Mirasol

Alright, alright so it turns out that I am not really going to be able to write once a week after all! There is some definite fear about what people will think about blog posts, which as it turns out, makes it very easy for me to procrastinate the whole thing; but I digress and today I do actually have something to tell you all about. 

Mirasol Display at Intwined Fibre Arts

Mirasol. This is a fantastic yarn company, that is all there is to it. They make beautiful yarns and they have some pretty great business practices too boot. The company began back in 2005 when Kari Hestnes and Per Svendsen made several business trips to Peru and were quite taken by two children (Marisol and Alex) of Alpaca shepherds. They saw how difficult it was for children to attend school and still maintain their connections to their culture and traditional way of life. Long story short (you can read the entire story here) they bought a farm, built a school, picked up Canadian yarn distributer Diamond Yarn as a major supporter and now they create beautiful hand knitting yarns. A percentage of every yarn sale is donated to the Mirasol Project and the school benefits directly. If you are ever feeling guilty about indulging in your yarn addiction pick up some Mirasol and feel really great about helping at least 45 Peruvian kids get and education instead!

So now that we all feel good about this awesome company and the amazing things that they have done lets discuss the fun stuff, the yarn! The yarn lines are always changing, but currently I have 6 different ones in the shop: Akpana (65/25/10 Baby Llama, Merino, Donegal), Miski (100% Baby Llama), Nuna (40/40/20 Merino, Silk, Bamboo sourced Viscose), Paqu Pura (100% Peruvian Alpaca), Sulka (60/20/20 Merino, Silk, Alpaca), and Ushya (100% merino).  I will tell you about a few of my favourites.

Ushya - Chunky weight yarn with braided look

Miski - Aran weight 

                                                                          

Paqu Pura is 100% Peruvian Alpaca, sport weight, single ply and I have got to tell you I love the texture of this yarn. I am basically in love with all alpaca yarns, but this one was one of the first yarns I was shown when setting up shop and I still am drawn to it. It is a single ply and that makes it a bit fragile, so if you are doing a complicated pattern that you might have to rip out a few times this isn’t the yarn for that project.

Hat and Cowl made from Paqu Pura, colour: galapagos

Nuna is new to the shop, though I gather that it is not new to Mirasol. It is another sport weight yarn but this time it is a two-ply, 40% Merino, 40% silk, 20% Bamboo sourced Viscose blend. The shine in this yarn is incredible and between the silk and bamboo it has a wonderful weight to it. I have yet to work with this yarn, but I have seen several finished projects in it and it does have a great drape in its finished projects. I would say you can make almost anything with this yarn, it is soft enough to wear next to your skin and the Merino in it should help any larger garment keep its shape. 

  

So there you have it a brief introduction to a great yarn company, both in its products and its ethics. Come down and check them out in person and I promise you won't be disappointed. 

The Sky Scarf

I have decided to embark on a little shop project, The Sky Scarf. The basic idea is that every day you knit 2 rows in the colour of the sky, it creates a neat recorded and calendar of the year. At the end of it all I want to to cut the scarf in four and frame the seasons. I have seen this idea done several times but finally spent some time today and found the original one on Leaf Cutter Designs. Lea Redmond, the designer, has posted a video that explains more of the concept behind the scarf and the other knitting work that she does. You can also link up to other people that are creating a Sky Scarf and see what the sky is like all over the world.

For my Sky I am using Debbie Bliss Angel in Charcoal and white, Holiday Yarn FlockSock Yarn in light grey, Poems Sock in bright blue and Malabrigio Baby Silkpaca Lace in blue. All are bring knitted on the same 4mm, bamboo needles, as I thought that this would be the easiest size to accommodate the various sized yarns. Feel free to stop in the shop and knit the days row (If someone else hasn't already!).
Happy Knitting. 

New Year's Resolution Before the New Year

I have thought a lot about blogging and how I should be doing it for the business but I cant seem to find the time. I did manage to make one post way back in  September so that they 'blog' section of my website wouldn't feel so empty, but that is not really blogging, so while on my mini christmas vacation I have decided that I can actually do it. How much time can it possibly take? I like writing, I take pictures every day and certainly somebody on the internet will read it right? Plus I am making this resolution before New Year's which means that I will be more likely to stick to it!

For those of you who don't know who I am or what I do, I'm Althea, age 23 (even if only for 2 more days), and I own a yarn shop in Salmon Arm, BC. I opened up in September after months of preparation and enlisting every last friend and family member to paint, build furniture and move boxes of yarn. It was probably the biggest and most challenging thing I have done to date, but well worth the struggle, as I am now a much happier individual doing a job that I love.
Probably the best part of my job is spending all day in an inspiring environment, full of colours and textures. It is every tactile learner's dream. It is certainly mine and once I get a shop dog my dream will be complete...for now at least. To me fibre is exciting, it is so beautiful and sumptuous, yet you can be completely practical with it; making socks and mittens to ward off the cold and hats to keep your ears warm! Knitting (and crocheting, I am about being inclusive not exclusive) occupies your hands and engages your brain making it an ideal hobby. On this blog I would like to share some of what I do everyday and pass on some of the fibre knowledge that I have been collecting to all of you! That may be in the form of a yarn review or a needle review or maybe just  a pass along of the perfect slouchy hat pattern. For today I will keep my advice short and sweet, next year plan your knitting gifts in advance and do not decide that they should all be made from sock yarn. 1/2 of my presents were given with the needles still in and promises that they would soon be complete.

That will be all for now, but I promise to be back at least once a week for the next year!
Happy Knitting