Grocery Girls Knit 2 Together Sock Club

For the 12th year, we're celebrating our exclusive holiday at Simply Socks Yarn Company starting this Monday!  From Dec. 13 through Dec. 24 you have a chance on this blog to win a special knitterly gift each day.  Could be yarn, could be knitterly goodies, and it will definitely be awesome. There's a wide variety of things to be won, from special skeins and mugs to entire bags full of a dozen balls of yarn... even some gift certificates. We're making it a celebration to remember, as usual!

How can you join in? Simply visit the SSYC Blog every day from Dec. 13 through the 24th and answer the question in the comments section before the following day's question is revealed (the comments will be closed on the previous post once the next day is up). You'll automatically be entered to win the gift shown for that day. If you participate each day, you'll have a dozen chances to win (one chance each day). And yes, you can win more than one day! It has happened before.

You don't have to participate in any particular holiday to win anything- you just have to want some awesome free yarn or goodies. Over the years because of this event, I've incorporated new traditions, recipes and projects into my life that I wouldn't have learned of otherwise. And I've read some touching stories and gotten to know a lot of you better than I did before. I'll post the randomly chosen winners in January, and you'll also get an e-mail if you've won a prize.

Thanks for sharing this with your fiber friends and joining us for another year of fun! This really is a great time of year for me, and from the e-mails I get, you all enjoy it a lot too. It really is worth it to read through the comments if you want pattern or holiday inspiration. And when things in the US still aren't safe from COVID, this is a great way to feel a connection with others and enjoy a new holiday tradition safely with us while sitting on your couch. Do join!

Please leave me a comment with question ideas if you have them. Things we have asked in the past are thing like "What's your favorite pattern this year?" And "Have you crafted more during the pandemic than before?" And even non knitting related questions like "What's your fave holiday tradition?"

I have new yarn to share! West Yorkshire Spinners has released 6 vivid sock yarn colors that are inspired by the fabrics of Zandra Rhodes, an English textile and fashion designer. She's well known for her pop art designs, and these definitely translate to fun knits. You'll find all 6 of the colors in stock while I have them, as I've relayed before, importing during the pandemic is unpredictable at best, and this line comes from the UK.

The above patterns show off a few patterns that are part of a Zandra Rhodes pattern book that I can't find (but at least gives you can example of how things can knit up) and the below Hayley Hat pattern can be accessed for free here in both knit and crochet.

We have a slew of solids in stock too, if you want to get some for toes and heels. And I will soon even have the DK weight version of this collection. Can't wait to share that!

It's been awhile since I've checked in here, right? In 2019 and 2020 I spent a lot of time blogging and connecting with you all, as it was one of my only ways to connect with others during the pandemic and social distancing. 2021 has been a hard one, my friends. I think one of the hardest years I've had. But the last month or two has really shown a great uptick in my mood and life and I hope that if you had a similarly cumbersome 2021 that it's starting to improve for you as well. What's made things better?

My kids. I think that life, learning and relationships for them during the pandemic has been more difficult than I initially thought. James, who is now 14, really liked being at home more and doing remote learning, and getting back to full time in school learning this year was a bit of an adjustment. He wasn't keeping track of assignments and obligations well, and he just didn't seem to be enjoying school as much as usual. Lots of procrastinating for this 8th grader. This quarter he seems to be on track though and has some real pride in his grades. Plus he's been playing soccer predictably again and now he's goalie and really darn good at it. His team hasn't lost a game in this session and he seems to be really digging the winning. It's hard to believe that next year I'll have a high schooler. I started this blog well before I had kids (here's the first post back from my first baby break with James!), and hard to believe that I'm still doing it 16 years later.

Henry is not only in choir at school (it's adorable to see all these little masked kids singing their hearts out - I got to volunteer at choir this morning!) but he's also playing basketball. He's just so cute on the court in his little white uniform and I have a hard time not waving at him, or coaching him from the sidelines. Look at my little defender!! I really do need to learn to reign it in. heh.

Life lately has been busy but fun. I finally have the use of BOTH my legs back - I tore my Achilles (pretty significantly) a few months ago, was non-weight-baring then booted for two months, and about a month ago I was able to phase out of the boot and life has gotten SO much better. I was unable to drive for months, unable to do anything, really, and it's so nice to be fully mobile again and my PT tells me I should be back in volleyball shape by April. I've even started going to the gym again (though most things I still can't do) and the freedom I feel is wonderful. I guess this is to say that if you have a health setback in your life, the journey back could take months. But try to allow yourself time and grace and use kind words when thinking/talking to yourself. We have all had so much change since this pandemic started, and showing yourself some kindness goes a long way in feeling like you can come back from whatever has happened over the past year and a half.

Last year at this time my kids were home from school - if you had school age kids during the height of the pandemic, you know what I mean... here and there the kids would be home for 2-4 weeks when there weren't subs or rates got high enough in cities that whole grades and schools were sent on remote learning. This year, the kids are in school, which is great in some ways, but also I have less little helpers home to help me decorate for Christmas. Thus the house is woefully not-Christmassy. Our tree is up with one lone ornament, and our mantle is decorated, but that's it. Tomorrow night is the night though... we're getting this tree done and the stockings hung (with care). I purchased an entire freezer full of dinner goodies so that I can just pop tasty things into the oven the rest of the week and we can spend time noshing and decorating. I highly recommend Trader Joe's freezer section for tons of interesting eats like these.

I love how my apps and FB remind me of things that I was doing five years ago today. Like trying to take pictures of these little goobers for the Christmas card on the left. The one on the right is this year's card - a snapshot on a quick family trip we took over Thanksgiving. Much easier with older kids who listen! But, oh, how I hope in 20 years my kids "recreate" the photo on the left for me! That's one thing I can feel great about - getting my cards done and mailed the first week of December!

How's your December going so far? Are you feeling better this year than last? Are you decorating or baking more? Are you having family over for Christmas this year? Do tell! Next week you can tell me a lot more if you want, as our 12 Days of Sock Yarn starts on Monday!

Over three Monday's, we are releasing our holiday themed fibery goodies. Each Monday will be something different, and I'll preview each offering on the Friday before. Today I have for you the goodies that will be available today Monday, December 6 (the last Holiday Monday at SSYC). Grab your Jollyville Knit Kits, wintery plaid inspired colors from Less Traveled Yarn, Flock Fiber Sock Sets and more! All are available at the Kits & Clubs link.

First, our Jollyville Knit Kits! I have been working with Madelinetosh since this summer to create the right speckled colorway that is inspired by our best-selling holiday color ever, Jollyville, which was a striped color we dyed in our own Poste Yarn dye studio (we closed it a couple years ago). This speckle is just the perfect mix of mod and traditional and I adore it. We will be able to get it again, and on other bases too, but this is the first time it's available on a sock yarn, Twist Light Sock. Last week we released it as a Hat Set too, which you can find here. There are just a few left of two different hat options right now. The kits are available with a white bag or a black bag. Same kit, just two different color bags.

I do have extra skeins of the Jollyville color too, available only as an add-on if you want more than the one that comes in your Jollyville Knit Kit. Additional skeins must be purchased on the same order as the Knit Kit. These skeins are not available without purchasing a Knit Kit at this time, as we just don't have many to go around. We will simply remove the skein from an order if ordered without a kit. But I will be able to get more of this color on other Tosh bases later too.

The Knit Kits also come with a pattern download of the beautiful Woodland Walk sock. You'll get an e-mail with the pattern download within 4 business days (or just e-mail me if you don't see it, spam filters and all).

Photo courtesy of Less Traveled Yarn

Then we have five cozy colors from Less Traveled Yarns and all are  all inspired by plaids! Wrap yourself up in one of these beautiful colors, which are only available for a limited time. Sarah has this to say about these colors, and I have to admit that knowing this makes me miss my own grandfather. "Plaids always remind me of my Grandpa. He's in his late 90s now and my grandmother has been sewing him the same shirt pattern for about 50 years in all of the plaids imaginable." You have to agree with me that the idea of knitting these colors makes you feel warm and cozy already, right? I'll have these for you in the Kits & Clubs section in 757 Sock (classic merino/nylon), Tweed Me Sock and Tweed Me DK.

We have some stunning sock sets from our Canadian friend Kim at Flock Fibre. Take a look at Yule Ball, Gingerbread Party, One Foggy Christmas Eve and Winter Lights.

Want a great Christmas Stripe in both Worsted and Fingering. I used a worsted skein last year to make a simple cowl based on this pattern (so maybe just used a larger needle and cast on 30% less stitches). I love it. It's so festive this time of year. Heather (our shop manager) also made one.

Need a great Hanukkah inspired stripe? Dyers don't seem to make enough of other holiday hues, but Urth certainly makes a nice one and it will be available in Sock Kits (2 50g matching balls), fingering weight skeins and worsted weight skeins.

You know, I DID forget some things on Friday. So don't forget to look at these cute Jolly Elf sock sets from Dream in Color. They made them for us last year and they dyed them again for us this year.

Then also look at my restock of the two special mini sets that Fiberstory made for us for the holidays. Curated sets 11 and 12. I'm knitting 11 myself right now into a cowl, but I really like the Sprocket Sock pattern so I'm thinking of tearing it out tonight and going with that instead. The heart wants what it wants, right?

Again, all of these holiday goodies can be found at the Kits & Clubs link until they are gone.

Want other yarn? How about the newest sock yarn from Cascade Yarns?? ReFine is a 100% recycled sock yarn, and I'm knitting it myself right now. I'll detail more about it here on the blog later, but I'm super happy that Cascade has finally released more heathered colors like these. I've kinda been pestering them for years for more heathered sock yarn.

While many focus on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year I decided to not "go-with-the-retail-masses" and instead focus on Giving Tuesday. Yes, it's a thing - a retailer who isn't focusing on the buy-buy-buy season for once! Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and is a great time to give a monetary donation to an organization you value, not only because it's an important thing to do but also because your donation usually goes further as sponsoring corporations or endowments will double donations made on Giving Thursday.

This year, I gave to two organizations that I value. The League for the Blind and Disabled and Fort Wayne Boys and Girls Club. Both organizations are important to me for personal reasons.

Donating to a non-profit doesn't have to be difficult or even costly. I donated what I would typically spend on a few months of coffee. But you could donate two coffees worth. As knitters, we know that every small stitch adds up in the end to something larger, and this is the same for the small steps we take to help others.

Donating to the League this year was particularly quick and easy, more so than ever, thanks to technology. Here's what I did, I texted the term TeamGarth (a person who works at the League and is collecting "team" donations) to the phone number 44321 and I was immediately texted back a link to follow to donate. I did so, and then chose ApplePay (you could use a card) and was DONE. Less than a minute - like 40 seconds. Really, it's easy. Just do it.

I hope you find the time and a bit of $ to give today. And I hope you feel great about it, because you deserve to feel good about helping others. I often pause and think "Is it enough? Will this just not even make an impact? Should I wait until I can do something more?" But if everyone who thought that way just went ahead and did a bit to help others, together we make an impact.

Over three Monday's, we'll be releasing our holiday themed fibery goodies. Each Monday will be something different, and I'll preview each offering on the Friday before. Today features some gorgeous, festie options like Christmas Sock Sets, limited edition colors, mini sets and HAT SETS! Oh so many ways for you to celebrate the season of good cheer at SSYC!

Here's what we will have for you today, all at our Kits & Clubs link.

We all love a good holiday color, right? Usually they are bright and festive and quite vivid in color. Less Traveled Yarn has released a more earthy, nuanced holiday color in Mistletoe. It's festive but subtle, and oh-so-wearable. We have it in Tweed DK, Tweed Me Sock, 757 Sock and Sport. All at the Kits & Clubs link. If you want to pair yours with a pom to make your own hat set, I like our Racoon one with it and the Deauville pattern. You should check out the rest of the Less Traveled Yarn we have in stock too, because we got a gorgeous shipment in of tartan plaid inspired colors.... and next Monday I'll offer them, on the third Holiday Monday.

Want some sock set options? Me too! I have three options for you and I think they would be great with the Winters Frost sock pattern that's free from This Handmade Life. I'm actually knitting the pattern right now.... I'm testing the newest sock yarn from Cascade and really enjoying it... details on that new yarn later this week. I've had several requests lately for ideas for "wintery" sock sets that don't have prominent red-green-vibes, but instead have a more subtle and wintery tone. I think that two of these really fit the bill, right? Almost serene looks to them, while still having a vintage holiday or wintery feel.

Want bright and festive for your holiday knits? We have our special holiday hues from Dream in Color. Go green with Gettin' Blitzen, go white with The Naughty List, or go red with Santa-gria. Can you tell I was on a holiday cocktail kick last year when I named these? Last year these colors were exclusive to us, but Veronica loved them so much that she asked if she could dye them for others this year too, and of course I said yes. Who wants to stop great colors from being made, right? We have these on Smooshy with Cashmere (their most popular base), classic Smooshy (merino/nylon) and Colossal Sock (more colors of DIC Colossal Sock are in the in the Sale Section too, for 45% off). All are  here.

Want holiday minis? We have Jinglebatch sets 1 and 2 for you from Stitch Together Studios! Want a pattern idea? Sprocket Socks are great for all these holiday minis we are releasing.

Finally, I have a special surprise I've been working on with Madelinetosh. Since summer, we've been working on an exclusive color based on the most popular holiday color we've sold, our own Poste Yarn striping sock in Jollyville (links to Diana's finished socks on Ravelry). We stopped dyeing yarn in our back-of-shop studio a couple years ago, but I miss some of our colors so much that I'll be working with dyers to create new colors based on some of my faves, like Jollyville. Madelinetosh took inspiration from that color and we created a fingering weight skein that will be part of our Holiday Knit Kits released on Dec 6 and also on some worsted weight skeins for hat sets. Here's a little teaser of those, on the packing table at Tosh last week. The hat sets will are now live at this link as SSYC Hat Set Jollyville Pink or Aqua (same yarn, but with a coordinating pink and white or aqua and white pom).

I hope you see something here that puts you in the holiday mood! We have one more Holiday Monday after this one, and I'll preview those goodies this coming Friday. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving - I took some time off last week to spend time with my kids who were off school, and then got to see 13 of my family members for Thanksgiving for the first time in two years. It was missed!

This is the time of year when Americans pause and consider how thankful we are for who and what we have, and when I think of the past year (which has been pretty awful, unfortunately)  I can't help but feel grateful for where I am. In the midst of a pandemic, I have health (I can walk again and haven't had COVID), I have the love of my partner and children and many family and friends, and I have work that allows me to be of service to others and hopefully bring others a lot of joy. No matter the obstacles and hardships I've encountered in 2021 (and, oh, they are a many, have I said that yet? oh, wait...), I have so many more ticks in the plus column than the minus, and for that I'm grateful.

I'm ever so grateful for you all as well. You allow me and my team to be of service to others, you share a passion for the same craft we do, and you choose to support us in this ever growing knitting world. I'm so proud that after 16 years we continue to grow and serve.

My staff and I will be taking some time off around Thanksgiving and weekend, so that we can enjoy our families, eat tasty food, and feel a bit of normalcy. We will not be open to the public on Small Business Saturday, but instead will have our normal in-person shopping rotation as always.  Every other Tuesday and Saturday.

I remember last year my own family events were just me and Terry and the kids, and now that we are all vaccinated (and adults are even boostered!) we feel safe in spending time with our extended family again this holiday.  So while I do think I will be able to get the Friday Preview on the blog of next Monday's holiday goodies, please don't be shocked if you see me post about it Saturday instead. I really want to spend time with my family, and stopping to photograph yarn and post really does take a big chunk out of my day.  So perhaps just expect that Friday preview to happen on Saturday instead.

Thank you very VERY much for your part in what we do. There isn't a day that I don't feel grateful for being able to make a living doing what I value. My staff is amazing, the dyers and artisans I work with are out of this world, and YOU are fun and inspiring. THANK YOU.

Over the next three Monday's, we'll be releasing our holiday themed fibery goodies. Each Monday will be something different, and I'll preview each offering on the Friday before (the Friday post changes into this post on Monday). What can you expect? Christmas Knit Kits, wintery sock sets, one-of-a-kind fades, striping skeins and more. Oh so many ways for you to celebrate the season of good cheer!

Here's what we'll have for you today, Monday, November 22 at the Kits & Clubs link. First, we have some stunning 5-skein fade sets from Hedgehog Fibres. We have just one each of the fade sets, and each is made of their Potluck skeins. I have 10 different sets on Sock and Skinny Singles. I'm showing off just a few here, but all can be seen on Instagram - here for the 10 Sock Potluck Fades, and here for the 10 Skinny Single Fades. Each type of yarn is fingering weight, but the Sock is a plied yarn with a bit of nylon and the Skinny Singles are a 1ply superwash merino with no nylon (so great for projects other than socks- gorgeous but not as durable). This is a way to get something truly special to knit yourself a fade sweater or shawl or break them up into smaller projects like a three skein fade and then use the other two skeins for socks or cowls or whatever you like.

Hedgehog Fibres has also sent us a batch of our exclusive holiday color, Merry and Bright, which is no easy thing to get an Irish import right now. So that makes this small batch even more special, in my books. This is the only chance to get this color until the next holiday season. You'll find it in the Kits & Clubs section while we have it.

Today also brings the first two (of four total) Holiday Knit Kits! First, the Fa La La Festival Knit Kit with the cheeriest of bags and coordinating sock yarn from Miss Babs. Then we have the Blue Christmas Knit Kit, which has all the aquas and sherbet hues that I love for Christmas. It also comes with a special edition sock skein from Miss Babs, and each comes with a sock pattern from Olivia at This Handmade Life.

These kits were such a treat to put together. Working with Miss Babs is always a delight, and I'm so glad that we are able to predictably source fabrics again so that we can include hand made bags in our holiday kits this year. It's been hard finding exactly what we want during the pandemic, and there are long lead times for nearly everything. But the best things are worth the wait, aren't they?

Katie at Yarn Love has sent us all those mini sets and sock sets that you've grown to love since we started featuring them last Christmas. We have 6 mini sets total, plus two sock sets! I love a good speckled sock and a solid punch of color for the toes and heels, and these deliver.

And if you wanted to knit one of Katie's super cute Mr. Frosty Hats (in red or blue) we'll have those too in the Kits & Clubs section. And they come with the pattern too, you just e-mail and ask for it after your order and I e-mail it back.

Julia at Knitterly Things has sent us ALL her holiday striping colors! Y'all know how much I love stripes, so of course having these back again brings me a lot of joy. I know that many of you have been waiting for these. We'll have nine different holiday options including Holiday Magic and Joyful Noise shown below. All at the Kits & Clubs link.

I hope that you see something in these offerings that will bring you some Christmas cheer! I look forward to sharing these on  each Monday, and of course I'll blog and send out newsletters when everything is live. Then stay tuned for all the other offerings we'll have for you on Nov 29 and Dec 6.

In non-Christmas news, we have restocks of some amazing hues of Dream in Color and Cascade. Half of our Life in the Long Grass has trickled in from Ireland (the other half, of course, is sitting in customs). Plus I have more colors from Knitterly Things on the way and some Fiberstory full sized skeins and mini sets. OH! And the new 100% recycled sock yarn from Cascade should be here in a week too!

Last month, we started releasing specially curated hat sets in the Kits & Clubs section. Much like our Sock Sets that we release at the beginning of each month, these hat sets are paired by us so that you get a yarn and pom pom combo that is sure to please. We released these mid-month, and last month the six options we offered sold out super fast. So this month I have eight different options for you, and I hope to continue offering you these each month this winter, mid-month.

Six of the eight options this month are worsted weight, two are DK. A few even have cashmere. The pom and yarn combos are spot on and even better in person. I grabbed one for myself this month but I'm going to try and resist this month. At least for one day. After that, I guarantee no restraint on my part. Heh.

I really do take a lot of care when pairing these. For instance, in this Stormy Skies set above, I'm unsure if you can tell from the photo how nicely the yarn and pom pair b/c of the way the light bounces off the faux fur. But the grey in the middle of the pom has a slight blue cast to it, which really brings out the blue in the skein. And the tips are tinged with burnt sienna, which mimics the speckles in the yarn.

Want pattern ideas? Last month I shared the Shilling Hat, Citrus Hat and Declans Hat. This month, take a look at Barley, Splendid Squares, and March Hat for the six worsted weight options. And perhaps Deauville for the DK weight ones. I knit mine (below from last month, and yes, I'll try and offer this one again in early 2022) in the Copycat CC Beanie.

I have the most beautiful batch of Less Traveled Yarn for you (and me)! Most of the colors I'm showing off here are available on all four LTY base yarns we offer, 757 Sock (classic merino/nylon sock blend), Tweed Me Sock (superwash merino with nylon tweed), Tweed Me DK and Sport (a rare hand dyed merino/nylon sport weight option). As I was photographing, these were the combos that really caught my eye. I'm betting when you peruse the yarn you'll see colors that you think look nice together too. And if you want assurance that they look as great as you think, you can always e-mail me, Allison, at service@simplysockyarn.com and I'll take a look in person. We see a lot of you just place orders, and then in the notes field at Check Out say something like "hey, I'm going to use these colors for this pattern so if you think there's a better choice, please let me know." and we're always happy to be your personal shoppers that way too.

Yes, we have the most stunning selection in stock right now, but I have even more coming for the holidays. I have some really cool colors on their way that are perfect for your winter knits and I can't wait to share them in a couple weeks along with the other holiday inspired goodies.

Above, Natural and Burnout. Below, Lunar Reflection and Nightfall on 757 Sock. Maybe two colors for a Girl at the Grocery Store  or Seabrook Sweater, or one color for an Autumn Waves Wrap or Hermione's Everyday Socks. Below, Turning Leaves and Merlot on Tweed Me DK. This would make an adorable tweedy Deauville Hat or Boy Sweater.

The Tweed Me Sock colors would make a stunning Calluna Pullover too. So let's do a contest! Answer the following question in the comments below, and I'll randomly choose three people to win a skein of Less Traveled Yarn of your choice (to get you started on your sweater or another project) AND a Ravelry coupon code to make the Calluna Pullover pattern free. All you have to do is tell me your favorite color/base. Like "I adore Turning Leaves on Tweed Me Sock" or "My fave is Fluorite on 757 Sock".

Leave me your comment before noon EST on Friday, November 19 and I'll choose three winners. And I'll also be giving out a pattern code and skein on Instagram this week too, if you want another chance to win.

The Calluna Pullover calls for Malabrigo Sock, which we offer all the colors of, so if you want to make that sweater for you fall/winter wardrobe, just know that you'll find a great selection of those colors too. Madelinetosh's Tosh Sock would be stunning too and b/c we have over 300 colors you're likely to find more than one option you love.

We have new colors and restocks of all our Zauber Perlen from Schoppel Wolle!

This comes as 7 little cakes of yarn that gradually change from one color to another. They are just so adorable for simple socks, or consider a simple accessory like the Quadra Cowl. Shown above are the colors from the first release, shown below are new hues.

These are totally an addictive knit. You could just use them to make gradient striped socks, or you could put two or more sets together to make one really long gradient scarf. Gosh, that sounds totally swoon worthy.  Its easy to see that these flow from one set to another. For instance you could make a large project using the three sets together on each row- going from one set to the next, making a long simple scarf that uses 21 little balls (3x7).

Or make a beautiful Inara Wrap or a Habitation Throw.

Thoughts on how you'd use your set/s?

Today was our first day of our Pre-Thanksgiving Week of Shopping and it was super fun for me. We had many new faces in the shop today, people who just happened to be driving through NE Indiana their way to various destinations, and people who can't get here on our typical alternating Tuesday or Saturdays (and feel too shy to ask us to open up for a special shopping session- don't be shy! We are happy to if we can, plus we might already be opening for someone else too, so easy peasy.). It was just a treat for me. Plus, it's just nice to be able to walk around the shop and help people more easily now that I've been out of my boot for a couple weeks now. Much better than being stuck behind a desk.

If you are thinking about coming to see us this week, please do! Today wasn't any busier than any of our open days- just a handful of people in at a time (maybe 8, spaced in 3000+ square feet.... lots of space), which is exactly what we were hoping for by replacing our Holiday Open House this year with a more spread out event. Serving 25-30 people a day over 5 days, rather than 200+ in a big event is much safer in these times. We are giving out treats and doing contests and you can find all the details on that here.

Today I forgot to put together our daily contest until later in the day, so if you were hoping to enter when you're in this week to have a chance to win one of five $10 gift certificates, then please do e-mail me and tell me you were in the shop but didn't put your name in the fishbowl and I'll put your entry in for you, no problem.

I'll have some great yarn to share with you later this week, once I get it all photographed. Life in the Long Grass is tricking in through Customs (Ireland), Dream in Color (including more of the November Sock It sets that sold out), Less Traveled Yarn..... plus next week we'll be releasing more of our SSYC Hat sets like we did last month mid-month, so I'll preview those. They went super fast, right? I'm sure I'm forgetting something but right now I'm sitting in a dark car in the middle of the soccer arena parking lot waiting for James to get done with practice, so I'm not really "optimized" for work thinking. Heh.

If you were hoping for a convenient time to come shop with us in person, we've made it easy for you! We are open the next 6 our out of 7 days, as a Pre-Thanksgiving Shopping Week. This is our way of subbing something else that's awesome for the big Holiday Open House that we usually do. That way, we don't have a couple hundred people in the shop on one day, but instead space it out to make it safer and just as fun for all.

What are our hours coming up and what's going on each day?

Saturday, 11/6 - 10am-4pm (a typical shop open day, as listed here)

Sunday, 11/7 - Closed

Monday, 11/8 10am-2pm - we're giving out our Procrastiknit bags to shoppers this day

Tuesday, 11/9 10am-4pm - we're giving you an extra 10% off our Sale Section this day (we are open til 4 this day b/c it's our typical once-a-week open day)

Wednesday, 11/10 10am-2pm - we're giving out cute handmade stitch markers to shoppers this day. You get to pick.

Thursday, 11/11 10am-2pm - no gifts w/purchase this day, in hopes that less people will come b/c of that and instead those who really need our time with help with a holiday project/gift will come this day. Of course, we're happy to help you with projects and questions every day we're open, but sometimes we just don't have as much time for really helping in detail when there's a line of people.

Friday 11/12 10am-2pm - a choice of various goodies/gifts for shoppers

So come and see us at 1315 E State Blvd in Fort Wayne for our fun week of shopping in person. Yes, we'll still be shipping to you on these days too. We aren't giving out goodies/treats to online shoppers next week (just in person) b/c we just can't handle that all at once, which is why we gave out other things to online shoppers in October. I hope you understand - we are a small crew and we want to be able to serve people well in person and can't handle a huge influx of online shoppers at the same time.

Have questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments or e-mail me, Allison, at service@simplysockyarn.com. I hope to see y'all soon!

Our Taste of Autumn Knit Kit is now available! This kit focuses on experience autumn in your senses - fall colors and texture from the color and wool, smell from the cider sachets and french toast chai tea, and taste of the yummy chocolate. I hope that you are able to enjoy your knit and nosh and take a moment to yourself to enjoy the start of fall. This kit really is a labor of love for me - our exclusive DIC Colossal Sock yarn base from Dream in Color (we just got more in the Sale Section that should be up later today), a bag that I NEED in my life (I'm always looking up the Kitchener instructions on Knitty even though I've been knitting socks for two decades), my fave chocolate and a tea maker I love (and that french toast chai is going to really rock your world).

Want a second skein of this gorgeous Autumn Reverie color? I do have some now (we may have this color redyed later and on other Dream in Color bases because it's just that awesome), but only if you purchase the Knit Kit on the same order. I don't have enough to sell the skein separately to everyone right now, so if you don't order the kit and accidentally order this skein alone, it will come off your order after Check Out.

What else might you like to knit that's fall inspired? I have oh so many color suggestions for you!

Dream in Color excels in fall color, as you can see from their contribution to our Taste of Autumn Knit Kit. Take a look at Anything Goes, Brass and Steam, Lafayette in Jilly Singles. This price on Jilly is quite nice - 10% or less than comparable hand dyed singles, the yarn is soft enough for wearing against the skin, and it's great for cowls like the Sockhead Cowl or sweaters like Pavement.

Want cashmere? I mean, who woudln't? Go for Smooshy with Cashmere in Element 79, Lafayette, Old Vine, All American Hen, Anything Goes, Brass and Steam. Maybe pair it with a contrasting solid for the softest Confetti sweater ever.

Want the classic superwash merino/nylon sock yarn of Smooshy? Take a look at Antique Gold, Browncoat, Clockwork Heart, and Lafayette.

Life in the Long Grass excels in creating more muted, autumnal colors. Think Cactus Moon, Firefly, Gorse, and Forest Bathing. All shown on DK Twist, but mostly available on fingering weight bases too like Sock, Singles and Silk Merino. We have more coming from Ireland late this month - getting imports is still quite timely and expensive, but we're doing our best! I love the idea of making a fallish Autumn Gold in LITLG sock or a Brush Strokes sweater in DK . Need help choosing your contrasting colors? Just email me, Allison, as usual at service@simplysockyarn.com so we can be your personal shoppers!

Love Babs? Fired up is the ultimate fall color and each skein is unique. Shown here in Yowza DK, the double sized skeins that are super popular. Also available in Tarte and Estrellita (sparkle). The Yowza Weigh it Shawl is made for this yarn.

Want a hard-to-find dyer of which we have a simply gorgeous selection? Six and Seven Fibers is the way to go and Rachel dyes a gorgeous array of hues that are what I'd call "nuanced, earthy". Think Carrots, Currant Jelly, Partridge. All on the merino/cash/nylon Alfalfa base yarn. One of our favorite shop patterns is Close to You. If you're like me, and you purchase one skein at a time just because the color speaks to you and you don't know what you knit, Close to You is a shop fave.

Or get Barley Singles in A World Where There are Octobers, Grey Lady, Haystacks and Page Turner. Oh, and definitely The Burrow. Want to try a fun cowl with little bobbles? What about Heart Warmer with any one of these.

I can't get enough of Stitch Swanky from Stitch Together Studios. It's a merino/cash/silk blend that makes the best gifts - it's just so soft and luxurious. For fall, I'd go with A Boy called Sue, Brown Butter, Bourbon Brule, and Remind me to Breathe. I gave Henry's kindergarten teacher a Sockhead Cowl in this base a few years back and it was very well received (she's a knitter too!).

Finally, we received a huge Madelinetosh restock this week which includes the Tosh DK they haven't had from their mill for the better part of this year. For fall hues think Amber Trinket, Auburn Afternoon, Caviar Dreams, Dachshund, Firewood, Life on Mars, Magnolia Leaf, Red Fox, Rocky Mountain High, Subtle Flame, and Superb. All shown on Tosh Merino Light, but also can be found on Twist Light ,(perfect for socks from This Handmade Life) Vintage (I'm currently obsessed with Vintage yarn and this hat pattern) and Tosh DK (somewhat) and Tosh Sock. And check out Pashmina too, because I've never had so much of this luxurious base. Get a few skeins of Pashmina and make a Tell the Bees.

Oh, and if you want some glitter in your life, then I highly recommend grabbing some Tosh Merino Light+Copper Glitter right now. I just got a gorgeous restock. And now's a good time to get Tosh anyway because they are going to be raising their prices in January- the first price increase in years, but they just have to do it. Shown here (from bottom left, then clockwise) are Ground Coffee, Whiskey Barrel, Joshua Tree, Alizarin, Flannel Blanket and Rocky Mountain High.

Want to shop for fall knits in person? We are doing a Pre-Thanksgiving Week of Shopping starting on Monday! Come see us! Details are at this blog post.

Typically this time of year we start planning our Holiday Open House, which is an in-person yarn party when we have treats like cupcakes or cookies, sometimes do a Christmas craft and show off all the goodies you might want for the holidays. Last year, of course, no party in person. This year we have decided that instead of having a big, busy day at the shop (we sometimes see a few hundred people in just a few hours) we want to keep everyone safer by spacing things out. So we have decided to instead replace that big party with a Pre-Thanksgiving Week of Shopping, being open to the public next week Monday through Friday, 10am-2pm (til 4pm on Tuesday cuz that's our normal shop open day).

A week of open days is new to us, but we wanted to space out things a bit so we don't have a couple hundred people descending on the shop at once, and we think that being open for a week straight (we are typically open to the public one day a week, and ship the other days) will allow us to help you better choose things you need to knit for your holiday gifts, will allow you to ask questions and get a bit of help if you need it, and get little gifts and tokens of appreciation from us at SSYC.

What can you expect next week? If you shop in person with us, we'll have various treats we will give out here and there. Monday we'll give you one of our Procrastiknit project bags, Wednesday we'll have cute little stitch markers for you, and Friday we'll give you a choice of a few goodies we'll have on hand to choose from. Come each day if you want, or just one day. Tuesday and Thursday we won't be giving out treats because we're hoping those are days that people come in to get a bit more hands on help with choosing the right yarn, or a new project, or asking about an issue you're having completing something. We have some HUGE Cascade Yarn totes that we will be giving out free with your Cascade Yarn purchases. I'm planning on a contest each day too, so even if you don't want to purchase something every day, you can stop in and put your name in the fishbowl to win the prize of the day. We also may have little edible treats throughout the week too. Who doesn't need some donut holes and hot coffee in their life?? Basically we just want to thank you for your support as Thanksgiving approaches, but do it in a low key and less crowded way. And we ask that you wear your mask in the shop as we all do (and we always have extras at the front door should you forget yours). COVID-19 is still concerning and we want to continue to serve you in a way that respects everyone's health.

Have questions? Leave them in the comments and I'll answer them there as well. We will still be open our normal shop day of this coming Saturday too from 10-4, then we'll have Sunday off and then reopen on Monday for the week long celebration from 10am-2pm. And yes, we will still be shipping to you during this time, though we may not be getting things out the same day like we often do. We are a small, but dedicated crew!

Feeling all the fall vibes? Dream in Color has you covered with their last Sock-It Set of the year, and it's inspired by dyer Veronica's love of England's Lullingstone Castle and World Garden. Here's what she has to say about the color inspiration for the November Sock It Set:

This month's garden is near and dear to my heart. A few years back I came across this book called The Cloud Garden by Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder. It's a real adventure story about two hikers who were kidnapped by Colombian rebels. One of the hikers (Tom) dreamed of starting a garden in England and I became obsessed with finding out if this really happened - it did. On a trip to England with my mother we visited the garden and got to meet Tom. The garden was amazing! I went back twice more as a volunteer.

You can check out the garden here. If you get a chance to visit this part of England I cannot recommend the Castle and Garden enough! Tom's story of survival is also truly a miracle so if you can get a copy of the book its a great read!

Dream in Color made the yarn for our Fall Knit Kit too, which will debut on Wednesday, Nov 3 and it's a gorgeous color.

(We have extra skeins of this Autumn Reverie colorway if you want to purchase an add-on skein or two when you purchase your kit. But they aren't sold separately- just as an add on. We may offer them at another time on Dream in Color's other bases too- there's been A LOT of interest in this color.)

We've curated a Taste of Autumn Knit Kit which not only brings you the colors of fall, but also the flavors.  You'll get our exclusive Autumn Reverie colorway on Dream in Color Colossal Sock, and some edible treats made by some of my fave local companies. You'll get a French Toast Chai Tea sachet and a Mulling Spices sachet (to add to your cider) from Teajutsu. Their chai teas are one of my favorite things to get from our farmer's market and I can't wait for you to try them too - you might get hooked like me and go back for more. And while you're sitting and sipping and knitting, you can also nosh on one of our local decadent chocolates from Debrand Fine Chocolates. Your yarn and tasty treats are all nestled inside this cute sock project bag that is the perfect reminder for knitters like me who have to look up the Kitchener instructions on Knitty nearly every time I close my toes.

This kit will go up for sale on Wednesday, mid-morning EST at our Kits & Clubs link. I hope you treat yourself to some wonderful goodies that will smell, taste and knit wonderfully.

Sarah at Less Traveled Yarn has sent us some of her Slutty Pumpkin colorway for Halloween, and of course, I had to decorate with mine.

Do you whip out certain skeins and put them in bowls or displays for various holidays or times of year? I don't know why I don't do this more often than I do. I have so many beautiful fibery pieces of art that I should be showing off more. I have a serious investment in time, money and care in my yarn collection. I think I'm going to make a concerted effort to put them on trays, in large bowls on tables, or tucking a few on my fireplace mantle. I even thought of taking out some of my Christmas colors to hang on my Christmas tree this year. Seriously!

Slutty Pumpkin in Tweed Me DK

Do you display your yarn in your home? How?

Slutty Pumpkin in 757 Sock

If you wanted to grab some of the Slutty Pumpkin colorway, it's all in the New section today but will be bumped off the New section as I add more new things (like the additional Rasta colors that just arrived and I just finished photographing). So you'll find it in the Less Traveled Yarn section as well. On all four bases. I especially like it on the tweeds.

I did a thing! I made a hat!

What's the fuss about? Well, I don't think I've knit a stitch in 6 weeks. And I certainly haven't finished anything in months. (I'm notorious for making socks and leaving all the toes un-kitchenered until my feet are cold in the winter). And this hat was completed in less than 24 hours. How's that for making time for myself this weekend?!

I've made the Copycat CC Beanie before, but this was just so fast. I did a simple k2p2 instead of the brim as written. And at the top I did 6 rows of purling before I decreased the way I like to because I wanted my hat a bit slouchier and I don't like the top of the hat as written as much. The hat is for me, even though Terry is modeling it for me. He wants one too, without the pom. Henry wants one with a pom. That kid has life five or six hats already (He has the smallest head, so gets the most hats, duh. Knitter math.) but now apparently he's getting another one.

I forgot how satisfying it is to get a project done while watching two movies. Running a small business can be like a hamster wheel - there's always something that needs done, projects big and small, and things just never seemed finished. There's no beginning or end to retail, you just keep going and going and going. So finishing this hat while watching Dune was like a period to the end of my week. One that I hope to revisit next weekend as well.

The yarn and pom are from this month's Hat Sets which all sold out in a day, I believe. I'll be doing at least 6 options a month, mid month through this winter, in the Kits & Clubs link. And I've already been asked to redo at least a few of month's hat sets, which I will because so many missed out. I'll let you know when. If you can't wait and want to cast on something ASAP, just get a skein of Tosh Vintage and a pom and have at it. Super satisfying.

It's been years since Opal Yarn has made their most popular Van Gogh collection. And it's coming back to SSYC. A decade later.

I'll have more details here on the blog next month, including an opportunity to preorder the whole 8-color collection to save your place. Email me, Allison, at service@simplysockyarn.com if you want me to email you in a month or so when preorders are available. And I hope I can even offer a bit of a discount for preordering, like I was able to 10 years ago, even though costs in everything over the past year have risen so much. And yes, once it actually arrives here you'll be able to order single balls as well.

I can't begin to explain to you how popular this collection is and how many e-mails I still get asking if we have any of this available or know where to get it. Each color is a little yarny work of art and I'm really looking forward to getting all this in my own stash again. I just got confirmation today that we'll be getting this late 2021/early 2022 (you know, importing, shipping, supply chains being so difficult to pin down), and I am in a state of happy shock. I can't believe that I'll be able to knit all these again (I only knit two so far) and that I'll be able to make so many sock knitters happy with this.

I'm so happy to share that Magner Co. bags are back in the shop! Casey makes his wonderful bags from the highest quality waxed canvas and leather details from Wicket & Craig Tannery in PA. These totes are not for the faint of heart. Definitely swoon worthy.

Want a chance to win a tote of your own? Then get to Instagram or Facebook today to enter the contest on the post that has the picture below. I'll randomly choose one person to win this beautiful Olive tote.

I love mine. I use it a lot, not just for knitting, but as a carry all. There are five pockets, one zippered, and three vertical slots to hold needles or pens. There are also grommets if you like to secure your yarn that way. It holds my stuff plus random kid things (like Pokemon cards and legos) and the waxed canvas repels all those kid spills. Oh, who am I kidding? I spill coffee more than they spill anything. But you get the idea. It's a dream bag for a busy, slightly messy person like me.

The free project bag we are gifting you this week even fits all nice and tidy inside. Yep, that's right. You get our free Socktober bag with your Magner bag this week. Two bags for one!

There are several new colors that we haven't had before, including Hibiscus Pink (above) and Seafoam. And some of these colors like Ocean Blue haven't been around for a couple years because fabric has been one of those things that's hard to get during the pandemic.

Heather's holding the Nautical Red color. I think this photo shows how roomy the bag is - it's quite a nice size.

We only get one or two batches of these bags a year, our last one was in March. So please don't hesitate if you'd really like a certain one. I thought that that waxed-canvas-weathered-nature of these bags would mean that the more natural or subdued colors would go the fastest. But the bright ones like Red and Purple always seem to go first. And this time we have some really vivid hues. Here's a short video Casey made about his process, if you want to see.

Grocery Girls Knit 2 Together Sock Club

Source: https://simplysockyarn.typepad.com/simply_socks_yarn_co/page/2/

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