Cute Cupcake!

Alison knit this adorable little sweater in Peter Pan Cupcake. She calls it a quick, fun knit, and the yarn a joy to work with. The design ranges in size from 18 to 25 inches (approximately 6 months to 4 years) and requires 3 to 5 balls of Peter Pan Cupcake yarn.

The featured design is Peter Pan pattern P1043 which is available in our store ($4.25).

Indulge your feet!

New from Lang Yarns:

Jawoll Silk - Add a touch of luxury to your next pairs of socks! A blend of 20% silk added to the superwash wool and nylon blend of this sock yarn makes it extra enticing. Great colour effects make for a great looking as well. The 100g ball sells for $17.95, and is enough to make an average pair of adult socks. Check the shade card!
A small spool of reinforcement thread makes it easy to strengthen heels and toes as well (included).

Inge's Prayer Shawl

I wrote about our Prayer Shawl experience in our last Newsletter:

Inge was inspired to knit this filigrane white prayer shawl, when our youngest son was heading off to his four month trip through South America and started a month ago in Venezuela, a place which would scare all parents. He made it safely through to Ecuador so far.

The pattern is from the book "The Prayer Shawl Companion" and Inge wanted to add that she used a mix of Drops Symphony, some Gedifra Amara, some white ribbon yarn leftover and white Funny yarn.

Affordable Baby yarn - great toddler patterns

I was so sure that I had already shared this great pattern book "just for tots" for our best buy baby yarn Comfort DK (from Berroco, just $3.95 for the 50g ball!) - but I couldn't find a posting. So here it is, with the front cover to the left and the same garment of the front cover in our store.

This is what Alison wrote: As always, baby and children's knits are a favourite at our store. Caleb is a toddler's pullover made from Berroco's Comfort DK. This great little design ranges in size from 9 months to 6 years. Side neck buttons make it easy to get over the little heads, and the easy-care blend of the yarn makes it washer friendly. Featured in Berroco book #274, it requires between 4 and 6 balls of yarn (that is only Canadian $16-$24).

Great new books, have a peek!

Together with our Spring/Summer yarns we ordered a large number of pattern bookletts for this season of the year, which you will all find in our book page now!

I would like to point out two very unique books here:

Knit One Below - by Elise Duvekot
The bright idea behind this book with 35 patterns for the entire family is to build an entire collection around one simple stitch that creates many intriguing effects. Shown in knitting instructions as "k1b" (knit 1 below), the technique involves knitting into the stitch one row below the stitch on the needle with either a knit or a purl stitch. The result is an easy-to-knit fabric with wonderful drape and flexibility that looks equally good on both sides. The color effects possible are also impressive. Use the technique for sweaters, cardigans, bags and even socks!

This book with 35 patterns for the entire family costs only $23.95.

Socks a la Carte - by Jonelle Raffino and Katherine Cade
This innovative book allows you to customize your sock pattern, using the cuff, body and heel/toe techniques of your choice. Over a dozen of choices (on split pages) for each part of your sock makes the design possibilities nearly unlimited!
Readers can flip these split pages to see how the individual elements work together and then mix and match these patterns to create unique sock styles that they can then knit according to their personal preferences. A bonus gallery will feature a number of finished sock styles in a variety of colors as inspiration for the reader. Price: $25.50.

Possum!? Awesome!

It's April 1st today, but this is true!

Rimu from Zealana Yarns - Our friends at Nordic Yarn Imports bring us this lovely DK blend of Merino and Possum wool from New Zealand. Yes, you heard right. Possum fibre is well-known for its unique qualities of softness, lightness and warmth. The addition of merino wool adds to these qualities, creating a yarn that's beautiful to the eye and touch. It's also durable, machine washable, and resists pilling. Learn more in our shade card with some more information on possums, which are considered a pest in New Zealand.

Rimu has 140 yds in the 50g ball and retails for $12.95.

Summer is coming closer!

Wonderful Summer yarns and "tons" of pattern books arrived. Check below and in our book page.

New from Berroco
Pure Pima - Pima cotton is one of the softest cottons around, making this new DK weight yarn a great choice for Summer projects. Pure Pima is 100% cotton, which means it breathes and wears well. Great for Summer tops, childrens wear and baby projects like sweaters, hats and blankets. Berroco sent us this lovely sample sweater done in Pure Pima - you have to check it out. It is the cover sweater from Norah Gaughan's Collection Volume 4. There are several other Summer projects in this volume as well, which you may order from us for $19.75.

Pure Pima retails for $6.25 for the 50g skein with 115 yards. Check the shade card!

Comfort Chunky - Due to overwhelming response to the Sock, DK and Worsted versions of this yarn, Berroco has come out with a chunky version of Comfort. A silky, smooth combination of nylon and acrylic makes this an easy-care choice for blankets, sweaters, kidswaer and accessories. Great colour choices, and an excellent buy at $7.75 for the 100g and 150yd skein. Here is the shade card.

New from Lana Grossa
Secondo - Secondo is a beautiful blend of silk, cotton and polyamide that knits up to a sports weight. It's slinky feel suggests that it would be perfect for a short sleeve top, wrap or a beautiful cardigan. The 50g ball has 125 metres and retails for $14.25. Check the beautiful Summer shades!

Biosoja - This wonderful worsted weight yarn is part of Lana Grossa's "Linea Pura" line. Biosoja is an organic blend of soy, cotton, and bamboo that subtly changes hues as you work with it. Perfect for a Summer top or twin set. The 50g ball has 110 metres and retails for $13.25 - check the shade card.

There are several designs for Biosoja in the new Linea Pura book Vol.1, which we have in stock - check our book page!

New from Classic Elite Yarns

Solstice - is part of Classic Elite's Verde Collection, which was designed with nature in mind. Solstice is a beautiful blend of 70% organic cotton and 30% wool. Very soft and subtle, Solstice knits up to a worsted weight, and would be gorgeous as a sweater, hat, shawl, even for fingerless gloves for the cool Spring nights ahead.

We also received several copies of the Johns Bay pattern book, which features 10 designs for Solstice and other CE Yarns. Check our book list. Solstice retails for $8.25 for the 50g skein with 100 yds. Here is the shade card.

New from Tahki Yarns

Sierra - An aran weight silk and linen blend that has a wonderful flecked tweed look. Great for Summer tops, jackets, even a skirt. The 50g skein has 135 yds and retails for $10.25, here are the shades. We also received a pattern book with several designs for Sierra, see under "Sierra" in our book list.

New from Stylecraft
Life Aran - Part of Stylecraft's Life series, Aran combines the beauty of wool with the easy care of acrylic in soft and sumptuous yarn. As the name suggests, this yarn works up to a classic aran gauge of 18 sts/4inches, and is a great choice for sweaters, blankets, accessories and kidswear. It's very economical too, at $6.95 for the 100gram, 198 metre skein. We have it in a range of solid and tweed colors.


New from Schachenmayr/Kertzer
Catania - A lovely new Summer yarn, Catania is a sports weight mercerized cotton that comes in a wide range of stunning colours. 100% cotton for comfort and easycare, mercerization for a light sheen. Kertzer has published two great books with patterns for fantastic baby and children's wear done in Catania. It retails for $4.95 for the 50g/125m skein, see shade card.

The great little Kertzer books #420 and 421 with four patterns each sell for $4.25 each (see below).

Daylily arrived a bit later

from Nashua Handknits: You might have noticed the mentioning of the Daylily pattern booklet in the last blog posting, we found it so pretty that we were ahead of the actual yarn shipment.

Daylily - Add a touch of glamour to your Spring and Summer wardrobe with a shell made out of this lovely new aran weight yarn. This cotton blend has a nylon binder that gives it some sheen.

We also have in stock copies of Nashua's Daylily pattern collection (see last blog posting), which features several ladies sweater designs for this yarn. It retails for $9.25 for the 50g skein. Here is the shade card.

New Yarns and Patterns Galore!

Please read on, I want to put all the latest new Spring arrivals in this one blog. We are not only very happy with our new yarns, but more so about the number and quality of all the new pattern books coming with the yarns, including some free patterns. Check our web site for the new books and free patterns! This is what Alison has to tell you (not all shade cards are ready yet):

New from Nashua Handknits:
Creative Focus Silk - Nothing compares to the look and feel of 100% silk, and we think Nashua has found a winner with this worsted weight yarn. This is perfect for a Spring shawl, tank top, even a sweater set. Beautiful colours, and a great buy at $9.95 for the 120 yards ball. We also received an attractive book, Creative Focus Silk ($13.95) with several great patterns specifically for this yarn.

Desert Flower - This worsted weight yarn offers up a stunning array of variegated shades and is the perfect summer blend of cotton and linen, with a touch of nylon to help it retain its shape. It's an ideal choice for a Summer tank top or a shell underneath your favourite jacket. The 50g skein offers 112 yds for $9.95. Look for the great Mitered tank top, featured on the cover of Style: Easy Breezy, done in Desert Flower. The book retails for $10.95, and we have several copies in stock.

Other new books from Nashua include: Style: Natural Style ($10.95), which features designs in ecologically friendly yarns, such as Natural Focus Ecologie Cotton, which we brought in last season and will continue to feature this year. Also look for Daylily ($13.95), a book featuring women's designs done in variegated yarns.

New from Regia:
Cotton Weekend Color - A sock weight yarn with added cotton for Summer socks. This yarn comes in several bright colorways and retails for $17.50 for the 100g skein. It has 400m, enough for an average adult pair of socks. The colours would be great for chidren and baby wear as well, and we have several great patterns in stock which feature this weight, including those by Knees Bees Designs. We just received Regia Magazine #114, which is devoted to baby and toddlers designs done in this sock weight yarn and several other Regia yarns we carry, including Pompon, Silk Color and Softy. This magazine retails for $15.95.

New from Gedifra:
Amara - A yummy, silky blend of cotton and polyamide, done up in a worsted weight yarn that is calling us to knit it up into a shawl or evening top. The added sheen makes it perfect for a dressy design for a Summer wedding or family gathering - check the shade card. The 50g skein has 100m and retails for $10.50. There are several designs for this yarn in Gedifra Highlights 091 which is also in stock.

New from Cascade Yarns:
Egological Wool - We are pleased to now stock this Eco Wool by Cascade. This chunky weight wool is not only an exceptional value at $16.95 for the 250g/437m skein, it's also environmentally friendly. Available in several natural, undyed shades, it's a great choice for outdoor sweaters, hats and accessories, even felting. The Cascade website offers free sweater patterns for this yarn which you find in our web site.

A new book from Lana Grossa: Linea Pura No.1, their latest collection, featuring designs done in environmentally friendly yarns. It retails for $16.95.

New from King Cole:
Baby Big Value DK - We brought this yarn in last year in a fingering weight, and it has proven to be popular, so we are adding the double knitting weight. This 100% acrylic baby yarn is an excellent value at $5.25 for the 100g ball - see the shade card here.

New from Kertzer:
Peter Pan Cupcake - Knit something sweet for your little sweetie! Cupcake is a worsted weight blend of nylon and acrylic that's buttery soft to the touch. It combines a chenille strand with a shiny strand to create a vibrant, one of a kind yarn. Great colour and pattern choices make it perfect for baby and kids knits. It retails for $6.95 for the 50g ball.

Wendy Origin - Get back to basics with this great bouclé. Origin is an easy care blend of wool and acrylic, and works up to a chunky weight. It comes in a nice array of marled colours and we received several patterns to go along with it. The 100g ball has 125m and retails for $13.95.

New from Lang:
Jawoll Color Aktion - A great new sock yarn that combines gorgeous color shades into a terrific jaquard pattern. Great for men's socks, but ladies will love it, too. Each skein also comes with a spool of reinforcement yarn for heel and toe! The 100g skein has plenty of yarn for a pair of adult socks (420m) and sells for $15.50. For each shade we have a sample pair of men's socks in our store! see picture to the right and click to enlarge.

Alison's Spring Poem

We got some dream lines from a completely new manufacturer, an established yarn mill in Uruguay, many lines are hand painted, for sensational prices. When Alison put these new arrivals in the shelves, she got inspired by all the colour mixes:

• The weather is grand,
• so we think it's fittin'
• to introduce new yarns
• for Spring crochet and knittin'

Well done, Alison. Here you go! This is what she summarized:

Punta Yarns brings exciting and beautiful new lines of merino and mohair yarns from Uruguay. There are some solid shades, but we are particularly excited by the wonderful range of hand painted shades. Here is a peek:

Merisoft - is a 100% merino yarn with fantastic yardage. The label states it knits to chunky weight, but we suspect it's closer to an aran weight. It is available in 100g skeins which boast 197 yds, and comes in three ranges:
Solid, which retails for $10.95 (see shade card);
Space Dyed, which is a variegated skein, done in various colour ranges (i.e. rusts, blues, ..). It retails for $11.95 (see shade card);
Hand Painted, another variegated with a wider colour range. The hand painted retails for only $13.95 for 100g, which is an excellent price for a merino of this quality and colour variation. Here is the shade card.

If you like the look of hand painted yarns but want something that's a bit more easy care, try the
Lava Hand Painted - this is about the same weight as the Merisoft, but is a blend of 30% wool and 70% acrylic. It has the look and feel of pure wool and is an excellent value at $9.25 for the 100g/230yd skein, Check the shade card.

We would recommend both the Merisoft and Lava as a great choice for sweaters, children's wear and accessories. Both are exceptionally soft and can be worn next to the skin.

We had been saddened by the recent discontinuation of two of our favorite mohairs: Whisper by Estelle and Memoirs by Berocco - so we are very pleased to now carry
Kid Mohair Hand Painted - also by Punta Yarns. This is a blend of Kid Mohair and nylon and works up to a DK weight. It comes in a gorgeous range of handpainted colours and works beautifully into a scarf, shawl or the ever-popular fingerless mittens. The 50g skein has 246 yards and retails for $12.95. See shade card.

Once again: our Ball Winding Service

We are seeing more and more of our yarns coming out in hanks, and therefore have recently purchased and installed a yarn swift and ball winder. We can now wind the hanks into skeins at the store - this is a free service, one we are glad to provide for our customers!
We sell swifts and ball winders, too!

NEW Yarn for Shadow and Domino Knitting!

After Miriam's workshops on Shadow Knitting and Domino Knitting in January (see our earlier blog posting and also our book list) we ordered the perfect yarn for these techniques, which gained a lot of interest from our customers!

Harrisville Designs:

New England Shetland - We have had a similar yarn in worsted weight before and now are pleased to offer it in a finer sportsweight (6.5 stitches per inch). This yarn is the one which comes with the Vivian Hoxbro kits. This Shetland yarn is perfect for lighter weight summer sweaters, hats, gloves and even socks. It's 100% pure wool that wears well, and comes in a nice range of heathered colours (we didn't bring them all in but can order them). See our shade card of available colours. The 50g skein has 217 yards and retails for $9.25.

The Spring & Summer Yarns are coming!

Nearly every day now we receive a shipment and enjoy the new colours.

From Classic Elite Yarns:

Classic Silk - a yummy blend of cotton, silk and nylon, that knits up to a worsted weight. What a great hand! This silk/cotton combination has a great nubby look with a little sheen and a great natural silk feel. Used in fair isle, for stripes or as just a single color, it's a spring/summer weight that looks perfect for a Summer cardigan or sweater. The 50g ball has 135 yards and retails for $11.25. Check out the shade card.

Patterns are available in these Classic Elite books: "Round Pond" and "Curvy Knits Vol.1". Check out our books page and order them from us.

Merino plus Superwash

Merino Extra Fine - this new yarn from Garnstudio/Drops arrived weeks ago and nearly went under in all the recent new arrivals and our large yarn sale. For $6.50 per ball, considering that it is spun from finest Merino wool AND is super wash treated, this is an excellent choice for garments as well as kids patterns.

As usual, there are a lot of free patterns available in the Garnstudio library, as this one on the right. Check the shade card and read more about this yarn there!

Shadow Knitting and Domino Knitting Classes

All those who receive our newsletters (sign up at http://www.needlenart.com/) knew about the two weekend classes with Miriam Leth-Espensen which we had 2 weeks ago.

This is what Pam summarized:

January 10th and 11th saw customers and some members of staff enjoying an interesting and informative weekend with Miriam Leth-Espensen from Santa Fe. January 10th saw us learning the art of Shadow Knitting as defined by the Danish needle artist, Vivian Hoxbro (http://www.viv.dk/). January 11th was spent on Domino Knittting, the art of knitting mitred squares with no sewn seams. Both these skills could be defined as "advanced" techniques, but Miriams's down-to-earth teaching manner and friendly personality made the whole experience very enjoyable.

The Needle & Arts Centre carries Vivian Hoxbro knitting kits as well as her books on Shadow Knitting and Domino Knitting - you may order them online. Arriving shortly will be the Harrisville Shetland Wool that is recommended in the books and which form the kits. We also carry wool and cotton yarns that can be substituted.

About Miriam:
Miriam Leth-Espensen visited us all the way from Santa Fé, New Mexico! She is a renowned and inspirational weaver and knitting teacher. Read more about Miriam here!

About Shadow Knitting:
Add magic to your knitting projects! Read about this clever technique in Wikipedia or even better about Vivian Høxbro's book "Shadow Knitting" in this review. Miriam's class is based on this book and the Vivian Høxbro patterns. Complete shadow knitting kits are available in our store or can be ordered, as well as the book.

About Domino Knitting:
Miriam's class is based on Vivian Høxbro's book "Knit to Be Square", Vivian's second book on Domino Knitting. The beauty of this technique is that you can create any colour pattern you want. Read more about the book and this detailed review.

New Yarns in January: Classic Elite

From Classic Elite:
Summer Sox - a sock/fingering weight, variegated blend of cotton for comfort and merino and nylon for strength. Perfect for socks for the Spring and Summer days that seem so far away.
This would be a great choice for lighter weight knits such as tank tops or Summer sweaters, as well.
The 5o g ball has 175 yards and retails for $12.25 - check out the shade card.

From Twinkle Handknits (a Division of Classic Elite):
Soft Chunky - a super bulky 100% wool that is as soft as air, and knits up beautifully into sweaters, hats, scarves and other accessories. Here is the shade card.
The 200 g skein has 83 yards and retails for $26.95. Great free pattern for this yarn is available at www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/knit_a_chunky_cabled_cardigan.php.

NEW in store: Filatura Di Crosa

You may have seen a lot of advertising for these wonderful Italian yarns in knitting magazines - now we got our first shipment, with more to come soon!

Zara - This is one of Filatura Di Crosa's best sellers, and we are pleased to have it now in stock. This yarn is a pleasure to work with, as it is composed of 100% extra fine merino. It's easy care as well, thanks to its superwash composition. It knits to a DK weight, and is perfect for sweaters, accessories, even children's wear. For a tweedy version, try Zara Chiné. Both retail for $9.25 for the 50g ball and boast 125 meters. Check the shade card.

We also have in stock the brand new Filati Di Crosa Fall/Winter 2008-2009 magazine, and the Merino Collection, both with several patterns for Zara and Zara Chiné. See both books in our web site and one of the patterns to the left!

Centolavaggi - Lace knitters rejoice! We are pleased to now carry this 100% extrafine, superwash merino wool in a fingering/lace weight. It comes in a beautiful array of solid colours and retails for $19.95 For the 100g and 180 meter hank. Be sure to ask us to wind it into a ball with our new swft and ball winder!

Join (us) in Ravelry!

Alison and Pam have been talking about the benefits of an online knitting and crochet community called Ravelry for months, but it's taken until now to convince us to join. Now we are hooked, and think you should join, too.

What is Ravelry? Simply put, it's a comprehensive database for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, dyers and other needlework enthusiasts. Use it to keep track of your yarns, tools, books and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration. It's a great search tool, and can be used to find out the specifics of yarns past and present, pattern ideas, and information. It's easy to see what other members are making, what patterns they have chosen, yarns they have used, pictures of finished projects, and more. You can even get ideas for how to use up leftover yarn, or look for that elusive ball or two needed to finish up a project. The possibilities are endless, and given the massive scope of the site, it's very user-friendly and relatively easy to navigate.

Ravelry is also a great online community, with hundreds of groups that members are free to join and explore. Look for groups by region, interests (i.e. lace-knitting), favorite designers, and more. Find groups that will help you deistic, join a yarn or project swap, knit-along, and more. You can search by key word or tag, and membership is free (as is membership to Ravelry). If you can't find a group to meet your needs, you can even start your own.

Another great feature is the ability to network; meaning you can easily find other needle enthusiasts or groups in your area, or those with similar interests. It's easy tocontact other members as well, either by posting in-group forums or using the private message feature to write to other members directly. There's also a great yarn store database, so you can find stores to visit on vacation, or find new ones in your area. The possibilities are endless!

Ravelry is also a great place to find pattern ideas and information, and you can search for patterns by yarn, yarn weight, style or craft. Alison found this great neckwarmer, the Darkside Cowl, as a free Ravelry download, and made a version for the store using just less than two skeins of BerrocoJasper (see earlier post below). This is just one of several hundred free downloads available on Ravelry.

So have we convinced you to join yet? If you want to learn more, or are ready to join, visit their website, http://www.ravelry.com/. To join, look for the "request an invitation" link on the homepage. Depending on how many people are waiting to join it will take anywhere from a few days to a week to get an invitation. Once you're on, be sure to visit our store's group, Needle & Arts Centre(http://www.ravelry.com/groups/needle--arts-centre). We'd love to have you join our group.

Plus: Keep your Neck (and Ears) warm!

Now that we got you going with one of the wristwarmer patterns, here comes the "Darkside Cowl" by Sarah Fama. It's a free pattern which you can find in Ravelry (more about Ravelry in my next posting!). Alison brought it in and advises that she used about one and a half skeins of Berroco Jasper for it.

The rib stitch used in the cowl makes it extremely stretchy. This cowl is designed to fit fairly close to the neck, and is snug enough that it could be pulled up and worn as a earwarmer... If you don't find it in Ravelry, get the free pattern here.

Keep your Wrists warm!

These wristwarmers are just timely with Winter all across Canada. Here is another wristwarmer pattern which Pam adapted for our store and which is an easy knit!

You need one ball of wool yarn, or a combination of yarns. If you add Drops Kid-Silk for increased smootheness, Pam advises that one 25 gram ball is enough for two pairs of wristwarmers.

email us for the free pattern!