Yarn Love

Wendy makes some of the most amazing gradient yarn colorways. They are such a smooth and gradual transition that when you are knitting you hardly notice that the change is happening. Many consider this yarn pricier than what they want to spend but the quality of this yarn is amazing. You can find this yarn on Etsy in her shop WendysWonders127LLC 

Another independent yarn dyer, A Chick that Knitz can be found on Etsy. I love the quality of her yarn and her colorways. Her yarn falls into a pretty standard price point for independent yarn dyers. 

Miss Babs was recommended to me by my knitting crew (Ashley and Wendy) and although it took me a while to finally check this place out, I wish I had listened to them sooner. The yarn at Miss Babs is wonderful! You get more than from most dyers and the quality of the dying process is second to none. The solids have that bit of variation that makes yarn come alive and it is lovely to knit with. 

Knit Circus is a fun yarn dyer. They have great gradients but I really love their kettle dyed yarns. They have a number of yarn bases to choose from and have yarn ready to ship as well as dye to order options. Bonus for me...they are local. 

I first found Sun Valley Fibers during a shop hop and it was so hard to only walk out with 2 things (but I was on a budget). Their yarn colors are rich and their yarn is buttery soft. This yarn is a joy to knit with.

Jimmy Beans is a great online shop. They also have a brick and mortar shop in NV, but since I am not in Navada, I use their website.  They have a great variety of yarns and loyalty program.

WEBS is a great place to start if you need a wide variety of yarn options. 

Ravelry is considered to be one of the larges online resources for patterns. In addition to being a very large pattern repository, you can also use Ravelry to store information about your yarn stash, and keep track of your projects. 

Although many of the Tin Can Knits patterns can be found on Ravelry, you can also find them on their own site. They have great patterns, both free and paid, for beginners through advanced knitters. 

Similar to Tin Can Knits, many of Purl Soho's many of patterns can be found on Ravelry, you can also find them on their own site. They have a variety of patterns, both free and paid for a wide range of skills.

Many of the commercial yarn manufacturer, such as Lion's Brand, Red Heart, and Caron have patterns available on their sites. 

My favorite "accessory" is actually an app for your mobile phone or table. Knit Companion is a way to keep track of your progress on patterns. It has a free and paid version. It has become my essential knitting tool.  You can find more information about Knit Companion on the Purls of Wisdom page.

Stitch markers are an essential tool to help keep track of where you are and pattern repeats. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. 

If you buy yarn that comes in hanks instead of skeins you need to wind the yarn. You can wind your yarn into balls by hand or you can invest in a winder and swift. These tools can be used to wind your yarn into cakes that are ready to knit.  My favorite winder is from Stanwood.

For me, a yarn bowl is essential. I have dogs and having my yarn go bouncing across the floor is not a good thing! You can use all kinds of things for a yarn bowl including a mixing bowl. I prefer fancier yarn bowls and have a number that are designed for that exact purpose. My favorite are from Headwaters Pottery on Etsy. She does not always have them in her shop but they are beautiful.

Since I make a lot of of shawls, I block most of my projects. Shortly after I started knitting seriously, I stumbled across Knit Blockers, sometimes called blocking combs, and blocking got so much easier. Knit Blockers are blocking pins that are embedded in plastic in groups of 2 or 4 which reduces the number of individuals pins you have to place. You can find them on Amazon and at other retailers. I recommend doing a search for them since the prices can vary.