Friday 19 December 2014

Holiday wishes and Holiday Hours!


MC

This is our last blog post for the year, and what a year it has been! We'd like to say a huge thank you to all of our wonderful customers, and to thank you all for creating another year of wonderful memories for us. We couldn't do it without you, and are so grateful for your support of the store!

We hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday season, filled with love from family and friends, delicious food and hopefully some crafting time! If you need supplies, here are our holiday hours:

Monday 22nd Dec: 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 23rd Dec: 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 24th Dec: 10am - 1pm

After that we are going to have a little break ourselves and close the store, and try and get some of our wips finished!

We will open again on Friday the 2nd of January. For the first week of January the shop hours are:

Reopen Friday 2nd Jan: 10am - 3pm
Saturday 3rd Jan: 10am - 3pm
Sunday 4th Jan: Closed
Monday 5th Jan: Closed.

Our online shop will remain open, and orders will be dispatched as soon as we receive them, so if you have a yarn emergency, jump onto our website!

During January we are going to have reduced hours:

Mondays: Closed.
Tuesday - Sat: 10am - 3pm
Sunday: 12am - 4pm

Have a wonderful finish to your year, and we are looking forward to seeing you all and your projects in 2015!

x The Woolarium crew.

Friday 12 December 2014

Christmas decorations

Tinsel is nice, and fairy lights even better, but what we really love at Woolarium is a knitted Christmas decoration, which is why our shop is beautifully decorated with them!

Decs2

These gorgeous Christmas stockings are knitted using a Millamia pattern and their Naturally Soft Merino yarn, both of which are available in-store. Just the thing for hanging on a mantle and stuffing full of treats for Christmas day!

Decs1

We'll admit it - we've gone crazy for Millamia festive decorations this year, like these hanging baubles. The pattern is available as a pdf, and they look gorgeous hanging from a tree!

Decs3

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a wreath adorning your door, so pop on in and pick up one of our fun Pom Pom Christmas Wreath Kits! Each kit comes with the wire frame, a pom pom maker and the yarn required. It's a great Christmas activity for the kids, and a brilliant way to add some festive cheer!

Speaking of festive cheer, it's not too late to pick up some yarn for your loved ones. We also have gift vouchers available, which is a gift any knitter or crocheter would love to receive!

Friday 5 December 2014

Christmas Festive Evening at Woolarium


Christmas

Come and celebrate Christmas with us at our special Christmas Festive Evening! On Thursday 11th December we will stay open late until 8pm, giving you plenty of time to pop in and enjoy some yuletide cheer at Woolarium.

It's the ideal opportunity to find the perfect gift for the yarn lovers in your life (or even maybe just a special present for yourself!). We can help you put a gorgeous gift together, or you could choose one of our beautiful kits for quick and easy presents, or even get some yarn to make beautiful Christmas decorations.

There's also free gift wrapping, plus free postage for any items sent within Australia. And if you really can't decide, there's always gift vouchers, made up in the amount of your choice. That's Christmas sorted!

We'd also love the chance to thank you for your support over the year - it's been another great year here at Woolarium, and it's all thanks for our amazing customers. So come on in, enjoy our Christmas decorations, have a glass of bubbly and let's make this a wonderful Christmas for all the knitters and crocheters!

And if that isn't enough Christmas fun for you, the Northcote Town Hall Kris Kringle Night Market is on just down the road on the same evening. Hopefully we'll see you then - let's make it an evening to remember!

Christmas Festive Evening
December 11th, 2014
Woolarium
211a High St, Northcote
Special opening hours: 10am - 8pm

Friday 28 November 2014

Madelinetosh now in stock!

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived - we now have Madelinetosh yarn in stock!

Mad Tosh Vintage

Mad Tosh DK

Tosh Merino Light

These gorgeous yarns, using nothing but the best natural fibres, are all hand dyed in small batches using traditional methods in Texas, USA. All the yarn has been ethically sourced from Peruvian and South American spinning mills before being sent to Texas for dying, using only low impact organic compound dyes.

Let me tell you, we are thrilled to be able to share them with you - they are sumptuous, beautiful yarns that come in the most amazing colourways.

Here at Woolarium we are stocking the Tosh Vintage (10 ply worsted), Tosh DK (8 ply) and Tosh Merino Light (4 ply Fingering). Have look at our website to see the colourways we have, and remember - if there is a colourway we don't have we can easily order it in for you.


Friday 21 November 2014

New knitting patterns and kits at Woolarium!

It's that time of year again - the time that we are meant to be full of goodwill towards our fellow man, but instead we all feel frazzled trying to figure out what to give to our nearest and dearest (and are driven completely bonkers by dreadful Christmas jingles in the meantime).

Fear not, though - Woolarium is at the rescue, with our range of patterns and kits that are perfect to knit up as gifts, or just to give to loved ones of a knitterly disposition.

Our latest pattern, which is available as a downloadable pdf online or in kit form from the store, is the beautiful Chunky Moss Stitch Cowl. Quick to make, gorgeous to wear, this will be received with raptures by those who like to keep snug and warm.

Moss-Stitch-Scarf-1

Knitted in Rowan Big Wool, the kit can be made up in your choice of colour. Have a look on our website to see the colour range!

Our Chunky Cable Cowl and Cable Fingerless Gloves are also available as pdf downloads or in kit form from the store. So many beautiful things to make, and all of them are quick, easy and great projects for beginners.

Chunky-Cable1

Kits will soon be available online, but in the meantime you can purchase the pattern and the yarn from our website. Don't forget - we offer free postage for Australian orders!

Cable Mitts 1

Friday 14 November 2014

Christmas Gift Ideas - Cable Fingerless Gloves


Cable Mitts 1

Scouting around for a quick Christmas gift to make? Then you can't go past these gorgeous fingerless cable gloves! This easy project, which is great for beginners, uses one skein of 10 ply Spud & Chloe Sweater.

Cable Mitts 3

The pattern is free with the yarn purchase, or available to buy from the Woolarium website. Knit flat before being seamed together, they are the perfect gift: fast to knit, beautiful to behold, and sure to be welcomed by anybody who loves to stay warm. And there's no better way to keep snug than being swathed in hand knit goodness, especially when it's organic wool and cotton!

Friday 7 November 2014

Sit 'n' Knit Sundays at Woolarium


Sit n Knit #2

We love yarn crafts. And we love people. So we thought that a wonderful way to bring the two together was to hold a Sit 'n' Knit session every Sunday afternoon in our lovely light filled space!

Our Sit 'n' Knits have been running for quite a while now, and are always a very happy gathering of wonderfully crafty people. We have knitters and crocheters both, of all skill levels and abilities, who come together to craft away, and it truly is the most fun you can have whilst sitting down.

With the café next door supplying hot drinks, and often a few cakes and nibblies finding their way onto the table, we can think of no better way to spend our Sunday afternoons. New faces are always welcome, and our regular ladies are always more than happy to assist with any project difficulties, or even just to provide lots of enthusiasm for everybody's projects!

So if you've been looking for a regular knitting or crochet group to hang out with, we'd love to see you join our table at Woolarium. The sessions run every Sunday from 2 - 4pm, with no bookings required - just turn up, find a chair and tell the lovely café people next door that you'd like a latte whilst you stitch the afternoon away!

Sit n Knit #1

Details
Event: Sit 'n' Knit
Date: Every Sunday afternoon
Time: 2 - 4pm
Everybody welcome, plus it's free of charge!

Friday 31 October 2014

New crochet classes!


Crochet

If you've always had a hankering to learn how to knit or crochet, then cast your eyes over our new class list for November and December - we have classes to suit all skill levels and learning requirements! If you'd like to book a class, please email us at shop@woolarium.com or call us on (03) 9486 5275. Further information on booking classes can be found at the bottom of this post.

Learn Crochet
Always wanted to learn to crochet? Then this is the class for you! Covers all the basic techniques you need to lead you into the wonderful world of crochet.

2 x 2hrs sessions $80, plus materials fee.

In this class you will
  • learn basic crochet stitches - chain, double crochet and treble
  • learn how to read a pattern or diagram
  • learn how to change colours and weave in ends
  • make granny squares
Dates: Saturday November 15th and 22nd
Time: 10am - 12 noon

Crochet Herringbone Scarf (pictured above)
Learn to crochet the herringbone stitch to make a scarf.

1 x 2hrs sessions $40.00, plus materials fee.

This class requires basic crochet skills.

In this class you will:
  • learn ripple stitch
  • learn how to change colours and weave in ends
  • learn finishing techniques
Date: Saturday 8th November
Time: 10am - 12 noon

Crochet Summer Scarf
   

Learn the crochet techniques required to make this beautiful summer scarf, available as a free download:
Julienne Outing Scarf http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/julien-outing-shawl

1 x 2hrs session $40.00, plus materials fee.

In this class you will:
  • learn how to read a crochet pattern
  • learn the different stitches needed for the lace pattern
  • learn finishing techniques
Date: Saturday November 22nd
Time: 1pm - 3pm

Crochet Snowflakes


Learn to crochet snowflakes for Christmas Decorations. Delicate and beautiful yet easy to make, they are ideal for decorating Christmas trees, gifts or your home.

1 x 2hrs session $40.00, plus materials fee.

In this class you will:
  • learn the techniques required to make large and small snowflakes
  • learn different stitches 
  • learn finishing techniques
Date: Saturday 29th November
Time: 10am - 12 noon

Flowers
 

Learn the Puff Daisy Stitch - a beautiful crochet stitch pattern that can be joined together to form a scarf or baby blanket.

For this class you will need to be familiar with basic crochet stitches and terminology.

1 x 2hrs session $40, plus materials fee.

In this class you will:
  • learn the Puff Daisy Stitch
  • learn to join flowers as you go
  • learn to change colours and weave in ends.
  • start a baby blanket or scarf.
Saturday  11am - 1pm
Date: TBA


General Information
As the class numbers will be kept small we ask that you book and pay in advance. If for any reason you need to cancel please let us know ASAP. If the class numbers go below the minimum, the class maybe rescheduled.

In an effort to keep the cost of the classes down we ask that you purchase yarn from Woolarium for the class.

Once you have chosen your class please contact us to make your booking: shop@woolarium.com

Friday 24 October 2014

Chunky Cable Cowl Pattern

We have been busy bees over at Woolarium the last few months. Behind the scenes there has been much thinking, much planning, much knitting. But it has all been worth it - for today we launch the first of the patterns that we have been working on!

We're very proud to introduce you to our Chunky Cable Cowl pattern, exclusively designed by Leisl Shanley for Woolarium. Created with beginner knitters in mind, it's a fabulous introduction to cabling, and is sure to keep many a neck snug and warm in the colder months!

Chunky-Cable1

The cowl is knit up in Spud & Chloë Outer - a lovely super bulky weight yarn composed of superwash wool and organic cotton. Knit using 10mm needles, this is a quick, fun knit - making it ideal for Christmas gifts. The yarn is so deliciously soft that you'll want to make one for everybody on your Christmas list, especially with a cable pattern as easy as this one!

The pattern is free with every purchase of Spud & Chloë Outer. 2 skeins results in a cowl approximately 95cm long, however if you like your cowls to be longer we recommend using 3 skeins.

Chunky-Cable2

Our cowl is knit up in shade Rhino (7220), which is a gorgeous soft grey which works beautifully with dark winter coats. However, it took us ages to pick a colour for the sample, as there are so many lovely shades to choose from. You can view our range of Outer colours on the Woolarium website.

Chunky-Cable3

We've had so much fun creating this pattern, and hope you love it as much as we do. Many thanks to our model Kate (who has requested one of her own in payment!), and to Spud & Chloë for creating such a gorgeous yarn to work with. We're looking forward to seeing our customer's versions!



Friday 17 October 2014

Summer Tees

It's soon to be summer, which means that it's time to slip, slop, slap - slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat - and if that shirt happens to be a gorgeous hand-knitted one, then all the better! For when the sun is beaming down and the mercury is rising, there is nothing better than the feel of cool, crisp natural fibres on the skin, like cotton, linen and bamboo.

Sharron and Leisl at Woolarium are both planning some lovely summer tee knits - here's the shortlist of their absolute favourites!

Hane


Hane by Kirsten Johnstone is a beautiful design that looks stunning for both day and night. With gently gathered side shaping and an asymmetrical drape, this tee will suit all body types. The pattern comes with 6 design variations, including sleeves and sleeve ruffle. Designed for linen, we think the Shibui Linen would be perfect for this garment. Leisl is going to make hers up in the Poppy colourway, so if you head into the store over summer you might be lucky enough to see her wearing it!

Irokata


Another beautiful design is the Irokata Tee by Olga Buraya-Kefelian. This colour-blocked tee is made for 4 ply yarns, and once again the Shibui Linen would be ideal. Short row techniques employed for the neckline and colour shaping mean that minimal finishing is required - hoorah! We love how cleverly Olga designs her knits, and this one is another winner.

Boxy


This being Melbourne, however, you can never trust the weather to stay warm and settled for long. When the cool wind blows in, a versatile top with longer sleeves is often required - like Boxy by Joji Locatelli. With a wide body and slim, flattering sleeves, this easy knit is the ideal top for cooler days, or for covering up in at the beach. Knit in a 4 ply yarn, we think the Spud and Chloe FineRowan Wool Cotton or Shibui Staccato or Linen would be lovely choices.

Vertical

Last but definitely not least is this gorgeous tank top designed by Sharron herself! Called Vertical, this beautiful design is knit up in the wonderfully drapey Baby Bamboo. Designed with relaxed summer days in mind, this top will look equally good over pants as it does over your favourite bikini! The lace centre stripe gives this classic design a modern edge, and it is sure to become a summer staple. Simply purchase yarn for this divine tank, and the pattern is yours for free!

If you purchase the yarn by mail order, drop us a note and we'll include the pattern in your parcel. Meanwhile, we are looking forward to seeing all your lovely summer knits - be sure to pop into the shop to show them off to us if you can!


Friday 10 October 2014

Feature Project - Red Lace Cardigan

There is no more versatile piece of clothing than the humble cardigan. You can wear it with jeans or over a dress. It can be kept casual or fancied up for an evening out. Keeps you covered in summer and warm in winter. It's the best piece of clothing in the wardrobe!

You guessed it - we are big cardigan fans here at Woolarium, so today we thought we'd introduce you to one of our favourites. Leisl knitted this cardigan a few summers ago for her daughter, and it has been worn over and over again. Made up in Baby Bamboo, it looks as good as new, despite constant wear over the summer months.

Red-Cardigan

The pattern used was Sirdar design #1325 (leaflet available in store!) which was designed for the Baby Bamboo yarn. The yarn and pattern complement each other perfectly - the design is light and comfortable to wear, has not stretched at all despite continual use, and the yarn looks as good today as the day it was first knit up, with not a pill in sight.

Woolarium stocks a lovely range of colours in the Baby Bamboo, and it really is the ideal yarn for warm weather projects.

Red Yarn #1

Composed of 80% bamboo and 20% wool, this 8 ply yarn has a beautiful lustre and drape, resulting in a fabric that feels silky to the touch. It's perfect for all sorts of projects, from summer tees to light sweaters to tunics. The yarn breathes well, and knits up quickly and easily with no snags.

So if you have a little girl in need of a cardigan (the pattern comes in sizes 0-6 months up to 7 years) you really can't beat this combination. Or if you fancy knitting something special for yourself, the Baby Bamboo is a lovely choice - we'd love to see what you make from it, so be sure to share your projects with us!

Friday 3 October 2014

Blue Sky Alpacas

If you have been into the Woolarium store lately, you may have noticed that we have several walls of yarn. And if you looked more closely, you may have been delighted and thrilled to discover that one of these walls contains the glorious, the wonderful, the dazzlingly spectacular yarns from Blue Sky Alpacas!

Blue Sky #1

Both the Blue Sky Alpacas and their off-shoot brand Spud & Chloe are high-quality yarns with sumptuous finishes yet hard-wearing capabilities. Coming in a huge range of colours ranging from bright contemporary hues to more classic shades, the yarns are available in a wide variety of plys and fibres, including organic cottons. Let's take a closer look!

Blue Sky #2

The yarns in the picture above are, from left to right:
Metalico - 5 ply yarn made up of 50% Baby Alpaca and 50% Silk.
Sport Weight - 100% Baby Alpaca in an 8 ply
Techno - A chunky weight yarn comprised of 68% Baby Alpaca, 10% Extra Fine Merino and 22% silk
Worsted Cotton - 100% Organic Cotton
Outer - A super bulky yarn, made up of 65% Wool and 35% Organic Cotton
Extra - 10 ply, comprised of 50% Baby Alpaca and 50% Fine Merino
Sweater - Another 10 ply, this superwash yarn is 55% Wool and 45% Organic Cotton
Fine - 4 ply, made up of 80% superwash Wool and 20% silk.

We are proud to be the only store in Melbourne to stock both of these ranges. Not only are the yarns themselves absolutely lovely to knit with, but they also come supported by a fabulous range of patterns, which you can see in-store.

Blue Sky #4

We also have the full range of colour cards, so if you can't find the right shade or ply for your project, just let us know and we can show you the other types of  yarn available and then order them in for you.

Blue Sky #5

You can peruse our range of Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud & Chloe in our online store - and don't forget, we offer free shipping with every purchase, no matter how big or small!

Friday 26 September 2014

Cardigan Inspiration

Weather report for this coming Sunday: Bendigo - sunny with a top of 26 C. Surry Hills: Mild and sunny, top of 24 C. Darwin: Sunny periods with slight cloud cover, top of 34. Toowoomba: Sunny day, top of 24.

Hmm. I think I'm seeing a trend here. The cool days are gone, and the warmth is picking up as we head into spring and summer. So no matter where you are in Australia at the moment, it's time to put away the scarves, hats and gloves, pack up your winter knitting and get cracking on some summertime projects. And what makes for a better project than a summer cardigan? Perfect for throwing over a summer frock, or for warming cool shoulders as the night draws in, cardigans are the ultimate layering piece and are invaluable during the warmer months.

We LOVE a good cardigan at Woolarium, so we have chosen our favourite designs to give you a bit of cardigan inspiration. There's a design and ply to keep everybody happy!

Featherweight

For those who can't bear anything too heavy during the heat, but still want to be protected from the sun, the Featherweight cardigan by Hanna Fettig is the design for you. Knit in a 2 ply yarn, this gorgeous cardigan is minimalistic chic, and is sure to go with everything. We think the Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace or the Shibui Cima would be perfect for this garment. The pattern can be purchased as a Ravelry download.

Grace

Another must-knit is the Grace cardigan by Jane Richmond. And it's not just a favourite with us - it's a firm favourite with the Ravelry crowd (where it can be downloaded), with over 400 versions made so far. Our image above shows a long sleeved version, but this seamless design can easily be knit with short or 3/4 length sleeves. Made up in a 4 ply yarn, we suggest the heavenly Malabrigo Sock, the Rowan Wool Cotton 4ply or Rowan Siena, the Shibui Staccato or the Spud and Chloe Fine.

VitaminD

The next cardigan on our list is actually being knitted by Leisl as we speak. It's the lovely Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier. Cleverly designed to incorporate a waterfall front which drapes beautifully due to the radial eyelet increases, Leisl is knitting hers up in the Jo Sharp Mulberry Silk Georgette. Other 5 plys that would look equally divine are the Millamia Naturally Soft Merino or the Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico.

Surry Hills

What's that you say? You want more lace? Allrighty - let's try the Surry Hills on for size! This vintage-inspired garment, designed by Maria Magnusson, would look equally at home over a simple cotton frock as it would layered over an evening dress for a special occasion. Knit up in 8 ply yarn, we'd love to see this made up in the Rowan Creative Linen, Zara, Sublime Baby Bamboo or Rowan Wool Cotton DK. Best of all, this pattern is a free Ravelry download! Thank you Maria, on behalf of all lace cardigan knitters everywhere!

Thanks for joining us for our inspiration post today. If you have any other beautiful cardigan ideas that you'd like to share, let us know in the comment section below - or even better, pop into the shop and tell us about it in person. We love to know what our customers are making!

Friday 19 September 2014

New in store: Malabrigo yarns!

There are days in your life that stand out from all the others. The ones you remember fondly years down the track, when all other days have faded from memory. I like to think that the day the boxes containing Malabrigo yarns arrived at Woolarium will be remembered thus forever more.

For what is not to love? Hand dyed yarns so soft to the touch - it's yarn heaven! We currently have the Merino Worsted and the Sock in-store and online, and both are absolutely divine.

Malabrigo #2

The Merino Worsted is 100% supersoft merino wool, and each skein contains a generous 192m. This 10ply yarn is perfect for sweaters, cardigans, hats, baby garments, shawlettes and cowls. Our colour range currently contains Blue Graphite 508, Pearl Ten 69 (shown above), Burgundy 41, Frost Gray 606, Ravelry Red 611, Tuareg 98 (shown above) and Polar Moon 9. No matter which colour you choose, you'll love wearing these hand-dyed yarns.

Malabrigo #3

The Sock is a 4ply yarn with each skein containing a whopping 402m. This 100% merino wool is ideal for lighter weight garments, baby clothes, delicate laces - and socks, of course! We currently have 7 colours available - Lettuce 37 (shown above), Ochre 803, Eggplant 811, Persia 852, Indiectita 416 (shown above), Tiziano Red 800 and Impressionist Sky 806.

If there is a particular colour that you'd like that we don't stock, please let us know and we can order it in for you. You can see the full range of colours on the Malabrigo website, plus lots of patterns to inspire your knitting.

We also have the below free patterns in store, so come on in to see the yarn and pick up one of the patterns of your choice.

Malabrigo #1

And last but not least, it's our birthday this weekend - come along and celebrate with us! The details are:

Woolarium Birthday Party

Dates:
Saturday 20th September, 11am - 5pm
Sunday 21st September, 11am - 4pm

Birthday Treats:
20% in-store purchases (exclusions apply)
Birthday Cake
Spot Prizes for Best Hand Knits/Crochets seen in-store!

* 20% sale applies to in-store purchases only. Excluded from sale are Malabrigo yarns, and Baby Alpaca, Staccato and Kavo by Shibui.

Friday 12 September 2014

Woolarium is turning one - let's have a birthday party!


Birthday

Can you believe it? Woolarium is turning one - and we can think of no better way to celebrate and to thank all of our wonderful customers for their support during our very first year than with a fabulous birthday party!

So pop in to Woolarium during our birthday weekend (Saturday 20th + Sunday 21st September, 2014) and join in the fun. There will be cake, balloons and more pompoms than you can poke a stick at!

What? Balloons and pompoms not enough? Ok - how about 20% off pretty much everything in the store?* It's our birthday gift to you, because after all, we couldn't have done it without our amazing customers.

We will also be having spot prizes for the best hand knits to make an appearance during our birthday weekend, so don your favourite knitted garments and come along and join in the fun.

Our regular Sit'n'Knit will be running on the Sunday. Bring along your current project, have some cake and enjoy the party!

Woolarium Birthday Party
Dates:
Saturday 20th September, 11am - 5pm
Sunday 21st September, 11am - 4pm

Birthday Treats:
20% in-store purchases (exclusions apply)
Birthday Cake
Spot Prizes for Best Hand Knits/Crochets

* 20% sale applies to in-store purchases only. Excluded from sale are Malabrigo yarns, and Baby Alpaca, Staccato and Kavo by Shibui.

Thursday 28 August 2014

Shibui Mix Party

It's been a busy winter here at Woolarium, and we finished it off in style by hosting a Shibui Mix party. There was mulled wine and beautiful homemade dips. There was a brilliant talk by Kirsten Johnstone. And there was yarn for our lucky attendees to play with - lots and lots of gorgeous Shibui yarn!

Shibui Party #2


Shibui Knits is a yarn company based in Portland, Oregon. They produce the most incredible yarns, each carefully developed according to their design philosophy - 'elegant with a touch of bitterness', which is what the word shibui means in Japanese.

Singularly captivating on their own, the yarns can also be combined together to create stunningly beautiful knit pieces. During our 'mix' party we provided each guest with samples of different Shibui yarn, and our happy party of knitters had enormous fun creating their own mixes. Linen with Silk Cloud? Why not? How about Merino Alpaca with Pebble? The possibilities for creating beauty are endless.

Shibui Party #4

But as if knitting with gorgeous yarn wasn't fun enough, we also had a fascinating and illuminating talk by Kirsten Johnstone. Kirsten runs her own knitting pattern label, Assemblage, and has also designed for Shibui (Trapezoid, Aperture and Blur are some lovely examples of her work).

Shibui Party #3

Kirsten's talk covered everything, from how she began knitting, to designing her own knits, to collaborating with Shibui. She shared her incredible knowledge of the yarns and their characteristics, and explained her design processes, before wowing the crowd with her samples. If we weren't inspired by knitting with Shibui yarns before then, we certainly were after her presentation!

The evening was a hit, and thoroughly enjoyed by all who came. Each guest got to take home a sample of each of the yarns provided, plus a 'Mix Cheat Sheet' which detailed the properties of each yarn, and the resulting gauges when combined. Perfect for all of the 'mix' projects we're sure to be seeing in the near future.

Here at Woolarium we have a huge range of Shibui yarns, with colour palettes ranging from perfect neutrals to deep jewel shades. We'd love to see you in store to see this fabulous yarn for yourself, and keep your eye on the blog and the newsletter for more parties and events. In fact, we have a very special party happening very soon...!

In the meantime, feel free to drool over this picture of Shibui yarns, all in the Tar colourway. From left to right: Pebble, Cima, Baby Alpaca, Linen, Silk Cloud and Merino Alpaca. You can view all the Shibui yarns and colourways on our Shibui page.

Shibui Party #1