Hi! My name is Beckie, I’m the sole worker bee behind Shirley Brian Yarn… wait what? Your name is Beckie and you’re Shirley Brian Yarns? Huh? Shirley was my grandmother’s name — she was an epic knitter. She made sure that our family was never cold, and that my Barbie had the best knitwear collection in the world. Brian was my father, we lost him much too soon, and this is a way to keep him close daily. And there you have it: SBY.
I live and work with my pup Oliver in Ottawa, ON, Canada, and ship my yarns all over North America (hopefully worldwide soon). I’ve been in the yarn business for the better part of a decade. First as yarn store owner and then, after selling the store, I have been dedicated full time to SBY. I like to write patterns when there is time, I knit constantly and playing with blank yarns and colours is my full-time job and passion.
I like tomatoes, avocados, soup, and wine. I have travelled far and wide and continue to do so as much as I can. Reality TV binges fuel my knitting time and I consume a ridiculous amount of books on Audible monthly. I have a weakness for vintage knitting, spinning and weaving tools and notions, and would be embarrassed if you saw the size of my knitting bag collection.
And that’s me in as brief of a nutshell as I could manage. I hope you’ll join me on Instagram, my newsletter and in my Indie Untangled posts here for more SBY happenings! I’ve got so many exciting things coming and cannot wait to share them with you!
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Shop Update!
I’ve got a shop update happening on Thursday, May 30th @ 7 p.m. EDT. I’ve added 23 new colourways and some old favourites on the Sailor Sock base. The shop update will go live here.
Shopping from the U.S.? Due to a very favourable exchange rate from CDN to USD you’ll find a great deal on our yarns as we charge in CDN dollars!
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Sailing Sweater
My Sailing Sweater pattern was recently released on Ravelry. It’s a super simple quick knit and the easiest sweater to throw on for running around in. The pattern includes both completely written and charted instructions, and it is the perfect sweater to knit for those who prefer to work on accessories over garments, as it is like knitting shawl. The pattern is easily adjustable, with clear instructions on complete customization. It’s a super quick knit, too! I’ve just completed a navy blue version in a week!
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Festival Season!
I’ve got a fully loaded fibre festival season ahead of me, and am adding dates in between already scheduled events. If you’d like to follow along and meet up with me at an event they are all listed here.
Want to have us visit your store for a trunk show, or a brioche class, or stock my yarns? Please get in touch!
Thanks so much for taking the time to spend reading my first post here!