Our Story, Our Yarn
It all started with a ball of yarn... a ball of magical mink and cuddly cashmere yarn that a friend brought back from her travels. “How curious!” we said. Having quickly knit that ball of yarn into a cabled hat, we started wondering wouldn’t it be great it we could get our hands on this stuff all the time, and what else is out there?
That ball of yarn set us off on a year-long adventure that took us to the grasslands of Mongolia, valleys of Tibet and spinning mills of Italy. We met with farmers and mill operators who explained the yarn making process to us from fiber to yarn. We asked a lot of questions to ensure that no animals are harmed in the process and are responsibly raised.
Along the way, we came across other yarns spun from curious ingredients like pearl, milk, and aluminium. Some of our yarns are spun by hand the old-fashioned way with a lot of love and patience. We also met some small yarn companies doing incredible things and just had to include their yarns alongside our own.
What are Curious Goods?
We're based in NYC, which is the perfect base for being globetrotters on the hunt for curious handknitting yarns, fabrics, notions and other crafting materials. And sometimes, we come across something that doesn't fit any of those categories but really is worth writing home about, or in our case, stuffing into our suitcase. It makes us say, “how curious!” all over again.
Sometimes it’s a really witty detail on the most prosaic thing, an exquisitely carved button, a breathtaking fabric, a sublime fragrance, or just a really useful little gadget. Did we mention that we're a bit eclectic? But mostly, it’s something that we love and hope you’ll go head over heels for as well.
In addition to "curious goods," we also try to stock most of the basic tools, trims or hardware that you may need for one of our original designs. We try to make life easier for you, so that you don't have to go hunting and pecking around.
Who are Jones & Vandermeer?
They say that the best things come from the heart, and dogs are pure heart. Over the years, Jones and Vandermeer, the two canine members of my family, have given us much joy, made us laugh, and shown us kindness.
We hope to carry their spirit into what we do and who we are.
Born in Oklahoma, Jones is a white shiba inu with a penchant for misadventure who splits his time between the City and the Country. He is rather fond of sushi, especially uni, and vanilla party cake with pink frosting. He enjoys sleeping on top of the air conditioner vent in the summer, and can often be seen chasing after a tennis ball while wagging his “bagel-like” tail. When left to his own devices, Jones can be found in the backyard digging a tunnel to China, splashing around with the fish in the neighbour’s pond, barking up the wrong tree, or trying to nose his way into a New York City restaurant kitchen. He is an expert at leveraging his adorable fluff and innocent brown eyes to negotiate his way out of trouble.
His favorite stitch is the loop stitch because it is furry, funky and adventurous like him.
The late Vandermeer was a blonde golden retriever of yore. Ever loyal and bounding with joy, Vandermeer used to wag his tail so vigorously to welcome us home that we thought we could do away with our electric cooling fans. Vandermeer picked up the New York Times every morning – although we suspect he was in it for the biscuit. He barked furiously at strangers to keep us safe, and knew just when to sit next to us with silence and nobility.
Vandermeer passed away in 2000. A few months afterwards, we dreamed of him flying through the blue sky with little wings on his feet.
His favorite stitch was the garter stitch – a sturdy, wise, old faithful like him.
