My year in review and a give away contest
Happy New Year everyone! I hope that this upcoming year is a happy and properous one for you with lots of fibery goodness in it.
2012 was a year of change and growth for me with regards to Yvieknits Yarns. My friend Nelly encouraged me to open my own website and she even went so far as to host and create this website for me. She also taught me what I needed to know to maintain and grow the website myself with a little support. This website, www.yvieknits.ca, was launched in early February.
I also collaborated with a couple of friends of mine to create shawl kits that combine my yarn with a shawl patten from Natalie Sevant Designs with a co-ordinated shawl pin created by Francine of Fancy That. They both kindly let me sell their items at my table/booth when I attend a show and we work together to promote each other.
I attended my first show on my own as Yvieknits Yarns in April at the Gathering in Port Hope, Ontario. My Mom kindly attended this event with me and was a big help.
In July, I visited a friend and her family in Halifax and while I was there I approached Mimi at The Loop with my yarn. We agreed to a trial period of selling some of my yarn and shawl kits while I was in town. The trial was very successful and Mimi now carries 7 of my yarns in her store and she places regular orders with me. Based on this success, I decided to commit to working full-time on Yvieknits Yarns.
In August, I shared a booth with Francine of Fancy That at the first Twist Fibre Festival in Saint-Andre-Avellin, Quebec. It was great to attend my first big show and meet so many people and other indie dyers.
In October, I had my own table at the Ottawa Knitting Guild vendors’ night for the first time. At this event, I met Beckie from Unraveled in Merrickville. Later in November, I visited Unraveled with Natalie and Francine and I had the chance to show samples of my yarn to Beckie. I delivered a small order to Unraveled in early December.
I saw a big increase in my yarn sales in the last six months which resulted in my total sales for 2012 more than tripling my sales from last year. To celebrate this fact, I would like to give away a skein of my Merino/Silk Fingering yarn in either the Maramalade or Cosmopolitan colourway (winner’s choice). These two skeins are still listed on the Merino/Silk Fingering page so you can see the details but I have temporarily removed the “add to cart” buttons.
Contest Details
For a chance to win your choice of the Merino/Silk Fingering skeins shown:
- add a comment to this blog post stating what you would make with this skein if you won
- one entry per person please
- contest closes at midnight on January 8th, 2013 est
I will use a random generator to pick a winner on January 9th.
Note: Do not worry if your comment is not displayed immediately. I manually review all comments that my anti-spam filter flags as spam every day and I will restore your comment.
Congrats Yvonne! Your yarns are so pretty.
I would choose cosmopolitan and probably make a shawl. Believe it or not, I don’t have a shawl in that colour!
What an exciting contest — thanks! I think I’d make the Hitchhiker scarf/shawl. It’s one I’ve had my eye on for a while. I would love the opportunity to knit with your yarn. Fingers crossed.
That was a busy and exciting year. May 2013 be even better.
I would make a hat with the Maramalade colouray. The color is just gorgeous!!
I would also make a Hitchhiker. I’ve been daydreaming all month about making one in the exact colours of Marmalade.
I’d have to, of course, choose Marmalade, and I think I’d make Bias by Helena Bristow.
What a great year for you! Congratulations. I hope 2013 is an even bigger success.
I’m leaning towards the Marmalade skein and thinking a cosy neckwarmer to brighten up the dreary winter would be just the thing.
I would probably choose the cosmopolitan and knit a shawl for my sister or mum for their birthday.
Congratulations on a very successful year!
I would make a shawl/scarf with the Cosmopolitan colour way. It’s a great bright colour.
OOOOHHHH Beautiful yarns!! I would have to look through my long list of favorites on Ravelry to see what to decide on making. I love knitting with your yarn.
I would make Lady Sunshine (gloves) with the marmalade colour I think…they would be so lovely and bright.
I would use cosmopolitan to make a Marin by Ysolda! Thanks for the chance to win :-)
Congrats, Yvonne, on a fabulous year! Best wishes for continued success for 2013.
I would like to learn how to knit socks but would probably use the yarn to knit my usual – a shawl in Cosmopolitan! :)
Wow, congratulations on growing your business! I would make a shawlette out of the Cosmopolitan colour, if I won. I have some designs from BooKnits that are waiting for the right yarn, and this could be it!
I love the yarn of yours that I bought a few months ago! I like the Cosmopolitan colourway… I’ve been looking for the exact right red yarn to knit Natalie Servant’s Poppies shawl, so that’s most likely what I’d do with it.
Marmalade sounds like a delicious shawl to me – so many choices……
I would choose cosmopolitain and probably make a scarf or shawl – probably a lovely lacy crochet pattern.
What a great achievement Yvonne! I am so happy that your yarns are growing in popularity!
I would use the Marmalade to make a lacy scarf or shawlette. That color sure brings warmth on a cold day like today!
Congratulations on your success and more prosperity to you in the new year. I have a lace beret pattern I think this yarn would be perfect for.
Wait to go on your Yarn sales and Colorway contest..Marmalade would be wonderful for socks and mini neckwarmer. Thanks for the contest…
I LOVE these colours, especially in the photo with the grey/blue yarn. Even though my house is all done up in these colour (I’m not kidding!), I don’t actually have much to wear, so I would have to make a scarf, probably Bias, with the Cosmo colourway. Thanks!
Ohhhhhh, such lovely colours……I have to admit I am torn……but I think I’d love some red socks so cosmopolitan? The orange is soooooooo nice as well…….
decisions, decisions……
I love both colours but would probably choose Cosmopolitan for one of the many shawls I have queued!
Hi Yvonne;
Congrats on a great year. I would so pick Cosmopolitan and would make a beautiful shawl for my 2013 collection. I have a goal and wish to make 13 shawls in 2013…I sort of started in late 2012 so I could get an upper hand. I love your yarn. It is beautiful and will not be in my stash for very long!
Awesome yarns. if i won i would make a lace scarf for myself.
You have beautiful yarn! I would use the Cosmopolitan to make a nice vibrant shawl. It’s a lovely colour. Congratulations on a successful 2012!
I would make a pair of my Passap heel flap socks!
Congrats on your achievements this past year! Must be exciting to start seeing things really take off. I’d prefer the cosmopolitan, but either skein in that fibre combo would make a beautiful shawl – I’m thinking a long skinny one to wrap multiple times around the neck.
The Cosmopolitan colour is so lovely — I would make some fancy fingerless gloves for myself, but then my daughter would like it and probably adopt it for her collection.
I purchased two skeins of your yarn at the Twist Fiber Festival, they are lined up in a project bag waiting for me to finish some Ravelry KALs. I would knit a shawl (that is mostly what I do) in Cosmopolitan, it is a colour my mother would love and I only have one shawl already done for her for Valentine’s Day and want to make another for Mother’s Day.
Congratulations on such a successful year! Your colourways are so vibrant and I always enjoy working with your yarn. HavIng a contest is so much fun! If I won a skein I’d make either a lacy scarf or shawl.
What beautiful yarn! I would choose Marmalade, and make the gorgeous Nennir cowl from the latest Knitty.
I would love to win the marmalade colourway….and if I did…. I would get my hubby to crank out a pair of socks for me from his Circular Sock Machine! That is of course if the yarn is compatible with the machine….that I have not checked out yet, but still very much like the colour! It is bright and sassy!
Congratulations on a great year! I am torn between the two colours, but would most likely pick Cosmopolitan, and knit Rhytidome.
Ooh I love both colourways! I think either one would make a gorgeous Semele (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/semele-2) :)
generous spirit. good way to start the year. best wishes. although i am always drawn to the marmalade if the cosmo… is more of a poppy colour … then it would do marvelously for the Ariel gauntlets by julie ferfussen in the knitter uk issue 29. or opera gloves vogue i did for my daughter. or a spring version of poppy hat latest interweave. it would be great to do this for me. a little fancy peeking under sleeves while
one is out with my rescue dog heinrich.
I will certainly be more than happy to win the Cosmopolitan yarn…It is gorgeous! I can see myself wrapped in a stole knitted with it!
Crossing my fingers to win it! :o)
Glad to hear things are going so well for Yvieknits Yarns!
I would choose Cosmopolitan, it’s such a rich colour. I love knitting socks but I think yarn this luscious would have to become a cowl or shawl. I have an infinity cowl, Biscuit, on my favourites list….
I would choose the Marmalade as I was admiring it at the Guild Show already. I’d love to knit up a shawl in the pattern Millepetuis.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/millepertuis
I would choose the marmalade and make myself a pair of socks in honour of my dad. My dad was a huge marmalade fan and I remember peeling and cuttin and cooking up the oranges to make marmalade with him.
Congratulations and Happy New Year, Yvonne! I’m sure 2013 will bring you continued success.
You know I’m all about the colour :-) , so I’m finding it very difficult to choose which of these two yummy skeins to claim.
This evening, my eye is attracted by the Cosmopolitan, which is calling out to me to make it into wonderful slouchy lace beret.
Fingers crossed!
Congrats on building your business!
these are both beautiful, but the Cosmopolitan is calling out for the Aeolia shawl :)
Hi Yvonne,
Congratulations! Your yarns are so lovely. I especially loved the orange one you used for the lap blanket you were making.
These are two of my favourite colours. It would be so hard to chose, however, I would have to choose the marmalade to do Natalie Servant’s Sunflower Field Shawl.
Congratulations on your successful year, Yvonne! Very exciting that you are teaming up your beautiful yarns with Natalie’s patterns and Francine’s shawl pins. I agree with the comments here about the two yarn colours – they’re incredible!
Thank you. The shawl kits seemed a good way for the three of us to work together. I think that our products complement each other nicely.