This week’s guests on the podcast: Bijou Basin Ranch‘s own Carl and Eileen!
Carl and Eileen haven’t been on the show since they launched the Lhasa Wilderness yarn, their yak and bamboo blend yarn. Have you worked with Lhasa Wilderness yet? If not, splurge, go buy yourself some! Like Marly said, “…it’s like BUTTAH…” to work with! (Trust me, after having worked with it, it’s SO amazing!)
BBR has launched a few new yarns since they were last on the show! Sport weight is a new endeavor, taking their already great yarn and “thickening it up” to make it a heavier weight than the . Took a while to get the right feel and consistency, but now this yarn is a super fun one to work with!
Eileen talked about the Shangri-La yarn, a Yak and silk blend, and how she loved the glossy look of the silk and how the pieces made in this yarn drape beautifully and the sheen from the silk makes them just gorgeous.
Carl and Eileen went on to mention their cashmere and cotton yarn, Roslyn and how it doesn’t feel like your regular “kitchen cotton”. Marly has always said how much the stiffness of cotton yarn makes her hands ache, but with the addition of just enough cashmere, her hands never ache. Carl also mentioned how with this cotton blend, the finished projects have a “smoothness” to them that you don’t see with traditional cotton. (Anyone else wanting to go use the special discount code below for some Roslyn?)
Seraphim…ohhh sweet Seraphim!! A lot of folks don’t enjoy working with an angora yarn because of the halo/fluff that gets in your nose. You HAVE to check out Serpahim. BBR has blended angora with just a touch of viscose to keep the fluff factor down. No fuzz, no sneezing, and it’s light as a feather! Marly has a great pattern out with BBR called the Fir Trees Cowl made in this luxurious yarn, and you should really check it out.
Have you signed up/subscribed to BBR’s newsletter via their newly updated website yet? This way you can stay in the loop as to what is going on at the Ranch, and you can get updates regarding upcoming pattern releases and other fun deals! Also on their website, BBR is having a photo contest where you can enter your candid pictures (photoshop is actually discouraged!), to win a $300, $175 or $50 gift certificate to BBR, and the top 10 entries also win a BBR t-shirt!
Speaking of pattern releases…look who has some BBR patterns coming out!!
Marly Bird Rocky Mountain Collection
* Sneak Peek *
This week’s Show Notes Giveaway!! Enter to win a skein of Tibetan Dream Sock Yarn in their classic brown 85% Yak and 15% Nylon, perfect for a cozy pair of socks!! Also included will be a new BBR T-shirt! Carl is very excited about these new shirts! You all know the drill, make sure you use the keyword that Carl gave on the podcast in your comment below!
A deal for everybody!
–This week only: A special 15% off ENTIRE ORDER coupon code just for The Yarn Thing listeners!
The code is case sensitive: MARLYBIRD
The weekly deal for 8/27/13 — 9/2/13.
Listen to the show to get the coupon code for 50% off!
Sweetheart Tunic
Yes, this is Marly’s very first sweater she ever knit or designed. Not bad, huh? Well let me tell you a little about the Sweetheart Tunic. It is named sweetheart for the subtle lace hearts in the body of the garment. The shape is a modified a-line, which just happens to be Marly’s favorite. The stockinette portion at the bust can easily be extended to hit below the breast (the model was a little bigger than the medium tunic so the ST st portion hit a little too high on her).
But most importantly, a pattern that works for both little girls and big girls alike! Sized for XS-4X!!! This will become a staple in your wardrobe. Perfect to wear all year around, the Sweetheart tunic is the best garment to spend your time knitting.
The Lhasa Wilderness yarn is what really makes this piece exceptional. The 75% yak coupled with the 25% bamboo creates a yarn that is soft to touch, brilliant to look at and comfortable to wear. Because the yak has a tight crimp to the staple it keeps the bamboo in check so that you get to see the luster and shine of the bamboo but you wont find that it stretches at all! Treat yourself and your needles with this fabulous yarn and make a beautiful garment for you.
SPECIAL PODCAST THIS WEEK! We have a special podcast Thursday with Drew Emborsky!
Make sure you tune in to hear what is new and exciting with Drew on Thursday!
Next week at our regular time: Jen Lucas!
Let’s give some love to our sponsors!
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
Bijou Basin Ranch
I so loved hearing about Bijou Basin Ranch with Karl and Eileen. They are so delightful and so knowledgeable about fibers and yarn making. I would love to have a ruby colored skein of their yak yarn!!
I met Karl at Stitches Midwest. He really likes to “yak”! I love the bamboo/yak blend—it’s so soft. And I’d love some ruby yarn.
I love their yarn. I also love the patterns you have designed for them. Ruby yarn would make a great addition to my collection.
I have knit with Bijou Basin Ranch yarn before, but not the yak. Ruby colored yarn sounds wonderful.
I am really keen to try the angora yarn, does it come in ruby???
An exotic yarn is like a ruby, diamond or sapphire to a knitter. They are precious and lovely and sometimes they sit in our stash like a jewel in a jewelry box just waiting to be worn! It’s so great to hear from such a dedicated company! I want to roll around in their yarn reject pile too, I bet there are some lovely yarns in there that didn’t make it to production.
O00h all the yarns look luscious! I can see many fall projects ahead in autumn colors of ruby, gold, green…
I really enjoyed listening to the folks at BBR talk about their yarns. Whether the different weights come in the shade of ruby or not, they all appear to be gems.
love yarn any color will do ruby,yellow or greeen.
Enjoyed the show as always. Would love to try some ruby yarn.
When will Ruby make an appearance at Rhinebeck?
I would love to knit with the Bijou Basin Ranch yarns that Ruby tweets about.
Loved to learn about Bijou Basin Ranch and all the wonderful yarns they creat. Yak yarn wowed me at Stitches south but I wasn’t able to purchase any. I like it would be great if I could find some in Ruby or any color.
What an informative show…When I was at Stitches Midwest when I saw Yak I thought scratchy and itchy…!!! It would be great to be able to actually touch it! Ruby would be a GREAT color to use.
I loved hearing about Bijou Basin ranch…would love to visit sometime when I am in Colorado-do they give tours? Ruby is in my favorite color palette. perfect for fall, winter, holidays….etc.
Thank you for introducing us to all the lovelies! I’m intrigued by the yarns this week – the Roslyn sounds lovely! I’m also interested in seeing if I could handle the angora blend – usually I have to avoid angora. Are there photos of their animals anywhere? I would love to see Napolean and Ruby and the others.
What a fabulous podcast… Every week it just gets better, Marly. Thanks for spreading the news. I can’t wait to visit Bijou Basin Ranch website and check out all their yarn as well as your patterns, Marly. Thanks so much RUBY, Carl , Eileen and Marly!
So enjoyable listening to someone so passionate about what they do. Listening made me want my own yak named, Ruby. I love Breaking Bad and would love to wear a Bijou Basin t-shirt that pays homage to yarn and one of my favorite television shows.
This is my first time leaving a comment but I just loved listening to the interview today with Bijou Basin. I would love to try their yarn in any color but ruby would be great.
Ruby………..makes me think of Ruby Keeler, tap dancing in the original musical, 42nd Street. Ruby is such a vibrant name!
I really enjoyed this session with BBR. Marly, you inspired me to buy llasa Wilderness in ruby at MDSW this year. Eileen & Carl are as wonderful as you said!
Really enjoyed the podcast and the introduction to Bijou Basin yarns. I thought it very fitting that the spokes yak be named Ruby, because the colors of your yarns were like gemstones to me. I wish I could visit Ruby in person (in yak?)!
I have been looking for some non-wool yarn to play with, so I’m loving the Bijou Basin Ranch yarn collection 😀
I’m having shawl ideas with the yak fingering weight in particular. I don’t know about ruby, but that Amythest colourway is lovely
This was a great podcast. Informative and yarny. Looking forward to the new jewel tones. I love a deep ruby color. 🙂
Wonderful show Marly, as always! Ruby is my birthstone, and I sure do love it! Thanks to Carl and Eileen for sharing!
All the Bijou Basin yarns sound wonderful! I look forward to seeing them in person at Knit Lab. Too bad I won’t be seeing Ruby the yak there.
Ruby, yak, contest, oh my! Lovely podcast, such wonderful people and product!
I love the sound of yak yarn…I’ve never used it before and would love to give it a try. Off now to peruse the website and look out for Ruby the yak!
I have never had the pleasure to meet a yak but I would love to. Perhaps the closest thing for me to meeting a yak would be to use some yak yarn.
Ruby ruby is ths yak for me!
I have lovingly petted the Bijou yak yarn, but sadly I don’t own any. I love listening to their story and how cool that they went into the business the way they did and now have Ruby. What amazing creatures they are!! And lucky you, Marly, get to knit with it !!
Would love to knit some ruby yak yarn from BBR!!
I’m clicking my Ruby Slippers, wishing for some Tibetan Dreams! I’m sure that once you’ve tried yak, you can never go back.
I have a few skeins of BBR yarn that I can’t wait to start knitting and crocheting with – but for now, they are part of my “collection”, there to be admired and fondled! And one of them happens to be almost ruby colored… I am looking forward to seeing the new colors and patterns coming out!
Ooh, I petted all the BBR yarns at Stitches Midwest, but it was not in my budget. Would love to win a skein. Would some of the fiber come from Ruby herself?? I can pretend it did, anyway. 😉
What an enjoyable podcast! If the ranch is ever open for visitors, I’d love to stop by the next time I’m in Colorado visiting family. It would be such fun to meet Karl, Eileen, and Ruby the Spokesyak!
Loved the podcast ! I hope Ruby is on the t shirt!
Thanks for another great podcast. I must admit I have not get tried any of this yarn yet but after this podcast I am excited to see what is offered to try it out. This was a great show that was really like listening to friends all talk. I am so excited to see the new patterns you have coming out. Next time you shod have Ruby get on the call!