Archive for the ‘Cool Shops’ Category

Whew, what a day!  Today was the first day in our new shop at Number 1, 265 Blaker Rd, Grovely, Brisbane.  It is four times the size of the old one – there’s so much space!  We have three couches, a kids-zone, FREE tea and coffee, more yarn, more things on display, our own kitchen (YAY!) and a library chock-full of some great books to peruse for ideas.

We also have a new staff member – Kate – she is the hand-knitting expert and is here on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from lunchtime onwards, so if you need some advice or assistance, come on in and pick her brains!

Pictures of the new shop will be forthcoming, I promise!  In the meantime, to keep up-to-date, why not consider subscribing to our newsletter?  You can do that by going to our home page - www.americanyarns.com.au and clicking on the link at the right of the page.

Also, our classes are now up-to-date.  Check them out and if you’d like to book, please call the shop on 07 3851 2608.

Thanks for your support!

Gabrielle and kate

Found these lovely ceramic, handmade buttons on Etsy

My daughter is 3 and a half and has been toilet-trained for a year now, so you may be wondering WHY I would want to knit longies (woollen nappy covers) for her?  Well, I know they’re functional, but I really like woollen pants – there’s something very cute and old-fashioned and personal about knitting something for your child  – something not mass-produced.  AND they’re really warm!

So!  Now I have TWO challenges -

1.  Finding the time to make them

2.  Converting the fabulous pattern I have just bought into longie knitting in the round, wait for it…on a loom!  LOL!  A loom you say???  What the???  Can it be done, you ask???  Well, I’m about to find out, aren’t I??

I’ve settled on a loom – The baby afghan regular gauge from Decor Accents (coming soon to my store) – this is an oval-shaped loom with 112 pegs.  Now, my daughter was measured using the formula in my pattern book and I am required to cast on 108 pegs.  So, I’ll use the full 112 so if they’re a little big, that’s okay, they’ll still fit next year.  I also imagine that you can knit larger sizes on the loom by using the next loom up – the Decor Accents Extra Small Gauge with 151 pegs.  There’s also the fine gauge loom which has 196 pegs!! The only problem is, as you go down in gauge, you also have to go down in yarn weight, but as long as you use 100% wool or merino (NOT superwash), they should turn out fine.

I’ll let you know how I go – watch this space!

Oh, and if you’re a needle knitter and want to knit longies for a baby you know (or have!) you MUST get this book – fabulously written, very clear, lots of instructions and diagrams and pics – you can’t go wrong!

It’s written by a lady called Maggie Broderick and she’s in the US.  This fantastic book can be found here.

This is my new yarn store mannequin that I bought yesterday from Absoe business equipment here in Brisbane. She was a bargain!  Brand new but half price – usually $400, I got her for $200.

She’s modelling a shawl I crocheted in banana fibre yarn – hand-dyed.

Here’s my gorgeous cutie asleep at the wheel after a long day at the store.  LOL!

We’ll be closed over Easter but will be back on deck – Tuesday and Thursday onwards as usual – 14 and 16th of April.

This year we’ve decided that the US is too expensive right now and Jet Star is having some fab deals to Tokyo, so we’re going there instead!

Because this is a part-business trip – I’m going to do some buying for AY.  Thankfully, other yarn bloggers have provided helpful pics, hints and websites for anyone planning to do the same.

Fleegle – pics and blogging on her yarn crawl in ’07 – http://fleeglesblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/tokyo-yarn-crawl-2007.html

Pinku Rocks has helpfully provided a downloadable Excel file on all the yarn stores in the Tokyo area. – http://pinkurocks.typepad.com/pinku/2006/11/tokyo_yarn_stor.html

Now all I have to do is book my flights, update my passport and go!

Stay tuned for more updates…

During one of my many travels around the craft world, I came across these ultra-hip, handmade bags by an uber-talented Dena.  Take a look at her blog and click on ‘Purses, Bags and Totes‘ on the left-hand-side.  Oh and the general aesthetic feel of the site is just gorgeous.  I so want a site like that (gush gush).  LOL!

Here’s something fascinating – crochet your own wearable art using the pull-tabs from soda (softdrink) cans!  Pop Top Lady is doing some fascinating things with these small, useful items and helping to save the planet from waste at the same time.  Bravo!