This weekend is LYS Day 2023, an online and in-person weekend-long event that celebrates community, yarn…and includes a surprise box with TWO free gifts inside.

While LYS Day began as a way for customers to support their neighborhood bricks-and-mortar store, there are so many of you who consider us your local shop, even though you might be hundreds of miles away‑‑and we can’t thank you enough. We are here because you are here.

​​​​​​​Small, independent companies‑‑often owned and operated by just one brave soul‑‑are the chapters that give every yarn shop’s story its Life, and LYS Day is meant to honor them, too.

This weekend’s featured stories include:

–Coates & Co. Cottage Sock

-the Colosseum Socks by local designer Sophie Sparling, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Perennial Minis

–a cozy box that includes yarn, a pattern, wool wash and TWO free gifts (plus multiple add-on options)​​​

AND

double punches all weekend long
(both in-store and online)

The shop will be open from 10 am to 5 pm on Friday, April 28th, 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, April 29th and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, April 30th for local yarn lovers‑‑we hope you’ll stop in to celebrate this community together.

Each dollar is worth two on our frequent customer punch card, both in-store and online: our way of saying thank you for your devoted, loyal support.

Can’t make it to see us in person? We have plenty of love to share with our not-so-local locals‑‑keep reading for more.

While Life swirls in a maelstrom around us, we are looking‑‑always looking‑‑for a steady patch of ground.​​​​​​​ Finding center is a daily (hourly!) goal. Oftentimes tiny moments of reprieve are all we can manage, but we collect those times like precious jewels. The smallest things‑‑done with intention‑‑can infuse an otherwise mundane task with joy. The ritual of striking a match to light a small votive candle. Taking ten minutes to truly breathe. Filling a kettle with fresh water and listening to the water boil. Picking up smooth needles to stitch a few silent rounds before the rest of the world wakes up. We heard recently that ‘happiness is not the absence of problems, it is the ability to deal with them’. How wise. How true. May we learn to take better care of our selves, even in small ways (perhaps especially those!), so that we are better prepared for the waves that eventually tumble over us.​​​​​​​

For LYS Day, we wanted to create a box to send you some of the same little comforts we aim to incorporate into our daily lives. One of the shop’s long-standing patterns, the Bee Cozy, is an old fashioned household tool that we reach for more often than we ever imagined. Portable, practical and incredibly low-tech, slip on a little Aran sweater, fill this vessel with hot water and it becomes the grown-up version of a child’s blankie‑‑you might just want to take it everywhere. Tuck it in between the sheets on cold winter nights, wedge it behind your back after a day of heavy lifting, cradle it to your abdomen to ease your cramps. The mini pods of Eucalan‑‑one each in Jasmine, Eucalyptus, Pink Grapefruit and Unscented‑‑are fortified with lanolin for no fuss, no-rinse fiber washing. Light this honey-scented beeswax candle‑‑a gift from us‑‑as you knit, spin, read or navigate a tough time; please know that you are never, ever alone. The little pink book, a handwritten and illustrated guide to finding happiness‑‑or at least trying to, is another gift. Of course we understand there is no simple path or real treatise to Happiness, but adding tiny moments of Joy into daily ritual is a very good first step.

What’s inside the box? This package includes one skein of Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed, a Bee Cozy pattern, a set of four mini Eucalan wool washes and TWO free gifts‑‑a Midwest-made beeswax votive candle and a ‘zine about Happiness from Michigan artist Kristen Drozdowski. Even better? Shipping is included.

And. You know how we looooove options, yes? The pattern can be knit on its own with just one strand of Lucky Tweed, but you can add a strand of mohair for next-level softness without changing the pattern or gauge. Need the actual hot water bottle rubber insert? You can add either a skein of silk mohair OR the hot water bottle‑‑or BOTH!‑‑to your box.

The colors–for the main yarn and the optional mohair–will be a surprise and almost every single box will be different, but we think that’s a huge part of the fun. Not just for you when your box arrives, but as you start knitting; a few rounds in and the magic begins!

Find the Little Comforts Box HERE.

Emma from Coates & Co. was one of our featured makers during Small Business Saturday in 2022‑‑we loved her mini skein bundles in bright, fun colors. This Spring, we wanted to bring in full skeins of her smooth, tonal sock yarn for larger projects.​​​​​​​

Cottage Sock is a 4-ply sock yarn made from superwash merino wool blended with recycled nylon. Each color is dyed by hand in small batches. The colors are layered during the dyeing process to create bright, saturated colorways.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Find Coates & Co. Yarn HERE.

Question: Is there any project better suited for Spring than socks? Answer: Hardly! These darling socks are knit from the top down, featuring a simple steely gray base which highlights kicky heels and toes, a picot cuff and a gorgeous vertical motif at the ankles‑‑reminiscent of the great columns of the Colosseum.

Sophie Sparling is a local high school senior, dipping her toes into knitwear design in her spare time, and it is an honor to feature her first published design on LYS Day. She knit this sample with one skein of Kelbourne Woolens Perennial in ‘Lead’ + two skeins of Kelbourne Woolens Perennial Minis.

Find the Colosseum Socks HERE.

Open Stitch Saturdays
10 am to 12 pm ET

Sitting and creating with you on Saturday mornings…it’s what we DO.

Join us every Saturday morning as we sit and drink caffeinated beverages and knit (or crochet/spin/stitch/weave!) together.

After almost three full years of in-person stitching on hiatus, we’re so happy to say we are back to hosting our Open Stitch IN PERSON. Come sit and stitch with us‑‑the more, the merrier.

We have our online stitch circle, too‑‑we have no intention of EVER disbanding!‑‑and we’re in the process of figuring out how to combine the two so we can all stitch together.

JOIN US HERE.

Meeting ID: 835 6727 2501

(In the event that the link itself isn’t working, head to Zoom’s home page, enter meeting ID: 835 6727 2501 and you should be able to get right in.)

Almost ten years ago, we launched our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and there is simply no way we ever could have conceived what it is today. The dyers we’ve met, the colors they’ve created, the relationships that have grown‑‑the impact of this club in our lives‑‑personally and professionally‑‑is beyond our wildest dreams. (And just wait until we tell you about Year Ten! Next month.) 

Because our club continues to add new members every month, there are many, many customers who’ve only just joined us‑‑and have missed out on some of the previous months. And almost everyone has said that they’d love to get their hands on at least one more skein of one colorway or another. 

So. We’re opening up the opportunity for everyone who has been hoping to get another go at one‑‑or more!‑‑of our exclusive yarns. We reached out to the brilliant dyers who’ve produced colorways for our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and asked them to dye a limited edition run for the spectacular colors from the first nine years: The Colors of Leelanau.

As always, these yarns are available to you at 10% off retail prices. But this year? We’ve got something even better. For a limited time, they’re all discounted juuuuuust a little bit more‑‑an extra special gift to you, a thank you for making our lives so much more colorful.

However. You must be a Sleeping Bear Yarn Club member. 

We’ve said from Day One that these colors are exclusive to our members and we still stand by that. Before you can order any of the colorways pictured here, you first have to join the club.

After that, you can order any of the colors between now and March 27th. 

After that, they may be unavailable forever. 

Club memberships are available for 3, 6 and 12 months, with the ability to pay monthly, quarterly or in full.

A current membership of any kind will grant you access to the Colors of Leelanau.

Not a current member? Sign up HERE.

Already a member? Click HERE to order the Colors of Leelanau.

We’ll be taking pre-orders for the Colors of Leelanau for a VERY limited time‑‑through March 27th only.

Orders will ship with the May 2023 packages.​​​​​​​

Not sure what to knit with a single precious skein? How about a pair of simple socks? Our Constant Companion is a steady Eddie. The free Honeycomb Socks by Emily Bolduan are so appropriate, no? And the Bearly Bonnet by Pure Stitches is just darling.

Into small projects with two colors or more? There are SO many high contrast options within our palette‑‑think about Stephen West’s Woven Checks Socks, Stephanie Lotven’s Morning Sunshine Cowl, or Midori Rose’s Paul Klee Sweater.

Consider combining multiples and fading them‑‑making a gradient color run‑‑like the Snap Hat by Tin Can Knits, Joji’s La Prairie, the North Coast Pullover by Tamy Gore, Stephen West’s Fiery Foliage or the original Find Your Fade Shawl by Andrea Mowry. And of course our Basic Buzz Hat is the old standby.

Love some of the colors so much you want a full sweater’s quantity? Try this Ravelry search HERE for fingering weight sweaters. Some of our favorites include Isabell Kraemer’s Dingley Dell, Rachel Illsley’s The Waves or Dārta by Inese Sang (from the new Neons & Neutrals by Aimée Gille).

And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that so many of these (okay, all of them!) provide a gorgeous backdrop for mohair sweaters, too. Some favorites are the Cozy Classic Raglan by Jessie Maed, Broadleaf by Wool & Pine and of course, The Love Note by Tin Can Knits. (Holding a fingering weight and a laceweight yarn together will yield a DK weight gauge.) Try a Ravelry search for DK weight sweaters HERE. We’ve got several laceweight mohair yarns in the shop, including Along Avec Anna Silk Mohair, La Bien Aimée Mohair Silk (for anything with yellow!), Fangirl Silk Mohair, Moondrake Mohair Lace, Wobble Gobble KidMo, Little Fox Nuages,  Bella Filato Bella Suri and Quince & Co. Piper.

Not sure how to choose your coordinating mohair, or how it will look with the yarn? This blog post from Tin Can Knits is so very helpful‑‑thank you, Michele, for sending this one along! Read the post HERE.

Our Colors of Leelanau display in the background. You’ll notice that not every month from the original lineup is included. That’s because some of the dyers were unavailable to recreate their original colorway. If you have one of those original skeins, hang on to it like your life depends on it.* ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

*Um. We mean knit with it. Who hoards yarn anyway?

An extremely precious yarn, The Woods is a secret project that’s been in the works for more than 3 years. From the flock of Merino-Rambouillet sheep of Fleece Flower Farm in Frankenmuth, this yarn holds the promise and wonder of new life. Spun from the entire flock of Bob & Liz Stearns’ Michigan fleeces, it’s combed together in a small-batch, ring-spun yarn that’s plump, soft and farm-fresh. This is a very limited edition yarn; there is a finite number of skeins available, and once they’re gone, that’s it. Forever.

Zeilinger Wool Company is a fourth-generation wool mill in Frankenmuth, Michigan. We have worked closely with Jon and April for years, and when they got wind that this wool needed a plan, they immediately thought of us. It’s an honor to work with this historic mill to create another custom yarn for our hive.

Handpainted in Colorado by Rachel Lundstrom of Six and Seven Fiber, this gorgeous color palette is something right out of a dream. Soft, muted colors ranging from subtle variegation to gently speckled, this yarn inspires a fresh start.

And of course, a special yarn needs a special plan. We asked Tina Tse, a Michigan-based knitwear designer, to create A Fresh Start Toque, a modern classic and a highly wearable hat. We’re thrilled with this hat pattern–a combination of deep ribbing, clever stitchwork and in multiple sizes for all genders, moods and seasons.

Find The Woods yarn HERE.

What if you could begin your knitting new year a little differently this year? Gentler, kinder, with more grace? Rather than hard corners and tight deadlines, how about soft edges and loose commitments? Why not make your first project of 2023 something small, pleasantly engaging and quick-to-knit, something to boost your sense of accomplishment? We call that an ‘atta boy’ project–and after a long year, we’re more than ready for one. Come–knit with us. We could all use a fresh start.

December 9th-21st: Order the yarn and needles now through December 21st. Everything will arrive in the store (or straight to your doorstep!) with plenty of time for you to cast on by January 1. When you’re done, we’ll expect to see finished shots of you and your hat! Email us at thebuzz@woolandhoney.com with your finished piece, and while you’re knitting, use the #WoolAndHoney hashtag on Instagram or post on our Facebook page.

15% Discount: the needles AND the yarn. This hat is knit with The Woods, a light worsted weight in a dreamy palette of eight magical colors. Need to order needles? Find them HERE.

Prizes: Every single participant who completes their hat during the week will receive a Forest on the Moon Enamel pin by Jess Weymouth –a $13 value–AND every single participant who completes their hat will be entered in a drawing to win an ‘Ivory + Tan’ Dopp kit from Paisley & Gold–a $50 value.

Sign up for A Fresh Start KAL HERE.

Open Stitch
Saturdays
10 am to 12 pm EDT

Sitting and creating with you on Saturday mornings…it’s what we DO.

Join us every Saturday morning as we sit and drink caffeinated beverages and knit (or crochet/spin/stitch/weave!) together. It won’t be exactly the same as being together in person, but it’ll be so very good to see you.

And. If you live locally and you’re ready to sit and knit together, join us in person. We’ve missed you so.

JOIN US HERE.

Meeting ID: 835 6727 2501

(In the event that the link itself isn’t working, head to Zoom’s home page,
enter meeting ID: 835 6727 2501
and you should be able to get right in.)

‘If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.’

-Mary Oliver, ‘Don’t Hesitate’

* * * * * 

​​​​​​​We are learning‑‑slowly learning‑‑that Joy does not exist in a vacuum. We cannot separate nor isolate Joy from daily happenings, that we are allowed to look for, experience, create beauty‑‑despite chaos. That we can be deeply sad and exquisitely joyful at the same time. Operating from the both/and mindset is how we survive‑‑and, when the stars are aligned, it’s how we thrive. You are allowed to wade in the depths and to shore yourself up with small, beautiful things that illuminate the horizon.

We’d like to introduce to you a gentle collection of sweet delights that sparkle and pop‑‑and feel like Joy. We took these photos during a dark week, and cradling these gorgeous gifts in our hands‑‑and thinking both about the hands that created them and the hands that will hold them after they leave ours‑‑felt like stringing our halls with tiny, blinking twinkle lights. You’ll sense a carryover of the weekend’s sock theme, accoutrement for all your sock knitting adventures (including a cooling foot balm!) that are good for giving and for getting. It’s a shadowy season ahead, but it can also be filled with patches of light when we look.

‘Pip & Pop’‑‑the yarn and the nail polish!‑‑was created exclusively for Wool & Honey for the Holiday Season 2022, based on the brilliant, joy-filled Meow Wolf Santa Fe exhibit by Australian artist Tanya Shultz of Pip & Pop. This polish is a clear base with multi-color sparkles, so you can wear it on its own, or over a base layer of Northern Nail for extra color pop.​​​​​​​

These Wool & Honey Sock Blockers, etched with iconic Leelanau motifs, are the knitterly accessories we never knew we needed. Sock blockers help with quickly and correctly calculating the size of socks, following a pattern without mistakes, controlling the knitting density and knitting without play-by-play fitting. Made of lightweight plywood, the removable toe allows for sizing socks in American sizes from 5 to 14. The hand-drawn motifs on the blockers were designed for us by our longtime friend, artist Emilie Eklund of Lief Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the blockers were made by Vicky in Kharkiv, Ukraine.​​​​​​​

How many times have you seen Kitchener stitch used in a pattern and thought, “Wait, how do I do that again?” We’ve all been there. This enamel pin features a unique hinged, two-layer design. Lift the cover to reveal easy step-by-step directions for the Kitchener Stitch engraved on the interior. With the Kitchener Stitch Pin, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful piece of art to add to your favorite knitting bag, as well as a handy reference tool for the Kitchener stitch. 

The Keeper’s Collective is an all-natural skincare brand from Snoqualmie, Washington that creates nourishing, pure, handmade products with the help of our friend, the mighty honeybee​​​​​​​. Boasting raw honey, bee propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly to heal dry skin, lighten dark spots and combat acne, the Secret Salve is a must-have for every medicine cabinet, nightstand and knitting bag. The Peppermint Tea Tree Heel & Foot Balm combines lavender, peppermint, and tea tree essential oils, along with beeswax and bee propolis. Together, these natural ingredients work hard to soften and soothe even the driest patches of skin. The Goat Milk & Honey Bath Soak‑‑in either Lavender or Rose Gold‑‑is the day-end luxury you deserve. Goat milk, with its naturally exfoliating and moisturizing properties, pairs perfectly with humectant honey to help cleanse and deeply nourish your skin.

Paisley & Gold Sewing was founded in Macon, GA in 2016 when Erika Green was a full-time college student. In need of a creative outlet, she put her sewing skills to the test and created her burgeoning craft business. Paisley & Gold bags bring together the finest materials and stunning design to create something very special. She believes in quality, care, and creating unique products that everyone can enjoy. Colorful, creative, and inspired by what she sees everyday, each product represents what she loves about the world she lives in. Her mission is to ensure that every item is made with heart and integrity. She believes in reviving the United States fashion industry by ethically producing all of her items in studio in the Slow Fashion way. Her hope is to educate customers on the importance of handcrafted products and small business. Every item is made by Erika in Columbus, Ohio.

Saturday, November 26th
Small Business Saturday
9 am to 4 pm

double punches

+ 

a FREE gift with every order
(both in-store and online)

We look forward to Small Business Saturday all year‑‑it’s a day entirely devoted to our favorite small-scale Makers. Our shop is bursting with all of our favorite gift items: candles, enamel pins, magazines, gifts‑‑and of course, yarn.

​​​​​​​Every customer (both in-store + online) will be receiving a grow-your-own lavender plant‑‑a gift that you can bring to the host at your next holiday gathering‑‑or you can absolutely can keep for yourself.

Every online order placed today (from now until 11:59 p.m. EST!) will receive one, too. 

Each dollar is worth two on our punch card: our way of saying thank you for your devoted, loyal support. Our shop would be nothing without our customers‑‑we are so very grateful for you.

And. We would like to say that today, after almost three full years on hiatus, we’re hosting our Open Stitch IN PERSON. Sit and stitch with us‑‑the more, the merrier. We’ll have our online stitch circle, too‑‑we have no intention of EVER disbanding!‑‑but we hope you’ll join us today from 10 am to 12 noon for the reunion we’ve been waiting for since March 2020. 

Just ​​​​​​​A Few Small Business Delights:

Tea, honey and mugs

Lykke Copper Needles‑‑large and small interchangeable sets

​​​​​​​Lykke Driftwood Needles‑‑large and small interchangeable sets

Tuft Woolens lip balm + knitter’s hand balm

​​​​​​​The Painted Bee totes and sleep masks

​​​​​​​Kristin Hurlin notecards

​​​​​​​Moondrake Moffy (SALE!)

​​​​​​​25-50% off magazines and books

Farmhouse Candles

the greatest selection of enamel pins in Northern Michigan

a rainbow of Northern Nail Polish colors

Along Avec Anna Merino Fingering + Silk Mohair

​​​​​​​Cocoknits Tools​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Soak hand sanitizer (SALE!)

Dyed in upstate New York by Jiayi of Wobble Gobble, her bubbly colorways are pure artistry‑‑these skeins will truly take your breath away. ‘Pip & Pop’was created exclusively for us for the Holiday Season 2022, based on the brilliant, joy-filled Meow Wolf Santa Fe exhibit by Australian artist Tanya Shultz of Pip & Pop. This is one of the most joy-filled yarn collaborations we’ve ever been part of.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Coates & Co. mini sets, from L to R: 02, 04, 03, 01.

With a focus on sustainability, Coates & Co. sources yarns and fibers from regional fiber mills before dyeing each unique colorway by hand in small batches. These sweet little sock sets‑‑5 colors each in striking color pairings‑‑are hand-dyed by Emma in Cincinnati, OH.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Each Cashmere and Coconuts Sock Yarn Set is carefully hand dyed by Stacie in small batches, using high quality, super soft yarns, and acid dyes. Because of this, each skein is truly a unique creation, and a one of a kind colorway. These yarns are wonderful for shawls, sweaters, hats, and of course, socks.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

…and because we couldn’t have just one new Wobble Gobble colorway in the shop, we asked Jiayi if she could dye 10 standard colorways on her bouncy, 2-Ply Merino sock yarn to round out the collection. And of course, she said yes.​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Need a few sock suggestions? Our go-to Constant Companion is pure Netflix knitting, with options for ribbing OR contrasting heels and toes, Prairie Spring by Samantha Myhre has a brilliant spiral pattern and Summer Lee’s Little Checks Socks are so fun we can’t handle it. (These would look fabulous with variegated yarn OR solid stripes.)​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Not a sock knitter? There are SO many patterns for fingering weight yarn, for yoked sweaters, for hats, for beautiful one-skein shawlettes. Shown here is Streets of Barcelona by Joji Locatelli, Paul Klee Sweater by Midori Hirose and the Diamond Brim Hat by AbbyeKnits.

Open Stitch
Saturdays
10 am to 12 pm EDT

Sitting and creating with you on Saturday mornings…it’s what we DO.

Join us every Saturday morning as we sit and drink caffeinated beverages and knit (or crochet/spin/stitch/weave!) together. It won’t be exactly the same as being together in person, but it’ll be so very good to see you.

And. If you live locally and you’re ready to sit and knit together, join us in person. We’ve missed you so.

JOIN US HERE.

Meeting ID: 835 6727 2501

(In the event that the link itself isn’t working, head to Zoom’s home page,
enter meeting ID: 835 6727 2501
and you should be able to get right in.)​​​​​​​

Hello, dear friends. Hoping this email finds you healthy and cozy, tucked in for a long weekend of creating and resting at home. We’ve been busy bees in the shop and behind the scenes, knitting away, filling the store with our favorite things and planning the sweetest surprises for you.

We’d like to share some of our plans for Thanksgiving weekend, which also include those of you who can’t join us in person. In fact, to keep everyone extra safe, our bricks-and-mortar storefront will be closed to walk-through traffic on Plaid Friday‑‑and extending our annual sale to a full 24 hours so you can pop in online when it’s convenient for you.

Friday, November 25th
Plaid Friday
20% ALL DAY online only
CLOSED to walk-in traffic

Saturday, November 26th
Small Business Saturday
9 am to 4 pm
-double-punches
-a FREE gift with all orders,
in-store and online
-surprise announcement

Sunday, November 27th
11 am to 4 pm

Monday, November 28th
Cyber Monday
A HUGE surprise!

Tuesday, November 29th
Giving Tuesday

​​​​​​​* * * * *

….and a top-secret collaboration in December​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

More details to come over the next few weeks, friends. Have a safe and restful weekend surrounded by knitting, tea, books, friends and all the other things that fill your souls.

Spun from the finest commercially-available American extra-fine merino wool, Quince & Co. Phoebe is unbelievably soft and luxurious to knit with, creating the most satisfying fabric—silky, bouncy, decadent stuff. Perfect in stockinette stitch, ribbing, twisted stitches, and cables. Phoebe comes in a tonal-dyed palette, each one unique and ranging in variegation from skein to skein. We are completely bonkers for this hot magenta zinger‑‑you have heard that pink is the new black, yes?

Not sure what to knit with this limited edition Aphrodite? One skein will make the Hadfield Hat, a cozy fisherman’s rib hat that’s destined to become a wardrobe staple.

Great knits are like great art because they make us think differently, and the process of making can be even more revelatory! Showing us how we can look to, and beyond, our horizons when it comes to our craft, the 43rd issue of Pom Pom is inspired by the work of women artists Etel Adnan and Hilma af Klint.

This winter collection of 10 patterns features striking colours and innovative techniques, and bold and imaginative knits that play with pattern and perspective. So whether you fancy a colourwork challenge, or just some meditative time as the sun sets in the sky, there’s bound to be something here to expand your crafting horizons!

Featuring designs by Amy Blackwell, Kjerstin Rovetta, Marzena Kołaczek, Avery Erb, Audrey Borrego, Regina Wimmer, Marie Régnier, Mer Steven and Sarah Opie. 

Find Issue 43 HERE.

Find our entire Pom Pom Magazine collection HERE.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Open Stitch
Saturdays
10 am to 12 pm EDT

Sitting and creating with you on Saturday mornings…it’s what we DO.

Join us every Saturday morning as we sit and drink caffeinated beverages and knit (or crochet/spin/stitch/weave!) together. It won’t be exactly the same as being together in person, but it’ll be so very good to see you.

JOIN US HERE.

Meeting ID: 835 6727 2501

(In the event that the link itself isn’t working, head to Zoom’s home page,
enter meeting ID: 835 6727 2501
and you should be able to get right in.)

Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter is one of our shop’s sweethearts‑‑and one of the most iconic yarns for Makers today. Lightweight yet warm, rugged yet refined, limitless yet dependable, it’s everything we want in a worsted weight yarn. And today, we’re so excited to introduce 12 brand new hues.

A deeply saturated rainbow, this palette fills in lots of gaps, both in terms of color AND supply-chain shortages. A true navy blue stocking cap? Try Deep Dive. An eye-popping chartreuse statement sweater? Pollen’s calling your name. An Aran pullover? Puff is as bright white and clear as a billowy, midsummer cloud.

The new Shelter colors are skein-dyed‑‑slightly different than the original BT Shelter recipe‑‑​​​​​​​which means the colors are deeper and more intense, and they read more as solid colors vs. heathered, tweed or tonal.

Not sure what to knit with the new Shelter shades? Try Tif Neilan’s Color Story (left) or Jared Flood’s First Raglan Sweater. For even more color pairings, remember that Shelter and Brooklyn Tweed Tones are interchangeable in both gauge and yardage, creating a rainbow of endless color options.​​​​​​​

Spring is taking root in Northern Michigan. And before we barrel into full-on Summer, the Universe taps on our shoulder: not quite yet. We’re in Mercury Retrograde season, which is this wobbly, in-between span of time in which so many things (basic communication, daily routines, relationship nuance) feel harder, like we’re moving backward. Everything just seems…off. Because, well, cosmically, it is. For us, we notice that every time Mercury turns retrograde (it’ll be four times total in 2022), we’re not entirely catapulted off center, but instead have an almost physical longing to return to unfinished projects. Yes, absolutely, in relation to knitting, but also in terms of organization, sleep patterns and soul searching. It makes us want to put our house in order.

​​​​​​​And. At the same time, Spring’s familiar, cyclical pull. Aching to see signs of life after a long season hiding beneath a white blanket. Trimming away the tattered, winter-worn bits and breathing a billowy breath into our current surroundings. We want that delicious, Edison bulb yellow to spark something inside. Sometimes it requires a new tool. A pair—or a set!—of shiny, new needles. A well-placed lapel pin on last year’s spring coat. A tiny scrap of beautiful fabric stitched to the cuffs of a moth-bitten sweater. Mending the parts that have worn thin and strengthening the bits we are proud to build on. Old, but new again.

Rather than push against the frenzy, we are chosing instead to use this time of pause to revisit and set intentions for Practice. More daily knitting‑‑to soothe, to comfort, to restore, to energize, to align. More scheduled contemplation‑‑deep breathing, long walks, five minutes of utter quiet. More herbal tea, more sun, more rest, more greens‑‑in our bodies and in our line of vision. Here’s to more of the things that restore your soul, despite the maelstrom swirling around you. You deserve good things, dears‑‑sending you our love.

xo
​​​​​​​Melissa & Liz

Okay, okay, so perhaps all this is a bit woo for you, but maybe just don’t make any really big decisions for the next few weeks? Promise us you’ll at least try to re-commit to taking care of yourself during this time: don’t forget your vitamins, get a little extra sleep..and whatever you do, do NOT text that ex!

It’s been almost eight full years since we launched our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and it has blossomed into something beyond our wildest dreams. (And just wait until we tell you about Year Nine! Sometime next week, that is.) 

Because our club continues to grow every month, there are many, many customers who’ve only just joined us‑‑and have missed out on some of the previous months. And almost everyone has said that they’d love to get their hands on at least one more skein of one colorway or another. 

So. We’re opening up the opportunity for everyone who has been hoping to get another go at one‑‑or more!‑‑of our exclusive yarns. We reached out to the brilliant dyers who’ve produced colorways for our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and asked them to dye a limited edition run for the spectacular colors from the first eight years: The Colors of Leelanau.

And, as always, these yarns are available to you at 10% off retail prices.

However. You must be a Sleeping Bear Yarn Club member.

We’ve said from Day One that these colors are exclusive to our members and we still stand by that. Before you can order any of the colorways pictured here, you first have to join the club.

After that, you can order any of the colors between now and April 18th.

After that, they may be unavailable forever. 

Club memberships are available for 3, 6 and 12 months, with the ability to pay monthly, quarterly or in full.

A current membership of any kind will grant you access to the Colors of Leelanau.

Not a current member? Sign up HERE.

Already a member? Click HERE to order the Colors of Leelanau.

We’ll be taking pre-orders for the Colors of Leelanau for a VERY limited time‑‑through April 18th only.

Orders will ship with the June 2022 packages.

Not sure what to knit with a single precious skein? Consider combining multiples and fading them‑‑making a gradient color run‑‑like the So Faded Sweater, What the Fade Shawl or Fluorite Socks by Andrea Mowry, Dip Dye Raglan by Camilla Vad (and hold them with mohair‑‑gasp!) or the original Find Your Fade Shawl. And of course our Basic Buzz Hat would be a knockout.

Love some of the colors so much you want a full sweater’s quantity? Try this Ravelry search HERE for fingering weight sweaters. Some of our favorites include Joji’s Granito, Tif Nielan’s Beachcomb Tee and Mebuki by Ririko.

And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that so many of these (okay, all of them!) provide a gorgeous backdrop for mohair sweaters, too. Some favorites are the Cozy Classic Raglan by Jessie Maed, The Daily Ritual Raglan by Park Williams and of course, The Love Note by Tin Can Knits. (Holding a fingering weight and a laceweight yarn together will yield a DK weight gauge.) Try a Ravelry search for DK weight sweaters HERE. We’ve got several laceweight mohair yarns in the shop, including Fangirl Silk Mohair, Moondrake Mohair Lace, Wobble Gobble KidMo, Little Fox Nuages,  Bella Filato Bella Suri and Quince & Co. Piper.

Not sure how to choose your coordinating mohair, or how it will look with the yarn? This blog post from Tin Can Knits is so very helpful‑‑thank you, Michele, for sending this one along! Read the post HERE.

*Um. We mean knit with it. Who hoards yarn anyway?