We had a full house again last night for the Handmaiden Yarn Tasting. Jana Dempsey, the Main Maiden, arrived with tubs full of beauteous, lovingly hand-dyed yarn for us to taste. Much of this luscious yarn went home with new owners who will no doubt give it the attention and adoration it deserves. Here’s Jana, her friend Christie and a fan who found lots of cashmere and silk calling her name:

There were many smiling knitters with baskets full of sumptuous yarn they couldn’t live without:

Nicholas’s family was in town so they all dropped by, including the two proud Grandmas who taught him how to knit:

A very fun time was had by all. If you didn’t make it to the Yarn Tasting, don’t feel left out. We couldn’t let Jana go home with any leftovers so we kept loads of her luxurious yarn to hang on our Handmaiden wall, including some Camelspun, Grande Godiva, Great Big Sea, Lace Silk, Lady Godiva, Mini Maiden and Silken. You can look at them all right here.

We’ve just received some great new kits from Perl Grey, part of the Fleece Artist/Handmaiden family. The Coco kit:

And the Ana Bandana kit:

Both gorgeous, quick knits that are flying off the shelves. Happy Knitting!

Today’s featured yarns are Grignasco Chanson and Mambo, on sale at 30% off.

Chanson is one of our “green yarns”, made up entirely of natural, renewable fibres including bamboo, linen, silk and viscose. It’s a versatile dk weight yarn.

Mambo is a lovely aran weight cotton blend with a subtle bit of sparkle.

If you’re in need of a set of 15m, 26″ bamboo circular needles, you’re in luck. We’re overstocked in this size so we’ve put a few sets on sale at 40% off the regular price.

Be sure to check out the specials page on our website for all of our current and upcoming specials.

You should also check out the Globe’s review of Debbie Stoller’s new book, Son of Stitch and Bitch. We have a few spots left for the Canadian launch of the book in Point Grey on Sunday, December 2, 6-9 p.m. To register, please send us an email, phone us at 604-228-1122 or drop by one of the stores.

We love the Pick Up Sticks felted knit patterns and kits. If you’ve never tried felting, they’re a great place to start. And if you’ve already caught the felting fever, we guarantee you’ll love these products.

If you’re a felting rookie, try the Coin Purse kit. This kit has enough yarn to make 3 little wallets with a finished size of about 5″ wide and 4″ high:

Or check out the beautiful Blooms Bracelet kit that you can knit up in a couple of hours:

The Sushi Wallet is a great kit for advanced beginners. Knit.1 magazine said: “These sushi wallets from Pick Up Sticks look good enough to eat. Kits come in adorable sushi takeout packages and include all 3 patterns, a coordinating zipper and enough yarn to make 1 wallet. The instructions are easy to follow; the hardest part will be deciding which wallet to make.” Finished size: about 5″ high, 7.5″ wide.
Or try knitting the adorable Snugs. We have the baby and adult snuggly-soft Snug kits. The kit includes suede sole pads for traction and the lining is pure alpaca. Oooh so soft…

We also have many of the popular Pick Up Sticks leaflet patterns for felted bags, hats, flowers and pillows. Be sure to have a look but be warned, felting fever is infectious!

Here are a few random photos of some beautiful projects we’ve seen recently.

This is Marian modelling a scarf of her own creation. She also knit the handle on her bag:

We love the scattered button detail:

The buttons are from Button Button.

A customer recently brought in this beautiful Princess Crown:

It’s from the fantastic book, Alterknits, by Leigh Radford:

There are all sorts of cool, alternative projects in this book, like felted PDA cases, lace-up gloves, a silver squares necklace, paper lanterns, a screen door, a felted stash bag and many more. Anina knit this beautiful scarf from Alterknits:

Here’s a close-up:

Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s also super soft and cozy.

And now for something completely different, this is Judy’s masterpiece. It’s a Japanese pattern knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran:

Here’s the back:

Simply stunning. Judy is an amazing knitter. She likes this cardigan so much that she knit a second one in Rowan Wool Cotton. Here is her helpful husband, Michael, showing it off:

Yup, same sweater, with different yarn for different seasons. An amazing concept.

Okay, enough inspiration for today. Time for some knitting!

We’ve just received these great little kits from Lorna’s Laces:

Two skeins of handpainted Shepherd Sock yarn and a Basic Sock pattern inside a clear plastic paint can. A great holiday gift for a sock knitter!

We’ve also received a couple of new boxes of luscious Handmaiden yarn. There are new Devin’s Toque kits, Cashmere Cloche kits and Stormwater Shawl kits as well as their most luxurious yarn ever, Swiss Mountain Cashmere & Silk – spun to Swiss standards of perfection. We’ve also received some of the coveted Mini Maiden yarn, 50% silk, 50% wool. If you’re a lace knitter you’ll love this one. And the new Casbah Sock kits should be here any day.

We still have a few spaces left for the Handmaiden Yarn Tasting on November 20, 6-9 p.m. Register soon by email or phone. We hope you can join us!

Son of Stitch and Bitch has arrived!

This is a great book that’s loaded with edgy projects to knit and crochet for men. These are cool, hip designs that you’ll love to make for your guy or knit for yourself. This book is great value, with a total of 45 patterns for only $19.95. And we guarantee you’ll like the models…

If you’d like to meet the author, Debbie Stoller, be sure to register for the Canadian launch of her book on Sunday, December 2, from 6-9 p.m., at our Point Grey store. We hope you can join us!

We also have Louisa Harding’s gorgeous new book, “Knitting Little Luxuries, Beautiful Accessories to Knit”.

This book has over 20 great designs, divided into 4 sections: Eclectic and Quirky, Textured and Modern, Pretty and Feminine and Traditional and Folk. Choose a project based on your current mood… There are also some useful and informative sections on yarn information, abbreviations and various technique descriptions.

If you love to knit socks, check out our great selection of sock books. We have Interweave’s new “Favorite Socks” with 25 great sock designs:

Or a perennial favourite, “The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook”:

We also have “Knitting Vintage Socks” by Nancy Bush:

Sock-lovers, take your pick! Or you might have to have them all…

For a great reference book that you’ll use repeatedly, check out “The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns” by Ann Budd. This book has many basic patterns for mitts, gloves, hats, scarves, socks, vests and sweaters in multiple sizes and gauges. There’s also tons of useful information on various essential topics.

Or for something completely different, check out the crocheted dolls called Amigurumi. We have Elisabeth Doherty’s book with patterns for the cutest little creatures:

For holiday knitting you can’t beat “Handknit Holidays” by Melanie Falick. This is an eclectic collection of more than 50 original gifts, decorations and garments for Christmas, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice. Projects include colourful ornaments, Christmas stockings, a wire-and-bead menorah, sparkly ribbon scarves, gift bags and a range of super-quick projects for the last-minute holiday rush. There’s even a recipe for festive crescent cookies.

Or take a look at the Interweave “Christmas Stockings” book. There’s a captivating snowman stocking designed by Nicky Epstein, a keepsake stocking for a baby’s first Christmas, classic Argyle, Estonian and Gansey designs and some miniature stockings and mitts that would be perfect for tree ornaments and present decorations:

We have loads of other titles, come on in and check ‘em out!

Today’s featured yarns are Berroco Jewel FX and Suede Deluxe, on sale at 40% off.

Jewel FX is a glittery yarn that can be knit on it’s own or held together with another yarn for decorative effect.

Suede Deluxe is a sparkly version of Berroco’s popular Suede yarn. Knit a beautiful necklace or braid some keychains for stocking stuffers with Suede Deluxe.

Or use your imagination with either of these yarns and create a sparkly scarf accessory for holiday events. Tis the Season…

If you’re a Boa Girl, you’ll love the ruffly scarves we’ve been making. Here’s Becky modelling the Red Ruffly:

And here’s a close-up:

These scarves are knit on 3.5 – 4.5 mm dp needles. They’re super easy, only 7 stitches per row. The ruffles magically appear as you knit. We have free patterns at both stores.

We started with the Online Solo Colour yarn, knit the sample and now everyone wants red ruffles. Sadly we can’t get the red yarn right now – there’s pretty much none left anywhere in Canada. One of these days it will reappear but in the meantime, we’ve stocked some Schachenmayr Geniale and Universal Tango. Hopefully one of these colours will appeal to you:

If you’re a Boa Girl, you should give one of these a try!

We’re happy to report that the gorgeous Manos del Uruguay yarn has finally arrived at Urban Yarns. What took us so long?

This stunning 100% wool kettle dyed yarn is handcrafted by a womens’ cooperative in Uruguay. It’s an aran weight so it’s a quick knit. Manos is a perfect yarn for so many projects like hats, scarves, sweaters, blankets or whatever else your heart desires. It’s a great felting yarn. And did we mention that it’s absolutely stunning?

We have 10 drop dead gorgeous colourways. Knock yourself out!

Please say hello to Nicholas, a new addition to the Urban Yarns gang:

Nicholas is a multi-talented guy. First of all, he’s a great knitter. He’s also funny and friendly, helpful and patient – you’ll like him a lot. He also plays and teaches percussion! And his latest talent is Knitwear Designer.

One day recently Nicholas was in the store, wearing his Cool Dude Toque (see photo above) and almost everyone who walked in the door that day wanted to knit the thing. The sorry response was “I just made it up, there is no pattern, blah, blah, blah…” We joked around a bit, said he should write a pattern and before we knew it, a pattern and sample were dropped on our desk. Nicholas Jacques, Knitwear Designer, was born. The pattern was released today and many have already been sold.

The toque is knit with Mirasol Sulka, a luscious mix of 60% merino wool, 20% alpaca and 20% silk. Super soft. And you’ll feel good that part of the proceeds from the sale of this yarn go directly to the Mirasol Project.

You’ll need 2 skeins of Sulka, 6mm needles and the “Nicholas Jacques Design”. Only $21. for the yarn and pattern – there couldn’t be a better Christmas present for your own cool dude…