One of the most fun jobs I have with Ancient Arts is to plan new yarn bases. I’m always on the look out for a great yarn mill with something super yummy to offer. It can be a challenge at times as there is so much wonderful yarn out there (and so much not quite …
If you follow us on social media, I’m sure you’ve seen the release of the Wayward Wind Poncho by Julie Turjoman. The Wayward Wind Poncho is the perfect layering piece for a crisp fall day, this poncho features subtle dimensional stitches that enhance the yarn’s richly variegated tones. The pattern sample is knit in 3 …
I’ve been knitting my whole life,and I have knit every place I’ve been. It’s just a part of me. I knit at lunch break in school, lunch and coffee break at work, waiting in doctors’ offices. I always have a pair of socks on the go, because they are a small project that’s easy to …
One of the best parts of working with yarn is that there is always something new to look forward to. New types of yarn, new colours, new patterns… yarn is ever changing and evolving and that means it stays fresh and exciting! With that in mind it seems only reasonable to make our first blog post of the year a post about what is going to be new for us in 2017.
As a designer, I like my own work. That is, I finish something, and if I’m not happy with it, it won’t ever get published. But every now and then, there is a design that so closely resembles my vision, and means so much, that I can barely stand it! In Flight is one of …
I’ve been working on Idunn by Ragga Eiriksdottir for myself since Boxing Day. It’s one of those beautiful sweaters that gets in your queue and becomes a bucket list item. I’ve liked it and wanted to knit it since it came out, then I had the opportunity to hear a talk by Ragga at Knit …
CYO Caroline A few days before Christmas the ladies of Ancient Arts were discussing the Christmas break and what we should be doing, both in our personal lives and for the business during that time. Being as we are a yarn company, blog posts and knitting are never far from the discussion, and it occurred …
One of the questions I see posted quite often on knitting forums… “The pattern is talking about “Ease” What does this mean?” The writers go on to question negative vs positive ease, the amount of ease, why there is so much ease, etc etc. Ease in a pattern refers to the fit of a garment...
Christmas is sneaking up on me right now. I’ve never been huge on knitting for Christmas gifts. I have to be honest and admit that I’m a selfish knitter. One too many times I’ve knit something and had that gift unappreciated. I occasionally knit for gifts, but I usually wait for inspiration to strike, for …
Recently I was offered the incredible opportunity of attending the Investiture for the Order of Canada at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. For our American friends that may not know what that is, the Order of Canada is the Canadian Honours system that recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation…
One of the times of the year that is most fun is colour development time. I am lucky enough to be able to do some of this throughout the year for a variety of reasons including clubs, custom requests by a LYS, special events etc., but once a year I choose an overarching theme that …
When I was a child, I was surrounded by old ladies who knit up a storm for everyone around them. There were no kids without mittens, no one without socks, and everyone owned a scarf that could be worn the Canadian way, proof against the wildest Prairie wind. The thing that amazed me was that no …
This year for the Holidays, Ancient Arts is doing a Knit-A-Long that’s a little bit different. Most knitters/crocheters/fibre artists have at some time (or all the time) decided that making home made gifts is the way to go. I think we’ve all been there, starting with a great idea and then losing the joy in …
Fall is in the air (and on the ground where I live) and that means this dyer’s heart turns to new colours! Every change of seasons leads to me wanting to capture something about them in yarn. Autumn is my favorite season and always makes me very nostalgic. This year is no exception and several …
I will tell anyone who asks me about Holiday Knitting that I never go down that road. I don’t knit gifts for the Holidays. Not this knitter! Nope. Never. And that, my friends, is what we, members of the knitting world, call a big fat lie. I don’t knit gifts…except for a couple of pair …
When I was 21 years old, I headed off to Scotland in April. I was well-equipped for the weather, since I lived on the very northern tip of Vancouver Island. My regular wardrobe for April at home had all the perfect garments! First day, taking the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh, I left my toque …
I’m a natural fibre snob. I’ll be the first to admit it. I work REALLY hard at not being too disparaging of synthetics, mostly because I don’t want to discourage anyone that does crafting. I don’t want to make a handcrafter feel that their hard work is not valuable because they used acrylic. But it’s …
From the time I was a wee child I swore that as I grew older I would never, ever say “You young whippersnappers! It was so much better in my day!” Yet here I am, saying it. Well, I could leave out the “whippersnappers” I guess! I have lost count of the number of times I …
A question I am often asked is “What is it like to be a hand dyer?” I think there can be a lot of mystery and mythos around hand dyeing as a career. Some see it as being very artsy, ethereal, and connected to a higher creative plane. Certainly one of my friends who finally …
Where does inspiration come from? For me, inspiration comes flying from just about anywhere, and shows up in various states of completion. Often it’s a medley of memories, colours, and history that all come together into one overall idea. Sometimes, I have no idea where it comes from! A great example of such a medley …
Join our community at Ancient Arts Yarns and sign up for our newsletter for weekly updates, exclusive offer, details on upcoming events and a peek behind the scenes!
$40.00
