April Newsletter

Here's the lovely Moonstone Cloche by @abbyeknits that I test knit a couple of weeks ago. It's now available to buy! I knit it in a double strand of Malabrigo sock yarn #knitting #yvr #malabrigo #malabrigosock #cloche #hat #canadianknitdesigner

A post shared by Vancouver Yarn □□ (@vancouveryarn) on Apr 21, 2017 at 3:32pm PDT

​Happy Spring!
I usually begin preparing each monthly newsletter immediately after I press send on the last one one. And then throughout the month I think of things to add and jot them down in the body of this greeting every second day or so. This month I did that for the first two days of March and then I totally abandoned it until last week. I laughed out loud when I finally revisited it and read my first note: It's okay to fail. Kim Werker told me so. Both these things are true, and If that's a message you need to hear I highly recommend connecting with Kim on her various platforms and listening to her on these podcasts (her name appears a few times on the list on the right).  So, I got to writing and working through some art angst this past month, a bit of emotional spring-cleaning if you will, and I had a revelation: Wherever I'm at is where I'm at, and that's a valid and okay place to be. Be it in my art practice or elsewhere. So simple, yet so freeing. And It's one thing to know that logically, but to internalize it is such a godsend. The BC podcast, Art for Your Ear helped me get there, too.

Springtime revelations are the best. Bring on new beginnings (and the sunshine!). And speaking of, my colleague Katie Earle and I recently began a new project, Everyone is a Portal. My first tapestry for the series came off my Mirrix last week and I wrote about how that aforementioned epiphany manifested in my art practice, over on the Mirrix Looms blog.

On the knitting front: I took a bit of a knitting hiatus when we were living in New York. I think in the craziness I just couldn't get into the zone (or something). Even after I made a couple of baby cardigans recently I wasn't convinced that I was actually knitting again. But this month I have FOUR hats off my needles. I'm back, baby! This Missoni inspired Pussy Hat is being blocked as I write. And I blogged about the two toques I knit earlier this month. Plus a couple of days ago I finished test knitting this cloche hat by local designer Abbye Knits and gifted it to my great aunt who says she'll wear it with a brooch, which I love.

In other local knitting news

• Speaking of hats, I discovered two new socially-engaged hat patterns recently:
  • Kim Werker's hat for science
  • and Rae Spoon's They pronoun toque. Although, I think it may only be available for Rae's Patreon supporters right now. It's totally worth being a supporter.
• Knit City announced their 2017 instructor list.
• I found another local podcast Tricities Knit who just entered double-digit episodes and recently interviewed local indie yarn dyer Chantel of Mudpunch.
• Sylvia McFadden released a new book featuring three gorgeous shawls knit in chunky yarn. They will be perfect for next winter's gifts.

Recently on our Instagram
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Top row from top left: 

• Jane Richmond is having a 2 for 1 sale on all her patterns until April 9th!
• I can't stop thinking about this incredible lace shawl that Hannabee Design just released. It's in my queue but I'm just getting up the courage to attempt it. I'll be using lifelines for the first time, that's for sure. Anyone want to try it with me? 
• a quick video of me knitting my Moonstone Cloche

Bottom row from left

• My Moonstone Cloche in process. I love that linen stitch.
• My Brookmere hat by local designer Pip'n'pin
  
• This gorgeous yarn is dyed in Chilliwack by @blackcatcustomyarn

Events

• Woolith Fair - Vancouver's annual three-day yarn crawl is April 28th - 30thGO HERE FOR DETAILS
• Gauge Dye Works is having a trunk show at Baaad Anna's on April 29th
• Mark your calendars for Sheep to Shawl on May 6th in Surrey where weavers compete to spin the yarn for and weave a shawl in one day! There will be vendors, sheep shearing and more.
• The exhibition Cocoon is opening at the Silk Weaving studio on May 4th
• Got Craft? is coming up on May 6th + 7th
• And check out Got Craft's around town page for all the spring craft fairs happening in and around Vancouver starting with NORTH SURREY HANDMADE BAKER'S MARKET on Saturday April 8th, and NIFTY FOR FIFTY on Sunday April 9th on Main Street Vancouver.

Recently on our Instagram
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My workshop picks

I cruised our Workshops page and here are few fun things I found:
There are still spots in the Saturday April 8th Indigo Social offered by Sophena Kwon.

Did you see Lenka's table at Fibres West? Her bobbin-lace work is incredible! She has a workshop coming up on April 22 (Saturday) // Needle Lace Pendant: Spring Blossoms at the Surrey Museum.

And Saige & Sky is holding a macrame workshop at Hunni's Coquitlam on Tuesday April 19th 6-8:30pm
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