Posting date: 1 May 2020

We have had a busy week adding lots of products to the online store.  More are being added every day, but here is a summary of what is new this week.

• More needles and interchangeable needle set components.
• A whole new department for notions.  You can find crochet hooks here, as well as needle felting supplies and all the usual knitting accessories.
• More than 50 yarns, which you can find under the ‘New‘ tab on the online store main menu.
• A new section for sale items.  33% off select yarn!

New yarn highlights include lots of Malabrigo, lots of sock yarns in general, and beautiful hand-dyed Canadian yarns from Ravenswood Fibre Co, Log House Cottage Yarns, Rhichard Devrieze, and Zen Yarn Garden.  But there is lots, lots more – take a look!

Creative Yarns Online Shop

Posting date: 25 April 2020

Today is Local Yarn Store Day.

Normally, we’d be celebrating with some sort of in-store get-together, but nothing is normal during a pandemic.

It seems fitting, however, to launch our Online Shopping portal today. Our mission has always been to provide an oasis of calm in a hectic world, a place where we can share joys and sorrows as well as inspiration and creativity. We are more than a store, we are a community, and on Local Yarn Store Day, we are reaching out to connect, once again, through virtual media.

We hope that you will visit our Online Store and let us know what you think – it is a work in progress, and we will be adding new products every day, as well as adjusting to your feedback. Please also tell us how the current crisis is affecting your knitting/crafting life on this LYS Day, and any suggestions you may have for celebrating a future LYS Day in a more normal world.

Wishing you peace, health, and safety in this unusual time.

Posting date: 23 April 2020

First, a big thank you to those of you who have reached out to us by phone to order yarn.  We know that this is not a good way to shop for yarn, unless you already know what you want!

So, we are very excited to let you know that we will soon be able to offer online shopping.  As you know, Creative Yarns has always been about the in-person experience, and we had not previously had plans to do online sales.  But, we hadn’t planned to close down, either, so something had to change.

The online store is now partially stocked, and being tested.  We expect to be able to open for business in a few days, and will make another announcement then, with a link to the storefront.

Posting date: 24 March 2020

Update (26 April 2020): Now that we have implemented a better online shopping mechanism, complete with photos, we would like to redirect orders through the online store as much as possible.  This will not only help you with your choices, but also help us to handle inventory more precisely, and provide better service to all of our customers.  If you are unable to access the online shop, or if the yarn you need is not yet loaded for online purchase, you may of course still contact us by phone or email.

Per Ontario health guidelines, we are closing the store to in-person shopping.

We are, however, still doing business, by phone and email, with pick-up or mail orders available.  Please use one of the following methods to contact Nina:

• Call the store and leave a message: (416) 331-8085
• Email the store: creativeyarns@gmail.com
• Email Nina directly: nina@creativeyarns.ca
• Call Nina’s personal cell: (416) 430-0788

Nina will be at the store once a day to handle all calls and emails, and prepare orders for pick-up or mail-out.  If you leave a message at the store, she will call you back at that time.

Posting date: 20 March 2020

Following the latest health guidelines, we have now decided to cancel all scheduled classes.  We will be contacting all registered students personally to give a full refund.

Posting date: 17 March 2020

Dear friends and customers,

Like everyone else, we are evaluating the virus pandemic situation on a day-by-day basis.  At this time we have made the decision to remain open, following Canadian public health guidelines.

The following groups of people are considered to be at high risk:

• anyone over 70 years of age
• anyone with asthma or other known respiratory problems
• anyone with existing cardiovascular issues
• anyone with immunocompromisation issues
• anyone who has traveled outside Ontario within the last 14 days

If you fall into any of these categories, please do not come to the store in person.  Instead, please call Nina (416-331-8085) to discuss your needs.  We can prepare any purchase and either make it available for pick up by a friend, or mail it to you.

Store hours are also changing.  We will be open from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and the Thursday evening social knitting group is cancelled until further notice.

Scheduled classes will be continuing until further notice, as class sizes are small and the large classroom allows appropriate distancing.  If you cannot attend because you are in one of the risk groups identified above, call Nina for a full refund.

We apologise for any inconvenience.  We want everyone to stay healthy, and we will get through this together.

Posting date: 7 March 2020

Did you miss the Toe-Up Socks class at the end of February?  It was really popular.  There were so many people on the waitlist, that we decided to run it again right away.  It is already more than half full, but there are a few spots left, so call right away if you want to take advantage of this second chance.

We are also running a beginner class for Stranded Colourwork at the end of April, also with Liane Schwarz.

• Toe-up Socks with Liane Schwarz on Saturdays 21 & 28 March (students attend both sessions).
  
• Stranded Colourwork for Beginners with Liane Schwarz on Saturdays 4 & 11 April (students attend both sessions).

Posting date: 30 January 2020

We have a few new classes coming up.  Click on the links for details about each class:

• Toe-up Socks with Liane Schwarz on Saturdays 22 & 29 February (students attend both sessions)
  
• Pattern Writing and Editing with Robbie Laughlin on Saturday, 7 March.
• Shawl Design Bootcamp with Robbie Laughlin on Saturday, 14 March.

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

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!

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.

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.

Posting date: 30 October 2019

We have a few new classes coming up.  Click on the links for details about each class:

(Mini) Sock Workshop with Mairi McKissock on Saturday, 16 November.

Continental Knitting with Cristina Simonavici on Saturday, 23 November.

Punch Needle Embroidery with Robbie Laughlin on Saturday, 30 November.

Finishing Finesse with Trish Denhoed on Saturday, 7 December.

Posting date: 26 September, 2019

Tunisian crochet is a fascinating technique – part knitting, part crochet – that a number of people have been asking about recently.  So, we have a new two-session class, starting on Saturday, 26 October.  Full class details are available here.  Call the store to register!

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

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.

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