New Bumblebirch Website!

I'm so excited to tell you that Bumblebirch has a new home on the internet:

bumblebirch.com

All past posts and comments have been moved over, so you won't have to switch back and forth when searching for past posts. The new site is much simpler and easier to manage, which is very much in line with the Bumblebirch philosophy. 

Be sure to subscribe over there so you can keep up the latest news! You can also find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Ravelry. See you over there!

Flash Sale on Fingering Weight Yarn until Noon Tuesday!

It's a flash summer sale in the Bumblebirch shop! All fingering weight yarn is 20% off until noon on Tuesday!

All the pretties are on sale!

A flash sale is a quick surprise sale. Fingering weight yarn is perfect for socks and shawls, two of my favorite things to knit in the summer since they're lightweight. Happy stitching!

Yarn and Tea

In my mind, nothing goes together better than yarn and tea. In the winter (and Fall and Spring), I love knitting chunky, wooly hats and scarves and sweaters while sipping hot tea from my favorite teacup. Well, one of my favorite teacups.

Too many choices.

In the summer, when I'm cranky and hot, I knit smaller and lacy things and drink iced tea. My current favorite is mango ceylon. I also love coconut oolong and my herbal mint blend. I make a big carafe of double-strength tea in the morning, add honey (or not), and pour it over ice throughout the day. My preferred summer teacup is actually a mason jar:

 

 

 

Knitting mini-man socks and waiting for tomatoes to ripen.

The natural pairing of yarn and tea led me to start the Yarn + Tea Club four years ago. Here are a few from the past. And then this guy happened in 2010, so I took a break from the yarn clubs. But now Yarn + Tea is back! It's a little different this time...

August Summer Yarn + Tea kit includes a fun project bag!

The first exciting change: you don't have to subscribe to 3 months. Each month is its own Yarn + Tea Kit. The second big change: a new handmade project bag. I used to include a bunch of paper goods or even candy, but a project bag is more practical and can hold the whole kit together. I can't compete with sample boxes and I'm all about simplicity and functionality, so this really reflects what Bumblebirch is all about.

The things that haven't changed: the yarn is first-run or exclusive to the club. This month, the yarn is a brand new colorway inspired by summer which will be available to everyone in the Fall. The tea is still very high quality and comes in a 4oz tin, which should last about a month. The most important thing that hasn't changed is it's all a surprise! I might drop a hint here and there, but the flavor of the tea, the yarn colorway, and the project bag all coordinate and are a surprise each month. The new Yarn + Tea Kit makes a great gift, and it's all bundled up in a bright project bag instead of wrapping paper.

So it's time to pour a cup of tea—over ice, of course!—and get started on a new project. Tell me your favorite summer tea in the comments.

Rose City Yarn Crawl this weekend Feb 28-Mar 3

I'm pretty excited to participate in the Rose City Yarn Crawl here in Portland this year. I was unable to go the last couple of years mainly due to having a spirited, constantly-eating, never-sleeping baby instead of a car. Now I have a grabby, talkative toddler AND a car, so I'm much more mobile and super ready to go. I think little mister is excited too and it will be a good opportunity for him to learn greater respect for yarn and knitters.

Oh. There's something you should know. I dyed up a special collection of new yarn for this event. And I donated a precious skein of Wellspring in the new Fuchsia colorway to RCYC for the prize basket. Do you want to win this?

Bumblebirch Wellspring Fuchsia

Make sure you download the passport sheet from the Rose City Yarn Crawl website and visit all of the stores. Then your passport gets dropped into the grand prize drawing!

Secret Garden collection for Spring 2013

You can find all of my new Secret Garden colorways at Pearl Fiber Arts in downtown Portland. I'll be tweeting and Facebook-ing my adventures so be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!