Indie Untangled 2020 Year In Review Part 2: Indie makers

By Lisa | December 30, 2020

There’s definitely nothing quite like showing off your latest FO, either at a fiber festival or online (and I’ve definitely spent this year trying to perfect the art of the knitwear selfie!). I really enjoyed seeing what people have finished in 2020 with yarn from Indie Untangled dyers.

Here’s a roundup of ones that caught my eye and that were also submitted by Indie Untangled followers.

Sweaters

Jeraldine’s Knitorious RBG by Park Williams in The Wandering Flock Worsted Merino and Mohair Fluff

A man with a dog wearing a colorwork sweater.

Spalding’s Noux by Suvi Simola in La Bien Aimée Cashmerino and La Bien Aimée Mohair Silk (purchased at IU 2019) and various other companies

Danielle’s Junction by Andrea Mowry with Dark Harbour Yarn

Maggie’s V-Back Tee DK by Jamie Hoffman in SpaceCadet Lyra Sport

Stacy’s Magnolia Chunky Cardigan by Camilla Vad in Murky Depths Harbour and Mirage

Kathy’s Ursa in Lavender Lune Yarn Co. Bulky

Nathalie’s True Friend by Veera Välimäki in Canon Hand Dyes Bruce Yak Merino Fingering and Canon Hand Dyes Bruce Yak Silk Singles

Kim’s Threipmuir by Ysolda Teague in Astral Bath Yarns Astral Sport

Shawls

Stephanie’s Slipstravaganza in Undercover Otter, Three Irish Girls and various other companies

Alexis’s Edison in Birch Hollow Fibers Phillis DK

Donna’s Jolene by Bristol Ivy in Skeinny Dipping Journey Worsted

Adrienne’s Paris Toujours by Isabell Kraemer in Astral Bath Yarns Tesseract DK

Socks

Marie’s Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku in Canon Hand Dyes

What to stash this week in addition to Indie Untangled Everywhere

By Lisa | October 16, 2020

Scarlet of Huckleberry Knits is dyeing a second colorway for Knitting Our National Parks called Nostalgia, inspired by a fall photo of Acadia National Park.
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“I grew up in Massachusetts, and the first national park I ever went to was the only one in New England, Acadia,” Scarlet says. “When I was a kid, our family vacations usually involved the seashore, but our trip to Acadia added in dramatic rocky outcrops and thick forests that seemed to spring forth from the ocean, unlike anything I’d seen before. Every autumn I miss New England, and Nostalgia reflects those rich colors that say ‘home’ to me.”⁣
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Nostalgia will be dyed on Scarlet’s Gradient Fingering base, a blend of 75% Superwash Merino and 25% nylon with a generous 463 yards per skein. It’s available as a sock blank or wound into a center-pull cake. Preorder it on Indie Untangled through next week only.

Warm the Line is a grassroots effort of crafters encouraging those in our community to send hats, scarves and other warm items to voters waiting on long lines to vote in cold swing states. Along with contributing to this campaign with your craft, you can also buy an item — a T-shirt, sweatshirt, tote bag or hat — to commemorate the project with a hand-drawn logo by an emerging artist.

Shelby of Hardware City Yarn is a new indie dyer paying homage to the rich industrial history of her home city of New Britain, Connecticut.

Heather of Pumpkins and Wool has gone plaid for fall! This means Colors like reds and browns, black and grays with shades of whites throughout.

Over the last few weeks, Eden Cottage Yarns has had updates of: Rosedale 4ply, Pendle Chunky and Keld Fingering, and there’s more to come!

Crista is having a shop update this Sunday, October 18th at 8 p.m. EDT with many sizes and shapes of handmade project bags available.

Amanda of Doodle Dew Designs makes these colorful stitch markers with a colorful, lightweight resin.

What to stash this week: Join The Baby-Sitters Knitting Club

By Lisa | September 4, 2020

Amy of Canon Hand Dyes creates colors inspired by literature, so I was thrilled to learn she was also a fan of The Baby-Sitters Club, a series of books released throughout the ’80s and ’90s that was recently turned into a wonderful Netflix series.

Amy captured the spirit of each character — including entrepreneurial Kristy, shy but mature Mary Anne, artsy Claudia, sophisticated Stacey, hippie Dawn, bookish Mallory and graceful Jessi — in a colorful six-skein mini set and a coordinating neutral.

The yarn is available exclusively through Indie Untangled on Amy’s new Edith Sock, a luxuriously soft 17-micron Superwash Merino that would make the loveliest shawls, including Melanie Berg’s On the Spice Market or Ambah O’Brien’s Lamina Wrap. Preorders are open until October 4 and the yarn will ship at the end of November.

In anticipation of fall projects, Stephanie of Rock Solid Designs has restocked her super roomy Grace Bags, which can hold up to six skeins of worsted weight yarn. And, yes, it has pockets — four of them, as well as a clear vinyl pouch on the outside. The Grace comes in more than a dozen fun fabrics, including the adorable wildlife pattern pictured here. Take them on your fall travels, whether on a road trip or staying close to home.

Preorders are open for WeeOnes’ Halloween mystery stitch marker sets! You’ll receive 13 individually-wrapped, hand-sculpted, Halloween-themed stitch markers (including some costumed animals!).

Mary Annarella’s’s latest design, Hope and Feathers, is named for an Emily Dickinson poem and includes some mindless knitting interspersed with simple slip-stitch colorwork. The pattern is 25% off on both Ravelry and Payhip with the code hope2020 through Sunday, or you can get the pattern for free when you sign up for the Lyrical Knits newsletter.

Bonnie of Yank Your Yarn has debuted four stitch marker gift sets, which include a variety of sizes, for sock knitters or those who love quick, chunky projects. Each set contains 25 markers: two sets of 10 markers in different sizes and five movable markers, in a handy storage box.

Stardust Fiber Studio has new bases, a KAL, an Advent Calendar and yarn clubs.

What to stash this week: time flies

By Lisa | August 21, 2020

Time has flown for Barbara of Spencer Hill Naturally Dyed Yarn, whose unique yarns are inspired by the authors or literary characters who inspire us. She’s about to celebrate 10 years in business. To mark the festivals and events where she’s gotten to meet many of her customers, she was planning to have an anniversary sale at her fall shows. Instead, she’s taking the sale online. Starting today and running through August 28, you’ll get 10% off every purchase in her shop and free shipping on purchases of $100 or more.

I’m extending preorders of Birch Hollow Fibers’ ethereal Stardust In Basin colorway through this Sunday. The yarn, available on Sylvia Sock and Phillis DK, is inspired by a photo taken by Eric Ritchie at Great Basin National Park in Nevada. 20% of sales will be donated equally to the National Park Foundation and the NDN COVID-19 Response Project (the NDN is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power).

The other day, I was reminded of Mina Philipp of Knitting Expat Designs’ Roadwipping Cowl, designed for the 2019 Where We Knit Yarn Club with Rebecca of Fuse Fiber Studio. Sadly, Rebecca is no longer dyeing, but the May 2020 colorway from Shani of Bleu Poussière, created with natural dyes, would be perfect for this one-skein design. The yarn is available to preorder on Indie Untangled only through this Sunday.

Mary Annarella’s latest design pays homage to the cute cardigans worn by the character of Bernadette in The Big Bang Theory. You can get the fingering-weight pattern at 30% off on Ravelry or Payhip with the code “feelthebern” now through Sunday.

Sample Dana’s yarn with the Un Besito Snack Pack. The packs come with a dozen 10g yarn balls of Smooches Fingering Weight Merino/nylon yarn peeking through the window of a fun bakery box. Many of these sets are limited editions, so grab them while you can!

Robynn’s Concrete Jungle is a simple lace knit that will help keep away the upcoming small chill. It’s available for 20% off until Sunday on Ravelry and Payhip.

Monica of Gothfarm Yarn is all about the gray, from a blend of Jacob Sheep wool and black mohair to Nebelung, a matte-steel blend of carbonized bamboo and Coopworth sheep locks.

Knit a tam from Sheepscot Harbor Yarns.

What to stash while you get ready for Indie Untangled Everywhere

By Lisa | July 31, 2020

Heather of Sew Happy Jane, who is one of our Indie Untangled Everywhere vendors, is opening preorders tomorrow for her 2020 Advent Calendars, designed to bring that cozy, comforting feeling we need right now.

Selena of Sweater Sisters is having a huge clearance sale to make way for fall yarns. Two of her luxury fingering bases are 40% off. It’s also time once again for her Mini Sweater Challenge.

The latest mystery box from Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations is totally pawsome. You have your choice of cat or dog, notions only, pin and notions, or cuff and notions. Subscribers will also be the first to get two new shapes of end minders inspired by our four-legged family members.

The latest design from Amanda of Handmaine Knits, the Floret Wrap, is a botanically-inspired brioche trapezoid that comes in a three-color version and a six-color gradient version.

The Mermaids in the Waves shawl MKAL from Softyarn Designs is no longer a mystery. Join in and chat along, and enter to win prizes, including a gift card from dyer Jilly and Kiddles.

Amanda of Wild Hair Studio has a Lord of the Rings-inspired spinning Advent calendar.

What to stash this week: Yarn with attitude

By Lisa | May 22, 2020

Heather of Sew Happy Jane has embraced the rustic wool trend with her new line of non-Superwash yarn. She’s dyed her new 100% Peruvian Highland Wool in 10 colorways — eight semisolids and two speckled/variegated — that coordinate beautifully, making it perfect for colorwork. At $18 per 246-yard skein, it’s also an inexpensive entree into the world of crunchy yarn. Heather is taking dyed-to-order preorders until May 25.

Tomorrow, Stefania and Giulia of Lanivendole are launching orders for their next yarn club/collaboration. The Mind Wanderers Yarn Club is themed around where we go when we get lost in our thoughts while knitting. Each club bundle will include three skeins of their luxurious and local blend of Italian wool, Cashmere and alpaca and two accessories from Italian makers.

Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks is evoking the childhood nostalgia of the 64 Crayola box (the one with the sharpener on the back) with her new mini skein sets. Each set includes five 80-yard skeins of Deep Sock, perfect for colorwork hats, fingerless mitts or as sweater accents. Debbie is also offering 15% off, using code CXL15.

If your Startitis is flaring up, house your new WIPs in one of Rock Solid Designs’ new project bags! There are sweet honeybees and cheerful yellow poppies to get us in the mood for our socially-distanced spring, as well as reminders of the travels in our future.

Heather of Pumpkins and Wool has launched her new Sock Kits, featuring one 463-yard skein and one 92-yard mini in a super soft Superwash Merino/nylon blend.

Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns’ next update, taking place on Monday at 1 p.m. UK time, will include a summer-ready restock of laceweight yarns, including Titus Lace (Merino/silk) and Askham Lace (baby alpaca/silk).

Karen Whooley’s new book, Modern Italian Lace Crochet, will be released on June 2 and you can preorder it now. The book includes 10 new crochet designs inspired by her Italian heritage.

What to stash this week: prepare for the coming apoca-knits

By Lisa | May 1, 2020

A silver lining to yet another canceled festival is that independent publisher Cooperative Press has used the opportunity of a virtual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival to re-release two of their most popular titles: the appropriate-for-these-times Doomsday Knits: Projects for the Apocalypse and After, edited by Alex Tinsley, and Subversive Socks, edited by Tabetha Hedrick. Both books are only available to preorder until this Sunday, May 3, so grab yours before they become harder to find than unsalted butter.

Tomorrow, Heather of Sew Happy Jane will be participating in the Virtu-wool fiber festival hosted on Facebook, and her virtu-wool shop will be updated with new colorways and old favorites. Get a preview at 10 a.m. EDT on Facebook and learn how you can enter to win a prize.

The inaugural Virtu-wool Fiber Festival is a two-day event taking place tomorrow and Sunday featuring 20 vendors from across the U.S. Each day, between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT, vendors will present their products via a livestream.

Austin, Texas-based Gothfarm Yarn specializes in blends of naturally-colored fibers from rare and uncommon breeds of sheep and other furry animals, working with small farms and mills.

Elisabeth of Wolle’s Yarn Creations is participating in the virtual Maryland Sheep and Wool, and you can get 20% off her cotton and silk gradient yarns using the code MDSW20 to check out on her website.

Today is your last day to book your ticket for a virtual road trip to Olympic National Park via McMullin Fiber Co.’s two colorways, inspired by the park’s tide pools.

Heather of Pumpkins and Wool created six new super ’80s-inspired colorways for some retro fun during this bogus situation we’ve found ourselves in. Colors such as Ms. Pacman and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun have also been discounted.

What to stash this week: the new spring yarn lines

By Lisa | April 3, 2020

Beckie of Shirley Brien Yarn is having a shop update Sunday at noon EDT, when she’ll introduce a few new sock lines, including these super cool Deconstructed Fade Sock Sets, as well as hugely discounted kits for her Sailing Sweater.

Heather of Sew Happy Jane collaborated with designer Shellie Anderson on her new PRIMA shawl pattern, inspired by the Sassy Ballerina and Ballerina colorways. The pattern debuts today on Ravelry and Heather has yarn bundles for it available in her shop.

Debbie of Murky Depths Dyeworks is running a 15% off sale store-wide if you use code CXL15 at checkout. She’s also using her time at home on a personal “New Item of The Day” challenge, so keep your eye out for new creations!

Laura of Slipped Stitch Studios is offering a little snark and some swear words to help get you through this crazy time, with artist Cynthia Frenette’s best snarky and swear-y fabrics. This preorder goes live today at 9 a.m. PDT and closes on Monday at midnight.

Selenaof Sweater Sisters just released a new shawl pattern called Saratoga Springs. It uses two colors of WayfaringYarns Shangri-La, a blend of 75% Ultrafine Superwash Merino and 25% Mulberry Silk.

What to stash this week: the beginning of the rainbow

By Lisa | March 6, 2020

Lisa of White Birch Fiber Arts seems always ready for spring, with bright and cheerful self-striping colorways, and she recently restocked her website. There are plenty of her trademark rainbows, along with minis and gradient cakes.

Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations has launched her Celtic Spring collection of shawl pins that celebrate the rich heritage of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. There are also limited edition end minder sets that pay tribute to St. Patrick’s Day.

Party with Woolfred, the lovable Slipped Stitch Studios mascot, today at 9 a.m. Pacific. Woolfred Yarn Socks will be joined by project bags and accessories in some brand new sheep and alpaca fabrics.

Round 2 of the Inner Yarn Zen Outlander Unclub includes one skein of hand-painted Duality fingering-weight yarn and a commissioned set of stitch markers featuring images of this season’s key characters.

In time for spring, Joan of White Lies Designs has kits for the lacy Carly Waterfall Duster.

If you’re going to DFWFiberFest, learn a new way to put beads on your knitting.

What to stash this week: Otterly adorable yarn

By Lisa | December 6, 2019

This month’s Knitting Our National Parks colorway from Kim of The Woolen Rabbit is inspired by this adorable photo of an otter at the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. Everybody Otter Knit — which is much easier to pet than an actual otter! — will be available on two bases: Pearl, an 80/20 blend of Merino/nylon, and Wren, a DK-weight Superwash Merino.

You can preorder the yarn here through Friday, December 20; it will ship the last week of January. As always, 10% of sales will be donated to the National Park Foundation.

Speaking of animals, Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations has added some sparkly friends to her menagerie of creature-shaped “end minders.”

The Yarnover Truck Happiness Gradient Yarn Club is open to new members. The second half of this club includes three packages with a gradient colorway from Apple Tree Knits, knit and crochet patterns and fun themed extras.

Welcome the colder weather with Mona’s new Let It Snow hat pattern! This colorwork pattern is available in both tammy and beanie style.

IU newcomer Lester of Prosper Yarns is obsessed with Goddess, her laceweight Kid Mohair/Merino.

Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns has a new colourway called Festive Fun that is available to preorder.

Tahoma Vista Fiber Mill has a selection of mill-spun alpaca yarns in natural colors.

The FunHouse Cowl is a new customizable crochet design from ReVe Design Co.