Chronicles of Yarnia

The Sweater Curse

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

Okay, let's talk about this. We all know about The Sweater Curse, right?

As ridiculous as it sounds, let's face the facts. It's true. It's happened to me, it's happened to you...it's happened to the best of us, though we all think we're the exceptions to the rule.

Well, be warned, friends, because apparently this curse applies to blankets, too.

This blanket began its life in December 2009, when my boyfriend at the time casually remarked, after hearing my exhilarated recount of a Granny Square class I had just come from teaching, that "a granny square blanket would be cool."

Although, he clarified, he didn't want a granny square blanket...he wanted a grandpa square blanket. I complied.

I took this as a serious request, and immediately wound up six different semi-solid cones of a merino-bamboo-cotton blend, pulled out my trusty Granny Square Bible, and went to work.

Over the course of that next year, as we both realized what an undertaking this blanket had turned into (we're talking a 9x9 panel of granny squares. I'll do the math for you. It's 81), this project morphed into something of a trade. You see, that spring, during the kind of brainstorming session only possible when you're in the midst of a five-week cleanse, the two of us hatched an idea. It was called CustomYarn.com -- maybe you've heard of it?

This, however, was no small feat. I mean, I'm pretty damn good at websites...for someone who doesn't do websites for a living. But his developer's prowess and elegant coding was definitely required to make this crazy idea in my head turn into something functional.

Suddenly we were both engaged in working on these these two mega-long-term projects for each other. Sometimes we'd even have "work nights," where we'd make dinner and then spend the evening cranking out small bits of the puzzle. It felt like a fantastic trade.

Until, alas, that next fall, our relationship ended. And neither of these two projects were complete.

This was a touchy subject, one of the first few times we tried hanging out after the breakup...what to do about this website, that I had already mentally planned a soft launch date for, right before the holidays? Can I pay him to finish it now? Is that weird? Fortunately for me, he was totally awesome, and assured me that of course, he would finish it, no charge. "I do want that blanket though," he added.

Guys, do you know how long it takes to weave in the ends of 81 granny squares? Forever.

If you came into the shop anytime between September 2010 and July 2011, chances are you watched me weaving these ends in while you alchemied your favorite yarn together. Or Knit & Crochet night? Yup, there too. At Horse Brass on a Friday night? You know it.

Of course, once all the ends have been woven in, it's time to pull out the map from way back when, lay the squares out, crochet them together...and then weave in all the newly formed ends.

Yes, it was a doosey. But really, I shouldn't complain -- I delivered on my promise a full 14 months after he did, and I very much appreciate the patience. Because two weeks ago, we had dinner together -- the last time I'll see him for awhile as he sets off this weekend for a new phase of his life in St. Louis -- and I finally presented him with this.

Moral of the story: he wants a blanket? Start with some super-chunky, and one of these.

Featured Yarn :: Fitzgerald's

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Fitzgerald's

This lovely sportweight yarn is comprised of a strand each of grey wool, black rayon boucle, a thin dark green rayon, and merino wool.

Fiber Content: 41 rayon / 28 wool / 18 cotton / 12 merino
Yardage: 500 yards
Yarn Weight: Sport
Amount on Cone: 8 oz.
Care: Hand wash / lay flat to dry
Pattern Suggestions: Calm Cowl

Also available in our online shop!

2012 Yarn of the Year Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

You heard that right, it's that time of the year already! Much more info coming soon about our Four Year Anniversary Party coming up next month, but before we get ahead of ourselves, we wanted to give you a little heads up about one of our biggest contests of the year, so you can plan ahead and get yer swatches ready!

* * * * * * * * * *

Yarn-of-the-Year Contest

What's your favorite Yarnia blend that you've made over the past year? It just might be our favorite, too! During our four-year anniversary party on Friday, February 10, we'll be accepting entries for Yarn of the Year.

Got a little bit of that favorite blend left over? Knit or crochet up a little swatch and bring it in! If your yarn is chosen as our Yarn of the Year, we'll carry it here in the shop as a premade blend (or as close a match as we can, given the fibers on hand), and not only will you get to name it, but you'll also win a $30 Yarnia gift certificate!

Don't have any yarn left over that's calling to you? You can come into the shop and make up a blend anytime up until the evening of the party itself, to submit for consideration. Who knows? Your next custom blend just might be the winner!

Official Rules: All entries must be submitted in person on the evening of Friday, February 10, and must be in swatch form, at least 10 stitches (or chains) by 10 rows in size. Knowing the fiber content is useful, but not necessary. However, there will be room on the entry form to suggest projects that would show off the best of your yarn, so come with a few ideas! The winner will be contacted by the end of the following week, and announced both on the blog, and in next month's newsletter.

Entries will be judged based on versatility, creativity, novelty, and personal taste of the judges

Back to Business

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:35:00 +0000

With this week's ridiculous weather events (any official word on how many inches of rain accumulated yesterday?!), from Tuesday night's token blanket of snow to Amtrak cancelling all Seattle/Portland service and thus the annual Seattle-to-Portland Yarn Train (boo!), I'll admit to the ridiculousness of what's on my needles right now: exclusively skirts.

Also, my meat overdose from Christmas break in Wisconsin has led to a month-long stint of vegetarianism, as the protein I've been craving like none other is beans. Both of these developments make my body feel like it's summer, even though it is, most decidedly, not.

Recipe at Six Dollars A Day

But I may be on to something here, because even though we're smack in the middle of Portland Hibernation Season, I've been surprisingly energized this week, full of new ideas and exciting ventures for the coming year.

Between getting together with other LYS owners to plan the upcoming 2012 Yarn Crawl (sorry, no link yet, but oh you just wait...official info coming very soon, and boy, do we have an epic weekend in store for you!), and meeting with all the rad Supportland folks on Wednesday night to plan out all the fun promotions, contests, and events we'll be collaborating on in the coming year, I'm feeling more honored and excited than ever to be a business owner in this unique city that truly is thriving with so much dedication to the concept of local, and so many creative entrepreneurs.

I feel like I have an overwhelming weekend of work ahead of me, still trying to catch up on my to-do lists from the holidays, while simultaneously trying to launch a dozen different projects that I've had steeping in my head for months. But it's one of those weekends that I totally covet, coming to work and putting on a full pot of coffee, and getting down and dirty with my laptop in back while Angela takes care of you and all things yarn out front.

And really, a full-on work weekend is long overdue. This was my half-hearted plan last weekend, but -- and I certainly can't complain -- it was pre-empted for an afternoon soak at Bagby Hot Springs, and a snowy hike back down to the car, to find this reminder on my back window.

I couldn't agree more.

Featured Yarn :: Arizona Charlie's

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Arizona Charlie's

Deep green bamboo, charcoal alpaca, and a rich burgundy merino mix together in this fingering weight yarn.

Fiber Content: 59 bamboo / 27 alpaca / 14 wool-nylon
Yardage: 420 yards
Yarn Weight: Sock/Fingering
Amount on Cone: 5.5 oz
Care: Hand wash / lay flat to dry
Pattern Suggestions: Diagonal Rib Socks

Also available in our online shop!

Share your thoughts and win a FREE class!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I'm not big on the New Years resolutions, but I do still like to think of January as a month of quiet renewal, and an opportunity to evaluate big picture goals. Which is why January is when we post our Annual Customer Survey, and ask you to take a minute to share your thoughts with us.

As our dedicated customers, you are our best asset in finding ways we can make Yarnia even better, and the ideas and feedback that we gather from these annual surveys are the #1 tool we use to set our agenda of new projects and developments for the coming year.

Of course, we're always open to hearing suggestions and feedback about the shop, but this week we've come up with some questions to get you thinking specifically about what you love (or don't) about Yarnia.

We appreciate your feedback so much, and want to make it worth your while to take the time to share your ideas with us. Each person who completes the survey will be given an opportunity to enter a drawing for a FREE CLASS at Yarnia -- your choice of any of our two-hour workshops!

Click Here to Take the Survey

This survey is specifically geared towards those of you who come shop at Yarnia in-person. If you are an online customer, keep an eye out for our online shop survey, which will be coming out in the next week or two. Of course, if you like to shop both ways, you can fill out both surveys for a double chance to win!

FO :: Infinitude Cowl

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Wow. If you've been searching for the perfect mid-winter project -- quicker than a scarf and mindless enough to knit while you're sitting in class or at a long meeting -- look no further. I'm totally in love with this cowl, and will have to restrain myself from mass producing them in every squishy-bulky yarn we have.

I love the versatility of this one, too. You can rock it as a long, drapey, scarf-like cowl...

Or as a scarf-cowl combo...

Or tripled up for a walk in the gusty wind.

Here's what I just discovered I love about cowls: you don't have to take them off. I'm so used to arriving at my destination, and peeling off all my layers, which end up slung over the backs of chairs at restaurants or tucked away in corners of the room at a show.

But a cowl like this acts as a scarf when you want it to, and then can be tugged and adjusted to be a not-so-warm accessory once the hat and gloves come off. Especially when the yarn itself is as cozy-chic as the California blend that I used to make the Infinitude.

If you want to give some special yarn a time to shine, this is really the way to go. The alternating knit/purl rounds create wide, heavy ribs that give the cowl that drapey look that's really hip right now, while the initial K3/P2 ribbing that runs perpendicular to these long loops contrasts by showing off the yarn in shimmery little V's.

Infinitude Cowl

380 yards :: bulky weight :: wool/alpaca/rayon/cotton blend (California)

Cost of materials: $31.40

Knit & Crochet Night Resumes!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Hey, all. This Thursday marks the revival of our monthly Knit & Crochet nights, and we can't wait to see you there! Now that the holidays are over, it's the time of year to make something for yourself.

This Thursday, January 19th, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. is our next Knit & Crochet Night here at the shop!

Bring your patterns, projects, ideas, questions, and meet some other crafty peeps in the neighborhood!

Swing on by after work and we'll make a night of it. We'll be here knitting from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and will have tea, wine, music, good company, and some little snackies to keep us going!

I know I've got LOTS of projects that I need to get off the needles soon...how about you?

Check out the event on our Facebook page for more info, and to let us know if you're planning on coming! (RSVP not required, just fun to see ahead of time :))

Coned yarn is about to take on a whole new meaning...

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Last month, while doing a little poking around on Ravelry to see who was talking about us, I stumbled upon this post, highlighting a finished weaving project by one of our customers.

Image via knit4fun972

It's always fun to see our yarn in any finished projects, but this one in particular got me excited, because in the coming weeks, I'm planning on embarking on a brand new fiber hobby (though from what I've heard, this will quickly shift from "hobby" to "obsession"), and learn how to weave.

Image via knit4fun972

I've actually been saying this casually for years now, and have had the lackadaisical intention to do so ever since I realized that yarn on cones can serve another purpose besides keeping your supply in a nice neat little perch beside your chair (something that had never occurred to me during Yarnia's incipient stages).

But recently, I've been noticing this fascinating shift in our customer demographics, wherein throngs of curious and creative knitters are slowly being overtaken by not only crocheters, but weavers. (I'm uber-curious to learn, when all the results are in, how many respondents to our annual survey identify themselves as weavers!) And with practically no weaving knowledge, other than how to convert the idea of 16/2 cotton into yards per pound, I feel a little silly being of such little utility to them. I'm so psyched to discover what it's all about.

Image via knit4fun972

So, Ruthie's, just a heads up, I'll be calling within the week to schedule my first class!

I am beyond ecstatic that I live in a world where this falls under the category of "professional development."

Featured Yarn :: Luxor

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Luxor

A thick plush softball cotton is mixed with rust and orange-colored rayons and cottons in this bulky yarn that will knit up soft and quick!

Fiber Content: 58 rayon-cotton / 42 cotton
Yardage: 140 yards
Yarn Weight: Bulky
Amount on Cone: 8 oz.
Care: Machine wash/dry OK
Pattern Suggestions: Jayne Cobb Hat

Also available in our online shop!

New Class! Vertical Ribs Crocheted Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Ready to move to the next level with crochet and try out a hat? This simple hat pattern has a non-traditional structure, but is still a beginner-level pattern. Rather than starting at the crown and working your way down to the brim, this hat is worked back and forth in vertical ribs and short rows, to form the shape of the hat.

***Thursday, January 19 (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)***

JOIN US!

WIP :: Little Flirt Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:14:00 +0000

Here goes Part I of the Great Skirt Binge of 2012. The day before my trip a few weeks ago, I wound up a whopping two pounds of a gorgeous wool/bamboo/linen/rayon blend, mixing shades of grey, black, and sleek eggplant and olive green. I'm fantasizing about a warm and wooly pleated skirt that I can wear with my new Frye boots and a cardigan.

This was the ideal project for a long cross-country trip. After casting on and joining, it's pretty much straight stockinette with just a few decreases, for ever and ever and ever.

Oh, and did I ever get practice at those first few rows.

The pleats, which are comprised simply of alternating groups of knit and purl stitches, recede slowly into an eyelet lace section, and from thereon out, you are working in straight stockinette for the rest of the skirt, transitioning from larger to smaller needle sizes as you go.

Believe it or not, I'm already in the home stretch! I had to order new tips for my interchangeable circular set (apparently I've never used size 5 circs on a 24" cable before), but once they arrive I'll be well into the waistband and ready to block (and I can already tell from my photo shoot that this will need a good blocking in order to relax a little)!

Upcoming Class :: Continental Knitting

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:18:00 +0000

What's this continental knitting all about? Although it's not the mainstream method of knitting taught in the U.S., it can often be faster, more intuitive, and easier on the hands than English style knitting, or "throwing."

In this class we'll learn how to cast on, the basic knit stitch, and potentially the purl stitch as well, depending on your comfort level.

Both new and experienced knitters are welcome -- this could be a new method to add to your current repertoire of knitting knowledge, or your first foray into the world of knitting!

Saturday, January 7, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
OR
Saturday, January 14, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Click here to sign up!

Featured Yarn :: Imperial Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Imperial Palace

A thick brown cotton mixes with a tweedy silk-wool blend and alpaca in this bulky weight yarn.

Fiber Content: 49 cotton / 22 wool / 17 alpaca / 12 silk
Yardage: 200 yards
Yarn Weight: Bulky
Amount on Cone: 8 oz.
Care: Hand wash / lay flat to dry
Pattern Suggestions: Extra Warm Men's Scarf

Also available in our online shop!

Back in the saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Remember last summer when all I could think about was crocheted tank tops? I feel another thematic knitting binge coming on, this time of the skirt variety.

I found myself in uncharted territory a couple weeks ago when, packing for my Christmas vacation, I got to "knitting project" part on my list and realized that, having finished up all my Christmas presents and a new cowl for myself just in time for the trip, I had absolutely nothing on the needles to bring to work on during the trip itself!

This brought on a true moment of panic. Not only did I not have any WIPs to bring along, but after a shocking review of my queue, I realized there wasn't even anything waiting in the wings that I was that excited about. After 11 years of fervently knitting so I could enjoy that wonderful first 30 minutes of casting on for the next new project I was eager to start, I had never found myself at such a loss before.

Sure, there are a few long term projects that I could make some progress on, like the sleeves to my Ivy Cardigan, or a Pine Forest Baby Blanket sample for the shop, but when I'm about to embark on six days of pure vacation, I want to be ecstatic about the knitting I'm bringing with me.

But in a stroke of luck the next day, I remembered that I just treated myself to a pair of Frye boots, that are just begging to be worn with cute knee-length skirts and knee socks all winter long, and that it has been far too long since I've knitted myself a skirt.

So now with a direction, I did some research on the Rav to find that perfect skirt pattern -- I wanted it to be cute, free, and simple enough that I could knit undistractedly while maintaining conversation, a project versatile enough to work on in front of the TV with the family at night, or while drinking a Spotted Cow in downtown La Crosse during a night on the town.

And I ended up with 3.

Here were the contenders:

Little Flirt Skirt

Sidewinder

Skating Queen

115-42 (Drops)

121-5 (Drops)

128-19 (Drops)

Which one(s) would you choose?

FO :: Botanic Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I cast on for Stephen West's Botanic Hat, and was immediately smitten. A simple 3 x 1 rib, offset every other row by the contrasting color, with slipped stitches -- what could be simpler than that?

Well, this project whipped up so quick and easy, in fact, that I couldn't help but use the leftover cashmere to make a matching one for myself.

Botanic Hat by Stephen West (available in the shop)

Cashmere / wool :: 4 oz.

Cost of materials: $24.50

I especially love the reversibility of the hat, and because of the way the decreases are set up (the crown of the hat is worked on 4 needles, rather than the 3 that I usually opt for when I'm using DPNs), the back side has these cool veins running up and down that merge at the top.

Come on in and give it a try!

Featured Yarn :: Hard Rock Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Hard Rock Hotel

A bright and soft turquoise Brown Sheep wool runs alongside a shimmery spruce green bamboo and a slightly textured matching eyelash acrylic to make this super soft and cozy yarn.

Fiber Content: 48 wool / 37 bamboo / 10 acrylic / 5 merino
Yardage: 390 yards
Yarn Weight: Worsted
Amount on Cone: 8 oz.
Care: Hand wash / lay flat to dry
Pattern Suggestions: Hoodie Gloves

Also available in our online shop!

Reversible Crocheted Coasters

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Like I mentioned before, it's not every year that I get to celebrate Christmas. In fact, this year is pretty special, in a real-winter, white-Christmas, meet-the-parents-and-see-the-hometown kind of way.

Obviously, my go-to for gifts for the family is going to be fashioned out of yarn, but you can only make so many dish towels.

So for the brother and sister-in-law, I thought some bamboo crocheted coasters might do the trick. I did some research and came across these, which I used as a baseline, and then made some modifications.

I went with two strands of our super sleek bamboo put together, which makes about a sportweight, and a size E hook.

My main holdup was the color options. It's tricky making presents for people you've never met before. Is their home colorful? Are they the kind of people who would appreciate red and purple on their coffee table?

Then, I realized the utility of having these coasters be double-thick (i.e. making two identical rounds and crocheting them together for added padding and weight) is that I can make a neutral side and colorful side to each coaster, and let them decide whether they want to keep it mellow with cream and brown, or flip them over and get a little more wild.

To start these, I used a handy little trick for starting a crochet project with a closed circle center, beginning with 12 single crochet stitches into that initial loop before closing it. Then, into each of those 12 single crochets, I made 2 more single crochets on the next round (24 sc total).

I joined to the first sc of that round with a slip stitch, drew through the loop, and cut my first color of yarn. With my next contrasting color, I joined at a different part of the circle (alternating where on the circle you join each new color keeps it from getting too lumpy, as it would if all the new joins were piled up together), and made one double crochet into each of these sc stitches (24 stitches total).

The next round being an increase row, I alternated between making 1 dc and 2 dc in each of these 24 spaces, all the way around. This keeps the piece growing outwards in a circle, rather than curling up like a bowl.

In order to cut down on the number of ends I'd have to weave in later, on the first round of each new color, as soon as I arrived at the tail from where I had tied off the last color in the previous row, I just made sure to work that stitch around that tail as well.

This effectively traps it inside 5-6 stitches in the next row, so that later on, I can just snip the tail without having to weave it in and out of stitches.

This basically means there are only 2 tails per coaster to weave in later (or, if you use the fact that you're joining 2 identical pieces together back-to-back wisely, and trap them inside...zero!)

I used a simple single crochet around the border of the coasters, held together, to join them and give them a nice little edge, and did a simple wet block to finish them off. The fact that there are two layers to these coasters really gives them a nice weight, and a little extra padding than just one layer would. Try out a set for your own coffee table!

Featured Yarn :: Excalibur

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Excalibur

A white mohair blend is paired with very light seafoam green merino wool and a strand of silver lurex, to give the most subtle tint to this super soft, light colored yarn.

Fiber Content: 46 merino / 24 acrylic / 13 lurex / 9 mohair / 8 nylon
Yardage: 460 yards
Yarn Weight: Sock/Fingering
Amount on Cone: 4 oz.
Care: Hand wash / lay flat to dry
Pattern Suggestions: South Bay Shawlette

Also available in our online shop!

WIP :: Infinitude Cowl

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Okay guys, I've finally jumped on the cowl bandwagon. There are like a billion different pattern options to choose from in the cowl department, but recently one of our customers, in a moment of indecision expressed via tweet, tipped me off to the Infinitude Cowl, which I immediately decided was the perfect first cowl for me. Even better, it comes in two sizes, so you can decide how big and loopy you want to make it!

The start of my Infinitude, in one of my favorite new yarns, California.

The cool thing about this cowl is that it has two different pattern sections, which end up looking like perpendicular rows of ribbing.

It starts with a few inches of a simple 2 x 3 rib...although with my Botanic Hat on the brain, I made it all the way through this section before realizing that my autopilot knitting had been doing 1 x 3 ribbing all along. I'm bummed that this makes one side look like just plain stockinette, because the elasticity of the yarn hides the single rib stitch, but that just makes it all the more distinct on the other side.

This is not one of those Mobius cowls, where you purposefully put a twist in the stitches before joining them; rather, it's a standard circular knit, that you can loop around your neck as many times as you want to make it tight and cozy.

Lovin' the soft, stretchy, squishy texture of the yarn I'm using to make this, California. Bulky weight, 220 yards (2 cones will make an Infinitude). Yum!

How to start a circular crochet project...with no hole in the middle!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Let's say you want to make a circular crochet project. Like let's say, oh, coasters. Most crochet projects that begin from the inside and work their way out (think also, granny squares) begin by crocheting a chain, joining it, and then crocheting an uncomfortable number of stitches into that loop, from which your circle or square will then grow out of.

Here's the tricky part: this method inevitably leaves you with a big hole right in the middle of your work, as these into-the-loop stitches tighten themselves around the original loop.

Here's my favorite trick to closing up that pesky little hole. Start by making a loose little underhand knot. That is, hold your yarn with a short tail tucked beneath the working yarn, forming a loop.

Then use your crochet hook to reach through this loop, and pull the working yarn through, forming the first stitch that you'll be turning into a single crochet.

Begin single crocheting over both the working yarn and the tail together, until the desired number of stitches has been reached (in my case, 12).

Don't worry about whether your stitches are filling up the loop appropriately -- with this method, it doesn't matter!

Then, when you're ready to close up your circle and move on to the next row, just give that tail a little tug...

Watch the stitches pull towards each other in a little closed circle, untwisting them as need be if they have accidentally turned the wrong direction...

And then pull the tail tightly to fully close the loop.

See how nice and clean that looks? No hole!

Special (Extended!) Holiday Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Here's the run-down on both holiday closures, and special extended hours coming up in the next couple weeks:

As you may have expected, we will be CLOSED on Christmas Day, and CLOSED on New Year's Day.

However, we know that things can get CRAZY the week before Christmas. So just for you, just this once, we'll be open Monday and Tuesday of next week (December 19th & 20th), to ensure that all you last-minute shoppers can snag that last cone of yarn or gift certificate if you need to.

So just to recap:

December 19th - 24th: ***OPEN 11a-6p***

Sunday, December 25th: CLOSED

Sunday, January 1: CLOSED

Make sense? Call or email if you have any questions!

Featured Yarn :: Bellagio

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Bellagio

Shades of red cotton, rayon, and acrylic are mixed with a thin variegated black-and-white yarn to make this festive and slightly textured sportweight yarn.

Fiber Content: 40 rayon / 21 acrylic / 10 cotton / 19 wool-nylon
Yardage: 840 yards
Yarn Weight: Sport
Amount on Cone: 8 oz.
Care: Machine wash / dry OK
Pattern Suggestions: Cool Coasters 3

Also available in our online shop!

Now I Get It.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

This time of the year holds a really weird energy for me. Right around now of every year, when it feels like the whole country -- both online and off -- is deeply entrenched in fall and holiday craziness and shopping frenzies and steaming hot beverages in mitten-clad hands, I jump right on the bandwagon, promoting gift ideas and commiserating with the woes of endless gift lists that we just didn't get an early enough jump on.

But in reality, I don't personally celebrate any of these holidays, and haven't since sometime around middle school. I get so excited about the excitement about the holidays that I kind of dissociate from the idea that all the family get-togethers and gift-giving and cookie eating actually does happen, while I'm at home enjoying a cozy night of cooking and knitting, or the cliche Jewish Christmas of Chinese food and a movie, in an eerily silent city.

Until I was invited to spend this Christmas in Wisconsin, with Jesse's family. A real Christmas, on apparently every level imaginable, right down to the tree and stockings and snow. And apparently a lobster dinner on Christmas Eve. Is this normal? I guess if we're going to do it, let's do it all the way, right? I think there also might be sledding involved. I need some new boots.

So here's the deal. All of a sudden, there is a family (whom I've never met before, let me make clear) to get gifts for, and while my split personality of retailer and anti-consumerist plays an incessant game of tetherball in my head, I have to say, I'm excited about this idea.

And now I get it!

I have a deadline, people, and things to knit and crochet for people I don't know (but special people, like moms and dads and brothers and sister-in-laws). So here's my plan: supplemented with savory bath and home goodies from some of my favorite UCU vendors, his mom and dad get a set of knitted dish cloths, and his brother and sister-in-law get a set of crocheted coasters!

Now I've shared my enthusiasm with you before about dish cloths, but here I just have to reiterate. Best project ever. There are few other projects for which you can have absolutely no plan, and just wind up six baby cones of yarn (two-ouncers!), grab a pair of needles, and three hours later find yourself with a beautiful gift set.

It's been awhile since I've indulged in the dish cloth, so in a selfish plan to explore not one but two different patterns, I went with two solid colors for a Ballband Dish Cloth (which looks fabulous in solid or semi-solid contrasting colors), and two blended colors for a Feather and Fan Dish Cloth (which still shows up really well, even if you've got a very heathered yarn like this one).

Total cost for this fabulous dish cloth set: $15.50 (great gift idea! I'm saying this with authentic enthusiasm now).

Want a little help getting started? Wouldn't you know it, we have a Dish Cloth Class coming up on Saturday, December 17th, and there's still room! Click here to join us.

You will be hearing all about the crocheted coasters soon...they require their very own post. I'm so into this idea.

Featured Pattern :: Ribbed Keyhole Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey @ Yarnia) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:19:00 +0000

Another new pattern that we're carrying in the shop! Come on in and we'll get you all set with the right yarn for the project.

This week...

Designed by Jenn Wolfe, now available at the shop!