Friday, September 21, 2012

second Suncrest

It's pretty obvious that I love this pattern. I made two of them back-to-back, one in Alpaca and Silk, and this one in Koigu.

While I haven't cast on another one yet, I will make it again - it has become my favourite scarf type pattern. I can see making it in a thicker wool, and slightly skinnier.
But for now, the fingering weight ones are gorgeous.

also perfect for the knitting!

While at the cottage last weekend, I finished up a couple of things, and started a couple more.
I finished another pair of Cascade Silk socks:

And a luscious, cushy royal blue bamboo velvet slouch hat:

The socks will go into the gift box for someone, and the hat is either for my niece or the 13 year old girl fro the cottage next door. Both of whom would look spectacular in it - one is blonde, one is dark haired, but both have the colouring to pull it off.
I love this Bamboo Velvet yarn - I got it in Kitchener at Sweaterkits, and I looked up where I could find it again, and luckily, the Yarn Store in Newmarket carries it! Will have to pick some more up - it makes a great hat.

I also started another pair of socks while north, so I had something to knit in the car on the way home - a more girly colour (no picture, sorry...) and also started the Sweaterkits beaded mulberry silk shoulder shawl. Yummy.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

perfect weekend

We spent last weekend at the cottage. Our neighbours were also there, so it was a wonderful weekend of great weather, great friends and a great shared dinner on Saturday. The boy also had friends up there, and the cast didn't slow him down much - it was a little chilly for swimming, so that wasn't an issue.
Sunday morning I woke up to clear blue skies and the mist rising from the lake.

My husband, when he got up, said - "it's worth it just for this moment", as he was looking at the misty lake, and a heron came out of the mist and landed on our beach. Of course, by the time I grabbed my camera, said heron had taken off a gain, but we did get to see it.
Heaven.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

What has kept me occupied lately

On top of everything, we've been dealing with a daredevil 13 year old. He fell off a golf cart at the cottage, and after a bit of an investigation, it wasn't due to bad driving (the kid driving is way too responsible for that), but more from our son hanging off the back.
And the result of that would be:

Yup. A possible fractured scaphoid bone. (and what's not shown is the broken finger tip on the other hand. Hopefully, it's all short term, and his basketball season won't be impacted for more than a couple of weeks.

We've made it this far with minor injuries, I fear we are just getting into the prime time for this, if my own past and my husband's are anything to gauge.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

sorry, Anonymous...

I've had to change a setting on this blog. While I try to make it as open and easy to comment, I've had to disable access to Anonymous users. I was getting upwards of 50 or more comments a day for everything from free Viagra to Coach purse ads. It fills up my BlackBerry, which is annoying, especially since I've missed work emails due to the long list of Anonymous commenters.
So to Nancy and Marlyce and anyone else who comments under Anonymous, just set up an account - it's easy and free, and they don't require a lot of info.
At least I haven't had to add comment verification yet - let's see how this works.

Friday, September 14, 2012

a few more Kitchener notes...

Stuff I forgot to mention...

I brought my two Tanis Suncrest shawls - the finished one in two colours of alpaca and silk, and the Koigu one in progress. (It was in progress at the time, it's done now...) I showed Tanis the alpaca and silk one, and she gushed over it. (Isn't it an ego boost to have a designer LOVE how you have interpreted her design?) She said it has inspired her to make a two colour one herself. (she may have been blowing smoke, but she really seemed sincere, and I appreciate the personal touch of a busy designer, who is also manning a busy booth.)

I did miss a couple of vendors - The Purple Purl wasn't there, nor was TurtlePurl, whose sock yarn I was lusting for! I noticed it was a little more crowded, but less vendors - I think they had to add a lot of space for sitting. I hoe when they move to the Aud next year, a lot more vendors are there - I love this fair for the ambiance, but also for the access to independent dyers that are not readily available in stores. Every time I looked at the Indigodragonfy booth, it was packed, so I never really got a chance to look around.


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Kitchener - the finale!

Okay, just a few more things I bought, and a confession. I had said before I went that I was going to stick to sweater quantities. No single balls, nothing without a plan. Yeah, well so far, you can see how well that worked out - I'm nothing if not weak!
I did get some more bamboo stretch sock yarn - I adore the pair I've already made in this yarn, so I knew I was heading to Dye Version to get some more. Two skeins, one in Nightingale (the dark blue), and one in Galapagos (the grey/lime combo).

Love them both, and may just be keeping these for myself!
I did actually get one sweater's worth of yarn - pure silk, in three gorgeous colours - to make an as-yet-to-be-determined striped cardigan. Probably contiguous sleeves (maybe raglan), probably v-necked, (but maybe scoopier), probably top buttoned, (but maybe fully buttoned). I'll figure out the details when I get to it...

And of course - alpaca roving. Not for spinning (still not interested in spinning), but for thrummed mittens.
I was showing this stuff to some of our newer Guild members, and then showed them a thrummed mitten, and said I would do a workshop one month on how to do it. Yup, you guessed it - three of them then bought a bag of roving, to make some mittens!

There were a couple of other purchases - they weren't around when I was taking pictures, so I'll have to dig them out to show you - some perfect beads in variegated navy tones for my Tanis laceweight sweater, and a cute little sheepy bag that is the perfect size for my wallet and a small project for use at these shows, so I don't have to lug my purse around!

All in all, a terrific day - not a huge quantity of stuff, but definitely quality, and everything is exactly what I wanted. Can't wait for next year - bigger and better as they move from Bingemans to the Aud in Kitchener - see you there!


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Kitchener, continued...

Not only did I buy lots of great stuff, I saw some friends, and had a chance for a quick hug or a chat - no pictures, however, because that would mean I was thinking, and the wool fumes were addling my brain...
I got a quick hug from Steph as she was preparing for her speech,, and had time for a chat with Brenda and Deb Gemmell at the Cabin Fever Booth. Plus, with 40 of us from our Guild, we were constantly running in to each other, comparing purchases, and often heading to booths when we saw what others had purchased.
Once place I always have to check is Wellington Fibres - there was a small purchase there of some curly mohair locks that I use to needle felt beards onto gnomes.

(there was also some Wellington Fibre yarn purchased at Cabin Fever - they were selling off some stock so I snatched up a couple of bags.)

And at SweaterKits, I fell in love with this royal blue bamboo velvet (86% bamboo, 12% cotton, 2% polymide). They had it shown in a little slouchy hat, and I thought my niece (she of the gorgeous blonde hair and blue/green eyes) would like it. I bought one extra ball of it, because I want it a little MORE slouchy than shown.

Then, on the other side of their booth, they were showing this incredible beaded silk, done up in a little shoulder shawl or scarf. How could I get one without the other?


I'm not sure which pattern I will use, but it's just so gorgeous, I had to get it.
COme back tomorrow to see the rest of what I bought!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Kitchener!

Kitchener, as the Kitchener Waterloo Knitter's Guild Knitters Fair is known, was on Saturday. As always, our Guild booked a bus, and we made the trek as a large group (around 40 of us). I met my friend Susan there, but not before enjoying a lovely trip filled with draw prizes, knitting and a 50/50 draw. I've cemented my place as the most hated knitter on the trip, by again winning the most coveted prize. Last year it was the set of Knit Picks interchangeable needles, this year it was the 50/50 draw - a cool $106 won to spend at the fair! I know how lucky I am, trust me!
I also won a great draw prize - a skein of Jawoll Magic sock yarn in the most beautiful autumn colours, donated by The True North Yarn Co. in Barrie.


Once we checked in, Susan and I beelined for Soaring Studios, and pottery studio from Newmarket. I had been coveting one of her yarn bowls since last year (when I went back to buy last year, she was sold out), and I wanted to ensure getting one. And I did!

It's absolutely beautiful, and already in use.
Then we did the quick wander around both rooms, before settling down to the specifics of what we wanted and where to get it.
Tanis Fibre Arts was an early stop - and I spent much of my draw winnings here:

2 skeins of Purple Label Cashmere Sock Yarn (by request of my husband who loves the first pair of these I made him).
A skein of Olive and one in Shadow:
(the Olive on the bottom is much greener than it appears here...)
And then, because it's so beautiful, and I'm sure I'll find a use for it, a skein of Silver Label Mulberry Silk in Sunset:

(Probably going to end up as something for my Mom).
There's still so much more to show - come back and see it soon!

Friday, September 07, 2012

so nice, I'm making it twice...

I rarely make things twice, and almost never make the same thing right after finishing one.
But this Suncrest shawl is one of those things. I just didn't seem to be finished with the pattern once I blocked out the alpaca and silk one. So I dug out some Koigu KPPPM in the evocatively named colourway P506.

Doesn't that colourway name just scream out "sunset over a desert mesa"? 'Cuz that's what it looks like. P506 just doesn't do it for me...
I started this one at the cottage on the long weekend, and by Sunday afternoon was well into the lace pattern.

I can't say for sure if I'll be done with the pattern after this one. But Kitchener is coming, and my focus can shift pretty fast.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

delicious.

that's the only way to describe this.

This, being the Suncrest Shawl, using spectacular fawn coloured alpaca and chocolate brown silk.
In order to use up as much of the delicious yarns as I could, I made it longer than the pattern calls for. (I just added stitches in increments of 15 for the repeat).

I finished it last Thursday, and was able to soak it and block it Friday, and left it to dry over the long weekend.

It stretched a LOT.

That's 115cm before blocking.


And after blocking? More that 150cm (the extent of my tape measure). It's actually about 165cm in length - a gain of about 50cm.

The alpaca garter stitch evened out and stayed soooooooo soft, while the crisp silk lace stretched out and got open and lacey, and gorgeous.


I'm going to take it to Kitchener and get Susan to help me with modeled pictures.

Monday, September 03, 2012

the unofficial end of summer..

 ...and we are (as always) at the cottage. It's been a perfect weekend - both weather wise and socially. Surrounded by friends and family in just the right doses, it's a fine way to end our "summer". I know summer doesn't end until later in September, but school starts tomorrow, and life starts getting busier, and our trips to the cottage become fewer and far between. Next weekend of course, I'm going to be in Kitchener at the K-W Knitters Fair, then we might be able to sneak in another weekend, because by the 22nd of September, my son starts basketball every Saturday, so that pretty much keeps us home until Thanksgiving.
There are so many memories of this past summer and this weekend, but I often did not have my camera handy, so most of the memories are ingrained in my brain.
One event that did make it to the camera was our neighbour's dog and his new favourite pastime - Frog Hunting. (You may want to enlarge this to get a look at his mouth...)


Rudy would chase them down, and gently carry them to the beach to play with them. Most of the time, the frogs got away. (Rudy is very cute, but he's dumb as soup). We lost one or two frogs to some exuberant play, but for the most part, they lived to hop another day. We're tempted to find him a bullfrog, just to see his reaction...

Tomorrow my son enters grade eight, my workload changes as more of us start spending more time in the office, now that summer is ending, and my husband's business starts getting busier as well. It's all good, but it's change. I know change is good, but there are somethings I'd like to see stay the same...