Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Save 15% off ALL Artyarns. No minimum purchase required. Free shipping on US orders over $59.

Fans of the absolutely exquisite Artyarns will be thrilled to know we've just put all our Artyans yarns on sale at 15% off from now until midnight December 18th.

These are absolutely sumptuous yarns by Iris Schreier, and we've got a huge inventory of her most gorgeous creations, including:

  • Impressionist Beaded Mohair & Sequins
  • Impressionist Beaded Silk
  • Impressionist Cashmere Sock
  • Beaded Ensemble & Sequins
  • Beaded Mohair & Sequins
  • Beaded Silk & Sequins
  • Beaded Silk & Sequins Light
  • Beaded Silk Pearl & Sequins
  • Cashmere 5
  • Cashmere Sock
  • Ensemble
  • Handpaint Stripes
  • Impressionist Regal Silk
  • Mohair Splash
  • Regal Silk
  • Silk Fur
  • Impressionist Supermerino
  • Silk Mohair
  • Silk Pearl
  • Silk Rhapsody
  • Silk Rhapsody Glitter
  • Impressionist Silk Mohair
  • Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light
  • Silk Ribbon
  • Supermerino
  • Ultrabulky
  • Ultramerino 8


  • Artyarns fibers are perfect for holiday garments and gifts!

    Remember...you save 15% off at Yarnmarket with no minimum purchase required and you get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $59 (Continental U.S. only).

    Be sure to visit Yarnmarket soon so you can stock up on these truly magnificent Artyarns fibers and save 15% off your order.

    Monday, November 28, 2011

    We've extended our Noro sale to midnight tonight! And we've also got 20% off Debbie Bliss and Rowan. Happy Cyber Monday!

    To celebrate Cyber Monday, Alex has agreed to extend our Noro Sale. Be sure to order today!

    Yarnmarket has just extended the Noro sale to midnight on Cyber Monday. Save 20% on all Noro yarns. Here's a list of our sale prices:
    Aya - $7.88
    Cash Iroha - $9.48
    Cotton Hill - $7.88
    Chirimen - $7.88
    Furisode - $14.28
    Hana Silk - $19.88
    Hitsuji - $14.28
    Iro - $15.88
    King - $11.08
    Kirameki - $11.88
    Kochoran - $15.88
    Kogarashi - $15.88
    Kureyon - $7.08
    Kureyon Sock - $15.08
    Maiko - $8.68
    Nadeshiko - $19.88
    Nobori - $15.88
    Odori - $19.88
    Retro - $7.88
    Sekku - $11.88
    Shirakaba - $7.88
    Silk Garden Lite - $9.48
    Silk Garden - $9.48
    Silver Thaw - $17.48
    Sumile - $8.68
    Taiyo - $15.08
    Taiyo Sock - $15.08
    Tanabata - $9.48
    Yuzen - $7.88
    Wadaiko - $19.88


    SHIPPING IS FREE on all orders over $59 in the continental U.S.

    Please note that we are running low on some colors but if you place your order now we will honor the sale price and ship the yarn as soon as it arrives at Yarnmarket. You will not be charged until your order ships.

    There has been a bit of a delay in receiving some of the yarns from Noro in Japan ever since the tsunami because not all of the ports are operating. But we're getting the yarns in and we're shipping them to our customers as quickly as we can.

    Happy Cyber Monday!

    Thursday, November 24, 2011

    Save 20% off ALL Noro yarns starting midnight tonight!

    We're putting every Noro yarn on sale tonight at midnight so you can save 20% off your favorite yarns. We have a huge inventory of current styles and colors...and no minimum purchase is required.

    We've still got Rowan yarns and Debbie Bliss yarns at 20% off, so it's a great time to replenish your stash and save.

    FREE SHIPPING ON CONTINENTAL U.S. ORDERS OVER $59.

    Wednesday, November 23, 2011

    Many thanks to our customers, staff and business partners.

    This Thanksgiving we'd like to take a moment to thank all our customers for their support throughout the year. It's truly gratifying to help you enjoy your knitting and crocheting, and to see the wonderful projects you complete. We hope you take advantage of all the informational and inspirational materials we offer so you can enjoy your craft even more!

    It's a real pleasure to get to know so many of our shoppers and it's especially nice to be able to meet them. We're always thrilled to have a visit from Donnely Barber or Jennifer Penny or Laura Luvs2Sing. Margie Karl and her friends from Nationwide often join us for events, LittleWit and members of the Clintonville Gang, Tracy Owlchick and her friends who came to see us all the way from Maryland!

    We think Stef has adopted Jackie Awerman as her "Mom in Florida" and we've always appreciated Jackie's enthusiam for our shop. We wish her well on her upcoming surgery.

    There are so many wonderful knitters and crocheters to whom we owe our livelihood. I wish I could name them all!

    And then there are our friends in the yarn industry...and you know who you are! We thank you so much for helping us create a business that is in the business of making people happy.

    As many of you already know, Yarnmarket is just a small group here in Pickerington, OH. Alex and I are very fortunate to have so many wonderful people helping us with our shop and online sales, and we hope they already know how much we appreciate everything they do. We're very proud of them because they work so hard that people sometimes think we're part of a big conglomerate! They're surprised when they find out it's only us Yarn Martians working as hard as we can to please customers we truly value.

    We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving with their family. Be thankful for your blessings...and remember that the things we own mean nothing compared to the people we love.

    Yarnmarket will re-open on Friday morning.

    Knit Simple presents a Fabulous Felines project in their December 2011 issue.

    When I told Alex about my idea for yarns in the same colors as cats, he thought I was nuts. And perhaps he was right. But eventually the idea grew on him so he gave in and let me have a little fun. To make the project more inclusive, I collected photos of cats from Yarnmarket shoppers all over the planet. Once I had hundreds of pictures, I selected a bunch to send to the hand-dyeing genius, Iris Schreier of Artyarns.

    Iris chose the most gorgeous 100% chunky merino wool to use for the exclusive Yarnmarket line, and after a few experiments with colors, we launched Fabulous Felines yarn.

    The line didn't just have the colors of the cats' fur, but also eye colors because you know how beautiful (and hypnotizing) a pussycat's eyes can be. Much to my delight, the yarn has become really popular. I guess people appreciate the beautiful colors, and the yarn is so soft and cushy you can't resist squishing it and saying, "Ahhh..."

    You can't imagine how excited I was yesterday when I got a message from the lovely Renee at Soho Publishing to let me know that they'd used Fabulous Felines in the color, Evie's Eyes, to create some accessories for their December 2011 issue of Knit Simple. Boy, was I ever thrilled!

    Renee sent a photo so I could see what they'd done...and don't you love the pattern? If you'd like to get it, and the yarn, you'll find it online as a Yarnmarket project called, "Fabulous Felines Hat & Mittens."

    As I mentioned, this project uses the color, Evie's Eyes. Here's a nice shot of Evie so you can see how well Iris matched them with her dye. We've got 11 shades right now, and we're always looking for more!

    (Photo credit: Knit Simple Winter 2011, photo by Paul Amato)

    Tuesday, November 22, 2011

    If you love Berroco like I love Berroco...

    You'll want to be sure to sign up for our newsletters right away. Our next Spotlight is going to feature the fantastic people at Berroco yarns.

    We absolutely adore Norah Gaughan and her mathematically inspired designs. (She's a scientist at heart) and we know you're going to enjoy learning about her. You'll see lots of her newest patterns and all those fantastic yarns that go with them.

    I have to tell you that I really enjoy working on the Spotlight newsletters because I get to speak to industry luminaries like Norah and Warren Wheelock (the owner of Berroco) and learn all about how they ended up doing what they love. Can you imagine having a job where you're doing your hobby everyday...for money?!

    Be sure to visit Yarnmarket today to sign up so you'll receive your very own issue of Spotlight as soon as it's available.

    Save 15% off selected yarns from S. Charles, Artyarns, Noro, Kollage, and Muench

    Today with Jan's Just My Type newsletter, we announced some fantastic 15% savings off S. Charles; Artyarns Beaded Ensemble & Sequins, Beaded Silk Pearls & Sequins and Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light; Noro Hana Silk; Kollage Glisten and Muench Touch Me yarns.

    Jan also provides lots of information about holiday fibers and inspires you with patterns she's selected for the season.

    Be sure to read your copy of Just My Type...and save on some fantastic holiday yarns from some of our favorite manufacturers.

    If you aren't already a subscriber, you can click here
    to read it online.

    Doreen didn't want a cat. But she couldn't resist the lure of the purr.

    Doreen Connors of Vogue Knitting passed along to me a shot of the newest member of her household. She had no intention of owning a cat, but you know how it is: the universe conspires to place pussycats into homes where they'll be loved and pampered even if they're not formally invited.

    This little kitty was lost or abandoned and would have been put down if not for Doreen and her husband (whose hearts are two sizes larger than the State Average).

    Fortunately, the family dog also embraced the pussycat so she's now firmly ensconced in her new habitat.

    While we so often see horrible things happening in the world, it's gratifying to be reminded that the kindness of human beings -- and animals -- is immeasurable. I thought it was something to be thankful for as we think about Thanksgiving on Thursday.

    Doreen, you and your husband have done a wonderful thing for that pussycat. Give her some ear skritches and cattypats for me. And give yourselves a big hug from me!

    This really made me laugh.

    My ex-cousin-in-law, Craig, sent me this joke from Victoria, BC. I haven't seen Craig since 1974 but we reconnected through the Internet and he sends me the funniest jokes. When Alex was out in BC this summer, he met Craig and his wife and had a wonderful time with them.(Geez...wouldn't it be nice if all ex-relatives got along this well?) Thanks for the Tuesday morning laugh, Craig!

    A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

    Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only
    polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

    Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation,
    threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

    Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I
    may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

    John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

    As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING

    Tuesday, November 8, 2011

    See our new Spotlight on Rowan and save 20% off ALL Rowan yarns!

    We've just sent out our Spotlight on Rowan, and if you don't subscribe, be sure to read it online!

    This issue presents fascinating information about the people behind Rowan yarns, and teaches you about their products and patterns. Additionally, we're presenting a special sale with 20% off all Rowan yarns in stock at Yarnmarket. These are the most current and most popular yarns...not just the discontinued ones. And, best of all, no minimum purchase is required!

    Be sure to read this fantastic issue of Spotlight, and then save on the wonderful Rowan yarns you'll find now at Yarnmarket.com.

    Sunday, November 6, 2011

    Farewell to precious cargo.

    Tonight I read the heart-breaking news that Jack the Cat is no longer with us. His injuries and malnutrition were just too much, and despite every effort to save him, and the very best of intentions, his suffering was only being extended. How tragic to think that with so many prayers, so many people caring about him, a world full of love just wasn't enough to save one very sick little pussycat.

    There are so many facets to this story that I hope someone with time and talent will write a book about Jack and his impact on our world. I'm hoping a lot of good eventually comes out of the tragedy and that this horrific incident will change the way that airlines transport pets. I hope that American Airlines will accept full responsibility for what has happened and allow all pets to ride safely in the cabin with their owners. Most of all, I hope that no one ever again has to suffer the way Karen Pascoe, Jack's owner, has suffered in the past couple of months as she worried about her cat.

    I have little doubt that Jack received the best veterinary care in the world and I thank every one of those wonderful people at Blue Pearl who did their best to try to nurse him back to health. Having held onto my own very sick cats while they were being euthanized, I cannot imagine the pain everyone felt as Jack fell gently asleep...forever.

    To those of you who haven't experienced this type of loss, I can only say you should be very thankful you've never had to make the gut-wrenching decision to end the suffering of a creature you have cared for and loved...and who depended upon you for everything. I lost both my cats in the past couple of years and my heart still aches when I think about them. For 14 years they shared my home, and each night for 14 years we all got into bed together with one cat on my left and another on my right snuggling against me for warmth, and purring until they fell asleep. Even now as I think about them I miss them so much that I begin to cry. I loved my cats. And I know that Karen loved Jack. My heart goes out to her tonight. I know the depths of her sadness, and it breaks my heart that anyone has to feel such pain.

    Now, I know there will be those who say, "It's only a cat," or "Why is everyone so upset about an animal when people around the world are dying?" Obviously, you've never owned or cared for a pet. So instead of belittling those who do care about all of God's creatures, why don't you look at it this way: A human has just lost something very precious. That human is now suffering unbearable sadness.

    It shouldn't matter whether that human -- Karen, in this case -- has lost an animal, a child, a limb, a cherished piece of jewelry or a home. That human has a broken heart and even if we don't care about the cat, we should care about the person who truly loved it. It's not what you love that makes something precious. It's simply the fact that you love it.

    I write this with tears in my eyes because I think about the fear and injury the animal suffered. I think of the sleepless nights its owner has endured. I think about the thousands of people who were compelled to follow Jack's story on Facebook...and the millions more who learned about him through the news.

    I think about all the prayers that he'd be found and when he was found, all the prayers that Jack would survive his ordeal. I think about how we had all wanted the happy ending. And, quite frankly, the ending sucks.

    Tonight Karen will cry herself to sleep. So will Mary Beth, the woman who worked so hard to keep us up-to-date on Facebook, and who helped organize Friends of Jack. I'll cry myself to sleep, too. And so will thousands of others.

    But as I lie there weeping I'm going to be very thankful that I was given a heart big enough to embrace lost pussycats, limping squirrels, injured bunnies and all the other creatures who happen to cross my path. I am going to be thankful that needy animals give humans everywhere the opportunity to care for more than ourselves. I am going to be grateful for the reminder that we are merely custodians of this Earth: the creatures we love are truly our planet's precious cargo.

    Rest in peace, Jack. May my cats, Kim and Hannibal, greet you at heaven's gate.

    Thursday, November 3, 2011

    Toni discovered Yarnmarket today!

    This afternoon, Toni took a break from her seminar in Dublin, Ohio to discover the Yarnmarket YarnMartian Headquarters just about 1/2 hour away. After spending hours in our showroom and warehouses, she went away a pretty happy lady.

    She promises to return...with her good friend who taught her how to knit.

    Thanks for visiting with us, Toni! We hope you have a safe trip back to Springfield.

    Wednesday, November 2, 2011

    Confessions of a Closet Introvert

    People who know me think I'm an extrovert. People who REALLY know me, know that I'm not. I'd rather be hiding in a monastery somewhere, in a quiet corner in the dark, than attending a party. Yes..even if David Bowie is there.

    This is something that I like to keep secret for the most part. But a recent contact on Facebook by an old school friend has freaked me out so much that I want to run away to Abbey of Gethsemani right now and stay there until I stop hyperventilating. It's not that I don't like this old classmate. I do. But the last time I met with old friends -- which took more courage than I like to admit -- I realized that they could hardly wait for me to leave so they could start talking about me. Believe me, it was obvious. This thought upset me so much that I broke out into ick all over my body as I hurried away in my car. Even an emergency trip to the Abbey where no one's allowed to talk to me didn't cure it.

    Within a week I'd seen three specialists to treat the symptoms brought on by my secret introversion and sensitivity. One side of my face had broken out into shingles, the other side lumped up with rosacea, and the doctors figured what was happening on my forehead must have been an allergic response. But the truth was that it was a simple, widespread immunological meltdown caused by stress. It's no wonder I surround myself with woodland creatures and monks.

    I know that whenever I get upset about anything, my brain will conspire to kill me. I have subjected it to stress, so it sends a message to my immune system, "Destroy her!" My immune system kicks into action.

    I've been this way all my life. When I was five, I got a fever each morning as soon as I arrived at school. You can imagine how thrilled my Mom was when they called to tell her I was on my way home. Again.

    If someone invites me to a party, I'll be sick either the day before or the day after...depending upon whether or not I attend.

    When people visit us at home, I'm often in bed with a flu the entire time, or at the emergency ward of the hospital. You think I'm kidding, don't you? Ask our good friends, Jerry and Laurie Towner. They're starting to think I don't like them. But I do. I love them! It's just that being with people makes me sick.

    Over the years, I've become so good at it that hardly anyone realizes that I'm only pretending I'm almost normal. Beneath this facade of middle-aged looniness, I'm an overly sensitive, inwardly hysterical, shy person. I'm jealous of guys who get sentenced to life in isolation with no opportunity for parole. And the only people who really believe me and understand what's going on in my head are the HR people at a few corporations where I've worked. They're the ones who administer Meyers-Briggs.

    "I see you're an INFP," they whisper to me as they hand back the results of the test. "I never would have guessed."

    But when the questionnaire asked, "Would you rather receive an award at a company dinner or be curled up in the fetal position under your desk?" my true personality came out.

    And when they inquired, "Who do you think you're most like: Aunt Bee or Emo Phillips?" I responded, "Some mornings it just isn't worth chewing through the leather straps."

    I'm sure there are a lot of other people like me out there. Well, out there and hiding from other people like me. And I think I know who some of them are: that sweet nun at the convent I stayed in in Orvieto. The nice monk at the abbey in Kentucky who gave me a rosary. The wonderful tour guide at the remote monastery in France. They're all people who've found their calling as introverts. And if I were Catholic, I might have found that calling, too.

    So if you invite me to a party or to dinner I hope you're not offended when I don't show up. It's not that I don't like you. I'm sure I do. It's just that my brain will try to kill me if I come.

    Tuesday, November 1, 2011

    Introducing...Fingerless Mitts made from handspun yarn from Blue Rose Fibers

    A while back, Alex called me at the office and told me to leave immediately to take care of a problem at home. The problem was a little pussycat who showed up in our yard, threw herself at his feet, and wouldn't leave. It turned out that she wouldn't leave because he kept filling up a bowl with tuna juice...and no cat can resist tuna juice.

    The little pussycat was injured so we took her to a vet and got her all patched up before she was adopted by a wonderful lady who has provided the kitty with the best home possible. I named the kitty, "Mercedes" because she'd been hit by a car.

    Her new owner (and now Mommy) Donnely calls the pussycat, "Ms. Mercy."

    It turns out that Ms. Mercy's Mom spins yarns and creates her own knitting patterns. Well, what better way to repay her for her kindness than to offer her yarns and patterns on Yarnmarket.com?

    Today, Donnely showed up at Yarnmarket with her friend, and presented us with kits she'd created for her fingerless mitts. We loved them, so Michele shot a photo and Stef got them online and for sale right away.

    The mittens are created with Cotswold sheep and bamboo yarn that Donnely spins herself. It's soft and lovely in its natural color. The kit includes the yarn, pattern, and even the pretty beads that add a nice touch to the mitts.

    I hope you'll purchase our Ms. Mercy's Beaded Fingerless Mitts Kit. Donnely is a lovely lady who has a heart the size of a Cadillac and we think her design is fantastic. We hope you do, too!