Completion and Frustration

So, I just need to say it again - Urban Yarns' new store is bloody fantastic. Complete with a loft, a chandelier, and more whimsical touches like the Eiffel Tower picture, a large bay window, and the new logo which includes a woman on her bike with her knitting, I think it wins hands down as the best knitting store in Vancouver now - not to mention the outstanding customer service and Friday night relaxing Stitch n' Bitch. Love it.

I especially love the knowledgable staff help after I had a stressful week of accidentally cutting my sister's mittens. Fuck. I left it immediately: I put it back in it's bag, and decided to finish Mrs. Lidster's mittens instead. The day I sent them? The warmest day ever. So hopefully she will be able to sink her hands into the Sweet Potato Pie orange insides from Blue Sky Alpaca's Brushed Suri line and sink into heaven while on her deck over the lake on a cool spring day. Otherwise, it will be next fall :)

As you can tell, I loved her mittens, they worked out. Heather's have been the bane of my existence though - having to redo them once already as they were a little small. I proceeded to cut out the Kidssilk Haze lining which was too small, rather exhuberantly in exchange for Fudgesicle from the Brushed Suri line. And of course, I got the Icord and snip snip, I was in yarn hell.

There was one person and one person only who I knew would have an idea - if not, then these mittens were destined not to be this season. Alexa, you are awesome. Taking your Friday night to fix this mitten! So , I am ready to finish these things once and for all - but honestly I am a little bored. So I'm going to leave them for a while. It's too warm here to wear them anyway.

Here are Mrs. Lidster's Happy Mittens:

Click here for more info.

Mittens put aside, I have been wanting to do a me project for numerous months, and was admiring the Raspberry Multnomah in the Urban Yarns shop. Free pattern on Ravelry, and I am under way after a couple of hours. I am using addi Turbo Lace needles, which are a dream to work with...sharp tip, smooth surface, and almost seamless transition from wire to needle. This is my first shawl:

I am using the SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Sock Yarn in Westcoast Winter, a beautiful limited colour edition. The wool is gret to work with, hardly any splitting, soft when pressed. It's great.

I love this colour.

One of the women at Stitch n' Bitch made the beautiful Claptois drop stitch pattern that you can look up on Ravellry - I am already considering this with Gourmet Crafter's Granville Island Cherries Sock Yarn...fun!

Over and out.