Cashmere Moebius Cowl

Diane from Skacel gave us this hint and Pam and Inge just jumped on it and knitted their first Cashmere Moebius Cowl. It's a free pattern from Cat Bordhi (known as the author of several knitting books which we carry), which you can either download from http://www.catborghi.com/ or ask us for a free pdf file.

This Moebius can be worn many ways - draped over the head, circling the neck, or even around your hips! Inge used Schoppel's InSilk, but we carry a lot of other yarns which are perfect for this cowl: Loft, Nimbus, Fashion Silk, Lush, Fundus or Urban Silk. It takes you only 3-4 hours to get this perfect gift done!

Good Memories - Lots of Inspiration

The wine, cheese and appies on March 26 would have easily fed 10 more, but those who attended our (first ever) fashion show with Maggie Jackson thoroughly enjoyed what they saw. And the models had fun as well: friends, customers and staff of different ages and sizes.

It was Maggie's first visit to remote Campbell River (from her view, and people in Victoria had said to her "why in the world would you want to go to Campbell River?"). We made friends with this vulcano of an Irish fashion designer, had a wonderful fashion show as an introduction into her world, two subsequent intense workshop and even another bonus day with Maggie.

A number of projects were started spontaneously ("I think all I have knitted so far was boring" said one knitting pro). Maggiknits' very special yarns and pattern books are now available in our store, a Maggiknits knit-along starts on April 10th (interested knitters can also join at a later date) and we made tentative plans to have Maggie Jackson back in 2011 for workshops and/or a special retreat.

Please take in a couple of shots taken during this fashion show. The first photo on top of the posting shows Maggie Jackson (to the right).





































































































Many more photos were shot, but I am struggling to get them posted here. I will try to set up a slideshow.

Thanks to all helpers! The models were stunning!

"real" comments are appreciated!

Dear reader of our "Yarn Blog";

For some years now, this blog provides our customers and other readers with snapshots from our knitting world: new products, upcoming and past events, projects we found interesting, free patterns, personal stories, ... all information which complement our already information packed web site and monthly newsletters.

It turned out that this blog is read by many, but it did not develop into a chat blog, which is ok as long as the information and entertainment purpose is fulfilled and as long as it supports our business. It was an interesting effect, though, to see an unusual number of garbage comments on my posting of Maggie Jackson's workshops (below: "WOW", ...). This Wow must have attracted some internet predators.

Well, I rather would see the one or other "real" comment, either as a blog comment or as an email! Thanks for following my postings! Jurgen

Cute shoelaces from leftovers

I found this idea in one of the Knitting Daily newsletters and showed the write-up to our knitting ladies. "It's just an I-cord" was the response. I liked it, these I-cord shoelaces can make even these boots look cute!

One ball of yarn should give you many pairs of shoelaces, but this is a great idea to use up leftover sock yarns, for example. Want to have the little instruction sheet? Just email me.

The sun is shining...

Here's Alison's newest:
"The sun is shining,
so it seems fitting,
to sit on your deck
and do some spring and summer knitting!"

She also writes this: It's a sure sign of spring when the new colourful yarns are arriving. Here some great ones to get excited about:

From Schulana: Sierra
A double knitting cotton blend, dyed to give the effect of your favourite sock yarn. Sierra is a cotton/silk blend for softness and strength. We can see it working up as a great summer tank top, baby hat, or even a perfect pair of summer socks. Pamper yourself! The 50g ball has 110 meters and retails for $9.95. See shade card.

From Filatura di Crosa: Lovely Jeans
Get the look and feel of your favourite pair of jeans with this fabulous new cotton. The label says it works as chunky weight, but we suspect it would be great knit as an aran weight, too. Great colours and the comfort of cotton make this yarn a great choice for children's wear and spring/summer wearables. The 50g ball has 85 meters and retails for $9.95. Check the shade card. Be sure to check out the patterns designed for this yarn in two new publications: Filatura di Crosa "Cute Kids" and "Lovely Jeans". See this Chain Stitch Pullover from the book Lovely Jeans!

Other new pattern books from Filatura di Crosa, both for Spring 2010, are the "Classics" and "Fancy" Collections. See our book page. We are pleased to see that both books feature several crochet patterns in addition to their knitted ones.

From Schoppel Wolle: In-Silk
The luxury of silk is combined perfectly with the softness of Merino Wool in this gorgeous aran weight yarn that is a dream to work with. We see it as a hat and fingerless glove set, or in a shawl or sweater. A lady sweater size S requires 500g. Silk touches the wool while felting. It's an evenly smooth yarn in bright colours. The 100g skein is made up of 75% wirgin merino wool and 25% silk, and has an impressive 200 meters. In-Silk retails for $23.95 - see the beautiful shades.

From Riverstone Yarns: Mohair
We are pleased to see that mohair is making a comeback, and we are in love with this new worsted weight yarn that is made in South Africa and hand-dyed in Creston, British Columbia. Exceptionally soft, this yarn features a touch of wool and nylon for strength. The 2 ounce skein has 110 yards and retails for $16.25, the colour and texture has to be seen to be appreciated! There is no shade card yet, so come visit us to see this and all the other yarns, in parson.

WOW! Maggie Jackson Workshops in March!

For the weekend March 26th till 28th the Needle & Arts Centre has invited internationally acclaimed designer Maggie Jackson from Ireland for a fashion show and two workshops on creative knitting in the store. For those participants travelling from Washington or the Lower Mainland to our wonderful City we have arranged for special rate accommodations in B&B's and Cottages in walking distance.

Read details here and sign up at 250-287-8898 or toll-free at 1-888-588-7834 or info@needlenart.com. This workshop will fill up fast!

Wear it "Anyway" you like!

We found this unique hat pattern in Turvid's Blog. You may wear the hat in different ways, thus the name. See photos in the pattern.

The pattern knits up very nicely and quick with two strands of chunky yarn held together, like our Northern Chunky or Marble Chunky. Works equally nice with one strand of a super bulky yarn like Quick or Woolly Bully. Alison made the hat from one ball of Quick!

You may also email us for a pdf file of the Anyway Hat pattern! This pattern is for private use only.

Baby Snug and Hat

Alison found this pattern: Snug, An (Almost) Seamless Baby Hoodie, on Ravelry. It's a great pattern for an almost seamless baby hoodie knit out of less than one ball of a great new yarn, Cascade Eco Wool: http://www.needlenart.com/Shadecards/EcoWool.html
The front and back of the sweater are knit in one piece sideways, then the front lapel and hood are picked up and knit as one piece. Ingenious use of scrap yarns allows the sleeves to be knit right on to the body as well. It's a fun and fast knit, and teaches you some neat techniques too.

You must be a member of Ravelry to download the pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/. Ravelry is a free site for knitters and crocheters, and one of the most comprehensive sites online. If you're not a member already, please join, and visit our store group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/needle--arts-centre
You can find the pattern on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snug-9
If you have trouble accessing the pattern, please email us.

The accompanying hat was designed by Alison, and is a very easy knit. The pattern is available in store, or email us for it.

Alison made both the snug and the hat from one skein of Cascade Eco Wool, for just Can$16.95!

That's GRANDE: one ball, one night, one hat

We offer these little bags containing one ball of Schulana Grande and a pattern flyer with 4 Beanie patterns. One ball of this soft bulky yarn (100g = 55m, 100% Virgin Wool), knit on a set of double pointed needles size 10mm (US15) makes one cable beanie in just one evening!

The yarn comes in a rainbow of bright colours - just right to bring some light into these darker winter days! Price: $21.95 Can.

Patterns to the yarns - that helps a lot

Good new yarns from Kertzer gets you prepared for the winter knits. Based on the success of yarns like Marble DK , Marble Chunky and Northern Worsted, Kertzer has added lines of new yarns and added pattern booklets for each of them.

These pattern booklets feature Marble Chunky and Marble DK and are $4.25 and $4.95 only:

Baby Marble - Marble DK has been a great seller, especially for children's knits, so this new DK yarn fits in perfectly with its colorful baby shades. Use existing Marble patterns or enjoy the new patterns (below) for this yarn. Like Marble, Baby Marble is 100% acrylic, making it washer-friendly. The 100g skein retails for only $6.95 and has about 268 metres. Great Value!

Northern Worsted Tweed - A fleck of color adds to the personality of this worsted weight, 100% acrylic yarn. The tweed shades coordinate perfectly with existing Northern shades, and it's a great choice for afghans, sweaters and other garments that require more frequent washing. The 100g skein has about 210 meters and retails for ONLY $4.95!

Northern Chunky - Like its worsted counterpart, Northern Chunky (new edition!) is made from easy-care acrylic, making it perfect for sweaters, blankets and accessories. This version knits up faster because of its chunky weight, making it a quick knit! Available in beautiful shades, a 100g ball has about 150m and retails for $4.95. See booklets left and below!

Tweed Montage - A beautiful new chunky weight yarn. Tweed Montage is a blend of colours that change gradually, combined with flecks of colour throughout, giving it the look of a muich more expensive yarn. It combines the warmth of wool (56%) with the easycare of acrylic, and it works up beautifullyin scarves, hats, sweaters. The 150g skein has about 225 meters, making it a great value at $15.95. Check the pattern booklets left and below (both $4.95).

Rejuvenation - A new 100% wool worsted weight from Kertzer, Rejuvenation is the perfect choice for sweaters, hats and warm winter accessories. Great for felting, too! Rejuvenation would work well when used with similar worsted weight wools such as Shepherd Classic or Drops Alaska. The 100g ball has 200m and retails for $6.95. 43 shades! (click on the name/link above); see shade books!

New products from REGIA

With all the new books and yarns (click to get the lists of the new products) in September, I nearly forgot to announce two handy dandy products from Regia.

Regia ABS Latex - You can now create your own non-slip socks with this Latex product which comes in three colours, red, blue and black and is without Ammoniak.

Anyone who has tried wearing socks or slippers on hardwood flooring knows the importance of a good grip. Now you can add it to the bottom of any sock or slipper. The latex boes on like glue (it comes with a handy template collection), then quickly dries, creating a rubber-like surface with excellent grip. The 100ml bottle will do several pairs and retails for $13.25.

Regia 4-ply Color Sock Yarn "Flusi the Sock Monster"

This fun sock yarn comes with a little kids booklet by Bine Braendle, which also includes basic sock knitting instructions and a size table for children's socks.

The Regia "Flusi" sock yarn has shorter repeats especially for children's socks. Come see our samples. The 50g ball (210m) retails for $8.45; the yarn is made from 75% wool and 25% Polyamide and is machine washable. Here is the funniest shade card!

Sassy Skein Designs and more ...

Wow, what a time gap since my last posting. Talk about a busy summer!

New products from Sassy Skein came in. An innovative new line of children's knitwear, featuring bright colors and beautiful yarns. We are pleased to now have in stock several of the Sassy Skein pattern kits, which include the pattern, complete with educational "tips and techniques" plus necessary notions, such as buttons, decals and ribbon (no yarn). Most of the designs can be knit with one of our favourite cottons, "Super 10 Butterfly". We keep a wide range of colors in stock, so you can start on your new project right away for your favourite little one. The pattern kits retail for $9.95.

Also from Sassy Skein - Buttons! Many of our customers asked in the past if we carry buttons, but up until now it's been difficult to find lines that we were really excited about! The button line from Sassy Skein is truly one of a kind, featuring bright, fun designs that will dress up your knits for the young at heart. Buttons are individually priced. The perfect finishing touch!

We also received a shipment from Nancy's Knit Knacks, including more of the popular Double-Point Work-in-Progress Tubes (DP WiP Tubes), which allow you to store your partially done socks and needles in a handy protective tube. No more losing your stitches when you put work away! We first stocked these tubes last fall, but quickly sold out. The set includes two WiP tubes plus a bonus tube to store your double point needles, and retails for $8.95.

Ready, Set: Knit in the Park again!

On Saturday August 15th the Needle & Arts Centre will have their national Knit in the Park again. On Ostler Park, just across from our store. Yarn and refreshments are on us. The project will be Cotton Caps for chemo patients in our local cancer care program. Drop in any time between 11-4 pm, bring your lawn chair and something to nibble... Beginners are welcome, it's fun!

And if you come from out of town, our very own Hidden Harbour B&B takes easily 4, even up to 8 knitters.

New Books - New Baby Yarn

Knitting More Circles around Socks - Author Antje Gillingham shows you step-by-step how to knit two socks at a time on circular needles. Great pattern support too, with directions on making several designs in either the toe up or cuff down method, Retails for $31.95

The Easy "Learn to Knit" in Just One Day - Want a quick and easy way to learn to knit? This may just be the book for you. Great diagrams combined with easy to follow instructions make getting started a breze. It also includes several great patterns that any beginner knitter would enjoy as a first project. Retails for $20.25.

New from Filature di Crosa:

Zarine Baby Print - Filatura di Crosa recently revamped the popular DK version of this yarn, Zara, and we are now pleased to also carry this lighter sportweight version. Zarina is a 100% extra fine merino wool, with the added feature of being superwash, meaning it can be machine washed! Zarina Baby Print (click for shade card) comes in variegated shades, making it the perfect choice for baby and children's wear. It comes in 50g balls, for $9.95, and has 165 metres.

Lantern Moon is shining

We are proud to now carry products from Lantern Moon, a company specialising in beautiful and functional handcrafted products. They support "socially and globally conscious living".

New from Lantern Moon:

Sox Stix - a beautiful handcrafed set of 6 double pointed sock needles, made from rosewood and packaged in a silk plaid organza bag. We have them in 2.0 and 2.75 mm sizes and 5" length and they retail for $23.95 per set. Other sizes and 6" length available on request.

Buttons - hand crafted shell buttons make a perfect closure for a shawl or cardigan. We got them in a variety of styles and sizes, ranging from 1.5 to 2,5" in diameter. Price by size. The buttons are either $3.5 or $5.95 ea - they are a work of art!

Purse Handles - we received handles in two styles: oblong wood (either natural or ebony) or straight rosewood. The oblong sets retail for $9.95/pair and the straight handles are $21.95/pair. A great way to finish a felted or quilted bag!

Needle Cases - these beautiful quilted cases are hand crafted from 100% silk and come in 2 styles. The circular cases hold 18 or more circular needles, while the combination cases hold both straight, double pointed and circular sets or crochet hooks. Both styles retail for $45.95 and make a great gift for the knitter in your life.

Capitán Hat

Alison found this hat pattern by Rosi Garmendia and knitted the hat for display in one night. The pattern is for private use only. Alison used a skein of our MistiAlpaca Chunky 2-ply. Looks great!

Rosi says: "Here’s a hat pattern that is easy to memorize and fits from a child to an adult with a big head or lots of hair! Knit this up in a couple of hours for a quick gift". Email us for the free pattern in pdf format.

Muse Hat

Alison found this (free) pattern a while ago and it's for private use only. Click this link to get to the pattern!

Sharon, the owner of the blog Shazzas Patterns writes: I love crocheted hats but unfortunately I cannot crochet. Many years ago I remember knitting a jacket which had a stitch pattern that looked just like crochet so after sorting through my old pattern books I found the pattern and used it to make my Muse Hat. Why Muse you ask? It reminds me of the hats that the beautiful wives / girlfriends of famous musicians and artists were always pictured wearing in my mums New Idea magazines during the '60s and '70's, complete with the false eyelashes and long hair.

Enjoy! Click on photo to enlarge.

Come Summer, Come Fall

New Yarns!! means already Fall yarns these days which we enjoy as our first real sunny and summer days we badly waited for. We always get excited with each new "arrival" and have to share the good news with you. This time our friends from Skacel shipped us new yarns from Zitron and Schulana:

Mosco by Schulana is a dreamy blend of mohair, viscose & Nylon that knits up to a fingering weight. The mohair gives it a nice halo effect, making it the perfect choice for wraps, scarves and other accessories. The 25g ball has 125m and retails for $10.25 - see the shade card!

Fundus by Zitron - Merino wool is known for its next-to-the-skin softness, and this lovely chunky weight yarn is no exception. Made of 100% new wool, Fundus comes in striking variegated shades and would be stnning in a sweater, scarf or hat. Felts great, too! The 50g skein has 10m and retails for $11.25 0 this is the shade card.
Also new is the Schulana Nr.24 magazine, which features a stunning ladies cardigan done in Mosco (design #9). See our book page in http://www.needlenart.com/.

Trekking 6ply by Zitron - A new sock yarn from a company well-known to most sock knitters, this new weight works up at a double knitting/sports weight other than the traditional fingering weight of other sock yarns.
Thicker socks are good for hiking or work. This 6ply sock yarn has the same superwash wool and nylon as other sock yarns, so wears and washes equally well. The 150g ball has 390m and will make a pair of average adult socks. It etails for $27.95 and has a good colour mix. Ask us for a free sock pattern for this yarn weight once you are in the store.
This yarn is a grat choice for sweaters and accessories too - just use any DK weigt pattern.

Also from Zitron is Opus 1 - more variegated merino goodness, this time in a worsted weight. Opus truly has to be seen and felt to be appreciated, as the colours in the photos not do it justice. 100% Merino means that it can be worn next to the skin, making it ideal for hats, scarves, sweaters and even children's wear. This yarn is infused with Aloe Vera and Jooba oils which both guarantee an ultra touch of softness. The 100g skein has a generous 190m and retails for $26.50. See shade card.

Bear in Mind!

Our regular customer, Knit Cafe and knitting club member Jane did these cute beary garments, and the bears (it will be three) will be travelling soon to her granddaughter in England.

The patterns are available in our store. email inf0@needlenart.com or phone!

Brick and Mortar stores - important stuff!

"Save your local economy - one store at a time". This is the core message of the 3/50 project, started in March 2009 in the States, but true everywhere. Read the text below, visit www.the350project.net , and be an active supporter!!