Log Cabin

The new colours of Noro Kureyon inspired me to find my squares and start working on the Log Cabin Afghan again. 8 and a half finished. Sixteen and a half to go. While I was searching for squares I found a part ball of Noro that wasn't Kureyon. Then I remembered it was from a cardigan that I had knit. I rooted through a few boxes and there it was. Something I could have been wearing all summer. Note to self. Next week I really need to finish unpacking. With the packing and unpacking for store events lately I haven't had the energy or desire to unpack here.

Beth had to take the dogs bed from my parents and bring it to our house. We've had a small problem here lately. The dogs think that the couch is a really big dog bed. The other night Beth sat in a chair because they were not moving.

They had their hair cut last week and it's almost impossible to tell the difference unless they are standing side by side.

I was going to write earlier but got caught up in the Jays game. Now it's time for Survivor so my post is going to be short. Currently I'm knitting on three things but two are needed for the Fleece Festival so I think that the log cabin squares need to be put in a basket for now. It's sad to put away the fun colours but they can come back out to play in a few weeks.

Woodstock Fleece Festival

The Festival is going to be here before we know it.

Saturday October 17 9am-5pm

Woodstock Fairgrounds

The Woodstock Fleece Festival is an annual event that invites fibre artists and others to join together in an atmosphere of appreciation, learning and camaraderie.The show will incorporate workshops and demonstrations from top instructors.  Exhibition booths will be selling everything from raw fibre to quality finished goods.  It is also a great place to have lunch!!!

Visit the Fleece Festival website for more information about the vendors and the workshops being offered... 

Here are a few pictures from last year's booth. It's good for me to look at them because then I know what we took. I try to take different yarns, kits and sample garments every year.

It's a great day that is a bit more relaxed than some of the other shows. I actually have time to talk to customers in Woodstock. Bring your family too. There is a farmers market and there will be animals at the show. Alpacas. Sheep. Rabbits. And who knows what else.

The Royale interchangeable needles set will make for a wonderful gift this season, presented in a specially designed box with pearly effect. The set contains 9 pairs of our ever-popular laminated birch wood interchangeable needles in sizes US 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, four colour coded cords in lengths of 24” (green), 32” (orange - 2) & 40” (red) and a set of cord connectors. Each interchangeable needle is made from the colourful wood used for Dreamz needles in a striking new striped pattern with shiny brass tips adorning the ends of the needles. Each size comes in its own unique colour making it easy to identify each size. The unique combination of wood and metal gives a refined look to the needles and also provides an incomparable knitting experience.

The Royale Interchangeable Needle Set should be in the store mid-October. These sets are a limited edition and will go fast. Get your set on order and don't be disappointed.

For some reason they decided that it was necessary to pour the garage floor in the house across the road at 7 this morning. Needless to say, I was up early. It's almost 9pm and I'm heading to bed. The Jays aren't playing tonight so there isn't a need to stay up :) I can barely keep my eyes open so knitting might be a bad idea.

Bay View Mittens

It isn't here yet but the cold weather will be coming. Our very good friend Fiona Ellis designed a new pair of mittens. We debuted the mittens for Fiona at Knitting Camp. This her second pair of Camp mittens (Sparrow Lake were the first).

These fabulous fair isle mittens are knit out of Mrs. Crosby Steamer Trunk. Steamer Trunk is 100% wool but when blocked it almost feels like cotton. They will make your hands very happy.

Pattern: Bay View Mittens (purchased on Ravelry)

You need one skein each of two colours for the mittens. But there will be leftovers. Colour B takes a whole skein for the mittens but you only need half a ball of colour A. This makes for some fun. After your first pair are finished, you can use the leftover contrast colour with a different main colour for a second pair. Keep them for yourself or give them as a gift.

See all the colours of Steamer Trunk... Not sure which two to put together. No problem. I love putting together colour combinations.

Ley Lines

My Auburn Wave in Jilly with Cashmere is growing. I really enjoying knitting with a single ply yarn. This got me thinking of another project that I knit in single ply but haven't shown finished pictures. I had this shawl in the fashion show at Camp and took pictures yesterday afternoon.

Pattern: Ley Lines (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk Single

I used three skeins for my shawl but I made it bigger than the pattern called for. You can make it in two skeins but you need to be careful. Your cast off is gradual and worked over many rows. If you do too many rows before you start then you will run out. Hence, take three skeins, make it a bit bigger and there won't be any worries.

The shawl can be knit in any fingering weight yarn. The possibilities are endless but here are a few suggestions
-tosh merino light
-Mrs. Crosby Satchel
-Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
-Dream in Color Jilly
-Dream in Color Everlasting Sock
-Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere
-Malabrigo Sock
-Malabrio Mechita
-Manos Alegria
-Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20
-Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Glitter

From the designer - Joji Locatelli

It is amazing how our focus shifts in the most random ways and, like happened with this design, it often takes us to a very creative place when we let it wander around. The ribbing in this shawl will let your imagination and attention wander around too while you work its very simple instructions, and will leave you amazed at the direction your knitting took when you bind off the last remaining stitch.

There wasn't much knitting today. Beth was golfing so it was me and the dogs. They aren't very good at changing the channels on the TV for me. What a busy day. NFL. Blue Jays. Nascar. Golf. And a nap too. Now it's time to sit and get a bit of knitting accomplished.

Fall is coming

My dad surprised me when I got to work this morning. Fall flags are flying.

I've been wandering around the store to see the new yarns and colours that arrived last week. There are 8 new shades of Noro Kureyon.

From top left - 359, 362, 366 and 367

From top left - 368 369, 371, 374

New colours of Kureyon means that I can share Cathy's awesome pictures of her Log Cabin Afghan. You need 20 balls of Kureyon (Cathy used 25 to make it bigger) and 4 skeins of Cascade 220 for the border. There is no sewing in the afghan. The squares are knit together. It is a great project if you are waiting for your kids at their after school events. You only need one ball and a pair of 5mm needles to make a square.

I knit the afghan and it is a lot of fun. The great thing is you are finished the ball before you are bored with the colour. You also get to knit with colours you might not normally want to use.

The pattern is free....

Now I'm inspired to get back to my second afghan. There are seven squares finished and I pulled a ball of 359 to start on number eight.

Jilly with Cashmere

Beth wound my ball of Jilly with Cashmere before I left for Vegas and decided that she needed to knit with it as well. 

She is using one skein to knit That Nice Stitch (a free pattern on Ravelry). The pattern is very straight forward and not hard. She only had one problem while I was away. It took a couple of minutes but I talked her through it and she was able to carry on. There was a bit of a rant that it wasn't fair that I was away when she really needed me.

Auburn Wave is growing. I'm back in the store tomorrow and will get a picture on a mannequin. I talked with Dream in Color today and more skeins will be here in time for the Woodstock Fleece Festival.

Now it's bed time. My time away was great but I need to get my schedule back into this time zone.

The Conservatory

There hasn't been much knitting while I've been here. Actually, there has been more sleep than you'd expect. The past few weeks were extremely busy at home and I'm catching up on lost sleep.

Auburn Wave in Jilly with Cashmere from Dream in Color. The yarn is great. We've put in an order with Dream in Color for more and hope that we will have it in time for the Woodstock Fleece Festival.

You can't come to Vegas without visiting the Conservatory at the Bellagio. It brings a smile to your face seeing all the flowers and plants. The people who come up with the displays are amazing.

This display makes me smile for another reason. Fall is coming which means that sweater weather is coming.

From the Bellagio website

Admire the essence of every season recreated with exceptionally gorgeous plants, flowers and trees thoughtfully arranged to inspire full splendor. Specially designed lighting spotlights every flower to accentuate its best features. To ensure the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens maintains magnificence 365 days a year, 140 expert horticulturists theatrically arrange gazebos, bridges, ponds, and water features uniquely for each season. Treat yourself to this unrivaled attraction's ever changing personality for the Holidays, Chinese New Year, spring, summer, and fall!

Now it's nap time. I went to bed at 9 last night and was up at 6 this morning. A short nap will let me stay up and watch TV tonight. The Big Brother finale and the first episode of the new Survivor. Then I will get some knitting accomplished.

Vegas Day One

The flight to Vegas was very good. No one sat beside me so I could spread out and knit. We landed at 11pm Vegas time which is 2am at home. I was very tired and went to bed. The morning started with breakfast at The Pantry. A new restaurant in the Mirage.

Who wouldn't love gardens that looked like this? These are real plants inside the Mirage.

 

After breakfast I headed over to the Fashion Show Mall. I needed a new pair of shoes. My converse had an accident at Camp so now I have a black pair and a denim pair. Two pairs were heavy and it's a long walk from the back of the mall back to the Mirage. I sent a text to Beth telling her that next time she is coming with me - I missed my shopping sherpa.

There was a short afternoon nap and now I'm heading out again. The Internet here is very slow so I'm going to stop adding pictures or this many never publish.

Very impulsive

I was here early this morning to start unpacking the van. Thankfully it's the last of packing until the Fleece Festival.

On Thursday I received an email from Las Vegas with great hotel rates for this week. I looked online and I could get a plane ticket for not a lot of miles. For the next few days I wavered. Do I go? Yesterday morning I booked the plane ticket. I'm off to Vegas and will be back on Thursday afternoon.

The store will be in good hands and I will be checking in with them daily. I will try and answer emails while I'm away as well.

My plane knitting is Auburn Wave. I think I have the pattern memorized by now :) The yarn is Jilly with Cashmere which is beautiful to knit with.

Now I need to go and pack. 

We're home

We had an amazing time at Camp. Thank you to our teachers Kate Atherley and Kim McBrien. The Campers raved about their classes.

I had hoped to blog more often but teaching two classes during the weekend meant less time to sit and write.

We have very talented knitters who come to Camp. I started taking pictures during the student fashion show last night. Then I realized we were going to really slow down the evening if every person had to pose with their garments. Here are a couple to show you the beautiful work we saw.

The weather was great this weekend. A bit of rain on Friday (it rains every year at Camp on Friday) but mostly warm and sunny. Not sweater weather but great for being outdoors. I'm going to miss you Bayview-Wildwood. We'll be back next September.