Archive for 2015

Kids Summer Knitting

Monday, June 29th, 2015

This one is for the kiddos……

Attention all children we have some great summer knitting plans for you!!

For those of you who already have some knitting experience, we are going to offer a few project based classes.  First off is the knit your own icord necklace or fashionable tie class. The yarn and needles will be supplied for this workshop but if the kids want to continue on with the project then needles can be purchased afterwards.

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Next up is the build your own monster class that will be a two class workshop. The yarn will be provided but kids will have to bring their own needles. We recommend 4.5-5.5mm needles.
Here are some examples:

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All classes will be held on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30am and start July 8th. Here is the link to our classes page for more info and all class dates- http://www.urbanyarns.com/classes/. We will be offering similar classes in August as well if these dates don’t work for you, so let us know what you are interested in! Sign up soon as there is a class limit of 8 kids. Come join us for some fun summer crafting ;)

Summer Strategizing

Monday, June 22nd, 2015

Seasonal knitting sometimes requires adjustments. I do know some folks who only knit during the colder half of the year, opting to hang up their needles when the mercury rises, but myself, I like to be able to knit year-round. To be completely honest, Vancouver does have a relatively mild climate – it rarely gets exorbitantly hot or cold, and rare is the day where the weather completely prohibits knitting.

That being said, I do tend to adjust my projects and expectations from season to season. Working a big, woolly blanket or bedspread is a great way to keep warm in the winter, but hardly a wise choice when knitting through July and August. Below are some of my personal tips for keeping comfortable and cool while knitting in the summer. Do chime in if you have any “hot” tips of your own.

1) Project Selection
The warmer months are the time to knit small and light projects. Think socks and mittens, light shawls and hats. Also go for lighter gauge yarns – lace and fingering weight yarns help to keep the bulk down and out of your lap. Lace and stockinette will be more comfortable to work with than garter stitch, cables, and colourwork.

2) Fibre Selection
Perhaps lay aside the extra-insulating angora and alpaca in favour of temperature regulating yarns out of fine merino or silk, synthetic fibres like Outlast, or bast (plant) fibres such as linen, cotton or bamboo. Just remember that these fibres have very different properties from one another – some research and swatching is highly recommended!

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Sweetgeorgia Tough Love Sock

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Shibui Linen

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Handmaiden SeaSilk

3) Location, location, location
Knit on the beach, in the evenings, or with a fan circulating air around the room (probably best not to point it straight at your hands while knitting). Also take your time – my knitting speed and stamina certainly suffer in the heat. I just can’t sit on the couch with a pile of fabric in my lap for very long – and that’s OK. Above all, stay cool, stay hydrated, and knit on!

More from KAS Designs

Monday, June 15th, 2015

We are very pleased to announce the newest addition to our KAS Designs line up…..the Origami Pockets.  This design has been crafted specifically for us and our knitters!! It is a circular knitting needle case that folds up to nothing, like a fortune cookie and yet holds 8-10 needles.  A knitters dream- lightweight, compact, functional and of course beautiful to look at.  As with all of the other KAS designs, the attention to detail and craftsmanship of these little pouches is unbelievable.

Here it is…starts off like this….

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A tiny nice little package.

Then opens to this…

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Holds 8-10 circular needles and still folds up to nothing!

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Here it is shown open and closed.

There are even leaf shaped leather tags that you can label with your needle sizes….

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The pouches are made from the same high quality vintage fabrics and leather detailing that KAS Designs has become well known for. Come and take a look at these very unique circular needle cases, you will be blown away by their beauty and design, they truly are one of a kind!!

Random Summer Roundup

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

It’s been nice and hot in Vancouver – and I’ve been far too busy with a lot of things. That means it’s time for a random roundup of summer products and projects! Some of these are new, and some are time-tested summer home runs.

Madelinetosh Twist Light
Well, the latest and greatest from the Southern Juggernaut has hit the shelves. We’ve got the new Madelinetosh Twist Light in a slew of rich and/or vibrant colours. I don’t need to talk this up to you, it really just sells itself. Make sure you come check it out before it’s gone!

Content: 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon
Weight: 50 grams
Length: 384 meters/420 yards
Gauge: 26 – 30 stitches/4 inches
Suggested Needle Size: 2.25 – 2.75 mm/US 1 – 2

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Ok, so I’m not really a glitter person, but the new Glitterati Sock from sweetgeorgia is fantastic. Even better? The adorable, summery, cheery Sail Shawl Kit they’ve put together! We’ve got some in-store (sorry, not online, but you can always call or e-mail us to sort something special out!) I love the colour combos, and I want to make them all.

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Spud & Chloe Fine
I know I talked about the new Spud & Chloe Stripey Fine a few months back. But guess what? I still *love* Spud & Chloe Fine. In fact, it is one of my go-to summer yarns. I’ve just started a wicked fun and easy shawl that is the perfect summer project. Seriously, it’s just garter stitch, yos, and k2togs – doesn’t get any better than that for beach and beer knitting!
Colours of Choice: Popcorn, Sidewalk, and Anemone
Spud & Chloe Fine

Pattern of Choice: Quicksilver by Melanie Berg
Quicksilver

That’s it for this week! Go forth and knit – but make sure you keep cool, too! If one of these summer goodies doesn’t speak to you, we are always happy to help you find the perfect project!

Premium Product: Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Sock

Monday, May 25th, 2015

Not a new product, but the other day we were shuffling around some of the displays in the store and said “huh, haven’t seen too much action around this sock yarn lately, because it’s been tucked away in a dark corner…” which is as good a reason as any to put it in the spotlight for a bit!

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Vital Statistics
Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Sock
Content: 50% alpaca, 30% merino wool, 10% silk, 10% nylon
Weight: 100 grams
Length: 400 meters/437 yards
Gauge: 28 stitches/4 inches
Suggested Needle Size: 2.75 mm/US2

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This yarn really has a lovely hand – it of course develops a halo from the high alpaca content, but the merino does it’s share to keep that in check (a blessing if, like me, you can’t stand yarn with too much fuzz). The silk and nylon both serve to add some durability making it a far better yarn for socks than many alpaca-based yarns.

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Obviously the colours are just fantastic, as we’ve all come to expect from Misti Alpaca. The one caveat there is that as with any hand dyed yarn, if you are using multiple skeins, it is a good idea to alternate them to prevent pooling and dye lot changes.

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Some lovely patterns to use this yarn for would be Color Affection (maybe paired with a solid colour), Turkish Bed Socks, or if you’re especially daring, The Beekeeper’s Quilt.

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Learn to Fair Isle

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015

Have you always admired the intricate looking, colourful motifs of fair isle but thought it too daunting to ever attempt or try? Well fear no more….we have an expert in the house and she is offering a class specifically on this technique to teach you how to strand and play with colourful yarns.

Let me introduce you to Sylvanna (some of you may already know her as the hostess of the Friday night knit night), there is a great story behind her experience with fair isle-

Sylvanna learned to knit when she was 15yrs old at her high school knitting club, after her mom had tried to teach her several times, to no avail. She taught herself the continental style of knitting so that she could attempt knitting fair isle using both hands rather than just one. Sylvanna prefers the two handed method to prevent the yarns from getting all tangled up together. On her only second attempt with fair isle, Sylvanna chose a complex Debbie Bliss cardigan you can check out the pattern here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cropped-fair-isle-cardigan.

As you can see she wasn’t messing around and it was a complete success!!

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So much so that one of DB’s editors spotted Sylvanna’s finished garment pictures on Ravelry and contacted her, asking if she could forward her a picture to feature in the Fall/Winter 2014 issue!!

Here it is:

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Naturally we thought now why not get our in house celebrity to teach this technique, well here is your chance! Sylvanna will be teaching a colour work class where you will learn the fair isle techniques as well as intarsia and the duplicate stitch. It will be held on Mondays from 6:30-8:30pm, starting May 25th at the point grey location. If you are interested give us a call as the dates may change due to how many people register (we will wait until 2/3 people at least are signed up).

Note: Edit from the last spa cloth post- Alison has changed the dates and times of her classes to:
Friday May 22, 29 at 12:30-2:30pm ($50) and
Friday June 19, 26 at 12:30-2:30pm ($50)

Spa cloths and candles, Oh my!!

Monday, May 4th, 2015

If you have visited the store lately you might have noticed a nice fresh scent in the air. We have a new locally made candle line called the Vancouver Candle Co. They are “Clean burning candles made of premium soy wax, cotton wicks and perfume-grade fragrance oils.
Hand-poured in small batches and personally signed and numbered by a single artisan”. You can check out their website for more info here:
http://www.vancouvercandleco.com.

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We love to be able to support our local businesses and adore the fact that they are named after local areas of Vancouver, a great unique gift. The scent combinations are to die for, making it impossible to choose just one.

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And to go with these beautiful candles you can practice or learn a new skill of lace or cables with these knitted spa cloths, a perfect birthday, wedding shower or house warming gift.

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An excellent introduction to lace and cables, either from a chart or written instructions. Patterns can be purchased individually or as a set of 3 ebook. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spa-cloth-1

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This is Spa Cloth 3-http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spa-cloth-3-2

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Each cloth calls for 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton and 3.75mm needles. Feel a little over your head? Fear not, the lace aficionado Alison will be offering workshop classes for this project on Saturdays at the Point Grey location. So come and learn a new technique or freshen up on your skills (beyond beginner skills recommended) and leave with a lovely new bathroom addition or gift. Just in time for mother’s day too, a one of a kind candle and Spa cloth…..done!!

Premium Product: Madelinetosh Light

Tuesday, April 28th, 2015

Well, no matter how often we sell out, there is always more yarn coming in.
This week brings us quite literally boxes upon boxes of Madelinetosh Light in a whole host of new colours.

I mean it. Boxes of the stuff.

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Apologies if some of the colours (like the hot pink) are off – my camera is on it’s last legs.

Just for fun I pulled my favourites out of the new batch… I really can’t decide what to knit with first!

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Hurry in and get the new colours while you can! I guarantee that these will go quick.

Spring, Summer, Lace

Monday, April 20th, 2015

It is beginning to feel like summer…yippee!! I don’t know about you but I am very much looking forward to the warm sunny summer months. And just because it is warmer outside, doesn’t mean you have to stop knitting…why not try knitting with cotton, linen, bamboo, hemp, silk or some blends? The best part is now you can enjoy knitting outside, just be careful not to get burnt (you don’t want to get a knitter’s tan- a nice white crease in the elbows;))

So to get you pumped about summer knitting, I thought I would share with you some project and pattern ideas. We have received all of our spring/summer magazines full of great options. I will share a few with you below, but I suggest if you like anything of what you see that you hurry down to the shop to pick up your copy soon, as they are going fast!!!

Knit.Purl is one of my favourite magazines. You may remember the short run of Knit.Wear magazine (best knitting magazine in my opinion), this is supposed to take the place of that publication. So far I don’t think that it is quite up to the same caliber as Knit.Wear, but it is still one of my favourites. Here is a peak at the Spring/Summer 2015 issue.

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Simple, textured tank.

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One of my fav’s, good for layering.

Knitscene went for a more funky, fringy, textured, colour blocking approach for summer.

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We most often see lace, light and meshy open work for summer.

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Always a bit more conservative, Interweave Knits Spring 2015-

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And of course lace shawls… the perfect spring/summer project. There the possibilities are endless!!

I hope that helps to inspire you for some spring/summer knitting. Drop into the shop to check out our new selection of yarns, perfect for this season, like the last week mentioned Shibui twig. We have lots of other various light weight yarns and blends and of course a great selection of cottons, linens, silk and hemp to choose from. It is time to play around with some different fibres for some added summer texture!

Premium Product: Shibui Twig

Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

Mmm it’s always fun to play with new yarn!
We’ve just brought in some great new stuff from Shibui: Twig.

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It’s a little bit of an odd bug; 46% linen, 42% recycled silk, 12% wool
This gives it a stiff-ish hand, bur promises lots of drape and and a lovely hand when washed and broken in.

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Actually, it makes me think of a few other yarns with similar properties: Habu Merino 4P, Berocco Seduce, and some of the other, ropier linen blends.

Twig comes in some great colours, of course. Shibui has a knack for pairing gorgeous subtlety with the off pop of punchy colour.

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And of course, Shibui has launched a few classy, minimal patterns to show off the yarn. But if none of them take your fancy, we can always help you find the perfect pattern!

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Bevel

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Slope

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