The Yarn Crawl According to Maikopunk

If we could have fit it in, we might have gone to a petting zoo.
The four knitters of K+B met bright and early at our usual Monday meeting spot of Metrotown Bread Garden, only this time the drink of choice was coffee. We lingered a bit over breakfast and then decided to head out to our first stop, Burnaby Knitworks, located just kitty corner to the whole garganutan Metrotown/Metrotropolis/Station Square complex.
I had been to Burnaby Knitworks once before on an emergency Sunday yarn run, and was pleasantly surprised this time by their wide selection of yarns (especially the fine yarns for tiny needles I am becoming notorious for), good prices, and pattern books. Although we made the rounds to pet the wool, making a lot of "Ooh, feel this one!" noises, I had the best time looking at the pattern books.
I made the mistake of not having any patterns in mind before coming on the yarn crawl, so I spent a lot of time looking through the books thinking about what I might make. I would like to make a sweater for the husband for Christmas - something simple and classic, like a crewneck - so I was especially looking for patterns for the dudes. BKW had lots of European magazines and books, such as the English edition of German magazine Rebecca and pattern books from UK, Scandinavia and the Continent. All the stuff featuring men either was part of some happy-family-in-matching-sweaters configuration (gag) or a model looking like he was thinking of a way to break up with the chick who inflicted this horror on him.
Knitting model neuroses aside, I shall remember BKW for their wonderful selection of pattern books, and a bright, comfy area in which to read them! After about an hour of poking around the store, we left for our next stop, Wool and Wicker all the way down in Steveston. Maktaaq and I had to walk around a bit to find the tiny store two blocks up from the wharf (mmm fish and chips). The small space is divided in two, with one side devoted to pattern books and knitting lessons and the other featuring bins and bins of wool organized by colour. Its a pleasant jumble of knitty things, although most of their wool was designer-priced. I perused more pattern books which were scattered in bins, shelves and tables throughout the space and petted the $$$ yarns for the imaginary sweater. Maktaaq found the ultimate material for her legwarmers, while Leanne picked up a skein of gorgeous variegated wool, all handpainted. I was 0/2. Picky, picky.
We headed back into the centre of Richmond, and met up again at Daiso. Daiso is a Japanese store with all kinds of housewares, craft supplies, beauty products, dishes and stationery, all of which is $2 a piece. It was crazy busy. I didn't buy yarn, but went nutty in the stationery section. Super-extra cute school supplies y'know. We pulled ourselves away for lunch and show and tell in the food fair. Maktaaq went for the anime graphic notepads and Janet got the cutest tins in all sizes with Bam-Bam and big-eyed deer characters on them. And magic mushrooms are legal in Japan if that explains anything.
Janet departed, and we tried gamely to hit both the craft store in neighbouring Yaohan Centre and Birkeland Brothers on Main Street. Since none of us spends much time in Richmond, we headed over to craft store. I wish I would have kept up my Japanese because their pattern books have the cutest stuff in them! The male models, despite having to wear matching clothes with their "girlfriends", look quite content. I was rather disappointed with the yarn all encased in plastic bags, but perhaps its just a cultural difference in display. They did have a lot of good needles - Leanne picked up some extra-small circulars for her sock project.
At 5 pm, we knew we weren't going to make it to Birkeland Brothers on Main Street. But I know there's going to be a Yarn Crawl 2, so no big deal. Now that I'm inspired to pick up my needles and finish my old projects (dammit!), I'll bring some patterns along for the ride.

Yarn Crawl According to Maktaaq

Bread Garden 10 am: fortification for the long journey

We had coffee and breakfast. Turns out that Land of the Dead is a worthwile movie.


Burnaby Knitworks 11 am: 1st yarn store

None of us bought anything because we thought we'd save for the long journey ahead. Instead we spent an hour or so flipping through knitting books and observing male models. It seems that European male models do not smile. Is it because they can't wait to dump their girlfriends for having forced them to wear a knitted monstrosity?

Its proximity to our regular watering hole will make Burnaby Knitworks a frequent stop. The bargain bin had some interesting goodies and we asked about crochet classes.


Wool & Wicker 1 pm: 2nd yarn store

Some of us got more lost than others. We did quite a bit of wool-petting. Then we got down to business.

Deciding on yarns was difficult. Wool & Wicker aranges yarn by colour. It made it harder for me to find what to look for. Most of the yarns were also beyond my budget: as a very hapless knitter, I don't deserve good yarn.

The other knitters were faster in purchasing. I made the mistake about changing my mind midway through my transaction from the corset to the legwarmers and thus, spent most of our time in this one store. Finally, I ditched the blue yarns and went for the "grenadine" yarn. Hot pink legwarmers are more my style anyhow.


Daiso 2 pm: 3rd yarn store

Though not technically a yarn store, Daiso has a yarn display. Everything else is so exciting at Daiso none of us left with just yarn.

My knitting-related purchases were a tape measure and three balls of a black-and-blue chunky yarn. Then I found an asymmetrical blue vase shaped like a half-circle. I also got myself two notebooks with illustrations of, according to MaikoPunk, "rabbits on mushrooms." I also found myself a pair of black-and-white legwarmers, which I am now wearing.

Aberdeen Centre, where Daiso is located, also has a great chandelier store where MaikoPunk picked out her bordello-style nightlight.

The other great thing about Aberdeen Centre is the very Asian food court. Lychee-coconut drinks, green curry, takoyaki, sushi, steamed buns...


Yaohan Centre 4:30 pm: 4th yarn store

Janet left us and we rushed across the street from Aberdeen Centre to the last knitting store we could manage.

I meant to get a business card; in the end, I even forgot the name of the store.

Currently, however, they have a special of 40% off on selected yarns. The yarns, still expensive after the discount, were funky Japanese types. Too bad they are all protected behind heavily taped plastic bags.

This store does have Cantonese knitting group lessons. Some of you might welcome the challenge.

I didn't buy anything there. I did see a Japanese knitting book with the sort of un-usual accessories I like. But, as I am already in the middle of a protracted battle with one Japanese knitting book, I thought it wise not to fight a battle on two fronts.

At this point, we realized we could never make it to Birkland Brothers before the 5:30 closing time, so our group dissolved.


Conclusion: Very fun. We felt like we were on a road trip. We did leave out quite a few stores so we will have to remedy this situation in the future.

Yarn Crawl-Sat June 25th

Well, the Yarn Crawl was a success! We started off at Bread Garden to fuel up for the trip, then began our tour at Burnaby Knitworks and perused the many magazine patterns and lovely wool, then we made our way to Steveston where we enjoyed the much missed sunshine and descended upon Wool and Wicker. I bought some ribbon yarn which I'll be using to make a sleeveless top with. Then it was off to Daiso where we looked at yarn and then of course the other stuff in the store. I left the group after Daiso, they went off to Yaohan centre to the Japanese wool store I believe?
I am going to start knitting my new project out in the yard this evening while sipping ginger peach tea.

Group Photos

OK, I know I wasn't there, I was knitting with you all in spirit, but Someone has to post a link to the only known photos of our little knitting group that have ever been compiled and actually made it onto a website! Many thanks to Knit and the City for posting the pictures of the June 6th meeting on her blog in the June 8th entry.

It looks like you all had a great time, I can't wait till I can come and join in the fun again!

Maple Ridge knitting store

Since moving from Vancouver to Maple Ridge recently, I've been in knitting store withdrawl...until today, when I went to check out the knitting store (called Once Upon a Sheep) that's attached to the Maple Ridge Salvation Army. It's a great store, run by volunteers with a whole bunch of great yarns, books and offering a membership which gets you 10% off stuff and weekly Tuesday knitting nights. From what I could tell some or all proceeds go to the Salvation Army, which is awesome.