Sun Valley Fibers Giveaway

I don’t want to make anyone else jealous, but I think I might possibly have the coolest job ever.  Visiting fiber festivals is market research, I get to indulge my bossy tendencies write patterns, and I spend most of my days at home in my pajamas in the company of the Kitten Overlords.  And if that weren’t enough, every now and then a yarn company gets in touch and asks if I might possibly like to see some of their yarn (yes) and maybe even share some of it with you guys (also yes).  It’s pretty darn cool.  Today I’d like to introduce you to Sun Valley Fibers.

I first found out about this company when they got in touch to talk about their January Thaw Retreat.  (It’s happening this weekend, and they’ve got daypasses available.  If you’re in Wisconsin, you should check it out.)  I, alas, cannot go (pesky geography).  But they were kind enough to send me an amazing box of their yarns, and I will spend the weekend petting them to console myself.  I’m even going to share some of them with you!

The more I look at Sun Valley’s line of goodies, the more impressed I am.  They have two lace weights, four fingerings, a dk, two worsteds, and lovely roving.  You can get any of their bases in any of their more than 60 permanent colors (there are often a few one-of-a-kind colorways on offer too).  The number of possibilities is a bit staggering.

Can we talk for a minute about hand-dyed yarn?  Too often, the color is the primary draw, and the bases aren’t quite up to snuff (I find that the more I knit, the pickier I get about my bases).  This is so not a problem with Sun Valley Fibers.  They’ve got some really nifty bases, three in particular that I’m especially looking forward to getting on the needles.

The first is a fingering weight 75/15/10 merino/cashmere/silk blend.  It will work beautifully for socks (the silk really is just as strong as the nylon you may be used to seeing in sock yarn).  But you know me and fingering yarn…I predict I’ll be turning mine into a matching set of fingerless gloves and a nice slouchy hat.  The second is a worsted weight 80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon.  That’s the classic combo that you see in lots of sock yarn, but beefed up to a worsted weight that would be perfect for fat socks.  It’s hard to find this blend at this weight, and I’m awfully pleased to know of another company making one.  The third is a fingering weight superwash merino single ply.  Single ply yarns are tricky, but this one seems to hit the mark.  Twisted enough to be strong and sturdy, but not so much it kinks up on itself or biases dramatically when you knit it.  I predict great things.

So those are the ones I’m selfishly keeping for myself (you can see them, left to right, in the picture above).  But because you guys are very nice and because I’m awfully fond of you, I’m giving four more skeins away to four of you.  They’re the ones in the picture over there on the left.  From left to right, they are: a skein of the fingering weight merino/cashmere/silk, one of the single ply, one of a delightful DK weight BFL, and one of a marvelous fingering weight merino/cashmere/nylon.  If you think one of them might want to come home with you, head over to Sun Valley Fibers’ website and take a look at their bases.  Leave me a comment saying which you’re most drawn to, and you’ll be entered to win.  You can leave a comment through the end of the day, eastern time, Sunday January 26 2014.  I’ll pick winners and send out yarn early next week!

Oh, and I’ve also got one of their adorable yarn buddies, and I’m getting to know it.  I want to play with it a bit more before I report back to you on it, but I think I may be rather taken with it!