The Island Yarn Company

Sock Club and Combo Club! Get them before it is too late!

islandyarn — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:23:10 +0000

Socks really are the greatest summer knitting aren’t they? They are quick and fun to knit, portable, immensely useful, and can be absolutely gorgeous and pleasurable to wear. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that when polled, so many said “SOCK CLUB” loud and clear.

With Summer Sock Club membership, every five weeks this summer, you will receive a kit with a distinct Sock Club Colorway made especially for the sock pattern that accompanies it. Additionally, there were more than a few voices that said, “I want the sock club, but not socks.” I was a little puzzled by this, but then my not-so-nameless brilliant friend suggested sending a scarf pattern as well. Brilliant! So with each kit, you’ll get a sock pattern, and a scarf pattern and the choice will be yours! We have lots of great sock yarns, so the possibilities are endless! There will be four total kits – when you join up, I will send you an approximate schedule for when you can expect them, but the first will go out the week of June 17th.

You can also buy a club membership for anyone as a gift – just let us know in the purchase email that it’s a gift and we will send a note to your giftee with their first kit letting them know it was a delightful gift from you!

Deadline to join the club is Saturday, June 9th. Kits will be mailed, every five weeks, starting the week of June 17th.

If you are local and able to, please stop in the store to sign up so that we don’t have to monkey with shipping refunds. Not a die-hard rule, but if possible… If you are not local or want your kits shipped for any other reason, please click here to join up!

PLEASE NOTE that the sock in the picture is our most recent sock pattern and available on Ravelry. It is meant to be an example of sock love only…the sock patterns you will get will be brand new!

As many of you have already noticed, in the land of art yarn, Combo Fibers are among some of the most fun and addictive. Blankets, cowls, shawls, shawlettes, scarves, and hats….so many fun things to make with combo fibers…each unique and special! And so this summer we are going to revive the Combo Club and give it its long awaited second round.

With Combo Club membership, every five weeks this summer, you will receive a kit with a distinct Combo Fiber Hank made especially for the club and a shawlette pattern to accompany it. There will be four total kits – when you join up, I will send you an approximate schedule for when you can expect them, but the first will go out the week of June 10th.

Deadline to join the club is Saturday, June 9th. Kits will be mailed, every five weeks, starting the week of June 10th.

PLEASE NOTE that the Combo Fibers in the picture is meant to be an example of Combo Fiber love only…the hanks you will get will be brand new!

May pattern of the month! Back to socks!

islandyarn — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:12:16 +0000

Some of you may remember those 7 pairs of socks that I made for my mom’s 70th? Well since then, I’ve not exactly had the sock mojo. Until Papyrus. Papyrus is the newest addition to the wall of hand-dye love and it’s fairly irresistible. Irresistible enough to make me finally take (at least a brief) a step away from the Combo Fibers. 8 Super fine plies of superwash merino make this yarn a dyeing and a knitting dream! And so, May’s pattern of the month? Mirren Socks!

I designed these socks with those super contrast-y hand-dyes in mind. You know when you need just a little more interest than a basic sock? This all-over pattern is just the thing! Mirren socks will be free with the purchase of one hank of Papyrus through the month of May.

May knit-a-long!

islandyarn — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:21:32 +0000

It is that time again….for spring knit-a-longs! On Thursday, May 3rd, we’ll be starting the Color Affection shawl. This isn’t my pattern, so you’ll need to buy the it from the link above and it takes 3 colors of either laceweight or fingering weight yarn. Having had the burning urge to start this one right away, I can tell you its a really fun and addictive knit! You can join up anytime. Come on Thursday knit-nights for a little bonding over the insanity, but of course pop-in anytime for a little help or moral support!

As always, knit-alongs are free, but we do require that you buy yarn for the project at Island Yarn.

Gore Place Sheepshearing Festival!

islandyarn — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:43:49 +0000

This Saturday, 10 to 5! Don’t miss this super-fun event…the sheep, the border collies, the ducks, the crafts, the fried dough! What’s not to love?

We’ll be at the Festival all day, down in the Fiber Tent (close to the Grove St entrance) with a ton of new hand-dyed yarns, fiber, reclaimed yarns and combo fibers! And my friends will be right next to my booth with their gorgeous shawls, scarves, jewelry, project bags and much more! Stop by, say hi, and see all the pretties! I just check the weather and it looks to be a perfect day! Yay! See you there!

Also, the store itself will be closed on Saturday since we will all be at Gore, so pop over to get all your yarnie delights!

April Pattern of the Month!

islandyarn — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:40:19 +0000

It’s time for a confession. I can’t stop. They just keep wanting to be knit. I have managed to knit a couple of other things, but I’m still cranking out Combo Fiber projects like there is no tomorrow. It’s fairly impossible to resist the enchantment of the colors and textures and unique characters of each Combo Fiber Hank. And so, here we have the Village Jacket! I made this particular one with three different red Combo Fibers, mainly so you could see the fun of having more than one colorway to play with. The smallest size takes just 3 hanks and the pattern goes up to XXL which takes 7 hanks. This pattern is free through the month of April with the purchase of 3 or more hanks of Island Yarn Combo Fibers.

Village Jacket

HUGE ANNUAL SPRING SALE!

islandyarn — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:33:05 +0000

It’s back! Time to do a little store spring cleaning and make room for new goodies coming in!

From March 10th to March 17th!

Buy One, Get One 1/2 off!

On all (in stock, no special orders) yarns from:

Classic Elite
SWTC
Elsbeth Lavold
Dale of Norway
Araucania
Jojoland
Mirasol
Louet
Lana Grossa
Tahki

TONS of yarns of sale!! Don’t miss out!

Last Still Stitching

islandyarn — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:00:54 +0000

So, a few of us have a couple of projects to move through, yes? I’m glancing at the cast-on mania-ers, but all you other knitters and crocheters are right in my line of sight too! So here we go with a new silly game…this one to help you make some progress on your projects (both those started and those that are still just in your mind).

Here’s what you do:

1. Sign up on this thread with an “I’m in” post by Saturday, March 10th at midnight.

2. Do 10 rows per day on ANY project. Have a rough day and can’t churn through 10 on the back of that sweater, work on a scarf that day instead, but do your 10 rows per day. (I know most of you have a FEW projects to choose from).

3. Using clipping stitch markers, mark your progress, and take pictures so that we can all see. You MUST do this at least once per week…accounting for each day since your last post. If it’s easier, you can save them all for one big post once a week, or you can post everyday….or anything in between. If you do multiple days in one post…maybe attach a little paper to each marker showing which day it is.

4. Sunday mornings, I’ll go through and see who is still on track…if you have missed a day, or haven’t posted, you’ll be eliminated. Whoever is the last one to still be churning out the 10 rows per day will win a fabulous prize!

Since this is totally a new thing I’m gonna say we need a minimum of a dozen to sign up, but I’m hoping that won’t be any big problem. Also, yes…you can CO new things, but you have to do 10 rows in addition to the CO for that day.

Does that all make sense? Sound fun?

Yes….I really am placing bets in my head about who will be the Last Still Stitching.

March Pattern of the Month!

islandyarn — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:16:14 +0000

Combo Craze has hit the store with a force! It’s fairly impossible to resist the enchantment of the colors and textures and unique characters of each Combo Fiber Hank. During the craziness that was cast-on mania, TWELVE of my cast-ons were with Combo Fibers and since they are nearly impossible to stop knitting…I finished almost all of them already! Two of them are the Vines Hat, which is our March pattern of the Month!

Vines Hat

The Vines Hat takes just one hank of Combo Fibers and is available in a slouchy or slouchier size. This pattern will be free through the month of March with the purchase of 1 ball of Island Yarn Combo Fibers. (There’s also another pattern coming, but pictures are not being kind to me, so either it will be another March pattern or a really early April pattern.)

You can also get these free patterns for combo balls forevermore (not just for March) on Ravelry.

Combo Moebius

Karly Ruffle Scarf

Wednesday Sale!

islandyarn — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:27:53 +0000

It is Wednesday Sale time, and the treasure hunt is back! This time there are 6 items here (http://islandyarncompany.bigcartel.com/) that are marked down (most have multiple skeins!) just for today. They aren’t marked “on sale” so you just have to find them. They’ll be marked down until midnight tonight or until they are gone! As usual…I will refund shipping for local folks who will pick up in the store. Ready, set, go! Additionally, Combo Fibers are Buy 3 Get 1 Free just for today here: http://islandyarncompany.bigcartel.com/product/combo-fibers-200-yards !

Destash challenge!

islandyarn — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:27:38 +0000

Well, somehow I’ve managed to keep up with the destashing…so much has been donated and repurposed. We are well over 100 LBS now…which has made a silly little goal land in my head. I was thinking, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we got to 1000 LBS in one year? Then someone said, “Wow, a 1/2 a ton?!” And the deal was sealed…there’s no way I can look a silly challenge like 1/2 TON in the face and not give it a try!

So…as an added enticement…I’m going to give 2 bonus certificates to the person who destashes the most in each month (I’ll try it at least through April and then see if we go on). We are starting with February and right now, the leader has destashed 13 lbs. I’ll try to keep updated with the leader amount and definitely post before the last day of the month that I’m open. Sound fun?