A week? Already?

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. It's been a flurry of real estate agents (I'm moving house), my sister's homework (she's in university, or rather WE are), trying to get tax information ready for the accounting 'guy', workouts (where is that T4?), and I even squeezed in a spinning meeting/pot luck on Saturday (mmmmm..... pot luck!). It was good to see the girls again. Apparently, and I say apparently because it doesn't seem as if I've been away for so long, I've been away for a few months.

I'm knitting too. At knitting guild last Wednesday (Severn-Muskoka) we did short-row heels, but of course I wasn't doing short-row heels, I was doing short row knees. Last fall I hurt a knee playing tennis, and it's been a bother ever since. Turns out it's 'mild' osteo-arthritis.

On the Knit Together front, apart from getting the books ready for the revenue guys, I'm knitting up a beautiful pale pink sample of Misti Alpaca.

More Project Information

A year or so ago, I took to doing some pretty involved yarn samples for Knit Together. I'm sure they helped contribute to my lateness! For example, this piece, was made out of Lace, by Shelridge Farm. The pattern is the Frances Scarf from Stahman's Shawls and Scarves. The neck ribbing (which is barely visible at the top of the photo) was made with 2mm needles. Never thought I'd see the day, but there it is, and I enjoyed doing it!


The tabs of the scarf look different, but it's because I intentionally left the one on the left unblocked, to show at workshops how blocking can truly enhance a piece of lace.


The scarf at the right was the featured project in our May, 2006 issue. It was designed by Johanna Bischopping, a talented lace designer who passed away before I had the opportunity to meet and interview her. Her family kindly gave us permission to print this pattern they found in her collection. It was the first charted design to be featured in Knit Together. The yarn used to make the sample was Fleece Artist Blue Faced Leicester. The slight variegation didn't take away from the lace too much at all.


Easter was lovely: I got some yarn reviews "plugged in" for the next issue, and we had my Mom and Dad, Darling's son, DIL, and GS, and my sister and her boyfriend for dinner.


We enjoyed turkey with all the trimmings, except for the relish and cranberry sauce, which we forgot to set out. GS enjoyed an egg hunt, which his mom videoed. The trumpeter swans, Canada geese and beaver all gave us a swim-past. The pileated woodpecker flew in for a nibble on his white pine tree stump, and a mink toodled across the shoreline.


Now, it's Monday afternoon, and I want to get a book review or two done.

Easter Ramblings

In my last post I mentioned the Warm Hands Network. The mittens on the right have been sent off to them. These were made from Briggs & Little Regal. There were a few other things that went in that shipment... this cheery jacket and hat went their way, too but *not* the cute face that joined the 'photo op'! That's Zoey, my 'shih-tzu on stilts'. Well, officially, she's mine... unofficially, she adopted Darling a couple years ago!

In looking up this photo from the external hard drive, I came across another one that's been getting a lot of attention on Ravelry... not my version, but the pattern in general. It's the Pinwheel Sweater from Elann.com. It's a free pattern, designed by Shelley Mackie. Elann.com is one of Canadian Guild of Knitters' Retail Members. I made this pattern in sayelle from my grandmother's stash. (You know you don't knit enough when....) Gram's been gone for 21 years now. It's nice to finally get some of these things done for her...

The sleeves look 'wrong' because they're done in a 2 x 2 ribbing, which draws them in to a rediculously skinny width. I picked it, though, because I figured they would keep little arms warm, grow with the baby, and fit more comfortably under a coat. (We are, after all, living in Canada.) This sweater was a gift to Darling's grand-niece, and it got a lot of 'chatter' at the shower. If I ever figure out how to get pictures loaded on to Flickr again, this shot might get uploaded on my Ravelry page.

I've spent Friday working on the next issue of Knit Together, and I'll likely do that on Monday as well. Sunday, we're having family over for turkey. We've got an Easter egg hunt planned for Darling's grandson, who is 2 1/2. Should be fun.

Hugs and Kisses Hats

Recently I've taken to knitting on coffee breaks and lunch hours again. For short spans of knitting such as these, I like to make little projects -- it makes me feel like I'm getting something accomplished. These hats have gotten a lot of attention around the lunch table. The pattern is one I obtained from the Warm Hands Network's site.

The first hat I knitted (left) I forgot to switch to p1 k1 on the second row, so I carried on, and made the brim in moss stitch, instead of the called-for seed stitch. Because the moss stitch worked up longer than expected, I left out the 'checkerboard' that should have been below the bottom stripe. The top of the hat has a flat shaping, or so I assume, but the way the pattern is written, it pulled into gathers. For the second hat (right) I started the shaping with k5, k2tog around. This gave a little better effect, but it still puckered some. Worked in worsted weight on 4.5mm needles, these hats fit a 2 1/2 year old very well.

Next, I made an adult version out of Shetland Style Chunky. This hat has a 1 1/4 inch 1 x 1 ribbed band, but it made it so tall, the laughter over the resulting stovepipe caused me to turn it to the inside and hem it down. Bonus: it made a super warm hat!

For the top of this one, I put two rounds of plain knitting between the decrease rounds for the first 4 decreases. It made a near-perfectly flat top.

The next 'at work' project will be some yarn swatches for the next issue of Knit Together. I love my part-time job!

Hey, everybody, meet Darling!

There's a story behind that title, and the sweater he's wearing, too!

First the sweater. Darling is wearing my test-knit of the Byron's Daylight in Hofsos sweater designed by Leanne Dyck of Olavia's (www.oknitting.com). The pattern appears in the November, 2007 issue of Knit Together. The walnut coloured yarn doesn't show the pattern up well, so I'll describe it a bit: it's a stocking stitch design with a very cool rib on the cuffs, a seed stitch panel up the left side of the front, and a seed stitch yoke and collar.

As for the title, it's kind of a cute story: When we first met, Darling had just become a grandfather for the first time. I wrote (we were e-mailing at the time): "What do you want to be called? (meaning Granddad, poppa, you know.) He wrote back, "You can call me Darling!" And I've been doing it ever since!

More bits!

No knitting got done last night. My sister dropped by for some help with her social sciences homework which includes information about natural dyes. Between that and a fitness commitment, I only had time left to toss a few things into boxes.

For anyone new to Canadian Guild of Knitters, we've been publishing Knit Together since 2002. Last year we celebrated our fifth anniversary with a new logo and a new website. If I ever get truly skilled at this HTML thing, I might even get my blog to look more like the website.

Oh yes, the webstite... it's www.CGKnitters.ca.

The reason I'm tossing things into boxes is because I'm in the process (long, drawn out process, I might add) of moving out of a home I've lived in for 22 years. So, if I'm a day or so getting back to you, please understand!

A quick look back

The problem with wanting to start a blog for some time means that there are things you have wanted on a blog for some time. Being in 'real time' blogging doesn't lend itself to playing catch up. Nonetheless, I'm going to try.

Here are a couple of photos I've wanted 'out there' of projects from recent issues of Knit Together...

This is the gold version, medium width, of the beaded bracelets in the August 2007 issue. Some projects are just plain fun, and this was one of them. The beads in this case, came from a big box store that sells everything from soup to nuts, and the gold rayon cord was left over from a beaded scarf project.

The red and black cowl is the mini project from the November, 2007 issue of Knit Together. This is the Coziest thing! I have worn it all winter, and when I had to replace my coat I opted for one without a hood. It's made from Patons Divine and Bernat Boa. I also knitted the full-size man's sweater, Byron's Daylight in Hofsos, but haven't got any photos of it quite yet.

A Long Time Coming!

For a long time I have wanted to create a blog for Canadian Guild of Knitters. Today was the day! Look for updates over the coming days.

There were several reasons for wanting a blog: 1. I publish in black and white and have these lovely colour photos of the projects we put in the magazine. I really want to share! 2. I wanted a bit of a chronicle of the day-to-day events with Canadian Guild of Knitters. 3. I wanted a chronicle of my personal knitting adventures! Knit Together consumes a lot of knitting time, and a lot of writing time, but I do get to do an odd project for personal satisfaction, and want to share them, too. 4. You know, I figured it couldn't hurt to have another hobby (just kidding).

Enjoy!

Yours in knitting,

Cynthia