Articles by Mairi McKissock

Jan 30 2020

Shawl Design Bootcamp (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock


Skill Level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 14 Mar, 10:30am – 3:30 pm (1 session with lunch break , 4 hours total)
Instructor: Robbie Laughlin
Cost: $48 + HST

With so many options for shawls these days, it can be difficult to choose one to cast on. But what if you could make something truly unique and all your own? With this class, you’ll learn to work shawls without a pattern by designing your own. Robbie will walk you through the most common shapes, showing you how to shape them, add texture, and make them your own.

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Jan 30 2020

Pattern Writing and Editing (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

 

Skill Level: Intermediate
Date: Saturday, 7 Mar, 10:30am – 3:30 pm (1 session with lunch break , 4 hours total)
Instructor: Robbie Laughlin
Cost: $48 + HST

 

In this 4 hour class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of writing, editing and publishing your first pattern. In the first half, Robbie will lead you through the steps required to write a successful pattern, including setting up a style sheet to keep yourself organized and using mobile devices to enhance productivity and write with consistency. In the second half you’ll learn the basics of charting, using spreadsheets for math, how to set up a good layout, and formatting to make your pattern easier to read.

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Jan 30 2020

Toe-up Socks (Cancelled)

Author: Mairi McKissock

 

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Date: Saturdays, 21 & 28 Mar, 2:00 – 4:00 pm (2 sessions, 4 hours total)
Instructor: Liane Schwarz
Cost: $48 + HST

This class will show you that making socks is not as difficult as it seems, especially when you’re using short rows to shape your toes and heels. Toe-up socks are ideal for the first-time sock knitter, and great for those who already knit socks, but would like to try a different construction on for size (no pun intended). And best of all is the fact that knitting in this direction allows you to gauge size without yarn shortage anxiety, because you can basically knit until you or your yarn runs out of steam.

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Dec 21 2019

Holiday Hours

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 21 December 2019

Best wishes for Christmas & all the holidays you celebrate!

Our store hours for the holiday period are:

  • Tuesday, Christmas Eve: closed
  • Wednesday, Christmas Day: closed
  • Thursday, Boxing Day: closed
  • Friday 27th Dec: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (normal hours)
  • Saturday 28th Dec: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (normal hours)
  • Sunday, Monday – closed as normal
  • Tuesday, New Year’s Eve: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, New Year’s Day: closed
  • Thursday:  normal hours resume
Dec 04 2019

Mini-Socks!

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 4 December 2019

‘Tis the season… for our annual mini-sock advent calendar.  One sock for every day of advent, all stuffed with delicious Lindor chocolates.  The first customer of each day gets the sock for that day – not just the chocolate, the sock is yours to keep.

Of course, the store is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so three lucky customers will get advent socks on Tuesdays!

When you visit the store during advent, don’t forget to ask Nina about the advent socks – you might just be today’s lucky customer!

Nov 26 2019

Black Friday Sale!

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 26 November 2019

We don’t often have a store-wide sale, and Black Friday is the big one for the year.  From this Thursday, 28 November, through Saturday, 30 November, we are offering:

  • 15% off all yarns, including new products and best sellers
  • 20% – 40% off specially marked bargains (including all Shibui yarns!)
  • first chance at a new selection of clearance yarns (50% off)

And don’t forget that our annual garment sale is also on at this time!

So, come visit us this weekend for our best bargains of the year.

Nov 19 2019

Annual Garment Sale!

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting date: 19 November 2019

From now until Christmas, we are having our best value sale of all – you can buy finished garments, all new and unworn, that have been used as store samples.  In most cases, these are being sold for little more than the cost of the yarn.  Original  designs, unique creations, quality craftsmanship; these are one-of-a-kind specials, going for bargain prices.

If you need an extra-special gift for someone this holiday season, or if you just want to treat yourself to some high-quality hand-knit luxury, come down to the store & browse this year’s selection of available sale garments.

Oct 30 2019

Punch Needle Embroidery (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill Level: Complete Beginner
Date: Saturday, 30 Nov, 2:00 – 4:00 pm (1 session, 2 hours total)
Instructor: Robbie Laughlin
Cost: $24 + HST

 

Needle punch embroidery is a fun way to exercise your yarn creativity.  Technically, it’s a form of embroidery, and it does involve working patterns into a backing fabric held in place by an embroidery hoop, but it’s way less fussy to learn – there’s really just one basic ‘stitch’ technique, though you can do a lot of creative things with it.

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Sep 21 2019

Tunisian Crochet (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

Skill Level: Basic crochet
Date: Saturdays, 26 Oct & 2 Nov, 1:00 – 3:00 pm (2 sessions, 4 hours total)
Instructor: Liane Schwarz
Cost: $48 + HST

 

Tunisian crochet’s hybrid technique combines elements of crochet and knitting, and produces a love child that looks surprisingly like neither parent, but rather a very attractive woven fabric. But the real wonder of it comes with its speed and creativity, because once you have mastered the basics you will be making holiday gifts in a blink and playing with colour combinations like an expert designer. And if you’re anything like me, you will wonder where this lovely creature has been all your life!

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Sep 11 2019

Trunk Show! Natural Ewe Yarns

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 11 September, 2019

Mark your calendars for Saturday, 28 September – we have another inspiring trunk show scheduled, with Natural Ewe, a local (Muskoka) supplier of hand-dyed yarns.

Natural Ewe yarns are our favourite kind of product – natural fibres from ethically raised animal and plant sources, processed and dyed in environmentally friendly ways.

They will be showing a wide range of yarn bases and colours, with a large selection of popular gradient kits.  Yarns include ultra-soft merino, organic cotton/linen blends, and luxury blends with cashmere or mohair/silk.  There will also be plenty of samples, and the opportunity to ask questions about the yarns and dyes.

So, plan to visit us and meet the owner of Natural Ewe on Saturday the 28th.

  • Date: Saturday, 28 September
  • Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Aug 20 2019

Crochet Basics (Finished)

Author: Mairi McKissock

 

Skill Level: Complete beginner
Date: Saturdays, 21 Sep, 28 Sep, 5 Oct, 1:00 – 3:00 pm (3 sessions, 6 hours total)
Instructor: Liane Schwarz
Cost: $72 + HST

This class will teach you everything you need to know to turn you into a happy hooker!  So, if you’ve ever had a burning desire to learn how to crochet, this is the class for you. You will learn all the basics, and a few tricks besides. And for those of you who knit, this is a great way to expand your needlework horizons. Crochet is a fabulous companion, not only for fixing mistakes, but also for making quick and easy borders.

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May 03 2019

New Yarns

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 3 May, 2019

We have some lovely new yarns in stock for you. It has been a while since we featured new yarns here, so there’s not room to cover everything. Here are just a few:

1-ply SW merino fingering weight from Lichen and Lace

The soft tonals and variegations of this lovely yarn complement the softness of the single-ply merino. It’s an excellent choice for next-to-the skin garments like shawls and cowls.

Zen Yarn Garden sock yarns

We have a great range of Zen Yarn Garden sock yarns, in both Superfine Fingering (90/10 Merino/Nylon) and Serenity 20 (70/20/10 Merino/Cashmere/Nylon). Beautiful colours in hardwearing yarns, at about the lowest price point for hand-dyed sock yarns in the store.

Urth Yarns Kashmir Mono

The photo just doesn’t do justice to the exquisite colours of this utterly decadent, 100% cashmere yarn. For something truly special.

There’s more! Visit the store to see everything that’s new.

Mar 06 2019

Trunk Show! Trailhead Yarns

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 6 March, 2019

Mark your calendars for an exciting trunk show by Trailhead Yarns on Saturday, 23 March.

Trailhead Yarns are a very interesting, local (Ontario) independent dyer, with a focus on plant-based, natural yarns that have a low environmental impact. They fill a niche for beautifully hand-dyed yarns suitable for anyone interested in cotton, linen, and other summer yarns, people with wool allergies, vegans, and anyone with environmental concerns.

They offer a wide range of colours in four yarn bases, all of which will be available to admire at Creative Yarns during their trunk show. They will also bring samples of knitted projects, and will be available to answer any questions about their yarns and how to use them to best effect.

So, come see us on Saturday the 23rd, and expect to be inspired!

  • Date: Saturday, 23 March
  • Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Feb 08 2019

Collaborative promotion – Barcelona Collective shoes

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 8 February 2019

Do you like shoes? Really cute, really comfortable shoes? We are trying to arrange for an exciting, collaborative event with Barcelona Collective, and we need your help to arrange this.

We would like to bring in Barcelona Collective representatives, with a full inventory of their beautiful shoes, for a one-day event at Creative Yarns, possibly at the beginning of April. You’d have the chance to try on these amazing shoes, and pick the ones that work best with your favourite hand-knits. Or, buy your ideal shoes, boots, or sandals, and pick yarn to make a sweater to go with them.

We need to know if enough people are interested before the event can be confirmed with our partners at Barcelona Collective. If you think you might be interested, please take a moment to look at the range of styles available on the Barcelona webpage, then answer a few quick questions in our survey.

Dec 20 2018

Holiday Store Hours

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 20 December 2018

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and customers! May all the holidays that you celebrate be filled with love and warmth.

The store will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, and 2nd January. Normal hours will resume 3rd January.

  • Mondays: closed
  • Tuesday 25th & 1st: closed
  • Wednesday 26th & 2nd: closed
  • Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (social knit night)
  • Fridays: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays: 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
  • Sundays: closed
Nov 29 2018

Lizzie Anne Trunk Show Cancelled. Flash Sale Instead.

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 29 November, 2018

We are extremely disappointed to announce that this Saturday’s planned trunk show for Lizzie Anne yarns has just been cancelled by the supplier, due to problems with production and a shortage of inventory for the show.  At this time, we do not have further information about future availability of yarns from this supplier, but it is likely that we will not be restocking Lizzie Anne yarns in the immediate future.

We know that many of you were planning to come for this event, and looking forward to it.  We do not want you to be completely disappointed, so we are offering a flash sale in compensation:

  • All day, Saturday, 1 December
  • 15% discount on all regular-priced yarns store-wide
  • 25% discount on all Lizzie Anne yarns currently in stock

See you Saturday!

Nov 01 2018

Trunk Show! Lizzie Anne Yarns

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 1 November, 2018

Mark your calendars for an exciting trunk show by Lizzie Anne Yarns on Saturday, 1 Dec.

Lizzie Anne Yarns are a local (Ontario) independent dyer, with an impressive collection of yarn bases in a beautiful range of hand-dyed colours, including speckled, semi-solid, hand-painted, and gradient kits.  They will be visiting with samples of knitted projects, and a huge selection of yarns, including some not previously carried in the store, and will be available to answer all of your questions about their yarns and how to use them to best effect.

  • Date: Saturday, 1 December
  • Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Nov 01 2018

Winter Classes

Author: Mairi McKissock

Posting Date: 1 November, 2018

We have a few classes running this month, just in time to tackle a gift project for the holiday season.  Click on the links below for full details:

  • Learn wet-felting, a fun new skill in Sherri Bondy’s Fabulous Felted Scarf Class on Saturday 17 November.
  • Learn all about knitting socks, while making a miniature, ornamental sock in Mairi McKissock’s Mini-sock Workshop on Saturday 17 November.
  • Learn how to finish all of your projects neatly and professionally in Trish Denhoed’s Finishing Workshop on Saturday 24 November.