Indiegogo Perk: Bird Nest Kit

We started brainstorming for the Indiegogo campaign many months ago, and the Bird Nest Kit was one of the first ideas put on the table. It's not a new idea - Google it and you'll see lots of examples of people offering yarn scraps to birds. But it is certainly one of the best ways to use scraps of yarn that are too small to knit or crochet with. 

Yarn shown in a suet cage.

There are plenty of ways you can offer the yarn scraps to the birds in your neighborhood. Shown above is the Bird Nest Kit placed in a clean suet cage, which is available at any store that sells bird feeders. You can also put the yarn in a mesh bag that has holes big enough for the birds to pull the yarn through (like an onion bag), or try a berry basket. If you have a place where the yarn won't blow away, you can also just put it in a pile. The birds will find it. 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has weighed in on the question of whether brightly colored yarns are safe, because they might attract predators. The scientist says that birds can see color, so they'll be aware of the color of the yarn they are choosing. 

There are plenty of things you can do to help create a haven for birds in your neighborhood - offering nesting materials is just one! You can see more tips from Bird Watcher's Digest, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and The Humane Society.

Click over to our Indiegogo page to order your Bird Nest Kit!

Anzula Loves Slipped Stitch Studios

The first four Sock+ Project Bags we posted to the Indiegogo campaign were snapped up rather quickly. If you aren't familiar with Slipped Stitch Studios, you may wonder why so many people were asking for more once those four were gone. 

 © Slipped Stitch Studios

The bags themselves are amazing. The sheer number of them that you can see around our warehouse on any given day is a testament to that. The Sock+ bags are designed for small one-skein projects. The handle is a wristband so that carrying your on-the-go knitting is especially comfortable. And the assortment of fabrics the bags are made from guarantees that you'll find a bag perfect for you!

 © Slipped Stitch Studios

More than that, Slipped Stitch Studios is an amazing business we're proud to know and work with. Before she started Slipped Stitch, Laura Lundy was a knitter with an interest in searching out the most unique notions and supplies. During the recession, she was on maternity leave when she was laid off. Once her baby was born, she knew that she didn't want to return to a high-stress job, so she turned to her love of fiber notions. 

Slipped Stitch Studios offers more than their handmade yarn bags and zipper pouches. They also make swift covers, Needle Nooks, pattern wallets, stitch markers, buttons, magnets, mugs, and more.  

Click to see more witty buttons!

I asked Laura about why she chose to contribute to our campaign, and she emailed me this:

Meeting Sabrina and the Anzula team has been one of the best things that have ever happened to me.  Anzula Yarns is the type of small business that I hope shapes the future of our country. Starting from a dream, and aspiring to such great things- Sabrina is not only my friend, but a role model in our fiber community, supporting Anzula in all of it’s amazing endeavors is a no brainer for us at Slipped Stitch Studios. WE LOVE ANZULA!!

Slipped Stitch Studios' Sarah and Laura with Sabrina at the Yarnover Truck launch party. 

Pick up a Slipped Stitch Studios bag from our Indiegogo campaign, whether it's your first bag or your tenth! And visit Slipped Stitch Studios - the website, on Etsy, on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and on Ravelry. 

Announcing a New Colorway - Sexy!

If you follow Anzula, you might know that we usually release new colorways twice a year - at the Summer and Winter TNNA tradeshows. So it's not only unusual, but unprecedented, that we have a colorway release in October. It's pretty apt though that we are releasing this colorway right at the cusp of fall - this is going to be amazing in your fall & winter knitting.

Meet Sexy! 

Why Sexy? This colorway was developed in collaboration with and in honor of Anzula's relationship with Sarah Wilson, The Sexy Knitter. Sarah and Sabrina discussed a lot of different ideas about what the inspiration for "Sexy" should be, and they settled on Sarah's hair! This deep, dark brown is a really nuanced neutral that will complement a lot of different colors. 

This colorway is available for order immediately. Contact your LYS and place a special order for a skein or two, and let us know what you're going to make with it and what colors you're going to pair it with!