As the sky lightens on our third cool autumn day of the season I can see the leaves on our huge backyard maple tree are beginning to change. Its like October arrived and flipped the "Autumn Switch" setting this knitter's brain into overdrive.
Meanwhile I'm also mentally racing around the ideas of
Our first stop Wednesday was Knit-O-Matic in a shiny new larger location just up the street from the original tiny shop. Its now at least twice the size of the first, lots of natural light, high ceilings and mirrors to check out colours against the skin. There's room to sit or set something down and everything's painted white so one can focus on the yarn. (Rest assured the resident Love Bird is still there - so fun - I love stores with animals hanging about!)
There's parking on the nearest side street and the street car line that stops at the door is one that offers 2 hour on and off privileges.
The best thing about the shop, though, is the owner. One of those unflappable people - matter of fact without being indifferent, present, attentive, very knowledgeable and let us explore and discover on our own without interruption yet there to help as soon as we needed anything.
I love that she warned us away from some yarns we were considering as she felt we'd be disappointed with the results given what we were hoping to achieve. She was even able to demonstrate how inappropriate they might be versus a better choice with well labelled swatches.
My credit card came out while I was there (more on that later - 'just trying to stay focused here today). My Aunt, who was along with me, left with a few ideas to mull around until next time and there will be a "next time" quite soon because the whole experience there left us feeling calm, capable and grounded where so often one emerges from yarn stores just feeling frazzled and unsure.
Second stop, 10 minutes drive south, was the new location of Ewe Knit.
The huge shop, previously a Credit Union office, is best described as GORGEOUS. It's deep and wide with lower ceilings than in their original location (a Victorian row house). Set up and styled to be of the moment with raw wood and painted black trim punctuated with girly chandeliers and well placed embellished antiques. Its a polished and compelling display of the tactile and visual possibilities of knitting and needlework stocked with goods that reminded me of the inventory at Purl Soho in Manhattan.
The lighting in the shop is amazing. There's natural light through the south facing windows but the ambient lighting throughout is low, punctuated by halogen spotlit columns of pure light that allow the consideration of a colour or yarn with focus and clarity as the surrounding visual distractions fade into the darker background.
One of the things I've always loved about Eweknit are the knitted sample garments on display and often featured on the their website. In the new shop they take pride of place, carefully laid out in distinct colour groups on big wide tables greeting you with delicious possibilities as you enter.
Now my Aunt loves gleaning project ideas from yarn store samples she can see, feel and try on and within moments of walking through the door she had the materials for a lovely store-designed cowl in Cascade Eco Duo "Zebra". It looks very graphic in the skein and sounds contrasty in the name too but it knits up visually softer than the yarn appears with the hard-to-believe-this-stuff-grew-on-an-animal softness that only Alpaca can deliver.
(Given my Aunt's knitting style I bet that cowl is ready for wearing before the weekend's out.)
Of course the glamourous and effusive owner Claudia was there, as ever seeming more hostess than shopkeeper and so making you feel like you could well spend the day there and be welcome to do so too. There are also two other staff able to help with the details of selection and purchase.
Its hard to say whether I was so well satisfied with our almost contemplative time in Knit-O-Matic and my purchases there that the details of the Eweknit yarn were lost on me this visit but I ended up walking out with a yard of cotton in an autumn print that will soon become a cushion cover either here or at the cottage.
Goodness but we had fun, well suited to the freshly brisk weather tempered by a still quite warm sun. If you're local to Toronto I'd highly recommend checking out either (or, better still, both) shops.
If further afield, and say, shopping with American dollars, why not take a trip up here and get a real bang for your yarn shopping buck? These two stores are only a couple of the great LYS's Toronto knitters enjoy and if you were coming from somewhere really warm (like Texas or something ;) ) I can assure you the cool fall air and changing leaves on the trees is a compelling context indeed to fuel your knitting imagination!
We are heading north for a cool Autumnal weekend with lots of time by the fireside indoors and also maybe outside too! I'll leave Darling Daughter to tidy up loose ends on the vest and be back Sunday afternoon to help her block it.
 |
| Wish I could capture the steam coming off this Cider Laced Almond, Ginger Oatmeal with currants - Its almost to pretty to eat! |
No wonder. Atop the shift in weather this week I've...
- worn wool
- talked wool
- shopped wool
- bought wool
- overseen the cutting of steeks
- basked in the fun of watching Darling Daughter finish her first knitted garment
- read about Wool Week festivities in Britain - especially Shetland, wished I could go and dreamt of planning to someday soon.
- tidied up the final details on My Beloved's Bfl Cardigan "Slade" with hands down the most beautiful yarn I have ever worked with.
 |
| So, so much more to say on this later! |
Meanwhile I'm also mentally racing around the ideas of
- Slow Fashion October
- Knitting for my autumn wardrobe
- Knitting for my winter wardrobe
- Christmas Gift Knitting.
- What Darling Daughter might best knit next (assuming she will want another project after successfully delivering her surprise gift when she's in the U.K. later this month.)
See what I mean? Bursting. But first things first.
A few deep breaths then report on my little mid week yarn shopping adventure...
Our first stop Wednesday was Knit-O-Matic in a shiny new larger location just up the street from the original tiny shop. Its now at least twice the size of the first, lots of natural light, high ceilings and mirrors to check out colours against the skin. There's room to sit or set something down and everything's painted white so one can focus on the yarn. (Rest assured the resident Love Bird is still there - so fun - I love stores with animals hanging about!)
There's parking on the nearest side street and the street car line that stops at the door is one that offers 2 hour on and off privileges.
The best thing about the shop, though, is the owner. One of those unflappable people - matter of fact without being indifferent, present, attentive, very knowledgeable and let us explore and discover on our own without interruption yet there to help as soon as we needed anything.
I love that she warned us away from some yarns we were considering as she felt we'd be disappointed with the results given what we were hoping to achieve. She was even able to demonstrate how inappropriate they might be versus a better choice with well labelled swatches.
 |
| 'Been searching for a sweater quantity of this ever since talking with Viola at the Frolic in April - now finally I have it! |
My credit card came out while I was there (more on that later - 'just trying to stay focused here today). My Aunt, who was along with me, left with a few ideas to mull around until next time and there will be a "next time" quite soon because the whole experience there left us feeling calm, capable and grounded where so often one emerges from yarn stores just feeling frazzled and unsure.
Second stop, 10 minutes drive south, was the new location of Ewe Knit.
The huge shop, previously a Credit Union office, is best described as GORGEOUS. It's deep and wide with lower ceilings than in their original location (a Victorian row house). Set up and styled to be of the moment with raw wood and painted black trim punctuated with girly chandeliers and well placed embellished antiques. Its a polished and compelling display of the tactile and visual possibilities of knitting and needlework stocked with goods that reminded me of the inventory at Purl Soho in Manhattan.
The lighting in the shop is amazing. There's natural light through the south facing windows but the ambient lighting throughout is low, punctuated by halogen spotlit columns of pure light that allow the consideration of a colour or yarn with focus and clarity as the surrounding visual distractions fade into the darker background.
One of the things I've always loved about Eweknit are the knitted sample garments on display and often featured on the their website. In the new shop they take pride of place, carefully laid out in distinct colour groups on big wide tables greeting you with delicious possibilities as you enter.
Now my Aunt loves gleaning project ideas from yarn store samples she can see, feel and try on and within moments of walking through the door she had the materials for a lovely store-designed cowl in Cascade Eco Duo "Zebra". It looks very graphic in the skein and sounds contrasty in the name too but it knits up visually softer than the yarn appears with the hard-to-believe-this-stuff-grew-on-an-animal softness that only Alpaca can deliver.
(Given my Aunt's knitting style I bet that cowl is ready for wearing before the weekend's out.)
Of course the glamourous and effusive owner Claudia was there, as ever seeming more hostess than shopkeeper and so making you feel like you could well spend the day there and be welcome to do so too. There are also two other staff able to help with the details of selection and purchase.
Its hard to say whether I was so well satisfied with our almost contemplative time in Knit-O-Matic and my purchases there that the details of the Eweknit yarn were lost on me this visit but I ended up walking out with a yard of cotton in an autumn print that will soon become a cushion cover either here or at the cottage.
Goodness but we had fun, well suited to the freshly brisk weather tempered by a still quite warm sun. If you're local to Toronto I'd highly recommend checking out either (or, better still, both) shops.
If further afield, and say, shopping with American dollars, why not take a trip up here and get a real bang for your yarn shopping buck? These two stores are only a couple of the great LYS's Toronto knitters enjoy and if you were coming from somewhere really warm (like Texas or something ;) ) I can assure you the cool fall air and changing leaves on the trees is a compelling context indeed to fuel your knitting imagination!
Okay. I'm cutting myself off there! Obviously lots more to post about next week!
We are heading north for a cool Autumnal weekend with lots of time by the fireside indoors and also maybe outside too! I'll leave Darling Daughter to tidy up loose ends on the vest and be back Sunday afternoon to help her block it.
Happy First Week of Autumn everybody! Thanks for dropping by!
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