I'll Have Another Order of Purple Milk Please

Can you smell the crispness in the air? Do you know what that means? Do you know why Mother Nature is gently nudging us towards our jackets and hats once again?

She wants us to know THAT CHRISTMAS IS COMING HOLY SMOKES GET KNITTING!

So, I did. Er, I am.

I recently cast off a Christmas gift and am feeling pretty good about myself. Too bad I made a list this week of everyone I intend to knit for- I'm so hilarious sometimes. The list was absolutely laughable. I'll be lucky to get a pair of chunky socks done.

Well, at least I can feel good in knowing that there will be at least one lovingly handknit item under the tree from me. (For a certain VERY loved one who just purchased purple glasses- the colour was choice was very intentional).

What is it? I hear you ask.

Look familiar?

I bet it does!

Because you saw it here not so long ago! (I'm getting pretty boring and predictable, aren't I?)

Details please.

Pattern- Milkweed Shawl by Laura Chau
Yarn- Tosh Sock
Needles- 3.5 mm

Thank you.

Happy Fall.
Flowers for all to match the shawl.

(Did I just leave you with a rhyme there!?!?!? I DID!)

I KNEW I Chose this Polish for a Reason

A few days back as I was digging through my extensive nail polish collection to pick out my 'shade of the week' (don't laugh). I landed on this milk-chocolatey-rusty-cinnamon shade (how's that for a colour description?). After I had slapped some onto my nails I admired them (but only for a moment) until I realized "Gee Lynn... you really have kissed summer good-bye".

Where has all the hot pink and vivid read gone!?!?! I took myself by complete surprise. I felt like I didn't even know myself anymore.

That is until ... I walked into the shop and my mom asked me to close my eyes and hold out my hand. I did this with some hesitation (I always think that someone is going to put a mouse in my hand when that happens) but low and behold, there was no mouse. But a BISON-BAMBOO wrist warmer!

Holy heavens how wonderful!

If you recall... I am a total sucker for ensuring that nails match fingerless gloves. I knew there was a subconcious method to my milk-chocolatey-rusty-cinnamon madness.

The details? NO PROB!

Pattern? ACTUALLY! How about kit? Fibreisle's for "Zoe's Wrist Warmers" (we have them in the shop)

Needles? Whatever came in the kit! (Remember now, I didn't knit them) 2.25 perhaps?

Yarn? Again... came in the kit. BUT, it's Fibreisle's Bamboo-Bison blend in laceweight. So warm... and such pretty colours!

So I guess I didn't completely write-off summer afterall. I was just prepping for all the Fall accessories that are about to come my way.

Le Sigh...

Seriously Lynn???

I had a week off recently and thought that I'd be oh-so-clever and get cracking on some Christmas gifts. I raided my stash, pulled some fun sock yarn from the deep depths and got rolling.

Much to my amazement, a pair was completed.

Cute enough.

Right?

Look closer.

I panicked, concerned that my knitting had become so inconsistent I couldn't even get socks to match anymore. Had I knit one before I had completely wound down from work that it was that much tighter? One sock representing my state of mind at the beginning of holidays... and one at the end?

HAH! No. (This realization was a bigger relief than you know!) It was just me getting bored with this project and itching like mad to start something new. I ended the second sock an entire repeat before the other (making it three fat stripes shorter).

Aiaiai...I am not convinced that my holiday did what it was supposed to.

I think it just made me even more daft than I was going into it.

Peaches anyone?

Lions, and Garter and Lace- OH MY!

Well I'll be... Do I look overly pleased with myself or WHAT!?!?!? I mean really, it's just ridiculous! Not only is it a million degrees outside and I'm wearing long sleeves and a scarf/shawl, I am smiling so big it looks like my lips are going to disappear!

And why is that? You ask.



Because I have used up yarn that has been staring at me for over a year from my bookshelf, AND because I was able to use that yarn not only on garter stitch (I love me some decent garter!), but LACE also! I often worry that my brain is rotting because I knit so darned many plain-jane socks, that it feels MIGHTY good to have popped some lace off the needles. It is nothing epic mind you, but it feels rather good none the less.



Can't you tell?

You want the deets? I'll give you the deets.

Pattern- Milkweek by Laura Chau (available for purchase through her site)
Yarn- Cadenza by Estelle- 1 skein! Love that.

Needles- 3.5 mm, but I think I'd bump it up to a 3.75 next time around (I must have been stressed... SO TIGHT!)

Fun factor- It's fun. Believe me. It's fun. HELLO! It's garter stitch and LACE! Together at LAST!

And lastly, look at what a dear friend recently gifted to me!

May this act as a gentle reminder to me each and every day.

Summer Tiiiiiime...

And the living is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is... being crocheted!

Mandarin Petite cotton that is! Into a sweet little chevron patterned baby blanket.

And while that's all happening, the tomatoes are ripening.

And there are sweeeeeeeet blooms everywhere.

This sure beats working with that heavy mohair/wool blend yarn from last summer! Aiaiai... What exactly was I thinking???

In this hot, hot heat... I'll stick to the Mandarin, merci!

A Feast for the Eyes (and Soon the Belly too!)

How about a healthy helping of some Handmaiden Sea Silk...


Some Madelinetosh Sock...



New Noro Silk Garden colours...

And my first ever bitsy cucumber that's growing as fast as it can.

My life SO doesn't suck.

Cotton, Coral and SUMMER!

I have discovered that when new yarn starts rolling in to welcome a new season, I immediately cast something on. It's like I just black out and before I know it, I am 4" into something. I actually sometimes have to go back and remind myself exactly what pattern it was that seduced me into knitting it.

Back in April/May, this was the case with this lovely cotton coral vest.

A new yarn showed it's face called 'Replay' by Tahki Stacy Charles. It's a 100% recycled cotton (I am still sort of trying to figure out what means exactly since I don't throw my jeans in the recycling bin- do you?) and aran weight. It comes in fabulous colours that remind me of the shelf of very loved t-shirts in my closet. The book that accompanied the yarn was equally enticing and before I knew it... I had knit the body of this baby!

Sigh... when you finally come to terms with posting photos of yourself online, you have to be ok with the fact that not every single image will be FABulous. In this case, I ask you to please just revert your attention to the vest- not the face.

Now- as with most projects, I learned a very valuable lesson here. In this case it was read the pattern before you just charge into a project. If I had read through the pattern, I likely wouldn't have cast on. Why you ask? Because the neck line asks you to kindly pick up over 400 stitches in cotton yarn- not the worlds most forgiving fibre. (Did you feel me just throw up a little???)

Having said that... It was probably super good for me to have to do this and work outside of my comfort zone. Did I particularly enjoy that part of the vest? Heck no.

Especially when I realized I had made a massive mistake and had to rip it all out and pick up those stupid stitches all over again.

BUT- look at what a lovely vest I now have!!!

Feeling kinda groovy

I must say though that I am entirely tickled with the finished product. What the pattern lacked in laze-factor, it made up for in fit-factor. I love the fit! Now, enough time has passed since completion that I don't feel like I want to throw it into my recycling bin along with my jeans. I tend to have to let my projects marinade for a while after finishing them before I wear them (and in this case, blog about them).

I don't know why that is... it just is.

Want some details???

Well, twist my rubber arm!

Yarn- Tahki Stacy Charles 'Replay', 100% recycled cotton. 7 balls.

Pattern- Washington Square Vest

Needles- The pattern called for 5.5mm, but I used 5mm (because I guess I just felt like rebelling when I saw the number of stitches I was picking up).

Size- Medium. 37" finished bust. I went up a size than I normally would since I bumped down my needle size. Sometimes that's a scary thing to do, but it this case it worked out looooovely like. (I tell you, I am just SUCH a knitting risk taker!)

Summer is still young... cotton vests for everyone!


I hope you all have functioning air conditioners!

Socks Just Never Get Old

Honestly.

How is it that some socks just seem to fly right off the needles? Some fly, and then some seem to take what feels like YEARS to finish up. These ones were the flying kind. But why is that? Could it be because these socks had no recipient waiting impatiently 4 months after Christmas for me to graft the dang toes for them? (Little do they know that they're likely going to have to wait another 4 months at least!) Or is it because I used my Signature needles? (Those things are lethal- but FAST!) Could it simply be because I absolutely adore this yarn and even 10 years after discovering my first ball of self-striping yarn, I still marvel at the way the stripes work up?

I'm stumped.

But this game just never gets old.


It's smoking hot outside, and it's too hot to allow any sort of knitterly thing to drape over my lap. So socks it is!



Yarn? My favorite shade of Fabel- 911. This is the same colour I used many moons ago to crochet those wee baby mukluks! I thought it was about time I added this colour to my own sock wardrobe! Why do babies always get to have all the fun anyway?

Needles? 2.5 mm Signature needles I purchased last summer at the Sock Summit. MAN! Those things are SHARP- but oh-so-efficient!

Pattern? The one that I store in my head. Every sock knitter has one of those.

So, I hope you are keeping cool while hopefully knitting up a sock or two. I suppose that two is the sensible thing to do usually... Or so I'm told.

But, if knitting socks just doesn't seem to be helping you beat the heat, then eat some gelato.


Lemon and hazelnut please.

And thanks.

The Break-Up Blanket

Once upon a time, I broke with a dear boyfriend. It's ok though. These things happen and I'm over it now (although I appreciate the sympathy I just felt come my way from you).

I recall shouting out to a friend to do a wee demo for me on how granny squares were born. I figured a little round-and-round crocheting would do my body some good- and did it ever. She came to my rescue, and I crocheted my way through that broken heart.



Fast forward quite some time and I finally realize how littered my living room floor is with these granny squares. You know when something has been there for so long that you stop even noticing it's even there? Like... dirty laundry? Or a dead house plant? That happened with these squares.

Upon re-discovering these little morsels of crocheted goodness, I did a quick count and realized that I wasn't all that far off a decent sized afghan. So, I got back to it.

The squares I completed most recently were done at a slightly more relaxed tension as I wasn't nursing any broken hearts, but I'd say it all worked out in the end.

Wouldn't you?

It would seem that I am entering that phase in my life now where wedding invites are beginning to roll in more and more frequently. While I had considered packaging this up for a wedding gift, I can't imagine that a real friend would hand off a 'Break-Up-Blanket' as a wedding gift.

That's just cruel.

Right?

Soooo it's all mine.

And the yarny-good details??

Yarn? Cascade 220. 19 skeins total. 8 colours, 10 squares per colour. 2 skeins per 'set' of 10 squares (1 skein in the colour, 1 skein in navy border) plus that 1 extra skein of aqua I had to dip into for the double crocheted border. Ya follow?

The Hook? 4.5 mm

It's the cheapest therapy going- baby.

Not to mention, I'm cozier than I was before the break-up.

I'd say I came out on top.

Wouldn't you?

Happy beginning of Summer to you all!

Nuts to Slow and Steady! I Need Some Instant Gratification!

I am at it again- more cowls that is! I just can't stop... And the best thing about this one? I was able to cast on, knit the thing, rip it out and re-knit it...ready for this?? ALL IN ONE DAY.

So, that means that you could actually make this for a set of twins on the day of their actual birthday when you realize that you forgot to get them something. HA! How perfect is that?

My neighbours are going to start to wonder why I keep asking dear cousin to take my picture outside in various summer outfits with winter accessories. I wouldn't blame them...

It looks pretty simple though... doesn't it? So you wonder why I had to tear it out? Well... it is simple. So simple, it hurts (in a good way, like a deep tissue massage).

BUT, I thought I would be clever and add extra stitches to the pattern to make it deeper. Silly me though refused to dip into a second skein and the result of my modification was that I had a cowl for a giraffe- not me.


In any case, this was one of the less dramatic rrrrrips of my knitting career and I am happy I sucked it up and did it. I tend to just chuck projects that need a tear into a closet and forget about them. Yup... I have a closet designated for such projects. When I need to go in there, I open and then close it REALLYFAST. It's not a place I like to linger much.




Things you wanna know?


Pattern- My Kinda Cowl by Trisha Woodson
Yarn- Magnum by Cascade Yarns
Needle- 12.75 mm
Ease Factor-So easy I was thinking of casting one on and knitting it while I sleep tonight.



Huh. In writing this post I realize that I actually have a set of very special twin friends with a birthday fast approaching... June 28th.

Oooohhh... relax Lynn. You've got loads of time.



So, I think I'll stop and enjoy the roses.

That's what I do.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It all began when one customer brought in their lovely version of this Kristen Kapur pattern called 'High Line Shawl' knit out of Estelle's Super Alpaca. I was taken with it, but listened to the little voice in my head that said "No Lynn. Even though you have been wanting to try out that chunky alpaca for a dog's age, you have enough on your needles to keep you busy for the next 10 years. Chill out."

I thought that by the next day, I'd be over it.

Well... I sort of was.

That is, until another customer brought it in.

And then- ANOTHER!

At this point, I had no choice. I simply had to cast on.

Which obviously, I did- because I cast off not too long ago!


There were four skeins of that marvelous chunky alpaca sitting on the shelf in this vivid shade of red, and they were mine.

All mine.



And the pattern? I can't say enough. My crush on Kristen began not so long ago when the latest issue of Knitty showcased her adorable cardi called Que Sera (for which I have the yarn wound, but not knit).


But after this project walked in the door, my love affair really began. She's super. And I have just made my crush public. (Can you feel me blushing?)


I never thought of myself as one who would get much use out of a wrap such as this, but let's be realistic... The days that it's cold enough to wear chunky alpaca?

I'll be cocooned like this.

And I'll get TONNES of usage. I just know it.

Clearly today wasn't one of those days that I planned on staying cocooned for long

So why bother knitting in lace you ask? If I am just going to bunch it all up around my neck for no one to see but me?

It's kinda like wearing a killer pair of lace underwear.

Does anyone really need to know you're wearing them?

Not really.

But do you feel like a million bucks?

Absolutely.

DETAILS WE LOVE!

Yarn- Estelle Super Alpaca

Needles- 9mm (even though the pattern calls for 10mm, I just used what was within arms reach)

Pattern- 'High Line Shawl' by Kristen Kapur

Difficulty level- Super great intro into lace. Just... don't try to watch Slum Dog Millionaire while acquianting yourself with the pattern. I had several big rrrrrrip outs occur.

So, to those customers who knit this shawl and inspired the heck out of me?

These are for you.

Cowls in June? Why of course!

When yarn rolls into the shop, it's hard to resist the temptation to immediately wind up a skein in my favorite colour and cast on. When Madelinetosh rolled in, the temptation was as strong as ever- and I succombed.

What could I possibly do with one skein though? HAH! Easy-peasy. Go on Ravelry and copy what 71 other people have done- knit the 'Honey Cowl'!

BANG! I cast this sucker on yesterday afternoon, and cast off first thing this morning. Not only is that a testament to how beautiful the yarn is to knit with, it's also an indication that the pattern is stellar.

So much so... that I'm going to do it again. But looooonger this time. Because this girl can never have too many 'neck warmers'.


Details?
Why of course!

Yarn- Madelinetosh Vintage in Oxblood (1 skein)
Needles- 5mm circular 60 cm
Pattern- Honey Cowl by Madelinetosh

Ahhh... I have mixed feelings about loving 'Oxblood' as much as I do.

And this wee shot is for anyone who loves peonies as much as I do... which is probably most of you.

Holy cow... I'm not sure that even a Madelinetosh cowl can even compete with this.

Can I even say that on a knitting blog?
Pfft. So sue me.