL participants are invited to share their progress and photos on Ravelry, Facebook, and Instagram during September 2023 for the chance to win weekly prizes. Please, use #malabrigokal on all social media channels.

To be eligible for the prizes, projects must be knit using only malabrigo Mohair (required) and Ultimate Sock (can be changed for Sock or Mechita if you don’t have Ultimate Sock).

I hope you'll consider joining us in the fun!

Back to School Gift w/ Purchase + Fall Sock Sets!

Why should kiddos get all the new tools and treats this time of year? Knitters and crocheters deserve a little bit of a supply refresh too! Treat yourself to some new fibery goodies Monday through Wednesday this week online at SSYC, and we'll gift you these cute stitch markers with your shipped purchase! Just order online as usual and we'll tuck a set of these stitch markers into your parcel before it leaves. You don't need to add it to your order or ask for it, it's automatically added to your package before it is sealed up. Each set comes with two different Katrinles wood stitch markers, a 1" ruler and a crochet/knit writing lesson PLUS ten pear shaped locking markers. If these go faster than we expect, we might sub out a different hand made stitch marker for one of the wood markers for Wednesday shoppers, but everyone will get some through Wednesday, no worries.

To make this week even better, in addition to us gifting you stitch markers Monday through Wednesday, we are also emailing you this August Honey sock pattern from This Handmade Life! Make any online purchase this entire week (Monday through Sunday) and I'll email you the pattern pdf. I think it will look great with the awesome sock sets we're featuring below....

This pattern will come via email within 5 days of your order. If you don't get it after five days of your order, check your spam and feel free to email in response to your receipt and ask. It really does take several days for me to get to it though - we're a small (but mighty!) team, so busy times like this are appreciated but make other things take longer.

What might you like to purchase today to get your gift? We've curated some special fall Sock Sets this month (and next month too) with full sized skeins from Life in the Long Grass and minis from Emma's Yarn! That's right, we've put together the artistry of dye studios on opposite sides of the world (Ireland and Florida) to bring you something super cool. And instead of these sock sets being close to $40, we are pricing them at $31.50 at the Kits & Clubs link. Which basically means you're getting the mini for free b/c that's the retail cost of the imported Irish Zebra skein alone!

The  colors are just amazing, aren't they? I love how the black strand in the skein punctuates the colorway, giving it a bit of drama. The Zebra Sock is 100% superwash merino, and the mini is a merino/nylon blend, so you get that bit of nylon in the areas that get more wear, if that's something you like. I don't mind making socks in 100% merino (no nylon) because I knit my fabric into a dense enough fabric that it holds up. But if you like the security of nylon, then you have that in the mini. Don't hesitate if you want one, as sometimes sets sell out within hours, and others within days.

I also have a super restock of our other Life in the Long Grass yarns from Ireland, including Sock and Silk Merino shown below in Podzolic. These Silk Merino skeins take on an almost metallic look, the way they glow with color. Just superb.

Then I have three special colors from Leading Men Fiber Arts - Back to School, Skinny Dipping, and Sun's Out Buns Out. These are new hues for the summer/fall. . I've also restocked their fast selling Sock and Mini Sets and added a couple dozen more sock colors as well. Lots of fall (like Fireball below)and Halloweeny hues you can find here. We usually release our Halloween hues during the first week of Socktober, so this is a nice earlier treat. Gosh, Socktober is just five weeks away! Can't wait to share how we're celebrating!

t's worth noting that the awesome dudes at Leading Men Fiber Arts provide knit up sample pictures of many of their colors. I'll share those on our website as the second picture when they are available (like it do for many self striping/patterning yarns too), but knit up samples are always of an older dyelot and aren't of our exact dyelot. The skeined-yarn-pictures is the picture that more accurately represent what we have because I take those pictures of our actual yarn and it's not a picture from years ago. It's super awesome to have knit up pictures though, because even if the coloration isn't exact (like there could be more or less of a color in our lot, or it could be lighter or darker, or the dyer was LOVING heavy speckles that day, etc.) it's nice to have an idea of how the color might look. Super helpful, right?

Want something with some holiday bling? We have the 2023 Nutcracker holiday color from West Yorkshire Spinners plus restocks of all their holiday colors from previous years! Today's the day I'm finally allowed to show knit up pictures of this yarn, and it's super fun, right? I'm almost finished with the pair I started last weekend. I don't knit glittery sock yarns that often, but this one has just the perfect amount of glitz, and it feels just like any other soft sock yarn. If you respond to your email receipt and ask, we'll email you back the Alexander sock pattern that goes with it.

We also have full restocks of Emma's Yarn in full sized sock yarn skeins, Smalls (mini skeins), and some really fun mini skein sets too. We also have restocks of popular Zauberball, Zauberball Crazy, Starke 6ply and new hues of Zauberperlen (shown below).

We also have a vibrant restock of imported yarn from Qing Fibres of London and the National Parks and Wanderlust Islands collections from Fleece Artist in Canada.

Cape Breton Highlands

This is just a taste of fall, y'all! We'll be celebrating in a huge way in a month for Socktober, so if you haven't yet signed up for our text list, I recommend doing so here. We don't send texts often (like once a week) and it's a great way to get notified when the new things go live. Sometimes those things go FAST, so getting early notification directly to your phone has been a big help to those who have given me feedback on this new way of how we reach out to you.

Thank you for continuing to support our creative endeavors! We love watching our dyers and makers stretch their creative muscles and seeing you appreciate it too is the icing on the cake.

Back to School Fun Next Week!

The first few days next week (Aug 28-30) we'll be celebrating Back to School at SSYC! We'll be gifting you 2 adorable Katrinkles stitch markers (and 10 locking ones too) AND a free sock pattern from This Handmade Life with your purchases Monday through Wednesday, and we have some special SSYC Sock Sets and Leading Men Fiber Arts skeins to share!

As you can see, I put Henry to work after school this week assembling these. It worked well b/c it was nearly 100 degrees here and a good thing to do inside, as all after-school sports were canceled.

First off, we'll be doing some special Zebra Sock Sets this month and next with full sized skeins from Life in the Long Grass and minis from Emma's Yarn! That's right, we've put together the artistry of dye studios on opposite sides of the world (Ireland and Florida) to bring you something super cool. And instead of these sock sets being close to $40, we are pricing them at $31.50 at the Kits & Clubs link. Which basically means you're getting the mini for free b/c that's the retail cost of the imported Irish Zebra skein alone!

The  colors are just amazing, aren't they? I love how the black strand in the skein punctuates the colorway, giving it a bit of drama. I'll be knitting on one this weekend. The Zebra Sock is 100% superwash merino, and the mini is a merino/nylon blend, so you get that bit of nylon in the areas that get more wear, if that's something you like. I don't mind making socks in 100% merino (no nylon) because I knit my fabric into a dense enough fabric that it holds up. But if you like the security of nylon, then you have that in the mini.

I'll have somewhere between 12 - 20 different color options for you on Monday at this link. I typically list things like this mid-morning EST.

Then I have three special colors from Leading Men Fiber Arts - Back to School, Skinny Dipping, and Sun's Out Buns Out. These are new hues for the summer/fall. I've also restocked their fast selling Sock and Mini Sets and added a couple dozen more sock colors as well. Lots of fall and Halloweeny hues will be available. We usually release our Halloween hues during the first week of Socktober, so this is a nice earlier treat. Gosh, Socktober is just five weeks away! Can't wait to share how we're celebrating!

It's worth noting that the awesome dudes at Leading Men Fiber Arts provide knit up sample pictures of many of their colors. I'll share those on our website as the second picture when they are available (like it do for many self striping/patterning yarns too), but knit up samples are always of an older dyelot and aren't of our exact dyelot. The skeined-yarn-pictures is the picture that more accurately represent what we have because I take those pictures of our actual yarn and it's not a picture from years ago. It's super awesome to have knit up pictures though, because even if the coloration isn't exact (like there could be more or less of a color in our lot, or it could be lighter or darker, or the dyer was LOVING heavy speckles that day, etc.) it's nice to have an idea of how the color might look. Super helpful, right?

Finally, everyone who orders next week, Monday through Friday, will get this August Honey sock pattern(please wait til the end of the week to get your pdf via email, even if you order on Monday). I think it would look lovely with the Zebra Sock and the cuff and toe in the mini color. And if you prefer longer socks and not ankle socks, you can definitely make them as long as you like in the leg. This pattern is from Olivia of This Handmade Life. I adore her stuff.

I hope you're staying cool wherever you are. It's been a heck of a week, weather wise, here in the Midwest. Staying indoors and knitting is definitely the way to go. But if you want to venture out and about when the temps dip back down to the 80s, we're open tomorrow (Saturday) from 10-4 and we keep our brick building nice and cool. You'll notice that State Blvd in front of our shop is torn up while the City continues to replace water mains in our area, but our shop and parking lot are accessible as always. It's just messy and torn up around us and will be for awhile.

 

We're Back to School!

Success! My boys are officially back at school! 

James is now 16, gets his driver's licence in less than 2 months, and is a typical teenage boy. He's into robotics and gaming and is super honest and I can tell thinks about what he's going to say before he says it. He's no longer snuggly or emotional in any way (can a mama get a side hug??), but instead measured and snarky and it's quite fun to see. He's nearing 6 feet, which is surprising neither his father nor I are over 5'7"!

Henry is a little snuggler, and is an emotional and lovey 11 year old. He started middle school soccer yesterday (and it's nearly 100 this week here in Fort Wayne!), gets his own school computer, and is such a good friend to everyone. He loves doing anything, as long as friends are involved. He has a tender heart, and I know middle school is likely to blast it into a million pieces over and over.

This is the first year in 16 years that I have my days free to work. Since James was born, my focus was the boys. When he was born, I had already had a busy yarn shop (online only at that time) for two years. But once he was born I quickly realized that things had changed. But now, my life is changing in a big way as I not longer have a kid in elementary school, which for me means no more day time volunteering at school. Which I did a lot of the past many years. I coached volleyball, I assisted at choir in the mornings, I helped in the lunchroom on Thursdays, I attended every single field trip and party and event (which is A LOT at their school), I gave spelling tests.... I was available and present. And now, I'm not needed? I'm unsure how to phrase it, but I know it's something that all mothers go through - a time when things are changing. For the first time in 16 years, I have my days available TO WORK. Not just a few hours here and there, crammed between raising kids, and then get the rest done in the middle of the night or before they wake. But an 8-9 hour work day during normal work hours.

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I feel a sense of excitement and hope and wonder. It's like I finally get to exhale... but I'm not ready to. Or I'm waiting for something else to come up. It's only day two of this, so it's all up in the air at this point! But I look forward to being able to focus differently on work and continuing to grow the shop. I think I'm also looking forward to focusing on me? Whatever that means?

I'd love to read about your experience with this, if you want to share in the comments. How you felt as your kids grew and how their need for you changed? 

Qing Fibres

I fell down the rabbit hole. Hard. Like, I just couldn't stop when I placed my most recent order of Qing Fibres a few months ago. Now the boxes have started to trickle in and photographing each colorway is like opening presents on Christmas morning. Each is a stunning surprise.

Datura

I mean, I just can't get over how amazing each color is.

Zero Gravity

Right now I have restocks of Merino Singles and Super Soft Sock (merino/cashmere/nylon). With Sock and Donegal Tweed Sock to follow soon, if the Customs Gods look favorably on us.

Flamingo

Now, when you look at all these colors, you might notice something. And you might say, "Allison, why OH SO MANY speckles and multicolors, and barely any solids?" Well, when someone like Layla Qing is so imaginative and does so many amazingly stupendous hand painted skeins, I find it hard to order solids. There's only so much room in my shop, and when a particular dyer does a particular thing so well, that's what I gravitate to. I mean, you can get dozens of solids from other dyers, but I guess if I'm going to the trouble and expense of importing good from the UK, I want to focus on what really sets that dyer apart from others, and in this case, it's the amazing array of color you can find on just one skein. 

Night

I think now's a good time to point out that I take all these photos myself. There are several reasons for this. 1) the dyer provides photos but they might from a dyelot from four years ago. And as you can see from the two photos below of Elderwood (top one from this batch, bottom from last year), each batch looks different. 2) if I were purchasing yarn online, and trying to make the right combo or fade, I'd be pretty disappointed if I was hoping for the skeins in the top pic, but got skeins like the bottom pic. 3) If I was spending over $30 a skein on yarn, plus tax and shipping, I would want to be happy with my purchase. 4) I feel good doing it this way.

I hope that you see something in this most recent batch that really speaks to you. Or shouts at you. Something to really make you think outside your normal crayon box of colors, or one of your favorite colors that just has something unique about it that makes you swoon. I'll be over here constantly checking my tracking to see when the rest of this is going to arrive so I can go even further down the rabbit hole.

Soft Grey

Dream in Color's new hues!

Veronica at Dream in Color has created a simply gorgeous new batch of colors and we have them all on Smooshy Sock Yarn (superwash merino/nlyon) and Smooshy Cashmere (superwash merino/cashmere/nylon)!

Songbird, Water Dragon and Farmers Market

When I dub them "simply gorgeous", I'm not exaggerating. I really don't know how to express how happy we were when we opened the boxes and saw these beauties in person. I immediately texted Veronica (owner/dyer) "Wowza. All these new colors we just got are amazing. Just gorgeous." She responded that lighter colors are hard for her to design b/c as you may know she usually goes with saturated, vivid hues. But she totally knocked it out of the park with these, don't you think?

Rose and Jack, Gold and Kisses, Guava Nice Day and Retro Vibe

Then we have some delicious Pop Up Skeins too. These are ones that Veronica creates each month and they are total winners. I have Pop Up Skein Feb 2023, April 2023 and June 2023. 

If you are like me and like collecting single skeins and then finding the perfect project, go grab one now. I often just end up settling for the Sockhead Cowl and gifting them. And the Smooshy Cashmere is always appreciated by the recipient. Who doesn't want cashmere on their neck? I think two or three of these would make a great Levity Shawl too. And I like the Christelle socks because they have a bit of interest but won't take away from the color variations. What might you like to make with these new colors?

New Life in the Long Grass

Want to see what's new today? We have a big, beautiful batch of yarn from Irish dyer Life in the Long Grass!

Lughnasa

Caroline and crew create the loveliest of colorways inspired by the Irish countryside. I think you'll see that in their colorways they use nuance to create a dynamic skein. They don't rely on bold pops or highlighter hues to catch your eye, but instead layers that make you linger on how it all works so wonderfully together.

Beachgrass

Today I have for you DK Tweed, DK Twist and Silk Merino. Shown in this post is the Silk Merino because it's such a stand out. There's something about the silk that gives some of these colorways an almost metallic nature. It's just so neat to see in person. And the price isn't as steep as some imported dyers. For $35 you're getting 50% silk, which is a nice price point. Get a single skein for a small scarf, or choose two or three for a shawl that drapes beautifully and is heirloom quality.

I really like the idea of using two skeins for a Tendrilly. You could use the same needle size called for in the DK weight pattern, or go down two sizes and get a slightly smaller version. I kind of like the idea of a drapey version. You could do one skein for a Windswept Boomerang. One for a Stormwater scarf, or several for the shawl version (email me after your purchase for those two pattern files). Or how about a Salty Air Tee?

Podzolic

We do have some Sock and Zebra Sock now, but expect that part of our newest order to get here in a month. Can't wait!

Fleece Artist's Wanderlust Collection

As promised, lots more detail about Fleece Artist's colorful Wanderlust Islands Collection! Gosh, I adore everything Jana and her crew do at Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden, but their inspired color collections really speak to me. I introduced the National Park Collection last month, and now I have for you the Wanderlust Islands Collection dyed on their merino/cashmere/nylon blend, Casbah. Here's where I share all the beautiful colors with pictures of their inspiration island. And do scroll all the way down if you want pattern ideas.

Zanzibar

Trinidad and Tobago

Santorini

Maui

Malta

Maldives

Ishigaki

Ibiza

Galapagos

Fogo Island

Fiji

Faroe Islands

Pattern ideas? Yes, please! You could do the Necky Thingy, for sure. It's an easy shawl/kerchief big enough to keep your shoulders and neck warm, but not so big that is scrunches up under a coat and makes it uncomfortable. It's an easy project, but the stitch patterns give it an interesting look. I think this would make a perfect gift. I think I'm gonna cast on and see how I like making the first one and go from there to see if I do multiples. I do like repeating a project. Sometimes I find that it takes me and entire project to feel comfortable and then I like to knit it again and again to see how it looks in different colorways. And I think that this one really shows off variegated hues really well. Add to that the cashmere in Casbah and you have a superior result. It's shown below in Fig.

Necky Thing is free with purchase, so just email me after your order (responding to your emailed receipt is a good way) and I'll email it back. It takes two skeins of fingering weight yarn, like Casbah or Organic Cottage Sock or Bluenose BFL. And if you like, I can also email you a sock pattern like Cherry Swirl.

Or the Tidal Bay Shawl. It's below and uses two skeins of a solid (for the lace panels) and one of the variegated colors like those in Casbah. I like it with Cliff and Cloudburst or Fogo Island or Faroe Islands. Or go bright with Key West and Larch. Or Kazoo with Zinnias.

I hope this starts you down the Casbah rabbit hole. These colors really are fabulous and I can't wait to see what you all choose.

Fri-YAY! New Needles & Yarn!

Wowza, thank you for the awesomely busy two days! Our sale on a sale got a lot of y'all in a buying mood. We greatly appreciate you helping us make more room for all the amazing fall goodies we have coming. And I received a lot of feedback from those who were grateful to be able to buy yarns that they might not otherwise have the budget for. Win win!

In addition to the awesome sale, I have wonderful things to share. First up, I have a restock of all the sizes of the Addi EasyKnits Rockets. I've received several emails in the past month asking about them, and you'll find them all here. These are the 10" circs that have a smooth surface like all Turbos, but have one sharper Rocket tip (that's also longer to make holding it easier) and one normal Turbo Tip. Take a look at the pic above to see how those tips differ. It's a really nice tool to have in your knitter's toolbox.

Then I have the brand new Addi Ewenicorn circular needles in 24" and 40". These have the slick Turbo finish, the Turbo tips, but then have a spiral texture that helps the stitches stay on your needles until you actually want them to come off. Plus there's the SOS cord - it's a slit in the cord that allows you to insert a lifeline or waste yarn easily. The slit is easily threaded by putting yarn through a metal stitch marker like this one and sliding it through the slot. And the cord is just as smooth as always.

I love that Addi regularly tries out new designs and makes new tools for us. Yes, many of us stick with a certain type of needle most of the time. We all have our preferences. But there are certain needles and tools that we might use just 4% of the time but improve our enjoyment and ease in the craft 90%. For instance, I don't use bamboo needles. I find that I tend to bend them over time and I find knitting with slightly curved double points to be VERY annoying. So I stick with metal ones. But sometimes the yarns I'm using are pretty slick. Many three ply hand dyed merino yarns are so round and smooth that they can slip off my needles when I don't want them to. In that case, using the Ewenicorn needles would be very helpful because the spiral nature of the needle would help those stitches stay on the needle, but the smooth needle and tip would help them come off the needle when needed. So if there's a certain part of knitting that's causing you consternation, I'm saying that there could be a tool that is tweeked in a different way that provides a solution to your problem. It's why a woodworker seems to have an ABUNDANCE of tools for her job - she knows that the right tool makes the job SO much easier and better. Same in knitting and crochet.

On the yarn front I now have for you all the colors of wool-free CoBaSi. It's great for socks, but also lightweight garments where you want a bit of memory - cuz cotton alone has none, so this combo of cotton, bamboo, silk and elastic is perfection. And I think you'll find that the price is unbeatable. And it comes in 50G skeins instead of 100g which is great for colorwork.

The National Parks Collection of colors from Fleece Artist was so popular that I also now have their Wanderlust Series - well, it's here but likely not on the website til Monday. Based on beautiful island locales, each skein of Casbah (merino/cashmere/nylon) is a stunner. I have pattern ideas that I hope to share with you next week. Casbah was the first merino/cashmere/nylon yarn that we offered - heck, I think it's the base yarn that pretty much started the trend. Fleece Artist is known for starting up things like that, they have been doing this for over 40 years and they have a close relationship with the Canadian mill (and like every other mill) that makes this yarn base. And at $30 a skein, you're saving at least 10% on the cost of most other similar base yarns. The exchange rate from CAD to USD works in our favor, afterall. All their bases are priced well.

Oh, and I have knit up pictures of the four new Country Birds colors from West Yorkshire Spinners. Hover over them to see the color name. I'm knitting Woodpecker myself right now. I think it looks Christmasy, don't you?  And I think Swallow has a vintage Americana look.

Gosh, I know there's more but my mind is a blank after a long week of yarn, kids, every appointment known to man, and the deluge of work that comes after taking the previous week off. We had a grand ol' time up north, but this week was a reminder of why business owners don't usually leave for a week!

One last note - if you're a local shopper (in person or for contactless pickup) I wanted to share that the City is tearing up State Blvd in front of our shop for miles. They are completing a huge water main project, so while you can definitely get to the shop, the best way for now is the back way from Crescent to California to our back alley where you enter the lot. The front of the shop looks torn up, but we are open on these days and for contactless pickup other days as always (just follow the instructions in the middle of this page). Nothing has changed, shopping and pick up-wise. But how you get into the parking lot might change depending on what the City has torn up. Believe me, you can park. If the huge delivery vehicles can get to us over and over every day, we can too.

2 Day Flash Sale!

It's time for us to make a bit of room for the ridiculous amount of yarn I have coming this fall. So to make a bit of space, we're offering you an extra 20% off our already reduced sale yarn section. Use coupon code SuperSale20 to see that 20% come off this section!

This means that you'll be getting near wholesale prices on A LOT of things. But just for two days, so act fast if you want to stock up on things. Some of these yarns are already 40-50% off, so add another 20% and WOW.

Gradient sock yarn? Gusto Wool (GW Echoes) is the way to go. It's even good for gradient shawls and scarves!

All the sweater yarn like Madelinetosh DK and Dream in Color Classy? Yep! Stock up! These aren't deals I'll have again, because these were limited mill end runs.

Go here to grab yours!

If you have any trouble using the code, just Check Out (otherwise someone else might snag what you want) if you want and then respond to your emailed receipt asking me, Allison, to adjust. Just make sure you're ordering from this link before the end of Thursday.

It’s those last few, delicious weeks of summer and I’ve been a bit missing from the blog and social media as I try and squeeze out every last bit of joyful summer memories before schools starts. Lake time, family dinners, remembering my 100 year old great aunt who recently passed, filling food pantries, gathering Petoskey stones…. These have all taken a front seat in the past couple weeks.



I’ve been cramming work in with knitting (WYS Woodpecker above) and sitting, drinking coffee, napping with Henry, playing sand volleyball (I’m on the way left, Terry of course in the middle smacking that ball down on a young fella), and doing all the things that make me human but also make me anxious to see it all slip away for another year (like all these fresh tomatoes and cherries I’ve been eating). It all just goes by way too fast, doesn’t it?