Urban Yarns

We've Moved!

2009-01-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

You'll now find us over at urbanyarnsblog.com.

Not being techies, we don't fully understand why this move is advantageous but we're obediently following our tech guy's advice...

Inspiring

2009-01-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

A very hopeful and inspiring day, don't you think?

Rowan Magazine 45

2009-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

They arrived in Point Grey today and will be in Edgemont by Friday. As usual there are many beautiful designs.

Despite the frost and fog, Spring must be on it's way....

California Bound

2009-01-15T01:23:00.000-08:00

We're off to San Diego today for the TNNA show, in search of new treasures for Spring and Summer. The weather forecast is for highs of 24 degrees through the weekend so we have big smiles on our faces. The pool awaits us... We'll post photos next week.

Don't forget about our Kate Jacobs event next Thursday evening, January 22 from 7 - 9 p.m. Kate will give a talk and read from her new book, Knit Two.

Kate's books have just arrived in Point Grey and will soon be in Edgemont so you can pick up a copy any time. Or phone and reserve a book if you plan on attending the event. Space is limited so if you'd like to join us, be sure to register sometime soon!

Rowan Spring Collection

2009-01-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

Can't wait to see what Rowan has conjured up for Spring? Then drop by our Point Grey store and have a look at the Design Collection brochure and yarn shade cards. The brochure has photos of every design from Magazine 45 and the new Rowan and Rowan Classic books. Feel free to pre-order any books or yarn you can't live without.

Sadly this info is not yet in Edgemont but we hope it will arrive sometime soon. Trust me, we've asked for it many times...

We have a new Rowan book on our shelves, Knitting Goes Large:

With a great selection of twenty different knits for all occasions and all seasons for larger women with varying figure types. Designers include Kim Hargreaves, Martin Storey, Wendy Baker and Jennie Atkinson. There are warm winter jackets, comfortable sweaters, cool summer cardigans and pretty evening cover-ups. The patterns come in six sizes, starting from size 16, so you'll be sure to find something to suit your figure and your taste, all in classic Rowan yarns.

And our special this week is one of Rowan's most popular yarns, the lovely Kidsilk Haze at 30% off. There are six beautiful colours on sale:

From the pale shades of ice cream (637) and fondant (630) to the deeper shades of elegance (577), jacob (631), nightly (585) and violetta (633). There are 23 pages of KSH patterns on Ravelry, definitely something for everyone.

Knock yourself out!

New Classes

2009-01-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

We have some great new classes starting over the next few weeks.

Monday evenings in Point Grey, choose either Beginner Knitting, starting January 19 or Beginner Crochet, starting February 2. Both classes will be taught by Deanna Kruchensky and will run from 7 - 9 p.m. In Edgemont, get help with a current project at our Fix It nights. These single class sessions will be taught by Nicholas Jacques and will run on January 26, February 9 or 23 from 7 - 9 p.m.

We have several options on upcoming Tuesday evenings in Point Grey. A Fingerless Glove class starts tonight from 7 - 9 p.m. Or learn to knit a sock in just one day at Sock Boot Camp. The next SBC is scheduled on January 20 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Or if you'd prefer, learn to knit a pair of Fair Isle Mittens with Alexa Ludeman on February 10 and 17 from 7 - 9 p.m. Tuesday evenings are Knit Nights in Edgemont.

Wednesday nights are also busy lesson nights. Sivia Harding will start a Moebius Madness class tomorrow night in Point Grey from 7 - 9 p.m. In Edgemont we've scheduled Sock Boot Camps with Jackie on February 4 or February 25 from 6 - 9 p.m. And Donna LeClair will run a Finishing Class on February 11 and 18 from 7 - 9 p.m.

Sandra Dunkin will start a new Beyond Beginner Knitting class in Point Grey on Thursday, February 12 from 7 - 9 p.m. And if you or someone you know would like to learn to knit, Nicholas Jacques will start a Beginner Knitting class in Edgemont on January 29 from 7 - 9 p.m. After that, progress to the Beyond Beginner Knitting class that will start on March 5.

Get help with your projects on Friday afternoons in Point Grey at Christa's Painless Projects, from 1 - 2:30 p.m. or Astor Tsang's Knitting Q & A on Sunday mornings from 11 - 12 noon. Or learn all about yarn substitutions with Astor on the first Sunday of each month from, 10 - 11 a.m.

Check out our entire class schedule for further information about our lessons. Or contact our lesson goddess, Kathleen, by email or phone at 604-228-1122.

And try to drop by for our Knit Nights that run Tuesday evenings in Edgemont, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings in Point Grey, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Escape your busy life and have fun knitting (or crocheting) with other local knitters (and crocheters). Hope to see you there!

Fleece Artist

2009-01-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

We opened several more boxes of Fleece Artist loveliness yesterday:

We're absolutely overrun with hundreds of skeins of luscious hand-dyed wool:

First out of the box was Leba, a beautiful mix of 65% kid, 20% wool and 15% nylon. It's a light dk weight with 425m to each 250g skein.

Next was Nyoni, a stunning combo of 65% wool, 20% kid, 10% nylon and 5% silk. This one's a sock-weight yarn with a generous 750m to each 250g skein.

Then came Tara, a gorgeous and soft medley of 51% kid, 19% wool and 30% nylon. It's lace-weight with a whopping 2000m per 250g skein.

We counted twenty-five different colourways, a beautiful collection of rich and vibrant shades.

Becky got it all organized with her energizer bunny-like efficiency. And today it will be hung up on our walls in stunning splendour. Yum.

Yummy Noro

2009-01-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

We have tons of Noro in both stores, lots of new colours and loads of options like Silk Garden, Kureyon, Kochoron, Iro, Blossom, Transitions, Yuzen and more.

There were some gorgeous photos of Silk Garden scarves and Calorimetries over at the Mason Dixon blog a couple of days ago. Definitely worth taking a look. We have loads of Silk Garden on our shelves (and bursting out of bins in the back). It's fun to play with the many colour options.

If you haven't done so already, check out our latest fave, Silk Garden Chunky, a quick knit on 6.5mm needles. And be sure to have a look at Noro Mini Knits by Jenny Watson:

A fantastic book with thirty designs for mini projects like hats, mitts and scarves. There's a cute and cozy Kochoron cardi that's high on my list:

After completing fourteen hats before Christmas and working on six that are still due (I resorted to wrapping yarn with a promise of a hat), I'm ready for something more substantial.

We also love the Iro Shrug:

And these cute gloves, knit with Silk Garden Lite:

One skein of SGL and a pair of 4mm needles is all you'll need for these.

Just one little book and so many possibilities...

Weekly Special

2009-01-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

This week it's Pasha, from the Stacey Charles collection, at 40% off the regular price. It's a soft, bulky yarn that's 95% extra fine merino and 5% cashmere, a quick knit at 12 stitches and 16 rows to 10cm on 6mm needles. There are 90 metres to a 50 gram ball and it's only $8.97.

There are lots of other bargains in our stores right now. We recently dropped the prices on some of our specials like Rowan Soft Baby, Ribbon Twist and Chunky Print, now 60% off the regular price. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan, SWTC Amaizing and Rowan Classic Cashcotton DK are now 50% off the regular price. And Sirdar Denim Tweed Dk, Denim Aran and Denim Chunky are now 40% off the regular price.

We put a bunch of books on our sale shelves today. There are some great titles by Nicky Epstein, Debbie Bliss, Louisa Harding, Ella Rae, Rowan Classic, Sublime, Vogue and many more. All at 40% off. Sad to see them go but we have to make room for all the new books that we've ordered for Spring.

We have loads of great deals on books and yarn right now, drop by and check 'em out...

Amber

2009-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

We finally received Kim Hargreaves' latest:

A stunning collection of twenty-one fabulous designs featuring Rowan and Rowan Classic yarns like Felted Tweed, Kidsilk Haze, Kid Classic, Colourscape Chunky, Big Wool and Cocoon. We have all of these on our shelves.

Kim Hargreaves describes the collection best in her foreword: "Good friends gather for a fun country house weekend. As winter envelops they are found wearing the season's rich shades to dramatic effect, the inspiration for these magical colours is taken from mythical potions of luscious berries, herbs and spices. The garments have an air of self assured style -- from cosy and snug to sleek and elegant -- carrying with them a wealth of texture, from delicate lace to glorious cables. The grand hall and secret gardens provide the perfect setting for such an enchanting collection..."

Check out the entire Amber collection right here. The book's only in Point Grey right now but will be in Edgemont very soon. If you absolutely have to have it, please phone and reserve a copy as the first bunch may not last long. We've already ordered more....

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

We started the New Year off with a bang by unloading a bunch of splendicious Fleece Artist yarn and kits. It's such fun to slice open a big box of hand-dyed yarn, happily anticipating the splendour that awaits, then soaking up the gorgeous colours that burst out of the box while fingering the softness of the yarn within. There's always much oohing and aahing as the gorgeous shades are digested, one by one.

We have some beautiful new colourways hanging on our walls, like Earth, Ireland, Sugarplum, Victoria and Twilight. And we've re-stocked many of the popular kits like Lady of the Lake:

Also Hans, Sabine, Imogen and many more...

We hope you all had a joyous holiday season. And we wish you the happiest of New Years, full of good health, love, peace and many wonderful new knitting and crocheting projects!

Boxing Week Bargains

2008-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

We have some great bargains in both stores this week. Here's our sale list. There's an excellent selection of yarn, books and magazines at 40 - 60% off the regular price.

A great time to pick up a new project to knit or crochet on cold winter days...

Holiday Hours

2008-12-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

We'll close at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and we'll be closed on Christmas Day. We'll reopen on Boxing Day, with regular hours for the rest of the week until New Years Eve when we'll close at 3:00 p.m. And we'll be closed New Years Day. Same hours in both stores. Don't forget, we'll be open in Edgemont on Monday, December 29. And we'll have some Boxing Day bargains for you, stay tuned for details...

We unpacked a bunch more new stuff last week. Several big boxes of Louet, we have loads of Gems Fingering and Sportweight, Euroflax and a bit of the luscious Mooi. We have more of the sumptuous Handmaiden Samira Silk on hand, as well as the delicious Great Big Sea, Mini Maiden and Stormwater Scarves. We received several more Addi Click sets, there are now a couple in Edgemont. We have the Cascade Eco Wool Chunky, tons of yardage for a great price. And we have a bunch of Offhand Designs bags and clutches, these are fabulous:

We also unpacked the latest Debbie Bliss books, Essential Baby and Essential Knits for Kids. Cute as ever....

Have fun with your last minute shopping, knitting, baking and wrapping. Somehow I have seven toques and three scarves left on my list, hope springs eternal...

Merry Christmas

2008-12-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

From a few of the Urban Yarns gals:

Check out the Elf Disco Dance right here. Too funny....

Felting Queen

2008-12-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

Anina's caught the felting bug. Look at the fantastic projects she's recently completed:

The Woolly Gnome and Mushrooms:

A Marie Mayhew design. We have the pattern and a little kit with all the finishing tidbits.

And the cutest little family of snowbabies:

Another Marie Mayhew design.

Then she moved on from little creatures to little purses:

This one's the Pick Up Sticks Coin Purse kit. With enough yarn for three little purses. Still time to grab one and knit three little stocking stuffers...

Blue Sky Trunk Show

2008-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Drop by our Point Grey store and fondle the beautiful garments we received this week from Blue Sky Alpacas. The best of the bunch just might be the Girls Smocked Coat:

So cute and cozy, wish I had a little girl to knit for. This would be a very quick knit with the BSA Bulky on 10mm needles. Sized for girls from 18 months to 7 years of age.

Check out the lovely Rectangle Shawl:

It's even nicer up close and personal, BSA Alpaca Silk gives this one a lovely drape and sheen. No trick to knitting this, if you've learned to knit and purl you can tackle this project.

When you drop by, be sure to say hello to Baby Bobbi Bear. Bobbi's cute and cuddly and knit with Organic Cotton. He'd be the perfect gift for any young child on your list.

We have lots more BSA samples, like the Skinny Cardigan, the Kid's Pullover and the Fingerless Gloves. We adore the BSA yarn, it's one of our favourite lines. We have all the yarns and most of the patterns.

We also have some of the Blue Sky accessories that would make perfect stocking stuffers like the Pretty Cheep Project Bags, the 5 inch dp's in tins and the Knitters Little Helper hand balm.

Weekly Special

2008-12-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

This week it's Diamond 100% Camel at 40% off, only $5.37 per ball. This is a wonderful yarn with a whopping 230 metres per 50g ball. It's a 28st gauge on 3mm needles and machine washable. There are four lovely neutral shades including ecru, two shades of taupe and milk chocolate. Perfect for many different projects...

Please take note of this schedule change if you live on the North Shore - we'll be opening again on Mondays in Edgemont, starting December 29. Now you can visit us every day of the week!

And you should also take note of a special event we've scheduled for Thursday, January 22, in Point Grey. We'll be hosting Kate Jacobs, author of the Friday Night Knitting Club and the recently published sequel, Knit Two:

Knit Two continues the tale of friendship and community centred around the fictional Walker and Daughter Yarn Shop in Manhattan. Sadly we don't yet have the book in our stores but it will be here very soon.

There's no charge for this event but space is limited. To reserve a spot, please send an email or telephone us at 604-228-1122. Should be a fun evening, hope you can join us!

New Knitty

2008-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

Issue Twenty-Six, Winter 2008. Check it out right here.

What Fun!

2008-12-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

I was amazed to see twenty-three names on our new staff list. Unbelievable! Almost everyone showed up for our staff Christmas party and we all had a wonderful time.

Anina took some great photos. From one end of the table:

To the other:

Kathleen kept the margheritas flowing:

Our computer guy dropped by and joined the Secret Santa game:

His present was the best, good thing we had a two steal limit or it would have been passed around all night. That's Nancy (far left) who's been helping out in Point Grey on Sundays. An avid knitter and famous author, quite the combo.

It was nice to see some of our talented new staff having a giggle together:

Kalin (far right) is one of four members of a very cool craft collective, Bare Maked. Alexa (2nd right) and Venus (2nd left) are master craftsters with their own blogs. Astor (far left) isn't new but she's definitely talented. If you need help with your knitting, Astor's happy to help at Knitting Q & A most Sunday mornings.

Last but not least is Ellen (center) who definitely looks her best in the BSA Kitty Hat:

And talk about talented, Jessica keeps our Edgemont store hopping by day then creates beautiful art at night...

Valerie's an excellent knitter and all-round interesting gal who works in Edgemont a couple of days a week:

Ask about her bees sometime. Yes, bees. If you're really nice to her you might receive some delicious home-made honey.

Christa was on a tight deadline with a pair of socks:

Hope you finished them in time...

And check out these gorgeous gals:

We're super fortunate to have such a talented, fun, inspirational and energetic bunch of people working with us every day. Thanks to all of you for helping to make Urban Yarns such a special place!

Cashmere Caps

2008-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

We have some luxurious Handmaiden hat kits just waiting to be knit up for holiday gifts. This one arrived yesterday:

A classic Cashmere Beret, ooh la la. This is 8 ply cashmere, knit with 5mm needles. It's available only in black and will arrive in Edgemont tomorrow.

We also have the Devin's Toque kit:

A great unisex toque, knit with 4 ply cashmere on 3.5mm needles. Anina and I have both knit many of these, it's a perfect present for almost anyone.

And here's a third option, the Cashmere Cloche:

This one has a simple repeat pattern for added knitting interest. It's also 4 ply cashmere and knit on 3.5mm needles.

Three luxurious gift ideas and still time to knit one (or more?) before Christmas...

New Lessons

2008-12-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

We've added a couple of new lessons to our Point Grey schedule.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday December 10, Alexa Ludeman will teach you how to knit a toque from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Hats are always very popular gifts, they're quick to knit and pretty much everyone needs one.

I'm on a hat knitting binge right now, I've just started my ninth! I'm using Nick's hat pattern:

With the addictive Mirasol Sulka yarn. It's silky soft with a beautiful sheen and the colours are awesome.

If you've always wanted to knit someone a pair of socks for Christmas, it's not too late. Jackie Blackmore will run a Sock Boot Camp on Wednesday, December 17 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. You'll learn everything you need to know about knitting socks, then you'll have a week to knit them. Easy peasy.

We've just finalized our new Winter Class Schedule. Drop by to pick up a schedule or check for updates on our website in a few days.

And our special yarn this week is Filatura di Crosa Love at 40% off, only $5.98 per ball. It's a soft, fluffy yarn with wool and mohair in the mix.

We've also dropped the price on several current specials. Rowan Kidsilk Spray, Diamond Luxury Alpaca Cashmere and Sirdar Denim Tweed DK and Sport Aran have dropped to 40% off. RYC Cashcotton DK and SWTC Amaizing are now 50% off.

And we've culled our bookshelves to make room for all the new books that have been arriving lately. This morning we added more than twenty titles to our sale section at 40% off. It's a great time to add to your home library....

Lantern Moon and More

2008-12-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

We've unpacked tons of Lantern Moon bags and baskets over the last couple of weeks. Lovely Round Drawstring baskets:

Brand new Jane and Ibiza baskets:

And a perennial favourite, Twisted Seagrass baskets from the Boca collection:

Stuff one of these baskets with a bunch of gorgeous yarn and admire your collection every time you walk by....

We've re-stocked the coveted Rosewood needles:

Both straights and DP's. Spoil yourself with a set of these and you'll never look back.

Silk needle cases make great holiday gifts:

And there are some great stocking stuffers. Peppermint Swirl tape measures:

Sheep tape measures:

There's one black sheep in every bunch. We know who you are...

Or throw in a notepad holder, knit or crochet design, take your pick:

We were hard at work yesterday unpacking loads of new Malabrigo Worsted and Lace. Stunning new colours. We also put out tons of Manos Del Uruguay kettle-dyed wool and the new Manos Silk Blend. Gorgeous....

There's a fantastic new book on our shelves, Earthworks, by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton:

With several terrific new designs for the Earth Collections yarns, cashmere, silk and alpaca. All so scrumptious and soft...

We've never had so much yarn on hand before, we know we've gone a bit overboard when the boxes start piling up in our garages. Park the car on the street, we need more space for our yarn!

Bits and Bobs

2008-12-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

This week's special is Sirdar Denim Chunky at 40% off. This yarn knits up quickly at a gauge of 14 stitches/19 rows on 6.5m's. These are big 100g balls with 156 metres of yarn at only $7.17 per ball.

Use Denim Chunky to knit this sweater coat for women or girls:

There are two options: long-sleeved or 3/4 length sleeved. Pick up some feature buttons for the front and you'll have a beautiful cozy cardigan to keep you warn through the chilly winter months ahead.

Or knit this Denim Chunky pattern for boys aged 1 - 12 years of age:

It's sometimes hard to find a nice boys sweater pattern and we've always liked this one. Anina finally knit it up this past summer and it's now on display in Point Grey. We have permission to distribute this pattern without charge when you buy the yarn.

We have tons more new stuff. There are luscious skeins of Handmaiden's Mini Maiden that's equal parts silk and wool, with 500 metres of yarn on a 100g skein. It's super stunning knit up, have a look:

Drool.

We have Nicky Epstein's great new book, Knitting on Top of the World: The Global Guide to Traditions, Techniques and Design:

And we've recently unpacked stacks of boxes loaded with Blue Sky Alpacas, Koigu, Lantern Moon, Louet and many more. Our shelves are bursting with fabulous yarns, perfect for holiday gifts or other terrific new projects

Don't forget about our Knit Nights on Tuesday evenings in Edgemont and Wednesday evenings in Point Grey. Combine some after work shopping with a bit of knitting or crocheting, a perfect combo!

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Be sure to have a look at the Drops Christmas Calendar, with a new design for each day up to December 24. But you can't open the box before the day arrives...

We've uncovered two wonderful designs so far. December 1 is a great felted stocking:

And today's pattern is felted needle cases:

Both straights and circulars. What a great gift idea for another knitter! I'm tempted by this one...

Be sure to check out Garnstudio's Christmas Workshop 2008 with a selection of the most popular gift ideas from the extensive Drops database. Love the felted slippers:

These three designs are all knit with the Drops Eskimo pure wool yarn that comes in a beautiful colour palette. We have tons of colours, as well as a bunch of Eskimo Print in multi-colours. Eskimo is a fabulous instant gratification type yarn that knits up very quickly on 8 - 9mm needles. You still have time to complete multiple holiday projects with this one...

Addi Clicks

2008-11-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Good News:

Addi's new interchangeable needle sets have arrived in Point Grey:

These are fantastic sets, with 10 different sizes of addi tips, 3 different lengths of cord and one connector piece. Simply insert the cord into the tip, then twist. The tip will remain secure until you change it.

The Bad News:

You guessed it, we didn't receive many sets. The quantity ordered means nothing with a hot product like this. What can I say, we're in Canada, eh?

So it's first come, first served and we're pretty sure they'll be sold out today. The first customers to arrive in Point Grey or phone with $179.95 plus tax will be among the first in Canada to own one of these coveted needle sets.

If you miss out and are terribly disappointed, please accept our apologies - we're disappointed too! Just put your name on your list and we promise to call when the next shipment arrives.