Welcome to the very first YarnSub newsletter! Thank you for your support and interest in these earliest days, we appreciate it.
Website improvements
We've had some great feedback during the testing phase, and have already put in place some of the most requested features, including:
Much better searching
You can now search for a yarn even if you don't have its name - just use
the information that you have. For example, if you know the yarn you want
is a Louisa Harding yarn made from silk and wool, then type in "Louisa Harding silk wool"
and choose the yarn you're looking for from the list of search results.
You can also search on:
- Gauge - e.g. 10sts, 36sts
- Yarn construction/texture - e.g. single ply or tweedy
- Yarn weight - lace merino, for example, or bulky Icelandic wool. British weight names (chunky Icelandic wool) and Australian (12ply Icelandic wool) work too.
- Special yarn features - including cool fibers, synthetic, natural fibers, superwash, not superwash, American wool, British wool, organic, discontinued, sock yarn.
Combine the search terms however you like to find the yarn you're looking for.
The search engine also copes much better with typos, accented letters and plurals. And British spellings work, as well as the American ones. Take a look at the search tips for more examples.
Price indicators
All new yarns added to YarnSub now include a price indicator - from $ to $$$$$ (acrylic to yak!) - based on the recommended retail price per 50g. We are working on adding the price indicator to the rest of the yarns in the database.
See Debbie Bliss Eco Baby for an example of a yarn with a price indicator.
"Buy it now" links
We always planned that YarnSub would pay for itself with affiliate and advertising links to yarn retailers, but we hadn't realized how much in demand these links would be! Many more links will be added in the coming weeks.
Colors
We don't list the yarn colors as there are just too many for us to keep up with, but we have started to add color styles - solid, self-striping, gradient and so on - to help with finding a substitute. The styles are being added for all new yarns and we are working through the rest of the yarns too.
Yarn density
YarnSub now takes into account the density or 'loft' of yarns when offering substitutes, as it affects the weight, gauge and drape of the finished fabric.
Thank you again for all your feedback and ideas. We're still interested to hear your thoughts as we come to the end of the testing phase and beyond; every comment we receive gives us an opportunity to improve.
Review of new yarn: Mirasol Llama Una
100% Baby Llama - DK - 22sts / 28 rows per 10cm - 4mm (US 6) needles - Hand wash
Mirasol's new yarn, Llama Una, is soft and squishable, feels silky smooth to knit and crochet with, and it doesn't split easily. It excels in stocking stitch and lace patterns.
The attractive haze and drape that come from the smooth llama fibers, also mean that it loses a little stitch definition and so doesn't work as well for knit/purl texture patterns.
October's new and discontinued yarns
New
Artesano
Alpaca Silk 4-ply - 70% Alpaca, 30% Silk - Fingering/4-ply
Alpaca Silk Lace - 70% Alpaca, 30% Silk - Laceweight (see photo above)
Linen Silk - 40% Wool, 35% Silk, 25% Linen - DK
Cascade
Cherub Chunky - 100% Synthetic - Bulky/Chunky
North Shore - 100% Acrylic, DK
Classic Elite
Tiverton Tweed - 90% Superfine Alpaca, 5% Wool, 5% Viscose - Worsted
Harrisville Designs
flyWHEEL - 100% Wool - Sportweight
Hayfield
Colour Rich Chunky - 100% Acrylic - Bulky/Chunky
Katia
Eskimo - 64% Synthetic, 25% Alpaca, 9% Wool - Super Bulky/Chunky - Faux Fur
Nina - 75% Synthetic, 17% Polyester, 8% Mohair - Super Bulky/Chunky - Chained
King Cole
Cherish DK - 100% Acrylic - DK
Loops and Threads
Chunky - 100% Acrylic - Super Bulky/Chunky
Opus - 100% Synthetic - Super Bulky/Chunky - Tape
Phat - 100% Synthetic - Super Bulky/Chunky - Single ply
Mirasol
Llama Una - 100% Baby Llama - DK
Red Heart
Precious - 80% Acrylic, 20% Mohair - Fingering/4-ply - Fuzzy
Sirdar
Cotton 4-ply - 100% Mercerized cotton - Fingering/4-ply
Ophelia - 100% Synthetic - Bulky/Chunky - Eyelash
Troitsk
Mohair Classic - 13% Mohair, 27% Merino Wool, 54% Cashmere, 6% Acrylic - DK
Discontinued
Artesano
British Wool - 100% Superwash wool - Bulky/Chunky
Cascade
Kid Seta - 61% Mohair, 35% Silk, 4% Wool - Laceweight
Kid Seta Noir - 60% Mohair, 22% Silk, 11% Nylon, 7% Metallic - Laceweight
Elann
Sonata Soft - 100% Mercerized cotton - DK
Novita
Bambino - 100% Wool - Fingering/4-ply
Patons (North America)
Stretch Socks - 41% Cotton, 39% Wool, 13% Nylon, 7% Elastic
Plymouth Yarn
Haciendo - 100% Merino Wool - Super Bulky/Chunky - Single ply
Disclaimer: YarnSub provides information for guidance only and disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy of the information provided. Please let us know if there are any issues. (hello@yarnsub.com)
