Category Archives: winter

SALE ENDS SOON! & Long Weekend Hours

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Labour Day Weekend Store Hours

I’m needed by my family this weekend for an 80th birthday party, followed by my sister-in-law’s departure for her first academic conference (we’re so proud of her!), so I’m taking an extra day off this Saturday. The last weekend of the summer is not traditionally a busy one in the yarn store, so I don’t think you’ll miss me too, too much. I adore it when you come by, but I also love it when people are out taking advantage of beautiful weather and just enjoying life.

Friday: 12 pm to 6 pm

Saturday: CLOSED

Sunday: CLOSED

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday: 12 pm to 6 pm

My current reading suggestion is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. You can read it on paper, digitally download it, or get it as an audiobook (which is read by the author), so you can knit/crochet/wash dishes/walk/run/get your nails done while you read. It is also accompanied by a chapter-by-chapter podcast with Oprah (stream free online or on any podcast service, including Spotify), so you can test the water and see if it’s for you, and if it is, you can read along with the author, lady-O, and regular people asking really good questions. I feel kind of silly having come so late to the Tolle party (especially after seeing Oprah’s podcast was recorded in early 2019), but I guess I wasn’t ready. Now that I’m here I see exactly why Oprah has been such a fan. Tolle isn’t just talking about spiritual life, he’s talking about LIFE (or to the point, spiritual life IS life).

If you’re at a place where you want to change yourself, your life and our world for the better, this book is a great point of reference to help you level up. Just one caveat – people who are negative and aren’t ready to leave that state won’t get this book (and judging by the reviews online it seems to make them really angry). If you have a negative person in your life, giving them this book won’t ‘fix’ them – they have to be open to healing themselves. People who aren’t quite ready, but are getting there, might read a chapter or two but it won’t stick, it’ll sort of go through them – if this is you or a loved one it’s a good sign, hold on to the book, it’ll be there for you when it’s needed next. Anyway, the best books are always the ones you can read over and over and get something new from each time.

Effortless Cardigan

Get your fall off to a great start with a simple cardie you can wear everywhere, all the time. The Effortless Cardigan is made with a simple worsted weight yarn and ONE pair of 4.5mm – 32″ circular needles. It’s knit from the top-down in one piece (the underside of the sleeves are seamed, but if you prefer you can knit them in the round). The pattern is free, and there are a range of affordable yarn options, so if you end up loving your sweater you can keep making them and fill your wardrobe!

See Finished Projects

Size

  • Finished Bust (not including front bands) 34 (38.5, 42, 45.5, 49.5)” in.” or (86.5 (98, 106.5, 115.5, 125.5) cm)

Yarn Options

  • Berroco Vintage: Super soft, machine washable, blend of wool & synthetic. ($10.47 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
  • Drops Air: Cozy and light – super soft baby alpaca blown in an airy nylon core. ($10.97 ea) – 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) balls
  • Cascade 220 Superwash: Soft, machine washable, 100% Peruvian wool at a very affordable price (go up a size in the pattern). ($13.97 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
  • Berroco Summer Sesame: Great for warm climates … light, machine-washable, colourful and slightly textured (go up a size in the pattern). SALE $14.98 (Reg. $19.97) – 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) balls
  • Cascade 220 Superwash Merino: Super soft, machine washable, 100% Merino wool at a very affordable price (go up a size in the pattern). ($15.97 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
  • Malabrigo Rios: Super soft, hand-dyed, machine washable, 100% Merino wool. We suggest alternating skeins to get the best colour distribution. ($23.97 ea) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls

Other Materials

SEE ALL SALE PRODUCTS

Our SUMMER SALE is ending Sept 5th! Select products (including some clearance items and craft kits!) are now 25% OFF. 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 – you won’t be able to use another discount code when you check-out).

See our Past Project Ideas For:

Berroco Remix Light: SALE $11.98 (Reg $15.97)

See Projects

Quince & Co Kestrel: SALE $11.98 (Reg $15.97)

See Projects

Quince & Co Sparrow: SALE $11.22 (Reg $14.97)

See Projects

Berroco Summer Sesame: SALE $14.98 (Reg. $19.97)

See Projects

Rico Creative So Cool So Soft: SALE $8.98 (Reg. $11.97)

See Projects

Berroco Pima Soft: SALE $7.48 (Reg. $9.97)

See Projects

Assorted Crafty Kits 25% Off

NEW Interweave Knits Winter 2019

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NEW Interweave Knits Winter 2019

The new Winter 2019 issue of Interweave Knits has arrived, and is available online and in store!

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FREEBIE Tied Knots

Tied Knots

Tied Knots a is gorgeous one-skein project that will make a very impressive and well received gift. Just one skein of semi-solid hand-dyed Mineville Merino DK is enough, or try 2 skeins of Cascade 220 Sport Superwash if you prefer a solid or heathered colour. For something more post use a skein of Madeline Tosh Merino DK. One skein of Mineville Angora Wool is enough for two hats or a hat and a matching pair of mitts.

Materials

  • FREE Pattern
  • Mineville Merino DK: 1 skein
  • 3.25mm/US3-16″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6-16″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6 double pointed needles
  • cable needle
  • stitch marker
  • tapestry/darning needle

 

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FREEBIE Erie Hat

Making Gifts They LOVE: Erie Hat

At this time of year I’m generally scrambling for gift making ideas for you – after all there are 24 days until Christmas (23 until Channukah)! Of course, I can only guess at what you might want to make, and there’s also the larger question what your loved ones would like to receive. And then there’s the added problem that sometimes the two are at cross purposes. And then to make it even harder, lets factor in the sad fact that people who don’t spend their time around textiles or knitwear don’t know how to describe what they like.

Case in point, my friend Jane. Jane has made hats for her brothers in the past, but this year they have requested something that is more ‘expensive looking’. Jane uses nice really yarns, makes nice designs, and has a high skill level, so what the heck does ‘expensive looking’ mean?! Well, in translation, it means something that looks in style and possibly execution like it’s commercially made from conventional types of fibres or textiles – the exact opposite of what we, as crafters, like to do. We often like working with interesting, hand-dyed or multicoloured yarns, but our peeps aren’t necessarily into it. It’s not their fault, they’re muggles, have compassion.

As a nod to Jane and her brothers, above is a free pattern for an ‘expensive looking’ hat. It’s a basic slouchy, 1×1 rib hat that even the sulkiest of hollywood stars would hear. It can be made with a fun, hand dyed merino yarn like Mineville Merino DK (the greys and black are a good compromise) or Madeline Tosh Merino DK, or a staid, more conservative style of yarn like Cascade 220 Superwash Sport. The most popular colours are generally medium charcoal heathered grey, dark heathered jet grey, light heathered grey (notice a trend?), black, navy, off white, and then maybe the denimy blues.

SIGH, such is life … it’s dull work, but the payoff is when you see your gift being used CONSTANTLY, for years on end. Make a warm, soft, boring coloured ribbed hat and they will wear it for ever and ever and ever.

Yarn Options

Other Materials

  • FREE Pattern
  • 4mm/US6-16″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6 double pointed needles
  • stitch marker
  • tapestry/darning needle

 

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FREEBIE Favorite Slouchy

Favorite Slouchy

This stylish hat is a great project for both newbies and more experienced knitters (it comes with a tutorial on hat knitting). It’s simple, elegant, and makes a great holiday gift. It’s designed using soft, hand painted Malabrigo Rios, but you can use any worsted weight yarn (see list below for recommendations).

Yarn Options

Other Materials

  • FREE Pattern
  • 4mm/US6-16″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6 double pointed needles
  • tapestry needle
  • stitch marker

 

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NEW Fleece Artist Vamps Kits

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Fleece Artist Vamps Kits

A ‘Vamp’ is a Newfoundland term for a pair of hand knit ankle socks used both as house slippers and as boot liners. They are knit holding 2 strands of yarn together (one merino and one super soft kid mohair), these slippers are a warm and fuzzy tribute to this regional hand knit tradition. This pattern is best knit on double pointed needles rather than short circular needles. You can also knit this kit up as a warm and fuzzy pair of Mitts!

Vamps Kits are a double gift – they’re a great gift for knitters, and they also knit up as a wonderful gift.

Kit Includes

  • Pattern & instructions (one size, for other sizes use the pattern Rye below)
  • 125g of Fleece Artist Merino 3/6
  • 50g of Handmaiden Angel Hair

Kit DOES NOT include 4mm double pointed needles

 

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Pattern Notes

After knitting up a sample we found that seasoned sock knitters may not ‘get’ the pattern that is included with the kit. If you want an alternative path try using the free pattern for Rye Socks by TinCan Knits and making the following modifications:

  • Use 4mm/US6 needles
  • In the “Cuff” omit the “Round 1” & “Round 2”: start the heel flap immediately after making the ribbing
  • The third size fits an average women’s foot, the fourth size fits
  • omit garter stitch detail down the front

 

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FREEBIE Lake Reed

Lake Reed

A fancy cable in a soft & pretty semi-solid yarn always makes an impressive gift! One skein of Mineville Meirno DK makes a beautiful and affordable choice.

Materials

  • FREE Pattern
  • Mineville Meirno DK: 1 skein
  • 4mm/US6-16″ circular needles
  • 5mm/US8-16″ circular needles
  • 5mm/US8 double pointed needles
  • cable needle
  • tapestry needle

 

FREEBIE Sydänmaa Mittens

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Photo: handepande

 

Sydänmaa Mittens

OK, there are only 5 weeks until the holidays – time to get down to business! These mitts make a great gift, anyone would love their simple, classic look, and they only use one skein of affordable Cascade 220. If you think they might end up in the wash consider using a superwash yarn like Cascade 220 Superwash, Berroco Vintage, or Malabrigo Rios.

Yarn Options

One skein of any of these yarns will do:

Materials

 

FREEBIE Willow

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Willow

I love it when things come together fast and easily, and this scarf was one of them. The pattern looks complicated but it was an extremely simple cable stitch. I was playing around with a new yarn, buttery soft Cascade Spuntaneous. I wanted to see how it would knit up in different ways, so I pushed it to it’s limit and used 12mm/US17 needles for the body of the scarf. It looks awesome and blocked larger than it knit up, which was beneficial because it was looking a bit on the short & stout side when it came off the needles.

The Closure

The cool thingy on the scarf in the first picture is the JUL Designs Mod Loop Leather Closure in Truffle. All of the JUL designs products are kind of like ingenious jewellery for your knits. They  screw in, so they are no-sew and you can remove them and use them as often and with as many garments as you like (you can see a video demonstrating how they work HERE). Of course, you do not need to wear this scarf with a closure, I just thought it looked neat and tried it.

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Size

After blocking the scarf measured approximately 11″ wide and 62″ long.

Notes

  • used 12mm/US17 needles for the body of the scarf
  • added 5 rows of K2P2 rib on each end with 10mm/US15 needles
  • wet blocked the scarf by washing it in Soak Wash, removing the excess water by rolling it in a towel, and then laying flat to dry
  • if you want a narrower scarf or want to use less yarn there’s definitely room to omit one pattern repeat (6 stitches)
  • if you want to join the ends and make a cowl you can cast on using a provisional cast on and then either graft the ends together using kitchener stitch or use a 3 needle bind off to join the ends.

Materials

 

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FREEBIE Jumbo Travelling Cables Hat

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JUMBO Travelling Cables Hat

Need a warm hat this winter? I think this hat is an excellent candidate. It’s thick, duper-super soft, and works up FAST. The jumbo cables make it interesting and a bit warmer too. We used one skein of brand new Cascade Spuntaneous, a buttery soft and light as air single ply merino wool. I had a little bit of yarn shortage anxiety, but I was fine and didn’t have to go into a second skein.

Size

One size, and the hat fits a bit small (21″ to 22″ head) but you can make it larger by using larger needles: 10mm/US15 for the ribbing and 12mm/US17 for the rest of the hat.

Our hat was made on 8mm/US11 & 9mm/US13 needles and blocked by washing it in Eucalan and laying flat to dry. We also accidentally knitter an extra row or two in the brim.

Measurements after Blocking (with brim turned up)

  • outside: 9.5″ wide & 10″ long
  • inside: 8.5″ wide & 10″ long
  • brim turned up: 2.75″

Materials

  • FREE Pattern
  • Cascade Spuntaneous: 1 skein
  • 8mm.US11-16″ circular needles (or 10mm/US15 for larger sizes)
  • 9mm/US13-16″ circular needles (or 12mm/US17 for larger sizes)
  • 9mm/US13 double pointed needles (or 12mm/US17 for larger sizes)
  • Jumbo cable needle
  • Jumbo tapestry needle
  • Jumbo stitch marker

 

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