One of a Kind

I ordered some interesting yarn baskets yesterday. They should be in the store a week Friday - March 9.

These baskets are one of a kind. We might be able to get the same colour again but there is no guarantee.

The pricing is going to depend on the shipping charges but I'm guessing the large basket on the left is going to be around $225. It is large - Christine at Aalta Yarns told me that it will easily hold 10-100gram skeins. It is a basket to sit beside your knitting chair. The smaller baskets are great for carrying around projects.

They are a sturdy and stylish storage solution, or an elegant way to take your knitting on the go.

We have a new fingering weight from Urth Yarns called Harvest Fingering.

The Harvest range is composed of 23 wonderfully rich hues with a signature earthy feel. Naturally hand dyed using roots, fruits, and nuts, harvest is the perfect base to incorporate additional variegated shades or beautiful on its own.

Not all the colours arrived but we are hoping to see them soon. Because the yarns are naturally dyed, some colours can be hard to get. There can also be colour variation between shipments. More rain one year or no rain can change the colour of the dyes. More sun on one side of the field can cause the dyes to be different.

There wasn't a lot of knitting last night. Four rows. I spent time updating the website, starting on this blog post, a bit of accounting and I needed to work on a Hedgehog order. They are going to be dying my next order soon which is good news because we are out of colours that aren't in the shipment that should be here any day. I also had to make a trip to the grocery store. Ancaster Community Services posted that they were in desperate need for food for their food bank. The back of the Edge was full.

Beth is flying home from Myrtle Beach tonight so I'm driving to Niagara Falls to pick her up. We'll get home just in time to watch the season premiere of Survivor. I should get some knitting accomplished then.

It looks like winter is coming back for a visit. A possible 10-20cm of snow tomorrow night. YUCK. If we get as much as they say then the store could open a bit late on Friday morning. I could be digging out.

New Colours

Ms. UPS brought in two boxes from Mrs. Crosby and Lorna's Laces this morning. The new colours are awesome!

Carina's Afterglow is beautiful. We have it in Shepherd Sport for Cold Roses. We also have it in Solemate.

The new colours from Mrs. Crosby are really nice. What do I want to make??

Prance, Saunter, Traipse and Jaunt. Satchel is the base that I chose for my pictures. This is a single-ply, 100% wool fingering weight yarn.

I put together some colour combinations.

Saunter, African Grey, Wild Huckleberry

Jaunt, Hosta Blue, Great Tailed Grackle

 Jaunt, Creme Fraiche, Saunter

 Creme Fraiche, Prance, French Chambray

Creme Fraiche, Traipse, French Chambray

There were 3 kits for the Food Drive

So I stayed up later than I had planned last night because I had to see how the new colour was going to play.

I'm at the twisted rib. And not knit one through the back loop, purl one. This is knit through the back loop and purl through the back loop. It is so slow making it the one part of the shawl that I really dislike. It looks good but I can't do it quickly.

Someone had fun playing in the yard this morning.

Rainbow

Lynda finished the Colorburst Blanket. I didn't get it until after work so I laid it out on the dining room table. It looks amazing!

Bursting with color, this blanket was designed for Wonderland Yarns So Fond of Rainbows 20-skein Mini Skein Pack. Follow the rainbow, or mix it up for a striping effect. Solids, multis, minis, whatever you use: the shape is as sweet as the striping, so have fun! 

Not just for baby, this circular blanket could also be a lap blanket or decorative throw.

We have a few last minute items on the way to us for the Food Drive.

-A shipment should be leaving Hedgehog Fibres this week and they are sending a skein for each basket. They won't make it here in time for when we draw the winners on Monday. We will hold the baskets until the yarn arrives.
-There are Lykke needles on the way
-Lorna's Laces is sending something for each basket

We just received

 A book for each basket.

A ball of sock yarn for each basket.

There are 3 kits from Rowan that I will be dividing between the baskets. Big Wool, Superwash Worsted and Kidsilk Haze.

We will be making up the baskets tomorrow with what we have so far. I have cute baskets (thanks Dalia) to put them in.

Now back to Starting Point. There hasn't been much knitting since last night's picture. I'm giving myself an hour tonight and then bed.

Starting Point

It's been a knitting day and I think I will make my goal of finishing Starting Point by next weekend.

This amazing wrap is worked from both ends towards the centre with a super fun chevron construction, and joined as you work (no seaming or kitchener required!).

You start the shawl by working two identical pieces. I finished my second piece this morning and now they are joined. I'm working both sides at the same time because I'm worried about running out of the multi-coloured beige (that I'm working with now) and the purple which comes almost at the end. I don't think I would be happy to finish one side and then realize that the second side couldn't match.

The rows are getting shorter and shorter which means that they are going faster and faster.

It's almost bed time so I had better get this posted. Here is the join with a few more rows.

Someone is tired. Dad had her at the Bark Park this morning. Some of her friends were there so she was busy running around. It was 28C in Myrtle Beach today. Lucy isn't used to the heat. And she's pretty lazy :)

Done and Blocked

Alex has been busy since Thursday. She cast off Stripe Study and blocked it. Oh my goodness. The colours are amazing. 

We used 2 balls of Freia Shawl Ball in the new colour Pt. Reyes. We are almost out of this colour - I made an phone call to Tina at Freia yesterday begging for more. Luckily she had some dyed because Tina is moving her study and we won't be able to get any yarn until May. We have 16 balls on the way and should see them by the beginning of March.

On Monday I'm going to make up some different colour combinations. I might need the shawl with Orchid as the main colour.

Alex blocked Lilli Pilli for me. We were busy in the store today and I didn't get to try it on. It's hanging nicely on a mannequin. It grew nicely with the blocking - I'm happy with the size.

I took Starting Point out this morning and my goal is to have it finished by next weekend. When it's finished I get to start something new. I'm waiting for the new shipment from Hedgehog.

Another Finished Project

Four finished projects already this year. I cast off Kimba tonight. It took a bit of time - 458 stitches. I love how the colours came out. Now the blocking.

Pattern: Kimba (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Hedgehog Skinny Singles - 1 skein each of Raku, Cereal, Wildcard and Hurricane

Our next Hedgehog order should be on it's way to us early next week.

I came home from work early to have a nap. Getting up early and staying up late to watch the Olympics hit me today. I was up super early this morning (3:30) because dad, Beth and Lucy were heading to Myrtle Beach. I was in charge of making sure that Beth got up and out the door. I didn't do a good job of it. She took her truck keys with her and forgot her pretzels. I also filled their cooler bag for the trip. Buns with meat, chips, muffins, cookies..

Even with a truck full of food you still need to stop for a treat. It is a ritual to drop in at the same Dairy Queen on the way (and the way back too). Lucy loves ice cream. She and my dad are quite a pair.

They made it safely and are happy to be warm. Myrtle Beach is having unseasonably warm weather.

Now I need to decide what I'm going to work on next. Finish something else or start something new??

I won

Before midnight last night I cast off Lilli Pilli. I made it. With lots of time to spare. Now my goal is to finish Kimba before the closing ceremonies. 4 rows to go.

Pattern: Lilli Pilli (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: tosh sock - I used By Far, Harvest and Penumbra

The shawl was a joy to knit. The stripes are mindless - perfect for knitting in the car or while waiting for your kids. The lace section was easy to follow. Every wrong side row is purled. I call it a resting row. I would definitely recommend this pattern for your first shawl.

It is in need of blocking so I will get more pictures after that is finished.

Stripe Study is almost finished. Alex will be casting it off tonight. The colours are amazing! The main colour is Pt. Reyes, a new colour of Freia Shawl Ball. You need two balls of this colour. The contrast colour is tosh merino light in the colour oak. You need one skein for this.

Alex is also working on the Beginners Brioche Scarf (pattern purchased on Ravelry). She knits most of her projects in fingering weight and wanted something quick. This is on 9mm needles. She is using 2 balls of Freia Bulky in Cloud and 2 skeins of ASAP in Scout.

Now it's bed time. Last night we were up until the end of the hockey game. My body needs more sleep than I have been getting since the Olympics started.

Playing with Colour

Mr. Canada Post brought in a big box from Freia Fibers this morning.

There were 2 balls of Shawl Ball for the Food Drive baskets. One ball of Ember and one ball of River. Thank you Tina!

The new colours are amazing.

Orchid is a lavish saturated purple that fades into a rich amethyst, light soft pink and palest of silvers. I think this is one of the best purples we've ever done, eminently wearable for all skin tones, soft, feminine yet strong.

Our second new color this season is Point Reyes, an homage to a local shoreline here in the San Francisco Area. This lovely color starts with a deep steely blue, into a midnight blue/black, then charcoal and linen. A truly unisex color with universal appeal.  

I showed Cathy's Non Troppo (pattern purchased on Ravelry) last week.

This perfect wrap for coolish summer evenings is knitted on the bias, generous, asymmetrical, striped – and has both textural playfulness and flair.  

Choose somber or wild colours as you please and settle into some soothingly simple knitting. 

non troppo just could be the perfect commuter or read-while-you’re-knitting knit – nothing complicated is going on (and goes on for quite a while).

I put together some colour combinations this morning.

Rowan Kidsilk Haze 582 (you need 3 balls) and Freia Merino Lace Pt. Reyes (you need one ball)

678 and Orchid

 579 and Flare

Lynn was inspired by Cathy's shawl and is making one for herself.

A customer and I had a few conversations this morning about colours for Squared - the new poncho pattern from Hedgehog (free on Ravelry)

These colours are very close to the colours in the picture. The customer isn't a pastel person so I made a few changes.

I like how these go together. Oh no, not another new project :)

Lynda emailed me a picture this afternoon. The Colorburst Baby Blanket is blocking and it should be in the store next week. Perfect timing - the yarn should be here at the same time.

Hey dad - what's in the bag? I'm hungry!!