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Tapestry Weaving Tutorial: Getting Started with a Tiny Tapestry
[Studio Members] Weaving instructor Janna Maria Vallee builds on her introduction to tapestry weaving with a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to weave a tiny tapestry on a DIY cardboard loom.
Weighty Issues: How to Interpret Yarn Weight Descriptions
[For Studio Members] Master spinner Michelle Boyd dives deep into how we communicate yarn thickness, explaining the various systems that are used, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. And she provides excellent tips for how to assess a yarn for use in knitting, crochet or weaving.
How Textiles Helped Transform My Home for Filming “Nowhere Normal”
[For Armchair Members] Fibre artist Jessie McKitrick shares the experience of having her home used as a film set. Many of her own craft projects and even some of her grandmother’s were used to dress the set.
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Booth Events at Knit City Vancouver!
We are very excited for Knit City Vancouver 2022, coming up September 24-25! Tickets are still available for each Marketplace time slot, so it's not too late to make plans to attend! We'll have loads of information about Digits & Threads, and we'll have booklets,...
Tapestry Weaving Tutorial: Getting Started with a Tiny Tapestry
Building on her introduction to tapestry weaving and its unique vocabulary, instructor Janna Maria Vallee returns with a thorough step-by-step tutorial on how to make a tiny tapestry on a cardboard loom you'll construct yourself. Ed. note: This tutorial was originally...
Weighty Issues: How to Interpret Yarn Weight Descriptions
One of the most confusing aspects of making textiles from yarn is the way yarn sizes are described. Most yarns are labelled using vague categories like lace, fingering, sport, and so forth, yet that description tells us virtually nothing about the yarn itself. And,...
How Textiles Helped Transform My Home for Filming “Nowhere Normal”
Recently, my house became a movie set for the short film Nowhere Normal, written and produced by my talented friend Heather Morrow. Thanks to its 1950s origins and our collection of well-loved, hand-me-down furniture, the house was a good choice for the home of the...
Forest Bathing and Fibre Explorations in Haliburton County, Ontario
There’s something about a meditative walk in the woods that puts my soul at ease. It’s as if my whole body can finally take a deep breath, helping me to brush off the burdens of the day and find some peace. The Japanese call this act shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,”...
August 2022 Studio Hours Recap: Kim McBrien Evans on Garment Fit
At our August Studio Hours session, we continued the discussion with Kim McBrien Evans that we started in March when she had just released her new sizing standards chart. This session focused specifically on sweater fit and was appreciated by both makers and...
Common Threads: Volume 15, September 2022
Once Labour Day has passed, our minds inevitably turn to thoughts of fall, and Halloween. Looking for costume inspiration? Maritimers might consider two different options for dressing up like the Halifax Citadel Town Clock: sewn or crocheted. Alright, we're being a...
Bookbinding Tutorial: How to Make a Coptic-Bound Book
In this tutorial, we will make a book that is sturdy and incredibly flexible. Coptic binding creates a book that not only lies completely flat when opened but can fold back on itself like a spiral-bound sketchbook without weakening the pages. First created in 50–100...
Behind the Mask Quilt: An Artifact of Community Care
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Brenda Reid and their partner took to walking through their Kitchener, Ontario, neighbourhoods and noticed chalk drawings made on the sidewalks and signs in windows: physical gestures expressing warmth and connection, despite the...
Thanks to Our August, 2022 Advertisers!
A big thank-you to the Canadian fibre and textile businesses that have supported Digits & Threads this month by advertising with us: Mississippi Valley Textile Museum JoeriaKnits We hope you enjoyed learning about them! Advertising from Canadian businesses serving...
Handspinning Tutorial: How to Spin Stable Singles Yarn
Every yarn starts with a strand of twisted fibres we call a single. The way we spin that single determines the character of the yarn, whether we use the single without plying or we ply it with other singles. The degree of twist we use, the amount of fibre we spin into...
This Canadian Company Changes Lives, One Square Knitting Needle at a Time
Of all the knitting tools I’ve encountered, square needles are the most enigmatic. For knitters who experience pain or mobility issues in their hands and arms, they’re hailed as life-changing. But for others, they’re viewed with suspicion. Are there gauge issues with...
