How the Owl Became

This crochet owl has become something like The Knit Cafe’s mascot.
It came about like this:

picture taken by Robbie Eddison

The very talented Edie Kim created the pattern way back in 2007.  We adored it, and found that is was also a fast and satisfying thing to make.  Soon everyone wanted to make one.  The owls multiplied and I decided they deserved to be featured in a Knit Cafe window display.  In was the summer time and I left to sojourn at the cottage, leaving instructions that every knitter available should make owls.  Whilst in the woods I gathered sticky pine cones to add to the display and made a few owls besides. Baskets brimming with stuffed owls greeted me when I arrived home and I put together the above show-case.  The success of this display was enormous.  Travelers gawked, and children  pressed their noses against the glass to get a better look.  The conclusion – everyone likes owls!

Skip ahead to October 2009, and the Arts Festival- Nuit Blanche.  The owls made their second appearance this time in circus regalia.  Some jumped through burning hoops, some swung on trapezes, some sailed through the air on an owl Ferris wheel.

The “Tecolote” display was developed for the 2011 Nuit Blanche Exhibition. The owls got all dressed up to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

…and this past Christmas, the owls made their most recent appearance.  I should mention that owls were not reused for each display.  In fact – all were adopted after each exhibition was dismantled and fresh and new owls were created for the next installation.  That’s how much we like making these little guys!

You can learn to make them too.  Join our “owl-making class”, and get introduced to the crochet technique known as Amigurumi.  That is: improvising to make 3-dimensional forms that resemble cute creatures and stuffed toys.

Amigurumi Workshop
Sunday June 23, 12:30-3:00pm
$30, materials not included
to register call 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

Dream a dream!

My first ever hand spun yarn, that I made all by my lonesome!

The last few Sundays I have been sitting in on the Drop Spindle (Introduction to Spinning) Class here at the Knit Cafe.  Let me tell you, it’s been quite something!

I feel like I learned a lot, and not just about spinning.  Let’s just say when it comes to Drop Spindles, I seem to have a better handle on the dropping, then the spinning.  Now, I’m not one of those people who are instantaneously good at everything. In fact, I’m quite comfortable being bad at many things, and slow to pick up others, but when it comes to crafty pursuits- let’s just say that’s kinda my milieu. This drop spindle stuff has been a humbling experience, and also an incredibly valuable one.

I have taught hundreds of folks how to knit.  It is a joy to so! Sometimes some of my students – they panic because they don’t catch on immediately.  I ask them “how do you expect to be perfect at something you’ve only been doing for an hour?”, but somehow they do expect this. I can’t help but notice them noticing others who have come to class with knitting somehow rampant in their DNA. They compare themselves and not too favorably.

To these people I say “I so relate to you right now”.

…and I also say, “get over yourself”, and when I say this I am mostly talking to myself.  Just look at the crazy, goofy, totally imperfect yarn I made! As we all know perfection is an overrated concept, if in fact it even exists at all. With perseverance my spinning will no doubt improve, and as it does I will look back at my first bit of hand spun and wonder how I got all those wonderful inconsistencies.

When we next offer the Drop Spindle Class – I hope you consider it.  It really is a lot of fun.  BIG THANKS to Michelle who is a wonderful teacher, brimming with encouragement!

If you want to get a pick me up, check out this link to 22 Dreamy Art Installations You Want To Live In.  You won’t regret it.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Classy needlepoint!

Everything I said about rug hooking last week also applies to needlepoint.
Folks who claim to have no artistic talent can still design their own needlepointed masterpieces.

…but sometimes we could all benefit from a little help too….

If you come to our Introduction to Needlepoint Class  and don’t have a design idea in mind you can borrow some inspiration.  Above are some wonderful designs by Kate Austin who has generously donated them to use as templates in this class.

Here are some of Kate’s fantastic colour choices but you can develop your own with the help of some Koigu mini skeins ↓

Here you can see that Maurie is well into her needlepoint project

Even with a template you can still get creative with your design by mixing up the composition.  Come join us for needlepoint fun!

Introduction to Needlepoint
Monday June 17, 6:30-9pm
$30, materials not included
Call to register 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin
ps. Thanks to everyone who came to hang in the park and knit al fresco for International Knit in Public Day. Thanks to the weather gods too for not sending rain.

let it shine!

Still 3 days away, but this is how we are looking for Saturday! The weather may or may not cooperate for our Knit in Public Day event, but I’m an optimist and like to think it will!  Look – it “feel like” 22 degrees, and there is only a 30% chance of rain, in other words a beautiful day.  So maybe a summer shawl will be appropriate, a waterproof cover for the ground in case of dampness, and a thermos full of tea instead of lemonade will be necessary.  Time will tell.

The details:
Celebrate Knit in Public Day
Trinity Bellwood’s Park (Queen Side)
Saturday June 8, 12-2pm
bring park gear like picnic blankets and your knitting project!!
If it rains we will make a hasty retreat to the Knit Cafe.

Join the facebook event

In other Knit News:
Knitty, the wonderful Knitting Magazine that issues free knitting patterns over the world-wide-web, has made an announcement.  We (your local yarn store) will now be able to print off the knitting pattern you find on Knitty in our shop. How convenient! Read all about it here

A spring/summer Knitalong has been added to the
Knit Cafe’s Ravelry Group!   If you have always wanted to make the Featherweight Cardigan (a perfect summer weight sweater) this might be the time to start.  Safety in numbers – right? Join here

The TTC Knitalong is full to capacity!  If you have procrastinated and feel you have missed the boat(bus) you may still have a chance to participate. Get yourself on the waiting list here

Craftily yours
Kristin

rug hooking ♥

Do you love rug hooking like I love rug hooking?
You don’t have to be an artistic genius to make a really beautiful rug hooking.  Hyper realistic designs rarely make an appearance, and rug hooking is so much the better for it.  Think Maude Lewis, not so much Alex Colville!
Rug hooked project by Altoon Sultan↑

Also, take inspiration from Matisse, Rothko, or Marimekko, and go for big, bold and abstract and you won’t go wrong. Stripes, polka dots, and geometric shapes all make wonderful templates for a rug hooked design.  The personality comes with the colour choice and the texture and don’t forget the “je ne sais quoi”.

Case in point- this chair cover.

If you want to get pictorial, you don’t have to get fancy.  This house is made up of simple shapes and is still a really appealing design. This rug hooking  pic is by  Becky Johnson taken at the Textile Museum.

Introduction to Rug Hooking Workshop
THIS MONDAY! June 3
6:30-9pm
$30, materials not included
Call to register 416 533 5648

Craftily your
Kristin

Edgy!

Crocheting on the Edge Workshop has a new date and time!
Saturday June 8, 10am-12:30pm (see full description here)
The last half hour will be spent crocheting in the park in the company of all who come and join us to knit in public on Knit in Public Day.

To inspire you to crochet on the edge is a project by Kitty – the  Keila Top

The yoke of this summer top is also crocheted!

A designer scarf by Faliero Sarti Rhianna makes for good inspiration. Skip the designer price tag and make your own version with a light and breezy fabric and a glamorous lace weight crochet trim.

This weekend begins our Drop Spindle (Introduction to Spinning) Class.
Sunday June 2, 9, 16, 12:30-2:30(see full description here)

Pictured here is yarn, hand spun by our neighbour and favourite local spinner Jana. The hand dyed fleece is by  The Fleece Artist.  Come and learn how one becomes the other is this amazing class.

To register for classes you can call us at 416 533 5648, or come by 1050 Queen St. West.

Craftily yours
Kristin

TTC Knitalong 2013

Quickly approaching and right on time!
This wonderful annual event has just announced their 2013 schedule.

Saturday July 20th is the big day

Registration and route announcements will take place at 12:00 (noon) on Monday, June 3rd

Check in with them here to get all the news

If you have not heard about past TTC Knitalong escapades, then let me get you up to speed.  Register yourself for the TTC Knitalong, choosing a route that will take you all over this sweet city visiting the yarn stores that dot the landscape. The folks at the TTC Knitalong hope that you will take a route that you have not yet tried and will get to visit the new and exotic yarn locales you have yet to know.  Sounds fun- doesn’t it?  Well there is more!  Meet fellow knitters and join in the spirit of comradery that comes with taking over public transportation and fielding lots of curious questions from knit-spectators and commuters. You will get swag bags full of great stuff donated by the local yarn shops, and perhaps win a prize.  Perhaps the best reason to participate is that your Knitalong admission fee will be donating to Sistering, an outreach centre that helps women in our communities.
This year the TTC Knitalong is posting profiles of the participating shops before routes are chosen.  You can see them here.  To be a knitter in Toronto is to be very lucky indeed!  It is wonderful to read all about the yarn shops involved in this event and all their plans for the Knitalongers.  Kudos to all!

Even though I have never been able to ride along with the rest, I sure do look forward to a gaggle of excited knitters showing up at our doors and showing them some hospitality.  Hope to see you there.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Knit Day(s)!

Knit in Public Day(s) are coming up!
I say day(s) as those who officiate this “day” have it scheduled from June 8-16.  Whatever the day, all over the world knitters are encouraged to congregate en mass and show off to the greater public.
This year I thought some of you might want to join the demonstration.
We will be congregating in Trinity Bellwood’s Park on Saturday June 8th from 12-2pm for a knitalong!  Bring your crocheted blankets to sit on and bring needles and yarn for stitching.  The bigger the group the better!
This is a SHINE ONLY plan.  The rainy day plan will be to come to the Knit Cafe where we regularly “knit in public”.  We will sheltered here behind our safety glass, under the pretty tin ceiling, insulated by the yarn.

Learn how to make a sweater! Make it mini in a one night class and learn all the skills to make a full-sized one at your leisure.

One Night Only Sweater Workshop
$30, materials not included
Thurs May 30, 6:30-9pm
Call to register 416 533 5648

Adding crocheted edges to napkins, and pillowcases, and skirt hems, and collars, and aprons, and scarves, and shirt sleeves, and curtains, and tablecloths, and bed skirts, and tea towels, and hand towels and…and…and…

Learn how at the Crochet on the Edge Class

$30, materials not included


Wed May 29. 6:30-9pm

Call to register 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

Virtual/Reality

Why am I posted a picture of a computer?

Imagine you’re sitting right here at this very computer finding the knitting pattern of your dreams.  This does not need to be a dream, it could be a reality. Yes – we are living in the digital age, and there is perhaps no other group that have embraced the internet and all it’s possibilities quite like knitters have.
Thanks Ravelry!
Ravelry has developed a LYS (that’s local yarn shop) Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales option.  This means you can come into the Knit Cafe and search for “leg warmers” or “coffee cozies” on our resident computer and then purchase a download of the pattern that meets your needs through the Knit Cafe.
This will be especially appealing to folks who dislike making purchases over the internet.

The other advantage is that we can help you navigate ravelry while you’re in the shop and try to track down the perfect pattern for the yarn you are squeezing and coveting right there in real time.

If you are new to Ravelry.com – we can give you a tour of the site and show you how you might navigate it on your own later.
Ain’t technology grand?

Craftily yours
Kristin

Get classy this week!

Crochet Slipper Class
Do you know the basic crochet stitches and want to beef up your skills? Do you just want to make these adorable slippers? You can!
Bonus – you will learn how to make the leather slipper-soles too!
Thursday May 9, 16, 7-9pm
$50 materials not included
Call to register 416 533 5648, tell us your shoe size when you register!

Lace 101 Class
Make delicate lace stitches, perfect for the summer weather.  Learn all the basics along with deciphering lace patterns both written and charted.  Practice your stitching in class and gain the confidence to tackle lace projects at home.
Saturday May 11, 18, 10:30-12:30
$50, materials not included
Call to register 416 533 5648

We had a blast at the Steeking Class this past week.  Check out our local spinner Jana’s thoughts on the class here.
…and  a few of my pics are right here↓

Reinforcing the edge with crochet, and after it’s done a shot mid-cut.

After the cut’s complete, and a “raw cut” without any reinforcing.

If you missed out keep your eyes peeled for another Steeking Class next season.
Craftily yours
Kristin