Technically, today is exactly one year from the grand opening of the SweetGeorgia Yarns Studio. It’s been four years since I started dyeing yarn as SweetGeorgia Yarns, a year and two months since I moved into the studio and exactly a year since we had our open house. It’s been a whole series of learning opportunities and growing pains, for sure, but I imagine that we’ll always be changing and learning. With my personality, there’s a lot of attempting to run before walking and a lot of falling on my face in this business. But there is also the joy of discovering new things and meeting amazing people in the process.
One of the first challenges I had was trying to define or describe this space to people. Located on the fourth floor of a live/work building, it’s not a typical retail environment. It is an industrial-looking workspace, complete with concrete floors and walls, where we make hand-dyed yarns and spinning fibre. But I know that people came to the studio expecting to see every single yarn in every single colour and often I received (and still receive) phone calls asking if I carry Rowan yarns. No, it’s not that kind of yarn store. Maybe one day, but not today.
And so it was very important this past year for us to begin working with real, beautiful yarn stores again. I so much want for people to be able to touch and feel the yarns in person and to be able to experience that in their local yarn store. Nowadays, when you come to our studio, you will very often see (and smell!) yarn drying, yarn in the middle of being packaged or yarn being dyed. There actually is just a little bit of yarn on hand for retail sale. Most of what is in the studio now is being made to go out to shops. I love that the yarn shops can focus on beautiful displays, great customer service and keeping their shelves nicely stocked. And I love that by working in this way, I can focus on making beautiful yarn for those shops.
Absolutely, you can come visit our studio and see work in progress. And absolutely you can come see colours in person and make a custom order. And definitely, you can request dyed-to-order yarns and fibres from our studio online. But I encourage you to visit the fine local yarn stores that are now carrying SweetGeorgia Yarns… including L’Oisive Thé in Paris, France… our first time in France.
So this is kind of why we didn’t host a big party at the studio on this very rainy Vancouver Sunday. Well, because the studio floor is being taken up by yarn racks and bins of undyed yarn.
Instead, we are celebrating our Year One anniversary with a brand new website, a Free Shipping over $100 sale (for US & Canada), and a new pattern in Twist Collective featuring our Superwash Sport yarn. I’m sure that in the upcoming year we’ll have a few more falling-on-face-type experiences, but we are committed to focusing on developing more beautiful yarns and fibres, distributing our yarns and fibres through our website and fine retailers, and also designing more knitting patterns to inspire you. Happy anniversary.
Happy anniversary! And, congrats on making a decision to move your work in the direction that gives you the most joy and pleasure :) Hope your growth continues to be glorious, whichever direction it may go!
Congratulations! I was happy to be able to visit your studio this past summer.
Congratulations! I was happy to be able to visit your studio this past summer.
Happy anniversary! And, congrats on making a decision to move your work in the direction that gives you the most joy and pleasure :) Hope your growth continues to be glorious, whichever direction it may go!
The Merino Silk Lace looks beautiful & the experience of your own yarn company awesome.
The Merino Silk Lace looks beautiful & the experience of your own yarn company awesome.
Happy anniversary! Everything you make is amazing and unique, so I’m glad you don’t spend your time being a Rowan distributor :).
Happy anniversary! Everything you make is amazing and unique, so I’m glad you don’t spend your time being a Rowan distributor :).
Congratulations Felicia! You have accomplished so much with Sweet Georgia Yarns in the past four years and I’m sure that success will continue.
Congratulations Felicia! You have accomplished so much with Sweet Georgia Yarns in the past four years and I’m sure that success will continue.
I am glad I’ve found this wonderful company this year. I am so inspired by the unique beautiful yarns in the studio when I paid my first visit (and I hope I will be able to visit again :D). Congratulation, Felicia! and Happy Anniversary to SweetGeorgia!
I am glad I’ve found this wonderful company this year. I am so inspired by the unique beautiful yarns in the studio when I paid my first visit (and I hope I will be able to visit again :D). Congratulation, Felicia! and Happy Anniversary to SweetGeorgia!
Happy Anniversary! I absolutely enjoying looking at your studio and beautiful yarns through your blog.
I wish you much success for many, many more years to come.
Happy Anniversary! I absolutely enjoying looking at your studio and beautiful yarns through your blog.
I wish you much success for many, many more years to come.
Happy 1st!! Your Superwash Sock in “Summer Sky” was one of the first yarns I bought during my first ever trip to a real yarn store (Three Bags Full) I loved knitting with it and continue to love all your yarn bases and the amazing dyeing you do. Congratulations and all the best for many years ahead!!!
Happy 1st!! Your Superwash Sock in “Summer Sky” was one of the first yarns I bought during my first ever trip to a real yarn store (Three Bags Full) I loved knitting with it and continue to love all your yarn bases and the amazing dyeing you do. Congratulations and all the best for many years ahead!!!
Congratulations Felicia! I’m so happy to see your beautiful yarn is being stocked in stores in Ontario. All the best!
Congratulations Felicia! I’m so happy to see your beautiful yarn is being stocked in stores in Ontario. All the best!
Today I’m wearing the gloves I made from some of your Superwash Sport – and they’re working great!
Today I’m wearing the gloves I made from some of your Superwash Sport – and they’re working great!
I love love designing and working in these yarns Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Georgia maybe one day we will meet .
I love love designing and working in these yarns Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Georgia maybe one day we will meet .
Happy anniversary! I’m so glad you’re producing yarns again – you make the most amazing colours! Your studio is a magical place, I never get tired of seeing photos of it, with all your work in progress.
Happy anniversary! I’m so glad you’re producing yarns again – you make the most amazing colours! Your studio is a magical place, I never get tired of seeing photos of it, with all your work in progress.
Congratulations on the one year anniversary! Your work and your website has always been an inspiration. Can’t wait to see where the second year will take you. :)
Congratulations on the one year anniversary! Your work and your website has always been an inspiration. Can’t wait to see where the second year will take you. :)
I’ve just joined the fiber club and also made my first dye-to-order fiber purchase. I can’t wait to start spinning! The colors are LOVELY.
Congrats on your anniversary.
I’ve just joined the fiber club and also made my first dye-to-order fiber purchase. I can’t wait to start spinning! The colors are LOVELY.
Congrats on your anniversary.
The new site is gorgeous, and I’m so happy that there’s now a permanent fibre section!
The new site is gorgeous, and I’m so happy that there’s now a permanent fibre section!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
Congratulations on one year in your space – it sure does look like a pretty place populated with all those gorgeous colors!
Congratulations on one year in your space – it sure does look like a pretty place populated with all those gorgeous colors!
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary, Felicia! How exciting. It was such a pleasure meeting you last year at the first open house. Hope you’re able to have more in the future. All the best from drizzly Washington, DC!
Donald
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary, Felicia! How exciting. It was such a pleasure meeting you last year at the first open house. Hope you’re able to have more in the future. All the best from drizzly Washington, DC!
Donald
CONGRATULATIONS!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Happy Anniversary, and thank you for the amazing yarn and fiber – I have enjoyed many happy hours of knitting and spinning thanks to you! I just noticed SGY at Three Bags Full the other day, very exciting.
Happy Anniversary, and thank you for the amazing yarn and fiber – I have enjoyed many happy hours of knitting and spinning thanks to you! I just noticed SGY at Three Bags Full the other day, very exciting.
Late to the party as usual. Congratulations on your anniversary! If I can find a way to visit Vancouver when I’m out in Seattle, believe me I will! I can’t wait to try your yarn, the colors are beautiful!!
Late to the party as usual. Congratulations on your anniversary! If I can find a way to visit Vancouver when I’m out in Seattle, believe me I will! I can’t wait to try your yarn, the colors are beautiful!!
highlight of my day…
after watching me knit at lunchtime, i had 16 grade 4 kids sign up for an impromptu knitting lesson at lunch! AND, just as many boys signed up as girls!
AND AND, once they started to get the hang of it, it just turned into one big socializing session aka a good ole fashioned stitch’n’bitch!
The reason i am posting this here is because you took the time to teach me how to knit allowing me to pass it forward. THANK YOU!
PS. one of the girls said that your way of knitting was WAY easier than her mum’s way…
highlight of my day…
after watching me knit at lunchtime, i had 16 grade 4 kids sign up for an impromptu knitting lesson at lunch! AND, just as many boys signed up as girls!
AND AND, once they started to get the hang of it, it just turned into one big socializing session aka a good ole fashioned stitch’n’bitch!
The reason i am posting this here is because you took the time to teach me how to knit allowing me to pass it forward. THANK YOU!
PS. one of the girls said that your way of knitting was WAY easier than her mum’s way…
Hi,
I would like to contact you guys by email to ask about your yarn. Is there an email address I can write to you at?
Thanks
Hi,
I would like to contact you guys by email to ask about your yarn. Is there an email address I can write to you at?
Thanks