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Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

3.5" and 5" IC needle sets, in your choice of a Black Vegan Suede case, or a Grey Denim Case

JUST ARRIVED!

Fixed Circulars, Interchangeable Tips, Cables, Connectors & Adaptors, and a selection of Deluxe Needle Sets!

Handcrafted wooden shawl pins made in India; available in Mango Wood or Rosewood

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Blog Posts - Ancient Arts Yarns

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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
You’ve let your kid help you knit, and now they want to knit by themselves. They want their own project! Here are some tips and things to keep in mind. Their first project, no matter what their plan is (a sweater for their tiny cousin, a blanket for Daddy, a cover for the pickup truck) …
  • 3 min read
I read a number of knit lists and knit groups. A question that comes up often is “How old does a child have to be before you can teach them to knit?” People write in with varying answers: “Not till they are 6,” “they have to be at least 8,” etc. etc. Here’s my opinion on …
  • 3 min read
“Write something about socks for the blog!” said my fearless leader, Caroline Sommerfeld, Chief Yarn Officer of AAY. “It should be easy!” she said.   I started typing away. Halfway through one topic, I changed my mind. Began a post on another aspect of sock knitting, then changed my mind. Wash, rinse, repeat. I now …
When I began teaching knitting classes (about 1000 years ago), I was shocked when the students almost got into a knock down drag out hair-pulling fight over the Correct Way to Knit. The left handers, the right handers, the continental, the pickers, the throwers….it was an ugly scene. Things died down a bit when the …
  • 3 min read
I belong to a number of knitting groups, and many of the members of these groups are new or fairly new knitters. They have taken advantage of on-line videos and classes, and learned an amazing amount this way. The members of the groups are very generous with support, and advice, and willingly answer questions. I …