These days the yarn world is busily reacting to a renewed interest in Crochet and we couldn’t be happier. Of course, those who love Crochet have always loved Crochet and have always crocheted – but according to industry representatives, the crochet market right now is hot, hot, hot! And the best part is that many of these new crocheters are young people who are flocking to the craft, learning on YouTube, designing garments, inventing new stitches and just plain having a lot of fun! Crochet night in residence? Crochet Club at the Pub? A quiet evening at home? Those of us who knit and crochet know how healing, satisfying, and generous our craft is. Now it seems the world is catching on!
We thought you might enjoy these articles about the exciting renewed interest in crafting:
We’re grateful for our craft and we’re so looking forward to having fun with you this Spring and Summer! Cathy, Miguelle, and Joan
On Our Shelves
We’ve carried Fingering Thede and DK Sirocco from The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze since we opened. We’re so excited to be offering a selection of 9 colours in their beautiful Worsted base Fynn. Peggy knit up a simple roll neck sweater in the colourway Bejewelled that shows off this hand dyed yarn to perfection.
Fynn by The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze. 80g; 160m/175y; 100% Superwash Merino Wool; 20 stitches = 10cm on 3.75-4mm needles; $24/skein
This is Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, a gorgeous Sport weight summer yarn made of Cotton, Hemp, and Modal. Two of our June Make-Along participants are using it to knit a summer shawl. Beautiful!
Lino from BC Garn is our go-to 100% Linen yarn. We just love the rich, rich colours. Linen, from the Flax plant, softens with each washing and is magically cooling or warming depending on the temperature.
Lichen and Lace is using a new base for their 80/20 Sock. The Nylon is now recycled and the Merino Wool is eco-processed and organic. We just received our first shipment of the new, ecological 80/20, along with some glorious Lace weight Marsh Mohair.
We love Knitters Pride (now KnitPro) and will soon have these two gorgeous sets in the store.
Top Left: Mellow Crochet Set. 6 copper hooks with walnut-hued wooden handles; range from 3mm to 6mm; cute scissors; tape measure; wool needle; 10 metal stitch markers. All in a lovely, easy to carry case. It’s gorgeous! $134
Top Right: Earthy Punch Needle Set comes with 4 different needle sizes that can be used with one ergonomic wooden handle. Earthy tone denim black case; wood toned punch needle handle; 4 needles: 2, 3, 4, 5mm; 3 attachments in brown colour: 2mm, 3mm, 4mm; 2 threaders; complete instruction booklet. Everything you need to create punch needle masterpieces! $47
Eucalan Refill Program
We now offer a Eucalan Refill Program. Bring in a clean container that holds at least 500ml and we will refill your container with Natural Unscented Eucalan. The cost is $15 for 500ml of Eucalan. This is a savings of $6 for you and we all help to reduce plastics.
Joan's Knitting Clinic
Every Wednesday from 4-6pm, Joan Spence hosts a drop-in Knitting Clinic! Get specialized help with a project in a convenient and budget friendly way. Here's how it works:
$15 + HST flat fee Come whenever it works for you; No registration necessary First come first serve; Stay for as long as you like (flat fee applies regardless) Bring a coffee and a second project to work on while waiting your turn (if necessary) Please call the store ahead of time just to be sure Joan isn't on holidays or away.
Join Us June 8th for WWKIP Day
We're thrilled to pair up with our neighbour GB Arts to knit in public on World Wide Knit in Public Day 2024! We're meeting Saturday, June 8th on the patio (or inside if it's raining) to stitch away the afternoon, enjoy a sparkly drink or a cup of tea, and have fun showing the world what we do! Riverside Yarns will have two lovely gift bags available to win and we'll have some cute pins for sale too!
Our Make-Alongs (MAL)
Our April Make-Along was a big success. Our June MAL is already full but please call the store at 519-371-4311 if you would like to join the one after that. There is no charge. We just ask that you purchase new yarn for a new project for the MAL. We meet when the store is closed on Sunday afternoons from 1-3pm and we offer tea and sweets. We usually feature specific patterns but everyone is free to knit or crochet whatever they want. It's fun and a little more structured than a Community Stitch Meet, which we also offer. See below...
June 23rd! Save the Date! We're cooking something up with The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!
Community Stitches Riverside Yarns invites you to sit around the table and knit or crochet every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon from 1-3pm. Please join us to chat, stitch, share stories, skills, and tips. It’s free and it’s fun!
A Word About Classes
Our neighbour The Georgian Bay School of the Arts offers a wide array of textile and fibre based classes, including Knitting and Crochet classes. If you sign up for a Knitting or Crochet class at GBArts, Riverside Yarns will offer a 15% discount on a set of needles/crochet hook and the yarn of your choice to help get you started on your class project. Just let us know you are taking a Knitting or Crochet class at GBArts.
Here are a few photos from Miguelle's Dyeing With Kool-Aid Workshops. They are a lot of fun and we can do more if you are interested. Just call the store at 519-371-4311 to let us know you would like to participate. Bring some friends and we'll do one just for your group. The cost is $20/person and we supply everything, including a 100g skein of sock weight yarn to dye and take home with you!!
And Now... The Project Gallery
Alice Bumstead knit her Winterwoods sweater from The Petite Knitter for her sister, who loves it! Alice knit this beauty in Silk Harmony, a lovely blend of Silk, Wool, and Cotton in a Worsted weight.
We had to show you Miguelle's first pair of socks! She is in love with sock knitting now and there's no going back! These are knit with an Opal Sock yarn in a Worsted weight. Great for hanging around the house!
These beautiful socks are made by Karli Whitmore. She stranded Meaford Wool Jazzy Socks with Lichen and Lace Mohair/Silk in Marsh Lilly.
Here Karli stranded the same colourway in the Mohair/Silk Marsh Lilly but she used a neutral second strand to create a very different effect.
Chris McCarthy did a beautiful job on her socks using Pro Lana Fjord Sock yarn. The pattern is just lovely!
We love this Love Note! Instead of stranding a Fingering yarn and a Lace Mohair yarn together, Cherie-Lee Fietsch used one strand of Chunky Estelle Alpaca Drift to make her Love Note by Tin Can Knits. Her design changes work beautifully!
Thank you to all our lovely customers from all of us at Riverside Yarns!
