Primrose

Lykke knitting needles are on the way to us and we should see these by the end of next week. .

Made of strong birch wood, the Lykke Driftwood needles are very smooth and light. The Driftwood needles are easy on the hand and the eyes - a true pleasure to work with.

Each set includes 12 durable pairs of needles - one pair each of 3.5mm, 3.75mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm and 12mm. The set retails for $140. 6 full sets with a black faux leather case are coming in the first shipment.

Each interchangeable set also includes
-two cords of 24" length
-two cords of 32" length
-one cord of 40" length
-two connectors
-four keys
-eight stoppers

We also have individual sets of tips on the way in all 12 sizes along with cords. You can try a set of tips before purchasing the full set.

I'm getting ready for my trip to TNNA which includes starting an order for madelinetosh. There will be new colours at the show that I will add to the colours we need for the store. I asked for their latest discontinued list. There are some very good colours going. Once our stock of these is gone we won't be able to get them again.

Discontinued colours are marked with ** on the website.

There was some amazing news yesterday as well. A very special shipment is on the way. Right now UPS says that it will be delivered tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath. My guess is Friday.

Primrose Yarn Co.
The yarn coming is Adelaide.
100% superwash merino
single ply
115 gram
398 m/435 yards

This Yarn is absolutely perfect for shawls, mittens, cowls and light weight sweaters. Colors are vibrant and rich giving you a exceptional finished object. Yarn can be used for knitting, crochet or weaving. 

*all yarn is hand dyed with color fast, fade resistant acid dyes

What colours are coming? Your guess is as good as mine :)

Typically we dye on a “best selling colorways” basis.  This means that the colorways we send to the shop are all colors we have great success selling ourselves, and that they are current with what is in demand and new.

All I can tell you is that we have 25 colours coming, 8 skeins of each.

Free Your Fade

There is a new pattern available on Ravelry today that I'm very excited about. I've already purchased it and have started to look at colours.

Pattern: Free Your Fade (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Fingering Weight

Some knitters have commented that they thought Find Your Fade was too big for them. Here is a smaller shawl that will work for you. This shawl can be knit in 3 skeins (or more).

This shawl was created to be your favorite shawl pattern! Really relaxing garter stitch with engaging eyelet rows and endless color possibilities. It would be gorgeous knit up in one color, but you can just as easily use 20! I’ve extended the color melt sections for an even more cohesive fade, with easy instructions to add as many fade sections as you would like! The shawl is light weight and perfect year round when knit up in fingering weight yarn, but don’t let that stop you from knitting it up in any yarn weight you prefer to the size of your choosing!

I didn't think this day would ever get here. With all the rain it kept being put off. The shed is being painted today. I was here at 8am to meet the painters.

I'm so happy with the colours. Now I need to go to Terra after work. The window box needs flowers and I need some more planters for the store.

Sorry that there are so many pictures but I'm really excited :) A great new pattern and a pretty shed.

Thanks Custom Decorating Services for coming out today. We have used them many, many times. They painted our townhouse, my parents townhouse, a few rooms in my house when we moved in and they will be painting the rest of the house later this summer.

Watch your inbox - a newsletter went out today.

Greyhound Shawl

I finished this shawl a year ago but it was never blocked. Spending a bit of time to block it made all the difference. The edges are lying flat. The lace work has opened up. And is smells so good - Pineapple Soak.

Pattern: Greyhound Shawl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Mrs. Crosby Hat Box - I used 2 skeins each of Icebox Watermelon and Hummingbird

From the designer Thea Colman

My latest foray into shawl design is asymmetric, and I’m hooked! 

I wanted an easygoing wear-everywhere project for summer and this shawl was just the thing. The pattern is rhythmic and soothing and perfect for knitting in the car, at the beach, or sipping a cocktail poolside. 

It’s warm and soft and lightweight - the exact thing you want to throw over your shoulders when the sun goes down. And I know I’ll still be wearing this with a light jacket after Summer has passed and we go into Fall. 

You can easily alter the pattern for more or less stripes, add a different lace or play with size as your stash and taste dictates. You can knit this in one color, or two, or even a whole bunch of different ones (gradient?).

Joji's Starting Point is growing. The third clue (on this piece) is almost finished. On my other piece I just finished the first clue. Unfortunately I was happily knitting away and forgot to read the pattern. I need to rip it back 6 rows.

Beth is out of town at a meeting so I'm with the dogs today. That means getting caught up on paper work. The website has been updated and now I'm going to work on Camp. I've started on class confirmation emails and a blog post has been done. Camp is only 16 weeks away. You might think that's a long time but it will be here before I'm ready :)

Knitting, flowers and dogs

Lynn finished her socks in Juliet from Yarn Love. One skein on 2.75mm needles with a basic sock pattern. Lynn might not get them back - Beth felt them and commented 'these are really soft'.  Melo was quite enamoured by them too.

It's a day of finished projects. Sarah texted me pictures of her shawl - I think she wants to give it to me.

Pattern: Assana (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Hedgehog Sock (there should be another order from Hedgehog in the next week or so with 20 colours of sock)

Fun to knit and a timeless addition to your wardrobe, Assana provides a beautiful base for your favourite colour trio. Play two colours against each other in the stripes section: a gradient, speckled yarn, semi-solid hand dyes - anything goes here; then complement with a bold or subtle choice of colour for the zig-zag lace section. 

Worked side ways, on the bias, Assana includes both written and charted instructions for the lace section.

Austin came and put flowers in our planters this week. My mom hasn't been able to come see so here are some pictures for her. The teal planter with Pansies is going to move to the other side of the driveway next week.

Roko is enjoying the beautiful weather. Finally he said. We can play outside.

Getting Ready to go Yarn Shopping

I came to work this morning and forgot my knitting. Not very bright. I need to leave a project here just in case. So far I've worked on a newsletter that should go out early in the week. Then I did price signs that were missing from the shelves.

I'm getting ready to head to TNNA which includes preordering goods to bring home with me.  There are new stitch markers from Cocoknits. They have been ordered and will be in the store June 14.

Not just silver anymore! These fun markers are finished with gold, silver and copper coloring! The stitch markers are steel based, so still attach to your Knitter's Keep or any magnet so that you can easily store and retrieve them. Use them to mark rounds, increases, decreases, and stitch patterns. Included are 6 each of three sizes in each of three finishes, 54 markers total. They come in a cute-as-a-button kraft box secured with the click of a magnet!  

• 6 each gold, silver, copper large round stitch markers (accommodate US 15 / 10 mm needles or smaller)   

• 6 each gold, silver, copper small round stitch markers (accommodate US 9 / 5.5 mm needles or smaller)  

• 6 each gold, silver, copper opening stitch markers (accommodate US 11 / 8 mm needles or smaller)

Blue and grey Knitter's Keeps will be in the box as well.

Yarn Bowls will be coming home with me. I don't know what colours - I'll be picking them at the show.

Some sad news from yesterday - my Rockshelter Sock didn't arrive. Mr. UPS tried to deliver it before we were open. The box will be here on Tuesday afternoon.
 
I had a visitor this morning. Lucy and dad brought me a tea. She loves to ride in the truck but she won't get herself in. She puts her front paws in and then my dad boosts her up. We had a revelation yesterday and now she gets in herself.

Lucy wanted to try mom's Ice Capp. I hope it made it home safely.

The Queen's Spiral Cowl

Jan finished Xanthe and it looks great. She used tosh merino light. The lace section is Onyx and for the stripes she only used one colour - Spectrum. She didn't alternate colours because Spectrum has so many colours in it. She made the shawl to go with her Mother of the Groom dress.

Susan finished her Xanthe too. She also knit with tosh merino light. I don't remember the two greys that she chose but I know that the contrast is Harvest. The colour combination is amazing.

Kathy brought her Xanthe in this afternoon for me to take a picture. Another beautiful colour combination. Kathy used Hedgehog Twist Sock - Velvet and Concrete for the stripes. Dragonfly for the lace.

If you are working on the KAL you still have time to send me pictures or upload them in our Ravelry group. Don't forget that Ambah is giving a coupon code for $6.50 towards a new pattern.

Frabjous Fibers has a new pattern - hurry, it's free right now.

The Queen's Spiral Cowl

Knit with a luxurious Queen of Hearts Mini Skein Pack, this cowl is fit for royalty. The merino and cashmere blend perfectly defines the stitches and eyelets creating a delicate, sumptuous swirl. The pattern is simple, and when worked in the round, you only need to remember one row. This cowl will spiral off your needles in no time!

We don't have the Queen of Hearts Mini Skein Pack (yet) but the Cheshire Cat Mini Skein Packs will work as well.

There wasn't much knitting last night. The hockey game was a nail biter. And it went late. Beth has been asking me for the past twenty minutes if I'm ready to watch The Amazing Race from last night. I better sign off now or she is going to start without me.

Fading

Lynda has finished her latest project for the store and needs something new. Mr. Canada Post just picked up a box and she should have it tomorrow. She's going to make So Faded (pattern purchased on Ravelry) with a kit from Prism Yarns. The kit is for a shawl but I think that the shading will work perfectly for the sweater. Hopefully Lynda will email me pictures as she progresses though the colours so that I can share them. This is my last kit of this colourway - an email has been sent to Prism to get more.

Mr. Canada Post brought a large brown envelope before I went to Myrtle Beach. I threw it in my car and didn't open it. I opened the envelope tonight - surprise. The latest Interweave Knits. Copies will be in the store tomorrow.

Knit amazing and irresistible summer products in Interweave Knits, Summer 2017! From shawls and cover ups, to vests and cowls, you’ll find something memorizing to fall in love with.

Our shipment of Rockshelter Sock and Find Your Fade kits should be arriving late tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see the new colours.

Joji's latest clue just came out. I have clue 2 finished on one piece. For the second piece I'm still working on clue 1. Now the decision - which piece to work on tonight? Hockey - game 7. Master Chef Canada and The Amazing Race. I'll be up for a few hours yet.

Heritage Days is being celebrated in Ancaster from June 6-11. On Saturday June 10 we have a parade on Wilson Street.

On Saturday June 10, Wilson Street will be closed from Orchard St to Rousseaux St from 9:30am – 11:30am.  It will remain closed from Halson St to Rousseaux St until 3pm. 

If you come off Rousseaux Street we are before the festivities. I emailed the Heritage Days Committee and received this response.

We have asked the City to allow us to open Wilson from Rousseaux to Academy, but unfortunately we are not allowed.  We have to have it closed at a major intersection.  This hurts businesses like you and we recognize and feel badly about that.  Our goal is to eventually have the street festival full all the way past your business.  We'd like to see the street filled with people from Halson to Mount Mary.  We are making strides towards that each year.  This, we hope, would enable businesses to better participate with street sales, promotions, etc. 

We do tell the police officer at Rousseaux and Wilson to allow local traffic through on Wilson to get to businesses at that end of the street.  That would include your business.  If your clients come and ask the police officer to get through, they should be allowed.

Sorry to everyone for the inconvenience. Thankfully it only happens one day a year.

I know it's a long way away but I want to get the word out to everyone as soon as possible.

The store will be closed Wednesday July 5 - Monday July 10. We'll be open again on Tuesday July 11.