We’re loving the Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran. It’s a superwash merino wool with a tight twist for a lovely light, spongy feel. Cables, bobbles and stitch patterns are beautifully defined by the quality of this yarn. And there’s a gorgeous colour palette with winter whites, berry shades, misty blues and soft greens. Sandra recommends this yarn for her Aran Block of the Month class.

We also like the Rialto Aran book that’s full of striking photographs shot in Haworth, home to the Brontes, and on the surrounding Yorkshire moors:

The collection has a few childrens‘ designs, including a cute little bobbly bolero:

There’s a classic Guernsey for men:

Modelled by a classic English lad, he can drop by anytime…

And of course there are some lovely womens‘ designs, including this curved edge cardigan:

You should also have a look at Kieran Foley’s stunning Fair Isle Rapids scarf that’s knit with Rialto Aran, in Knitty’s Winter 07 issue. He says the scarf is reminiscent of the deltas and rapids of New Zealand’s braided rivers. If you follow the link, be sure to go to the final photo for a close-up of the fabulous design. It’s very inspiring.

And while we’re on the subject of Debbie Bliss yarns, we’d be remiss not to mention another favourite, the luscious Luxury Tweed Aran that’s 85% wool and 15% angora. It’s a super soft tweed which is a bit of a rarity. Use this one to knit Jared Flood’s Cobblestone Pullover, a Dublin inspried rustic men’s sweater. I’d love to knit this sweater for my handsome groom but he’s not really a sweater guy. That’s good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it. Anyways, when I showed him the photo he mumbled something about finishing my other projects first. Okay. Fine. I’ll cross the humungous XL pullover project off my list. Really, see if I care. Trust me there are many other options on that list…

Remember Linda’s version of Ruthie Nussbaum’s Minimalist Cardigan, knit with the super-soft Mirasol Miski?

She’s already finished and it’s absolutely gorgeous:

Love the 3/4 length sleeves. The photo doesn’t do justice to the beautiful cardigan. Sorry, just couldn’t seem to get a good photo that day. It can be quite dark and dreary in Vancouver this time of year.

Here’s a brighter close-up:

Thanks for the photo-op Linda, we love it when you drop by to show us your latest treasures!

Anina finished her So Called Scarf. Here’s Jackie modelling:

Seem to be missing the flash on this photo. Have to work on that flash concept. Here’s a brighter close-up:

It’s knit with two skeins of Manos del Uruguay, on 7.5mm needles. Cool stitch pattern. Simply stunning scarf.

I recently knit a quick little scarf for a last-minute gift:

This one’s knit with two balls of the soft and bobbly Filatura Puff on 7mm needles. Cast on 14 stitches and knit, knit, knit til the yarn is used up. Slip the first stitch of each row for a nice straight edge. Couldn’t be simpler. The finished scarf is about 4.5″ wide and 58″ long.

Right now I’m knitting a black mohair/alpaca shawl, with scattered silver sequins and silver threads running through it. Unfortunately it wasn’t finished in time to be worn to the Christmas events for which it was intended. Oh well, it’s almost done and will be well-used this winter. Photos will follow soon.

What have you been knitting or crocheting lately? Send us a photo by email or drop by the stores with your finished projects – we’d love to have a look!

We’ve scheduled our new 2008 classes for Point Grey. Check them out right here. The new Edgemont classes will be added soon.

Monday night is crochet night. Learn the crochet basics on January 7 & 14, then add to your repertoire with a crocheted flowers class on Jan. 21 and a crocheted rug class on Jan. 28. Sounds like fun!

Learn the basic knitting skills on Tuesday evenings for 4 sessions, starting on January 8. Then progress to Beyond Beginner Knitting for 4 sessions, starting on Feb. 5, where you’ll learn to read a pattern and make your first sweater.

Wednesday evenings are for lace knitters, with the talented Sivia Harding instructing. Learn to knit the beautiful lacy River Rock Scarf on January 16 and 30 or join the Lace Knitting for Adventurous Beginners on January 9, 23 and Feb. 6.

The popular Sock Boot Camps will continue to run on Thursday evenings, with Sergeant Jackie Blackmore in command. Choose either January 17, January 31 or February 21. Or if you’d like to learn the joys of felting, sign up for the Felted Bags Class that will run January 14, 24 and February 7.

On Friday afternoons, join Christa Giles for help with your current project. Eavesdropping is encouraged and laughter recommended! Or on Sunday mornings, have Astor Tsang help you with pattern reading, complicated stitches or finishing.

Many of these classes will fill up very quickly so please sign up early to avoid disappointment. If you’re interested in another type of class, please talk to Kathleen in Point Grey and she’ll try to schedule or customize a class for you. We’ve organized some great classes recently, including a wedding shower where everyone learned to knit and a mother and daughter class where a mom and three kids learned the craft together.

We hope you’ll find the perfect class and enjoy learning a new skill this year!

Have you met Sandra Dunkin, one of our popular instructors? She teaches the Aran Block of the Month, Beyond Beginner Knitting and some other fabulous classes.

Sandra is one of the most amazing knitters I’ve ever seen in action. I chatted with her one evening, glass of wine at her side and watched in awe as she knit a complicated cable cardigan, her needles clicketty-clacketting away at warp speed. I guess it’s her Maritime blood and that great tradition of Maritime fisherman’s knits. Reminds me of a great quote from Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News:

“This driver used to barrel right across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, had his arms sticking through the steering wheel, knitting away like a machine. Had a proper gansey knit by the time he got to Montreal, sell it for good money as a Newf fisherman’s authentic handicraft.”
“Might as well,” said Benny Fudge. “Happen to know what he got for one?”
“No, but I can tell you about the time buddy was ripping along down the Trans-Canada knitting about as fast as the truck was going when this Mountie spied him. Starts to chase after him, doing a hundred and forty km per. Finally gets alongside, signs the transport feller to stop, but he’s so deep in his knitting he never notices.”
…”Mountie flashes his light, finally has to shout out the window, ‘Pull over! Pull over!’ So the great transport knitter looks at the Mountie, shakes his head a bit and says, “Why no sir, ’tis a cardigan.”

But I digress, back to Sandra. Sadly there are no photos of Sandra, however, there are photos of her most recent projects. Check out this cardigan, knit with Rowan 4 ply soft, a design from a Rowan magazine a couple of years ago:

Isn’t it awesome? I begged Sandra to gift it to me for Christmas, to no avail. Apparently there was a more worthy recipient.

Sandra also knit this cute ensemble for her friends’ new baby. It’s a Sublime design, knit with Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK:

Too cute for words really.

Sandra was a happy girl yesterday as she left the store with a big bag full of Scottish Tweed DK for her next project. We’ll keep you posted…

And before we sign off on the last post of the year, we give a huge thank-you to the Urban Yarns community of knitters and crocheters for your continuing suppport and enthusiasm. We couldn’t do it without you. We hope you have a Happy New Year full of good health, much joy and many inspirational knitting and crochet projects!

We’re unpacking ten big boxes today:

We pulled some stunning Rowan Scottish Tweed from the first box. The Scottish Tweed DK has been in our stores for a couple of months and we’ve decided to add the whole line. We now have the 4 ply, DK, Aran and Chunky weights in many gorgeous colours. They’re currently only in Point Grey but they’ll arrive in Edgemont sometime soon.

As a special holiday present to our loyal customers, we’re adding the Scottish Tweed Aran and Chunky to our Boxing Week Sale, at 30% off the regular price.

Check out the Rowan book, Scottish Inspirations, for some great Scottish Tweed designs:

Anina knit the Beer Gloves from Son of Stitch and Bitch in Scottish Tweed DK:

Love the cable down the middle. They’re an easy to knit, stylin’ project.

If you prefer mohair over tweed, try knitting the Gemma Beret, designed by Sarah Hatton, a free pattern that’s a holiday gift from Rowan. It’s a cute, slouchy beret that would be a nice quick project. You’ll need 2 balls of Rowan Kid Classic or 3 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Aura. We have both in stock.

Will it be mohair or tweed? It’s up to you. We think you’ll be happy either way….

We’re way overstocked with knitting and crochet books and we need to clean up our shelves. So we have some crazy book bargains for you this week. There are tons of discounted books and magazines in our sale bins. Here’s a small selection of the bargains, all at 40 – 50% off the regular price:

Rowan’s Little Treasures is a collection of timeless designs knit with the ultrasoft Soft Baby yarn, perfect for newborns through to 5 year olds:

RYC Classic Weekend is chock-a-block full of beautiful photographs, shot on a rugged coastline. It features a great collection of women’s designs including celtic inspired cables, patchwork blankets and traditional fairisle:

RYC Classic Spirit has a range of contemporary, vintage-look designs for your home, including some accessories and other knits for women.

Check out the Interweave book, Wrap Style with a collection of 24 classic and contemporary wraps from 18 knitwear designers, including Lily Chin, Teva Durham, Nicky Epstein, Norah Gaughan and Jo Sharp:

We’ve also discounted a few great books from the Vogue series, including Stitchionary 3, a great reference book with more than 200 gorgeous colourwork patterns, each with a detailed chart, a clear photo of a sample swatch and easy-to-follow instructions:

And there’s Knitting On the Edge by Nicky Epstein, a comprehensive reference guide to 350 types of decorative borders, with instructions on how to create and incorporate these embellishments into your knitting projects:

There are loads more discounted books and magazines, you’ll be amazed at the extensive selection. Sadly we can’t keep them all, we have to purge every now and then. Pick up some bargains and help us to clear our shelves for the new books and magazines that will arrive very soon…

As promised, we have some great bargains for you this week. In Point Grey, we have a tremendous selection of yarn and books at 40% off the regular price. We’re open today from noon to 5:00 p.m. There’s also a large sale section in Edgemont where we’ll reopen on December 27. We’ve ordered a bunch of new Spring yarns and we have to make room!

We have some great yarns on sale, including Alchemy Wabi Sabi, Alessandra Gemma, Colinette Isis, Crystal Palace Merino Frappe, Filatura di Crosa Love and Primo, Garnstudios Alaska, Gedifra Colorito and Shanina, Grignasco Infinity, Jaeger Aqua, RYC Soft Tweed and Schachenmayr Catania, all at 40% off the regular price. Check the whole list right here. And we’ll add a few new items as the week progresses. There’s also a large selection of books and magazines on sale at 40% – 50% off.

Don’t forget about our regular specials list. We’ve dropped the prices on some of our specials including Berroco Suede Deluxe, Grignasco Chanson, Karma and Mambo, and Plassard Bibop, all now at 50% off the regular price.

Have fun shopping for bargains this week! You won’t be disappointed…

For all you last minute shoppers, here is our top 10 list of easy-to-grab Christmas gifts for your knitting friends or better yet, for yourself. You’ve been extra good this year, haven’t you?

1. Knitting Bags. The Namaste knitting bags are fantastic, functional bags in great colours. The Messenger Bag is a popular choice:

It’s expandable and has lots of little pockets and pouches for storing notions, yarn and other stuff. It’s also a great travelling carry-on bag. We have loads of other bag options in both stores.

2. Knitting Needles. The Denise Interchangeable Needle Set has an assortment of needle sizes, all contained in a compact 7″ x 8.5″ case. Buy the pink set and $5. of the purchase price goes to breast cancer research. Or try the exquisite Lantern Moon rosewood or ebony needles. Be forewarned, once you try these you’ll want a complete set:

3. Knitting Books. We have a great assortment. You can’t go wrong with an autographed copy of Son of Stitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller, with 45 great mens‘ patterns. Or Amy Singer’s great new book, No Sheep For You:

4. A made-in-Canada Fleece Artist or Handmaiden knitting kit. One of our lucky customers will find a Northern Nights Blanket kit under her tree this year. Careful, those blanket kits are addicting. The Soft Mitts kit is another great choice:

5. Beautiful shawl pins or a stitch marker necklace, handcrafted by local artisans. Or check out the beautiful pewter Perl Grey Celtic Knot brooch:

6. Lorna’s Laces Little Can of Paint. With 2 skeins of handpainted sock yarn and a Basic Sock pattern inside a clear plastic paint can. Paintbrush not included.

7. The 2008 Knitting Calendar, with 365 patterns, one for each day of the year:

8. T-Shirts. Choose from our signature t-shirt, “She Was Quite a Nice Girl…” or the edgy new Be Sweet Needle Dude shirts:

9. Stocking Stuffers. Try the Blue Sky Alpacas Knitters Helper knitting cream, “Zen in a Jar”. It’s an all-natural, quick absorbing hand balm that soothes dry skin without leaving a greasy residue:

Or a sheep tape measure, beaded stitch markers, Soak cleanser, Interweave yarn requirement guide, a needle gauge or other notions. We’ll help you fill up those stockings…

10. Gift Certificates. For those hard to buy for guys and gals. They come in any amount and there’s no expiry date. What could be easier?

Don’t forget, we’re open in Point Grey this Thursday evening until 9:00 p.m. and on Monday, December 24, in both stores, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Don’t despair, there are still 5 more days. Lots of time to finish your shopping and your knitting with some holiday cheer in between.

Things are a bit crazy around here right now. It’s hard to find time to keep you posted. Just a quick note for today…

The Point Grey store will be open this Thursday evening until 9 p.m. Drop by for a visit if you have time. And please take note that we’ll be closed this Thursday morning in Edgemont, we’ll open at 1:00 p.m. We can’t miss the kids’ Christmas concert!

There are no new specials this week but we’ll make amends next week with a few boxing week bargains. Stay tuned for details…

We unpacked several big boxes today. We have more of the popular specials, Karma and Bibop. Here’s a photo of Julia’s Karma vest. It looks fantastic on her, with a t-shirt and jeans.

Check out all of our current specials right here.

We also restocked our Debbie Bliss, Noro and Rowan shelves today. And we have lots more of the luscious Mirasol Sulka yarn. Remember Nick’s hat?

These cool dude hat patterns have been flying out the door. One of our customers, Marigold, has knit 6 of these Sulka hats for her grandkids. She rushed into the store today when she heard that more had arrived. She’s promised to send photos.

Yup, there’s still time to knit or crochet a few more hats or scarves to put under the tree. Knock yourself out!

It’s so much fun to teach kids a new craft. We taught our daughters’ grade 4 class to knit a couple of years ago:

When given the choice between computer lab and knitting, these kids all chose to continue knitting! That was music to our ears. They sat out in the schoolyard, happily knitting and chatting:

The boys loved it just as much as the girls.

Get your kids or grandkids knitting over the holidays. The Klutz Knitting Kit is a perfect place to start:

It comes complete with everything you need to get started knitting, including the yarn, needles, a sewing needle and an instruction book that’s well-written and clearly illustrated. Learn to knit a skinny scarf, a cozy hat, a sunglasses case or a cell phone sock. It would be a great Christmas gift and it’s an easy-to-wrap package.

We also have a good selection of kids’ knitting and crochet books with excellent instructions and lots of fun, easy patterns that are perfect for beginners.

Grab a Klutz Kit and find yourself a new little knitting buddy!