Nate goes for a stroll
I haven’t been knitting much lately, with all the packing and refrigerator purchasing going on around these parts. I’m almost done with the Asymmetrical Caridgan (abc - all but cuffs), but that’s about it. I just realized that I haven’t finished a single thing since the beginning of the year, eek! I need to bust a move! Here’s a little photo story in place of the usual knitting photos:
Nate the wind-up nigiri goes for a stroll…
Doop de doo!
Oooh, what’s this I see?
Is that… Koigu!
Nate is clearly not much for words, but he knows a good yarn when he sees it. This is what happens when I work from home - I document toys and yarn. I’ve spared you all from the cat photos (Joe was totally laying on top of Blackie, SO CUTE!).
My love for Koigu is has no bounds. You guys can have your Socks that Rock, I’ll just sit here and gaze lovingly at all the colors in my little skeins of Koigu. However, I need a new crack dealer - my LYS carries Koigu, but their selection sucks rocks. I’ve lived here for a year and a half, and that store has never gotten new colors of Koigu in - their stock only decreases, it’s amazing. I’ve made three socks out of Koigu (Pomatamous, Retro Rib, Baudelaire), and they no longer carry any of those colors, gah! I’m running out of good colorways in the shop - the skeins above were the last two left of that particular color (and were hidden underneath a bunch of ugly yellow skeins), and there’s only one other colorway that I like. If you see any dark berry-colored variegated Koigu on this blog, you’ll know that my supplies at that shop have run completely dry.
So what’s your favorite Koigu source? I find it tough to purchase Koigu online, since web photos don’t usually accurately capture the complexity of the colorways, but I’m desperate, people!
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That yarn is lovely! I’ve only bought Koigu once and since I’m from across the pond I bought mine from GetKnitted.com, a yarn shop in the UK. And I’m really not helping much, am I? (:
I really just wanted to admire that colorway, which one is it?
Cripes. Every time I decide that I’m DONE v/ variegated yarn smeone posts pictures of a colorway that I love and must have. Oh koigu, koigu, you are my one true love. Sorry I had that STR fling.
Most of my gu has been bought in person as well, but I think Yarnzilla and Purl Soho both have pretty safe color representation on their websites, and I’ve had excellent customer service from yarnzilla in particular in the past. (Not that I haven’t from Purl, but I’ve, like, called and bothered the Yarnzilla people and they didn’t seem to be annoyed with me at all.)
that is a stunning color of Koigu - I’m with you - I love the way Koigu varigateds knit up much better than STR….the stuff is just crazy amazing. I don’t have a LYS near by, so I buy mine on line - I find a colorway I like and google it to see all possible pictures of it…..my other way is that I get a bunch of mill ends at the MD S&W festival at the Koigu booth and stock up for the year….
I’ve been all about The Koigu, too…but only for the past couple of days. I had a brief, scorching affair with Socks That Rock, and now I’m back.
I’m buying it from the same LYS you are, but I’ve just gotten lucky with the colorways. They DO get new stock, (enormous boxes of it) but it sells out really quickly.
hee - love the wind up sushi…very cute…that color of Koigu is amazing!!! I usually get a bunch of mill ends at the MD festival…I dont’ really even have a LYS. You could try googling the color you like to see different pics of it on line…
I’ve gotten some online from the purl soho shop (www.purlsoho.com) and enjoyed it. they not only have a decent selection of variegated, but they’ve also got a good selection of nearly solids. :)
My lys is exactly the same way? No variegated either only BRIGHT purple, BRIGHT coral, and PUKEY brown. For 2 years!
I order it online.
they’ve got Koigu at http://www.knithappens.net/. If I was going to buy some on the internet that’s probably where I’d get it. And I’ve come very very near to it. ha
also try www.simplysockyarn.com. I didn’t realize that they sell Koigu.
Hey, you won my sock yarn contest! Please email me so I know where to send this box of yarn. :)
As for Koigu, the largest selection of colorways I’ve seen is at http://www.foxyknits.com/ (the only yarn they sell is Koigu KPM & KPPM). They’re a bit pricey, though, and I’ve never ordered from them myself.
I am actually coming with a gaggle of friends to Houston and I have made them promise me that I will have at least 20minutes to run into Yarns2Ewe for the sole purpose of buying some Koigu - but since we have a much more limited selection in Austin I think I’ll find something I like!
Yes, I did knit my cowl - it’s a twisted tube scarf, like a Mobius. It is absolutely my favorite knitted item - I knit it twice (can you believe I misplaced the first one while on vacation?)
The Asymmetrical Cardigan is looking fab!
Heart the koigu, but in all honesty, I heart sweet sushi Nate a tad bit more…
Though I am über-frightened of variegated pooling horrors, I can’t wait to see what the koigu becomes.
koigu is hard for retailers to get. most stores have to wait 9 months to a year…or more. i think the best place to get it is online. you can surf around for the best colors, and the price is a little better. you know koigu is a louet yarn, right? a lot of smaller indie dyers use louet yarn too. claudia hand paints, for one, and i looooove her colorways on that yarn.:)
I’ll second Georgia–it may not be your LYS’ fault. Koigu is extremely difficult to get at all, and harder to get regularly. I’ve purchased most of mine online at Purl. I find their photos to be very color-accurate.
I usually buy mine at yarnzilla www.yarnzilla.com. They have a web order discount (similar to webs, although not as good) and five dollar shipping. Their photos seem fairly true to color and they always seem to have a good selection in stock.
That is gorgeous. Is it insane to knit for a baby with Koigu??? Is it?
LYS for Koigu.
You should have posted the cat pix! so cute.
Kel - you’re insane. -ash
Now I want a little wind-up nigiri of my own! :D That thing is too cool for words!
I was going to say the same thing that Staci said - I have seen the central LYS get new Koigu. Oh, sure, I think it has been a year now since it happened, but I was there the day they unpacked the GIANT box.
I can’t entirely blame them. After all, Twisted Yarns placed their Koigu order in January, 2006 and were told it would arrive *sometime* in 2007. Right now, it is expected to be here this summer. At least we’ll finally have a second store in Houston with the Koigu.
Otherwise, I buy it when I travel. I have bought it in New Orleans, Lexington, and Philly. I love the Koigu…
I actually don’t think Koigu is Louet yarn at all. from what i’ve read, they have their yarn custom spun for them. But Louet yarn IS pretty similar.
I know someone who’s trying to open a yarn shop– did you know that Koigu has a 5 thousand dollar minimum order!