It’s hard for us to believe, but we welcomed our first customers through our doors 10 years ago! Since serving cake and bubbly are no-no’s right now, we’re “partying” with a Birthday Sale through Saturday for both in-person shopping and phone orders. You’ll save 10% on regularly priced yarn and merchandise, including all our needles and notions, KP blocking boards, Chiao Goo Yarn Butlers, Soak, and Baggu totes — so it’s also a great time to stock up on gifts!

Having such a big birthday kicking off the fall season for us called for some very special yarn treats. We’re bringing in both old favorites and new loves.

Alegria is back on our sock yarn wall in 20+ colors. The dyers of Manos del Uruguay have created amazing new shades, and this blend of 75% superwash merino and 25% polyamide, as soft as ever, still comes in generous 445-yard hanks.

The Islamorada Shawl, Fairmount Fibers’ free pattern from Jocelyn Tunney, is one of the easiest ways we know to bring lots of beautiful Alegria into your life:

Next, Metalico from Blue Sky Fibers. What to say about a yarn that practically purrs?

The plump, gleaming braids of Metalico are almost too pretty to wind, but this lush 50/50 mix of alpaca and silk yarn is a joy to work with.

The four classic undyed colors are in stock now in the shop. We’re happily taking orders for their eight new colors, six of which are dyed — a first for Metalico.

Blue Sky Fibers is currently offering a Michael Vloedman design, the Lexington Cowl, free on Ravelry. It calls for two skeins each of three colors of Metalico:

Arriving soon are two more yarns we’re VERY excited about: the Rasta Pintada Collection from Malabrigo and Rowan Felted Tweed.

Above, the new Kaffe Fassett colors of Felted Tweed for F/W 2020.

May I recommend a type of yarn we’ve carried since Day 1? It’s one of my favorites — the silk/mohair blend. I’m convinced it’s magic stuff, used alone or as a carry-along yarn. Right now we stock both Berroco Aerial and Sugar Bush Yarns Drizzle. I used both for Meg Gadsbey’s Arrochar* cowl.

The suggested yarn for Arrochar is a DK or light worsted weight wool. Madelinetosh DK Twist, Kelbourne Woolens Scout, Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, and Malabrigo Rios would all work beautifully. But I used a silk/mohair lace weight on US 8/5.0mm needles. I chose a green Aerial as my main color and a purple Drizzle as my contrast. By dividing each skein in half and knitting with two strands held together, the result was everything I’d hoped for and more — feather light but still outrageously soft, cozy, and warm.

Would you like to make Arrochar or some other cowl or scarf pattern and substitute double- or even triple-stranded mohair/silk? Just ask us to weigh out your yarn and wind it into smaller cakes. We are also here to help with color advice. Different colors held together can be amazing. You can see that happening here in my Shibui Knits Gradient* cowl from 2012:

Another blast from the past, and one of our most popular shop samples, shows how harmoniously silk/mohair and a fingering weight can work together:

We still have a few printed copies of this Kristin Ford Shibui Knits Mix No. 3 shawl in stock. (This 2011 pattern has never been made available as a digital download.)

Shibui still likes to play with the same formula of mixing sections of silk/mohair knit alone with sections of it held with a heavier yarn — their Prism* pattern designed by Shellie Anderson was published on Ravelry only yesterday:

Prism would be beautiful with Aerial or Drizzle knit with a fingering weight such as Perennial from Kelbourne Woolens.

The takeaway here is that a yarn called for in a pattern is a suggestion only. When you want to create something uniquely your own, that’s when GYI can help. It’s what we’ve been doing since 2010 — helping you find just the right patterns and yarns to make it your way!

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P.S. If you would like to knit with Madelinetosh DK Twist, Kelbourne Woolens Scout, Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, or Malabrigo Rios, may I suggest Romi Hill’s new free pattern, Warm the Line Beanie? Knit one for yourself and one for the person next to you in line on November 3rd!

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Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Today is the 3rd Annual LYS Day, “a day to celebrate the brick and mortar yarn shop.” Unfortunately, that’s not as easy as it used to be.

As a small, locally-owned business, we are beyond grateful for the customers who have joined us in being as flexible and creative as possible in these past few months. That has meant connecting with each other in new ways. We are as happy to hear from you by phone or email as to welcome you to a socially-distanced visit to the shop. Whether we ship you your order, pack it for curbside pick-up, or help you choose the perfect yarns from our shelves, since we all love yarn, we will get through this!

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One of the best parts of being your LYS is stocking what we know you love, and Woolstok has long been a favorite at GYI. We’ve brought back this wonderful 100% Peruvian Highland Wool worsted weight just in time for Blue Sky Fibers’ LYS Day offer of a free pattern. Purchase Woolstok at the shop today, 12-4 p.m., or call in your order. We will give you the BSF download code, which is good through September 13 on either ravelry.com or blueskyfibers.com.

Customers rave about Woolstok, calling it “the softest wool I’ve ever felt” and “a dream to work with.” Here are some of your Woolstok projects we’ve featured in the past few years…

Here’s one more shot of the Pemberton Pullover shown above, a new Blue Sky Fibers pattern for Woolstok, and one I’ll have on my needles very soon:

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We’re keeping our “summer hours” for the indefinite future: Wednesday-Saturday, 12-4 p.m. It’s a nice balance of accessibility and safety for everyone. Plus you tell us that being able to make private shopping appointments that fit your schedule is one of the few good things to come out of 2020 so far!

What if you just need a fix? If your project is made with yarn purchased at GYI, there’s no charge if it needs a little TLC – a few dropped stitches or rows that need to be ripped back. Bring it in, labeled with your name, the name of the pattern and designer (if available), and your phone number, so we can call you when it’s ready. Repair fees may apply to more involved repairs or non-GYI projects.

We’re going to offer Zoom virtual instruction this fall. There will be a half-hour minimum, and payment will be required when you register and schedule your online session, just like an in-person class. If you don’t already have Zoom on your computer, it’s free to download and easy to use. Mobile apps are available from Google Play and the App Store for iPhone and iPad. So whether you want a technique explained or help with a project from start to finish, we can Zoom through it together. Full details coming soon.

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Only one new FO, but it’s a special one. Lara finished her Dream in Color Smooshy socks, worked in a diagonal spiral rib pattern. They appeared as a UFO in the last post, and here they are all done. They’re special because they may be the last FOs we get to see in person from Lara for awhile, as she has moved out of state. We look forward to staying in touch with her – and all of you – as we must these days, by email, phone, and social media!

We’ve switched over to Summer Hours, now through Labor Day. We will be open Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00-4:00 pm. You can still schedule a private shopping appointment outside of regular business hours by calling the shop (570-287-9999) or emailing jill@goshyarnitshop.com.

As soon as we saw the new Cocoknits Needle Gauge, we knew we needed it: a bright rainbow stack of tiny connected discs for identifying knitting needle sizes US 0-15. The discs swivel out and click back together with tiny magnets (which makes it as much fun to play with as use) and tucks easily into your notions pouch. And because Cocoknits is committed to avoiding plastic wherever possible, it’s made from PLA, a 100% biodegradable, plant-based plastic substitute.

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Wrist Rulers are perfect for measuring your in-progress stitching, very comfortable to wear, and they’ve also become a serious fashion trend. Expand your Wrist Ruler wardrobe from our six newest colors.

Speaking of trends, what will be the must-have yarn for fall/winter 2020? You are going to see mohair/silk blend yarns everywhere this coming season, either used alone or as a carry-along with another yarn for a soft halo effect. We have Berroco’s brand new Aerial in a beautiful palette of over a dozen colors for easy blending. It’s 65% mohair/35% silk, 284 yds/25g, made in Italy, and very well priced at $12/ball.

Tip: Adding a strand of mohair/silk to another yarn plumps your stitches and bumps your gauge down to fewer stitches per inch, so if your pattern calls for a worsted weight, for example, you might have to combine the mohair/silk with a lighter DK or even a sport weight to get the correct gauge for a single strand of a worsted weight used alone.

The Berroco 123 DropShip Program is still going strong. Order any amount of (almost) any of their yarns from us, even yarns we don’t normally carry, and they’ll ship directly to you or to GYI for pick-up; a minimal shipping charge applies with either option.

They are also continuing to produce a new kit with free pattern every week, with “retired” kits still available from their new 123 DropShip Store. It works the same way: call us and we can order only the amount of yarn you need in the color you want for direct delivery or store pick-up.

Their newest Project of the Week features best-seller Vintage, one of our core yarns. It’s a classic fisherman’s sweater in two versions: Retta, with an updated cropped silhouette, and Artin, with classic men’s styling. Both patterns are regularly $8 but free with the kit. You can see all available Vintage colors here. Many are in stock at GYI. You may be able to pick your yarn up from us, save on shipping, and we’ll include the pattern with your GYI purchase. To have yarn and pattern shipped directly to you, the Retta and Artin kits have an additional $10 charge. Vintage is 52% acrylic/40% wool/8% nylon; 218 yds/100g, made in Peru, $9.00/hank.

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Our 50% Off Clearance Table still has some great bargains, including all remaining Regia, Lang, and Opal sock yarns and beautiful tweedy Providence, a 65% merino wool/20% baby alpaca/15% silk DK weight – wouldn’t this be lovely combined with a silk/mohair and used as a worsted weight for hats and scarves?

We also have a few colors remaining in sweater quantities of light, cottony 365 Cashmere from Lana Grossa at 50% off.

Kathy knit this great summer tank in a medium size with only 4 balls. 365 Cashmere is a chainette yarn, 77% cotton/15% cashmere/8% nylon, and machine washable. The pattern is Roman Holiday* from designer Sari Nordlund.

Such nice detailing…

We’re lucky to have a few more finished projects to share: Lara made her stockinette socks, far left, in Dream in Color Smooshy “Charged Cherry” and the ribbed socks, far right, in Smooshy “Prickly Pear”; stash yarns were used for the others.

Lara is working on a third pair of Smooshy socks in a diagonal spiral rib in “Valentine.” She used a stitch pattern from Kristen McDonnell. Lara says she “absolutely fell in love with the Smooshy.”

Linda finished this adorable Beyond Puerperium* in Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarns as a new baby gift.

And finally, Steven’s impeccable Study Hall Shawl, a free pattern by Sarah Schira. His yarn is Madelinetosh Twist Light.

Please send us pictures of your finished projects! Email original JPEG files (uncropped images and full size files preferred) to ann@goshyarnitshop.com. Be sure to include your name and the pattern and yarn used, so they can be shared here.

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) may be purchased at Gosh Yarn It!

Our mini trunk show of sweaters knit in cool BC Garn Lino will be on display in the shop for only a little while longer. While always best seen in person, here are the models, just in case you won’t be able to stop in before they need to go back.

Blackberry Fizz* by Sandi Prosser.

Pink Lemonade* by Patty Lyons.

Customers Bonnie and Tina contributed the finished projects I have to share this time around. First, Bonnie’s adorable Mini Gale* from designer Alicia Plummer in some Springvale Bulky from Three Irish Girls.

This wee poncho has two of my favorite things: a perfectly executed tubular cast on…

…and a perfectly chosen button.

Next is Bonnie’s completed cozy Cameron Hoodie* in Berroco Vintage. The pattern comes from Bobbi Intveld.

Unfortunately, I only know the yarn used in Bonnie’s third and final FO. This wonderful V-neck pullover was knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. I’ll check back with Bonnie about the pattern name; if you’re interested, leave a comment so I can get it to you. There’s nothing like working at a fine gauge to make beautiful fabric.

Tina had only one FO with her on her most recent shop visit, but what an FO! Her Anwen from Jennifer Ward is nothing short of amazing. The yarn is Shibui Cima.

Anwen is made in two separate pieces worked up from the ends, then seamed in pattern at the center back with Kitchener stitch.

Enjoy one last shot of Tina’s stitching…

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

The Independence Day weekend is here, and so is our newest summer yarn:

Introducing Lino, a lustrous 100% Danish linen, a bit rustic at first touch but with a treat waiting once you start stitching: the more it’s handled, the silkier and more beautiful it becomes.

Our palette is all the colors we crave in the heat: cool neutrals, heavenly blues and greens. Lino is our first yarn from BC Garn, a Danish company known for organic and ecologically minded quality yarns offered at an affordable price. The yardage per 50g ball is 164yds (150m), and it can be machine washed on cool, gentle cycle.

While Lino is lovely knit at a small gauge in stockinette (as in the sweaters in designer Lone Kjeldsen’s Hør Collection, mentioned in a previous post, or really any of Ravelry’s pattern suggestions for Lino), being linen it also loves to be big and breezy. Here’s what I’m making for our shop sample on Size US 10 needles:

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It’s called Urban Chic, and it’s from designer Yumiko Alexander. Pattern is available at the shop and on Ravelry. If you can knit, purl, make a yarnover, and work a tiny bit of cable twisting, you got this!

It’s so good to be open and able to welcome you back to the shop and put yarn in your hands again. To kick off our first week in the Green Phase, as of Monday, June 22 our regular hours will be Monday-Thursday, 12:00-5:30; Friday-Saturday, 12:00-4:00. Private shopping appointments outside those hours may still be made by advance reservation. Like every other business these days, our safety rules are posted on our front door. Don’t forget your mask!

We love seeing what you’ve been working on these last 3 months. First is Gina’s jaunty Escape Bag by designer illitilli from the Summer 2018 issue of Knitscene. She used Berroco Modern Cotton. I am in awe of anyone who can so expertly set a grommet!

Below, Bonnie chose Dream in Color BFL Silk DK for her 3 Color Cashmere Cowl* by Joji Locatelli. The different fun stitches and striping tend to hide in the cowl’s soft, slouchy folds when worn, so I made sure to get at least one shot that showed all the goodness that’s in there. 

Tina created this gorgeous Ohla* stole from Finnish designer Anna Johanna with Drizzle from Sugar Bush Yarns and Shibui Cima. The two fine yarns, one a silk/mohair and the other an alpaca/wool blend, are held together; the Drizzle stars alone in the lace panels. Beautiful.

Joanne has yet another completed pair in her sock drawer. She worked with her favorite Simple Toe-Up Sock* Churchmouse pattern with an afterthought heel, perfect for contrasting heels. Her self-striping yarn is one of last summer’s Dream in Color Smooshy Sock-It! Club colorways.

If you’re also a fan of yarns that stripe and pattern themselves, remember our full line of Opal, Lang, and Regia sock yarns are currently 50% off!

Berroco Yarns is still running their 123 DropShip Program and offering Projects of the Week kits. Check their website for the latest kit offerings. Last week’s kits for Comfort yarn, the Solaria and Moderne baby blankets, even included a free (!) copy of their 50 pattern book, Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Babies & Toddlers. Berroco can fill orders for their kits as long as supplies last, so we’d be happy to check on availability for you of any of their Projects of the Week, as well as place à la carte orders with the 123 DropShip Program.

Many thanks to Brigid for taking the pictures of Joanne’s socks and Gina’s bag when they visited the shop.

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at GYI.

We are now open Monday-Saturday, 12:00-4:00 p.m. for the initial “Yellow Phase” of COVID-19-related business restrictions. We are carefully following all recommended CDC guidelines. Bring your mask!

What’s new in the store?

Dream in Color Smooshy

Need we say more?

Baggu Bags

We have Baggu reusable bags back in stock, both colorful new prints in ripstop nylon and mesh fabric in bright solids. These useful totes are so popular because they are as durable as they are pretty. They fold up into their own handy pouches to go everywhere you go.

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Berroco Aerial

We could not resist Berroco’s newest yarn Aerial, 65% kid mohair/35% silk, that comes in a super sophisticated color palette. At $12 per ball for 284 yds/25g, Aerial is ideal to carry along with another yarn to add a soft halo or heavenly to knit or crochet holding two or three strands together. Made in Italy.

Rowan Kits

Like Berroco, Rowan is now offering some lovely kits for custom order. What could be easier? They’ve created 4 kits, each available in multiple colorways, that are a perfect opportunity to sample some of their beautiful yarns at a special price: Cotton Cashmere, Summerlite 4 Ply, Island Blend, and Kidsilk Haze.

Pick your kits and colors, email jill@goshyarnitshop.com, and we will order just for you! Flat rate shipping for all kits is an additional $7.95, whether delivered directly to you or to GYI for pick up in-store or curbside.

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012 Wrap from MODE at Rowan
Size: 18″ wide x 89″ long; kit includes 5 balls of Summerlite 4 Ply and 2 balls of Kidsilk Haze and a printed pattern, $69.50
Summerlite 4 Ply: 100% Cotton; 191yds/50g
Kidsilk Haze: 70% Cashmere/30% Silk; 229yds/25g

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Lima Cowl or Scarf Kit
Scarf Size: 6″ wide x 51.25″ long / Cowl Size: 8″ wide x 39.25″ circumference; kit includes 1 hank of each color of Island Blend and a printed pattern, $48.00
Island Blend: 70% Falkland Fine Merino/15% Baby Alpaca/15% Silk; 137yds/50g

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Marike Cowl
Size: 9.5″ wide x 26″ circumference; kit includes 2 balls of Cotton Cashmere and a printed pattern, $25.50
Cotton Cashmere: 85% Cotton/15% Cashmere; 137 yds/50g

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Ida Shawl
Size: 23″ deep x 59″ long; kit includes 5 balls of Cotton Cashmere and a printed pattern, $64.50
Cotton Cashmere: 85% Cotton/15% Cashmere; 137 yds/50g

Berroco continues to offer Project of the Week kits, and their 123 Drop Ship Program for yarn purchases is still going on, shipping direct-to-you or GYI for in-store or curbside pick-up.

COMING SOON:

If you love linen as much as we do, you will love BC Garn Lino, imported from Denmark by Kelbourne Woolens. Lino is a lustrous, yet rustic, linen yarn. It is suitable for hand knitting, crochet, weaving and machine knitting and all kinds of garments. Lino is softer than most pure linen yarns, and the more linen is used the softer and more beautiful it becomes!

100% linen
164 yards (150 meters) / 50 gm skein
US 2-6 (2.5-4 mm) / 31 sts x 32 rows = 4” (10 cm)
Machine wash cool, lay flat to dry

I’m already planning to make at least one of the sweaters from designer Lone Kjeldson’s HØR* Collection, created especially for Lino. But which one?? Right now, I’m leaning toward HØR No. 2, below. But all the suggested patterns on Ravelry for this yarn are tempting!

* Hør is the Danish word for linen or flax.

Next post: Customer finished projects return!

Things are looking up! Beginning Wednesday, June 3, we will be open Monday through Saturday, 12:00-4:00 p.m. These will be our hours until Luzerne County is ready for the Green Phase of Pennsylvania’s business restrictions.

If needed, private shopping appointments can be arranged outside those times. To make a reservation, please call 570-287-9999 or email jill@goshyarnitshop.com.

In the first draft of this post, all the COVID-19 safety precautions came next. Talk about burying the lede! Here’s what you need to know: we’re having a clear-the-shelves SALE!!

With so many gorgeous summer and fall season yarns beckoning, we desperately want to fill our shelves with new yarn for you. We hope a half-price sale on some of your favorites will help make room.

All printed patterns and back issues of Interweave KNITS and Knitscene are on sale for $2, and most remaining books are 40% off.

To kick things off, a shipment of new shades of Dream in Color Smooshy is just in, and you absolutely must see the KnittinBro Sock from local indie dyer Doug Lopez in person. I’ll have pictures of the skeins of Smooshy ready for the next post (what’s left, that is.)

So, finally, here’s the important “fine print.” By now I’m sure you know the drill; CDC and PA Department of Health COVID-19 Guidelines are being strictly followed:

• Masks or cloth face coverings must be worn at all times
• Social distancing of 6’ or more mandatory for all customers and staff
• Number of persons in-store will be limited; you may have to wait briefly and be called from your car before entering
• You may call ahead for curbside pick-up during store hours
• No instruction, sit-down stitching, or refreshments can be offered until the Green Phase
• While-you-wait yarn winding will not be available
• We will need time to clean and disinfect all contact areas between customers. We appreciate your patience!

Governor Wolf has given Luzerne County the green light to “go yellow” on May 29th and lift many of the restrictions placed on non-essential businesses back in March. When we’re satisfied that the shop can re-open in the most responsible manner for the safety of all our customers and staff, we will be announcing a date!

I am so grateful to customers who have sent pictures of their finished projects for me to share with you over these last two months. Let’s start this post with a pair of summery Derecho* sweaters from Ann W., who knows Alison Green’s pattern, paired with Berroco Remix, is so nice, it’s worth making twice! Ann gave the teal one, shown freshly blocked, to a friend. She is keeping the pale green one, pictured fresh off the needles, for herself.

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If there were a prize for “Most Pandemic Projects Shared” it would have to go to Joanne. Her beautiful handiwork has been featured in previous posts. Here are five more, beginning with her OOAK Colorwork Socks in Blues in Manos del Uruguay Alegria. She followed the toe-up sock with reverse French Heel directions from The Sock Knitter’s Handbook by Schurch and Parrot and added a portion of the colorwork pattern from Caoua Coffee’s Invitation to the Dance socks on Ravelry, using the “slip stranding” technique.

Another Joanne “original,” a cozy hat with fold up brim and crown worked in bee stitch. Yarn is HiKoo SimpliCria.

This light and lacy cowl was knit in Berroco Folio. Take a tip from Joanne’s creation – cowls are a great way to feature a favorite stitch pattern!

Joanne chose Malabrigo Rasta in Archangel for this Makena* hat designed by Alexandra Alfonso.

And finally, Joanne adapted a free pattern called Nurmilintu by Heidi Alander for this casual shawl. She used Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in the color Worn Denim. She wrote, “I had trouble with the lace chart, and after I ripped it out for the third time, I went with simple eyelets.” She added that this time around, she won the Yarn Chicken game with less than a gram of yarn left.

Crocheter Annmarie sent this shot of her beautiful shell stitch scarf made in our newest Knittinbro Sock in the colorway It’s 5 PM Somewhere.

I can end with a true labor of love: Gina custom knit this adorable pullover for a friend’s grandchild using the Strange Brew “recipe” for colorwork sweaters from Tin Can Knits. The yarn is Ewe Ewe Yarns Ewe So Sporty. Lucky little one!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) will be available at GYI through the Ravelry In-Store Download Program once the shop re-opens.

What’s new: KNITTINBRO YARNS
We just couldn’t wait to bring you this collection of bold, bright yarns from local indie dyer Doug Lopez of Frackville!

Introducing KnittinBro Socks, 463 yard (100g) skeins of tightly twisted fingering weight 4-ply 75% superwash Merino wool/25% nylon, $28. 3 skeins of each color available.

Top: Grapefruit, Red Velvet, Chill Out, All of the Lights 
Middle: Fly Away, Lehigh, Secret Code, Mesmerized
Bottom: Split Cedar, Emerald Dreams, Golden Hour, It’s 5pm Somewhere

Call 570-287-9999 or email jill@goshyarnitshop.com and be sure to include your phone number. We will call to confirm your order. Free domestic shipping on 2 or more skeins. Front porch drop-off delivery to Wilkes-Barre/West Side and Back Mountain is also available.