Pssst….it’s live!

When we opened our doors 5 years ago, we never anticipated that it would take so long to launch our online store. Really, how hard could it be?  The answer, we’ve learned, is ridiculously hard.  We’re so happy and relieved to send our baby out into the world now and would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to all the people who helped us along the way – our amazing photographer, Robert Viau, our programmer extraordinaire (on speed-dial!), Shyam Ramani, and Stephanie and Françoise who assisted with workflow management and translation. Apparently, it takes a village to raise a website too. 🙂

Visit us at www.espacetricot.com and enjoy!!

– Melissa 

Back To School

The days are still hot and summery, however you already can feel the breath of Fall in the morning air. Getting ready to leave for work you might need a light jacket to make up for the lack of warmth until the sun catches up.

I don’t know about you but our family is in the midst of preparations of going back to school – all the supplies are bought and marked with her name (very important, as you might now), and my daughter is very excited to start first grade next Thursday.

Just before the summer is truly over and we go back to the regular schedule – with classes starting up at Espace Tricot soon also, watch out for the new program to arrive soon! – I have a plethora of information for you. This time around not put together by myself, rather a link to a very useful website.

The Craft Yarn Council’s website offers such a multitude of guidelines and standards relating to the needlearts that you are most proabably going to need more than one day to get through all of them. The information about yarn weights is also available in French.

Standards are very useful to unite knitters all over the world – it is good to know that the symbol you see in a pattern chart written in English means exactly the same as the one you found in the German knitting magazine, don’t you think?

Happy Knitting, as ever!

– Mona

Twist Collective: Webzine worth bookmarking

As many of you can attest, the knitting scene has changed dramatically over the last decade. Several factors have contributed to this tremendous increase in interest and participation, not least the rise of the internet (yarn company websites, blogging, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) and the development of the social networking and resource site for knitters – Ravelry. Research from the Craft Yarn Council published in 2011 found that 93% of the knitters/crocheters surveyed used the internet when searching for patterns and project ideas. We are certainly part of this group, browsing Ravelry and other pattern sites for ideas and inspiration on a daily basis.  One of our favourite online pattern sources is Twist Collective. While we are always appreciative of designers who make selected patterns available for free, we recognize that for many, development and publication of their designs is how they are working to make a living. Twist Collective brings together talented designers and writers in the publication of a beautiful online magazine chock full of great patterns and interesting, informative articles. All are paid fairly for their work. Twist Collective is published three times a year and we look forward to every issue. We encourage you to visit their website and browse current and past issues – between the gorgeous presentation of useful information and the stunning showcase of designs, you won’t be disappointed!

And for more information about the rise of knitting, this article from The Guardian is a great read: Pride in the wool: the rise of knitting.

– Melissa

Websites worth exploring…

Craftsy.com

Craftsy is an online crafting community offering virtual classes, workshops, and patterns across a wide range of categories including sewing, weaving, crocheting, knitting, etc.  The number of classes within the knitting and crocheting sections is growing steadily and we’ve had extremely good feedback from several of our customers who have taken Laura Nelkin’s Mastering Lace Shawls course.  Other promising classes include cuff-down and toe-up socks, knitted toys, hats, and workshops providing tips on adjusting patterns for the best fit.  In addition to its course content, Craftsy aims to provide a platform for support and inspiration as well as interaction through social fora like Facebook and Twitter.  While Espace Tricot offers a full roster of classes, demand frequently outstrips capacity and we often run waiting lists for many of our more popular courses.  This new and steadily growing site may provide a practical alternative for some – definitely worth checking out!

From the Craftsy.com website: Whether you are learning how to knit, looking for a refresher class or want a more advanced knitting lessons, online knitting classes offer a convenient option. Consider the advantages of taking an online knitting course from the comfort of home and on your own schedule, to learn to knit or try out more advanced knitting techniques! Learn about different kinds of knitting needles, basic knitting stitches, circular knitting, choosing knitting yarn weights, affordable knitting materials, and more advanced topics. Plus, most classes include knitting patterns you can use again and again.

Design Seeds

If you’re a lover of colour – this site is just plain fun.  Design Seeds can be used to generate and search colour palettes for use in all kinds of contexts – from knitting and crocheting to decorating your home.  I must admit to spending way too much time here, playing with more colourful combinations for my next Color Affection…

– Melissa