Articles by Mairi McKissock

Nov 28 2014

Polar Vortex (Thrummed) Mittens (Finished)

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Dates: Saturdays, 17/Jan & 31/Jan, 2:00pm-4:00pm (2 sessions, 4 hours total)
Instructor: Sherri Bondy
Cost: $45 + HST + materials

Did you freeze your fingers off last year? Learn how to knit the warmest mittens known to knitters – thrummed mittens! Tufts of unspun fibre are knitted into the insides of your mittens and guaranteed to keep your hands warm should the Polar Vortex happen again. This technique can be used for ear warmers and socks or any other pattern to keep your other parts warm. A custom designed pattern will be available to class members.

Nov 27 2014

Introduction to Spinning (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Complete beginner
Dates: Saturdays, 11 & 25 Nov, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm (2 sessions, 6 hours total)
Instructor: Sherri Bondy
Cost: $77 + HST + materials

This introduction to spindling (spindle spinning) class is a great way to learn how to make your own yarn. Learn to work with a variety of wool types and spindles and experiment on both top and bottom whorl spindles.

By the end of the class you will understand what makes a great yarn and be a more knowledgeable yarn buyer of both handspun and commercial yarns.

Nov 26 2014

Cabled Vest (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Experienced beginner
Dates: Thursdays, 22/Jan, 29/Jan, 12/Feb, 6:30pm-8:30pm (3 sessions, 6 hours total)
Instructor: Michelle Porter
Cost: $65 + HST + materials

This is a project class, perfect for the “newer” knitter ready to increase their skill at cables or create their first wearable garment. Michelle’s sleeveless, cabled cardigan is the best kind of design – a quick knit in a bulky yarn, relatively simple to execute, but with striking visual features and great wearability. You will finish the class with a completed cardigan, new skills in cabling, and the confidence to tackle a wider range of garment projects.

Nov 22 2014

Knitting Set-In Sleeves from the Top Down (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Set-in Sleeves, knit from the top down

Skill level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 7/Mar, 2:00-4:00pm (1 session, 2 hours)
Instructor: Mary Pat McDonald
Cost: $25 + HST

A set-in sleeve knit downward has so many advantages over the alternative! There’s no sewing, you can try on as you go so no guessing the length, no sewing, you can perfectly match stripes to the sweater body, you’re able to try on and increase or decrease the sleeve circumference, AND there’s no sewing. Picking up around the armhole and knitting a tube doesn’t work – it’s too bulky. In this class, you’ll learn how to pick up and shape a sleeve cap into the armhole and then knit triumphantly down.

Nov 21 2014

Moebius Knitting (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 21/Mar 10:30am-1:30pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Mary Pat McDonald
Cost: $35 + HST + materials

Learn how to knit an endless loop that technically has only one side – it’s amazing (but simple)! A moebius scarf starts with a unique cast-on and grows outward from the centre. And once you make one, it’s hard to stop. They make perfect scarves and shoulderettes in any weight of yarn.

Continue Reading…

Nov 21 2014

Toe-up Socks on 2 Circular Needles (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Intermediate
Dates: Saturdays, 7/Feb 1:00-4:00pm, 21/Feb 2:00-4:00pm, 28/Feb 2:00-3:00pm (3 session, 6 hours total)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $65 + HST + materials

We will knit a sock from the toe up using 2 circular needles. We will fit the sock to your own foot as we go and learn this unusual method of knitting socks which does not require any grafting, and turns the heel in an unusual way. Each class will concentrate on one of the challenging parts of knitting socks: the toe, the heel, and the cast off.

Nov 20 2014

Ravelry 101 (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Everyone welcome
Date: Thursday 22 Oct, 6:30-8:30pm (1 session, 2 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $25 + HST

If you are looking for inspiration, Ravelry is the free tool for you. Join us to learn how Ravelry will change your knitting life! If you are already using Ravelry, learn a few of the myriad of tools available there, that you may not have yet found. There is always more to learn!

Nov 20 2014

Finishing workshop (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 14/Mar, 1:00-4:00pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $35 + HST

Most people hate finishing knitting projects. Instructor Trish Denhoed actually enjoys it! So come learn a few easy steps to make your garments look more professional.

Topics to be covered in class include:

Picking up dropped stitches
Correcting uneven stitches
Blocking
Picking up stitches along side edges
Picking up stitches around neck and horizontal stitches
Weaving in ends
Invisible seams (shown in the photo)

Continue Reading…

Nov 20 2014

Twined Mittens (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Intermediate/Advanced
Dates: Saturdays, 9 -30 Jan, 10:30am-12:30pm (4 sessions, 8 hours total)
Instructor: Mairi McKissock
Cost: $85 + HST + materials

Tvåändsstickning, also known as two-end knitting, or twined knitting, is a Swedish folk knitting technique that uses two ends of a single ball of yarn, twisting each strand around the other after every stitch. It makes a particularly dense, almost windproof, fabric, that is ideal for mittens, hats, socks, and outerwear. Highly decorative tvåändsstickning work features distinctive textured patterns made by bringing one strand to the front of the work for a variety of special stitches, and coloured patterns that can be worked by twining two different colours of yarn, by carrying a third strand of yarn for colour stitches, or by working a form of intarsia for small motifs.

This classes teaches all of the essential tvåändsstickning techniques, and all you need to know to knit a pair of well-shaped, well-fitting mittens.

Nov 19 2014

Chunky Fingerless Mitts (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Beginner
Date: Thursday, 8/Jan, 6:30-8:30pm (1 session, 2 hours)
Instructor: Michelle Porter
Cost: $25 + HST + materials

Step by step, Michelle will walk you through the creation of a very basic, chunky weight fingerless mitt (one mitt of pair, both alike). This is perfect for the knitter wanting to make their first mittens, done in the round and with a simplified thumb gusset.

Nov 06 2014

Grafting—a Crash Course (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: All welcome
Date: Saturday, 6/Dec, 2:00-3:00pm (1 session, 1 hours)
Instructor: Michelle Porter
Cost: $15 + HST

In this short 1 hour class learn the basics of grafting in stocking stitch. This is the joining technique you need for: toes of socks, underarms, shoulders, tops of hoods and many other items.

Nov 01 2014

Store hours change

Author: Mairi McKissock

Please note that store hours will be changing, and we will be closed on Sundays from now on. Other opening times remain as before:

Monday: closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (social knit night)
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: closed

Oct 01 2014

Berroco Fall Yarn Tasting

Author: Mairi McKissock

We are delighted to announce a Fall yarn tasting event, showcasing some of Berroco’s Fall yarn collections.

When: Saturday, 18 October 2014, 1 – 4pm

Where: Creative Yarns, 269 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough

Bring: your favourite needles (yarns vary from fingering to aran weight)

We will have samples of new Berroco yarns, including the complete colour palette for several lines. There will be plenty of yarn for you to test and enjoy in the store, as well as a raffle for door prizes.

Creative Yarns will provide coffee and snacks.

This event is free, but registration is required to reserve a spot. Call now (416-331-8085) to reserve your place.

Apr 25 2014

Set-in sleeves, simplified

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Intermediate/Experienced
Date: Thursday, 19/Jun, 6:00pm – 8:30pm (1 session, 2.5 hours)
Instructor: Michelle Porter
Cost: $30 + HST

Do you struggle with knitting patterns for sweaters and other garments designed with set-in sleeves? You’re not alone. Many of us have unfinished sweater projects in the backs of our closets; projects that ‘don’t seem to be working’, but we’re not sure why, or what we would need to do to fix them. Perhaps the pattern is unclear, or poorly designed for different sizes, or we just need to make changes for our specific body measurements, and set-in sleeves can make it hard to understand how to read a pattern and modify it to fix specific problems.

Join experienced garment designer Michelle Porter for this workshop on set-in sleeves. She will be teaching the design aspects involved in creating the sleeve cap and the armhole of a set-in sleeve sweater. How the measurements and shaping of the pieces should correspond and come together to fit each other and the wearer exactly. This class is mostly theory, using measurements from our bodies and a tension gauge from a swatch.

Continue Reading…

Jan 15 2014

Estelle Spring Yarn Tasting

Author: Mairi McKissock

Estelle Yarn Tasting (Nov 2013)

Following the success of our November ‘yarn tasting’ event, we are very pleased to announce a second Estelle yarn tasting, this time showcasing some of Estelle’s spring yarn collections.

When: Saturday 15/February, 1 – 4pm

Where: Creative Yarns, 269 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough

Bring: your favourite needles (yarns vary from fingering to aran weight)

We will have samples of ten new Estelle yarns for you to test and enjoy in the store, and there will be door prizes provided by Estelle.

Creative Yarns will provide coffee and snacks.

This event is free, but registration is required to reserve a spot. Call now (416-331-8085) to reserve your place.

Jan 15 2014

Winter 2014 classes

Author: Mairi McKissock

Here are the new classes we are offering for January through March.

Beginner Knit―Individual instruction

Skill level: Complete beginner
Date: Call to schedule (1 hr session)
Instructor: Isla Ghent
Cost: $12 + HST
Details: click here

‘All the Shades of Truth’ wrap (project class)

Skill level: Beginner
Date: Sunday, 2/Feb, 1:00pm – 3:00pm & 16/Feb, 1:00pm – 2:00 pm (2 sessions, 3 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $35 + HST + materials
Details: click here

Colour Play (workshop)

Skill level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday 8/Feb, 1-4pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Cristina Simionovici
Cost: $35 + HST
Details: click here

‘Step and Ladder’ felted scarf (project workshop)

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 22/Feb, 1:00pm – 4:00pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Cristina Simionovici
Cost: $35 + HST + materials
Details: click here

Casting On (workshop)

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 1/Mar, 1:00pm – 3:00pm (1 session, 2 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $25 + HST
Details: click here

Finishing (workshop)

Skill level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 25/Jan, 1:00pm – 4:00pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $35 + HST
Details: click here

Colour Pooling (workshop)

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 15/Mar, 1-4 pm (1 session, 3 hours)
Instructor: Mairi McKissock
Cost: $35 + HST + materials
Details: click here

Jan 12 2014

How Many Ways Can You Cast On? (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Date: Thursday, 19 Nov, 6:30pm – 8:30pm (1 session, 2 hours)
Instructor: Trish Denhoed
Cost: $25 + HST

Most of us have a favourite way to cast on and always use it for every project. Did you know that there are actually more than 30 ways to cast on? (There are not as many bind offs, but that is another class!) This class will teach you at least 6 ways to cast on and why you need to try different ways. Provisional cast on and tubular cast on are covered in the class.

Bring a flat light-coloured yarn and appropriate needles so we can try each method in class.

Jan 02 2014

Featured Pattern—All the Shades of Truth

Author: Mairi McKissock

“All the Shades of Truth” wrap

This gorgeous wrap was knitted by Gail, one of our regulars, from a pattern by Laura Ayler. The pattern is called “All the Shades of Truth”, and it’s available for sale on Ravelry (link here).

It’s a lovely pattern, all in garter stitch and very simple to knit, being worked in blocks of colour with stitches picked up and knitted on for each new block. This version is worked with a combination of fingering weight yarns, including the Mountain Ridge Kaleidoscope and Baah! La Jolla, but the possibilities are endless. Nina has a great selection of suitable yarns in solid and semi-solid colours. She is working on an alternate colourway in a mix of Madeline Tosh and Mountain Ridge yarns, with a beautiful, strong, semi-solid orange-yellow accent, and we have another knitter starting one in shades of brown.

If you are as impressed by this wrap as we are, why don’t you stop by the store for help picking colours, and knit along with us.

Dec 30 2013

New Yarn—Creative Yarns own hand-dyed yarns

Author: Mairi McKissock

Self-striping BFL sock yarn, colourway “Thursday”

We are very pleased to announce that we are beginning to dye our own unique yarns, albeit on a very small scale as yet.

Self-striping BFL sock yarn, colourway “REM”

Some of you have already had the opportunity to purchase custom-dyed yarns for the Colour Pooling workshops that were held this Fall/Winter, and we now have a few skeins of self-striping BFL Sock yarn available for sale in the store.

‘BFL’, of course, stands for ‘Blue-Faced Leicester’, a soft, strong, long-staple premium wool fibre with a great hand. It’s one of our favourite fibres, and makes excellent socks with good wear characteristics.

Self-striping yarns are fun to work with, but as the colour repeat is extremely long, it’s impossible to tell from the skein what they will look like when knit up. Some of you have said that you enjoy surprises, but we do have sample cards in the store for each new colourway. These show what they look like when knit in a typical sock circumference. Just two so far, as shown here, but there will be more.

“Thursday” knitted sample

“REM” knitted sample

At the moment, there are only a very few of these skeins, and we do not have the capacity to dye custom orders, but we will be producing more, and also trying out new colourways. So, look out for the Creative Yarns colourway sample cards in the store, and be sure to tell Nina what colours you like best. We’d like to know which are your favourites, so that we know which to dye more of.

Dec 18 2013

Season’s Greetings

Author: Mairi McKissock

Dear Customers and Friends,

This is the time when friends and family get together to celebrate the season. I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

This year was a difficult one for me and my family, and indeed, for the whole Creative Yarns family as well. We lost our beloved Jody suddenly in June and it has been difficult to carry on without him. I want to thank all our customers and friends for the support and love you have shown me and my family during this difficult time.

Happy Holidays,

Nina Klenki

Where Inspiration and Creation Meet