Next KAL

I've debated about which pattern to choose for the next KAL. There are a few ideas in my head but I think that I'm going to save them for now.

September KAL

You choose the shawl/wrap that you would like to knit. Please make this a new project - not finishing one that you have started. Auburn Wave and Itineris would make a great choice if you didn't join in our previous KALs. Or if you did participate and liked the pattern that much :) . You have until October 15 to finish it. Please send me pictures when finished so that I can share. I will also start a thread in the Needle Emporium group on Ravelry for you to share pictures. If you finish more than one shawl or wrap in that time then you will be entered for each one. Yes, there are going to be prizes. The prizes are for residents of Canada - sorry shipping out of the country is cost prohibitive.

-a Soakbox of your choice from the kits in the store

-2 skeins of Rowan Fine Art - your choice of colour

-there will be more prizes added. Stay tuned.

What am I going to make? My first project (which has a deadline of 10 days) is the Cane Bay Wrap. It takes two skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Extra and 6.5mm needles.

You don't have to use fingering weight for this KAL. Worsted, or thicker, is good as long as it is a shawl or a wrap.

If you're stuck, please send me an email. I'll help you come up with something awesome to make.

Itineris

We have the winners from the Itineris KAL. Thanks to everyone who took part in the fun.

Ravellers
-Stefanotis and Seajaes each won 2 skeins of tosh merino light or Mrs. Crosby Satchel in the colour of their choice

Now I need to cast on but before I can I must dig through the box of needles for the right size. I'm going to take that box to Cathy soon for her to put my needles in order. She loves organizing.

Totally Done

Itineris is blocked and the ends are sewn in. DONE!!

Pattern: Itineris (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Train Case in Hollywood Cerise and 1 skein of Bahama Woodstar
Needles: 3.75mm - the pattern calls for 4mm but I was knitting a bit loose and went down a needle size

My extension is 40 stitches instead of the 30 that the pattern calls for. This made the shawl a bit bigger.

I'm almost at the end of Auburn Wave too. I think I have enough yarn for one or two more lace rows and then the edging. What to knit next?

I've been thinking about our next KAL. Details on Friday. As well as the winners from the Itineris KAL. Now it's time to knit. Beth is at a meeting so it's me, the dogs and my needles.

I made it

It was just after 11 when I knit the last two stitches together. The knitting is finished and I will block the shawl tomorrow.

Will I make it?

It's 7:30, dinner is in the oven and I'm knitting like crazy. This is how far I am on Itineris. The extension is done and I'm onto the triangle.

I'm posting now so that I can spend the rest of the evening knitting. When I get the shawl finished I will post the picture just to prove that I made it in time. Yes, procrastination is my middle name :)

Cathy is a very thoughtful person. She wanted me to have an easy post tonight so she messaged pictures of her last project.

Just in time - I finished my log cabin afghan on our last night at the cottage. I did 25 squares instead of 20 because they are so fun to knit. Sort of addictive! I knit 8 ridges instead of 6 for the outside border. And "No!" Sarah's not getting this even though she tried her best to claim it for herself. A great end to a great vacation!

It is absolutely beautiful and I love it with the 25 squares. Now I'm ready to get back to mine. I think that I have 6 or 7 squares made.

Cathy's pictures look awesome. Now I want to rent a cottage next summer.

Draft Night

Tonight is the draft for our fantasy football league. Beth is visiting a friend who is in the hospital and I'm at home getting ready. I'm supposed to be studying and making lists and figuring out who we are going to draft. Instead I'm posting on Ravelry and writing a blog post. There is still an hour and a half. I was always one to procrastinate when I had to study.

Here's another fabulous Itineris. Thank you Susan for sharing.

Here's a few pics.  I can't believe I finished something on time!Love the colours - thanks to Kim for her helpTosh "Kelp" and Zen "Irish Hills"
What's our next project?? 

Susan did an interesting twist on the pattern. She switched the main colour and contrast colour on the extension. Love it. It really shows off the colours in the multi-coloured yarn from Zen. I wish that I had thought of it.

I must sign off and get to work.

Awesome Colour Combinations

Cheryl send a picture of her finished Itineris. These are WOW colours - in a very good way.

Here is my finished Itineris. I knit it in sea blue and wowzers green. This is my hand dyed yarn I've been experimenting with. My yardage wasn't  enough so I alternated the striping on the end. I kind of like it.  

This is Emma's Itineris knit in tosh dandelion. Her colours look awesome as well.

Kathy knit her Itineris in tosh merino light - clematis and Stephen loves tosh. Another beautiful combination.

The colour choices that everyone is coming up with has been inspiring.

I just came back from the storage unit with some more tosh. This is pashmina worsted in Dachshund. My new favourite colour. 

The newest yarn from madelinetosh is called Home.

The dachshund home has been in a bag over the weekend for me. I decided to share and put it out on the shelf. There is more on the next order - I'm going to use this colour to make a throw for the new house.

home is a 100% superwash merino wool, bulky weight with a generous 110 yards per skein each incredibly soft squishy skein is hand dyed in small dye lots.

While I was writing, Mr. Canpar came in with some Knitter's Pride accessories.

Pack of 20 Blockers (8 blockers with 4 pins, 12 blockers with 8 pins)

• A new and original idea for blocking

• Speeds up blocking on all types of projects

• Maintains tension

• Ideal for working on straight edges

• Made of tough plastic with embedded stainless steel pins

• Two different sizes for different shapes

• Designed by knitters for knitters

Anything that will speed up knitting is a good thing in my world. These retail for $31.50 - remember that there are 20 blockers in the package.

Itineris

Beth golfed today so the dogs and I knit all afternoon. I made it to the extension on Itineris.

Melo had to be in the picture.

Big Brother, Flipping the Block and Food Truck Race are taping. More knitting. I need to get going if I'm going to get Itineris done by the 31st. If you're working on the shawl, please send finished pictures.

Jane has gone crazy knitting Itineris. I think she's on her fourth. Could be the fifth. This one is out of tosh merino light. El Greco (a new colour) and red robin breast.

For this particular colour combo..I am putting 6 garter stitch ridges between the red.   I like it better.  What do you think???

Marblz

Marblz, the latest from Knitter's Pride, get their name from the marble like coloration of the material. These beautiful acrylic needles have a different color depending on what size you order.

We have ordered a few sizes of interchangeable tips to try and they should be here the middle of September.

I've had a few requests for the name of a shawl that I showed yesterday.

Pattern: Color Block Bias Wrap (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 skeins of Classic Elite Chalet in 7403 Steel, 2 skeins of Chalet in 7477 Charcoal, 2 skeins of Classic Elite Chateau in 1456 Amythest

Jennifer just brought in her Itineris. She used Mrs. Crosby Satchel in the colours Boston Fern and Wild Huckleberry. I love how these colours play against each other.

The tosh order is making it's way to us. Here is a bit more of what will be in the boxes
Merino
-alizarin
-opaline
-cousteau
-cove
-tart
-stephen loves tosh
-dr zhivago's sky
-whiskey barrel
-magic
-mandala
-red phoenix
-spectrum
-coquette
-dachshund

ASAP
-ember
-opaline
-coquette
-mandala
-chickory
-spectrum
-whiskey barrel
-tart
-dachshund
-magic

There is a brand new yarn coming too called Home

home is a 100% superwash merino wool, bulky weight with a generous 110 yards per skein each incredibly soft squishy skein is hand dyed in small dye lots.  

content: 100% superwash merino wool 

length:: 110 yrds/ 100 meters 

gauge:: 3.5 sts/ 1in. 

suggested needle size:: US10 to 11 

care:: machine wash cold, air dry

-mandala
-aura
-dachshund
-spectrum
-baltic
-cousteau
-cathedral
-dr. zhivago's sky
-tart
-medieval
-chickory
-whiskers
-whiskey barrel
-esoteric

It's almost Big Brother time. There is going to be a lot of lobbying tonight. Will they keep Zach?

FYI - if you follow the store on Facebook, I commented this morning that I forgot to bring knitting to work. There was a small panic attack for a bit but then I realized that I'm surrounded by yarn and could take a ball and start something. It never came to that. I was busy all day helping customers and making kits for the Knitters' Fair. I'm going to knit tonight and then put the knitting bag in the car before bed. Then there won't be any problems tomorrow.

Inspection

I did a bit of knitting this afternoon. I'm taking it slow and there hasn't been a lot of pain.

Melo was checking it out to make sure that there were no mistakes. It's bad when your dog thinks he knows more than you do.

Big Brother and Flipping the Block tonight so I should get to the extension.

Lazy Sunday

Look who came out to play today.

Itineris (pattern purchased on Ravelry). Don't forget that you still have time to participate in the KAL for this shawl. If you can knit, increase and count to 6 then you can make this.

My day was spent on the couch knitting and watching Income Property. Now I need to hurry. Big Brother is about to start. Then Flipping the Block. More time to knit!

More Samples

Look what Mr. Canada Post brought in. Samples from Lynda. I have tried to get pictures 4 times today. It was raining the first two. I got rained on the third time and then I tried one last time in the sun.

Pattern: Itineris (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Satchel in Hollywood Cerise and 1 skein of Satchel in Submarine

And another Brickless. This is a lighter, airier (is that a word?) scarf. We used the same needles and a thinner yarn.
Yarn: 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Carpet Bag in the colour Bahama Woodstar

It's been a busy evening. After work a trip to the chiropractor. Then dinner out with a friend. I stopped to get a tea on the way home and took my mom an Iced Cap. You have to earn brownie points whenever you can. This is the awesome garden at my parents. I love all the different flowers.

We've watched Big Brother and once I'm done my post it's bed time. I could keep working (a newsletter is almost finished) but then I won't get out of bed in the morning to open the store.

Happy Thursday

There was no golf today because it was so hot. And I'm not exaggerating.

With the humidity it was 113 degrees if you know temperatures in Fahrenheit. Walking from the house to the car was exhausting. And they have had so much rain here that the courses are cart path only. That means lots of walking. I love to golf but not in weather like this. Luckily it's only July and we can golf when we get home.

We're at my parents so that I could print out our boarding passes. I'm ready to go but Beth had a bit of a hissy fit when I told her that it was time to go. She needs a few more minutes. 

Andy Griffith is on TV and she is worried that the fake FBI guy is going to steal the money. Steal the money from where I asked. Beth didn't know at that time but we now know from the bank. I tease her but half an hour of Andy Griffith will put a smile on your face.

While I am typing an email came through from UPS. Rowan will be arriving late tomorrow afternoon. I should be back in the store in time to unpack the boxes.

Here is Susan's Itineris so far. The colours look great.

Hi Julie - here's a photo of my shawl in progress - 3 plus repeats done.Yarns are Zen Serenity 20 in "Irish Hills" (CC) and Kim helped me to pick Tosh Light in "Kelp" for the MC.Fun knit!

If you are working on the shawl, please send pictures.

A few pictures that we took before leaving my parents house.

 This sums up my mom's cooking - her spice rack :)

I need to sign off and do some laundry and start tidying the house before bed.