Gorgeous closeout cashmere silk yarn for sale!

I normally try to avoid posting too many plain ads here for yarn that I have for sale, as I really do want this blog to be more about technique, information, and life overall! That being said, I couldn't pass this one up.

Right now I have some extremely luxurious, stunning cashmere silk blend yarn that is on closeout. What we have left is all that we have. This yarn is amazing. It is like working with a cloud. Super soft and a joy to work with, this yarn would be perfect for any special project!

White Cashmere




This yarn also comes in a rich red color as well.

Red Cashmere
At this price, with free shipping, these yarns will *not* last long. So get yours while you can! Treat yourself to a real luxury yarn in sweater quantity!

I have begun selling Ice Brand Yarns! They are wonderful, high-quality yarns for very reasonable prices! Please take a look at our website, Ice Yarns and consider making a purchase. These yarns are luxurious and work up quickly and easily into high-quality projects. Love this brand!

Beautiful rich violet washcloth and scrubby set

Violet Washcloth and Scrubbies Set

This listing is for a 100% cotton  handmade, crocheted wash or dish cloth and 2 nubby scrubbies. Colored a rich violet, the washcloth measures 8" x 8" and the scrubbies measure 5" x 4". They are perfect for everyone in your family, even gentle enough for the little ones in your home. Ideal for bathing, showering, or use them as dish cloths for your kitchen! While they are easy on skin, they are tough on dishes and will not damage Teflon!

Treat yourself or friend to handmade wash cloths. They will last for years to come and even with heavy use, the more you use them the softer they get. The scrubbies have a naturally nubby texture which provides gentle exfoliation. Great as a gift for Christmas, stocking stuffer, baby shower, housewarming, wedding gift, or birthday! These beautiful handcrafted cloths will also save you money. They are eco-friendly, durable, and best of all reusable. Just machine wash and dry with your towel load. Some shrinkage may occur, as with all cottons.

These items are ready to ship. All items come from a non-smoking home. Please remember that colors may vary slightly from your computer screen.

New Listing On Ebay

Please see our new listing on Ebay. While it is a crocheted item, we do accept custom orders for both knitting and crocheting! More blog tutorials coming shortly!

Ebay

Yarn Basics: Yarn Stores

There are a variety of stores, both online and offline, that sell yarn and other knitting accessories. In this article, different types of yarn stores will be discussed, including major retail chains, local yarn shops (LYS), online retailers, and the unexpected places.

Retail chains

There are many large retail chains that either specialize in yarn and crafting supplies, or carry a diverse amount of them. These are usually multi-state stores such as WalMart, Joann's Fabrics, Michael's Crafts, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, and Ben Franklin. These stores generally have sales/coupons advertised online, and specialty coupons sent via email or regular mail if you sign up for their newsletter. Prices can vary as well as selection. Most craft stores carry a variety of brand name yarns as well as accessories such as knitting needles and stitch holders. You can order online or visit them in their store.

Local yarn shops (LYS)

Local yarn shops are a wonderful way to get more up close and personal with a range of higher quality yarns. These shops are generally locally owned and run and can provide a more intimate purchasing experience. While the yarns can be more expensive, they are generally more luxuriant and made with much higher quality materials than you will find in general retail chain craft stores. These stores also have knitting accessories, some handmade. These can be harder to find, but check your local telephone directory for information on these local treasures.

Online retailers

There are too many of these to name, and many are so amazing! There are the yarn brand websites, such as Red Heart, Bernat's, Caron, Patons, and Lion Brand. There are also online versions of local yarn shops such as Ice, Herrschners, Annie's Attic, Knit Picks, Knitting Warehouse, Smiley's Yarns, WEBS, and Deramores. There are also a large amount of exceptionally talented individual retailers who spin and dye their own handpainted yarns. These you can find by searching such places as Etsy, Ebay, ArtFire, and Ravelry. A large number of online groups for knitting, yarn, spinning, and dyeing exist as well. You can search these types of groups to find individuals who sell yarn.

Unexpected Places

A few places that are unexpected can often lead to the cheapest yarn! Be sure to check places such as your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other second-hand stores frequently, as they tend to have large lots or bags of yarn very inexpensively. Sometimes they will not have labels though, so it can be a grab bag. Other good places to look for yarn are estate sales, garage sales, classified ads, and places such as Craigslist for your area.

This is an overview of various places that yarn can be purchased. The stores listed are merely examples, and this is not an exhaustive list. Use search engines to your advantage to find amazing yarns and as always, enjoy!

Yarn Basics: Labels and How to Read Them

This is an example of a yarn label. A yarn label contains a lot of essential information about that particular yarn. In this example, you can see the name of the company that produces the yarn, the name of the yarn, and the weight of the yarn in the top section of the label.

This yarn is a worsted weight yarn called Cascade 220 Superwash. It is produced by Happy Knits, Inc. Their website is also listed.

Next you see the fiber content. This particular yarn is 100% superwash wool. Below the fiber, you see the quantity of wool in grams (100 g) and ounces (3.5 oz) as well as the length in both meters (200 m) and yards (220 yds).

Beneath the yarn fiber/length information, you find the gauge. In this example, gauge for both US size 7 and US size 6 knitting needles is given. Please see my article on gauge and how it works here!

Next is information on where the yarn is produced and who distributes it. Below this information you find the care instructions, which are extremely important. For example, if you wash a handwash wool in a washing machine, you may find a piece of felt waiting for you instead of your original creation. So please, check the washing instructions carefully!

Next you see the color and lot numbers. These are also essential to understand, especially when making something that uses more than one skein of yarn. If you are making something which uses multiple skeins, such as a sweater, it is important to make sure that you are using the same color and dye lot, or else there can be slight discrepancies in the color. So make sure to purchase enough yarn in the same lot to complete your project!

This is an overview of a yarn label and how to understand what is on it. Understanding your yarn will make each project more enjoyable!

Yarn Basics - Yarn Fibers

There are many different yarn fibers available in all yarn weights. Each type of yarn fiber has its own attributes, and the fiber you will use will depend on the type of project you are doing. Below is a short summary of some basic yarn fibers, their qualities, and projects they are suited for.

Wool: Wool is a very popular fiber used in a variety of projects from scarves to socks. The fleece used to spin wool yarn comes from different breeds of sheep and different shearing. Wool is very warm, comes in a washable variety (superwash) and can also be used for felted projects. Some people are allergic to wool though, and others find pure wool itchy and harsh to work with.



Fleece: Fleece is a term used for the fleece of animals other than sheep. Common yarns are mohair, cashmere, and other angora blends. The fleece used to spin these yarns comes from goats and rabbits. These yarns are incredibly soft and work up quickly, making luxurious items. These yarns are generally more expensive.



Synthetic: The most common synthetic yarn is acrylic, which can vary in quality from brand to brand. It is a very easy yarn to work with. Acrylic can be washed/dried in appliances and is also very inexpensive, making it a popular yarn choice for baby projects, pet projects, afghans, and other well-loved items. Acrylic yarns come in a dazzling array of colors and all yarn weights. The downside is since acrylic is plastic, the yarn can lack the softness and definition of other fibers. It also will melt if heated, so using acrylic for a project such as a potholder would not be appropriate.



Cotton: Cotton yarn is also referred to as kitchen yarn. Most items you would find use for in a kitchen or bathroom (such as washcloths, towels, etc) are made from kitchen cotton yarn. This yarn is machine washable, absorbs water well, and holds up to wear. Cotton is a wonderful yarn to use for garments as well, due to its softness. But keep in mind that cotton does shrink when machine washed/dried.



Novelty: Novelty yarns are fun yarns to use for various projects. They are extremely different from traditional yarns. Some examples of novelty yarns are ribbon, boucle, chenille, fake fur, and thick-thin yarn. These are fun yarns to play with for projects such as a “fur” scarf, boucle blankets, and textured thick-thin hat.

Thick-thin:
Boucle:
Fake fur:

Blends: There are many variations of blended yarns. These yarns blend two or more yarn fibers together to maximize positive attributes and minimize the negative attributes of each yarn. Common blends are cotton/acrylic, wool/acrylic, cotton/bamboo, wool/nylon/spandex, etc. There are countless ways to blend yarns, so you will find many varieties!

Bamboo blend:

There are other yarns that have not been mentioned here, but these are some of the basic fibers that are frequently used. Familiarize yourself with the large variety of fibers available and, if you are able, go to a local yarn shop so you can see and feel the different yarn fibers. This will help you to develop your yarn eye.

Happy yarn shopping!