Blog Posts - Ancient Arts Yarns

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Knitting is a long time love of mine. I love the process, the yarn, the colour. I love touching and ogling yarns. I love the process of making things. I’m a maker. I obsessively hobby. I’m one of THOSE people. I like to learn how to do everything myself, I wish to be beholden to …

For this week’s blog post we decided to check in with each one of the Ancient Arts knitting team to get some thoughts from each of us on the Stacked Stitch Wrap KAL. For me, Caroline S, the KAL is proving to be a really unique and fun experience. I have a confession to make. …

We are celebrating Ancient Arts Yarn being featured in the Stacked Stitch Wrap by Xandy Peters on the cover of Vogue Knitting! The lovely and talented Xandy Peters has been kind enough to guest blog a really fantastic article on colour theory. We’ve also created Yarn Kits available in colour combinations selected by Xandy Peters, and Caroline …

Hunter Hammersen’s newest design, Tacit, features beautiful zig zag cables which are mirrored on each fingerless mitt. In today’s post, Caroline talks about how hand-dyed colours evolve over time in the Ancient Arts palette. We also have an interview with the designer herself to share an inside peek into how a pattern goes from concept …

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 …

I was going to write this technical post about how to become a designer, and then I realized that there was very little that was actually technical for me! To tell the truth, I just kind of fell into it, and I’m still a complete newbie. When I learned to knit, I had an old …

Our newest yarn is sure to be your main squeeze for fall! Knit and crochet warm and cozy projects in no time flat with our new bulky weight yarn, Big Squeeze. This squishable new yarn is processed and spun in Italy from premium 21.5 micron New Zealand Merino wool. Needless to say, it is not only …