Tag Archives: yarn

What to stash this week: Spring flowers

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Kristin, who runs a knitwear business called KraeO, is expanding from crocheted hats and cowls into hand-dyed yarn with a line called Fuzz Family. She has just debuted a springtime collection of colorways, including a lovely one called Rose Gold, pictured above.

Speaking of gold, Jen now has her popular stockinette stitch Short Row and Minis earrings in solid 14k gold. Be fancy!

Speaking of spring, Aspen Knits has just released this new spring-inspired, two-in-one design called Lilac. The pattern contains instructions for making both a wrap and a cowl. The samples feature yarn from indie dyer Thriving Hive Studio.

Heather of Sew Happy Jane has stocked her shop full of goodies, including Silky Cashmere, five shades of Magical Mohair, tons of Delightful DK, mini skeins and several new spring colorways.

Summit Rd. Fibers is having a flash sale, with 20% off through March 17.

The top 10 things that make a yarn shop awesome: my reflections from the road

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It should come as no surprise that I’ve been to a lot of yarn shops. Aside from being spoiled for choice in New York City, I try to make it to an LYS whenever I’m traveling. Even though many of us have enough yarn in our stashes to open up our own storefronts, there’s nothing like going into a shop even when halfway around the world and feeling like you’re “home.”

Recently, Thao of Nerd Bird Makery asked me to rank my top five shops (how very High Fidelity/Rob Gordon!). It was pretty much impossible to narrow it down, but the question got me thinking about exactly what would put a yarn shop on my list if I could actually manage to make one.

So, instead, here’s a list of the top 10 things that make a yarn shop awesome, and how my LYSs, and the ones I’ve visited while on the road, fit in.

Felicia Eve, the owner of String Thing Studio in Brooklyn, NY.

Welcoming atmosphere

This is perhaps the most important thing on the list. A shop can have the most beautiful yarn on the planet, but no knitter/crocheter/spinner/weaver/pick-your-fiber-crafter should feel unwelcome or out of place.

When I think of a warm atmosphere, two of my locals come to mind: String Thing Studio and Knitty City. While String Thing is relatively new — it will be two years old in June — owner Felicia Eve has created what feels like a second home, just with a much bigger stash. Whether I’m coming for an indie trunk show, for the jam-packed Friday knit night or just to sit and knit in the back garden on an early spring day, it’s clear that this is a community space. Pearl Chin’s Knitty City is a longer trip, but it has the same Cheers-like feeling and commitment to inclusivity. I remember when I first started promoting the Indie Untangled Rhinebeck Trunk Show in 2014, I went up to Knitty City to ask if I could put a flier for it on their bulletin board and they were happy to let me. Thinking back, it was a bit presumptuous of me to ask a yarn shop to support my nascent enterprise, but it just shows their commitment to small fiber businesses and how the shop epitomizes the supportiveness that this community is known for.

Similarly, Mary Ebel of The Perfect Blend in Saugerties, New York, was tremendously supportive with last year’s Indie Untangled Rhinebeck Trunk Show, helping me find local resources for parking and rallying the local merchants together, allowing space for people to sit and knit during that frenzied day.

The latest location of Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA, makes good use of a fan-shaped space.

Good lighting and organization

When it comes to brick and mortar businesses, a good location with plenty of natural light is hard to find, and supplemental lighting is its own special art form. Yarn shops with the perfect combination of both are the holy grail. There should also be some rhyme or reason to how the yarn is organized.

I’ve been fortunate to visit all three incarnations of Fibre Space in Alexandria, Virginia, and was always impressed with how well lit they’ve been and how they manage to create a nice flow when perusing their inventory. Similarly, Knotty Lamb in Forest Grove, Oregon, seen in the main photo above, arranges its massive space by yarn weight, so it’s easy to know where to go when you’re thinking about knitting a sportweight sweater, or know you need to stay away from the fingering.

Local selection

Since I’m all about the indie dyers, and a yarn purchase while I’m on vacation is the best souvenir, I appreciate when yarn shops highlight their locally-made or dyed products. Retrosaria Rosa Pomar in Lisbon, Portugal, was the perfect example of that, with an impressive array of yarn sourced from Portuguese sheep that made me want to create a woolly colorwork sweater right then and there.

Shop exclusives

Most of us are suckers for exclusive colorways or products, so shops that have these — such as Loop London‘s special pattern books or project bags, or the exclusive Spincycle colorway at Starlight Knitting Society in Portland, Oregon — can just take all my money.

Starlight Knitting Society in Portland, OR, which has since expanded into the adjacent space to the right in this photo.

Room to sit and knit

Whether it’s a long table with room for just one more chair or a cozy leather sofa, a shop needs to invite you to sit and knit for a while, even if it’s just for 10 minutes while your non-knitting partner is at the comic book store. It’s ideal if the seating is communal and spaced out enough so you can look at people while you’re stitching. String Thing’s garden is the perfect warm-weather knitting spot, and I love the big sofas at Fibre Space, Starlight and Knotty Lamb.

Caitlin Hunter’s Time Trades shawl at Knotty Lamb.

On-trend samples

Who hasn’t fallen for a sample, especially when you’re browsing without a plan in mind? I’ll have to call out Knotty Lamb again, as being Caitlin Hunter’s LYS means that there were so many drool-worthy samples.

Just one of the non-yarn goodies at The Observatory Shop. This candle smells amazing.

Non-yarn extras

I know it sounds crazy… but sometimes you’re just… not in the market for yarn. Or, at least you don’t want to get more than a couple of skeins. I appreciate shops that have a well curated selection of non-yarn items, like bags, T-shirts, enamel pins and things you may never have thought of. At Retrosaria Rosa Pomar, I bought a beautiful woven throw pillow, and The Observatory in Hastings On Hudson, New York, has home items, regular bags, jewelry and even clothing.

Clara Parkes reading from A Stash of One’s Own at Knitty City in fall 2017.

Classes and events

Trunk shows, workshops, maker presentations and author talks are a big part of what makes a LYS a community space. The HereNowSpace run by Paola Vanzo of mYak has many of these special events, as does Knitty City.

Weaving represented in the window at Woolyn in Brooklyn.

Enticing window displays

Since fiber folks are so creative, most shops I’ve been to take special care with their window displays. Woolyn in Brooklyn has had some of my favorites.

Pull up a chair and knit at Brooklyn General.

Something “Grammable”

Especially when you’re visiting a shop as a “yarn tourist,” you want a cool way to document your visit. Aside from having an enviable selection, Brooklyn General provides that with its charming, homespun atmosphere that seems made for social media.

Tell us about your favorite yarn shop, and how it fits the criteria of this Top 10 list, in the comments!

What to stash this week: Last chance to go Skeinny Dipping

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There are still a few sweater quantities of Journey Worsted available (pictured above is Redwoods), as well as Christine’s new Merino Silk Single, her Merino Single, Mericash Fingering and Canonball Sock available in the Virtual Trunk Show — but not for long. 

Jen of Porterness Studio is celebrating her 5th birthday as a jewelry maker and you get a present! Use the code IU5Years to get 25% off your order until this Sunday, March 3. You’ll also get a free sterling silver stitch marker with every purchase.

Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations has added dragonfly shawl pins to her shop. Use one to add some sparkle to your favorite shawl, cowl, scarf or cardigan.

 

Liz of HighFiberArtz recently launched a yarn collection that shows off her style of dyeing. Each yarn in Liz’s Inspiration collection is based on a photograph. She also recently started dyeing sock blanks.

Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns is collaborating with Jaya of Apoorva Designs on the Four Seasons Collection, which will include four shawls or wraps inspired by Jaya’s favorite poems. Sign-ups for a subscription to the collection, which will include the yarn, pattern and other goodies, begin today at 7 p.m. UK time. At the same time, the next round of signups will open for The Potting Shed, a monthly yarn subscription club. And, finally, Victoria will be having a regular shop update featuring Oakworth 4ply, a 100% Superwash NZ Polwarth, at 1 p.m. UK time on Sunday.

Summit Road Fibers has opened preorders for an April Fool’s Mystery Pack.

Untangling Christine of Skeinny Dipping

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Skeinny Dipping was one of the first yarn companies to advertise on Indie Untangled, way back in 2014. I was smitten by Christine’s glowing colorways, particularly her rich reds and complex browns and greens (and I am generally not a brown or green person) and learned a little more about her when she vended at the first-ever Indie Untangled Rhinebeck Trunk Show that same year.

Christine’s background includes working in East Africa with the Peace Corps, which has inspired some of her colorway names (Malaria Dreams and Vervet), as have SNL (I Need More Cowbell and Space Pants) and food (Brown Butter and Blue Raspberry Slurpee).

When she’s not dyeing or traveling around the world with her husband and their adorable Chihuahua, Gracie, Christine knits incredible colorwork sweaters. Her yarn is currently available in the Indie Untangled Virtual Trunk Show.

Tell me about how you got started dyeing yarn.

Dyeing yarn was never on my radar. Like many dyers I had gotten to a point in my life where the normal job wasn’t possible and I had to find something to do.

Christine with a “mama” from her village in Kenya.

What did you do in the Peace Corps?

I was an agroforestry extensionist in the Peace Corps. This was my primary assignment through the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. I worked with other local Kenyan extensionists in my location (similar to a county) providing technical assistance to subsistence farmers in my region.

My area of expertise was agroforestry, which is a multi-purpose land use system that promotes fuel wood security and improved crop yields on subsistence-sized plots. Together with my Kenyan counterparts we also addressed water and sanitation issues, health education (such as HIV prevention) and any other issues that farmers encountered. I also had some secondary projects like teaching how to bake without an oven, which was a project that happened by accident.

What inspires your colors?

Sometimes it’s a word or phrase that inspires the color (Space Pants from SNL). Other times, it’s the parasitic diseases of tropical Africa or the nut sacks of Kenyan monkeys (Malaria Dreams and Vervet). If it’s disturbing, I’m pretty sure I’ll get a good colorway out of it.

Tinsel-ectomy on Journey Worsted.

Which of your colorways are you most proud of?

I’m proud of them all in their own way, but my favorites are the ones that glow even though they’re extremely saturated and dark. Those take a lot of experimentation to get right, and I have to redo the recipes for each base since different fibers take the dyes differently.

Do you have a favorite color or colors, and have they changed since you became a dyer?

My favorite color has always been green, and there were a lot of colors I didn’t like before I became a dyer, like yellow and red. But I found that I started to like them if I could get them murky and saturated, so I’ve come around to those colors. I still don’t like pink, though, except for Adobe Wan Kenobi, and that’s only because I’ve pushed that colorway to the line between coral and red. I love gray and black, too.

Christine knit Sweaterfreakknits’ Birch Sap shawl in a colorway called Adobe Wan Kenobi.

When and how did you learn to knit?

My grandmom first taught me to knit when I was seven. I only knew the knit stitch, and I had some horrid pink acrylic from Woolworths. Like a lot of kids, I was interested for 10 minutes and then put it aside till I was much older. I picked it up again during my pre-service training in the Peace Corps. We get three months of intensive training in-country before our service officially begins, and it was during this time that our trainers encouraged us to develop another hobby other than reading. We managed to cobble together the rest of the knitting basics like casting on and binding off from within our group. I made a lot of scarves and potholders until the next extension group of volunteers arrived. There was a hat knitter in that group and luckily she was based near me, so I learned how to make Anna Zilboorg’s hats. Aside from when I was in grad school and working full time, I haven’t stopped knitting since then.

Is there a color that you would love to dye, but that is challenging to create?

I cannot dye less saturated colorways to save my life. I do have Salt Marsh, Zingbat, Vintaged and Blue Raspberry Slurpee but I hated all of them when I came up with them. But everyone else liked them, so they got to stay.

Olives on Journey Worsted.

What are some of your favorite projects that you or your customers have made with your yarn?

It’s not so much that there are certain projects that are my favorites, but moreso when my customers make something with a colorway they say is not from a color group that they normally like. Those are my favorites — if I can get you to be open to a color group that you didn’t like before, that is the ultimate compliment.

What to stash this week: canyon of yarn

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For this round of Knitting Our National Parks, Stephanie of SpaceCadet Yarns was drawn to the gorgeous browns, greys and oranges of the canyon that appear to be reflected in the hazy sky, with the shock of turquoise of the Gunnison River running through it. Her Gunnison colorway is available on not one, not two, but four different bases, from fingering to worsted! You can preorder the yarn on Indie Untangled through Friday, February 15 and will ship the last week of March. As always, 10% of sales will be donated to the National Park Foundation — the last round provided more than $800, which will go to the parks that need the most help after the recent government shutdown. 

Once Again, a collaboration between Marian and designer Deb Gerhard, features a Fair Isle yoke combined with simple cables, showing off either a gradient or a subtle variegated colorway. The yarn is available via Marian’s website and the pattern can be found on Ravelry.

Knit Collage creates unique handspun yarn, as well as yarn that is made from fabric. It is true art yarn, enhanced with flowers and ribbons or spun into interesting textures with fun colors. 

February’s installment of the McMullin Fiber Co. Literature Society is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. Act fast if you want a yarn that is “handsome, clever and rich,” as signups close February 5.

For The Indie Project, Sam of Lavender Lune Yarn Co. is teaming up with a new indie dyer each month, and each of them will dye a colorway inspired by the same photo. For February she is teaming up with Joyce of The Flying Kettle. The two-skein kit is available to preorder through February 7.

Designer Kelly Sandusky of Aspen Knits has designed the Pinnacle Shawl with two DK-weight skeins of dyer Heather’s favorite colorways, Sassy Ballerina and Honey Mead. The shawl has a variety of stitch patterns and the heavier weight helps this project fly off the needles. You can use the colors in the sample or create your own from the selection of Delightful DK in the Sew Happy Jane shop.

TGIS: Thank Goodness It’s Sheep! Laura and Co. have bags in three fun fabrics, a limited-edition “Woolfred” Yarn Sock and a new wider medium-sized project bag. All of it is on sale today starting at 9 a.m. Pacific time and until Monday at midnight.

Last chance for Margarita Day, the first installment of Despondent Dyes’ Faux Holidays Club.

Cog Yarns has openings for a February Mystery Sock Club.

Eden Cottage Yarns is having a DK update and a Yarnuary sale.

What to stash this week at VKL or not

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At this year’s VKL NYC, MollyGirl Yarn is part of what has been dubbed the Megabooth, a collaboration between Angela, Woolyn, One Geek To Craft Them All, Yarn Over New York and Wee Ones Creations. Highlights include the City Windows kit, which includes a pattern by Rachel of Woolyn, and skeins from MollyGirl and Yarn Over New York, a new base called Boogie Woogie comprised of 85% Italian Superwash Merino and 15% nylon, Rock Star Sport for all those new sportweight patterns, signups for Volume II of Mollygirl’s Spotlight club, which is themed around the musical Wicked, and a new set of fun enamel pins featuring artwork by Xandy Peters — one of the folks Angela met during that first VKL four years ago. 

But if you’re not in NYC this weekend, don’t sweat it — everything shown on Angela’s Indie Untangled post will be available online on Monday, January 28!

Liz of HighFiberArtz, an Oregon-based IU newcomer, dyes colorways inspired by things around her, on high-quality bases in weights from lace to worsted.

Sew Happy Jane has a new base for the new year: Springy Sport, because sport is the new fingering. And get 10% off when you spend more than $100 with the code OVER100.

In plenty of time for V-Day, the Pandia’s Jewels Romance Collection features new colors, stitch markers and kits. There are several yarn bases to choose from, from fingering to DK weight.

Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations is opening sign-ups for her Enchanted Forest Shawl Pin Club. It includes a monthly shipment of an exclusive shawl pin, notions, as well as yarn, pattern and book suggestions.

Despondent Dyes is introducing the Faux Holidays Club.

Lambstrings Yarn just had a new beginnings-themed shop update.

The Indie Untangled shopping guide to VKL NYC 2019

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It’s that time of year again, when Times Square gets overtaken by knitters on a mission, dodging tourists and glaring at the Starbucks line, hoping to make it to their 9 a.m. brioche class on time — or just to the Marketplace to shop for yarn.

The Marketplace at this year’s VKL NYC — taking place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square from January 25-27 — looks to be the busiest it’s ever been. To help you prepare, I’ve put together a guide to the Indie Untangled vendors that you need to visit. Each vendor has introduced themselves and is offering a sneak peek at some of the yarns and products they’ll be bringing.

Will you be there this weekend (and on the subway Saturday)?

Asylum Fibers

Fifth Floor, Booths 314 & 316

Asylum Fibers focuses on in-your-face, vibrant tones and one-of-a-kind colorways on over 15 bases, both versatile and luxurious. The brand name was thought up in order to incorporate the playfulness of horror flicks while leveraging the other meaning of the word “asylum,” acknowledging that crafting is such a wonderful, meaningful form of therapy and comfort.

Stop by to “embrace your crazy” with a photo shoot and check out some new 2019 colorways. Available will be an event colorway called Sidewalk Reflections, a new base called Brainless Bulky and The Brainless Beanie, a free pattern corresponding with the release of this new base, and a 2019 mini set featuring new colors, including I’m Alive, inspired by the Pantone color of the year.

Cat Sandwich Fibers

Fifth Floor, Booth 321

I dye everything out of my home’s basement in New Jersey and I’m inspired by all things cute and pink.

I’ll be bringing more than 20 new colorways, some of which are one-of-a-kinds and will never be repeated again. A ton of new colors are inspired by Sailor Moon, which is a show I religiously watched growing up.

Dragonfly Fibers

Sixth Floor, Booth 907

Dragonfly Fibers has been dyeing high-quality yarn and fiber in suburban Washington, DC, for more than 10 years. We’re known for our vivid and saturated tonal and variegated colorways, and we have gorgeous neutrals, too! Come see all that’s new and beautiful in booths 807 and 809!

Pictured above is the Plumpy Shawl by Andrea Mowry. Sample shown in the Starry Night colorway of our Traveller Fade Color Pack (plus one additional skein of Starry Night). Four other fade packs are available — Fade to Back, Reds to Browns, Blues to Browns and Blues.

Nightshift shawl by Andrea Mowry. Sample is shown in one of two kit options of six two-ounce skeins of Traveller: Jocelyn, Mossy Glen, Into the Woods, Hot Pants, Arya, and Limelight The other kit is Cheshire Cat, Airport Hot Sauce, Titania, That Ol’ Chestnut, Silver Fox, Velvet Underground.

Garment District, our show exclusive colorway! Shown in Djinni, our fingering weight MCN. It will be available in multiple bases but supplies are limited.

Eternity Ranch Knits

Fifth Floor, Booth 118

Most of my dying revolves around themes. At VKL in NY I will have Disney Men, Disney Villains as well as a few added colorways to series I currently have, plus many new semisolids in fingering/DK and worsted weights.

Pictured are Pittsburgh Steelers, Cast Iron, Hyacinth and Beth.

Katrinkles

Fifth Floor, Booth 100

Katrinkles makes buttons, wearable accessories, tools for fiber artists and custom products out of durable wood. Each piece is lovingly designed, carefully crafted and hand-finished in our Providence, RI, studio.

[Editor’s note: You can preorder some special VKL items (not the stitch marker pins, unfortunately) to pick up at the show on the Katrinkles website through the end of the day today.]

Kim Dyes Yarn

Fifth Floor, Booth 117

Kim Dyes Yarn is an indie dyer from the beautiful state of Virginia. Kim offers hand-dyed luxury yarn and spinning fibers in unique colorways.

Lady Dye Yarns

Fifth Floor, Booth 541

Lady Dye Yarns has specialized in hand-dyed, vibrant and saturated yarns since 2010. I believe in promoting a more diverse crafting community through my actions and building collaborations with others.

In addition to tons of new colorways, I will have my limited-edition Fingering Merino Cashmere yarn just for VKL in my Black Panther colorway and in all of my new colorways. Also in my booth will be Alex Creates, Crochet Luna, Fully Spun and Alasdair Post-Quinn, all representing diverse backgrounds culturally, but also in their work.

Little Fox Yarn

Fifth Floor, Booth 119

Aimee and Brian are the dyers of Little Fox Yarn, based just outside of Richmond, Virginia. Their beautiful, wearable colorways are inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains where Aimee grew up.

Magpie Fibers

Fifth Floor, Booths 600-610

Magpie Fibers specializes in hand-dyed luxury yarns, saturated colors and distinctive accessories.

Mollygirl Yarn

Fifth Floor, Booth 418

MollyGirl Yarn is a rockin’ yarn company featuring exclusive yarns inspired by music! Their Vogue lineup includes 2 new yarns, tons of new mini bundles, new enamel pins featuring art from designer Xandy Peters and signups for Volume II of the Spotlight Club!

mYak

Sixth Floor, Booth 914

This is mYak: Born in Tibet, Crafted in Italy.
A natural fiber unique in the world.
Born in one of the world’s most extreme locations.
Made with Italian artisanal quality.

At VKL we are going to present our line of Baby Yak and Tibetan Cashmere in both kits and single skeins with the beautiful designs created for us by incredibly talented designers.

Nice & Knit

Fifth Floor, Booth 408

We’re Katie and Kara of Nice and Knit — sisters, best friends, knitters and color enthusiasts. We work hard to bring you the very best of what we love, from our creative patterns to our quality hand-dyed yarns. We love working together in our light-filled Connecticut studio, dyeing yarn, shipping orders, and brainstorming our next big idea. Thank you for being a part of our dream!

We’ll be featuring an VKL color way called Times Square and custom City Lights bags from Sandy by the Lakeside.

One Geek To Craft Them All

Fifth Floor, Booth 412

One Geek to Craft Them All makes stitch markers, notions pouches, project bags, and jewelry for all crafters. Inspired by music, movies, books, history, and more I bring a nerdy flair to all I make. My designs are to inspire everyone’s inner geek.

[Editor’s note: Marsha will have exclusive Indie Untangled yarn ball earrings in her booth!]

Ritual Dyes

Sixth Floor, Booth 1015

Ritual Dyes is an independent Dyehouse out of Portland, Oregon, that focuses on wearable, subtle colorways of hand-dyed yarn. We also offer a line of modern project bags including the Knitter’s Backpack.

We will be bringing along kits for Caitlin Hunter’s Alyeska pattern, kits from our new, sign-specific Zodiac Collection, an exciting version of our popular Knitter’s Backpack – the Knitter’s Sling Bag (in leather!) as well as our new American Rambouillet line.

Shelli Can

Sixth Floor, Booth 1107

Shelli designs enamel pins, apparel, and other accessories for fiber lovers. She’ll be releasing an exclusive VKL design (pizza!) on a variety of items along with some collaborations by Tuft Woolens, Havirland, Katrinkles and Bunny & Toot.

Wolle’s Yarn Creations

Fifth Floor, Booth 116

Wolle’s Yarn Creations — the original gradients. Our cotton and cotton/silk yarns are skin-soft luxury, feeling is believing.

Yarn Culture

Sixth Floor, Booths 711-719

Based in Rochester, N.Y., Yarn Culture brings yarn, inspiration and designers from around the corner and around the world.

Meet Åsa Tricosa and see her beautiful collection of Ziggerats Sweaters.

Participate in a VKL-NYC exclusive preview of Rosy Green Wool’s new Manx Merino Fine collection and be the first to see Melanie Berg’s newest shawl design, Glückauf.

We’ve got a gorgeous selection of garments and yarn from Rochester, N.Y.’s own Renee from Spun Right Round, including the exclusive colorway ROC City Blooms.

Youghiogheny Yarns

Fifth Floor, Booth 108

Youghiogheny Yarns, pronounced “yock-i-gainey,” is the creation of husband and wife team, Todd & Keri Fosbrink. Color is everywhere in the Youghiogheny River Valley no matter the season, and Youghiogheny Yarns wants to help you bring some of that color into your life and projects.

Pictured above are their colorways Blueberry Lemonade, Coral Cove, Chinese Fireball and a preview of their 2019 show exclusive, I Beg Your Pardon!

Zen Yarn Garden

Fifth Floor, Booth 421

Zen Yarn Garden’s dye studio is based is Ontario, Canada. Our yarn is special. We take pride in providing the most luxurious fibres and dyeing them in a range of beautiful semi-solid, splatter and one-of-a-kind colourways. We know every yarn you buy is destined to have many hours in your stash and on your needles. With each skein we strive to reflect the same passion that you have for your projects and craft in our yarns.

We will have a myriad of colourways available in several bases and will be offering free patterns with yarn purchases. Be sure to check out our Lux Blanx which knit up and express colours in unique ways!

What to stash this week: mini mani-yak

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Stephania of Three Fates Yarn takes a different, less speckled path than other indie dyers, and her semisolids and gradients are perfect for colorwork projects that require the colors to stand out from one another. Enter her Helios mini skeins. Comprised of 60% Superwash Merino, 20% yak and 20% silk, they are a great match for items that require a bit of luxurious warmth with next-to-the-skin softness. Stephania has moved from Etsy to a new home on a new website, so step in and take a look around, and get to know her and her lovely yarns a little better.  

Tamy recently debuted her Harpers Ferry shawl, which uses a main color contrasted with mohair and mini skeins (see above on where to get minis!). The result is a beautiful melding of high-contrast color, though you can also use a gradient for a more subtle look.

And speaking of minis… Jen of Porterness Studio has a new mini double-sided Yarn Life and stockinette motif sterling silver necklace. It’s designed to show flip as you wear it during the day to show off both sides. It normally retails for $125, but Indie Untangled readers get an introductory price of $95 with the code IndieYarnMini25 through January 24.

As the Outlander series comes to a close, so does Inner Yarn Zen’s Season 4 Outlander Unclub. Pictured is a photo of the yarn from Round 2, which is available on its own or as part of a package with all three rounds.

This is going to be Jennifer of Spirit Trail Fiberworks’ new view in New Mexico and it’s inspiring her New Beginnings yarn club. This quarterly club will ship in March, June, September and December and you can get one skein to up to four skeins per shipment.

Amanda of Wild Hair Studio has one of the few flocks of Romeldale/CVM sheep in the southeastern U.S. This breed, which is considered endangered, will be highlighted in her quarterly fiber club, which is now accepting members. Each club release will include roving, batts or smidgens (mini batts) of a Romeldale/CVM wool and/or Romeldale/CVM wool blend from her studio. If you’re more a knitter than a spinner, there is also a handspun option!

Slipped Stitch Studios is bringing you some enchantment under the sea. No, not the dance in Back To the Future, but a collection of project bags and other goodies featuring mermaids, sharks, narwhals and more. They’re on sale today at 9 a.m. Pacific time.

Kate of McMullin Fiber Co. hosting a winter make-along with prizes and loose rules. To enter, you can make a project using 50% or more of McMullin Fiber Co. materials and post about it publicly on social media. She’s kicking off the MAL with a sale: use the code TREATYOSELF for 25% off everything in the shop until January 24.

The latest October House Fiber Arts shop update includes a few colorful additions that should brighten up your dark winter days.

In time for the new year, Michelle of Crafty Flutterby Creations is releasing Tree of Life shawl pins, which symbolize rebirth and new beginnings.

Dye Is Cast Yarns has a limited edition Valentine’s Day 2019 colorway.

What to stash this week: fab finds

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Heather of Heather’s Yarn Barn is dyeing small batches of colorways each month all inspired around a theme. This month’s colorways have an antique theme and include Yellow Flowers (pictured above), Rusty Old Keys and Lavender End Table.

Yarn clubs are such a great way to explore the work of new-to-you dyers, designers and other creative folks, and to fall in love with colorways that you may not have found on your own. Of course, you need a perfect theme to tie it all together. Diane of Lady Dye Yarns has been dedicated to promoting the work of women color in the fiber industry, and her latest club, called the Fab 8 Craft Club, is comprised of products from eight black female yarn-trepreneurs, including Brooke of Fully Spun.

Laura and Co.’s January Bag of the Month serves up some cuteness, but you’ll want to wash these creatures’ mouths out with soap (hand wash, of course). They have chosen three super cool designs from artist Cynthia Frenette. Preorders open today 9 a.m. PST and close at midnight on Monday, January 14.

Heather of Earl Grey Fiber Co.’s Afternoon Tea Collection is a quarterly collection of sock sets inspired by the best hot beverage. Three new sock sets, which include one full skein and two coordinating minis, will be debuting in a shop update on January 19.

Julia’s new free Nimbus hat is designed to be knit with either fingering, sport or DK weight yarn held with mohair silk lace. The cable crown shows off your inner supernatural strength, even on days when a rain cloud is hovering over you.

Grab the Mrs. Frog colorway from IU newcomer Wobble Gobble Yarn.

What to stash this week: Indie Goes West

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If you’re local to Portland, Oregon, and free on February 2 from 5-8 p.m., then you should snag tickets to Indie Untangled’s first West Coast event! I’m teaming up with Thao of Nerd Bird Makery and we’re bringing together a select group of Northwest dyers and makers and also introducing a few indies from the East Coast. Click here for all the info. 

If you miss summer camp, there are still spots open for the Pacific Coast Handmade Craft Camp taking place September 12-15 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Activities include knitting, sewing, embroidery, dyeing, block printing, weaving, mending and more. The fabulous instructors are: Sonya Philip (100 Acts of Sewing), Simone Kereit (Owlcat Designs), Michelle Russell (Left Coast Dyer), Cleo Malone (co-owner of Cast Away yarn shop) and Sarah Pedersen (The Dye Project).

Class up your 2019 with these elegant bags from Slipped Stitch Studios. Their New Year Elegance Party kicks off today at 9 a.m. Pacific Time and includes a limited number of ready to ship bags in sparkly fabrics.

Sign-ups for the 2019 Indie Untangled Where We Knit Yarn Club close this Monday, December 31! Don’t miss out on this quarterly club that brings together four dyer/designer teams that will collaborate on an exclusive colorway and accompanying accessory design inspired by where they knit.

Clockwise from top left are inspiration photos from Life In the Long Grass and Rizzaknits, Martin’s Lab and Justyna Lorkowska, Asylum Fibers and Woollywormhead and Fuse Fiber Studio and Knitting Expat. 

Zen Yarn Garden is having a massive Boxing Day sale. Use the code 25OFF to get… 25% off yarn and knitting kits, including their lovely kit for Andrea Mowry’s What the Fade. There’s also free U.S. shipping on orders of $99+ and free international shipping for orders of $299+.

Learn more about Marissa of The Spun Bunny, a “bunny shepherdess” and creator of color for yarn and a variety of spinning fiber, which of course includes angora from her adorable bunnies. Marissa is offering 35% off items in her shop, excluding calendars, through December 30 with the code THANKYOU.

Patrick of yarn company Rosy Green Wool and designer Melanie Berg have teamed up to raise money for the Against Malaria Foundation, a charity that saves lives. Only $2-3 buys a bed net treated with insecticides that can protect two people from malaria for up to four years — much less than a skein of hand-dyed yarn. Please join me in making a donation. Additionally, I will be donating 10% of all sales of in-stock items in the Indie Untangled shop through January 31, 2019 to the campaign.