Learn how Susan Druding transformed Crystal Palace Yarns

This month's Spotlight shines on Crystal Palace Yarns, and its founder, Susan Druding. You'll enjoy reading about her company and how she built it from a small yarn shop that catered to spinners and dyers.

You'll also enjoy reading about our huge 20% off sale on Crystal Palace yarns. For two weeks only, you can save 20% off all your favorites -- Tutu, Party Print, Splash, Fizz and many, many others!

If you don't subscribe to our newsletters, be sure to do so because they contain lots of helpful information about yarns, patterns, and designers.

Amanda and Stephen's Newest Addition

I'm so happy to announce that Amanda and Stephen are the proud parents of Addison Wood. She was born this weekend and both Mom and baby are doing very well as you can see by the photo. Dad looks elated, too!

Addison is the baby sister of Lilly, who it seems just arrived the other day. Time sure flies.

It makes me laugh to see Amanda as a mommy. When I first met her, she was applying for an internship in my department at TWCITWWW. She barely said a word, but when she opened up her portfolio it spoke volumes! What an incredible talent. Both she and, Kim, the designer who'd selected her resume from all those we'd received, had won a very prestigious scholarship at OSU. I offered Amanda the position instantly.

She worked as an intern for us throughout the summer, and when it was time for her to go to back to college, none of us wanted to see her leave. We petitioned the HR department and then the CEO to let her remain part-time throughout her school year. The following summer she was back to full time internship. By the time she graduated from college, she had almost two years experience with our company, so we hired her as quickly as we could.

We've been very, very fortunate at Yarnmarket that Amanda decided to work freelance after having her first baby. And as soon as she's ready to come back to work, we'll inundate her!

Everyone at Yarnmarket sends their best wishes Amanda, Stephen, Lilly and Addison.

Who would you knit for if you had your choice of Crystal Palace yarns?

In 1983, I worked feverishly on a gorgeous mohair sweater using yarn I bought at Simpson's in Toronto. After weeks of effort, I pieced it all together and made the horrible discovery that it had absolutely no give. I couldn't get it over my head! I was so discouraged, I confined myself to sewing.

It was two decades later that I learned what I'd done wrong. My Aunt Wilma visited from Calgary and when she mentioned she was in her local knitting guild, I ran out and bought some yarn and needles and demonstrated my (lousy) technique to her. I hoped that she could figure out where I was going wrong and -- sure enough -- she did.

Because I'm left-handed and was taught by right-handed people I didn't quite understand how to flip everything over. So I slipped my knitting needle into the front of the stitch instead of the back and gave every single stitch a little twist. (Or was it the back instead of the front? I'm so confused. But when I knit, my fingers now seem to know what to do.) The technique I used made for a nice sturdy fabric, but it had no stretch whatsoever. Not great when you're knitting a pullover.

With a little bit of guidance from Aunt Wilma, I was back in business and thrilled to discover a whole new variety of yarns that didn't even exist when I had last fired up the needles. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover Crystal Palace and all their wonderful, imaginative fibers. Because I love fluffy things (like pussycats and David Bowie), I stocked up on lots of balls of Crystal Palace Fizz and Crystal Palace Splash. That Christmas, my entire staff at The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World, Inc. (formerly a division of AT&T and now a division of IBM) received a nice, soft scarf to keep them warm when the office heating wasn't all that great. (Our Project Manager, Devra, used to wear her scarf and mittens in the office. Yes, it was that cold!)

Since that time, Crystal Palace has released a lot of really fantastic yarns that I absolutely love. The new Tutu is fabulous for those who like frills. I can't knit anything for Yarnmarket staff because they knit for themselves, so if I were knitting something dramatic and stylish for Graham Norton I'd use this one.


Graham wears some pretty outrageous outfits and I suspect his style icon is Elton John. Tutu would complement his shiny silk suits and shirts and maybe if I knit him one he'd be nicer to The Yarn Harlot the next time she's on his show. (I thought he was a little bit mean to her, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to sit in his big red chair to tell about the time I was attacked by a camel. In church. In Columbus, OH.)

If were knitting a new sweater for the absolutely adorable and talented Gareth Malone of The Choir, I think I'd use something from the Mochi line because he wears interesting sweaters and scarves and I think he'd love this yarn. There are several different weights available, and a gorgeous palette of dyed-in-the-wool colors. I've heard he's coming to America. Hmm...I wonder how I can lure him to Yarn Martian World headquarters?

Oh! That gives me an idea! If I were knitting for the sexy, alien-hunting Captain Jack of Torchwood, (John Barrowman), I'd probably use Panda Silk Solid for socks to wear with his kilt. They have so many colors that I'm certain I'd find something that matches, but I don't think I could knit plaid socks because, well, has anyone ever knit plaid socks? Successfully?

Anyway, the point is that Crystal Palace has a fantastic assortment of yarns to suit just about any style. They even have great choices for my sweetypie Alex who, I suspect, has every right to complain that I'm watching too much BBC America.

Today's newsletter is loaded with great ideas...and another fantastic sale!

Jan sent out our January newsletter this morning and you're going to want to read it. She mentions lots of new patterns and yarns we've just added to our inventory, and tells you about our newest sale.

Right now, you'll save 20% off all Tahki yarns. That's a great discount on yarns you love -- like Cotton Classic, Big Montana and Donegal Tweed. We've got lots of colors in stock for quick delivery. And you get free shipping on any order over $59 in the US.

We've just added some fantastic new yarns, too. First is Tosh Chunky and Tosh DK from Madelinetosh. These are so popular that we had to get them. And we're offering EVERY color available. We have 30 colors of each in stock, and you can custom order any other color you like...no minimum quantity required.

Another new yarn you're going to love is Evita Merino. This yarn has gorgeous little tufts of faux fur.

Read all about these yarns and more in the newest edition of Yarnmarket's Newsletter.

Oh, the places I've been!

This is an interesting little gadget I just discovered from a member in Ravelry...and it made me realize how much I've traveled! This summer I'll be adding Iceland to it and maybe I can toss in a couple more states or provinces before I embark on that voyage.

It would be wonderful to touch the soil of every continent at some time in my life. If you could visit just one place in the world, what would it be?


visited 34 states (68%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Like this? try: Vendian


visited 5 states (38.4%)
Create your own visited map of Canada or Like this? try: Auto Poster


visited 18 states (8%)
Create your own visited map of The World or Like this? try: Caerfai Chemical Simulation

Clothes from Outer Space

For some reason I can't explain, I can't stop inventing clothes. Sure, they're totally goofy -- like Toe Cones, Faux Toes, Sleevettes and My L'il Joey -- but I like 'em even if everyone else thinks I'm...well...special.

For those who haven't had the privilege of a private viewing, Toe Cones were to be placed on the toes of your shoes when you (like all of us who worked at The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World Inc., now a division of IBM) weren't permitted to wear open-toe shoes. Executives feared that if the ladies' toes were exposed, the men would be in such a frenzy of passion, they wouldn't be able to concentrate on their work. Stop laughing. I'm not kidding!

For those of us who wanted to achieve the open-toe look without a painful and humiliating visit to the HR department, I created Faux Toes. These were attached to the tops of your shoes and they looked like real toes. Only the office foot fetishist would have known they were fake.

Sleevettes were short sleeves that predated the shrug. They were invented when The Worst Company in the Whole Wide World Inc. told us we couldn't wear sleeveless garments because "shoulders are sexy." (I wish I were making this up!) I wondered out loud, "The new Lexus is sexy but our CEO gets to drive his to the office...in broad daylight with everybody watching!"

The HR department told me to stop gawking and to hurry up and complete the mandatory "Sexual Harassment" online seminar for department managers. They were so surprised when I passed it that they called to say, "Hey, it turns out you actually know the rules. So, why do you break them all the time?"

My L'il Joeys were not designed to counter clothing regulations in Completely Crazy Corporate America, but were crafted to provide us middle-aged ladies with a darned good excuse for having a belly. These were underpants that featured the face of a baby kangaroo peeking out from the waistband. When you wore them you'd say, "I'm not fat. It's my l'il joey!"

Needless to say, these garments did not take off, although they did earn me a session with an HR counselor who looked at me suspiciously and said, "You're weird."

(The "Nude Look Bikini" I crocheted in flesh-tone fabric to which I added some shockingly human features was another abysmal fashion failure.)

This weekend I invented the Hubble Shirt. It required a bit more work than usual. First, I downloaded photos from the Hubble Telescope. Then I had them printed onto fabric. This one has multiple images of a supernova, or gaseous cloud, or something else equally unearthly and delightful. I bought a Vogue pattern and used the fabric to create this t-shirt.

It's a little too loud for me to wear. (I dress pretty conservatively most of the time.) But I kind of like the thought behind it.

What do you think? Is it creative genius? Or creative "just stepped over the line to crazy"? I won't be hurt if you don't like it, but I'll probably think twice before I present you with the brand new Ele-pants I've just designed for men.

20% off all Kollage Yarns now at Yarnmarket. No minimum purchase required!

Jan just released another Yarnmarket sales letter and this time she's told our shoppers that they'll get 20% off all Kollage yarns until January 9th, 2012.

Be sure to read our newsletter, and sign up if you don't already subscribe, because they'll not only inspire you with great knitting and crocheting ideas, they'll also help you save a little money!