More about Gina Brown's.......

Kristina (owner of Gina Brown's Vancouver) gave a talk at the October West Coast Knitter Guild meeting. She told a story about the history of the Gina Brown's location in Calgary, and a bit about her and her new Vancouver location as well. If you missed it you are in luck because she gave us her notes! Read away.......

History:

Our business was founded by my granny, Gina Brown, who was a hand-crafter from the moment she could pick up a needle. The daughter of a couture seamstress, she grew up learning sewing, knitting and needlework from her mother and at the boarding school she attended in England. She was orphaned as a teenager, and having no ties to England, decided to move to Canada to become an occupational therapist. During WWII, she served under the Canadian Armed Forces Red Cross as an OT, teaching needlecrafts to injured soldiers to help with their rehabilitation.

Our family business started in the early 50’s, when Gina began teaching English smocking and other needlecrafts to the ladies in her Calgary neighborhood. This little cottage industry developed from a hobby into a real passion, and in 1970, with a Christmas check given to her by my grandpa Norman, Gina opened the first location of the store on 17^th Avenue in Downtown Calgary. The business grew rapidly, and within a few months she expanded her merchandise range to include yarn, fabrics, macramé supplies and more, and moved the business to 4^th street, where it was located for over twenty years. (This is not the most attractive picture of that store, but it is the only one I could find. The picture was taken by the police when one her employees accidentally hit the gas instead of the breaks and drove her car through the brick wall)

Meanwhile, in 1971, at the age of nineteen, inspired by Gina’s success, my mother Diana Brown decided to open her own small craft store, Tikka Woolcrafts, focusing mostly on knitting, weaving and spinning. Her first store was located in Banff, where she could operate the store for a few hours a day, and then go off skiing, and hiking for the rest of the day. (Only in the 70’s could this be considered a successful business model in Banff). A few years later, she moved the store to Edmonton, where it was located until 1985. In 1985, when I was a year old, our family was dealt a sad blow when my mother learned that my grandmother Gina had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Deciding that family was her priority, my mother decided to close Tikka Woolcrafts, and we moved to Calgary so she could take over the day-to-day business operations of Gina Brown’s. In 1996, my mother took over the business completely from Gina, and moved the store to Centre Street where it was located for 9 years. This is also when the store began to focus more exclusively on yarn, growing eventually to over 400 different yarns in stock. Sadly that same year, Gina passed away from breast cancer. In 2003, the store moved to its current 3000 square foot location, 5718 1A Street SW Calgary, where it continues to thrive. Gina Brown’s is currently one of Canada’s oldest and largest multi-generation yarn stores.

About Me:

Given the family business, there was very little chance I would not become a knitter. I grew up in Calgary, crawling around yarn bins at the 4^th street location. When I was five, my grandmother taught me hand sewing, and when I was six she taught me to embroider flowers and French knots to keep me from scratching my chicken pocks. My mother tried to teach me how to knit when I was seven; however the results were less than stellar. When I was 13, I begged my mother to learn to knit properly, and since the thought of teaching her moody teenager anything seemed a bit daunting, she allowed me to take the beginner knitting class at her store from a wonderful woman named Else Jordhoy, who has been teaching knitting for my mother for over twenty years. Else is a great teacher, and she whipped both my attitude and knitting skills into shape in no time. Since then, I have been a non-stop knitter. In high school I began working in the store, and have been closely involved with the business ever since, coming home for up to six months at a time to work in the store, teach knitting classes, and help my mother in any way I could. In 2004, after a short stint at Alberta College of Art and design, I moved from Calgary to Vancouver to attend Simon Fraser University. This year, after coming to the end of my English degree, I began to have doubts about whether academia was right for me. I realized that I loved our family business, but I also loved Vancouver (my home for the past 6 years). From this, the idea for Gina Brown’s Yarn in Vancouver was born.

About the Vancouver store:

Our location is at 3424 West Broadway, just east of Alma Street. It is 1000 square feet, and we will be carrying mostly yarn, books, and other knitting supplies. At this time, unlike the Calgary store, we will not be carrying needlepoint and crossed stitch supplies. The lines we are bringing in are similar to those in Calgary, and include such brands as Sirdar, Sublime, Debbie Bliss, Cascade, King Cole, Fleece Artist, Hand Maiden, Colinette, Mission Falls, Berroco, Kertzer, Skacel, Noro, Lang, Punta, Garnstudio, Sandnesgarn, Regia, Marks and Kattens, Diamond Luxury, Naturelle, Briggs and Little, and more… We will also be carrying needles by Addi Turbo, Kertzer and Aero. However, if there is a product you would like to see us carry, we are always open to customer suggestions either in person or via e-mail.

We are also looking for part time retail staff, as well as knitting and crochet teachers, and ask anyone interested to e-mail resumes to ginabrownsyarn@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for letting me share the history of our store with you.

Hope to see you at the new location

Kristina

New yarn store on West Broadway

OK, I'm not sure how this happened, but apparently a new yarn shop opened in October and I didn't find out until just now (thanks to Ingrid...a local gal who thankfully filled me in).  At this point all I know is that it is Called Gina Brown's Yarn, is located at 3424 W. Broadway and is being run by the grand-daughter of Gina Brown whose original yarn store location is in Calgary.

Here is a link to their blog:  http://ginabrownsyarn.blogspot.com/

more to come later.............

Free Pattern on Knitty

Sometimes it's good to look at back issues of Knitty.com. I came across this 2007 goody just now. AND it's seemless!

Call for yarn donations and knitters.

Baaad Anna is having a fundraising knit-a-thon and needs yarn donations and knitters for the event. Donate or volunteer and you'll get 10% you next purchase at Baaad Anna's.

WHEN:

Sunday, November 29th
10am – 8pm


WHAT:

Baaad Anna’s will be hosting a fundraising knit-a-thon in cooperation with “Knit Fit” a group of highschool crafters who get together and knit hats, scarves and mittens for Vancouver’s homeless.

The knit-a-thon will be an opportunity for all knitters, crocheter’s, spinners and other crafters to join us in knitting items that will be donated to our homeless brothers and sisters this winter. There will also be an opportunity to donate canned food or money to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Center during the day. Light snacks, and hot drinks will be served throughout the day.

Anyone who donates food or money will receive 10% off their yarn purchases that day!

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

* Donate yarn to be knit into hats, mittens, scarves
* Come and knit for an hour or two (or all day if you are hard-core!)
* Donate canned goods or money (All donations go to Downtown Eastside Women’s Center)
* Support students that are involved in their community!

The Chistmas logo goes up......

Kairos Designs Nob Hill Tote

Offhand Designs

It is getting very close to Christmas.....scary close. I thought it was past due for me to put up our Christmas logo, I hope it makes you smile. I've found that once I've put some sort of hat on it it seems very naked without it. You'll see what I mean in January when the Santa hat comes off...naked VY yarn.

With that said, I've been thinking about great Christmas ideas for those of you who don't have the precious time to knit yours (as well as for those of you who might be researching gifts for your knitting loved one) and have come across some great knitting bag finds. I phoned Urban Yarns today to find out if they still have any of their Offhand knitting bags on hand (I couldn't resist after seeing the picture on their blog) , and upon learning about the many different styles they carry (Zhivago, Weekender, Fiona tote, Gatsby, Travel Lux, Deluxe Clutch, Circular Clutch) I also learned that they carry Namaste knitting bags as well as Lantern Moon baskets. So in short, they've got some options.

I also discovered that local bag retailer Kairos Designs recently launched a new bag (Nob Hill Tote) that is perfect for knitting projects (see picture above). The two front pockets close with magnetic buttons and are perfect for storing your circular needles. The opening of the bag zips closed but leaves convenient spaces on either end of the zipper which are fabulous for single pointed knitting needles. The inside of the Nob Hill Tote has three, yes THREE compartments. I like to keep my notions in the middle one which zips up, my project in another and my bottle of water, or another project in the third one. They are extremely spacious and are made with water resistant faux suede. I love mine!

Kairos bags are all designed and hand-made here in Vanocuver. You can buy them online at www.kairos-designs.com or at their storefront Tutta Mia located on the corner of Victoria Drive and Charles Street at 1302 Victoria.

Astor Tsang's book launch

Local author and long-time knitting teacher, Astor Tsang is being published!

The book launch will be held at Urban Yarns at 7pm, Thursday November 19th

space is limited, please call ahead to reserve a spot, 604-228-1122

Urban Yarns

4421 W. 10th Ave

Textile Art Sale

Vanessa Cunningham's beautiful woven shawls will be there

A cowl from Erin Gibbs' Florence Ann line

One of Mandy Kozie's lively puppets

Woven Pillows by Janna Maria

The textile art department of Capilano Universiy is having their annual student sale featuring hand-made clothing, accessories, home decor items, yarn and art made my current students as well as alumni.

Visit their blog to see the students in action and to get a sneak peek of some of the sale items.

When: NOVEMBER 19TH 12PM-6PM
Where: CAPILANO UNIVERSITY Arbutus 201 (second floor)

Vacouver Yarn visitor update.

As you may know I like to keep you updated on visitor stat milestones, and the last time I updated you was in this past July citing our first time receiving over 1000 visitors in one month. I'm excited to announce that the numbers have been rising even faster every day and today we have reached over 2000 visitors in the past month.

It took us over a year and a half to get to 1000 and less than three months later we hit over 2000. Amazing! I think I'll wait for the number 5000 to appear for the next update, so lets hope that happens in the next year (fingers crossed).

Again, thanks for using this resource over and over again, I love keeping it updated and staying connected with all you yarn folk.

Stay tuned for my newest blog addition Wild Fibre of the Month featuring interesting info on the world's natural fibres.

Janna

Visa denial keeps Maiwa guest within home boarders

Indian newspaper, DNA, reported today that The Canadian High Commission has denied a visa to Indian dignitary, and highly anticipated guest of the 2009 Maiwa Symposium, Ashoke Chattergee. Chattergee was booked to speak this Tuesday, October 27th about his successful leatherwork and weaving cooperative in India.

DNA reports that he was denied visa' due to lack of legitimate business purpose'. It was reported that Chatterjee saw the denial as 'symbolic of both neglect of crafts at high level of decision making worldwide and enormous gap between the rhetoric of donor nations and what they can actually deliver on the ground level'

Click HERE to see the orignial article

The seminar is now set to take place via video conference at the original booked time. Interested in attending? Click here to learn more.

Time to start making Chistmas gifts....

I know, I know we haven't even had Halloween yet. But I'm just being unabashedly honest here people. It is indeed that time! You have either already begun making or are shopping for yarn for those special hand-made Christmas gifts. If you are not in either of those boats.....stop procrastinating already. Call this a friendly reminder: Christmas is only 60 sleeps away!

I know of a few proactive ladies who are getting a move on by taking knitting classes this season. I've been teaching beginner knitting at Baaad Anna's and the excitement is palpable. Some ladies are just getting back into knitting after a long hiatus and some are brand-spanking new at the craft. In either case all the ladies are raring to go (some have already learned cabling) and many are excited to be ready for knitting Christmas gifts (one of them is even planning on knitting X-MAS stockings for the whole fam).

If this seems like a something that would get you on the right track for Chritmas too, take a look at the VY lessons calendar for a wide variety of classes in Vancouver ranging from beginner to advanced.

Free patterns from local online yarn store Elann.com

Streets with rows of flaming red, chartreuse yellow and rusty orange maple trees signify the fact that we are very much into Fall here in Vancouver. And you know what that means; knitting fever begins. I know a lot of you, like myself, knit year round but let's be honest, come Fall we are knitting everywhere from in front of the T.V to on the bus and on our lunch breaks.

What better way to celebrate knitting fever than with free patterns. I know there are a lot of places to find free patterns online, but I thought I'd bring your attention to a local source. Above is one of the dozens of free patterns available on the Delta based online yarn shop, Elann.com

Click the pic

Happy knitting!

Janna

Time for another free pattern hook up

Have you discovered Vintage Purls yet? If not you're in for a treat! Above are some of my fave VP free patterns. I had to include the empty waving sweater, it cracked me up.

Click the pic.

Janna

Yummy Yarn trunk show

I went to the Yummy Yarn trunk show today at Baaad Anna's and it was fabulous. Baskets and tables overflowing with wonderfully hand-dyed and hand-spun yarns, big lofty bags of hand-dyed BFL batts and some great hand-knit samples. Kirstin Zerbinis, proprietor of Yummy Yarn, juggles motherhood on top creating yumminess as well as teaches knitting classes as both Baaad Anna's and Black Sheep Yarns. See her shop here.

Free pattern on Knitty.com

At Baaad Anna's last week, before I began my knitting class, I was drooling over Noro's new line; Noro Vintage (the above hoodie is knit with this beyond gorgeous yarn). Noro has also come out with a line of beautiful solids as well, another first for them. You can never go wrong with Noro; great colours, all natural yarns and ethically made. I'll never forget the story I heard about the US proposing to Noro a recipe that could produce their yarn in 50 steps as opposed to their whopping 200 steps per batch of yarn. Of course Noro declined, unwilling to compromise the quality of their product. Now that's integrity.

This awesome hoodie is designed by Isabelle Boutin of Quebec. See her blog here http://isanou.wordpress.com/

Click the pic to goto the pattern.

Free patterns

Check out these super sweet patterns from Sweetgeorgia. beautifully lacy and free!

http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/collections/patterns

Local Etsy yarn goodies

Wondering where these items come from? You may recognize them from the front page of Vancouver Yarn. Well my friend, they come from Vancouver! Yep, all of the items that are shown on the front page of Vancouver Yarn are items that are made in Vancouver (or surrounding cities) by local craftsters. These ambitious artists use Etsy (a worldwide crafting community/shopping cart) as a venue to showcase their creations. I then scour Etsy for local yarny things and post them here for you to see. The items I choose are always crafting materials as opposed to finished knitted products. So keep you eyes peeled for locally designed yarn, patterns and yarn accessories.

To see a larger selection of local Etsy items check out our 'shop locally online' page.

Baaad Anna's yarn tasting....

Did you see this? Baaad Anna's had their first yarn tasting, and apparently it was SWEET. Click the pic to read more about it on Baaad Anna's blog.

The VY blog crawl

hello Vancouver yarn lovers! Today I am writing to bring your attention to the VY blog crawl. The VY blog crawl is an collection of blog snippets written by local fibre lovers like yourself. It includes blogs by local yarn stores (like Urban Yarns and Baaad Anna's), textiles arts students (like myself, Ana of Dreamy Isablel and Lisa of Carmine Studio), pattern designers (like Kim Werker, Holli Yeoh and Sivia Harding) and the list goes on. I've included portions of the most recent five posts from each blog and placed them, newspaper style, on one fun and informative page. Check it out and continue to visit it as it is always changing.

To find it from the front page of Vancouver Yarn drag your cursor over the word Blog on the navigation bar and you will get an additional option to go to the blog crawl.

Baaarbara the sheep

I found this lovely painting of three sheep titled, you guessed it, Three Bags Full, along with a cute story about Baaarbara the sheep. The artist, Coralie Swaney, is from Gibsons (my home town) and every once and a while I like to stop in on her blog. She's a very talented artist who uses a wide array of mediums varying from painting to sculpting to who knows what (I'm sure she's dabbled in performace art of some kind. I mean it's the Sunshine Coast....)

It's 'spin in public' day this Saturday the 19th

Want to join this world-wide event and spin in public too.
Here are a couple of local options

Location: Kits Beach  grassy area at the foot of Yew Street
When: 10:30am

Those who come to the Kits Beach World Wide Knit In Public Day will be familiar with this location – we’re meeting in the same area.

How to get there:
We will be congregating on the grassy area at the foot of Yew Street at Kits Beach. This area is west of the main parking lot at Cornwall and Arbutus.

Please bring:
Join us for a celebration of spinning and all things fiber! Don’t forget a chair or towel to sit on, as well as a snack, water, and your sunscreen…oh yes, and your spinning! Don’t spin? That’s alright. We’ll have drop spindles to teach you on, and even supplies to make your own drop spindle. We’ll also have some practice wool to get you going.

Even if you don’t spin and aren’t interested in learning how to – please come on down and bring your knitting and/or crochet project, and have some fibery fun on the beach with us.

The backup plan is:
Rain plan is TBA. Fingers crossed for sunshine.

This SIP is not spinning exclusive
There are free bathrooms available nearby.

Location:  Three Bags Full, 4458 Main Street
When: 11-6

Join us at the shop in celebration of  Spin in Public Day on Saturday,
September 19.   Bring your drop spindle or wheel and do a bit of
spinning.  If the weather’s nice, you can sit at our outdoor bench and
we’re also clearing space inside around the sofa.  We’ll have goody
bags for sampling our fibers and 30% off all spinning supplies.  Stop
by anytime between 11 am and 6 pm for a fun day of yarn-making.

The VY lessons calendar

If you teach knitting, weaving, spinning, felting or crochet lessons in the Vancouver area please drop us a line for directions on how to add your classes to our lessons calendar. It's free and easy and we get a heck of a lot of people checking it out so it's definitely worth a half hour of your time!

info@vancouveryarn.com

Thanks, Janna

Our new logo!

YAY here it is, our new logo!

Congratulations to Stephanie Hancock, winner of our logo contest. I like the idea of having the 'VY' in the yarn since I've been calling Vancouver Yarn by it's initials for some time now. I also really like that it is a pink ball of yarn. It's a great design and I'm so glad to have it as our logo. Thanks Stephanie!

Here is a picture of Stephanie at Baaad Anna's receiving her yarn winnings, ten balls of Colossal Cozy yarn, which is hand-spun and hand-dyed here in Vancouver.

Who's open this holiday Monday?

Happy Labour Day long weekend! Wondering what yarn shops are open this holiday Monday? I've got you covered, Click here to see

Vancouver Courier: Yarn War

Have you seen this article in the Vancouver Courier about yarn bombing?

Logo contest closed!

A big thank-you to the many many applicants that obviously worked very hard to create a beautiful logo for Vancouver Yarn. We have a very hard decision to make in the next couple of weeks as there are so many great designs to choose from. Check back on September 15th for the reveal of the new logo as well as a peek at the yarn winnings.

What's so baaad about Anna's?..... a pre-grand opening interview

I was too curious to wait until Baaad Anna's grand opening this Saturday to ask these questions about the new & hip yarn shop here in Van. I figured if I'm excited you must be too, so of course I will share.

Q:Tell me the story behind the name of your yarn shop. How did it come to you, and does it reflect on your store mandate at all?

A:besides it being a good pun, the name (and the logo) really reflect who I am. I have been inspired for many years by the quote "well-behaved women rarely make history" and in most aspects of my life i have been a rabble-rouser. Political activism and social justice is my number one passion, and my values and desire to stand up for justice is reflected in my life, so why not my store.

The name reflects my personal (and business) mandate to think outside the box, to push the envelope and do it with conviction. And knitting/crafting can be totally bad-ass.....

Q: How long have you been preparing to open Baaad Anna's? Any funny stories to share about the process?

A: I worked as a housing advocate in the downtown eastside until October of 2008 and then I decided I needed to take a break from that work and re-charge my batteries. most of my family and friends were encouraging me to pursue something related to knitting (my second passion) and the idea was birthed. In December I decided I was doing it, and eight months later here I am.

I don't know if I have any funny stories, but i should've kept some sort of photo log of all the facial reactions i received when i told people (non knitters) that i was opening up a yarn store, followed by the classic "can a store like that actually work?", in the beginning i tried to explain the obsession, but after a while i just smiled.

Q: I saw on your blog that your check-out counter is shaped like a ball of yarn. What's the story behind that?

A: The story behind the ball of yarn desk is that i have the best husband in the world. he designed the desk, and every other piece of furniture in the store. He is a brilliant carpenter and an eccentric artist, and the desk is my favorite part of the store. He wanted it to be unique - and it certainly is.

Q: How is Baaad Anna's different from other yarn shops here in Vancouver?

A: Well, its in East Vancouver (go East Van!) and that is different. My intention is to support and promote young crafters in this neighborhood, to promote diversity and creativity and to have a bit of an edge within the store, to be unapologetic about bad-ass and wild fibre related projects while still maintaining a respect for my elders who have been knitting for years and have so much to offer! Baaad Anna's sells yarn, needles, patterns etc - in that way we are just like all the other yarn stores, its the attitude that makes the store different.

Q: Is Baaad Anna's going to be giving workshops? What kind?

A: Yes, the workshops will start in October of 2009. Knitting, crocheting, felting, dyeing and a big focus on kid-classes will be offered. My vision is to create opportunities for other people in the city who are involved in fibre arts to actually work at what they love, so I hope that fibre artists, teachers and others will get involved in the workshop component of the store.

Q: What kinds of things will you be keeping us updated on at Baaad Anna's blog?

A: Baaad Anna's blog will be the place to watch for updates on classes, store events, sales and then the hopefully coherent rants and musings about yarn, knitting, crafting and owning a small business. I know that i read other crafty blogs often and appreciate the virtual community it creates, and my intention is for Baaad Anna's to contribute to that community.

One week left for logo submissions!

We are getting really close to the end of our logo contest and we've received some really great entries...but don't let that stop you. You still have one whole week to design the new Vancouver Yarn logo for over $150 in yarn winnings. For contest details click here

Yarn bombing on Main & Hastings

Someone did some bombing last night....the best kind. Look at how cozy and how loved that Main & Hastings parking meter is.

Photo by Craig Sinclair

The pic-knit in Surrey.....

See my blog post here (at my personal blog) about the Surrey museum pic-knit

Be careful what you wish for....

I may have been a little too optomistic when I posted about anticipating the arrival of spring and summer back in March. I spoke of unwavering spring and summer optimism in spite of record breaking cold here in Van. Well, apparently I wasn't wearing rose coloured glasses 'cause we have now reached record breaking heat! 33 c to be precise.

I personally am a big wuss when it comes to heat and have been hiding out in my muggy basement suite in front of a fan and man have I gotten a lot of knitting and crocheting done. So here is some inspiration for all you who just need to get your mind off the blistering heat where ever you are.

Yay for FREE patterns! Click the pic.

1000 visitors this month!

This is such exciting news! It's amazing how fast Vancouver Yarn has grown since our conception a year and a half ago! Last October I blogged about receiving 1500 page views, we were at a monthly average of about 450 visits at the time and that was impressive to me. Every month the numbers get bigger and today for the first time we have reached over 1000 visits and a total of4342 page views (for the month of July).

Thank you to all of you who keep coming back! I really do love this project and it's stats like these that keep me going strong.

Janna

Yarn Bombing is here!

Vancouver authors and knitwear designers Mandy Moore and Leanne Praine have been working hard, and it seems that it's starting to pay off. Their new book Yarn Bombing: the Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti is getting rave reviews, and not just by anyone....check out this review from esteemed designer and author Debbie Stroller (you may may have heard of her Stitch'n'Bitch books)

'An inspiring and unforgettable look at the world of knit graffiti and the creative folks behind it, Yarn Bombing deserves a place on any hip crafter’s bookshelf.'
—Debbie Stoller, editor-in-chief of BUST Magazine and author of the Stitch 'n Bitch books

I for one am super excited about this book. To see an excerpt of the book and to purchase it click here!

Read more about it here on the official website!


Janna

Enter our logo contest......

Mr.Pat May holds in his arms 10 balls of Colossal Cozy yarn from Janna Maria Textiles, that's over $150 in hand-made yarn!

This could be YOU if you enter and win our logo contest!

The contest deadline is August 31st......... so get designing you talented Vancouverites!

See contest details by clicking here

Inspiration

I've been getting inspired by summer landscapes for new Colossal Cozy colourways. I've always loved how the studio dyer at the Silk Weaving Studio uses her garden for inspiration. I've still got a lot to learn about colour and dying and look forward to the day that I am as knowledgeable as her.

Janna

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Happy Canada Day everyone. Here's a fab free pattern, a Canadian flag dishcloth! click the pic.

Barbara Heller

Dear readers, Barbara Heller blows my hand knitted socks off! Really! Her tapestries are so amazing, inspirational and makes me want to live in a cabin, picking blueberries and doing "taps" (aka cool kid speak for tapestry), alllllll day!

She had a show not long ago at the Elliot Louis Gallery here in Vancouver and I have also seen some of her work on Granville Island. If you ever get an opp, check it out in person.

xo

Fabulous!

Last night Janna and I went to an art opening for one of our textile arts instructors. Our design teacher to be exact: Eleanor Hannan. For me personally Eleanor has been such an inspiration not only through her work but through her teaching too. She's passionate! I love that!

Here is a picture of Ms Hannan with her lovely machine embroideries. Her show will be up at the Crafthouse on Granville Island for a while so please go check it out, you too will be inspired!

Eleanor also had this gorgeous ball of thrum yarn on a little pedestal. So sweet. For those of you who aren't familiar with thrums, these are pieces of string/yarn that you cut off a project...in textile arts, we collect them and use them in other projects. Lisa, one of our classmates at Capilano University spun these...it looks delicious. Lisa is an amazing spinner!

More to come dear readers,

xo

Ana

Shop locally online!

I improved Vancouver Yarn's 'shop locally online' page by adding a mini Etsy, which is a small sample of all the locally made Etsy yarn shop goodies that I've found. I also added a extra-mini Etsy to our blog-------> look right!

So, now you can browse locally, but for yarn specifically. I actually contacted Etsy letting them know how useful it would be to be able to shop locally for specific items.......they're working on it.

Janna

P.S. I love how, in the photo above, you can see all the sites I was cruising when I took the snapshot; Facebook... Etsy...

Introducing our newest blogger, Ana!

My name is Ana, otherwise knows as Shiny Black Shoes (although that's going to change over the next bit, stay tuned :)

I have worked with various mediums, the latest is fibre. I attend Capilano University for Textile Arts. My most favourite fibre is soy silk...although I also love bamboo, cotton and most recently merino wool. Within the Textile Arts program, we study all kinds of textile related topics, from weaving, spinning, to dyeing and tapestry. All of it is glorious.

My favourite food is bread. Plan and simple, a nice crusty loaf of bread. I love baking bread myself because not only do you get this wonderful deliciousness but your place also ends up smelling amazing.

Please visit my blog to keep up to date with lil ole me: theshinyblackshoes.blogspot.com and my etsy shops: materiatextil.etsy.com (for textile related deliciousness) and shinyblackshoes.etsy.com (for fused glass goodies).

I'm not sure where my love of textiles will take me but I hope it leads to more opportunities in tapestry and also clothing design (making my own fabric into clothes, ahhhh). I am also currently in love with yarn and hope to do something related to that. Since I'm from Ontario and see myself moving back there, maybe an Ontarioyarn.com? We shall see.

XO dear readers.

Ana

Vancouver Yarn needs a logo!

Vancouver Yarn needs a logo! Help us by using your creative talents to design a fabulous logo by August 31st, 2009 and we'll reward the winner with $150 in yarn.

The winner will receive $150 in Colossal Cozy yarn by Janna Maria Textiles. Colossal Cozy is softer than soft chunky 100% merino yarn that is hand-spun and hand-dyed here in Vancouver (see picture at right). Colossal Cozy yarn comes in a variety of colours and the winner gets to choose which colours they get.

Contest rules:

:The only requirement of the logo is that it must say Vancouver Yarn. Make it as simple or as wacky as you want, using your imagination when it comes to colour, images and font.

:You may submit as many logos as you want.

: You do not have to be a Vancouver resident to enter. The prize can be mailed to you!

:The logo must be sent as a picture file (jpeg) to
logo@vancouveryarn.com
by 3pm on August 31, 2009.

:The winner will be announced on September 15th, 2009


Have fun with this!

Janna Vallee

Spring cotton yarn hand-dyed by yours truly.

I've been doing some dying since I got out of school and it's definitely getting me inspired. I can't wait to weave some cowls and maybe knit a bikini with this fabulous 100% Egyptian cotton yarn. If you're interested in some for yourself visit my online shop, www.jannamaria.com

Also, if you are interested in learning how to weave sign up for one of my beginner weaving workshops ( www.textilesclass.com). There's one starting next Tuesday, it's going to be a lot of fun!

Happy Spring!

Janna

Spring & Summer optimism has arrived

Spring has arrived, kind of. Well, despite the recording breaking cold here in Vancouver I am staying hopeful and looking forward to the tulips of spring and the sweet, warm breeze of summer. Here are some goodies to keep you optimistic as well.

Urban Yarns has received some lovely new pattern books, Deco from Louisa Harding is one I'm particularly stoked on. Sweet Georgia never disappoints with new seasonal colourways. Above are Felicia's spring and summer yarns which come in sport as well as sock weight available online or at her Sweet Georgia Studio on 4th and Main. From left to right the yarns are: China Doll, Raspberry, Pistachio, Saffron, Tourmaline, Orchid and Boysenberry.

Let the sun shine!

Janna

Birkeland Bros. is carrying the funkiest buttons!

I was in Birkeland Bros. yesterday and when I saw these wooden buttons I had to contain myself. Made locally by Amanda Rumleski, these buttons are perfect for chunky cowls. Each one is made individually for a great homemade, one-of-a-kind look. They run at $12/pair. This one is almost 3inches in diameter.

Cookie stitch markers....made in Vancouver of course

I just had to share these, they are too adorable to keep to myself. Buy these and more at the local Etsy shop One Elf. Click the pic!

Yarn Candy is also a local vendor that sells stitch markers.

For more local vendors click here

LESSONS IN VANCOUVER

Interested in learning how to knit, weave, spin, felt or crochet? Now is the time to learn, 'cause I've done all the grunt work for you. On your right I've complied all the Jan/Feb lessons in Vancouver on an easy to read calender.

Check it out on the right!

I'm thinking of making this a permanent thing so I would appreciate your comments of affirmation or constructive feedback. Thanks!

Also, if you teach any classes and would like to learn how to add to the calender just let me know and I'll email the info.

please note: Some classes run for up to 4 weeks so please click on the link to see the beginning date. You may not be able to enter into a class if you have not been there from the beginning.

Also note that these are classes that take place in Vancouver only. Classes in surrounding cities have not been added. Want to add them? Be my guest. Just ask how.

info@vancouveryarn.com

Janna Vallee

www.VancouverYarn.com

last minute gifts.

As a knitter I've learned that for me it is just as enjoyable to receive a beautiful skein of yarn as it is to receive a knitted garment. So, for you last minute shoppers may I suggest locally dyed and spun yarn for your knitting friends. Delicious, superb handmade yarn! I've hand picked some favourites. Click the pic!

TIP: Often you can arrange to pick up instead of dealing with shipping.

Also, many of the local yarn stores carry handmade yarn, and recently Sweetgeorgia Yarns opened on 4th and Main. Felicia dyes all of her yarn and sometimes spins it too.

www.sweetgeorgiayarns.com

For more local handmade yarn shops click here

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!

Janna

What's the difference between woollen and worsted yarn?

Someone recently asked me, 'what's the difference between woollen and worsted yarn?' Well, here's what I found out (in spinning terms).

Woollen Yarn:

Woollen yarn is spun using a short staple fiber that is prepared by hand-carding and rolled into rolags. A drum carder can also be used. When spinning the fiber the long draw or medium draw technique is used to allow the fiber to wrap upon itself while trapping air in the center. This makes the yarn soft and bouncy. This yarn is best used for garments that will not be subjected to harsh wear, such as light weight knits. It can also be used for garments that will later go through a fulling process, such as blankets, coats, and jackets. Fulling is a process that contracts the yarn in a knitted garment and makes the fabric stronger.

Worsted Yarn:

Worsted yarn is spun using a long staple fiber that is prepared by combing with dutch combs or a flicker carder, to keep the fibers parallel, and to remove the shorter ones. When spinning, the worsted technique is used, in which, the fiber is first drafted and then twisted using the thumb and forefinger to flatten the loose fibers. This makes a stronger yarn that can be used for hard wearing garments, rugs, blankets, and warp for weaving.


www.joyofhandspinning.com

The Silk Tree: Monthly Muse

I just discovered something amazing! The Silk Tree (a silk yarn store on Granville Island) has a monthly muse section of their website where their in house dyer has been documenting her inspiration by taking pictures from her lovely garden each month, then dying silk yarn inspired by natures colours, and finally sharing a picture of a woven piece from the amazing finished yarn. I personally think the hand-dyed yarn is just as much a finished product as the weaving. Take a look at this site.

Designers Jane Ellison and Cheryl Niamath!

Last weekend I attended the Urban Yarns event that took place at the UBC golf club. Designers Jane Ellison and Cheryl Niamath (of Vancouver) shared about their beginnings as designers and what they are up to now. They both also brought a number of garments for everyone to try on, which was a lot of fun.

Cheryl kicked off the day with an impressive story about how her second knitting project ever was a sweater that she actually finished (My God!), and how soon there after she designed her own pattern 'Fetching', a lovely pair of fingerless mittens, which was published in Knitty.Com in 2006.
As of today there are 7886 people knitting Fetching on Ravelry. In the four years that Cheryl has been knitting she has accomplished quite a lot, including having had more fetching patterns published on Knitty.Com, as well as started her own company Fetching Knits which has a lovely website where you can purchase all of her patterns. Check it out: www.fetchingknits.thruhere.net

Jane was a total sweetheart! You can't not love her. She began her talk by giving us a brief history of her beginnings (She actually went to a fashion school in the UK which had an optional knitting focus....dream school!), which gave us an idea of how she got to where she is with the Mirasol project; an ethically sound yarn company which has many pattern books by Jane herself. She also helps them decide on yarn colours, as well as recently convinced them to carry a silk/wool blend yarn (YUMMY!). For more on Jane take a look at her website. Also check out the Mirasol website.

this picture was taken from the Urban Yarns' blog.

We are growing and changing!

Yes, Vancouver Yarn is indeed growing and changing. We are getting close to our first anniversary and are proud to announce that last month we received over 1,500 page views, with over half of those being from returning visitors. So thanks to all of you who love us so much that you come back over and over.

Vancouver Yarn .Com has a couple of new additions to celebrate:

1: A Blog Crawl: The Blog Crawl has a few local blogs with posts from each all on one page. So, it's like reading a news paper: you can scroll up and down the page a see several posts from different locals without having to click back and forth between links.

2: More local online yarn shops: We have found even more local yarnies that sell their luscious handmade yarn creations, as well as more commercial yarn shops across Canada. So, check out our Shop Locally online page!

3:More Yarn stores (YAY): I have recently posted more yarn stores on Vancouver Yarn .Com. So now you can find yarn in cities close to Vancouver as well.

4:Craigslist Classifieds: Not super new, but super cool! check out yarn classifieds right from Vancouver Yarn .Com

Peace, Janna

Ravelry

Vancouver Yarn .Com has recently established a presence on Ravelry. Our group name is called 'Friends of Vancouver Yarn .Com' and all are welcome to join!

On another note, I just wanted to bring to your attention my personal blog If you are at all interested in what goes on in the Capilano University textiles program I update my blog frequently with many anecdotes on school projects and such.

Yarn blowout sale!

My friends from school and I journeyed to Surrey this morning after getting and email from a very friendly family that is having a yarn close-out sale from their home. Their yarn store went out of business and the rest of the inventory is in their spacious spare 'oom. I got some goodies and so did my fellow textiles students. We all spent a lot of money, but were consoled by the fact that it counts as school supplies. I scored huge lot of various colours of a bulky Eskimo %100 wool from Garnstudio, some rediculously beautiful grey glittery mohair DK yarn from Jeager, and some georgous light rusty orange %90 wool from Garnstudio. I also scored some Noro books that I have been coveting for years: Naturally Noro, Eternal Noro and Noro Unlimited. I am a happy camper to say the least.

This sale is continuing on until it's all gone and I was told that they have twice as much in storage to replenish their in-home stock.

here's the address

18636-65 Ave, Surrey BC

the hours of operation are 9am -4pm 7days a week. 604-574-8662

Happy Shopping!
Janna

Jane Ellison, designer extroidinaire, is coming to Vancouver!!

This really is exciting! Jane's first book Simply Noro was the first of a whopping thirty books since 2003, and with such talent and drive meeting her is bound to be an inspiring experience. I wouldn't miss it!

Read more about Jane here at Urban Yarns' blog.

This event, where Jane is bringing a ton sample garments and loads of advice about the designing process, is taking place at UBC's golf club on October 25th, from 12pm-3pm. For tickets call 604-228-1122 or e-mail Urban Yarns at knitting@urbanyarns.com

Kim Werker of Crochet Me (Vancouver) gets pubished!

Text taken from CrochetMe.com: Fuel the crochet revolution! Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution offers 18 designs from emerging crochet artists certain to get those hooks moving. All of the contributors to the book were published on CrochetMe.com when it was an online magazine (many of them had their first designs published right here)!

Read short essays about experimenting with crochet to empower you to take design risks. The projects run the spectrum from crochet jewelry to thigh-high stockings, fab functional bags, scarves, sweaters, shrugs, camis, home décor objects, and more. Basic crochet techniques are covered along with tutorials on sizing, design, and special techniques. Up-and-coming designers are profiled throughout the book to give entertaining and inspiring insight into this new generation of crocheters—what inspires us, how we find community with other crocheters, and creative ideas for breaking the rules and representing our individual crochet style. This is crochet for the people, by the people!

by Kim Weker

Local artisans featured in Vogue Knitting....

Local artisans Janice Capoman, Sivia Harding and Holli Yeoh are featured in this Fall's 'World' section of Vogue Knitting. The article, 'Made in Canada' began with fun anecdotes about indie dyer, Janice Capoman's adventures in finding colourway names like 'revenge' and then went on to explain how Janice likens the experience of finding the perfect dye-pot hue with the satisfaction of eating a grilled cheese sandwich.

Go out and get the latest Vogue Knitting Magazine (or just loiter at the magazine section of your local book store, I'll supply page numbers)for more on Janice as well as sneak peek at what Sivia and Holli are doing this fall with local online store Rabbitworks Yarns (page 24). Also in this Falls Vogue Knitting; 'Northern exposure' an article on Canada's knitting history and the people who have helped the tradition thrive (page 60).

Knitting groups

Did you know Vancouver Yarn .Com has a page dedicated to knitting groups in Vancouver? We also have a feed from the Meetup website where people post their groups on a weekly basis, like this one:

It's summertime - time to take those sticks and string outside! For the rest of the season, we will be meeting at English Bay (Davie and Denman). Bring a blanket, a lawn chair, some treats, your most fabulous sun-hat - whatever strikes your fancy! In case of inclement weather, the meet-up will move down the street to Delaney's Coffee House (1105 Denman)

Vancouver, BC V6G - Canada

Thursday, August 28 at 7:00 PM

Check out other Meetups and groups at http://www.vancouveryarn.com/id48.html

Janna Vallee

Yarns on Sale!

Did you know that both Three Bags Full Knit Shop and Urban Yarns have web-pages that show you what yarn they have on sale? Also, if you sign up for Homecraft Importers mailing list they will tell you when they have sales. They just recently started building a website that is not done. So to join, call them. Don't be shy (604) 738-2614

Check out SALES at Urban Yarns' website and Three Bags Full's website


Janna Vallee

www.VancouverYarn.com

Maiwa has yarn....lots of it

Maiwa has caught my attention yet again!
Maiwa is not only the most ethical store I know of, but they now carry a large variety of superb yarns! A large part of their mandate is to merge superior quality with ethical business practices and, true to form, they have found ethically sound ways to provide a variety of all natural yarns (e.g. BC's own Hemp for Knitting).
Maiwa has raised the bar not only by carrying high-quality, all-natural fibers, but also by advocating for unusual farming practices and supporting companies that farm breeds of sheep threatened by extinction. Stroll into their cozy shop (on the NW corner of the Net Loft building on Granville Island) and you'll find their usual plethora of natural and synthetic dyes, hand-made organic fabrics and fiber-arts literature (and as of late, a huge supply of yarn!). I dropped by about month ago when they had received their first shipment of roving and yarn and was delighted to learn that they were making this shift. Little did I know that 5 weeks after that visit, I'd wander in again and be shocked by the store's transformation. Maiwa is now a full-on yarn shop. With brands like, Briggs and Little, Noro, Hand-painted from Fiesta, O-Wool, Brown Sheep Company, Plymoth, Misti Alpaca and Great Adirondack, they are on the right track. As always Maiwa's high quality products come with excellent value; their yarn prices are highly competitive.

Top ten reasons to shop locally!

10. Local stores are more likely to carry locally made products.

9. Local business owners contribute to more local fundraising.

8. Local businesses provide a majority of jobs.

7. Local businesses support other local businesses.

6. The business community becomes reflective of this community’s unique culture.

5. The sales taxes I pay support this community.

4. Competition and diversity result in fair prices and more choices.

3. Shopping local reduces my carbon footprint.

2. Local business owners invest in the community and have a vested interest in the future of this community.

1. My community is more important than a cheap ball of yarn from Walmart!

Think Globally and Shop locally,

click bellow for:

Local online yarn shops

Local brick and mortar yarn shops

Online shops for locally designed patterns

Get curious about our yarn community

Janna Vallée

www.VancouverYarn.com

Felting

Birkeland Bro. Wool carries a wide variety of roving for spinning and felting. You can find varying fibers from cross-breed (good for beginner spinners) to merino (great for felting-as seen in picture of white felted vest) and silk (ooo la la). If you're interested in knowing more about differences in wool fibres check out Birkeland's FAQ's for info on which wool is best for your specific project.

Birkeland Bros. Wool will be vending at the Gibsons Fiber Arts Festival from August 21th- 23th.


Janna Vallée

www.VancouverYarn.com

More Yummy Yarn

This felted wall hanging was a piece in my portfolio for my application into the textiles program at Cap College/University. It just so happens that the background in this piece is also Yummy Yarns' T.A.R.D.I.S roving (as seen in the form of yarn in blog post bellow--my first ball of hand-spun). The felted tree is also Yummy Yarn roving, but I can't remember the name of it. Maybe if Kirsten reads this she can confirm the name by commenting. Yummy Yarn is a breeze to felt with. I recommend it! For instructions on how to felt check out Birkeland Bros. wesite.

Yummy Yarn can be purchased online at Kirsten's ETSY site or at Three Bags Full on Main Street.

Janna Vallée

www.VancouverYarn.com

The yummiest of yarns from Yummy Yarn

I have been a lover of the art of spinning for a couple of months now. I did however suffer from a spinning injury that kept me from my ritualistic 2 hours a night for about a month. I think it was a combination of not spinning with my ankle directly bellow my knee (my wheel's a slider, what can I say) and hauling two one year olds through sand at Jericho beach (I'm a nanny). Needless to say, my right ankle has been out of commission with tendonitis. Therefore I have taken a long and agonizing break from my new obsession. So, today as I pondered about the prospect of being able to spin again, I realized that I haven't shared about my new favourite fiber: Yummy Yarn. Yummy Yarn is the result of local Yarny Kirsten Zerbinis' love for colour, texture and great fiber. As a result spinners are blessed with clean, soft, easy to spin fiber (usually luscious Blue Faced Liechester) and to die for colours. My first attempt at spinning at home was a such a treat as I watched the golden yellow and light notes of watery blue intertwine. This Yummy Yarn colourway, T.A.R.D.I.S (above) became my all time favourite. Kirsten has also invented such colours as Ripe Banana and Doll Parts (also above at right), each with their own distinctly unique personality. Check out her ETSY store here.

Janna Vallée

www.VancouverYarn.com

Spinning Classes at Birkeland Bros. Wool!

I'm taking spinning classes at Birkeland Bros. and it has been quite the experience. Vanessa Cunningham teaches the class. She's a really down to earth, laid back and patient gal who is perfect for the job. There are about eight of us learning and she's perpetually juggling all of our questions and panic attacks simultaneously. She pulls this off quite gracefully. I found it somewhat of a coincidence that she was teaching the class since she recently graduated from the Capilano College (now University) Textile's program, the very program I am going into this September (and I might add, am giddy every day in anticipation). Shorty after I made this connection between Vanessa and I, I discovered that she is the creator of the woven shawl that I came across while researching the program at the Cap College website. The very shawl that inspired me to apply (as you can see it's beyond beautiful). Needless to say I was star struck. So, in an attempt to do some networking and friend making with Vanessa I showed her Vancouver Yarn .Com. As I clicked through the many pages I'd worked so hard to perfect we landed on the News and Events page. "See!" I said, "there's even a yarn news and events page, so you can see what crafty things are going on in the city." She responded with a pause and then a wide eyed look of surprise and finally said, "Oh, do you know what that says?" I squinted my eyes to focus and then took a double take at what was suppose to be a title for the upcoming Knit in Public event. To my dismay it read, KNIT IN PUBIC! Needless to say we had a good laugh and I continued to nervously chuckle for the last hour and a half of the spinning class. OK that's a bit of an exaggeration. But, I was embarrassed.

Spinning is my new favourite hobby! I recently purchased a spinning wheel off Craigslist. I couldn't find a second hand Joy Ashford (a travel wheel), which would've been my first choice seeing as I have already wanted to bring my wheel to friends houses for movie nights. Yes, I'm one of those OCD crafters. I am very happy with the wheel I got though. It's an Ashford Traditional and it came with a bunch of extras (jumbo flyer, extra bobbins etc.).

So I guess I'll conclude by saying, if you are interested in learning how to spin, Birkeland Bros. is the place. Spinning doesn't have to be too much of an investment craft either. I found my wheel for a mere $200.00.