Thursday, August 23, 2007

Question from Reader: Yarn from Blue Ribbon Entry?


Dear Dee,
Congratulations on all your ribbons!  I like how the yarn looks in the sweater you made.  Can you tell me what yarn you used and where I can get it? Thanks, Dana



Dear Dana,
Thank you! :)

Yes, I'd be happy to tell you about the yarn I used.  For the bulk of the sweater I designed/crocheted for my son I used Caron's new yarn in their "Simply Soft" line called Shadows.  It's a yarn that self-stripes due to one of the 4 plies being especially dyed; it is made of acrylic (which means it can handle machine washing & drying -- an important factor for parents with active kids!), and it is very soft.  What the label won't tell you is that it's also a dream to work with!  The solid green is a different yarn brand.

I was introduced to Shadows when designer Doris Chan sent my daughter, Mini~Dee, a care package filled with stash she no longer needed but thought my daughter would enjoy.  Of that delightful box of goodies Mini~Dee gave me skein to crochet up a little chemo hat for our local hospital -- and I've been happily hooked on the fiber ever since!

Unfortunately I cannot get it locally.  So the hunt was on.  During my search for it, Herrshners sent me an email stating they were having an online sale, so while I was on their website for the sale I searched for Shadows. They had it, so I ordered about a dozen skeins.  Then I waited and waited.  I don't know why, but Herrshners was unable to fill my Shadows order -- so I had to start my hunt again.

Not long after, on a day while driving home from Massachusetts, I stopped at an AC Moore store.  This isnot a local store to me, so when I saw they had Shadows I filled my cart up to the top!  I think it's a great yarn to use for charity projects and for items (like kids clothing) that you want to be able to machine wash & dry!  And that stashh is now getting a little lean! 

Free shipping at Joann.com!  Code:  AUGFSA735This past weekend Joanns emailed me about an online sale they were having.  I checked out their website and sure enough they have it available; I ordered a dozen skeins and took advantage of their free shipping offer (use Code:  AUGFSA735).   I have a charity drive coming up (be sure to check back on September 1st!), so I know it will be put to good use!

I do want to note that while we do have a local Joanns store, they do not carry a single skein of it there -- a great disappointment for when you want to see the colorways in person!  I don't know if this is true for all Joanns stores, so if you have one near you, you can always pop in to check. 

Geesh, I'm just going on & on here ... I do hope this helps, Dana.  And when you find the yarn, I do hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thanks for writing & happy stitching!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I Love this yarn, too  and unfortunately Michael's has discontinued it.  I had the Manager at my Michael's in Stamford check several local stores.  They had it on sale for $2.00 a ball and i bought everything they had left weeks earlier.  Dee, that wonderful stitch that you taught us -- The Crazy Stitch made up so nicely for all the Baby blankets i needed to make for gifts.  
  I too, was in a Michael's in Middleberry Mills, MA at  a brand new shopping center ) had it for the regular price and i questioned the manager .  HE said the price was correct. $3.00 /skein.  Oh well i should have bought some because i can not find it anywhere and it really is a winner.  Let us know if you can come up with any.  
          Thanks !!!!  Shelley S, in Stamford

Anonymous said...

You know, Shelley, I was at the AC Moore in Orange, CT, the other day, and they had a VERY limited supply of it.  I bought some of the black variation -- all that they had in the same dye lot, so for now, I'm happy.  Hopefully it will get easier to locate this yarn -- more locally -- as time goes by.  :)
~Dee