Crochet Yarn "Put Up": Part 1 of 2 (Yarn Company Journaling Series)

I've been slow-blogging a series about what it's like to start a yarn company...as a crochet designer. Below is entry #8. I last checked in with entry #6 at the end of 2014, on my yarn's first anniversary. 
Where's entry #7? Yesterday I accidentally journaled entry #7 at a different blog. I couldn't help it. It's about what it's like for three involved parties—designer, yarn company, and magazine editor—to use a new yarn for a magazine design.

Yarn Put Ups: When the Priority is on Managing Weight and Length 

This new magazine pattern brings to my mind
some thoughts I've had about yarn put ups.
Fabric Fusion Tote by Jennifer E. Ryan.
Pattern and article in Crochet! Magazine Spring 2015.

Several new crochet designs using DesigningVashti Lotus are coming out in spring 2015 pattern magazines! At right is one that pertains to today's journal entry, because two different Lotus put ups are ideal for it. Smaller Lotus Snacks cakes would be perfect for the yellow and pink stripes of the tote. (Also possibly the teal.)

The "yarn put up" is how yarn is wound into a convenient product. Terms like skein, hank, and ball refer to the final shape. Each has advantages. (Here's a beautiful post about these types.) The amount of yarn is also part of the put up.

You could say that yarn put ups manage chaos. Most yarns are packaged in amounts of one hundred yards or more. These lengths require careful organization to prevent tangled messes. When I was deciding on the optimal length of my Lotus yarn samples, I found I had to stay under two yards to avoid tangles.

Original double-sized 256-yd (100g) Lotus cakes
are stacked behind two of the Lotus "Snacks,"
which are one-third the size (85 yds, 33g).

We all prevent yarn chaos on a smaller scale with our own yarn stashes. As a child I used to untangle my mom's yarn basket periodically. The fastest path to yarn chaos for me, no matter how careful I am, is crocheting from an unwound "hank." (I've tried this in hotel rooms after buying yarn at crochet conferences.) See how my friend Linda Dean reckoned with hers.

Yarn shops will wind your purchased yarn hanks into balls for you. Even practiced employees using a motorized winding system risk tangled mishaps! 

A yarn company manages the yarn chaos on an even bigger scale. It takes careful planning to package yarn in the best size and shape. Manageable skeins need to be both consistent and convenient.

The original put up amount for my Lotus yarn is 256 yards (234 meters), which weighs approx. 3.5 ounces (100 grams). The put up shape is my favorite, a cake. This is a type of center-pull ball that sits flat, and I make sure that it's easy to find the yarn end in the center. It won't roll around whether you pull the yarn end from the center, or from the outside of the ball. It also stacks and stores well.

A pile of hanks; in the center is one
wound into a "cake". This is lace wt
mohair yarn, only 25g; 315 yds
of fuzzy chaos to manage per hank! 
This yarn crocheted: ♡Aery Faery♡

Why 256 yds? It falls into the standard 100g double-sized skein size for the fashion yarn market. This makes it easy to compare its yardage with other yarns of its "sport weight" thickness.

I also chose it because the larger the skein, the fewer the yarn ends to weave in later. I consider that to be a particular value to crocheters. It's not too large to keep it from from being convenient and portable, though.  

The disadvantage of a large put up is that sometimes you only need a small amount, for contrast stripes maybe, or a small project such as jewelry. Or, for a large project when you come up a little short. Maybe you know you have enough yarn to exceed life expectancy, but you still want a just a...snack.  Assorted Snacks, even!

A disadvantage I've weighed (so to speak) is that the price might seem high if a person doesn't realize that Lotus equals two of the more common 50g put-ups. Or, that craft yarns often don't hold to the 50g and 100g skein sizes at all, so you have to calculate number of yards per gram for an equal comparison. (Some craft yarns be crafty at making you think you're getting more yarn than you are. Just sayin'.) 

In yarn shops, watch out for fine, expensive yarns, such as lace weight cashmere, that look like 50g balls but are 25g or 30g (under one ounce) instead!

My new put up size of Lotus is a one-pound cone!
That's over 1,100 yds or about 4.5 100g balls.
I call it "Lotus Z-Bombe" 😃

I've had yarn "put ups" (yarn packaging choices) on my mind since I last blogged. Click here for earlier yarn journaling entries.

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).

How (Not) to Sell New Yarn at a Crochet Conference

This post is the fifth installment in an ongoing series about an exclusive yarn I developed with my friend Doris Chan. This is the first post. New tab I created about everything Lotus.

L to R: Kathryn White, Vashti,
Haley Zimmerman. Photo: Nancy Smith
 © 2014 Manchester NH

I've just returned from a spectacular crochet conference blow out! (The CGOA's's 20th annual Chain Link conference in Manchester NH, July 23-27 2014.)

This was the first crochet conference I've attended as a yarn company owner. 

It's the fifth one I've attended as a teacher. Six months or so of class prep led up to this event! I taught eighteen hours of six large classes in three days. It is a blur to me now.

I'm gently teasing myself with the title of this post. Throughout the conference I'd suddenly see this or that missed opportunity for my yarn and could only shake my head at myself.  For example:

• I could have had a yarn sample, coupon, SOMETHING in the goody bags!

One of the printing pages I created
of yarn labels ("ball bands")
for 60 sample Lotus balls.

• I could have printed up the simplest Lotus yarn thing for people to pick up from the info table at Registration. A ball band with a URL, a yarn snip, whatever, right? After all, I designed the yarn ball bands. I might think that's cool if a guild member I knew did that.

• I could have shipped bags of Lotus to a market vendor! Wouldn't it be fun for Lotus to be a part of the market excitement? Plus, I'd have a booth number to tell all the people who asked about Lotus. 

In truth, a few "missed opportunities" occurred to me months before, and I had to set them aside as too complicated or impractical for this conference. Ship Lotus to a vendor? Well, this is wholesaling. My costs are not actually low enough yet for me to be able to wholesale Lotus. (By the way, another way of saying this is that the price of Lotus at my website is below full retail!)

Why not just bring an extra suitcase of Lotus and sell it in my hotel room, in class, or in the crochet lounge? 

Seems like an easy solution, doesn't it? Nope. Not only did I sign a contract prohibiting this, it's unwise. I wouldn't want to risk creating a bad impression of a seller or product instead of good.

I spy Lotus Snacks sample balls! You're
also seeing one of my favorite attendees,
Janet Bates, and part of the portable full
spectrum lamp she brings to conferences.
(Cropped close up of classroom photo by
Deb Seda © 2014, Manchester NH.)

As a guild member and attendee at fourteen of these conferences, I'm grateful for this rule. Who wants to be marketed to in classes and fellowship areas? We have the market for that, where it's FUN.

As a teacher, dealing with commerce in a class is weirdly distracting. The "Class Angels" are angelic because they collect and track any materials fees so that I don't have to switch gears.

I DID actually have Lotus with me. Wait, what?

In each of my Tunisian lace classes I gave out "Lotus Snacks." (I loved being the yarn sponsor of my own classes!) I designed a special ball band for them (see photo above), and the way the band wrapped around them reminded me of cupcakes. My friend Linda helped me label them in my hotel room, which was fun. (See photo of Lotus sighting above.)  I'm lucky I even got them made, and I'm happy that I have none left over!

The Lotus in my project tote had crochet attached because I foolishly thought I might have time to sit and crochet at this conference.

Some Lotus Chips
& Charms patterns.

I did bring all Lotus Chips and Candied Charms to wear and display in classes. Amazing to think of it now but I could not get it together to wear them. Just too busy. I even neglected to mention the love knot ones ("Lovebud Vines") in my 21st Century Love Knot Adventures class. The event was truly a blur!

I did bring free color samples to give out. At some point I dimly thought, "I refuse to take these back home. Must give them out." A designer friend said, "Ooh! Is this your yarn? Can I use some for yarn bombing?" I just gave her the whole bag. Yes, this is what a maxed out Vashti does.

I DID bring an extra suitcase full of Lotus...in the form of visual aids for the six classes. I always bring lots of swatches and visual aids for classes; this year I crocheted a gazillion with Lotus. After all, it's Lotus that made me fall in love all over again with the Star stitch*.

OK so maybe I could have mentioned that it was Lotus that I was passing around in a class, but then if I'd done that, it might have sounded like advertising, and that's not what teaching is about anyway.

So Lotus did actually get to meet lots of old and new friends! What am I worried about?

Yarn marketing is like developing a new muscle - for me, anyway. I took plenty of notes about what I could do in the future. I'm planning to have my own booth at next year's crochet conference in San Diego!

*Star Stitch Class Resources page.
Issues #59 and #60 of Crochet Inspirations Newsletter: "Star Stitch Lace Pretties" and "Star Stitch, the Tunisian Connection."

Birth of a Yarn Company, About Five Months In

New: Please see the new tab I created about everything Lotus.This post is part of a series about my exclusive new yarn, developed together with my friend Doris Chan. For more on this series, see this first post.             

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I've only now felt like I could imagine blogging again about launching

A behind the scenes example
of a popular pattern, the
Pallas Scarf, redesigned in
Lotus yarn. (I'm updating
the pattern to include this
 new version.)

Lotus yarn! I last blogged about becoming a yarn company months ago. Those were no ordinary months: the big December shopping season followed by a milestone birthday, wedding anniversary, son's birthday, peak tourist season around here...blah blah blah.

Sounds like the usual stuff that can postpone blogging, but doesn't have to, right? It's also been a time of several unfamiliar - if mundane - procedures. 

At first, it didn't even occur to me to blog about them, but there's actually quite a lot going on under the surface!

I'm really happy with the clear
six-ball bags I use for storing 
the Lotus balls, but am
searching for a different source
with lower freight charges.

Here's just a partial list of new-to-me procedures that I already rejected as being too unremarkable to blog about:

• How the Dymo printer I use for shipping has been working out. (It's fabulous! One of those simple things in life that makes me smile every day.)
• The compact little shipping station I set up in my studio that accommodates a wildly unpredictable range of daily yarn orders from zero to a last-minute flood of them.
• What "the last minute" really means - during peak tourist season especially...
• How to store the yarn in a way that keeps it new yet easy to access (and what that means: no risk of squashing, abrasion, dust, you get the idea.)



Favorite label printer!

• The best way to keep track of when we need to order another big batch from the mill.

A small Lotus package.
The self-seal "poly mailers"
I went with seem to be
working out very well, plus,
my mailman is impressed. 

Underneath these humdrum biznessy things is a nervous mixture of worry and excitement! It's just like being a new parent: what if something goes horribly wrong? Any minute I might...discover massive hidden costs I hadn't taken into account. What if everyone stops buying yarn forever? (That's kind of like, "What if my baby is kidnapped, or gets a terrible illness or something?")

I get it now: I'm a new "yarn parent." The first months of any newborn's life are eventful -- with seemingly mundane things (like choosing the best stroller), and I haven't been able to blog about it as often as I expected I would. Typical new parent talk, right? 

I'll never have a first yarn again. Isn't that something! Thanks for reading this and sharing a unique time with me as it unfolds. I'm probably going to enjoy reading this years from now.

Next post in this series: How (Not) to Sell Yarn at a Crochet Conference.

How My Lotus Yarn Got Its Name

This post is part of a series about an exclusive new yarn I developed with my friend Doris Chan. For more on this series, see this first post. Also see: the newsletter issue (#55) I just sent out about Lotus, and my guest post at Gwen's Royal Ramblings for a crochet-historical context for Lotus yarn.

I've been asked why my first yarn at DesigningVashti.com is called Lotus.

Lotus Engraving from 1877

Here's the scoop! 

It took from May to October 2013 to settle on the name from a list of 20 or so. I looked at how other yarns are named (see my list of five yarn name categories below) and bounced names around with Doris and my husband. Three key factors made "Lotus" stick: very personal symbolism, right-brained/poetic impressions of the flower, and the timing of seeing Doris at the CGOA Chain Link conference in Oct. 2013.

On the CGOA runway Oct. 2013 

Doris crocheted pajamas with Lotus yarn! Yeah! A baby doll top, lace shorts, lace capri pants, a lovely swing top (all of these in Pearly Pearl), and some flared leggings for me in the Grenadine color. She also did a micro-capelet in Peachy Sheen. (see each color in its own color album.) 

Doris imagined all of these things modeled as an ensemble for the CGOA Fashion Show in October--a great idea. The only catch is, the yarn needed a name!

Five days before the fashion show I had to use a limo service to get from the airport to the conference hotel. It was called "Lotus Limo." A rush of childhood associations with the name came back to me, so I toyed with "Lotus" as a yarn name until the fashion show. Doris was OK with it.

I'm basically a midwestern white girl from Wisconsin, raised Catholic until the age of nine; I then spent the rest of my childhood experiencing Eastern spiritual stuff with my Mom in an international meditation community in Iowa. We learned Hindu-style meditation, yoga, and vegetarianism, and fascinating concepts like sattwa, karma, soma, mantras. I learned some Sanskrit (a little Hindi helps too when blending one's own curries).

Back then, this was freakishly weird for most people (and most of my relatives too!). Today I feel safe enough talking about it in this public way. Imagine a place and time when Dannon yogurt was totally new. No one you knew even wanted to try it, yet your Mom was making her own. Imagine never having heard of yoga or karma, or a meal without red meat. Dude: no. yoga. mats. for. sale. anywhere.

The lotus flower is a lofty symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism. It represents sublime ideals of the human spirit. This pristine blossom rises above the water and, symbolically, the "mud of earthly existence." The Buddha and goddesses like Lakshmi are seated on them. When I worked in a health food store, I ordered products from a catalog called Lotus Light. 

Lotus Seed Pod (1877)

Aside from high philosophy, the lotus is just a really cool and slightly oddball flower. Most westerners don't know that you can eat the pleasant tasting roots and seeds. (See my Lotus board in Pinterest for moon cakes and other lovely examples!) The fascinating dried seed pods show up in flower arrangements occasionally.

When I crochet with our Lotus yarn, I feel like it uplifts my experience and the stitches have an inner glow. It takes my crochet to another level. I think of it as "crochet enlightenment." 

So now you know.

Have you ever really paid attention to the name of a yarn? I've noticed yarn names fall into categories.

Waterlily Layer design

1. Some yarns are named simply for their fiber content, weight, and/or dyeing: "Washable Wool," "Alpaca Lace," "Silk Handpaint." 
I thought, "So my yarn could be named a combination of words from this list: Sport, Cotton, Rayon, Z-Twist, Solid (color)..." 

Hmm, not inspiring. When I've designed with a yarn that has this kind of name, I have to keep its label nearby because I have trouble remembering the exact name ("Uh, is this one 'Merino-Something-DK'?").

2. Fancy versions of #1, like "Kid Seta" ("seta" is Italian for silk; "kid" is short for soft mohair); "Micro Chic" (microfiber nylon); "Mulberry" (i.e. silk); "Washable Ewe" (super wash wool). 
I guess I could have named it "Silky Bombax" instead. Or how about "Soft Twisted Plants"?

A Lotus Symbol in
Tunisian Filet Crochet

3. Like #2 but refers to an appealing or distinctive quality (The name Lotus indirectly falls into this category): "Shine" (rayon content); "Homespun" (thick bumpy plies); "Paillettes" (has sequins); "Glisten" (some metallic); "Magnum" (super bulky thick!). 
I  could have named Lotus "Shimmer Z-Twist," for example; or how about "Sporty Zee"? "Crochet Drape"? I kept wanting to name it for way it reflects light when crocheted. The very first name I considered was "Pearl." I also wanted to refer to its luxurious drape; "Sari" was another idea (also captures the rich colors and shine).

4. Situations: places, seasons, and hints at its intended uses: "Summer Tweed," "Venezia," "Sausalito," "Weekend," "Sock," "Stork" (baby items). 
Since I expect my yarn to be used for a lot of warmer weather items, I considered names like: "Siesta Key," "Hibiscus," "Spring Break."

5. Colors or dyeing styles: "Degradé" and "Tonos" (mild shifts from lighter to deeper shades of one color); "Kaffe Fassett" (dramatic striping). 
For Lotus, I did consider a reference to its rich hibiscus-like color range, like "Hibiscus," "Blossom," "Bloom," "Bouquet."

Next post in this series: 

Birth of a Yarn Company, About Five Months In.

Creating the Color Cards for a New Yarn

Scan of official Lotus yarn color card.
You can enlarge it here. 

This post is part of a series: I'm blogging what it's like to start a yarn company as a crochet designer. It's an adventure with unexpected - ah - twists, and an odd sensation that I'm transgressing industry categories/roles. A new Crochet Inspirations Newsletter issue goes out soon; subscribe to be alerted when I add new posts to this blog series.

If I have color cards made for Lotus, the yarn must be available for purchase soon, right? YES!! In just a day or two! Right NOW!! In the meantime you can see all the colors and test swatches and labeled balls of yarn here. Adding them to Ravelry right now too.

So what's a "color card"? It's a yarn industry thing: an official "B2B" (business to business) fact sheet. Color cards display the available colors of a yarn as accurately as possible. A printed card is traditionally large with actual yarn samples of each color attached. Nowadays, the online equivalent might just be a close up of photographed colors. 

You've probably seen color cards if you have looked up yarns in Ravelry. You might even own some if you have ever:
- Paid for one while ordering yarn from a website or mail-order catalog.
- Been taken seriously enough as a designer by a yarn company. 
- Owned or worked in a yarn shop.

Tassels from the first mock-up of the Lotus color card.
These are actual Lotus colors (four neutral colors are missing).

It's an important reference for yarn shop owners and magazine editors. Color cards may be created by the yarn mill or packager/distributor to help a yarn shop owner order the best colors for her/his shop. A magazine editor can use the same color cards to plan a unified color theme for an issue, and to quote the correct color names and numbers when ordering yarn for the designer. The magazine's technical editor might check yarn facts in the patterns against what the color cards say, before the issue goes to press.

Before creating a short stack of color cards for Lotus, I compared a range of

Exhibit A: Glued Yarn Snips

color cards that have accumulated in my studio over the years. Some yarn companies add "glam copy" (persuasive, even flowery descriptions of the yarn's features). Others provide terse product specs. 

As you can see in "Exhibit A" at right, yarn snips may be glued down to the card. This is very common. Maybe it's the fastest and easiest way to mass produce them. 

Exhibit B: These 6" tassels are the longest of
any examples I have on hand.

Another common type of yarn snip is a tassel (Exhibit B at left). They can be of any length. The ones at left are especially long.  

As a designer I've wished that I could pull out a small length of the yarn to see how smooth and even it really is, and to just chain it to quickly experience crocheting it. I'm trying out a 30-inch length doubled up a few times, as shown in the top left photo above. 

Something that has always bugged me about color cards is if the tassels are long, they look messy and don't work well in a binder. I designed mine to fit in a 3-ring binder so that the yarn snips don't flop around beyond the edge of the binder.

Next in this series: How My Lotus Yarn Got its Name.