Yarn Market Blog

Linda Cortright of Wild Fibers magazine pictured here with yet another exotic beast

The story from the June 2009 TNNA show is…story.
 
Though I was busy making preliminary plans for the YMN Smart Business Conference—in Seattle next year, March 14-16—and meeting folks (finally met Kathy Merrick of Babette Blanket fame and Carol Sulcoski, author of Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns) and catching up with friends and colleagues, I did manage to walk the show. I was happy to feel the upbeat mood, share some great meals and to sample some Jenni’s ice cream at the North Market. (After month’s of hubby’s no-dairy diet, I was so ready for that..)
 
In addition to seeing a lot of new yarns from Australia and New Zealand, there are a number of new yarns hailing from the US. (Check out our Yarn Forward column in the August YMN on domestic yarns and yarns from Down Under in October.)
 
Veronik Avery’s new yarn that’s being distributed by Classic Elite is a good example of string from our shores. St. Denis is a sturdy wool—think crisp and balanced instead of soft and cuddly. This is a yarn with a point of view, a back story as it were. Spun from territorial wool—wool grown West of the Mississippi—and produced in the United States, St. Denis is a completely American yarn. Inspired by and named for her late mother, Avery has developed a strong, modern basic, a foundational yarn as elemental to knitting as a good stock is to a great soup.
 
The second story swirling around the show floor was Blue Sky Alpacas’ new yarn brand, Spud and Chloë, which launched with a vintage camp theme in their booth. Debuting with three yarns—Outer, Sweater and Fine—a range of charming, whimsical patterns, and darling graphics, Spud and Chloë is an extremely well thought out brand. The tagline, “Sweet yarns for real life” is lived out through the yarns, mostly washable (for the way we live) with touches of organic cotton and silk for sweetness.
 
This kind of investment in fresh, well-crafted yarns backed up with patterns and a strong marketing is a terrific sign of health for our industry.

Great buys under ten bucks: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Superwash, Classic Elie Yarns’ Moorland, Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca, Cascade Yarns’ Lana D’oro, Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool, Noro Kuryon, Aslan Trends’ Del Cerro, Plymouth Yarn’s Boku, Classic Elite Yarns’ Princess, Crystal Palace Merino 5, Tahki Cloud, in no particular order

In every issue of the magazine we feature yarn reviews of 10-12 different yarns. Mostly we showcase the yarns knit or crocheted up into swatches. But if I stumble on a fun idea on how to display yarns–like the blue “basics” in the May issue that we nestled like eggs in tiny birds’ nests–then we don’t necessarily run a photo of our swatches.

For the record, we really do put all these yarns through their paces before writing about them. See!

It’s that lovely month when everyone’s mind turns blissfully to…fall planning.
 
This is the pre-TNNA issue filled with gorgeous ads for new bags, gadgets and yarn, as well as articles to help your market, merchandise and manage.
 
Be sure to check out:
 
Franklin Habit’s piece on social networking etiquette for LYSOs, “Forum Decorum,” page 58.
 
Daryl Brower’s tips on designing seductive window displays, “Window Treatment,” page 50.
 
And Heather Gooch’s must-read on moth control, “Bugged by Moths,” page 34.
 
You’ll also find the usual suspects such as Cheryl Krementz’s meaty Market Report and Book Reviews, our Yarn Forward column on budget yarns under 10 bucks and company profile on bison evangelist Cecil Miskin.
 
Enjoy. Send comments. Or corral me at TNNA in June.

I had the pleasure of attending Crafternoon last week, an event hosted by Potter Craft and Watson-Guptill to showcase their upcoming craft books. There was food, publishing types, crafty sorts and industry schmoozing. (Tough job, I know, but someone has to do it.)
 
We saw a range of new titles, including Men’s Knits by Erika Knight, The Knitter’s Book of Wool by Clara Parkes and Twinkle Sews. All very exciting because one of my weaknesses is books. Plus, I threw my business card in a fishbowl for much-coveted crafty prizes, and low and behold I won something very cool!
 
What? A custom hat by Trond Anfinsen, author of Hat Heads: 1 Man+2 Needles = 50 Fun Hat Designs.

To order I had to answer a whole series of questions and send a photo of myself plus my head measurements. Not sure what the finished product will be like, but I am really excited about getting a made-to-order hat by the Norwegian KnitKid. Check him out here:

Will post of photo of the hat when I get it!