Happenings (blog)

November Showcase

Posted on November 29, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Monthly Round Up

November is basically over, and you know what that means? That means I have one whole month of TOTAL ARTISTIC FREEDOM! December is my month, y’all. All orders have been completed and shipped, and my list is officially closed until January. Therefore, it’s time to play!
Let’s take a look back over our month with this November Showcase.

Patterns and such

Due to the long-awaited re-release of our favorite and most coveted worsted self-striping sock yarn, Felici Worsted, I decided to write up a pattern for it. Please welcome to the Felici Cowl family the newest member, Felici Twist. Crocheted in a single skein of Felici Worsted, this cowl features a slightly different stitch pattern for chevrons, as well as a twist in the end to turn it into a mobius. Fun!

To show my Thankfulness in this wonderful month of family, friends, food, and togetherness, I released a double freebie pattern. Blessed uses just a single skein of WeCrochet’s Static sock yarn to make a lovely bread cloth, and a matching French press cozy. Keep your rolls and your coffee warm, and make your table look great doing it. I hope you love these as much as I do.

Hey look, I’m PUBLISHED!! Like, in a real magazine. I’m so excited about this! My Peace Poncho was chosen by Interweave Crochet to be in their Winter 2021 edition. Crocheted in bulky yarn, and using a unique increase/decrease stitch pattern, this ponch works up super quick and will keep you super warm, all winter long.

So Thankful

Once again, I just want to me really really sure that you all know how much I love and appreciate you. Your continued patronage and support of my little business have enabled it to grow wings and soar this year. From being published to opening a yarn shop, and everything in between, I am reminded every day just how special you all are to me, and to the continued success of Rows & Roses.
If you enjoyed this November Showcase, would you consider passing it on? You could leave a comment, share to social media, or even just drop me a line at satiATrowsandrosesDOTcom to let me know. Every little action you take- on this website, on my facebook page, or on Ravelry- makes a world of difference. Thank you all so very much for sticking with me ♥

Small Business Saturday

Posted on November 23, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Shop small, y’all.

Have you ever heard of Small Business Saturday? I sure hope you have. After all the hoopla of family gatherings and then the Black Friday madness, Small Business Saturday is our wonderful oasis of shopping small while supporting local businesses. You know if you don’t shop small, we end up losing out to the major corporations. We can’t let that happen! So I’ve partnered with other small businesses in the area to bring you a Small Business Saturday at Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber that you will never forget. Here’s what we’ve got going on:

~ Rows & Roses is collaborating with a bunch of local small businesses to put together an amazing gift basket full of awesome goodies!
~ Come into Rows & Roses on Saturday, November 28, 10am-6pm. I will have mini-sales happening all over the shop! There will be a hot cocoa buffet set up (free, with optional tip jar) as well as coffee. Enjoy browsing around, and take your time!
~ For every $20 you spend in R&R on Small Business Saturday, you will get an entry into the drawing for the gift basket. Therefore, if you spend $40, you get two entries, spend $100, get five entries. You get it
~ At 6pm, closing time, I will go LIVE on the facebook page to do the drawing for the basket. You don’t have to catch the live to win; in fact, you don’t even have to be on facebook to win. I will contact the winner via email.
So, shall we meet our partners?

Raventree Sudio

Summer at Raventree is absolutely amazing. Her skills and talent are impressive, and her personality is even more so! She has generously contributed a necklace and earrings set for our #SBS basket!

Here’s what Summer wants you to know:
I’m an encourager, a creative, and genuine. Raventree is multi-faceted. I do fine art, graphic design, polymer clay jewelry and home decor.

You can find Raventree on facebook, instagram, and you can shop her wares on Etsy. You can also email her at sumerh@gmail.com (yes, it’s only one “m” in that address.)

Crochet All Clay

Oh wow, y’all. I cannot say enough good things about Jennifer at Crochet All Clay. She makes the most amazing clay earrings, made to look like knitted fabric! She has contributed TWO pairs for our basket, one natural and one bright pink.

Here’s what she wants you to know:
I have many talents, this is just one of the many 😉 This is something I like to do for fun. It’s very relaxing after a long day at the big girl job.

This is a brand-spankin’-new business; she’s just getting off the ground. She doesn’t have a business email address or facebook page yet, but keep an eye on the Rows & Roses facebook page. As soon as Crochet All Clay goes live, you better believe I will be promoting the s#!t out of her!

Local Wear

Local Wear is the best place in Seneca (in my humber opinion) to get all of your school spirit, Oconee price, and #SenecaStrong apparel and swag, plus much more. They are a family-owned business, and put love and care into everything they do. They have contributed a gift card, T-shirt, and a couple of cool stickers to our basket!
Here’s what they want you to know:
We love helping our local community. We screen print, embroider, vinyl graphics and digital printing.

You can find them on facebook, and on their website.

Gayl's Homemade Gifts

Sweet Gayl of Gayl’s Homemade Gifts is such a wonderful artist, and a joy to be around. She has contributed a wonderful cotton market bag for our gift basket!
Here’s what she wants you to know:
I am a person who loves to encourage other people and to help them follow their dreams. God has given me so many blessings even through difficult times, and I want to use what I have to share blessings with others. Care and love go into everything I crochet in order to create a meaningful, useful and beautiful product. I’m a very small business looking forward to growing but still staying small so that I can continue to give personal attention to my clients.

You can find Gayl on facebook, Instagram, on her blog, or you can email her at wrightgayl@gmail.com

S & T Fiber Arts

Melissa at S&T Fiber Arts is such a fun and unique personality! I greatly enjoy her visits to the shop, and her kids are absolutely precious. She is contributing a loom-knit headband in our famous Bamboo Pop yarn.
Here’s what she wants you to know:
I’m a work from home mom of two. I love coffee and funky hair colors and wearing black. I custom make scarves, hats, ear warmers, and sometimes plushies. This is my second year in business and I love what I do!

Melissa recently changed her business name from “Hooked on Mel” to S & T Fiber Arts, and of course, facebook won’t let her change her business name…. So you can find her on facebook, or you can email her at custom.stfa@gmail.com

The Fluttering Moth

Jenny at The Fluttering Moth is such a great sewist! I have been privileged to know her and her sweet family for years and years, and I can tell you her creativity knows no bounds. She has contributed not one, but TWO hand-sewn masks for our basket.
Here’s what she wants you to know:
I’m a homeschool mom and like to sew and do other crafts. I started making things out of thrifted wool years ago, when my kids were little. Lately I have been making cotton masks with soft, adjustable elastic.

You can find Jenny online on facebook, or email her at the_other_alice_@yahoo.com

JoAnn Johnson Media Foundation

We are so lucky to have JoAnn of JoAnn Johnson Media Foundation collaborating with us. She has decided to contribute a copy of her third book, Overcoming Life’s Challenges, and I for one can’t wait to read it!
Here’s what she wants you to know:
I am the host of the television shows Good Mood Good Food, Empower Your Body Empower Your Mind, The Tipping Point, an author and motivational speaker. We seek to help the helpless, hopeless and those who need to overcome adversity in their lives.

You can find JoAnn at her The Tipping Point facebook page, or you can email her at Programming4JoAnnJohnsonimc@gmail.com

Shop Small

Wow! What a bunch of super awesome small local businesses. We are so fortunate to have such talented and driven people making up our community.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it! You can comment, share to facebook or instagram, pin it, or anything else you can think of. And be sure to stop by on Nov. 28th to see all the fun sales and goings-on. You can also keep an eye on my LYS page here on the website for all the shop news, sales, events, and new products. Shopping small is so important as these small businesses aren’t buying a second vacation home; they are, instead, just trying to feed their family, afford music and gymnastics lessons, and pay their bills. Every dollar you spend at a small local business makes a huge impact. This Small Business Saturday- and really, always- please be sure to shop small when at all possible. We all appreciate you so much ♥

Blessed

Posted on November 11, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

FREE crochet patterns

Celebrate togetherness this Thanksgiving with friends, family, and a lovely table. This Blessed bread cloth and French press cozy can be whipped up in no time. The super easy stitch pattern, while appearing involved, is really just mindless stitching. One skein of WeCrochet’s Static will make both a cloth and a cozy, and the wool content helps to keep your rolls and your coffee warm. Choose your favorite color and get your table in tip top shape!
Grab your ad-free .pdf here for just $1.99 and help support this small business!

Getting Started

Stitches: Ch, sc, dc
Yarn: WeCrochet’s Static (Fingering-weight #1) 437 yards/100g “Hope Chest,” 1 skein
Notions: Three ⅝” buttons
Hook: H8/5mm or size needed to obtain gauge
Sizes: Bread Cloth: 14 x 18” Cozy: 10 x 7.5”

Gauge: 2 shells x 6 rows = 2”

NOTES:
If you make the French press cozy first, then you can just go until you run out of yarn on the bread towel. I told you this was easy!

Let's start hookin'

Pattern:

French press cozy:

Ch 40

Row 1 : 2 dc in 4th ch from hook, *sk 2, sc, sk 2, shell; rep from * across, ending with 3 dc in final ch. Turn. = 5 shells, 2 half-shells

Row 2: Ch 1, *sc, sk 2, shell, sk 2; rep from * across, sc in final st. Turn.

Row 3-27:: Rep Row 2

Row 28: Ch 1, sc in each st across.

Cut yarn, weave in ends.

Sew buttons, evenly spaced, to first row. One on each end, and one in the middle. Use spaces between stitches as button holes.

Bread Cloth:

Ch 88

Row 1: 2 dc in 4th ch from hook, *sk 2, sc, sk 2, shell; rep from * across, ending with 3 dc in final ch. Turn. = 13 shells, 2 half shells

Row 2: Ch 1, *sc, sk 2, shell, sk 2; rep from * across, sc in final st. Turn.

Row 3-40: Rep Row 2

Cut yarn, weave in ends.

Both of these can do with a light blocking if you want, to smooth them out. Just be careful blocking the cozy; if you are an aggressive blocker, you may make it too big to fit!

And that’s it. You now have some marvelous handmade goodies for your table. I want to see the colors you picked! Post a pic of your finished items to your favorite social media and tag @RowsAndRoses and #RowsAndRosesBlessed so we can all see what you’ve made. If you need me, I’m only a click or two away.

Sati Glenn, owner and operator of Rows and Roses Fiberworks.
Email: sati@rowsandroses.com
Website: www.rowsandroses.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/rowsandrosescrochet
Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/stores/rows-and-roses

If you want to see all the yarns and tools I have available, please come shop!

October Showcase

Posted on October 31, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Monthly round-up

This month has been so busy, I continue to forget what day it is. I don’t think I’ve ever waiting til the very last day of the month to publish a monthly round-up, but here we are. Please enjoy this October Showcase, and if you’re interested in learning a little more about cold weather yarns and how to choose them for certain projects, I’ve got you covered. Covered! See what I did there…?

Persinette Beanie for Toni, crocheted in Valley Superwash Worsted in “Mauve.” This is the squishiest hat!

Loxley Hood crochet in Valley Berkshire “Black” and WeCrochet’s Fable Fur “black.”

Loxley Hood crocheted in Valley Berkshire “Navy” and WeCrochet’s Fable Fur “Bjern.”

My Enwrapped from our super fun workshop! I used Valley Berkshire in “Light Gray,” “Dark Gray,” and “Denim.” So snuggly.

Felici on the Double Doubled cowl for Sarah Ashley in WeCrochet’s Felici “Fiesta” and “Cupcake Karaoke.”

Felici on the Double Doubled for Summer in “Whatsits Galore” and “Cupcake Karaoke.” I love these so much!

Newest yarn in the shop: Berroco Providence. If you’re local, you MUST stop in and squish a ball of this. It is amazing <3

My latest pattern, Kindred Spirit. This is crocheted in WeCrochet’s brand new “Kindred,” an alpaca/cotton blend that is to DIE for! You need this. We all do.

Patterns!

This month was a little different, pattern-wise. I really do try to release a free pattern each month, as well as a paid pattern. Due to some poor planning on my part, I ended up with two paid patterns ready before a freebie was finalized. Therefore, I released two paid patterns this month instead.
In order to make it up to you, and have a DOUBLE freebie pattern hitting the blog in November, so thanks for your patience with me and I know you’re going to love it. Keep an eye on the blog or the facebook group and I’ll post as soon as it’s ready!

Fluffin’ Cowl is really an awe-inspiring little piece of crochet work, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you really really should. Crocheted in three colors of WeCrochet’s Wonderfluff, a baby alpaca/Merino/nylon blend of blown yarn, it is light as a cloud and full of color. The tapestry crochet technique carries the yarns inside the stitches, and the whole thing is worked in a continuous spiral. Everything will think you worked some black magic, but the whole cowl can be done by the motivated crocheter in two hours! Try it, you’ll wonder what took you so long.

Now this one… this one I am really proud of. Introducing Kindred Spirit, a rectangular wrap made of two mirrored panels that are seamed together up the middle. If you haven’t seen this pattern yet, click the pic and check out all the pics on the pattern page. This is a very unique wrap, and WeCrochet’s Kindred (baby alpaca/Peruvian cotton) is the most perfect yarn for it.
In fact, this yarn quickly went into my top 10 yarns of all time. It is THAT amazing. Soft, bouncy, warm, and not the least bit of prickle, I know you’ll love it too.

I hope you enjoyed this October Showcase. Thanks for being here. Thanks for cheering me on and lifting me up. This has been a big month of learning for me (sometimes, the hard way,) and I can’t express my gratitude enough for your patience, helpfulness, and kindness. You just keep loving me through it, and I appreciate that more than you know.
As always, a quick, easy, and totally free way of helping me out would be to share this post on any social media, reblogging, liking, commenting, and anything else you can think of. You don’t have to make a purchase to make a difference ♥

Cold Weather Yarn

Posted on October 15, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

How to choose?

Can you feel it? That crisp bite to the breeze when it comes through in the morning like the whisper of an old friend? Sipping my hot coffee, I can’t help but recall my warm woolens of winter last….
Okay, enough of that. A poet I am not, but I AM a yarnologist. Which, in my opinion, is better. So let’s talk yarns, specifically cold weather yarns. There are so many different types of yarns out there; so many weights, so many fibers. How do you know what to choose for which project?
Let me walk you through a few of my favorites. I’ll even help you find patterns for them so you can show off your skills while keep you and your loved ones toasty warm!

Alpaca

The alpaca is such an amazing animal. With their cute little faces and warm, furry coats, they are definitely one of the cutest animals ever. And boy are they smart!
Did you know that they are also one of the warmest animals ever? Alpaca fiber is even warmer than wool, and it also offers a drape that no breed of sheep could ever mimic. Add to this that allergies to alpaca are almost unheard of (they don’t make lanolin like sheep do,) and you’ve got a super fiber for all of your winter knits and crochets. Seriously, the perfect cold weather yarn.

Here at Rows & Roses, we’ve got you covered as far as scrumptious alpaca yarn. Just look at that gorgeous Eco Alpaca by Cascade in the pic above. No dyes, there’s are the many natural colors of alpaca! What could you make with this decadent yarn? Here are some patterns I’ve found that would be perfect:
KNIT: this gorgeous hat Graham, the Hipster Shawl, you could really play with the different colors in this Colouring In,
CROCHET: the Diadem shawl would be perfect in this yarn, and so would the Facets Cowl if you use two contrasting colors!

More alpaca yarns:

Wool

Wool is maybe the most popular animal fiber for yarn, and it’s not hard to see why. Wool is anti-microbial, water resistant, and dries quickly. There are all different breeds of wool, but the softest is Merino.
Rows & Roses has lots of Merino yarns to choose from, with more on the way. From the gorgeous Malabrigo Sock pictured here, to the workhorse Valley Worsted and Valley Sport, and even our super-bulky star Berroco Coco, if you’re looking for soft and wooly and wonderfully warm, look no further.
How about some patterns?

KNIT: the Lacy Not Lazy socks and this Sockhead slouch hat. For the Valley Superwash Worsted, I am loving this Free For All cowl. If you’re wanting Coco’s bulky squish, you’d do well with the Chai Latte beanie or the Sugared Almonds cowl.
CROCHET: If you’re dying to crochet with some Malabrigo sock, I bet you’ll love Just Breathe and Fingerless Gloves. Valley Sport works well for Lizard (one of my favorite shawls to make!) and the worsted is perfect for Kruska. Coco would make a great Quinn cowl or Chunky Pebbles hat.

More wool yarn:

Silk

I am rapidly discovering just how underappreciated silk is. How is it possible that more people don’t LOVE this fiber?! Anti-microbial, soft and silky (haha,) and super strong, silk will hold up to just about anything.
From the matte and slubby silk exchange of Mantra, to the shiny and luxe Silkpaca, it’s really hard to imagine how anyone could pass it up, especially since it’s been proven to be even warmer than alpaca. Isn’t that amazing?
I know y’all want to see some patterns that would be perfect for all this silk yarn I’ve got waiting for you, so let’s do it!

KNIT: Silkpaca lends itself well to knits that are drapey and airy, such as Gorges Cowl and Swallowtail Shawl, while Mantra would be great for Tincture and emPower Lace.
CROCHET: Mantra would make an amazing Wild Sunset as well as a Spring Bean cowl, while Silkpaca is perfect for Inner Light, or Pax if Tunisian is more your speed.

More silk yarns:

I hope I was able to help you out a bit and offer some insight and education, as well as some great patterns to kickstart your creativity. Remember that you are always welcome to come use the free winding station and enjoy a cup of coffee anytime you’re out and about. This little shop is all about community so I want to see you here enjoying it! If you found value in this post, please consider sharing, commenting, pinning, tweeting, or otherwise helping me to get it out there. Thank you all so much, for all you do to help my little LYS be the best that it can be ♥

September Showcase

Posted on September 29, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Monthly Wrap-up

What a month this has been. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever done so much in a single month in my life. Between opening the shop, and getting Fall Specials & Customs out the door- not to mention homeschooling two kids and trying my best to keep some sort of a social life- it’s been crazy! And fun, and hard, and scary, and exhilarating, and all kinds of other stuff. So now it’s time for our September Showcase!
Let’s take a look at our monthly wrap-up for September. Just click the pics to blow them up.

Hat for Lauren made of the Berroco Coco from the shop. It’s so bulky and squishy and warm!

Pumpkin topper for Stephanie. I wish I had had a pumpkin to put it on!

Mermaid ice pop cozies for Alice’s sweet girls. I’m proud of these; I didn’t even use a pattern!

The pie trivets are possibly the cutest thing for a Fall kitchen right now…

Homeschool is absolutely the best decision we ever made. Our friends are our family <3

A great big LEAF centerpiece for sweet Toni. I made this with two different colors of crochet thread held together and it turned out great!

This chicken was a birthday present for one of our dearest little friends who loves her chickens so much. Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Nubbie Scrubbies and a dish drainer mat for Sarah B. in her kitchen colors. This was the first time I’d used the kitchen cotton from the shop and I am in LOVE!

This fishie was crocheted to honor the memory of a sweet friend’s Goldy who passed recently. RIP little fishy, see you on the other side.

Peas in pods, and a peelable banana for an amazing and sweet Waldorf mama. They turned out so stinkin’ cute!

I’ve got some gorgeously soft, “bubbly” (read: thread-plied) cotton yarn at the shop, perfect for garments and accessories. It’s so pretty!

The silk bags are going fast! At only $8, I figured they would. If you want one, you might want to hurry in to Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber!

But wait, there's more!

Finally, my Enwrapped pattern has been updated! New stylesheet, better pic placement, same great pattern. This will be the shop kit for October, using a totally different bulky-weight yarn. Come on in to Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber to pick one up for yourself or a friend, starting October 1st!

After hearing how badly everyone wished for a Felici Cowl that could be wrapped double around the neck, I present to you FOTD Doubled. Still two balls of Felici, same hook, chevrons as always, but with a lacier stitch pattern to stretch the yardage. It’s FREE!

The pattern for this little beauty is set to be released next week. This yarn is EVERYTHING! I can’t wait for you to see it. It’ll hit my Rav shop first, so be sure to check in!

Once again, I just want to thank every single one of you for all that you do to support my little-getting-bigger? business. I appreciate all of your shares, all of your likes, all of your comments, and every time you send someone my way. You all are the reason I keep going, trying to find new and fun ideas, and your love and support give me so much joy. From the bottom of my heart, thank you ♥

Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber

Posted on September 23, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

We are open for business!

Finally! After two months of hard work, Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber is finally ready, and we are open for business!

The Grand Opening was a smashing success. No fire, no injuries, no explosions. Can’t ask for much more than that, amiright? We had an excellent turn out. Ethel Mae’s Bake Shop made us some gorgeous hand-painted citrus cookies. In addition to the cookies, we had plenty of hot coffee. The free mini-skeins were a hit, as well. All of our initial orders were here on time, labeled and stocked and ready for purchase. In fact, we sold so much that first day, I had to come home that night and place more orders!

Just in case you missed it, I want to share some pictures with you so you can really get an idea of what this little place is like. We’ve got the yarn shop on the right, and the workshop on the left, compete with winding station, work table, in-house library, and a sitting area that is very well lit. This place isn’t just for shopping, it’s for working too!

If you haven’t quite made it in just yet, please come check us out! Bring your current project and sit and stitch on one of our comfy couches. If you have a repair to make, or a skein of yarn to wind, or even a shawl to block, bring it and do it here so you won’t have to clear out an area big enough at home (and then try to keep your cats off it, if your house is anything like mine.)

If you DID come hang out with us already, be sure to come back soon so you can watch us grow. We’ve got new stuff coming in all the time, as well as a wishlist at the door where you can let me know exactly what you’re looking for.

Our two classes we have planned so far have both almost sold out already! If you are looking for a class to learn to crochet or learn to spin on a drop spindle, come on over and buy your spot before they’re gone. More classes coming soon!

Thank you all for being here and supporting my little business. I know it’s small for now, but my passion for yarn and plans for the future are MASSIVE, and there is soooooo much more on the way. Our local community needs a place like this ♥
In the meantime, check out my pattern shop on Ravelry and let me know which of my patterns you’d like to see as a kit of the month! (Psssst… Tilted is the kit for September, and it’s almost sold out. Come grab yours!)

Felici On The Double Doubled

Posted on September 9, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Free pattern!

You spoke and I listened! You wanted a Felici On The Double cowl that you could loop doubled
around your neck for a close and cozy fit. Therefore I present to you, Felici On The Double
Doubled! Worked in chevrons still, but with spaces between the stitches so as to stretch the
yardage further, this warm and stretchy cowl is sure to be your new favorite. Just like before,
any two Felici colorways you want to pair together, same starting chain, just a little lacier in the
construction. If you liked the original, I bet you will LOVE this one!

Grab the printable .pdf for just $1.99 here.

Getting Started

Stitches: Ch, DC, DC2tog over next 3 ch or st (here, you just skip the middle ch or st)

Yarn: WeCrochet’s Felici sock yarn (218 yards,) 2 balls held double throughout

Hook: I9/5.5mm

Sizes: 36” circumference, 7” wide

Gauge: 1 patt rep x 5 rows = 3”

Pattern

Ch 33

1) 2DC in 3rd ch from hook, *ch 1, sk 1, DC, ch 1, sk 1, DC2 tog over next 3 ch, ch 1, sk 1, DC, ch 1, sk 1, (DC, ch 1, DC); rep from * twice, ending with 2DC in last ch instead of (DC, ch 1, DC.)

2) Ch 2, 2DC in first st, *ch 1, sk 1, DC, ch 1, sk 1, DC2tog over next 3 st, ch 1, sk 1, DC, ch 1, sk 1, (DC, ch 1, DC); rep from * twice, ending with 2DC in last st instead of (DC, ch 1, DC.)

Rep Row 2 until you’re almost out of yarn. I got 62 rows altogether on my first one, but you may get anywhere from 60 to 64. This is fine 🙂

Slip stitch ends together to close circle. And you’re finished. Wasn’t that so easy and enjoyable? I’d love to see your FOTD Doubled! Just post to social media with the hashtag
#RowsAndRosesFOTDD so we can all see what you’ve created! If you need me, I’m only a click
or two away.

August Showcase

Posted on August 28, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Yarn, yarn, yarn… and a shop.

(This post, like all my posts, contains affiliate links.)

This month has been CRAZY! So much different than usual, for sure. I’ve crochet a bit, knitted a bit more, but mostly I’ve been renovating our new building downtown. By mid-September, Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber should be open for business!
I’ve already placed big wholesale orders with Universal Yarns, Berroco, The Alpaca Company, Malabrigo, Darn Good Yarn, and even a couple of indie artists, Treehouse Knits (you have GOT to see what this amazing chick does with color and yarn. It is unreal,) and Spinerosity for some hand-turned spindles! I could not be more excited about all of this, and I hope you are too.

So here are a few things I’ve made this month. I haven’t had much time, and I was finished with all orders by early this month, so mostly I’ve just been playing with yarn when I get the chance.

Yarny Goodness

I designed a clutch using Darn Good Yarns’ banana fiber yarn. This yarn is just so unique! I really enjoyed working with it and can’t wait to design some more. I sewed a magnet into the flap and body so that it closes on its own, and added a button on the front because why not? I love buttons!

I have a new pattern coming out next month using WeCrochet’s Wonderfluff. This is the softest squishiest cowl I’ve ever had my hands on; it’s like a cloud! You’re going to love how easy this is to make, despite how amazing it looks.

I released Reflect, a new pattern for hexagon dishcloths that are designed to compliment Blue Willow dishes. Cotlin Reflections was the perfect yarn for these: it’s absorbent, strong, and the colors match my dishes exactly! The best part is, the pattern is FREE!

How can I let a whole new batch of Felici come out without making more FOTD cowls?! I made a few, but even better, I designed a new FOTD cowl. The new cowl can be double looped for a cozier fit. I’m working on finalizing it, so watch for it soon!

Transition

If I can get serious for a minute here, I just want to say that the outpouring of love and encouragement and support for this yarn shop has been so much more than I could have ever hoped for. The facebook business page and group have grown beyond what I had expected, and I’m gaining new Instagram followers and newsletter subscribers every day. I thought that we really needed a yarn shop in town, and apparently so many of you thought the same thing. Opening a yarn shop is my BIG dream, and the apex of my yarn career; it is the big final goal I set out to accomplish “one day,” and now it’s happening. It couldn’t happen without all of you. I appreciate you all so much more than you can ever know. Thank you. Thank you for being here, and thank you for holding my hand through all of this.

If you’re interested in following along with me in all of my crazy yarn adventures, please do! Follow me on instagram, facebook, pinterest, and Ravelry. We’ll have a super great time, that’s for sure!

Darn Good Yarn

Posted on August 17, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

It is DARN GOOD!

(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, it won’t cost you an extra dime but it will throw a dollar or two my way, so thank you!)

I have discovered something amazing, and you NEED to know about it. There is a company called Darn Good Yarn (DGY) and they sell some crazy amazing yarns that are hand-dyed and hand-spun in India. They offer fair wages to Indian women to make these amazing yarns, and listen: they are made out of the coolest stuff!! Banana fiber, sari silk strips, some of their yarns even come with beads and sequins actually spun into it so you don’t have to do it as you work!

I decided to take a chance on this company as they seem like they really know how to have some fun with yarn, and any company offering fair wages in poor regions for women to be able to work and support their families is pretty amazing in my book. Let’s take a look at some of this stuff!

The Black Box

After spending hours (seriously) clicking around the Darn Good Yarn website, I had found sooooooo much stuff that I wanted to get. But wow, after tallying it all up, it was, well… not quite doable at the moment. I found out, however, that they offer this really awesome item called the Mystery Black Box. Now, I’m not always keen on surprises. I have been burned before, getting all excited and then getting something I didn’t like and wouldn’t use. But I took a chance and this is the best chance I’ve ever taken with a yarn company!

It came with the most amazing stuff, I am seriously so impressed. Let me tell you what all this awesome haul included:

2 skeins 100% silk yarn, hand-dyed in ocean colors
1 skein Noro Downtown
2 Indigo Quail sock-of-the-month kits
3 skeins of pure Superwash Merino

And that’s just some of it! There was more yarn, a book, and a really cool pamphlet telling all about their company and what they do. Altogether, over $200 worth of awesome stuff.

In addition to the Black Box, I also snagged a couple of skeins of their Banana Fiber handspun yarn in “Light Sage” (shown above.) I couldn’t be sure that banana yarn would be included and I just HAD to try it. Another great score, because it is soft, strong, shiny, and so far I’ve made a wallet out of one of the skeins.

Did you catch the LIVE unboxing?

If you aren’t a member of the facebook group, you weren’t able to join us for the live unboxing. YouTube has the replay if you want to go watch (and subscribe, maybe? I’d love it if you did!) This has been just the most amazing little adventure with such a fun yarn company, that I decided to open a wholesale account with them. That’s right, Darn Good Yarn will be available in the new yarn shop, Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber! Grand Opening is tentatively set for mid-September, so like the facebook page, subscribe to my newsletter, and keep checking this site for all the upcoming news.
In the meantime, why not check out some of my free patterns, such as the Reflect dishcloth designed to match my Blue Willow dishes, or the ever-popular Felici on the Double cowl? I bet you’ll love them 🙂

As always, thanks so much for coming. Rows and Roses would be nothing without all you wonderful yarny people lifting me up and cheering me on ♥