The yarn is coming!

This is the time of year when the beginnings of the Fall yarns begin to trickle in. The first to arrive are some refills of good and practical basics.

100% Peruvian wool like Cascade 220 worsted and chunky Peruvia Quick
!00% merino superwash both in DK weight like Cascade 220 Superwash and thick and plush aran weight Cascade Merino 128.
Alpaca and wool combine is the wonderfully knittable Ultra Alpaca Light.
Super wearing Berroco Vintage Chunky is also in the house!

Perhaps what we’re most excited about, is that we now have all the colours for a hand knit version of a Hudson Bay Blanket.

 Cascade 128 is a terrific yarn for a blanket as it is soft and squishy and washable too. It’s what we used for our Tremblant Baby Blanket Pattern and we think it would make a wonderful Hudson Bay Blanket too.

There is so much exciting yarn coming throughout the next weeks and months. We will keep you in the know.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Pantone Blanket!

The Crochet Blanket Class is coming up this coming Sunday March 23rd!

Lucky folks who are taking this class will have a sweet selection of Cascade 220, worsted weight yarns to choose from. If you’re in a spring frame of mind, and who among us is not hankering for spring, then you might want to make a blanket in the Pantone Colours for Spring 2014.  Here they are!

Cascade colours:
Sunset #808
Doeskin #1926
Pale Mauve #9559
Baby Rose # 9442
Gelato #2439

Aporto #4009
Celery #905
Sapphire #1951
Lake Chelan #9451

Mystic Purple #1948

and a new colour (not represented by Pantone, which is their loss) Ireland #2429

A few places remain in the Crochet Blanket Class.
Sunday March 23, 30, 12:30-3:30.
Call us to register 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

Hello September!

I like Cascade yarn! Here’s why ↓
cascade sport superwash $7 per 125 m (136 yds)

cascade 220, $9 per 200 m (220 yds)

Need I say more?
Craftily yours
Kristin

Super!

Cascade 220 Superwash.

We have been waiting a while for this to come in.  It is great to have something in the store that you can recommend for baby blankets or toddler sweaters.  This yarn is “superwash” which means it can be thrown in the washing machine with no worries, thus making it a perfect choice for kid’s stuff.  It also won’t break the bank: $11 for 220 yards.

The arrival of this yarn adds even more colour options for our upcoming Crochet Blanket Class.  It can be mixed with the Cascade 220 with no trouble (of course that would make it a hand wash blanket, but some times that is worth the trouble). There are a few colours not pictured here.  Another yellow, another purple, a white and a grey, a turquoise and navy.

If you would like to join the class, here are the details:

Crochet Blanket Class
Wednesday March 21, 28, April 4, 7-9pm
$70, materials not included
To register call 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

colour your world

5 new colours of Cascade 220!

…and the rest of the gang (minus one other shelves that houses all the neutrals – I just couldn’t fit it all in).
The Cascade has arrived just in time for the Crochet Blanket Class that is starting on March 21.  It is so wonderful when there are so may colours to choose from for this blanket.  With any luck we will get the Berroco Ultra Alpaca in before the class.  This yarn is the same weight as the Cascade 220 and can be mixed and matched.  The colour combination potential is enough to blow gaskets.

This pretty example of the Crochet Blanket is by Iwona.  She used some little bits and pieces of worsted weight yarn that she had collected and saved.  Many of them are remnants of Cascade 220.  The white borders give this blanket a fresh as a daisy glow.  Wouldn’t this make a wonderful baby blanket?

This blanket was brought to you by the magic of Noro yarns and Maurie Todd (the auteur).  Noro sock weight yarn which is wash friendly was used for the starry centres in this blanket.  Because Noro changes colour  (a self striping yarn) the middles come out all the colours of the rainbow.  No fuss- no muss!  The borders were created with a deep colour of Smooshy yarn by Dream in Colour called Gothic Rose.  Smooshy is a sock yarn and so it is also quite washable.

Noro ↑

Crochet Blanket Class
Wednesday March 21, 28, April 4, 7-9pm
$70, materials not included
To register call 416 533 5648

This Class is open to beginners and newbies and novices and pros too!

Craftily yours
Kristin

It’s in the mail

This past weekend we were happy to host the gals from Dear Toronto who took over our window gallery to make this wonderful installation.  A winter wonderland with letters not bound for Santa Claus but notes addressed to our fine city.
Hand knitted envelopes hang in wait for passers by and knitters to fill them with their thoughts of and wishes for Toronto.

The envelopes are knit with Cascade 220, one of our most popular yarns and a yarn which we recently restocked.  Many sweet colours including the enchanting hue used for these envelopes (a complex purple called Galaxy) some neutrals and greys and brights too have come home to roost.  Cascade 220 Sport too!

Since it is the time for giving gifts I thought you all might benefit from this idea.  We had an old 2011 knitting calendar hanging around and we decided we could re-purpose it nicely- like so↑

To make your own envelopes (for gifts, Christmas cards or otherwise) take an envelope of favored size and shape, then unglue and unfold it.  Trace around it on a stiff piece of paper or cardborad (in this case we used an old file folder).  Cut it out and this will be your template.  You can then trace around it onto calenders or other papers to make your envelopes.  Cut these out and  fold your paper into shape.  We used a glue stick to hold it all in place, but double sided tape or other glue would work too. There you have it! Now you have fancy gifting envelopes and you recycled too!

Along with the Cascade 220 came some  Brown Sheep Burly Spun in deep charcoal and Misti Alpaca in creamy white.  Both are very popular yarns, so if you needed them to finish off something for the holidays they are now at your disposal.

Craftily yours
Kristin

the rainbow connection

It is very gratifying to look over at the shelves and see this↓


I’ve counted and there are currently 26 colours of Cascade 220 and 14 colours of Cascade 220 Superwash in stock.  26+14=40 juicy colours of yarn (insert sound of the The Count from Sesame St. laughing “Ha, Ha, Ha!”).
This is good timing as tonight the Crochet Blanket Class meets for their first lesson.  Cascade 220 is the most popular yarn to chose for this project.  The colour selection is key to winning people over.  The price is also right.  Cascade 220 is the most used yarn on Ravelry with 72611 projects and counting behind it. Excellent for big projects like blankets that eat up yarn: this yarn remains easy on the wallet as well as the eyes.

The Crochet Blanket Class is where we make this stunner of a blanket ↑. The class is full for tonight but one or two will make an appearance on our fall calendar. This is one of our most popular classes and a great way to learn your way around a crochet hook.  Yes- it is open to beginners.  If you would like to try this blanket out on your own there is a version of it here including a helpful How-To with pictures and everything!

Craftily Yours 
Kristin 

when inspiration finds you!

Happy First Annual Yarn Bombing Day! It was on was on June 11.Here is some first class bombing from Knitta Please – a collective of cozy artists. The bomb-site is Blanton  Art Museum at the University of Texas in Austin.

Meanwhile…back at home…

The story goes like this:  A flash of orange catches the eagle eye of one -Kate Austin.  The location: the VV, the Village de Valeur, or what some may call it, the plain old Value Village.  The eye-catcher: this orange-crushable blanket.  What was the poor girl to do but bring it home with her.  Oh the hearts went a fluttering for the orange crush blanket when it was shown around the Knit Cafe table.  The only question on everyones lips was how do you make it?
Talk and tinkering and the whirl of busy yarn and hook gave us the answer.  Here is the in-progress blanket in a fresh, new, colour-way and a slightly bulkier yarn. In this case the old faithful Cascade 220.  Iwona is well on her way to having the couch afghan she seeks.
Look for this project to soon have its place in amongst the other Knit Cafe patterns.  Thanks goes to Edie Kim with her ingenious tinkering and wise talk!  

Craftily yours Kristin