Starting the Lace

It might be hot outside but when you are sitting in an office or in a restaurant it can be cold with the air conditioning. Classic Elite has a solution for that. A simple to knit and simple to wear poncho.

Simple stockinette stitch is elegant and drapey in Bella Lino's sophisticated colorways. Easy to knit and to wear, this is the perfect project for mindless summer knitting.

Knit in pieces and sewn together, you’ll want wear this light as air poncho all summer long.

Pattern: Summer Poncho (free from Classic Elite)
Yarn: Bella Lino

We have new Color Sticks from Bonnie Bishoff.

Why does this stick pin look so short ? A tricky new design creates an extra snug to your simple stick pin. The top curls around to hook onto the layer of fabric that you have held together with the stick pin.

The Shawl Pins and Stick Pins are designed and handmade by Bonnie Bishoff and her husband J.M. Syron. They feature colorful inlays of polymer clay in white bronze and lead free pewter settings. Some of the polymer based pins encase metal armatures in their structures. The hooks are made in the USA, of nickel silver, exclusively for her designs.

The pin is perfect for my new shawl. I guess one is coming home with me :)

I've been working away on my Annisa Wrap. I thought that I had made it to the end of stripes and was ready for the lace section. Not.

I had the correct number of stitches on my needle but I needed to do 8 more rows. You are supposed to have a certain number of stitches before and after the vein that is running up the shawl. I had too few stitches before and too many after. By doing the 8 extra rows I am correct and have started working on the lace section.

New Shawl Pins

We have two new colours of Liberty from Classic Elite

78122 Wave

78123 Paradiso

Many of you know that Liberty is one of my favourite yarns. A self-striping yarn always makes you knit faster :) You need to see what the next colour is going to be.

Liberty Wool is a super-soft, washable wool available in solid and printed colors. This yarn's balanced twist will make all stitch combinations pop.
With all the great qualities of wool and the ease of machine washability, Liberty Wool knits at a gauge that suits many designs and is ideal for children's pieces as well as those for adults.

It's not too early to start your fall knitting. Here are two of our favourite sweaters knit in Liberty.

Simple Sweater with Pockets (purchase on Ravelry)

One sweater concept designed with two simple options: cardigan or pullover. Each raglan sweater has garter stitch trim, front pockets and ¾ length sleeves, and is worked from the bottom up.

The Magic Carpet Pullover (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

A relaxed fit pullover with buttons closing the garter stitch side panels and cuffs.

More JUL shawl pins arrived this morning.

The Marrakech Shawl pin exploits a new one-piece concept that eliminates parts that can get lost.  The ornamental tail underneath goes down through the layers of knitwear / crochetwear and back up, capturing fabric and fiber, which is then held in place by the snug relationship between the ornamental fan on top and the end of the gorgeous tail.  This amazing piece has ornament on every side and from every angle, inspired by the fabulous architecture of Marrakech.

White bronze is a warm white metal, with just the barest blush of gold.  Over time it will patina like silver will but may be kept bright with a polishing cloth.  String of Silver Beads was meant to evoke cascades of water droplets created by waves breaking, as you see in Japanese seascape paintings.

The last few colours of Hedgehog.

Zephyr

Salty Tales

Bramble

Graphite

Shiver

Oracle

Typewriter

The weather is beautiful today - there could be some knitting on the back deck tonight. 

Shawl Pins

At the last trade show, Bonnie Bishoff debuted new shawl pins in wild colours. Mr. Canada Post just brought in a box full of them.

I loved them and asked her if she could use those colours in bigger shawl pins. She did and they look amazing!

I am the only shop in North America who has the large shawl pins in these colours.

There are new pewter pins as well.

I forgot to bring my knitting with me today. Seriously. This has to stop. I used the time to finish a scarf that Beth knit. There were ends to sew in. Some day she is going to learn how to do it. But probably not. It's easier to have Cathy, Lynn or myself do it for her.

Pattern: Fernanda Circular Scarf (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 balls of Freia Bulky

We decided to leave it as a scarf and not join into a cowl.

Since there wasn't any knitting today, it's time to do some now.

Almost 10

I was looking up something on my blog and ended up back in November 2005. Look at these pictures.

Melo at 6 months old. He was such a cute little boy. I emailed the pictures to Beth and she wrote back that she can't believe he's almost 10. We keep thinking he's only 8.

He still sits and lies like this. And he is the happiest when he has something in his mouth. A toy is good but a sock will work. He doesn't chew them. Just walks around with them.

We unpacked a box from Bonnie Bishoff this morning. I love getting new shawl pins.

Simple and elegant these stick pins are a lovely solution for closure or decoration. The stem's wavy design holds the pins in place through several layers of fabric. They are lightweight and work well with fine fabrics as well as heavy garments.

Cathy has converted someone else into a Technicolor Cowl knitter. Here is Lynn's finished project.

The same cowl but flipped over so the right side becomes the wrong side. The colours look totally different. So much so that you might think it is two different cowls.

The same happens when you double over the cowl.

I'm waiting for the Big Break to start and couldn't find anything to put on while I was writing. Then I saw The Bachelor: Women Tell All. The drama is great. I didn't watch this season so I don't know the women but I have to keep watching to see the yelling and screaming and name calling. It's on commercial right now so I'm finishing quickly before the yelling starts again. Then it's time to knit.