Update July 2016

Dear visitors and friends,

this blog has not been actively used for a couple of years and for several reasons.

While the Needle & Arts Centre is thriving and actually moved into a bigger and better location in 2014, we feel that Facebook is the way to communicate with our followers. Plus, we updated our web site to contain more current information.

Please sign up at www.facebook.com/groups/needlenarts/  and get our fresh news and tips on a daily base!

Or, sign up for our about monthly newsletters, with announcements of events and containing free patterns. Best sign up on the start page of our web site.

Meet you over there - Cheers, Jurgen

  

See how good you are, compared...

Sorry about the long gaps in between my postings. Many interesting things which could be communicated... but lack of time. Double sorry!

Here's something funny for in between, which Alison suggested that I should post it:

click here
 
If you are a beginner and not content with this Knitting 101, don't despair. There are at least 2 things you could do:
1. come in on Tuesdays or Thursdays and learn how to knit. Buy your yarn and needles and pay only $5 to Lois or whoever is you teacher, and stay as long as you want. Experience shows that a week after this you finished your first scarf!
2. choose one of our many ready knit garments, buy funny hats or super soft Merino mittens for your loved ones. You find MANY ideas for Christmas gifts in our store!
 
Cheers, see you here!

Let the F/SUN begin!

A friendly ‘bombing’ took place on Pier Street in front of our Needle & Arts Centre. One of the still pretty naked planetrees was wrapped in colourful handknit scarves in preparation of fun things to happen around downtown this summer.

First, for the fourth year, the local yarn store is calling knitters and crocheters to gather along the sidewalk underneath the decorated tree for the World Wide Knit in Public event.

The Needle and Arts Centre is pleased to host the Campbell River WWKiP event on Pier Streeta again. Knitters and crocheters are invited to bring their favorite project and a lawn chair down to the store on this Saturday, June 11 between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm and take part in the fun. Weather permitted, the hosts hope to form a long line of crafters. Non-knitters/crocheters and those interested in learning are welcome as well! In case of bad weather all will move inside the Needle & Arts Centre and The Framing Post.

On June 18, Pier Street Association and the Downtown BIA invite all Campbell Riverites down to the first Campbell River Market Day SUNFEST. A Mile of market madness with goods, crafts, entertainment and fun in the sun starts a Pier Street and is marked by hundreds of sunflowers, all the way to Shoppers Row and 11th Avenue. The decorated tree will fit in nicely, as do all the recently installed downtown banners, and there may more such ideas pop up to brighten up our downtown for summer.

Later on, the ever growing Canada Day festivities will take place downtown, followed by the traditional “Knit in the Park” on August 13, where knitters and crocheters will produce slippers for the women at Ann Elmore Transition House.

We are so happy to see the sun finally here and sun, fun and colours are the ingredients to attract customers and visitors into our shopping area. We like to help to decorate our fair waterfront city.

For more information on the World Wide Knit in Public visit the website: www.needlenart.com/ and the WWKiP website, http://www.wwkipday.com/index.html, or phone 250-287-8898.

Fritidsgarn Slippers

Inge just did these snuggly felted slippers. We got the Fritidsgarn Slippers pattern from our friends at Nordic Yarn Imports, our suppliers of Drops, Marks & Kattens, Sandnesgarn, Zealana and Punta yarns. Inge used three balls of Fritidsgarn for these medium sized slippers and washed them 3 times to fit.

Great for the Summer cabin! Enjoy the sunshine!

You get this free pattern by contacting us.

Innovative Dress knit in Remix

Look at this cutie. Not only do we have this little dress as a sampler in our store, but Pam also knit it up in different colours.

Simo is an innovative dress for little ones. Short sleeves, pockets and a circular yoke make for a comfortable everyday garment, while a sewn-on scarf adds a little panache. You find the intermediate level pattern in Berroco book #303.

Made entirely from recycled fibers, Remix is a clever blend of cotton, silk, nylon, linen and acrylic, and knits up to an Aran weight. Soft to the touch, Remix is the perfect choice for kids knits, sweaters and accessories. Check out the designs in Berroco Book #303. Read more about the Remix idea in the shade card. Remix is machine washable and a great buy for the 200 meter, 100g ball at $10.25!

The Wind-Proof Beanie

Alison came across this Beanpole Beanie pattern in Ravelry and Inge made it during the Holidays. This free pattern is downloadable from Ravelry courtesy of Rachel Weaver. If you cannot download it, email us.

The special feature is, that this beanie is knit in 2 different gauges and sits tight on your head. Good not only for the 'Windy City' but also for our sometimes pretty blustery West Coast. You also learn how to do the cabled rib pattern without a cable needle!

Inge knit this Beanpole Beanie with 2 balls of Rowan Classic Yarns Cashsoft Aran.

Linda's Sweater

... look how proud she is after she finished the sweater for her son. She visited the store to show the beautiful gift off, after several knit-along Saturday sessions here.

It's called "Guernsey Guys" from "Aran & Celtics Knits" (Best of Knitter's Magazine) and was done in Berroco Vintage. Congratulations, Linda!

Check our class and workshop schedule here.

Our First Yarn Tasting was a Success!

A couple of weeks ago, we had our first very well received Yarn Tasting of several but not all of the new Fall/Winter yarns. On November 6 we'll have the second Yarn Tasting. Please let us know which ones you'd like to check out in our store!

The first Yarn Tasting was well attended by 13 customers. They tested/tasted (fuzzy!) 13 yarns, some of them had been already stocked in the store for a while but were widely unnoticed. Some customers found yarns by trying, which they were always looking for. The participants knitted swatches for each yarn, which they passed around, together with an evaluation sheet.

Here is the list of tasted yarns:

• Alpaca Silk ; Baby Alpaca and Silk; silky, yummy, good yardage, firm and soft
• Evviva Colour ; Wool and Acrylic; fluffy, colourful, busy, fairly high priced
• Schulana Pacolana ; Wool, Alpaca and Microfibre; spongy soft, very cozy, good yardage
• Maggi's Linen ; Cotton and Linen; earthy, very fine, a bit rough
• Eskimo ; 100% Wool; spongy, soft, well priced, warm, good for felting
• Cincilla ; Wool, acrylic, polyamide; fuzzy, cuddly, elegant
• Polo ; Cotton, Acrylic; love it, excellent, smooth, fairly priced
• Tara Tweed ; Wool and Nylon; light, nice to knit, cozy
• Mosco ; Viscose, Mohair and Nylon; shiny, silky soft, pretty, a bit expensive
• Aran Tweed ; Merino and Wool; tweedy, soft, rustic, soft and firm
• Riana Big Color ; Wool, Acrylic and Viscose; fluffy, plush, tweedy, easy, earth tones
• Remix ; recycled Nylon, Cotton, Acrylic, Silk, Linen; tweedy, very soft, gorgeous earth tones
• Baby Merino ; extra fine wool superwash; lovely soft, creamy, luxurious, good value

Don't forget the next yarn tasting on November 6 at 1:30 pm!