Tangled yarn. It happens. Boy does it ever happen. With alarming frequency…… but, more often than not, we’re able to get it get it back on the straight and narrow. However, there are times when we just can’t bear to face another tangled skein and, well, some of you live to untangle yarn and I live to serve! It just wouldn’t be nice of me to keep it all to myself!

Tangled times like these call for reinforcements. My reinforcements of choice today are dark chocolate and roasted almonds. Tell me, what are your go-to treats? Drop me a comment and tell me what your favorite snacks, drinks, etc. are when you’re having one of those days. You’ll be entered into a drawing to win a tangled skein of yarn. Two winners will be randomly chosen.  Comments will stay open through Monday, June 21 at noon Eastern.

Getting ready for an update too! Shop update Sunday, June 20th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern followed by a small sneak-up on Monday, June 21st.

Smore Chocolate – Merino SW Worsted

Things are beyond green in our neck of the woods – it almost feels like we’re living in Sherwood Forest. So, it’s fitting that I just finished a Wandering the Moor shawl in Plucky Merino Lite. It’s blocking as I type – pictures to come soon. Already, I’m dreaming of another shawl in the Plucky MCN Lite (especially since Shelbie’s made it pretty clear she wants another scarf/shawl – she’s very persuasive) maybe something a little more vibrant, or broody. Depending on how much coffee I’ve consumed, that is.

It’s time for an update! Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9th, beginning early-ish in the morning, continuing through the entire day. The update will feature a nice variety of items, including more repeatable sweater listings. I’m finding it to be a nice way to ensure people are getting enough for larger projects. Over the next several weeks I hope to be adding at least three more repeatble colors… just a little FYI.

Blocking. It never ceases to amaze me.

Days Gone By – MCN Fingering

You Send Me – MCN Fingering

Let’s kick of Summer with a yarny bang, shall we?!

The above skeins and a bucket of other goodies will be in a sneak-update this Friday, May 28th. It’s the official kick-off to Summer and I think we need to celebrate with a FREE SHIPPING sale as well as a slew of sale skeins (both fascination series and single sale skeins), some sweater quantities (ready to ship as well as pre-orders) and other fun items. The update will begin early Friday morning and go all day. Hope to see you there!

Also, don’t forget to enter your suggestion in the new base yarn naming contest we’re having? I’m keeping comments private until Monday, May 31 at which time I’ll be announcing the winner!

There’s a new kid on the block – oh boy, does it ever have the right stuff! Did I just hear a collective groan from all you 80’s kids out there?

75% Extra Fine Italian Merino Wool (superwash)
20% Cashmere
5% Nylon
Fingering Weight, Approximately 390 yards per 100g skein
Oh, and the squish factor? Off the charts!

After searching high and low I’ve found a custom Plucky blend! It’s been test knit by a couple of our intrepid knitters -  Wannabe and Browncurls and they have come back with rave reviews! I have to say, it was much harder than I thought to settle on a custom blend – to find something that was truly special enough to be considered the plucky yarn.

Feedback from our test knitters, Amanda & Liesl (I’m paraphrasing here):

• “AWESOME twist – not splitty at all….holds together yet has a nice spoingy feel to it. The cuff itself is squishy….not as bulky as MCN fingering but has the same luxurious feel. Because of the twist, shows off stitches well. Has a tight twist like the merino superwash but is bouncy and soft like MCN. I am knitting a pair of socks with it right now and it’s incredible. The squish factor combined with the stitch definition makes me weak in the knees!”

• “Great stitch definition, very luxurious and unique. Unlike any blend/twist I’ve seen. And, I love that way it takes the dye! This is a fabulous base. I knit a sock with it – I’ll get pics posted tonight – and it is so lovely and smooth, with more of a matte finish to it, so it takes the color amazingly well. I got 8 sts to the inch on size 1/2.25mm needles (eta I’m a loose knitter, so that’s the equivalent of at least a 2.5mm for normal folks), so it is very close to Plucky’s standard MCN fingering, but the twist is tighter and it feels slightly (and only slightly) skinnier. It reminds me of the extra fine merino that higher end store-bought sweaters are sometimes made of, and I’m betting it won’t pill easily – should be a great sock yarn, especially for high definition stitches.”

My plan is to have the bulk of it in the studio and ready for its debut by mid-late June. But, first, the new base needs a name. A base yarn this special certainly needs a unique moniker, don’t you think?  That’s where all of you come in – it’s contest time!  Starting today and going through May 31st at Midnight Eastern, I’ll be having a “let’s name the new base yarn” contest and accepting entries. So, put your thinking caps on and send me your suggestion for the new base name. What’s the prize? Four skeins of the new base yarn, of course! This should be fun……

Yes it is. My dyeing stove just bit the dust in a big way – right in the midst of dyeing classics. Poor old thing. I knew it was getting tired but still….. it certainly made it crystal clear (the huge sparks coming out the back of the stove were my first clue) that it was tired and done.  Sad day indeed. Off to buy a stove.

There will be a bit of a sneak-up through the day tomorrow, Monday, May 3rd and Tuesday, May 4, featuring some sweater quantities, the return of MCN worsted and fingering, the debut of 50.50 Silk Merino Lite (230 yards per skein) and lots of other goodies.

Please note, the sneak-up on Monday (from mid-morning to later afternoon) and the Tuesday morning sneak (mid-morning until Noon) will be the only updates until approximately May 14th.

Bronze Barre – MCN Fingering

Gilded Ivy – MCN Worsted

Dizzy Delia – Merino Angora Cashmere

Inky – 50.50 Silk Merino Lite

Have you been to the Plucky Group on Ravelry? We’re having a sweater knit-along and let me tell you there is quite the dialogue going on. You should see all the fantastic sweaters people have in the works!

Thanks so much! Hope to see you there……..