Newsletter August 15th 2020

August was made for daydreaming about fibre arts. The rush to get summer underway is behind us. We’ve settled into our sandals a bit more, the heat and humidity have become comfortable. Even the lake water hovers in that perfectly refreshing range.

While the cicadas sing out in the yard, us fibre daydreamers have our heads full of fall and winter projects. We’ve pulled out our knitting & crochet magazines and books and are mulling over patterns for cabled socks and colour work toques. Is this the time to commit to a blanket? What about that Icelandic wool that’s been set aside for nine (could be 10) years -- what to do with that? And it would be really nice to have the ‘Christmas Knitting’ done before December 25.

There is very little urgency in our search for the right pattern, not in these days of August. It’s a bit like the lull before the storm. We know that we’ll be elbow-deep in all weights and colours of yarn soon enough. Right now, though, as August slowly seeps past us with its starry nights and mellow days, we’re content to dream a little wooly dream.

What's new in the store?

We're already thinking ahead to cooler days and have pulled out some Estelle Alpaca Drift to make up a ‘cozy cocoon cowl.’ Alpaca Drift is soft and light, making it the perfect yarn for scarves, shawls, sweaters, and accessories that are cozy without being heavy. This cowl is designed by Melissa Clulow and the pattern is available for free on Ravelry.

Alpaca Drift:
70% Baby Alpaca, 7% Merino Wool, 23% Nylon
130m ball @ $10.00
Needle Size/Tension: 6mm/ 14sts
8 colours available

Now's the time to get your projects organized, and these hand-made bags make it very easy. We just love the whimsical fabrics that Marilyn Felbert has chosen for her line of project bags. We have three sizes to choose from: the large tote sells for $30 and the medium tote and wrist bags sell for $25. These bags are currently only available in-store.

We have a new sock yarn that's bound to become a customer favourite. Sockenwolle Uni by Pro Lana is a great choice for classic socks, but would also be useful for budget conscious sweaters, baby items, and so much more!

75% Superwash Wool, 25% Polyamide
420m ball @ $11.50
Needle Size/Tension: 2.5-3.0mm/ 28-32 sts
20 colours available

Riverside Yarns is happy to offer Knitting and Crochet Classes this fall on a very limited basis.

We can only accommodate three students per session, so we cannot hold spaces in the class and there will not be a waiting list. We appreciate your patience as we navigate this new way of teaching while implementing social distancing.

Learn to Crochet - 3 Week Session
Level: Beginner
September 15, 22, and 29, 5:30 to 7PM
Cost: $30+HST NON REFUNDABLE
Project: Simple Crochet Cowl
Instructor: Shawna Katz

Learn to Knit Wedge Heel Socks - 3 Week Session
Level: Advanced Beginner: must know how to knit, purl, cast on, cast off, decrease stitches, count stitches
September 17, 24, October 1, 5:30 to 7PM
Cost: $30+HST NON REFUNDABLE
Project: Simple Wedge Heel Socks
Instructor: Johanna Brown

If you are interested, please send an email to cathy@riversideyarns.ca for more information.

FINISHED PROJECT GALLERY
Our knitting and crochet friends have been busy with all sorts of projects the past few weeks. What's on your needles?

Top left: Bonnie Cathrae finished this lovely V-neck baby cardigan and hat using Cascade 220 Superwash. She used the Nevis pattern by marianna mel, which is a free Ravelry pattern. Both the hat and cardigan are knit with DK yarn on 4mm needles.

Top right: Marilyn Griffith used Celtic Aran for this cosy cabled pullover which she designed herself.

Middle left: Donna Cruickshank used Celtic Aran in Lavender to make this darling Wave Blanket for a new baby in the family.

Middle right: Rosemary Mulligan used Sweet Paprika's Pizzicato in Cobblestone and Marsh Mohair from Lichen and Lace in Silver Fox for this beautiful Tin Can Knits project, the Love Note.

Bottom right: Catherine Stewart took part in our spring KAL, the Odyssey Shawl by Joji Locatelli. She loves blue, and opted for some Riverside Studio Merino Aran, Cascade 220, and Uptown Worsted.

Bottom left: Deb Stewart used Uptown Worsted for this simple yet elegant pullover sweater.

Waving From Our Windows Cowl

We love cowls, especially when we can use leftovers from other projects. This pattern was designed by Susan Ashcroft as a "comfort project" in the early days of the COVID 19 lockdown. She called it "Waving from our Windows" because it reminded her of the images online and in the press of everyone waving from their windows during the lockdown.

The colourwork is made with slipped stitches, so you are only working with one yarn per round. Basically you're getting lovely colourwork with no stranding.

Allow approx. 200m/220yds of the MC (solid or semi-solid) and 100m/110yds of the CC (striping or variegated). Cathy used one skein of Sweet Paprika Winfield in Propolis for the MC. She had some Malabrigo Arroyo in Indiecita and Petrichor left over from another project, so she double stranded this with Kidsilk Haze for the CC.

Zoom Project Support

One of the things we miss doing in the store is offering in-house project support. We think we have a solution: we're going to Zoom it! If you've got your needles in a twist and need some help, email Josette and she will set up a Zoom meeting with you to help you get your stitches back in line. We can only offer knitting support at this time. For more information, email:

josette@riversideyarns.ca

We're now open Saturday mornings!

Our late summer/ early fall hours are:
Tuesday to Friday, noon to 5 PM
Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM

The store will be closed Friday Aug. 28 and Saturday Aug. 29.

Coming this fall to Riverside Yarns

We couldn't offer you the "Saltwater" series of books without bringing in some Briggs and Little yarns. The books and the yarn from Canada's oldest woolen mill practically go hand in hand.
Christine LeGrow and Shirley A. Scott have become household names -- at least in knitters' homes -- for the stories and lore they have uncovered while putting together Saltwater Mittens, Saltwater Classics, and Saltwater Gifts. All patterns are rated by difficulty and are clearly presented for today's knitters.

We were so pleased with the BC Garn Soft Silk that we brought in this spring that we'd like to try more of their yarns. This Danish-based company is well-known for its organic and ecologically minded yarns that have a touch of luxury but are still affordable.
Two of their yarns that we're looking at are BIO Shetland and Loch Lomond.
BIO Shetland is a beautiful woolen-spun melange yarn. Each colour has many shades which gives a distinct look to your finished product. You'll fall for this if you love traditional rustic yarns. Loch Lomond is 100% Scottish wool, and is an authentic tweed yarn. It comes in beautiful tones which are perfect for colourwork or textured patterns.

We're also impressed by BC Garn because many of their yarns are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) - the highest international standard for organic fibre production. GOTS certification ensures that all aspects of the manufacturing process are environmentally sound, sustainable, and socially ethical.

To learn more, visit: https://www.global-standard.org/.

Newsletter August 15th 2020

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