I should warn you that if your yarn-buying trigger finger is feeling a little itchy, this would be a good place to stop and turn around, while you’re ahead.
In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that this week is the first week since I started my stash-maintentance incentives that I won’t be adding any money to the jar. Firstly, because I’m not in striking distance of finishing anything this week (unless I purposefully start something very small and finish it right away…hmm…), and secondly, because I may have taken the credit card for a brief spin by KnitPicks and Elann last night. (I do mean brief, though, we’re talking 3 projects’ worth of stuff – the damage could have been sooooo much worse.) I’d been stalking a few summery yarns for a while now, and the Canadian dollar is so high right now that that is what finally pushed me over the edge. (Seriously, it’s at $0.95 US. It’s never been that high in my lifetime, that’s for sure.) Also, who are we kidding. The TTC Knitalong is on Saturday and I know I’m going to be at least forking over for a wee bit of sock yarn at Lettuce Knit.
(In the competition for TTC-Knitalong project, my purple Elann Luna reminds me it has been waiting since last summer to become a ballet camisole, and this pink/purple Online Linie reminds me it wants to be Jaywalker socks just like the ones I knitted on the last TTC Knitalong. Hm.)
But I need to make mention of Elann for another moment in case there’s anyone out there who hasn’t given it a second look lately. For starters, if you’re one of the people who’s been wanting to order KnitPicks’ CotLin but can’t because it’s been out of stock for freaking forever, it might interest you to know that yesterday Elann quietly unveiled their own line of Dk-weight cotton/linen blend. Camila does not come in the same colours as CotLin, but it does come in more colours overall, and is very similarly priced. Boo-yah.
And another thing – Elann has spent the last few months gradually introducing more and more of their own yarn lines, including a laceweight merino/alpaca blend, a cotton/linen/rayon blend, a sport-weight mercerized cotton (that looks very similar to their Sonata DK-weight cotton, but lighter), an aran-weight cotton, and an aran-weight cotton/linen blend. They’ve also been re-stocking their wool-based wintery yarn, but let’s deal with one brand of obsession at a time. I’ll admit that the colour selections in all of these yarns don’t appeal to me equally, and that I have absolutely no experience knitting with these few yarns I just listed. But dude. That’s a lot of yarn expansion. I’m taking notes and watching with interest.
Seriously, I think all Elann has to do at this point is develop their own line(s) of sock yarns in solid colours, come up with one or two modern fiber yarns like bamboo (or hemp – they had hemp last year, where’d it go?) as year-round staples, and maybe style up their samples a bit more and they will be set. Knit Picks should watch out – especially since Elann does ship overseas. 😉
And now, I think my enabling is done. And there is this supposed “Thesis” that I have to “write,” or whatever. Psh.
Glenna Knits 
I saw the sneek peek of the Camila (cot/lin) the other day and have resisted so far, but having just finished a project last night, maybe I can justify……..
Nice PSA. I saw a sneak peek of the lace weight and was sorely tempted. I love me some good lace yarns. I’ve been a fan of Elann forever. Their colour range is usually far better than KnitPicks and really, they ship faster 🙂
Oh yes! Just yesterday…or was it the day before…I was over to Elann’s and saw that lace weight merino and just about died from desire. Although I’ve ordered from them only 3 times, they have managed to get my order to me in 4 days…yep…4 days! I find that amazing.
I’m with you, I’m hoping they just keep expanding their own line of yarn goodness to include some good sock yarn.
I’ve often wondered why KP won’t ship overseas…I know I’ve helped out a couple of women, shipping their orders…
Elann is the best – they have such deals and their new house yarns are just getting better! The purples you chose are wonderful!
I haven’t been out to Elann in a while. Developing their own line will be great. I don’t do a lot of shopping at Elann because I never know if I’ll be able to get the yarn ever again and I only tend to shop for a specific purpose and I always seem to do my shopping a couple days after everyone else has shopped so my options for colors are very limited.
I also like Elann because they accept Paypal and I usually only have my “play” money in Paypal and KP doesn’t accept it.
Solid colored sock yarn is way too rare. I trust you have discovered Simply Socks Yarn Company? (From one enabler to another)
This post is bad. I guess you warned me! That Camilla is pretty, I’m wondering if it would achieve similar gauge.
I’ve been eyeing the SWTC yarns on discountyarnsale.com . (More enabling!)
I’m a fan of Elann’s line of yarns. Especially their alpaca/silk blend. Very yummy.
They had a solid colours sock yarn out a year or two ago. I had three socks worth of it and I’ve used all of it. Same guage as Knit Picks Essential or Lorna’s Laces Sheppard Sock. The colour selection wasn’t fabulous though.
When you start your project with some of that summery Elann yarn, would you mind writing up a review? I’ve had my eye on some of that, but I’m trying to deal with stash issues and I’m not always comfortable buying unfamiliar yarn when I can’t see it and touch it first.
I discovered the joys of Elann lst summer when I was isolated from my loal yarn supply. So far, I’ve been really happy with everything, especially their own line of products, which you really can’t beat for price. And the delivery is fast.
I have a couple of Rowan patterns in mind that I’m dying to knit, and I think the new Elann Pasticcio or Adara might be a good subtitute for the Rowan Cotton Jeans, which is way out of my price range. But I’ve instiuted a new “no new yarn until after the move” rule!
Hummph. Here in the UK we just don’t have this easy access to Elann (or perhaps someone might enlighten me). Everything looks wonderful, your exchange rate looks brill, and obviously I hate you, Glenna…..
Thanks so much for writing about Elann it was an undiscovered place for me until now. As I’m in the UK it’s fantastic to find that they ship internationally. I can feel my credit card cringing already!
I agree with your comment about the prices, off there now to browse……and drool
I hear you on Elann! I have ordered gobs of stuff from them. Their service is great too, which is one of my pet peeves about Knit Picks, they’re not huge on customer service or fast delivery. I found a cute skirt in Knit Picks that used the Cotlin yarn which as you said is all out, and went over and ordered the Camila from Elann. I actually liked their color selection better, at least for the project I want it for. It’s sure hard to destash when all these great online shops are around!