Seasonal news!

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Firstly we hope you all had a wonderful summer, and now it’s back to work for many of us and the autumn knitting season is getting into full swing!

So the first big news is that our website is undergoing a HUGE makeover! We hope to be ready for October, it will be much faster, and easier to navigate, so we are looking forward to the launch. 

We also have some wonderful new yarns and books/magazines arriving this Autumn, starting with two beautiful new british yarns from ‘Baaramewe’ in Yorkshire.

Winterburn Aran and Winterburn DK are now in stock at Kaleidoscope, come by and check them out if you get the chance!

 

 

 

 

And we now have the fabulous new book ‘Shawls’ by Melanie Berg.

 Packed with lovely patterns by this very talented and popular designer – you’ll find it hard to choose which one to knit first!

 

 

The new Laine magazine issue 6 ‘ Heritage’ will be on sale from 28th September!

(we will be taking orders via our web shop once our new website is on-line in October.

Sorry for the inconvenience, please phone the shop for more information)

LAINE 6 – Heritage has 12 patterns including 5 sweaters, 3 cardigans, 1 sock ,and 3 shawls by various designers including: 

Shannon Cook, Jonna Hietala, Joji Locatelli, Hélène Magnusson, Andrea Mowry, Sari Nordlund, Hiroko Payne, Rosa Pomar, Esther Romo, Annie Rowden, Astrid Troland and Emily Wessel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pompom magazine Automne 2018

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We will have 12 copies of the new Pompom magazine in stock as from this coming Wednesday 22nd August.

If you’d like to reserve a copy you can do so via our E-shop using the link below, and make sure you choose the local pick up instead of the postal option.

It will be available via Bpost as from Thursday 23rd onwards. Here below you can see a few of the lovely designs available in this season’s edition…..

http://www.kaleidoscope-shop.be/product/pompom-magazine-automne-2018/

Opening hours 2018/2019

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We are now back to our full opening hours, which are as follows:

Open from 10am to 18pm  WEDNESDAYS / THURSDAYS / FRIDAYS &  SATURDAYS 

 

Notre horaire ‘normale’ et dorénavant:

Ouvert non-stop de 10h à 18h les MERCREDIS / JEUDIS / VENDREDIS et SAMEDIS 

 

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Sale time!

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Yes the sales start this saturday 30/6/18 and here at Kaleidoscope you’ll find lots of great bargains amongst some of our best yarns! 

– 20% / – 30% / – 35% / – 40% –

Manos del Uruguay / Hedgehog Fibres / Erika Knight/ ITO yarns / Kokon / Cowgirl blues

are just some of the brands in our sale.

And of course our buttons / biais / ribbons / and perles are also on sale!

——————————————————————

Les soldes commencent demain  chez kaleidoscope…..

Et vous trouverez pleins de bonnes affaires cette été!

– 20%/ 30% / 35% / 40% –

Manos del Uruguay / Hedgehog Fibres / Erika Knight/ ITO yarns / Kokon / Cowgirl blues / Les boutons / les Biais / les rubans / les perles / les livres etc etc……

 

 

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Stephen West at Kaleidoscope!

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                    Kaleidoscope goes West!

Fancy meeting Stephen West? Drop everything and consult your diaries because the ‘King of Brioche’, and master of colourful knits will be spending the day with us at Kaleidoscope on:

                                   SATURDAY 23 rd JUNE

 

 Stephen will be giving a 3hr workshop and a 2hr trunk show and if you’d like to join in the fun then here are all the details: 

For the workshop:  Color Play the Westknits Way!  

Price: 55€ / 3 hours  – Class is taught in English – maximum: 15 participants

Time:  10h to 13h 

Address: Kaleidoscope, 18 ave Adolphe Demeur, 1060 Bxls

How to book: Via our E-shop ( Paypal ) – click on link here:

http://www.kaleidoscope-shop.be/product/colour-play-the-westknits-way-3hr-workshop/

Or by phone: 02 544 0130 from Weds to Saturdays 10h – 18h

(your place will be confirmed once payment is received via bank transfer)

This class is all about showing off beautiful yarns with simple techniques combined in clever ways. Techniques like stripes, short rows, and holding yarns together will be explored and combined to create bold architectural fabrics. Stephen will show off a colorful array of Westknits designs while encouraging you to look at yarn in a new way. If you have a colorful Westknits project you would like to begin, there will be time to cast on a new project in the last hour of class.

Recommended projects: Penguono, Marled Magic Shawl, Marled Magic Sweater, Dotted Rays, Parachutey, Chevron Shenanigans, Marled Fade Triangle, Vertices Unite, or any other favorite Westknits design that uses several colors striped or marled together. 

Materials: 

Bring an array of colorful scrap yarn (10 colors or more) for swatching (all kinds of yarn weights and fibers) and a few different needle sizes. Mohair fibres are encouraged for exploring marled color techniques.

Requirements: You should be able to cast on, bind off, knit and purl.

Difficulty level: All skill levels welcome! 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

            And/or you can join the fun by signing up for:

                                     ‘Stephen’s Trunk Show‘

For the Trunk show:   Westknits Book Signing / Meet & Greet

Price: 34€ / 2 hrs- includes a signed copy of  one of  Stephen’s books ‘Westknits Bestknits! 

Time:  15h – 17h 

Address: Kaleidoscope, 18 ave Adolphe Demeur, 1060 Bxls

How to book: Via our E-shop ( Paypal ) – click on link here:

http://www.kaleidoscope-shop.be/product/stephen-wests-trunk-show/

Or by phone: 02 544 0130 from Weds to Saturdays from 10h – 18h

(your place will be confirmed once payment is received via bank transfer)

 
Description:
Come witness the colorful world of Westknits and try on all of the samples from Westknits Bestknits:
Number 1: Shawls and Westknits Bestknits
Number 2: Sweaters.
Stephen will give an inspiring presentation on how he works with yarns, textures, and shapes followed by a book signing of both Westknits Bestknits books! After the book signing, Stephen will be available to help you shop for colors and yarns for your next Westknits project.
(All participants will receive a signed copy of Westknits Bestknits)

 

PLEASE NOTE: Places are limited, and although we would love to welcome as many of you as possible,  if the shop gets too crowded, for security reasons we may have to limit visitors. 

 

New arrivals….

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Available to buy from 25th May, the new summer ‘Stripes’ edition from ‘Pompom magazine’

( Price 14, 90€ )  packed full of lovely geometrical patterns…

 

                                                           

                                                              Here’s a little peek at what’s inside….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the patterns in this issue can be made using Scheepjes ‘Linen Soft’ sport/dk  blend of cotton and linen, which we also now have in stock ( 3.95€ / 50g) pictured here below on the left….

And we also have the beautiful new Swedish Linen fingering yarn  ‘Kalinka’ by Karin Oberg – (16,50€/100g ) pictured here below on the right…. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND  also available to buy from 25th May will be the fabulous new issue of ‘ LAINE magazine 5′

 ( Price 24€ ) with lots of beautiful ideas to keep your needles occupied!

                                                  Here’s a few photos of what you’ll find inside….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New in stock at Kaleidoscope are a selection of technical knitting and crochet books for all levels….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Caitlin Beag

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An Caitín Beag is Irish for The Little Small Cat. Marna has been making silver jewellery for a long time now, and knitting for even longer. She combines these by making amazing knitterly (and some not-so-knitterly) jewellery and accessories.

At Kaleidoscope we now have a small selection in stock ,  although they are not yet available to buy through the E- shop  you can contact us by phone ( 02 5440130 ) or by e-mail.

 

 

This leather bangle will keep your stitchmarkers handy as you knit.

The magnetic clasp opens reasonably easily, giving you easy access to your markers as you knit, but isn’t suitable for wearing around snaggy things or small grabby fingers.

It comes packaged in a recycled kraft gift box. The hexagon markers will fit up to a 10mm needle, and the bracelet is 20cm long

Price : 20€

 

 

 

 

 

 

A handforged sterling silver hook holding a set of sterling silver markers.

This pendant comes on an adjustable 18/20 inch silver chain.

Price : 47€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This magnetic-closure pendant holds stitchmarkers securely and prettily.

It comes on a long 30inch slim ball chain – which means you can open it easily while still wearing it. It comes with twenty markers – enough to fill the pendant and keep some on your knitting as well.

It’s packaged in a jewellery box.

Price: 20€

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Olann

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                 olann [uh – lan] wool

Ireland has an abundance of great yarns and indie dyers, and here at Kaleidoscope we are very pleased to be stocking another fabulous Irish yarn!

‘Olann’ is owned and run by Jess Kavanagh, a very talented young artist and dyer who likes to create sophisticated colours on ethically sourced yarns. 

 

 

In their small workshop they dye yarn in small batches, using experimental dye techniques and traditional materials, they are makers and designers. Colour inspiration comes from the surrounding Irish countryside, the mountains, valleys, forests and sea. 

 

 

Olann source their yarn from farms with ethical practices in Argentina and Uruguay. These farms guarantee mulesing free processes of obtaining the fibres which means a fair and humane treatment of their sheep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olann are environmentally friendly using non toxic acid dyes and a food grade citric acid as a setting agent, all the dye is exhausted so that there is zero nasty stuff being poured into the drains. Water is often re-used to also minimise our water usage and wastage. 

You can now see the beautiful new Olann yarns at Kaleidoscope and in our E-shop –  23 colours in merino singles ( fingering 4 ply) 9 colours in Sock lite ( 3 ply fingering ) and 6 colours in merino DK.

 

                                           

 

 

 

Snail Yarn for spring 2018!

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               Snail Yarn at Kaleidoscope 

I met Valentina Consalvi  a while ago at Edinburgh yarn festival, and I’m so pleased to have her beautiful yarns in our shop! I hope you’ll like them too.

Valentina lives in Ariccia, near Rome.  Snail yarn started in 2013. She learnt to dye starting with food colours, then experimenting with natural dyes and acid dyes, she finally I opened her shop in August 2014.

 


 
 

Using only Merino wool from South America or Falkland  to avoid the mulesing issues, Bluefaced Leicester bred in UK, and other high quality fibres, all specifically spun for hand knit.  She  strongly believes  in protecting the environment and nature. 

 

 

 

Although at first she loved the bright, saturated colours she now loves more the subtle, muted shades, the timeless colours, inspired from nature, like the ones in her gradient sets. 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “I want my yarn to be used for projects that will last for a lifetime and will pass the fashion trends”.

 

 

 


 

 

 

You can see our collection of  Snail yarn in our E-shop:

http://www.kaleidoscope-shop.be/product-category/yarns/snail-yarns/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hooray for the sweater stone!

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                  Yes it’s back at long last! 

In a world full of expensive cutting edge technology, it’s comforting to know that there are still some simple gadgets that don’t cost the earth and  really are effective.

The sweater stone is one of them. This simple natural pumice stone will catch and remove all those irritating little pills ( balls) on the surface of your clothes with very little effort and more importantly NO BATTERIES! 

It’s true, I’d tried the razors, combs, brushes, and battery operated gadgets all of which promised a good result, but quite frankly after various attempts, one made holes, one was just impossible to use, and one just used up too many batteries,  I gave up trying. Then I discovered the ‘Sweater stone’ – what a great little product! It really works,

The sweater stone costs 12€,  (available now in our E-shop ‘knitting accessories’  click below )

http://www.kaleidoscope-shop.be/product/the-sweater-stone/ 

This is one gift that will truly be appreciated by everyone who receives it!

 

 

I do have a few tips and suggestions:

Be gentle! It is abrasive so you shouldn’t be too heavy

handed or enthusiastic – better to repeat the operation

rather than ruin your favourite jumper!

Use it on natural fibres not synthetics!

Don’t use it on very fine or delicate

woollens/fabrics

It is quite light and fragile so every time you

drop it on a hard floor you’ll damage the corners

I prefer to wash the garment first as this removes some

of the pilling.

And I do find it easier to use whilst I’m wearing the garment, using one hand to pull the garment downwards to create a bit of tension, and gently scraping the surface as needed.