Every Last Yarnd

I made a vow that I was going to blog every day and then this past week I have missed two days.  I think it is this weather. Is spring ever coming?  I am so sick of rain and cold and damp.

Now onto better things.  Last week I mentioned that Julie Ann brought in her Every Last Yard for me to see.  She kindly emailed two pictures last night to share on the blog.

Pattern:  Every Last Yard from indigirl
Yarn:  tosh dk in water well

Julie Ann said

I think I’d like to do another when you get your new colours in!  It was fun to knit top down.

And

the sweater is really cozy 

Julie Ann thought that the sleeves were too long and that she might rip out a few rows.  I love them that long. The lace pattern is amazing.

It has been awhile since I visited the Rowan website but thought I would check out the free pattern section today.

This looks warm and cozy.

The Alpine Shrug knit in Big Wool.

Download the pattern 

Ash is a great little cardigan knit in double Kidsilk Haze.

Download the pattern

I am going to hit Publish and get back to making kits for the Frolic.  It is just a week and a half away.  I am starting to panic. Normally by this time I am packed.

Where is spring?

Yesterday was a great day for knitting. The body and one sleeve are done. The second sleeve is well on its way. This should be done in the next few days. What to start next? Will I be able to finish something else for the Frolic?

My HST is done two weeks before it is due. That never happens. I am about to start my tax return. Now I am scaring myself.

What is with this weather? Snow yesterday and today. I sent a text to Beth in Myrtle Beach with a picture of the snow. She didn't believe me. Another was sent today as she was getting on the plane home. She thought about cancelling her flight.

An email just came through from Offhand Designs that more bags are on the way.

Scottie in Vintage Thunderbolt. The bag will have a leather handle.

Zhivago Weekender in Annie. Two bags are coming. One with a fabric handle and the other with a leather handle like the picture.

It is going to be hard to put these out for sale. Both are beautiful and they would look great in my collection.  :)

Love Sac

Many years ago, Beth, Bev and I went to The Mall of America for a weekend of shopping.  Love Sac had a store in the mall and Beth drooled for the weekend.  We were flying so there was no way to get the huge bean bag chair home.

You are probably lost so here is a picture of a LoveSac.  This is called The BigOne and it will seat three adults. It is 8 feet in diameter and weighs 95 pounds.  Can you imagine trying to get this on a plane?

Before Beth left for Myrtle Beach we were going over furniture for the house.  Then it hit me.  She should look online to see if LoveSac was still in business.  Yes they are and it cost her.

She ordered a PillowSac and it is being delivered to Myrtle Beach in a few weeks.

The most versatile Sac® made.  Not only does the PillowSac™ look entirely different than its Sac cousins, it outperforms them all.  The PillowSac is a giant rectangle of our most comfy shredded DuraFoam that’s the exact size of a double bed for a great guest rest.  It’s also designed to fit perfectly on top of a Rocker Frame to make sleek and sexy upright seating for two.  Without a Rocker, a PillowSac can be leaned up against a wall, laid flat on the floor, pinched into a “fortune cookie” shape or turned on its side and punched in on one end to make a “pea pod” – the most comfortable gaming chair ever, no exaggeration.  Whichever way you choose to use it, a PillowSac makes your pad a palace.

The fabric is called Fushia Berry Chenille. Purple and chenille together. This can't be a bad thing.

In Myrtle Beach the houses don't have basements. Our rec room is going to be upstairs above the garage and it is going to be decorated around the PillowSac.  Beth is quite pleased with herself.

Top Down Rocks

Time got away from me yesterday. I realized that I forgot to post around 11pm but by that time I was engrossed in a hockey game and wasn't thinking clearly to write.

Here is my baby sweater in Liberty Print.  It is knit from the top down which means no sewing.  I am just about to put the sleeve stitches on a holder.  The colours are great.  This afternoon I have baseball, hockey, basketball and a car race.  I don't know how much knitting will be accomplished because there will be lots of channel flipping happening.

Mom, dad and Beth had quite a shopping spree yesterday in Myrtle Beach.  When I was there in February I made notes of furniture that I liked.  Beth and I spent time online looking at it so she knew what they were looking for.  They bought bedroom furniture for three rooms, living room furniture and dining room furniture.  After a rest and dinner they headed back out and bought the bedding for the three rooms.  They also met with the painter to choose colours.  The painter's wife is going to be our cleaning lady and she is cleaning the house today so that the painting can start tomorrow.  I will be going in three weeks and my job will be the small stuff.  Kitchen accessories.  Cutlery.  Glassware.  Pots and pans.  And the list goes on.

There are many boxes of madelinetosh on the way.  Seven in all which means lots of yarn.  I have no clue where we are going to put it.  :)  We will have lots of great yarn in our booth at the Frolic!!

Every Last Yard is knit in tosh dk. The patterns should be arriving later this week.


Julie Ann brought her finished cardigan, knit in well water, to show me on Friday.  Stunning.  I wasn't thinking and forgot to take a picture of her wearing it.  Julie Ann-can you email me a picture?

tosh dk
well water
baltic
kale
byzantine
terra verte
vanilla bean
fig
clematis
amber trinket
copper penny
composition book grey

tosh merino
boxwood
well water
calligraphy
terra verte
curiosity
amber trinket
van dyke brown
clematis
cherry
logwood
byzantine
duchess
la vie en rose
stovepipe
mourning dove
thyme

tosh merino light
terra verte
curiosity
flashdance
vanilla bean
plaid blanket
vermillion
posy
calligraphy
boxwood
well water
byzantine
blue gingham
stovepipe
thyme
logwood

tosh sock
nebula
flashdance
mineral
copper penny
dahlia
clematis

tosh vintage
composition book grey
terra verte
flashdance
nebula
curiosity
dahlia
copper penny
moss
amber trinket
kelp
norway spruce
isadora
byzantine
stovepipe

Another project done

As promised I finished the cardigan.  Okay, I finished knitting the cardigan.  The ends still need to be sewn in but I wanted to get a picture before it was dark out. Everyone who saw it today in the store commented on how cute it is.

Pattern:  Summer Open Cardigan (#294) from Knitting Pure & Simple
Size:  Small
Yarn:  2.5 skeins of madelinetosh merino in Amber Trinket
Needles:  5mm and 6.5mm

A very large box arrived today from Lorna's Laces.  Lots of Helen's Lace (including Grand Street Ink) and Shepherd Sock.  There was a surprise in the box.  Four colours of Shepherd Sport-Kerfuffle, Chocolate, Cranberry and Douglas Fir.  The yarn is for the Ravinia Cardigan from indigirl. Amy says

Can I admit that this cardigan sprang, as if fully formed, from a heart-felt wish to find myself in the middle of one of those midwestern summer nights? It may sound overly romantic, but the design came from the idea of needing only a light layer, enjoying a candlelit picnic, and an hour or two of music.
If you’re from the Chicago area, you probably know exactly why I chose the name “Ravinia”. Ravinia is a unique summer-long music festival, and Ravinia is exactly what I will wear the next time I’m lucky enough to spend an evening under the stars.
The design begins from the neck down and is worked in a circular fashion to the bust line. The body is then knit from the hem up in an easy lace pattern and joined using a three needle bind off.

The pattern should be in the store next week.

Mom and dad have the keys to the house and Beth is on her way to Myrtle Beach.  She is doing a shopping spree tomorrow and then a quick round of golf on Sunday before heading back on Monday afternoon.  Thank goodness direct flights are now available.  In the past we flew Buffalo to Charlotte and then changed planes before continuing into Myrtle.

I will be watching hockey and baseball tonight and a new project is going to be started.  A few days ago I showed the new pattern for a child's cardigan from Classic Elite for Liberty Prints. My goal is to have it done next week.

As Promised

I finished my Linen Stitch Scarf last night as the final credits were rolling on Survivor.

Yarn:  3 balls Classic Elite Liberty Print colour 7804
Needles: 5.5mm

I cast on 30 stitches and worked in Linen Stitch until I ran out of yarn.

It is nice to have sunshine again.  My models prefer working outside.  They can be so demanding.  :)

Now I need to try and get the sleeve finished on the cardigan.  There are a couple things that are getting in the way.  Beth needs some computer work done and it is much easier and quicker for me to do it.

The sleeve isn't going to get finished before I leave today. I am about to start the ribbing. Six rows and the cast off to go. Maybe tonight?

Mindy

I just got home from teaching and we are watching Idol. This is going to be quick because Survivor is next and I need to concentrate on that. The NHL playoffs start tonight so there will be lots of flipping channels.

I am almost done my linen stitch scarf (my knitting at home) and should finish it during Survivor. There will be a picture tomorrow. The short sleeved cardigan for Jane, my store knitting, is also in the home stretch. The front band is done and I should have the second sleeve done tomorrow.

Yesterday I forgot something from the Lantern Moon order.


From the Lantern Moon website
Mindy Knit Case
Such sweet storage for our most diminutive tools! Perfect for our lovely rosewood and ebony cable needles and repair hooks. Shimmery taffeta in three luscious colors. Six sleeves. Magnetic closure.

(Repair hooks and cable needles not included)

4.5”h x 4.5”w open

Time to knit!!

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My head is spinning

This is my table today.  There are piles of paper and I am trying to make lists for the Frolic.  This is actually the second time I have sat down to do this-the first set has gone missing.  What am I taking?  What do I have and what do I need?  Do I have enough hooks for the grid?  What yarn is hanging and what will be in baskets?  What patterns do I need? Do I have enough yarn?  What signs need to be made?  Where is everything going to sit in the booth?  I will end up doing the booth layout at least five times.  We get to the show and it never fits the way I want so we end up putting things where they fit.  I should take a tape measure and get the exact measurements of the booth but by the end of Saturday we are so tired we want to throw everything in the van and head home.

I received an order from Lantern Moon this afternoon with circular needles (rosewood and ebony) along with fun accessories.

Clam Shell Cases are available in five colours.  We currently have lime, blue and turquoise.

Three taffeta zip closure cases nested like Russian dolls. Lined in nylon.

Sheep Stitch Markers

Hand crocheted friends to mark your stitching. Set of 6.

I did not pick up my needles yesterday but did get lots done on Sunday.  The Masters (could have been the best golf I have watched in years), The Amazing Race (I wasn't sad to see Ron and Christina go) and Celebrity Apprentice (how does Gary Busey skate by every week?).  The linen stitch scarf is almost done.  There won't be any knitting tonight because I have a meeting.  I wonder if anyone will notice me sitting in the back corner with my needles?

Little Green House

I would like to introduce you to The Little Green House.

The Little Green House is on the same golf course as my parents house.  It overlooks the 14th tee of the Parkland Course.  Since the day it was built Beth and I said we were going to own it one day. Sometimes we should be careful what we wish for.  It is ours.  

The house went up for sale two and a half years ago and we thought about buying it.  It was about to go into foreclosure (that's when our offer was going in) when someone bought it.  At the beginning of January I received an email from the real estate office that it was on the market again.  Within a week we put in an offer.  Beth and I hadn't even been inside the house but my parents went through it and really liked it.

Here are a few pictures I pulled off the real estate office's website.

This was the reason for my quick trip to Myrtle Beach in February.  I didn't want to say too much about it until the deal was done.

My dad and I spent two days running to furniture stores and making notes.

We are going to be renting out the house which has to be in the back of our minds when we buy things. Sometimes things get broken. Sometimes a glass of wine might be spilled.

Beth and I were at Pier 1 on Saturday and saw dishes on sale for a great price.  Such a good price that we bought 3 sets just in case some get broken.  No, we didn't have the house yet but they were such a good price.  :)

Fingers crossed we will be closing the deal at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

More Shawls

On Friday afternoon a surprise arrived. Malabrigo Book 3.

From Malabrigo's website

Featuring 19 patterns created by 6 brave both well known and upcoming designers. Most of our yarns are represented on the book, including Rasta, Sock, Silky and Twist.

The Scalloped Shawl can be knit in Silky Merino...

...or Sock.

It looks great as a shawl or neck scarf.

There are also patterns in the book for pullovers, neck warmers, socks, a cardigan, a vest, a hat, a blanket, pillows and another great shawl from Stephen West. You can see pictures on Ravelry.

That darn Ravelry.  As I was looking at the patterns for this book I ended up on the main pattern page.  New and popular gets me every time.  I started clicking to see the patterns and came across Scalene.  A great scarf that can be knit in many different thicknesses of yarn.  From the designer Carina Spencer

Scalene is an asymmetrically shaped, triangular scarf that features both horizontal and vertical keyholes for several styles of wear. This gender neutral design looks great on women and men of any age.

Classic Elite has introduced two new colours of Liberty Print for April.  I am hoping to have the colours in the store later this week.

There will be two new patterns that are free with the purchase of the yarn.

 

Easy Baby Sweater
A raglan cardigan for girls and boys with wide ¾ length sleeves that is worked from the top down. The pattern includes sizes for 6–12 months (18–24 months, 36 months) with a finished chest measurement of 18¾ (21½, 23½)". This is a simple design that will look great when made with any of the 16 solid or 11 printed colorways of this baby friendly 100% Washable Wool. 

Liberty Wool by Classic Elite3 (3, 4) balls 7806 Reflecting Pool

This is a great pattern for knitters who don't like sewing seams.

 Double Thick Socks 

A pair of cozy house socks that show off the Liberty Wool Print color variation with an allover double thick stitch. On even rounds, every other stitch is slipped. Slipped stitches resemble a 1 x 1 rib on the outside, while the other stitches (which are worked in circular garter stitch) resemble purl stitches on the inside. The result is a double thick, washable and cozy pair of socks! Written for 7 (8, 9)" foot and ankle circumference with a 4" cuff (slightly stretched).

Liberty Wool by Classic Elite 3 (3, 4) balls 7807 Campfire

When I read back through my post I am thinking that I should have saved part of it for tomorrow.  Not sure what I will have to say.

Golf and knitting

This afternoon has been spent watching the Masters.  I would like to see Rory McIlroy, Jason Day or Rickie Fowler win.  All three kids look like they are having fun.  There is always a smile on their faces.  No slamming clubs into the ground, no throwing clubs, no swearing at the top of their lungs.

Sleeve one is done and I am working on the front band. The band isn't going to be done before I head home so I slipped half the stitches onto another circular needle so it lays flat for the picture.  In the pattern it calls for the sleeves to be longer-elbow length. Sarah tried the cardigan on Wednesday night and declared that the sleeves should be short or 3/4 length. I opted for short since it meant less knitting.  :)

Yes, you saw this two days ago but it is so pretty I wanted to look at it again.

I have decided to knit Rock Island and will be participating in a KAL on Ravelry in the Lorna's Laces group.

Some of you might be asking what KAL stands for.  Knit-along. A pattern is chosen and everyone tries to get it done in a certain time period.

Posts will be made on Ravelry and I will be talking about it on the blog.  If you have any questions then you can post to the Ravelry group and you will get assistance right away. At 10pm on Saturday night I can't help you but there will be definitely someone on Ravelry who will see your question and have the answer.

We are starting on May 1 and the goal is to have the shawl knit in two months.  Why not join the fun?

At this point I am going to use Shepherd Sock in Grand Street Ink but that could change when the order arrives with both Shepherd Sock and Helen's Lace.  I am planning on bringing both yarns to the Frolic.

Idol was a shock last night.  In my mind Paul was going home since he was in the bottom three last week.  I can't say that I am disappointed. Pia has an amazing voice (probably the best on the show) but I was getting sick of hearing ballad after ballad.  I still think that James is the one to beat.  Scotty and Casey are doing a great job as well.

Box from Ann

Yesterday Ms. Canada Post delivered a parcel from Ann which included a pair of socks and a Noro vest.

Sarah modeled these for me before class last night.  Yes, her feet are on the table.  :)

Pattern: Circle Socks (free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Noro Taiyo sock colour 10

The Taiyo sock is 50% cotton with wool/nylon and silk.  They are extremely soft.

Pattern: from Noro book 29 (spring 2011)
Yarn: Tanabata colour 2

When I read the pattern for the vest I wasn't sure on how it would turn out but I asked Ann to make it as the pattern was written.

The vest is knit from side to side.  When you get to the armhole you cast off x number of stitches.  Normally on a vest like this you cast the stitches back on and continue to the next armhole.  The pattern did not tell us to cast the stitches back on which leaves a backless vest.

It is really cute.

The front has great drape.

Sarah is going to wear the vest at the Frolic.  We will play with leaving the fronts to hang as well as adding a shawl pin.

This morning I ordered Rowan for fall.  There are 5 new pattern books and 7 new yarns. Unfortunately I can't show any pictures yet.  There was lots of tweed and lots of poncho type tops. One is designed by Kaffe Fassett in Felted Tweed.  It is a leaf pattern much like his Tapestry Leaf Jacket that Jane wears in the store. Another is a cabled knit out of Felted Tweed Aran.

I felt so sorry for Matt last night on Survivor.  Getting back into the game and then sent back to Redemption Island.

I am watching live streaming of the Masters while writing and my computer isn't liking working on two things at once.  Golf or blog?  Sorry the golf is going to win.  My knitting is going to come out and I am going to sit back and watch.

Grand Street Ink

I started writing a newsletter earlier today.  All was going well and then I lost everything.  I inserted a picture and didn't realize that the picture replaced everything that I typed.  I hit SAVE before I thought about it. No undoing now.  Yes, I am bitter.  Very mad at myself for being dumb so I am putting the computer away for a while to knit.  :)

I needed to write an email so I turned my computer back on.  An email had come through that made me very excited.

Jared Flood (brooklyntweed) has designed a shawl that is stunning.

Read more about the shawl including Jared's comments on the Lorna's Laces blog.

The pattern is called Rock Island and can be purchased on Ravelry or on Jared's website. Once I finish my post I will be buying it.

The yarn is Lorna's Laces Helens Lace and the colour is Grand Street Ink. From Beth at Lorna's Laces

It's here, it's here! I'd like to introduce Grand Street Ink, the latest in our Color Commentary Series. It's a really rich, wine-y brown-y purple-y beauty.

And another comment Beth made about the colour

We're so excited to announce the newest color in our Color Commentary Series, Grand Street Ink.  GSI is collaboration between Lorna's Laces and Jared Flood.  The inspiration for it came from the graffiti on Grand Street in Brooklyn.  There are lots of deep indigos and blacks in the work there.  We started with that idea and went back and forth until we came up with this wonderful deep inky, purply shade. I hope you like it 

The colour has been ordered and will be here by the end of the month.

Last night Beth and I watched last weeks episode of Grey's Anatomy. What is going on?  The singing was seriously awful.  Grey's is a drama. If I want to watch singing there is Glee and American Idol.  I hope this week is better.

I am looking forward to Survivor tonight.  Merging week is always great.

Breast Cancer Pink

I am almost through the second ball of Liberty on my linen stitch scarf.  I think that three balls will do it. There was supposed to be lots of knitting time last night while watching the college basketball.  The game was terrible so I ended up working.

Today I started making kits for the Frolic.  Two boxes are packed and ready to go. Now I need to find somewhere to put the boxes for the next three weeks.  I love having more room in the store but losing storage space can be a pain at times.

While I was away a shipment arrived from Namaste including the Buddy Case in light pink.

Namaste is a partner with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  10% of the sale of light pink Namaste products will be donated to the foundation.  For more information about BCRF visit their website.

Mom and dad are on an airplane home. Last night they saw Jersey Boys.  I was afraid that dad wouldn't enjoy it but he said the show was great.  I am going to pick them up at the airport and I am sure they will be telling me the things they are going to do on their next trip.

I need to sign off now so that I can pack some mail orders before getting on the road.

Summer Hours

Today is the official start of our Summer Hours.  This sounds funny after the snow that came down last night.

Beth had been driving my car while I was away and brought it back to me yesterday afternoon.  She called and asked me to go check that the windows were up because it was raining.  It wasn't raining.  The snow was coming down very fast.

This afternoon has been spent packing boxes.  All mail orders placed while I was away are on their way to the airport post office.  Where is my mind if I am writing airport?

Mom and dad come home tomorrow night.  I'm pretty sure that they are going to ask us to send them back next year (if they can wait that long). They went to see Lion King last night and are going to see Jersey Boys tonight.

It is raining again and I need to go to the grocery store.  I guess I am going to work for a bit and hope it stops.  It is less than a month to the Knitter's Frolic and I haven't planned my booth yet.  YIKES.

Back to knitting

After I wrote my post yesterday morning I had a two hour nap before going to work.  Sarah and I had a busy afternoon in the store.  I came home from work and slept for another few hours.  Then it was time to catch up on TV shows that I missed while away.  I love people who go to tribal council on Survivor thinking they are safe.  Nobody is ever safe. I am glad that Idol was taped so that I could fast forward through it.  A few performers are so boring.  They might sing well but I want to see more upbeat songs.  Thank goodness for James!!  My bed called me before midnight and I got a good nights sleep.  I think that I am back to east coast time.

I have pictures from two projects to show you.

I didn't feel like taking any of my current projects with me so I started a Linen Stitch Scarf in Classic Elite's Liberty Wool.  In the store we have some scarves done lengthwise but for this scarf I am working widthwise.

The scarf is a bit wrinkled from being jammed in my purse.  I find that linen stitch wrinkles more than stocking stitch.

Here is a close up.

Normally I would use a 4.5mm needle for this yarn but with the linen stitch I am using 5.5mm and probably could have gone to 6mm.

I just cast off the bottom ribbing on the top down cardigan I am making for the Knitter's Frolic using tosh merino.

I forgot to grab double pointed needles in the store yesterday so I am going to use magic loop for the sleeves.

Home Again

My flight landed at 6:30 this morning in Toronto.  Customs was empty, the bags came quickly and I was in my house by 8.  I thought about going to sleep for a bit but that will really mess up my day so I am staying up and going to work soon.

The trip with my parents was great.  There were a few times when I wanted to strangle them-we lost my mom and my dad lost his glasses. Both were found.  :)

Yesterday morning I was up at 7 to pack and check out.  I met my parents for breakfast and then dad and I went exploring.  It had been many years since my parents were there and I wanted to show him places to take my mom.

We found Town Square Las Vegas which is a new shopping centre on the strip.  It has been open for a few years but Beth and I missed it.  I couldn't find their website-this is from Vegas.com

The 1.5-million-square-foot facility is located on the south end of the Strip, just past Mandalay Bay and Luxor. Featuring 70 different facades, the overall theme at Town Square portrays a city that has aged over time. Architects and designers traveled across the globe to get ideas for these buildings. The result? Colorful, Mediterranean, Spanish and Colonial-style facades along with antique street poles as accents.

There are many great stores including my favourites-Tommy Bahama, Apple and Mac.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful until about 6pm.  They are staying at the Venetian and I stayed at the Mirage.  The hotels are across the road from each other so I did a lot of walking back and forth. I went back to my hotel because I had to use up some slot freeplay before coming home.  As I was walking to the front door I noticed that Daniel Negreanu was in front of me.  Daniel is a professional poker player who grew up in Toronto and now lives in Vegas.

I went to my favourite slot machine, Jackpot Block Party, and there was a guy with curly hair sitting at the slot machine beside me.  I knew right away who it was.  Rupert from Survivor.  I didn't want to stare.  I sent a text to Beth telling her that Rupert was playing the machine beside me. (He was playing the Survivor slot machine which was really weird).  Her text back was "LOL.  That would be fun if it really was him."  I replied "it really is :)".  Now I was starting to doubt myself until someone came up and talked to him.  You can't miss that voice.  After the person left we had a half an hour conversation (while I won $60).  He was very nice and talked to others who came up to chat with him. When I told my parents they asked why I didn't get his picture.  People were leaning over a row of slot machines to get his picture so I didn't want to draw more attention to him.

Now I must get ready for work and throw a load of laundry in the machine.    I haven't talked about knitting for the past week but I did have some with me.  I knit on the plane going to Vegas but didn't take it out of the bag last night.  This time I took Addi Turbos with me and no one questioned them. I will take a picture for tomorrow.

Going Home

Yesterday got away from me. There is so much to do here that not a lot of time is spent in the hotel room.

Mom and dad loved Mystere. Dad said he would go and see it again. It was my fifth or sixth time seeing the show and I still enjoyed it.

Golf yesterday was great. Very warm and windy. Very windy. Makes golf a bit challenging.

I am leaving tonight and get into Toronto at 6:30 am. Not ideal but that was the only flight I could get. Sarah is working and I will be in after a nap.

Here are a few more pictures.


This is outside the Mirage as you are walking to Las Vegas Boulevard.


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Location:S Las Vegas Blvd,Las Vegas,United States