Sunday in the Store With Morgan

The world of LYS and craft merchants is a small one, especially in a place like Nova Scotia.  There is a lot of back and forth referring, often beyond the purview of our individual shops.

I often send people off into the welcoming arms of other local and localish yarn stores when a customer needs a yarn we don't cary.  Every Sunday, I have at least 2 customers visit or phone looking for a range of things we don't carry at all....and never would.

Needlepoint and Rug Hooking supplies are the most common requests I cannot fulfill.  Sewing and Quilting supplies are close behind.  Of course, once in a while I have a desperate call for beeswax, pipe cleaners, artificial flowers, garment bags, and once, a Sombrero sized for a Teddy Bear.  I refer these quests on as best I can, but over the years I've amassed a list of craft suppliers.  It's a list that doesn't seem to exist anywhere but under our stapler at The Loop.

Downtown Halifax has a distinct circuit that crafty people take to find their supplies:
DeSerres (AKA 'The Creative Marketplace', formally Loomis & Toles)
Maritime Hobbies & Crafts
Feroz Beads
Black Market (leather, hemp, you never know)
Dustjacket Books and Treasures (Second Hand and Vintage Craft Books)
Jennifer's of Nova Scotia (Cross Stitch and Knitting kits, Finished knitted items)
Love,Me Boutique
NSCAD Student Supply Store
Dollarama/Buck or Two (you never know)

Yarn Stores seem to have a louder presence than other types of craft stores in Nova Scotia.  The average customer will have already found her way to places like L.K. Yarns, Gaspereau Valley Fibres or Have A Yarn (to name Just a few).
Here are some suppliers to whom I often refer customers.  These shops fill some rather large gaps in HRM's crafting needs:

Highland Heart Hookery
www.hookarug.com
23 Chartwell Lane  Halifax, NS B3M 3S7
(902) 445-4644

Dennison's Custom Framing (Embroidery and Needlepoint)
www.dennisonscustomframing.com
626 King St  Bridgewater, NS B4V 1B4
(902) 543-0486


The Beading Room
www.thebeadingroom.com
An online store based in Fall River N.S.  The Beading Room offers several different options for delivery.

Hands Across Time Rug Hooking
2526 Hwy #368 R.R. #1. Pugwash Junction. NS. B0K 1M0.
Tel: (902) 257-2267.
Email: handsacrosstime@yahoo.ca

This is by NO means a link list of Maritime Craft Shops and Suppliers.  Many friends and neighbouring businesses may be found on The Loop's link page.   I would love to hear how this week's Sunday shoppers fared!

Sunday in the Store With Morgan

*a Parker who loves the 4 Georges?

It is officially winter in Halifax, and when the wind blows at Salter and Barrington Streets it is bitterly cold.  On a Sunday however, The Loop is toasty warm.  Sometimes it is downright hot.  Often, at Noon, I have to crack the back window a little, which shocks and confuses the amorous pigeons who rendezvous on our sil.

I took this photo outside of DeSerres, where I was waiting for a cab.  15 minutes later I flagged one down.  I had always been told that in Halifax, you can't flag a car.  My Cabbie told me that this isn't true when it comes to Barrington Street!  News to me.

 This Sunday I spent Embroidering.  It's easy to pick up and put down as the need arises, and it's too too convenient having our supply of DMC floss so close to hand.

I also took advantage of our huge storefront window.  Over the years I've used countless transfer methods to get embroidery patterns and my own sketches onto cotton and linen.  I've used lightboxes, carbon paper, various papers, pens and pencils and ironing methods.  When it comes down to it, I don't think anything beats scotch tape, a sharp pencil, and a sunny window.

I do advise photocopying the pattern twice; one copy will be taped to the window underneath the fabric, and the other will be taped alongside, as a reference.  I also recommend drawing four crosses on the fabric, tracing each corner of the pattern or pattern paper.  This way, if you need to retrace, you can orient the fabric perfectly.


Clover needles and notions have arrived!
I'd like to thank all those customers who understood that for me to do the oft-procrastinated job of sorting and pricing the needle shipment, and then printing out our tiny price stickers I need to 
A:  Say the prices and item codes aloud, and
B:  Listen to cartoons on youtube playing underneath the inventory windows.  Totally Spies, Disney's Recess and of course, The Emperor's New School are helpful.  
You are very understanding.  It must be a shock to hear a sudden 'Hiya! Ya!' or 'This Whomps' before I remember to switch the audio over to yarn shopping music.
Enjoy the 4 Georges:



Who ever could have guessed that I'd develop a thing for George II?!

Halloween Window: Window Wide Web

 Is it a spiders web made of yarn? Perhaps, like many other passersby and neighbouring businesses, you think that my last minute nod to Halloween in The Loop's display space looks like a giant crack in our window?

When I began the window yarn web at the end of the day, it looked very spidery.  Many Barrington Street shoppers stopped to watch me construct it, and a few people throwing Halloween parties took photos (like these) and came in to ask me about it.  At some point it began to look less webby.  I admit that when I went outside to check the web, I myself thought it looked like broken glass.  I thought it looked neat anyways though, and finished the web/crack off.  Chives chefs walking passed weren't sure, but I had locked up by this point and left the window as-was.

 I thought that I would revisit the idea of yarn posing as broken glass later.  Perhaps do a window with knitted graffiti, faux yarn bombings, and other wooly urbanisms. Now however, after many reports of distressed neighbours and calls and emails from concerned customers who thought we had been vandalized... I will abandon the idea.  Window space on a high street is a powerful thing!  I apologize to our worried customers and friends!

Maritime Knitting & Defensive Puffing

Click to Enlarge."The Deluge Over Again", from The Picture Magazine, 1895. Found at NYPL Digital Gallery.

Irene may have missed us, but she marked the traditional peak of Hurricane Season here in the Maritimes. From now until almost December is when our season really gets active. Get your candles, batteries and canned tuna in, but consider starting a puff sleeved project....it's only sensible.

Follow along with "The Quest for Puff", a series of posts in which you will learn far more about puff sleeves than you ever really wanted to know.

Pride Window 2011

David sports a crocheted rainbow beanie with giant pink tourie on top. He has the best seat in the house for the 2011 Halifax Pride Parade.

Rainbows abound, and giant ric-rac sprouts twisted lengths of coloured crepe paper. They reach towards the sky optimistically.

Ilga Leja's "Earth Maiden" sampled in Kauni's Effekt yarn, colourway "EQ" looks right at home. Draped over a triangular metal form it makes a cheerful yet sophisticated statement despite being placed in the background, away from direct sunlight.

"Better Together" is the motto this year.

The formally longest scarf in the world cascades down the back wall, embraces the vivid yellow Judy (repeatedly) and coils into a tumshie seat at her feet.

The swift kicks up a breeze when used which sends the paper garlands dancing.

This year, Lamby wears Red Velvet Platformed Stevie Boots, an Art Yarn Necklace and Blue Feathered False Eyelashes.

Window Dressing with Pride

Pride Week is coming to Halifax and it's Pride Parade is coming to Barrington Street. This is always a treat and shops along the route try to join in.
I see it as an excuse to gussy up the window.
Lamby sees it as a chance to dive into my shoe closet.
Here's what happened last year.




I posted this late. oops.

Welcome to Halfiax, Cruise Ship Season!

There are lots of ways to shop the city whether you're a cruiser or a native Haligonian. Remember that most small, independent stores are busy sourcing and stocking local products for visiting shoppers. It's a great time to buy products from your area that might not be available during the off season months. I pick up Maritime gifts now, to save for mailing at Christmas.

Local Artisans have been stockpiling work for this season, so expect to see new works in all the shops and galleries. Farmers are busy and are hearing back from mills, so there will be new local fibres at The Loop and lots of goodies at the Farmer's Markets. You may even need to take a bag to carry it all.

Staycationers should still do their research. Pick up the Coast Guides as well as the new local guidebooks and maps. The Loop is included in the MUG (Modern Urban Guide) and the new I Love Local HFX brochure. Watch for I Love Local HFX events online and throughout the downtown.

A Hon's Duty

Yarn Bombing Challenge

Last summer we were tagged by mystery yarn bombers. We loved it!
Your new Challenge: Get us this summer with a romantic clue to your identity.




Are these our Bombers?

The 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax

Hoorah!

Save The Oval

Think of the Fashion Opportunities Halifax!

From Stitchcraft Magazine 1942

Shop Windows

In the past I've shied away from posting about The Loop, if only because I didn't feel that this was the place (or really, 'that it was my place') to do so.

Now that I'm an owner though, I have no hesitation in posting pictures and talking about what's new at the store. I will be blogging with Cathy and Mimi at The Loop's blog and contributing to our main website at www.theloophalifax.com

There may be some overlap, and at times double posting, but something that will only be here at the pomoboho blog is an ongoing record of our Store Window Displays.

We've had some doozies over the years, and while I have been really quite proud of some of them I cannot take credit for them all. Indeed, many of our windows have been collaborative efforts, open to the public.
Right now our Barrington Street-facing window has a camping theme, flanked as we now are by two excellent outdoorsy shops, TAO and MEC.

I have a tendency to lose sight of the bigger picture when constructing a window display, so I was less than dismayed when my business partner de-naughtified what I had done. I can show you though, gentle readers:

Can you see the Amigurumi eggs and bacon in the tiny pan?