Yarn Clubs

Have you ever belonged to a yarn club? I have. The first one was about 8 years ago. It was first when I really got back into knitting - first when I realized what 'good' yarn was - first when I got onto Ravelry. 

Remember back in the old days when you had to wait for an invite to get onto Ravelry. They were still in beta phase testing then and it seemed like it took me forever to get on. Once I got on I realized the breadth of yarn available through online purchasing. The truth is I've known before Ravelry but it just seemed that those forums somehow made the yarn more real to me, more tangible. And the stash pictures. Oh my!!! I just had to have some of my very own. So I joined my first club. 

There is nothing quite like getting yarn in the mail. A club has that added benefit of it being a total surprise. Depending upon the club it could be a surprise colour. A surprise weight. A surprise fiber blend!! There could even be surprise patterns too. 

My first club was a sock club. It featured Fleece Artist and Handmaiden yarns - both are Canadian. I've been in a couple of Anne Hansons Knitspot clubs - as much for the patterns as for the yarns (which came from different surprise yarn dyers/ranchers). I've even belonged to what is arguably the most famous yarn club out there - Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Sock Club. 

I've loved them all. I have never been disappointed with any of my monthly selections. Some have been so exquisite and unique. Others I had used before but it was in a color I would normally never buy myself. Have I knit them all? Well, no. That'd be silly. But I do have a stash that is remarkable. I have a stash that makes me giddy with delight. 

And so it was that time of year when I had to decide whether to renew my rockin sock club or not. I thought about the socks that I had knit using club yarn - some but not all. I thought about the amount of Blue moon yarn in my stash - quite a lot. I examined my yarn stash to see if there was something that was lacking and then it dawned on me. I have very little self striping yarns in anything other than fingering weight. Actually  I had seen this etsy store called Blueberry Pie Fiber was selling a self striping worsted weight mitten club and then I realized that I didn't  have enough of that type of yarn in my stash. What's a girl to do? Well....buy into the club of course! I've gotten two installments so far and I'm in love with this dyer and her yarns. Look at this ball! I love that it came like this all ready to go. It quickly knit into a great pair of lady's mitts for my daughters birthday. 

And here is February's installment. I am so pleased!  These too will become mittens. This time perhaps for some little boys that I know and love.