Just call me 'chauffeur'

Being the chauffeur was my job today.  The drive took a bit longer than usual but there were no incidents.  Our friend Oliver (who runs Naturally Yarns in New Zealand) came back to Canada with us and will be flying back to NZ on Sunday.  Beth and I took him to Swiss Chalet for dinner-a must for a visitor.  Now Beth and Oliver are watching the basketball game as I am typing.

One of the things that excited me at the show were knitting kits from Christel Seyfarth.  Christel is from Denmark and her fair isle designs are amazing.

The Bird Jacket wasn't at the show but the picture looks great so the finished garment will be even better.

All designs are knit in the round and steeked.

This is the Mongolia shawl.  The finished shawl was at the show.  Fabulous.

I have ordered all these kits and hopefully they will arrive in a few weeks.

Here is another picture of the shawl.  It was knit but a different knitter which means a different colour combination.

The Big Poppy Shawl was on display before you entered the show hall.  Wow!!

All the kits come with many balls of different coloured yarns that are divided into background and flower colours.  For the background you lay out the yarns and cut off a given length of the first colour, then the second colour and continue cutting and at the same time wind the colours into a ball.  You have now made your own ball of striping yarn.  When starting to knit the yarns are not actually joined and you will use a spit splice to join them which means no ends to sew in when you are finished.  Remember, I have had a long day so this might sound hard but it is a very easy technique.  :)  You will then make another ball with the flower colours.  All kits are done this way.

This is my favourite kit-the Malthese Shawl in pastel colours.

The pattern calls for steeking and machine sewing.  I haven't read through a pattern but think that Alice Starmore's steeking techniques will work.