Edited to Add: Made in America Yarns is in booth #210 right now at Stitches East! Beck will be there all weekend. If you are at Stitches, please stop by the Made in America Yarns booth and say hello from me. While you're there give the yarn a good squish. You won't be able to resist bringing some home with you!
Hi, Knitters,
I have a fantastic opportunity for you to win some homegrown yarn today. Last June at TNNA I was lucky enough to be introduced to Beck Gusler. Beck is the sister of the fabulous Laura Linneman of the Knit Girllls and part of a wonderful family filled with fiber artists so she has been well-versed in yarns all of her life. I had the opportunity to have Beck in one of my classes at SSK and to sit next to her at dinner last summer. She is so excited about her new career path, it just pours out of her. Beck recently landed a job at a really cool American-based yarn company located in Philadelphia called, Made in America Yarns. At TNNA Beck was working in the Made in America Yarns' booth and gave me the two sample balls you see in the photo above. I was interested in this American yarn company and really liked the yarns she gave me.
Here is a blurb straight from the website about the company and mill in Philadelphia:
At Made in America Yarns, all of our yarns are spun, twisted and dyed at our mill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our yarns are designed and manufactured at Huntingdon Yarn Mill in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Our mill has been in operation since 1940, and many of our employees are second- and third-generation workers. We are deeply rooted in our community and dedicated to keeping jobs in the USA.
Beck asked if I would be interested in reviewing and hosting a yarn giveaway on my blog. I jumped at the chance. I didn't know of this wonderful company before and there is a chance that you may not have heard of Made in America Yarns either.
Beck sent me two regular-sized hanks of Made in America Yarns to enjoy and review. The first is this lofty, fluffy hank of American Lamb (shown in the photo above). Oh, to give this yarn a squish! You would be sold immediately. American Lamb is 100% wool and 146 yards in bulky weight. My hank is in the Delft Blue colorway. On a recommended US size 10 needle you get about 14 stitches for 4-inches in stockinette stitch. The yarn has a textured appearance due to the finer thread that is plied with the loftier ply of the wool. I love this style of yarn! It is super fun to knit and creates a great fabric.
I will be casting on a hat with my hank of Delft Blue American Lamb. I'm not sure what pattern but possibly something like this, or this, or this, or most likely this (these are all free patterns!). I will be making a pom-pom with the smaller sample hanks I received at TNNA. It will be super cute and I'll keep you posted on my progress.
The other squishy, soft hank of yarn I was sent to review is this gorgeous bulky-weight cotton, called FloraFil. My hank is in the deep, rich Chocolate Lily colorway. I love it. You want to sink right in and stay awhile. This yarn is 97% cotton and 3% nylon (the plying thread is the nylon). This is a lofty and textured cotton that comes in 125 yard hanks.
One thing you might be surprised about is the number of times I am asked to recommend a cotton yarn for people who are allergic or want an alternative to wool. I struggle coming up with great recommendations especially when asked about a heavy worsted or bulky weight cotton yarn. Well now my problem is solved. I LOVE this bulky weight cotton. There are so many things you could knit with this yarn, especially for babies. Many people want to knit in cotton for babies and I totally get that. FloraFil is so soft and wouldn't irritate a baby's skin at all. Plus it is machine wash safe, a big bonus for baby knitting, especially when knitting gifts for non-knitters.
Think about little hats, sweaters, washcloths, blankets, booties, toys, buntings..... it would all be beautiful and would work up incredibly fast on US size 10 needles at 14 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. Adults could make great use of this yarn, too!
Today I am thrilled to be able to offer you a fantastic yarn giveaway thanks to Made in America Yarns and to Beck! Thank you for the chance.
I am going to randomly select two winners in a couple of days. Each winner will get one hank of Made in America Yarns, one cotton FloraFil and the other American Lamb wool in your color of choice (click here and here to see the colors). These are beautifully crafted American-made yarns. I can't wait for you to check out the site and to get some of this yarn in your hands and on your needles. Let's support this unique company together.
Please leave one comment and specify if you would like a hank of the cotton FloraFil or the wool American Lamb and which colorway you would like. Please leave an email address or your Ravelry ID so I can easily get in touch with you if you win. I will gather your mailing address and pass it on to Beck to mail out your yarn directly. Please be patient for your comment to appear, it takes some time, and please don't comment more than once.
Good luck and let the comments begin!
best, susie
p.s. I have found two things to be true: I love styling yarn for photos and I want to be a yarn stylist. Does this exist as a career-path? (I am sort of kidding but not.)