Year in Review

I finished Windward this morning. I love it.

It was very cold getting pictures. And the wind was blowing snow off the house into my face. Not fun so I went as fast as I could go.

I was adding Windward to Ravelry when I noticed a few of my projects from 2013 weren't up yet. I spent some time adding them.

We get lots of 'the year in review' TV shows at this time of year. Here's a bit of My Knitting Year in Review.

Arizona Dreams kit from Colinette

The Inspira Cowl in Classic Elite Liberty.

The Lonely Tree Shawl in Lorna's Laces Haymarket

You can see all my projects on Ravelry. 2013 goes from Fifty One Shades of Truth to Windward 3. There are a few projects missing. I need to get pictures and will try to get them in San Diego while I'm wearing them. There is Aileen - the brown vest knit in tosh vintage. Eos - the Rowan All Seasons Chunky white cabled sweater. Lady Ermelin - the red Rowan Summerspun cardigan. All in all it was a great year in knitting.

Beth and I are on the homestretch of Homeland. 3 episodes to go. We're trying to get them in before heading out to our friends for a New Years Eve get together. I wonder if I will make it to midnight this year.  Have a good evening and I will talk to you in 2014.

Sort of done

It was hard to knit during The Blacklist last night but I did it. Windward is done!

Almost done. I have to block it but that will be tomorrow evening.

Pattern: Windward by Heidi Kirrmaier - purchased on Ravelry
Yarn: 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces Sportmate in the colour Sparrow Lake
Needles: 4.5mm

I love the size of it and it will be longer after blocking.

Lorna's Laces is sending two colours of Sportmate next week

to go with the three colours that are already in stock. There will be more coming in the new year including brand new colours sometime in January.

Lovely in Kidsilk Amore is growing. I'm into the third ball. When I actually sit down and work on it I can get quite a few rows done.

If you aren't into infinity scarves I think you can eliminate joining the ends and leave it as a scarf. The yarn hangs great.

More boxes left madelinetosh today and are heading our way.

-merino dk
-merino light
-pashmina
-prairie
-dk
-lace
-vintage
-sock
-ASAP - just in time for that last Christmas present
-spectrum
-cathedral
-vishnu
-alizarin
-mala
-nassau blue
-flashdance

Big Break is on so I'm going to sign off and knit. :)

Home stretch

We had great seats for the football game yesterday afternoon.

The day started out a bit shaky. It took 2 hours to get from Ancaster to a parking spot by the Rogers Centre. The traffic was unbelievable. The drive should take 45 minutes at the most.

Our gate

Then there were huge line ups to get in. They were searching everyone. I have been to many NFL games at stadiums all over the US (Buffalo many times, Miami twice, Cleveland twice, Minnesota, Seattle, San Diego and Detroit as well as seeing an NFL game in Toronto two years ago) and have never experienced anything like this. The game had already started at this point and some gates had 200-300 people lined up waiting to get in. Luckily our gate wasn't too bad. We got to the entrance and they weren't going to let me in with my purse. The young girl taking tickets told me to make it really small (thanks to her) so I didn't have to walk somewhere else for them to check my bag. Now there are purses and there are purses. I had a purse that held my wallet and not much more. I knew not to take something big. Beth took my wallet and put it under her coat and I rolled my leather purse as small as possible and hid it under my coat. If that was my first NFL game it may have swayed me never to go again.

The gate next to us - it is at the top of the stairs - that's the line

Once inside the day was great. The people around us were a lot of fun. The guys in our row had a few too many beers but in a funny good way. No fighting. No swearing. Good clean fun. And the game went into overtime. What more can you ask for?

Unfortunately there was next to no knitting this weekend. I did get to the home stretch on Windward while watching The Amazing Race and The Mentalist. I think there are 30 rows to go. Every 2 rows I lose 3 stitches so it's going fast. Maybe tonight. We're getting ready to watch last weeks The Blacklist that we missed and then tonight's season finale. The only problem is that I like to pay attention to the show and forget to knit.

One thing I totally forgot about yesterday. Beth and I were walking to our gate and we see all these police walking towards us. What was up? Fighting already? No. They were surrounding the mayor of Toronto as he was walking to his gate. Unbelievable. The guy looked like he didn't have a care in the world.

Windward

Windward is almost done. A day of football means lots of knitting. I thought about going outside for pictures and then thought better of it. It's very windy in Ancaster. The least amount of time spent outside the better.

I'm loving the size. This Windward is knit in sport weight (Sportmate from Lorna's Laces) which is making it bigger than the first two that I knit in sock weight.

Speaking of sock yarn...

New sock yarn arrived today. Alegria Watercolors from Manos.

Sock yarn from Manos!  Alegria is an easy-care blend of ultra-soft superwash merino with durable polyamide.  Its “hand” is remarkably soft and resilient.

Fiber Content
75% superwash merino, 25% polyamideYardage
approx. 445 yds / 425 mts per 3.5 oz / 100gGauge
28 - 30 sts = 4" / 10cmNeedle Size
US 1 - 3 / 2.25 - 3mmCare Instructions

Machine wash or hand wash, cool water. Dry flat. 

Two colours of the original Alegria arrived today as well. These are brighter with a lot more colour variation.

The colours are awesome and the yarn is super soft. It was hard but I didn't bring any home with me. I have to finish Windward and there is a ball of a brand new Rowan yarn in my bag. The yarn should be in the store later this week and I need to get a sample knit.

It's knitting time :)

Roko

No, I'm not resurrecting old pictures. He did it again. Roko tore the ACL in his other leg on Monday night. Beth saw our vet yesterday and they can't do surgery for 2 weeks so this afternoon they are going to Mississauga to see another surgeon. Hopefully it will be Friday or Monday. He's having a hard time walking because he doesn't want to put weight on the leg that has had surgery and he can't put any weight on the 'new' bad leg. He will go outside and if you mention a cookie he has no problems getting up so we know that he is going to be okay.

It's later in the day and Beth is on the way home from Mississauga. Surgery is scheduled for Friday and he can come home on Saturday. She said the clinic is amazing and that makes her more comfortable to take him there. It's also an emergency clinic which means that there will be vets there 24/7 with him.

Windward is growing and I can't wait to finish it. It is going to be long!

The store is totally back in order again after the Fleece Festival. Signs are on sample garments. All yarns should have price signs. I'm fairly sure that the price book is up to date. Kits have been made. Orders have been done.

I think I'm ready for the trip to Vegas. I'm still going because there is absolutely nothing I can do for Roko. Mom and dad are coming home from Myrtle Beach. We told them to stay but we couldn't change their minds. Melo will stay with them for a week or so. I have done a major grocery shopping for Beth. All the important things like mac n cheese and soup and crackers. Our cupboards were bare because I gave everything away to a food drive in September.

While I was going through the channel guide I found Top Chef. Tonight is episode 4. Beth is kind of upset that no one let us know that it was on. We're going to watch the first few online to get caught up so I need to go. Beth is beside me with her knitting yelling at me to hurry.

My knitting is progressing

We're almost ready for Woodstock. Tomorrow we will be packing the last three things - yarn bowls, knitting bags and garments.

Here are some pictures of Windward. I locked the store for the evening and took it out of the bag to get pictures. Unfortunately it was part way through the row. Actually, closer to the beginning. I stood in the parking lot finishing the row (getting weird looks from people going to the variety store beside us) so that I could take these.

It is going to be closer to a shawl than a scarf (which isn't a bad thing) because I'm using sport weight yarn which is slightly thicker than the fingering weight that the pattern calls for.

We've watched Survivor (I won't say anything in case you haven't watched yet) and when I'm finished writing I'm going to sit down to knit while watching Criminal Minds.

I've got a secret

Yesterday was spent knitting on a secret project for the Woodstock Fleece Festival. I'm almost done and if I like it then I will show pictures. I should finish it tonight and then block. If I don't like it then it will stay secret. :)

I did get a bit done on Windward. It was a busy TV day. Golf from early in the morning, football from 1pm-2am, baseball, Nascar, The Amazing Race and The Mentalist.

I took Windward outside to get some pictures and set the ball on a limb. It really shows off the colours!

The outside pictures of my knitting didn't turn out. The yarn looked very blue in the pictures when it is more teal. Here it is in the store.

Kim came in today with her Noro Obi Coat. It looks great. The only thing that she had to change was the sleeve length. They were way too long.

The coat is so Kim. You know when you see a pattern and right away you think of Jenny or Susie or Mary or ........? I'm sure you will see her wearing it in the store a time or two over the winter.

Beth and I just got back from Lime Ridge Mall. The cable box in my bedroom stopped working so we went to get a new one. I'm very happy. I put the TV on when I go to bed and set the sleep timer for an hour. It is very, very rare if I'm still awake when the TV goes off. I find it weird going to sleep in a dark bedroom.

Now we are watching football and baseball. Once I finish writing I will get some knitting done. Then The Blacklist. I can't wait. We've given up on Hostages. Way too slow for my liking.

Another Windward

Well, I decided to go to bed last night but now I'm regretting that decision. Melo woke me at 5:30 when the thunder and lightening started and I never got back to a good sleep. I should have gotten up and knit and probably should've stayed up all night. Then I'd have more knitting to show off.

Here it is so far. I'm using 4.5mm needles and the yarn feels great.

An email came through last night from Churchmouse Yarns. As you know, I love their patterns. John and Kit are great people and have given me permission to share pictures with you. And a little secret-new patterns are coming at the end of the month.

They reknit the Easy Fold Poncho in Rowan Colourspun.

From Churchmouse

Our Easy Folded Poncho pattern has a following — knitters who make it again and again, changing the yarn, adding a cowl, styling it every which way.

Rowan's Colourspun is a natural choice for this project with its painterly colorways and supple drape. A little variegated binder thread wraps the lofty wool and mohair roving for a tweedy pop of color. We love the unpredictability of the colors that appear and shift as the fabric forms — no two ponchos are ever alike! 

We have the pattern in the store or you can purchase on Ravelry.

Then there is the Magic Three-Yarn Scarf. You can use anything to make this scarf. There is a 'recipe' card on the pattern to figure out how many stitches to cast on to get the length that you want. Very easy-they've thought of everything.

This scarf is knit in Rowan Kid Classic, Colourspun and Tweed. I don't carry the Tweed but we have many other yarns that will work into the scarf.

Our favorite lengthwise scarf takes advantage of the fact that, since you start with three yarns and change yarn every row, the next one you need will always be waiting right there where you need it – as if by magic! Because you're changing yarns every row, you get a beautifully integrated fabric (not too stripy) with no wrong side. We love the surprising results from the subtle, shifting colorways of Colourspun – that guarantee no two scarves will be the same! When you're choosing a colorway, remember that the more contrasting the yarns, the more stripy the look.

This pattern is in the store or it can be purchased on Ravelry.

This version is knit in Rowan Cocoon. Churchmouse has come up with many colour combinations.

This is called Lavender Field.
811
809
812

Yes, you know that is the first I would show.

The Cocoon color palette is warm, rich and heathered. We couldn't resist swatching a bunch of handsome trios (and a couple of pretty ones), creating high contrast combos, subtle tonal shifts, bold color mixing... but we simply couldn't show all the possibilities. 

Mallard
833
839
813 (out of stock but should be here this week)

Driftwood
806
808
809

Coastline
806
809
813

Storm
803
804
805


I'm so inspired by this scarf that I pulled a few different yarns and gave them to Beth to start one. This is her kind of knitting. Cast on 200 stitches but if it is 199 or 205 the world won't end. The needle size isn't a real big deal either. 6mm or 6.5mm? Won't really matter.

Now back to my knitting. I need to have Windward done in three weeks when I go to Vegas for meetings. Beth from Lorna's Laces will be there and I want to show it off.

Panic Attack

For the past few evenings I've been working on Wheaten. The pattern looks like it is going to be hard (cables and lace) but it is pretty easy. BrooklynTweed patterns are well written and very easy to follow.

It's growing but eating yarn faster than I thought it would. There was a small panic attack this afternoon. I didn't take enough yarn home and then someone almost bought the rest that was on the shelf. Thankfully she picked another colour so that I can finish my shawl.

I've been busy today adding to the website. Click here to go to the website and then on the right change Recommended Items to Newly Added. There are new yarns, needles, books, bags and shawl pins. There are still colours to be added but it's a start.

Look what ended up on the front counter as I was leaving.

From the left
Solemate in Sparrow Lake
Solemate in Arlington
Sportmate in Sparrow Lake

I just went downstairs and wound the Sportmate. Remember startitis? I'm going to make Windward. The Sportmate will make a bigger scarf which is a good thing in my world. Now the decision. Do I sleep tonight or keep knitting until work in the morning?

I received an email from madelinetosh this afternoon that vintage is on the way.

vishnu
dr. zhivago's sky
esoteric
baroque violet
jasper
whiskey barrel
logwood
stovepipe
byzantine
opaline
lowland
wilted rose
astrid grey
paper
faded parka
fog
whiskers
well water
dirty panther
coquette
courbet's green
stephen loves tosh
volga
weathered frame
clematis
composition book grey
firewood
red robin breast

We are going to have to do some moving around this week before it arrives.