2013 in review and a give-away contest

Posted on January 1, 2014 | 33 comments

2013 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 and yours with lots of yarny goodness in it.

2013 was another year of growth for me with regards to Yvieknits Yarns. I hosted my first open house for Yvieknits Yarns at my house on Saturday, February 9th to celebrate the first anniversary of my website. Everyone who attended seemed to have a great time and several expressed the hope that I would have another open house. I decided to host one every six months (the next one will be on Saturday, February 8th).

I attended The Gathering in Port Hope for the second time on Saturday, April 13th and it was a lovely time. This time, my friend Francine of Fancy That – Creations by Francine attended this event with me.

On Saturday, June 22nd, The Loop in Halifax, Nova Soctia hosted my first trunk show at a yarn store while I have in town visiting my best friend and her family. lace-sock-sparkly There was a very good selection of my yarns at the show due to the fact that I brought over 100 skeins along with me and that Mimi placed an order with me about two weeks before. I loved the setup that Mimi had to display my yarn in her store.

In August, I hosted my second open house on Saturday, August 10th and Francine and I shared a booth again at the second Twist Festival on August 24th and 25th. We were both pleased to see how much the attendance of this festival had increased from last year.

September was a very busy month for me. I mailed out two yarn orders (1 to The Loop and my first order to The Robbins’ Nest in Brighton, ON). Francine and I attended the second annual Wolfe Island Fibre Fest on Saturday, September 14th and The Robbins’ Nest also hosted a trunk show for Yvieknits Yarns on September 27th and 28th during the annual AppleFest in Brighton.

I was a vendor again at Ottawa Knitting Guild vendors’ night in October. I visited Yarns etc in downtown Ottawa in mid-November with samples of my yarns as I heard that the owner was looking for another local dyer. She agreed to carry my yarn and I brought what I had available for her to choose from a few days later. She decided to carry all 10 of my yarn bases and chose a selection in each of my yarns.

I launched two new yarns this year, Merino Single Ply Fingering and Merino/Silk DK, and I’m pleased to say that they were both well received and three of my retailers are carrying both of these yarns.

I’m happy to report that my total sales for 2013 have more than doubled my sales from last year. To celebrate this fact, I would like to hold another contest to give away a skein of my Merino Single Ply Fingering yarn merino single ply fingering - orange juliusin either the Orange Julius or Pewter colourway (winner’s choice). merino single ply finger - pewter 1I chose these two colourways (created for Christmas gifts in 2012) since I had added both of these colourways early in 2013 and they have both sold well. These two skeins are still listed on the Merino Single Ply 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 Single Ply Fingering skeins shown above:

  • 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, 2014 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.

33 Comments

  1. I think the yarn would make a gorgeous lacy shawl.

  2. I’m not sure what I’d make! Maybe a hat? Or a doll? Or a hooded scarf?….

  3. I’d choose the Orange Julius color and knit a Shattered Sun Shawl. It’s a happy color and a happy pattern.

  4. I would make a shawl, or pair it with another yarn for a colourwork hat.

  5. Congratulations on a great year! I would make a lacy scarf with the yarn!

  6. Beautiful colours! Orange is my absolute favourite colour, so I’d pick Orange Julius and likely make a lacy scarf or cowl with it.

  7. I would probably use the pewter to knit my husband a shawl since it is one of his favourite colours.

  8. I love the look of that Pewter. I’m on a shawl kick and think it would look great as an Age of Brass and Steam shawlette.

  9. The pewter for a hat – minus 37 to 39 most mornings this last week in northern SK so can’t think of anything but a warm hat.

  10. The pewter looks like it would make into a beautiful lacy scarf.

  11. I would make a scarf.

  12. I would knit a pair of mittens with this wool.

  13. That pewter! Wow – looks just like the sky this morning as I was wiping snow off the van. It would make a fabulous scarf…

  14. Love yvieknits yarns.Would peruse my Natalie Servant patterns-of which I have most-and choose one that called for the yardage of the winning skein.That would be the pewter one since I have similar to the orange colourway.Thanks.

  15. I would probably hug it and pet it and fondle it for a while, then put it lovingly in a drawer until the right project came along.

  16. Cheers to a successful year! And all the best to another one in 2014.

    Mmmmmm, yarn. :D
    I’d pick the pewter and make Natalie’s Strand of Pearls.

  17. They are both gorgeous, since I’d have to choose, I’d go for the pewter and make a scarf.

  18. wow great colours! i don’t know which I’d choose.. um. let’s say pewter.. i’d make a shawl.. maybe henslowe?

  19. you know I love your yarn! I’d make some kick ass socks with either color!

  20. Both are beautiful but the Pewter would be my first choice.
    Love K

  21. This orange julius is beautiful. I’ll knit a sunny scarf to warm my little neck!
    Thanks!

  22. I love the bright orange and would knit a lace hat with it, I have the perfect pattern all ready for it. All the best for 2014!

  23. I woukd make a long cowl with tons of beads with the Pewter. The Jeweled Cowl is so fun to knit and woukd look awesome in this colourway.,

  24. I simply adore the bright orange! I would use it to make spring comet fingerless mittens! It would look wonderful in curls of dragon fire!

    Keep on growing Yvie! All the best for 2014!

  25. I would knit my second ‘Strand of Pearls’ shawl by Natalie Merchant….this time I will keep it for me!

    • apologies to Natalie for my brain cramp…I know her last name is Servant.

  26. I would knit the new Natalie pattern in Orange Julius when it’s finally released OR I hack her computer ;)

  27. I would knit a cowl with Pewter. Amazing color!

  28. Hi Yvie. Love your year in review. Well done! I too would choose the orange amd would likely knit a pair of warm socks, for me or my little people. All I can think of is warm socks on these days of -20somethings. :)

  29. I like the pewter colour and would like to make a shawl (probably Morgaine by Natalie Servant) with it :)

  30. I love the soft look of the Pewter I would make a shawl

  31. Happy New Year Yvonne! I am so happy your yarns are now available at Yarns Etc.

    I would go for the Pewter skein and make a nice long set of fingerless gloves/mitts like these!

    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dna-armwarmers

  32. Orange, and socks, definitely socks! I’m currently making a pair of Sacre du Printemps in Louet Gems, it would look good in orange too! Or Nutkin….or My cup of Tea… or Monkey…Ok so I’ll have a hard time deciding what to do but I will love it in orange!

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