iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 02/02/2026

The shop will be closed from Feb. 2 - 13, 2026 so that I can travel back to France to visit family. Stay tuned for short snippets of the adventure! And if you're a newsletter subscriber, check your inboxes in the morning for the latest issue.

A teal background with gold text that reads "Shop closed Feb. 2-13, 2026." A white jet plane is shown in flight over a collage of images of a 17th-century chateau, a white and roan cow, and a silver stylized lion rampant.

030

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 23/01/2026

Today, instead of #CustomerCraftinessFriday, we’re highlighting local mutual aid and immigrant assistance orgs, and how you can support them and learn from them. Stay tuned!

030

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 18/01/2026

Every. Single. Time. I've placed an order that includes hooks and needles, the price on all those items has been higher than the previous order. It's been almost a year since That Guy took office, and tariffs started in earnest... what, 6 months ago? (1/3)

321

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 15/01/2026

Heyyyyyyyyyy - we’re back. In the last few months, we’ve 1) written an article on tariffs - and how they impact local shops - & had it published in Modern Daily Knitting, 2) dealt with major regional flooding, 3) been working through *gestures at current dumpster fires* How are you all?

050

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 16/09/2025

Psst. You - yeah, the one with the yarn? Guess what? I finished my work tasks earlier than planned. If you live within commuting distance of the shop, you might wanna take a look over here: www.stillyriveryarns.com/store/c7/Cla...

stillyriveryarns.com

Class Registrations

A locally-owned fiber arts shop in Stanwood, WA. We carry supplies for crochet, knitting, handspinning, and weaving; we also offer classes and private lessons.

030

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 15/09/2025

This week's shop schedule: - classes open for registration on the shop website at 7 PM - Community Crafting Circle on Tuesday, 1-3 PM - Stanwood-Camano Spinners on Thursday, 6-8:30 PM - Rise & Shine Social Time on Saturday, 9 AM - noon - Shop closes at 1 PM on Saturday for travel to Spokane

030

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 14/09/2025

It has been a fraught few days. So I went and petted a few local sheep, provided a little financial and lots of moral support at a makers’ market, and am getting ready to teach a spinning class.

040

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 14/09/2025

Re: package from Ukraine My mail carrier stopped by this morning. “So I asked about your question from yesterday, and, uh, was told we aren’t collecting that money.” My package arrived at my house, so when I got home from work, I asked my husband about it. “Nope. No money taken or asked for.”

120

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 13/09/2025

Tariffs BS, round [I have lost track]: ordered something for my RPG from Ukraine that will arrive via USPS. Realized I don’t know how they collect tariffs, so I asked my mail carrier. “Great question. We have no specific guidance on that, but here’s how we usually handle money due…” (🧵)

240

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 04/09/2025

Sad to say, a lot of folks are just now understanding why the domestic wool industry in the US is in deep trouble. A huge part of the conversation is the lack of financial incentive to produce wool - SO much work but so very little return. Here’s my quick explanation (the table I mention is below)

120

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 03/09/2025

Hey all! I have been massively slacking over the summer on using BlueSky. But the mentions overnight summoned me. So - I’m back with more plain talk about our industry, more randomness, more BTS of yarn shop ownership, MOAR SHEEP

150

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 30/06/2025

This week at the shop! Tuesday: Book signing with Deborah Held (and a sold-out class), so no community crafting circle - and After Dark Social Night is rescheduled to next Tuesday, 7/8. Shop opens at 11 AM on Wednesday. Closed on Friday/Saturday for the holiday weekend.

040

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 20/06/2025

“I’ll just go to bed when I’m tired,” she said. 1:45 AM sleepy time + weather change + work day with a giant yarn shipment coming in = bad news.

040

Reposted by Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA)

Positively Yarnie @positivelyyarnie.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

How is it the 4th week of WIP Bingo already!? If you haven't colored in square 11, we'd love for ya to check out our LYS partners - they are amazing! @stillyriveryarns.com @alittleknitty.bsky.social @theknottyknittress.bsky.social @stringfieldyarn.bsky.social and Cozy!

051

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 22/05/2025

Some eager, astute knitters pinged me to let me know that I neglected to explain how to move the stitch marker after increase rows in our @lystour.com pattern, Calculated Stars. My apologies, and many thanks to y’all! Updated pattern tomorrow, video tutorial tonight: youtu.be/DX8vr_fv7tI?...

youtu.be

Calculated Stars: Moving Stitch Markers

YouTube video by Stilly River Yarns

171

Reposted by Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA)

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 20/05/2025

🚨 💉The FDA will no longer approve COVID vaccines for people 6mo–64yrs who don't have a risk factor for severe COVID-19. People 65 years and older and those under 65 with risk factors can still get vaccinated. There's so much to unpack here. See a few thoughts below 👇

771080411

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 21/05/2025

Looking for something to use up all that yarn you got on the LYS Tour? Sign up for our How to Doodle class with the Queen of Doodles herself, Jamie Lomax! Saturday, May 31 from 3-5 PM. Registration is $75 and can be done in person or through our website: www.stillyriveryarns.com/store/p682/D...

stillyriveryarns.com

Class: How to Doodle with Jamie Lomax

A locally-owned fiber arts shop in Stanwood, WA. We carry supplies for crochet, knitting, handspinning, and weaving; we also offer classes and private lessons.

031

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 20/05/2025

And I might as well start gathering ideas for more designs, because @spl.org Summer Book Bingo came out today!! Book 1 done - “new-to-me format” (e-book from @bookshop.org ), How We Learn to Be Brave by @mariannbudde.bsky.social . So many good lessons and reminders.

040

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 20/05/2025

@lystour.com was amazing, exhausting, motivating, and draining, all at once. Thank you SO MUCH to our visitors, volunteers, Lydia, Tour staff, and Tour board for a fantastic event. I took today totally off and will have a non-customer-facing day tomorrow. 😴

170

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 14/05/2025

'Twas the day before Tour And all through the shops The clerks hustled madly To find "that one box" The discounts were set up In the POS with care In hopes that customers Soon would be there The shop teams made lists The customers made plans Owners posted reminders About where to park tour vans

080

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 13/05/2025

I watch too many storm chasing streams. Thinking through how I'm going to sequence my mornings for LYS Tour and caught myself thinking, "If I carry both signs in the car, I can deploy them more efficiently..." Most people would say "set out," or "put them up." Not me. "Deploy." *sigh*

270

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 13/05/2025

Ready for some @lystour.com pattern reveals since we're just a day and a half out? Here we go!!! Our crochet pattern is called Something You Can Cuddle Up In, featuring @berrocoyarn.bsky.social Wizard. Our knitting pattern is Calculated Stars, featuring Juniper Moon Farm Cotton + Merino.

Gold text on a navy background reads Crochet: Something You Can Snuggle Up In, Featuring Berroco Wizard. A photo features an older woman with glasses, short grey hair, and a black cardigan holding a multicolored striped triangular shawl; and a younger woman wearing a pink blouse and blue jeans holding a red/pink/burgundy/black striped triangular shawl that is slightly smaller.

Navy blue background with gold text that reads Knitting: Calculated Stars - Featuring Juniper Moon Farm Cotton + Merino. In the middle of the frame, there is a photo of a grey cowl with a mesh front draped over a piece of wood with a tree and apartments slightly out of focus in the background.

070

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 12/05/2025

What a day shearing yesterday! Made it through 4 Kerry Hill crosses (1 x BFL, 3 x Cheviot), tried a new-to-me pattern that will be my go-to from here on out (check out that blanket in the 2nd photo 😍), and taught a new shepherd how to skirt for milling.

Three fluffy white sheep wait to be shorn, but they aren’t thrilled about it - they’re backed into the far corner of a sheltered enclosure.

A person wearing a grey shirt that says CANADA stands over a partially shorn white sheep. The shorn wool cascades off the sheep towards the floor just like the novice shearer standing partially out of frame on the left side has dreamed of for over a year.

An outdoor scene. Three adults and a toddler (yarn swatch obscuring his face for privacy) stand around a skirting table built fr snow fence, dimensional lumber, and PVC pipe. They are sorting fleece to keep only the good stuff for milling or hand processing.

Four freshly-shorn sheep are in a field and face the camera. They are much cooler and lighter than they were that morning.

160

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 11/05/2025

One of the big advantages of our new location: PARKING GALORE, especially for @lystour.com! The red cars in the 2nd image show areas where you can park while visiting the shop. Please help us be good neighbors by NOT parking in condo resident spots across the alley from the shop (3rd image)!

A satellite view of the neighborhood around the shop is annotated with cartoonish red cars in areas where guests may park during the LYS Tour. At the bottom of the image, there is a green electric vehicle symbol superimposed on another building. At top, a car emoji is shown with an equal symbol, followed by the text "available shop parking." At bottom, the EV symbol is shown with an equal symbol, followed by the text "EV charging stations."

The sidewalk in front of the shop is shown with empty parking spots directly adjoining the building. Across the alleyway, gold arrows indicate parking spots mostly filled with vehicles. Text at top reads, "The spots across the alley from the shop (indicated here with gold arrows) are for condo residents only - please help us be good neighbors by NOT parking in this area!"

070

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 10/05/2025

Next up on our @pugetsoundlystour slow reveal, you might love our featured yarns so much you’ll need a bigger boat… errr… TOTE. Our knitting project will come in at just about $23; the crochet project will cost about $27 for the 1-ball size and $54 for the 2-ball size (all totals include tax).

A calm scene on a lake from the point of view inside a canoe. Four balls of yarn are apparently in charge of rowing the boat. One is light green with a weird white tubing running through it; one is black with fuchsia tubing running through it; one is a gentle gradient that runs from grey to green to turquoise; one is a gradient through various greys that ends with beige.

180

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 09/05/2025

We’re rolling out our @lystour.com pattern reveal over the next few days… first up, this year’s literary inspiration! I read both of these last year and was really touched by them. Our knitting pattern is called Calculated Stars, and our crochet pattern is called Something You Can Snuggle Up In.

A black and red book cover. A creature with tentacles, a pointed hat, and yellow facial feature dominates the cover but envelops a stout, scared-looking feminine figure. Grey chains frame the image in a diamond. Text reads: Someone You Can Build a Nest In - John Wiswell.

A predominantly blue book cover, with the silhouettes of 7 figures walking across uneven ground. Text on the cover reads Mary Robinette Kowal - The Calculating Stars - A Lady Astronaut Novel. (A blurb reads “An alternate history of space flight that reminds me of everything I loved about Hidden Figures.” - Cady Coleman, Astronaut)

3375

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 08/05/2025

The @lystour.com starts next Wednesday, and as your local #FullServiceYarnShop, we’re here for your travel planning needs. On the Tour page of our website, you’ll find detailed directions, all the info on parking for the shop, a list of parks, and a list of restaurants. And for the EV owners…

1101

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 30/04/2025

The LYS Tour is just the start of a summer of learning and community events at Stilly River Yarns. Join us on Saturday, May 31 from 3-5 PM for a class on How to Doodle with @pacificknitco.bsky.social herself! Register here: www.stillyriveryarns.com/store/p682/D...

A white background with a top-bound spiral notebook just right of center. A black pen sits at the far right of the frame, and a full spectrum of pens is arranged along the left edge. Text on the notebook reads: CLASS: How to Doodle with Jamie Lomax (Pacific Knit Co.) - Saturday, May 31, 3-5 PM @ Stilly River Yarns

091

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 22/04/2025

The @lystour.com bags are now available in our online shop - and in-person tomorrow starting at 10 AM! Have us ship them or reserve one for pickup: www.stillyriveryarns.com/store/p681/L...

Two event-branded bags are standing under a growing bright green hosta plant in a mulched garden bed. Both bags feature a green image on a natural canvas background: a WA State Ferry is centered on the image, flanked by tall pine trees and a large mountain - Tahoma - in the background. On the large bag, a moon rises behind the mountain and a large ball of yarn is placed in the near foreground. On the small bag, the ball of yarn is placed behind the mountain to represent the moon. Both bags read “Puget Sound LYS Tour 2025.” The large bag has dark green sides and handles. The small bag has a dark green bottom and a zippered top.

171

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 20/04/2025

Chapter 6 of Domestic Wool Doldrums: what can you do to help improve the situation and learn more?

021

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 19/04/2025

Clarification on something I’m seeing making the rounds from MULTIPLE sources: Berroco and KnitPicks were not sold to the private equity firm this week. They have been owned by the firm since autumn 2021. Jimmy Beans Wool and its subsidiaries are the ones sold this week. (1/🧵)

450

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 18/04/2025

A note for those discussing the sale of Jimmy Beans & its associated brands - local yarn shops don’t get a say in these mergers, and sometimes we don’t even hear until after it’s hit the news that one of the companies we work with has been sold. 1 1/2 ⬇️

151

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 14/04/2025

Chapter 5 of Domestic Wool Doldrums is here, and I’m talking about just three of the things we count on having in local yarn shops that… you can’t get domestically in commercially viable quantities. Chapter 6 will drop Wednesday - the topic will be “what do we do next?”

051

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 14/04/2025

Chapter 4 of Domestic Wool Doldrums: mills and other infrastructure. We’re losing domestic commercial-capacity mills at an astounding rate - and micro mills aren’t able to produce enough yarn to satisfy domestic demand. Plus, we only have 2 commercial-capacity scouring facilities left in the US.

0102

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 13/04/2025

Nothing like thinking you’re almost done with a brioche section of a giant circular blanket when you re-read the directions and realize you VASTLY miscalculated the rounds remaining on the section. 😭 📓: Starflanket by Stephen West 🧶: Berroco Vintage in Mochi, Fennel, Douglas Fir, and… not Sunny

A giant blanket sits mockingly in a person’s lap. Steel needles poke out at the top of an olive green and white brioche section, with welted sections of dark forest green and gold below it.

070

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 12/04/2025

Home. Relaxing with a good audiobook (Paladin’s Faith by @tkingfisher.com ). Working on a secret project, but will be taking a break later to re-scour some wool from shearing school last year.

2130

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 11/04/2025

Thrilled to share that I’ve had an essay published in the Middlebury College alumni magazine - who knew it would be so timely when Matt Jennings, the editor-in-chief, invited me to write it last fall? Also blown away by Ben Kirchner’s illustration and how well it embodies shearing school 😆

A woman with auburn hair and sunglasses pushed back over it smiled and holds a magazine, folded back to reveal an illustration of a similar woman astride a bucking white sheep. A yellow shearing hand piece is flying away from her, as she accidentally kicks off a pink boot to reveal a handknitted Fair Isle sock.

1100

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 10/04/2025

🤬 This would hit SO MANY of us. And it’s being done very deliberately. Call your Senators. Now.

051

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 10/04/2025

Chapter 4 of Domestic Wool Doldrums will be out tomorrow (there are 5 chapters total). Today’s a travel day, so I’m not going to be able to record well.

020

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 10/04/2025

Sigh. The vacation that was not really a vacation, but living out an existential crisis on behalf of my business and shop community while also pretending to be totally present with my family. I hate this timeline. Anyway, here’s a view of stuff I love, made/designed by good humans. Details below

An overhead view of a canvas project bag, printed with mountains and earth tone rainbows; a crocheted wavy chevron blanket in gold, brown, magenta, sky blue, and olive green; and a blue-leaning teal piece of knitted fabric that the photographer promises is actually a sweater

1120

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 10/04/2025

Chapter 3 of Domestic Wool Doldrums: wool prices. They’ve been declining since WWII. They’re laughably low, and when you can slaughter lambs and sell meat for $15/lb rather than 83 cents/lb for wool… it’s a hard sell to encourage folks to look at wool as viable production income.

093

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 09/04/2025

Yep, I’ve seen the story that most tariffs have been paused for 90 days. But I still got a new price list from Ashford that goes into effect on Monday. No word from other vendors so far. And I’m STILL going to finish my one-bite talks about why our domestic wool industry is in bad shape.

071

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 09/04/2025

Many thanks to @handmadeseller.bsky.social for inviting me to share my thoughts for their series on how tariffs are impacting the maker industry here in the US. First installment is here: www.handmadeseller.com/p/we-re-gonn...

handmadeseller.com

We're gonna need more sheep

Deconstructing the wool supply chain and the impact of US tariffs

1104

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 09/04/2025

Chapter 2 of Domestic Wool Doldrums, in which I explain why the US wool industry can’t just reboot to replace imports in 2 weeks/months/years. 🧶 Today’s topic: shearers. #StillyRiverYarns #FullServiceYarnShop #LocalYarnShop #AmericanWool #SheepShearing #tariffs #CantRebuildWhatDoesntExist

2154

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 08/04/2025

AHA I remembered where the download capacity was in IG. Here’s Chapter 1 of Domestic Wool Doldrums, direct on BlueSky. #tariffs #SmallBusinessLife #SmallBusiness #StillyRiverYarns #FullServiceYarnShop #AmericanSheep #AmericanWool

151

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 08/04/2025

Per viewer request, I’m breaking down the 30-minute MegaLive (on the topic of why we can’t just jumpstart the domestic wool industry) into easily digestible short reels. Even though I’m on vacation, the conversation isn’t - tonight’s topic: sheep. www.instagram.com/reel/DILA8rI...

instagram.com

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

150

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 07/04/2025

I have been knitting outside on the porch in the rain all morning and my hands are numb, but DAMN, I love vacation in the PNW.

0140

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 05/04/2025

Here’s the link to my IG Live from today - I’ll be attempting to post it to YouTube as well, but I really really have to get a newsletter out first. 😅 #SmallBusinessLife 🧶 www.instagram.com/reel/DIC0AWO...

instagram.com

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

180

Stilly River Yarns (Stanwood, WA) @stillyriveryarns.com · 04/04/2025

Game on. I’m going to be going live on the shop Instagram today at 4:15 PM Pacific to talk about my experience with the domestic wool supply chain and why we can’t just start it up and get it going over the next few weeks. I’m calling to invite my elected representatives. Invite yours, too.

1151