Shop Update & Etsy Store Grand Opening

Here's an unscheduled shop update, friends!

I've opened an Etsy shop, as a supplement to my shop here at woolcandy.com. You can find me on etsy here at woolcandy.etsy.com. I love the idea of Etsy, and have bought a few things from some wonderful sellers there.

I also figured that, since I'm new to this whole online biz thing, it's hard for some to assess my "cred," know what I mean? I have a long background in B & M retail -- as a bookseller at the fantastic and famous DIESEL, A Bookstore in Oakland for five years, in addition to a summer at Yarn Dogs in Los Gatos, and those experiences, as well as my own work ethic, have instilled a deep commitment to customer service. Still, this is my first venture into online selling. To the world, I'm a small fish in a big, big sea. Etsy is an established marketplace, with set rules and a large community. It's exciting to become part of that community, and hope that it'll give you some confidence about shopping with me! Yarn is my heart and soul, the fiber of my being (yuk yuk!), and I want nothing more than to share my love for color and yarn with the world. (End sappy sales speech. Thanks for listening. Hope I didn't come off too... too).

I'll be adding items to the woolcandy.etsy.com shop frequently. I have several skeins waiting in the wings, and will likely move some stock from my shop to the etsy shop to keep things fresh and see if I can't get a few more eyes on my wares (nudge nudge, wink wink!). Check here and on etsy often -- you never know where your dream skein will appear!

The first few items in the etsy shop introduce two new bases: Souffle Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere laceweight and Treacle BFL Sportweight.

Souffle Laceweight is the most sumptuously soft blend of 70% Alpaca, 20% silk and 10% cashmere. This stuff is obscene, how soft and tantalizing it is. I can't seem to stop petting it and rubbing it against my face. I dyed up a couple of skeins in Fresh Herb, one for me and one for the shop, and I'm going to cast on for the Whisper Cardigan from this spring's Interweave Knits as soon as it's dry. I'll list the second skein at the same time!

The first color available is Spanish Moss:

Celery green, golden yellow, tree-bark browns and soft, creamy caramels blend into an earthy hue. As always, this colorway is randomly dyed so that it will not pool or stripe. There are 1300 yards per 100g/3.5 ounce skein -- plenty of yarn for a beautiful, good-sized shawl.

Just listed as well is Orange Blossom Honey:

OMG-I-super-ultra-mega-looooooove-lurve-love this yarn! Picture sunlight pouring through a jar of golden-orange honey and you'll find this glowing blend of golds, caramels and deep orange-red. This color glows -- it just glows.

The other new base, Treacle BFL , is fluffy-soft sport-weight wool, perfect for a scarf or a sweater for a special little one. Each skein is 3.5 oz/100g 399 yards/365 m and knits up at 5-6 stitches per inch on size 4-6 (3.5mm-4.0mm) needles.

The first colorway offered at the shop is Vineyard:

A vibrant mix of wine reds, deep burgundy, plum and leafy greens. The greens blend with the reds to make branch-y browns. This yarn absorbs dye into this beautiful, watercolor wash. Each color blends softly into the next with no harsh edges or weird smudging or mixing. It's lovely!

I hope you enjoy this second outlet for Wool Candy!

Wheeee!!!

I'm still here, I promise. Sorry to disappear on you like that... My mom always said (when I was a whiny teenager who hated everything and couldn't wait to be finished with high school) that time starts to fly past you faster and faster as you get older.

Well, my mom has never been wrong yet, not once.

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I opened the shop. TWO WEEKS!!!  I've still been working away, dyeing up some pretty yarns -- really I have! --  and to prove it, here's a shop update!

I've added two yummy new colors of BonBon Bamboo Merino:

Here's Cerises:



Every girl needs a good red, don't you think? This red is deep and sassy and French. I don't know. Something about her reminds me of the perfect red lipstick. Can't you just picture lacy knee-highs?  OOOH! OR a clapotis to toss around your neck and pout as you sip your coffee?

Here's Brulee, Cerises' more demure cousin. Rich chocolate and caramel browns are only a bit more subdued. She's still shimmery.



I've also added two skeins of handspun. Here's Hey There, Cupcake!



They are approximately worsted weight -- the front skein is 147 yards and has reds and pinks dominating, and the back skein is 152 yards, with more browns and blues. This is spun from Brown Sheep Superwash wool roving, and I really think would make the most splendid cabled hat and scarf set. OR a sweet BSJ for a toddler.

Enjoy!