Summer finally arrived! Although…here in 100 Mile House, it has been a very rainy and fairly cool summer. We’ll count our blessings, though! It’s the most beautiful I’ve seen the Cariboo in August, green and lush and very definitely smoke free. If you’re living in BC, this is the perfect time to visit areas of your province that you’ve never been (like the Cariboo, hint hint!)
I don’t know about you, but with the cool nights we’ve had recently, I’ve already started thinking about cool-weather knits…sweaters, shawls, and warm, snuggly blankets! I’ll round up some of the interesting cool-weather projects I’ve seen recently, and also let you know what I’ve loving this summer, shortly!
For anyone who is not aware, we recently re-launched our website with e-commerce, and many of the yarns and tools in our shop can be found there for purchase. Now, if you’ve been to our shop, or read past Newsletters, and have seen something that is NOT available in our online shop, don’t be afraid to contact us by telephone or email, and we can still arrange for purchase over the telephone.
Our hours are still currently at normal, but we do have some requirements in-store with regards to Covid.
Please remember:
– Only 2 people (or two small bubbles) in the shop at a time
– Sanitize your hands when you come in with complimentary sanitizer
– Do not touch the stock if at all possible – I’m here to help!
– Masks are not required, but definitely appreciated (I’ll be wearing one!)
Thank you!
What’s new?
Some of our newest additions to the shop (and there’s more coming!) that we may not have showcased yet are:
All Points North Kid ‘Mo Lace: From our own in-house brand of luscious hand dyed yarns comes a super soft 70% Kid Mohair/ 30% Silk lace weight in 50g hanks, with an amazing halo. Stitch it on it’s own for a feather-light fabric, or hold it double with another yarn to add that beautiful halo we all love from mohair. Currently in just a few colours, but keep an eye out on Instagram or Facebook for more options!
Barb Alexander Designs: We’ve restocked her beautiful white bronze Shawl sticks, pins, and earrings (you should see the cute spinning wheel or sheep earrings!!), including her ever-popular ginko leaf designs.
Berroco Vintage: We’re so happy to welcome Berroco as a new supplier. We’ve started with 17 colours of Vintage, a worsted weight, 100g hank of 52% Acrylic/ 40% Wool/ 8% Nylon that is so soft (even if you don’t generally like wool!) and is machine washable! Perfect for warm, soft, easy-care items like sweaters, children’s items, blankets, and even heavy socks!
Estelle Rainbow Confetti: This fingering weight cake of 50% Cotton/ 50% Acrylic is giant, at 200g (800m)! They are super soft, long gradient balls that make amazing shawls and scarves, and would even work well for your favorite summer tops worked in the round! Come in and see the shawl I knit up in the Chalkdust colourway.
Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran: This worsted weight variegated yarn from Cascade is a super soft 55% Nylon/ 45% Acrylic in a 100g ball, and you’ll love the colours and feel! Easy care with machine wash and dry, it will make amazing garments, blankets, baby sweaters, and even socks and slippers!
Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Wave: We may have mentioned these before, but we feel they deserve mentioning again! These are a fun 100g hank of worsted weight superwash wool, with a colour shift effect. The colour repeats are very long with some high contrast and tonal colour options. These can be used to make beautiful accessories, garments, or household items, and can be subbed into Andrea Mowry’s Nightshift pattern. We currently have 5 coulours, but we’ll be getting more!
Regia Pairfect Rainbow Color: Another exact-match-pair sock yarn from Regia, in their tough and soft sock yarn, in a repeating stripe rainbow pattern! What fun! Pairfect makes it easy to make a pattern match on each sock, with a simple to use yellow starter thread at the beginning and middle of the ball, starting each sock off in the exact same place.
Lily Scrub Off: Tackle tough kitchen messes and more with the new Lily Sugar’n Cream Scrub Off! With alternating sections of scouring textures and Lily’s classic cotton, this super absorbent yarn is the best of both worlds in kitchen cleaning. 100% Cotton, variegated, 75g balls in Lily’s regular worsted weight. There are only a few colours so far, but we hope to have more soon!
We’ve restocked our G&G Handcrafts polypropylene macrame cords in several colours. These are great for outdoor projects, and come in 4mm or 6mm weights. A great, inexpensive way to learn and practice macrame!
We also have restocked and have new colours available in Patons Kroy and Kroy FX Sock yarns, Patons Canadiana, All Points North Yarn Co, Opal sock yarns, and are expecting new colours shortly in Cascade Cherub Arans, Universal Yarns Deluxe DK Superwash Wool, and Briggs & Little Durasport, Regal, and Heritage (we’re really excited about these!). A new shipment of Katia yarns is expected fairly soon, as well.
What I’m really loving, right now:
Oh my gosh! With the (somewhat) warmer weather, I’m enjoying my coffee COLD. As in ICED. I don’t think I could go very long without drinking at least a little (ok, ok, I really mean a lot of) coffee. Do you like iced coffee too??
Aside from going out to get some at your local coffee shop, there are several ways to make it at home that are delicious, and I thought I’d share.
Dalgona Coffee: I’d never heard of this Instagram sensation until recently. Also known as Korean Coffee or Whipped Coffee, it’s super easy (especially if you have an electric hand mixer). As you can imagine, there are a bunch of different ways to make it, but the basic standard is 1 part each of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water. 1 tsp each works well for one cup. Use a hand whisk or a hand mixer, and mix until it becomes light coloured and fluffy (by hand, this can take some time). Place ice and milk (or cold water, if you’re not a creamy coffee person) in a glass, and top with the whipped coffee. Stir in and drink! It can be quite strong (coffee taste) this way, so you can try a sweeter version of 1 part coffee, 2 parts sugar, 1 1/2 parts hot water. You can also add a shake of cinnamon, or even some cocoa powder to make it mocha. Decaf works just as well as regular, and it’s delicious with a milk alternative (if you can’t have dairy) too. On YouTube, there are even versions that are coffee-free, like matcha. Yum!
Cold Brew Coffee: Not just a fancy coffee shop drink! Once again, everyone has an opinion on how to make cold brew, but the idea is to soak coarse ground beans in water for around 12 hours, and then strain for a coffee concentrate that is made without heat. Heat apparently draws the acid and bitterness out of the beans, so cold brew is smoother, and a bit sweeter. If you have a sensitive tummy, cold brew might be the answer for you! It can be served hot (add boiling water to the concentrate) or cold (pour it into cold water or milk, and ice) and can be kept for about a week in the fridge.
An average starting ratio is 1 cup coarse-ground beans to 4 cups cool water (per Simplyrecipes.com). Place both in a jug or large jar and stir to get the beans wet. Cover and let steep for about 12 hours (too short will be too weak, too long will start to get a bit bitter). You can steep on the counter or in the fridge. After steeping, line a strainer with a flat-bottom coffee filter and start pouring. I do this in stages, as it’s a bit slow (while I’m doing other things). Pop in the fridge when it’s finished and compost the grinds!
Now, as for how much to use in each cup…that’s up to you! It *is* stronger than regular brewed coffee, so don’t get too crazy. I like that it’s a very simple make, and makes it so much easier to grab a quick cold or hot coffee at work, when I’m otherwise busy. There are also plenty of recipes online for different variations of strength and flavour (I like to use a little flavoured coffee in with my regular coffee), so there are plenty of options for everyone.
Hot-Brewed Iced Coffee: Super simple if you have a drip pot or even a single-serve type machine. Just use the amount of ground beans for a full pot, and then half the water to brew up a concentrated coffee (or a full pod and a 4oz coffee setting for single serve), and then pour over ice for a delicious cold version of your usual brew!
Happy caffeinating!
Cool-Weather Stitching Roundup:
Now, I know it’s *finally* gotten warm (hot, even!) but as we are aware in the Cariboo, this won’t last for long! The cool weather we had not long ago had me pining for cold-weather knits, so I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite cooler-weather paid and free patterns that I’ve stumbled across recently.
Mellow Sun by Isabell Kraemer: Available for purchase on Ravelry (or in-store!), this cozy knitted shawl has some fabulous texture, and is warm and soft. I have a sample in store (minus the bobbles) if you’d like to see how beautiful it really is!
Perfect Pockets Shawl by Sonja Hood: Available for purchase on Ravelry (or in-store!) this is a generous-sized, crochet shawl pattern with cozy pockets in a Boho style. Pocket wraps are so popular right now!
Reykholt hat pattern by Dianna Walla: a free knitting pattern, that is seamless, reversible, and a fingering-weight beanie knit in one piece. Knit it in a long gradient yarn or a solid for a warm, beautiful cool-weather hat!
Simple Seed Stitch Beanie by Kirsten Holloway: a free crochet hat pattern (also available as paid on Ravelry) with an amazing, textured design that comes in several sizes, and is perfect for men or women!
Lightweight Raglan Pullover by Purl Soho: a free knitting pattern on Ravelry by the iconic Purl Soho, for a lightweight, classic sweater (think upscale sweatshirt!) that is perfect for transition weather…late Summer nights, and cool Fall days.
Rosebud Raglan by Knits n Knots: a beautiful crochet pullover pattern available to purchase on Ravelry (or in-store!) with an allover texture and classy, modern fit.
Well, until next time! Have a safe and lovely Summer, folks.
