Farm to Yarn: Armscote Manor Portland Wool January 26, 2015 Deborah Williams and family have lived at the Manor with its surrounding 25 acres for nearly 30 years. During this time they have become conservators and stewards of the land, extending the formal and informal gardens, creating a lake to attract migratory birds, a canal, heritage orchards and nutteries. 15,000 trees have been planted to provide shelter for nesting birds and other wildlife and the wooded margins and hedgerows of the ..read more

Hey Ottawa - We Now Have Local Pickup! January 26, 2015 Good news for Ottawa knitters and crocheters--we now have a local pickup option for those living in the NCR.   We have joined up with the lovely Adorit Boutique in the Byward Market as a pickup location for our online orders. So if you need a needle, a package of stitch markers, or just a few balls of yarn and don't want to spend on shipping charges for small orders, just choose local pickup at check out.  ..read more

Settling Into Our New Home in Ottawa January 26, 2015 Springtime in Ottawa Hey Knitting Friends! We’ve spent the last two months moving ourselves and our online shop to Ottawa.  We're now settling into this lovely new home and we have a little office and product storage room on York Street in the Byward Market upstairs from the sustainable fashion boutique, Adorit. If you live or know knitters who live in the Ottawa region, please pass the word that we are excited ..read more

Relocation Sale January 26, 2015 L to R: Tukuwool Fingering, Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton, Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok SALE! We’re having a sale on Tukuwool and Blue Sky Fibers yarn for the next two weeks in preparation for relocating our online shop. If you would like to order these sale items (or any other of our lovely products) from our online shop, now's the time. Then, from February 14 thru March 14, while our inventory is “on the move”, we will be suspending ..read more

Why We Love Rowan Felted Tweed January 26, 2015 Rowan Felted Tweed 220 Sulfur Felted Tweed is a blend of wool, alpaca and viscose. It has a slightly rustic look with a soft feel, and one of its special qualities is its durability. Sweaters we knit over 5 years ago look as good as new, with little evidence of pilling or wear. And did you know all 8 designs, in Marie Wallin’s quintessential Bloomsbury Collection, (see Vanessa and Dora below), are knit in Rowan Felted Tweed. These patterns, previously ..read more

Big Changes January 26, 2015 Construction Summer 2006 Grand Opening August 2006 November 2023 After 17 years of yarn coziness in our little shop on Main Street, we will be closing doors to the brick and mortar shop on January 17, 2023. But we are not leaving the knitting community! Our online shop will continue to offer a selection of beautiful yarn, magazines and fine accessories. Yarn lines in our virtual shop will focus on natural and sustainably produced ..read more

The Tukuwool Sweater January 26, 2015 Sweater weather has arrived in Vancouver (yes, it snowed last night!) and we will be wearing one of our favourite (and warm) cardigans to celebrate--Marit in Tukuwool Fingering.  While the original was knit in an all-over design of 3 muted shades, we copied Tiina (WoolPower on Ravelry) and used a rainbow of heathered colours of Tukuwool on a neutral background.  (Hey, we realize that's a big commitment of yarn, but the ..read more

Working with Sparrow--Our Favourite Linen Yarn January 26, 2015 Quince & Co. Sparrow Hand Wind Your Skeins. Unlike wool, linen is an inelastic fibre and, when wound on a ball winder, it tends to unwind from the centre and tangle. Take a bit of extra time to hand wind your linen, draw from the outside of the ball, and keep it contained and under control in a small project bag.  Swatch, Wash and Dry.  Of course swatching is always recommended but with linen it is especially important.  Linen ..read more

Coco Knits Maker’s Boards Arriving Soon January 26, 2015 We’ve had wonderful holidays with lots of knitting and outdoor fun in the snow but now it’s time to get things ready for reopening of the shop on Tuesday. And arriving with perfect timing are the long awaited Coco Knits Maker’s Boards—a must have for crafters who love organization. You can read about all the many features of this multi-purpose tool on our website and order for in-store pickup or mailing ..read more

New Years Waffle Puppy Knit January 26, 2015 This little stuffy sends wishes for a joyful New Year! Susan Banderson’s Waffle Puppy knit in Bluesky Fibers Organic Cotton Worsted and Koigu Cheers from the hand-dyed Origins Collection. (Note: pattern calls for chunky weight yarn and we knit our version in worsted, so puppy is a bit smaller but just as cute ..read more