In Yarn Veritas

Toot,toot, tootsie hello.

2012-01-23T20:29:00.001-08:00

I bought some Toots LeBlanc merino/angora at Madrona fiber festival last year. Given the length of my knitting queue, I figured that it stood a better chance of becoming an FO as a woven object. I was supposed to create something for a competition ( eventually cancelled) using 3 colours from the OHS tartan. I chose azure, brown and white. I had to overdye the fawn shade with the azure and it came out the perfect shade.

In my zeal to get the warp on the loom, I neglected to tie off the crosses and ended up with a tangled mess. Had it not been Toots LeBlanc, I might have given up. I took a few weeks to slowly sort the threads and to put them in place. The warp is brown and white, the weft blue and white. The pin wheel design is fun and beautiful. I got the pattern from the Handwoven best of scarves collection.

The cloth is beautiful, the yarn bloomed perfectly.

Colour me happy.

Blankie

2011-12-21T20:30:00.001-08:00

I'm trying a new blogging app so we'll see how it goes. This is the baby Shane Blanket from Tanis Fiber Arts.

It's a fun knit.

Trust the colours- I had second, third and fourth thoughts about the colour combos but when they all fit together, they sang.

Find the beauty in miles of garter stitch - the border is epic but it's the unifying force.

Whatever you do, don't start well into the pregnancy like I did. The baby was 2 months old when she finally got it.

2011-10-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Summer

I think I promised all of you pictures of my finished backyard. Well, suffice it to say I thoroughly enjoyed my patio this summer. Here is the patio with interlocking brick and the patio set.

I also covered the pergola with some canvass sewn together with my serger. I placed some pretty tea lights under the canopy to create a ceiling of stars.

The plants are small right now but will fill in eventually. I got a Bloomerang Lilac (blooms 3 times a year apparently) but I fear it hasn't taken well. We'll find out in the spring.

August saw me attend Ontario's first Dinner en Blanc in Niagara on the Lake. It was spectacular.

I also managed to finish my Maritime cardigan. The pictures aren't the greatest but I'm so pleased it's done at last! It's hard to believe that November is almost here. Perhaps fewer distractions outside will help me focus on blogging more regularly!

2011-06-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Knitting Al Fresco

It would seem that one large home improvement project per year is the way we roll around here. Two years ago it was the roof and last year...windows. Those were great but when they're done, you don't get anything new out of the deal just updated versions of what you already had. This year is different. As of tonight, I have large machinery in my back yard.

For the last couple of years, I've plunked down a cheapo gazebo - the kind you get at Canadian Tire. It's been a great place to hang out on warm summer nights and surf the net or to knit. I had little white tea lights suspended from the roof of the gazebo to make it just a bit more magical. When it collapsed last fall, I decided to invest in an oasis of my own and to do some proper landscaping. So, this year - we're installing a patio, pergola and some gardens.

I had a very talented young landscape designer create the plan for me and now, we execute it. Here is day 1. the digging has commenced and all looks good. The patio will be this brick and the pergola will look like this. I'll be buying the plants later this week and completing the final installation myself on Canada Day this Friday. If all goes well, I'll be sipping some of our new Trius Rose on my new patio this long weekend whilst working on my Kowloon cardigan. I did complete my Maritime cardi so look for pictures of that soon!

Stay tuned for an update as this oasis progresses.

2011-05-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Time Machine

I wish I had one. Wow - my last post was Jan. 30 so here I am four months later finally posting again. I have a new job managing a winery with the same company I've been with for the last six years. It's exciting and busy...hence the lack of blogging. Hallet's Ledge is coming along nicely and the second sleeve it about 2/3 done so just the button and neck bands to do after the arms are attached.

Spring has been slow to arrive but now that it's finally here - I'm jonseing for some warm weather knits.

In particular, I'm quite taken with the new book from Fibrespates called Scrumptious Knitting. This lovely cardigan is made from some laceweight. I have some Hepburn from Abstract Fiber in a shade called "Big Girl Pink". This is the pink that was mentioned on the Knitmore Girl's Podcast. Now the two skeins are quite differently shaded so I'm either going to have to alternate every other row or shade from dark to light.

I also love this lacy cardigan from the same book. My stash of Green Stinkbug Skinny Bugga will be perfect for this one too. I bought it to make the Austin Hoodie but ended up getting the Tosh Merino Light anyway.

I'm plugging away on a garter stitch vest called Desert from the Savannah book from Rowan. The lilac shade is so pretty and the strips of garter stitch are a welcome diversion when my brain is fried. With a new job there's lots of information to cram in so many nights - I'm only good for garter stitch. The strips are knit one way and then the other way with a yoke of short rows to finish it off.

I'm excited about my trip to BC in a couple of weeks so stay tuned for lots of nice pictures as I hook up with a couple of knitting buddies in Vancouver. I'll certainly need to learn how to blog from my iPad.

2011-01-30T16:06:00.000-08:00

Out on a Ledge

I do enjoy blogging - really I do! You'd never know it from the infrequent posts last year but it's been a busy but good year. Amongst all of the craziness is still yarn. And although I dabble in several fibre arts - knitting remains my first love. I fell head over heals in love with Hallett's Ledge from the Fall 2010 Twist Collective. I find cables so soothing and zen - I always find myself thinking I must do more when I'm working on a cabled project.

I do so love the Rowan Felted Tweed and couldn't pass up a chance to use it for this design. I got a new Nikon D3100 for Christmas so I've been playing with it a bit. I'm no Jared Flood but here are my attempts at showing the beautiful texture of the design as well as the flecks of caramel and icy blue that highlight the ivy shade of Felted Tweed. I've actually manged to remain monogamous since crawling out on "the ledge". It's just that satisfying.

The body is done in one piece and I've pinned it to Judy just to get a sense as to how it will hug the body. It spurs me on to keep at the sleeves.

I'll be going to Madrona in a couple of weeks and I'll be taking a photography course with Franklin Habit so fingers crossed - hopefully there will be some better shots to come!

2010-10-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Sheep to Haul

This past Friday the Canadian fibre contingent headed up to Rhinebeck NY for the sheep and wool festival. The weekend was a whirlwind but the highlights are as follows:

First Place in the "So Cute I Want to Steal You" category: These Australian Shepherd Puppies. I'm sure they're chewing somebody's slipper as we speak.

First Place in the "So Beautiful I Want to Steal you while your Maker is sleeping" category: Dr. Steph's Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl. Of course since she was providing the passage back to Canada - I chose a ride home over a life of crime but isn't this shawl amazing??? I'm still knitting away on mine but I'm inspired to keep going after seeing hers.

First Place in the "So Beautiful I want to buy more yarn and cast on this second" category: Glenna C's absolutely stunning cabled pullover Royale. She was nice enough to let me try it on and I couldn't click that Pay Pal link fast enough!! I'm eyeing up a nice Indigo Dragonfly yarn for this baby.

My spoils included several stops at the Jennie the Potter booth and I got a beautiful mug so each morning as I sip my coffee ( OK, more like gulp and I'm usually running late but a girl can dream) I can remember my wonderful weekend at Rhinebeck. I also got some buttons from Jennie the Potter and from Sheila and Michael Ernst but I'll blog more on those later.

Gotta run. One more weekend of weaving seminars and I'm through the most intense of the fibre activities for the fall!!

2010-09-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Monkey off my back

Yesterday was the Five Counties guild competition and as usual, I was finishing my entry at the last minute. Most years, I end up putting the last touches on during the car ride to the event. Since I was driving this year, I thought my passenger would appreciate an earlier push.

The pattern is the Sleepy Monkey Blanket from Twist Collective. It's really two blankets knitted in the round, steeked and then bound together wrong sides in and finished with two seperate borders (backing on each other). A final garter round seals both sides and makes the blanket totally reversible.

I spun the yarn on my Schacht Matchless and then Navajo plied it to a triple ply. The roving was superwash merino and the colours were dictated by the guild challenge. I had to use orange and green but could add other colours too. You can see the two sides here before I bound them together. The back side is quite colourful. I opted for a garter stitch border instead because it is reversible and I would have had to spin more yarn to do it as indicated in the pattern. Time didn't permit however, I'm pleased with the garter finish. The blanket is very cushy so if you make this, it's almost like a flat pillow.

The theme of the competition was "energy" so my very talented guild mate suggested we make felted balls and create an energy transfer machine ala physics class. You can see them here behind the mesh holding the display items. People did play with our machine which is what we wanted but alas - the judges didn't think it was the most "eye catching" so we're bridesmaids again. However, I loved seeing all of the entries and was so proud of the talent in our guild.

The Sleepy Monkey will be resting in my cedar chest. I can't bear to give it to anyone because there's so much of me in it. I think it will go to the first grandchild. NOT ANYTIME SOON!

2010-08-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

A Good Bath

It sucks when you work on a project and the whole time you feel it's a disaster. Such was my experience weaving my second project - an undulating twill blanket. The yarn choice, pattern choice and sett were not "in sympatico" so I had lots of slippage. It was a rookie mistake. I powered through with some coaching from the amazing Jane Stafford who gave me some advice. The best advice she gave was to reserve judgement until the finished cloth hit the water. "A good bath often turns an ugly duckling into a swan," she counselled. She was right.

Here is the finished blanket. It was designed to act like a runner on a leather chair in our living room. Colours were chartreuse and taupe. The pattern I chose was an undulating twill which has long floats. The yarn was a silk-superwash merino blend which I thought would wear well. However, it makes it more slippery and less forgiving when it comes to fluffing up during washing to stabilize it.

When I found big gaps in my sample weaving because the yarn slipped around I panicked and e mailed Jane. She recommended a pick of plain weave 100% wool (very fine) between the picks of twill to stabilize it. Here on the close up you can see the wool picks and it certainly did the trick! The final blanket was more than 5 feet long so I was very glad to finish it off.

I washed it in warm water with Soak soap and spun it dry This was my first time using a floating selvedge and I love the way it makes everything so neat and tidy.

It looks great on the chair and I'm still amazed at how a little bath saved the day.

2010-08-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Summertime: Livin Easy, Fish Jumping and Cotton is on the Needles

In spite of the fact that I'm delving into other fibrey pursuits - knitting remains my fist love (rest assured). There are many projects in the queue and a couple that will make it to finished object status soon.

Here in wine country, we've been enjoying an amazing summer. Our winemakers are grinning ear to ear and they say it'll hopefully be the best vintage ever. We've been renovating here at chez veritas. The new roof was last November and now it's time for all new windows. What a difference it makes! Of course - it ain't cheap so thank goodness that most of the fall projects I'm lovin can come from stash (more on that later).

First up is a cardigan I started a few seasons ago - Maritime from Rowan 43 in Cotton Glace . I'm finally on the last sleeve so here's a sneak peek of the pieces tacked to Judy (she's such a trooper). The button band is done in a lovely lilac shade and I have funky lilac buttons with white trim to finish it off. This is very "Anthroplogie" to me. I got a navy ribbon for the waist trim.

Also chugging along is my submission for this year's spinning/weaving competition for September. It's Sleepy Monkey. Our colours are pumpkin and sage green so I'm doing the monkeys in the pumpkin and the edging will incorporate the green. I can add as many other colours as I want - just 50% of the item has to be a combo of pumpkin and green. It's a merino superwash that I've spun to worsted weight and Navajo plied.

I'm hoping to post a final review of my woven blanket once it's off the loom and washed - we'll see if a good bath can save it.

I'll leave you with a lovely glamour shot of Phoebe. She actually looks regal! You'd never know she was such a goof-ball.

2010-07-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Drive By Blogging

So you may be wondering how the heck the weaving is going?? It's been said that good judgement comes from experience and that experience comes from...bad judgement.

I'm getting lots of "experience".

Thanks so much to everyone who posted here and in the Handwoven study group forums to help me figure out how to save this project. It's a classic case of yarn and weave structure not being compatible. Undulating twills have long floats on top of the cloth. This is a bigger yarn and is super wash/silk blend (in other words slippery). Undulating twills it turns out are much nicer when woven in fine yarns that can grip a bit. Ah - go figure!

At any rate, the amazing Jane Stafford has suggested that I weave a pick of fine neutral 100% wool between the picks of twill to stabilize it. That's what I'm doing and it's definitely better but still a bit more "mobile" than I would like.

The true test will be when it takes a bath. Hopefully the wool picks will felt a wee bit and hold it all together.

Time will tell! I'm in the home stretch.

2010-06-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Feeling like a wet blanket:

I'm weaving a blanket for my husband out of City Silk in taupe and chartreuse. It's an undulating twill and I don't understand the weave structure as it's got some long floats.

I'm concerned about the end fabric though. The weave seems uniform and firm when I first do it but as it winds around the front of the loom, there are some gaping holes as the threads shift. Is this something I should be worried about or will it work itself out when I wet finish it?

This is the fabric on the top side which looks fine:

Here is the fabric underneath:

What say you oh weaving mavens?

2010-04-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, Bugga

I manged to forgo the Koigu craze.

I even resisted stashing up on Socks that Rock

In fact, I'm quite proud of my ability to resist the "latest cool yarn" - that is, until I met Bugga.

Or should I say- Bugga met me? Oh sure, I'd heard whispers in chat rooms about its decadence and beauty. Merino, Cashmere, Nylon might be Kryptonite to some but not to me. Then Vanessa showed up at Madrona wearing her Swedish Heartwarmer shawl made in 100% Bugga. Here it is modeled by Steph at our weekend retreat in March. Vanessa kindly brought it to the Yellow House for all of us to ogle. My other knitting buddy Joy also made this out of the Mountain Bearfoot yarns originally prescribed. Both versions are stunning but I really wanted to knit with the Bugga to see what all of the fuss was about so I planned my colourway.

I want to stay close to the original colourway (done in Bearfoot Mountain Colours) but at the same time, I want to put my own stamp on things. I found inspiration in a wall calendar I have. This is the April image and I particularly love the way the red boat pops on the subdued grey/blue background. It's got a Ralph Lauren vibe that I especially like.
(The colours, not the image which is kind of goofy)

Over the month of March I acquired the necessary shades. Top left going clockwise they are: Tomato Frog, Blue Metalmark, Bog Fritillary and Sooty Dancer. I'm working on the plain section that starts the shawl done all in indigo. In this case it's Sooty Dancer.

I'm doing a huge, stranded colourwork shawl on 2.25mm needles.

I'm knitting it with the most amazing yarn ever made.

Kinda like drowning in a vat of liquid chocolate. I may not make it out the other side but I'll certainly die happy.

2010-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Spring Shell Games

Once upon a time, I was going to knit this

I purchased the Rowan Milk Cotton DK in the soft Apple Pips shade to make it. Then, I woke up and realized that I wasn't a supermodel and that the sizing just didn't work for me. So, the milk cotton has languished until now.

I LURVE this cardigan. Practical, classy. Kim has really knocked it out of the park this time with her new Summer book Misty.

Once upon a time, I was going to knit this.

I purchased the Rowan Fine Milk Cotton in the Barley shade to make it. I've seen a store sample (Julie had one in her booth at the Toronto Knitter's Frolic last year). It's stunning and I still love it BUT this lacy tank (right) is also in Kim's new book. How sweet! Wearable with skirts and jeans for summer. I think I'll repurpose the yarn for Arielle instead.

Oh yeah, and I also love this ice blue lacy cardigan (below) from the new book. It's made from Calmer and I have a half-knitted Audrey that I never finished way back in the day. I don't think I'll wear Audrey very much. I lost interest after the millionth knitter made it. I think I'll frog Audrey and use the teal Calmer for this design.

So, I'm frogging a Kim Hargreaves design to make another Kim Hargreaves design. I guess she gets the triple play here.

2010-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Two Minutes for Holding

We take our hockey very seriously here in Canada. I snapped this picture of a snowman created by some of the university students living down the street. He was built the day of the hockey game and quite frankly - I think it looks like the Michelin Man and Captain Jack Sparrow had a love child (notwithstanding the Canadian flag).

For knitters, the Olympics were definitely a reason to celebrate. I joined my knit night team (one talented team member designed a logo for our team) and decided to cast on for the Tanis Gray XOXO Raglan mauve cardigan. I did get one sleeve done which is an accomplishment for me. Madrona was great but being away and then catching up at work when I got back didn't lend itself to lots of knitting time.

Here's the first sleeve - the little garter triangles that decorate the raglan sleeve are a lovely detail.

There was lots of lovely knitwear on display too. The Canadian team sported bulky cardigans which are inspired by the Cowichan Sweaters. I did see them at the Bay and liked them quite a bit. I don't recall them being the $300 people are quoting now - more like $125 or so. They are sold out but there are options (we're knitters after all).

There is this free pattern on the Ram Wools site which isn't too far off of the mark.

There is a Raveler who is charting the design too.

Check out the Olympic style "look book" to see some of the designs worn by other Olympic volunteers.

I'm almost tempted to design something myself for next year as well. I do love the rustic feel of the sweaters but something a bit more fashion forward might be in order. This design from the cover of Knit Scene has always appealed to me but I'd want to put a bit more of the graphic elements on it.

So in the end, the Olympics were a success. The country did itself proud, discovered its voice and my queue got longer.

Not bad for 17 days work.

2010-02-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hitting the Pause Button

This coming Tuesday I will board a plane and head to Washington State for t he Madrona Fiber Retreat. Preparing for my absence requires several "to do" lists.

Clean towels, sheets and underwear for everyone...check

Board of Directors report complete and submitted....check

Two casseroles, 3 loaves of bread and 4 boxes of Kraft Dinner in the pantry...check

Purchased 12 large crickets to feed to carnivorous lizard...check

Packed, got US traveler's cheques and completed workshop homework...check

Now just the fact that my list includes both a Board report and a cricket purchase (and not the English sporting kind) makes me like most busy moms - a multi-tasker. We give and do for others so much that sometimes, we just need to recharge our batteries. This is what Madrona is all about for me.

I'll be taking my Wee Robin wheel and partaking in a seminar with Judith MacKenzie McCuin about fleeces and the long staple breeds. I've taken a several workshops with her before and I always learn so much. I'm also taking a day with Janine Bajus on designing a Fair Isle yoke sweater and choosing colours for the project. I've wanted to take a workshop with her for ages so I'm quite excited to finally be able to. There will be great friends, lovely food, stimulating workshops and lots of lovely fibre and yarn at the vendor market. I'm hoping to take my Christmas money (thanks dad!) and treat myself to a bulky plying head for my Matchless.

I've always loved this painting. I don't own it but I do own several of his pieces. It's called "The Responsible Woman". It is an homage to his wife who balances several roles in any given day. He's beautifully captured the essence of today's wife, mother and businesswoman.

No matter who you are or what your gender - make sure you set aside some time, money and head space to have an experience that recharges your batteries. Acquiring another "widget" just doesn't have the same therapeutic impact.

Catch you all on the flip side!

2010-01-23T16:20:00.001-08:00

You had me at William Morris

I love the aesthetic created during the arts and crafts movement in the 1900's. They say that the movement was an expression of rebellion against the impending industrial onslaught. It advocated truth to materials, traditional craftsmanship and economic reform. It's also been noted that today's renewal in the arts and crafts is a similar means of protesting the electronic age.

I particularly love William Morris and have sourced (with all of the dtermination of Dog the Bounty Hunter) a few fabrics based on his designs to use in my home decorating projects.

When I saw Kelmscott in the Winter issue of Twist Collective and then noted its ties to the William Morris aesthetic - I was instantly in love. Now normally, I would source the prescribed yarn for such a beloved project (aren't they all?) as detailed exactly by the pattern. This time I had a yarn in stash that profiled perfectly for conscription. Said yarn was 10 skeins of Naturally Sensation in a pale lilac shade. It was a perfect substitute based on the following criterion:

It was made of the correct fibre content - in this case a 70/30 merino/angora blend.

It was of a colour and shade that worked for this project - a subdued whisper lilac.

I had in stash the perfect quantity - no more, no less (here's where I often come off the rails but not this time).

Most importantly - I had not emotionally connected this yarn to a specific project. Feral yarns that don't have "project homes" are best for deploying on the fly. If I have purchased a yarn with a project in mind - it's often impossible for me to admit defeat and direct the intended yarn to another purpose.

Here was a yarn that I'd bought when an LYS closed. It was a good popular weight and sensible colour so I stashed it without a project in mind.

Kelmscott and Sensations seem to be a match made in heaven! Gauge is perfect, the pattern is humming along and best of all, I'm not haunted with images of what "might have been".

Then - the latest issue of Knit Scene arrives with a smashing wrap cardi by one of my favourite designers in...you guessed it - Naturally Sensations, lilac. I love Connie's work, I love the design here and as luck would have it, the required number of skeins matches exactly what I had in stash.

I'm holding tough and forging on with Kelmscott but darn it all - does this mean I have to buy it again?

2009-12-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

Double Play: Cobblestone Pullover

I've been in a rather indecisive state of mind of late. I don't like the notion of committing myself to anything and this is having some rather unexpected benefits for my knitting. Since choosing a new project seems to daunting, I've taken to pulling UFOs (Dad, UFO= unfinished object in knitter speak) out of the pile to forge ahead on them. What better way to avoid a new commitment than to simply reignite an old one? Case in point - meet a completed Cobblestone Pullover. It's my second finished object this month.

Specs are as follows:

Cobblestone Pullover by Jared Flood

Yarn: O Wool Balance in grey (50/50 organic wool and cotton)

Size: Smallest

Adaptations: Used a 4mm needle on the hem and cuffs. Made the sleeves slightly smaller.

Made for: Mr. Veritas

This is the first sweater I've ever made for my husband after 30 years of being together. I'm not worried about the sweater curse (don't believe in it) it's simply that he likes grey and black stockinette and I like challenge and colour. We both liked this design and the tweedy flecks of the O-Balance yarn made it more interesting. The fit is PERFECT. Unlike Roam for which size was a problem (due to my yarn choice) - this one is bang on. This is a delightful pattern to make - deceptively simple in style yet artful in design. I'm so impressed with Mr. Flood's pattern that I may just commit to casting on for Stillwell. I have the yarn all set to go from Julie at the Needle Emporium.

Here he is with Phoebe who has grown into quite a nice young lady at one year of age.

In the meantime, I'll be resurrecting Rhinegold to see if I can shepherd that one to the finish line.

It amazes me that my indecision has increased my productivity. Though I will cast on something new on New Year's Eve...What will it be????

2009-12-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

A Flaming Red Head

I love the evening of boxing day. It generally marks the point in the holiday season where I can shake off the social obligations and break free. The last big meal has been served, the last office party attended, gifting done and the men folk can coast on the leftovers for the rest of the week. I can now turn my thoughts to the upcoming year.

I'm looking forward to 2010 - it's the start of a new decade and won't we all be glad to put a fork in this one? In spite of myself, I'm getting excited about the Vancouver Olympics. The torch passed through our region this past week. Our fearless leader was invited to be a toch-bearer. The torch was brought into the office the next day and we all lined up in the lobby to have our pictures taken with it. It's a heavy thing!

I guess I may just join in on the Knitting Olympics this year. I'm not sure if my Knit Night group is planning a team but hopefully I can find one to join. I'm thinking of making the Ysolda Teague Vine Yoke Cardigan. I have some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in the new colourway Cookie's Deep Dark Secret. It's a deep blueberry shade.

A whole cardigan within 3 weeks - I've never done it yet. Could be cool...or crazy.

2009-12-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Roam wasn't knit in a day

It's done. Finally, totally, blessedly done.

Roam is one of those sweaters that I wanted to wear more than I wanted to knit it. All of that seed stitch can make you mad. I did learn how to produce this stitch continental which was a god-send. However, with this sweater, I made a tragic, rookie mistake.

I used an alpaca and silk blend.

I made a size larger (made size 40") than I normally would.

Those two decisions have produced a garment that's bigger than I'd wanted. Note to self...alpaca = size "DOWN" not up. Instead of the sleek, sexy zippered hoodie described in the pattern, I have a longer, roomier sweater. It still fits fine - it's just different than I'd planned. These shots on the dress Judy show the stitch and the yarn fairly accurately. I used Lisa Souza's Baby Alpaca Silk in the shade mahogany. It was delicious to work with but I will use it for shawls in the future or I will knit a size smaller than I want the finished garment to be.

Thrown over a skirt, tights and boots with a turtle neck - a leather low-slung belt kind of makes it look ok. It's very toasty and I must admit, I've worn it a lot already.

Next up is hopefully a finished Cobblestone pullover for my husband for Christmas. I'm in good shape so far and that will make TWO FOs in one month. Outrageous!!

With all of this finishing, pretty soon I'll have to decide what new project to cast on for. The possibilities are mind-boggling.

2009-12-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Connections

When I started this blog, I had this notion that it could celebrate wine and yarn. There's been a lot more yarn than wine and it's been a while since I've done a yarn and wine pairing. I'll admit it, sometimes I feel it seems contrived to recommend a wine with a certain project but then something happened today that just seemed blog-worthy.

This is one of our top selling wines. It's called XOXO. It's about the passionate embrace of two perfect grapes. In this case it's a pinot grigio with a chardonnay. Our winemaker (a young woman who is so very talented) has got the balance down perfectly and the chard tempers the pinot grigio every so slightly. It's an unusual combination but it totally works.

So how does this relate to yarn you might ask? Well Vogue Knitting has been releasing some previews of some designs from their upcoming winter issue and lo and behold - this is featured...

Just the right colour and those x's and o's up the front band are awesome!

I think I'm in love. I would cast on this minute if I could.

2009-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Neutron Dance

I went down the rabbit hole.

No willingly mind you - typically autumn ratchets up dramatically from the more genteel summer pace. This year has been a bit more challenging than most. The harvest has been challenging since that magnificent September gave way to a wet October. The winemakers say aromatic whites will be great - Bordeaux reds...jury's still out. These are the vintages that separate the men from the boys. Where a skilled winemaker is the "make or break" element.

Speaking of elements -the boys started college and Twin A has a pretty heavy load of sciences and maths. He's studying the environment. I was a science major (back in the day) so I've been dusting off my Chem 100...aka killer chem skills in an attempt to help him out. When I took that damn course I said to myself "Self: you will never use this on the job." Little did I know it would come in handy as a parent. Perhaps the most important aspect of a good education is that it helps your offspring obtain...a good education.

We finally got a break in the weather to get the new roof on. Here are the before and after shots (it looks much better under a sunny sky). I love the way it looks. It's amazing how 12 men arriving at 8:20 am can create such a mess yet leave the place spotless by 5:00 pm.

On the knitting side, finishing Bijou has made me eager to complete Roam and Cobblestone Pullover. Roam is done except for the zipper and side seams so look for that FO soon. Cobblestone body and sleeves are done, I just need to join them and start on the fun part - the yoke. I've started going to a local "knit night" at a cafe downtown. To have a straightforward project to work on - I've hauled out an old UFO Manhattan by Jane Ellison. I have completed one front and have started the back.

In the midst of the Autumn chaos, I did run away for a few hours to the Toronto Knitting Guild October meeting. This guild boasts Fiona Ellis, Robin Melanson and Barbara Gregory as members and this particular meeting was a fashion show featuring sweaters from The Twist Collective. These garments are even more beautiful in person and while I want to make them all - the Vine Yoke Cardigan, Pas de Valse and Maire are calling to me. I'm in the mood for some cables and lace. Maire should be a good fit for some Louisa Harding Kashmir DK I have in stash. It's a pale aqua colour. The hallmark of the Twist patterns is the unique construction each pattern employs. Kate Gilbert moderated the fashion show via Skype from Montreal while Fiona Ellis introduced the designs in Toronto. It was quite fitting that a magazine the owes its premise to technology conducted a fashion show using it. I did treat myself to a few skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in the colourway "Cookie's Deep Dark Secret" to make The Vine Yoke Cardigan. I have Dream in Colour stashed but in larger quantities so I don't want to waste it on a project requiring less. At least that's my story.

With a little luck - I'll be able to show you a completed Roam soon.

That is - once I get through my midterm exams.

2009-09-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yarn, Over.

The next time I lecture my kids about the virtue of not completing projects at the last minute, I fully expect a bolt of lightening to strike me down. I finished Bijou on Saturday morning on the way to the Five Counties competition. I had stayed up until 1:00am the night before completing the crochet edging and darning in a few ends.

I really love her. Much more than most projects I complete at first. I typically need some time apart from items I've been so involved with for so long to forget where all the little mistakes are and to adjust to the reality of the item - rather than the fantasy. Since this project was intended to be a creative collaboration with a friend, combining the two hand spun yarns (mine and Hope's) was my way of expressing that theme.

Here are the project details:

Pattern: Bijou by Marnie MacLean Winter 2008 Twist Collective

Yarn: My friend's hand spun sport weight in a hand paint combined with my 2 ply lace weight in an indigo blue by Tactile Fiber Arts.

The pattern is a joy to knit. Done in the round with waist shaping and bust darts made with short rows.

The lace is not complicated and makes a nice fabric that's not too sheer.
The flutter sleeves are a feminine touch and the construction of the sleeves was a lot of fun.

I wore Bijou to work today with a denim skirt and it looked nice for the office yet would be perfect for a special dinner out too. She got a lot of attention at the competition but alas - no prizes. That's OK -the "F.O. glow" is seeing me through.

2009-09-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

No Pressure

If this were a baseball game, it would be the top of the ninth with the game tied. I have 12 days (actually 11 since we can't count the day of the fair) to finish Bijou. The theme is friendship and collaboration. The project - Bijou by Marnie McClean using my handspun in an indigo blue merino/tencel roving from Tactile Fiber Arts and my friend's handspun in a handpaint. The event is the Five Counties Guild competition coming up in a couple of weeks.

The lace section was a bugger but once I got it through my thick skull, it went quickly. The star pattern gives quite a bit of coverage so it won't be as sheer as I thought it would. Just two sleeves, a bit of crochet finish around the neck, some buttons and she'll be ready for the competition. This is one pretty pattern!

Here is Judy modeling Bijou in process.

Judy has a great body so the brilliant shaping Marnie's incorporated into this design really show well on the dress form.

I'm also a short-row shoulder convert after seeing how nicely these worked up.

I know I've squawked frequently about the cost of the Twist patterns but they are very detailed and well worth the money. (There - I've said it).

After Bijou, Cobblestone and Roam are on deck for finishing so stay tuned for an "FOpalooza"

2009-08-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Twist and Shout

The first anniversary edition of Twist Collective launched today. Yowza! Wowza! and any other "owza" that comes to mind. Talk about hitting it out of the park! I must say, When Twist first launched, I wasn't sure how an online knitting magazine would appeal to my senses. After all, getting that publication in my hands and sitting back with a nice glass of wine to turn the pages had become a ritual. I can say that the inaugural issue was beautiful and for the most part, the other issues this year have delivered too. The photography is enticing and the patterns are beautifully laid out. I like buying patterns online however - buying more than one or two at a time becomes a costly exercise. Therein lies the problem with the Fall 2009 issue of Twist.

I want EVERY freaking pattern in the darn thing.

When the sneak peeks were released a couple of weeks ago - I fell hard for the Low Tide Ripples pullover. I have in stash some Ivy Brambles merino super wash in a beautiful lilac colourway called Aster. Now that the issue's been released, I also really want: Ysolda Teague's Vine Yoke Cardigan. This is gorgeous and that Karabella Soft Tweed I have that was intended for the Sunrise Circle Jacket (I've long since gotten over wanting to make that) could be beautiful in this design!!!! Given the wine-centric focus of this blog, I think a "Vine Yoke sweater" is a must. Audrey in Unst won't be at the top of my queue right now but that photography is brilliant! The red sweater against the blue brick wall...stunning. Mimico rocks and I love the shades of blue. Cottage Garden is another favourite and so is Paula. My Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca silk in the Mother of Pearl colourway may work for this. Loreli would look wonderful in that Silky Malibrigo I have stashed. Papineau is drool worthy and I'm itching to try the new St. Denis yarn. Twigs and Leaves cardigan maybe would work for something in stash. I love the rustic look and the leather tie. Last but not least, Marnie McClean's Pas de Valse really shows its stuff in the thumbnail images sporting different ways to wear this cardigan. I love it but can I stand that much stockinette???

Speaking of Marnie McClean, I have some pictures of Bijou which is her design from the Winter 2009 issue of Twist. I'm making this out of a strand of my friend Hope's hand spun hand paint (say that 10 times real fast) and a strand of my lace weight. Here is Judy modeling the body thus far. The shaping is wonderful. It's the first time I've used short rows to create bust darts and I'm a convert! The only thing with hand painted yarn is that short row shaping creates a wee bit of pooling. I don't think it detracts from the design here. In fact, I think it creates a wider band right where I'd like to look slim so I'm quite happy. I will now begin the lace portion of the yoke so the fun begins!!! Stay tuned ladies and gents - I'm on a deadline with this one so time is of the essence.

So thank you Twist for an issue that will be spoken about with the same reverence as Rowan 10 and 20. I want them all but I can't buy them all at once. Damn! At $7.00 per pattern, only serious contenders will make the cut.

My son overheard me looking at the issue this morning. As I looked at each design I swore under my breath because it became clear to me that I was loving them all. When he asked what was wrong I tried to explain why liking them all upset me. "Honey, what if you walked into a video game store and EVERY game there was great and you wanted it? That's what this feels like to me". "No problem," he countered. "I would buy the one I wanted first and then get the others one by one. I would assume they would still be there when I wanted them."

Ah, it sucks when the student surpasses the teacher doesn't it? Thanks Grasshopper.

2009-08-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Island
Forgive my infrequent posting to this blog...my trusty computer was fried by a lightening strike mid July and then I left for my yearly sojourn to visit my dad on Vancouver Island. In addition to looking forward to spending time with my father, BC has been basking in the sun regularly this summer whilst we here in Ontario have been enduring a summer that sucks beyond all reason. I was also extremely excited to be meeting up with two dear "comrades in yarns" on Salt Spring Island. We had planned a day of visiting with each other and haunting fibre shops - specifically Treenway Silks and Jane Stafford's studio.

On the appointed day, my father deposited me on foot at the ferry dock to revel in the sunbathed deck during the 20 minute voyage to Salt Spring. As I gazed over the railing at my destination - I felt the pull of the three things I was longing to see.

I had just treated myself to the Kowloon cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio. This pattern is a treat and working on it during the ferry ride was a pleasure. Gail picked me up at the ferry and we trekked over to the other ferry dock to collect Mel who'd come in from Vancouver. We had a lovely morning visiting over lattes and then located Treenway Silks. I was set on acquiring a beautiful silk scarf kit for weaving in blacks and ivories and they did have it in stock. We stopped for some lunch in town (it was a scorching hot day!) and then set off for Jane Stafford's weaving studio. We arrived about 2 hours before closing but Jane had stepped out to take a friend of hers to the ferry. Thank goodness we had Gail with us who whipped out her ace negotiating skills and convinced the woman minding the shop to let us in to "browse". Kid meet candy store! Looms in every corner and beautiful cottons, bamboos (looks just like silk) and books and toys galore. Since we took so long browsing, it happened that Jane arrived back from her errand and we spent another hour or so picking her (very substantial) brain about weaving. My bucket list includes going back to her studio for a workshop! What a wealth of information she is. I bought the yarns to make this Huck lace scarf from an old issue of Handwoven.

After a lovely dinner and glass or two of wine, it was time to take the ferry back to the island. We enlisted a fellow traveler to take a picture of the three of us. The ride back was wonderful complete with warm summer breezes, twinkling stars and beautiful scenery.

The rest of the trip was just as wonderful. We fished and caught some Spring Salmon. Nothing tastes like salmon cooked the day it's caught! I had a lovely Pinot Noir with it.

I did some knitting on the Kowloon cardigan and bought some beautiful Czech glass buttons in Victoria with a rose shade to complement the berry coloured Flaxen yarn. I'll post more about this project later. I'm loving it.

Before we could turn around twice it was time to go back to reality - and the rainy weather. My thought is to haul out these beautiful yarns, cook a piece of that lovely salmon and turn on the Ott light to approximate the BC sun the next time the dreary weather gets me down. Just maybe I can re create a little piece of my wonderful trip.

2009-07-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

New sheep on the block

I love marketing. I admit it - the art of product story-telling amuses the shit out of me. I guess that's why I love my job (all the wine not withstanding).

When I saw the new Spud and Chloe line at Needle Emporium, my inner marketer stood up and cheered. At last - some innovation.

Spud and Chloe is a sub brand of the Blue Sky Alpacas parent brand. (Note to self - never choose a company name that defines you in too narrow a sector). By creating the Spud and Chloe brand, they can now launch "non Alpaca" fibres to their heart's content. The logo is cheeky and whimsical. I'm a sucker for red-headed girls who like sheep.

The patterns are packaged like sewing patterns on one large 11 x 17 inch sheet which folds into a paper sleeve. I wasn't sure I'd like this format but it's great for making a copy to mark up and carry around with you. I always wrestle with the Rowan books when I make copies for my knitting bag. There's even a section to make notes.

The designs strike a nice balance between classic and cheeky. My personal favourites are this bulky weight cardigan which may nicely fit with some Adrianne Vittadini Mimi I have in stash. Also, this hooded vest is very cute but my favourite is this wave pullover in shades of brown, burnt orange, teal and lime green. I must confess...I bought the yarn for this one.

The yarns are also classic with a twist. The fingering weight yarn is called "Fine" and is a merino/silk blend that is super wash. It's very soft and the Wave pullover I bought uses it. The Aran weight is called "Sweater" and is a wool/cotton blend and the bulky weight is dubbed "Outer" and is also a wool/cotton blend.

The patterns are stored in a cool branded filing box with dividers that are labelled according to the yarn it uses. Nice touch marketing department!!!!

I'm guessing BSA is targeting those younger knitters who have made their umpteenth novelty scarf and are ready for garments. I think the patterns will have broader appeal though this little cardigan feels young to me (though I do love it). Julie is having a store sample made of it in different colours so once I see it in the flesh - I may feel differently.

Is Spud and Chloe all gimmick/no substance? I don't think so at all. This is where the industry needs to go. Give us great, easy to care for yarns with innovative pattern support and you'll "have us at hello".

2009-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

Down the Rabbit Hole

I have an FO to announce! My first woven article (a scarf) is complete. As I blogged about earlier, this was a project that I completely underestimated. I thought it looked easy but in fact, it was a multicoloured, multi-fibre warp with fairly complex tie-ups and treadling. I just really liked the picture and since I've developed an affection for Tolani scarves, I'm all about trying to create my own similar effect.

Project Name: Turned M's and O's Scarf
Designer: Emilie Pritchard
Source: Handwoven Magazine November/December 2004 issue
Materials: 8/2 mercerized cotton black, teal and tan, chenille in natural, warp
10/2 pearl cotton white for the weft.
From: Camilla Valley

I ended up cutting off the first 20 inches I wove because I was missing a few threads from one of the sections and it was thinner than the rest. I still had the threads hanging off the back of the loom so I was able to do some re-threading and tie on again to get the pattern correct.

I had a brief heart attack when after cutting off the erroneous piece I realized that "loom waste" included tieing on and getting started again but fortunately, my guild mentor who helped me measure the warp had given me an extra yard or so. Whew - lesson learned.

The true beauty of the piece comes when you wash it and those straight panels of pattern shift around and make the oval shapes. The fabric really softened up too.

I admit it - I'm smitten with this new hobby. I'm so glad I got the 8 shaft Baby Wolf too!

I wrote to Schacht to ask a technical question last week and gushed at how much I was enjoying the loom.

They wrote back a lovely explanation to my question with the following opening line

"Welcome weaver!"

2009-06-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Putting on the Ritz

My blogging has taken a back seat to a few other distractions lately. Next post I will have some finished objects to show off so there has been progress! However, for the last couple of weeks Chez Veritas has been busy preparing for twin sons Butch and Sundance to graduate from high school. This particular institution does it "old school" complete with girls in flowing white dresses and boys in white dinner jackets and bow ties. My dad came to visit from BC for the blessed event and helped the boys with their bow ties, cumber buns and cuff links.

The ceremony was 3 hours long (it's a big high school) but the kids looked so great and they were so full of energy and excitement. Don't you remember feeling the excitement of your whole life open ahead of you?

Mine was one of about 5 cameras snapping pictures so I only got a few after the ceremony. The boys were itching to get home and get out of the monkey suits so I had to snap quickly. Here they are with their dad. Not the best shot of him but I had to beg all 3 of them to take "just one more picture."

You can take the boy out of the playground but you can't take the playground out of the boy! I hope they always have a touchof "imp" left in them.

2009-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Path Less Travelled

I think I know why I suddenly wanted to learn how to weave. I think I wasn't pushing myself enough with my knitting. While my current knitting projects are very wearable, they aren't exactly challenging. Zen knitting I told myself. I've got projects on the needles with minimal shaping, neutral colours and simple stitches. Blech! They will be lovely when they're done but it's like a stroll down a suburban sidewalk versus a hike through the wilderness. I'll take the wilderness anytime.

When I got the Baby Wolf loom; I chose a project that called for the equipment I had. Six shafts, 12 dent reed etc. Sure the warp was multicoloured but how hard could it be? I fell in love with this scarf from a Nov/Dec 2004 issue of Handwoven. I started winding the warp at the guild and another older member took pity on me and helped me. She wouldn't let me quit and when it was finally on the loom she said "That's the most complicated warp I've ever done in 30 years of weaving". Figures I choose it for my first project.

I carefully threaded the heddles. Of course, I ran out of heddles on two of the shafts and had to perform a midterm "heddle transplant". I took about six weeks to get the warp all set up and then last night, I was finally ready to weave. A quick check of the peddles lifted the threads highlighting two crossed threads so I was able to fix that quickly. I gingerly started down the pattern and after an hour of weaving - I had this!! It's always so cool when it looks like the pattern. Once the scarf is washed, the chenille threads will shift as will the others and the rounded curves will be revealed.

The thrill of learning something new has reminded me that I need to choose challenging knitting projects. No Zen here!

Remind me of this next time I get in over my head and start whining.

2009-05-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

EZ Does It

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crisis"

Elizabeth Zimmerman (EZ)

I must admit that when I've thought of this quote by Elizabeth Zimmerman over the years I thought she meant to use knitting as a distraction from one's troubles. A kind of "Grannie on the Bugs Bunny Show" approach where one knits blissfully as the world crashes down around you.

I now know exactly what she really meant.

It's been a challenging year this 2009. On top of all the global issues, in February I learned of the tragic loss of a former co-worker in a plane crash. Then last month a dear friend and next door neighbour of twenty years died in a car accident. Both were men in their forties with families and communities depending on them. It just doesn't make sense.

It's times like these that make us reach for our knitting as a way to soothe ourselves and when I found myself thinking one day "I have nothing to knit" - I knew something was wrong. Like any rabid knitter; I'm rich with projects. Upon closer examination, I realized that all of my projects had hit a transition point. All of them required me to step out of my comfort zone and shift to the next leg of the journey. I suspect that this is what causes many projects to languish So - I embarked upon a "pushing through the transition" binge.

I sewed up the shoulder seams and picked up the neckline for the hood on Roam. I've never knitted a hood before. This baby is in the home stretch.

I started on the sleeves of the Americo Simple Cardigan in lovely grey Alpaca. This is a store sample. The yarn is wonderful and the pattern is very straightforward. I am looking forward to finishing it.

I cast on for Bijou by Marnie McLean. This will be a combination of my friend Hope's hand spun (merino/tencel) blend and my hand spun in a merino/tencel laceweight in Indigo from Tactile Fiber Arts. The braid of merino/tencel there is from the Sweet Sheep and will be spun to match Hope's hand spun to blend in with hers.

I plied the Shetland/Pygora/Silk blend from Hopeful Shetlands. This is a 3 ply chained ply that should knit up to a worsted weight. I'm thinking of either Amanda or Espresso from A Fine Fleece.

I even pushed on to thread the heddles of my Baby Wolf to make this lovely scarf. This is my first project.

It's clear to me now that Elizabeth Zimmerman knew that knitting is a metaphor for life. If we can tackle a short row or tricky collar pick up then maybe, just maybe those small successes can spill over into other areas of our lives and we can push on through.

I like that it's never too late to have an "Ah, ha" moment.

2009-04-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Chasing Cars

I *HEART* my baby wolf.

Actually, I heart both my baby wolves - the one you see to the right and the one that taunts me.

One sunny summer day when I was 8 years old, my family was riding in our 1972 Datsun station wagon in the country. A hound dog came bounding out from a bush by the side of the road where he had been waiting for a car to pass so he could chase it. As the dog ran along side of us barking, my father decided to play along and so he brought the car to a complete stop. The dog was so caught off guard by this (he almost bonked his head on the rear tire when he stopped so quickly) that he sat there puzzled for a few minutes pondering his options. "Now that I've caught this object of my affection - what the heck do I do? Do I bury it? Chew it? Lick it?" He eventually trotted away, ears and tail dropping in defeat.

I know exactly how that dog feels.

I'm pleased to announce that "the loom is in the house". After much consideration, I decided to purchase a loom. Resistance is futile. I'm enjoying the weaving lessons so much that I know I will want to weave - serious weaving. I know Schacht makes a great product and my Matchless wheel has been a perfect fit for me. The Baby Wolf Loom by Schacht had everything I wanted - power without being too mammoth. When I found one at Shuttleworks in Calgary that had all the elements I wanted (8 shafts with high castle), I decided to go for it. (Don't look now but they've created a walnut Baby Wolf for their 40th anniversary).

My husband picked it up at the trucking depot and brought it up to the "loom room" for me. After his part was done, he looked at me and said "Now what?"

The Schacht booklet that comes with the loom tells you how to assemble it but that's all. We got as far as we could on our own and then a generous guild member helped me put the rest of it together. I did get the Deborah Chandler book Learning to Weave and it's excellent. I did wind a warp at my weaving lessons but that whole lesson is a blur and the loom I'm using for lessons is quite different.

This much I know. Once the warping reel, raddle and video (maybe actually seeing it again will help) arrive - I'll be venturing into uncharted territory. I shall prevail.

Maybe I'll just bury it in the backyard.

2009-03-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Acting our Age

I've been taking weaving lessons. My teacher is a retired Home-Ec teacher who told me to just come over straight from work every Monday night - she would make me dinner. I was so there.

When she told me I'd be sleying the reed on the loom. I got all excited. Wow! This hobby is way more exciting than people give it credit for I thought. Turns out...THIS is sleying - in weaving terms anyway.

The great thing about my spinning and weaving guild is that I feel so young. The average age is about 62 so I clock in on the low end. That is...until "the kid" showed up. No, really...she's thirteen years old. When she arrived at the guild meeting with her mother, I thought "poor kid's been dragged to this meeting by her fibre addicted mom." Turns out it was the other way around. This young lady is willowy, blond with intelligent deep brown eyes and the soul of an artist. As we were weaving together at our last lesson I was thinking how beautiful she would be in about 2 or 3 years. Let's see - bright, polite, pretty and loves the fibre arts. Why she'd make a perfect daughter in law. I began plotting in my mind how I could convince my twin teen aged sons to drop by the guild meeting when I suddenly realized that at age 18 they were too old for her! My babies were too old!!! That makes me.....as I was processing this horrible realization, she asked our teacher a question that blew me away. "Could I bring two of my friends to the next guild meeting? They're 12 and want to learn to weave."

These fibre arts that we love so much are quite trendy with young people these days. My 13 year old guild mate is not an isolated incident. She's part of a trend. What's really touched me most is the absolute joy on the faces of the older guild members as these young people come to the meetings and take their first tentative steps towards becoming weavers, spinners and knitters. These people have buried husbands, sold their looms to go into retirement homes and struggled with aging eyes and hands that don't quite work so well when you need them to. Most importantly, they know that these arts aren't taught in schools or even within homes any more. They are the keepers of the crafts and these young people represent the future. This blanket was woven in four hours by a guild member in her eighties. You don't make magic like this in four hours without decades of practice and love.

We're seeing this passing of the torch in many ways and some of us are better sports about it than others. Some of our beloved magazines have a younger, hipper vibe. They feature designs flattering those in their twenties. A woman "of substance" wouldn't be caught dead in that stuff. The styling has an edge to it and everything comes with a hood. Ah, for the good old days when knits were classic and each issue of our favourite magazine had scores of patterns we couldn't wait to start! Drat that new editor. It just hasn't been the same since she took over.

We need to take a different view. Yes, things may be changing but if we're honest, so are we. Let's support those young designers and editors who are reinventing the craft. All of the designs may not be for us but if it brings new fibre artists into the fold - hurray! If you love knitting, weaving, spinning enough then you'll be wistful yet a little glad when next you look at a new set of designs. It's the way things should be. After all - every woman has three distinct stages to her life:

Babe
District Attorney
Driving Miss Daisy

2009-03-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

Feeling Blue

We're in the bottom of the ninth inning of this long, cold winter. I have warm comforting projects - mostly in Alpaca chugging along. Roam has been ripped back and I'm almost back to where I was before. There's something about March however that makes me yearn for colour and this year - I'm all about the blues.

There are several young designers that I think have a true ability to create garments both fashionable and wearable. Connie Chang Chinchio is top of that list and her newest design Varese pullover gave me my latest "gotta have it" moment. I ordered the Silkie Wool 2 ply from One Planet Yarns and received the package Thursday. The yarn came beautifully wrapped with a sachet of loose tea and a tin of hand balm. What a nice touch! Connie's prototype was made in a chocolate shade but I've opted for the salt spray colour. It's grey, blue and pale aqua. The hand is to die for. I think this will be very wearable.

After paying a visit to Julie at the Needle Emporium last Friday. I also scooped up the latest Noro book "Flowers" by Jenny Watson. This lovely shrug cardigan caught my eye. It's made in Noro's new cotton/merino/silk blend yarn called Chirimen. A great all weather piece for cooler air conditioned buildings in the summer yet still appropriate all year round paired with chocolate trousers and a turtleneck.

I'm not sure what this obsession I'm having with shades of blue means in the greater scheme of things. To me it's all about blue skies and sunny days. Oh lord let them be just around the corner!

Phoebe's ready to frolick in the fields!

2009-03-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

A Bad Seed

I'm thisclose to completing the main pieces of Roam. All that's left is the assembly, hood and finishing. I say "all" but we know that finishing can take as long as the darn knitting does. Psychologically however, it feels like the home stretch.

Imagine my chagrin (just cause I like saying chagrin) when I casually glanced at my knitting today as I was waiting for Sundance to finish his marital arts class and noticed THIS! If you look at the knitting beside the green lobster claw you'll see "where knitting attacked" (credit Knitmore Girls). For about 8 stitches I wasn't in seed mode - I was in rib mode. NUTS! That was a good 5 inches ago. I briefly considered dropping down the 8 stitches to reset them one by one but picking up seed stitch again appeals to me about as much as knitting more seed stitch does right now.

This yarn is Lisa Souza hand paint Mahogany colourway in Baby Alpaca Silk. I've been alternating skeins to ensure there's no pooling. I went to one skein only about the time this boo boo happened because I want to blend on the hood too and I'm concerned I won't have enough of the second skein left. I did get some pooling I wasn't pleased with so ripping back will allow me to mix again. I'll simply divide the last skein in half and alternated from either end.

There - if you have two good reasons to rip back it's not so bad...right?

NOT.

2009-02-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Princess - meet pumpkin

Well, I'm back to reality now. I look forward to Madrona Fiber Festival every year with the same anticipation I used to reserve for birthdays and Christmas. The flight there was smooth, weather for travel was great and the plane actually landed thirty minutes early.

The location (Tacoma Washington) is stunningly beautiful. The hotel is luxurious, the classes top notch and the market divine but it's the friends that are the best part. I took two full day classes this year with a day off in between. It was a nice pace - not overly rushed. On Wednesday, Hope and I went to the Museum of Glass accompanied by the talented Lucy Neatby. The glass artist in residence is Lino Tagliapietra and we had a chance to watch him work in the museum's hot room. I think I spent more money in the museum gift shop then I did on yarn but everything was on deep discount so I couldn't resist. I got a really cool brooch by this artist for $25. Apparently he designed a bracelet featured in the Sex in the City movie. The regular price was something like $145.

On Thursday, we took Judith McKenzie's spinning fat yarn class. Any spinner knows that once we train ourselves to spin thin yarn - it's hard to go back. There are so many great sweater designs now using chunky yarn that this is definitely a skill worth cultivating. Here she is demonstrating on her Tina II for the class. And yes - I was happy to get that lovely Wild Apple in the background of the shot.

Vanessa and I both brought our Wee Robins to the retreat and I must say that it traveled like a dream. I carried it as a back pack and it fit perfectly in the overhead bin on the plane. It was great to be able to have significant time to bond with it - I continue to be extremely happy with the yarns I'm making on it. On Friday Vanessa and I sat by the fire in the lobby for most of the afternoon and spun. Vanessa bought a sheep to shoe kit from BMFA and here she is spinning thread to make a 3 ply sock yarn. At one point it was so fine I couldn't see it in mid air. She's my spinning Sensei.

Friday was another Judith class on spinning silk. As always it was chuck full of great advice. I picked up a lazy kate called the Will Taylor / JMM Clever Kate . Here's a photo on another one on Flickr. The spokes come off for flat storage and packing which will be easier than lugging my arched Schacht lazy kate again. I also got her Mother McKenzie's dye kit which I can't wait to try out when the weather gets warm again (please tell me it will). I also snagged some pink, cream and taupe Kauni, Judith's new book the Intentional Spinner and some amazing Malabrigo sock yarn in a shade called Archangel.

It was so cool to wander the hotel and see knitting needles and spinning wheels in every corner. Isn't that the way every hotel should look? Here are Therese and Denise chatting (with her lovely Tina II wheel) and Hope wearing her hot off the needles Coco Knits sweater.

Sunday was my travel day back. Monday is a stat holiday here in Ontario so I spend the day locating an open grocery store and doing 10 loads of laundry. Back to reality - I guess the coach really does turn into a pumpkin at the end of the retreat but at least I know there's always next year.

2009-01-25T18:43:00.001-08:00

A Looming Crisis

Seriously

Where the hell am I going to find room for a loom?

For those just joining us - I've been holding up the crucifix and garlic for several years now when it comes to the thought of weaving. I've been spinning for two years now and while spinning does require equipment - it's still somewhat portable which is why I like knitting.

Last September, I won a prize at the Five Counties Guild competition. It was a weaving shuttle. A beautiful rosewood hand carved shuttle by a wood worker in the Kitchener-Waterloo area named David Bell. Now I'm a sucker for beautiful wood so I started to think about weaving. As a member of the local weavers and spinners guild, I had access to alot of "bench strength" (all puns intended).

I signed up for an intro lesson last Monday. My teacher is a retired high school teacher so I'm in good hands. She let me wind some bobbins and then using her Gilmore loom I made 3 samplers just to see what it was like. My teacher had warped the loom already so it was easy. Here are some shots of my weaving attempts. You can see on the first section how my ends weren't very tight so it flares out a bit. Of course, now I'm hooked and beginning to ponder which loom would be best for me. I usually get tools that grow with me from the get-go. Since I've no extra space in this house, a loom that folds is a must. I'm thinking about 26" is the way to go. If I do anything wider, the guild looms are available.

I've been scoping out the Schacht Baby Wolf and the Louet Jane. I'm not familiar with the terminology enough to read the specs and understand them. If anyone has any bias one way or the other - I'm all ears.

Here are some shuttle glamour shots taken by my husband who's playing with his Nikon D80 I gave him for Christmas.

Here are some great night shots he took down by Niagara Falls. I love the one that shows the colours lights on the horseshoe falls.

Lastly - here's a shot of Phoebe. Yes, Flatcoats are a goofy breed - that's why they fit in well with our family.

2009-01-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

New Vintages

Robin Williams once said of Canada's relationship to the US - "It's like living in a loft apartment over a really great party". Make that a cold apartment. As my yoga instructor announced last night, "I've got February head in mid January already". I'm on the last sleeve of Roam and I feel like I'm roaming through an endless desert with all of that seed stitch. I'm also working on my first store sample in some delicious Americo Alpaca. It seems like ages since I experience a warm day or the delight of a new pretty spring project.

It's this stage in winter's course that a few things help me to hang on. Seeing the launch of the new spring knitting magazines is one of them. I know when the new Rowan comes that Madrona is just weeks away and then March is around the corner and I consider that the home stretch. I don't have the new Rowan magazine in my hands but heck, I'll throw caution to the wind and highlight some of the designs that have caught my eye early on from Rowan and Berroco.

I'm loving this cover cardigan called "Lotus". The model is stunning and I'm a sucker for this elegant shade of wheat. The crochet edging appeals to my need to shake things up a bit and I think it would be beautiful over dresses, summer tanks and a variety of outfits. Consider this queued.

Also in Rowan - I'm intrigued with the Kaffe Fassett Summer Tweed sweater. It's vintage Kaffe and the way the triangles intersect really makes it interesting. I bet this would go with lots of colours and outfits too.

Norah Gaughan appears to have delivered another great collection in her NG Volume 4 pattern book. This cover tunic called "Flower Child" is stunning. The way the panels intersect on the back (are we seeing a theme in what I'm attracted to here?) is also beautiful and I think it would be a fun knit.

It's been a while since I spoke about a wine in this blog. I need to get back to that because I've been attending lots of classes and tastings to learn about the new vintages. Normally I pair a lighter rose or riesling with the new Spring pattern books but the new Trius Red deserves special notice. The 2007 vintage has just been released and since the summer of '07 was a winemaker's dream - the Ontario 2007 vintages will be the best EVER released. This Trius red is fruit forward with the perfect touch of oak. I love I it when I can't pick out the individual elements in a wine because the blend is so perfect and this one hits the mark. When I drink it I remember the summer of 2007

....and dream of pretty sweaters.

2008-12-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

Rare things

To get the WIP update out of the way up front - I've finished the first sleeve on Roam. I'll spare you the pictures...it's miles of seed stitch looking pretty much like the other pieces. I have however, had an epiphany (just cause I like saying "epiphany"). Apparently, my desire to knit something isn't so much a function of its beauty (while that helps) but rather it's a matter of scarcity. To be quite frank - nothing makes me want to knit something more than being told I can't.

Let me present exhibit A - Botticelli. I loved Rowan 44. LOVED it. I really loved Botticelli when I first saw it. It went on my "bucket list". Then Julie at Needle Emporium posted to her blog that she'd received a sample garment from Rowan. I had to see it in the flesh (or should I say "the fibre"). Once I tried it on, I was smitten. This is one beautiful garment and the colours are amazing. "I'll take one to go" I announced emphatically. "Not in that shade", explained Julie. Apparently, the shade Camel 157 of Felted Tweed is in short supply world wide. Of course, I could choose another background shade (and another knitter shopping at the same time I was did just that). It would look great in many other background shades - wheat is also an option.

That was beside the point. I was now determined to get some Camel Felted Tweed. I bought the motif shades of felted tweed and Kid Silk Aurora from Julie and scoured the Internet for the shade I needed. I hit pay dirt at Cucumber Patch and it arrived yesterday. It's great and I think casting on for this project may just be the perfect way to begin the New Year.

After all, what's Christmas without the Camel?

Happy New Year everyone - may you start the year with a joyful snout full of snow!

2008-12-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Judy, Judy, Judy

I've secretly wanted a dress form (aka Dress Judy) for a couple of years now. I toyed with the notion of ordering a new one but recently some of the beautiful vintage dress forms have really caught my eye.

About a month ago, I was traveling home from a meeting at the winery through Niagara on the Lake. I drove past a funky antique store housed in an old church called Europa Antiques. Every time I pass by I think "I should go in". This time was no different except immediately after I thought "I should go in" and equally strong voice responded GO IN! When I relayed this story to one of the women who owned the store she turned deadpan to her partner and said "Guess what? Looks like that microphone we installed out front is working". How can you not buy something from folks with such a sense of humour? They had two dress forms and one of them was exactly the size I wanted. It's an Acme dress form from Brooklyn. I love imagining all of the talented seamstresses who may have worked with her. For now, she displays my stranded sweaters and this week shows of the pieces of my Roam. This lighting actually shows the shading of the yarn quite accurately. I'm just finishing the first sleeve and have one last sleeve and the hood and finishing to go. I'll freely admit that I'm on sleeve island at this point. I do love the rhythm of the seed stitch and the yarn is amazing but it feels like the 78th km of a 100km race. So far come - so far still to go. I do really want this puppy done so I'll continue to plug away!

Speaking of puppies - Phoebe is doing well. She's growing like a weed and is showing impeccable taste in her choice of pillows. What else are designer knitting bags for?

2008-12-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's a Girl

Not much knitting going on in these parts. There's a distraction in town.

After losing our beloved Flat Coated Retriever Echo last August - there was great debate in our house as to whether or not we should get another. After much discussion...we decided to get a puppy. We found a great breeder and as luck would have it, there were 5 girl puppies from a litter of six so we would have no problem getting another female.

A week ago Sunday, we picked her up. The glow of puppy kisses and tail wagging lasted half way down the breeder's driveway when she began wailing. After about 45 minutes - she fell asleep in the back seat between the boys.

We've named her Phoebe because I always said if Echo had been a human being, she'd have been Phoebe on Friends. She's adorable and ALOT of work right now. The wailing is still continuing in the night time but a round of NyQuil shooters and ear plugs seems to help.

On the breeder's advice - I bought an over sized stuffed dog to mimic her mother. She loves to cuddle up to it. I got a black dog so she would feel comfortable but it doesn't make for the best photography when the subject is also black.

And yes -she's already fetched a bag of Lopi she found in the corner.

Batten the stashes!!

2008-11-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

McGuyvering

Last summer my husband had to pull over to the side of the road 500 miles from home in a rain storm to deal with a car part underneath the vehicle that was dragging loudly on the road. He crawled underneath, took the cord to his iPod player and tied the offensive part back in place. In our house we call that "McGuyvering it".

The urban dictionary defines McGuyvering as the ability to achieve a goal through the ingenious combination of common household items, in the spirit of Richard Dean Anderson's character McGuyver, from the television series of the same name. My husband was so proud of his fix that I think he's not gotten around to actually having it repaired 4 months later. Come to think of it - the art of making do with what we have is a skill worth cultivating, especially in these frugal times.

I'm thinking of "McGuyvering" a design from the new Interweave book Color Style. It's this lovely design by Veronik Avery. It's called the Mosaic Jacket and it calls for a combination of gray and black Lopi Light. Subtle shades of earth tones and blue make the yoke design. As I admired it, it occurred to me that I had enough Lopi Lite in stash. It was in kit form to make the Getaway Satchel from an older Interweave Knits. I have so many darn bags as it is and I'm not particularly fond of felting (there, I said it out loud). The challenge was that instead of the neutral gray and black for the tweed pattern, I'd be dealing with red and black. How would that dictate the colours in the yoke pattern? I did some futzing around and this is what I came up with. I like it for the most part but I think I'll swap the tweedy pink at the top for a nice tweedy lilac I have instead. I do love red and purple. I did purchase a few odd balls of Lopi Lite to have the neutral shades for the yoke so I suppose that's "McGuyver Lite" but heck, I'm making do and that's what counts. I am quite fond of the way it looks actually.

In further McGuyvering news - my buddy Vanessa showed us how to McGuyver our spinning wheels to make lace weight yarn when the uptake is too strong. Here's the link to her post which explains it beautifully but basically it involves copper pipe foam insulation and a knife. Voila - I'm spinning nice thin yarn too on my Wee Robin - no special equipment required.

I suppose this is what my grandmother used to call "making do" but you gotta admit, there's a certain smugness to solving problems with accessible solutions. Now - how on earth are we going to listen to the iPod now that the audio cord is holding the car together?

2008-11-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Roam wasn't Knit in a Day

I've been focusing on making as much progress as possible on Roam. For those keeping score, I'm using Lisa Souza's Baby Alpaca Silk in the Mohogany colourway. Sometimes I wonder if blog readers get bored seeing a fairly simple knit progress. After all, this is seed stitch with a simple slip stitch design running up the front. The yarn is perfect for this design since I really believe it needs to be very drapey and hug the body to show off the shaping. This yarn has subtle shots of cobalt blue through it so I'm thinking a nice fancy blue zipper will finish it nicely. Hopefully the sleeves go quickly.

As you'll recall, I had to frog back the right front due to "gaugicus loosikus". The re knit went quickly and I've now completed the back and both front pieces. Everything matches and now it's time for the sleeves and hood. I've never done a hood before and I'll admit that it seems as though every designer is including hoods on their latest offerings. Riding to Avalon, Cassidy and The Basic Chic Hoodie are all on my "to do list" but by the time I get around to knitting them, I fear that the "Gangsta Chic" look will be passe. After all, these hoods will likely never be used (in my situation) so they're more fashion statement then functional. I do however really like the way they look on the designs.

I did purchase a little cardigan in the spring that included a hood that zips on under a small collar so when hoods are out - it still works. Maybe for some of these other designs that are less sporty than Roam a detachable hood is a possibility? If anyone's seen this done by another knitter - do share please!

Who knows, maybe the whole hood thing will stay in fashion. After all, it masks a bad hair day.

2008-10-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Jane The Knitter

It's great when someone is branded by their profession. It's nothing new, I imagine that anyone with the last name Carpenter or Cook can boast an ancestor who actually was a carpenter or cook. I awaited the Jane Ellison seminar at Stitch with much anticipation. I hadn't realized how prolific this lady was until I counted the projects designed by her in my queue alone.

This cardigan called Esme is out of one of the Queensland design books (yarn stashed...check) and Manhattan from Pure Noro last year is languishing but still makes my heart beat faster. Meeting her did not disappoint. Poor thing was fighting a nasty cold and given her apparent schedule, it's not surprising.

The group was intimate - only about seven of us. Stitch is an amazing little store. It's actually the first floor of a Victorian house. Imagine what your house would look like if you could decorate it with gobs of designer yarn and you've pretty much got the picture. It's charming, soothing and filled with creative inspiration. Jane brought with her sweater samples from her Mirasol books. Mirasol is a fair trade yarn line in support of the families who shepherd the Alpaca in Peru. Mirasol book 3 is wonderful and my personal favourite is this cabled, hooded tunic done in Qina (a blend of Alpaca and Bamboo of all things). I tried the sample on as did several other knitters and it looked great on everyone. That's the hallmark of a great design in my opinion. Jocelyn (who owns Stitch) brought in the Qina in a wonderful Wisteria shade and I can't stop thinking about it. So far, so good though - I'm still at the longing stage and haven't actually transgressed to the plotting stage but I'm darn close. The workshop revolved around a lovely little Inca-styled hat with slip-stitched patterning. Jane is charming and patient and lovely (if you like willowy, model-like blonds who are talented and nice).

Jocelyn had this mock newspaper front page made up to hang discretely on the wall for Jane to casually notice.Ironically, she found her first designing job in this same publication. She's focusing mostly on the Mirasol yarns for now though the new Jane Ellison Noro book is to die for also. If "Jane the Knitter" would just create fewer amazing designs then maybe I won't have to have my name legally changed to "Princess Running with Mastercard".

2008-10-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

The FUNdamentals of Stashenomics

Are we having fun yet?

Every knitter tells themselves as they (yet again) purchase 1600 metres of Aran weight blue tweed yarn "If I ever fall on hard times, I'll have the stash to rely on. I will be able to continue to knit". I said it to myself every damn time.

I never thought I'd have to mean it.

Canada will go to the polls this coming Tuesday to elect a new government and our friends to the South are coming into the home stretch of what can only be described as "the mother of all elections". I've been watching lots of TV to try and keep abreast of the political issues and I've been working alternately on Cobblestone for DH and Roam for myself. My thrill at finishing The Diamond Fantasy Shawl has made me want to clear up a few UFOs so these two are on deck.

As I think about why we've come to this point, I look at my yarn stash and ask myself, was it a good investment? Those Starmore kits I hoarded in the early nineties when she ended production of her Campion yarn label could probably be sold easily or if I knit them provide many long months of knitting enjoyment. Good investment.

Ditto with those Kaffe Fassett kits - Spanish Combs (now there's an epic project) and China Clouds I actually had ear-marked for when I retire and have long hours to knit, free from forty-something obligations.

Yorkshire Tweed DK in various colours and Noro Kureyon and Silk Garden...great investments. These yarns have been hundreds of possible creations in my head. They'll hold their value.

Let's not talk about the gittery stuff. I consider these to be the junk bonds of the stash.

My yarn portfolio is solid and if I have to live off of it for a while - no problemo. This whole fiasco has however made me think about what political statement my stash makes. I've decided how to vote in my election this Tuesday and I had to look no further than Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Yes funding for the arts is important - heck I served on my local Symphony Board for five years. There won't be any arts or even an economy if the planet is going down for the count. Whether one believes we've caused climate change or not - most agree it's happening and we ain't helping. It seems to me every problem traces back to greed and the desire for a few to benefit often at the expense of others. Fair trade means everyone in the supply chain makes a decent living and is treated appropriately. On October 20th - Stitch yarn store in Grimsby will be hosting Jane Ellison and we'll be working with Mirasol yarns which are produced based on fair trade principles (visit here for more info on the seminar). These kinds of yarns will have an honoured place in my stash going forward as will local yarns. Shelridge Farms here in Ontario makes a beautiful selection of yarns lovingly shepherded from field to fingers by Buffy Taylor. I will continue to support my local yarn stores too even if it's smaller amounts of lovely yarns to make accessories.

No doubt, the election will provide many more knitting hours which is a good thing because I had to rip out the second front of Roam. My gauge was off and the piece was about and inch wider than its twin. After this picture was taken, I ripped the sucker out. All of those gains wiped out in only 15 minutes.

That's ok - it may take a while to get back where I was but it will be so much better in the end than if I hadn't ripped it out.

2008-09-30T18:32:00.001-07:00

Feeling Like a Third Wheel

When I first decided to start looking for a spinning wheel 3 years ago, I mentioned to a group of friend that I wanted it to be beautiful, double treadle and portable. My friend Vanessa e mailed me back and said "I have two words for you...Wee Robin".

Wee Robin wheels are the creation of Gilbert Gonsalves. He downsized his Robin wheels (named after his wife) to a small version that folds up small enough to fit in the overhead bin of an airplane. As I was attending Rheinbeck that year, I was able to test drive one and immediately got on the waiting list. I eventually got my Schacht DT Matchless and my Kromski Sonata which I classify as "stay put and portable" respectively. I almost forgot that I was on the Wee Robin waiting list until about a month ago Gilbert called me to say that he had one for me and would be in my neck of the woods at the Finger Lakes Fiber festival in late September.

I had a lovely drive through the Finger Lakes region of New York state and arrived at the festival without incident. Going home was another matter...(note to self - make sure husband hasn't set the GPS to avoid toll roads when in unfamiliar territory). I had two Wee Robins to choose from. One had delicate birds eye maple and one had birds eye maple and what's called spalting which creates this tiger-stripe effect. I initially didn't care for the spalting but within about fifteen minutes, came to really love the effect. It was a hard choice but the tiger wheel came home with me.

I also got a denim bag (made by the Bag Lady) which holds my Wee Robin beautifully. It clocks in around 10 lbs which is light enough to carry as a back pack (which the bag is designed to do) but sturdy enough to make the spinning experience nice and solid. The lining of the bag is beautiful too.

I spent all last week getting acquainted with my wheel. I spun and plied some Shetland roving I had from my BC trip. I've not measured the wraps per inch yet but I'm guessing it's around a sport weight. I'm very pleased with the consistency.

Wheel specs from the Robin site are:

The orfice is 22" high, when ready to spin. When folded the wheel isonly 17" high, 15.5" wide and 8" deep. The wheel, using cherry, weighs alittle over 8lbs. and comes with 3 bobbins that hold 6oz. of fiber each.The time required between fold up and ready is about 30 seconds. Standard ratios: 4,5,6-1/4 and 7-3/4 to 1. Ratios available to 15.5 to 1.

The Wee Robin tiger is truly a piece of functional art. I suppose all spinning wheels are but this one is special. It's a nano second to set up and I find the pull (a criticism of the bobbin lead tension) to be just perfect to my taste.

I truly feel that this one fills a gap in my wheel repertoire - in other words "Robin, you complete me".

2008-09-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Making a Splash

I've been a bad blogger.

I've got good reasons.

This blog is based on a kind of "wine meets technology" premise. That sentiment was brought to life literally when I knocked a glass of Private Reserve Muscat directly into the side of my computer tower. Mother boards don't like wine so in this tale of woe lies my first excuse.

Secondly, I had to get my Diamond Fantasy shawl done for the Five Counties competition. I ran out of yarn twice and had to spin more. Throw in a few unforeseen life events and this baby came down much closer to the wire than I'd hoped. I finished it last Wednesday and blocked it immediately.

I'd also (one month ago) offered to knit a second item for the display. Since we were assigned various anniversaries to represent, I got 50th which is gold. I had some Lisa Souza BFL roving spun up in her jonquil colourway. It was to become the Koolhaus hat by Jared Flood since it's such a cool pattern and the diamond design nods to our guild's 60th anniversary.

I stayed up until 1:00 am Friday night attempting to finish it. I had to get up at 5:15 am to meet my partners for the display set up so the damn thing was completed in the car on the way up to the competition. No I wasn't driving...

The display looked really nice. My guild associate who takes the lead on this display every year painted the ladies to make them look like wedding guests and the centre piece is designed to mimic a tiered wedding cake.

Our guild didn't win best display. I was hoping Diamond Fantasy would win for best knitted item by a novice - it didn't win that either.

I was surprised to learn it won (by one vote) the people's choice award. My prize was a beautiful hand carved weaving shuttle.

I don't weave

I will not start weaving

I don't need another hobby

Where's the wine?

2008-09-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Cast your eyes away from the shiny new projects

Thanks so much for all of your kind comments about Echo. We're still adjusting to her absence and keeping busy with preparations for the new school year. I always think of September as the real new year anyway. It's also a very busy month in the fibre world with several fairs and events to attend. As the September 20th 5 Counties event looms (pardon the pun), I'm slogging through the third period of Diamond Fantasy. It'll be touch and go as to whether or not I have to spin more yarn but I'm on the eighth repeat with two more to go until the end. I've enjoyed the shetland/silk blend so much that I'm going to get more to hopefully spin a sweater's worth. This year Michele has blended the natural shetland with the copper shots of silk and Pygora. Pygora is a goat which is a Pygmy and Angora cross. The roving is super soft with a bit of an angora halo but not much memory. The Shetland gives the bounce - the Pygora gives the halo. I understand that Spin-Off will be featuring Pygora in their Fall issue so perhaps this is the new "in fibre"?

Michele Ginty from Hopeful Shetlands sent me a sample which I spun and chain plied into a 3 ply yarn. Here's the little sample I spun - much softer and whiter than the blend I'm using for the shawl. I'm scooping 2.5 lbs to get a sweater's worth. I calculated this by weighing the small sample I had then measuring its length. I then compared it to similar commercial yarns of similar gauge so I'm pretty sure I'm in the ball park.

Now that the end is in sight for the shawl - I can think about fall projects. After lace weight natural yarn - I'm jonesing for some colour. I've got the Yorshire Tweed Aran in Claret and the Kaffe colourscape in ghost to make Lantern from the new fall VK. It's a nice chunky weight so hopefully it'll be a fast knit.

Also from the new VK is the lovely Greenland by Robin Melanson. The BSA Melange is a bit spendy and I figure Lisa Souza's Baby Alpaca Silk will sub beautifully. I debated over colour choice but in the end got the mother of pearl colourway. At first glance it looks alabaster but there is a definite light wash of pinks, turquoise, and orange. It's so subtle - you think you're imagining it.

No use drooling over projects that'll have to wait until I'm done the DFS.

Guess I'd better get back to the shawl...are we there yet?

2008-08-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

Exit Stage Left

We decided to get a puppy eleven years ago - a somewhat obscure breed known as the Flatcoated Retriever. My DH wanted a male and I (being the only woman in a house of men) wanted a female. When the litter came it was only one puppy, a female. The deal was sealed when she fell asleep in his arms. I finally had my "daughter".

We called her Echo after a Rush album titled "Test for Echo". I'd wax poetic about her cute habits or even about how she was the bestest dog in the whole dang world but if you're reading this and have a dog yourself, you'll know that's bullshit because your dog is the best in the world.

These pictures were taken just at the exact last moment in time before my little boys suddenly became men. From the time they were six years old until now, she's been my "wing girl" watching over Butch and Sundance with all the patience in the world. She never knew a world that didn't include having peanut butter and jam in her ear hair from sticky little fingers.

Yesterday started like any other day and ended with a frantic search for a vet not experiencing a power outage as the years finally caught up with our sweet pet. We were there for her when she needed us to do right by her. No regrets.

Unplanned holes suck. In our knitting and in our lives. As the old saying goes - I truly hope to someday become the person my dog thinks I am.

2008-08-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Fish Story

We've just spent a glorious week on Vancouver Island. Here we are after awaking @ 6:00 am (who am I kidding - I never slept all night out of fear of sleeping in) and arriving at the airport in Victoria.

I took every opportunity to sneak in a wee bit of knitting time. Here I am on a fishing charter thinking "Would it be in poor taste to bring out my knitting?" Given I was on a fishing boat with a bunch of sweaty smelly guys - I decided they wouldn't care so, Evie got a fair bit of air play. Actually, she got about 4 hours of focus so I was able to get a fair bit done.

Did you know that knitting on a boat brings fishermen good luck???? Here is Butch Cassidy with his prize for the day. This was one of two bites we got and it paid off. A 27 pound (ok Dad, ok - 26.5 pounds...sue me I round up) Chinook Salmon. Twenty two pounds of it came home on the plane with us. Look how far up the side of the guy who owns the charter boat it goes.

I also managed to get a lot done on Diamond Fantasy. I'm about 30% of the way there. I'm in love with this Shetland roving and found a shepherdess not far from my dad who had some loving Shetland roving. I'm looking forward to spinning it and remembering my trip.

With two strong backs in the house it made sense to put them to work on some gardening chores. Here they are enjoying a laugh with grandpa.

A lovely day in Victoria yielded a skein of Hand Maiden Silk. Isn't this an amazing colourway. I plan to make the Sea Scape shawl with this baby.

I also started the Koolhaas hat by Jared Flood in my own handspun. This is BFL roving from Lisa Souza in her jonquil colourway. It's so soft - I'm really enjoying the pattern.

All in all it was the perfect vacation. Great hosts (thanks dad and Shirley), amazing sunny weather and lots of time to knit. Do I have to come back to reality?

2008-07-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Knitting Narcisism

This post will be a brief one because I'm preparing to leave for B.C. early Friday morning. I have of course packed every project I own barely leaving room for a tooth brush. I seem to envision finishing them all. I'm converting Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop video to my iPod using PQ DVD to iPod so I can take advantage of quiet time on the plane to truly enjoy seeing this for the first time. This is a great program to convert your DVDs to an iTunes friendly format. I may just take along one of her books to complement the video.

I have been working away on Evie and this is a front-burner project! I'm dying to wear it this fall. I'm also eager to see the new Rowan-Kim Hargreaves colours in person (instead of tiny swatches). There are some lovely felted tweed shades she's developed and a couple of books rumoured.

I'll write a proper review of Rowan 44 when I have more time but for now I'm plugging away on my Diamond Fantasy shawl. Here's where I'm at so far. I'm really pleased with how the clear beads are sparkling like diamonds in the centre of the diamond design. This will be entered into the Five Counties guild display in September. With August being almost here, I'd better get knitting. I must admit - the fact that this is yarn I spun myself means that I'm drawn to it more than many other projects right now. Even though it's still not technically perfect yarn (being over spun in many spots) - the fact that I made the yarn makes me a wee bit fonder of the project. I guess it's my ego showing. Heaven help me if I'd actually shorn the sheep!

2008-07-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Understudy Makes Good

I've got to admit that I've got a real soft spot for Knit Scene magazine. Launched about 2 years ago, this little publication has flown a bit under the radar. It positions itself as Interweave Knit's younger, hipper sister but the designs still manage to be beautiful, fashion forward and totally wearable at the same time. If IK were Jennifer Aniston then Knit Scene is Ellen Page.

The Fall 2008 issue landed in my mail box this week and has been thumbed to death already. Editor Lisa Shroyer (she of Road to Golden fame) points out in her editorial that it's the simpler, classic knits she tends to wear more often though the artist in us might be drawn to the extreme designs. She reminds us that our projects are meant to be worn. I do find my tastes have changed as I've aged and I'm drawn to the simpler lines - the beautifully tailored pieces. In this issue are many projects I'm drawn to for various reasons.

Big Ivy Scarf

This scarf on the cover rocks! The lacy pattern kissed by bands of fair isle mix two of my favourite techniques. Though I love the tweedy nub of the yarn used here - I think left over shades of Rowan Calmer would be perfect too. O Wool Balance also would give a nice effect.

Big Thaw Pullover

Every project name seems to start with "Big". This one is shaping up to be this year's Cobblestone Pullover which is great because clearly there's a need for handsome, simple guy sweaters. Make this one for your own Mr. Big.

Riding to Avalon:

Connie Chang Chinchio has a talent for striking that perfect balance between classic and trendy. This is my favourite design in the magazine and today's Knitting Daily Gallery shows it on several different models. Her designs also tend to look great on all kinds of body shapes which is the hallmark of true design talent. I'll admit it - I've ordered the Lorna's Laces Swirl DK from Julie in Pewter to make this one. Be forewarned that the colour listed in the magazine (as Tahoe) appears to be incorrect. Tahoe which is a brighter blue but the website now says Pewter which makes more sense based on the photograph.

Matryoshka Stole

Another Beautiful stole adorned with painted wooden beads. Its to mimic those Russian Dolls. I won't put this on the short list to make soon (simply due to queue overload) but it's very distinctive and an exciting submission from another emerging young designer.

Inari Skirt

I was ambivalent about the red/green colour combo at first. I thought "too Christmassy". Then the latest e newsletter from Anthropologie dropped and this outfit reminded me of this skirt. It might be fun to pair it with a pink blouse and red jewelry to mimic the Anthropologie look. Hmmmmmm -

I could go on, waxing poetic about several other designs from this issue but these are the favs for now. If you're trying to get a copy yourself - don't wait. I hear they're selling like hot cakes.

2008-07-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Finding Bliss

Once upon a time - I wanted to make this (Ravelry link).

So, I went to my LYS who had just announced they were closing to retire to Northern Ontario.

I scored 10 balls of yummy Debbie Bliss Cathay in peacock blue.

I still do want to make it. It seems to look vunderbar on everyone who knits it.

The problem is that when the spring/summer Debbie Bliss book came out I fell in love with this.

Upon quick reference to the pattern it became clear that I needed 12 balls of the Cathay.

DANG - 2 short. No problem, I happen to know that all of the inventory from the yarn store is still sitting in the locked up store. So, I called their sister store (which sells beads) and asked. Very nicely

"please oh yarn prison matron - may I have more?"

I was told politely that they didn't know what the owners wanted to do with the left over yarn. On another occasion (I'm not stupid I went back several times hoping my stalking would wear them down) that the owner was taking all the left over inventory to her new home up North to weave with. Apparently she's making a blanket that would cover Timbuk Three cause there was a motherload of stuff left!

After checking several other area stores (sometimes they get the same dye lots) - I was still at a loss. I was dying - knowing that those extra balls in my dye lot were sitting in the dark shuttered store.

I considered this

I even considered this.

Then, a year later - the newsletter message I yearned for. Come to the bead store, we're clearing out the rest of the yarn.

I went.

It wasn't there. There was a lady with 5 boxes of eye lash yarn ...with sparkles. I don't even want to think about what she's making.

Finally, the owner came in.

I "splained"

She went to see if it was there.

It WAS there!!!!

5 balls for $10 and the same dye lot.

Of course, this all transpires just before the much awaited fall Debbie Bliss magazine which is dropping soon apparently. Judging from the cover - it looks good.

Please tell me there's not a design in there calling for 16 balls of Debbie Bliss Cathay!

2008-06-25T19:18:00.001-07:00

No Cigar

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I spun and spun and spun and then spun some more. I made two whole bobbins of single ply thread to be plied as a two ply lace weight. I plied and plied and (you get the drift). This has been my main project for several months now. I'll be making the Diamond Fantasy Shawl for the Fair this September. I need 750 yards to make the shawl.

I washed, rinsed swung it by the tail round and round and left it to dry. I'm very pleased with the results - it's a pale wheat colour with stains of gold and Rosy copper. I wound it into two centre pull balls and then got out the old McMorran balance. 340m per 100g according to my calculations - between the two balls I apparently have 640 m. There are 1.09 metres per yard so a little kitchen math says...duh 699.91 yards. So close but cutting it too close I fear.

I'm eager to put some colourful roving on my wheel after so many days of "au natural" so I think I'll start with this and see how close I come to finishing then I'll truly know how much more to spin. On the up side - I did buy enough extra to spin more if I need it.

Speaking of natural hand spun - I'd like to highly recommend the new book A Fine Fleece. It's a lovely publication of classic cabled and textured designs created to show case one's hand spun. Each design is also shown in a commercial yarn in the event you just want to cut to the chase. I adore this book and it has me pondering what sort of natural roving I would want to spin to make an entire sweater. I do love the Blue Faced Leicester so if anyone knows of a good source for some pretty BFL - let me know. I love this cardigan.

It reminds me of the Elizabeth Bennett cardigan from Stephanie Japel's book Fitted Knits.

This woven patterned cardigan called Amanda is my current fav

and finally this pullover called Two Hearts is a show stopper.

There's nothing like knitting with your own hand spun and although I've knitted a scarf from hand spun - I've yet to make a garment with my own stuff. The best part is that if you need more - you just dip into the roving bag and voila, problem solved. If there isn't enough roving then as long as you're close - there's always a nice vest.

2008-06-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

VIPs

Since this blog promotes itself as having a wine component for the cork dorks in the crowd - I thought I'd fill you in on last weekend's gala Niagara Wine Auction event. DH and I were invited by my boss to attend the 2 days of festivities, noshing, sloshing and rubbing elbows with some celebrity types. Since the auction was to benefit Sick Kids hospital in Toronto - the colour du jour was pink.

On Friday I was thisclose (ok about 10 feet away-that's not me in the picture) to Jason Priestly who (in addition to being a former teen heart throb) is one of the hosts of the TV show Hollywood and Vines. He was rarely without a TV camera shoved in his face so it has hard to get a good look at him.

In keeping with the colour theme, I wore this little number I scored on ebay for a song a few years ago. We walked the red carpet and as I was waiting in line I felt a finger dip down the top of the back of my dress. The woman behind me whispered in my ear "You're going to hate me but your tag was sticking out." I turned and grinned and said "Not at all - thanks!" Then it hit me - Erica Ehm had just tucked my dress tag back into my dress! She was one of the founding VJs on Much Music when it launched in the eighties. Here's a shot of her along with a guy named JD Roberts. You may recognize him from CNN and other US news networks. He goes by John Roberts now but we Canadians remember when he was all cool and stuff. Erica Ehm is absolutely beautiful up close and looks totally natural. Of course my husband was ticked off because I told him he couldn't wear his baseball hat with his suit. I guess when you're a celebrity you can get away with that stuff.

The event was hosted by Jan Arden who did a great job and musical guests were the Pointer Sisters and the Temptations. Hearing the parents of kids who'd been patients at the hospital for Sick Children was both heart breaking and uplifting.

As far as the wine goes - my memorable picks were the Pillitteri 2002 Cab Merlot during dinner and the Marynissen Sauvignon Blanc at the afternoon wine garden. Peller Ice Cuvee Rose is a gorgeous sparkling wine with a kiss of Cab Franc and ice wine. And...it's pink. The buzz in the industry is that the 2007 vintages are spectacular.

All of this talk of pink has me pondering my pink projects:

This is one I stashed last year that's been calling me lately. It uses about 20 gradient shades of rose fading into each other. It's by Strickwear.

I have to get to the back side of this skirt made from pink Koigu PPM from the cover of spring Vogue two years ago.

At the Spring Knitter's Frolic young Sarah was working Julie's booth and had knit up the Blue Sky Alpaca Skinny Cardigan in brown and pink. She is young, beautiful and had her jeans tucked into a pair of knitted UGG boots in brown with this cardigan. It looked so great that I bought some brown to add to my pink from stash and decided I could make it in predominently pink with brown striping.

Now that Cinderella is back to mopping the floors instead of hob-nobbing with celebs there will hopefully be more quality knitting time. I found this picture of the Sundance Kid when I was looking through some old CDs. This shot is about 10 years old, the model is a muscular, hairy 17 year old now and the Fair Isle sweater is packed away for future grand kids but I love the attitude he's projecting. I guess when it comes to locating VIPs - there's really no place like home.

2008-06-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Planet Estrogen

I've been in a bit of a knitting funk the last month or so. I'm about half way through Roam and as much as I love the yarn and the pattern - my eye has been wandering. Roam is being made from Lisa Souza's alpaca and silk yarn in the Mahogany colourway. I had a chance to try on the original Roam last fall when I took a workshop from Laura Chau and the Big Sea Silk is lovely but looks a bit different from the picture in the pattern. I did want to replicate the shades as they appeared in the photo so the Lisa Souza appeard to do so. I've been alternating skeins every other row to mix in any variation from skein to skein. When you're dealing with hand dyed yarn - things can get quite funky. This yarn is so lovely and the seed stitch really tones down the variation in the yarn. I've begun the second front piece even though it's getting a bit sticky to be working with Alpaca! It was about 32 degrees Celsius today.

I had mentioned a few months ago that I was eagerly anticipating Louisa Harding's Summer Classics collection. In particular, I was eager to get my hands on this pattern. It's a lacy cabled cardigan called Kitty. It's made from one of her yarns called Cinnabar which is another one of those Frankenyarns that are so popular now. This stuff has: Viscose, Cotton, Acrylic, Silk, Linen, Polamide and Acetate - whew! The sample in the book was done in a natural colour but I chose a lilac shade (#10) with flecks of wheat and gold. There's just a hint of a sparkle too. So subtle you almost think you're imagining it. I decided to cast on a few weeks ago and was delighted to discover that the pattern was easy to memorize and on 5mm needles - this front piece is zipping along quite quickly. Kitty with its frilly, summery, girlie vibe is a nice complement to Roam's sportier tone and manner.

I've also zeroed in on a probable contender for Printed Silk Cardigan. I may be a wee bit late to the party but I'm 0nly now discovering Malabrigo Silky Merino. It's a dk weight but on 3.75mm needles knits to a sport weight gauge which is perfect for the pattern. I swatched with a variegated shade called Indecita but this design begs a semi solid so the delicate twist pattern doesn't get lost. I nabbed a shade instead called Rupestre which is a luminous raspberry colour. I really see the shine in this one which I also think is important for this pattern. I was sorry to hear that there was a fire at the Malabrigo factory but I'm told it was only smoke damage. Jocelyn at Stitch has some of the Madras Perla set aside for me as well. Just doing my bit to provide support to the yarn company in their time of need.

So in the end it was a little frou frou that saved me from knitting boredom. Must be my estrogen kicking in...or all the promos for Sex in the City.

2008-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

From Scratch

While I was working in the food industry, I had a spirited debate with the VP of Sales over what constituted a meal "from scratch". I (like most consumers) believe that cooking dry pasta and topping it with sauce equals "scratch cooking". He (with a mother straight from Sicily) thought you had to grow the tomatoes and make the pasta for it to count as such. I suppose knitting follows the same sort of rationale. If we buy the prefab yarn and pattern and knit a pattern stitch for stitch designed by another - are we really creating or just facilitating?

I'm pondering this aspect of the creative process a lot these days. After making my first knitted item using my own hand spun last fall, I decided to enter the Five Counties Fair again this year with another item knitted with my own hand spun. I purchased some beautiful Shetland roving from Hopeful Shetlands in a natural ecru shade gilded with shots of silk in copper and gold shades. It's our Spinning Guild's 60th anniversary so the theme for the fair is "anniversaries". I've drawn the 13th anniversary and the traditional gift is lace. The 60th anniversary is know as the diamond anniversary so I'll be combining these two themes. Hence, I've chosen to make the Diamond Fantasy shawl.

I'm making a two ply lace weight yarn which means lots of spinning. For the first time, I spun to a desired grist for the single and then made two small bobbins of the single using empty toilet paper rolls. I plied the yarn into a two ply and then washed and set it. I then swatched the pattern to see how it would look.

I'm thrilled with the results. The silk stains the yarn nicely when drafted and plied to create shifts between a rose and gold hue to the natural Shetland. The shawl will be warm - not really a hob nobbing at the Christmas dance kind of piece but more of a casual piece.

To further highlight the diamond theme, I'll be placing beads on the centres of the small diamonds. I wanted Swarovski crystals but the holes weren't big enough for the yarn. You can see on the swatch how the clear bead with the silver lining really pops where the amber coloured bead (below it) blends in too much.

I'm almost finished the second bobbin and then I can ply and start knitting. I'll have to boogie because that fair will come sooner than I think. I admit it, it's incredibly satisfying to have had a hand in creating the yarn as well as stitch definition but no worries - I'm not totally carried away.

I suppose to truly create a project from scratch one must first create the universe.

2008-04-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

Pacify

I'm itching to start something new. Alas - I cannot. You see, my WIPs are at just at a level where I can continue to make progress on all of them a bit each week. It's a delicate balance and if I add another to the queue, the house of cards comes tumbling down. To soothe my craving, I resort to swatching. Swatching allows me the thrill of casting on and of proving that I can master the pattern stitch without committing to a full project. The added bonus is it helps inform my knitting should I eventually get around to making the garment.

I've been jonesing to make the Printed Silk Cardigan from Interweave Knits by Connie Chang Chinchio . The prescribed yarn is La Luz which is pretty spendy. The ravelers who've made this design have used everything from RYC Cashsoft DK to Rowan Calmer. I love the idea of silk and wondered what sport weight yarn could deliver the drape with a wee bit of memory and some sheen. Oh yeah, and a great colour at a reasonable price.

At the Knitter's Frolic last Saturday (where I got to meet up with great knitters like Steph and Laura), I found a sport weight yarn at the Black Lamb booth. It was 50% superwash merino and 50% silk. At 347m per 100g and $15 per 100g skein, it seemed perfect. I also had some seawool also purchased from the Black Lamb last year in a nice olive green marinating in my stash. Curious to see how they both worked out - I swatched.

The merino/silk yarn was lovely. It worked up to a 24 x 36 gauge for 4 inches which is just a tad off the gauge suggested of 25 x 34. I was please with how nicely the twisted stitch diamond pattern popped (more on that in a moment) and after a bath the gauge stayed put. The colour shifts of the hand dye duplicated the original somewhat which is part of the charm of the design for me. My only hesitation here is that the swatch lacked the "heft" that I think helps it drape. It's pretty light and floaty.

The Olive coloured Sea Silk (seacell and merino blend - same base as HandMaiden) surprised me a bit. I expected to like this better and while I liked the drape a wee bit more, I felt the crispness of the blue swatch was lacking in this one (Geeze - I sound like the Simon Cowell of knitting). You can see that the diamond pattern is harder to discern and even the ribbing was a bit sloppier. The gauge was spot on the same as the blue swatch and it weighed 6g versus 5g for the blue one. This yarn clocks in at 303m (or thereabouts) per 100g.

Now you can also see that the left twisting stitches on both don't pop quite as much as the right one. After reading Lolly's blog and drooling over the cardigan she made her sister, I discovered that the designer had suggested knitting through the back loop of the second stitch then through the back loop of both stitches to remedy this. I tried it on the green swatch and it does work better.

Honestly, I'm partial to the blue yarn but I still don't think I've found the perfect fit. Maybe Lisa Souza glacier? Or, if there's another sport weight silk/cotton or silk/wool blend that's tone on tone variegated - drop me a line.

2008-04-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

Slipped Stitch
Hello there. It's been a while. You see, I've been having a wee crisis of (knitting) faith. Not that I don't think I still love knitting - I definitely do. I just don't know what to knit. Perhaps it's the change of seasons. I find within any given week I'm wearing both my Ugg boots and sandals and every coat in my closet from wooliest to lightest gets a test drive. One day is crisp another sunny and warm. What's a girl to do?

In the absence of anything profound to report as far as finished objects or acquisitions - I thought I'd do a random progress report on my WIPs with a few thoughts on Spring projects that may see the needles soon.

First up is an update on the Tulip Cardigan:

This is my niece. Let's call her "Ginger". My SIL e mailed me to say that she's worn the cardigan every day and that it fits perfectly. My SIL gives the cardigan two thumbs up. I think Ginger has a different opinion on this. Judging from the look on her face here I think she's saying "Can you say Baby GAP?" Yes - we finally got our red head!

I love this baby blanket from Nashua and have the yarn stashed to make it so perhaps this will please our young princess.

Cobblestone:

Yes, I gave Cobblestone a second chance. A 3.5mm needle on the ribbing helped to cinch it in a wee bit and avoid the dreaded "tutu flaring". The yarn is O-Wool balance (Is Oprah making yarn now?) which is 50% merino and 50% cotton - both organic. Cobblestone has been getting lots of love because it's a mindless project that runs pretty much on autopilot until you reach the yoke.

Roam:
The back of Roam is done and I've begun the first of two front panels. This is another straightforward but highly wearable knit. I feel as though I'm running out of time here with the weather warming up but I'm sure I've got about another month or so before it gets too warm to tolerate the Alpaca and silk. Lisa Souza rocks - this is the Mahogany colourway. My buddy Steph. has finished her Roam and it looks great. I'm hoping to see it in person at the Toronto Guild Spring Frolic next Saturday.

Evie:
I've begun a nice easy sleeve because the first front panel I began I fear is incorrect. The simplicity of the purl stitches, shaping and the amazing yarn make this my "comfort knitting". After a crazy day at the office (and it's been really busy lately) this is like a glass of Merlot.

I'm pleased to see that Kim Hargreaves is launching a Spring book to follow up her Heartfelt collection from the Fall. I heart Kim.

Maritime:

Is last year's WIP with only one sleeve done and the back just begun. This design is from Rowan 41 and is made out of Rowan cotton 4 ply. It's lovely to work with and I think this will be highly wearable. This one on Ravelry is so pretty that I just had to dig it out to get going again.

Feather and Fan Cardigan:

Have the book. Did the swatch...saw the sample garment. Julie has this on display in her store and YOWZA - it is delicious. I can't wait to make this.

Rock Star Cardigan:

This crochet cardigan by Anny Blatt has been in process for years. I'm making it in the original yarn but in blue and I think it'll be cute. Crochet may just provide the diversion I need to kick start my mojo again.

I suppose the downside of being a "process knitter" lies in the lack of finished projects. I love starting new things and having different projects to work on. When the seasons change however, there's always a bit of grieving for those that didn't make it in time for last call. It's not a big deal because I can pick them up again when their season comes around but I know not all of them will make the cut again. I have a funny feeling all of this wistful thinking will come to a screeching halt at the Knitter's Frolic in Toronto next week.

Veni, Vedi, Visa.

2008-03-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Motherhood . Necessity . Invention

I both love and hate knitting for infants. On the positive side of the equation - projects are small and often deliciously cute. On the negative side; the clock ticks loud and fast. The Tulip S weater by Dream in Colour is this year's Baby Surprise. It's all over the Net and while I'd not want to spend the money on a baby I barely knew, my new niece deserved every stitch. I cast on during the third trimester and last week gave myself a kick in the butt to get it done. She's just turning six months and this is a six month size. Imagine my angst when I realized that I wouldn't have enough of the turquoise to finish the I cord neckline.

I did get the kit from Lettuce Knit and in their defense, all other shades were well provided for so, my guess is that I've misplaced one small ball of the turquoise shade. I did rummage through the knitting bags to see if I could locate the missing yarn but St. Anthony (supposed patron of all lost items) just wasn't tuned into my case. I quickly determined that since the baby is growing by the second and since I'd frittered away all of my wriggle room by pushing this to the last minute - putting this project on ice to find the missing yarn wasn't the most prudent decision. I could probably have borrowed, begged or stolen a small amount from a knitting comrade but we'd still have transit time for the yarn or for me to get said yarn. I decided that necessity would be the motherhood of invention. I surveyed the remaining colours and while I probably could have squeaked out the I cord ties and neckline out of one of the colours; I decided to have a bit of fun.

I've been wearing this knitted bracelet given to everyone in the class Kathryn Alexander taught at Madrona. I love the happy colours and have been wondering what a multi coloured I cord would look like as a finish. I wasn't entirely sure how to make one but a quick peek at Nicky Epstein's embellishment book confirmed that you simply cast on the required stitches with the first shade then immediately join in the second shade to complete the first row. After that, you just alternate rows. LK had subbed Wisterious for the Pink Shade when I bought the kit and I liked the royal purple and the Wisterous together and quite frankly, they had the most left overs so it was a no brainer.

Voila - here are the results and I'm quite pleased. While the turquoise (as prescribed in the pattern) is great to anchor the busy colour transitions of the main design, I do like the whimsy of the bi coloured neckline. I don't think it competes with the main design too much.

Now I must get my butt over to see my niece and deliver the jacket. Chalk this one up to motherhood making it necessary to be inventive.

2008-03-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sequestered

Be careful of what you wish for. I've been longing lately for a day with absolutely no external obligations. A day to lounge in the sweats with pretty yarn, family gathered around and nice wine. I got that day today. Don't get me wrong - it was all in all a lovely day but it came in the form of one of the most vicious snow storms in recent memory. Of course, the Niagara and Ottawa regions were elected meteorological pinatas for this round and we've been told to brace for 50 cm of snow when all is said and done. Here is what our front yard looked like BEFORE the big storm. We're not quite sure where we'll be putting it all but I guess that's half the fun. I have spent the day straddled nicely between making headway on current projects and flirting with thoughts of spring projects. I did a bit of finishing and a bit of swatching so here's the latest.

Roam: I had to frog about 6inches of it back at Madrona. My second go at it was much more successful and the finished piece is bang on spec. I'm making the 40" size in Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Silk in Mahogany colour way. The back piece has been pinned to my blocking pad and is covered with a wet towel to block. The piece is blocking face down so the nice slip stitch design doesn't get flattened. This techique works well on cables too. I'll start the fronts next but won't do both at the same time as I was thinking of doing. If I screw up - less to frog back.

Tulip Cardigan: My niece is five months old and this little cardi is the six month size. Fortunately, my brother tells me she's a wee lass clocking in at 15 lbs so this will work still. I often put things aside when faced with a technique new to me. In this case it's knitted I cord which I need to do for Roam and Mermaid eventually. It went on well but I think too few stitches are prescribed for picking up the front bands - it seems to pull a bit. If you're making this, you may want to pick up more stitches before starting the I cord. Many of the Tulips I see on Ravelry seem to pull as well. Steaming does help a bit though.

Modern Lace Henley: I've never made a Pam Allen design but I suspect she creates a well written pattern. I love this wearable summer sweater and have picked up some Blue Sky Skinny Organic Cotton in a pale pink for this. My swatch is bang on gauge but knitter beware. The chart is incorrect. There is an extra column to the right included in the repeat.

Feather and Fan Cardigan: Another Pam Allen design. I love this one to bits. I picked up the Soft Linen from Julie on Thursday in a great burnt orange shade called Cathay. I rarely work with orange because it tends to clash with my hair. This one has lots of brown in it and is a really pretty clay pot colour. This yarn is a blend of Linen, Alpaca and Wool. A motley crew of a mixture but what a great summer yarn. I swatched for size and did a bit of the feather and fan pattern. This one is going to be fun.

Printed Silk Cardigan from Spring IK: Yes, I'm into tunics this spring. So pretty but the Fiesta La Luz is a bit spendy. I do have some yarn purchased from the Black Lamb in stash. It's the same base yarn as Fleece Artist Sea Wool (merino and seacell). It's hand dyed a pretty green and knits to sport weight so should be perfect. I have yet to swatch but that's on deck for tomorrow hopefully.

Evie: Love, love love this pattern. I suspect I've screwed up the first piece I'm working on so I plan to begin the back piece which should be more straight forward. I'll leave this one on holders for now just in case I am in fact correct. No need to frog if it's not truly necessary.

So, there you have it. One snowy day - many UFOs. When even the weather man has had it, you know there's no where to go but up. If we can't have spring we might as well swatch for spring. Just maybe then mother nature will get the hint.

P.S: This is what it all looked like Sunday morning. I predict a nice green lawn this Spring.

2008-02-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Still Waiting for Spring

I really look forward to the Spring Rowan magazine every year. It heralds the fact that Winter has reached about the half way point and reminds me that any casting on from here on in should be for warm weather projects. Julie sent my Rowan out to me on Feb. 1 and I received it as I was shoveling the driveway with freezing rain crystallizing on my glasses. I'll come clean here and state that I think this issue of Rowan was a big miss for them. It was technically adequate in most places but it lacked - emotion. My grandmother used to point out how some musicians could bang out a tune on the piano while others had a "nice touch". That makes all the difference.

Rowan 43 has three "stories". They've given them fancy names but I think of them as "Cavorting in the Gardens", "Grunge" and "Katie Couric discovers Pentax".

The grouping of Kid Silk Haze garments is pretty. I do love this lacy tee. This pink cardigan has wonderful eyelet detailing along the seams.

This appeals to my inner Stevie Nicks.

I applaud Sharon Miller for continuing to re invent the shawl issue after issue.

On the grunge side, this black crochet wrap cardigan has some cool beading. I hope someone on Ravelry makes this.

This last grouping is positioned as "London in the sixties and seventies". The styling just isn't clicking for me.

This reminds me of a toilet paper roll cover.

Kaffe rocks and I bet this would really shine if shown with a red T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The dress underneath seems like a blah styling choice.

I would wager that Rowan deems an issue a success if people buy lots of their yarn because they're inspired by the issue. It's also been suggested that alot of the creative attention has already shifted to the 30th anniversary issue due out this fall. As always, I will love seeing real knitters make this stuff and post their pictures on line so we can really see the garments.

Perhaps in six months I should report on those designs we dismissed a bit too early. If you see any diamonds in the rough here - let me know.

2008-02-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Sheepless in Seattle

I realize I've been a wee bit MIA. I had 4 editorial deadlines bearing down on me early February and then the Internet went down on us. It's been 2.5 weeks of negotiating with Ma Bell as to whether it's our phone line or not. Trust me - it's the phone line. I hear crackling when I call people. I'll have to type this post quickly as this connection may be gone in a heart beat.

The other big news is that I went to the Madrona Winter Retreat last week in Tacoma Washington. Five glorious days of spinning, knitting and shopping for fibre related products. I met up with Vanessa, Diane, Hope, Jessica, and a host of other great knitters. The company was as great as the program.

The trip out was a bit hairy since a raging snow storm hit Toronto right about the time I was preparing to leave for the airport. Barreling down a runway in a blizzard ain't for the faint of heart but we made it to Seattle safely. Imagine a hotel with comfy sofas and a long fireplace crawling with knitters every where. Yes, we'd all found our tribe.

I spent two days taking a class with Kathryn Alexander on energized singles. My Kromski Sonata fit nicely into the hard sided suitcase I bought and traveled with no ill effects. Kathryn Alexander is truly a creative genius. Her sense of colour, shape and innovation leave me feeling rather inept but hopeful that I can expand my horizons. After class I tried on one of her designs and Hope tried it on too. It's a cute jacket - a sassy happy little design. I may just treat myself to this one for getting through winter.

I spent a half day with Judith (I could listen to her talk all day) MacKenzie McCuin. She has an avid fan base and I can see why. She gave a 1/2 day on wild textures and I was able to try my hand at boucle and novelty yarns. I don't tend to knit with these but there are times when they make great embellishments so knowing how to make them is kind of cool. She was the key note speaker at the banquet on Saturday night and I really found her story about the Bison very interesting. She's producing a Bison yarn that is so wonderfully soft. Very expensive but lucious in every way. The red colourway is amazing.

I picked up some Blue Moon Fiber Arts Laci in the Thraven colourway to make the Irtfa shawl from Knitspot. Vanessa's is to die for. The Thraven is a rich black with a fly green colour woven through it. Yummm.

I had Saturday afternoon to myself to walk the market. I snagged some Schaefer Miss Priss in the Mr. Green Jeans colourway to make Mr. Green Jeans. I also got an amazing glass button from Michael and Sheila Ernst which matches perfectly.

About 2 blocks away from the hotel sits a lovely little bakery. When you see a sign like this - it about sums up the opportunity.

Hello Cupcake - goodbye skinny jeans. The Red Velvet and Mocha Chocolate cup cakes were my favourites.

A great location. Beautiful yarn, exciting workshops, knitting and wonderful company. I know it was a great vacation because I keep re playing it in my head. Oh, and yes - I've already mentally booked the time off again next year!

2008-02-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Red Carpet Knitting

I had the pleasure of taking Susanna Hansson's Bohus knitting class this past Saturday. My buddy Stephannie predicted that the first thing we would learn is how to pronounce Bohus and sure enough - we discovered it's Bow (rhymes with low) Hoose (rhymes with goose). The seminar takes you through the history of these designs which would be considered artisan garments by any standards. The Shetland stranded knitting was all about warmth and production speed while Bohus was all about detail, luxury and the rich and famous.

I was intrigued to learn that amongst those women who owned these sweaters were both Princess Grace and Ingrid Bergman. What girl wouldn't want to be like those two classic beauties? They personify the Bohus "Euro-elegance" perfectly. Seeing these garments up close was such a treat. As Steph and I hovered over one particularly beautiful article analyzing the construction I looked at her and said "Do you think someday knitters will be looking at our stuff like this?" I'm guessing that in my case the answer is no but it does make me more inclined to correct those mistakes instead of bashing on through. I'd hate to be the slide on a presentation down the road marked "lazy novice knitter".

I have Wild Apple stashed and part of my objective on Saturday was to gain perspective that would allow me to truly do this project justice. I had a chance to see Steph's Grey Mist up close and it just GLOWS. The workshop includes materials and pattern to make a pair of wristlets in the Blue Shimmer pattern. My next Bohus will likely be a cardigan version of the Blue Shimmer. The main body is done in a pale blue - very sophistocated.

We both fell hard for this lovely design called Lemon. The main colour is a beautiful greeny-yellow with a collar including golds, pinks, creams and sage green. Steph and I both really liked the colour and it really suits her.

Here's a close up of The Swan - a new design just released by Solveig Gustafsson. She's the master dyer behind these kits. This older swatch used browns and greys but I think the recently released version uses blacks too.

This swatch in blue and green caught my eye too. The blue is quite electric. I'm told the design was called "Blue Light"...not blue light special or Blue Lite as in the FAB (festive adult beverage).

In my stashing quest for quality over quanitity - these sweaters fit the bill. I will probably take liberties with the shaping to make it more contemporary as other knitters have by adding waist shaping and a hemmed bottom but that glowing collar will definitely stay untouched.

I will also feel like a princess.

2008-01-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Back in Black

It's been quite a week here. Our 10 year old Flat Coated Retriever Echo had a very large lump removed from her mammary gland. Luckily, it was a cyst but the process made me realize that time does march on. Since I learned that some people do spin dog hair, I've always thought I'd love to take some of her hair and blend it with some roving. This breed is not for folks who thrive on a spotless carpet. Long black locks adorn our house constantly. I vacuum daily. I'd love to spin some yarn with a touch of Echo in it and perhaps make a hat or scarf for my husband since she's really his girl. Since I've not actually taken steps to collect her hair, I began to brush her this week keeping the hair I gathered in a bag. This breed apparently has ideal hair for spinning. They also have quite unusual personalities. They are the Peter Pans of the dog world - goofy describes them best. If Echo were a TV character, she'd be Phoebe on Friends. As I brushed her fur and carefully placed it in a bag Echo shot me a look as if to say "Puhleeeze, how Silence of the Lambs of you".

I also completed the Devin toque for my DH this week. This is the perfect guy hat. Solid black with 2 x 2 ribbing. Easy Peasy (except for seeing the black yarn with my aging eyes but that's another story). The kicker is it's made out of 100% cashmere by Hand Maiden. I will admit it was so wonderful to work with. I can't wait to work with it again. The pattern was written for back and forth - sewn up but I converted it to in the round. I'm very pleased with the results. So is the recipient and with the current cold snap he's worn it several times already.

We took Echo for a walk in our local conservation area so she posed for a couple of shots with her daddy. As usual, she managed to sit still for the first picture and then got...well...goofy (or a cold butt from sitting). I guess we'll take that as a good sign.

2008-01-09T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Secret Life of Walter Knitty

My knitting projects literally leap from the pages of magazines and websites onto my needles via my very rich inner fantasy life. I tend to fall in love with a project because I fall in love with the story it's telling. Of course certain companies (Rowan for example) tend to execute this "life-style marketing" rather well and I get sucked in every time. Here are a few of the stories my projects told me once upon a time.

Cromarty:

Hi there - I'm Cromarty from RYC Classic Winter. If you make me your life will be filled with leisurely days and you'll have loads of time to bond with your inner child. See, here you are making a snow man. In fact, you even had time to knit a scarf and hat for the snow man...out of Patons.

Reality: Ironically, I've not found time to cast on for this one but the Soft Tweed I got on sale sits on my dresser...because I haven't found time to put it away.

Cobblestone:

Hey, I'm Cobblestone from the amazing Fall 2007 issue of IK. I'm glad you're home. I've just finished chopping wood for the fire. Dinner is ready and the kids are in bed. I'd love to hear ALL about your day.

Reality: Well, turns out that Cobblestone had a few issues he didn't reveal until about 3 weeks into the relationship. Warning: If you make this, use a smaller needle on the bottom garter stitch band otherwise it will flare out like a little dress. Cobblestone has been frogged back to square one and started again. Shout out of thanks to Hope and Vanessa for the intervention between me and Cobblestone.

Evie:
If you make me you'll look so hot that you too can wear a bowler hat, woolly socks and stand knock-kneed holding a bunch of balloons and still look great (and dammit, she does look great). Hey wait a minute - is that Stacy and Clinton headed this way?

Reality: Actually, Evie's not giving me too much grief and the RYC soft is divine. The pattern is one of those "do what you did on the other side but in reverse" sort of formats so it's been a slower start. We're ready to put the pockets in. I do love Kim Hargreaves' designs.

Indian Summer:

Ah, I can give you endless sunny days wandering along the beach. If you make me, I'll put you in touch with your inner artist. The colour, the style, the fingering yarn on tiny needles! Actually, I'm standing like this because, well, you know Rowan patterns. If I hold my arms at my side, the cuffs will scrape along the sand.

Reality: Meet my oldest UFO. I did the first sleeve and had to rip back because the two rows of red are very close in colour and I had switched them by mistake. Are bat-winged sleeves even remotely in style now?

NEXT!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

Watching the Ball of Yarn Drop

It's hard not to reflect on the year that was. I did make a few resolutions last year so I suppose I should weigh in on how well I met these lofty goals.

1. More small projects:
Check this one. If it weren't for small projects like Nagano Sakura and the Gem Beret - my FO list would be much shorter. Handmaiden's Devin Toque in yummmm Cashmere will no doubt be my first accessory for 2008.

2. More cables:
Count this as a miss. I'm a wee bit angry with myself about this. I love cables and would welcome a nice cabled project. Contenders are Bonne Marie's Twist, Central Park Hoodie and this lovely design from Louisa Harding's new book Summer Classics.

3. Get a dress form:
Ah, I'll need to carry this one over to 2008 too but I've decided to get one of an older vintage to make it a decorating element.

4. More Noro:
Poppy and my current project Manhattan in Cahsmere Island mean I get to check this resolution as a win for 2007.

5. Experiment with different fibres and indie designers:
This was a defining theme for 2007 for me. I made The Bonsai Tunic in bamboo and spun bamboo. I'm also working on Roam in Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Silk which counts as 2 for 2 with designer and fibre artist both being "indie".

6. Knit with my handspun:
My Nagano Sakura scarf counts as my first "roving to FO" project. It's especially sweet that I won a prize at the 5 Counties Fair for best knitted item by a novice. I'm spinning some shetland threaded with silk that will become a Diamond Fantasy shawl for the next fair this September.

7: Make more time for knitting:
Sure, once I finish prowling around Ravelry.

8: Release another FO:
Uh, next?

So, what's on deck for 2008?

I'm excited about attending Madrona in February where I hope to improve as a spinner by taking seminars with Kathryn Alexander and Judith Mackenzie McCuin. I will embrace my inner crone by forgoing space in the suitcase for the killer wardrobe in favour of the Sonata Wheel.

I've begun some hand dyeing as well and want to continue to develop this skill. I'm reading about natural dyes and just maybe there's a dyer's garden in my future this Spring?

I predict that Ravelry will expedite the unleashing of the independent designer and that more Veronik Avery's and Stephanie Japels will get book deals and delight us with their talent.

I hear Norah Gaughan's Spring collection is amazing. I predict I will make another of her designs.

I learned I still hate sock knitting this past year. Sorry but I'm very vain about my knitting and when I finish something I don't want it shoved into a pair of shoes under a pant leg.

I want to make a top down sweater...just to find out what the fuss is all about. Maybe this one out of this yarn?

I've joined the Funky Carolina roving club so I'm excited to try some new fibres over the next few months.

And last but not least - my stash. I don't resolve to stop stashing, just to become better at hiding it.

2007-12-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Head's Up

I became obsessed with finishing Gem this week. Yes, I was lured to the dark side by crochet. It started with a simple ring then round and round I went. Next thing I knew - I had myself a saucy beret. I coerced twin A to take some shots this afternoon to try and capture the detail in this pretty pattern.

Here are the specifications:

Pattern: Gem from Heartfelt the Darkhouse Collection Kim Hargreaves

Yarn: One skein of Kid Classic (lavender ice) and One skein of Kid Silk Haze (dewberry) doubled

Hook: 6mm crochet hook

Beads: About 300 size 6

This pattern is fast, fun and I'm very pleased with the results. Kim Hargreaves' book has several patterns calling to me and this one was very well written. The crochet terms are detailed in the back of the book. I did however have to search elsewhere to find out how to decrease (treble two together) but that was easy enough to nail down.

The pattern has you change to double crochet for the beaded section for 5 rows. I only did 4 rows mostly due to bead supply and yarn running out. I wouldn't want any more rows any way since this is just the right amount of "ease" for me. I like a beret to flop just a bit. the hat is finished with crab stitch in Kid Silk Haze only - three strands together.

I see that Kim Hargreaves book is now more widely available through online book retailers and ebay vendors. I would imagine it will sell well.

Now that Gem is complete, I've got my eye on another fast project from Heartfelt. Thanks to Webs, I have 5 balls of Big Wool in an unusual shade for me - cassis.

I may never go below 3 stitches per inch again!

2007-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Purple Ice

The good thing about a big snow system is that it's kind of nice to know that your only option for the next day is to hunker down and ride out the storm. It lets you off the hook for all of those errands you usually take care of on a Sunday. We here in the Niagara region had been really hard hit. This system has gathered lots of extra wallop whilst traveling over the Great Lakes. My lovely new Holiday urn arrangement now has about 3 inches of white stuff on it. So, it was a great opportunity to work on some projects.

I've noticed that when it comes to yarn lately - I'm particularly attracted to purple. Now, this isn't the case when it comes to buying clothes or decorating - its seems to be simply a fibre issue. Perhaps it's a yearning for balance since according to Wikipedia in United States politics, a purple state is a state equally balanced between Republicans (normally symbolized by red) and Democrats (normally symbolized as blue). Whatever the reason, I have a fiberyen for purple.

Evie is chugging along. It's one of those patterns that seems more complex than it is. Now that I see the pattern progressions - I can truly "get" the rhythm of the design. The Cashsoft 4 ply is a delight to work with but I do seem to be getting a larger gauge than prescribed on the ball band. I'll keep you posted.

Also in the purple family is a little beret from Kim Hargreaves as well. It's called Gem and it's crochet. A nice robust 6mm hook, some Kid Classic and Kid Silk Haze and it makes for a fast project. It's got beads around the brim...yumm. It's so much fun to have a little crochet on the side. It's fast and a nice complement to my other projects. I could have used this baby on my head today while shoveling the drive way!

I'm also quite taken with the new Knitty design "Ice Queen". I've obtained some Kid Silk Night (soon to be discontinued from what I hear) from Julie. It's flecked with shots of silver so along with the silver beads - it's particularly "icy". Perhaps all of this iciness is what attracted this uber storm?

If you're like me...this week it probably your crunch time coming up. Last minute gifts, cards and grocery shopping will be top of mind but when the big day comes - I plan to be firmly planted in my house with a glass of sparkling wine and my knitting and spinning projects. Ten more sleeps!

2007-12-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Structured Tastings

I spent a wonderful couple of days last week at the wineries in wine school. I know, I know, at last a course I can ace. It's common practice to taste wines from light colour to dark and lighter tasting to oakier. In that spirit - I will update my various projects. We'll go from easy-breezy to the more complex.

First up is an FO. It's Narvik from Rowan 42 made out of luscious Rowan Cocoon. It's in sultry shades of charcoal, gray and mushroom. The cables on the front provide a nice complement to the raised pattern across the all-charcoal back. What makes this the easiest project in my round up?....I never said it was *my* FO. I stumbled across it at Stitch today. Jocelyn had a sample that she kindly let me try on and she even took the picture for me. This one is back on the short list for me. It's really nice in person.

Our second tasting is a nice smooth cashmere layered with complex notes of colour changes. I've finished the first front of Manhattan in the decadent Noro Cashmere Island. I LOVE this project because it's mindless and easy to pick up and put down. I'm currently casting on for the back which involves over 300 stitches to weed down to about 1/3 that amount to make the ruffle.

Here is Roam. Now Roam and I had an incident a week or so ago whereby I realized that all of my increases were done incorrectly. I was only increasing two stitches per row instead of 4. I had to rip out a good 6 inches ...all together now "OUCH!". I'm back to where I was before I ripped back. This is a delightful knit. Do learn how to purl continental if you want to make seed stitch. Once you get it down pat - it's very meditative. I was able to try the original Roam on when I was at Lettuce Knit last month taking a seminar with Laura Chau the designer. It's a great sweater! I'm also using the Addi Lace turbos and the pointy tips make the "to and fro" of the continental seed stitch very easy to stick-handle. The Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Silk is like a silky Merlot. Rich, deep, smooth and elegant.

I am also still plugging away on Autumn Rose. Second sleeve is almost half done. I'm eager to get to the body so I can actually gather up some rhythm with the pattern. The sleeve is too short a run to actually get "in the Fair isle zone".

Evie is progressing too but I had to clarify a few things with the designer re: pattern directions so, there isn't any progress to show since I had to rip back.

Projects galore! I love it because just as there is a perfect wine for every meal - so is there a perfect project for every mood.

2007-11-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

Father, Kim and the Holy Post

There are just some situations that defy logic. Sometimes you get what you really want in spite of your best efforts to sabotage yourself. Such is my quest for a recent Kim Hargreaves project.

Last September 12, I mentioned in a post that I admired the design Evie from Kim's Fall collection called "Thrown Together". I loved the styling, the colour and most of all - the fact it bore the same name as my mom who passed away several years ago. It's also the name of my little 3 year old niece (insert gratuitous picture of cute child). I wrote "Don't you think the Universe want me to have this sweater?"

After humming and hawing for a few days - I decided to order it but since I *always* make things in the same colour they're shown in, I tried to think of different shades...just to be different. None - other than the Loganberry shade which most closely represented the colour shown on the model - appealed to me. In the end, I opted for a dove grey called Weather. The colour is great and very popular this season but I did kind of kick myself for not getting the deep purple.

What I didn't know was that my father (who reads my blog) had read the post and decided to surprise me by ordering the kit. He stalked knitting guilds and stores in his area in an attempt to locate Kim Hargreaves' designs. He didn't realize she sells via the Internet only. He got in touch with my knitting buddy Dr. Steph who not only showed him how to find the Kim Hargreaves website but also advised him on size and colour. He called Kim in England and says he had a delightful chat with her. He ordered the kit for me (without knowing that I'd already bought it). A week later while dad was visiting the kit arrived..........

in all of its deep purple glory. Yessssssss! It's the colour I really wanted all along.

So, since the universe definitely wants me to have this project - there's only one thing for a girl to do.

Cast on baby.

2007-11-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Stash Flow

I attended a trendy agency party a few years ago where I met a fellow knitter. I had car-pooled in with a male colleague who was chatting in another part of the room with an executive from another company. When she mentioned that she was a knitter my co-worker said "I should introduce you to Michelle. She knits". Of course, we knitters hear that all the time and we know all knitters are not cut from the same cloth and my colleague confessed in the car later on that she had asked a few qualifying questions of him before crossing the room to meet me as another knitter. He'd been able to field them fairly well (because I blather on about knitting whenever possible) but admitted to me that he'd been stumped by what appeared to be the most important question of all to her. She'd asked him if I "had a stash". He said "Michelle - what the hell is a stash?"

A stash to a knitter is what a basement full of chick-peas is to someone preparing for Armageddon. It gives us options should our oxygen (yarn) supply be cut off. My stash constantly ebbs and flows with my knitting fantasy life. Since the last week has been filled with article deadlines and family activities - not much real knitting has been accomplished so I thought I'd share a few projects that have caught my eye and as a bonus - are stash friendly.

From the new Kim Hargreaves book Heart Felt - Armory. It's made from RYC Bamboo soft of which I had almost enough in my stash. My supply is a pale lilac colour and fortunately Julie had the few extras in the same dye lot to complete the picture. BTW - the book is amazing and well worth the price. Only available on Kim Hargreaves' website.

I love the way the back dips down - this will be the perfect Feb. project.

I'm pleased to report that I have one skein of Kid Classic and one of the Kid Silk Haze (violet) to make this little hat also from Kim Hargreaves. It's crochet but on a 6mm hook should be a fast project. The brim is beaded.

An old supply of Adrienne Vittadini Mimi seems to be around the right gauge to make this pretty jacket. I applaud Ms. Hargreaves' ability to make chunky yarn look delicate somehow. My colour is called chambray.

I was initially not thrilled with the Winter IK. It felt a bit too "missy" for my tastes. I do however understand Eunny Jang's argument that classic designs are great for times when we don't get to projects as quickly as we think we will. At least these stand the test of time. My picks from this issue include:

Henley for which I have some Peacock coloured Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. This yarn has lived in about 4 designs already in my dreams so it's been a good investment even still skeined up.

I also really like this Louisa Harding tunic. The cable sweeping from shoulder across the body is quiet unique yet I think this would be very wearable. It would be great with a turtleneck, long skirt and boots. I have some Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran that just might work.

Last but not least - the Gathered Pullover made from Browns Sheep Top of the Lamb. I love how this is layered and the intricate yet simple detail in the middle. This one doesn't have a stash-mate that jumps out at me. I'll have to think about that....and peruse the shade cards at Browns Sheep.

2007-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Little Reminders

I have a confession to make. I don't feel guilty about having lots of WIPs and UFOs. New knitters and non knitters often ask how many projects I work on at a time or how long it will take me to finish something but I dodge the question. I figure that life is full of deadlines and obligations - my hobby is the one place I can be irresponsible. I'll pick up projects here and there depending on what I need creatively at any given moment.

Roam with Lisa Souza baby alpaca has afforded me the opportunity to learn how to purl continental. I'm finding the seed stitch very theraputic and the yarn is like butter.

Autumn Rose is the project I reach for when I want to enjoy the colour play of stranded knitting. These shades are so regal - perfect for working on whilst watching The Tudors.

Manhattan is the perfect "on the go" project. Stockinette, simple shaping and those amazing Noro colour changes. The yarn is Cashmere Island. Yeah, that's an island I want t be stranded on.

I pull out my husband's Cobble Stone pullover when I know there's another package of yarn about to arrive at the door. "See honey, I'm making you a sweater. Cast your eyes away from the fibery deliveries."

Sometimes a project will slip through the cracks. It drifts to the bottom of the knitting bag in favour of shiney new projects. The Tulip Cardigan was such a project. Often life will provide some sort of cosmic tap on the shoulder to remind us that we really need to turn a UFO into an FO.

Say hello to my new niece. A 7lb 2 oz tap on the shoulder. With that flaming red hair I'm gonna guess that she won't be accepting an of my excuses. I best get knitting.

2007-10-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Cosmicsouza

Nothing screams of a passionate pairing more than a mash up of names. It worked for Brangelina and Bennifer - it works for my latest project too. For me, the design is usually the artistic feature of a project with the yarn playing a supporting role. Now that I'm making Roam out of Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Silk, it's a magical mixture of a great design paired with artisan handpainted yarn.

I felt this colourway would be close to the Big Sea Silk used in the original design as it appeared in the pictures on Knitty. When I ordered it, I told Lisa what I was making. She e mailed me to confirm that my skeins were "extra chocolaty". The colours move from cognac to smoke and deep chocolate. There are smudges of cobalt highlights that really make the yarn unique. The seed stitch is perfect for this type of handpainted yarn to move the colour around a bit more and avoid any pooling...of course, that's not an issue with Lisa's yarn. This is a perfect sub for Roam since it's bang on gauge and the alpaca and silk drape beautifully. The shaping is nicely built into the ridge of slip stitches which will become the icord embellishment.

I do knit continental but still purled english style so I decided to learn how to purl continental as well. I found some great videos on youtube that were very helpful. I highly recommend this method to anyone wanting to try seed stitch.

I'm especially excited to be taking a dyeing class at Lettuce Knit tomorrow with Laura Chau who designed Roam. I'll get to see Roam in person since the sample will be at the store.

There's a new Norah Gaughan design I'm smitten with too in the new Knitter's Book of Yarn. It's called the Cable Swing Cardi. This one may be even better suited to my Malabrigo than the Tilted Duster. Those lovely cables and seed stitch will add a bit more texture to the Malabrigo handpaints.

I'm going to have to find more knitting techniques designed to speed up my knitting! Or - I could just spend less time on Ravelry!

2007-10-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

Red Romance
I have officially completed the first arm of Autumn Rose. Apparently, going back to the yoga mat recently after a 3 month break was a good idea because if my gauge on this puppy is any indication - I'm one stressed cat.

Prescribed gauge is 30 stitches to 4 inches on 3mm needles. I often use sleeves as a gauge swatch - in this case, I didn't bother checking it until the sleeve was done and I got 32 stitches to 4 inches. Now given that the entire sleeve is only 96 stitches by the end of all of the increases, we're probably talking about a quarter of an inch smaller in the end. I have already steamed it a bit and have been able to get it to where it needs to be. It does tell me however that I need to use my 3.25mm needles to get gauge. I also have taken Vanessa's advice to heart and started to split splice the colour changes. It works quite well. You simply do the splice about 2 inches from the end and the colour transition is quite natural. Look ma - no ends to weave in! I'm still quite enamoured of the reds and golds. It's perhaps why I'm also attracted to this design from Annie Modesitt's new book called Romantic Hand Knits.

This is called Dark Victory and uses Malabrigo in a deep burgundy colourway. I found the exact number of burgundy Malabrigo skeins at my LYS (sadly it's closing next month) for 50% off. There was much spirited discussion in the shop as to what accent shades I should use but in the end I really liked the way the gold sparked the design in the sample for the book. I bought a skein of pearl and one of sunset for the accent. The centre panel is done in slip stitch whilst the rest of the sweater is ribbed for a close fit.

I highly recommend this book. The skirt on the front gives new meaning to the phrase "Va Voom". I'm sure we're all shying away from this one because we don't like our cabooses enough to give it a whirl but there are a few people making this and I'm eager to see how it looks on real women. It may surprise us.

This little sweater is very feminine too and looks like a fun knit. I wonder if the shoulders would be fiddly and slide down your arm?

I think these stockings are so "Petticoat Junction". I doubt I'd ever make them - basically because I've decided I'm just not hard wired to like making socks but I think they're really cool.

There are a couple of awesome hat patterns, an Egyptian-inspired dress that's stunning and long black gloves perfect to accent a fabulous party dress at your company Christmas party.

I'm attracted to different designs each time I look at this book which is generally what I consider to be a good sign. Two thumbs up for this one.

Since I'm in a red and gold phase - perhaps I need to dig this one out of the stash in 2008 and see if my skills are finally ready to tackle it.