Fun and Fiber at TNNA

Last week Alex, Jan and I were in San Diego for the TNNA conference. While it wasn't the busiest show ever, it was very productive. Most of the manufacturers we spoke to said they were having a good show, and a lot of the local store owners we chatted with indicated that they were faring well despite the poor economy. (Of course, those who were not faring well likely didn't make it to the show and we sincerely hope that they survive the current crunch.)

We saw a lot of our old friends -- the folks at Berroco, Crystal Palace, Rowan, Knitting Fever, Artyarns, Cherry Tree Hill, Classic Elite, Karabella, Knit One Crochet Too, Kollage, Lantern Moon, Lorna's Laces, Mission Falls, Muench, Prism, South West Trading Company, Tahki Stacy Charles, Trendsetter, Universal and Windy Valley Muskox.

We also got to meet some newer friends like the folks at AslanTrends, and we chatted with manufacturers of brands we don't currently carry. Keep your eye on our Bulletin for new developments regarding some new additions to our lineup.

The first evening we were there we ran into Terri of the Twisted Sisters. They had some fantastic designs in the fashion show, and I might even get up the courage to make one for myself. Whenever I couldn't find Alex during the show, I trekked over to the Twisted Sisters booth because he loves their style. He likes their yarns, too! Alex took this photo of me with the Twisteds. I know...I know...you can't really see us. I like it better that way. But I'm sure Alex will have a nice blow-up of it displayed on his desk, and will claim it's there because I'm in it. Sure, sure. I'll bet he'd trade me in for half a Twisted Sister, given half a chance!

While Jan and Alex were busy buying new yarns for our knitters, I got to meet with the media -- our friends from Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting, and Knit 'n Style. It's always great to catch up with them and learn what's new in the industry. Most of the time, we're communicating by phone and e-mail, so it's nice to actually deal with a human. Have you noticed that humans are getting rarer and rarer these days? We have voice mail, e-mail, IMs and text messaging. But not a lot of human contact. I like human contact...even if it means I catch the occasional cold.

As always, the TNNA fashion show was really interesting with some great entries from all our favorite brands. We didn't take any photos during the runway show, but I'll be posting information about the yarns and patterns we select from all the fantastic designs we saw. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday, Jan!

As luck would have it, TNNA always falls on somebody's birthday. This year, it was on Jan's birthday. Because she couldn't be home celebrating with her husband, Tom, our good friend Cameron Taylor-Brown, who reps for a lot of different yarn companies, took us for a celebratory breakfast complete with birthday cake!

Jan sure was surprised when she was presented with this gorgeous creation. And we were delighted to share in it!

While we were at the conference we were informed that Richard Brown, of Westminster, will soon be retiring. We enjoyed working with Richard and we're sad to see him go. But he and his wife would like to do some traveling and we're very envious that they'll now be cruising the world and enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle.

We know that Richard is leaving his organization in great hands and we look forward to working with our new colleagues. (It's such a small world! One of our Westminster team members, John, went to the same college I attended: Ryerson in Toronto. Same course, too. And, as it turns out, the same bars!)

All in all it was another great TNNA show. We saw some terrific new yarns we'll be acquiring for our knitters and we got to spend time with some really nice folks who make working at Yarnmarket such a pleasure.

The Knit Kit is here! (Almost...)

When we were at TNNA last week, we discovered the niftiest little kit and it's certain to be a big hit.

The Knit Kit is a handy little tool that includes a tape measure, stitch counter, thread cutter, scissors, crochet hook, stitch holders and tip holders all in one compact device. It's sort of a Swiss Army Knife for knitters.

We've placed an order that we expect to receive in March and we're going to be taking pre-orders from our customers. Yes...it's THAT good!

Get great Berroco yarns at BargainYARNS discount prices

Josh has just taken some terrific Berroco yarns from our Yarnmarket site and put them for sale on BargainYARNS.com, our value-priced online yarn shop. These are really terrific buys from a manufacturer known for fashionable styling and exceptional quality. You can save 30% off:

Berroco Tassel FX. Now only $6.85

Berroco Zap Yarn. Just $8.29

Berroco Zap Colors. Now only $8.95

Berroco Runway Yarn. Just $13.85

Berroco Icon Yarn. Now only $10.35

Berroco Ultra Silk Yarn. Just $6.19

Josh is also offering some terrific discounts on HanzonCreativity kits. These kits were originally developed in New Zealand by fiber artist, Stephanie Quattrini. The color combinations are really spectacular, and the kits are easy to create. They come with easy-to-follow instructions.

The Woven Scarf Kit is 40% off...just $47.85

Luscious Landscape Kit is 50% off at $44.85

Whimsical Wrap Kit is 40% off at just $41.85

BargainYARNS.com is constantly expanding its inventory to allow knitters to knit more and pay less! Be sure to visit often. And don't forget to sign up for the BargainYARNS Alert so you'll get our monthly newsletter announcing new yarns at lower prices.

TNNA in San Diego

Alex and I have been crazy busy these days. First, we launched our newest site, Knitch Magazine, and now we're getting ready to leave on Wednesday for the TNNA Conference.

If you haven't yet checked out Knitch, take a look. It's a fashion magazine for knitters -- and we've got lots of free patterns to check out. There are also interviews with industry dignitaries, Norah Gaughan and Cameron Taylor-Brown.

Our new Web Mistress, Jenny McCutcheon, worked her tail off to design and develop this site. It was great to see her first project go online and get such terrific response so quickly. We've already turned our attention to the Spring issue which ought to be really good. We'll be interviewing lots of people while we're at the TNNA Conference.

It's being held in San Diego so it'll be nice to escape the cold temperatures of Ohio. Alex and I plan to walk along the Embarcadero to get a little exercise...as if walking the trade show floor won't be enough!

We're meeting with lots of our suppliers to check out their newest yarns -- Berroco, Westminster, KFI. And we'll also see the fashion show on Friday night and take a good look at all the wonderful displays of new yarns, patterns and accessories. It's a fun show, though exhausting.

I hope everyone's keeping warm. It's so terribly cold across North America right now. I'm thinking of knitting myself a cosy wrap to keep me warm on airplanes and at home and the office where we keep it a little cool in the interest of reducing our carbon footprint...and our energy bills!

2DI4 Duo Yarn is now at Yarnmarket

2DI4 is a hand dye co-op sponsored by Cherry Tree Hill. It was started to help independent dyers gain access to base yarns and dyes without having to meet large minimums.

The unique ”2DI4 Duo” is the first release, and it’s selling quickly on Yarnmarket.

The “2DI4 Duo” starts as one 450 yard hank of 80% superwash wool and 20% nylon yarn. Then it’s divided in half and tied together with a gift tag. This enables the knitter to knit both socks, mittens, or gloves at once, ensuring that each pair will look similar and that one sock, mitten or glove can be knit from one duo. Plus, it’s conveniently portable.

Each gorgeous colorway is dyed in limited quantities and will not be repeated, so make sure you get your favorites while they last.

The Mirasol Yarn Project helps Peruvian Children

We're always excited when we can contribute to a worthy cause. So we're delighted to introduce Mirasol yarn. The philosophy behind the Mirasol Project is to support local communities in Peru through the sales of their lovely yarns. A percentage of the profits are invested in establishing and running a boarding-house for local children. The project focuses on an infant & child-care program with after-school support for older children so that the alpaca shepherds' families in the region have a secure place where the children can develop their potential.

So, when you purchase this yarn from Yarnmarket, you're helping families thousands of miles away. Isn't that nice?

We've just added three terrific yarns: Chirapa, Qina and Tupa.

Ultra-soft Qina is 80% baby alpaca and 20% bamboo. It's sensationally soft to knit & crochet with and is a delight to wear next to your skin. The bamboo gives a touch of sheen, and the alpaca adds loft and a pretty haloing effect. I'd recommend this yarn for any light worsted knitting & crochet projects.

Chirapa yarn is beautifully crafted of 100% merino wool and then hand-dyed in spectacular color combinations. It's ideal for more than just sport-weight sock projects, so check out the patterns for brightly colored kids' wear and lacy shawls and scarves.

Tupa is superbly crafted in 50% silk and 50% merino wool to achieve splendid drape & sheen. It also provides wonderful warmth, wearability and softness. This incredible 2-ply yarn shimmers with the lovely depth of color jewel tones found in their gemstone namesakes.

Please take a look at these yarns and consider them for your next project. By choosing Mirasol yarns, you'll be doing a world of good!

Awesome Possum!

We're elated to announce that we've just added Supreme Possum Merino Sock Yarn to our ever-growing inventory. This gorgeous yarn is from New Zealand where the little critters are considered a nuisance...but are famous for their fabulously warm fibers. This is a blend of 40% possum, 50% merino and 10% silk, so it's nice and light while it's wonderfully durable. We're selling seven gorgeous colors in a 50g skein of fingering yarn for $11.35 each.

One nice thing about this yarn is that 5% of every purchase goes to saving New Zealand's native birds.

We've got some free patterns available for this yarn, so check them out!