ATTN Knitters and Crocheters!!

Mary Maxim London will be accepting donations of hand-made hats and mittens for children for the months of September and October. 

All donations will be delivered before the s*** flies to local area schools!

Please join us in keeping London's kids warm this winter!

Donations requested!

Attention Knitters and Crocheters!






Although we don't want to think about it yet, cool weather is fast approaching...




During the month of September, we will be accepting donations of handmade hats and mittens for


children. We want to help keep London's kids warm this winter!




All hats and mitts will be donated to area schools.




Unfortunately, due to safety precautions, we can not accept scarves/cowls or neck warmers.

Tent Sale!

It's that special time of year again!

Mary Maxim's Tent Sale!!!

While the Paris location has an actual tent, the London location has some great deals on sale items as well!

Runs until September 7th - we hope to see you soon!

What's in a label?

We all do it. Throw away those pesky pieces of paper holding our beautiful yarn in cakes and skeins. It's a habit we should all try to get away from!

What's in a label? Turns out, about all you need to know about what you're working with!

Yarn labels show us the colour name/code and dye lot number- important if we *gasp* run out of yarn before our project is complete and need to pick up more.

They show us the fiber content of what we're working with, and the care directions for our finished Objects of Beauty so that we can pass it along to the new owner of said object.

They also suggest needle size and approx gauge with a standardized "yarn weight" so that we can figure out if it will work for that GORGEOUS shawl pattern we saw on Ravelry the other day...

I like to keep labels in a scrapbook of finished projects so that I can refer back to the yarns I loved working with, and those I will use just once. :)

Drop in Skill Building!

Come and join us at one of our drop in sessions this summer!




Free, Fun and informal - come when you can and stay as long as you need.




Saturday August 1st between 1- 3:30 pm




KABLES WITH KARIN




Learn basic cables with and without a cable needle


We'd love to see you there!

The Importance of Dye Lots

Let’s talk about dye lots.


From Wikipedia: A dye lot is a record taken during the dyeing of yarn to identify yarn that received its coloration in the same vat at the same time. Yarn manufacturers assign each lot a unique identification number and stamp it on the label before shipping.


So, why are dye lots important to the average knitter/crocheter? Well, even though the next dye lot of a same colour may use the very same recipe for the colour, and the very same procedures, small changes in things like air temperature, humidity or dyeing time can result in a slightly different shade. Sometimes the difference is so small it really can’t be seen, at other times it is quite obvious. And there is really no way to tell how different the next dye lot will be – it depends on so many factors. As well, sometimes yarn from 2 different dye lots won’t look different at all while still in a ball or skein, but once you knit or crochet them up, suddenly you can see a definite line where one ball stops and the other starts. Possible disaster!



The best thing to do is to always try to buy more than enough yarn from one dye lot for your project - buying an extra ball can pay off in the long run. At Mary Maxim we strive to have only one dye lot per colour out on the shelves, we double check as we bag your purchase, and we have a very generous 6 month return policy for yarn. If you do end up with extra, though, and don’t feel like returning it, there are always the options of stash enhancement, another colour for your next afghan, a spare hat, or, who doesn’t love a new pair of mittens for Christmas!



What if the unthinkable has happened, and despite your best intentions and meticulous calculations, you need to buy extra yarn to finish your project, and there is nothing available in your dye lot! Don`t despair, and don`t throw that project into the UnFinished Objects pile! There are ways to deal with this. If your project consists of several pieces, you may be able to use the dye lots strategically. For multi-colour projects, another colour could also separate the dye lots so that the shade difference isn’t noticeable. And finally, you can blend the new dye lot in with the old, by alternately knitting or crocheting 2 rows with each different dye lot. The larger the area you do this for, the better the different shades will blend so that you don’t see a difference. At least 20-24 rows in total should do the trick.


We are always available to brainstorm ideas with you! Happy Crafting!

When 100g just won't do...

It would be so much easier to calculate how many balls of yarn a project would take if the yarn the pattern called for is the yarn you're planning on using. However, if you're like me, you like to experiment with fibers of all kinds and textures and don't like 'having' to use the yarn a pattern was designed for.  

This is when the physical weight of the yarn in the pattern doesn't necessarily mean it will equal the yarn you want to actually use. At this point, a bit of math is needed (I know, not my favourite either, but necessary!). 

For ex: My pattern calls for 8 skeins of Mary Maxim Aran Irish Tweed. The total yardage of the yarn I'd need is calculated by number of yards/skein x number of  skeins- in this case, Irish Tweed has 205 yards/skein, total of 1640 yards required.

But, I want to use Mary Maxim Starlette yarn. Starlette has 180 yards/skein... The weight listed in the pattern doesn't apply anymore, so.... math. 

I need 1640 yards of worsted weight yarn to finish my project. 

1640 divided by  180 = 9.1111... 

So, to use Starlette, I would need to purchase 10 skeins total. It's always a good idea to purchase more yarn than you think you'll require to finish your project so that you can make sure the dye lots match... Mary Maxim has a generous 6 month return policy if you don't end up using all of what you've purchased either!

More on the importance of dye lots in our next post! Happy Canada Day!

Hello London!

Hello and Welcome to "The Best of Mary Maxim"!

We are London Ontario's newest yarn store located at 1025 Wellington Road South in the Southgate Centre Plaza.

We carry a varied, and wide selection of yarns and patterns including (but definitely not limited to!) Mary Maxim Exclusives, Debbie Bliss, Cascade, Sirdar, Louisa Harding, King Cole, etc.

We have a highly knowledgeable staff able to assist you with your projects and even to inspire your creations!

From June 20th - 28th, Mary Maxim label yarns are 20% off! 

We hope that you'll come visit us and will spread the word!

Heather
Karin
Sarah
Joan
Sharon
Amanda