I bet you thought I forgot!

I did not.  It's just that Monday was a busy day.  We met with a sales representative at the shop, looking at spring yarns.  Yummy linen and a great bamboo/acrylic are lined up for arrival in the spring.  Which really is not that far away, now that I think about.

This week I finished the knitting on a very pretty shawl -- Passe-partout.  I used a new wool called Whirligig from Cascade and 4.5mm needles.  This is a superwash merino-acrylic blend and it is delightful and squishy and nice to work with.  Of course, this is a store sample but I WILL be wearing it next winter!

We have been teaching a class in knitting gloves at the store.  I cannot believe how easy gloves are, and how assiduously I avoided them for years and years.  This is my second pair, and I have figured out the pattern and how to make official left- and right-handed gloves.  I feel so accomplished!  This time I am using Painted Desert.   There should be enough wool to make the complete pair, with some left over even.  The pattern asks for 3.75mm for the cuff and 4.0mm for the hand, and I am complying since the gloves are fitting nicely at this point.

Another little beauty in my knitting bag is the Newsom by Bristol Ivey.  I am using James Brett Innocence, a lovely bamboo/acrylic blend.  The pattern suggested a 3.75mm needle, but to get gauge I had to drop down to a 3.25mm needle.  I like the fabric I am getting with these needles and I am really looking forward to the finished product.  I have about 20 rows of yoke, and then three inches of collar to work, in garter stitch.  I think this might just be movie knitting!

The last item currently in my knitting bag is a pair of socks, as always.  This time I am using Alegria from Manos del Uruguay and the pattern is Water Cycle Socks.  The first sock was finished in time for the theme announcement at the shop for our Sock Challenge on January 20th.  The second sock was cast on, immediately.  It has languished however, since officially I am not supposed to be working on it until February. 

I selected these socks because I liked the lace patterns used in the design.  One of the store customers came in and mentioned the story behind the socks.  Eh?  I went back to look at the pattern page, and sure enough.  This sock does in fact represent the cycle of water -- clouds at the top, rain falling down along the front, waves at the toe and heel, and water vapour up the back of the leg.  How cool is that?  

I also have a shawl on the needles, called the Mystic Midsummer Wreath.  Sadly, this little beauty has  not gotten much love lately, as it felt like the store shawl and the socks were a priority at the time.  Now that they are finished or half-finished, I can devote my evenings to this one again.  

We have had snow over the last couple of days, and lots of very cold temperatures.  The snow would be perfect for skiing, if not for the stupid cold and the myriad of chores that MUST BE DONE at home.  Sometimes this being a grown-up just is not fun!

Baby, it’s cold outside!

Colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra! To put it succinctly.  The lunar eclipse was last night, and it was impressive.  Everyone else went outside to look at, but I wimped right out. Even put on my night shirt just to make it abundantly clear that I was not venturing forth.

Carrie, her young man, and Emily came up for an over-night visit, and to celebrate a couple of birthdays and Christmas.  As always, the visit was filled with a fair bit of comings and goings, confusion, laughter, adult beverages, and good food.  Doug made ice cream to go along with our favorite coffee cake, plus he purchased blueberries and raspberries.  Yum, yum.

My darling daughter knows me very well.  for my birthday, she gave me —

The chocolate needs no explanation.  Just note that it is upstairs, in my knitting corner.  The wool is Lizzie-Anne mini-skein set in the Soft Sock base.  The colour way does not have an official name.  I am not sure what it will grow up to be, possibly a shawl of some sort combined with a solid for emphasis.  In any event, I will have fun browsing Ravelry for ideas.

We also celebrated Christmas.  I know — that holiday was last month.  this was the first weekend that we were able,to get together with both young ladies, and so we waited until now for presents.  Again, my daughter knows me well.   This is from The Blue Brick, Killarney sock, in a colourway named Eggshell. This will probably grow up to be socks, but one never knows!

I knitted on my gloves over the weekend, and finished one glove.  I also cast on the second glove and started the ribbing.  (I am using Paton's Next Steps 7 for the pattern.)  We were watching a delightful little movie called Danny Deckchair, and the glove was perfectly mindless.  If you get the opportunity, I strongly recommend this little gem.

Newsom is coming along delightfully, although you can't really tell that it's a sweater from this picture.  I have joined the sleeves and am now finishing up the yoke.  I am really impressed with this James Brett Innocence.  So far, I have used only three balls of yarn, and I might just get the entire sweater finished without breaking into the fourth.  Very nice feel to the fabric, economical.  If it washes up nicely, I'd say this one is a real winner.

And then we got a box of new wool from one of our distributors.  Cascade Yarns Whirligig, which is an 80% superwash merino/20% acrylic.  I adore the feel of this yarn in the ball -- it's squishy and soft.  Of course, I started something brand new -- after all, I had cold, empty needles!  This is Passe-Partout, designed by Maanel and found on Ravelry.  Easy to read and execute pattern, wonderful wool.  Cannot go wrong.  And we have four colours ... 

Week 2 -- Still on Track!

Still making a blog entry from the I-Pad, because the computer and I were having words.  Well, not so much words as me growling at the computer, and it just sitting there like it had done nothing wrong.  The thing is that the pictures are here on the tablet, but typing in text and making links that actually work is so much easier with a keyboard and mouse.  Not to mention the display issues I have with the tablet.

In any event, I have been knitting.  I am test knitting with a yarn that we may be bringing in to the store for spring.  It is a bamboo and acrylic blend in a DK weight.  The pattern is Newsom, and I am using a 3.25mm needle.  The back is done to the armholes, and sleeves are the next step.  I was tickled to find not one, but TWO additional needles of the right size in my needle collection.  This means I can charge ahead without needing stitch holders, etc. And for the record, I have not even consumed one full ball of yarn yet!  Definitely a contender yarn.

 

We are teaching a class in knitting gloves at the store.  Since it is officially my class to lead, I started a pair of gloves to accompany the class and demonstrate techniques.  I am using KFI Painted Sky and 3.75 and 4.0mm needles, as specified in the pattern.  

Writing patterns  is hard work, as we discovered when we did the calendar at the store.  So I probably should cut Patons some slack, but I did. Ot find their pattern to be easily followed.  The first time through I threw up my hands and purposefully made a change so that I could understand what was happening.  The second time through with a customer, we did the same thing.  The third time through with another customer, the directions became clear.  The clouds parted, sunshine poured down, angels sang.  Well, not quite, but my current gloves will have a definite right AND left, as the pattern writer envisioned!  Yay, me.

Several months ago, I was visiting my grandson.  He asked me why I always knit.  The answer I gave was that I liked to knit for the people I love.  Fair enough, but it felt incomplete.  Listening to a 

podcast by PrairiePiper (see, this is where the link would be, but you can look her up on Ravelry), and she made the connection for me.  Years from now, when the grandson looks at pictures of his youth, he will see sweaters and things that I knit for him, and KNOW that I love(d) him.

So when he gave me a sweater request — zipper, hood, pockets AND colours of the rainbow — what could I do?  You guessed it.  The yarn is Patons Canadiana and the pattern is modified from Cabin Fever Hoodies and Pullovers.  Cabin Fever wrote the pattern to be a henley-style pullover.  I simply did not join in the round, and did some math to get the pockets knit.

My son says he wore the sweater out to a coffee shop and a birthday party, where there were many compliments received.  The grandson was telling everyone that his Mama Carol had made the sweater, and that she makes the best sweaters.  Definitely worth the angst of knitting, modifying, and sweating over whether zipper insertion could be acquired.  (I took the sweater around the corner to an alterations place and had the zipper inserted.  They did a magnificent job.)

Finally, I show you the progress on my Mystery Sock.  This is the announcement of the February theme, which is NOT toe-up, nor blue.  I am using Manos del Uruguay Alegria, and it is a wonderful yarn with which to knit.

The sock is coming along nicely, although I must admit it was my second choice of a sock.  The first just didn't work, and rather than continue fighting I switched patterns. 

You may have noticed that there are now links.  The computer and I have made friendly and everything seems to be coming together.  Getting used to blogging again is a challenge, but one I can and will conquer.  In the meantime, I have pork chops (with peaches, tomato sauce and spices) simmering in the slow cooker.  It smells divine, and I can only hope it will taste as good as it smells! 

Off to do some more knitting!

Resolution — Week 1 is good

Not that I am a big fan of New Year Resolutions, but I did make one.  I promised myself I would do a blog post once a week, just to document my life.  So to speak.

This past week, I went ice skating.  Conditions on the lake were good overall, and our neighbour had a rink cleared.  Off we went, along with the buddies my grandson selected for Doug and I.  Here they are, having an ice skating adventure!

A good time was had over all, but I did manage a belly flop onto the ice.  Bruised my knees and

elbows, but not too badly.  What really hurt is the ribs.  I did not go to the doctor or emergency room

...  they don’t do much for bruises or even cracked ribs.  They do hurt, a week later.  A heated rice bag has become my new bedtime routine.  The doctor says “Use it or lose it — stay active.”  I am pretty certain she did not mean to include the belly flop!

I have been busy knitting.  My ribbed socks for the 2019 Sock Challenge are progressing well.  i have one sock done and am close to the heel flap on the second.  The wool is Funny Feet from James C. Brett, and is new to the shop.  I am really enjoying this wool, and I think it will do very well for us. 

I also knit up a sample for the shop, using Diamond Luxury Baby Alpaca Sport.  The pattern is Winter Butterfly Cowl by Gretchen Ronnevik.  I followed the pattern, except I ended at the halfway point of the fourth pattern repeat.  I was worried about running out of yarn, and I wanted to have a couple of rows of stockinette before the ribbing.  All in all, I am pleased with this project as well. 

Remember those little mittens from last week?  The yarn seemed to be never-ending in a good way.  I finished a hat 

AND another pair of mittens for an adult.  

I have not gotten as far as finishing the swatches for the two projects I mentioned last week.  why?  I get to select the theme for February for the Sock Challenge.  So many options, so little time.  I only get to pick one theme after all.  

Today has been my day off, and I have a beef stew simmering away in the slow cooker.  It smells divine, if you are a carnivore.  I think I will make some muffins to go with it.  Sounds like a perfect meal for a snowy, freezing rain kind of evening, wouldn’t you say?

For the record, this post has been worked using an I-Pad.  Not a pleasant experience, in the slightest.