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Knitivity is a one-man operation trying to focus on what matters most: Yarns that delight the eye and please the hand; are reasonably priced; and exceptional customer service

What's New This Week:

1 July 2009 - New Colorway!

This was the "Surprise Me!" Sock Yarn Club colorway for the month of June -- Introducing Dryocampa Rubicunda - Interpreted from this image of the Dryocampa Rubicunda (Rosy Maple Moth) Doris' neighbor found on his patio:

After reviewing other examples of the Dryocampa Rubicunda online, I decided to soften the colors more. Click either picture to go to the Socks-Lace page.

29 June 2009 - Introducing "Dicey Knitting"!

Now you can practice all those increases and decreases, cables and twists and not worry about following a pattern or losing your way -- there is no pattern to follow, so it's impossible to do it wrong! Just roll the dice and then do what the dice indicate! Click the picture to find out more.

I should warn you -- these are flying out the door as soon as they come in, seems like everyone wants to try making The Chaos Scarf (instructions included in each set). Pretty soon there may even be Dicey Knitting parties as more people find out about this fun little tool, so be sure to get your own set soon.

Visit the Dicey Knitting page to order yours.

DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE FROM HIGH SHIPPING COSTS!

From now through July 5 -- all orders within the U.S. will be shipped for $4.00 OR LESS! Contact for accurate international shipping before placing order -- your location might be cheaper than standard charges!

26 June 2009 - New Colorway

Another new colorway inspired by art! A customer asked me to interpret this image:

and it came up like this:

And now, you can order your choice from the Socks-Lace page!

1 June 2009 - New Colorway!

This is the May "Surprise Me!" Colorway, which is now added to the regular line up on the Socks-Lace page.

Named after Merlin the Cat:

The colorway draws from the striping on his legs and the brown-and-gray mixy-mix on his belly:

which reskeins up to look like this;

The ones sent out during May had a slightly lighter belly-mixture, but future ones will be more like this representative shot, taken from the original, which was made as a custom request for Merlin's owner.

8 May 2009 - New Color!

A new customer in Baton Rouge sent me this picture and asked if I could interpret it onto a sock yarn.

So this is what I did

and this is how it turned out:

It's been added to the regular line up on the Socks and Lace page!

2 May 2009 - Play with Color?

This new page, Play With Color, is ideal for selecting colors for Fair Isle or other kinds of colorwork. I've arranged the solid colors into groups so you can more readily visualize lights-mediums-darks and other combinations.

2 May 2009 - DOUBLE-SIZED HANKS - discount price!

For a LIMITED TIME ONLY, I have access to double-sized hanks of sock yarns -- 8 ounces, or about 920 yards, these were created by the mill accidentally, but instead of re-measuring them into smaller hanks, they are making them available to me. If you want a LARGE hank of my sock yarn for baby blankets, shawls, etc., and want to be sure it all matches, order a DOUBLE-SIZE Hanks. I will dye it in the giant hank so you know it will all work together, and you'll have less joining to worry about! Just pick your colors, email me, and I'll create a special invoice reflecting your 10% discount. That's FIVE DOLLARS off the price of two separate hanks.

1 May 2009 - TWO New Colorways!

The first is called "Spanish Shawl" named after this image of the Spanish Shawl Nudibranch:

And here's a pair of Socks done up by Pat in Oregon, in the first skein of Spanish Shawl created. (It became the April "Surprise Me!" Sock Yarn Club colorway.

And another colorway, also starting a custom request, is "After Hours" -- it is a dark-dark (black) colorway, blending into dark purple, with suggestions of deep red and deep blue at opposite ends of the hank, so they are fairly equidistant from each other. Shown here on the new Dura-Lace yarn.

Both colors are available on Socks or Dura-Lace or Merino Lace

22 April 2009 - New Color

STONEWASHED JEANS! A variation of the popular Blue Jeans colorway, this one is a near semi-solid lighter version of the dark denim. You can find this one on the Socks-Lace page

Yep, I've added a Superwash option in either Worsted or Sport weight in the hand-dyed yarns. They are slighly higher than the regular 100% wool yarns!

2 April 2009 - The Knitivity 2009 One Skein Challenge

Buy Knitivity SOCKS during April, use ONE SKEIN to create something OTHER THAN SOCKS, and join the fun. Details here.

New Colorway:

This is the new Camo-Confetti! Common camoflage colors in the new Confetti technique, available at this time only on Knitivity SOCKS, Knitivity Dura-Lace, and Uptowne Road Merino Lace

26 March 2009 -

Introducing: A Brand New Lace Weight Yarn!

The New Knitivity "Dura-Lace" is now available! This is a custom-designed lace weight yarn currenly available ONLY through Knitivity. It is 75% washable wool/25% nylon, created specifically to allow knitters to create their fine lace handwork without fearing for its care -- like your washable sock yarns, you can put your lovely shawls and wraps into the washing machine! I'd recommend a mesh washing bag to avoid snags, but the yarn should be fine because it is designed for easy-care.

Based on the mill's production, I have to announce that this is a LIMITED PRODUCTION THIS YEAR. Based on market testing (exclusively through Knitivity), the mill may expand the production line to include color color dyes next year.

Coming in at approximately 920 yards per four-ounce hank (or 3680 yards for the full pound undyed cone!), there will be ample yardage for nearly any project you could imagine.

At last -- a Sock Yarn Club anyone can appreciate!

No pre-paid long-term "subscriptions"; no obligation to keep the colorways secret; no artificial limit on your ability to swap, give or sell a colorway you aren't happy with; no long-term commitment; no limits on how many you can get, either!

If you like surprises, and every now and then just want a new colorway to spark your interest, now you have it. Buy one or ten at a time. On your time, on your budget.

Sounds Good, but what's the catch? The only "catch" is that each month a new colorway will be used throughout the month, but it will always be a "surprise" until the following month. No matter how many you order, if you order them together, they'll be dyed together, and you'll get a card explaining how the colorway was developed, or what inspired the name. If you order more "Surprise Me!" during the same month, you'll get the same recipe (colorway), but it may be slightly different, same as with all my custom colorways. Sometimes it will be a new Fade colorway, or a segmented hand-paint variegation, or one of the watercolor type blends. One thing it will NOT be -- it will not be one of the regular colorways! It will be a Surprise!

(Note: If you aren't reading Knitterman's Blog, you are missing pre-posting specials and Readers Only deals!)

Why Knitivity??

I am proof that THERE IS LIFE AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA! My dog and I had to hunker down in New Orleans during and after The Event (read my "Katrina Diary" here), and I was a changed person when it was all said and done.

So what does one do after very fiber of one's being has been shaken, stirred, folded, spindled, and somewhat mutilated? Why, he chucks it all, walks away, and begins life on his own terms ... and starts his own yarn-dyeing business to celebrate whatever new version of liberty has been wrought by Katrina's devastation. Little funding, little backing, and pretty fool-hardy, but plenty of moral support and best wishes from friends and fellow-crafters and artists. And so far it is working! With YOUR HELP, my story and my success will help others overcome tragedy and horrific devastation in their own lives.

Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." After Katrina there was no way I could return to the resignation of working a "job" (aka, "Journey of Boredom") simply because that's the way everyone else dies inside. I refuse to be either quiet OR resigned!