Sunday Surprise!
This week we’re offering a great deal on a sport weight yarn! Cascade 220 Sport Solids is a great choice for colorwork and other fine gauge projects, and Cascade 220 SW Sport Multi is extra soft and squishy and has a unique variegation of colors. Get both for 50% off starting tonight at midnight, through the whole of Sunday on our ONLINE store only.
Cascade 220 Sport is great for fine gauge projects like hats, mittens, and colorwork sweaters. Check out the Ravelry project page for some yarny inspiration!
Fibres: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
Gauge: 22 – 24 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.75 mm – 4.0 mm (US 5 – 6)
Weight: Sport (3)
Length: 50 g / 164 yards (150 m)
Original Price: $9.95; Sale Price: $4.97
Fibres: 100% Superwash Merino
Gauge: 22 – 24 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.75 mm – 4.0 mm (US 5 – 6)
Weight: Sport (3)
Length: 50 g / 136 yards (125 m)
Original Price: $9.95; Sale Price: $4.97
After Hours
In case you ever wondered what yarn store employees do after they close shop?
During opening hours…
After hours…
(Click on image for some behind-the-scenes). Thank you Stephen West for always sharing your most glamourous knitty life.
Summer Snacks! Series
With summer just around the corner have added some fun and fresh “snack sized” classes to our online learning lineup. These quick little sessions will help keep your knitting skills growing even when the temps rise.
Summer Snacks! Provisional Cast on and Kitchener Stitch – Online via Zoom
JULY DATE: Saturday July 31st from 10:00am-12:00pm PDT
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Glazier
To register call 604-255-2577, or register online here!
Summer Snacks! Brioche – Online via Zoom
DATE: Sunday June 27th from 10:00am-12:00pm PDT.
Have you been thinking of trying brioche, but not ready to sign up for a full project class? Then this quick Summer Snack session is for you! In this class we will demystify the “sl1yo” technique and you will learn both one and two colour brioche knitting!
DATE: Sunday June 27th from 10:00am-12:00pm PDT.
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Glazier
To register call 604-255-2577, or register online here!
Summer Snacks! Mattress Seam Online via Zoom
Join us for this Summer Snack session and learn to master the Mattress Stitch Seam. You will learn how to seam horizontally and vertically on both stockinette and garter fabrics.
DATE: Tuesday June 29th from 6:00-8:00pm PDT
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Glazier
To register call 604-255-2577, or register online here!
Rebecca has been knitting since she was 7 years old and has always had a love for textiles and colour. Teaching people how to knit expresses one of her greatest joys; sharing her creativity and passion with people. Originally from the UK, she has called Vancouver her home for the last 6 years.
Photos courtesy of Rebecca Glazier
Sunday Surprise! A Selection of Summer Blends
With warmer weather finally coming to Vancouver, we want to offer a great selection of Summer Blends at 40%-50% off. Get summer-weight sweater quantities at ocean bottom prices! Read on for the full list of what’s in store for this Sunday’s sale.
Sunday Surprise starts at midnight tonight and is available the whole of Sunday through our ONLINE store.
Fibres: 60% Bamboo / 40% Cotton
Gauge: 28 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.0 mm (US 2½)
Weight: Fingering (1)
Length: 50 g / 137 yards (125 m)
Original Price: $9.95; Sale Price: $4.97
Fibres: 100% Hemp
Gauge: 16 stitches x 20 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.5 mm (US 4)
Weight: Aran (4) / Chunky (5)
Length: 50 g / 109 yards (100 m)
Original Price: $5.95; Sale Price: $2.97
Fibres: 44.7 % Pima Cotton / 55.3 % Bamboo
Gauge: 42 stitches x 53 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 2 mm (US 0)
Weight: Lace (0)
Length: 100 g / 1028 yards (940 m)
Original Price: $28.00; Sale Price: $14.00
Fibres: 100% Mercerized Egyptian Cotton
Gauge: 34 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 2.25 mm (US 1)
Weight: Lace (5)
Length: 100 g / 306 yards (280 m)
Original Price: $7.95; Sale Price: $3.97
Fibres: 100% Linen
Gauge: 24.0 to 32.0 sts = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3 mm – 4 mm (US 2½ – 6)
Weight: Sport (2)
Length: 50 g / 164 yards (150 m)
Original Price: $10.95; Sale Price: $6.57
Fibres: 70% Pima Cotton / 30% Linen
Gauge: 22 – 24 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.75 mm – 4.0 mm (US 5 – 6)
Weight: DK (3)
Length: 100 g / 273 yards (250 m)
Original Price: $14.95; Sale Price: $8.97
Fibres: 100% Cotton
Gauge: 24 – 26 stitches = 4 inches
Needles: 3.0 – 3.5 mm (US 2½ – 4)
Weight: Sport (2)
Length: 50 g / 175 yards (160 m)
Original Price: $10.50; Sale Price: $6.30
Project of the Month: Budding Brioche Blooms Shawl
For our June Project of the Month we paired up the stunning and shimmering Essence of Autumn with the Budding Brioche Blooms shawl by Jennifer Shiels Toland. This is a perfect shawl for the spring and summer, adding just enough warmth while still being light, airy and oh so elegant.
We have fallen in love with Canadian dyer Sheryl Cox’s Essence of Autumn yarns, you can read more here in our NEW YARN posting. For this project we used two different bases from the line, Pasture Sock in a Butterfly’s Dream and Gilded Merino in Sterling. The saturated colours of the Butterfly’s Dream are beautifully set off against the Sterling which has add just a hint of shimmering, gold light. As our staff Janice was working on it she was reminded the late spring storms we have been experiencing, when the sun comes out after a sudden rainstorm and everything is glittering and rainbows abound.
About the Yarn:
Essence of Autumn Gilded Merino
As if soft superwash merino wool wasn’t beautiful enough, add just a hint of shimmering golden light to take it over the top. This 3-ply, gilded lily of a yarn will make any garment sophisticated and mesmerizing.
- Fibres: 84% Superwash Merino / 16% Gold Stellina
- Gauge: 27 – 32 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
- Needles: 2.25 mm – 3.25 mm (US 1 – 3)
- Weight: 3-ply Fingering (1)
- Length: 115 g / 420 yards (384 m)
Essence of Autumn Pasture Sock
Blue Faced Leicester wool is known for its strength, lustre, drape and excellent stitch definition. The 3-ply construction with added nylon makes this an ideal sock yarn. However, it is suited to a wide variety of finer knit or crochet garments.
- Fibres: 80% Superwash BFL / 20% Nylon
- Gauge: 27 – 32 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
- Needles: 2.25 mm – 3.25 mm (US 1 – 3)
- Weight: 3-ply Fingering (1)
- Length: 115 g / 407 yards (372 m)
When making a project that incorporates two colour brioche you are looking for contrast colours so the brioche pops. Come in store to play with colour combos of this beautiful yarn; or if you have a traesured skein in your stash, any of our staff would be happy to help suggest a pairing that would create the desired effect!
What really caught our eye with this pattern was of course two colour brioche panels that end with a deep flowering brioche scalloped edge. It is a perfect project for those wanting to try two colour brioche in the flat and comes with well described abbreviations and techniques as well as links to video tutorials and throughout the pattern.
New Skills
Janice had not done two colour brioche worked in the flat before and found she needed to slow down at first, take her time to find some support on how to correct any mistakes along the way. Here is a quick and simple Youtube tutorial on How to Fix Brioche Knitting by Aknitica that she found useful.
She enjoyed the process of patient knitting which also helped her look back as she went along to make sure she caught any little slips, while also enjoying how the colours were playing off each other. Essence of Autumns colourways are so filled with depth and the colours are equally distributed throughout the skein resulting in a finished project that is extraordinary.
Knit to a larger gauge than on a 4mm (US 6) needle gives the shawl a light and airy appeal and once blocked it has a lovely drape and softness. Brioche is also reversible, so when wearing both are equally as beautiful.
If you are new to brioche or would like a refresher we have some great online classes that cover this on trend technique. For a quick introduction we have the new Summer Snacks! Brioche in June and for a full project based class see Beyond the Basics: Brioche Hat Online via Zoom is up next in July and open for registration.
Sunday Surprise!
This is our final stock of Sugar Bush Bliss! This Sunday we’re offering a sale on the lavish blend of cashmere, silk, and extra-fine merino yarn. Incredibly soft with excellent stitch definition, get Sugar Bush Bliss at 40% off. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!
This sale starts at midnight tonight, through the whole of Sunday, through our ONLINE store only.
Bliss is ideal for cowls and scarves or a showcase of luxury apparel, just check out the Project Page on Ravelry! We used Bliss last January in our Project of the Month to create The Love of Spiders.
Fibres: 70% Superwash Merino / 20% Mulberry Silk / 10% Cashmere
Gauge: 23 – 26 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 3.25 – 3.75 mm (US 3 – 5)
Weight: Sport (2)
Length: 50 g / 105 yards (96 m)
The Travelling Woolery
Baaad Anna’s wee little fibre arts pop up shop on wheels is ready for a summer of local travel! TOMORROW we are launching a summer of spreading fibre arts love at Yarrow Farm Market 90 kilometres east of Vancouver within the City of Chilliwack (within skipping stone distance of Cultus Lake) at their Friday evening market (tomorrow! June 4th).
Mark Your Calendars! The Travelling Woolery officially joined the Baaad Anna’s family just before the start of the pandemic, but managed a few socially distant outdoor markets throughout last summer and early Fall. With sanitizer and masks in hand, we are ready to start off the market season with 3 confirmed locations:
- Yarrow Farm Market, Friday June 4th, 5pm-dusk (Cultus Lake/Chilliwack)
- Clayton Community Farmer’s Market, Sunday June 13th, 10am-3pm (North Delta/Surrey)
- Deroche Farmer’s Market, Saturday July 10th, 10am-2pm (Mission/Harrison)
- more to come, possibly at the Fort Langley Village Farmers’ Market, Fraser North Farmers Markey (Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge); and if there are other markets you’d like to see us at let us (and them) know!
All set up at last summer’s Yarrow Farm Market!
Part yarn store and part fibre kits shop, it’s a tiny house full of fibre that we envision rolling into all sorts of community events, markets and other places over the coming months and years. In early summers over the past three years, we would pack up Baaad Anna’s and take it roadtripping throughout BC and now we’ve formally put the shop on wheels.
We are bringing an amazing selection of intro-level and beyond-basics kits and supplies with us to help get people started with weaving, felting, embroidery, macrame, knitting and crochet. And for our yarn lovers, we also brought a selection of our most-loved yarny goodness.
These markets allow us to connect with so many wonderful people and even got to visit with Baaad Anna’s customers that come out to see us in their hood! Last year we were offered such a warm and friendly welcome, that it is exciting to bring on this new fibre adventure! Come out and join us too!
Keep an eye out as we are still adding more dates throughout the summer as things start to open up safely. We would love for you to come out and see us in action at a market soon! You can also follow along with our pop up shop adventures on Instagram @thetravellingwoolery.
Sunday Surprise!
Let’s celebrate this Sunday with chunky yarn! A single-ply, lightly spun self-striping yarn of superfine merino for quick projects. Get Urth Yarn’s Uneek Chunky at 50% off. This sale is available through our ONLINE store only for shipping or curb-side pick up– starting tonight at midnight for the whole of Sunday.
Use it alone as a statement piece or pair it with solids. One skein makes a great hat or cowl. Check out the Ravelry Project page for more inspiration.
Urth Yarns is a family-owned brand specializing in hand dyed natural yarns. Utilizing innovative dying techniques, in combination with the skilled hands of women, Urth Yarns stands for sustainability, “girl power”, and is dedicated to providing a “uneek” knitting experience.
Fibres: 100% Superwash Merino
Gauge: 8 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
Needles: 9 – 12 mm (US 13 – 17)
Weight: Super Bulky (6)
Length: 100 g / 65 yards (60 m)
Fibre Libraries are LIVE!
If you have been following along, we put out a call for anyone who wanted to join us in creating a network of neighbourhood fibre libraries around the Lower Mainland in March. Spring is off to an exciting start as what began as an idea here and on Instagram has now evolved into a network of community sharing and endless inspiration. We got a lot of interest and started working with five groups/individuals that were ready to draft a Community Grant proposal or swing a hammer to make this happen. And as of today, two are up and running with three more are in the making!
NEW Free Fibre Library in Olympic Village (@adoptaplantyvr)
The concept of a fibre box is similar to the little libraries you might see sprinkled throughout your neighbourhood. These libraries are home to used books, and encourage families to exchange ones they have already read, with a new and exciting book that someone else has left in the box. Fibre boxes are similar, only they aren’t stocked with books, they are stocked with knitting supplies. Can you imagine a super cool box near you stocked with fun yarn, needles, and pattern books to inspire a new and amazing project? Sounds perfect, right?
NEW Free Fibre Library in North Vancouver (@fibre.seed.cabinet)
People have been excited to make these happen and have offered up their woodworking talents, grants writing skills, and extra yarn that’s been sitting on the shelf just waiting to be turned into something amazing. After pooling together these resources, Baaad Anna’s has worked with many volunteers to create a freesource Little Fibre Library RESOURCE page to share with any other community that wants to build fibre boxes of their own.
Want to find a Fibre Library. Check our handy map! (red=operating; purple=in works)
In addition, we are hoping to offer all these resources on a centralized FaceBook page. We have created one that can be used by all neighbourhoods that host a box keep members of each community connected and supported. We love the idea of expanding the sharing of resources to not only boxes in your neighbourhood, but with boxes in ALL neighborhoods. But we need your help: Is there any Facebook savvy volunteer who would be interested in hosting this page?
This one is being built as part of a Girl Guide of Canada initiative.
Lastly, you would think it would be challenging to keep it stocked and maintained. But we are here to help with that as well! Anyone who wants to host a neighbourhood Fibre Library can reach out and we will put together a starter pack of yarn, needles and patterns to get your library launched from our in-house Upcycling Program. And once it is started it is sure to be a place of unburdening of underloved skeins and duplicate notions from community crafters!
Weather-proofed and labelled as ‘Donated by friends of Baaad Anna’s’; ready to go out into the community from our Upcycling Program.
Not seeing a Fibre Library pin on the map in your hood? We would love to work with anyone else in the Lower Mainland that wants to add their skills, time or host another Little Fibre Library. Email us at baaadannas@gmail.com if you want to share your love of fibre and creativity (and accessibility) with your community. You don’t have to do it all, as we aim to connect resources, interest and skills throughout our neighbourhoods to create a sweet, sweet network fibre love!
Fibre Kits Galore!
Let’s kick off the summer with some new fibre and craft kits at Baaad Anna’s! While we are still carrying our knitted gnomes and needle felt animal kits, we are excited to bring on some gorgeous new embroidery and macrame kits . Read on for a summary of everything you can find in store or online for a portable grab-and-go camping, staycation, vacationing, keeping-kids-engaged activity.
Embroidery
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- Angiels Art DIY Embroidery Kits
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- Hook, Line & Tinker Embroidery Kits
- Angiels Art DIY Embroidery Kits are designed from the beautiful Albertan Rockies to mountain tops here in Vancouver! Using mainly satin stitch, these kits are beginner friendly and include everything you need to complete a work of art. We have been in love with these kits so much we featured them in our May Project of the Month. You can read more about these DIY kits here. Our biggest advice for these landscape kits is patience!
- Hook, Line & Tinker Embroidery Kits are second in word play at our store (the first objectively being the Gnome Pun kits!). The kits come in three levels- from beginner friendly to ambitious beginner. These Canadian-designed kits include everything you need to complete a unique and modern home decoration. We love these embroidery designs because many feature fibre arts imagery. How cute is that little crab knitting in ‘Oh Snap’!?
Tiny Kits
What started as stocking stuffers during December has returned this summer as a customer favorite in store.
- The Tiny Weaving kit is ideal for weavers and crafters of all skill levels, this mini weaving kit comes with everything you need to craft the perfect mini wall hangings with ease.
- The Felt Succulent Crafting Kit delivers the trendy joy of succulents in an easy-to-complete DIY package — no green thumb required.
Macrame
- The new-in-store Rosemade Macrame Rainbow Kit comes in 8 color variations and Cactus Kit comes in 4 color variations. Each kit contains enough cord and rope, plus you will need your own scissors and a glue gun (or you can hand sew the pieces together). Set aside 30 minutes to an hour for this easy DIY project. At the end, you will have a beautiful wall hanging!
- Sarah Elizabeth Fibre Works plant hanger kits include everything you need to make both a single and double plant hanger. It is suited to teens and older and comes in a rainbow of color selection. These kits are a great way to pick up macrame and let your creativity flourish! Read more about our experience making the plant hanger kits here.
Felting
- We still have our full menagerie of felted animal kits from Estelle in both medium and large sizes. Pandas, foxes, birds, sheep, mice and koalas are just some of the wee animals we have in stock. These kits are also beginner friendly and include everything you need to make your chosen animal.
Weaving
- Last year we blogged about the Sarah Elizabeth animal looms and how they are a great summer stashbusting project. The sheep and llama looms and fibre are sold separately to let you choose your own adventure, and they come in both small and medium sizes. Because of their diminutive size, these small weaving projects are also a great adult-child activity since the small loom takes little time to complete using beginner friendly weaving techniques. Let your creativity run free with this project!
Knitting
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- Gnome Fun Kit
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- Here We Gnome Again
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- Gnome Pun Intended
- Last but not least, we have our beloved gnome kits! They are engaging and intricate and a great way to learn how to do cables and other fun stitches that you don’t often come across (the curved Gnome Pun Intended hats are a great example of this!). Each kit includes everything you need, except the needles, to complete your gnome (the pattern, yarn, washed llama hair filling, and glass bead weights) and we bet that once you make one you won’t be able to stop. Experienced beginners will enjoy these as well seasoned knitters. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – waste gnome time before casting one of these on!
