Purple Easter inspiration

Lavender, mauve, fuchsia, purple, aubergine, plum; different shades and intensities of blue and red mixed together. This colour family was popular last fall and continues to feel right for the spring, in clothing, accessories and at home. (At Stix and Stones fashion show last week, I saw absolutely stunning knitted pieces in bright purple!).

Introduce a wow factor in your traditional home with a shiny, purple area rug (inspiration: Marilyn Denis's dining room, House and Home). The colour looks fantastic with gold and brass, and combines well with sophisticated greys.

Or why not try a pale lavender slipcover in your cottage? Or some funky purple/mauve/plum glass bottles as accessories if you have a more contemporary space?

And for all of you who want to play it safe: the odd accent pillow will also do the trick. Have a lovely, purple Easter!

Photos: Bemz and Designer Fabrics.

Your throw will steal the show

This afghan in cool colours is part of Universal 

Yarn's afghan kit collection. The kit includes yarns 

and instructions and costs $99. Stix & Stones can 

also create kits specific to what you're looking for 

in cotton, silk, mohair or any other yarn. Start 

envisioning your perfect throw! 

Enhance your living room with a cozy throw this winter. Not only does a throw keep you warm and toasty. It's also great for pulling the colours of a room together, and for introducing an accent colour that will make your space come alive. If you can't find that perfect throw in the stores, think about making it yourself. With North Bay's Stix & Stones around it has never been easier! This downtown knitters' paradise has everything you need for the project: needles and hooks, afghan kit collections, beautiful yarns and an enthusiastic knitting community to support you in your efforts. A visit to Stix & Stones is sure to get your creative juices flowing. And if you're hesitating about taking on yet another project, you have the option to buy one of the fantastic throws displayed in the store. Just take a look at these:

This throw is knit as a square and comes

in a range of beautiful hand-died variegated 

wool yarns. You need two skeins at $16 each,

thick needles and one very bad movie night to 

complete it. The result: a gorgeous, highly 

personalized afghan. Tempting! 

Let yourself be inspired by Universal

Yarn's afghan knit collection.

This amazingly colourful afghan is 

made by Dianne Giroux and is for

sale at Stix & Stones. If you prefer 

a calmer colour scheme, the throw 

below by the same knitter could be 

an option. $295 each.

This baby blanket is also knit as a square and should

be a piece of cake (says the time optimist). It is made

out of wool yarn and requires four skeins at $9 each.

Whether it's a throw or a quilt, who doesn't want

to see our little ones warmly wrapped up and

happy? In a future blog, I'll show inspiring quilt photos

and beautiful quilts available in our local stores.