Duncan is home to 2 LYS. The Loom, owned by Gaye Oldfield, is located on the TransCanada Hwy. It was the first LYS I visited and I purchased an afghan kit of hand dyed yarns produced on the East Coast. The range of yarns include Colinette, Fleece Artist, Brown Sheep and Berroco. Gaye has a free drop in class on Monday mornings. A Felting Class is being considered.

Ingrid’s Yarn & Needlework is situated in downtown Duncan. On my last visit, Ingrid and a customer were sitting around a table busily knitting. The store interior and window is full of hand knits. I purchased a much needed ball of Patons Astra and saw lots of the fancy, furry yarns so popular for scarf knitting. Ingrid also carries a non slip fabric which makes slipper soles safe.

Nanaimo is home to my LYS. Mad About Ewe is in the Old City Quarter, a renovated area of downtown. Its jaunty window shades and pedestrian-friendly streets attract both locals and tourists, especially passengers from the cruise ships which drop anchor in Nanaimo Harbour. Toni Chambers owns Mad About Ewe and Lynette Meek, a designer and teacher, is the manager. They publish a very informative newsletter which covers new yarns like Noro Silk Ribbon and Merino Stripes by Crystal Palace; classes such as Socks on Circs. Beginners 1 and 11 and Beaded Gloves/Mittens; workshops like Fear of Finishing and Lace Knitting; books such as Norah Gaughan’s Knitting Nature and Inspired Cable Knits by Fiona Ellis.

They also organize an annual retreat. Wendy Henderson, a published designer living on Gabriola Island whose designs have been featured in Vogue magazine, is scheduled to teach Mosiac and Shadow Knitting at Kiwi Cove Lodge in February 2007. Mad About Ewe also supports the community. They host a booth at the annual Vancouver Island Exhibition - VIEX. A large circular table surrounded by many chairs is forefront in their booth and they invite everyone to ‘come and sit and knit a while’. Each participant adds stitches to a blanket which will be finished later either by Joanne Thompson, a designer from Cortez Island or Lynette Meek. All the yarn is donated and finished blankets are given to the Haven Society.

Michaels in Nanaimo has a drop off centre for knitted squares. Several times a year volunteers sew the squares into blankets. The finished blankets are donated to charity.

Whilst sightseeing with visitors this summer, we drove through Courtenay where I spotted the sign Uptown Yarns. My husband agreed to stop and I went in search of the store. I glimpsed 2 cosy armchairs placed outside a shop and knew I’d found Uptown Yarns. The window was dressed in colorful children’s jackets and I knew I wanted to knit them all. Inside, I met Jennifer Gladwin, the owner and with her help I selected several patterns and yarn. She told me about a knitting night held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at the Grotto, a nearby cafe.

Later, when I phoned to order extra yarn, I spoke to Judy Gladwin, Jennifer’s Mom. Judy has knitted all her life and she teaches the classes. She told me about the knitting community that’s carrying on the work of Andrew “Boomer” Eykelenboom, a medic killed in Afganistan. They knit boomer hats (named for Andrew) for newborns - a free pattern is available from Uptown Yarns. To date, 2240 hats have been collected.

Uptown yarns carries yarns by Judy McLean. I first heard about Judy from Cedar Wallace who operates Cedar Sheep Thrills on Hornby Island. I had purchased Cedar’s bamboo needles and a skein of hand-spun merino/silk yarn at a local craft co-op. Judy McLean is a spinner, dyer and sweater maker. She works with mohair, Bluefaced Leicester wool and wool/silk blends. She also participates in the Filberg Festival.

Further north at Campbell River is the Needle Arts Center & Framing Post. I have only accessed their store by website and Blog but I definitely plan to visit soon. One attraction is their Knit Cafe where you’re invited to relax with a latte and try out different yarns before purchasing. They also host a Knit-In on National Knit-In Day and I considered attending this August before deciding on the WCKG Knit-In at Stanley Park, Vancouver.

So, we’re spoilt for choice here on Vancouver Island. A true Knitter’s Paradise.

Places to visit when you’re in…

Duncan

The Loom Ingrid’s Yarn & Needlework

Nanaimo

Mad About Ewe

Courtenay

Uptown Yarns

Campbell River

Needle Art Center & Framing Post

Hornby Island

Cedar Sheep Thrills

1. Knitting Zen · Medeira Park, BC. DISCOUNT
2. The Loom (no webpage)  Box 4, 4705 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan BC. V9L 6E1. Phone :Toll Free 1-877-746-5250, or 250-746-5250. DISCOUNT

Yarn shops with store fronts may also offer mail order service; you would need to check with them individually. Feel free to comment on other good sources, especially local.

1. Elann.com Ok, they’re an on-line store, but they *are* local! Check out their bargains list to find particularly good deals. I’ve found them to be quick, reliable, and an excellent source for a wide range of yarns.

Shop reviews wanted!

A name and basic information are a good resource, but if you want to know more about a destination, you’ll want a review! You can help by writing a review. What would you like to tell us about your favourite yarn store? Here’s some ideas of what you might want to include.

What would you want to know about an LYS?

Use this guide to help prepare a review, or add to this guide by posting your LYS-questions in the comments!

• Overview

  • Shop name
  • A basic description of the store.

• How and where to find it

  • Street address, including a nearby intersection and/or neighbourhood reference
  • Website URL
  • Contact information: phone number, email address, mailing address, fax number

• Shop Profile

  • Hours of operation (regular, summer/winter, holidays)
  • Who are the owners? How long have they been in business?
  • Any charity related or community service programs?
  • Is there a newsletter or mailing list?

• The shopping experience

  • What types of merchandise do they carry (yarn, needles, buttons, etc.)?
  • How is the yarn organized (by weight, colour, fibre, etc.)?
  • Do they carry books and patterns, and how are they organized and displayed?
  • What is on display and how often does it change?
  • Who are the staff we’re likely see there?
  • Is there a place to sit and knit?
  • Do they allow food or beverage?
  • What is unique?
  • What else is in the area?

• Savvy shopping

  • Do they offer a discount for WCKG members, or for other guilds or groups?
  • Do they have their own discount program? How does it work?
  • Will they special order for me? Can I have it shipped to me?
  • Will they hold part of a dyelot, or can I return extra for store credit?
  • Do they have a regular sale, a clearance bin, or deals on discontinued products?

• Services, Classes, Events

  • Do they offer scheduled classes? Drop-in help? Private lessons? Workshops?
  • Do they host special events like book signings and trunk shows?
  • Can I book an event there?
  • What about services like custom knitting, garment assembly, repairs?

• Practical considerations

  • Access - how easy is it to park? to use public transit?
  • What is accessibility like for wheelchairs, scooters, strollers?
  • Can non-knitters to occupy themselves while yarn-a-holics shop?
  • Kid-friendly? Kid-tolerant?
  • Are any atypical payment methods offered, or common ones restricted?

• Opinions

  • What do you like about the store?
  • What would you wish for them to add to their products or services?
  • Is this a destination for visitors? Is this a stand-by for locals?

A note to shop owners: We prefer LYS reviews to come from someone not affiliated with the shop, however you can facilitate a review by providing factual information and photographs and by making yourself available to be interviewed. If you have and maintain a website of your own, send us a URL and description and we will include it.