Little Red in the City

July was a busy month at Purl City Yarns! Along with a visit from Woolly Wormhead, we were also lucky enough to host Ysolda Teague's Trunk Show promoting her new book, Little Red in the City.

She answered questions, discussed her design process and gave some tips for knitting successful garments. Ysolda also brought samples of the garments from Little Red in the City in a range of sizes for people to try on.


Despite the uncharacteristic heat and sunshine in Manchester that afternoon, everyone was excited to try on woolly jumpers and cardigans and receive fitting advice. Many people, myself included, discovered a garment they hadn't noticed in the book that fit really well.
















All in all, it was a fabulous day, thank you to Ysolda and everyone who came.

And an additional thank you to our Purl City Yarns regular, Rebecca Stunell, for the fabulous pictures of the day.

Woolly Wormhead Visits Purl City Yarns

Everyone at Purl City Yarns would like to give a big thank you to Woolly Wormhead for visiting the shop on 24th July. People are still talking about what a great time they had and how excited they are to have found the perfect hat.


For the Trunk Show, Woolly brought many, if not all, of her hats for everyone to try. During the 'Hat Clinic' she gave excellent advice on how to wear her hats and chose the right hat for the right person every time - without fail. You might not necessarily think there is a right or wrong way to way a hat, but Woolly showed us all that there is, and it can make all the difference in the world!


If you missed out on the Woolly Wormhead Trunk Show, we have a selection of her patterns and books as well as our own shop samples that you are more than welcome to try on when you're in the shop. Her designs are interesting, thoughtful and the Purl City Yarns staff will gladly confirm that they are also an absolute pleasure to knit.

Woolly Wormhead Trunk Show 24th July

The wonderful hat designer, Woolly Wormhead, will be coming to Purl City Yarns on Sunday 24th July from 12:00-3:00. She will be bringing samples of some of her hats and giving advise on making a hat the suits you. Woolly Wormhead will also be bringing along photos and samples from her upcoming book, Babeanies.

Woolly Wormhead designs a large variety of hats to suit every face shape and age. Those of you who don't think you look good in any kind of hat will be amazed! This is the perfect opportunity to find yourself the perfect knitted hat.

She is the author and designer of Going Straight: A New Generation of Knitted Hats, Wee Woolly Toppers and Twisted Woolly Toppers. Many of her designs are also available as single patterns.

This is a free event, but you must book in advance. If you'd like to book a spot, please e-mail info@purlcityyarns.com.

Ysolda Teague to Visit Purl City Yarns!

Ysolda Teague Knit Along - Sunday 3rd July

An Afternoon with Ysolda Teague - Saturday 30th July

Our copies of Ysolda Teague's new book, Little Red in the City have arrived! As an introductory offer, we are offering Little Red in the City for £18 until Monday, 4th July. With your printed copy of the book, you will also be eligible to receive a pdf e-book so you can easily access it anywhere.

To launch her new book, Scottish designer Ysolda Teague will be visiting Purl City Yarns on 30th July, where she will be talking about her new book and you will get to see some samples from Little Red in the City. The book contains seven patterns for cardigans, jumpers and vests that have been designed to fit a wide range of sizes, to fit bust sizes from 28-60", and is also a useful resources on how to successfully make sweaters that fit your body. Availability to this event is free, but limited, so you must book in advance. To book, ring us at 0161 425 3864 or book online.

To kick off the event, Purl City Yarns will be hosting a Ysolda Teague knit along throughout the month of July starting this Sunday 3rd July from 12:00pm - 3:00pm. Come to the shop this Sunday to cast-on your Ysolda project, or if you're already working on one of Ysolda's patterns, bring it along, it doesn't have to be from her new book.

Ysolda Teague is also the designer of Whimsical Little Knits and her designs have been published in Twist Collective and Debbie Stoller's new book, Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting.

A Chance to Win £150 Worth of Knitting Goodies

Right, we will be brief!

All you have to do is complete the Let's Knit! 2011 Awards Survey and they will enter you in the draw to win £150 worth of knitting goodies, plus a year's subscription to one of their craft titles.

And if we are your favourite yarn shop, please don't be shy in letting them know!!

The survey takes just a few minutes to complete.

You have to be in it to win it!!

The survey closes on the 17th June 2011.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/79YYKD9

New Courses!

Dyeing for Beginners with Debbie Tomkies 10th September 11:00 - 5:00, £64.99 per person Debbie Tomkies will be our tutor for the day. First she will be showing you how to produce solid shades and you will begin by making shade cards, having a go at colour-blending and making your first hand-dyed skeins. In the afternoon Debbie will be teaching you a range of exciting techniques including yarn painting, semi-solid dyeing, rainbow dyeing and you will be able to choose from a range of lovely yarns to dye and take away with you. Debbie will also be including some of her own patterns so you can make something special to show off your lovely yarns! All materials are provided and you will go home with a lovely range of colour samples, rainbow-dyed yarns, comprehensive handouts and lots of ideas for adding colour to your textile adventures! This course is suitable for complete beginners as well as for those who simply want to brush up on their skills or just have a fun day out playing with colour! So, whether you're a knitter, spinner, crocheter, felter or textile artist, you're sure to have a great time.	Introduction to Lace Knitting Workshop Saturday, 4th June 11:00am - 1:00pm £15.00 (excludes material costs) We are offering a taster course in lace knitting this Saturday, 4th June from 11:00am - 1:00pm.  There are a limited number of spaces, so book now!  You can book a spot from our website or ring the shop, 0161 425 3864, to book a spot today and pay on the day. In this introduction to lace knitting course, students will learn how to read lace charts, use lifelines, how to block and the the importance of blocking your lace work, and how to choose the right needle for your project.  At the end of the lesson, you will have a lace sample to take home. The course is £15 and students will need to provide their own laceweight or 4ply yarn and needles.	Learn to Crochet 13th August, 11:00am – 5:00pm Learn how to crochet in this one day workshop.  We can provide all the materials you'll need or you can bring your own. The cost without materials is £40 per person or we will provide you with everything you need for £54.99 First Things First: an introduction to the basic stitches, terminology and how to tell when it’s going horribly wrong. At the end of the class you will have started a sampler with several stitch types. You will have learned how to make a foundation chain, double and treble crochet (and maybe more) and spot common problems. How to read a pattern, when you’re tired of making rectangles, this is your next step. You will learn how patterns are structured, how to test your gauge, how to read charts and how to join pieces together.
Today is the last day to get the new Debbie Bliss Angel at our introductory price of £6.95!  Grab yourself a bargain today from the shop or our webstore.

Help Us Welcome In The Possum Yarns!

If you had a great time at our Japanese and Scandinavian nights, come to our New Zealand Night on Wednesday 25th May from 5-8pm!

We are celebrating the arrival and début of our delightful limited edition new possum yarns including:

Zealana Eco Possum Fingering (80% New Zealand Merino, 20% Possum),
Zealana Kia Ora Kauri Fingering (60% New Zealand Merino, 30% Possum, 10% Silk) and
Zealana Kia Ora Kiwi Possum Lace (40% NZ Merino, 30% Organic Cotton, 30% Possum)

These images show just a few of the shades available, you'll be spoilt for choice!

Come check out these unique yarns and as usual, there will be a fun little quiz, so get studying and you could win some possum yarn, courtesy of Purl City Yarns.