Just as good as the first issue…

There was a wonderful buzz in the stores today
as the bargains were devoured.  The boxes and bins are still overflowing with loads of discounted yarns and this weekend will be busy.  Be prepared for occasional line-ups and please be patient – we’re moving as fast as we can!

Boxes are stacked to the rafters and yarn is bursting out of the bins.  We have piles of boxes in our basements.  The time has come to bust the Urban Yarns stash.  Every February we do an inventory count and we’d rather sell it than count it….

We’re giving first notice of the sale to all our loyal blog readers.  The doors will open Friday, February 6 at 10:00 a.m.   There are over 200 different yarns on sale, discounted from 25% – 60% off the regular price.   These are fabulous yarns like Alchemy, Blue Sky, Colinette, Debbie Bliss, Fleece Artist, Louisa Harding, Mirasol, Noro, Rowan and many, many more.  Check out Rowan Chunky Print, Ribbon Twist and Soft Baby at 60% off!  Of course there are also books, needles, knitting bags, knit kits, the list goes on and on.   We have good quantities of many yarns and limited quantities of others so come early for the best selection.

Have a look at the entire list right here.  Knock yourself out!

Check out these great new kits from Habu, direct from Manhattan.  Habu uses interesting and unusual fibres from Japan to create their seriously cool designs. 

We have the Paper Mohair Jacket kit, made with linen, mohair and silk:

Ms. Habu told us this jacket looks good on everyone and is an easy knit. 

We like the look of the Kushu Kushu felted scarf:

This kit includes silk, merino and stainless steel.  Yup, stainless steel…  We also have the Silk Stainless yarn in cute little cones.  Use your imagination with this one.

The Paper and Silk Handbag kit and Paper Moire Silk Vest kit are also very appealing.  Better drop by and have a look…

We’ve unpacked some great new titles this week.  Check ‘em out:

We have tons of handpainted sock yarn to go with the book.

Knit some cute new items for your favourite pooch or feline. This book was recommended by one of our most prolific knitters of togs for dogs…

The well-known Crochet Dude has published his own book.  A refreshing new collection of crochet projects for guys.

And some late-breaking news, we’ve just unpacked all the new Spring Rowan and Rowan Classic books and yarn.  Hard to choose from all the stunning options…  Details will follow sometime soon.

Our weekly special is Rowan Bamboo Tape, at 40% off the regular price.  A beautfiul yarn with a gorgeous array of colours.  Be sure to check out the Bamboo Tape Collection with loads of stunning designs for this yarn.

Still plenty of time for cozy winter projects or if you’re in the mood, pick up something fresh and new for Spring!

We have five more new Sublime books for children and adults, in addition to the two baby books we mentioned yesterday…

This one’s the Second Cashmere Merino Silk DK book 619:

With ten designs for men, women and girls.  The beauty of these designs is all in the exquisite shaping and quietly stunning colours.  The extraordinary softness of the yarn is emphasized with beautiful stitch details.  There are romantic and pretty designs for women and girls and simple shapes and textures, with elegant touches of simple cabling, for men. 

The Fourth Sublime Aran Hand Knit book 620 looks like this:

With nine designs for men, women, girls and boys.  This book is all about luxuriously easy knits – effortlessly simple pieces for stylish summer layering.  There’s subtle modern styling for men and boys and gorgeously shaped knits for women and girls.  The designs are easy to make with knit and purl textures, ribs and the simplest cables. 

The Second Sublime Merino DK book 621 is inspired by chic nautical style:

With nine designs for men, women, girls and boys.  There are dashingly coloured stripes for women, pretty little cardis for girls and easy, casual designs for men and boys.  This book is full of fabulously flattering, modern shapes and easy to wear styles that are also easy to knit.

The Second Simply Sublime Organic Cotton DK book 622 has a quality of understated elegance:

There are fourteen designs for men, women, girls and boys.  Organic cotton is entirely natural and untreated – it’s been grown organically without the use of pesticides and gently dyed using environmentally friendly products.  These designs are beautiful, relaxed shapes combining exquisitely subtle shades and interesting textures.  The designs use simple stitches and subtle design twists for a flatteringly stylish look.

Last but not least is the Second Luxuriously Exotic Soya Cotton Hand Knit book 623:

With fifteen exquisite designs for girls, boys, men and women.  Soya Cotton DK is a unique, natural yarn with a luxurious drape and an extraordinary softness.  It creates beautifully defined stitch detail and an incredibly smooth fabric.  This is a glamorous collection of simple fashion shapes for women, debonair styles for men and perfect little cover-ups for girls and boys.

I’ve just flipped through all five of these books and I can honestly say there are several garments I’d like to knit in each one.  They’re very versatile, with designs for the whole family.  You really can’t go wrong with any of them!

We have two cute new Sublime Baby Books. 

The Fourth Little Sublime Hand Knit book 617:

With twenty-one designs for babies to 3 years of age using Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK.  This yarn has been out on our shelves for awhile, it’s an exquisite Italian yarn, made from the highest quality natural fibres.  This delicate, soft and smooth yarn is also machine washable so it’s perfect for babies.  The designs include pretty cardis for baby girls and sporty nautical knits for baby boys.

And the First Little Sublime Baby Cotton Kapok book 618:

This one has fourteen designs for babies to three years of age, using the new Sublime yarn, Baby Cotton Kapok DK.  This yarn is a gorgeously soft mix of cotton and kapok.  Kapok is said to have a natural, thermo-regulating quality that will help keep babies cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  It’s lighter than cotton and feels incredibly soft to the touch.  There’s a beautiful colour palette and the designs are sweet as can be. 

We have a hard time saying no to any Sublime books, the designs are fabulous and the yarns are fantastic.  There are several more new Sublime books on our shelves, details tomorrow…

Here’s a random list of some of the new products we’ve pulled out of boxes and suitcases this week…

We picked up some stunning new shawl kits in San Diego.  Art Yarns and Be Sweet have combined three of their beautiful yarns in one kit.  Gorgeous.

We also came home with some FiberSpheres:

A great new tool that will hold and protect your yarn. The easily opening sphere allows yarns to be changed without cutting. And the smooth opening won’t snag or tangle strands of yarn. An excellent new concept!

We have the Namaste Mini Cozies:

A perfect little storage spot for your DP’s and crochet hooks.

And we unpacked stacks of new pattern books and yarn this week, including three new Sirdar pattern books.

‘Out of the Blue’ has thirteen casual designs for women, girls, men and boys in Denim Ultra, Chunky, Aran and Denim DK.  This book is bursting with easy knits and simple textures through to more intricate cables – designs to inspire every level of knitter.  And best of all, we currently have selected colours of all these yarns on sale at 40% off. 

‘Seaside Babes’ is a great new book for Baby Bamboo DK:

With fourteen designs for babies, girls and boys to 7 years of age.  There are cute lacy cover-ups for girls and several jaunty nautical styles for boys.  And we have several sunny new colours of Baby Bamboo like tangerine, peach and seaside blue. 

Be sure to check out ‘The Juicy Book’ with fourteen designs for women, men, girls and boys using Sirdar’s new Juicy yarn:

This one’s loaded with fresh, cool designs for spring and summer.  Juicy is a beautiful, silky blend of 80% bamboo and 20% cotton, in a mouth watering palette of deliciously fruity, summer colours like watermelon, papaya, citrus and coconut white.

We also unpacked some fabulous new Sublime yarns and books.  Details will follow soon….

Almost forgot our weekly special, it’s Online Rush at 40% off the regular price.  This one will knit up very quickly on 9mm needles.  A very soft, versatile yarn.

We’re so happy to see the gloomy fog disappear this morning. If you’re in Vancouver, enjoy the sun while it lasts…

Sadly we can only dream about the pool, the mojitos and the wonderful warmth of the sun we left behind. For the first couple of days Anina and I lay by the pool, soaking up the sun like lizards, while Kathleen and Becky energetically toured around town. On Saturday we dragged ourselves out of the sun and into the cave convention centre to check out the trade show. We blasted through the aisles for a full day and bought many, many lovely new things.

We stopped for a visit with Louisa Harding:

Another very sweet member of the Designer Royal Family. We begged her to come visit and she might make it later this year. Stay tuned for details….

We caught up with Jane Ellison and flipped through her fabulous new book, Mirasol 5, with several cool designs for men. Coming soon….

The Stitch Diva’s booth was one of our favourites:

Crammed full of inspiring items… We ordered loads of new patterns. We loved the Stashbuster Blanket:

Jennifer (aka the Stitch Diva) showed us the Tunisian Crochet technique used for this project. We ordered the hooks and patterns and we’ll offer a stashbusting workshop sometime soon.

There were clever displays:

And a fantastic new line of pewter pins, buttons and buckles. We loved this idea:

Accessorize your next hat with a pewter buckle!

The Knit Kit was a popular new item. It’s a compact device that’s loaded up with a tape measure, stitch counter, thread cutter, scissors, crochet hook, stitch holders and tip protectors. A very useful item to throw into your project bags.  They should arrive in a couple of weeks.

Best of all, we slipped a few new things into our suitcases and brought them home with us. Details tomorrow…

A very hopeful and inspiring day, don’t you think?

They arrived in Point Grey today and will be in Edgemont by Friday. As usual there are many beautiful designs.

Despite the frost and fog, Spring must be on it’s way….