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Monday, March 28, 2011

Blackberry Brandywine

Happy Spring! These are crocuses that are in my yard right now...so pretty with such promise of a new start.



She is complete! This past week, she was blocked, and turned into a lusciously soft purple hug around the neck. It definitely has a longer point to cast off edge, but looks great on my two lovely ladies who modelled it for me. J immediately went to the kerchief style, and N immediately covered her head with it - shows the difference in cultures. Had to get a pic of both.



Shawl #3 of 11 done for this year, and project #5 of 12 using up my stash.

Today, I have started on two new shawls - pics up next posting.



As far as reading goes, I gave my bum a rest after a long but very fun day of snowboarding and completed Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani, one of the 40 or so picked up at Value Village. A thought-provoking, intensely emmotional read that makes you ponder at life's simplicity. The ending is a thinker.

It's amazing how little reading I get done when the needles are a clicking. Looking at this audio book thing more and more...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wednesday

Night off from the exercise means more knitting time! It has taken me a month, but I finally have the Blackberry Brandywine Shawl blocking! I had a little bit of Malabrigo left after repeating Chart B 19 times, and I was optimistic that I would be able to complete the shawl with just enough yarn, including the recommending tubular castoff, which is essentially an I-Cord. This multiplied my stitches to cast off by 3. Needless to say, 20 stitches from the end, I run out of yarn.

The only thing left to do? Rip it out and cast off again.

Cast off #1 - Tubular:


An hour and a half after starting tonight, Brandywine is blocking.


So pretty. Final photos to follow.

Now, if I can just finish my fingerless gloves this evening. First, dinner!

It's just after 10 pm, and my fingerless gloves are blocking!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Springtree Friday

Just when I thought I would have another day or so to wait for more yarn :)...I have a) a Canada Post package slip notification for me to pick up tomorrow (yay), and b) a lovely little package from Springtree Road Yarns (YAY!).

Now these are the two skeins I'm excited about:

1) On a Cloudy Day (looks like a Tuscan yellow - absolutely gorgeous):



and,

2) Blue Goldstone



I think this is my new favorite colourway!

So soft, all of them.

Time to get awindin'!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Little Red Bicycle

Still waiting on some online orders to come in, I was hoping there would be a package before the weekend - not because I'm demanding, just because I love getting mail. Especially big mail :) With stuff other than paper inside.

And today, my hopes and dreams came true! Ok, well, not that dramatic.

A brown paper envelope was at my door.

Inside, was a red paper "envelope" tied up with string (this is one of my favorite things):

Inside this red paper wrapping was a pretty little skein of yarn from Little Red Bicycle in California.

Hipster Sock in Glacial aka Seaglass (which I like better). Although it does remind me of the glacial waters in Waterton National Park in Alberta. Touches of yellows, but mostly light sky seaglass blue :)

430 yards of blue heaven.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

A Good Sunday

So, although there is several more packages coming from my new knitting-favorite online stores, I thought I would summarize what I had purchased so far:

1) My Springtree Road Yarn:


Cake at top: Sangria in sock. Left to right: Rosewood, Grey Flannel, Rainforest, Olivine

Sangria is my favorite. Check out her new spring colours - very pretty pastels! Link is on the right.

My Madelinetosh Sock - in Tart.

Tosh Sock in Turquoise and Fjord.

Here is my very pretty Impulse of Delight:

From top to bottom: Dark Amethyst, Twilight, Blue Velvet, and Coppergreen. I really enjoy her colourways.

Malabrigo Rasta in Solis. Yum.
Pidgeonroof Studios in Haze and Vispasia. Like purple mist.

Speaking of purple, I am making great headway on my Brandywine Shawl in Malabrigo Silky Merino Blackberry. I love the mottling.


Plan is to be done this one this weekend. Podcasts (new one - KIPing it Real) and knitting all day tomorrow. That's what I call a good Sunday.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Wednesday Organizing

With plans of a move in the next year (sometime), and the fact that Hoarders: Buried Alive was the first thing that was on when turning on the tv tonight, I was inspired to reorganize the knitting stash and tools. Ok - I really do love this area of my house - love looking at my yarn and all my tools.

Needles are all together in my testtube holder with matching blue elastics (except for the US 15 DPNs which needed a compartment each they are so big). Crochet hooks, cable needles, small scissors, and stitch holders bring up the rear. Clean and pretty:


Stitch markers and what I like to call needle nipples (aka stictch-falling-off-needle-stoppers) find a temporary home in a ziploc baggie (best ever for organizing):


I say temporary, because I just placed an order for the following Namaste items:


both in eggplant. Can't wait for that package! As much as I absolutely love my handmade gift ofr a circular needle holder that goes on a coathanger, (thank you so much L!), the needles do come out as I jostle in my closet and it just doesn't work. The Circular Case has an accordian style system with labels to keep them all compact in the closet.

I have also taken advantage and updated my iPhone app called KnitMinder. If you are looking for something free, the Lite version is avaliable, but really not worth it. The most valuable part of this app is the needle notes area. But, with the Lite version, you can only store about 3 needles! Most knitters have more. So don't waste your time with the Lite.

Off for one row tonight! Still working on the Brandywine Shawl. I love how the Malabrigo Silky Merino Blackberry is coming out - the mottling is wonderful.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Penelope


It's Penelope's birthday today. She is a little monster, waiting to go to the good home of Gemma, a little girl who just turned 1 (doctor's never thought she would live this long - fight Gemma, fight!). She deserves a little Penelope.

Definitely by far the cutest of the monsters by Danger Crafts, I'm totally in love with her ugly cuteness - more of a geeky disshevelled cute that I can relate to. She is knit out of Spud and Chloe Sweater in Grass and Watermelon, with ribbon from Michael's craft store.  Safety eyes, which could NOT, to my chagrin, be found at Michael's, were ordered from the Etsy store 6060 (see the link to the right). Arrived in approx 1-2 weeks, and now she's done.

It will be hard to part with her, but I know she's going to a good home.

Slobber away, Gemma, slobber away.

Speaking of slobber: the mail man was good to me this week:

1) My first package of Springtree Road Yarns came in (yay!!):

Sangria sock yarn (super super soft):


Pretty olivine in super sock:

I love how on the labels the colourways are in a caligraphy font. Adds to the pretty :)

I also received a package from Valley Yarns, my new skein of Malabrigo Rasta in Solis, pretty pretty blue and greens for another Marion:


A fun week in my life!
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