Hey Hey We're The Monkees!

I have CNN on the TV and sad news has been coming up all morning. There are tornadoes slamming the US with many deaths and many more missing. Whole neighbours have been levelled. Very sad.

Then it came up that Davvy Jones has passed away.

I took this picture at Barrett-Jackson but didn't put in up. I think it is fitting today. There are Monkees songs running through my head as I am writing. What great TV. Why can't they make shows like that today?

Nick (Mr. Canpar) brought in a huge box of yarn.

Eight new colours of Taiyo Sock - 17-30

A new scarf yarn from Katia came in.

Bossa Nova
72% cotton
28% polyamide

There are 13m on a ball so it will take two balls to make a scarf.

Download the pattern...

The yarn is like Ondas but much softer. The frill is also much deeper.

All colours are in stock

I pulled out some 4mm needles and cast on 6 stitches. This is one ball.

I'm finding the yarn quick to knit. I didn't start this until noon and have been serving customers and doing other work while working on the scarf.

The pattern says one inch between stitches but I went further-I did about two fingers.

I had a bit of a computer freak out this afternoon. I was looking for a document and it wasn't there. Yesterday I couldn't find one either but just thought I deleted it. Today the missing documents included my camp brochure. I wouldn't delete that. I looked everywhere and it was gone. Beth has a rule that if it doesn't work then turn it off and start it back up. Guess what? The documents are showing up on my computer now. Really weird.

Knitting class tonight and then night two of Idol. I almost forgot about Survivor. Maybe a new Revenge?

I finished the body of Gnarled Oak last night. Tonight I will be starting sleeve number two. Hopefully the yoke will be started on the weekend. That is when there will be some good pictures.

It's almost 6:30. I didn't go home between work and class so that I could get the scarf done.

I'm happy that I decided to do the full two balls. For a while I was going to stop after one ball-partly being lazy and partly to show how far one ball goes.

I forgot to mention that we received a box of patterns from Brooklyn Tweed. Pictures tomorrow.

Mountain Colors

I'm a bit tired today. The race lasted late into the night. Things happened in the race that we haven't seen before including a two hour delay for a crash that happened under caution.

The sleeve of Gnarled Oak is finished and on a stitch holder and I went back to the body. I have about an inch and a half until it is done.

Yesterday afternoon I picked up three boxes from the post office. Lots of Mountain Colors yarns and kits.

Warm and Wooly Throw Trio Kits
From Mountain Colors

Warm and Wooly Throw Trio kit. It comes in 8 colorful colorway combinations and includes the patterns for three different designs. There is a pattern for an easy knitted throw, an intermediate lacey knitted throw design and a pattern for a crocheted throw too. Each kit includes THREE of our colorways in an assortment of our yarns....Mohair, Moguls, Mountain Goat and Merino Ribbon.

Garnet...a rich combination of burgundies
Ice...the palest of blues and cream
Log Cabin...rich warm browns
Mountain...majestic purples

Nighthawk...a lovely gray combination

We also received kits for the Yellowstone Scarf. There are five one ounce skeins of Mountain Colors yarns. The scarf is knit on 8mm needles so it won't take long to make.

The kit includes

• mohair
• mohair loop
• missoula
• wooly feathers
• merino ribbon

Kits for the cover jacket of Knit Swirl are back in stock.

I love this jacket.

Here are pictures that I took in the Mountain Colors booth at TNNA.

A young lady came in wearing the cardigan on Saturday and it was so crazy in the store that I forgot to get a picture. She did this colourway and it is beautiful.

Each kit contains 10 skeins (9 colours) of Mountain Goat.

A smooth non-fluffy mohair/wool blend that is excellent for doing colorwork and stitch patterns.

Now I need to find a good place to display the kits.

Since starting my post I have come up with an idea. Now I need to get the handyman (my dad) in to help me with my idea.

There was one more yarn in the boxes. Monarch is a new yarn from Mountain Colors.

This wonderfully soft thick/thin yam is a worsted weight and gives a lovely handspun look to your project

100% merino wool
180m/200yards in a 100gram skein

This is the Missoula Mobius. The pattern is free with the purchase of the yarn.

The Great Falls Slouch Hat is another pattern for Monarch.

Knitting class is resuming tonight. The ladies had Valentines Day off and then last week when I was sick. Tonight they will be starting their hat. It is a pattern from Kate Atherley knit in chunky wool.

You can download the pattern from Kate's blog...

We have a twist on Idol tonight. One of four males who were cut is getting to come back. Who will it be??

Almost reached my goal

I almost finished the sleeve last night. The increases are done and I have half an inch to go.

Jane is home from Florida and back in the store today. I've done two loads of laundry, packed four boxes and started on paperwork.

I was planning on spending the afternoon watching the Daytona 500-rain yesterday postponed it until noon today. There is more rain in Daytona so now the plan is for the race to start at 7pm. I'm going to do some errands this afternoon and then watch the race tonight-hopefully they don't get any more rain.

It's later in the day and I am home from my travels. One of my stops was in Burlington for Beth. She had papers to be picked up at the accountants. It was a weird feeling going through the front doors. This is the same firm I worked for when I was in university and it was my first time back since I finished school.

The race is about to start. I hope it makes me knit faster. :)

Sleeve is growing

After closing the store last night Beth and I went for a drive. Our good friend from New Zealand was in Toronto for the weekend on business. We don't get to see Oliver very often so it was a no brainer to have dinner with him. It was close to ten when we got home and I pulled out my knitting. At one I made myself go to bed. It was one of those nights where I could have kept knitting until dawn.

My sleeve is growing. I am using two balls for the sleeve-two rows of one and then two rows of the other. At first it was looking stripy but now I am happy with how the colours are blending.

This afternoon we have the Daytona 500 and the finish of the match play in golf. Can I get it done??

Honey Cowl is done

I got to work early this morning and thought about washing the floors. They are in desperate need but with it snowing outside there was no sense starting. Instead I did some rearranging. The new Offhand Designs bags are spread throughout the store. 

I found a mannequin for Color Affection and it lives with the tosh merino light.

I didn't understand how the colours worked when I first saw the pattern. You start with the purple. Then it is purple and lime. Then stripes of purple, lime and teal. I didn't realize the purple carried all the way through.

Lynda is going to make me another one so I am playing with more colour combinations.

It's Done!! All ends sewn in. All four of them. :) And I did it myself..

Pattern: Honey Cowl
It's free on Madelinetosh's website
You put it in your shopping cart, check out and then it will be emailed to you.

Yarn: 2 skeins tosh dk in smokey orchid

My cowl is the two skein version. You can also make the cowl with one skein. The one skein version just sits around the neck-it isn't long enough to wrap around twice.

Last night I started the first sleeve for Gnarled Oak. Until now I have been jealous of Lynn. She has less stitches on her body than I do making the rows go faster. I have more stitches on my sleeve to start which meant that I could do the ribbing on double pointed needles and move to a 40cm circular right away when I started the stocking stitch. Lynn will have some increases to do before the 40cm circular will work.

For members of the Around the Bay Knitting Guild please note that there is a date change for the next meeting. From the guild blog

Please note that our March meeting has been moved and will now be held on Tuesday, March 13 at 7pm at the Marlatt Family Centre on King Street in Dundas.

Please pass this update along to any knitting/guild friends. 

Summerspun

So much for the snow storm. It is pouring rain here. You would think it was April.

I was knitting away last night while watching Idol and Grey's Anatomy when I decided I should take out the tape measure and see just how far I was on Gnarled Oak. I'm at 17". Much farther than I thought. I will be starting the sleeves this weekend.

Yesterday Mr. UPS brought in an envelope from Rowan with a sample sweater

Bellgrave from the new Summerspun Collection. I was happy to have the sweater but we didn't have the books.

Ms. UPS came in this morning with the books. I LOVE IT!!

Summerspun is a beautiful yarn in a 50% Merino Wool and 50% Cotton blend. The yarn is made by twisting a printed cotton end and a melange wool end together, resulting in a wonderful subtle striping effect. Summerspun is a joy to knit and crochet.

The hardest part will be picking which colour to use. They are all beautiful.

I'm home from work. The weather has turned cold. Okay, the temperature isn't that cold but the wind is bitter. I almost finished my Honey Cowl before leaving. There are about 40 stitches still to be cast off. I will get it done tomorrow and take some pictures.

Celebrating Family

Last night I booked my plane ticket to TNNA. That would be TNNA in February 2013. When you fly on points you can't wait until the last minute to book. Unfortunately there aren't any direct flights from Toronto into Long Beach, California. I could fly to LAX but what fun would that be? I fly into Vegas on Thursday morning and then Saturday morning fly into Long Beach. I'll be at the show Saturday and Sunday morning. The show is Super Bowl weekend so I will be in front of the TV Sunday afternoon. Then back to Vegas Monday morning and home on Tuesday. Totally makes sense. It's a good thing it doesn't bother me to get on an airplane.

While I was away last week Cathy unpacked a box with new Debbie Bliss yarns,
Cashmerino Baby has 10 new shades.
Cashmerino Baby is
55% Merino Wool
33% Microfiber
12% Cashmere

There are also new colours in Eco Baby-100% Organic Cotton

These yarns are interchangeable-even the same yardage.

We know that Debbie will always have new baby and children's patterns and you can find them in her new book Celebrating Family.

Debbie also included some adult designs in Cashmerino Baby and Eco Baby.

There was lots to watch on TV last night. The woman's team on Survivor are in total chaos and the show just started. At this rate they aren't going to win a challenge. So far I like most of the judges choices on Idol. It will be interesting to see how tonight's show goes. I didn't even make it to Criminal Minds. Maybe tonight.

Gnarled Oak is progressing. I am at 15". Only three more inches until I get to start the sleeves. Lynn and I are making the cardigan to wear at The Knitter's Frolic-she started her sleeves yesterday. Sarah is making it as well-when the pact was made to make the cardigan we didn't know she would be moving to England. Jane is knitting a different cardigan in tosh dk. I was going to write that if she gets it done she can wear that. Of course Jane will have it done-it's two months to the Frolic-she knits garments faster than any of us.

There are boxes to be packed but I can't make myself pick up the tape gun. Good thing I open later tomorrow-there will be time in the morning. Criminal Minds-here I come.

Color Affection

I finished the last post, hit publish and then Ms. Canada Post walked in with two boxes. I could have waited until tomorrow but wanted to share these great pictures.

The first box was from Lynda with Color Affection. The pattern was purchased on Ravelry.

We used tosh merino light
Flashdance
Jade
Nebula

I LOVE IT!! I will be putting together another set of colours and sending them to Lynda tomorrow. She has agreed to make me another shawl.

Then came a box from Offhand Designs.

Joan Zelda Grand 

Catherine Zelda Grand

Marie Zelda Grand

Adelaide Zhivago

Zhivago Charlotte

We received the Zelda Grand in all five colours.
We received the Zhivago in Catherine, Adelaide and Charlotte
We received Scottie (a smaller version of Zhivago) in Catherine, Adelaide and Charlotte

I didn't bring any knitting to work today so I have started knitting a scarf in Trendsetter Poppy. It looks cool-pictures tomorrow.

Scarf Yarns

I want to start off by saying Thank You to Cathy. Beth called her yesterday morning and asked her to work for me because I was in bed with the flu. There was no possible way for me to work. I'm back today. After 36 hours in bed it was time to get moving.

While she was here Mr. Canpar brought in a box with Triana Lux and Rocio.

 Rocio knits like Triana-there are holes and you work in every hole.

So far only three colours have arrived but more are on order.

401 browns and beiges

402 brown, beige and grey

503-burgundy
(the picture looks purple but
I would call it burgundy)

Triana Lux is well stocked again-all these colours arrived.

Don't forget about Survivor tonight. I think I am going to like them living on one beach.