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The very very first giveaway of Self-Striping Yarn Studio

I am thrilled beyond words to announce that my brand-new book, Self-Striping Yarn Studio, is beginning to appear in the great wide world even as we speak.

cover ssys

This week, I got a report of a Barnes & Noble bricks-and-mortar sighting, and it began shipping from the BN.com website. Now it’s also in stock here and I hope at your favorite LYS.

Vauclain Wristers
Vauclain Wristers

I have always loved self-striping yarns, ever since the time I first was hypnotized by a skein of Noro Kureyon. Those lush colors that change all by themselves! All the shades of the rainbow but not so many of the ends to weave in! Getting a project that has 10 colors in it but only needing to buy 2 skeins of yarn! And the opportunities for design presented by stripers is something that never fails to get my creativity hopping.

Faux Isle Combo

I am especially proud of SSYS for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a topic I love, and I’ve wanted to do a book on stripers that goes beyond just patterns to offer knitters technical guidance about how to use stripers. What do you do if your stripes look wonky? How do you deal with a knot that spoils the rhythm of the striping repeat? What kind of patterns particularly suit stripers? All of these questions are dealt with in the book’s beginning section. I hope that it empowers readers to make the most of their stripers, and enjoy using them even more.

Magic Carpet Capelet
Magic Carpet Capelet

Another reason I’m proud of the book is that is came together in a very short amount of time, during a difficult time in my personal life. It was a great solace for me to have a project that I loved in the wings, distracting me and letting me lose myself in designing and knitting and writing. Having the book come out so beautifully made me feel competent and capable at a time when I had a lot of questions about myself.

Barcladen Stole

Maudlin musings aside, I’m also proud of the people in my life who rallied around me to help make the book happen. The contributors outdid themselves in coming up with gorgeous designs that showcase some of the unique things that self-stripers can do–and they did so in a remarkably short timefame. People who volunteered to test knit when time was tight, designer friends who “whipped up” an extra pattern when needed, pals who cheered me on when things got intense. Thanks to all of you.

Sriracha Socks

I’ll be posting more about the book in coming weeks, but I’ve included just a few photos that I hope will intrigue you and tempt you to check out the book. (Believe me, there are so many amazing patterns that I haven’t even shown you yet!)

Hexagon Sweater, Amy Gunderson
Hexagon Sweater, Amy Gunderson

And just to get things off to a self-striping start, I’m going to give away a free copy of the book to one lucky commenter. Leave a comment in the notes telling me what your favorite self-striping or self-patterning yarn is, and I’ll randomly pick one commenter and send them a copy of the book. (Usual rules: one entry per person, make sure there is a way I can easily contact you in your email, your entry must be received no later than Sundday, August 7th at midnight EST time.)

29 thoughts on “The very very first giveaway of Self-Striping Yarn Studio

  1. Since I knit socks, my favorite self-patterning yarn is Opal. It wears like iron, has beautiful colors, and always looks good knitted up, even if the pattern/stripes turn out wonky.

  2. My favorite is Felici from kp because of awesome colorways that make cheery socks… can’t wait to have a copy of the new book! Congratulations !

  3. I’ve used and liked Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns. I like their colorways and the feel of the yarn as I work it up. Due to the lack of nylon in the yarn, I don’t use it for socks, but it is great for scarves and shawls.

  4. I have used the Crystal Palace Mini Mochi as well… have done a few scarves 🙂 Congratulations on your new book!

  5. I really like Knit Circus self striping yarns. They are a bit on the spendy side, but Jaala’s colors are rich and gorgeous.

  6. Continuum Self Striping by String Theory Colorworks is really nice. And, congrats on the new book, Carol!! =)

  7. Favourite striping yarn? Funny you should ask that… there’s this sweet business called “black bunny fibers” I’ve bought striping yarn from and it is my favourite.
    LOVE knitting with your yarns, Carol!

    Congratulations on your new book!

  8. I’m currently into the long repeat yarns like Mini Mochi and Magico II Dégradé. I like the colors in Noro, but not the feel of the yarn. I’d love to read your tips on dealing with this sort of yarn.

  9. Nordic Mart posted about some self-striping sock yarn today, I believe it was Fabel, not sure, but their colors were beautiful!

  10. The book and the pattern you’ve shown here look great! I’m sure the technical guidance you’ve included must be very useful, too. I haven’t used self-stripping yarn much, only Noro Kureyon in one project (and a self-stripping sock yarn, the name of which I forget, in one other project). I would love to try more of them, and the patterns in your book would provide excellent inspiration!

  11. Hi I have been mostly playing with Ancient Arts yarn lately and loving the Siamese cat as it is going into a shawl. It is striping on the 2 sides and colour pooling in the centre.

    Janet

  12. My favorite is Poste striping from Simply Socks yarn company. I discovered the “Harry Potter” colorway first, only to discover that there are FOUR of them, one for each house…. Veryhappy “Potter-heads” that Christmas! Now there are SO many to choose from!

  13. I love the self-striping yarns made by Abby Grasso. She has many unique and holiday-type designs. Often I find them at her Etsy shop. There is something just magical about self-striping yarn! So glad you wrote this book!

  14. I’m a sucker for Noro. Seems I always have a Noro project (or two!) on my needles. I love self-striping yarn and would LOVE to have a copy of your latest book Carol! The only thing that would make it better is for you to deliver it to me personally (ha!) Love and hugs to you and Boris 🙂

  15. I confess an old school love for Noro, the scratchier and more vegetable matter-laden the better. I just pulled out a log cabin blanket I’ve been working on and off forever for Olympics viewing, comprised mostly of Noro bits and pieces. Thanks in advance for the book, Miss Lady.

  16. I love any of the Noro yarns. I love the mystery of what is going to come next as I knit through the first ball of yarn. They always make me smile, and I love to watch the striping pattern emerge.

  17. I’m new to self-striping – so a book to give me confidence would be appreciated. I’m one who believes my tension issues would throw off the striping?!
    Neverthless, I think the Mini Mochi from Crystal Palace Yarns Tutti-Frutti looks absolutely fool-prrof

  18. I always love Noro. It’s great not only for the remarkably natural compatibility of its color combinations, but also for inspiring a bolder selection of colors when using other yarns.

  19. I love self-striping yarns, but am challenged to find projects that i can make using them. This looks a very promising book. Congratulations on your newest.

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