Archive for March, 2011

New Talent

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

20100530-victoria-shop1

You may have noticed a charming new face around the shop lately, it’s Ann! I’ve known Ann for some time now, she’s been in the shop and a knit night regular I look forward to seeing every week. Recently we convinced Ann she should come on board and join the UY team! Ann is very talented knitter always eager to learn a new technique or take on a challenging project. She has great taste in colours and projects (if you ask me) so be sure to find out what she’s working on if you see her.

20100831_wedding_shrug_front_medium2

Ann has knit many things but I think my faves are her wedding shrug and her Reindeer sweater. The wedding shrug is simple in construction but with a lot of detailed lace. I recall many knit nights of working on this shrug and I LOVE the photographs of the finished product. Ann knit this beauty up in Handmaiden Silk Lace, a 100% silk yarn with a generous 984 yards per skein. The pattern is the Sugarplum Shrug.

20100831-wedding-shrug-back

The Reindeer sweater is how Ann and I met, she took a lesson with me on how to do intarsia for the reindeer. She is a more diligent knitter than I though, so her sweater is actually done. She knit it up in Cascade Eco, the same yarn Kynna is using. (Kynna and I are still working on our reindeers…..). Ann’s colour choices are great and the well blocked finished product is fantastic!

20110130-reindeer-back

I highly recommend that you check out Ann’s blog, the photography is fantastic and she always has a new project on the go or an interesting knitterly observation. Glad to have you with us Ann!

Clapo-tea Party

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

img_82382

One of the most popular patterns on Ravelry is the Clapotis. A Clapotis is a rectangular shawl with rows of dropped stitches for a lacy look. It’s simple but interesting, once you get the pattern established. It can be worked in any weight of yarn, with bigger or smaller needles, pretty much any way you like it. With this kind of flexibility I’m not surprised it’s been knit up more than 17,000 times! It’s time to pick up some yarn and needles and cast on one of your very own. Not only is it a great knit but there is also a party to go along with it. From 7-9 Friday night, May 6th we will be having a Clapo-tea party! Wear your beautiful creation to knit night and sip some tea at the Clapo-tea.

Our dear muse KT knit up the most beautiful Clapotis in Handmaiden Mini Maiden so I had to scoop some up for one of my own. I know I know, I can’t help wanting to knit up everything she knits. It’s a sickness. I’m knitting it up in Mini Maiden on 5mm needles. Kynna is knitting hers up in Misti Alpaca’s Handpaint Sock in a pretty rainbow colourway. So, pick up some yarn, some needles, and the free Clapotis pattern here and get ready for a party!

Be Sweet Hat

Friday, March 25th, 2011

img_82131

We recently received a lovely shipment of the ever popular Be Sweet! There was a time at the shop when it seemed like absolutely everyone was knitting up shawls with a Be Sweet Magic Ball. A Magic Ball is a combination of wools, mohairs, ribbons, beads, glittery synthetics, and about any other fiber you can think of. Knit into a simple garter stitch shawl or scarf it’s pretty amazing.

img_8196

Be Sweet is an interesting company, they don’t just have interesting and unique yarns, they are built around the idea of environmental friendliness and they are committed to working with artisans in economically depressed regions. The don’t just have beautiful yarns, they are also trying to improve the lives of some South African women.

This sweet little hat was knit up by Anina (I think she is managing to knit things in negative amounts of time, she is just that fast!). The ball stripes on its own to fit with the pattern, no need to worry about changing colours, which is pretty neat. The yarn is made with organic cotton and bamboo so it’s nice and soft for little one’s head and not too warm for spring. Lot’s of colour combinations to choose from!

img_82111

Modern Mittens

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

img_7639

I know that pretty much everyone texts these days because my parents have been sending me text messages lately. This is a sure-fire sign that texting has crossed all age ranges and walks of life. (I would like to note that as of today the word ‘texting’ is not accepted by my spell checker but I am sure it will be soon…)

img_76291

img_7625

My brothers and I were discussing text messages a while ago and we agreed that although there are some instances in which it is important to talk on the phone, there are many advantages to the text message. The best part is that it is unobtrusive. People can get to their text messages when they have time and they can decide whether or not they wish to respond. It’s also good for those little quips that don’t really need a phone call. That being said, there really should be a mitten that allows you to conveniently keep in contact while keeping your hands toasty warm….. behold the Mobile Mittens!

img_76181

Kynna knit these mittens up in Auracania Azapa and they have a couple of great features. First, they are lovely! An esthetically pleasing mitten is a good thing. They are also flip top mittens so they are more versatile than your classic mitten. And what makes them Mobile you might ask? The separate flip top thumb. This is what enables you to text while your hands remain encased in wooly goodness. The pattern is free on Ravelry here and any worsted weight yarn will do!

img_7631

The sale yarns this week are 50% off Berooco Soft Twist and Berocco Zap, two fun yarns. Zap was $12.95 and is now $6.47. Soft Twist was $7.95 and is now $3.98.

There’s an App for That

Friday, March 18th, 2011

index

I usually work at the Point Grey UY location so I sometimes forget to mention the very talented ladies that work in North Van! Valerie is a highly accomplished quilter extraordinaire and Jessica is an artist as well as being 2 fabulous knitters. Jessica has recently expanded her list of talents to include the release of her very own iPhone app! It is an app that enables you to create your own hat design to your specifications!

The app is nice and easy to use. You pick your yarn weight, hat size, style features (eg. earlaps) and away you go. The pattern will come right up on your phone for you to follow or you can email it to yourself (or your friends). The app allows you to have multiple projects going at the same time, I love this feature because I can never seem to finish one project before I start another. You can check out her cool app here! Great job Jess!

Feeling Irish

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

crw_02563crw_5406crw_5445

There is something nice about hoisting a glass of green beer and being clad from head to toe in green once a year! St Patrick Day is coming up on Thursday and it’s got me feeling green in a good way. I like a low pressure holiday, just a trip to the bar and an attire requirement, no problem.

crw_0664crw_7727img_7204

I am especially pleased with this holiday because I absolutely LOVE green already. It’s no problem to pull some chartreuse out the closet, or perhaps some emerald? There are so many pretty options. It’s really the same in my yarn stash, so many shades to choose from. My daughter is even a shade of green, Hunter green!

crw_2512crw_6957crw_91241

If you are looking for a quick little Irish knit check out this cute little Four Leaf Clover Brooch. Knit it up in any weight of yarn, the only requirement is green. The pattern can be found on Ravelry here and Urban Yarns if full of all different shades of green. If you are feeling a bit more greenly ambitious I recommend the Photosynthesis Shawl by Emily Wessel. I knit one up in purple but I’ve always felt it would be best knit in green, to play upon the leafy theme.

dscn1668_medium21

This week’s special is Sublime Soya Cotton DK, 40% off. It was $6.95 but is now $4.17. This is a cool yarn, perfect for knitting baby items in some pretty ice-creamy colours. It has great drape and is buttery soft so it’s also great for a spring or summer top as well.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

img_79575

Mmmm, nothing like strolling through the crisp March air with a warm cowl around the neck. The world just seems like a more pleasant place with a colourful hand knit item keeping out a frosty chill. I knit up a Marion cowl this past December with one skein of Twinkle and I was immediately hooked. It’s not only a super bulky yarn, it’s buttery soft with a single ply. This means it has almost no spin to it. When I popped by the shop last week I was immediately drawn to the most beautiful colour, a pretty Raspberry red. It’s not too pinky, it’s just perfect.

img_7968

I didn’t pick up the skein right then and there though, I stewed about it for a week, then I was lucky enough to get a skein the next week. I’m not sure why I do that. I even kind of knew I would just obsess about the skein all week and there is always a pretty good chance yarn will not be there the next week if you do this. The universe will conspire against you, it’s happened to me more than once!

I wasn’t sure what pattern I would use, but I knew I had another Marion cowl as a back up plan. I found a pattern on Ravelry but it wasn’t quite perfect (wrong gauge, needle size, number of stitches cast on) so I worked out a version that’s perfect for one skein of Twinkle. You can download a free version of this pattern little-star-cowl. You will need:

1 skein Twinkle

12mm 16″ circular needle

1 stitch marker

a needle for weaving in those pesky ends

img_7973

Buga Baby Bunting

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

img_7797

There’s no great surprise that the wonderful UY ladies knit up a storm for my baby girl! Even though her mother knit everything too big (I practically swaddled her in one of the sweaters I made the other day, determined she would wear it no matter what!) she is still surrounded by yarn and lovely knitwear at all times. It’s a good thing I know a few people who already have babies, so they have a better concept of size. 10 lbs is a lot smaller than it sounds. More than a few knit items kindly made it my way, but I thought I would start with the most size appropriate item: the Buga Baby Bunting

bugababybunting_medium2

There seems to be some sort of debate as to whether or not babies like to be swaddled, the only conclusion I can draw is that it depends on the babe. My babe prefers the arms free approach, couldn’t even get her to put her arms in for a picture. She does, however, like to be warm. The cold weather up here on the mountain means baby must be well layered and the Buga Baby Bunting has been perfect for sleeping. Feel are easily accesible for a quick diaper change too. 4 skeins of Spud and Chloe outer will make this charming item and because it’s a thicker yarn it will knit up nice and quick. Thanks Anina!

The UY special this week is Berroco Suede,  50% off regular 9.95, on for 4.97. This is a unique yarn so check out the Berroco website for free patterns!

All the Rage

Friday, March 4th, 2011

I’ve said it before and I will most certainly say it again: Amanda Kaffka is the height of fashion. Not only is she fashionable in her knitwear (as I will explore further shortly) but she is also pretty fashionable in her attire in general. She’s that girl that puts together the oddest cocktail of clothing and looks completely cutting edge. I may never aquire this skill but I can certainly appreciate it! Her latest trendy knit is The Slouchy and she has even knit it in one of my very favorite yarns, Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand dyes.

the_slouchy-1_medium2

This hat is a pretty simple make up in a heavy worsted weight yarn so there is still time to knit one while the weather remains cold/horrible. I find that Worsted Hand Dyes are the perfect thing to perk up a grey day, even if you are knitting in the gorgeous Charcoal…

slouchy_2_medium2

Amanda has also knit up a cute jazzy version of this hat in the Dream in Color Starry. Starry is a cool yarn, I’ve knit a pair of socks in it myself, and it has the same beautiful colours as DIC Classy but with a hint of silver sparkles. How did she manage to use a sock weight yarn for a worsted weight hat? She held three strands together! The nice thing about using the Starry is that she only needed one skein, always good in my books.