Store closed today

I hate to post over top of Deb's nice Kauni post but I need to mention the store is closed today. I have a medical situation at the group home which I need to deal with. Now go and read Deb's nice post below this.
Shelley

a quick post.....

As you know, Shelley and Kate and dozens of women (not sure if there are any male knitters on this KAL) from around the planet are simultaneously knitting their lovely kauni shawls.  Although I'm not knitting with them I thought I'd share a couple of kauni yarn photos I found in my Fun Knits photo stash. 

The beautiful garments below belong to Mary Tanti, a unique designer from Salt Spring Island.  She uses Kauni yarn to illustrate her love of geometric arrangements.

And below is a small slice of the Fun Knits Kauni wool section - a gorgeous assortment of deeply saturated colours.

Kudos for the kauni KAL knitters!

Back to regular hours

I am feeling a lot better and the store is back to regular hours. I hope that is the last cold and flu I get this winter. I am still working on my KAL shawl and it is nearly done. I will post a picture of it once it is done and blocked.

Still closed today

I am taking another day off to get better so the store will be closed again. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am actually feeling a bit better but certainly not good enough to spend the day at the store. I also wouldn't want anyone else to get this awful bug. I will be back tomorrow.

Fun Knits will be closed today I am way too sick

Sorry about this but I have a hideous cold and am really sick. I can barely see to type this for tearing eyes. I think this is the worst cold I have ever had. I can barely knit. I am working on my KAL shawl between coughing sleeping and blowing my nose.
Deb is away and Mom is busy so hopefully everyone can make it until tomorrow to get yarn
Shelley

Kauni KAL Progress

The Kauni KAL is so much fun! We have about 95 members in our Ravelry group. Some people are just starting, some are just finishing, and some are already thinking about doing a second one.

It is wonderful to see all the Kauni colourways being used, as it really gives me an idea of which ones I want to try next.

If you are on Ravelry but didn't opt to join in this KAL, come by and check out the projects anyhow. It really is a wonderful resource of lace knitting tips and Kauni tips. Plus there are lots of pretty pictures!

The KAL goes to March 8th, with prizes being drawn for on March 10th.

Valentine's Day YARN SALE......

Shelley's got a great YARN SALE happening on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Fun Knits Yarn Shop at the Quathiaski Cove Plaza on Quadra Island.

Below are photos of some of the yarns to be reduced in price.
Here is a sampling of the huge Cherry Tree Hill skeins which will be discounted by 25% -- some gorgeous colour combinations.

Not photographed is the Emu Superwash  

*regular price $4.95   **SALE PRICE $1.50

Below is our Plymouth Stone Cotton   

*regular price $3.75 **SALE PRICE$2.50

The Gedifra is on sale as well (the "scrawl," appearing above the yarn, is Shelley's design and the pattern is in the 'free patterns' section of the Fun Knits blog)   

*regular price $7.95 **SALE PRICE $4.00

The soft, skooshy Bernat Denim Style  

*regular price $4.95 **SALE PRICE $3.00

The wonderful, create-anything-with,

Paton's Shetland Chunky  

*regular price $5.7    **SALE PRICE $3.50

Here is an amazingly soft wool called Ruthy's Fat Yarn 

(great for felting) in a vibrant variety of colours - must 

be seen and touched to appreciate it's full beauty. 

*regular price $12.95        **SALE PRICE $6.50

Also not photographed (sorry, didn't have time to 

take all the pics I wanted to) is the Gjestal (100% wool)

which is regularly priced at $6.50 

and will be going for $4.50 per skein.

Naturally Kid *regular price $8.95  ** SALE PRICE $5.00

Tona Valeria di Roma and Garbi Valeria di Roma 

both regularly priced at $5.98 

will go for a SALE PRICE of $2.50

A supreme sale on Baffo 

*regular price $16.75   **SALE PRICE $5.00

Also, Shelley will happily take orders by phone on Saturday if you are unable to make it into the store.  

For a complete list of all the SALE YARNS please go back and peruse KATE'S EARLIER POST on Feb 10th.  

And while you're browsing through our lovely Fun Knits Yarn Shop, and enjoying all things yarn, you are welcome to sit and relax on the couch and leaf through one or more of the many very splendid, colourful, inspirational pattern books we carry. 

Just a little yarn candy to leave you with - our delightful Kauni yarn display.

Wishing you all a fabulous Valentine's Day full of YARN SALE happiness!!!

Saturday Sale (Feb 14th)

This Saturday, February 14th, Fun Knits is having a fantastic in-store sale! This one can't be beat, as Shelley is clearing out yarns to make way for new stock. 

There will be boxes of sale yarn in the back of the store!

Here are some of the deals to be had on Saturday:

These are just some of the yarns that will be very reduced (to at least 50 - 70% of retail price). 

• Naturally Silk/Kid $5.00
  
• Sirdar Glacier Snowflake - $2.
  
• Emu Superwash $1.50
  
• Valeria de Roma Toni and Garbi $2.50
  
• Patons Shetland Chunky $3.50
  
• Bravo Crazy $2.50
  
• Sirdar YoYo reg $39.95 - on for $25
  
• A selected bin of sock yarn will be $4 for 50gram balls and $8 for 100gram balls
  

 

Also

• All yarns containing cotton will be 20% off
  
• All Cherry Tree Hill will be 25% off
  
• All other regular-priced yarn in the store will be 10% off

*If you see something you are interested in on the list but just can't make it over on Saturday, call the store and something can be worked out.

Shopping Bags

As of February 1st, Quadra Island is completely plastic shopping bag free! Island merchants no longer carry plastic shopping bags, instead customers can either bring their own bags or purchase one of the cool, re-usable Q bags for $1.25.

Of course, being a yarn store we have all sorts of ideas for making your own re-usable shopping bags! Be sure to ask about patterns and yarns that would be perfect for an all-purpose shopping bag.

If you would like to read more about the bag-free decision, check out this news report.

Enchanting weaves with wool and handspun fibre.....

Fun Knits Yarn Shop is happy to introduce you to two great women - the first is Vyvyan Dorsett (seated on the right). Vyvyan taught the Tuesday morning spinners how to spin, and she continues to offer invaluable advice on technique.  With meticulous accuracy, Vyvyan's dexterous, intuitive fingers spin, form, dye, blend, warp and weave fibres into exquisite articles of art.  Her work is stunning, and every piece I have ever touched, is scrumptiously soft!

Pictured below are four one-of-a-kind scarves. Each scarf is woven with Vyvyan's unique, hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn (used in both warp and weft) and each creation is a thoughtful blend and combination of tencel and superwash merino, mohair, dorset wool and pulworth wool.

Fun Knits Yarn Shop showcases Vyvyan's hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn in our spinning/weaving/felting section of the shop.  A not-to-be-missed delight!

The two scarves below are woven with a beautiful cool-red (as opposed to warm-orangey-red) fibre from Louet that Vyvyan re-carded and spun into yarn. The photos do not totally capture the lovely quality and depth of this particular red which, in scarf-form is magnificent - a regal, royal red indeed!  

We are so grateful that Vyvyan is willing to share her treasure of artful knowledge about all things fibre.  

Wait till you see her hand-dyed, hand-spun, hand-knit lace shawls........

How fortunate we here at Fun Knits are to know and introduce you to yet another extraordinary teacher - meet Sharron Hatelt of Adalia Fibre Arts Studio (check out our link to her blog). Below Sharron is photographed using her drop spindle to spin a fine line of alpaca yarn.  

She is currently organizing a new group of weavers that has a fascinating, social-justice oriented purpose.  I can hardly wait to post about it!

Below are three of her amazing, vibrantly coloured, multi-warp, multi-weft scarves.  

The weave is luscious and full, soft and warm.

A striking close-up of the plain weave pattern.

This is Sharron's hand-spun variegated mohair - it is delicate, gorgeous, transparent, and offers both weightlessness and warmth.

Here is a felted (machine washed and dried) tweed wool scarf that Sharron is planning to duplicate with a larger warp to create fabric for a kimono.  It is soft and thick and cozy!  In the sunlight, subtle dashes of pinks, purples, and light teals shine outward. 

And finally, Sharron has crafted a striped 100% wool scarf that has also been machine washed and dried.  It is a stylish scarf with a three-colour combination that blends beautifully. 

And, I would like to add.......

that I have wanted to weave since I was a young teenager and about five years ago I was given two floor looms.  Four years ago I asked Sharron if she would teach me to weave, and two weeks ago I was finally ready to learn.  Sharron has been an awesome teacher and I am now crazy deep in love with weaving!!!  

I've made three scarves and I love each one (bumps, frays, learning curves and all).

In the first scarf I used Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy for the warp and Collinette Banyan for the weft (all my yarns for weaving have been purchased at Fun Knits).

For the two scarfs below I used Freedom Cotton and Collinette.  

In actuality, the green (in the photo below) is a vibrant shade of lime which gives the scarf a whimsical feel that does not come through in this shot - I used Collinette and Freedom for both warp and weft.

The blue/purple scarf has a soft pink glow to it that does not appear in the photo.  I used Collinette Banyan for the warp and Freedom Cotton for the weft.  

How happy do you think I am working in a yarn store with a limitless supply of ....... 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend full of finished objects!

KAL prizes, and some nature

I went over on the ferry to the store yesterday to take some photos and catch up on new stock, etc. On my trip over there was a wonderful sight of orca whales swimming north through the channel. This was my first time in the seven years I've lived up here to see the whales!

 

Our Kauni KAL is all ready to start this Sunday. I picked up my EH yarn 

and have the pattern in its plastic sleeve waiting for me to begin. 

But wait! The KAL has prizes as well!

Shelley has donated a shawl's worth of Kauni EZ:

Anne M., the wonderful designer of our knit along shawl, is also donating yarn! She will be sending some lucky recipient some Aade yarn, which was the yarn originally used for the shawl.

The prizes will be drawn from all participants who complete their shawls by March 8th, and submit photos by March 9th. If you are knitting along and aren't on the Ravelry group, let us know and you can email us your pictures. Otherwise they should be shared in the group forum, where a thread will be started for the finished shawls.

Get ready to knit!