We’ve re-stocked Misti Alpaca’s Baby Alpaca Hand Dyed Chunky and we’ve added to our collection their Worsted Weight 4 ply. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous and sumptuously soft. I’m gazing longingly at a skein as I write this and let me tell you, it’s calling my name. Loudly.

And the Fleece Artists in Nova Scotia have done it again. This box arrived full of hand-dyed Dreadlocks in loads of fabulous colourways:

Dreadlocks is a loopy boucle yarn that’s 78% kid mohair, 13% wool and 9% nylon. There’s 180m on a 250g skein and it knits to a 7 stitch gauge on 12m needles. We’ve added this one to the sale list at 25% off. These won’t last long…

We’ve also added Louisa Harding’s Miss Bea’s series of children’s pattern books at 40% off, only $7.17 each. They’re storybooks with beautiful photographs, illustrations and patterns for the sweaters worn by the children in the story:

Miss Bea’s Seaside has 10 designs using Rowan Denim, a yarn that’s on our sale list at 25% off.

If you’re planning to shop for bargains in Edgemont this weekend, you can visit us on either Saturday or Sunday. This is a permanent change in Edgemont – we’ll be open on Sundays from noon to 5 but closed on Mondays. We’re still open 7 days a week in Point Grey. We hope to see you sometime soon…

It’s been four years, amazingly. I have many fond memories from the month of May, 2004, when we first leased our space on West 10th. One of the most vivid memories is of Anina, in handyman clothes, working the skill saw and banging the boards as she installed our new hardwood floor. I’m sure I have photos somewhere… She’s a multi-talented woman and I’m lucky to have such a fantastic business partner.

Our Anniversary Sale starts today and runs until May 18. The entire sale list is right here. There are many great bargains on the list and we’ll continue to add new items every day.

A huge thanks to all of you for your continued encouragement, support and inspiration over the last four years. It’s been a blast. And we hope the fun will continue for many years to come…

Anina and I are heading to Toronto tomorrow for another yarn show. We’ll check out the new Fall products and designs and report back when we return.

Our special yarn this week is SWTC Amaizing at 40% off. This is a ‘go green’ yarn, 100% corn fiber, it knits to a 24 stitch gauge on 4.5mm needles. And best of all it’s machine washable and dryable. As an added bonus this week we’ve dropped the price on some of our current specials like Rowan Ribbon Twist, Berroco Suede Deluxe and Berroco Jewel FX. Most of our specials are listed right here.

We continue to benefit from the stronger Canadian dollar and this week we’ve dropped the regular price of Rowan 4 ply Soft from $12.95 to $9.95 and Rowan Wool Cotton from $12.95 to $10.95. Remember, if you see two different prices on a particular yarn, you’ll receive the lower price at checkout.

We’re taking another blog break for a week or so while we’re in TO. See you next week…

Jana Dempsey, the Main Maiden over at Hand Maiden Fine Yarn, recently dropped by with her adorable little bambino, Etta Mae. We distracted EM with a Lantern Moon sheep tape measure while chatting with her mom. We asked Jana to surprise us with some delicious new yarn and as usual, she didn’t disappoint. The boxes arrived today and look what we found inside:

We now have stunning new Bias Shawl kits and sumptuous Cashmere, Mini Maiden, Tussah Sea and Samira Silk yarns brightening up our Handmaiden wall. It’s all Drop Dead Gorgeous…

Speaking of DDG, the glamour girl was in fine form at her party on Wednesday night:

We all had too much fun and stumbled home in the wee hours on Thursday morning. If we’ve been moving a little slower than usual the last couple of days, please accept our apologies…

Don’t forget to join Astor Tsang for her free demo session tomorrow in Point Grey. Drop by any time between noon and 5 p.m. Astor will be demonstrating the woven knitting and crochet technique she used for her beautiful Colinette pillow. Have fun!

Had four relaxing days at Whistler, then returned to the whirlwind of City life. Haven’t had a spare minute to sit down and write.

Today’s a big birthday for our friend and occasional staffer, Cathy McKenzie. Happy Birthday Cathy! To celebrate tonight we’ll eat, drink, knit and be merry.

Our special yarn this week is Crystal Palace Iceland at 30% off. It’s 100% super soft wool, with 100 metres to a 100g ball. This yarn felts beautifully and is a quick knit at about 12 stitches to 10cm on 8mm needles.

We’ve been busily placing lots of orders, we’re trying to keep a constant stream of great new yarns, books and products coming our way. We recently received some wild new colours of SWTC Tofutsies. Also more of the popular Trendsetter Dune, the mohair yarn with a subtle metallic shimmer. Make a striking scarf with just one ball.

And we’ve stocked the Addi Turbo crochet hooks for the first time. The buzz we’ve heard is that these are the best hooks available. They have ergonomic handles for added comfort. The tips are perfectly shaped with the famous addi-turbo finish. And the handles are colour-coded according to size. Better give them a test-hook….

We recently received the cutest new baby book, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino III:

Yet another fantastic book in the Baby Cashmerino series, there are some adorable babies designs inside this cover. And we have lots of the lovely Baby Cashmerino yarn with which to knit them.

We have the new Louisa Harding yarn, Mulberry Silk, with a soft hand and a subtle shimmer. And the seductively soft Angora by Elspeth Lavold. We also have some great new colours of the wonderful Malabrigo Lace Baby Merino and Merino Worsted hanging on our walls.

And have you seen the stunning tapestry that’s currently displayed in our Point Grey window? It’s a beautiful piece of fiber art created by the talented Alice Philips. Alice recently participated in Artists in our Midst 2008, celebrating it’s 16th year of bringing artists and the community closer together. Take a tour through artists’ studios in Dunbar and Kerrisdale this weekend or in Kitsilano the following weekend.

Jill Edgar will be showing her art this weekend at 3230 West 23rd Avenue, 1 – 6 p.m. She’ll have her beautiful Babette blanket on display:

We enjoy seeing Babette blankets knit with different colour combinations. You can create a unique blanket with your favourite palette. Thanks for the photo, Jill.

There were many gasps of delight today as we opened a stack of new boxes full of exquisite Alchemy yarns. This basket is filled with Silken Straw, in an absolutely enchanting range of colours:

These beautiful silken skeins were lovingly hand-dyed by fiber artist and Alchemy co-owner, Gina Wilde.

We also unpacked some fabulous new shades of Haiku and Silk Purse. These three yarns are featured in the 20 stunning designs in Gina Wilde’s new book, Destination Alchemy:

This book is already headed for a second printing, congrats Gina! Check out some of the amazing designs right here.

Gina and Austin Wilde are two of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. Gina has an infectious passion for fiber arts and design. And Austin charms us every time with his southern drawl and California dude charisma. Their personality trickles out of some of the stories on the Alchemy website. Be sure to read about the Alchemy animals. Check out the photo of Purl, the pig, with her friend Darla, the UPS driver. And don’t miss the story of the Possibly Immaculate Conception of Clementine, the baby donkey. LOL.