Hanging Pictures

My dad was just here helping us to put our pictures back on the walls. They were looking very bare after being painted. This is our dining room. Three pictures were hanging before the painting and three more were waiting downstairs. We bought them at One of a Kind in April and never got them on the wall.

It was hard to get a picture showing all six. They are hanging at different heights-we did that on purpose. It was my dad's idea. If we tried to make them all the same height it would be noticeable if one was off by just a bit. This way we didn't have to get the measurements exact.

This shows the piece better. It is clay tiles that are painted and/or textured.

Something else was hung. This is at the bottom of the stairs going into the basement.

A Blue Marlin that Beth caught in Jamaica 30 years ago. The picture doesn't show but it is seven feet long. My parents had it stuffed and shipped home. It hung on the wall in the rec room at their house until the move.

In the post yesterday I showed the Esmeralda Shawl from Classic Elite knit in Sanibel. I received emails today with questions about the pattern.

The pattern says that you start at the top and work down. How you can start with 5 stitches for the widest part of the shawl? Hopefully this makes sense. You start with 5 stitches and then increase 4 stitches every right side row-one at the right edge, two in the middle and one at the left edge. This forces the garter stitch lines to look like they are on the diagonal. You have the most stitches on your needle when you are casting off.

I didn't get any knitting done last night. Somehow I have come down with a terrible cough. I relaxed on the couch and watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. The music was great!! I'm hoping to get some work done tonight while watching Big Brother.

Jubilee Throw

When I got to work this morning there was an email from Jane

Good morning. Had to sort of chuckle when you wrote that you had finished Bailey and sewn in all the end by yourself. Well..just finished this square and have sewn in ALL the ends by myself. There were 1000 's of them. Hate that job. So..this has been the most challenging square so far..that is the good news..the bad news is I have to do 2 more of them. The difference is that they are smaller..which is a good thing. Think this one looks pretty good. Hope you like it

Jane-the square looks great. I love the flowers. You win on the sewing in ends competition.

A newsletter came from Classic Elite earlier today which includes the pattern for a shawl knit in Sanibel.

Download the newsletter...

You don't need to get too fancy with Sanibel-it does the work for you.

Ms. UPS brought in a box from Rowan-6 new shades of Kidsilk Haze Stripe and Rowan Studio Issue 27.

Spring Retro designed by Amanda Crawford

A fun and fresh collection, 'spring retro' look reflects the current trend for 1950's inspired fashion. Knitted in Rowan's ever popular Wool Cotton.

The popular wool cotton has been in the Rowan range for many years. It owes its longevity to the high twist blend of wool and cotton which creates knitted designs with a beautiful drape and great stitch definition.

French Fancy

Knit this elegant cropped cardigan, with gorgeous lace stitch detail for an essential on trend piece for Summer. 

Angel

This simple yet classic sweater in the gorgeous wool cotton yarn, is the ideal pull on for a slightly cooler Spring afternoon.

Trifle

Knit this cute cropped sweater in the ever popular wool cotton, for a must have this season.

14 more rows and Clue #2 of the Mystery Shawl (which isn't a mystery anymore) is done. There is a lot of TV tonight-Master Chef, Storage Wars and Shipping Wars. There should be some knitting accomplished.

On the Podium

I made the Podium on Ravelry for finishing my sweater. I totally forgot in my excitement of finishing to give you the sweater details.

Pattern: Bailey from Rowan Magazine #52
Yarn: Rowan Drift (or you can use Rowan Big Wool)
Needles: 9mm and 10mm

This morning I went to the store to pick up more Tent Sale yarn for the storage locker. I finally remembered to get a picture while I was there.

If you watch Storage Wars then you will know how excited Barry would be with the locker. Lots of boxes!!

Two newsletters should be going out this evening. The first is for The Needle Emporium and the second is for Camp-the list of homework and what you need to bring. It is hard to believe that Camp is just over a month away. I have to get through the Tent Sale and Knitters' Fair before it.

The Knitters' Fair 

In case you don't know about the Knitters' Fair, here is the information. We have had a booth at the show since the first year when it was just a few vendors in a church hall. Boy has it grown.

From the Fair website

The Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters’ Fair is the largest event of its kind in Canada. For many years, the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters’ Guild has offered a one-day fair organized “by knitters for knitters.”

This Fair, held at Bingemans in Kitchener, now presents approximately 70 vendors offering the latest and greatest of knitting products. Imagine 35,000 square feet—in 2 large showrooms—dedicated to the craft of knitting, offering an incredible display of a diverse variety of yarns in an explosion of colour, knitting books, patterns, and accessories.

We also offer:

• Low admission price
• Speakers
  • Stephanie Pearl-McPhee – 1:00pm and 3:00pm
• Fashion Show – 11:00am
• Door Prizes
• Snack Bar

Fair Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012
• Admission: $6 per person, children under 12 free.
• Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Location:

Bingemans
425 Bingemans Centre Drive
Kitchener, Ontario 

Speakers:

• No cost
• 2 throughout the day
• First come, first served (no preregistration)

While I was writing Beth proofread the newsletters and they have gone. Watch your inbox.

We had a great time golfing yesterday. It was a members tournament. We thought we were doing great until we were finished and having drinks. We ended up third from last. Not a good result. Oh well. Better luck next year. :) I came home tired and watched Big Brother with no knitting in my hands. They are a bit tired from trying to get Bailey done. Maybe I will get some done tonight.

Crossed the Finish Line

Bailey is done.

Beth and I went on the back deck to get pictures. She thought she was paparazzi clicking away pictures. Here are a few

The sleeves ended up a bit long but I don't mind wearing my cuffs turned back. There is no way that I'm taking the sleeves out to shorten them.

 She was turning my phone getting pictures at all angles.

I took this picture to show that I did sew all the ends in. All of them!! All by myself.

My friends wanted in on the action and have their picture taken.

You can't see it in the picture but their tails are wagging like crazy. Roko's hair is starting to grow back in. It isn't nearly as soft as Melo's but getting better.

We are golfing this afternoon. Quoting my dad "Let's hope the rain keeps up" (so that it doesn't come down). If you know my dad you can see him smiling as he says this.

The only bad thing about golfing is that we are going to miss the closing ceremonies. They are set to tape-I like to watch the athletes walking in.

Have a great day!!

One Sleeve In-One To Go

I accomplished a lot on my sweater in the store today. Sleeve #1 was sewn in on the first try (sometimes you need to sew it more than once to get it in properly with no pulling or puckering) Tonight I need to sew in one sleeve and then one side seam. Oh, yeah. Then all the ends. It's 4pm and I should be heading home but I have to stay a few minutes to watch the men's 4x100 relay. Bailey is on a mannequin to take a picture outside when I leave. Unfortunately it has started raining pouring again.

When I walked outside there was a two second window of no rain and I got this picture.

My sweater is going to be done tonight so I am taking Rockefeller home to get back at it. Here it is half way through the second clue.

Stephen West (westknits) is offering a special on Ravelry for his patterns. Here is a link to the discussion in his Ravelry group. The sale ends Monday so act fast.

This is my Earth and Sky Shawl knit in tosh merino light. Stephen's patterns are well written and easy to follow. I have knit three of his patterns and highly recommend looking at what is available.

See all his patterns. There are many to choose from.

I waited with my post to see if I could do it and I did. Bailey is done. There are a few ends to sew in and I'm too tired to do them tonight.

The colour is off but what can you expect when you take a picture outside at dusk?

Almost Done

Sleeve #2 was almost finished last night. I didn't have my notes upstairs with me and wasn't sure which row to go to. There are two rows to finish this morning.

I put my computer away for a while and worked on the sweater. The sleeve is done and cast off.

The shoulder seams are done and it's time for the neck band. I decided to do it on a circular needle-one less seam to sew.

Mr. Canpar brought in a huge box of new colours of Debbie Bliss Paloma. This yarn is a chainette yarn that knits to a bulky tension but because of the construction is very light. Lilac and Mallard are calling to me.

Hare are a few patterns that I really like from Debbie's Paloma book that came out last year. I'm not sure if we are going to get any new patterns this year. Maybe in her magazine coming out later this month.

Jane sent an email this morning.

Here are two more squares done..but not blocked..and the other one 3/4 done. The one on the needle is the more challenging one since there are more colours and more stitches per row. I have told Julie I don't really want to send any more pictures since this is a Christmas gift for some one involved with this blog. Something has to be a surprise

The squares are looking great!! There seems to be a lot of ends to sew in. I better not complain about the ends on my sweater-the number of ends I have is very little compared to Jane.

Now the computer needs to be charged. I hope to have another picture before I hit Publish with a finished neck band. Maybe a sleeve or two sewn in as well.

I'm supposed to work 8 inches for the neck band and I had 5 inches done when I left work. Beth and I did some running around and I just walked in. I'm rushing to get my post done before Saturday hits. No more knitting tonight but I will get the knitting done in the morning and hope to have it sewn tomorrow afternoon.

I see the end

The finish line is in sight. Just 17 rows to go. And it's a sleeve so the rows are short.

I don't think the sewing will take a long time. Because the yarn is bulky there aren't a lot of rows-not like a sweater in sock yarn. I will need to sew with a different yarn. Drift is a roving yarn that will break easily while doing the mattress stitch.

I would have liked to take this picture outside but it is pouring rain here. We do need it so I'm not going to complain but if it cold stop soon and then start in a few hours I would appreciate it.

I'm home now and it is still raining as I am getting ready to barbecue steaks. Not the best night to barbecue but we bought beautiful steaks at Denningers last night and I have been dreaming about them all day.

Two more boxes arrived from Lorna's Laces. One is unpacked and the other box (that is full of Helen's Lace) will be unpacked tomorrow. There are new colours of Solemate (I showed socks yesterday knit in the yarn and it is really, really nice.)

I hope my sister doesn't see this post because I can already hear her bugging me to have someone knit her a pair of socks.

Barbecuing in the rain with an umbrella on my shoulder wasn't fun but dinner was great!

All I'm going to say about Big Brother last night was WOW. Tonight is going to be interesting. 17 rows to go so I'm moving upstairs to knit.

New Store Samples

Last night was a challenge. My laptop (not the trusty MacBook) and I went to war. I needed to write some cheques but my accounting program kept giving me an error. After restarting the computer three times (and it is an old computer which takes forever to start up) I finally got it to work and the cheques written. That part made me really mad but what is worse is that I didn't get any knitting done. By the time I was done I was mentally exhausted. I kept thinking that I had lost everything and really didn't want to start recreating my accounting. There is a back up but not in the last week. It is backed up now. :)

I am finally getting around to opening a few boxes that Mr. Canada Post brought last week. The first was from Mountain Colors.

This is a new kit called the Loganberry Shawl designed by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (Heartstrings FiberArts)

This crescent-shaped shawl begins with a strip of lace edging worked on only 19 to 23 sts with an 8-row repeat. The cabled lace stitch pattern suggests the slightly oblong shape and seeds of the loganberry. The short-rowed body of the shawl is an easy, very lacy one-row stitch pattern that works up in a jiffy.

We have six different colourways

• Evening Star
• Loganberry
• Blackbird
• Springtime
• Blooming Gale
• Hollyhock

The yarn is called Louisa-65% Cashmere and 35% Silk. A 100 gram skein has 430 yards (just under 400m). The yarn is super soft and very luxurious. 

A parcel from Ann came this morning. 

Pattern: Circle Socks (free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Solemate from Lorna's Laces

Colour: Kedzie

These are so soft!!

The other project in the box

Pattern: Leslie Wrap

Yarn: Metalico from Blue Sky Alpacas

Knit in a straightforward rib pattern, with a twist. This wrap is memorable worked in Metalico, with tassels of fluctuating sizes and experimental, inconsistent whipped edge treatment.

My wrap doesn't have the tassels on the ends yet. Ann was having a hard time making them look nice and asked if I could do them. I'm leaning towards leaving them off. I like how the ends look now. No I'm not being lazy. :)

This is a close up of the yarn. There is a definite shine to it.

On Friday this arrived from Lynda but I was in the middle of trying to get yarn on the shelves.

Pattern: Goodale (you purchase the pattern on Ravelry)
Yarn: Shepherd Sport from Lorna's Laces
Colour: Farwell

The pattern calls for tosh Pashmina and we have that in the store as well.

My computer is asking to be plugged in for a bit so I'm going to work on Bailey. The deadline is approaching. It's like being in school and waiting until the night before a project is due to start it. I can see myself being up Saturday night sewing together. We are golfing on Sunday so I need it done before getting in the truck or I will be sewing between shots.

Bias 'Before and After' Scarf

Golf yesterday afternoon was great. It was nice to be thinking about something other than work. Hitting that little white ball helps to get your aggression out as well. :) The bad thing about golfing is coming home tired and then not picking up your knitting. I need to get the second sleeve done tonight.

Bias 'Before and After' Scarf

“Perfect for warmer days, or layer two for coziness.”

We (Churchmouse Yarns and Teas) dubbed this scarf 'before & after' because it's so ugly (truly!) before it's blocked and so beautiful after.  Knitted on the bias, this light, airy scarf has the smooth simplicity of stockinette stitch without all the rolling at the edges. The pattern includes simple instructions for adding beads at the ends.

YARN
1 skein Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace (460 yds/420m). Or approx. 460 yds/420m of an equivalent lace-weight yarn.

This great pattern comes from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas on Bainbridge Island - just outside of Seattle. I have shown this before and am showing it again because we have lots of new colours of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace. The scarf is knit up in the store (thanks to Lynda who did say that it was ugly until blocked) and everyone who touches it comments on how light it feels.

Silky Alpaca Lace is a beautiful blend of fibers, spun into a gossamer yarn that knits into amazing lightweight pieces.The alpaca in this yarn provides warmth and a soft halo, the silk adds a subtle sheen to the knitted stitches. Worked in lace with larger needles, Silky Alpaca Lace makes lovely, light-as-air shawls, garments and accessories.

Mr. Canada Post brought in two huge boxes this morning. The first was from Namaste. The Harlow Bag and Better Buddy Cases have arrived.

The all-new Harlow bag is vintage inspired, constructed of luscious vegan material and offers ultra organization and serious style. Features include microsuede recycled lining, loads of exterior compartments & pockets (2 drink compartments, 2 flap top pockets, 1 fiber-friendly pocket, 1 zipper pocket), strap buddy for shoulder strap placement, and dual detachable handles for added versatility. Interior has a zippered top and features 2 open top pockets, 1 zipper pocket and plenty of space for activities! 

Red, yellow, pumpkin spice
hollywood pink, espresso,
caribbean blue, black
(eggplant is missing from the picture)

BUDDY cases are new and improved with a sleeker shape, updated materials and color options, and stronger magnets for your notions! The essential accessory for your little stuff- bring your Better BUDDY along to tote your personal, crafting, or travel notions so you'll never be without. The Better Buddy case features hidden magnetized interior walls to keep your metal items in place, a removable interior divider, and is made of vegan animal-friendly faux leather that you've come to expect. Contrast stitching, solid construction, and snap button closure- everybody needs a BUDDY- a Better Buddy! 

I asked the Namaste girls to send me every colour. When I received the invoice it said that there was yellow. I looked at their website and the yellow is a limited edition colour. They have set more aside for me to come later this month. What a great colour and it can go in any colour bag.

I finally made it to the bottom of the box and found some Circular Cases

The Namaste Circular Case is the solution to storing and organizing all of your circular needles. Features a unique accordion-style opening and labeling system to take the guesswork out of finding the right size. Compact, clever, and oh-so cute!

The other box was from Lorna's Laces.

-new colours of Shepherd Sport

-colours of Shepherd Sock that we were out of

There should be another box from Lorna's tomorrow with the new colours in Shepherd Sock and Lace.

I'm going to talk about Big Brother. If you haven't watched Sunday's show then please stop reading here.


The coaches are back in the game. Shocker. Didn't see that coming. You are head of household and you want Frank out of the game. You also know that Boogie is a threat. Why not put up Frank and Boogie?? Why put up Wil when you promised him that he was safe? This doesn't make any sense to me. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow night.