Fall Rowan

I just finished ordering the fall Rowan. All I can say is fabulous. It is the 30th anniversary of Rowan and this could possibly be their best book yet. Marie Wallin's designs are incredible. There is lots of Wool Cotton, Kid Silk Aura, Kid Classic, 4ply Soft and Felted Tweed. There is a new yarn with Kaffe Fassett's name called Colourscape Chunky. Fabulous colours and a book just for it with amazing designs. I have been carrying Rowan since we opened and the last few years haven't excited me. This fall will be different.

There are new colours coming in Kaffe Fassett sock yarn. The colours do a different pattern that looks neat. We have also ordered a 6ply sock yarn (double knitting) in Kaffe Fassett colours. There is a book for this with sweaters, scarves, hats and socks.

I need to get back to work now. When I started unpacking boxes that came back from the Frolic yesterday I decided to start moving around the store. I wish someone would stop me when that pops into my head. The store is currently a mess (and about to get bigger) as I put up new shelving and rearrange.

Frolic

It has been a crazy week but things should start to slow down a bit now which means I can knit and blog again.

We started for Toronto at 2:30 on Friday afternoon. Luckily the traffic was light and we were at the Japanese Cultural Center before 4. Beth left about 6:30 and I stayed another hour setting up.

Saturday morning I met Jane at the store at 6am (which meant getting up at 5). We got to Toronto, finished the booth and were ready for the crowds at 9. The show was great as always. There were 62 vendors, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to walk around and see the show. I am sorry if you came by the booth and I didn't talk with you-we were busy all day. My truck is now full again and this afternoon will be spent unloading at the store (or maybe not since it is cold and raining.)

I spent yesterday watching tv-Nascar and hockey of course-and knitting on my Stella cardigan. One front is done and I am 15 rows up on the other front.

Last night was the finale of Big Brother. I really didn't want Ryan to win. He was still professing his love to Jen even after she tried to throw him under the bus at the beginning of the show.

Gotta run-today is tax day. I need to finish my tax return and GST return. YUCK!!

Henk and Karens adventure

I have been doing a bit of knitting over the last couple of days. I am almost done the first front of my Stella cardigan. The hockey playoffs have limited my sleep so I might as well knit. The pattern is very well written (as are all Fiber Trends patterns) with the neck shaping written out row by row so you don't run into problems with the lace. I am enjoying knitting with the bamboo-I see more of it in my future.

My parents have always loved children and would have had 10 if they could have. They are in Myrtle Beach right now and some of the men who work for my dad have brought their families down for a vacation. Mom and dad decided to take the kids out last night so the adults could do their thing. They had 7 kids aged 12-17. Unfortunately their van won't sit 9 people so my dad rented a limo to take them out-a big surprise for the kids. The first stop was Johnny Rockets for dinner and then a movie (the limo driver went along to both as well). There was still some time left after the movie so they went out for milk shakes. All the kids slept over last night and when I talked with my dad this morning he was getting ready to make pancakes. My parents did some really cool stuff with us and our friends but they never rented a limo to take us out!! Yes I am pouting right now.

I'm almost finished packing for the Frolic. As always there is way too much stuff but I don't want to run out of yarn. LOL!!

The Namaste Malibu and Laguna bags just arrived today. We will have all the colours at the show on Saturday and then back in the store next week.

Blogger is cooperating again

Here is my finished baby sweater. The yarn really shows the stitch definition. It was a simple sweater to knit-a new knitter could easily do this.


The weather is beautiful outside and I didn't have a summer sweater to wear to work today. This along with the fact that I just finished a project lead me to starting a new project today. This is a Fiber Trends pattern (FT463). I am using Stella from Naturally (100% bamboo) in white. This way I can wear it with black pants and any of my new summer sandals. Two strands are held together and it is knit on 5mm needles-I already have 20 rows done on one of the fronts. The pattern is very well written (as are all Fiber Trends patterns). Gotta run-my new project is calling.

Finally

The baby sweater in Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton is finished. It's sewn together and all ends are in. Now Blogger isn't cooperating-I can't upload any pictures right now. Hopefully tomorrow.

Big Brother last night was great. Natalie didn't see it coming.

Gotta run. It's almost closing time. I'm running home to meet with the electrician. We're bribing him with dinner and then back to the store for class.

Mom has been busy

We have kept my mom busy over the last couple of days making a table cloth for the dining room table. We did not want to serve dinner on the table without a table cloth and pad underneath in case someone (okay that would be me) spills. We had to add a runner down the middle to cover a seam. I still need to iron it but they are leaving for Myrtle Beach in the morning and mom wanted to see it on the table. She has some Amy Butler fabric packed to do a quilted runner while they are away.

A new shipment of Offhand Design bags arrived today. This is always a dangerous day for me because I want them all. The first three are the Zhivago Weekenders. This bag is big enough to carry around your whole knitting project or to use as a travel bag if going away for the weekend. The next three are called Zelda Grand.






Progress is being made on the basement. The electrician and plumber are coming tomorrow.

Sorry-no knitting to report. I am just getting ready to pick up the stitches around the neck of my baby sweater. Maybe tomorrow. The next week will be busy starting to pack for the Frolic.

It's been a long week

I have been up since 7am and all my chores are done so I am eating breakfast and writing.

My parents decided last week that they are going to sell their house here and buy a condo. This isn't happening for a few years but the wheels are in motion. Trust me, when my dad's wheels are started in motion things happen quickly!! Beth's pool table is in their basement so it needs to come to our house but our basement isn't finished so now that is being done. Construction workers don't start their day at 9 like I do so the last few days have been hell for me. Thursday morning dad was here at 8 so that we could lay out the basement. Friday morning at 8 the owner of the drywall company was here to look at what needed to be done. At 7:30 this morning the steel was delivered and the work has started.

This week in Brantford the Allen Cup is being played. This hockey tournament has been running for 100 years and according to my dad is the oldest amateur sporting event around. Yesterday was renamed Hockey Day. We went and watched the 1pm game, went out for dinner and then watched the 7pm game. Sitting in an arena all day is harder than working!! Mom was quite happy though because we kept dad out of her hair for the day.

Joan Kass taught an introduction to lace class in the store on Saturday. Everyone came away with a greater knowledge of lace knitting but were very tired. Joan kept them working from 10-4. I'm surprised she let them have lunch.

I am almost done the baby sweater in Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton. I should be able to finish the sleeve this morning and get the neck band done. This is getting the point of being was past the time it should take to finish a sweater. Also, I need it for the Frolic and that is coming up soon.

If you call the store today and I don't answer, try again, I might be napping. :)

Is spring really here?

The weather outside is fabulous. Almost all the snow is gone from our parking lot and the sun is shining. You can't be anything but happy on a day like today.

I am almost finished sleeve one and ready to pick up sleeve two. Since I dislike sewing I picked up the stitches and worked the sleeves down from the top.
Alexis knit us another Tulip Cardigan. This time we used bright colours that can be worn by a boy or girl.
This is the adult version of the Tulip Cardigan that Rhonda knit. Every picture I took came out terrible but today I got one that shows the colours. Rhonda-you hurt my feelings by asking if my mom sewed the buttons on the cardigan-I did it because she wasn't home yet!! If she had been home then I would have asked her to do it.

Samantha asked me a hard question-who do I want to win Survivor? At this point Ozzy deserves it. It will be interesting with the merge to see how things play out between Ozzy and James.

Don't forget that Hell's Kitchen is on tonight. I am going to ask the same question that I ask every season-if you are going on Hell's Kitchen how come you didn't learn to make Risotto? Every season Gordon is yelling at them about their Risotto.

There are going to be some changes for the tent sale this summer. It isn't going to be in a tent. We are renting St John's Parrish hall which is just up the street. This way we don't have to bring everything in at night, there are no weather issues and they have lots of parking. The dates are not set in stone but we are looking at July 8, 9, 10. I will give better details once the hall is booked.

Flags, Feather and Fan

Mom and dad arrived home from Myrtle Beach on Tuesday night. While there they went flag shopping and came home with enough to get us through the summer. These are the spring flags and my dad is very impressed with himself. He put them up and then made me go look at them. Here is a picture so you can be impressed as well-small things make him happy.
This is the Feather and Fan cardigan from Classic Elite. Lynda sent it to me at the beginning of the week but I had to sew buttons on it. (Yes Wannietta and Rhonda, I did it myself!!) The indoor picture is a truer colour but the outdoor picture shows the cardigan off better.


We are receiving more yarns for the Knitter's Frolic.
From Fiesta there are new colours of Baby Boom sock yarn.
We are also carrying Oceanwind Knits fingering weight yarn.

I have started one front of my Noro Silk Garden lite cardigan. Lots of time watching tv this week-it's okay to do that if you are knitting. :)
-CSI Miami-you would think that with the writers strike there would have been lots of time to come up with something better than that
-American Idol-I wasn't impressed but Dolly Parton songs wasn't an easy task
-Hell's Kitchen-there is nothing bad to say about that
-Big Brother-are these people idiots? There are never going to get James out of the house
-Survivor-merge next week