Articles by Mairi McKissock

Oct 24 2022

New! Yarns from Knitting for Olive.

Posting date: 24 October 2022

We’re delighted to start carrying some beautiful new yarns from Knitting for Olive, a small, mother-and-daughter Danish yarn company. They are knitters and knitwear designers first, so their yarns come from their own love of high-quality, natural fibres that are environmentally friendly, cruelty-free, and easy to work with.

Knitting for Olive Merino is produced from Patagonian merino, where sheep are not subjected to mulesing. Pure Silk is spun from pure bourette silk (raw silk) produced from silk fibers collected from cocoons after the chrysalises are allowed to mature into moths and escape. Both yarns are spun and dyed in Italy using environmentally safe practices, and the finished yarns are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified, meaning that they are free from any harmful chemicals.

These are lovely yarns to work with. The quality of the yarn and beauty of the colours elevate simple designs to elegance and luxury. We can’t wait to see what wonderful things our customers will make with these new yarns.

Oct 11 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 10 Oct 2022

We’d like to wish a very happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and customers. We hope that you have loved ones to spend it with, and plenty of good food to celebrate it with.

Fall is here, the autumn colours are breathtaking this year, and we are well into prime ‘knitting season’. The store has plenty of new yarns, new colourways in old favourites, and new pattern suggestions for you to dive into. Whether you are knitting gifts for the coming holiday season, or warm, woolly garments for your own Fall and Winter, we have suggestions for all your knitting needs.

As a reminder, our winter hours are in effect:

Monday: Closed.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed.

See you soon!

Jul 13 2022

Crochet with Darya―individual instruction

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: All welcome
Date: Call to schedule (1 hr session)
Instructor: Darya
Cost: $20 + HST

Individual instruction, customised for the student. Complete beginners will learn basics and foundational skills, or more advanced students can come with specific questions and interests. Lessons are 1 hour in length.

Jul 13 2022

Shibui Yarn – Clearance Sale

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 13 Jul 2022

A special offer for all lovers of Shibui yarns! We love Shibui, too – beautiful solid colours in high-quality luxury fibres – but it’s time for us to clear out our inventory to make room for new products.

So, we’re having a clearance sale, with 20% off all Shibui yarn, while stocks last. In-store, or online.

We carry:

Shibui Twig – a soft blend of linen/silk/wool; light, cool, and easy with a luxurius feel
Shibui Rain – mercerized cotton chainette; lustrous and fluid
Shibui Pebble – a tweedy silk/merino/cashmere blend with a cushy softness
Shibui Fern – organic brushed cotton in a cabled yarn; light, soft, and very easy to work
Shibui Echo – a lofty, textured silk/merino blend
Shibui Reed – a soft linen chainette with exquisite suppleness and drape

Jul 07 2022

Summer hours

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 7 Jul 2022

Please note that the store will be closed on Saturday 9 July.

Our summer hours this year are:

Monday: Closed.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed.

See you soon!

Apr 22 2022

Heather’s Stripey Socks

Author: Mairi McKissock

Heather made these fun stripey socks using the Urth Yarns Uneek Socks kit, together with a bit of orange scrap yarn for contrasting heels.

She chose a simple, top-down pattern using an easy heel-flap turn. In order to keep the stripe pattern consistent, Heather used a contrasting yarn for the heel. We think this makes the socks look even more fun!

Urth Yarns also publishes some interesting patterns for this kit, including some freebies. But, pretty much anything is going to look good with this l-o-n-g repeat self-striping yarn.

Mar 30 2022

Regular business hours

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 30 March 2022

Spring is on the doorstep, and we hope that you are also looking forward to more outdoor activities in the near future! We are returning to regular business hours, and will be closed again on Sundays. Our regular hours are:

Monday: Closed.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed.

See you soon!

Jan 05 2022

Sunday Opening Extended

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 5 January 2022

Happy New Year! We wish you all a joyful New Year, full of possibilities and (hopefully soon) free of COVID and all the disruption it has caused.

Sunday opening hours have been very popular this winter, and so we are extending them. Our opening hours are currently:

Monday: Closed.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

See you soon!

Dec 18 2021

Holiday Hours

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 18 December 2021

Best wishes for Christmas & all the holidays you celebrate! May your days be filled with joy, and may the New Year bring you only good things.

Our store hours for the holiday period this year are:

Friday, 24 Dec (Christmas Eve): closed
Saturday, 25 Dec (Christmas Day): closed
Sunday, 26 Dec: closed
Monday, 27 Dec: closed
Tuesday, 28 Dec: closed
Wednesday, 29 Dec: 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, 30 Dec: 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday, 31 Dec: 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 1 Jan: closed

Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, 4 Jan.

Dec 03 2021

Rayne’s Coral Bonnet

Author: Mairi McKissock

Rayne crocheted this fascinating coral bonnet as a gift for a very lucky friend. She didn’t have a pattern, but was inspired by projects on Pinterest. So, she free-handed the design, adding loops and swirls of colour to look like coral.

Rayne used three skeins of Sandnes Garn Double Sunday (in colour Almond) for the base, and two of Estelle Worsted (in Merlot) for the coral swirls.

We love the creativity of this project, and we know that it will be wonderfully soft and warm.

Fun project, Rayne!

Nov 30 2021

December Mini-Socks

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 30 November 2021

It’s time for our annual mini-sock give-away! The mini-sock Advent calendar is back this year – one-chocolate-stuffed mini-sock for every day of Advent is hanging on display, and will be given in turn to the first customer of each day befoe Christmas.

These decorative mini-socks are made from scraps of sock yarn, and no two are alike. They might have one colour of yarn, or a dozen, but every one is locally handmade with love – love of our craft, and love of our shared community at Creative Yarns.

Each sock has a loop for hanging – on your Christmas tree, if you have one, or perhaps on your key chain or zipper pull to add a note of whimsy to everyday life.

A limited number of additional mini-socks are available on a first-come first-served basis. Like last year, we are also making these available through the online shopping portal and, yes, you can buy them if you want more than one. But we would much rather give them away for free! So, put one in your cart and enter the code MINISOCK at checkout to get one free mini-sock with any order, big or small, while stocks last. Coupon is valid one time per customer.

Note that every mini-sock is different, and socks will be picked at random.

Nov 30 2021

Oliver’s Hat

Author: Mairi McKissock

Janice made this striking version of ‘Oliver’s Hat’ for our BC Garn Bio Shetland promotion. The pattern is Oliver’s Hat, by Sandra Manson, and the yarn, of course, is Bio Shetland. It’s a lovely pattern that suits the yarn very well. Janice’s colourwork is beautiful, and the finished hat is delightful.

Janice describes Bio Shetland as ‘a light toothy yarn which makes it perfect for colour work. It is lovely to knit with and the longer yardage comes in handy. Once blocked the yarn felts beautifully showing off the knitted design.’ She particularly loves the way the crown worked up.

She also warns that the pattern is on the small side and recommends that knitters check for gauge etc to get their size.

Nov 24 2021

Black Friday Yarn Sale!

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 24 November 2021

Yes, we are having our annual Black Friday Yarn Sale. From Black Friday, 26 November, through Cyber Monday, 29 November, all yarn in the store will be 20% off.

Note that the physical store is closed on Monday, and the Cyber Monday sale is online-only.

For online purchases, just go to our online shopping portal, make your purchase selections, then enter the discount code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout.

Nov 14 2021

Pat’s Illusion Bat Shawl

Author: Mairi McKissock

Now you see it, now you don’t! Pat’s Illusion Bat Shawl is her first foray into the world of shadow knitting. This is a technique where you knit 2-row stripes in contrasting colours, and make a pattern from the placement of knits and purls. Purl sections in one colour contrast against knit stitches in the other colour, and vice versa. The whole design only shows up when you view it at an angle. Straight on, all you see are stripes.

The pattern is the Illusion Shawl Bat, available on Ravelry. Pat used four skeins of Artfil Belle, two each of charcoal gray and hot pink.

Like all shadow knitting patterns, it’s very easy to work. But, you do have to keep track of knits and purls, so there’s a lot of counting involved. As long as you don’t mind that, it’s a really fun technique!

Nov 01 2021

Sandra’s ‘Veronica’ Cowl

Author: Mairi McKissock

Sandra made this lovely version of the ‘Veronica’ cowl for our BC Garn Bio Shetland promotion. The pattern is Veronica, by Marie Wallin, and the yarn, of course, is Bio Shetland. Sandra’s stranded colourwork is beautiful, and it’s a great pattern choice for the yarn.

Sandra says that she used 16 different colours in this project! We are hoping to see more of her lovely work as she uses the rest of it in other projects.

Oct 27 2021

Pattern suggestion: Halmstad Sweater

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 27 October 2021

Today’s sweater suggestion is the Halmstad sweaterby Todd Gocken. It is available as a free pattern from Knitty.com. Men are notoriously difficult to knit for. Maybe your favourite man is an exception, but they do have a reputation for not liking anything that’s actually fun to knit. This pattern is the answer!

The colourwork patterns are conservative enough for average male preference, but interesting enough for average knitter interest. Plus, there’s a surprise in the construction. A fun surprise. You work the sleeves and body together in one piece, then cut it open at four steeks. And then sew side and arm seams. Take a look at the pattern to see how it’s done. If you’ve done any stranded colourwork before, you’ll know that this makes the knitting very, very easy. And the stripes are guaranteed to line up.

A steek, for those unfamiliar, is an area of a few stitches on every row that form a bridge between different parts of the garment. It becomes a safe place to cut the knitted fabric for a seam to be added later. With a nice, ‘sticky’ yarn like BC Garn Bio Shetland, it is easy to stabilize the fabric before cutting – any method will work, without special precautions.

BC Garn Bio Shetland is a slightly lighter weight yarn than used in the original pattern. You can use it without modification at the specified gauge, just be sure to check your tension before you start, and modify needle size if needed. The finished sweater will be lighter in weight, but still warm and comfortable..

Oct 27 2021

Pattern suggestion: Earflap Hat

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 27 October 2021

This free Purl Soho pattern for an earflap hat, designed by Jake Canton, demonstrates the versatility of the BC Garn Bio Shetland yarn. Just hold two strands of the yarn together to substitute for a worsted weight yarn.

This particular hat was knitted by Mairi, using substantial leftovers from her Tobermory Tam project. One skein would be plenty for even the largest size of hat. Mairi had a bit less than that, so added a second colour at the tip. You could also work the hat in blocks or stripes to use up odds and ends of different colours. And, of course, a contrasting colour for the optional tassles adds a bit of drama.

The pattern is written for sizes from baby up to adult large. Mairi made the largest size hat, and warns that it is very large indeed. The yarn is also very soft and stretchy, with lots of room for big hair with a loose fit. A smaller size would work for most people.

Oct 25 2021

GOTS Certification – What and Why?

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 25 October 2021

You may have noticed that our ongoing BC Garn Bio Shetland Promotion is all about a yarn that is GOTS certified. GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard, and it’s an important part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. So we thought we’d take the time to tell you a little bit about it, and why it’s important. There is tons of information about it on the official GOTS website. And we’ve got a couple of brochures here that explain how the GOTS standard contributes to sustainable development, and how it benefits consumers.

GOTS_and Sustainable Development Download

GOTS Consumer Benefits Download

GOTS is recognized as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well. With respect to yarn, this means that:

The fibre used – whether plant or animal – was produced organically.
Animal-based fibres come from animals that were raised in humane conditions.
Fibre processing, including dyeing, was ecologically non-damaging.
People involved in the yarn production, from farmers to factory workers, were not exposed to toxic chemicals.
Those people were also fairly compensated for their work.
No forced labour or child labour was involved.

GOTS certified yarns are always a good choice!

Oct 24 2021

Pattern suggestion: Tobermory Tam

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 24 October 2021

The Tobermory Tam pattern was designed by Mairi McKissock especially for our Bio Shetland promotion. The pattern is exclusive to Creative Yarns until the end of the promotion, and it is available for free with the purchase of yarn for the project. The sample hats will be in the store this week for you to look at in detail.

A Scottish tam, like the French beret, is a style of hat with a flat top and extra width at the sides, so it can be styled in different ways. It is particularly easy to wear, and suits most face shapes. If you think you don’t look good in hats, try a tam!

Oct 20 2021

Pattern suggestion: Raglan Sweater

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 20 October 2021

This top-down raglan sweater pattern is a must-have. It was written by our own Michelle Porter.

We don’t want to forget basic essentials when we’re posting pattern suggestions for our Bio Shetland promotion. And this one is super-flexibile. Make it in any size, and at any gauge. Make it with long sleeves or short. Give it a turtleneck, or a crew neck, or a scoop neck. Knit it in one colour, or in stripes. Use lots of different colours, or just a few. Add cable details, perhaps down the arms or along the raglan lines. Or use eyelet increases for the raglans, like in this picture, for a really easy tough of elegance.

The possibilities are endless, and a good, basic pattern like this gives you a framework to build on.

The basic pattern is written for aran-weight yarn, but you can hold two strands of Bio Shetland together as a substitute.

We think that BC Garn Bio Shetland makes wonderful, light sweaters. There’s a lot of yardage in those inexpensive skeins, and a lot of warmth in that woolen-spun yarn. So, here’s a raglan sweater pattern to help you make that sweater-to-live-in that everyone needs.

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