Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

Free gift with purchases through Friday

We are celebrating our 19th birthday all summer long with various gifts, sales, limited edition yarns, a club and a big party, and today it's time for another gift! Place your online order today (Wednesday July 31) through Friday (August 2) and we'll gift you one of three of our awesome sock project bags with purchase! Each zippered project bag features one of these phrases: "Today's good mood is sponsored by yarn" or "Procrastiknit: To delay or postpone less gratifying actions in order to knit" or "Me: I have too much yarn. Also me: Let's go to the yarn shop!" Choose the one that fits you best and tell us in the comment/note field at Check Out which you'd prefer or we will simply choose one for you. You don't have to email or add it to your order, we'll automatically tuck one in your parcel for orders placed now through Friday this week. If your first choice is gone, we'll surprise you with a different one.

What might you want to purchase to receive your project bag?

How about something awesome from our Christmas in July event that just went live on Thursday? There are so many festive options left for you in the Kits & Clubs section. So fun!

You might also like one of the three new Theme Pack Mini Sets from Emma's Yarn. The Sun Shower Happy Hour shawl is a great way to use these. Grab a Theme Pack set and three skeins of Sock for this oversized wrap. It's shown above in that 70's Kit + Harbor in Sock. Would also look nice with Natural, Whisper, and a myriad of other solids for sure.

Shown below are That 70's Kit, Skate Party and Tra La La.

We also have new colors of Noro Silk Garden Sock, Yukata and Tsubame. I'm thinking of making this shawl in a ball of Yukata my go-to holiday gift this year.

Love Irish yarn? Us too! The rest of our lovely skeins have arrived from County Cork and Life in the Long Grass, and you'll find the luxurious Silk Merino in dozens of new hues plus Sock. Shown below is Silk Merino in Garden Party, a color we have specially dyed for us.

Many of you have ordered your fave colors of La Bien Aimee since our first order arrived from Paris last month. I'm knitting a Monkey Sock in the luxurious Cashmerino color Peanut Butter and Jelly. It's a perfect combo. I have the color in both Cashmerino and Sock.

Want to join the latest Malabrigo KAL? Please do! Full info on that is here. So sign up to participate and then join us by choosing your Rios colors. We've already helped people choose colors that go great together, and I'm happy to help you too. Just visit this link and then email me, Allison, at [email protected] if you need help pairing colors.

And yes, Sale Yarns qualify for the free gift too! So have at it if you love a super deal!

Christmas in July Is Here!

Today we celebrate Christmas in July at SSYC! Santa may be at the beach, but the elves at SSYC are working to bring you all the holly jolly knits in our Kits & Clubs section. Why Christmas in July? Well, when dyers and companies release their Christmas-themed colors in October or November, they usually sell so fast that sometimes they are gone by the time you learn about them or you're so busy thinking about Halloween that you completely forget and then miss out. So a few years ago, I asked some special dyers and makers to create awesome colors and our yarn companies to send us our holiday colors early so we could celebrate Christmas in July. That way, we get our holiday knits done so we can actually wear them (or so the recipients can) and it gives our beloved dyers and opportunity to have something colorful to create that we all can enjoy.

Take a look at what we have for you this year! Not everything is shown here, as we have two pages of offerings this year, so way to many to show each on the blog. But they are all here while supplies last, and if you miss out, we'll be doing awesome things in November for you too. At the time of posting all these, there are two pages of holiday goodies, so when you visit this link make sure to click on page two to see the other half.

Want stripes? We have stripes. Night Owl Fibers has sent us sock set (full sized striping skeins and solid minis) and skeins of their popular holiday hues. They have even sent us the 2024 color early this year! This pic shows just a few of the striping colors. We have lots more to share, all in the Kits & Clubs section. Skeins and sock sets with mini skeins for toes and heels.

We have our three exclusive holiday colors from Dream in Color - The Naughty List, Santa-gria and Gettin' Blitzen. These are available on Colossal Sock, Smooshy Sock and Smooshy Cashmere. These colors typically go fast, but I was able to get extra this year. About double the usual amount so that you can get what you need well ahead of the holidays this year and start your festive gifts early.

Did you miss out on our Surfin' Santa and Christmas Cottage Knit Kits last year? I have just a few more of each, should you want to grab them. They each come with a hand made project bag, yarn and made crafted stitch markers.

Emma's Yarn has some really fun holiday mini sets and we are fully restocked on them! They are great for all the advent-y type projects on Ravelry, or simply combining into a festive shawl. Curious Handmade has some I really like. And I love the idea of a festive blanket for the holidays using two 10-skein mini sets. We also have restocks of their two popular holiday colors, Christmas Sprinkles and Dancin & Prancin on all the bases - sock, dk, mohair and mini skeins! All at the Kits & Clubs link.

Want Madelinetosh? We have holiday hues of theirs you may never have seen anywhere else. I specifically order these for the holidays, and most of them I've not seen anywhere else. I think most of them are from "the vault" from over a decade ago, with the exception of our Jollyville which is our own exclusive color from them. That is back, and it looks a bit different this time- more minty in look than before, and I think it's a fun change!

Jollyville above, perfect for a holiday hat. Shown below, What's Your Poinsettia, Caroling, Mint Condition, Frost Bitten, Dancing on Ice, Grinchy, Warm Woolen Mittens

Want the fun colors of The Sheepy Shire? Their fam took time off this year to bring a new baby to the family, and now they are back with all their awesome holiday skeins and sock sets (and new colors next month) like Christmas at the Campground, Santa's Day Off, The Elves Have Left the Building, All here.

Also Christmas Jammies, Fa La La La La, and Santa Claus Lane

And we have restocks of some of the holiday colors that we try and offer year round, like the ones we have from Cascade Yarns and West Yorkshire Spinners. They are year-round faves.

This is the last of the two above colors from Cascade, as they are coming out with new ones. And The Heritage Wave colors are no more, what we have is what we have. My understanding is that they moved to a new mill, and that mill is unable to reproduce that line as it was. I'm hoping they find a way to do something similar because I really liked the Heritage Wave line - each skein is a bit different and looks like hand spun, but at a really reasonable price.

And we have eight different holiday options from West Yorkshire Spinners right now, shown above are just three of them. Each comes with its own sock pattern too, and if you respond to your emailed receipt and ask, I'll send you that pattern. Plus we have this cute blanket kit that has been very popular this year. Only a handful left, and then that's all.

Finally, we have a special, limited edition color from Ushitita in the Netherlands. Holly Poppy reminds me of a frosty-berry colorway. Perfect for winter, or anytime really. And I think it would stand out in a fingering weight sweater like Vanilla Sweater, Pavement Sweater or Boxy. Any of the Madelinetosh holiday hues would be fab in these sweaters too.

I also have a few things from Yarn Love, Urth Yarns and Leading Men Fiber Arts. All here, while I have them. Thank you so much for shopping with us for Christmas in July! This is typically a busy time for us, so while we try and ship within 24 hours, please give us an extra day or two to get your tracking numbers. And if you are putting a note on your order telling us what day you'd like to pick it up at Contactless Pick Up, please make sure it's 2 days past your order date. If we get a lot of orders, it does take awhile to get to them. And if you want it wound for pick up, add a third day to that please. Or come pick up on one of our open days, if you don't leave us a note with the day (in the note/comment field on the Check Out page).

La Bien Aimée at SSYC!

I'm so happy to tell you that we have the artistry of Parisienne dye studio La Bien Aimée in the shop!

The LBA Pop Up Shop which they put up in Paris once in awhile

We have their Sock and Cashmerino for now, DK coming later, and I even have some five skein collections for using in all sorts of projects like Joji's Starting Point. Those can be found at the Sock link at at our Kits & Clubs section for now, but we only have two of each so very limited.

I'm obsessed with several of these colors, like Peanut Butter & Jelly for sure.

And La Bien Aimée Yellow

Photos of shop and Aimée are courtesy of LBA

Want to learn more about Aimee and her fab studio? LBA shared this with us...

With a passion for color and texture, Aimée started La Bien Aimée as a small project fueled by her love for knitting and desire to create a community around hand-dyed yarns. Her journey into the world of fiber arts began with a blog where she shared her personal knitting projects and musings on yarn and color. Her eye for color and her knack for creating exquisite yarn blends quickly garnered a loyal following, transforming her passion project into a full-fledged business.

The name La Bien Aimée, which means "the well-loved" in French, reflects Aimée's philosophy of creating yarns that bring joy and inspiration to every person who touches them. She believes in the power of handmade items to convey love and care, a sentiment that is deeply woven into every skein that leaves her studio.

Aimée's commitment to quality and craftsmanship is evident in the meticulous process she and her team employ. Each batch of yarn is dyed by hand with careful attention to creating complex, harmonious colorways that are both unique and consistent, ensuring that every customer receives a product that lives up to the La Bien Aimée reputation.

Her work has not only elevated hand-dyed yarn to a form of art but has also created a vibrant, inclusive community. Through workshops, knit-alongs, and social media, Aimée connects with crafters worldwide, encouraging creativity and sharing her expertise.

I'm so glad to welcome La Bien Aimée to SSYC! This is the first new dyer we've offered as part of our 19th anniversary summer celebration, and I think can't wait to share what's to come next.

Malabrigo Rios KAL

Hey, All! It's time for the next Malabrigo Knit-a-long!

Malabrigo hosts KALs a couple times a year and they are pretty darn popular events for thousands of knitters to get together online and knit the same pattern, encourage each other, and win prizes. This KAL features worsted weight Rios, and a shawl that will be perfect for fall and winter. The KAL starts in early September, so you have plenty of time to pick out your six skeins of Rios - four in the main color two in the coordinating color. Shown in these finished photos are 696-Whole Grain as the MC (main color) and 286-Sagittarius as the CC (coordinating color).

We've already starting putting together our colors for the KAL here, with Heather choosing 280-Gemini and 618-Liquidambar. Heather's choice is bright and fun, and she hopes it makes her very visible this fall and winter while she's out walking her dog. Smart, right?

And Lauren choosing 035-Frank Ochre and 877-Quequay, and you'll be seeing this one on display in the shop much of this winter.

I'm unsure what I'm going with, but I do have a couple months left to decide. Knowing me, I'll leave it til the very last minute. I'll share our progress here on the blog and on Insta and Facebook as we go along too.

Shown below is 043-Plomo with 866-Arco Iris.

Want to join? Find all the details here on the Malabrigo Blog. It starts on Sept 2, and if you sign up at that link, then you'll get the pattern and a chance at some good prizes. They will also be helping with questions, they often provide video tutorials for tricky parts, and there are going to be discussion threads on Ravelry and a Facebook group. It's a nice way to be part of a great group of people, see other knitters' colors and progress, and come away with a lovely project in the end.

We offer every color of Malabrigo Rios (and below retail price too) and if we are temporarily out of a color, we typically get them back in stock in a week or so. You're always welcome to email me, Allison, at [email protected] if you have questions or if you'd like help choosing colors. We're great at being your personal shoppers from afar!

This is the Ravelry pattern link. If you participate by signing up here on the Malabrigo Blog, you don't need to purchase the pattern b/c Malabrigo will email it to you before the Sept 2 start date. But if you wanted to start it early, you could purchase the pattern at this link. The Ravelry page also provides into on needles, size, etc.

Fleece Artist's Zephyr Yarn - 50% off!

It's time for another 19th Birthday Deal! Today I have a new and limited edition yarn from Fleece Artist- meet Zephyr, a fine (superwash) merino skein, put up in a skein that is 25% more than a typical 100g skein, and is a super squishy fingering/sport weight. It's currently available in dozens of colors in our Sale Yarn section for just $17.50 a skein - a super deal from a studio that's been dyeing yarn for over 40 years. Fleece Artist was the first hand dyed yarn we offered in the shop 19 years ago, and I'm super happy that they, like us, have made it so long in this industry. 

Peashoot

I'm assuming you've tried Fleece Artist before, as we've offered their Merino Sock, Casbah (it's what started the cash blend sock craze years ago), and thrummed mitten and sock sets for years now. But if you're new to this family run studio, then this is the perfect time to give it a try. Not only is this skein much larger than the 100g skein you may be used to, but the quality of merino (fine) is noticeable in the feel of the yarn. And to have both these perks at such a fab deal, instead of maying $35 a skein, it's a treat for sure.

Watermelon

I've cast on a cowl in the Marbles colorway, and i'm planning something somewhat similar to a Sockhead Cowl, but with a slightly larger needle and with some eyelet lace every few rows. I just want a simple project that I can work on while I'm Passenger Princess in the car.

Salt Spray

This yarn would be perfect for socks, though because it's close to a sport weight I'd go up one needle size than I typically do for fingering weight. So Instead of a 1.5, I'd knit it at a 2 for a squishy but dense fabric. This would also be perfect for sweaters for sure. Perhaps this sweet one. This Seashell Sweater's quite nice too. And thousands of knitters have made Yume in sport weight yarn. And the DRK Everyday Sweater is darn popular too. Get two for this cowl, and then make them for all your friends for holiday or birthday gifts!

Firecracker

I do hope this is a yarn I can get again, but right now I don't have an answer. I took all that Fleece Artist had available. So we'll see what happens. If you're planning a large project, please make sure you get more than enough so you don't end up wanting more when it's unavailable. I'd love to see this come several times a year, much like the Dream in Color Colossal Sock we have in our Sale Yarn section when we can.

Boreal

Birthday Boys & Yarn

This week, my kids both had birthdays! James is now 17 and Henry is now 12. I. Just. Can't.

These boys were surrounded by their friends all day, so I made them stand together for one shot so I could show them off to you. I'm quite in love with these goobers - they are kind, and have their own great sense of humor. James is driving everywhere (including his summer job!) and Henry is just as snuggly as ever. They are both just wonderful humans. Hard to believe time passes so quickly.

And now, to the yarn. The Zephyr Sock from Fleece Artist has now all arrived from Nova Scotia and I'm getting it all photographed. It could be up in the Sale Yarn section before the end of the weekend. This yarn is limited edition for our 19th anniversary, and I'm unsure if we can get it again at this price, or at all. But I'll do my best. Each skein is 24-25% more than a typical 100g skein, and it's fine merino that is superwash treated (so a very high quality of merino and machine washable), and is on the heavier side of fingering, close sport weight. So, kinda like our exclusive Colossal Sock from Dream in Color. But very soft and not at all rustic like that base. And instead of $35 a skein, it will just half off at $17.50. That's for 25% more yarn AND a super high quality merino. This is a superb deal.

I'm knitting the Marbles color above (I'll share on FB and Insta soon) and I know that many of you adore the Red Fox colorway, below.

And then we have beautiful tonal solids like Rose Gold and Jade.

I look forward to sharing those with you soon! And the La Bien Aimee is making its way from Paris now. It could be here as soon as Monday, and I do hope to be able to get it photographed for you ASAP b/c I know many of you are waiting. I am too!

Stitch Markers w/ Purchases Tuesday thru Friday!

As you may know, we are 19 years old this summer! We're celebrating all summer long with our big party (so fun!), our club (which starts shipping soon), special yarns (Zephyr from Fleece Artist has started arriving thru Customs, so details soon!), sales, contest and gifts. We are treating you to different things all summer so you can choose the gifts that suit you best. Today we're giving you a selection of our stitch markers with your purchases, now through Friday. You don't have to ask for them or add them to your order in any way. Simply place your order online as usual and if you order Tuesday through Friday, we'll tuck a little bag of our stitch markers into your parcel before we close it up. These will be a tasting of our handmade wood and polymer clay markers, locking pin markers, and the 3d printed circles that James (my son) makes for us. A bit of each!

  Virtual, Elation, Wild Rosebay, Lichen, Chrysalis. Super hot and summery, right?

What might you like to purchase to get your token of appreciation? We just got a gorgeous batch of Silk Merino and Sock from Irish dye studio Life in the Long Grass. Two colors of either of these bases would be really nice for the new Pre Game shawl pattern by Casapinka. So would Emma's Sock.

Pewter, Storyteller, Mountain Creek, Rain and Beachgrass. This combo of cool hues give me all the summer storm feels. Which is apt, since the kind of storms that are about to hit us may be epic.

I love these four Silk Merino colors. Amethyst, Moonbow, Harbour and Wild Rosebay. Silk Merino is one of those yarns that is popular for special occasion shawls and lace pieces. It's definitely heirloom quality.

You might also like to check out our new batch of Madelinetosh that restocks, well, basically everything. We have such a stunning array of Tosh right now in weights from fingering to worsted. We have two new hues in Rebel Rainbow Rider and Bloom Baby, Bloom. Shown above on Pashmina is Bloom Baby, Bloom. Below is Rebel Rainbow Rider on Tosh Sock.

 

We also have a full restock of Malabrigo. Grab a skein of Rios for a hat, or several for a sweater. We have plenty in every color! Heck, grab a pom pom while you're at it to top off that awesome hat! Shown below in Pisces.

 

Want socks? Opal Yarn and Urth Sock Kits are always a fave around here. This is the popular Tiger sock yarn from Urth. One kit is plenty for even my size 11 feet.

 

Or check out our Kits & Clubs section for something special, or the Sale Yarn section for a deal. Want new tools? We have restocks of Twice Sheared Sheep tools like this measuring tape stitch marker.

 

Want a cool tool to keep your summer knitting on the move? Lemonwood has these super cool Mini Minders in an array of colors.

 

What's to come next? Our first big batch of La Bien Aimme is about to leave Paris! I should have all our Zephyr sock yarn here from Fleece Artist next week for you (at a special price too!) and then we'll be celebrating our annual Christmas in July event on July 25th with all the holiday themed goodies so you can get a headstart on your holiday knits!

Thank you for your support for the past 19 years! I feel fortunate to do what I do every day with the people I work with in my shop and dyers around the world. Keeping a small business going through a recession, a pandemic, and constant changes.... well, it definitely requires hustle. But it also requires YOU. And you all are the best bosses I could hope for. I am grateful to serve fiber lovers every day, and I look forward to many more.

Our Next 19th Birthday Special - $10 off!

Throughout the summer, we're celebrating our 19th birthday a myriad of ways - sales, free shipping offers, a special club, gifts, contests, our big party last month, limited edition yarns and colors.... all sorts of options so that you can choose what works for you. Today we're offering you $10 off for every $100 you spend in the shop when you use coupon code YarnParty - noon today through this Saturday at midnight. For real!

This is a first for us! We don't do coupon codes that cover everything in the shop, and we rarely discount our normal stock of yarn. Most of what we offer is hard to get or keep in stock, some of our dyers don't allow us to discount their yarn at all, and we already offer below retail pricing where we can. Imported yarn (which is a lot of what we sell) is costly to get, and to thrive for 19 years I really have to manage what comes in and out pretty rigidly. So a coupon code that is good for everything in the shop? Not something we do. BUT TODAY WE ARE!

We have more of the Emma's 2024 color paired with solids

Why? Because I just feel like treating you all to something that I haven't before. I feel like trying something new. I feel like giving a gift that we can't typically do because we are now entering our 20th year of serving you and I can do this. I'm grateful.

Bloom Baby, Bloom on Pashmina. Choose from 200+ colors for this perfect sweater or this shawl.

YarnParty can be used on anything in the shop. I got the OK from our dyers that don't allow sales, so you'll even see it apply to dyers like Madelinetosh and we just got a huge restock of over 400 colors. It even applies to needles and accessories and sale stuff. And it stacks up- if you want to stock up on blanket yarn or sweater yarn and put $300 in your cart and use the code, you'll see $30 come off your total.

What might you like to purchase today? It's a great time to get Arroyo or Rios for your temperature blanket. This is one that a friend brought in on Saturday -isn't it just amazing?! She's making them for her grandsons, and now her husband wants one too! Or grab an array of Madelinetosh Tosh DK or Merino Light to make all your sweaters. Four skeins of Merino Light (two skeins each of two colors) will make the fab Peasy Blanket below (which I'm doing). You know you can always email me, Allison, at [email protected] to help you choose colors too.

Stock up on mini skeins so you can add color to all your projects. We have thousands of them in Tosh Unicorns, Emma's Sock and even Emma's DK. Or get one of these fab mini sets from Dream in Color or Sweet Georgia or Wonderland Yarns to make an advent project like these or these. Oh man, this blanket has been on my mind for a year! Go big and get the Hedgehog Fibres 30-mini skein set!

Limited edition Farmer's Market mini set from Hue Loco

Give a try to a new-to-you dyer, something that you can't find many places. We have a great stock of Uschitita, Qing Fibre, Frog it Yarns. You'll see more Opal Yarn at our shop than anywhere else - we import all the lines from Germany. Then you can tag #opalalong on social media to share your progress with us in our informal summer KAL.

Opal Yarn's new Funny Fruits collection

The cost of Noro is about to go up about 10%, so get it now at the old price PLUS this discount. We have a great selection of Dragon Eggs (the big 200g balls) for this cowl and Silk Garden or Silk Garden Sock for a superb Pavement Sweater.

Noro Cowl using one ball of Ito

Maybe get a Blossom to make the Herald Shawl like I did? I love it so much that I'm considering making 4 or 5 for my holiday gifts to sisters and friends this year. It's such an easy knit that gives a big impact.

Want Dream in Color? We just got the most gorgeous restock of Smooshy Sock (classic superwash merino/nylon) and Smooshy Cashmere (merino/cash/nylon). I love Smooshy Cashmere for socks and cowls. The Sockhead Hat and Cowl are great for this yarn.

This is a first for us and I dare say it may be another 19 years before we give a blanket discount like this on our stock again. So please take advantage of it as it's only available noon today/Wednesday through midnight on Saturday, July 6. The code can be used twice per person, so if you want to grab things that might sell out fast and then fill your cart again with stash items and plan that out, you can. We typically ship your pretty parcels out within 24 hours, but since we are a small team and I expect this to make us super busy, please allow us more time before you get your tracking emailed to you. If you are local and choose "contactless pickup", please don't forget to note the day you'll be picking up from 11am-1pm (in the note/comment field on the Check Out page). Since it's a holiday week, please make sure your pickup date is 48 hours away from your order date, and no Sunday. Thanks!

Have any questions about pairing colors for your project planning? As always, just email me, Allison, at [email protected]. If you forget to use the code, or the quick payment options like ApplePay or Paypal move you through too fast, you can add the coupon code to your Cart while still shopping, or respond to your emailed receipt and ask me to apply it for you. 

Thank you for your part in 19 years of SSYC! We look forward to at least 19 more!

Wonderland Yarns

Gosh, we have some lovely restocked hues from Wonderland Yarns today in their Cheshire Cat (100% superwash merino sock), Mary Ann (superwash merino and nylon) and Blossoms (fingering weight gradient cakes).

March

These hues just seem so summery and breezy. And as I sit out on my back patio today doing just a bit of work while Henry plays with his kinetic sand tray, these colors really fit the bill. And Henry likes them too. He thought the Twinkle label (color shown below) said Twinkie.... then Twerkie. Two very different things!

Twinkle

If you need a project that really gets you going, I highly recommend grabbing a ball of the Blossoms and doing the Herald Shawl. I finished mine a bit ago and am considering casting on another. It was the perfect project to tote along with me to Henry's tennis or to watch a basketball game, as it has a simple repeat. Here's mine in progress.

It's worth noting that the Cheshire Cat and Mary Ann sock yarn still come in 4 ounce skeins. A decade or so ago, most hand dyers moved to 100g skeins, which are around 3.5 ounces.  But with Wonderland Yarn, their put up is still 4 ounces, so there's around 475 yards in the Mary Ann skein and a whopping 520 in a skein of Cheshire Cat. Dream in Color also still comes in around 4 ounce skeins. As do a lot of Fleece Artist skeins. Gotta love these "old school" dyers who have been doing this for well over a decade and still do the bigger put up for the same price as a 100g skein. It also means that they are winding their own skeins from cones of yarn (rather than purchasing their bare yarn already skeined up, which is the norm for most small dyers), so I find that there are less knots and tangles because they are doing it all themselves and seeing it as it's wound. More hands on means less mistakes slip through.

April