Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  Although I lost my mother a number of years ago my dad is still doing well and I look forward to a nice visit with him today.  My father-in-law is also a healthy, active man.  My family is so fortunate to have both of them in our lives.  To celebrate Father's Day, in my grade six class this week, I had the students pick a character trait that best describes their dad and make a picture depicting that trait. Some of the students made a picture of their dad as a superhero...hopefully the dads will like them.

Look what I got in mail.   A new copy of Wendy Bernard's Up, Down All Around a beautifully made Stitch Dictionary.

New book by Wendy Bernard

 I already have my eye on a specific pattern that I would love to make up as a scarf. Have a look:  I think it would look great in a beautiful colour of Madelinetosh Light.

I also liked this interesting edging.  It would be beautiful at the bottom of a sweater.  This is a clearly written book which I can see myself using again and again.

I have been plugging away on my two shawl KALs, challenging myself, by trying to complete two different lace patterns. I made it through Clue 2 of  the Through the Loops Mystery Shawl.  I am learning the value of using markers and checking my work frequently for stitch counts.  For each clue that is given I use a darker gradient of the colour of the Black Trillium Fibre colourway called Grasshopper.  It is a very subtle shift between colours which I appreciate.  I will enjoy seeing what the third clue brings today.  Stay tuned!

Through the Loops Mystery KAL

I hope all the dads out there have a wonderful day!  Happy Father's Day!

Off the Needles: Jackson Creek Cardigan

I finished this sweater by Glenna C. for MadMay with the exception of the buttons.  I am very excited to know that I can knit a sweater in about three weeks as I have never done that before.  I always say that I am not a fast knitter but I am an enthusiastic knitter!   I was very happy with the fit as well....those gauge swatches really work.  This pattern was knit in pieces and then seamed together.  All the seams look okay except for the shoulder area.  I may have to rip that part out again to see if I can get the sleeves to lay flatter.

Jackson Creek Cardigan

I have put the cardigan aside for now so that I can focus on these two fun patterns.

My projects for June are two KALs....This one is a swatch for Through the Loops Mystery Shawl KAL (knit-a-long) by Kristin Kapur.  Once a week through June a part of the pattern is sent to each participant to knit.  What the final shawl looks like remains a mystery until you receive the last clue.

Swatch for the Mystery Shawl

I am using Black Trillium Fibre Studio Pebble Sock in the colourway Grasshopper.  I have to say that I am very impressed with the vibrancy of the colour, my photos do not do it justice.  It is a gradient hand dyed yarn in one of my favourite colours...it just makes me smile when I look at it.  Each skein is about 127 yards.  The colour choices in the Black Trillium Etsy store are simply beautiful.  I definitely see more of this yarn in my future.

Black Trillium Fibre Studio Pebble Sock in Grasshopper

I have also joined the Tanis Fiber Arts Shawl Knit-a-long.  The goal is to knit a shawl throughout June completing it by the end of the month.  For this KAL I chose a skein of TFA Silver Label (100% fingering silk yarn), one of the yarns from the 2013 Year in Colour Club called Boysenberry.  I decided to do a shawl called Fine Vine by Marisa Herandez. 

Fine Vine

 It is a lacy pattern and one of my goals is to improve my lace knitting skills.  This shawl, as well as the Through the Loops Shawl, should really help me on my way to meeting my goal.

The interesting thing about this KAL is that each participant can choose whatever shawl pattern they want.

If you have never thought of joining a KAL you should really consider it.  When you join a KAL you can receive support and encouragement when needed on Ravelry.  Each KAL has a discussion group.  It's fun to see what other people across the world are knitting.  Also a KAL is very motivating because there are usually deadlines that you are trying to meet.  Before you know it the KAL is over, and you find out that you have finished another knitted item, and met (virtually) some nice people along the way.  

MadMay 2014: Setting Goals

Do not underestimate the power of setting goals for yourself.  As I get older this belief has proven to be true again and again.  Even when it comes to knitting!  This month I joined the MadMay group on Ravelry.  For those of you unaware of this glorious group let me explain.  Basically it means that for the month of May you commit to knitting a pattern(s) with Madelinetosh Yarn.  Last May I knit two items:  my version of Happy Street in Madelinetosh Sock.

Happy Street

And Arbutus in a pretty colourway called Cove.

Arbutus in Tosh DK

This year I challenged myself to knit a seamed cardigan called the Jackson Creek Cardigan using Tosh DK in Silver Fox.  For some knitters completing a cardigan in a month would be no big deal.  For me it is a different story.  Although I am a highly enthusiastic knitter I am not the quickest knitter and so completing a sweater while working full time is challenging.  However, once I committed to doing this I am proud to say that it looks like I am going to get it done by the deadline of May 30th.

The pattern I chose is written by a Canadian from Hamilton named Glenna C. who has written many beautiful patterns including the Northside Pullover, Dundurn and Queen St. Mitts (which I knit some time ago).  I have almost finished this cardigan because I have been knitting like a mad woman.  This pattern was clearly written and easy to follow.  I am really hoping this cardigan will fit me properly as I have a habit of knitting sweaters that are too big.  Madelinetosh DK has grown considerably in other patterns I have knit so hopefully I picked the right size and needles.  Yes I did do a gauge swatch but I am still nervous.

Here is a picture of where it was a week ago.

Jackson Creek Cardigan

I had the fronts and the back done and was working on the sleeves.  Now I am happy to tell you that everything but the sleeves are finished.  The sleeves need to be seamed and then attached to the sweater and I will be done.  Done!

I really must set some more goals for myself.  It works!

p.s. I have yet to try it on so whether it will fit well or not is another story.
p.p.s.  I will show you the finished sweater next weekend.
Have a great week.

So Pretty: Line Break Shawl

Remember this yarn?

Well I am pleased to announce that I finished my Line Break Shawl by Veera Valimaki in Malabrigo Sock and I couldn't be happier with it.  You know the feeling, knitters, when the yarn and the pattern feel just right together.  That's how I felt when knitting this shawl.  When choosing this pattern I was looking for something that would show off the beauty of the yarn and not compete with it.  This pattern allowed the colour to be the star of the show.  Line Break was very calming to work on but not boring, especially when knitting with such a variegated colourway.  I never knew what colour was coming next.  This piece blocked out quite nicely. The preblocking measurement was 55 x 17 inches to 74 x 21 after blocking.  The result was an airy large shawl perfect for the this time of year.

Line Break Shawl

I am really becoming a fan of Malabrigo yarn.  The combination of colours in their yarns are quite beautiful.

Sea Stones: Melissa Schaschwary

I love the patterns by Melissa Schaschwary....a.k.a. Dandiliongirl Designs.  Her designs are beautiful to look at, true classics.  I have many of her clearly written patterns in my queue, Heathered and Cattails to name just two.  I just recently finished knitting her Sea Stones.  This is the second pattern I have knit by her, the first being my Fallow Mitts.  My version of Sea Stones took me way longer than it should to complete, as I was working on other patterns at the same time, and I was frustrated with my yarn choice, Rowan Creative Focus Worsted, a 75%, 25% alpaca blend.  I love the colour of the yarn but as I mentioned in a previous post it splits very easily and is very difficult to rip out.  However, I am happy with how it looks finished.  It is a lofty and warm wool blend that will be great to wear in the winter.

Sea Stones

Lovely yarn colour

I only made a couple modifications.  I changed the ribbing portion of my sweater to ptbl twice and then knitting twice.  Also I had trouble knitting into the purl bumps along the bottom part of the body with this yarn and just omitted it.

Hopefully it will be too warm to wear this sweater for some time.  But when the weather starts getting cooler this will be one of the first items I will choose to put on.

Toronto Knitter's Frolic 2014

I enjoyed my time at the Knitter's Frolic yesterday.  I arrived a half an hour before the doors opened and it's always entertaining to stand around and talk knitting while you wait.  Where else can you flash the knitted item you are wearing under your jacket, as one lady did standing near me, and get oohs and ahhhs from the crowd.  Most people standing there were wearing a hand knitted item and there were many beautiful pieces to admire.

Once the doors opened I quickly went by the Purple Purl's booth and got a look at the new yarn line by Tanis Fiber Arts called Amber Label.  I then headed quickly to the Sweet Fiber Yarns booth, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite Canadian yarn dyers.  I could have bought so much there, the colours were stunning and the softness of the yarn was incredible.  I ended up buying three skeins of Coastal, a new DK line being debuted at the show, a 50% Merino 50% Silk blend.  I had a tough time choosing but I decided to go for the colourway called Vintage Lace.  I can hardly wait to start knitting with it.  By the time I made my purchase the crowds started to form around this tiny booth and it stayed that way until I left a few hours later.

Sweet Fiber Yarns in Vintage Lace

The other booth that caught my eye was The Needle Emporium.  The owner was debuting a new yarn line called Mrs. Crosby.  The owner of this shop definitely gets the award for best looking booth as she had all the yarn displayed in different antique trunks and suitcases.

One of the many yarn filled trunks/suitcases

I was very impressed with this yarn line at first sight.  The colours were beautiful and the feel of the knitted items on display was lovely.

Groovy knitted in Mrs. Crosby

I also had a hard time deciding on which weight/colour of yarn to choose.  But I finally decided on the Carpet Bag 80% Superwash merino and 20% silk combination single ply yarn in a colourway entitled Sunset Regatta.  I have a soft spot for blues, especially turquoise, as you can see from my Ravelry project page.  I think this yarn will end up as a Groovy, which has been in my queue for a while, and there was a knitted sample that helped convince me that this yarn would be perfect for it.

Mrs. Crosby in Sunset Regatta

By the time I made this purchase the crowds and lines were very big and it was difficult to actually get into the booths.  Eweknit, a favourite Toronto yarn store of mine, was another stop where I squeezed my way in and bought a very cute project bag.

Project Bag from Eweknit

The last purchase I made was at Shall We Knit.  The owner had a fantastic selection of Koigu that I couldn't get close enough to see.  But I bought one of my long time favourite yarns called String Theory Caper Sock Yarn in Cobalt along with two skeins of yarn called Breathless by Shalimar Yarns, a 75% Cashmere 15% Cashmere and 10% Silk blend in Corfu and Ore.  I was thinking of knitting Ashburn with this combination.  There was a sample of this pattern on display that I found quite beautiful.

Yarn for Ashburn

Next year I might try going in the afternoon, as I found the crowds even bigger than last year and the lines to purchase items were very long.  But I definitely think it was worth going because the selection was so varied and there is nothing like seeing yarn you have admired on line, being able to touch it, and see the colour in person.  I came with a specific list in mind but my honestly I really didn't use it, it was just too busy.

 I find the marketing side of the yarn business so fascinating.  For example, the Needle Emporium's owner Julie was so smart as she built interest for weeks prior to the show about the new yarn line on her blog. She had so many samples of what the yarn looked like knitted up in her booth.  Tanis Fiber Arts couldn't make it to the show but she debuted her new yarn line and colours in the Purple Purl's Booth (which by the way I couldn't get close to when I tried to go back).  She also built a lot of interest on her blog.

Overall I had a great time and there is nothing like being around other people that are as obsessed about yarn as I am.

I want to thank my friends who gave me yarn money for my birthday way back in January...I saved it for the Knitter's Frolic and thoroughly enjoyed using it up!

Next time I am excited to show you, not one, but two finished items!  Have a good week.  : o)

Spring Time

Work is really interfering with my knitting time these days.  I have so many projects in my queue waiting patiently to be started.  There are not enough hours in the day.  However, spring is in the air and I am excited by a few things.

1.  My Line Break Shawl by Veera Valimaki.  I can't tell you how much I love the Primavera colourway, it seriously makes me happy everytime I pick it up to knit.  This pattern is such a relaxing knit too, easily memorized, but not boring.

Line Break

2. The Approaching Knitter's Frolic in Toronto on April 26th.  I already have my shopping list ready and have picked out what booths I will visit first.  One booth is the Sweet Fiber Booth, a dyer from British Columbia.  I have long admired her yarn but have yet to see it in person. Shall We Knit, a yarn store from Waterloo, will be there too.  This store always comes with a lovely assortment of yarn, including String Theory's Caper Sock Yarn, which is one of my favourites.  A new line of yarn they carry is Skein Top Draw from Australia which interests me too. There will be no Tanis Fiber Arts booth this year but the yarn will still be there in the Purple Purl booth...another one of my favourite yarn lines. And that's just to name a few.  As I look at this list I realize that this may be a costly visit!

3.  Easter is one of my all time favourite holidays of the year. Both my children were born in springtime and I just love the weather, the flowers, the greening up of everything.  Last year, during my trip to London in March, my husband and I popped into Harrod's to have a look around and look what we saw:

Easter Egg at Harrod's

And in case you can't see the price look below:

Yep, 795 pounds.  It left me speechless and that doesn't happen very often.

4.  There are so many lovely patterns being published recently.  There is the Blackberry Bramble  by Thea Colman which is a cowl knit in a Scandanavian Motif using two colours with a third colour added for a surprise pop of colour. It is knitted in a worsted weight with 20% cashmere content.  I would love to wear this next winter.  For a lighter cowl Fine Tune by Joji Locatelli caught my eye as well.  It is worked lengthwise using short rows with stripes which is perfect for using up any leftovers you have.  It is knit in a fingering weight yarn.  Maha52's version of Byrum by Cailliau Berangere is simply beautiful.  She used a combination of Madelinetosh Sock in Well Water and Silver Fox and it is stunning.  

So there you have it....a list written by a frustrated knitter who has big plans and no time!  Time to go grab a bit of knitting time while I can and enjoy the lovely weather.  I hope you find time to do what you love.  Have a great week.