Happy Victoria Day

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather.

Poor Melo had a very bad night last night. His thunder coat helps when there is bad weather but it doesn't help with fireworks. They went off around our house from 7pm-1:30am. There is no consoling him. I hope tonight is better. It also meant not much knitting because he had to sit in my lap.

This morning I have been working in the garage. It needs to be cleaned out so that the mustang can live in there. There was some good finds-old Rowan patterns.

At least 20 years ago Rowan had a yarn called Bright Tweed. Chunky weight which was great. The patterns were photographed in black and white which was interesting. Many knitters are influenced by the colour in the picture and this way knitters picked the colour they liked not what the model was wearing.

I even found a skein of Bright Tweed.

Rowan Denim. I have/had at least 5 sweaters from this book.

Beth has gone golfing, the dogs are visiting their grandparents and I have the house to myself. There could be a knitting marathon happening.

Soak

A week ago I sent an email to Namaste and asked if they were going to have anything new at TNNA. They told me a little secret that I couldn't share but there are pictures on the Namaste Facebook page now so I'm going to spill.

Oh Snap! pouches in pretty new colours.

A divinely simple way to keep your stuff in its right place- the Oh Snap! pouches come in a set of 3 to bring the Zen back to your life (and your handbag). Whether you're a tidy two-shoes or a messy marvin, Oh Snap! keeps it all together for you. Customized Namaste snaps, carefully crafted mesh pouches, it's effortless organization- Oh Snap! 

Beth finished a hat on Friday night which meant more blocking. There has been a lot of that happening in my house lately. So much that I finished off my bottle of Yuzu. I have written about blocking before but in case you missed it here it is again.

Soak is modern care for fine fibers. This rinse-free formulation is perfect for washing your laciest lingerie, your softest sweaters, swimwear, workout gear, hand-made quilts and even baby clothes. Soak is gentle and deliciously scented with fabric-friendly ingredients that revitalize fibers so they look great and last longer.  

Full of tart citrus + crushed eucalyptus, you're sure to love Yuzu-the newest scent.

I start filling the sink (or bathtub for a large project) with cold water and add some Soak - one squirt which is roughly a tablespoon. I put in my shawl, cowl, sweater... and let it soak for 15 minutes. Then I take it out and roll it in a towel to get out the excess water. You don't rinse out the Soak. Then I lay my project out to dry. If the project is a lace scarf or shawl then I stretch it out to the required dimensions and pin or use my blocking wires. If you have finished a garment that is a bit too small you can add width or length when you lay it out.

It's really easy and doesn't take much time. You will notice a difference in your finished project because the stitches will lay flatter and more even. And there is a nice scent if you choose. Soak is available in Scentless for those who have an aversion to scents.

Soak is great for your lingerie and swim wear as well. We all know that these garments are not cheap and we want them to last as long as possible. Soak helps with that.

If you aren't near us to buy Soak, you can find a list of retailers here. If you haven't tried Soak I would suggest getting a small bottle and I'm fairly sure you will come back and tell me that you like it.

My Summerspun cardigan is growing. The back is about 1/3 of the way done.

One front is at this length as well. There should be lots of knitting this afternoon. Unless a nap gets in the way. 

Linen Stitch Addendum Part 2

Churchmouse brings us another addendum to the Linen Stitch Scarf. This time using Alpaca Silk from Blue Sky Alpacas.

"Sleek, sumptuous drape."

We're always looking for new ways to make our favorite Churchmouse patterns, and play with our favorite yarns and colors. This project satisfies all of those criteria! Choose your favorite color combination below — one skein each of three colors of Blue Sky Alpacas Silk — to stripe away in linen stitch. The resulting scarf boasts both yummy drape and sleekness to wear all year 'round. 

3 skeins Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk (50% alpaca, 50% silk; 50g, 146 yds/133m), 1 each in 3 colors.

US 9 (5.5mm) 24-32" circular needle, or size to obtain gauge.

Today you can't get at the Alpaca Silk in the store but next week it will be in it's new home.

You can also use Metalico from Blue Sky if you want a bit more dressy/shiny scarf. As I'm writing this I think that I might send that off to Lynda to knit when she is done her current projects.

See the six shades...

Last night Beth and I watched the season finale of Grey's. I won't say anything in case some of you are saving it for the weekend. Beth called the ending 15 minutes before it happened. I don't know if I can wait for September/October to know the outcome.

I mentioned in last night's post that I messed up the website. It's all good now. Thank you Korey. I learned a very important message. Don't add anything on the weekend just in case. :)

I'm home now and going to get some serious knitting done tonight. I haven't done much this week and the Summerspun cardigan isn't going to knit itself.

And I will leave you with a link to Ravelry for a cute summer cardigan. Brynna from Chic Knits.

Rearranging

As promised, here are some more pictures of the Color Play Mohair Wrap.

Lynn came in to help me move yarn around today. It's getting there but I still want to sit down on the floor and cry because the store really looks like it has been vandalized but next week things will be better.

 Bags of yarn are thrown everywhere .

I'm not sure how everything fit in before. All the yarn was on shelves and it seems that it won't fit now. Kind of like packing when coming home from vacation. You got it all there so it should fit to come home.

One of the shelves in the front window filled with chunky yarns.

The other shelf in the front window filled with bulky yarns. There is a plan for the empty column but right now that yarn is out of the way so we don't need to worry about it today. I'm trying to get everything that is in baskets on the floor onto shelves.

It's 6:30 and I decided to add the new Rowan Fine Art Collection to the website. Not the smartest time to do it. I messed something up and the website is down. Hope to have it back up soon.

Color Play times 3

It's been an early start to the day. We were up at 5am so that Beth and dad could head to North Bay. There was no sense trying to sleep while she and the dogs were up.

My wrap was dry so I sewed in the ends (while watching an episode of Elementary) and then took pictures in different locations at home. This is over the fence at my neighbours. I had to go quick before their dogs saw me because they bark like crazy and it was 7am. Didn't want to wake the neighbourhood.

It is amazing how different the colours look in different light. 

In our front garden where the sun isn't shining yet. The flowers are starting to bloom which makes it feel like summer.

On my back fence.

I did a few rows on my Summerspun cardigan and then started my blog post.

We received Fino from Manos del Uruguay a few weeks ago and I keep looking at the beautiful colours.

Elegant and refined, Fino combines the softness of merino wool with the lustre of silk in a lightweight yarn that’s perfect for heirloom accessories or luxurious garments. Fino features a new dye process that yields complex, subtle, tonal colors.

70% extrafine merino wool, 30% silk

approx. 490 yds / 450 mts per 3.5 oz / 100 g

You can see the shades on my suppliers website...

I'm bringing this up today because I just saw some great patterns on Ravelry that use one skein of Fino

Eternidad Scarf 
Pluma Shawlette
Fino Circle Scarf
Martine Hat

And the best part-all the patterns are free.

I didn't get to work until 8:30. Sometimes when you have too much time to get ready you go at a slow pace which I did this morning. Now I've been trying to figure out if the yarn is going to fit how I envisioned it. So far it isn't but I'm going to look at it again when I'm done writing. Maybe it will magically work now.

It's later in the day and Anne just left. She came in to see the Rowan Fine Art. If you haven't visited Anne's blog I suggest that you take a look. Life LackaDaisiCal... Anne is what I would call a Rowan fanatic - and that isn't a bad thing. She been in love with Rowan since she saw her first Rowan magazine.

While she was here we got talking about blogging and I asked how she got her cool pictures. She told me a neat trick on my mac. Now I can make neat pictures too. Thanks Anne.

Mr. Canada Post brought in a parcel from my knitter Ann. Two more Color Play Mohair Wraps. I have a few pictures for you but watch Anne's blog because she took some pictures too.

They are beautiful.

I will show more pictures tomorrow. It's 8pm now which means the day has been long and I'm a bit tired. I want to make some fun pictures but my body says it wants to relax. Kim and I got a lot of yarn moved today. It's not working how I wanted so we are improvising and I think it will great when done.

Baileys

Mr. Canada Post brought in two boxes this morning. The first was from Lynda with a beautiful cardigan. I thought about making it for myself and now that I've seen the finished cardigan I will be making it.

Pattern: Baileys Irish Cream by Thea Colman (purchased on Ravelry)

Yarn: Zara (100% extra fine merino super wash - 125m on a 50gram ball ) from Filatura di Crosa

See the shades...

Shaping is centered on the back, which - like the arms - is knit in stockinette, so you can still make a few flattering mods as you go. The sweater is knit from the bottom up, sleeves attached at the yoke - and the collar and button bands are added at the end.

Baileys is a delicate cardigan that balances elegant details and simple design in one sweater. A cable and lace motif in a seemingly complex pattern (really it’s not!), a lace collar and open neckline, delicate buttons, and a creamy silk-merino- cashmere yarn add to the light, feminine vibe of the design, while a strong cabled button band, stockinette panels, and a turned hem bring the sweater back down to earth. Simple and flirty at the same time. Kind of made for Valentine’s Day, yes?

The second box was the Summer 2013 issue of Interweave Knits.

The garments in the Summer 2013 issue of Interweave Knits are full of surprises. Cast on for something fresh and fun with reimagined nautical favorites ("Fore & Aft"), finely tailored sweater girl staples ("A Touch of Nostalgia"), graceful takes on lace ("Aperture"), graphic, allover openwork ("Tracing Paper"), and modern experiments in fiber and gauge ("Flora & Fauna"). Summer is calling! Is your knitting bag ready?

I haven't had a chance to flip through the magazine yet. There have been a few other things happening in the store today.

Mr. UPS brought in Rowan's Fine Art. The colours are awesome. I haven't looked through that book either. Tomorrow. :)

I talked about my Blocking Room last night. This is what my bathroom looks like right now. Thank goodness I have a separate shower because there is no way to have a bath.

Kim and I have made quite a mess in the store today. I'm not sure if you understand what quite a mess is. Over half of the yarn in the store is being moved to a new room. This is going to take a while. Like weeks to get it all sorted but it's exciting.

We are moving all like thickness yarns together - it doesn't matter the brand. This means that there will no longer be a Rowan room and the Rowan yarns will live with other yarns that work to the same tension. This was a long debated decision. I really liked loved my Rowan room but when someone came in looking for a dk weight yarn (or worsted or bulky or...) we were showing them yarn in many different spots. This way it is much easier for people buying yarn.

This is how the sock wall is shaping up.

It's going home time and there is an internal debate going on. Should I stay and move more yarn or go home and knit??

Going home won but I still haven't knit. I baked two dozen cookies for my dad. He has to drive to North Bay tomorrow for a business meeting so Beth is going along. Didn't want him driving by himself and she has some business she can do there. Then I made dinner. Now we are heading to my parents. Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. And a big one! 50 :)

Blocking Room

It's the week of free patterns.

Knit this elegant shawl, the member's monthly exclusive free pattern for April. Designed by Sarah Hatton using our stunning Kidsilk Haze Glamour (mohair, silk, polyester & nylon) the sequins add a bit of sparkle making this perfect for evening wear.

Download the pattern...

5 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze Glamour
5mm needles

Knit this elegant lace scarf, a free download as part of the launch of our new yarn Kidsilk Haze Glamour (super kid mohair and silk). This pattern is from the Rowan archive, originally designed by Martin Storey and re-worked in Kidsilk Haze Glamour, this knitting pattern is a sophisticated and stylish design and is for the intermediate knitter. This free pattern PDF has also been translated into French, German and Dutch - only print the pages you need after downloading.

Download the pattern...

3 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze Glamour
5mm needles

So I'm busily writing away when I checked the website. I totally forgot to add this yarn. It's there now but the shade cards aren't there yet. You can see the shades on Rowan's website...

Do you ever have the discussion
"If we had unlimited money and were building a new house it would have............."

-We need a bigger kitchen because the dogs always want to be in there when we are cooking.

-I want a bigger laundry room that has shelves and a table for folding laundry. I also want somewhere to hang clothes that don't go in the dryer.

-Today I came up with a new one. I want a Blocking Room. Lots of tables. Long tables. And a sink. Last night I blocked a cowl for Beth and it is on the island in the kitchen. I just blocked a scarf and my Color Play Mohair Wrap. They are spread out on styrofoam that is lying across my bathtub. But the styrofoam isn't long enough so the knitting is doubled over. My Blocking Room will be really long so anything I block can lay out flat.

There are more but those are the three big ones.

I was just getting ready to hit Publish when my computer made a noise to let me know that I had a new email. UPS let me know that they are bringing a box tomorrow.

Fine Art is supposed to be in the box.