Happy Knitting

May 7 was a special day here at Canadian Guild of Knitters. It was the birthday of the lady who taught me to knit (my paternal grandmother), and, since it fell on a Saturday this year, I decided to celebrate!

I invited a few knitters I know in my home town and brought in a yummy banana cake with cream cheese icing. We sat, and chatted, and knitted, and ate cake, of course.

Sunday, the 8th was Mother's Day, which I spent at my brother's farm with our mom, dad and sister, and his wife's family. Zoey got two walks in the country that day! Happy girl!

After a weekend of socializing, I got cracking here in the office again this past weekend. Saturday was a paperwork day -- filing, processing membership renewals and generally reducing the size of the paper stacks. Sunday was KAP day: I got nearly two of the three packages that have arrived in the past month marked. All three will be done and back on their way home after the long weekend.

Of course, some time will be devoted to the gardens as well. Hopefully the rain will stop long enough to get the lawn mowed!

Hello, Spring!

Spring is teasing us along. Yesterday I got to spend a good two hours outside in a chilly breeze, tidying up the back yard and teasing out the front flower beds. I filled 3 paper yard bags! This is going to be big, but once the initial raking and pruning are done, it will come down to evening primping on a 'yard tour' after work, if my old habits are anything to go by. Last weekend I bought some perennials to add the colour described in my last post. I've got some of them sprouting inside to give them the jump start in the garden. None of them will bloom this summer, but they'll be healthy! Friday, I received another Level 1 submission, and got a couple more hours of edits in on Level 2. Today, I've cleaned a few to-dos out of my inbox and will spend the afternoon on Level 2. My, it's good to be back! Last night, I got to go dancing again... I've taken a few salsa lessons, and am trying how to figure out how to keep doing them without the additional dog sitting costs crippling my effort! I. just. want. to. dance! So much to do, and the same time span as always! Sigh.

And we Danced

It's been a busy few weeks here at CGK. The mailing list for the Spring issue was finalized, and they are all in the mail now.

The renewal notices for the past two issues have been sent out to our members, and I'm waiting for renewals to return.

A test knitting package for Level 2 that was received just before the turmoil in the Fall was finally marked and returned. From it, I've made some edits to the introduction, before sending out more of the Level 2 test packages.

Speaking of test knitting, I learned that the potholder I had test knitted for the summer issue wa made in the theme colours for the spring issue, so I've re-knitted it in the summer colours, which, coincidentally, will work in my new kitchen, so all is not lost. Carla will get to keep the spring coloured potholders, and I'll get to keep the Coppertone Summer and brown coloured ones! Plans are in the works to make a complementary oven mitt using double (2-sided/ jacquard) knitting technique for publication.

Also for ANPT, I've finished my article for the Summer issue. This one will focus on yarn nomenclature. It's provided an opportunity for me to put together some information I've wanted to consolidate for years.

And, of course, it's time to prepare everything for the tax season, which is how the lion's share of today was spent.

Next on the to do list are website updates (long past due), writing the article for the Fall and Festive, 2011 issues of A Needle Pulling Thread, and finishing mailing list updates.

I'm trying to get as much done as possible before gardening season starts, as I've got my work cut out for me with my new yard. The photo shows one side of the back yard... there's a matching garden on the other side, and 5 more beds at the front of the house! I'm hoping to get some colour into all those greens. There may be some spring bulbs... I don't know. This summer is going to be a bit like a gardener's Christmas, so I plan to stick close to home to see what happens!

Summer vacation plans include preparing class material for the parks and rec classes I'll be starting in my home town in September, and getting a warp on the weaving loom, now that I have it in a useable position. I had hoped to go to the East Coast, and I've got a bead on Knit East, and might be able to squeak a week there the end of September. That would be GREAT. It would be better if I could stay long enough to take in Celtic Colours the week after, but I'm pretty sure the work schedule won't permit that! Someday, I'll get there.

Of course, all work and no play makes Cynthia a dull girl, so Friday night Zoey got a sleepover at the dog sitters while her mommy went dancing. It was a positive ending to yet another rollercoaster week.

Speaking of all work and no play, it's time to turn off this computer, make a cup of tea, and go do some knitting.

Spring ANPT and Level 2

Happy Valentines Day, knitters!

The Spring, 2010 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is now at the printer; this weekend was spent working on updates to the membership list in preparation for the mail-out.

With all that has gone on over the past few months, I have not sent out renewals to members whose memberships lapsed between August and October, 2010. For these members, the Festive, 2010 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread was the last one of their membership. This weekend I began preparing renewal notices for this group. As the renewals come in, the Spring issue will be mailed out to those members who fall into this group.

Another sign that I'm getting caught up with my workload is that Level 2 has been placed back in its proper location -- on the front burner! It was never intended to simmer on the back burner this long. The target now is to have another batch of exercises tested this spring (guess what I'm doing on the new Ontario February holiday), and get it released this summer.

There's still much to do: I've got several pieces to write for upcoming issues of A Needle Pulling Thread, which also got deferred over the past few months, and I've got a pattern simmering in the appropriate lobe for an oven mitt in reversible knitting.

It feels unbelievably good to be getting back on track.

What? A clean Desk?

It took two more weekends than planned, but I have my beautiful stack of mail all ready to go, and my desk is clean, except for the to do list. I still have to do a website update and there's always the next article!

When I went to mail three more Knitting Accreditation Programs, I found that I need to do another printing, so it will be another day or two before those packages get into the mail.

Kate, my editor at A Needle Pulling Thread has had me busy test knitting some felted potholders for an upcoming issue of ANPT. Here's a peek:

Pretty, eh?

Yes, that's Zoey, aka the Ming Princes, aka GirlyGirl, aka the light of my life in the top left corner. She's keeping an eye on things, as always.

I'm really developing a weekend routine again. Today, I even got some of my projects updated on Ravelry!

I never found the knit-along I was seeking, so I've decided to continue on with the 'finishitis' projects, although I have started a pair of socks for Dad.

Yesterday I joined my friends at the Spinner's Guild and on Wednesday I hope to return to the local knitting guild.

The re-adjustment continues...aaaah...

Happy New Year

As we approach the close of 2010 (a rollercoaster if ever there was one -- for me), I want to wish all Canadian Guild of Knitters members, all my friends and my family, a happy 2011.

May peace and love reign.

Every day I am one step closer to having my new life organized. Earlier this week, I emptied some boxes in the office. I'm changing to a different filing system, and trying to piece back together the components of 2010 that got scattered hither and yon.

By January 4, I plan to have all my recent orders processed, my next article written, and my KAP marking done so I can participate in a KAL or two guilt-free.

Because I needed to carve out some knitting time over the holidays, I finished this shawl for my Mom. It is the garter stitch Gracie from Myrna Stahmann's book, made of 316 grams of 'well-aged' Kroy (my favourite yarn for shawls).

I made the shawl at the right for my sister, but no one believes she will wear it. I started out making it for myself, but the colour isn't right for me. The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss, (took @ 180 grams), and the pattern is a free Ravelry Download -- look for the Elizabeth Zimmermann 100th birthday commemorative shawls set designed by mwaa (a lady from Ontario, as it happens). I used the camping shawl for the body, but used the hearts edging from the other two shawls in the set.

Go ahead... Skype me!

At the prompting of a knitter in Eastern Ontario, I have signed on to Skype. Knitters who want to contact Canadian Guild of Knitters can now Skype cynthia.cgknitters when you see I'm on-line.

It's one of the little things I've been able to do between getting Internet connectivity and the arrival of my desk!