DesigningVashti Lotus Yarns at the 12 Month Mark

Hi! I have updates about my crochet blogs: 

1. You're at my oldest blog, where I've been posting a series about becoming a yarn company as a crochet designer. Below is the 6th installment in that series. 

2. I'm blogging at my new Designing Vashti blog.

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I first posted about becoming a yarn company one year ago!

A gazillion yards of DV Lotus yarn! (These are giant cones)

What an amazing year. I remember posting halfway through that the experience has a lot in common with the first year of being a new parent. It's a vivid memory because I didn't realize it until I sat down to blog about Lotus that day. The realization has helped me ever since! Putting words to feelings is a powerful thing.

This is the sixth post in this series. I'm surprised a whole year has gone by, and this new post causes me to notice it LOL. My next reaction is that I have "only" six posts, and yet I also feel proud of having a six-post series. 

Basically it means that every other month I took a moment to check in and reflect on this new experience. This seems like a healthy rhythm for this type of product startup to me. When my son was under a year old, I was too crazy-busy to even think of reflecting on it every other month.

Two changes since the last post: 

FREE SHIPPING to all US addresses, and yarn in more put-ups! 

The free shipping thing
It's the solution to a pressure that I see now was building all year as yarn orders steadily increased. I use a full-featured shopping cart platform, but until this year I only had downloadable items. Configuring it for a mix of products and shipping options is so much simpler with a site-wide free shipping policy. 

These li'l Lotus Snacks remind me of cupcakes.
Each packs 85 yds.

What a relief that decision was. I've wanted to have free shipping all along anyway. (I was initially nervous because most other yarn sites don't offer it, or only in a limited way.) As a shopper I love free shipping!

"Put-ups" 
This refers to the variety of ways a yarn can be wound or packaged: cones, pull-balls, skeins, hanks, sausage skeins, reels, cards; by weight (commonly 1.75 oz/50 g or 3.5 oz/100 g) or by the yard/meter. 

Lotus color sample pack.

Folks, the put-up decision is a big deal for a company and I'm realizing it deserves a separate post! (That's me making a mental note.) 

Over this past year I've come to love the freedom I have to offer Lotus in several put-ups. For decades I've crocheted a gazillion different kinds of projects, from tiny (jewelry charms) to massive (multi-stranded blankets). Ideally I want to buy a small amount of yarn to make a tiny thing, and for giant things I'd want a cone (unless I'm doing portable multi-colored motifs, yum). Not only do I want to save by buying in quantity, I just can't stand weaving in more yarn ends than necessary.

I finally figured out a Designingvashti way to do cones :-)  so those will be up on the site next. 

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This post is part of a series about what it's like to start my own yarn company, as a crochet designer. Here's the first post, where you can also see a list of the other ones in this series.

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My Lotus Yarn in Magazines: What It's Like!

Pin-Setter Cardigan by Dora Ohrenstein
(Scroll to the end of this post for the hook size needed and other details.)
Photo © 2014 Interweave Press.

I get to see my yarn brought to life by other designers, and then showcased in magazines! 

Dora Ohrenstein chose Lotus yarn for her retro-stripy "Pin-Setter Cardigan." It's in Crochetscene, a new special issue from Interweave Press.

Pearly Pearl, Peachy Sheen, Sapphire

It's a fun chance for me to see the Pearly Pearl, Peachy Sheen, and Sapphire colors together in one sweater.

I still remember when I met Dora: we became friends when we sat next to each other in Lily Chin's Crochet Tips and Tricks class at a CGOA conference. That was in 2004, when we were both new designers. 

Ten years later I get to see Dora interpret her design sensibility with my first yarn, so it has special significance for me. I also love how this magazine issue fitted the design and yarn colors in its throwback bowling alley theme - especially the model's beehive hairdo!

Dora's original swatch in 
White Blaze, Teal Glimmer, 
Grenadine.

I'm grateful to the editor of Interweave's crochet magazines, Marcy Smith, for her interest in DesigningVashti.com Lotus yarn. Her encouragement means so much for a startup yarn company like me. Doris Chan designed lace boxer shorts and long pants in Lotus yarn for the summer issue of Interweave Crochet magazine. (I have more to post about those later!) 

Doris used Pearly Pearl for the 
Gypsy Boxers (Ravelry link)
Photo © 2014 Interweave Press.

Designers: Anyone is welcome to submit design proposals using Lotus to Marcy. Not just Marcy! Other editors too! I'm not at liberty to give details yet, but I'll let you know when designs in Lotus appear in more magazines, and books... 

Can you imagine how immensely relieved I am to learn this? Designs using new yarns by new companies have a chance to be published in magazines. 

The Gypsy Pants in Satin Grey Lotus. 
(Ravelry design page) Photo © 2014 Interweave Press

As a crocheter, I'm glad too. I've been an avid crochet magazine reader (and collector!) for over ten years. I don't remember thinking much about the yarns used in the designs. If asked, I'd want to see a refreshing range of different yarns. 

One of my favorite Lotus colors: 
Satin Grey used for Gypsy Pants!

A familiar crochet stitch pattern can look so different sometimes, depending on the yarn, color, dyeing process, fiber content, thickness. Yarns can make the same design look different with a change in drape, stretch, luster.
For a polished summery drape that would also hold up to wear, Lotus is Doris' first choice for skirts and pants. For the lace shorts she used the same Pearly Pearl color that Dora did, and Satin Grey Lotus for the pants.

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This post is part of a series about what it's like to start my own yarn company, as a crochet designer. Here's the first post, where you can also see a list of the other ones in this series.

About the Pin-Setter Cardigan pattern in Crochetscene:

(For more, click here): A great first sweater project, this classic cardigan is worked top down with raglan sleeves. Stripes in alternating colors keep it interesting, and picots embellish two stripes.

Yarn DesigningVashti Lotus (52% cotton, 48% rayon; 256 yd [234 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): pearly pearl (A), 5 (6, 7, 8, 9) balls; sapphire (B), 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) balls; peachy sheen (C), 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) ball(s).

Hook Size D/3 (3.25 mm).