Category Archives: store hours

Canada Day Store Hours & Baby Blanket Crafting

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Canada Day Store Hours

Monday, June 29: 12 – 6 pm

Tuesday, June 30: 12 – 6 pm

Wednesday, July 1: CLOSED

Thursday, July 2: 12 – 6 pm

A neatly folded knitted blanket with colorful stripes, resting on a light blue bedspread in a minimal bedroom setting.
Photo: purlsoho

Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket

Does anything say Canada to Canadians more than the iconic Hudson Bay Blanket? It’s simple design is timeless and a hand-knit version would make for a super-special baby gift. The pattern is beginner friendly (it’s just straight knitting), and makes a great low-brain activity, summer project. And it’s FREE, so that’s a bonus too!

A folded blanket featuring a cream background with horizontal stripes in green, red, yellow, and blue.

Yarn Options

The Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket is made with worsted weight yarn, so you’ve got several great options to choose from! I’ve colour combined and art-directed the colours, so you don’t have to worry about which shades match and balance together – I’ve got you covered! Working with the palates available from each yarn line, I tired to create as many combinations that looked good as possible. I also tried to go for different aesthetics, the classics are closest to the iconic blankets sold by the Hudson Bay Company, and feature clearer, brighter colours. The subdued combos are a more modern, grown-up take on the hues, and are darker.

Cascade 220 Superwash

Cascade 220 Superwash is an affordably priced, machine washable Peruvian wool yarn. It’s soft enough for baby garments and blankets, knits easily, and has been a staple around here for a LONG time. If you aren’t into synthetics this is a great choice!

  • classic colours: six skeins of 817 Aran, and one skein each of 251 Evergreen, 809 Really Red, 877 Golden, 1924 Midnight Heather
  • slightly darker colours: six skeins of 817 Aran, and one skein each of 1950 Hunter Green, 893 Ruby, 877 Golden, 854 Navy.

Berroco Vintage

Berroco Vintage is a super soft, machine washable blend of wool, acrylic and nylon. It’s easy on the hands and the pocketbook, and is another very popular choice for babies and kids. This yarn is also a longstanding resident around here.

  • classic colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5152 Mistletoe, 5151 Cardinal, 5121 Sunny, 51182 Indigo Heather.
  • somewhat subdued colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5193 Yukon Green, 51181 Ruby Heather, 5127 Butternut, 51182 Indigo Heather.
  • grown-up heathered colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5177 Douglas Fir Heather, 5181 Black Currant Heather, 5192 Chana Dal Heather, 51182 Indigo Heather.

Other Materials

  • 4.5mm/US7 – 29″ circular needles (or longer)
  • tapestry needle
  • FREE Pattern
A knitted blanket featuring a beige base with colorful horizontal stripes in red, green, yellow, and blue, displayed on a neutral background.

SUMMER STORE HOURS Start THIS WEEKEND!

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Graphic displaying summer store hours: Monday to Saturday from 12 PM to 6 PM, valid from May 20 to September 14. Includes services for in-store shopping, pick-up, shipping, and delivery.

Summer Store Hours

The weather is FINALLY gorgeous, so it’s time to shift to our summer store hours … starting MAY 22nd we will be closed on Sundays:

May 22 to Sept 14, 2024:

Monday to Saturday: 12 pm to 6pm

STORE HOURS Victoria Day Weekend

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Victoria Day Weekend Store Hours

Saturday May 16: 12 to 6 pm

Sunday May 17: CLOSED

Monday May 18: CLOSED

Cover of 'M'dlle Riego's Knitting Book' featuring ornate designs and decorative elements.

Victorian Knitting Manuals

Normally I post a little pattern for you, but I feel like a national celebration of the birthday of a long-dead Monarch (Queen Victoria) deserves something a little more …. today I share the digitized collection of Victorian Knitting Manuals, gratis the Univerity of Southampton’s Knitting Reference Library & JStor (I also found a large collection of vintage patterns from Sirdar, but that’s a story from another era).

Cover of 'The Silkworm Series: Knitting Lessons' featuring illustrated leaves, raspberries, a silkworm, and a butterfly, published by Myra & Son in London.
A page titled 'The Art of Knitting' featuring instructions and abbreviations for knitting techniques.

I like the Silkworm Series: Myra’s Knitting Lessons no.1, it has lots of stitch patterns you can swatch & experiment with. You can also find free old-timey (and more recent) knitting books on the Internet Archive. The Art of Knitting from 1892 (brought to you by the Smithsonian), has a bunch of patterns worth exploring.

Cover of 'Old and New Designs in Crochet Work' by Sophie T. La Croix, featuring intricate crochet patterns.

For my beloved Crocheters, there’s lots of Crochet Resources in the Internet Archive for you too (both old-timey and more recent)!

It just goes to show, you can take the girl out of the library and put her in a store full of yarn, but apparently, you can’t take the library out of the girl!

Easter Store Hours & Emotional Support Chicken Craft

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Announcement of Easter store hours indicating closure on Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Sunday, April 5.

Easter Store Hours

Friday, April 3: CLOSED

Saturday, April 14: 12 pm to 6 pm

Sunday, April 5: CLOSED

Monday, April 6: 12 pm to 6 pm

A knitted decorative chicken with colorful yarn, featuring bright blue eyes and an orange and red comb, sitting on a wooden bench.

Emotional Support Chicken (Knit)

This easter you can add an Emotional Support Chicken to your family … or a whole clutch! Use Berroco Vintage or Drops Air for a slightly fuzzier, cuddlier chicken. I’ve suggested a slightly smaller needle size for this project because stuffies always benefit from being knit at a slightly tighter tension.

Yarn Options

  • Berroco Vintage: 1 skein of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 9m each for wattle, crown and beak.
  • Drops Air: 2 balls of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 9m each for wattle, crown and beak.

Materials


Colorful crocheted plush chicken with bright patterns, featuring a red comb and shiny eyes, sitting on a wooden bench.

Emotional Support Chicken (Crochet)

Yarn Options

  • Berroco Vintage: 1 to 2 skeins of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 10m each for wattle, crown and beak.
  • Drops Air: 2 balls of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 10m each for wattle, crown and beak.

Materials

Image of a knitted bird on a blurred background next to text outlining Easter store hours, indicating closure on Good Friday April 3 and Easter Sunday April 5.

Say hi to Cluck Norris, our store’s handsome Emotional Support Chicken … many thanks to my good friend Rosie for all of her support.

Thanksgiving Store Hours & The Frankie Sweater

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An orange knitted hat with a green top resembling a pumpkin, placed on a wooden surface next to a small green bird.
Pumpkin Beanie … by Knit-O-Matic!

Store Hours For Canadian Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving comes a bit earlier north of the 44th parallel in Canada, it has something to do with our harvest being earlier, therefore we dine earlier. We are open regular store hours (12 to 6 pm) on Saturday & Sunday, and closed on Monday. Have a great weekend, wherever you are!

Saturday October 11: 12 to 6 pm

Sunday October 12: 12 to 6 pm

Monday October 13: CLOSED

A woman wearing a striped sweater, holding a cup of coffee, standing outside a café with red tables and a warm atmosphere.

Frankie Sweater

Something new from PetiteKnit … The Frankie Sweater! My preferred yarn for this project is Sandnes Garn Double Sunday, a soft merino crepe that knits beautifully and won’t itch.

Construction

The Frankie Sweater is worked from the top down with raglan increases on the yoke. Short rows are worked along the back of the neck to shape the neckline. The sleeves are worked in the round on double-pointed needles or on a circular needle. The Frankie Sweater is worked with narrow stripes.

Size

The Frankie Sweater is designed to have approx. 20 cm [7¾ inches] of positive ease, meaning it is designed to be approx. 20 cm [7¾ inches] larger in circumference than your bust measurement. The sizes XXS (XS) S (M) L (XL) 2XL (3XL) 4XL (5XL) are designed to fit a bust circumference of 75-80 (80-85) 85-90 (90-95) 95 100 (100-110) 110-120 (120-130) 130-140 (140-150) cm [29½-31½ (31½-33½) 33½-35½ (35½-37½) 37½-39½ (39½-43¼) 43¼-47¼ (47¼-51¼) 51¼-55 (55-59) inches]. 

  • XXS (XS) S (M) L (XL) 2XL (3XL) 4XL (5XL)
  • Finished Bust circumference: 102 (106) 112 (114) 118 (124) 130 (140) 150 (160) cm OR [40¼ (41¾) 44 (45) 46½ (48¾) 51¼ (55) 59 (63) inches]

A woman sitting at a café table, wearing a striped sweater and holding a coffee cup, with a relaxed expression.

Materials

A knit Frankie Sweater featuring horizontal stripes in shades of blue and brown, laid flat on a wrinkled white surface.

Discover the Best Summer Sweater: Pyramid Tee

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A woman wearing a light beige cropped sweater with short sleeves, holding a straw hat, and standing in front of a white background.

Pyramid

One of the most popular summer sweaters this year has been Pyramid! Pyramid is a SEAMLESS tee (no sewing) worked from the top down. You can easily adjust the length of the body to make it cropped or longer, and the sleeves can also be made longer if you want them 3/4 or full length. It comes with a finished bust size from 86.5 cm / 34 inches to 158.5 cm / 62.5 inches, and is designed to be worn with 10-12 cm / 4-4.75 inches positive ease.

NOTE: The tension of this pattern is a bit loose, so if you make it with Berroco Modern Cotton you might want to wear it with a cami under it. If you want to go down needles size and knit it at the yarn’s normal tension I suggest making a size larger in the pattern.

You can also make it using 2 strands of Berroco Remix Light held togehter, which will give you the exact tension and no holes. The Berroco Remix Light would also make for a pullover for transitional seasons, perfect for the cooler end of summer/start of fall, and also spring. Remix Light does not contain any animal fibre, so it’s a great all-season option, or just wonderful if you are allergic to wool, or your body runs warm.

A person wearing a light beige cropped sweater, with a white skirt and back facing the camera, against a simple white background.

See Finished Projects

Size

  • Sizes 1 (2, 3, 4) {5, 6, 7, 8}
  • Finished chest circumference: 86.5 (97, 107, 117.5) {127.5, 138, 148.5, 158.5} cm / 34 (38, 42.25, 46.25) {50.25, 54.25, 58.5, 62.5} inches
  • This garment is intended to be worn with about 10-12 cm / 4-4.75 inches positive ease.
  • Shown in size 1, modeled with 10 cm / 4 inches of positive ease.
A model wearing a cropped, short-sleeve beige sweater over a white shirt, posing against a light-colored background.

Yarn Options

This pattern will be great made with Berroco Modern Cotton, it will have a loose, summery tension that’s a bit open. I also did some swatching and found that it’s also perfect to use 2 strands of Berroco Remix Light held togehter, which will give you the pretty tweedy texture, and a more conventional tension so you won’t need to wear a cami under your top.

Materials

Colorful yarn arranged to spell 'SALE' with promotional details for a summer sale including discounts from July 12 to August 30.

Our SUMMER SALE is on now! Select products (including some clearance items) are 20% OFF until August 30, 2025, 11:59pm.

The discount is online and in-store, and it will be automatically be added at check-out, so you don’t have to jump through any extra hoops or remember to put in a discount code (this discount can NOT be combined with any other offers or discounts, including free shipping – you won’t be able to use another discount code when you check-out).

SEE ALL SALE PRODUCTS

A person wearing a light summer sweater and holding a straw hat, next to a colorful announcement of a summer sale featuring yarn letters spelling 'SALE', with details about discounts.

Holiday Store Hours & Create a Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket This Summer

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A folded Hudson Bay inspired baby blanket featuring stripes of red, yellow, blue, and green laid on a bed with a blue quilt.
Photo: purlsoho

Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket

Does anything say Canada to Canadians more than the iconic Hudson Bay Blanket? It’s simple design is timeless and a hand-knit version would make for a super-special baby gift. The pattern is beginner-friendly (it’s just straight knitting), and makes a great low-brain activity, summer project. And it’s FREE, so that’s a bonus too!

Size

  • 34 inches wide and 39 inches long
  • NOTE: Garter stitch has a tendency to stretch, so your blanket will “grow” beyond these dimensions.

Skills

See our curated list of skills & techniques

  • Cast-on (long-tail/slingshot method)
  • Knit stitch
  • Bind off
  • Joining a new ball of yarn
  • Weaving in ends in garter stitch
A folded baby blanket featuring a cream background with colorful stripes in green, red, yellow, and blue, inspired by the Hudson Bay design.

Yarn Options

The Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket is made with worsted weight yarn, so you’ve got several great options to choose from! I’ve colour combined and art-directed the colours, so you don’t have to worry about which shades match and balance together – I’ve got you covered! Working with the palates available from each yarn line, I tired to create as many combinations that looked good as possible. I also tried to go for different aesthetics, the classics are closest to the iconic blankets sold by the Hudson Bay Company, and feature clearer, brighter colours. The subdued combos are a more modern, grown-up take on the hues, and are darker.

Cascade 220 Superwash

Cascade 220 Superwash is an affordably priced, machine washable Peruvian wool yarn. It’s soft enough for baby garments and blankets, knits easily, and has been a staple around here for a LONG time. If you aren’t into synthetics this is a great choice!

  • classic colours: six skeins of 817 Aran or 871 White, and one skein each of 251 Evergreen, 809 Really Red, 877 Golden, 1924 Midnight Heather
  • slightly darker colours: six skeins of 817 Aran or 871 White, and one skein each of 1950 Hunter Green, 893 Ruby, 877 Golden, 854 Navy.

Berroco Vintage

Berroco Vintage is a super soft, machine washable blend of wool, acrylic and nylon. It’s easy on the hands and the pocketbook, and is another very popular choice for babies and kids. This yarn is also a longstanding resident around here.

  • classic colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5152 Mistletoe, 5151 Cardinal, 5121 Sunny, 51182 Indigo Heather.
  • somewhat subdued colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5193 Yukon Green, 51181 Ruby Heather, 5127 Butternut, 51182 Indigo Heather.
  • grown-up heathered colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5177 Douglas Fir Heather, 5181 Black Currant Heather, 5192 Chana Dal Heather, 51182 Indigo Heather.

Berroco Vintage Chunky

Berroco Vintage Chunky is a slightly thicker version of Berroco Vintage (above), and knits on 6mm/US10 needles. Because this yarn is thicker you’ll need to cast on about 25% fewer stitches (119 sts).

classic colours: six skeins of 6101 Mochi 0r6100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 6152 Mistletoe, 6151 Cardinal, 6121 Sunny, 61182 Indigo Heather.

Five bundles of Estelle Breeze cotton yarn in pastel colors: cream, green, coral, yellow, and blue, each with a label reading 'Breeze 100% Cotton'.

Estelle Breeze Cotton

You can also use Estelle Breeze to make a Cotton version in sorbet baby colours. Breeze is also thicker and works up on 6mm/US10 needles, so you’ll want to cast on 119 stitches.

sorbet colours: 01 Natural (6 skeins), 09 Aqua (1 skein), 06 Peach (1 skein), 07 Lemon (1 skein), 11 Sky (1 skein)

A hand-knit Hudson Bay inspired baby blanket displayed folded on a bed, featuring horizontal stripes of green, red, yellow, and blue on a light gray background.

SUMMER STORE HOURS Start Now!

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Summer Store Hours

The weather is FINALLY gorgeous, so it’s time to shift to our summer store hours … starting MAY 31st we will be closed on Sundays:

May 20 to Sept 8, 2024:

Monday to Saturday: 12 pm to 6pm

Pyramid

Since summer weather is starting, here’s a summer tee for your summer knitting & wearing – Pyramid! Pyramid is a seamless tee worked from the top down; and you can easily adjust the length of both the sleeves and the body. It comes with a finished bust size from 86.5 cm / 34 inches to 158.5 cm / 62.5 inches, and is designed to be worn with 10-12 cm / 4-4.75 inches positive ease.

NOTE: the tension of this pattern is a bit loose, so you might want to wear it with a cami under it. If you want to go down needles size and knit it at the yarns normal tension I suggest making a size larger in the pattern.

See Finished Projects

Size

  • Sizes 1 (2, 3, 4) {5, 6, 7, 8}
  • Finished chest circumference: 86.5 (97, 107, 117.5) {127.5, 138, 148.5, 158.5} cm / 34 (38, 42.25, 46.25) {50.25, 54.25, 58.5, 62.5} inches
  • This garment is intended to be worn with about 10-12 cm / 4-4.75 inches positive ease.
  • Shown in size 1, modeled with 10 cm / 4 inches of positive ease.

Materials

Alternate Yarn

To get a bit of texture, you can also use 2 strands of Berroco Remix Light held together: 2 (2 to 3, 3, 3) {3, 3, 4, 4} balls

STORE HOURS Victoria Day Weekend UPDATED

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Victoria Day Weekend Store Hours

Saturday May 17: 12 to 6 pm

Sunday May 18: CLOSED

Monday May 19: CLOSED

Victorian Knitting Manuals

Normally I post a little pattern for you, but I feel like a national celebration of the birthday of a long-dead Monarch (Queen Victoria) deserves something a little more …. today I share the digitized collection of Victorian Knitting Manuals, gratis the Univerity of Southampton’s Knitting Reference Library & JStor (I also found a large collection of vintage patterns from Sirdar, but that’s a story from another era).

I like the Silkworm Series: Myra’s Knitting Lessons no.1, it has lots of stitch patterns you can swatch & experiment with. You can also find free old-timey (and more recent) knitting books on the Internet Archive. The Art of Knitting from 1892 (brought to you by the Smithsonian), has a bunch of patterns worth exploring.

For my beloved Crocheters, there’s lots of Crochet Resources in the Internet Archive for you too (both old-timey and more recent)!

It just goes to show, you can take the girl out of the library and put her in a store full of yarn, but apparently, you can’t take the library out of the girl!

EASTER STORE HOURS & Emotional Support Chicks + Chickens

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Easter Store Hours

Friday, April 18: CLOSED

Saturday, April 19: 12 pm to 6 pm

Sunday, April 20: CLOSED

Monday, April 21: 12 pm to 6 pm

Emotional Support Chicken (Knit)

This easter you can add an Emotional Support Chicken to your family … or a whole clutch! Use Berroco Vintage or Drops Air for a slightly fuzzier, cuddlier chicken. I’ve suggested a slightly smaller needle size for this project because stuffies always benefit from being knit at a slightly tighter tension.

Yarn Options

  • Berroco Vintage: 1 skein of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 9m each for wattle, crown and beak.
  • Drops Air: 2 balls of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 9m each for wattle, crown and beak.

Materials


Emotional Support Chicken (Crochet)

Yarn Options

  • Berroco Vintage: 1 to 2 skeins of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 10m each for wattle, crown and beak.
  • Drops Air: 2 balls of MC, 1 ball of CC, and 10m each for wattle, crown and beak.

Materials

Say hi to Cluck Norris, our store’s handsome Emotional Support Chicken … many thanks to my good friend Rosie for all of her support.