Today, April’s Fool, is my nine year anniversary of ownership of Baaad Anna’s Yarn Store and it has been some of the most fulfilling years of my life. A few more grey hairs but happy to be here almost a decade later! There’s always something new to learn from our community, customers and team which makes each day unique and interesting. I feel blessed to be able to balance my impact on the fibre arts community while remaining active in the lives of my two ever-growing daughters, and work hard daily not take this for granted. I have every person who supports our local family ..read more

I have a goal of FINISHING 24 projects in 2024; Join me? They can be big or small, new or old, and in any fibre craft; just get ‘er done.   Today’s topic: What projects I turn to in between longer commitments.   Breather projects, easy wins, love-childs, refresh: whatever you like to call them I encourage you to take some time each month to give yourself the gift of accomplishment. I tend to put these in between some of the heavy-lifting pieces I work on, like a reward for finally completing that WIP (work-in-progress) I’ve been wrestling with or for being rescued off that never ..read more

Back in October, I shared with you the exciting news about a groundbreaking documentary The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy which delves deep into the rich history and cultural significance of Cowichan sweaters. You can check it out for free on CBC Gems. Fast forward to today and the impact of this documentary continues to reverberate, inspiring not only appreciation for this iconic garment but also tangible support for its contemporary artisans. Let’s take a moment to revisit the journey we’ve embarked on since then. Award-winning writer and director Mary Galloway took us on a jour ..read more

I have a goal of FINISHING 24 projects in 2024; Join me? They can be big or small, new or old, and in any fibre craft; just get ‘er done.   Today’s topic: My endless search for the soft.   I have a confession. All natural fibres are good, but some are just more my jam. For me, the softer the better. But softness comes in many different packages. Silks are sleek, smooth and delicately soft. Mohair’s halo creates a softness you can see, whereas to me Suri Alpaca embodies the epitome of cozy soft. Not to overlook Merino, or Qiviut, or other luxury fibres that each have their own take o ..read more

I am thrilled to announce that Baaad Anna’s is now carrying a brand new product line: Flax & Twine! Created by Anne Weil, owner and designer of Flax & Twine, these kits are perfect for crafters of all levels who are looking to unleash their creativity and dive into beautiful, handmade projects. But who is Anne Weil, and what inspired her to create Flax & Twine? Anne originally founded Flax & Twine as a blog in 2010, driven by her desire to discover her creative voice. Leaving her job in investment banking behind, she embarked on a journey of crafting, writing how-tos, and photo ..read more

Calling all weaving enthusiasts! Join us for a weekend of exciting workshops with fiber artist Sarah Elizabeth and discover the art of Textured Weaving! Over Mother’s Day weekend we will be hosting an amazing ALL AGES workshop that could be prefect activity to bring that special person in your life that deserves a little mothering herself! Pamper someone and invite them to join you for this hands-on fun, no-previous-experience-necessary art break! In this 1-day workshop, you’ll learn the ins and outs of textured weaving using a wooden llama frame loom. Get creative as you experiment with diffe ..read more

Its been almost a year since our last yarn tasting and there are some lovely new yarns we would like to share with you. More info on registration (and pretty pictures) to come, but just wanted to give a heads up to SAVE THE DATE for the evening of Friday March 8th! So far what I can share is that this yarn tasting will be focusing on TEXTURES from fuzzy to firm for all my love of playing with textures! What is a YARN TASTING you might ask? What is a YARN TASTING you might ask? It is a sit-down event where we get to put some variety of yarns in a plethora of fibre contents together for you try ..read more

Over the years we have collected and distributed thousands of handknit and crocheted items throughout the community. In the early years this was through a designated event called a Warm Things Drive that usually started in late Nov and went through the holidays. Nowadays we accept donations year round on a rolling basis, sort them according to the best match with recipients’ needs and share them with directly with the community, or through non-profit partners/organizations that align with this mandate. You, our community, have helped bring scarves and hats to those in need in the Downtown East ..read more

I have a goal of FINISHING 24 projects in 2024; Join me? They can be big or small, new or old, and in any fibre craft; just get ‘er done.   Today’s topic: Second Sock Syndrome and related complications.   How often have out ended up with a new WIP (work-in-progress) due to the unfortunate yet commonplace Second Sock Syndrome, where the thrill of sock knitting wanes when having to knit up a duplicate to the first sock? Well I may have a few (8, maybe 9?) single socks hanging around in project bags with give-or-take 50g of matching yarn, needles and a patterns dappled throughout my ho ..read more

Ash Ashberg of Sunflower Knits, a Canadian artist, queer dyer, knitwear designer, educator and self-professed fibre witch from the prairies will be heading to the West Coast at the end of the month and joining us at an inpromptu stitch social on Sunday Feb 25th from 3-6pm. They will be bringing Sanctuary, their recently release 4th book of patterns, along with some specialty yarn boxes and her amazing home-brew joint salve. Ash is known for her naturally dyed yarns in warm earth tone palettes and stunningly beautiful designs. And for anyone who has been asking if we will be resuming our knit ..read more