Urban Yarns

Weekly Special

2008-07-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Our special this week is Sirdar Denim Tweed DK at 30% off the regular price. This is a nice light yarn for summer knitting, with 25% cotton in the mix. And it's machine washable. We have loads of DK weight patterns that will work well with this yarn.

And we've added a bunch of new books and magazines to our sale section. There are new titles from Colinette, Debbie Bliss, Rebecca, Rowan and RYC on the sale shelves at up to 50% off the regular price. These won't last long...

What's New

2008-07-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

The boxes continue to arrive at our door so we have lots of new tidbits to share...

We unpacked some beautiful Fleece Artist Soft Wavy Wrap kits:

These are 250g Baby Alpaca and 250g Mo. The wrap is easy to knit with alternating rows of these yumilicious yarns on 7mm needles.

And we pulled out some Handmaiden Casbah sock yarn in stunning new colourways:

Casbah is 80% superwash merino, 10% nylon and 10% cashmere for the softest socks ever.

Here's a photo of the luscious Art Yarns Beaded Rhapsody that we mentioned last week:

Gotta love it.

We have a new Sirdar yarn, Eco Wool DK:

This is 100% non-dyed virgin wool with purely natural products used in the processing to keep the wool as natural as possible. There's a great accompanying pattern book:

With 22 great designs for women, men and young girls. Go green with this one...

Love the Sun

2008-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

And there's more on the way... There's been a severe shortage of sun this year in Vancouver so I can't seem to sit at the computer for long these days. While I tap away at the keyboard I see the empty deck chairs outside and they're simply irresistible. So I'll try to cram all our news into one quick post, then back to soak up some sun.

Our special this week is Laines du Nord Cashsilk at 30% off. This is a beautiful merino, silk and cashmere yarn. And that's not all folks. We've dropped the price of our clearance section in Point Grey to 70% off. There are many great yarns at only $2.99 each, including some Rowan, Jaeger, Gedifra, Sirdar, Schachenmayr and more. And we've put a few Debbie Bliss yarns on sale in Point Grey at 40% off, including Cathay, Pure Cashmere and a couple of colours of Baby Cashmerino. We're still trying to make room for all the new stuff that will arrive next month...

And we continue to make some permanent price reductions as we receive new yarns at lower prices. This week we dropped the price of Colinette Point Five to $22.95 and Giotto to $29.95. We've also dropped Elspeth Lavold Silky Wool to $7.95. We don't have time to change all the labels but the new prices are in the computer so you'll receive the lower price at checkout.

Becky's been hard at work unpacking boxes this week. We replenished our supply of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, Sirdar Baby Bamboo and Louet Euroflax and Gems. The most stunning arrival this week is the gorgeous Art Yarns Beaded Rhapsody. It's a beautifully soft yarn with tiny sparkly beads running through it. One luscious skein will make a lovely scarf. A perfect little project to knit in the sun. That's where I"m heading right now....

Handmaiden Lace

2008-07-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ooh la la. We have stunning new shades of Seasilk, 70% silk & 30% seacell:

And scrumptious Mini Maiden, 50% silk & 50% wool:

There's also new Swiss Mountain Cashmere & Silk, 4 ply Cashmere and several other luscious tidbits from the Maidens. Yum.

Namaste

2008-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

You're going to love the new Namaste bags. The designs are better than ever.

And you couldn't find a nicer bunch of people than the gang at the helm of this business. They're friendly as can be with a laid back California vibe. The business started when Clint designed a set of glass needles as a Christmas present for his fiance, Kelly. Everyone who saw them wanted a set and the rest is history. They've kept it all in the family with Clint's sister, Dawn and mom, Toni now helping out. Even their dogs come to work with them...

All of the Namaste bags have a spacious interior and plenty of interior pockets for notions and whatever else you need to tuck inside. The Newport is the latest addition to the popular Cali Collection:

It's sleek design and solid structure make it an ideal multi-purpose handbag.

Love the hip simplicity of the Malibu:

A perfect beach bag.

The Laguna is another great looking bag. This one has exterior pockets and a detachable shoulder strap for extra storage and convenience:

The Cali Clutch is an elegant way to hold your needles, together with a few other essentials:

We also have the Messenger Bag, Needle Binder, Knit Tube and Vintage Bag.

And the best part? These bags are all great value, ranging in price from $59.95 to $69.95.

Last but not least is the Cali Cozy that will hold a set of needles:

It's a perfect gift for you or a friend at only $11.95. Or upgrade the gift with a beautiful set of Lantern Moon rosewood or ebony needles.

Sadly we didn't receive a full order so we have only a limited selection of the new bags. If this is your 'have to have' Summer item, don't delay. They won't last long. The good news is that we'll have more in the Fall...

Weekly Special

2008-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Our special this week is Grignasco Infinity at 40% off the regular price. This one's 35% bamboo and 65% merino, with lots of great colour options. It's a great deal at only $4.77.

And we've reduced the price of a few of our specials including Rowan Chunky Cotton Chenille at 60% off, Chunky Print and Ribbon Twist at 50% off and selected colours of Big Wool at 40% off. Check out our entire specials list right here.

Diamond Luxury Collection

2008-07-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

We're blown away by the quality and value of this collection. One of our favourites is Alpaca Melange, an uber-soft 100% alpaca in subtle heather shades:

It's a DK weight with 100 metres to a 50g ball for only $7.95.

We also have Alpaca Peru that's just as soft. Same specs as Alpaca Melange without the heather, for only $6.95.

There's also a gorgeous new DL sock yarn, Foot Loose. It's 90% merino, 10% nylon and machine washable:

Grab a couple of skeins and knit a pair of socks for only $15.90.

We've also added the DL Merino Superwash line to our collection in 3 weights: 4 ply, DK and Aran, all for only $5.95 per ball:

This one's a great staple yarn for almost any project.

We've had the DL Baby Alpaca Sport for awhile. It's a velvety soft chunky yarn with loads of colour options.

And don't forget the DL Alpaca Cashmere that's on our specials list for only $4.17 per ball.

We think you're going to love this collection, better check it out...

New Books

2008-07-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

We have some wonderful new books on our shelves.

'Inspired to Knit, Creating Exquisite Handknits', is getting rave reviews:

Love the author's book dedication to her family, "Thanks for eating at the kitchen counter for more than a year while the dining room table was covered with "knitting stuff" and for putting up with a wife and mother who is "always knitting". See kids, there are other crazy moms out there... The book has a wide range of beautiful projects arranged by season, as well as four great mini-workshops.

Another great new title is 'Shibori Knitted Felts', by Alison Crowther-Smith:

This one has loads of beautiful felted designs, many using Japanese-inspired techniques such as beading, pleating and embroidery to manipulate and decorate the fabric. Rowan Scottish Tweeds are used for many of the designs; we have lots in stock. The pillows on the cover are going on my list.

For some fantastic contemporary takes on classic styles, check out 'Knitting Classic Style' by Veronik Avery:

There are 35 fabulous designs in this book. Love the Top-Down sweater on the cover and the Layered Skater's Top knit with Kid Silk Haze.

Have a look at Robin Melanson's book, 'Knitting New Mittens & Gloves' for some quick new projects:

This inspiring book has 28 gorgeous designs for gloves, mittens and arm warmers.

Be sure to flip through the pages of the new Noro book, 'Joy' featuring 14 Spring/Summer designs by Jane Ellison:

There are designs for some of our favourite Noro yarns, as well as recent releases Taiyo and Matsuri. Noro books are always very popular and this one doesn't disappoint.

And for something completely different, there's 'Anticraft, Knitting Beading and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister', by Renee Rigdon and Zabet Stewart:

This one has a Goth flavour, heavy on the skulls, snakes and pirates. There are lots of edgy designs for both knitting and crochet. Check out the beautiful Belladonna Sleeves and the Andy Warhol influenced Pop Art Skulls pillow. There are also 26 pages of instructional text and photos.

We always have too many new books to mention, there are loads of new titles on our bookshelves. If you're a book lover, it's hard to resist the plethora of new titles. There's definitely something for everyone, drop by and have a look.

Canada Day Specials

2008-07-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our special yarn this week is Rowan Kid Silk Night at 30% off. If you've always loved Kid Silk Haze and like a little glitter, you should check out KSN. It's a beautiful mohair/silk blend with a subtle sparkle, perfect for featherweight summer shawls. We have 10 beautiful colours, it will be hard to choose just one. With 208 metres per ball at only $11.17, you can't go wrong.

And to celebrate Canada Day, we've dug up a few more treasures to put in our 60% off clearout section. We've added some discontinued Rowan yarns to the mix, including Chunky Cotton Chenille, Lurex Shimmer and Plaid. We've also added one colour of Soft Baby, a perfect yarn for baby sweaters and blankets. And we're saying adieu to the lovely RYC Bamboo Soft yarn. These bargains won't last long, the new Fall yarns will arrive very soon and the clearout section will be gone...

What's New

2008-06-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

There are so many lovely new things. We oohed and aahed over the contents of the boxes we recently received from Koigu. Tons of new colours in Kersti:

And KPPPM:

Love this stuff.

We have loads of new Online Supersock yarn. There are three new options, Circle Colour, New Weave and Wellness, all 75% wool and 25% nylon. We also have some of Online's Summer Supersock yarn left, it's 40% wool, 45% cotton and 15% nylon.

And we finally have the beautiful red Online Solo Colour yarn for ruffly scarves. Remember? We've been waiting over six months for this one.

We re-stocked the beautiful Gingko Leaf shawl pins:

These stunning pins are crocheted with sterling wire and semi-precious stones.

We also have the gorgeous Gingko Leaf Stitch Marker Necklaces:

The day these arrived, we all took one home with us. These pendants are made with sterling silver and come with ten easily accessible stitch markers. Some have lace sized stitch markers and others have larger sizes. There are also matching earrings.

GTG now but there's lots more new stuff, stay tuned for more updates next week....

Holiday Hours

2008-06-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

We'll be closed in both stores on Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1. Otherwise, we'll be open our regular hours in Point Grey this Saturday through Monday and in Edgemont on Saturday and Sunday.

Have a happy Canada Day long weekend!

Weekly Special

2008-06-24T14:42:00.001-07:00

Our special this week is Filatura di Crosa Venezia Print at 30% off. This is a beautiful, soft ribbon yarn that's 40% cotton and 60% polyamide. It's a great choice for summer projects, the colours are gorgeous. Check out all of our weekly specials right here.

And don't forget about our summer clearance section in Point Grey. There are still some great yarns left on sale at 60% off the regular price. There are also some fantastic books and leaflet patterns in this section. If you're a bargain hunter, don't miss out on these savings, they won't last much longer...

Crochet Craze

2008-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Crochet is sizzling hot right now. Check out the fantastic designs in Interweave Crochet's summer issue. Recognize the background in this photo?

Yup, it's our Point Grey store. You might remember, the shoot was scheduled for the beach but snow flurries interfered with that plan. Kim Werker was desperate for an alternate location and we were happy to oblige.

If you'd love to hook some of these fabulous designs but haven't yet learned to crochet, join our Beginner's Crochet class starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. in Point Grey. Last time I looked there were a couple of spots left.

If crochet's not your thing, have a look at our class schedule for some other options. Alexa Ludeman has scheduled some great new classes. Learn to knit her gorgeous Button Scarf in just one evening:

Or if you'd like to learn to knit lace, join Sivia Harding's Beginner Lace Knitting class on Wednesday evenings starting July 9. Learn to knit her beautiful Norwegian Woods Scarf.

And if you like intarsia knitting with teeny-tiny wool, join Anina, our Norwegian girl, in knitting Dale of Norway's Whistler sweater design in honour of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We don't yet have the pattern but Anina has a photo. She'd love some company so we're thinking of scheduling a class. Let us know if you're interested...

Summer School

2008-06-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

We have some great new lessons starting in June and July. Check out our Summer 08 lesson schedule right here.

Looks like there's finally some sunny weather on the horizon. Good thing as I'm going camping this week with 62 grade seven kids. It's bound to be more fun in the sun...

So we're taking another little blog break, back next week.

Mission Falls 1824

2008-06-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

MF 1824 wool and cotton are two of our most popular yarns. Both have the same gauge, 18 stitches and 24 rows to a 10 cm square, so they're interchangeable in the MF designs. Both are machine washable and come in a fabulous range of contemporary colours. What's not to like?

We currently have a Mission Falls Trunk Show in both stores, with tons of fantastic MF garments on display. Here's a small selection:

Two beautiful sweaters are displayed in our Point Grey window:

Ursula looks great in this bold design:

Here's a colourful hat and cardigan set for your favourite toddler:

And an elegant cabled scarf peeks out of our flower box:

If you get a chance, drop by and have a look at the entire collection...

Inspiration

2008-06-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Check out Knitty Summer 08. So many fantastic projects.

Love the Shetland Shorty wrap.

And the featherweight Seascape shawl, knit with a perennial favourite, Kid Silk Haze.

Helena is an adorable sweater-dress for babies. Too cute.

There are socks and hats and a fabulous summer bag.

Oozing inspiration.

What's New

2008-06-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

More Fleece Artist has arrived. Oh Happy Day!

We have a couple of great kits for warm weather projects. There's the Sea Vines Vest:

This one's knit with Seawool, a lightweight blend of 70% merino and 30% seawool.

The Lu top is another great summer project:

It's knit in one piece with Scotian Silk, a beautiful blend of 65% wool and 35% silk.

We also received many new colours of the gorgeous FA Suri Blue yarn, a luscious blend of 50% alpaca and 50% Blue Faced Leicester wool. Grab two skeins and knit the stunning Laminaria shawl from Knitty. Or try the Criss Cross scarf, we have a free pattern.

And we unpacked some of the beautiful Blue Faced Leicester 2/8 wool, with 1000 meters per 250g skein. Knit the cute Tempest cardigan from Knitty with just two skeins. Love the fit of this cardi, especially the thinner stripes around the waist that accentuate the waist shaping.

Perhaps best of all, we've got a bunch more FA Dreadlocks and it's our special this week, on sale at 25% off:

This gorgeous yarn is 78% mohair, 13% wool and 9% nylon with 180 metres on a 250g skein. Sadly Dreadlocks has been discontinued so we can't get it anymore. When this batch is gone, it's gone for good.

And one last thing for today, we've dropped the price on our clearance section in Point Grey from 50% to 60%. Yup, 60% off the regular price of some fantastic yarns. There are still a few bits and bobs from great lines like Colinette, Debbie Bliss, Jaeger, Louisa Harding, Rowan and many others. We have limited quantities of these yarns and we won't be ordering them again so we have to say adieu. Our loss just might be your gain...

Darling Dinos

2008-06-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Anina knit a cute little Triceratops that tiptoed through our garden:

Here's his buddy:

We have the pattern and the yarn...

More Show and Tell

2008-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

We have more beautiful projects to show today....

Donna has been busy, in addition to the gorgeous blue tank we showed on Tuesday, she's knit this stunning top:

It's the Josephine Top design from Interweave's Summer 2007 issue. She used the Sea Silk yarn from a Handmaiden stormwater shawl kit for this one. Talk about inspiring....

Julia knit this great bag from just one skein of Noro Taiyo:

It's the Elisa Nest Tote from Purl Bee. Make a few of these bags and chuck the plastic. Have a look at more of Julia's projects on her blog, Crispy Noodle Knits.

Jane came in one day wearing this beautiful shawl:

I believe it's Jane's own design, knit with the Italyarns Iris that's on our specials list at 40% off. Iris is a lovely yarn that's 30% cashmere.

Anina finished her beautiful Babette:

Have a look at this fabulous creation next time you drop by Point Grey.

And be sure to check out the beautiful Linen Shawl that Alexa recently knit with Louet Euroflax. It's also on display in Point Grey. Euroflax is a fantastic linen yarn for summer projects. Machine washable and dryable. And it softens up nicely after washing.

Whew, talk about inspiration, the needles are calling me...

Weekly Special

2008-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our special yarn this week is Laines du Nord Mulberry Silk at 30% off. This is a beautiful DK weight 100% silk yarn with 125 metres per ball. Knit a beautiful summer tank top or cardi with this yarn, we have a great selection of colours.

Don't forget, we have many hundreds of balls of yarn in our clearout section at 50% off. There are some excellent bargains in this section but quantities are limited. Although we're sad to see them go, we must make room for all the lovely new things that keep arriving at our door.

And we have more permanent price reductions to report. The stronger Canadian dollar keeps working it's magic! The fabulous Namaste bags have dropped in price: Messenger Bags are now $59.95 and Needle Binders and Vintage Bags are only $64.95. Noro Kureyon has dropped to $9.95 and Iro is down to $19.95. Cascade 220 is now $6.95 and Rowan Big Wool has dropped by over 25% to $15.95 per ball. Even better, we have a few colours of Big Wool on our specials list at 30% off, that's $11.17. Can't go wrong at that price!

Show and Tell

2008-06-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

We've seen some beautiful creations lately. Sadly, ~~we're~~ I'm a tad delinquent with the whole process of shooting and loading photos, keeping track of names and writing down yarn and pattern descriptions. ~~We'll~~ I'll misplace the camera or lose the scrap of paper with the details written on it. Like today, I know I have some beautiful photos on my camera but the camera's not where it should be. Despite these issues, we've managed to assemble a few photos and details to show you...

Linda recently finished this gorgeous cardigan:

It's Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall 2007 issue. Love the horizontal cable set into the yoke. And the colour is fantastic. The pattern calls for Rowan Felted Tweed but Linda used Elspeth Lavold's Silky Wool for a softer finish. Please keep bringing us your completed projects Linda, they're very inspiring.

Donna knit this fabulous tank top that's currently on display in the Edgemont store window:

Beautiful design, shaping and colour. It's made with SWTC Amaizing, 100% corn fiber. Amaizing is currently on our specials list at 40% off. Lost the scrap of paper with the pattern details but I'm sure someone has that information if you're interested...

This is Sarah's first sock:

Way to go Sarah! Unfortunately the pattern details are lost in the photo but trust me, this is a gorgeous sock. It's Knitty's Ripple pattern, knit with Koigu PPMerino.

And this is Terry's afghan:

Terry started Sandra Dunkin's afghan class in the Fall and learned to knit a new square each month. What a fantastic result! If you're inspired to become an afghan knitter, watch for our Fall class schedule. A new session of the afghan class will start in September...

Alchemy Trunk Show

2008-05-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

This week we received an unbelievably beautiful collection of sample garments from Alchemy Yarns. I'm not kidding, these are some of the most gorgeous hand knit garments that I've ever seen.

Remember Clara Parke's rave review of Haiku? You can't fully appreciate the beauty of this yarn until you see it knit up. We have two amazing sample garments in Haiku, the Muse:

And the Illusionist Shawl:

Both are incredibly stunning. These garments have a magical magnet-like force. You will be drawn to fondle them and once you do, you will find it very hard to walk away. You think I'm joking. Just try it.

We have lots more magnificent samples from Alchemy's recent book, Destination Alchemy, including the Origamist, Cable Cardigan, Tre Tre Chic Kerchief, Math Geek Scarf and Slanted Eyelet Scarf, all knit with Silk Purse. We also have the Connoisseur Pullover that's knit with a combination of Haiku and Silk Purse. And the Surfer that's knit with Silken Straw.

Sadly we can keep this fabulous collection for only one week. Any fondling must be done this weekend, then it will all be packaged up on Monday. Sorry Edgemont but this trunk show is only in Point Grey. We didn't have time to transfer it over the bridge and back. If it's any consolation, we'll soon receive a Mission Falls trunk show that will appear in both stores...

Weekly Special

2008-05-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Instead of a solo special this week, we've put multiple yarns on sale at 50% off. There are some excellent yarns from lines like Colinette, Debbie Bliss, Garnstudio, Rowan and many others. We're clearing them out for various reasons; some are discontinued, some have overstayed their welcome and some are lonely singles.

Sorry Edgemont but these specials are only available in Point Grey - we've consolidated our stock in one location to get the best possible quantities of colours and lines. Quantities are limited.

We have to find a new home for these yarns so we can make room for all the lovely new things that we've recently received. One of the recent arrivals is a beautiful new yarn, Garnstudio's Lin:

It's a DK weight 100% Linen, with 120 metres per ball. A perfect yarn for summer projects. And it's only $7.95. Look here for a couple of great Lin designs.

Stay tuned over the next while for more details about some of the great new yarns and books on our shelves...

Babies

2008-05-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

We love to knit and crochet for babies. They're small projects that we can usually finish before our attention starts to wander. And babies look so adorable in handmade garments.

We've seen a bunch of very cute baby projects lately. Here's baby Molly in a Sublime hat and jacket, knit by Sandra Dunkin:

Millie looks adorable modelling the Blue Sky Alpacas Sundress:

Millie's mom Ingrid knit the dress. Remember Ingrid, the Rowan Lady? The yarn is the ultra soft BSA dyed organic cotton, we have lots of colours hanging on our BSA walls.

Jen knit this lovely cardigan for her grand-daughter, Cassie:

She used Sirdar Baby Bamboo for this one. Love the colour combo. The design is by Louisa Harding, from her wonderful book, The Magical World According to Miss Millie.

Jen's been busy, she also knit this beautiful blanket for her next grandchild who is due anytime:

This one is sure to become a family heirloom.

Not only do we love to see the handmade baby garments, we love to see the babies themselves. Don't hesitate to bring your babies into our stores, as long as you don't mind sharing them with us for a little while...

Two More Days

2008-05-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

There's been a great bargain buzz around the stores this week. Knitters love a yarn sale almost more than knitting, it seems. Many of you have dropped by more than once which is a very good idea. There are so many buckets and baskets of discounted items that you can easily miss some treasures. And we've added many new items to the list over the past few days, not to mention the extra 10% off...

But all good things must come to an end. There are only two more days of bargain hunting, then on Monday the signs will come down and the clean-up will begin...