Visiting a Yarn Shop: Shan’s Needlework

Shan’s Needlework is located in downtown New Westminster. It’s not a huge shop, but they’ve got lots packed in there. Shan’s has Manos del Uruguay, the Panda yarns from Crystal Palace, lots of different wool yarns, and loads of books. She also carries a variety of needles: Knit Picks, HiyaHiya, Crystal Palace. She has Lantern Moon stitch markers and tape measures, beautiful ceramic buttons, and some great kits. Some of their stock was bought out from Homecrafter’s when it closed, so there’s a lot of variety.
Check them out at 624 Columbia St, New Westminster, right behind Moody Beads.

PRIZES!!!!

It’s a table full of prizes! Our prize draw starts at 7 pm on September 22nd, and will be held at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley. You must be present in order to win.

We’ll also have dessert available–please bring $5 to help us cover the cost of the food.

Yarn Harvest Bags!

We have extra Yarn Harvest bags! If you’ve registered later than September 15th, you can still get one if you stop in at Woolaroo, Baaad Anna’s, or 88 Stitches. Each store will have extras.

Visiting a yarn shop: 88 Stitches

88 Stitches in Langley is one of our bag pick-up locations this year. It is the home of the indie line of yarn, Sweet Fiber, as well as designer Judy Marples. They carry a wide selection of yarns–different fibres, varying prices. They’ve got Handmaiden and Malabrigo, Berroco and Cascade, Madeline Tosh and Sweet Georgia. There’s sock yarn, baby yarn, Rowan yarn for colourwork, and with lots of different colours.

Sue, the owner, says that her store is known as the “store with a sweater’s worth of yarn”–they usually have a sweater’s worth of each yarn in the colours they carry, so you don’t have to track down more elsewhere.

Notions…Chiao Goo, Addi, Clover, and Aero needles; crochet hooks; needle-felting tools; buttons; yarn bowls; ball winders; books. There’s a nice selection available.

88 Stitches will be hosting a book signing/trunk show of Tin Can Knits‘ new book, Pacific Knits, on the 22nd, in addition to offering some prize draws. Check them out! 88 Stitches, 21183 88 Avenue East #602  Langley, BC V1M 2G5.

~Anna

Visiting a yarn shop: Woolaroo

 

Woolaroo Yarns in Abbotsford offers a wide selection of yarns, from novelty to more “everyday” styles. You can find wool, cotton, acrylic, linen, and even milk fibre yarns here.

One of the things I really like was that, rather than organizing yarn by brand, the shelves are labeled with the recommended stitch gauge over four inches, so it’s easy to match yarns to projects that you have in mind.

There are a lot of knitting and crochet books available, and the notions selection is good. They carry Surina needles, Denise kits, zippers, buttons, needle-felting kits, and beading supplies.

The shop has lots of samples, all over the place, so you can see and feel what yarns look like knit up, and see some great patterns as well.

 

 

I love this knitted bird mobile; it’s adorable.

 

 

The location has plenty of parking, which is always a plus. Woolaroo is one of our bag pick-up locations this year. Check them out at 32660 George Ferguson Way, Unit # 105. Abbotsford BC V2T 2V6.

Oh, I almost forgot: they have Kumihimo beading kits!

~Anna, FVKG

Visit to a Yarn Shop: Wet Coast Wools

Wet Coast Wools is a new yarn shop down in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. Glenda, the owner, carries an interesting variety of yarns. She’s got Noro, Debbie Bliss, Sirdar, Lion Brand, and Cascade, but she also has a number of selections from local dyers, including Rain City Knits, Indigo Moon, Drama Llama, and Oceanwind Knits. While I’m familiar with Indigo Moon and had heard of Drama Llama, I’d never seen Rain City Knits or Oceanwind Knits, both of which are gorgeous lines of yarns with beautiful colours. Glenda’s also got Imperial Yarns–yarn from a ranch in Oregon that’s over a hundred years old, and whose policies on production include a focus on sustainability.

Other great things about the store…you can find Jordana Paige bags there. Glenda’s got a pair of socks knit by the one and only Barbara Walker on display. And there’s some really great baby yak yarn that kind of made me wish I could roll around in a pile of it, it was so soft.

The front window of Wet Coast Wools has some fun knit items, including this robot and a slice of cake.

Glenda’s also got some great merchandise with their logo on it. These awesome sewing kits are going to be in the Yarn Harvest goody bags this year.

The shop is bright and airy–when I was there with a couple other guild people, Donna, our guild president, commented that it was great to be in a yarn shop where she didn’t feel like she was bumping her elbows into the shelves.

And here’s some of the fun yarn that they’ve got, from Rain City Knits:

 

So, Wet Coast Wools! You can find them at: 2923 West 4th Ave. Vancouver, V6K 1R3. Glenda will be offering an in-store raffle and cupcakes on the 22nd in celebration of Yarn Harvest.

~Anna, FVKG

Visit to a Yarn Shop: Black Sheep Yarns

Black Sheep Yarns is located at 88 Grant Street, on the corner of Grant and Spring, just off St. Johns St., in picturesque Port Moody.  And if your first thought was “Oh, Port Moody? Isn’t that far away?” let me tell you that it is not nearly as far as you think and it is so worth the trip.

Mmmm… Madeline Tosh and Koigu KPPM I believe?

Black Sheep has a wonderful air about it, something about the mixture of lots of windows with bright sunlight and being surrounded with hundreds of luscious colours  makes me feel right at home here.  They carry a large variety of yarn types so it’s very easy to go in and walk away with a yarn you’ve never tried working with before.  They have brought in some new yarns more recently that are not to be missed including the much talked about Habu yarns, a mixture of wool and stainless steel to give your knitting form and hold if you want it, and Jamieson & Smith Shetland wools, available in a lovely range of natural colours and in a mixed bag of smaller balls, perfect for a stranded colourwork project!

They have also recently added a spinning section down the stairs at the back of the store.  They’ve got local dyers like Two Sisters Stringworks (the lime green was calling my name) and roving from afar like the super fun TopKnots from New Zealand filled with several complementing colours to mix and spin however you choose!  Then there’s the cupboard filled to the brim with alternate fibres, both dyed and undyed just begging for imagination and care to turn them into gorgeous creations.  This little section is sure to grow (and probably already has) into a nook of inspiration and fibrous delight.

As an added bonus, close to the shop is Pajo’s a particularly celebrated fish’n chip show, and ice cream shop and Rocky Point Park, a great little spot if you were thinking of a picnic lunch or just need a quiet place to hang out for a while.  The shop has four assigned parking spots around the side of the building and there is street parking all around if you can find a spot and will be open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday.

Visit to a Yarn Shop: Urban Yarns

Have you had the pleasure of stopping in at one of the Urban Yarn shops?

With two locations, it is very possible to get at least one in on a shopping expedition to Vancouver. I remember that the first one I visited was the point Grey location, and I recall thinking how well-lit and open it felt, even with all the colourful yarns everywhere. Bigger than it seems from the front, there is so much stock to look over  make sure not to get stuck….. get to the back too.

Urban Yarns Point Grey

The selection of tools and notions is pretty amazing, From wool washes in the latest scents, and an amazing selection of the top needles.

The shop in North Vancouver is such a snug contrast. A smaller space, the dark wood and cozy chairs make it a totally different experience. Just as full of great yarns and neat notions. We picked up some fun lapel pins along with our yarn when last there. Check out the website and her blog for more information and a peek at what the owner is knitting! Don’t forget to make one of them a Yarn Harvest stop for sure!

Visiting A Yarn Shop: Baaad Anna’s

Baaad Anna’s Not Your Mama’s Yarn Store, located at 2667 E Hastings St. Vancouver

Jenny here!  Baaad Anna’s is one of my favourite yarn shops!  Admittedly, I’m totally biased, I live closest to this shop and it’s easy to get to via transit, to which I am transportationally bound.  It’s located directly on E Hastings (not the scary part) between Slocan St. and Penticton St.  There’s street parking, if you can get it, or if you turn north on Penticton St. there is a large free parking lot behind the London Drugs that’s a mere half block walk from the store!  It’s also conveniently right next to a sushi shop, if you forgot your lunch, and near The Laughing Bean coffee shop on the corner of Slocan, if you need a mid-day caffeine fix.

 

Baaad Anna’s specialty is bringing you an awesome selection of local fibres.  The carry yarn from We Will Tell You All Of Our Secrets, Sweet Georgia, Unwind Yarns, Maine Island Alpaca and spinning fibre from Two Sisters Stringworks!  They also carry staple yarns, from Noro to Diamond to Galway to Universal Yarns, you’ll find a range of seasonal yarns and local gems every time you visit.  A particular point of interest will be the monster floor loom they’ve got living in the back part of the shop!  I’m no weaver and this thing intimidates the snot out of me, but depending on the staffing of the day you might be able to score a demo.

Visiting a Yarn Shop: Aunt Debbie’s Knit and Stitch

Aunt Debbie’s Knit and Stitch is the easiest yarn shop to find! Located right on Vedder Road coming south in to Chilliwack from the Highway all you can do is go too far!

This was my first visit and I had no idea the rage of yarns that they had. From Sweet Georgia to Lornas’ Laces and Berrocco. Not to mention the amazing stitching and tatting area that they have! Their tatting supplies are taking off at the moment check their mention in this article in Macleans. Way to go ladies! Thanks for being part of Yarn Harvest again this year.