Lovely New Things

A bunch of Fleece Artist boxes arrived this week. You're going to love these gorgeous new kits.

There's the Perl Grey Lu sweater:

It's a cute little top that's knit in one piece with the luscious Scotian Silk, 65% wool and 35% silk on 6mm needles. We have lots of beautiful colourways.

Or for a quick little knit, try the Hans gauntlet style gloves:

Very cool. They're knit with Blue Face Aran, 100% wool, on 5mm needles.

We have more of the popular Imogen Jacket kits:

These are knit sideways in one piece, with Aran Alpaca, 50% alpaca and 50% wool, on 5.5mm needles. It's a simple knit that translates into a beautifully soft and stylish sweater.

We received lots more of the very useful and attractive Perl Grey pewter ringsticks:
Choose a stick from a variety of colours, including cranberry, violet, moss, ochre, blueberry, earth or birch.

We also have the new Fleece Artist Keep Me Warm Blanket kit:

This blanket has a finished size of about 40" x 60". The kit includes 200g of Merino Boucle, 200g of Super Kid Loop and 500g of Blue Faced Leicester, on 9mm needles. I just might have to have one of these. The striking textures, colourways and combinations of yarn in these kits is simply stunning. It is truly Fleece Art.

And there are some great new colourways in the Soft Wavy Wrap kit:

This kit contains 250g of Baby Alpaca and 250g of Mo and is knit on 7mm needles. Isn't that a fine picture of warmth and coziness? I need one of those wraps right now. Brrr, winter's coming, it's definitely time to pick up the needles and knit something cozy and warm.

Dazzle and Malizia Specials

Today's featured yarns are Estelle Dazzle and Malizia, on sale at 50% off.

Dazzle is a sparkly ladder yarn, perfect for a glitzy, holiday scarf accessory. It can be knit on it's own or combined with another yarn.

Malizia is a popular yarn with cute little flowers strung along it. We recently knit a stunning Malizia scarf with 2 balls of Malizia and a pair of 8mm needles. Cast on 14 stitches and knit each row until the yarn is used up. Voila, your beautiful scarf is ready to wear.

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

Knit a Noni

We adore the Noni bag and flower patterns. They're absolutely bursting with colour, style and creative design. Be adventurous with these patterns, use different colour combinations, add bobbles, blossoms, buttons or whatever to create your own unique statement. Here are a few of the fantastic designs from the Fall, 2007 collection:

The Noni Green Earth Grocery Bag is a stylish alternative to other shopping bags or worse, the evil plastic bag. The handle hardware is felted right into this bag for extra strength. The Recycle It! Arrow is knit in intarsia on both sides of the bag. This is a simple intarsia design that is suitable for a beginner knitter. If you'd rather avoid intarsia, simply knit a continuous stripe around the bag.

The edgy Whimsical Backpacks for Grownups and Kids. Spiney Beast is a bright blue monster and Grassy Hill is covered with grass and flowers. Or you could create your own fabulous backpack design. These bags are knit in one piece with flap embellishments and I-cord closures.

Winter Berries is a gorgeous yet practical bag that you'll love to knit and wear. The bag is knit in one piece with a zipper closure. The I-cord branches and bobble berries are arranged and sewn on by hand.

Liven up your home with these Round Pegs in a Square Accent Pillows. There are three construction options for these pillows. I'd opt for the Single Faced-Pillow with Felted Back, knit all in one piece with an opening for the zipper. This method requires the least finishing of the three options and is the one pictured on the pattern.

These projects are knit with Cascade 220, a great felting yarn. Or try the Ella Rae Classic yarn, another fantastic felting yarn that's already wound into balls. We have loads of colours of both.

Check out the entire Noni collection. We regularly stock many of these patterns and we're happy to make special orders. Knit a Noni and get your creative juices flowing!

Show and Tell

Here's Julia in her fabulous creation from Rowan's "The Kasbah Collection":

A stylin' sweater with a fantastic combination of colours in the popular Rowan yarn, Summer Tweed. It's a succulent combination of 70% silk and 30% cotton. We have all of these colours and more...

Linda's knitting the Minimalist Cardigan, from Interweave Knits, Fall 2007, with the sumptious Mirasol Sulka yarn:

This will be one of the softest cardigans ever. She's promised to send us a photo when it's finished. I suddenly think I need a new project.

After all, I recently finished both a scarf and a hat:

Here's a close-up of the scarf:

It's Jared's pattern. This one's knit with 2 balls of each of Noro Silk Garden colours 252 and 268 on 4.5mm needles. Cast on 39 stitches, 1 x 1 ribbing throughout, working 2 row stripes. Slip (purlwise) the first and last stitch on the second row of every stripe for straighter edges. This scarf was really fun to knit, the constantly changing yarn colours were very addicting enjoyable. The refrain of "just a few more rows" was heard even more often than usual.

Here's a closer view of the hat:

It's Amanda's pattern. It's knit with less than a skein of Manos del Uruguay in the Wildflowers colourway, with 5.5m (US 9) circular needles, switching to dp's for the last few rows. This hat is a size s/m, I'm going to knit another in a larger size. Apparently I can't have this one, the tween finally wants to wear a handknit creation.

Anina is knitting a beautiful scarf with 2 skeins of Manos. It's gorgeous.

And to wrap up for today, another bit of holiday inspiration:

This snowman was knit for a little boy who absolutely loves it, won't leave it anywhere. He's squishy-soft and cuddly, as any good companion should be. We have the pattern.

Hope you're able to curl up and knit or crochet somewhere warm and cozy on this chilly November weekend.

Yarn Tasting

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!

Chanson and Mambo Specials

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.

Felting Fever

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!

Show and Tell

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!

Little Can of Paint

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!

Boxes and Boxes of New Books

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!

Jewel FX & Suede Deluxe Special

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...

Ruffles

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!

What's In The Big Box?

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!