20 Years of LYS Touring!
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber Officer
Three cheers fiber friends – May is finally here, and that can only mean one thing for yarn lovers across the region: the Puget Sound LYS Tour. Here at The Woolpack, we are so here for it. Routes are being planned, social media is being scoured for pattern clues and excitement is mounting for all of the beautiful yarns we get to squish, not forgetting the oodles of camaraderie along the way. This year’s tour is even more special as we reach the twenty year milestone of the Puget Sound LYS Tour, making it the oldest and biggest in the nation. Now that is something to celebrate!
Lisa, owner of Heart 2 Heart Fiber in Poulsbo and 2026 tour president recently took time out of her busy schedule to share all of the tour news with The Woolpack.
There are twenty five stores to visit again this year meaning it is easy to join the touring fun from across the whole of Puget Sound. The list of participating shops is largely the same the same as last year, except for one change; no stores on Bainbridge Island, and Makers Mercantile has made a welcome return. As always, the lovely team at the LYS Tour have made it easy to plan routes and visits. Check out the How to Tour page on their website. Stores are grouped by suggested region which will make your travels much easier.
Yarn tour excitement began even earlier this year with the publication of 50 free knitting and crochet blanket square patterns – two from each store on the tour. As Lisa says, “Once they are all put together you will have a beautiful blanket to remember the 20th anniversary tour!” All of the patterns are available to download and print at lystour.com/blanketsquares “
You can also treat yourself to a limited edition 20th anniversary stitch marker. These cute little notions are a lovely tour memento that will bring back happy tour memories as you create all of the fabulous projects from your LYS haul. Both knitting and crochet markers are available in participating stores.
Speaking of your LYS haul, you are going to need a large bag to carry everything home, and as always, lovely tour totes are available. This year you can choose from two sizes, small (still big enough for a few skeins of yarn), and large. The adorable new design on this year’s tote evokes the region’s rich fiber heritage and natural beauty. Seattle based illustrator and designer Alex Deavers was a worthy winner of the 2026 LYS Tour design contest. There is also great news for button collectors – free store buttons are back for 2026! If like me, you love a button and have been wistfully longing for past yarn tour days when each store had an individual design for you to collect, 2026 is your year. You can proudly display them on the designated spot on the reverse of the large tote. Fabulous!
It takes enormous dedication from store owners to put together an event of this scale, and I was interested to find out from Lisa what she feels has changed in the past twenty years, and what are her favorite aspects of tour?
‘In the past years the LYS Tour has gained not only more shops but more wonderful customers. The number of customers finishing the 25 shops grows each year and is amazing. I’ve also noticed younger crowds on the tour. Knitting & crocheting is no longer just your grandma’s hobby! The tour highlights for me are always the customers. Everyone has a story to tell and an adventure to share. We love to talk to each and every one about what fun they are having on the tour.”
If you too are currently in planning mode, visiting the lys tour website is a must. You may also find past Woolpack articles a useful resource (see the links at the bottom of the page). With one week to go you still have plenty of time to plan your best tour ever, and as Lisa advises, “Have fun! Bring snacks! And don’t forget your yarn besties. The tour is always dinner with your friends!” We couldn’t agree more!
Useful Links:
It’s Time to Tour 2024, May 2024
All The Fun of Trunk show, May 2024
