Sponsor Spotlight

Bijou Basin Ranch / PostStitch

I couldn’t do what I do here as a blogger without the support of the yarn community. From you, the readers, to the yarn and other needlearts companies I’ve been able to partner with, I love running this blog. To honor their support of our yarny cause here on Hands Occupied, I like to take some time out each month to thank our advertising sponsors. We’re kicking off 2016 with two companies who have been amazing supporters and creative partners, and I’m excited to get to tell you a little about them.

Bijou Basin Ranch

Ruby, one of the Bijou Basin Ranch yaks

I love Bijou Basin Ranch. I love the folks who run the company and the ranch, I love their yarn, I love their yaks. Last summer I designed a pattern with their Himalayan Trail yarn, my Delta Hat. In addition to doing an appearance at Bijou Basin Ranch’s Stitches Midwest booth, I hosted a knit along featuring the pattern. Then, I got to visit Bijou Basin Ranch itself on a trip to Colorado. The company is run by the nicest people, and I really do love their yarns. Heck, I’ve done two free shawl patterns (the Outlander Chevron Shawl & the Top Notched Shawl) with their yarn on top of the big Delta Hat pattern we did the KAL with. If you’re new to yak yarn, I highly recommend it!

PS: It’s easier than ever to try Bijou Basin Ranch yarns. In honor of this sponsorship, they’re offering free shipping when you use promo code HANDSOCCUPIED at checkout.

Since my love of yaks can’t be overstated, I’ll use this as an excuse to share the yak documentary I made while visiting the Bijou Basin Ranch yaks in person last summer in Colorado. Just in case you missed it! :)

PostStitch

Funkasonick Mittens in progress via PostStitch on Instagram

Both sponsors this month are companies I’ve done knit alongs with, which is a total coincidence. PostStich, a longtime sponsor of Hands Occupied (thanks, guys!), is the company we’ve partnered with on our current Funkasonic Knit Along. I love PostStitch. They send you boxes of yarn, patterns and all the goodies you need to make a new pattern every month (plus some extra surprises knitters love like cuticle cream). Their community of knitters have been really fun to knit with and add to the mix of Hands Occupied knitters.

If you’re looking to grow your knitting skills this year, I recommend considering a PostStitch subscription if you haven’t yet. You get all those supplies to knit a new project each month, but since all the other PostStitch knitters are working on the same project each month, you can totally ask your fellow PostStitch peeps for help when you get stuck. It’s really fun to knit your way through a project you might find challenging when you’ve got some friends to help you out!