Archive for September, 2009

Enter Our Monthly Knit-Pik

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Starting October 1, enter our monthly Knit-Pik at either the Point Grey or Edgemont store and you could win a $50.00 gift certificate to spend on your favourite product.  Just bring in your business card or fill out a Knit-Pik card, place it in the container provided, and keep your fingers crossed.  The draw will take place the last day of every month.  Good luck!

This week’s specials are Filatura di Crosa Folly and New Maliziosa, both at 40% off.  Folly was 12.95, now a lucky $7.77 a ball,  great for scarves, shawls and trims.  New Maliziosa was $8.95, now 5.37 a ball.  This yarn could also be used for scarves, as well as hats or garments. 

And, now that Halloween is fast approaching you might want to create a skull scarf to scare your friends.  This pattern is free and directions are provided using a chart or, if you prefer, it is also written out.  Pick up some Debbie Bliss Rialto DK  or any worsted weight yarn and, as you can see, you don’t necessarily have to stick with the traditional black and white skull colours. 

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Click here for a copy of the free pattern.

Avant Garde Cate Blanchett Wears a Crochet Dress

Monday, September 28th, 2009

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Crochet is all the rage and even Cate Blanchett is wearing it.  For great crochet ideas check out our new book, Crochet That Fits, by Mary Jan Hall. 

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In this exciting new book, Mary Jan Hall introduces a graduated stitch system that utilizes crochet stitches of different heights.  Using this approach, she has created a variety of crochet patterns that are easy to follow but highly unique and extremely flattering.  So why not follow in Cate Blanchett’s footsteps and create a stunning masterpiece of your own.

Lantern Moon

Friday, September 25th, 2009

We’ve re-stocked all of our Lantern Moon needles, baskets, and buttons this week. We’re really excited about the new 12″ Rosewood Straights – an absolute dream to knit with! In addition to the 12″ straights, we also have 14″ Rosewood Straights, 7″ Rosewood Double Points, and 5″ Rosewood Sox Stix.

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Lantern Moon baskets are great for stashing yarn  and “on-the-go” projects. The Twisted Seagrass baskets are always popular as they can close completely with the drawstring closure. Another popular product is the extremely versatile rice basket that is pictured below. Use it to display, carry, and store all of your knitting goodies!

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Most of the Lantern Moon products are hand made in Vietnam. These handcrafting skills such as woodcarving, basket weaving, and silk weaving are traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. In addition to providing women and their families with a steady income and a sense of self-reliance, this company inspires globally conscious living.

The baskets are always the first to go, so come check them out in both stores!

And just a side note that we’re in the process of upgrading our system to help serve you better. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few glitches with some of our emails coming through. If you haven’t heard a response to an email that you’ve sent in the past 24 hours, please call us with your enquiry and we’d be happy to help! This problem should be fixed by tomorrow morning – so please just bear with us…

The Dude

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

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Anyone who knits and has seen the movie, The Big Lebowski, must have been impressed by the beautiful sweater worn by Jeff Bridges.   If you have yearned to make that sweater since then but couldn’t figure out the pattern, your wish has come true.  After much consternation,  Andrea managed to design The Dude pattern which is available for free on her blog.

This sweater can be knit using Naturegarn which we currently have on sale at $1.99 a ball.  You will need 24 balls of the main colour and 7 or 8 balls of the accent colour.  Do the math and you have a beautiful sweater for an unbelievable price of about $75.00.

Thank you Andrea for your great pattern.

Jared Flood’s New Book has Arrived!

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

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Don’t miss out on this beautiful book full of fantastic patterns for fall and winter in earthy autumn tones.

Other new books  include;

Design It, Knit It by Debbie Bliss along with new yarn and colours
Sensual Knits by Yahara Ferreira
Luxe Knits by Laura Zukaite
Knitting in Tuscay by Nicky Epstein…..and many others.

We have also received some new Debbie Bliss, Rialto DK; as well as some beautiful colours of Noro; Malabrigo and Mirasol.

We are receiving shipments daily so come on in and see what’s new!

Meet the New Co-Owner

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

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Come meet Jan, the new co-owner of Urban Yarns,  this coming Wednesday, September 23rd at our Point Grey location and the following Wednesday, September 30th at our Edgemont location, and receive $10 off any purchase over $50.00.  There are lots of new yarns, books and patterns to choose from for your Fall projects.  We’ll also have some nibblies to enjoy while you browse. Jan is really looking forward to meeting everyone!

Alexa’s Stag

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

 

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For a whole new meaning to the term stag, here’s a quick and simple button scarf project that Alexa dreamed up on her travels across Canada.  She was inspired by the wildlife and wanted to reflect the great Canadian moose in her design, although the only moose she actually saw was in the Manitoba museum.  For this novel pattern, modeled here by Jessica from our Edgemont Village store, she used 2 skeins of Spud and Chloe in an earthy tone called flannel, however, there are lots of other colours you can choose to create your own signature scarf. 

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Come pick up a copy of her pattern and some Spud and Chloe and this uniquely Canadian scarf will be finished in no time flat.

New Arrivals

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

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Looking for one to two skein patterns that make great gifts?  If so, this  book by Leigh Radford will be a keeper for your library.  The patterns are unique, well written and easy to adapt to various yarns.  Not only that, you can create a project with luxurious yarn guilt free!

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This unique book by Judy Summer introduces a whole new world of sock knitting.  Included are 30 patterns featuring Japanese stitches in a wide range of designs from short to long, fine to bulky, and simple to complex.  For all you sock knitters out there, this is a must see.

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Vintage lovers take note.  This book by Kristen Rengren is spectacular.  She has researched and collected more than 40 heirloom patterns from the 1920’s to the 1950’s to share.  She has also included interesting background information on the history of each pattern.  And, the babies featured are absolutely adorable. 

Other books we just received are:

Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor
The Knitchicks’ Guide to Sweaters by Marcelle Karp and Pauline Wall
Knitting Weekend by Melanie Falick
Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
Knitting New Mittens & Gloves by Robin Melanson
Alterknits Felts by Leigh Radford and…
Greetings from Knit Cafe by Suzan Mischer.  Check out the Lacy Skirt Alexa made from this book.  Super comfortable and oh, so feminine. 

Playing in the garden

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Cleo (pictured on the right) had a friend visit her the other day. Melanie brought Frieda (pictured on the left) over to play in the garden. Cleo and Frieda wore matching hoodies, but why not play around and make a whole wardrobe for your cute crocodile friends! Take a look at the pattern here, pick up a few colours of Cascade 220, and you’ll have one of these cuties knit up in no time!

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Chilly was also playing outside. Anina knit him on an extremely cold June day… hence the name! Check out Anina’s ravelry page for more info on this darling dino. She used Noro Kureyon, but we’ve got lots of machine washable options as well.

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Along with this great Prehistoric Pals pattern, we also have the Safari Friends pattern from Knitting At Knoon. Your kids are sure to love these!

App helpers for knitters

Friday, September 11th, 2009

For you iPhone and iTouch users, did you know that there are specialized applications available for download to help you with your projects?  Some are free and others cost only a few dollars.  We counted at least 14 Apps that can do everything from tracking your completed rows to maintaining an inventory of your needles, crochet hooks, yarn stash, and swatches.  Just search in the App Store using the word “knit” for a listing of available applications.

Have you seen the new Knitty?

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We just love this new issue with so many great designs. Mi Escuelita kids cardigan is a perfect “back-to-school” project for the fall. Try this one out in the Gems Sport Weight or the Mission Falls 136 Merino for a great washable cardi for the kids!

And don’t forget that tonight we’re having our big Fall Stitch ‘N Bitch kick off. Join us tonight (sept 11) from 7-9pm at out Point Grey location for a glass of wine and some nibbles. See you there!